The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-07-05
WILLARD Mack IS
OWN WORST ENEMY
Refuses to Work Without
Liquor, and the Curtain
Does Not Go Up.
MONEY is REFUNDED TO
BIG AUDIENCE AT GRAND
An Unusual Spectacle Is Wit
messed in This Salt Lake
Playhouse.

There was big audience Mt the
Grand theater Sunday night. Not
| even standing room was to be had. 1t
was the opening night of the Willard
Mack players IN stock The play to be
presented was ''In Mizzoura'
Blanche Douglas, who formerly was
with the Willard Mack players. who
had made big hit in "The Girl of the
Golden Vest at the Colonial and who
had won her way into the good praces
of playgoers of Salt Lake, but who left
the company some time since for a
needed rest. had returned. She was TO
appear as Kate Vernon. The big
audience was there to give her well
come. Anna Cleveland also was to ap.
pear. and she, TOO, is favorte with
Salt Lakers, Then all the old company,
with two exceptions. and all of them
liked by Salt Lakers, were on hand.
No Performance.
The curtain was TO rise at $40, but
it did not. The audience waited; 8
o clock came and still no curtain was
raised. The audience became restless
Then several arose and walked to the
box office. Their money was refunded.
Others did likewise and finally the big
audience as one person left their seats,
fled by the box Office and their money
was returned. 1t was an unusual spec
tacle
What was the cause? Booze was at
the bottom Of it. The star of the com
pany, Willard Mack, had been looking
too long upon the wine when it was
red. This is the blunt way, and it may
be the brutal way, to put it. He re-
fused To 60 upon the stage unless he
was given liquor. and those in the com
pany who knew him best absolutely re-
fused to permit him to have any. The
result; He killed himself absolutely
with Salt Lake playgoers,
Had Friends Here.
II is with regret that this is said
Willard Mack has talent. has ability
as an actor. Playgoers liked him. They
patronized him literally. He was
stricken i'll. Pneumonia got its hold
upon him. For several weeks he how
cred between life and death. He won
the fight, after Il prolonged and hard
battle. This done. plaYgoers wanted TO
help him and they did. Liquor, how
ever, was his banc. 1t has caused his
ruin in Salt Lake.
IT is useless TO ascribe the difficulty
on Sunday night to anything else than
this, Had the physical condition of Mr.
mack Deen S0cn mat ne could not aD-
pear upon the stage and had announce
mcnt to that effect been made. the au~
diencc would have been satisfied But
none was made.
The company which has surrounded
Mr.. Mack is composed of capable peo-
pie, and they are the ones that suffer
They were powerless Sunday night.
Their own regulations as actors and
actresses are at stake. They have been
loyal to Mr. Mack They are still his
friends, and they have pity for him,
but thoy must protect themselves.
The Limit Exceeded.
Salt Lake is an amusement loving
city. Its people eXpend large sum
every day for amusement, They will
put up with bad show at times; they
will make allowances for great many
things, but they want an actor 10 have
some regard for them. If he prefers
booze TO their good will, they are will
ing. He is the arbiter Of his own acts
And when an actor refuses TO 90 upon
the stage because he cannot have
liquor; when he prefers liquor to their
good will, he elects for himself.
No one was more chagrined, more
mortified Sunday night than was Man
ager Jensen Of the Grand, He had
leased the theater to Mr.. Mack for two
weeks, and at a late hour Sunday night,
when asked whether the house would
continue TO remain open during the
two weeks, he was unable to say.