The St. Louis Republic., 1904-07-31

Here are a few words OF. good advice
for the Odeon Kiralfy., The spectacle is
beyond doubt one Of the most striking
things OF the kind ever put upon the
stage. 1t Is colorful and lively It has
points Of originality.
But at best the spectacle l. but a back
ground Of light and. motion upon which
there should be painted striking single
figures. There is need for principals. There
Is need for a break in the composition.
There should be less of history and
versifcation that sounds like the Superba
Of much Hanlon glory and more fun for
the moment For example, what might
not be done IL a Joe Cawthorne and Hell
en- Bertram and Josie Saddler and Paula
Edwards and a Billy Cameron were to
have something to do In the course of
the piece?
1t is not unreasonable to say that the
receipts would at once double and that
the fame Of the piece would spread from
ocean to ocean.
L have never seen a spectacle of great
er magnificence, but the eye and ear
tire and yearn for a face and a song
that will break the stretch Of scenic and
costume beauty
Let Billy Cameron dance two or three
times, have tenor ballad singer with two
or three songs. have a comedy Dutch
man and little of the Dave warfield
effect and the line of customers will
reach from the box office to Finney ave-
nue..
Once more do we have before our ewes
some evidence of the troubles of those
who dare to oppose the theatrical "syndi-
cate
Mr.. Belasco, the most famous of stage
managers. has taken the Imperial Theater,
and with the assistance Of Manager Rus
sell has repapered. repainted and refur-
nished for an indefinite season Of Blanche
Bates and ''The Darling of the Gods" Mr..
Belasco had thought Of playing this ia
nous drama at the Olympic, but his trou-
bic with the trust stood in the way.
So he has taken down the popular-price
sign At the Imperial. has raised the flag
Of defiance to the trust and hopes to
lure the masses to Tenth and Pine with
the big production and the excellent act
ress who is starring in it for him.
Miss Bates is one of the most forceful of
our young actresses. We of the West re-
member her most for what she did as MI
lady and as Cigarette, the dashing She
devil of Under Two Flags" Miss Rates
has taken house on Lindell boulevard,
where she will reside with her mother.
1t is quite likely that success at the
Imperial will keep her there throughout
the autumn.
Charles Frohman evidently doesn't feel
any apprehension on the ground that there
He is out with formal announcement
that he controls some sixty plays new to
this country in addition to thirty stars.
The works he announces for production
have been secured from Augustus Thom-
as, Henry Guy Carleton, Sydney Rosen-
field, Paul Potter, Madeleine Lucette Ry-
ley, A. W. Pinero. H. v. Esmond, Clyde
Fitch. Henry Arthur Jones. r. G. Car
ton, j. NJ. Barrie, Haddon Chambers. Rob-
ert Marshall Louis N. Parker. W. w.
Jacobs and several other weli-known
writers of American and European ORR
gin.
The star list includes Sir Henry Irving,
William Gillette. Sir Charles Wyndham,
Annie Russell. Ellen Terry. Francis Will
son, Mrs. Patrick Campbell. Edna May,
John Hare, William Faversham, Maude
Adams. Virginia Harmed. John Drew. Sey-
mour Hicks. Mrs. Gilbert. Ellafine Terris.
w. H. Crane. Irene Van Brugh, Ethel
Barrymore. william Collier. Julia Mar
lowe. Sam Bernard. E. H. Sothern. H. B.
Irving. Marie Tempest, Clara Bloodgood,
Mrs. Lan9try. Hattie Williams. Henry
Miller and Fay Davis.
Not 30 many years ago a manager who
evcn dreamed Of conducting such coios-
n, -Auainesa Royld have been regarded -