Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-01
OBSERVATIONS BY
A FIRST-NIGHTER

mean the chorus because l don't know
Na.uraily there will be some broilers
among them, and naturally also there
WI pe some who, like the crown prince
seven" ot' snan
mat is as it may be, but little Miss
Dapnne Pollard, who will sing DAINTY
Doiiy[ is stiil In her teens II WASN'T 50
very long ago that Daphne was the first
masnitude star of the Pollard Juvenile
opera company. Now she is just old
enough TO make her altogether charming.
Her exact age do not know. and anv-
way 1t isn't polite subject I will tell
you this, however. Dainty little Miss
Pollard is quite six months younger than
I delectable little Miss Barker; and when
she appears upon the Los Angeles stage
the city will enjoy the novel distinction
Of having two theatrical organizations.
the leading women of which are, still
| in their teens.
i OF course, Miss Pollard is not really
the Leading woman Of the San Fran
i cisco opera company, but she will sing
the lead this week and she will make
good" That's habit she has.
| Speaking of the Pollard opera com
| pany, that aggregation of Juveniles in
fant prodigies and so forth, has been
| booked for a season at the Los Angeles
! theater later, but unless special dis
| pensation can be secured from Director
| Reynolds of the Humane society the en-
gagement will have to be cancelled
There Is just one other chance. The
| Theatrical Managers association proposes
| to attack in court the validity of the child
labor law as applied to theaters The
argument will be heard September IL, and
| should the attempt to prove the law
faulty succeed, then the Polards may
| come here maugre Reynolds and his CO.
! horts. There are any number of children
in the Pollard organization under the
| legal age limit They travel under the
| care of competent governesses and in
structors and they go to school every day
| of their lives, but of course that fact
would make no difference to Mr. Rey-
noids-or to the law.
] 1t is doubtful whether any city in the
Icountry can today boast of SO criminal
a lot of theatrical managers as Los An
geles. Manager Baker of the Grand
heads the list. He has been arrested four
| times within year. Morosco of the Bur-
bank was initiated into the Criminals
club last week and the others expect to
be able to qualify before the month is
over. Manager Wyatt of the Mason es-
capped a week or two ago only by a tech
nicality. the travelling manager Of THE
Prince Chap" being arrested and fined in
his stead
/ At the Belasco Manager Blackwood is
doing his best to break into the charmed
circle Three weeks ago he put on Her
| Own Way and had four children upon
| the stage, every one OF whom was under.
| the age, limit But notnfng hdppenSa.
| Blackwood was not arrested and the little
tots played the week out witheu inerfer-
ence.
| However, Humane Officer Reynolds has
/ declared firmly that there will be no
more discrimination, and Blackwood may
yet qualify for admission into the club
| If he fails along this line there are 9TH
| ers. Trouble over the electric signs used
| by the theaters is not out of the question.
! If the s.ules against those signs were to
be enforced it would affect every man
ager in the city with the exception of
| Wyatt. And Wyatt has not yet seen the
| last of his little discussion with the city
building department. Consequently things
1 are looking rosy all along the line, and
the Managers Criminal club may yet
| enjov marked increase in membership.
| The talkative little bird who dispenses
| information now that the telegraph strike
has made long distance communication
| otherwise difficult. informs me that re-
gotiations are now under way which may
result in Miss Florence Barkers remain-
ingein Los Angeles. OF course this is
| Miss Barker's home, but she had planned
| to tempt theatrical fortune elsewhere.
and arrangements to that effect were
nearing conclusion when the new plan
was broached.
| If the, deal goes through-it is still
| undecided-Miss Barker will be seen in
Los Angeles as leading woman of a new
stock company, playing In new theater.
and which will have as it's actor-manager
one of the best known leading men who
ever played in this city.
It's not Dick Ferris, and the theater
| Is not the new Blackwood house, now
building. Miss Barker wants to get away
| from melodrama, and the deal under
consideration would take her away from
| it. If the scheme is a go you will hear
| about it later.
or course the Burbank. theater wasn't
big enough to hold the crowds that want
ed to see 1.-THE Halfbreed' last week. and
of course the play will run for another
week IL not longer. BY Sunday night the
advance sale for last weeks engagement
had reached point where the MANAGE
ment would have done better than break
even If not another two-bit piece had been
taken in at the box office With this m
dorsement Manager Morosco feit warrant
ed in leaving for another hunting trip
His departure however, was delayed
sliphtlv INV legal entanglements growing
out Of his arrest for violating the child
labor law He had expected to remain
Laway until September 10, put now VIII
fhave to return by September u to attend
his trial"
Charles Gum, leading man at the Grand
tells good yarn of one of his earlier ok
periences in melodrama. 1t happened in
one of the smaller cities of California and
the action of the play hinged upon a
shot which was fired "off stage" by the
property man.
The piece was making hit. Applause
had been liberal that night and all was
going as 1t should, with big and well
pleased audience In front. Then the time
arrived for that shot.
"Props." who had been dreaming In the
wing, reached for the gun and discovered
1t had disappeared. He searched madly
On the stage the actors were improvising
lines, were suffering, waiting, doing the
best they could with an impossible situa-
ton.
Then Props" had bright idea He
stepped out upon the stage looked STERN
ly at the actorywho was due to be killed.
and said