Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-14


BY w. HERBERT BLAKE
There were two unavoidably rival
shows on view in the Burbank yester-
day afternoon, and the shorter, newer
and snappier won the hands. The con-
queror was Harry Girards Prairie
Land" a song which is a sort of pano-
rama, one-act drama and operate
comedy blended. Injudiciously, it was
placed just after the first act of "A
Milk White Flag"-the play which be-
gan with every intention of being the
attraction of the afternoon and which
succeeded passing well, under the fire
from the camp of the Navajos. For all
that, the mixture cost the Burbank
stock company not a few yawns in the
last act of the Hoyt farce, which might
Just as we'll have been coined into
outlaws.
But the glad hand is king in pit and
balcony, and take time right here to
say that no better dramatic love lyric
has been heard in this city during the
present season than prairie Land" as
warbled, amid streams of irresistible
perspiration, by Mr.. Girard himself, ac-
companied histrionically by the cling
ing arms of Miss Blanche Hall, and
musically by the Ellis quartet. Both
accompanimentS were clad la Navajo
which is as trying midsummer garb
Tor the 0ODlc TGuSkltl dS LII lHO HIltC
plainsman, every yard OF whom Mr.
Girard looked in his brawny, Faver-
sham makeup. The "big white chief"
made rhythmic love to the Indian
maiden. in the enticing words of Oliver
Morosco's lyric, and in the background
one caught the lights of the far-off
plain and the silver ripples of capital
scenic river.
had stopped counting the recalls
and sympathizlng with Mr.. Girard's
shining face, when all at once the
lights were turned on, heartlessly re-
Vealing the whole landscape painted on
the back drop, which now served as a
very linear background for the winning
smiles of the wooer and his Navajo
belle. 1t was an excellent instance OF
splendid act spoiled by trifling over
sight, for the gratitude of Mr.. Girard
and Miss Hall might just as well have
been exhibited in front of the curtain
without forfeiting our confidence IN
the realistic prairie setting. OF coure
it's a detail, but it is details which
make or mar such a carefully planned
stage effect.
Then we went back to "a Milk White
Flag" and the inevitable happened
The Indian Interpolation had split
that riotous farce wide open, and only
the broad, compelling Hoyt humor kept
our interest from tagging through the
second act. In the third act even that
impulsion failed, and half the audience
were looking for their respective hat
pins and fans before the strains of the
resurrection ball had begun to crook
the legs of that festive military COM
pany. Perhaps nobody minded much,
but it was bad stage business for all
that I humbly suggest the curtailing
of "a Milk White Flag" into one act
and the elaboration of the Morosco-
Girard song-drama into longer sketch
Then the two could fight it out on even
terms, with all the interpolated songs
retained for their own well deserved
encores.
OF those musical numbers, most Of
which were injected into the hasty
pudding action of the farce with toler-
able grace, first honors must go to Mr.
Beasley's g Won't Be Home Until Late:
Dear" with its original tableau of
erring domesticlty capped by a neme-
sis in police buttons and the Jail epi-
logue of the DER jovial husband. Just
the proper note of responsibility was
put into the frolic to preserve the i'm
preston of farce, while the fate of Don
Juan of the rubicund nose furnished
the needed triumph of Virtue at the
denouement.
Miss Margo buffet showed that the
Anna Held type of contrite fiirt can be
ena acted with refinement and an appeal
which in no way verges on coarseness.
Don't Be Cross with Me- she pleaded,
and nobody could, I'm sure. Mr. Glib
lyn, besides being very Adonis of a
bandmaster, sang PAY More Attention
to Me- in good darky dialect and with
some bland discords which kept his
part in the military farce well before
us. Down at the Husking Bee is one
of the best of the recent crop of chorus
songs, and Blanche Hall and Henry
Stockbridge made the most of it's
swinging cadences. In the uproarious
double serenade, which must have been
the original of the famous Cyrano incl
dent, Mr. Stockbridge scored again with
his "Daffodil' song. A new star was de-
veloped in the last act, Mrs. Harry
Mestayer descending prettily from a
box and joining her husband as he
sang 'I Wish l Had a Girl" which
seemed rather a useless yearning as she
tripped about the stage like one of the
manner born.
The farce itself lasts surprisingly
WELL despite it's reckless handling of a
rather wild satirical conception. Be
meath it's superficial sportiveness Turks
real burlesque of certain phase of
militarism, which is as effective in its