Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-22
THE COWPUNCHER'
IS NOT HALF BAD
GRAND MELoDRAMA SHOWS
STEP IN ADVANCE
Miss Barker Takes Time to Warm Up
to Her Role, but Succeeds In the
End-LlIIlan Hayward In
New Part Wins Favor

Scattering kernels of truth and real
acting redeem THE Cowpuncher" at
the Grand this week from the rant"
class and place IL somewhere near the
level of real drama. The story Is not
crammed with unrealities and impos-
sibilities, as are most of che so-called
comedy dramas" which Hal Reid and
Owen Davis are turning out with such
reckless prodigality There are some
really good things in THE Cow
puncher," and though they are rather
suggestive of notable plays produced
within recent memory, the portion from
each is small enough to enable the
writer's to defy the copyright laws and
the critics as well.
Geraldine Graham is the owner of
cattle ranch in Arizona and coming to
visit her property finds the cowpunch-
ers prepared for her with a mock
lynching. The tenderfoot lady doctor
wins the admiration of all by her calm
and matter-of-fact demeanor under
these trying circumstances, and this is
further increased by the discovery that
she was not in the least imposed upon
by their fake"
Florence Barker made a very good
impression in this part, but either she
or her director is responsible for a
somewhat wooden situation in the scene
Where the new owner is introduced to
the hands" She was not here the
very-much-at-ease young woman that
the part demands.
But as the play progressed and the
tenderfoot "cattle woman" gets deeper
and deeper into difficulties of one kind
and another, Miss Barker warmed to
the situation and in the final act
seemed to take a real interest in the
proceedings. AS her adventures are
supposed to be the plot, it might as
well be stated that the fair rancher is
abducted by a pair of stage robbers,
Denver Dan and Carlos, Mexican cut
throat, and rescued by Tom Lawton,
her foreman, a part presented with due
regard for the authors intentions by
Charles Gum. The heroic foreman Of
fers his life to the brigands in ex-
change for the freedom of his en-
ployer and her girl friend, and as he
is captain of the rangers his offer is
accepted. OF course the hero is res
cued, but the scene gives Mr.. Gum,
Miss Barker and Myrtle Selwyn op-
portunity for a bit Of real acting.
Lillian Hayward was seen in a character
new in her repertoire, and one which
demonstrated how much real ability
underies the strenuous ranting of the
Ulrich villainess. AS Lutchia, Mex
lean woman (who "died for her love in
the golden west" vide program), Miss
hayward depicted one OF InOSe pas
sionate characters much described in
literature, who, despite the brutality of
the man she loved, clung to him in the
depth of his deserved misfortune and
at the last died by his hand. Carlos
Mendoza, cattle thief and bad man
generally, was a depicable character,
but a strong man, and Joseph de
Grasse once more demonstrated his
ability as an actor in this role.
1.-THE CownInCher' is a better nlay
than "a Marked Woman" but there Is
room for further advancement along
the same plane, and Director de
Grasse will make no mistake in con-
tinuing his evident effort for the up
lifting of Grand opera house drama.