Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-26

IN HE MERRIEST, cleverest, mos
ingenious comedy presented upor
Il a local stage in many night Is
"Mrs. Temples Telegram" played foi
the first time in Los Angeles at the
Burbank theater yesterday afternoon
and repeated last night before an audi
ence which occupied every seat In the
house and which laughed approval
throughout the three acts of the play
The fun of Mrs. Temples Tele-
gram" is clean and 1t lis unceasing
There is scarcely a serious moment
in the comedy; yet the complications
are cleverly devised and occur with
all the plausibility of a political trick
ster who points with pride" to the
achievements of his particular party
and who explains, in extenso, that
party's great love for the common pee
pul.
The Plays Story
In its essentials the plays plot is
simplicity itself. Jack Temple, Lon
doner. has remained away from home
ali night. Upon his return he tells his
wife the truth, that he had gone UP
in a Ferris wheel, the machinery OF
which becoming deranged, had kept
him a prisoner in midair all night, his
exile being shared by young woman
Naturally he eliminates any mention
of his companion from his story anc
naturally his wife refuses to believe
so palpable an absurdity. Consequent
Iy he inVents a friend whose name ne
gives as John Brown, and explains
that he had passed the night at
Browns home in Pickleton, having
missed the last train into. town.
This story, too, Mrs. Temple doubts.
but sends a telegram to the mythical
Brown asking him to call upon ner.
Temple discovers this move and
friend, Frank Fuller, volunteers to I'M
personate Brown, appears as though
in response to the wire, and explain
matters satisfactorily.
The scheme works. The pseudo
Brown tells his story and is believed.
Then the real Mrs. Brown shows up,
followed by her husband. The woman
of the Ferris wheel adventure proves
to be Mrs. Frank Fuller and the re-
sultant confusion is hilariously funny.
Upon this main fabric is embroidered
a clever and ingenious chain of cir
cumstances that make Mrs. Tenn
ple's Telegram" as amusing a comedy
as may well be imagined.
The play first was presented in the
northwest under the title "Who's
Brown" Later it was taken into New
York where 1t ran on Broadway for a
year under the new title, subsequently
being presented for long engagements
in the principal cities of the east. Here,
however, it is new. 1t ought to run
longer than the single week announced
for it's presentation and 1t should at
tract crowded houses during the run.
I do not often make a direct recon-
mendation regarding theater attend
ance, but If you like good, clean,
wholesome fun want to advise you to
see this play, and I am confident, If
you take my advice, you will thank
me for it afterward.
The cast is small. There are just
nine characters in the comedy-five
men and four women. Six Of them are
husbands and wives. Two become en-
gagged before the play ends. The other
man is a fussy old butler, fussily and
humorously played by John Burton.
The trio chiefly responsible for last
nights merriment among the Burbank
audience was composed of Miss Flor
ence Stone as Mrs. Temple, who sends
the telegram; William Desmond as the
bogus John Brown, who answers it,
and A. Byron Beasley as Mr.. Temple,
who regrets it. The comedy is further
enhanced by the appearance OF Henry
Stockbridge as the real John Brown
Louise Royce as his suspicious wife.
and Miss Elsie Esmond as the wife of
Temples friend, who assumes the
Miss Stone played Mrs. Temple with
seriousness, even In the most hilari-
Gus situations, that added tremend-
ously to the comedy effect. She avoided
any approach toward farce. Her acting
throughout was marked by plausibil-
ity that gave color of credence to the
most ridiculous complications. Incl
dentally she wore three new gowns,
each of them Creation"
Mr.. Desmond. who returned from a
fortnight's vacation to appear in this
comedy, was given cordial greeting
last night and upon his first appear
ance was compelled to acknowledge
the applause, which he did by saying
merely: II gained nine pounds and
couldn't hit q quail" He had no diff
ficulty. however, in hitting the funny
bones of his auditors. Seldom has he
entered so thoroughly into the spirit
of a comedy role as he did last night.
Nor was Mr.. Beasley a whit behind
him in fun making The two roles are
of about equal Importance and the two
men fairly shared honors with Miss
Stone.
Mr. Stockbridge's John Brown proved
O comical contribution to the general
hilarity, both in point of appearance
and in acting. Miss Esmond, who like
wise displayed new and becoming
gowns, was most amusing in the role
of Mrs. Fuller. and Miss Royce added
largely to the gayety of the. audience
as Mrs. Brown. Minor roles were cred
itably played by Mr.. Mestayer and
tnHaa IN NnmG