Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-24
OLD COMEDY
IS REVIVED
DLoRD AND LADY ALoY" GIVEN
AT THE eELAsco
PLAY AFFORDS MISS EMMETT NO
OPPORTUNITIES
Piece Is Well Staged and Acting
Honors All Fall to the Male
Members Of the COM
pany
BY sIDLE LAWRENCE

Ii is difficult to understand just why
the Belasco management should have
selected z. c Cartons English comedy cf
Lord ahd Lady Algy" as medium
through which to introduce new leading
woman and new ingenue to the Los
Angeles playgoing public 1t is true that
Miss Bernar is not a stranger locally
but Miss Dorothy Bernard Is. The young
lady has grown up since she left US, anu
the Dot Bernard of former years has
disappeared. AS for Miss Katherine En-
met. our appreciation of her abilities Is
still for the future. Lord and Lady
Algy" gives her small opportunities; s.
small that 1t were manifest injustice to
pass Judgment upon such inconclusivs
evidence.
The comedy frs. saw the light of day
at a period when Miss Dot Bernard
was confidirg weigh.y secrets to most
lovable doll. At tnat time it enjoyed a
considerable vogue in London and, sub
sequently, in New York and elsewhere
on this side the Atlantic. Since then 'e
has been presented occasionally in stock.
Is Light Comedy
Mr. Cartons play makes small preten-
sions. 1t is merely a light comedy o:
London social life, entertaining because
of a rather adro.tly handled story of
marital discord. 1t is never broad anu
ii is never .ngerous.l 1t is WARRANTED
not to make any great demands either
upon the intelligence of its audience Of
upon the acting abilities of the women
who appear in its cast.
The 5cene of tn. first and third acts
is in Lord Algy's fla in Piccodilly; tina:
of the second, room in Brabazon Tud-
ways house. Mayfair. The second act
shows a fancy Dire ball in progress, and
provides OPT ortunity for brilliant stag5
pictures, which Is made the most or
The costuming in this act is good, par
ticularly the Dresden shepherdess attire
OF Mrs. Vokins, played by Miss Adele
harrington, who is mistakenly after
Reynolds, out who finds the duke Of
Dromeborough irstead.
A Comedy for Men
This is essentially a comedy for men
not for men theatergoers. but for men
actors. The women are necessary to the
story, but they d. not much count In its
telling. Lewis Stone as Lord Algy plays
with his Usual quet appreciation of this
sort of a role, dominating his scenes
easily, though fo- the matter of that
the same result must have been attained
by an actor of lesser ability. as the en-
tire play is built around this one char
acter. Harry Glazier is effective as d
somewhat explosive and righteouslJ
jealous head of new-rich family. How
ard Scott is the hypocritically SNUG de-
ceiver; William Yerance, a mildly iras-
chile duke. and Richard Vivian, a social
pilot. Charles huggles abandons mis-
Juvenile roles for the once and plays d
grownnp most effectively.
AS for Mist Emmet, as have already
said. it would be unfair to attempt an5
estimate of her abilities with only this
one role to go on. She is a young wo-
man of graceful bearing, with a pleasing
conversational voice and seemingly is en-
tirely without nervousness. All of which
may be expected to stand her in good
stead later on.
Miss Dorothy Bernard has absolutely
nothing to do but to look her own charm
ing self. Sho appears only briefly in tho
second act, and probably hasn't dozen
lines to speak in all.
We learned several new things about
the kings English last night. First tina t
an English gentleman habltually uses
the word "ain't' when he means "is not .
and that he pronounces been as though
1t were spelled bin" These two in
stances rarely in passing.