The San Francisco call., 1904-03-21
BEN HENDRICKS
CLEVER ACTOR
ERIK of Sweden" Given by
Capable Performers, Well
Received at California
ORPHEUM SHOW is GOOD
La Belle Guerrero in PantO-
mime Headliner and En-
NETT Corrigan a Holdoyer

Erik of Sweden Is the Offering at
the California for this week. with Ben
Hendricks, the Swedish dialect come
dian. in the title role. The play is a
good one of it's kind, albeit Swedish
comedy has been overdone and under
done these twenty years past. Better
than the play is Hendricks, who would
make a success in almost any kind OF a
comedy role. He is genuinely funny.
ard in addition possesses a splendid
barytone voice, which he used to good
effect in number of songs scattered
throughout the various acts. Notably
acceptable among these are balr Lana
of Sweden" and "Northland Lullaby"
The plot is somewhat more involved
than is usual in Swedish dialect plays.
The hero is Swedish baron who comes
to %hiS country to gain a livelihood
He discards his title and hires as over
seer to wealthy man who had de-
spoiled and disgraced Erik's father In
the old country. The overseer falls In
love with his employers daughter and
his suit is favored by her father. who
hopes thus to repair the wrong he has
done. The villain, Count Ardale. fndif-
ferently played by Charles Rowan also
lays siege to the heart of the heiress.
and after four acts of narrow escapes
and blood curdling attempts on Erik s
life is finally thwarted and goes out
the right upper entrance with a mock
ing laugh. Then the heiress. Anna AL
lonstrom by name, and creditably rem
dered by Miss Helen Nelson. succumbs
to Erik's pleadings and the play is over.
Little Evelyn Wright, precocious and
interesting, delightfully."- portrays Little
Gilmore, and, together with George Mil
Ter as Jim, a New York street waif.
lends strong element of comedy to the
performance. Miss Belle Francis as
Henrietta Mowbry, sister to the villain
and something of a plotter herself
made everything possible out of her
role, which was considerable. Miss Jo-
sephine Florence Shepard as Mrs.
Christina Gulden played the kittenish
widow on somewhat broad lines. but
managed the part very well. The play
will run for the remainder Of the week.
La Belle Guerrero heads the bill at
the Orpheum this week. She appears
in pantomimic sketch, THE Rose and
the Dagger" and the audience responds
with applause. She is ably assisted by
Philippe Daufaure and the two carry
the piece to its finish. There is clever
dancing and the pantomime work is of
the best. The scenic effects are good
and the plot, though worked out in mo-
ton, is complete.
Billy Clifford. known on the bills as
THE Broadway Chappie,' makes a hit.
He sings good songs. has easy manners
on the boards" and retires with hon
ors.
Taffary's trained dogs are the best
that have been exhibited here in some
time. The little beasts appear almost
human and do tricks that seem almost
incredible.
Roattino and Stevens in a novelty
singing and dancing act are good, and
Montell Brothers, equilibrists acrobats
and headto-head balancers deserve
credit for their performance.
Emmett Corrigan and company ap-
pear in Jockey JONES' or THE Day of
the Handicap" and are as popular as
they were last week. The other hold
overs are the Nichols Sisters and Loney
Haskell. The moving pictures are par
ticularly interesting, showing the train
ing quarters of both Britt and Corbett,
also a scene at a life saving station.