Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-08
BY w. HERBERT BLAKE

A wholesome and interesting melo-
drama is being presented this week
by the Grand stock company. The
story is that of a weak woman, faith
less in all but deed, saved from utter
ruin by the persistent conspiracy of
her friends. The dialogue is we'll writ
ten and the characters accurately
drawn. The result is a piece of work
of some consistency, and a sane view
point, even when most melodramatic.
Whether Mr.. Earl be author or adapter,
the product is to his credit.
Two of last nights impersonations-
both types rather than creations-were
perfected with distinction. Mr.. Webb
looked and acted the italian roue, and
did his best to clothe the character in a
garment of reality. 1t was mystery
of some complexity just Why native
of Naples, temporarily residing in Eng
land for purposes of Villainy, should
deck his iniquitous apartments with
college banners from Polytechnic and
Leland stanford. But perhaps a pre-
vious tenant from America had left
them there-one is fain to devise eX-
cuses for so fascinating a scoundrel.
Mr.. Earps Englishman grew rather
wearisome toward the end of the sec
ond act, but his surprising development
into a duelist and a lover in the third
as was this benign imbecile, he sup
piled the needful comedy-that comedy
which in melodrama always proves the
particular undoing of the villain. l dfd
not stay to see Gustave slaughter the
count, but he had my best wishes in
the fOray.
Miss Rauworth acted with a measure
of bumor and blitheness which were en-
iovable. If she can once discipline her
no words
not trip each other up she will relieve
our anxieties in the bigger scenes. Miss
HAYWARD looked and acted the senti-
mental wife, weakly craving covert ro-
mances she had not the assurance of
will to carry out The character, as
drawn, is lifelike, although she is made
to do some rather banal things, as when
she deliberately goes to her tempter' S
rooms to assure him she will not fee
with him. Mr.. Cox and Miss Claire did
humble things acceptably, but Mr. Nc
Donald was much too stiff and tedious
as the almost deceived husband.
"A Wife's Peril" may never be 50
popular as East Lynne" but it is
cleaner minded, for all its skating on
thin ice. And there IS a certain cheer
full idealism in the idea of the arrant
fool battling the acute villain which
proves it q true melodrama. For in the
true melodrama as in the fairy tale and
the finest traditions of our race, it is
always the weak who triumph over the
strong, it is ever the humble who are
exalted, and the meek who inherit the
earth. Life may seem to laugh at this
logic, but the fairies laugh at life, ana
the fairies were ever wise folk.
Six new acts constitute the vaudeville
bill at the Los Angeles theater this
week Three are fully up to Sullivan
& Considine's average two are far
and one is unutterably dreary For
tunately, as usual with the canny
tookers of vaudeville, the best acts are
Ilaced last and we leave the playhouse
III a good humor.
Rose and Shaw depres our spirits,
exhilarated by the clever moving pic
lures. One is a Zulu and the other a
celebrated African hunter. Neither
seems overburdened with vivacity, and
the funniest thing i'll the act is the en-
trance of the native in his shroud. 1t
cheers US, and it is just.
Jack Symonds, monologist and
singer. has a genuinely comic manner.
II his act were shorn of its occasional
vulgarity it would be more pleasing.
Scriptural texts as a comedy aid are
often apt. but their employment is
one Of the most aged of stage shifts,
quite apart from ltS erect on those dc-
customed to think of the words With
some degree of respect. The first-rate
comedian is even more concerned with
how ne gets his laughs than with get
ting them. It is the brand of his class.
Scott and Davis present a bright
and breezy singing and dancing act
The man Of the team would impress
us as more clever if he did not seem
so superlatively sure of it. The young
woman is agreeable to look at and a
graceful dancer.
Harry Taylor plays the xylophone