Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-12

ktTr isn't the clothes that make the
man" runs an old adage; and Dy
Il the same token it isn't the clothes
that make an actor or an actress, either,
for the matter of that. Good clothes,
however, constitute valuable asset in
the players equipment; and the etiquette
OF clothes is a matter that should be
studied quite as carefully as deport
ment.
For instance. it is somewhat surprising
to see leading men wearing dinner coats
ut a noon luncheon; and still more sur
prising to see a leading woman wear one
dress through two acts of a play which
are supposed 20 be separated by lapse
of three years However, these things
have happened right here in Los An
geles within the past few weeks And
tnere have been others equally as ridic-
nlous.
In fact members of local stock com
panies seem to need a sartorial mentor
an individual UP in clothes, who car
tell them how to dress their parts. Often
times it is merely a question of common
sense, but this view of the matter does
not seem to appeal to the actors.
Miss Stones Walking Suit
Even Florence Stone at the Auditorium,
who one of the best dressed women on
The American stage, occasionally blum
ders. Last week. for instance, she came
upon the stage in Kate shannon
dressed i'm an elaborate house gown, with
demi-train, straight from an extended
walk along Riverside drive, New York
city. The gown was beautiful thing,
but about as appropriate as a nunting
suit il the circumstances.
aw4f. 4Arr- at
Miss Katharine Emmet prepare for an
early morning ride through midwinter
snow, in a costume that would have
served admirably for a June canter
through Eastlake park. Had she Ven-
tured out in it under conditions supposed
to exist in the play she must have con-
ira a.ted pneumonia, if indeed she had not
succumbed to exposure before her return
Again at tine Burbank there is al
,vavs William Desmond. Now Nj.
Desmond is a fine chap and a popular
actor. but his taste in clothes is eccen-
tric. to put it mildly. His waistcoats
and his ties always are different.
Pearl gray is his favorite waistcoat
hue. while a mixed black and white
tie with evening clothes is much af-
fected. Last week, too, Harry Me-
stayer seemed to have fallen under the
Desmond influence in this regard.
Miss Gilbert Dresses Well
The best dressed woman in the Bur
bank company. and, next to Miss stone,
the best dressed among the local play
ers. is Miss Maude Gilbert. Miss GIL
bert seldom offends against the COM
mon sense of clothes and her clothes
ht her. Miss Hall is a frequent Of
fender.
At the Belasco Miss Emmet and Miss
Bernard are newcomers and may not
Justly be included in the discussion.
Miss harrington usually may be
counted upon to costume her roles cor
rectIy; and the men ordinarily content
themselves with conventional suitings
and conventional haberdashery. When
they don uniforms, however, the Be-
iasco actors, in common with their
friends down the street, seem entirely
at a loss. a
Recently we have seen a cavalry officer
5edecked with an artillery sash; a cap
tain wearing second lieutenant's shoulder
straps; a Confederate general wearing a
ITetieraI belt buckle, and other curious
errors. Then, in another play, there was
Il strange mingling of fatigue and dress
uniforms.
At the Auditorium Miss Stone is always
handsomely dressed, and usually her
gowns are appropriate. Miss Montell
too. seems to appreciate the value of
clothes Some one or two of the men
occasionally indulge in a mild form of
sartorial inebriation' but for a down
right sartorial bender "Blll' Desmond IS
alone. The others are nowhere.