Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-30
"KERRY COW" PLEAsEs
AUDIENCE AT THE GRAND


That good old Irish melodrama, "The
Kerry Cow" was received with the usual
enthusiasm by representative Irish
American audience at the Grand yester-
day. 1t is three years since Kerry Cow
has been seen here, which is an unusual
interval between repetitions Of favorite
plays at the Grand. ALI three Of the Main
street theaters manage to ring in their
strong favorites at least once year, but
Kerry Cow has evidently been over
looked in the shuttle.
Ine audiences were treated to plenty OF
brogue and ballad. Bernard Daily makes
his first appearance here in Joseph Muir
phys shoes. AS to the Murphy cloak
the question of its descent to Daily Is open
to controversy. He doubtless has 1t some
where but has not quite grown into 1t as
yet. When he gets another five years OF
avoirdupois and the same Of experience
in horseshoeing he will be another Muir
ply. His horseshoeing stunt is not per-
formed with the workmanlike skill of his
predecessor in the role of Dan O'Hara
the Kerry blacksmith. 1t used to be a
treat to see the old man shape those
shoes. But DAILY makes quite as much
smoke, or perhaps a little more than
Murphy, when he fits the shoe to the
hoof, and 1t Is that odor of the smithy
that Is really demanded.
Story of the Play
A paragraph will recall the story of
'The Kerry Cow" which, be 1t under
stood by the un-Celtic reader, means the
Kerry blacksmith. Dan O'Hara, the
Kerry Cow" loves Nora Drew, but her
father will not consent to the marriage
because OF the difference in their for
tunes Valentine Hay also loves the
dainty Nora and is refused by the girl,
who loves the blacksmith. MIR. Drew
senior has mortgaged the farm to secure
money for his sons education, and a
succession of bad crops leaves him un-
able to pay Hay buys the mortgage and
uses 1t as weapon to force Nora to
marry him. Hay also conceals number
of pixies in the smithy and secretly In
forms the English soldiers that O'Hara
has been supplying arms to the Irish
patriots in their fight for independence.
O'Hara Is arrested but escapes from pris-
on and proves his innocence. The day of
the payment of the mortgage arrives, and
the creditor is about to foreclose the
mortgage At the last minute Raymond
Drew wins race with his horse Killar-
ney, sells the horse and saves his fathers
nome. In the general rejoicing the smith
and his sweetheart gain the fathers con-
sent to their marriage.
Bernard DAILY is the smith. He Is a
convincing actor and wins by his SINGER
ity and p,eaing brogue. He sings several
Irish songs with good effect. He Is ably
sustained by his company and by the eff
fective staging of the play.
DAILY follows the Murphy tradition as
far as possible. While presenting char
acter that depends upon sentiment for it's
strength, he never falls into the foolish
mawkishness that generally character
ICES roles of the kind. His sentiment and
Only Bull Is Horse
Kerry Cow" is replete with humorous
situations and sparkles with Irish with
cisms. There is, however, q single bull
ing a horse.
spots it Is strong and In other spots 1t is
so thin as to be transparent. But 1t gets
away with the parts assigned to 1t quite
well enough to satisfy the audience.
Many of the roles are not the essence of
naturalness and simplicity, and conse-
quertly exaggeration is demanded of the
actors. That which they are paid for
they must not be blamed for supplying.
Clara Dalton is the most natural MEM
Der of the company in her role of Nora
Drew.
A dancing speciality by Anna Mac
Naughton and Marie Curtis to the anvil
accompaniment by Mr.. DAILY is a feature
of the Murphy performance that Mr..
Daily retains with good effect.