Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-29
BY w, HERBERT BLAKE

n II II lOQdJ anu iOIltll Nv = OBS4i
w ings accounted for, the brief
W summer season of three months
at the local theaters comes to an end.
It may be interesting to review the
achievements of that period and recall
some of those feeting moments OF
Measure which the new productions and
more important stock reNiNals nave
given us since June /. The signs of
the autumn renaissance are alreadS
observable. with the Auditorium re
opening its doors to Going Some, ana
the Majestic about to welcome a return
visit of Kolb and Dill. A hurrled
glance, then, in retrospect. before the
plunge into the serious business OF an
Onitting vaudeville and the smaller
houses. we have had some slXty-elghl
productions during the summer, inciqd-
ing the attractions which open TO-DAY
and tomorrow. OF these forty-two have
been straight Legitimate IS the
5Inhappy but accurate term. Ten nave
heen in musical comedy, and sixteen,
counting a few repCtitions, Of grand
opera. One new drama has been pro
duced-"The Greater Clam at tAe
Burbank-not recurring so far as Ihe
Dollar Mark" whose remarkable run at
the Belasco belongs rather IN the spring
than the summer season.
Tragedy has not visited us, save in
her operatic habiiments, unless one eH-
cent the unpleasant memory OF Ihree
Weeks" Sixteen comedies nave d9-
lighted us in varying degree" JACK
straw and "The Morals of Marcus
heino rcpcated in stock since their star
ring tours But three farces have up
set our gravity, but seventeen plays
which may fairly be called melodfanas
have stirred our blood. Besides the
tvDicaI Grand Offering, we may note
'.Sbore Acres" "Sherlock Holmes
"Pferre of the Plains" THE Traitor
and (skipping over two days. Paid IN
Full" THE Great Divide and 'Easi
Ivnne'-a varegatCd lot of very un-
even merit, but all safely assignabie 10
the upper melOdrama division, with all
their differences of literary quality ana
structure. Hard to classify, save under
that convenient term drama, are
"The Servant in the House Inc
Hvnocrites," salvation Nell "Ihe
Greater Claim" and THE Lion and ting
Nouse"-perhaps the strongest quintet
of the summer in originality and force
fulneSs of appeal.
easflv the biggest thing in import and
4achnical effectiveness which the three
months have disclosed. Next to it for
distinctiyeness and artistic workman
shin I should place THE Climax, with
"PoI1v of the Circus close rival in
These three are the constructive
triumphs among the summertide
novelties, and alone have made it not
able
stock revivals which have made the
period memorable were "Socret Ser
vice" "When knights We're Bold and
1.-THE HypoCriteS" at the Burbank and
"The Lion and the Mouse shore
Acres'' and "Merely Mary Ann" at the
BelasCo. The appearance of holb and
Dill. the Princess company and the
short lived MOrosco musical company
have enliVenCd matters, and 1t is TO be
hoped that the latter organization may
he revived this fall for the accomplish
ment of its ambitious program of comic
opera revival which met such an un-
timely demise.
The vaudeville offerings have avn-
ragged we'll At the Ornheum the visits
of Mabel Hite, claude Gillingwatar
T,ouiee MeyCrs Laddie Cliff. Helena
Frederick. Charlotte Parry. Jen LatoUa
and the monosyUabic Gritt have con
tributed something TO the refined and
artistic as well as To current gayety.
At the Los Angeles two new skitS Of
modest worth were prOduced-"A Chi
nese Nugget" with Pearson and JOEL,
and 1.-THE Turning Point with Hall
and Berch The appearances of Leo
Cooper and Eva Nudge will also he1r
mention i'm any chronology Of summer
vaudeville. The repeated popular sue
cesses of Kelly and NiOlette at The
Unique and the presentation of clean
q-ality Of burlesque at F1schers by
the EmHn curtis company deserve note,
Of the purely personal triumphs a
the larger houses those of Miss Ethel
BARRYMORE in Lady Frederick" and of
Mrs. Ffske i'm the Sheldon play must
take first rank. Miss Florence Reeds
firm and appealing impersonatiOn in
"Merely Mary Ann stands easily next,
HolbroGk Blinn in "SalvatiOn Nell"
John Drew in the dapper comedy Of
Jack Straw" Miss Marie Dor0 as Car
lotta in "The Morals of Marcus all
these have added something definite
and coherent to our dramatic eX-
periences. OF many valuable stock i'm
personatious those OF Richard Bennett
in Pierre" Byron Beasey as Arrels-
ford in Secret Service" William Des-
mond in THE Hypocrites," Henry
Stockbrdgo in "When Knights Were
Bold" and Miss Blanche Han as the
heroine of "The Greater Claim would
bear repetition. Among the operatic !
conquests Of the international company
at the Mason may be recorded Colo m !
binis Fritz and Lors Norelis Mar |
gharita, Therry's Fedora, Arcangelfs !
Iago. Miss Strauss Azuccna and Duce- |
Merolas Carmen.
Many players have come and gone i'm |
these three short months. Among |
stock companies, especially, the |
changes have been numerous. But |
'the scheme Of things entire" goes |