Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-18
ARE STAGE MORALS
ON UPWARD GRADE?
r N the course of talk in Oliver
Morosco's private office the other


time Mr. Arthur said he had no de-
lusions in the matter and was Wiling
to confess freely that the betterment
had come from without and not from
within managerial circles.
IT'S the box office" he added sue
cintly. In New York, which in large
measure is the country so far as
theatrical productions are concerned,
people no longer patronize stage in
decency whether it takes the form OF a
high brow sex problem play or
frothy musical comedy. The success
ses this season-the genuine successes
are notably clean. 1 firmly believe
that the best play ever written on
sex theme might be produced in New
York tomorrow with disastrous flnan-
cial results. The public has been sur
feited with nastiness and in It's re-
sentiment fails to distinguish between
the aood play on a bad subject and
the play whose only influence is por-
nograpllic."
This. Of course, is merely one side of
the subject. Hero in Los Angeles
CNlueItC is GOL ldihlttS illtiA INV 'eN''NN
of paygocrs Is changing and along
the lines indicated by Mr.. Arthur.
Nazinova's recent presentation here
of THE Fairy Tale attracted little
notice; and at the Mason last week
Blanche Walsh found small comfort in
the box Office figures submitted as a
result OF her appearances in that house
as THE Other Woman yet both plays
were finely acted and were not with
out dramatic strength and merit. So
it may be. as Mr.. Arthur says. that the
day of dramatized affinities is passing.
With reference to musical produc-
tions the desires of local audiences
will this week be submitted to as thor
ough- going a test as could be devised
for their determination. At the Audi
torium, the "theater in a church" we
shall have the first Los Angeles pre-
sentation of THE Queen of the Moulin
Rouge" which, whatever its quality as
an entertainment, has achieved motor
iety largely through a reputation for
feculence. Within the past week
there has been much public opposition
to this attraction" Protests have
come alike from churches and from
secular organizations. Samuel T.. Rork,
who brings the show here, declares
these criticisms to be based on mis-
information; but this, at best, is only
a part truth. The evil reputation of
the tawdry queen has preceded her
and the billboard pictorial announce
ments of her coming have not been
of a character to lessen the apprehen-
sion of moralists.
To date, however, the most conspicu-
Gus result of the agitation has been
a considerable amount OF free adVer-
tising and it is upon this very thing
that 1.-THE Queen of the Moulin Rouge"
has thrived in other communities.
Thousands have flocked into the thea
ters to see performance which they
fatuousy believed would be found
more daring" than it's predecessors,
and however great their disappoint-
ment however decorous the perfor-
nance when compared with eXpecta-
tions, their money, of course, has re-
mained in the box offices.
A week ago last night Len Behymer
went to Riverside to see a perfor-
nance of '"The Queen of the Moulin
Rouge" Mr.. Behymer is resident
manager of the Auditorium but has
no control over its bookings and has
no more to say about what attrac-
tions shall or shall not appear there
than the attendant who runs the Au-
ditorium elevator. He found certain
features in the piece which he deemed
objectionable and which he asked to
have omitted from it's local presenta-
tion. This request was refused, how
ever, and Mr.. Behymer now has no
recourse. He must abide by the terms
of the booking contract.
Riverside is a cultured city, a city
OF homes. It's theatergoers probably
represent little higher type of citl-
zenship than is to be found ordinarily
in theaters situated in the larger cities.
Yet even in Riverside, Mr.. Behymer
says, the very thing that seemed most
Objectionable to him won the loudest
applause of the evening. This was a
risque song sung by one OF the come
dians, which started off mildly enough,
until the encore verses were reached
when it became more and more risque,
the enthusiasm of the audience appar-
emily increasing as the verses gained
in pruriency. It will be interesting
and instructive to note how Los An
geles audiences will behave under sim
liar circumstances.
AS matter of fact however, this
show, like most of it's kind, is much
less wicked than it's reputation, If you
go to see it expecting to be shocked
you probably will be disappointed in
stead and not little disgusted at
your own credulity as well. 1t is
usually an easy thing for theatrical
advertising agents to stir up ministers
to fierce denunciation of a play re-
garding which they really know little
or nothing at all, in the hope that
ministerial illumination will swell box
Office receipts, an effect which ordnar-
lily follows just that sort of a pro-
Voking cause.
The only novelties in Los Angeles
playhouses this week viii be "The Kiss
ing Girl" a comedy opera or operatic
comedy, as you please, which opens
tonight at the Majestic theater with
and the much discussed Queen of the
Moulin Rouge" which comes to the
Auditorium, its first performance be-
ing announced for tomorrow evening.
The Mason will be dark and the Bur
bank, BelascO and Grand all announce
revivals, the first named offering
"The Prince Chap" while at the Belas-
60 "a Stranger in New York" viii hold
4he boards. AT the Grand Ferris Hart
man will make his usual holiday pro-
duction of The Toymaker" with
souvenir toys FOR the children at a
special Tuesday matinee, and at the
regular matinee Saturday.
In the vaudeville houses the most
notable act will be George Bcban's
"The Sign Of the Rose" which enters
upon it's second and last week at the
Orpheum tomorrow. The los An
geles will offer the second Of the Sui
livan 81 Considine road shows, with
the give Columbians" and Billy Van
as the features. At Pantages a big
musical act is given headline position
on The bill.
The book of the kissing Girl" is
by Leo Stein who suppl4ed the libretto