The San Francisco call., 1909-12-19
NANCE O'NEIL SUED
BY MCKEE RANKIN
Veteran Actor Resents Actress
DesertiOn to the Camp of
David BeIascO
Venerable Thespian Will En-
deayOr TO AHnuI Contract
of Former PrOtege
[SReeiaI Dlspaieh 70 The Cel.l
By c. c. CARLTON

lslat summons win be served on her by
Mckee Rankin through his attorney,
i7: Howalsky.
Rankin, who has been Miss ONeil's
sponsor and guide for many years. viii
sue to annul her contract with Belasco,
aeeerting that he has a prior and eX-
elusive. claim on the services of the
california actress. Kowalsky intimates
oerAiy that the suit viii reveal some
Iliing Cf 4 sensational nature, but viii
give no hint OF what 1t Is
Jt-nas Rankin who discovered Nance
0Nefi when she was Gertrude Lamson,
bis. awkward. ungsinIy girl. abso
lutely nntutorod in the art OF acting.
with hut little TO recommend her TO
dramatic manager except temperament
and a passion for elocution.
Miss l-amsOn : father was a we'll
known auctioneer III 'Ssh Fra nciscb,
and he was violently opposed to her
going on the stage. Upon the night
that she made her appearance at the
old Grand opera house in that city
l.amson publicly declared that he dis
owned his daughter and delivered par
entail anathema upon her ambitions
70 shine in the footlights' glare. which
was almost as bitter as the curse of
Leah the Forsaken.' the play in which
she made her debut.
Old Lamson said that lie would con
stantly pray for her failure q s an ac-
tress. There was no fulhllment of his
prayers, for thereafter she essayed the
role. of a tragedienne. and at the old
Columbia theater, in San Francisco, and
rs far back as y years ago made
success in Mary Stuart and, other parts.
Rankin was an actor. manager and
stage director Of distinction. second to
but few men in the profession. Accord
ing 70 Kowalsky, he taught her every
thing that she knows about acting. He
tutored her i'm q repertoire Of emotional
roles in every detail OF stage tech
niQue.
During this period of artistic incu-
baton Rankin Travelled with Miss
O'Nel All over the country He took her
to London. 10 New York, to Australia
e4-erywhere. with varying success, often
meeting with financial disaster
AT last, when money and prestige
was gone, Rankin brought Miss O'Neil
to the Shuberts. but he does not ap-
prove of her desertiOn Of that firm to
aet-with Beiasco.
Walter Pulitzer. heir to the vast for
tune left by Albert Pulitzer. has been
made administrator Of his fathers es-
tate ia this country Although the es-
tate IS valued AT from 5000. COS to
s6,00e.0eO. Pulitzer was required TO fur
it-1A4 ~ Dt444 OF e--DuU UnAt- as me OUlk
~ the property is in Europe and but
iittle Of il in America, as far as known.
Pulitzer has received from London
banks 81 satisfactory assurances that the
bulk or The fortune is intact and await
ing settlement OF the estate by the
Vienna courts.
Pulitzer, ACCOMPANIED by his recently
edded wife. who was Miss Lillian
Hearne, san Francisco beauty, ex-
poets 10 leave for Vienna soon after the
Christmas holidays
Nat Coodwin's hotel car which has
done such valiant service. both in Eu-
rope and in this country as a vehicle 10
promote publicity for the comedian a nd
bis wife, VIII he done over" Mrs.
Edna Goodrich Goodwin objects TO hav-
ing her auto followed about town by
curious crowds. so whan the comedian
and his wife left here for California
Mrs. Goodwin resolved 10 stop OF I'm
chicago and have her auto transformed
into . car OF the ordinary limousine
type.
Harriet Chalmers Adams, who has
achieved success in the east in her
'tgavelogues" descriptive chiefly Of the
south American countries that she has
visited with her husband, is en- route TO
california. her old home. She viii give
a series Of entertainments in stockton.
sacramento, san Jose. Oakland, Bak-
ers6eld and Los Angeles. with one
night stands along the way.
The Climax" play that went beg
ging when haWked about the l2isito
and was offered to various theatrical
managers a year ago. but which was
bought and staged by Joe Weber when
- 49, Go ,l1r ,,fr
completed a run of nine months TO
crowded houses at the Bijou theater.
and left on tour this week. The Gil
max" viii play several weeks in the
east, and viii then be seen in San
Francisco, beginning March 81. The
piece is q sort Of cross between Au-
gustus Thomas "Witchlng Hour" and
the Music Master"
Mrs. Charles NJ OeIrichs. who has
been seriously in in her New York
home s25 Park avenue. has so far re-
covered that she is able again to at
tend social functions. Her daughter.
Mrs Peter ID. Martin, was summoned
from Newport last week, when Mrs.
Oelrichs' illness was regarded as Sc
rious-
Among tic Caufornisns registered al
the eastern bureau OF the California
Promotion committee during the last
week were the following;
From san Francisco; Z. A. Whalen.
". 5. Arnold. c. p Gardner. William
Bavard Willis. colvin =. Brown. a. de
"a. Torre Jr.. DIR. c. J. Teass. Mrs. Tcass
and Miss Melba Teass, s. y. Williams,
Iohn ]. Daily. Milton Stallard, J. II.
SLACK. Mrs samuel Livingston, Fred
erick r. Taylor, r. c. SCHNEIDER and
Prank Bishop.
From Oakland: Joseph H. Clark
Edward i. Delger and son.. Miss f. s.
Vance and George J. Williams.
From stockton; AIRS. NJ. n Davidson.
From Los Angeles: Miss Henrietta
Niederland-
From Pasadena Mrs. W. T. Fisk.
From San Diego: Emma II. Condor,
Mary G. Condor and DR.. Keegan.
From claremOnt: Mr. and Mrs. J. n
Roof. Miss Edna Lee Roof and Miss
Mary S. Roof.
william Woodhead. manager Of the
sunset Magazine and president OF the
san Francisco press club, is In New
york on a business trip. He will pick
m few ideas and gather in some
~oo6 features for his magazine.
chrfsfrans and New Years Rates Via
Southern Pacific