Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-07
MR.. WH|TES|DE'S
PLAY A BEAUTY
A PRETTY LOVE STORY WITH
MUSICAL SETTING
"The Magic Melody" from His Own
Pen, Good Vehicle for His Los
Angeles Debut-Hints of
Other Successes

"The Magic Melody" the vehicle
wherein Walker Whiteside made his
how TO Los Angeles in the Mason last
night. is from his own pen, though he
writes under the name OF Gordon
Kean. 1t should properly be described
as a comedy drama, and very eVlueIt-
ly he has not been playing 1t long, as
il still bears the earmarks OF neWness
Of construction, and redundancy OF ac-
tion and speech, and displays neeu
for judicious stage carpenterlng. Inese,
probably, Mr.. Whiteside is hanullng
from time to time as opportunity per-
mits; he is too skillful player not
to see their necessity.
When he has done these things he
will have a very happy bit OF dramatic
property; even now the offering is one
of the most enhancing seen here OF
late. The story is charmingly Deautl-
full; the play has some tnrllilngly
kstrong climaxes, and its ending is
dazzling dream of beauty. 80 tnaI tne
public need not wait for it's acqualn-
lance with Mr. Whiteside for his fur
ther work on it; there is enough i'll 1t
right now for the strongest approba-
ton.
"The Magic Melody is very remin-
iscent in parts of The Lion and the
Mouse" 1.-THE Music Master and 'The
First VIOLIN" without being subject
to any suspicion of infringing any of
these. The principal character is Hell
mar, musician; the villain is an i'm
mensely rich and imperious John Bur-
kett Ryder in duplicate. The love
story concerns the musicians ideality
and the money kings harshness. The
denouement is happy, Of course; SO is
the other love story that winds through
the play The chief objection to the
drama is fiercely melodramatlc
Italian of the "stab-you-in-the- back"
ilk, SO familiar on the thriller stage,
but out of place in so idyllic a story.
He could be toned down greatly, with
profit.
Mr.. Whiteside as Helmar is excel
lent, though one might find fault with
his lack of any hint of the Teutonic
which would enhance his character
ization. He has a magnificent voice,
superb command of his emotions, ex-
cellent stage presence and great skill
as a player-all of which, it is needless
to add, anyone who has seen him in
the ~east in Shakespeareap roles al
ready knows. This part is not Sc
we're test of his abilities; it is rather
an interlude in a career of strenuos-
| ity. But it is so happy that he de-
serves thanks for creating and por-
| traying it.
Howard Gould as Rawker, the money
king, is perfect Leslie Kenyon as
Lord Kildare in disguise is not less
so. Harry Bergman is Pietro, the
viciously vengeful italian, gives an
excellent Interpretation, making 1t as
little melodramatic as the part per-
mits. May Buckley as Cloris, the he
roine, leaves nothing to be desired;
Miss Olive Wyndham in the ingenue
role is most happy, and everyone will
fall I'm love with Martha CpOrQa as
the most likable Mrs. Zellner.
In fine, few companies so well bal
anced and thoroughly competent have
ever been put together, and it Is not
often that better dramatic offering
comes this way. There is the strong
est reason why any lover of good
play perfectly acted should see it.