The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-06

WI , NDerla' <
Yesterdays matinees found the theater.
packed with audiences that were made
up, for the most part. Of strangers. Out
of-town people have so literally patronized
the p~layhouses that town folk have al.
most fallen away from the theater habit
Friday night at the Century was excep.
tional in the fact that st. Louis faces
were thick In the throng that looked on
while Mr.. Goodwin played his admirable
"Usurper." 1t is too bad that Mr.. Good
win closes his engagement SO soon, but
IT Is an almost equally happy thing that
Mr.. Dockstader begins his on the very
heels OF the famous comedian. The min
strel king will begin his season here with
a Sunday matinee. quite a new thing for
the Century.
One Of the real wonders of the 81. Louis
season Is the "Ben-Hur" run at the O!ym-
pic Theater. Mr.. Short says that he can
see no reason for believing that the re-
naming three weeks will show any falling
on In IN interest that has been phenom-
email. The Olympic is a big theater, but It
has never been big enough for the crowds
that have COM from near and far 20 see
tbs famous General Wallace drama of
pageanfry and solemnity. The sixth con-
eecutfve week begins tomorrow evening.
making the eleventh week for the play at
the Olympic. There will be three weeks
more In this run. when there will come
the ever delightful Viola Allen. who, as
q revivalist Of Shakespeare, has made the
success OF her career.
go
Nj. Tate has been ccmplimented by the
Columbia patrons on the excellence of his
current bill in general and on the good
ness of Lafayette In particular. This i'm
~personator and all-round entertainer, who
has been seen before now in a less elab-
crate turn. now fares forth as a whole
show himself. Mr.. Tate is now not only
managing the Columbia. but is a partici-
amt of the successes at Music Hall. at the
Imperial. at the Grand and at Havin's. to
say nothing Of Hagenbeck's. He is be-
coming q most formidable syndicate.
ss
II one were looking for examples 10
prove the trte adage. How small the
world H." one could not do better than In
vestigate the ives and careers of actors
II ID often startlingly coipcidental how
closely certain players continually come
In contact. and. after years of separa-
ton. return to their old associations, with
q regularity which almost seems to nav a
rule rs fixed as that of the solar system.
No more striking case can be cited than
that Of Mr.. J.. Harry Benrimo. who has
made himself something of a favorite in
this community by his finished and subtle
work with Miss Blanche Bates in THE
DARING of the Gods" Like Miss Bates,
Mf. Benrimo was born in San Francisco,
hut several years antedating that young
1ady's arrival. for, on occasions, he boast
fully relates that he can remember her In
short skirts and pigtails down her back
when no considered himself a young gen.
tleman OF ye1rs and discretion.
The first play that Mr.. Benrimo ever
saw was Camille" and he ran away to
Do %. He had been to a circus and had
sean Haveriy's Minstrels. but never a
real play. and his heart was set on wit
Messing the sufferings n sorrows Of
Marguerite Gauthier," especially as his
mother had strong prejudices against that
lsdy's life being .dealized as a stage epic.
Being 4 son OF Adam. he hankered for the
fesbldden fruit. and with his pocket
money allowance for a Saturday holiday
betook himself to the gallery Of the old
California Theater, to discover the right
or wrong Of the character Of Dumas's he
roine. The lady Of the Camilias was ON
thst occasion impersonated by Mrs. F. NJ.
Bstes. and the Armand Duvai by her
husband, the parents OF Mr.. Benrimo's
present star.
This u but the beginning Of the chain
OF ~coincidences. When the love of the
stage, founded that afternoon, eventually |
led Bsnrimo to adopt It as his life work.
he Joined the Osborne and stockwell stock |
company in ean Francisco. Of which Mrs.
Ha4es was then the leading woman.
with her he played a general round of
her son. her lover. her husband.
her father.
a Camille he played both Monsieur
puval and the Count de varvilie.
On one occasion they played a darby
husband and wife.
Again, they were associated together un-
- the management Of Fred Reiasco, the
ecether o6 David Belasco. their present d.