Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-28

opportunity with admirable restraint,
resisting a temptation which constantly
presents itself to make the role one OF
too broad a comedy. The author mas
rather overdone the silly ass Brit
ticism, but most of us laughed at
every one, as Mr. Stockbridge drawled
them out At the climax of the first
act following the ludiCrous business
of the couch and the footbath, he puts
fine tone half banter, half earnest,
into his toast to his ancestors. A
stronger quality of seriousness bef1ts
his words, Il love thee" to Lady
Rowena in the dream, for in that mo-
ment the boy grows into the man. The
swift grin with which he concluded
this speech marred its intended effect
as a sudden flash of real sentiment
(which even farce permits. Also it
must be owned that such words as
"bum" Kidding" 'joshing" and ''yap-
ping" with which fancy Mr.. Stock
bridge enriched the Marlowe lines, are
rather American than English slang,
but perhaps this concession to the
laugh factory is unavoidable.
Mr.. Beasley has a foine ripple of an
Irish brogue, and in a thoroughly
graceless role made US quite sorry to
see Sir Brian turn out such a cad. Mr.
Burton gave one of the few human
pictures of an Anglican clergyman l
have ever seen on the stage-not for
getting Richard Benefits curate in
1.-THE Hypocrites." Miss Hall did not
leap into life until the second act, but
she played the thirteenth century dam
sci with fire and verify. Miss Taylor,
as the fair Jewess who would have
made the ideal mate for Sir Guy, did a
good bit of acting, and is developing
the ability to use her facial expression
in portraying emotion, a talent the lack
of which marred her acting as the
heroine in Secret Service" Mr.. Yer
ance as the dream-Jew makes one
wish Mr.. Morosco would give him an
opportunity as Shylock. All the minor
roles are well taken.
When Francis Wilson produced this
play the respective dates of its two
periods We're 1899 and 1899. Today, of
course, it is necessary to extend both
these landmarks ten years. 1t would
be we'll if the company would adhere
to the program chronology, if only for
consistency.
Next week the Burbank will stage
that good. gripping melodrama, "Sher-
lock Holiness" with William Desmond
as the detective and Mr.. Beasley as
the intellectual criminal, Moriarity.
At least, that is the announcement
unless the merited success of when
knights Were Bold' eXacts a welcome
encore.
The Princess company tonight will
open it's second week at the Mason
in Peggy from Paris" with Zoe Bar
nett as Peggy and Reginald Travers
playing a special engagement as Alonzo
Plummer, her father. "The Umpire
will be next weeks offering.
1t is current gossip on the local
D4
leave the Belasco forces after her
present week in THE Lion and the
Mouse" in response to a peremptory
telegram from the Shuberts, her man
ayers. [ cannot vouch for its truth,
as only indefinite denials can be OBJ
tanned of the management of the the
ater. 1t Is said that i'll health will in
duce her early departure from the
local theatrical field, an event which
would be deeply deplored by all who
have admired her brilliant, versatile
playing in a series of most difficult and
exacting roles.
Chester Stevens, over at the Grand,
is growing more wicked every week,
[ believe. I couldn't blame him last
night. Four good men and armed har-
ried that one poor little villain all
through four acts in "a Mans Broken
Promise" and whenever they had him
on the hip, three of them would stand
around and jeer him, while George
Field, as a remarkably agile cripple,
covered him with a revolver 1t is
especially distressing-thi badgering
of a wicked man-because he loves his
mother So Even when he shoots her
full of CORY holes through a chest in
which his righteous enemy has locked
her, he is filially sorry.
"A Mans Broken Promise is the
title of this weeks Mortimer uplift
and one is puzzled which promise is
referred tO-Mr. Stevens villain breaks
so many. The plot is simply packed
with amiable impossibilities. Low
comedy gives horrid crime the coup de
grace from the first ascent of the cur
tain, and never let's up. Alice Lewis
in her usual role of enfant terrible
hides under the porch while the Vari-
Gus plots are a-boiling, and her de-
praved foster mother goes soliloquizine
around, wondering where she can be
Somebody ought to point out the porch
doubtless she has forgotten the house
has such thing. Whenever things get
dull for Villain Chester in pops some
body who knew him in bad, bad Chi
cago, and he has to hire another
haunted mousse to bury his regalvanizeC
closet skeletons. When he has no Other
recourse, he lights a cigar.
Carl Birch and Franklin Hall dc
two shrewd bits of broad comedy char.
acterization, and Miss Gertrude Claire's
acting is noteworthy. The lines of the
play are better than the mclOdramati,
average. l caught half the audience
laughing last night at the most pathetic
scenes. Is it possible that even the
melodrama crowd is betting blase? i
so, the Grand would better shift bacl
to musical comedy before the edge il
quite worn off the public appetite fol
horrors.
"The Lion and the Mouse" will oper
for it's third and last week tonight
'The College Widow" comes next.
Al Cameron and company headline
the Los Angeles bill this afternoon
and Hite and Donlin cap the Orpheun
| list.
William c. Bates, who will be the
new treasurer of the Los Angeles thea
ter, owing to the resignation of Ira
| Joseph, arrived in this city from Sc.
attic yesterday. For the past few
years he has been connected with the
Sullivan & COnsidine vaudeville houses
in the northwest. Mr.. Bates will as
sumo his new duties at the Los An
geles today.
"Three Weeks was given new
ending at Hamburgers Majestic thea
ter last night. Instead of the curtain
falling abruptly upon the deaths ol
king and queen. a tableau is presente(
showing the dream vision that comes