Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-23

The Bclasco this week reYiVes The
Fastener" another of the hotaDle
Broadhurst successes which have dlS-
tinguished this playhouse during the
present season. The story of the play
is too well known to Los Angeles
theater gOers from former productions
here to require retelling. The scene Tor
the first acts is laid i'm such a peacetul
setting of rose-covered cottage and the
TRANQUIL landscape of a California lifl-
CATION district that we hardly expect
the quick gun play and threats OF
lynching that we naturally associate
with "the west" of the cowboy or the
mining camp, but the characters are
very true to the life Mr.. Broadhuist
knows so well. The cast Is a satisfac-
tory one, with Lewis Stone as one or
the fine manly characters he has MADE
so much his own, the necessarily
unpleasant part of Morley Crawford
we'll taken by Frank Camp, and Rich
ard Vivian as a very earnest and llk-
able Sam Johnson Charles RuEgles
as Bruce Morton did d very forceful
bit Of acting, and when, as he daShes
off the stage after one Of his vehement
outbursts, John Warden remarks ism
that just like "A bOy?' the audience
heartily and laughingly agrees with
him. Charles Giblyn as Pedro Sanchez
makeup and very clever Interpretation
Of a part of many dramatic possiblll-
ties. Miss Beth Taylor is delightful as
Janet Robbins and Miss Eileen Enroll
as the sister Dora plays a rather diff
ficult part most acceptably. Miss Ida
Lewis as the housckeeper, Minerva
Ringler VINO "was engaged to a man
once" and Miss Helene Sullivan as
Grace Morton sustained their parts ad-
mrably.
We feel like thanking Mr. Broad
hurst for the clever little love scene at
the close when the portfolios of the
ocean liner afford such an acceptable
variation from the conventional en-
brace on which the curtain usually
descends.
One of the liveliest bills of the sea-
son is entertaining crowded houses az
the popular Los Angeles theater this
week From the "Laughoscope" tc
Gardiner and Colder, the premier coon
singers, the presentation sparkles
freshly. 1t is difficult to pick an
especial headliner. Mathew and Ban
non, in THE Battle of Too Soon," are
remarkable comedians i'm that they
alone hold the audience and create q
running fire of laughter for almost
twenty minutes. The scenery is fully
in a class with this clever travesty
and the climaxes, always ending in a
furiously funny situation, are things to
be enjoyed by every spectator. Jim FL
Rutherford and company present a
legitimate farce Of a high order. Half
back Hank" is a warm -blooded Ameri-
can of the true type. The clever but
circulating manner in which he wins
his bride from the pater develops a
scene of splendid strength. 1t is diff
ficult to state which is most dainty
as between Elsie Harvey and the
Goldie boys. All are artists and pre-
sent something in new dancing steps
which is worth going to see alone.
Lawrence Crane, the magician, pre-
sents den of mystery" which puzzles
but does not horrify. His trunk mys-
terry is the best of his many entertain
ing acts. However, Mr.. Cranes Irish
humor, which fairly bubbles from a
merry heart, is at least one-half his
show, He is a born comedian, and the
audience warns to him from the cur
tain. The program is well rounded out
by DeVelde and Zelda, refined equil-
brists. They have an absolutely new
act wherein the husky DeVelda holds
one end of a slack wire in his mouth
while his trim partner walks the sway
ing. shining string.
In presenting "The Advance Agent"
at the Olympic theater Alphin and
Fargo offer a rural burletta that is
really an innovation in the field Of
musical comedy. The introduction of
melodrama into burlesque comedy is
not a new idea, but as the Olympic ia
vorites handle it the result is truly
novelty.
The story of the playlet, while not
complex, is sufficiently consistent to be
highly entertaining. Jules Mendel as
the Farmer has created a brand-new
creature for the stage. with all the pc
culiarities of the down east, by heck,
farmer he still retains his German dia-
lect and mannerisms, and the combina-
ton of both creates a most eXcruciat-
ingly funny character.
The Advance Agent, as portrayed by