The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-11-11

cient feminine interest. notwithstand-
ing that one js played by the commonly
admired Ida Conquest, and the other by
Elsie Ferguson, hitherto a favorite
showgirl. One of the twentyfour
men. though, is as pretty as either OF
the women, and this one is Kyrle Bel
lew, as puttied, painted and polished
for Brigadier Gerard. Conan Doyle in
nfs tales Of the Gaseous adventures, de-
scrfbed him no more than twenty,
while Bellew is not less than fifty
and now how young do you guess the
actor makes the hero look? The an
swer is twenty. for the complexion is
as pink and white any girls. with
eyes widened by edging the lids black,
and red lips, barely shaded by a boy
ishly small mustache. Bellows own
hair is white and he wears no wig over
il, but that heightens the Dresden
china effect of youthfulness, and the
gay-hued uniform of a French hussar
completes figure fit for a mantel-
piece. Kyrle Belew hasn't looked
any younger since. thirty years ago
he came from London TO take up juve-
nile roles In Wallack's company.
After Sherlock Holmes made fame for
his creator in narratives. and carried
it into the theatre, actors read Conan
Doyle's earlier fiction to discover an
other stage hero, and several picked
out the vaiorous Brigadier Gerard as
possibility. The tales were not copy
righted in other than British countries,
and 80 anyone was legally free to turn
them into plays Our James O'Neill
used one awhile. Doyle himself had
not become engrossed in politics, nor
gone into parliament. and he had time
to make a Gerard comedy. With IL a
vived q vogue for the D'Artagnon style
OF swashbuckler, the brash young brag-
CART and fighter from Gascony with
vaIorous deeds to do In Paris for a
royal master This is the version of
The Adventures Of Gerard now in
troduced In New York.
Doyie's Gasconader differs from Du-
mas, however. in not making good his
boasts or bravery by some SURPRISING
ly reckless exploit. Gerard is sent by
Bonaparte to the house of Talleyrand
TO recover a bunch Of all-important
documents. Previous to this. the young
ster has challenged all the majors and
captains of a regiment to duels for
doubling his prowess, and now the
audience expects he will puncture Tai
leyrand's minions with his trusty stick
ar II they oppose him. Besides that is
a habit with Kyrle Belelw so fixed as
to seem unalterable. This play isn't a
melodrama, however, but a comedy
which In this episode becomes farcical.
Gerard is seized. bound and locked un-
Economically in cabinet to be sent
back TO Bonaparte: and he doesn't by
valor release himself and substitute
Talleyrand as the boxed prisoner but
by sneaking up behind the unsuspect-
ing old man and throwing a rope
around him. The audience is well
amused. yet really. you know. I can't
help doubling that the gallant Bellew,
who vanQuished six SWOrdsmen in "A
Gentleman of France" enjoys the safe
and easy lassoing of the defenseless
Talleyrand. However. he has for two
years been the sly and tricky Raffles,
amateur craftsman, and that may have
lowered his standards of heroism.
The man I'm 1.-The Blue Moon is
James T Powers. and Of course he is
its funniest thing. else he wouldn't
get a share Of its profits as well as a
salary. with his name spaced out big
ger i'm the program than any twenty
other members of the company. Yet he
is only Jimmy the joker TO an audience
and on the opening night he was re-
minded that no Difference attaches to a
fooling comedian. Two months ago.
Grace Larue was transferred from
vaudeville TO THE Tourists" as snap
shot journalist a role interpOlated for
the purpose of working in her speciality
OF humorous imperSona tons. | WOuldnI
wonder If she was paid the $3.50 which
she had received in variety shows: and
when she was moved into "The Blue
Moon" at mort important thea tire
she felt, with professional self-apprecia-
ton. quite sure of joltins Jimmy Pow
erS out Of the stage center with new
set OF limitations
Now. Jimmy had prepared some
fresh diversion OF that same kinda
rapid dozen representations of amate
performers-in conjunction with Clara
Palmer. the soubrette of the outfit. II
was TO be such 4 ten minutes of bur
lesque antics as he used to give with
Rachel Booth. his clipper little wife.
But one day Rachel b. mistake drank
some acid instead of water, and ever
since has been an invalid. II must
have been hard for her 10 smile from a
box on her wen and hearty successor.
Truly. stage favOriJes are here today
and gone tomorrow.
However. Grace I.arue was resolved
to make all the possible hay during her
day of sunshine. For one thing. she
oiled her joints and tightened her ten
dons 10 lead the pony ballet'-thOse
small but sturdy English young women
who have for years winded and tired
out all American competitors IN songs
accompanied by violent dancing Six
OF these prancing and kicking ponies
were hired for The Blue Moons" New
York term. The two Others of the oc-
tette Joined six recruits from London
TO make a pony ballet for Mile
Sallie." Well. Grace Larue went TO
the front Of the ponies 10 be as aero
batic as they. and she did It, from the
starting hop to the finishing fIip-flap.
in a song and chorus about the timber
tactics of the Loveland Volunteers.