Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-04
THE CAST

nan III lhS tiliS iolS
THE CAST
Colonel starbottle ..... Henry stockbridge
Willis Smith ''''''''...'.'.'' PETE CLANCY
Yuba Bill .................J John w. Burton
Mary Ann Heath. ........ Florence Walters
Salomy Jane Clay. .......... Blanche Hall
Rufe waters .................. III. D. CHM
Jack Marbury ............A. Byron Beasley
Larabee ::..,............ Gerald Harc0urt
Madison Clay ...............:H. HI. s. Duhield
Inc Man ................ William Desmond
LIE Heath :...:............ Louise Royce
BY SIDLE LAWRENCE
HCtALOMY JANE" first presented
in Los Angeles at the Mason a
few months ago, was given It's
first stock presentation at the Bur-
bank theater yesterday afternoon be-
fore an audience which filled that play
house, many persons being turned
away. Both the play and the manner
| OF its presentation merited the patron
| age accorded 1t.
AS I wrote when the play was first
seen here, to the native sons and
daughters who love their state, its his
tory and the red-blood romance of its
! earlier days, "Salomy Jane will ap-
| peal with all the eloquence of a storm
among the giant redwoods; and TO
those others, native sons and daugh-
| ters of another commonwealth, who
have sought to make California their
own by right of conquest instead of
right of birth, the play will provide a
| realistic picture of pioneer times; q
| picture that will enable them the bet
ter to understand the sort of men and
women who brought civilization to the
new Ell Dorado. The play is a leaf
from the story of the states making;
fiction, certainly, but fiction that en-
| bodies more of truth than many of the
histories.
| Dramatization Well Done
Here in the state he loved so well
and appreciated with SO complete an
understanding there is no need to say
| that Bret Harte knew his California.
On the Burbank program this week
his story, "Salomy James KISS" is
described as California idyl, and II
deserves no lesser designation. 1t Is OF
| Importance, however, to say that Pau
| Armstrong, who gave that 1dyl stage
form, has done his work artistically.
| The charm of the story has been re-
tanned with praiseworthy fidelity to
| the original. From the first rise of the
curtain to it's final fall that 1gnis
| fatuus of so many playwrights, at
mosphere, is ever present. "Sue," with
Annie Russell in the name role, was a
good play: "M'liss," as presented py
| Annie Pixley, was perhaps better one;
but "Salomy Jane" is best of all. IL is
frank melodrama, every line OF 1t, an
excellent example of melodrama In its
best form.
| It is a curious coincidence that gives
us this week at two stock theaters
| California melodramas OF the early
day-plays, too that have much more
| in common than merely similar geo.
graphical setting. 1t is significant, too,
la1y ri
the Golden West" already has run
four weeks and tonight enters upon its
fifth, Doubtless had not Manager Mo-
i rosco made other arrangements "Sa-
lomy jane might easily continue at
i the Burbank considerably longer than
the single week allotted for its presen-
I tation: for, as 1 have already said, IL
Is admirably acted, effectively staged
and II is a most interesting play into
the bargain.
Miss Hall a Fine Sa!omy
1t has been long since Blanche Hal!
appeared in character, outside OF
musical comedy, which she makes SO
completely her own as she does Sa-
lomy. There is an appealing quality
about her acting in this part, an IN
genuous charm that goes straight to
the hearts Of her audience ! nave
only one little fault to find-in the
scene where Salomy commands her
lover, Rufe Waters, to kill the man
| who had insulted her with kiss,
| Miss Hall was scarcely convincing. Shs
| forgot that she was playing meio-
drama and she made that stolen kiss
an incident rather than an affront.
Elsewhere her realization of the char
acter was delightful, tender In Sa-
| lomy's ministrations to the little chill
dren: womanly in her third act sur
render to 'the man." and sympathetic
always.
little to do as "the man." but handles
the role very we'll. A. Byron Beasley
plays Jack Marbury, the gambler, and
| gives an admirable Interpretation of
the role. H. S. Duffield does his best
work in many weeks as Salomy's faith
er. John w. Burton Is Jovially anus
ing as Yuba Bill and Henry stock
bridge plays Col. Starbottle In a way
that yesterday won the appreciattve
regard of his audience. Master Peter
Clancy Is immense as Willie Smith
| and the roles of the two little girls
also are well played.
Richard J. Jose appeared on the
stage of the Los Angeles theater last
night between the second and thlrd
| acts of a silly farce and sang SIX
songs. If the audience had had its
way Jose probably would be singing
yet. First he sang River, River,
| Rolling ON" then Beneath the Old
| Apple Tree" Both songs Were ap-
plauded enthusiastically. but when the
| orchestra struck up the opening
chords of "Silver Threads Among the
Gold" the applause was redoubled.
Jose sang It, just as he used to sing II
| twenty years ago. There We're mid
dle-aged men and women in that au-
| dience who had heard the same singer
sing the same song when they were
young; and they turned to assure
| each other, in some surprise, that mis-
voice was as sweet as it ever was.'
After this song Jose tried to bow
his thanks and let it go at that. but
the house wasn't satisfied and insisted
upon more. He complied with Dolly
i Gray "when You and Were
Young and when You Know You're
Not Forgotten by the Girl You Can't
Forget" Then, with obvious reluc-
tance, the audience let him go, though
the applause continued for several
1 minutes after his last number.
i Richard Jose has a remarkable con-
ira tenor voice-a freak voice 1t has
j been termed, and freak voice 1t is.
He has been before the public for
many years, but his voice remains as
fresh and delightful as It was In the
long ago. And he sings the simple OLD
songs which made him famous.
Unfortunately Jose has no part in
the farce. His appearance is merely
Il Incidental. He comes on between acts.