Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-18

farcical to really win the sympathy, as
we'll as mirth, which they should at
tract. Miss Harrington was too fearful
and not vigorous enough in her anger
to give the true portrayal of the irate
young bride. Her voice rose repeat
eddy to too shrill q pitch. In the recon-
Citation scene her acting was moro
natural and her reading of the lines
more satisfactory. Mr.. Ruggles shared
in this improvement in the more inn
portant climaxes.
Miss Lewis gave a good account Of
herself In the role of that lovable old
matchmaker, Miss Abbey. The other
smaller parts were adequately taken.
To return for a moment to Miss
Reed-for it was really her triumph
1t might be interesting to suggest a
comparison between her method and
that of Miss Marlowe, especially in the
type of character the latter actress
portrays in her recent play, "Gloria. y
Both invest their respective parts with
a verve and color which make the re-
semblance something more than tenn
peramental or accidental.
Miss Hobbs is lavishly staged, and
the production compares very favor
ably with any of the numerous reYivals
which the drama has had of late years.
The amusing little story-true to life
in its every essential feature-seems n
permanent fixture on the American
stage. There are many more preten-
tious modern offerings, whose widely
advertised lessons strike home with far
less effect. The humorist is really a
preacher in intent and the most roll
licking jest in the world is dogmatic
at heart 1t is because Mr.. Jerome
coneeals his barbed sermons so adroit-
ly that we laugh and are admonished
without knowing it.
Despite popular impression that a
vaudeville bill Is assembled by a pro-
cess of natural selection, there is as
much art in the proper combination of
a series of variety acts as in any sym
phony of color or tone. While it might
be bit absurd, therefore, to aver that
the bill which went on at the Orpheum
Monday afternoon had a mince pie
flavor, the smile nevertheless will con-
vey the idea of compactness, complete
ness and symmetry, which really leaves
little to be desired, either in culinary
or dramatic craftsmanship.
A sentiplentaiist might object that
there was all too little pathos in the
trailing crescendo of laughs, but there
was no melancholy observable on the
faces of Orpheum patrons when the
only chance for a furtive tear was
luIn6u lDlO pTepOSleTOuS run by t1dW-
thorne and Burt. This instance Of
false alarm sympathy with a dead
Nellie" who turned out to be a second
cousin of one of Paul Sanders per-
forming dogs, is good instance of one
of the distinctive achievements of
American vaudeville-one might call it
trapped emotion, perhaps, if one were
of the decadent school.
Fogarty Circus in Himself
And, speaking Of dogs. any lover of
canine intelligence will be charmed at
the antics of this company of brute
artists, whose act ranging from waltz
ing and racing to leaping through
hoops, concludes the bill. 1t is a good
case in point of we'll chosen vaudeville
ingredients that the Sander canine en-
tertainers follow Frank Fogarty who
is a sort of three ring circus in himself,
1.-The celebrated Irish wit" we read in
the highly veracious programs, and for
once it is not hyperbole. Mr.. Fogarty
has that particularly eXasperating
l1nack of slipping one anecdote neatly
on the heels of another at whose con-
tortions you are still chuckling, You
feel aggrieved, someway, at his haste.
1t is the moving picture method applied
to conversation and it leaves you ham
kering for more.
awake at the Switch" is a merry
little skit wherein a telephone central
accidentally gets the right number.