Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-10-17

HE present theatrical season son
brings US once moro an old
friend In Mr. Russell Bassett,
who has been visiting the salt
Lake theater ever since the days or
Jimmy Harris = management MI.
Bass,ett comes III one of the Ornheum
sketches next week, and IL already
here In advance of the principal lady,
Miss Felice Morris. He Is taking adj
vantage of his rest TO visit oid-tinc
haunts. and what he can tell about the
days OF Lawrence Barrett the Walker
Opera House, aud The less prosperous
times he lit upon at the Grand theater,
would I'LL q most Interesting volume.
Perhaps one Of the best remelnhers e, OF y
the many roles MI l5assett has, Tiled
here is Mr.. Hobbs, the grocer, III
Little Lord Faunlleroy."
Mr. Bassctt's first visit to salt Lake
was made in 1880, when he came here
with HIS partner, httzserald. as man
ager of Lawrence Barrett. They struck
the town In midsummer opened to
$500 house, aud closed to ono that
counted up sl26, showing that the ven
ture OF playing in opposition TO Inc
lake, even q quarter OF u century ago,
was an expensive one.
Mr,5Bassett loves to narrate how he
and Fitzgerald organized the Barrett
company in San Francisco, guarantee
ing the star 5000 Il night, and found
after purchasing their railroad tickets
from San Francisco to Portland, that
their Joint capital was just Sl.oO. II
Barrett had had the least gllmmerlng
3 of an idea as to tho condition OF ms
managers exeheauer, the chances are
that he would have never taken the
boat out of san Francisco When they
reached Portland the two put their
heads together. trying to solve how
they could best raise II few dollars be-
fore registering alta hotel, and Mt. Bas- z
sett solved the problem by stepping
into the drug store where the advance
sale was going on, nonchalantiy miro
$ducing himself us manager of the at
traction, and carelessly asking apout
the weather and the advance sale; TINS
he found to be very good, and he tossed
the clerk an O u for $25, with re-
quest that II be casied. The clerk
politely told him that he could have
double that amount II he wanted i,
but his answer was that S2o would 40
for the present, and poeketing the DIS
he walked around the corner where the
anxious Fitzgerald was waiting Tor
him, and they literally fell into each
others arms. The whole town turned
out en- Inasse to welcome Barrett. ana
tho managers divided up the sum OF
SO. 200 as the result Of their venture.
Salt Lake theater-goers who have
been wondering whether or not
William Gillette had retired from
the stage, will be Interested to
learn that he reappeared in Rochester
last week in conjunction with new
English actress named Miss Constance
Collier. The play was Samson, 4
n odern drama, written by the author
of The Thief" Samson is the name
bestowed on u modern copper king and
the play Is based on domestic compli-
cations. Judging by the reports, Mr..
Gillette and Miss Collier both made de-
cided successes.
Everyone remembers the famous min
strel tenor, Jose, the singer who years
ago made his first hit in Silver
Threads Among the Gold. Jose's
voice has made him the feature of the
minstrel companies with which he has
been associated, for many years, but
this is the first time. he has visited
Salt Lake as one of the actors In
play. Tie title of his production is
Don't Tell My Wife, and while little
Is known of the story or Mr.. Jose's
part, It can we'll be taken as certain r.,
that the author has given him ample
opportunity for the display of his vo-
cal gifts His opening at the salt Lake
theater occurs Thursday evening next
A special dispatch to the News
from Portland. dated the 18TH In re-
gard to the production OF the widely
debated play of The Clansman,' runs
as follows:
THE largest audience of the season
attended the performance of The
Clansman' tonight at the Neilis thea
ter. A great interest had been aroused
in the coming of Thomas Dixon's play
on account of a protest having been
made to the mayor TO prevent its pres
entation, but he declined to interfere
and the theater was packed many hay
ing been turned away who could not
obtain seats. There was great enthusi-
asm and many demonstrations of APP
proval during the entire evening. The
house Is practically sold out for the
rest of the engagement
The Clansman' is due at the SAT-
Lake theater week after next. It's
kuklux and negro episodes have made
it the most talked-of play of recent
seasons.
One of the most promising bills o.
the season is what Manager Winch o.
the Orpheum announces for next week
the bill is headed by one of Jesse |.
I.askys acts entitled THE Military
Ootette." and THE Girl With the Ba
ton Salt Lake has always been Yer!
partial to Mr.. Lasky's productions. ane
II advance notices are to be relied up
on this is his most popular Offering; J
Is a military spectacle, soldiers o
various nations are represented ant
slimpsess are obtained of beautiful land
scapes of different countries.
.t'lhe Old, Old story" by Miss Fran
ces Wilson. is what Miss Feiice Mori
offers To give q synopsis of the 'Old
Old story would be robbing Orpheun
patrons of some of the pleasure o
seeing this act, and it Will be enough
to say that the plot is unique and tina
photograph plays new and hum
orous part IN tn playlet Miss Morri
is the talented daughter of the lat
Felix Morris, one OF America's mos
renowned character actors, and sh
5 will be assisted by the veteran actor
Russell Bassett, and new actor, MI
Charles SILK.
,'Motoring In Mid Air. IS somethu
decidedly new either in vaudeville c
anywhere else. but that is the wa
the Tom Davis trio introduce their nc
Davis is the worlds champion cycliE
and returns from q triumphai tot
through the amusement centers of Ell
rope,
The Basque quartet is one of til
most accomplished acts in vaudeville
This quartet has had a wonderful
successful career in grand opera an
in music festivals throughout the cour
try
1t is some time since u minstrel aC
was seen on our local stage and Al
thur Deuliil.- will furnish one this weet