Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-14


house in New York and were
at the same time an actor In
a play that showed how irresistible the
appeal Of sweet child is. and. more
over, were the author of the play and
to some extent it's financial hacker and
suppose some applicant for fiat In
your apartment house were the father
o. youthful family; would YOU have
the face. the heart or the nerve to say
TO him. NO children admitted" This
is the situation which is liable TO con-
front Francis Wilson.
Mr.. Wilson, since the days of his
comic opera prominence. has interested
himself in affairs TO greater or less
extent as capitalist, and his real es-
tate investments have of recent years
attracted more notice than the expense
incurred in his stage productions. HIS
proprietary interest in New YORK
apartment building attests his thrift,
and his production of The Bachelor
Baby no less convincingly proves his
industry. II is performance which
depends entirely on the ability or the
author and the principal characters 10
satisfy an audience. 1t does not De-
wilder the sense with a magnificent
display Of painted canvas nor call In
even an approximately "all-star cast
to insure interest in situations. Mr..
Wilson and the baby. like the celebrated
twins Of advertising mythology. do all
the work.
Mr. wilson's position is secure, but
complicated AS an actor he Is re-
ouired by all the traditions of art TO
quarrel with himself as stage man.
aser: as stage manager II Is his duty
to hate himself as an author. in which
latter capacity he is under moral obl1-
cations to haggle with himself about
royalties and regard all box office state
ments with suspicion. IF he lives IN
his apartment house he will have to APP
ply to himself for repairs and report
himself to himself If any of his pro-
fessional friends play the piano after
II p.m. Yet in the midst OF all these
perplexities Mr.. Wilson remains serene
He has the satisfying consciousness
that the investments in his productions
do not involve enough capital 10 mean
serious disaster should unfavorable con-
ditions render big business Impossible.
He endeavors to make cleVerness take
the place of cash in devising Els presen-
tations. and effort along this line is. or
course, likely to develop more original
ity and mental sprightliness than that
which calls in scenery, costuming ana
spotliehts to enhance the destinations
OF the scene.
II. precocity were a reliable indication
of mature genius Baby Davis who so
be relied on to develop into another Bern
hardt or Salvini. as the case may be.
"Billv" despite its utterly inconseQuen-
tial title and the unpromsing theme on
which it's story is based. is remarkable
specimen of pure farce. Its star. Edgar
Atchison Ely. may have felt compelled
to abbreviate the title as much as pos
sible in order to leave room for the cast.
False teeth ard NAL de mer are not sub
jects which on first consideration seem
calculated to inspire an agreeable even
ing's entertainment. but the action is
SO brisk and the comedy SO bright that
there is not minute in which the play
does not win the laugh which means for
giveness. The number of complications
that can be drawn from slender Incl
dent ike the loss OF SET OF dTtlNcldi
teeth is astounding George Cameron,
though not very well known playwright.
il undoubtedly facile plot constructor.
with fine perceptions Of how far humor
may go without transgressing the limi-
tations OF taste. There is even a slight
Difference to literary considerations in
the piece. the difficulties OF pronunciation
encountered by a man minus his front
effort for phonetic accuracy.
The Columbia Theater has been enjoy
ing a series OF time-tried favorites in its
bookings this season. 1t will be many
years Of course. before Rose Stahl's
character creation. THE Chorus Lady"
can be ranked with Uncle Josh Whit
comb OF The Old Homestead as a foot
light oldest inhabitant. But the two plays
are OF a kind In their appeal to simple
sentiment. II Miss Stahl never gets an
other play she will have accomplished
enough TO constitute career worth while
by her success in this role.
PHILANDER JOHNSON
cARLOTTA WILSON'S CAREER
Carlotta Nillson. who comes to the
Belasco this week in For Better-For
Worse" the new drama By Cleveland
Mofrett, first came into prominence on
the American stage when she assumed
the part of Eunice. the Christian slave.
in Quo Vadis.' which was produced at
the New York Academy OF Music. Wilton
Iackaye had the part Of Petronius. the
arbiter OF fashion at Neros court. Then
she essayed the role OF Mrs. Elvsted, in
Mrs. Fisk's first production OF Ibsen's
'Hedda Gabler" Her work in this part
led to her sele rtion as creator OF the
title role in Pinero's Lefty in this
country. Following this she made a tour
Of the country I'm Rachel Crother's play
THE Three of Us" Last season she
starred In an English play. Diana of
Dolson's." and later in This Woman and
This Man..
the direction OF Liebler & Co. and plays
the role OF a girl who is divorced from
her first husband. a dreamer whom she
loves notwithstanding all that he has
done to make her miserable. In her need
she marres q wealthy man. who she re-
spects, but cannot love. The second hus-
hal nd learns the true situation, concludes
that he cannot I'LL his predecessor place,
and rashly brings about a degree of in
timacy between the divorced couple to
bring matters to their own footing. The
consequent struggle molds the ensuing
situations OF the play.
A REAL. ACTRESS ELEPHANT
Imosene. the coy young soubrette ele-
phant-she Is only Ave years old-is one
of the hits of The Circus Man At