Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-22

the woman. The famished party Of
rescuers and rescued are picked up by
heliograph flash, and Stafford is forced
at the last to face his own defeat. IL
is but belated justice.
The best work among the other
players was Mr.. Vivian's in a Joyous
comedy part and Mr.. Applebees fin
ished portrayal of the senior Irving.
Mr.. Giblyn was effective in the jungle
scene until the climax of his lines,
which was quite inaudible. The acting
was real and vital, but the last SEN
tences were vital to the acting. 1t
was a point at which realism must
stop short in order to be articulate.
Miss Rittenhouse gives the impress
sion of versatility and charm, and
seems an important acquisition. The
work of Miss Magrane and Miss
Lewis was faithful and pleasing. The
formers method may aptly be termed
conservative. Her stage presence ls
willing and her enunciation admirably
pure and precise. But of the display
of overpowering emotion she appears
peculiarly distrustful. The great
value of suppressed feeling, as denoted
in a players manner, is the contrast 1t
suggests when the passions are al
lowed full sway for a moment The
"a 49,
and unloosed emotion we have yet to
discover in Miss Magrane. Her tech
nique Is almost absolute, at times sc
absolute as to threaten the very life
Of her portrayal. 1t is a peculiarly
safe dramatic method, but like all
merely safe methods, it has its OBJ
vious limitations in the depletion of
great and untrammeled feeling.
There was apparently one slip in
,koY. 40 M
first act Just who was responsible
it is hard to say. One was also de-
sirous of asking the playwrights how a
man within twenty-four hours of
death from fever and starvation should
be able to muster up sufficient strength
to climb a tree. But necessity fs a
stern master, to playwrights as to
starving men.
All the survivors of the jungle sortie
should make UP slightly older in the
last act. A touch of gray at the tenn
pies or few lines in the face would
lend realism to the conclusion. Mr..
Stone employed both articles. Also,
he portrayed with fine penetration the
change which that ordeal wrought in
Irving. He was sobered beneath all
his gayety over the wedding of his
friend. His hate was not quenched,
but it was subdued by that near en-
counter with the eternal mystery in
the wilds of a far land.
The production is lavishly and ap-
propriately staged. The minor roles
are we'll cast, and the company appears
to be moving with celerity and accord,
which augurs well for the coming
weeks.
That golden age in which the lion
I Io 10 NH iG
of belief to any one who has seen Prof.
Roberts trained dogs, cats and rats at
the Los Angeles theater this week. The
feline martyrs exact our pity by the
very unconsciousness Of their thrall-
dom. To be q cat, with all the glor-
ious possibilities of luscious rat hunt
scamperlng around you, and to know
Won must act like a humanitarian: that
is agony. The actual tricks which the
rats perform are many and often
amazing, but the mere fact of their
propindulty to their dearest ancestral
foes. with mutual urbanity shining
from eye to eye, was the most arrest
ing thing in the twenty minutes of
wonders.
Defrej, in well chosen gypsy garb,
plays "Annie Laurie" the Lucia" SEX
tet and "The Rosary" He discloses a
good technique and a high degree OF
feeling. We are sorry When ms act Is
finished.
"a Four-Leaved Glover" Hildreth
and Robertson's sketch act, tells q
story of few original features concern
ing a mortgage which is raised by the
discovery of gold on a farm by it's
tenant. Robert Hildreth successlVely
impersonates a miserly landlord,
tramp. a country lout and the farmer
tenant. The last is his best, IN spite
of a bald pate which is pumped down
over his natural forehead much atter
the fashion of a porous plaster. Others
of this actors makeups are open 10
the same criticism of sloven ana nasty
construction. He acts with knack FOR
broad comedy, and at the close with
a dash of elementary pathos He might
do better in a better sketch.
The living statuary act presented by
STANLEY Edwards and company is re-
fined and has elements of artistic
charm. The poses are well taken and
heroically maintained. The subjects
are partly classical, partly from more
modern art. Very few recent vaude-
willie revi1als of the living picture idea
are worth their billboard space. Thls
one is.
ONLY an Irishman would be brave
enough to appear as Scotch comedian
with the name of Tom Mcguire. l
fear Harry LADDERS laurels are safe
above McGuire's reach. The Scotch
Irish-Anerican has q good, strong
voice. which would sound better sing
ing Come Back to Erin" than in his
present repertoire. AS 1t is, the kits
are the Scotchiest thing about the act.