Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-25

several quotations which had no bearing
whatever on the play. 1t was particularly
distressing to see those beautiful and well
known lines Of Arthur Symons given such
prominence"
Joseph De Grasse, stage director of the
Ulrich stock company at the Grand opera
house, is apostle of a new school of
art. De Grasse paints in oils, water col
ors or even with crayon upon occasion.
but many of his best things are done with
grease paints. On the walls of his dress
| ing room hang numerous studies, head
of Tolstoi, one of Shylock, another of
Shakespeare, still another of Florence
| Barker. There are also several marines
and two or three landscapes. all done
with grease paints. The results are sur
isrisinCly good, although, OF course, when
| De Grasse attempts to paint anything
worth while he uses oils, the other ma
terial being employed merely for his own
amusement. In addition to his painting
De Grasse does some modelling in clay. He
made womans head the other day that
won much praise from those who saw It,
| Harry Bell, who is now manager of the
Lowe theater in Pasadena, is reformed
pirate. Bell himself admits 1t unblush-
ingly. Moreover, he at one time was
pretty well known in the east as the kid
manager" and 1t was at this stage in
his career that he passed up an opportu-
nifty to become wealthy.
Bell became manager of a road show
ten. twent' thirt', at the tender age of
16. His partner. w. 7. Gaskell, who now
conducts a booking agency in Chicago.
was then 49, The first year of their bust
ness association they cleaned up some
thing like $500 over expenses. The sec
ond year wasn't so prosperous; buat that
is getting ahead Of the story.
At the close of the first years tour Bell
| and Gaskell fell in with young chap
whose name was c. T. Darcy. He had a
play and he wanted it produced He Of
| fered them the manuscript for $500 They
refused. Then he offered to let them pro-
duce it and to take half the profits for his
| pay They refused again. The play was
| In Old kentucky" 1t Is still on the
road. 1t made both Darcy and Jacob Lift
independently rich and is today the most
valuable asset of the Lift estate.
| However, Bell and Gaskell weren't the
only ones who turned down that same
golden opportunity. The piece was hawked
| around for months and finally produced
by Jacob Lift in st. Paul, where he had
summer stock company, as an experiment.
The experiment proved a success. and
| the play was sent on tour. However,
never since its premier has it had so ex-
| cellent cast. In the company were Louis
James, Julia Arthur Frank Lossee and
his wife, Marion Elmore, Carrie Turner,
afterward Mrs Jacob Lift, Belle Archer
and others.
But to return to Bell and his piracies.
That ten, twent', thirt repertoire company
of his pirated pretty much everything
they could get their hands on, including
''In Old Kentucky" the play he had de-
c.ined to buy only few months before.
other plays presented under their proper
names were 1.-THE Charity Ball. THE
Cotton King 1.-THE Lost Paradise" 1.-THE
| i~1 7 off Pab Ind
Me-" The manuscripts of each of these
, pieces were secured from Alex Beyers of
Chicago for s. EACH that being his regular
price.
Then came the revision of the copyright
laws and an organization of producing
managers to prevent and punish piracies;
, and the halcyon days of wholesale thiev-
cry were over. OF course Bell isn't to be
so much blamed for his course. In the
first place his youth should excuse him.
and then play piracy was venial offense
at that time, not even misoemeanor.
In New York the nti-Cigarette league
is waging a campaign to prevent the
smoking Of cigarettes by women upon the
stage. The movement has made no great
Roadway, but the league may yet gain its
point A city that prohibits Sunday per-
formances and permits sacred concerts"
of the style given in New York city is
apt to do most anything.
1t Is to be hoped the movement VIII not
spread to Los Angeles. Just what Lillian
Hayward would do without her cigarette
on the stage, of course, for she doesn't
smoke in private-I really don't know. 1t
Is liberal education to see the Hayward
toy with cigarette. She does it in such
an exceedingly blase and wicked manner.
|
John Blackwood is a brave man. I do
not mean that he is brave as the vice
president is brave. Blackwood has res
cued no forlorn damsels from watery
grave, but his courage is not to be
aspersed for all of that. AS an evidence
of the fact he is planning TO nolo vol
ing contest.
Now, perhaps this isn't courage. 1t
may be merely Grass ignorance. Perhaps
Blackwood never has had any experience
along these lines and doesn't know the
particular brand of the hfty-seven va
rieties he is preparing for himself. III ne
doesn't, then he deserves sympathy; but
If he is rushing in with eyes wide open
we must marvel at his foolhardiness, even
IL we deplore his Judgment
This voting contest will be no trivial
affair An important enterprise hinges
upon the result. 1t isn't designed to de-
termine the relative popularity of the sew
eral members of the Belasco company,
nor to select the play to be presented
week after next. Nothing like 1t. What
the Main street manager wants is a
] catchy and popular name for his new
theater, now being built on the site OF
the old Panorama building across the
street from the Belasco. So many the
eters are opening up in Los Angeles now
adays that there seems to be too few
names to go around. The new house Is
to play melodrama, melodrama on a big
scale, where much Of the acting will be
done by the scenery.
So think up your names and send them
along in. But for goodness sake don't
send them to me. Send them to Black
wood He wants them. I don't.