Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-13

NliOn stFuVe, uiStrlct attorney and law
yer for MacNamara. Frank McQuarrie
Drury Chester, Helen's brother, known
as the Bronco Kid" owner of the
Northern dance hall. ........ Ralph Bell
Bill Wheaton. lawyer for Glenister and
the miners. ................ Frank LOring
Cnsslnr Charley, miner Edward Potter
Mexico Mullins, miner. er......... James Cullen
Officers OF U. $. $. santa Maria
thpt stevens. .............. Joseph Fuller
FIRST officer. T.....................E Ed. wilson
Toby, bartender of Northern dance hall
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. NeiIl McKinnOn
- 80. ....,..'......M Miss Margaret Oswald
me Duchess. ................,.. Elsia Hazlet
Cherry Malotte. e.............L Lily Branscombe
BY w HERBERT BLAKE
A series of melodramatlc pictures Of
life in Alaska, illustrating a political
ana economic problem as widespread
as the world, is "The Spoilers" The
pictures are graphic and the action,
which elucidates half a dozen separate
but interviewer dramatic themes, Is at
moments intense with the passions and
the joys of primitive man. There are
several good character portrayals, al
though the miners. as In all plays Of
the kind, are decidedly overdrawn in
the direction of boisterousness and
clownish comedy.
The story itself is realistic and prob
able enough to warrant the claim that
it faithfully chronicles an actual battle
for mine between the real owners
and a rascally receiver, aided by an
inept and browbeaten federal judge.
We are the law" calmly pronounces
the receiver. He finds out differently,
but it costs the burning of much pow
der by substantial band of Vigilantes
to convince him that public opinion is
a fact in Alaska, as well as a well
lined bank book and unlimited bluff.
The loves of three women are used as
contributing motifs to the main action
by the playwright. one saves the life
of the usurping receiver for the mine
properties and eventually marries his
rival. Another finds n husband in the
foreman and a third is wooed and won
by the owner of the dance hall of the
settlement, who in turn is found to be
the long-lost brother of the heroine.
There are several lively scenes. One
shows us the attempt of a rum soaked
and hideous-faced district attorney to
intimidate and attack the daughter OF
the federal judge, using as a bait the
valuable paper which proves her
fathers malfeasance. A rescue party
arrives and the assailant is shot. 1t is
thrilling and the struggle is we'll por-
trayed. Superior in intensity to this
scene is the battle between the rivals
for this same young woman's hand
"a lifelike bit of stage fistics, grew
somely CORY in its physical aspects.
Margaret Oswald, as the young
woman for whose love the hero and his
enemy battle. plays consistently and
attractively doing much to hold the
action within the bounds of interest
and plausbility. Two other woman
roles are well taken by Elisha Hazlet
and Lily Branscombe. Allen ]. Holu-
ber is a manly hero whose work is fire.
quently marred by a throaty utterance,
but whose sincerity of method is at
tractive. w. Farwin plays burly and
honest miner WELL and Edwin Moore
as the foreman made the most of fire.
quent opportunities for comedy. Her
bert Ashton played the villainous re-
ceiVer, and was very businesslike in
the execution of his plans. He has a
vigorous stage presence and a resound-
ing voice, very like that of the bully
ing barrister in "You Never Can Tell"
Frank McQuarrie had the utterly re-
pulsive role of the district attorney,
whom he made quite disgusting, which
was doubtless the playwright's merci-
less intention. Frank Loring lacked
vim in the delivery of his lines as the
lawyer for the mine owners. Less
Greer's federal judge was quite mar
ticulate, but as the character is
tIpIOuBHly NOIlelllpllDle specimen or
manhood, perhaps his opinion is as i'm
material to the audience as it appeared
to be to the usurping rulers of Alaska.
The other roles were. acceptably as
sumed.
THE Spoilers is good melodrama of
its wild and sturdy kind. Its spirit is
savage rather than brutal, as are the
ideals and passions of men far from
both the refining and corrupting in
nf n nj Tl,tf
it's code of Justice is relentless and
very real AS a study of men and
institutions in the making, it is inter
esting and not without its warning.
"The Belle of New York" which the
Hartman company revived at the
Grand yesterday afternoon is tune
full satire on the attempt of a POM
pous Pharisee to reform the youth of
New York. The delicious point of the
satire is that a young Salvation Army
lassie eventually reforms the Pharisec,.
rejects his patronizing offer to make
her his heiress and Weds his own son.
1t takes six scenes of two acts to ac-
complish this highly desirable denOue-
ment and, by the way, we meet
small village of other Gotham folk,
several of them fetching and accurate
types of the American metropolitan.
Hugh Morton, as librettist, and Gus
taVe Kerker, as composer, introduce us.
An abundance of clever and some
times bitterly cynical wit embellishes
the lines, but it is the music which
carries the show to unquestioned pop
ular success. The airs have that snap
and verve which were notable in the
comic opera triumphs of a decade ago,
but which many recent musical shows.
concocted solely to reflect the sparkle
of some star have lacked. Simple but
tasteful settings add to the realism
of the stage pictures
The dramatic hit of the performance
is Walter Catlett's impersonation of
the gentlemanly lunatic with a taste
for murder, but a saving interest in
trifles which consistently protects his
intended victims. Joseph Fogarty en-
bodies the president of the sham res
cue league in a bluff, opera bouffe
fashion. and Walter De Leon acts sim
cerely and well as his bibulous AMI
offspring. George
Poultney's capacious voice and COM
placent manner readily become attri-
butes of the easy-going father of
captivating adventures. The latter
marta Golden) acts we'll, but has
voice which scarcely compasses the
requirements of her principal song.