Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-02
The Theaters

n HE new Chronophone theater. un-
der the management OF II. A.
= Fischer. will be thrown open TO
the public at o'clock this afternoon.
The house will offer continuous pro-
grams daily. running from until II
p. M.
Last night private view of the new
Chronophone and OF the cozy little
playhouse in which the machine Is DOM
iciled was given the city officials, the
press and invited guests. The appa-
ratus worked perfectly and Il there
was the slightest variation in the syn
chronization of action and SOUND IL
could not be detected.
The chronophone presents moving pic
lures that sing and talk. che pictures
themselves are remarkable, the vibra-
tion which ordinarily mars such ex-
hibitions having been largely overcome
while the songs are given with clear
ness of tone that few years ago would
have been deemed impossible.
The best thing on the current pro-
gram is an aria from II Pagliacci,"
splendidly sung by some unnamed
tenor, in costume and with all the ac-
ton which would accompany the song
on the grand opera stage. In addition
there are the Sylvia ballet, selections
from "Plnafore" and from "The
Mikado," trio, "This Little Girl and
That" and a xylophone duet-this last
chiefly remarkable for the severe test
1t places upon the synehronizlng de-
vice. Here every motion of the per-
formers is accompanied by sounds
from their instruments, just as 1t
would be were they on the stage before
N nipfnrlQ
''The Wine Making Industry and 1.-THE
Magician" complete the program.
Mr.. Fischer's guests last night were
both delighted and surprised at the re-
suits achieved by the new machine and
he was warmly congratulated upon his
enterprise in bringing the chronophone
to Los Angeles. Canned opera and
canned plays seem to be an accom-
plished fact.
Manager oliver Morosco of the Bur-
bank theater yesterday made arrange
ments with James Neil and his wife,
who Is known professionally as Edythe
Chapman. for asspecial engagement of
one week in "Pudd'nhead Wilson,"
which the Neils have presented with
gratifying success in other cities. The
play will be staged at the Burbank
week after next, with William Desmond
in the Juvenile lead of Chambers, Miss
Blanche Hall in the ingenue lead. Mr.
Neil in his old part of Pudd'nhead,
Hiss Chapman as Roxy and Harry
Mestayer as Tom Driscoll.
1.-The Girl of the Golden West is to
be played another week at the Belasco
theater-making a run of five weeks in
all. This postponement of the farce.
Before and After" in favor of another
seven days OF the David Belasco melo-
drama of early California mining days
was decided upon last night, when more
than 800 people were turned away from
the Belasco box office. unable TO get
seats for the Beiasco play.
The career of 1.-THE Girl of the Golden
West" at the local Belascc promises to
establish new stock company record
in this country. The average play Is
given for one week in stock; sometimes
a run of two weeks is attained, and in
a few rare instances it is necessary to
devote three weeks to stock produc-
tion, but when 1t comes to keeping on
the same play for five consecutive
weeks stock managers all over the
country commence to sit up and take
notice that Los Angeles is on the theat-
rical map and that this city gives to
its stock companies much better pat
ronage than is accorded to similar or
ganizations in any other part of the
country
The Belasco box office records show
that already 1.-THE Girl of the Golden
West" has been witnessed by 62,347
people, although in many instances the
same people have viewed the perform
ance for three and even four times. It
is considered altogether likely that by
the end of the fifth week more than
$4,000 persons will have attended the
production.
when knights Were Bold" the
comedy in which Charles Frohman
presents francis Wilson the present
season, was already an established sue
cess in England before Mr.. Frohman
brought it to this country. 1t is far
cical travesty on old-time chivalry, in
which a young English nobleman, Sir
Guy de We're, played by Mr.. Wilson,
reconciles to modern ideas a lovely
cousin who had been much disposed to
believe that all the men worth while
had been dead for centuries. The COM
edy Is in three acts, the second expos
ing the experience of q dream which
takes everyone save the hero back 700
years as their own prototype and places
the hero Cn the scene in his modern
capacity. This will be Francis VIII
sons first local engagement in nearly
fifteen years. He comes to the Mason
opera house for. weeks engagement,
beginning next Monday.