Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-27
SAMSON HAS A NOVEL
THRILL FOR AUDIENCE
Bernstein Drama Has Exception
ally Powerful Appeal in Its
Third Act-Theatrical News
BY SHIRLEY OLYMPUS


the third act of Samson" or rather
to see James X. Hackett play that
third act as he played 1t last night at
the Majestic theater. Every person In
the audience rose to Mr.. Hackett in a
manner he never experienced in ms
palmiest days as our leading romantic
actor. 1t must have pleased him
nightly.
There's a definite, new thrill result
ant from that third act-a thrill which
every being must feel. It's not the
thrill of melodrama. It's not the thrill
of hearing clever wits matched in ra-
pier-like conversation. Nor yet is IL
the thrill of daredeviltry. It's the thrill
of seeing great physical strength
coupled with outraged justice rise like a
veritable storm OF Indignation hurting
defiance to everything and sweeping
every obstacle into oblivion. And 1t
was Mr.. Hackett's superb acting which
caused such thrill. The force he puts
into Maurice Brachard, the one-tlme
dock laborer and present copper king,
is the force of the natural, primitive
man, who fights for his own in re-
lentless manner. From first to last
Mr.. Hackett makes his characterlza- a
tion a living personality and one ad-
mired by Just men and women, but
feared and cringed TO by weaklings.
In writing "Samson"-which, by the
way is not a Biblical play-Henri
Bernstein wrote a drama little less
great than "The Thief" The same
strength of dialogue and great scene
between two persons which character
lied 1.-The Thief" is present in Sam
son." But there are many deficiencies
in Samson" so that it cannot be
placed in the same class with the
Frenchman's other success. In a way
Samson" saVors of THE Pit" A
speculator with millions has a wife
who does not love him. 1t is only at
ter he has ruined himself in order to
humble her lover that the wife finds
her heart and learns that her happi-
ness is with her husband.
In a remarkably artistic manner Ar
thur Hoops portrays Jerome lie Co
vain, dilettante and society man. He
it is who has the stirring scene with
Maurice in the third act. Mr.. Hoops
makes his Characterization so diamet-
rically opposite to the role enacted by
Mr.. Hackett that the climax is built on
sure foundation to towering height.
Edward Ewald as Max d'Andeline
makes q most decidedly favorable i'm
preston. He has fine stage presence,
a good voice and acts with all the dig
| nifty and sureness of an old stager.
Myrtle Vane as Elsie Vernette is eX-
cellent. In a scene in the first act and
another in the third she gives the au-
dience a glimpse of latent power which
she can summon up at will. Beatrice
| Beckley as the wife Anne Marie Bra
chard acquits herself well. In the Sec
| ond act she is inclined to overact and
rant, but aside from these two slight
| defects her portrayal is satisfactory.
| Others in the cast are acceptable.
Richard Bennett made his debut as
| leading man of the Burbank stock
| company yesterday, just after he had
| completed siXty-mile horseback ride.
| At least that is what he said when he
was called upon to verbally acknowl-
edge the applause which greeted him
| as he came upon the stage for the
| first time.
1t was as Pierre in Edgar Selwyn's s
melodrama pierre of the Plains,''
Mr.. Bennett elected to appear first as
a Burbanker. Judging from the ap-
plause following every big scene and
wisely and well.
pierre of the Plains" is a fairly
good atmospheric melodrama, the
scenes of which are laid some forty
miles or more north of Montana, that
Canadian plains country of which Sir
Gilbert Parker treated in pierre and
His People" Pierre is a vagabond,
but a lovable sort of a scamp some
what on the order of Francois Villon,
made famous by his strange rhymes
and "If Were King" Pierre has the
heart of an Indian and the brain of
a Caucasian, his mother having been
red, his father white. That accounts
for Pierre's impulses, good and bad.
Pierre is not a lofty purposed indi-
vidual, although he risks life and limb
for friends. His sacrifices are made
mostly because of a dog-like devotion
to and savage love for girl whose
only affection for him comes because
of gratitude If Pierre's love were only
great enough to awaken his slumber-
ing soul and make him truly repent
ant pierre of the Plains" might be a
great and a good play. When the cur
| tain drops on the final act we are
forced to believe that Pierre has es-
| capped the law and crossed the border,
| where he will continue to carry on
his nefarious occupation of card
sharpery.
1t may be that Mr.. Selwyn has
sought to teach 1ndividualism in
| pierre of the Plains" If So the writer
hopes nobody will learn the lesson.
The play revolves around the muir
der of an Indian by Val Galbraith
and the subsequent capture and es-
cape of the accused man. All the ele-
ments of high-class melodrama are to
be found in the play. Drugging an
officer. a wild midnight ride by the
heroine in order that "the papers
may be delivered on time fight in
the forest, when a bad man" meets
his Just deserts and the magnanimity
| of the officer, who for the sake of
love, allows an accused man an oppor-
| tunity to escape.
It's a rather far cry from "Paid in
Full" to "Pierre of the Plains" but
Sundays audiences did not seem to
mind bit, for every portion of
"Pierre of the Plains" was enjoyed by
| them.
Mr.. Bennett gives an excellent por-
| trayal of Pierre. If further proof of
the fact that Mr.. Bennett is a great
character actor is needed it is fur
nished by his portrayal OF Pierre.
| Harry Mestayer gives sincerely
virile portrayal of Val Galbraith. Mr.,
| Mestayer will leave the Burbank COM
pany when the current attraction ends,
much to the regret of Burbank pa
irons. There will be general satisfac-
ton felt, however, that Mr.. Mestayer
| is ending his long connection with the
| Morosco forces in a blaze Of glory,
for. he is doing most excellent work in
his final characterization Willis
| Marks as Matt Brady, a hired man
from the states" makes the character
stand out prominently through his
artistic touches here and there. Mar
| jorie Rambeau has conventionally
! melodramatic heroine role in Jen Gal
braith. Miss Rambeau lifts the char
acter above the conventional, how
ever. by her emotional scene in the
second act. Such realistic weeping
has rarely been seen on any stage.
| Beyond being pretty, sweet, lovable