Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-22
GRAND THRILLER
LACKING IN SNAP
KATE BART0N'S TEMPTATION
REPLETE WITH VARIETY
GEORGE WEBB IS SEEN AS THE
GREAT DlsGulsER
Len Behymer's Appointment as Local
Manager for the shuberts Is
Announced Officially in
Bulletin
BY w. HERBERT BLAKE

''Kate Barton's Temptation" which
the Grand stock company is present
ing this week, cannot be criticised on
the score of lack of variety. Four
acts, including ten scenes, are fequlIeu
to enforce the lesson OF daughterly
obedience, and perhaps of fatherly toll
erance as WE'LL The play begins Where
q problem play would end, with Kate
departure from the paternal roof with
her tempter. The writer OF prop
lem play would have showed us just
''why Kate left home," and might
so have named the dreary completed
product of his laboratory analysis.
The melodrama route is more spectac-
ular and perhaps no wider OF the PROB
abilities.
We see Kate on the BoWery in a
chop suey Joint and later in the thrill
ing scene of the burning tenement.
The treatment of the under world,
necessarily frank at time, is free, IN
the main, from the only vice when
can justly be urged against such por-
trayal--a false coloring OF romance
over what is only squalid and pitiable.
1t is quaint to hear Bill Barlow say
TO Kate as he invites her to quit the
old homestead: Its not wrong; it's all
q matter of how you look at it. Bill S
ethical principles are quite at one with
those of a certain Lady in a recent
play which was heralded as the gos-
pel of a new revelation Of life ana
morals. There's nothing either right
or wrong but thinking makes 1t So
was the slogan of "Three Weeks
Now just see what it did to Bill Bar
low!
The Grand company did not play
fast enough or snapptly enough last
night. The express robbery proceeded
with the deliberation of session or
ho GtafpE sonata George
Webb, disguised as tramp, took
weary cons to get out of his box and
rescue the express messenger. That
was deplorable, but it must be re-
membered it takes a little time to ap-
pear as a drunken sailor, tramp and
q Hebrew dilettante all in about fif-
teen minutes. That's what Webb does,
and he acts, as usual, with a certain
natural sincerity which makes me
think he may do better than melo-
drama ultimately.
Miss Fora Bates, the new leading
woman, acted passably in a second
ary role, the heavy feminine imperson-
alton being Miss Grace Rauworth as
Kate, which was good both in makeup
and delivery. Mr.. Leonard is striving
faithfully to appear wicked. His is
the sort of villain whom you naturally
expect to enliven matters by arising
and making an anarchistic appeal for
the rights Of the individual as against
society. He is too studtous and pro-
found looking, with all his rags, really
to reek with iniquity. Perhaps his
method is the correct one. Criminals
are frequently men OF intelligence. 1t
will be interesting to see how he
bears up IN the Shadow of the
GalloWs." The rest of the cast are
spread over nearly a score Of less i'm
portant parts, Mrs. Frayne's imper-
sonation Of a BoWery habitue being
one of more than ordinary merit.
Thomas e. SeWell wrote about Kate,
not Miss Lillian Mortimer, as 1 incor-
rectly announced last Sunday. If his
life is as impeCcable as the ethics of
his play he should be a most useful
member Of society.
The Shuberts' weekly bulletin Off
cially announces that Len Behymyer
has been appointed manager of the
schubert theater in Los Angeles
presumably the one to be built next
winter, unless the Auditorium is again
TO amaze us with a brief transit of
glory such as salvation Nell" of
which there is at present no evidence
at hand.
The Shuberts have arranged to book
mento.
Elizabeth Murray who is singing this
week at the Orpheum, has fallen victim
to the lure Of Southern California and
promises soon to transfer her perma-
nent home from Philadelphia to this
region. She is now dickering for an
orange grove, a bit of grape land and
a few bungalows here in town, and her
investments viii be for her profit and
her home as well.
"Why should l continue to live in
Philadelphia? asked Miss Murray
yesterday. Il have a magnificent
home there filled with treasures l have
picked up abroad, and when my season
closes / go there for a settle-dOWn, But
can 1 stay there, think you? Not /.
In about a week I am melted, and then
1t is Atlantic City for the rest of the
summer What I'm going to do is to
have a home here. Then at the end of
the season 1 can stay right here, keep
cool live in luxury and start out re-
freshed for another tour"
James Thornton, who is singing at
the Orpheum this week. is accom-
panied here by his wife, Bonnie Thorn
ton. Mrs. Thornton in her day was
one Of the most popular sOubrettes on
the American stage, famed from New
York to this coast. She is still in the
prime of life, but her chief work now
adays is to make James happy between
his mOnOlOgues.
"The Merry Widow" seat sale is on
today at a. m. at the Mason. Frances
Cameron has wired her agreement TO
play the part Of the widow.
Frank NJ. Norcross, general manager
of the International grand opera COM
pany. booked for two weeks at the Ma
son following "The Merry Widow" is
smiling on old friends in Los Angeles
and incidentally announcing his open
ing weeks bill here, which includes
Aida" Lucia" Faust" Carmen
III Trovatore," >" "Cavalleria Rusticana,"
81 Pagliacci" and "Rigoletto." Several
surprises are in store for the second
week, among them a production of
"Otello."
To Tour the World
Mr.. and Mrs. J. E. Ward, w. l.. Hub
bard and Mr.. and Mrs. J. Young viii
leave on the Owl this evening for San
sailing on the steamship