Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-15
LEGAL RULING
TIES UP PLAYS
NHROUGH a strict Interpretation of
the child labor law Los Angeles
- will be deprived of seeing in stock

the child labor law Los Angeles
will be deprived of seeing in stock
two of the most successful plays of re-
cent years. These plays are Peter
Pan" which Maude Adams presented
at the Mason opera house last summer
and 1.-THE Squaw Man." which William
Faversham played at the same theater.
Both of these plays are held, under con-
tract, by local stock organizations, but
the verdict of guilty returned In JUS
tice's court last week against Oliver
Morosco in the Glazier case will et-
fectually estop their presentation.
Considered from a common sense
standpoint, the enforcement of this law
against such theaters as the Belasco
and Burbank would seem to achieve no
good purpose. Like many another Cal-
ifornia law, this act has been drawn in
a bungling and characterlstlcally Slip
shod manner. For instance, 1t ex-
empts from it's provisions the child who
sells papers upon the street at all hours
of the night: the child who perhaps,
peddles flowers in a district of the city
where vice flaunts itself at all times;
but under Justice Frederickson's ruling
it includes children who appear upon
the stages of local theaters of the first
class, where they are as careIully
guarded from harmful influences as
viii Test the Law
The Morosco case was taken into
court for the aVowed purpose of testing
the law. Mr.. Morosco was arrested
under the provisions of the so-called
child labor law because he had pre-
sented a play at the Burbank theater
in which a child role was played by the
clever young son of Harry Glazier OF
the Belasco stock company.
The issue was Joined and the case
tried, the jury, after several hours De
liberation, finding the deIendaht gulity
as charged -
Mr.. Morosco promptly gave notice OF
his intention to appeal, and it is under
stood that the local Theatrical man
ogers' association, which is back OF
Morosco. will carry the matter TO the
court of last resort unless some inter-
vening tribunal grants the justice ol
the Morosco contention and holds the
law faulty. -..,.o5 81
the Mason by Miss Adams and her
company last summer the play ran Two
weeks and was acclaimed one OF the
most thoroughly delightful stage pre-
sentiments Los Angeles had seen III
,nanv seasons. This year Miss ADAMS
ia ,,is Wing "'The Testers" Thus Peter
PAM became available for stock com
narv use and the Belasco theater
nronptly added the play to its ilst'
Similarly, 1.-THE Squaw Man," when
presented by Mr.. Faversham was 1ounu ~
10 he an admirable play, ana When 1t
was released for stock coIhpallleat' nt.l,7
aper oliver Morosco at once contracted
+o yresent it at the Burbank theater.
Plays Tied UP
Now both of these plays are tied up;
nigeonholed, all bound round with Iesal
a n
cerned Neither can be presented mere
a. long as the Frederickson interpreta-
tion Of the child labor law STANDS.
Whether that Interpretation is war
ranted bv law remains, of course
mooted legal point; but until the opih,
ion is reversed or the law is repeated
1ocal theaters will b6 compelled TO
ab;de hv the decision and local audi
enres will be obliged to go without see
inc NOT only these two fine plays, but
q number of others which cal! Tor chll-
dren in the cast. OF these other plays
several have never been presented IN
Los Angeles.
At last Los Angeles is to have an op-
nortunity to pass upon Mrs. Warren's
Profession" This play, by George
BERNARD Shaw, which has caused more
comment than any problem drama OF
recent authorship, is to be presented at
the Los Angeles theater next week by
Miss Mary Shaw, an American actress,
better known in the east than IN the
west. and whose name has long been
prominently connected with Ibsen and
Shaw roles.
Miss Shaw was the original Mrs. War
rem in this country. She likewise was
the original Mrs. Alving in Ibsen' S
Ghosts" During the past week she
has presented both plays in San Fran
cisco, where the newspaper critics We're
enthusiastic in their praise of her work