Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-19
/ NOTES BY THE
+ MATINEE MAN

mother, isn't it? And just when
Mary looked forward to a fine
vacation down in Texas. Really, I
wonder If Mary won't have cause to
remember this western trip Of hers with
considerable regret. Now there was
the matter of her engagement while
here; it ended unfortunately, too. She
was promised III marriage to Los An
geles man Of considerable prominence,
and then, just two days before the en-
gagement was written up in the papers,
| it was broken-two days before. Why
couldn't the boys have held it out en-
| tirely, or printed 1t while 1t was live
| news, l wonder?
| Admirers of Lule Warrenton will have
| to console with her, too. Lule Is Ill; so
| ill that she has laid off from the Grand
| and has gone east to have an operation
performed. Frank Fraynes wife is
playing~her roles just at present. till a
new heavy woman arrives.
| But here's one piece of good news:
Eleanor Carey is going back to work.
Eleanor is the boss soldierer of the local
theatrical world She came here ten
weeks ago, rehearsed one with the
Belasco company, played one, and has
been idle on full salary ever since. 1t
wasn't her fault; 1t simply happened
that the run Of plays that the Belasco
! had provided contained no part for a
grande dame, and Eleanor-with her
build-can't play a soubrette any more.
But tomorrow she gets busy.
"And I'll be glad" said Jack Black
wood, telling me Of 1t. "It is baC for
the esprit du corps-whatever that is.
I don't think 1t ever happened in the
annals of stock before that so skilled a
player was idle for two months, draw
| ing full pay all the while. My, but
wasn't she the lucky woman? And
| Fiesta on, too"
1t was pity that Annie Russell
couldn't have stayed over this week, or
that the Belasco company couldn't have
played "A Royal Family" last week,
| so that she could have seen 1t. This
is Annie's old play, and doubtless it
would have afforded her considerable
pleasure to witness Lillian Albertson
III role she herself so admirably de-
picted. But because Before and After"
ran like a race horse and drew like a
| house afire it got two weeks presen-
tation, and Miss Russell lost out.
| MY old friend Lew Dockstader is
| headed this way; have received some
very foxy souvenier blotters from him.
| Lew is the boss advertiser of the age;
he carries a man with him to do moth
| ing but write topical verses on local
events and personages in every town
he visits. He used to hire local song
| fend to do this STUNT copped out
| several $40 bills myself at 1t when l
| was down east; Lew always was lloeral
| pay But now he has a man just for
that. Whew, there must be money IN
minstrelsy, when you do it right.
Also If you remember, Lew is the
chap who threw the whole south into
an uproar when he impersonated Teddy
Roosevelt, and, stopping his cab in
front of the capitol in Washington,
lovingly assisted a negro in and rode
down Pacific avenue with the cullud
gemman by his side. What an outcry
| that did make. And it was all an ad-
vertising fake, too; for the benefit of
Lew and a cinematograph company.
Another friend of mine soon to be
here is Mrs. Leslie Carter. And that
reminds me of the first time | ran up
| against Jack Blackwood. This was
also down east. Jack was her man
| ager, and he was doing bit OF press
work on the side. He cooked up yarn
about her eating turkey hash-rlepelan
taste, that-after the snow every HlSHl,
and how the hotel chef, having no
turkey, made some up out of chicken.
But, according to the tale, he couldn't
| fool Mrs. c.; she sent it back with
demand for turkey or nothing. She got
the latter. But Jack didn't; he got half
a column of newspaper space on the
strength of the yarn. Jack hasn
changed bit since then; wonder II
she has?
They tell me that Harry eastman
is losing flesh. He can afford 1t. But
1t isn't worry that is pulling him down;
it's the strain on his voice. He should
have that voice filed doN' n. Get
Blackwood scissors sharpener, Harry.
Joe Montrose, down at the Burbank,
has a new idea; he wants to write
melodrama with musical interpretations.
He will do the musical end of 1t, II some
one will kindly volunteer plot, cast or
characters, scenario, dialogue, situa-
tions, scene plot and the money to put
1t on. It's a great opportunity for bud
ding playwrights; don't all speak at
once. And think of Joes pull in getting
1t played.
I never knew before just how few
clothes woman could wear and still
appear on the stage without interfer- |
ence till / saw the Harvey girls at the