Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-04
MARGARET ELLINGTON
SCORES IN NEW PLAY
Actress Is Charming in Drama,
Which in Itself Is Not
Very Strong
BIZ FLORENCE BOsARD LAWRENCE

BY FLORENCE BOsARD LAWRENCE
"I felt that as your wife had failed
-failed-failed." In these words Mar-s
garet Ellington as Anastasia explained
her madness, and the separation from
her husband which was followed with
such complications. In these same
words many more wives might ex-
plain il they would the coldness and
unhappIness that mar their own mar
riages.
Play writer's may go on, in vain,
pointing out to husbands the absolute
need of compatibility, comradeship,
confidence from the man to the
woman. This play, Until eternity"
produced at the Majestic last night,
makes another effort to convince men
of the folly of shutting all ambitions,
plans and deeper thoughts away from
the woman who Is entitled according
to the marriage vows to every conf
dence It shows to what desperation
the young wife is driven, and then
shows the final triumph which follows
her yielding to the demands made by
maternal love.
Margaret Ellington in the leading
part of Anastasia Is known as Mrs.
Benson, the governess, in the early
part of the play The role offers her
no such possibilities for emotional
work as did her character of the wife
in "The Thief" in which she was seen
here last, but 1t does show her in that
beautiful maternal character which
she at one time announced as her ideal
of woman's existence.
PLAY Is NOT STRONG
The play, however, is not worthy of
Miss Illingtons SKILL and 1t Is only
the excellence of the entire cast and
the beauty of the production that
make 1t possible. 1t Is only in the last
act that situation which really is
strong is developed, and in that oppor-
tunity Miss Ellington did the best
work of the evening. She was quite
charming In the scene with the child,
and the young girl, Ruth Crawford,
in the childs part, was quite perfect.
She was naive and delightful through
out the piece and the demands upon
her were very heavy, indeed, and al
ways brayely met.
Nina Morris as the beautiful Julie
Fornac wore magnificent gowns, and
enacted the vivacious, ambitious So
ciety woman to the life, even If the
characterization seemed trifle over
done occasionally. Walter Edwards
and Edward Elsner, translator and
adapter of the piece from the original
French, played the brother in re-
strained manner that made splendid
contrast to the rather overwrought
moods of the other characters.
Scenically the two acts were in de-
lightful taste, and the audience was
one of the most brilliant the Majestic
has ever held. Miss Ellington was ac-
corded the homage of that elaborate
costuming which Los Angeles women
do not pay except to their favorites.
Bob Fitzsimmons and his wife are
the headliners this week at Pantages
new theater, and Alex Pantages was
wise when he secured the ex-pug and
his dainty spouse for his second weeks
show. for the name of FftZimmons
served to draw capacity houses yes
terday.
Fitz received a great ovation when
he appeared for the first time yester-
day afternoon, and his clever wife had
to respond to several encores for her
song number which Is interpolated into
the little skit, "a Mans a Man for a
That" which they are using.
Bob finished off the playlet with
bag punching exhibition, which in this
land where prize fights are forbidden
seemed a little like old times to the
fight fans.
Myrtle Victorine, the fashion plate
soubrette, sings some catchy songs.
Jessie Edwards and her Pomeranian
Spitzes are a featured attraction
The white CANNES do all sorts of tricks,
and two of them do high dive into
a net.
Next to the F1tz act in pretentious-
ness is Buch brothers nautical aero
bat act. The setting of these comedy
tumbling stunts is aboard a battle
ship.
Claude Golden, the Australian card
king, maneuvers the pasteboards and
can hold his own with any of his kind
Jack Hawkins and company have
comedy sketch that compels laughter
AL Franks is the whole show at the
Princess this week in the musical COM
edy, '"rhe Dope Fiend," which Manager
Elmer Workman is offering this week.
He makes the part most realistic. The
entire plot develops about this Save
to opium. Franks has played this role
many times before, but this is the first
time Princess audiences have had a
| chance to see him in the part.
Bonnie Browning plays the part OF a
husbandless wife, and plays 1t WE'LL
Earl Hall has the part of an adven-
turer, while Jack Howard, the new
comedian of the company supplies the
GUILTY. ISliCl III tllO AOAO VI eAA AAioh
sausage peddler
"The Billiken Man" is which Messrs
Alphin and Fargo are featuring their
clever company this week at the Olym-
pic ,theater is very much like it's dimin-
utive statuesque namesake, for it
readily changes frowns to smiles and
smiles to good hearty laughs. The
musical numbers of the piece are tune
full, the humor catching and the dances
of the chorus in new and stunning
costumes is not one of the minor fea-
lures of the performance.
Jules Mendel, Monte. Carter, and
Dave Morris create most of the fun in
this weeks playlet.
Frances Paon, the new soubrette, is
making good. The chorus gets in some
effective work in the ten big singing
and dancing numbers, while the rest
of the cast, including Hazel Douglass,
Vera Bansdale, Gale Henry, Rosabelle
| Cohn, Leonard Brisbane, Tracy Nc
Dermott and the members of the
Transatlantic quartette all feature in
the production.
The Pollards and the National opera
| company opened a weeks engagement
at the Auditorium last night, present.