Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-06
ART IS SHOWN in
CONTORTION ACT
WOMEN ACROBATS ARE BEST
LOS ANGELES FEATURE
UNIQUE PATRONS GIVE EMPIRE
NEW LEASE OF LIFE
"The Day Of Judgment" at Grand
Proves Uncleanly MeIodrams.
DramatlzatIon of Dickens
Novel for Next Week
By W. HERBERT BLAKE

BY W. HERBERT BLAKE
The most pleasing act on the bill of
the Los Angeles theater this week is
the acrobatic sketch of the Les Ploetz
Lorellas, sisters and graceful equili-
brists. Supple of arm and limb. these
young women make of contortion some-
thing very like an art. AS a climax
they dance on their hands, bells at
their wrists jingling an accompani-
ment.
Edwin Carewe and company present
an abridged version OF the three-act
play, Pals" in which James J. Cor
bett formerly appeared. The earlier
moments of the tabloid are almost in
nocent of action, which explodes like
an internal machine in the scene in
which the outraged husband battles
with his old rival in his own home.
The thing is pretty stark melodrama,
but the act of Mr.. Carewe and Miss
Madge Towle give it distinction, and
the lines disclose frequent chances for
mirth. The smashing finale is after the
most venerable tradition of melodrama.
Mirrors are fractured, the stairway col
1apses and everybody is winded as the
curtain goes down. 1t was what an
up-to-date philologist might describe
as ''a large, warm finish"
Jere Sanford yodels well-there are
few who can-and sings acceptably.
His rural comedy is of only average
merit, but the musical features of his
act and his capital curtain speech kept
the crowd happy.
The Clarence sisters are adopts at
swift changes, appearing in nurse
maid garb and then in a trice as wild
westerners. Their voices are rather
sharp than sweet, and the alleged
music extorted from the two unwilling
baby cabs was a melancholy thing.
The rapidity of their act is its best
recommendation. One does not have
time to inspect it too critically
Harvard and Cornelle impersonate
a stage door satellite and an actress
and conclude with a laughable, If not
startlingly original burlesque on the
balcony scene from Romeo and
Juliet" The woman of the team is of
statuesque proportions, and utters her
somewhat trite patter at first appear
ance in a commanding way The best
feature of the sketch is the male team
members singing Of Antonio" as
sisted by pantomime. What 1t lacks in
Latin quality is partly made up in the
strength and variety of his tones.
Murphy, Whitman and company are
the curtain raisers in THE Prodigal
Daughter" a fairly we'll acted sketch,
enacting a political feud and a fathers
eventual pardon of his supposedly err
ring child. The two masculine imper-
sonations are in good character, but
the acting of the young woman leaves
something to be desired in freshness
and spontaneity.
The moving pictures tell humorous
story briskly and clearly.
The usual matinee will be given to-
day at the Auditorium, presenting
George Fawcett in THE Great John
Canton"
Hentz and. Zallee are encouraged by
the enthusiastic welcome given to their
combination bill at the old Empire
(now properly to be known as the
Fl Unique) theater on its opening this
week. A good sized house applauded
the feats Of the three divers on the
tight wire, which concluded with a
Scotch dialect impersonation which was
well received "The Derby" a one
act comedy. was interestingly played
by the stock company, Al Franks, the
author, assuming the role of the
darkey hero in q manner which aroused
applause. The new members Of the
company Miss Minnie Janicki and
Miss Lillian Rose, were well received
Miss Janicki is sweet and dainty and
her song, Pony Boy" was we'll rem
dered. Miss Rose sang What the
Rose Said to Me" and was accorded
several recalls. The other members of
the company are well cast The
wcn'er patrons at the opening Monday
sight were presented with carnations.
At the Walker theater this after
noon there will be a souvenir matinee
for women at which the Allen Curtis
company will present "Jakey, Mikey
and Ikey," with additional specialties
Zach woman patron will be given an
artificial flower, either a carnation OF
poppy. The Walker management will
inaugurate a school childrens matinee
on Saturday afternoons at an early
date.
"The Day of Judgment" which the
Grand opera house stock company is
presenting this week, is about the limit
even for rnelodrama. Why Jean Bar
rymore should have written a play so
splotched with black and so destitute of
any gentler dominant emotion than
outrage and vengeance only the upper
, gallery can tell. Why the Grand should
offer it, after repeated pledges to keep
its productions free of the objection
able, is even darker to the ordinary
understanding.
The play inculcates a certain rude
morality, to be sure, in its exposures OF
the enorInities of the white slave traffic
but its way of presenting its theme Is
to vitiate whatever intention its author
may conceivably have had to enforce
a lesson as we'll as reinforce a bank ac-
count And the climax of murderous
revenge renders the after-taste of the
piece a malignant and vicious thing.
The Grand stock company plays II
all in approvedly sensational fashion
the work of Mr. Leonard, Mr.. Webb
and Miss Hayward being earnest and
resolutely thrilling at times. AS q
well wisher of this conscientious organ
ization, would that their fervor might
be better employed.
It will be next week. "What Women
Will Do" has an extremely modern
sound, but it is simply the most inter
esting of the incidents on which Dick
ems "David Copperfield" is built, turned
into a melodrama. Uriah Heap, the
Micawbers, Rosa Dartle and other
friends of our boyhood appear in the
flesh, and when we'll played the piece
is an excellent one. It's Interpretation
by the Grand company will be an in
teresting test of their abilities in a play
which is brilliantly sensational, and
sane and wholesome as well.
only eight more performances re-