Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-24
MANY OLD FRIENDS
ON LOCAL STAGES

THERE is no city of equal size the
country over that has so large
II permanent population of actors
actively engaged in their profession
as Los Angeles. The reason for this
is found in the loyalty of Los Angeles
theatergoers toward the men and Wom-
en- for whom they have once con-
ceiyed an ross-the-footlightS aftec-
ton Managers have been quick TO
appreciate the value of this sentiment
as q business asset; hence they have
retained the old players, year after
year, making only such changes in
their companies as have been abso-
lutely necessary.
In this endeavor Manager Morosco
of the Burbank company, first founded
of existing stock organizations. has
been conspicuously successful. There
are today on the Burbank stage TOUR
players who have been there f1ve years,
four who have been in the company
four wears and several whose terms OF
service, though not uninterrupted, have
continued for an equal space of time
William Desmond, John w. Burton,
Fl. S. Duffield and Robert Morris have
been under Morosco management Tor
half a decade. Elsie Esmond has been
at the Burbank five years, with an IN
terva1 of eight months, during az W nnnan
she was not a member of the COM
pany. Blanche Hall. Henry stock
bridge and Willis Marks have played
parts on the same stage for four years
II. S. CHM has been there almost that
long, his stay, however, having been
punctuated by several absences VI
short duration.
Harry Mestayer first appeared at the
Burbank six years ago. He stayed Two
wears, then was in San Francisco LOT
one year, when he returned, having
now completed his third year of con-
tinuous service, making five in ALL
The Belasco's Record
The Belasco, first opened less than
four wears ago, has today two MEM
hers of the original company, Rlcharu
Vivian, who has remained there con,
stantly, except for brief vacations; anu
Howard Scott, who was out ten weeks,
but who subsequently returned. Mr.
scott. by the way, has been under the
management of Frederick Belasco for
eleven years. ,
In point of service Miss Adele Far
rington is the pioneer of the 15elasco
women, having been at that theauel
a few months more than three years
William Yerance joined the company
at about the same time. George Bar
mum has a record of three years thoueh
he was away for several months. Harry
Spear has been at the Belasco lhree
wears. and under Beasco management
for nine Years. many 'iAsAN-iNt,
paratiVely a newcomer on the Beldsco
stage, went there from the Burbank
AS a general proposition the men
members of a company seem 10 nave
more stability than the women. mus
the Belasco, which in all It's history
has had but three leading men, Messrs
Alison. Galbraith and stone, mas had
no fewer than ten leading women IN
the order of their engagements they
were Adele Block, Amelia Gardner,
Isabelle EVesson, That's LaWton, Juilet
Crosby, Amelia Gardner again, Lillian
Albertson, Blanche Stoddard Lhather-
inc Emmett and Alice treat hunt
Mrs. Frederick Belasco, came here only
for a special engagement and remained
only a few weeks. Miss Gardner went
away and came back again. OF the
list. the last four named have all playe"
at the Beasco within the past twelve
oid-Timers at Grand
Even the Grand which, until last
night, when the company disbanded has
maintained stock organizations each
summer for the past several years, has
followed much the same policy, despite
the difficulties presented through the
fact that the company has been dis
rupted at the close of each summer TO
he reorganized again the next year.
Miss Lillian Hayward has been there
from the first. Myrtle Selwyn, Lule
Warrenton, Stage Director Gardner,
Harry Won Meter, Lawrence Under
wood, and several others of this years
company appeared at the same house
during previous seasons.
1rischer's. the Unique and the Empire,
there are actors in the stock companies
who can show continuous service upon
I,os Angeles stages extending over con-
siderable periods of time.
At Glendale quite an actors colony