The San Francisco call., 1905-04-08
Richepin's Play With Same
Theme as Belasco's Given
Harsh Criticism in London
YANKEEDRAMASABROAD
Hall Caine Studies Games of
Chance in Order to Make
a Realistic Stage Scene
Special Dispatch to The Call.

authors "Du Barry, which MIS-.
Brown Potter has just produced in
English at the Savoy Theater. M.
Richepin made a fuss, it will be re-
membered. when Belasco's ''Du Barry
was given in America two or three
years ago and declared that the best OF
1t was stolen from him. Nothing came
Of his protests, however, and the
Belasco play earned a lot of money
for its author and Mrs. Leslie Carter.
Now the adaptation of Richepin's
! 'Du Barry which Mrs. Brown Pot
! ter is using is an authorized" one
free adaptation, no doubt, and one
made in accordance with Mrs. Pot
! ter's ideas and those of her manager,
I Gilbert Hare. Charles Brookfield was
! originally chosen for this work. But
! for some reason Brookfield's version
/ failed to please Mrs. Potter and so a
new adaptation of 'Du Barry" was
4 made by Christopher st. John, who is
a member of the American actress
company. Gilbert Hare had hand In
! it, too, and this version of the Richie
pin play it was that saw the light at
/ the Savoy the other night.
! Just what M. Richepin thought of 1T
/ has not been divulged. The French
! author supervised all the final rehear-
} sails, however, and occupied box on
( the first night, so there is every reason
I to suppose that he considered that the
] Savoy play represented him fairly.
In that case David Belasco is fully
entitled to pat himself on the back.
/ Critics in America stated that he had
put the story of Louis XV's favorite on
/ the stage so as to make 1t dramatically
effective. This Richepin has failed to
/ do. One wonders, in fact, how Mrs.
! Brown Potter could have thought his
play worth lavishing money upon.
FEW EFFECTIVE SCENES.
That money was lavished on this
! ''Du Barry there is no doubt. The
I perienced cast, including besides Gill
/ bert Hare, w. L. Arlington, who re-
Gently returned from America; Jerrold
Robertshaw and Herbert Ross. The
setting is uncommonly beautiful. Spe-
cial incidental music of real value ac-
companies the action. 1t is most un-
fortunate that Mrs. Brown Potter's
munificence is so frequently misplaced
/ THE Golden Light" her first produc-
tion at the Savoy, must have cost thou
sands of pounds to present. 1t was
pretty bad. Church and Stage" the
Vicar of Gorleston's play, got as sump-
tuous production as the American
actress could give it-and it ran less
than a week.
/ The Richepin ''Du Barry is a melo-
drama that contains not a single new
situation and few effective ones. Four
hours long on the opening night, it
takes its heroine from her bonnet shop
days to the scaffold, in a prologue.
three acts and three tableaux. In this
version the Du Barry is ruined and
banished from court because of the
Kings discovery that she really loves
Prince Rohan de Rochefort. a disciple
of Rousseau, and friend of the people
Then we see her prisoner in the Con-
ciergerie, In which her lover is also
confined. A passport to safety is con-
veyed to her, but she gives it to her
sweetheart, whom she tells that two
have been given her, and he escapes
while she is carried off.
Mrs. Brown Potter as Du Barry
! looks more beautiful than ever and
does well in the lighter scenes, while
Gilbert Hare makes his Louis XIV a
truly royal figure. 1t will be rather
surprising, however, if a success is
scored at the Savoy.
AMERICANS TO PLAY
Londoners are uncommonly interest
ed in the several important American
productions which are promised as soon
as Lent is over According to present
arrangements Miss Maxine Elliott will
open in Her Own Way at the Lyric
Theater on Easter Monday. McIel-
lan's play, Leah Kleschna,'' which is
the most eagerly awaited item in the
seasons programme, was put in re-
hearsal at the New Theater yesterday.
Lena Ashwell is, of course, to play
Mrs. Fiske's part, while Sir Charles
Wyndham, who is still on the ocean,
will be the hero. 1t is expected that
the piece will be ready for production
two or three days after Easter.
/ BY far the most important of the
coming American enterprises In Lon
don, however, is that Of the Schu-
berts, who are going to open their new
London playhouse on May 5, with al
ternate performances of grand opera
and classic European drama. To be-
gin with Calve will appear in the opera
"Adrienne Lecouvreur,'' and Signora
Duse in the play Of the same name.
and later on Edouard de Reszke, Bonci
and Ancona will be heard. Events Of
special interest also will be the ap-
| pearances in Italian opera of those
two promising young American sing
ers, Mary Garden and Alice Nielsen.
The forthcoming presentation of j. M.
Barrie's new play. In which Ellen Terry
Is to appear, Is to all intents and pur-
poses also an American production. as
Charles Frohman is making 1t. Lewis
Waller Is getting ready to revive
Monsieur Beaucaire," and with Uncle
Sans Lads in Blue crowding the Hip
podrome nightly and transatlantic
comedians at all the music halls, there
is a distinct boom in Americans" If
q Stock Exchange phrase may be used.
GAME ON THE RIVIERA.
| 1t will not be Hall Gaines fault II
the gambling scenes In the coming pro-
of hi