The San Francisco call., 1908-03-10
By Walter Anthony

Betsy Patterson, GLORIOUS Betsy"
the most fascinating woman in Ameri-
can history, if you forget Harriet
Lane, was impersonated last night at
the Novelty theater by Mary Manner
ing, who for six years has been a
stranger to San Francisco.
AS production Glorious Betsy
leaves much to be desired 1t is the
merest tissue of a play. AS Glorious
Besty'' Miss Mannering leave nothing
whatever to be desired. The play is un-
deniably thin, when it is not ''mushy.
but the star neither physically nor
artistically suggests, even remotely, at
tenuation, and she is never willingly
saccharine. except where fidelity to
Rida Johnson Youngs setimental lines
makes inexorable demand.
The plot of the play avoids carefully
all suggestions of the unhappiness that
came into the real Betsy's life, and
contents itself with telling story OF
her love for and subsequent marriage
to Jerome Bonaparte at the time when
the Corsican was proclaimed emperor
of France.
witnessing Mary Mannering's work
last night in the emotional scenes-such
as when she meets Napoleon himself
and is persuaded by him that her mar
riage to his brother would blast the
latter's career-the suggestion is ire
sistible that she should have play OF
deeper import and more dramatic
worth in which TO display her rich gifts
of portraiture. The single toned '.girly
girly" role is assumed with too much
ease. A fine. large and inclusive talent
is being expended on a very small task
There is real genius in Miss Manner
/ ing's artistry. If she did not get into
! the heart of emotion 1T was because
/ her role would not permit. The tran
sition from the light heartedness of the
reigning belle of Baltimore to TIL,
sorrow of broken hearted woman
who has sacrificed herself that hel
lover and affianced husband may bt
exalted. represents a long stretch of tht
heart strings. She was easily equal tc
the task. and the applause which came
from her large audience was witness tc
her ability
Her support was of quite average ex.
cellence, and sometimes more than that
In scenic presentation the play might
be bettered.
Captain Jerome Bonaparte was por-
trayed by Frank Gilmore. who is
capable actor without unusual distinc
ton. He played the part of the lover
convincingly and deported himself, frs
as tutor to Betsy and later, after ht
/ has shaken off his incognito, as Ma,
poleon's brother, with dignity and fer.
vor. John Webster was Napoleon him
self and must not be blamed for tn,
i bombast which the authoress of tn,
play made him utter He said it, how
ever, with as much effect as possible
and was as inf1exible in the seen,
where he demands of Betsy her re
linquishment of his brother as the Mar
of Destiny" must have been in life
| Cellmont Barkland as John c. Calhoun
/ one of Betsy's numerous lovers, did
good bit in love scene with her: S,
did Edward Trevor as Sir Henry Blake
an Irish lover. James A. Dickson wai
! the colored servant and did a gooC
piece of caraciature which would, how
ever, be improved materially by a littl,
more of the loud pedal. He could no
always be heard. Herbert Carr wa
William Patterson, Betsy's father, ant
was acceptable as such.
However, Glorious Betsy" as n,
doubt the author intended, is all mat
ter of Mary Mannering. AS she is su
perb, the piece will go, l should say
for two weeks without trouble.