Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-06
HORRORS COME
THICK AND FAST
HEIGHT OF MEL0DRAMA is
REACHED
"When the World sleeps" Causes the
Sensation Seeker at the Grand
Opera House to Become
Wide Awake

The melodramas at the Grand seem
TO be built on the cumulative credit
plan
That is. every week a few more hor-
rors and one or two more deaths are
added and the spice of villainy Is
spread on thick.
Last week the "House Of Mystery"
with its grinning skulls and kissing
bees, gave morbid satisfaction to the
sensation seeker, but this week, when
the World Sleeps" with it's burning
mill and it's grain chute, surpasses any
thing of the sort for many weeks.
Most Of the roles in the melodramas
are overdrawn, not because of the in
ability of the actors and actresses to
portray any other sort, but because the
audience which goes to see melodrama
wants its heroes all good and it's villains
all bad, therefore work that is subtle
is not usually done for the reason that
II is neither required nor appreciated.
Character Work Is Clever
This rule is set at naught this week
by Frank Frayne, who does one of the
best bits of character work ever shown
In Los Angeles. AS Croonie, a half
witted boy he never loses sight of the
part and never does he overplay 1t.
when the World Sleeps is worth
while if for no other reason than
Fraynes characterization of the idiot
boy.
The scenic adjuncts of when the
World Sleeps" are most excellent, and
the fire scene in the second act is good.
The scene in which the heroine is sup
posed to be almost buried beneath a
shower of grain from chute in grain
elevator would have been better If there
had been more grain.
Harrison King is convincing as Rob-
ert Carlisle. a man of honor, although
just why he is man of honor is not
clear.
Won Meter was sufficiently devilish
as the wicked county attorney. 1t
must be demoralizng to be a county
attorney.
Paul Harvey is supposed to sin for
the one he loves, and he is nearly
hanged, although, as he did not commit
the murder, of course he is cleared by
the confession of the villain in the last
act. 1t would be relief if in some of
the melodramas the villain would con-
fess before the last act, then the end
would be quicker
Jovial Grave-Digger
Arthur HILL as happy grave-digger,
grew most hilarious when patted by
the leading woman. For a grave-dig-
ger he was a most jovial old person.
Miss Hayward had a singular make-
up for the first act, but she changed it
before the second. A wide patch of
darkness about three inches wide ex-
tended across her face, making her look
like "Ginger, the Queen of the Burg
lars" who always wears a mask.
Myrtle Selwyn has another simple
country girl part, with two or three
good lines in it. 1t would be interesting
to see what Miss Selwyn would do with
a really good part. She certainly has
not had any during the present en-
gagement.
Agnes Ranken is not an ideal leading
woman, either for melodrama or any
other drama. She lacks strength, and,
although she is very pretty, she is in
definitely unsatisfactory. She has also
been unfortunate in the parts to which
she has been assigned, and she may
show to better advantage when bet
ter role has been given her.
Lue Warrentou is good as an Irish
woman, although there is nothing dis
tinctive about her Characterization.