Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-08
'PROD|GAL: SON
MAKES HUGE HIT
BURBANKERS GO DAFT OVER
PLAY NEW YORK REJECTS
Too Much MeIodrama and Turgidity,
but Desmond and Mestayer Have
Good Roles, as Does Maude
Gilbert

When Hall Caine presented in New
York his last drama, 1.-THE Prodigal
Son." the metropolis would none of it,
and Caine took it back to Mainland
with him in disgust.
Viewed strictly from critical stand
point, New York was right; it is not
good play. 1t lacks action in much of
it's considerable length; it is turgid
and melodramatic to an extreme in
parts; it is not convincing, and its
pathos at times verges on bathos.
while banality hangs over 1t to a
marked degree. In short, it possesses
the faults in abundance which one
comes to expect in all dramas from the
Caine pen, and lacks the Hallcaine
marks of virtue in many respects which
have made his other productions strong
in spite of crudities and even absurdi-
ties.
Yet because New York rejects a
drama is no reason why Los Angeles
will not like it; and in this instance
Los Angeles very decidedly shows its
independence of spirit. For 1.-THE
Prodigal Son" was given to two large
audiences in the Burbank theater yes
terday and the strong second act--the
best one of the four-drew curtain calls
without number, and every one of the
others was ended amid salvos of noise.
Whether New York is too ultra refined
or Los Angeles is too easily pleased is
not subject for argument here, but
the fact remains that in the minds of
the Burbank frequenters this Is re-.
markable production, and it suits them
down to the ground In the light of
this, where does the critic stand, any
how?
1.-THE Prodigal Son. is based on the
relations of two Icelandic families, one
having two daughters and the other two
sons. One daughter is a sweet ingenue
sort Of girl-Blanche Hall-while the
other is sirenic termagant = Maude
Gilbert. One son-Desmond-is a rough
but noble chap, who loves the ingenue
daughter, but gives her up to his
rather worthless and decidedly weak
brother-Harry Mestayer She, how
ever, pines away through is neglect
and his fascination for her sister, and
dies. Then these two begin a wander
ing life of the tort that polite society
doesn't recognize, and intermingle more
or less crime in it, only to come to
bad end, and finally, the prodigal re-
turns homeland the rest is easy to
guess.
Grated upon this bald outline,
imagine several strong scenes. One
the combat between the brothers for
of all that precedes and follows it, and
both Desmond and Mestayer as Magnus
and Oscar respectively come to the
crisis admirably, both doing excellent
work. In fact, Desmond quite rises SUI
perior even to himself throughout the
drama, and gives us a restrained, care
full and artistic Interpretation, decided
ly fine. Mestayer in the earlier part
is also excellent, but in the big third
ranE hA Il
run away with him, and rants and
storms about in a fashion far out of
his usually calm and clever manner
This is a keen disappointment, and Mr..
MeStayer should much tone down his
declamations and his acting, that he
may the closer hold the mirror up to
nature.
Miss Hall as Thora is adorably sweet,
and, at the one proper time admirably
fiery, and when, in the last act, she
reappears to play the daughter, she is
just as fine Maude Gilbert as the
siren sister is exceptionally good up
to that fatal quarrel scene in the third
act. when she, too, Chambers absurd
melodramatic heights and thus becomes
declasse and disappointment. Which
is cause for keen regret.
The play has a very long cast and
makes demands upon the whole COM
pany, but these four are the main roles
H. S. Duffield is good as Magnuson;
Burton almost loses himself and his
we'll known mannerisms in the role of
the Factor, which he does excellently;
Louise Royce as Margaret is decidedly
we'll cast; Maude George is up to the
mark as Mrs. Magnuson; H. ]. CHM
does clever bit as the casino director,
and the balance are all that could be
asked. The casino scene falls below
the usual Burbank standard of stage
craft, especially in its props"