Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-23
EUROPEAN DANCER is
HEADLINER AT ORPHEuN

An exhibition of dancing which is
sensuous without being sensual and
rhythmic without violence is being
given this week at the Orpheum by
Mile. Bianci, assisted by Mile Maria
Del Carras. Four dances are presented
the Dresden China, the Egyptian, La
dance en- Volant and the Satanelle-
and in each is observable the same
fine perception of the artistic value OF
restraint and reserve. 1t Is the first
American tour of Mile. Bianci, who
long has been a favorite with Con-
tinental audiences. With the memory
of certain Salome atrocities still fresh
in our minds, we may well be thankful
for this invasion. In addition to the
beauty and grace of the dances they
are staged with an impressive use of
light and shade which lends them
distinction.
Keno Walsh and Melrose are comedy
gymnasts Their comedy is less en-
crossing than their athletic feats. "The
revolving arch" concludes their act.
1t is a novel structure of steel rods on
which each of the entertainers snugly
perches. The revolutions which follow
do not disturb them, but constitute an
effective climax to an act of honest
merit, if slight originality.
Gen" Edward La Vine, who AYERS
that he has soldiered all his life, GER
tainly seems to have been through a
war of some kind. From the variety
of his dress and decorations we sus-
pect he was in the forage squad. Ed
ward does a little of as many things
as he can think of, and some of them
are as comical as they all are eccentric.
The act itself is indescribable. 1t ought
to be painted. The only thing you are
sure of while viewing it is that Ed
ward isn't done with it, He's adding
new knickknacks every day. If you
have any useless rubbish around the
house it might be we'll to write to him.
He could use it in some way. If not
on his person, on the landscape.
This weeks new dramatic sketch is
entitled THE LIAR and is played by
Hal Godfrey and company, consisting
of Alice May Harold Sherman and
James Devlin. The principal characters
are a husband returning unsteadily
from a visit to an over gay ball and
a wife who waits up for him at home.
The wife is portrayed as intoxicated
with her own credulity and readily be-
lieves her husband, in oriental masque-
rade, is the Mahatma of her studies
in oriental lore. The disguised hus-
hand takes advantage of her delusion
and gives her a potion which he says
will make her husband speak the truth.
Later he returns in his own person and
drinks what she gives him. Noting
the label on the bottle, the wife thinks
she has poisoned him and calls doc
tor. The latter proves to be COM
panion of the husband on his midnight
orgy, and the situation ends in a burst
of comedy. The husband finds the
supposed poison is harmless and vents
his wrath on the physician who has
betrayed his visit to the ball The cur
tain falls on an inconclusive climax
which leaves one wondering how the
domestic equation will be solved.
1t is a brisk. comic sketch, and Is
we'll acted. The characters of both
husband and wife are strained to tit
the situations, which evidently were
devised first, the roles being nodded
relentlessly to fit them. The result is
total want of sympathy on the part
of the audience for any of the char
acters. but keen pleasure in their
mutual and successive discontinue.
The sketch might roughly be defined
as a comedy of morals, with an In
stinctive trend in the direction or
sanity and good cheer.
Ballerini's mannerly dogs, George
Bloomuuest and company in Nerve y
Howard and Howard and Martinetti
and sylvester hold over. There are
new motion pictures.