The San Francisco call., 1905-06-27
FRAWLEY SAYS
HE IS LONELY.
Actor Regrets Unfortunate
Conditions That Give Him
Only a Summer Audience
BUT HE PLEASES CROWD
''Ranson's Folly" Amuses
Those Who See the Clever
Company Presenting 1t

You never can tell. as G. B. Shaw says.
'Ransons Folly" looked all right to me
last night until T. Daniel Frawley sug-
gested that it wasn't. Nor did there seem
to be anything the matter with the audi
ence. True, there might have been more
of us, but the hay lies golden in the sun,
and Mr.. Frawley Is but-Mr. Frawley.
However, for one never felt worse about
not being twins than last night. Mr..
Frawley was too pathetic ror anything
about the large assemblage that did not
greet him. Mr.. Frawley was pathetic and
grieved all round. He felt blue about
coming again to the Columbia stage that
ten years and one pathetic month ago
he baptized, with not one old face in his
present company. He spoke of the clever
folk that then surrounded him, that had
made the "Frawley name mean some
thing in the West"-and those of US who
had brought a mere mouchoir instead of
a hanky began to feel alarmed Most
of us felt ashamed, too. We had been
heartlessly enjoying ourselves We had
thought Mr.. Frawley was, too. We had
given him handsome hand when he ap-
peared. We had given him another and
another for good work in role that suits
him. We had had all kinds of fun and
thrills out of the play. We had seen
one good actor after another tumble into
his part and when we called out Timothy
Daniel after the third act we thought he
would tell is that though he had just
been around the world, there was no
place like etc.; that "he was glad to
see us again: that "he thanked us for
our kyind reception Of himself and his
company" etc. and happy. etc.
But no! Mr.. Frawley Informed his
friends and countrymen that he
didn't want to come back here under
these conditions Theatrical condi-
tions here" he said, were now at their
worst. The relations between the press
and the theaters were strained: every
thing was at it's unfavorablest. Even
the summer had butted in and then
he told US again that we were not the
biggest audience he had seen. Still he
knew that we wanted him under the
right conditions. He hoped to come
back under more prosperous condi-
tions," and then the curtain covered
Mr.. Frawley and his sorrows.
But even II Mr.. Frawley is not now
managerial Napoleon and other
things are equally unfortunate, the
heartless audience cannot escape
is a dramatization OF Richard Harding
Davis good story of the name. and
three times better as a play than as
story. 1t tells in swift, gripping fash
ion the tale of Ransons folly" the
practical joke Of a young army officer
who, for wager, holds up a stage with
pair of scissors, and the sensational
consequence. The scene is an army
post in Arizona. and everything lends
Illusion. One might go far to find
more skillfully acted and written din
ner scene than the mess dinner at
which the wild young officer, bored to
death by the inactivity of his life,
makes the wager. The lovemaking is
a pretty and convincing element, and
you get a genuine catch of the breath
at the hero's predicaments. Mr.. Fraw-
ley is well cast as Ransom. Though
not exactly a Hotspur, he achieves a
good deal of fire and an unusual geni-
ality. The close-mouthed, resourceful.
nonchalant character is grateful to
him. and he will be enjoyed therein.
There is an excellent company in sup
port. Mary Cahill is very prettily and
sincerely acted by Eleanor Montell. The
work lacks a shade of simplicity, but
Miss Montell has tenderness and delight
full girlishness. The lieutenant owning
the brogue, whether it be Eghert Peters
or Walter Crosby, Is an honor to the
accent There is a very good bad man"
in Charles Sturgis as Abe Case and
another in James Mexican. w. H. Bur-
ton and Frazer Coulter as Colonel Boil
land and Captain Chase would be given
command on sight anywhere. And the
realistic note is capitally struck through
out save by Mark Price as jeff Cahill.
Mr.. Price cannot wholly forget that he
is acting. Grace de Witt contributes a
delightful bit of comedy as Mrs Post
the old lady who tells Of the hold-up,
and the rest fill in with all needful art
The piece is put on excellently and can
be handsomely recommended.
BLANCHE PARTINGTON.