Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-30
YOUNG STAR
MAKES HIT
MISS OLLIE COOPER, "RUNs
AWAYv WITH PLAY
DOES FINELY IN DUAL ROLES OF
PRINCE AND PAuPER
Audience at the Burbank Sees Inter-
estlng Presentation of Drama
Made from Mark Twain's
Celebrated Book
nY sInLn LAwRENcr

Little Miss Ollie Cooper ran away WIN
the play at the Burbank yesterday after
noon and she accomplished the trick not
withstanding some very excellent work
on the part of William Desmond, whose
Miles Hendon, barring a few minutes IN
the last act, Is one of the best character
izations the Burbank leading man has
given us in many months.
Nor was the diminutive players tri-
umph due solely to the fact that in the
dual roles of the prince and the pauper
she is provided with the most conspicuous
opportunities for good work. Those ap-
portunities would have availed her little
had she not proven her ability to take
advantage of them. Her acting, both as
Edward, prince of Wales, and as Tom
Canty, one of the meaneSt of the king 8
subjects, amply merited the generous
needs of applause accorded 1t by the
audience. In bearing and department she
differentiated the two characters nicely,
but there was a noticeable lack of varia-
ton in the manner of speech that should
be remedied. 1t Is not believable that
the prince and the pauper should have
spoken with the same accent, that their
pronounciation of the same words should
have been identical, and In making them
so the young player erred. Tom Canty,
who aped the prince In his squaltd home,
doubtless was much given to hifalutln
language, but it must have been merely
hifalutin, not the easy, graceful and
elegant language Of the court.
Well Worth Seeing
The program is discreetly silent as to
the identity of the person who made this
dramatization of Mark Twain's sociologi-
cal and humorous story. "The Prince ana
the Pauper'' does not lend itself readily to
stage presentation, and like most book
1--we ttNaf
story only in fragmentary fashion. There
is here the necessity for frequent change
of scene from palace to hovel and back
again, and this makes the play episodical
to a marked degree. However, 1t Is de-
cidedly interesting work, we'll staged, well
acted and very well worth the seeing.
There are one or two errors In the stag
ing that are as funny as anything In the
play. but they may be forgiven because
Of the general excellence. However, sol
diers In the time of the eighth Henry did
not use the Mcclellan stirrup; while II
that monarch Of ample girth had ap-
tempted to seat himself upon so small
throne as that here provided for Eng
lands king his position would have been
both hazardous and vastly uncomfortable
Desmond's Sir Miles
Mr.. Desmond, as already stated, does
excellent work as Sir Miles. His concern
for the little prince, his kindly but un-
believing Difference to that sprig of royalty
and the genuine affection he conceives for
the boy whom he supposes to be mad are
excellently managed. In the last act'
however, Mr.. Desmond comes to MS ran.
At time when he should be most olsnl-
fed he throws dignity out of the window,
and smirks with self satisfaction as he
sits in the kings presence. This should
be made a dramatic, not humorous
scene. Sir Miles, In seating himself, does
SO to discover n the monarch Is, after
ALL the mad youth whom he had be-
friended. Mr.. Desmond sits in order TO
give the laugh to the court.
A. Byron Beasley gives a good inter-
pretation of the villainous Jack Canty;
and Davie Edwin contributes a fine bit
as Anthony, Mr.. Mestayer's Lord Sey-
mour lacks in stimulation of craft as
politician and in fervor as lover.