Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-06

FRED MACE, "THE UMPIRE"
tive charus lassie, the San Francisco
aggregation last night moved with
! ceerity and show of spirit that has
| been sadly lacking in both "Piff Patf
Pouf' and Peggy from Paris" Both
! the latter opened in a half-hearted sort
of way that left the critical judgment
in hopeful suspense pending a possible
brace that would invigorate the list
| less atmosphere. With the exception
of Miss Zoe Barnett's animated work
as Peggy, this hope was not rewarded
in the later performances. 1t still
survived last night, and from the first
ensemble to the last climax it found
itself belatedly reassured. 1.-THE Um-
pire" is capitally done and is worthy
a better house than yesterdays.
OF course, there are individual faults
observable. Miss Boley's voice clearly
is not suited to the serious kind of
sentimental song. It creaked turning
the high corners of you Look Good to
Father" and exhibited shy signs of
rheumatism in Gross Your Heart" ="
| Her comedy method, too, which fitted
the German maid like a glove last week,
| seemed out of place in the part of
! Maribel. 1t was most at home In the
! football togs. which mingled in
patriotic melee of the tri-color at the
concluding football game. Like most
actresses, Miss Boley shows a lack Of
! creative ability when subjected to fire.
duent shifts of role, and her three To-
cal appearances have certainly run
the gamut of possible feminine imper-
sonation.
Fred Mace was unassumingly funny
as Jimmie Nolan and sang THE Um-
To-, MT Il
enthusiasm and "go." There was
vigor but a depressing monotone in
his recitation of his big speech in the
first act. Mr.. Mace relies too exclu-
sively on his personality, and could
improve amazingly If he would take
the trouble to study his roles with
closer application.
Budd Ross, Walter Catlett and
| James Stevens filled in secondary
comedy parts fairly we'll, Mr.. Stevens
voice being heard with pleasure in
several numbers. Mr.. Emery puts too
much sound and fury into his portray
al of the trust magnate. Miss Ellen
Crane and Miss Barnett played small
parts carefully and well. and Miss
Darling gave easily the best feminine
portrayal as Lady Fitzhugh.
AS usual, the chorus supplied the
real impetus which carried the show
to success. Becomlngly gowned, as in
all of the Princess company's local per-
formances, and sweetly accordant In
the big song numbers, they revived the
interest of the audience when 1t came
near tagging at intervals In the rather
loosely constructed second act The
football game at the last is more real
istic than in the original staging of
the n1av at the hands of the Lean-Hol-
brook company in Chicago, and shows
good stage management as well as in
dividual cleverness.
AS the result of an unusually fierce
fistic battle in the first act of "A Girl
of the Streets" George Webb of the
Grand stock company is carrying an
ugly looking green mark on his breast,
which he laughingly describes as
visible compliment to the stage prowess
of Robert Leonard, who has succeeded
Chester Stevens as villain in the Moru-
mer melodramas. Such are the blows
that Virtue must suffer at the hands
OF muscular "heavies."
The Belasco stock company will pro
duce 1.-THE Regeneration" and 'The Man
of the Hour" in the near future.
Ralnbow-hued gowns and good voices
are the stock in trade of Kelly ana
Violette, who are pleasing unique
patrons this week in their well known
! ACT. ATODuHue anu Oul toNI9 "a ~'@N
other vaudeville performers I'm Ham
mock Built for Two They intro
! duce good singing dancing and banjo
solo. James Kelly and Al Franks star
| in this weeks comedy, which Is labeled
! 1.-THE Two Twins" Winnie Baldwin,
| Lillian Massey, May Parker and Den
| ton Vane take the other principal roles;
| The Trniuue-o-scope shows some good
pictures.
Percy Bronson Of the Morosco Musical
! company at the Majestic has bought
an automobile after many weeks envy
of Max Dilrs big car. The machine
! cost Bronson the whole of his last
weeks salary with Kolb and Dill-he
was docked for one performance-but
he feels that he has a bargain. That's
the worst of beng a juvenile man.
Bronson must keep his complexion, yet
he cant, in decency, emulate the ladies'
and wear a veil.
Prof Moriarty in sherlock Holmes"
at the Burbank this week will be A.
Byron Beasley's last role before he as
sumes leading mans parts. Mr.. Beas-
ley will go on his vacation next week,
returning only upon William Desmond S
departure for Portland, when he Will
take Desmonds place.
Miss Maude Beatty, long principal
boy" in Drury Lane theater, London and
wen known here first as a member Of
the old San Francisco opera company
and more recently through her appear
ances at the Auditorium, has Joined the
Morosco musical comedy company at
| the Majestic.
A bill of ten numbers, in addition to
the moving pictures, is provided by
| Messrs. Smith and Warren at their
First street theater this week The
! Grace twins, singing and dancing SOU
brettes, are top liners, The larger
! twin does a clever take-off on Vesta
Victoria's song, Poor John" Annie
Montgomery and her Roly Poly chorus
are seen at their best in MY Dusky
! Salome." For this number the girls
are strikingly clad in Turkish cos
tunes, very much on the sheath gown
order Joe Egan, the Broadway boy,
gives a little inside story Of pugilism