The San Francisco call., 1905-08-01
EZRA KENDALL
IS DELIGHTFUL
Fav0rite Actor Has Evolved
Into High Class Comedian
Whose Werk Is Masterful
NEW PLAY VERY FUNNY
weather Beaten Benson"
Reminds Audience of Sol
Smith Russell's Triumphs

Ezra Kendall stepped. quietly into the
place left vacant by Sol Smith Russell
last night in Weather Beaten Benson"
Possibly the fogs- have mixed people up
in their calendar, but il was a good win
terly house that met the comedian last
night at the Columbia. Mr.. Kendall has
a clientele peculiarly his own. 1t is a
congregation that has followed him from
the Orpheum TO the Columbia, and is un-
likely TO have TO follow him back. From
his days as the Joe Miller of vaudeville
il has followed him. as the author of
''GOod Gravy" and gravy" not so good
.Nrhithersoever he went il went, and last
night saw Mr.. KendaH's final evolution
into a player of the Russell genre.
Mr.. Kendali's plays have evolved with
him. Weather Beaten Benson" though
not worthy Of this latest Kendall, is still
miles above the dramatized joke-book
that he, christened THE Vinegar Buyer"
The chief character Benson, is the in
ventor of patent bean cakes and potato
cakes capable in times of good crops of
returning immense profits. But there
comes drought. and Benson and the peo-
pie with him are threatened with ruin.
He saves the situation by putting into the
business some small private funds and
the: rain comes in the nick of time.s
After Kendall the rain. IS the star per-,
former in the cast. 1t is SO very wet.
And Benson sits in it, wallows in it and
comes out before the curtain as wet as
Jess Dandy when he falls into the
"Prince- of Pilsen' fountain. The rain
still falls behind the c0rtaih and Kendall,
after damp little speech of thanks
goes behind again Ito close the hall win
6oWs-" The drama of the drought is com
plicated with the story Of a child that
Benson has brought up q,
Ia the amiably fortuitous way things
happen ia the rural drama, the child's
papa. "a lawyer and an out-and-euter
villain) discovers her and tries TO take
her away from Benson. But mommer
turns up-selling indelible pens-snd
the child is saved A hilarionsly i'm
possible widow, all French frocks, pink
tea manners and a fat check book, is
III love with Benson-and he with her.
What might have added much to the
already strong illusion produced by
Mr.. KendalEs acting is here lost. Mrs.
ormsby is impossible; and an excuse
merely for some Paris gowns.
AS Benson Mr.. Kendall is capital. 1t
is d portrait, not merely mono1ogues
in three acts: All of the drollery of his
Joe Miller period is there, but fined,
finished, rounded out. And the actor
has achieved a natuTalfsm in its way
as keen as Nat GoodWin's. Every jest
given TO the role is part of it, not
patched on, and delivered with the ut
most Of sly pfquancy. The character
is capitally drawn, one fnds-just that
Of quiet. sweet shrewd but peren-s
nially unsuccessful old bachelor. and
throughout lovable as Mr.. Kendall
paints him.
The actor is particularly admirs BILE in
suggesting the touches of pathos, erring
perhaps a little on the side of reserve.
But the performance marks distinct ad-
vance on anything that Kendall has be-
fore done, and was greeted with every
token Of enjoyment last night.
OF the clever company in support. Miss
Rita ONeal as Mrs Piffies stands out
prominently. Miss O,Neal has a laugh
that is half the fortune of the part, and
carries her audience al the way with her
as the comey and attractive widow.
Kathryne Browne was the rich widow
admirer of Benson's, and just as pretty,
well gowned and absurdly artificial as
the character. Little Edith Taliaferro, of
the clever Taliaferro children, who act
because they can't help it, is a delight
fully natural child as little Miss Moses,
There is again another young girl, Eliza
beth King. who looks and acts all of the
pretty slovenly Lindy.
One of the events of the evening was
the appearance OF Ethel Brandon, once
one of the foremost favorites of the
local stock stage. That Miss Brandon
still retains many of her former ad-
mirers was evident from her warm well
come last night. Her part a minor
one, was played for all it was worth.
Mary StockweIl. who .used to be
Polly" and who is Miss Brandon's
daughter, was also in the cast, and
filled in successfully.
Much would be lost to Weather
Beaten Benson in Philip Bishop. who
is most eomicaily bucolic as Smiley
Virgins. Both he and John D. Garrick
as Rusty Bartlett would honor Peta-
luna. In fact, illusion runs through the
whole cast, down to the villain, clever
" done by Harold Russell Except for
the widow. And what Of these and the
rainstorm, the real water in the real
water barrel, and Mr.. Kendall. one can
get real fun a-plentys out OF Weather.
Beaten Benson"
BLANCHE PARTINGTON.