Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-07
THE MAN FROM MEXICO
PERENNIALLY POPULAR
BelaSCO Company's Presentation
of LaughabIe Farce Scores
a Distinct Hit
By SHIRLEY OLYMPUS


"The Man from Mexico" is a peren-
nially popular farce, and the make.
believe Journey of Benjamin Fitzhew
to to the land of Diaz, which is not
journey but sojourn of thirty days
on Blackwell's island, is a never-failing
and apparently never-ending source or
mirth No matter how many times a
person may have seen the play there
always is laughter enough to be found
in it to pay we'll for another view.
If there is one form of plays in which
the Belasco company excels it Is farce.
This does not mean that the talents OF
the various members of the company
are limited. Far from I'll 1t requires
a deal of talent and @ display of much
art to make the public laugh these
days. Never do the Belasco players
fail in their purpose when they are
called upon to present a farce The
success probably is due from the fact
that each player seems to enjoy his
work in a farce. He does not take
himself quite so seriously in farce as
he does in other forms of the drama.
1t is for these reasons that THE Man
from Mexico" is one of the substantial
Belasco successes upon which the pop
ularity Of the company is founded and
from which the patronage of the house
emanates.
There's no need telling the story of
"The Man from Mexico" Suffice 1t TO
say 1t is.a story of more or less harm
less deceit on the part of husband
and a wife, ending in forgiveness, per
feet understanding and happiness.
Frank Camp has the role of BenJa-
min Fitzhew, the man from Mexico,
in his keeping. He plays 1t with all
the assurance OF many past perform
ances and scores heavily thereby. The
business" he employs causes con-
slant ripple of laughter. Mr.. Camp
makes the action of the farce swift and
sure, thus making the production worth
seeing Richard Vivian gives a most
humorous Characterization in the role
of the irate German who Is cast into
jail by mistake. Helene Sullivan is
satisfying as Mrs. Fitzhew. Charles
Giblyn as the sheriff, George Field as
the italian and Miss Henley as fiancee,
Mr.. Ruggles, Mr.. Yerance, Miss Lowry
and others in the cast are up to the
standard Of their respective roles.
With 1.-THE Pullman Porter Maids"
including Ned (Cork) Norton who is
not maid, as the headline feature of
the bill, Sullivan e. Considine are pre-
senting an attractive vaudeville enter
tainment this week at the Los Angeles
theater. Darky songs and dances pre-
dominate in the act which is one of
the best big numbers of it's kind seen
at the Los Angeles In some days. The
act was a former Orpheum circuit Of
fering. Ned Norton has an inimitable
style of singing his various numbers.
His believe Me" is screechingly funny.
Viola Crane and her company pre-
sent race track sketch which is more
"horsey" than dramatic. 1t goes well
and pleases, although it is not the big
gest and best thing on the bill.
George B. Alexander sings some
humorous songs and presents mono
logue which make a good impression.
Harry Isuda is q clever equilibrist,
whose feats are performed skillfully
and artistically The Anita Diaz mon
keys give evidences of having been
carefully trained. Harry and Kate
Mitchell with songs, chatter and
dances and new comedy motion pic
lures complete the bill.
"Seven Days." declared by many
critics to be the funniest farce of the
past decade, follows Frances Starr -
1.-THE Easiest Way" at the Mason opera
house, beginning Its engagement next
Monday night. The play is the collab-
crative work of Mary Roberts Rine-
hart and Avery Hopwood, and its pop
ularity is such that 1t ran not only
throughout the whole of the past the
atrical season in New York but also
continued on through the summer "a
remarkable achievement for any play.
In Seven Days wife gets a divorce
because her husband is fat, then she
discovers she still loves him. She sees
an ambulance in front of his door,
fears he may be i'll. rushes in to see
him and is promptly quarantined along
with several other persons, who have
business elsewhere and can't get away
to attend to it. Among them is bur"
glar, who has to spend the entire seven
days in hiding. The seat sale will open
tomorrow morning at a. m.
Louise Royce, one of the most popu-
lar members of the Burbank stock
company, will not be seen on the stage
for some time at least, after Salvation
Nell" now in its second week at the
Burbank Miss Royce, whose real
name Is Mrs. William Yerance, has de-
cided that three years without inter
mission are long enough to work at
a single stretch, and will retire after
the current production. She will be
succeeded by Florence Oberle, widow
of the late Tom oberle, rated as one
of the clevereSt actors on the stage
and a great favorite locally. Mrs
Oberle did not appear on the stage un-
til after her husbands death, and since
then she has shown remarkable talent
for Characterization.
Ruby Bridges, who will be with the
Wilton Lackaye company at the Ma
jestic theater in 1.-THE Battle" next
week, is well known in Los Angeles
where she has appeared as Annie
Moore in "'Way Down East" in 1.-The
Man of the Hour" and last season in
1.-THE Climax Miss Bridges is one
of the younger leading women of the
American stage, and in "The Battle"
a play of labor and capital problems,
she has a part that gives her greater
opportunities than she ever before
has had.