Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-05-19
BY sIDLE LAWRENCE

ton to see that MY Wife, in it's
original form probably was an ex-
ceedingly lively, not to say risque.
play. AS presented at the Mason last
night, however, It proved decorus to a
degree, Mr.. Morton haying carefully
eliminated everything and anything
that might by the widest possible fight
of the imagination be expected to bring
the blush of modesty to the cheek of
experienced innocence. In other words,
| the American adapter has taken a
somewhat brisk Frence farce and has
made it over into typical John Drew
comedy. Doubtless he has done his
work well. Certainly he has provided
| Mr.. Drew with a role that differs not
at all from other roles in which he has
proved tremendously popular in the
past Naturally the farce has suffered
somewhat in the adaptation, but by
way of recompense we have the John
| Drew comedy, Mr.. Drew himself and a
supporting company of marked ability.
| In brief, Gerald Eversleigh, who is
| Mr.. Drew outside of the theater, has
been made co-guardian of a charming
young woman who, in order to inherit
a fortune, must marry by the time she
| one sutton, she another; but the imam
of her choice" as Laura Jean Libbey
would name him, is unable to enter
into a marriage contract for at least
one year. He goes away to Morocco.
while the young woman, Miss Billie
Burke. calls upon her guardian late at
night, while he is giving a dinner party
"a most respectable. decorous dinner
party to little company of theatrical
| folk-and persuades him to become her
husband pro tenn, in order TO assauge
her parents wrath and to enable her to
secure the fortune. At the end of a
year they are TO be divorced, when the
young woman proposes to marry her
swain, by that time returned from his
trlvels.
These Two Are Wed
Eversleigh agrees to this ENORMOUSLY
impractical project. The marriage oc-
ours between the first and second acts,
and the bride and groom, lin name
only"-again l am Indebted to Miss
Libbey-hie them away on their honey
moon. They go to Switzerland, where
the husband fights q duel in defense of
his wife and Is slightly wounded. and
| where the young woman's father and
mother come to peek In upon the
honeymoon. Leaving his bride with
her parents, Eversleigh returns to Lon
don to resume his highly respectable
bachelor existence. The wife follows,
and ultimately they discover that they
really love each other.
That's all there is to tin the Amer
icanized version. Everything is as re-
spectacle as the very English butler In
Gerald Eversleigh's London apart
ments. Everything is correct as Mr..
Drew's evening clothes. If you go to
see the comedy you won't be surprised,
you won't be shocked and you won't be
compelled to remain mentally alert for
possible double entendres or question
able epigrams, for there aren't any.
The acting is admirable, finished. in
every way excellent. Mr.. Drew, as L
have said, has been neatly fitted in the
way of role, and he handles it with
all his accustomed ease. There is just
enough comedy, just enough farce. Just
enough seriousness and just enough
love making, and they are all excellent
ly contrived and skillfully developed for
the delectation of an audience which
demands of this player that he do
nothing more startling than act him.
self.
A Charming Young Woman
In Miss Billie Burke Mr.. Drew has
leading woman Of much ingenious
personal charm and of considerable
ability as well. I should say that Miss
Burke today stands about where
Maude Adams stood when she was in
John Drew's company presenting 1.-THE
Masked Ball." she is dainty, delecta-
BILE. delicate. altogether fascinating.
The time is coming, however. when she
will have to discard that first name,
suited as it now is to her pleasing per-
sonality.
Ferdinand Gottschalk gives us
finely drawn "Gibby.' There is little
to the role except what Mr.. Gottschalk
puts into 1t. In less skillful hands it
would amount to nothing at all. Dor
othy Tenant is properly behaved
young prima donna from some London
theater devoted to musical comedy.
The part gives her no opportunities
and, unlike Mr.. Gottscha1k, she does
not make them for herself.
MY Wife" is not in danger of set
ting the Los Angeles river on fire, but
1t is wholesome and it is finely acted.
The engagement terminates Wednes-
day night, with q midweek matinee to-
morrow afternoon.
The Orpheum this week presents the
best program that house has offered in
several months. Even the moving pic
lures are well worth waiting for. Chief
among the newcomers are Flo Irwin
and her company in George AIDES
sketch, MRS. Peckhams Carouse";
Cliff Gordon, "the German politician"
who is the best singIe-handed talker we
have heard in Los Angeles this season,
and the Carbrey brothers, who have a
novelty in hard shoe dancing.
The AIDE sketch is funny and it is
we'll acted. Mrs. Peckham, played by
Miss Irwin, is temperance reformer.
Mr.. Peckham is an occasional imbiber.
His friend. Thomas Barrett, is man
about town who is possessed of jeal-
ous wife. His brother-in-law sends
Peckham a bottle of forty-year-old
kentucky whisky. Barrett visits him
7t bis otfice AVID the men prepare to
sanplo the atili juice when suddenly
...e Peckhnn appears upon the scene
aHl Peckham goes into eclipse in a
mandy closet. Then Mrs Barrett
SHOWS ap, discovers her husband atone
with AI.s Peci1ham, a bottle and two
glasses of whisky before them and
naturally jumps "a. the conclusion thas
they have been drinking together Mrs
Peckham promptly faints, And a. hrslg
her TO Barrett gives her those two lib