Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-05
The TheaterS
BY SHIRLEY OLYMPUS

highly interesting and more or iess en-
tertaining. One forgets all about the
blood there is to be shed. One even
forgets that "The Wolf is melo-
drama, because each of the six players
In the cast acquits himself in a most
satisfactory manner
Eugene Walter wrote "The Wolf"
He also wrote paid In Full" Whlch,
as the writer has often said in these
columns, is one of the worlds halt
dozen greatest plays. However, Mr..
Walter did not duplicate his one great
success when he wrote 1.-THE Wolf"
As a matter of fact, had 1.-THE Wolf"
been written by a less famous author.
1t probably would never have lived
through a season or more on the ROAD
and a season in stock. Were 1t not Tor
the fact that the Belasco company has
staged "The Wolf in a manner lifting
to a New York production-more elab-
orately, IL possible-"The Wolf would
be anything but a success.
There Is no gainsaying the fact that
Stage Director Harry Andrews and
Scenic Artist Harry Brunton do won
derfully artistic things. They nave
combined to outdo all their former eff
forts in the production of 1.-THE Wolf"
Especially Is this noticeable in the
first and last acts. The realism Is car
ried to the extreme in the last act,
when realdnderbrush Is chopped away
to make way for the proper Launching
of canoe. Again is the realism no
ticed in the pickering of a camp nre,
the effect being managed through care
full manipulation of lights. Such eff
forts are not usually put forth by stock
companies. 1t is by such artistic bits
that the Belasco has been raised TO a
plane Of stock company perfectlon.
"rhe Wolf" tells a wholly under
standable story of a very bolo, pao
Don Juan whose dual occupation was
engineering and turing women to rum.
On the other hand, good and no less
bold French-Canadian trader made II
his business to thwart the Don Juan.
But the trader was wholly successful
only after he had put his and society
enemy to death. The scenes are aalo
in the Hudson Bay country. The
Wolf (another name for Don juan
makes his appearance at the McTaVish
cabin in the Canadian woods, ana his
exit, which is death, at the portage
of Little Bear river After the des-
perate fight, and when the rifle snot
tells the waiting ones that the Won
has been put to death, everybody is
convinced the good trader and the girl
with the yellow hair and the soul, the
color of which her father Is sure Is
black, but the color of which really Is
white will go to the nearest priest,
marry and live happily ever after:
, Florence Oakley as the girl, Hilda
McTavish, does some excellent work.
She, looks charmingly pretty with ner
golden wig. In the first two acts Miss
Oakley did nothing unusual, because
the role she portrays calls for nothing
out Of the ordinary. But in the last
act she sounded a note of true pathos
when she said farewell to Jules:
Lewis Stone has the role OF Jules
Beaubien, the trader. There's something
very attractive about Mr. stone when
he essays a character role. The merry
twinkle in his eye and the quiet. force
full manner in which he acts every
scene of 1.-THE Wolf" has won him new
friends, His portrayal of the French
Canadian is not in the usual vein OF
melodrama, hence is most pleasing:
Charles Ruggles outdoes hlmself as
the assistant engineer, George huhter'
The manner in which Mr.. Ruggles de-
livers his lines completely wins the
audience, causing genuine laughter
and applause. Mr. Ruggles makes his
role stand out as prominently as the
leading ones, and adds more than
little to the worth of the performance.
Frank Camp is a. refined, black
hearted villain. He is the sort or
villain men fear and women idolize,
In Mr.. Camps Characterization there
is nothing STACEY" and much that is
intensely human.
William Yearance as a fiinty-heart-
ed, unnatural father and richard
vivian as a faithful companion OF
Jules are equally good.
The Orpheum bill which opened yes
terday afternoon is exceptionally
worthy. Taken by and large, 1t is one
of the best bills seen at the Orpheum
in several weeks. The new acts are
pleasing, two of them being more than
ordinarily clever, and two of the hold
overs are headline features on any
bill.
1.-THE Code Book" a playlet in which
the theft of some of the secrets of the
war department is the motif, is inter-
esting though not superlatively meri-
torious. The scene is laid in recruit
ing Office, Allen Atwell as the Japanese
colonel masquerading as Filipino ser
want is excellent in Characterization
makeup and delivery. Charles Ham
mond has sympathetic role and makes
the most of it. Percy Plunkett is the
major commanding, and George II.
Brown looks every inch soldier.
George Lyons and Bob Yosco present
highly pleasing musical act. In fact
1.-THE Harpist and the Singer" re-
ceived the greatest amount of applause
at the performance yesterday after
noon. Mr.. Lyons is a premiere harp
ist, playing most every kind of music,
including ragtime, on his instrument.
What Mr. Yosco lacks in vocalization
he makes up in manner, so that his
songs make a fine impression. His
cello and mandolin playing is of a
high order.
Without any doubt Paul Spadoni
is the best juggler the Orpheum has
presented In years. He has daring, skill
and an assistant who is real comed-
IAN The Spadoni act is one worth
seeing, and is q fine addition to the
program.
Hal Merritt presenting a combina-
ton of drawing, singing, vocal imi-
tations and comedy, is indifferently
good.
The holdover acts are Frank Staf-
ford and his company "a girl and a
beautiful dog), presenting "a Hunters
Game" one of last weeks big fav-
orites, "Self Defense" the excellent
paylet in which Edward Abeles and
his company have scored such sue
cess, Fiddler and Shelton, colored
comedians, and La Toy brothers, COM
edy acrobats.
Fred Ardath is making hit this
week in the title role of 1.-The Irish
Lord" the Princess musical playlet
offering which opened for a weeks
run yesterday. 1t is an Ardath show
all the way through and the way that
that comedian portrays an Irish inn
migrant separated from his wife, who
is induced to impersonate an Irish lord
in order to serve the interests of a
sharper, Is most amusing. He is about
to marry heiress when his real wife
appears and prevents the ceremony.
I al. -,