Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-12
FRA WILEY IS
GOOD HOLMES
BURBANK STOCK STAR MAKES
HIT IN GILLETTE ROLE
AUDIENCE DELIGHTED WITH THE
REVIVAL
BeasIey and Mestayer Do Good Work
and Miss Gilbert Displays
DImpIed Sort Of Wick
edness

Next to his Myles O'Hara in 1.-THE
Jilt" Shirlock Holmes Is the best
thing Mr.. Frawley has given us since
he opened his stock star engagement
at the Burbank. His Holmes Is played
with repression and authority. 1t is
fine, virile Interpretation which does
not suffer by comparison with those OF
his predecessors in the part.
More, the revival at the Burbank last
night was by no means compelled to
rely for success upon the individual
strength Of any one player. Holmes,
of course, Is the dominating figure OF
the melodrama, but there are other
roles of Importance, and for the most
part these were well played.
Mr.. Beasley, for instance, gave us
dignified and impressive Moriarity, cor
rectly keyed so as to create no discord
in the general tone of repression, and
Mr.. Mestayer contributed an excellent
character bit as the cockney safe
cracker
Play Is No Novelty
The play must by this time be famil-
lar to a large majority Of Los Angeles
theatergoers. 1t has been presented
here on several occasions and always
to crowded houses However, the Bur-
bank program, whether Intentionally or
not is misleading. 1t announces Sher-
lock Holmes as a drama in five acts
by william Gillette" Now drama"
as the word is used today, is hifalu-
tin term at best and 1t certainly
does not apply to the Gillette play
which is frank melodrama from the rise
Of the curtain on the first act to the
black darkness which makes its final
descent upon act five. It's good, old
word, Is melodrama, and one of which
no playwright need feel ashamed. AS
drama" Sherlock Holmes is rank
failure, but as melodrama 1t must be
accounted tremendous success. Con-
sequently it should be billed as melo-
drama, not otherwise.
Throughout the five acts Mr.. Fraw-
ley succeeded in gaining his effects
quietly and naturally, His GOODNESS in
time of stress carried with it convic-
ton. 1t was not the GOODNESS of bragga-
docio, but of confidence in his own abil-
ity and resources; and it served as the
tempo, If the musical term may be en-
ployed, for the entire performance.
Doubtless for this last much of the
credit is due to Robert Morris, stage
director of the Burbank company, but
the fact remains, nevertheless. In the
fourth act for instance, where Profess
sor Moriarity's thugs are assembled in
the gas chamber for the express pur-
pose of putting Holmes out of the way,
there was no discord The scene was
played tensely, quietly, convincingly.
1t might easily have been overdone, but
1t was not.
Has New Role
Miss Maude Gilbert has been cast
this year as Madge Larrabee, for which
no doubt, she Is thankful. Sherlock
Holmes" is the play in which Miss Gill
bert made her debut with the Burbank
company, and on that occasion she was
called upon to play Alice Faulkner,
probably the most insipid role that ever
fell to her lot on the Burbank stage.
Last night Miss Hall played Alice and
Miss Gilbert had an opportunity to be
mildly wicked in dimpled sort of way
that proved attractive, IL not con-
vincing.
Robert Morris Forman was a good
Characterization. Arthur Rutledge
was not at his best in the role of Lar
rabee and the DIR. Watson of John ].
Kirk was stiff and undressing. AS
usual Elsie Esmond did admirably
with the part allotted to her.
Last nights audience paid high
tribute to Harry Mestayer's skill with
the grease paints. His first appearance
upon the stage was greeted with ap-
plause for the excellence of the make
up and then, when he spoke, followed
applause for the actor, recognized by
his voice and by his voice alone.