Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-14
'OLD HEIDELBERG" BACK
AGAIN AT THE BELASCO
Play in Its TWenty-Second Week
Proves to Be as Popu-
lar as Ever .


local stock record for the frequency
and unfailing popularity of it's revivals,
again occupl"5 the Belasco stage this
week. Last night the old play attract
ed to that theater an audience which
filed every available seat and which
laughed and wept~ by turns, as the
vicissitudes of Prince Karl Heinrichs
love affair seemed to demand.
The current revival marks the twen-
ty-second week of "Old Heidelberg s.
presentation at the Belasco, where it
mas come to be an annual feature.
These twenty-five weeks have been
scattered over period of several years,
and during that time there have been
no fewer tnan six Kathies, though Jo-
seph GalbraIth, who first played the
part here, and Lewis S. Stone have
Deen the only Prince Karl Heinrichs.
The Kathies were first Amelia Gard
ner, then, in the order named, Thais
Lawton, Lillian Albertson, Dorothy
Bernard, That's Magrane and now Ell
eanor Gordon. Richard Vivian, who is
low the sole survivor of the original
Belasco company, has been the only
actor to play his role continuously,
through all of the numerous revivals.
The play is so well known to Los
Angeles audiences that comments upon
its merits are superfluous. 1t is suffi-
cient to say that the current produc-
tior is well UP to the standard set by
earlier presentations of the same piece.
Miss Gordon 5 Katilie is a joyous bit
of stagecraft. The incidental songs, an
important detail, by the way, are well
rendered by big male chorus; and
the scenery and stage appointments
are excellent as usual.
"Old Heidelberg" is announced for
this week only.
1.-The Musical Blacksmiths" at the
Los Angeles theater this week present
an act that Is only fair musically but
that offers a trick scenery change
which really is the star feature of the
entire bill. The blacksmiths are Messrs.
Case and Staley, and they are assisted
by Miss Loreno Norrito, in the guise of
youthful apprentice. They make
nearmusic on cart wheels. horseshoes
and similar devices, the stage showing
the forge on which a fire burns bright
ly. Suddenly the theater is plunged
into darkness. Just as suddenly, scarce
ly five seconds later, the lights come
on again and the musicians, attired in
evening clothes, are discovered in the
music room of a handsomely furnished
home, complete even to a practical
piano. Then comes another change,
back to the smithy again.
''The Butterfly and the Prince" is a
spectacular operate offering In which
May orletta and Fred w. Taylor sing
several selections from the Italian op-
eras. Joseph Kettler and Florence
Lund present a rural sketch. '"The
Town Fiddler" which tells a pathetic
little story in interesting fashion and
which is well acted. Scott and Wilson
contribute talking and acrobatic act
that made big hit yesterday after
noon. Edwin Prince and Michael Gal
gano, harpist and tenor, please their
audiences, the singer being at his best
in an imitation of Richard Jose singing
silver Threads Among the Cold" The
Zorodo brothers provide a good exhi-
bition of muscular proficiency. Motion
pictures complete a satisfactory bill.
sTt is to laugh" this week at Pam
tages where the management has pro-
vided comedy bill, the more serious
part of the program, however, being
provided in the temperance of Har-
deem. who escapes from handouts with
seeming ease. The audience last night
paid closest attention to Hardeen's
escape from a number of different
makes of cuffs. leg irons, leg shackles
and Oregon boots. His trunk mys-
terry" also proved popular. Harden
allows himself to be handcuffed and
tied into a mail pouch, which is then
sealed and placed in a trunk. The
trunk is locked and bound with ropes,
yet Harden appears upon the stage in
less than a minute. Meantime a
comely young woman has taken his
place.
Harry DeVine and Belle Williams
present the breezy farce 1.-THE Travel
ing Salesman and the Female Drum
mer;" Hugh j. Emmett, long favor
ite here, assisted by Hildreth Emmett,
presented something new in a ven-
triloquial act. Emmett sings in four
different voices and the act is seem
ically attractive. Three clever young
women are the Misses Buford, Ben
nett and Buford, who sing. dance and
render limitations pleasingly; Harry
Botter and a company of three pre-
sent farce comedy entitled "A Matri-
monial Blizzard, New motion pic
lures and King, the xylophonist, in
repertoire of classical and popular Sc
lections, close the bill.
''Blaze Away the musical absurdity
which Jules Mendel and the Olympic
players are presenting this week, is the
most pretentious effort of Charles AL
phin that has been produced at the
Olympic theater. Much of the music