Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-07

sit all night long and watch her"
That is what one woman was over
heard to remark last night as the
throng was leaving the Grand, in Day-
export. in the face OF binding snow-
storm following the conclusion of the
| play Love Watches" featuring Miss
Billie Burke, the dainty little English
comedienne, who is employing the sur
name of her father, VINO was one of
/ the comedy artists OF the British stage
in his day. The quoted remark ex-
presses the verdict or the audience
better than would a column review Of
the critic.
| Charles Frohman is presenting Miss
Burke. 1t is her second year in Amer
lea. Love Watches" in its present
form, is an English Interpretation Of
a French comedy by R. De F1ers and
G. De Caillavet Tho adaptation is by
/ Gladys Unger. 1t is in four acts, and
is mounted with the accustomed atten-
ton to detail and elaborateness that
characterize the Frohman attractions
Minus Miss Burke Love Watches"
would be boresome and fat, save an
| occasional burst of brilliant or acidic
dialogue. Miss Burke's personality
pervades the performance in it's en-
tirety. She, first of all, is pretty with
out affectation. guarding against those
little touches of artificiality that won't
en- in her profession who are fortunate
to rise to her position with the public
too often err In falling into Then she
has personality, not of the particularly
enthusiastic kind, but just sweet nat
ural, buoyant-breaHing into the
scenes in which she participates like
ray of sunshine on a day otherwise
dreary. When she T., out of the pic
ture there is a void that is not filled
until she fits in again. Miss Burke
has talent of the kind that is Unborn.
No dramatic school taught her the art
of acting. She was born an actress.
OF the supporting company, it cant
be said that it was far above the ordi-
nary, although the apparent stiffness
of the hero and of the others in the
cast is explained in the fact that tho
English Interpretation calls for Eng
lish acting. The lack of snap demand
ed in American productions of the sort
does not help the play by any means.
Miss Burke's role is that of. a girl
raised in strict home environment
who suddenly falls in love and marrfas
only to awaken to the fact that men
have more loves than one; that her
husband had an affair with a married
woman before his marriage. She re-
bells and resents. and in doing the
latter she indiscreetly tells another
man she loves him, had loved him al
ways, never having cared for her hus-
band. OF course she does not mean
what she says, but in her innocence
she gets into compromising situa-
ton, hoping that the report of her
escapade will break ner husband all
up. She is surprised to find that he
will not believe her capable of com
hitting a wrong, which she had not,
and she feels better after learning
that he has such great confidence IN
her. All terminates happily.
The audience was the largest and
most brilliant that has assembled in
a tri-city theater this season. Man
ager Frohman announces he will have
Love Watches" played in a return
engagement at the Grand at an early
date. in response to the pressing re
quest of Manager J. A. Hughes. IN
order to please those hundreds of the
latter's patrons who were unable to
obtain seats for the performance If
last evening.