Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-08-10

H at the Burbank this week.
A'A displays A. Byron Beasley at
his best in the role of Buntz. the poll
teal boss. It serves also to introduce
to Burbank audiences Miss Katherine
Kirkwood, an actress whose work last
night provides cause for regret that she
is soon to return to Mhe east, whence
she came. AS for the drama itself 1t is
little play written around a big sub
ject. 1t is clumsily constructed and its
characters are merely tailor dummied
into a waxen resemblance to real life.
The plays defects, however, are NOT
due to the plot. The story possesses
obvious dramatic strength, but 1t Is
sadly marred in the telling. The play
wright, seemingly, is wholly unable TO
utilize more than two characters upon
the stage at any one time and conse-
uuently the tale is told by succession
of dialogues, a tedious method by no
means to be commended to aspiring
writer's or perspiring audiences.
Despite these defects, and others
somewhat less obvious, The story of the
play and the excellence of much OF the
acting led last nights house into an
enthusiasm altogether complimentary
to the Burbank players. Curtain calls
were numerous and the rather surpris-
ing climax to the third act was re-
ceived with every evidence of approval.
Fight In the Dark
Here William Desmond. in the char
acter of the district attorney, engages
in a little passage at fisticuffs with the
boss. In their struggle the men over
turn a table on which Is q lighted lamp.
The lamp goes out and the house is
plunged into darkness. When the
lights again go up the district attorney
has dragged the cowed boss to a bal
cony from which he makes political
speech to a crowd of his followers who
come running down the aisles of the
theater, bearing transparencies and
cheering wildly for that ignis fatuus OF
current day politics, Reform.
AS you probably have surmised be-
fore this, Masters of Men, is a po-
litical play; a drama in which the
conflict is between civic decency and
graft; between an honest district at
| torney on one side and dishonest boss
in political partnership with the hypo-
critical and dishonest head of pub
lie service corporation on the other:
There is much talk about graft and
franchises and the like, but the play
wright always fails to get at the kerr
mel of his subject.
AS a matter of course the district at
torney is reelected and civic decency
is INDICATED. Likewise the love affair
of the district attorney and the capital
lists niece seems in a fair way to its
proper consummation when the final
curtain falls. Such problem as the
play presents, however, remains I'M
solved, for as he makes his exit from
the stage the discounted boss turns.
"DoWn and out" he says. Down
and out-for a time" And that is the
biggest speech, because it is the truest
speech of the play.
EeasIey's Fine Work
A. Byron Beesley gives an altogether
praiseworthy Interpretation of the role
of the boss He is not comedian-on
the stage political bosses seldom are
and he does not find it necessary to
accentuate either the vulgarity or the
illiteracy of the character. Beasley' S
boss is a man of power, whose abilities,
had they been properly directed, must
have made him leader In any clrcum-
stances. As it is, he is merely a boss
and, because he has been success as
a boss, a millionaire.
H. ]. CHM is cast in the part of the
hypocritical capitalist, whose snowy
philanthropies, duly set forth in the
public press, were undertaken perhaps
as atonement for his frequent pecca-
dillos in bribing civic officials to be-
tray the trust reposed in them by the
men who elected them TO office. Mr.
CHM fails utterly to make this charac-
ter appear real. Davis was a business
man, a man of many interests and
many millions. AS Mr.. CHM plays him
he is very like an English butler with
out mutton chop whiskers. The fall
ure is the more remarkable in view OF
the players usual excellence.
William Desmond handles the role
of the district attorney in a breezy
fashion and with an air of sincerity
that won for him his usual mede of
applause. Miss Blanche Hall, too,
was literally applauded for her act
ing as the young woman with whom
the district attorney Is in love.
Katharine Xirkwood, a young woman
specially engaged by Manager Morosco
| for this one play, acquitted herself
with credit in the trying role of the
girls mother, who is also Buntz' tool.
Harry Mestayer, Elsie Esmond and
Louise Royce are effective in minor
roles.
| A delayed train prevented John
Blackwood and the members of the
Lewis S. Stone company whom he is
said to be bringing with him from the
east, from arriving in Los Angeles
last night. They are expected to reach
here, however, early this morning. 1t
|
opening of the company's stock season
at the Auditorium will begin at once.
/ Katie Barry, who heads the Orpheum
program for the week commencing with
todays matinee, is well known by
name to Orpheum patrons but this will
/ be the first appearance in this territory
of the clever little Coincidence. Since
| her debut In America about five years
ago Miss Barry has been identified with
numerous musical comedies, but her
chief claim to fame remains upon her
creation of Fiji in "a Chinese Honey
NOON" for the original Casino produce
ton of which musical comedy she was
brought from England by the Shuberts.
The success of the piece in which she
first appeared and her personal triumph
as Fiji have kept her in New York far
too long, and this, her first western APP
pearance, should prove long delayed
treat to vaudeville patrons.
The second week of 1.-THE Girl, the
Man the Alimony'' was on a par with
its first production a week ago in the
matter of attendance. The Grand was
crowded at both performances, and
there is every prospect of successful
run. Marjorie English is taking the
role of the Girl, left vacant through
the illness of Edna Sidney, who left
yeSLtiQdJ AOI SofNC AeAASN' ""~AS go
will recuperate.
Kolb and Dill entered upon the second
week of their local engagement at the
Los Angeles theater last night III
Lonesome Town." The house was well
filed and the piece was received with
every expression Of approval.
1.-THE Wife," a comedy drama from
the pens of David Belasco and the late
II. c. DeAdille, and which was the first