The San Francisco call., 1904-06-14
Mrs. Leslie Carter Gives
Her Best Work in
"Du Barry"
Magnificent Accessories
Contribute to Stage
Coup.

A me opal, set IN diamonds, is Les
lie Carter's Du Barry, seen here for the
first time last night at the Grand
Opera-house- The production itself is
the last word Of riotous splendor.
Nothing before seen in san Francisco
approaches II IN sumpuuOus. luxurious
nlagnlnccnce, IN overwhelming beauty
~ picture. Belasco is said 10 have
spent $4,000 upon the settings - and
you can see the money" as Fred Be
lasco puts it. Three thousand dollar
quilts are spread recklessIy on the Du
L5arry's bed. old French medals-seen
Tor one nash OF a moment-glitter on
me couruers' breasts, and II there are
NOT Lne -JycJ0 louis in Jeanne's money
box when she bribes Du Barry. tits only
because David Belasco could not buy
EN-.
But II is only in the of moment one
unos tine 10 note this gorgeousness Of
setting, for setting il Is. one remem-
oers only the lavish splendor OF the
Du Barry boudoir, onyx-pilIared. and
with It's Parian cupids, when the Du
barry herself has gone. In the act of
The iete, where the ebb Of the drama
comes, one finds q moment 10 enjoy
the picture, but the pays the thing.
and me Du Barry is the play. So the
audience decided last night-a sumptu-
ols-y decorated and warmly apprecia-
tive crowd that sent up as many salvos
IS tnere were seats-unr silent back
row downstairs excepted Neither the
summer Eoens nor rival attractions
seemed TO matter. For was Il not Wiz
ard Belasco's play. BelascO Of ours?
And was il not Leslie carter Of the
thrilling hair and calOric tempera-
meut2 These 10 Withstand would take
an audience Of asbestos. and that we
were n0t-any more than are the regal
crimson curtains that supplant this
week the hOrrihc advertising curtain
u the everyday show down on Mis-
sion.
MAKES FREE WITH HISTORY.
why Berlin rejected -Du Barry is
easily enough surmised. In the first
place. Frau OdilOn played the chief
role. and not Mrs. Carter. In the sec
ond, Mr. Belasco has played alright
Ing tricks with the historic fact. This.
however. he confesses freely upon the
programme. Most vitality Mr.. Belasco's s
historic juggling concerns the charac-
ter Of his heroine. History records no
redeeming trait IN the royal harIot's
makeup. Yet history may lie. and Mr..
Belasc0 see more clearly in ascribing a
pure passion 10 King Louis extravagant
mistress. This. however. does not ex-
cuse the dramatist for imDossibly tax
ing the old Due de Brissac and trans
forming him into the hero Of Jeanne's
imagination Nor should plausibility
have been so roughly impinged upon as
IL is ia making over the lazy. good
natUred Louis Ky into a jealous, ex-
acting lover StlI, these and other al
terations undoubtedly conduce 10 dra-
cuse- As il is. "Du Barry has the grip
of the best OF the Sardou genre, OF
which IL most strongly reminds
FICTION VERSUS TRUTH.
One would like 10 see what Mrs. car
ter would have done with the Du Barry
of history. the creature completely s0r-
cid absolutely vain. Enthusiastically cruel
and wholly animal In the Belasco
play she is permitted 10 arouse sym
pathy at the outset. and 70 retain il
throughout the whole course Of the
drama by her unselfsh devotion 10 De
Erissac- she IS seen first as the little
lniIliner Of LabiIe's. fond of a gay
gown and careless Of holes in her stock
ings, hating work. and with all the
easy cOQuetry Of her class. Very clever,
fresh, piquant Is Mrs. Carter's comedy
here The scene itself, with the work
ing girls and handsome fall-lals OF the
trade about. is very effective.
The next scene finds the little mill
liner as q decOy in a fashionable gam
ing parior. Here the DU Barry begins
70 put on airs and have Iempers. and
the coming favorite Of the king. with
her bath tub OF gold. her caprice. her
power, IS clearly suggested. Something
very gracefully ingenious is her be
nilderment at the battling impulses
she finds in her breast, as disclosed in
her scene in this act with De Brissac.
MRS. CARTER AT HER BEST.
But il is in the third act one gets the
Carter quality. Things begin TO hiss
Is e-r-e r-.-.rrTr -
reception. with cardinals TO put on her