The Detroit times., 1909-12-11
DETROIT.

There Is no actor on the American
stage today who IS Francis Wilson q
superior as a laugh proNoker There
are lots Of other comedians. but there
Is only one Francis Wilson. and he VIII
present IN the Detroit Opera house
next week, a new play which he wrote
for himself. entitled The bachelors
Baby Francis Wilson appeals 10
mtrth lovers because there is comedy
ia his every movement ~ well as In
the lines he speaks. Yet. III TINS new
comedy be has several opportunities u
show that there Is another Side To his
stage work the serious side. Some OF
the scenes are OF the kind that tug 1t
the heart strings but which only serve
10 throw the comedy element into
stronger relief.
With bright lines. clever epigraln uud
particularly amusing situations, Mr.
Wilson has. in the three acts OF his
comedy. told tie story OF tine CONVEX
sion OF a bachelor, whose dislike for
children Is most extreme, To- one who
adores them Ills twin brother has
been lost at sea-. together with MS
wife. and their LITTLE hyc-year-old
daughter has been lcft To- the guar
dianship Of the bachelor Then the
struggle between the man and the child
begins and the man loses All of his
original Ideas are put aside ana when
there IS an attempt 80 take the little
girl from him, he Suddenly realizes
that he loves her very dearly. Incident
ally ut wins u" loN" OF young woo
man
Az Tom Beach tho bachelor Francis
better suited 10 him than anything hc
las ever done. for his opportunities for
run making are almost unlimited
Charles Frohman Is r"ported 10 have
given The Bachelors Baby an exc
Coedingly handsome and artistic pro
ducttnn The supporting east Includes.
clarence Haudvslde. Franklin Roberts.
T. Soldeue Powell. Robert Cunr.ss
Harold Merriam. Edna Burns. Helen
strickland. Lillian Lawrence ANA B1hy
Davis. clever infantil" player
The engagement H. Tor tie week
with a single matinee pcrforiuau,c. pu
Saturday.
Anna Held, the noted comcdienue. who
% making farewell tour ~ Amcricn
will be seen in the Detroit opera house
the week OF Dec. 20, In T. Iiegteld. Jr
latest musical comedy novelty. Miss
Innocence" which had a run 90 one
solid season in tho New York theater
New York. Harry u smith wrote tn"
book ana lyrics, while it's tuneful
music is from the pen of Ludwig Eng
langer The piece which ~ In tw9 acts
Mitchell Mr.. Ziegfcld has surrounded
Miss Held with company numbering
over i0p players which Includes such
Lawrence D'Orsay, Alice IIeEcman
1enc Lunesca. Frances Farr. John E"in-
hard Maurice Hegeman, William Pow
ors Anna a Wilson. Marjorie BonueV
Beatrice Gladstone. BESSIE FennelI
Violet Jewel, Nonnte IIoyt Margaret
Oneill. Elise Hamilton and one of the
largest and handsou,est choruseS ever
sent on tour.
u has been conscrNativriy estimated
that The Third degree" Charles
kieins latest play which Henry
Harris brings 10 tho Detroit opera
house Dec. - has been seen bN 10 less
than 100000 persons since November
l6. 1905. in the New York, Boston auf
Chicago engagements ~ this great
drama. BY comparative figuring THIS
IS believed to be far in advance or the
success OF INleins older triumph, The
Lion and tho Mouse" in the three
cities, and offers tho management a
bright outlook for Detroit visit The
Lion and the Mouse enjoyed great
following here.
Paris the Magntlcent" Will lac tho
subject Of the last Burton Holmes