The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-28

| America. All those In the previous acts
are seen, with the exception of the original
Lord Darlington, he of the electrical ma
chine fame.
During the progress OF this act the
bogus Lord Darlington attempts to marry
| the daughter OF a wealthy mill owner,
but. unfortunately. cannot resist shooting
| electricity into persons, and. with the aid
Of little gun cotton, he blows up the
| mill owner. The climax is another choking
scene. perhaps even better than any of
! the preceding ones.
| The fourth act is laid in the vicinity of
st. Louis. The first scene shows the in
terror of lowly cottage. through the
windows of which can be seen a valley
surrounded by mountains. The second
scene Is on Broadway and the third is a
weird mountain gorge called "Bonfils."
| Mccain is introduced in this scene.
harrington and Mccain go there to meet
woman. one of Barrington's many
wives, who has promised to pay him a
large sum of money for a compromising
| letter.
harrington, as usual. succeeds In get
| ting thoroughly choked, but Mccain rushes
to his rescue and shoots wildly into the
air. Several persons fall to the ground,
and Mccain, with muttered I've tick
cts for South America; must cen flee
from this accursed spot," rushes hurried
ly into the wings.
| A quick curtain prevents the audience
| from seeing how devastating McCann's
artillery practice had been, but the final
scene shows the Clayton Jail. and through
| a conveniently transparent brick wall
Darlington can be seen writing a history
| Of his life. which. he gives to one of the
women he has wronged and thereby
3,brings joy and happiness to others.
/ The final curtain falls as Darlington
smokes fat cigar, evidently terrifying
I himself for the choking to be admins
tered by the two neglected members of
| the cast. who are waiting for him at the
foot of the steps justly indignant at the
| oversight of the man who built the play.
| THE Sultan Of Sulu" seen at the Olym-
| pic Theater last night was better show
than 1.-THE Sultan of Sulu' given here
| year ago. Frank Moulan was missed, to
be sure, but as a production the revival
| affords better amusement than the per-
| formances of something more than year
| ago.
The long engagements in the East have
| enabled the principals and the chorus to
become letter perfect in those little de-
| tails which add SO much to musical
| piece.
| With the exception OF Moulan. the cast
| is as good as IL not better than that of
! last season. Cheridah Simpson appears in
| the Berr role. She sings charmingly and
| is quite as interesting. sartorially, as Miss
| Berri. Fred Frear again plays the Sui
| tan's secretary.
Blanche Chapman and Gertrude Quin-
Ian also have their old parts. Both
| should be on very good terms with them
| selves. for they were instantly recognized
and welcomed when they came on last
| night, rs Chapman is the same clever
| Coincidence We have known for so many
| seasons. And she seems to grow younger,
| too. Gertie Quinlan is in capital voice.
She no longer sings seriously. as she used
er aS SGof fbe negg ess
| Sam Collins. as Hiram. has the misfor-
| tune to. step into really truly" come
dams shoes. They pinch in all directions.
| takes unto himself the other fellows
! thunder. All the familiar business of
| the artist is given in parroty manner
| that holds the Moulan creation together.
but reveals Mr.. Collins's lack Of origi-
! nality.
For something less than five minutes. in
monologue delivered just before the last
act Of THE Vinegar Buyer at the Cen
| fury, Ezra Kendall demonstrated that he
can be amusing. The vaudeville favorite
| can. and does. tell a story uniquely But
in the play he Is Ezra Kendall, bee-gum
| hat and all. His personality eliminates
any such character es the vinegar. buyer.
Ezra Kendall wandering on and of the
stage, reproaching the villain. talking tenn
| perance TO a drunkard and interrupting
| lovers. is a familiar entertainer in strange
surroundings.
| 1t seemed bit novel last fall. when the
comedy was new. Now the incongruity of
the play and OF Kendall as star is en-
phasized most emphatically.
The Vinegar Buyer might be called
by most any other name. If It were known
| as THE Candy Buyer" about the only
necessary change would be the substitu-
Kendall is funniest when the curtain is
| down and the play is off His following
| then awaits him in impotence.
he mas t nInoroM ,s peIsonat nan nappy
| at an audience, of aiming his shafts at
| you in particular. 1t is gift, and pity
| to waste It in seeming to address group
\ OF uninteresting types in a rather unin-
teresting comedy.
| Mr. Walter Hale. the excellent young
actor who has been playing important
youthful parts in the Skinner-Rehan com
/ bination all OF this season. has received a
proposition from Harper's to 90 to
Japan as war artist-correspondent. Since
| Mr.. Hale Is quite as capable with pen and
| pencil as he Is in his doings with Shakes
| peare, this Harper news is no surprise
| Mr.. Buckley. the SkinEer-Rehan manager,
is in doubt as to what to do in the mat
ter. since he will find it difficult to find
| such another Bassanio.
/ Mr.. Hale is naturally anxious to secure
the far East assignment, not only on ac-
count of its Importance, but for the fur
/ Their reason that Japan is about the only
part Of the world In which he has not
the outlook's Venezuelan pictures at the
time the Germans were down there, ana
now he is but three months home from
the Mediterranean. where he made a book
| full of good things. that are now in the
hands OF various publishers.
Otis SINNERS position Is now so wen
| established that there is no longer
doubt as to his eventual place in the
American drama. II he iives-and his
health and youth are well in his favor
J he will take high place. He IS among