Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-04
DRAMATIC
TEDDY BEARS
NEW EXTRAVAGANZA WILL HAVE
NOVEL FEATURES
PADDY LITTLE TOY TO PROVIDE
PLOT
Production viii Follow Lines Made
Popular by "The Wizard of
Or" and "Babes in
Toyland"
The Teddy bear is to be dramatized.

The Teddy bear is to be dramatized
Harry Askin, manager of Ezra Kendall,
who is now at the Mason, is the man
who first say the dramatic possibilities
of the little faddy toys and astute OBJ
servers of things theatrical say that Mr..
Askin probably has hit upon a gold
mine. OF course some gold mines don't
pay dividends, but this one Askin is
confident will not prove that kind of a
mine.
His idea is to turn the Teddy bears
into big extravaganza, which shall fol-
low along the path blazed by "The Wiz
ard of OF" and Babes in Toyland."
There will be brilliant ballets, surpris-
ing stage effects and the usual extrava-
ganza riot of color and light
AS matter of course an attempt will
be made to appeal particularly to chill
dren, though grown-up boys and girls
also will find much in the production de-
signed for their pleasuring.
So far as is feasible the extravaganza
will be a dramatization of verses and
pictures which have run in Judge" re-
Gently and which are said to have put
that publication again upon it's feet at
a time when it's future seemed dubious.
The series now has been published in
book form BY the Reilly &, Britton COM
pany of Chicago, from whom Mr.. Askin
secured the dramatic rights.
The verses relate the surprising ad-
ventures of Little Johnnie and his six
Teddy bears, beginning with the discov-
cry by Johnnys father of
"A truly wonderful compound
With this" he cried, II believe 1 could
Pu. life into stick of wood"
He rushes from the room to tell of his
great discovery and little Johnnie med
dies.
He gave his Teddy bears six sips
You should have seen the little rips!
They bounced six feet up in the air,
AS lively real live bear"
With this explanation the exploits of
johnnie and his Teddy bears begin. Mis-
chievous pranks follow each other in
rapid succession until Johnnie takes his
pets to circus. They had no money,
but they got in all the same, as the
verses tell:
Now boys and girls, just use your eyes
And You will get great surprise;
For Johns made up his mind to go
And take his Teddies to the show.
Johnnie holds up piece OF bread.
The tall giraffe pokes out his head
They grab his long, slim neck, and he
Just lifts them over the fence, you see."
On Easter Sunday Johnnie takes the
six Teddies out to see the Easter parade.
ihN9 hiioiiJ ldil lnbo a. puutilc anu
dy and frightened rush down the avenue,
working devastation to dainty gowns and
furbelows until they are all arrested.
After that
PA wouldn't let Johnnie go to bed
Until he's washed each little Ted
And hung him on the line to dry,
While soap-suds filled each fearful eye."
There are many other verses and
many other illustrations, but enough
have been given to indicate the charac-
ter of the material which will go tc
make up the seasons big extravaganza
Animal actors have been unusually
popular in extravaganza of late years
and not so very late, either, for it is
reported that Henry e. Dfxey made a
hit several decades ago as the hind legs
of the heifer in 'Evangeline" Since
then there have been the lion and the
COW in "The Wizard of o. Tige in
Buster Brown" and numerous other
animal interpretations, all of which have
proved successes.
Now come the Teddy bears and there
will be six-count 'em-six.