Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-18
ELEANOR GORDON WINS
CRITICAL FIRST -NIGHTERS
Actress in Title Role of 'Zira' at
the BeIaSco Captivates
Her Audience
BY FLORENCE BosARD LAWRENCE

appeared in the title role. Western
theatrical managers know no trouble
like that of securing satisfactory play
ers for their leading feminine roles,
and consequently the advent of new
applicant for such position attracts
considerable attention. Miss Gordon
received this attention throughout the
piece: in the beginning 1t was given
with the cold critical judgment of one
of the most difficult first night audi
ences in the city; afterward, however,
it became warmer and more sympa-
thetic, and the big third act reused
the spectators to storms Of applause.
Miss Gordon has that greatest and
most important charm for any woman,
certainly for an actress-a beautiful
voice we'll modulated with distinct
enunciation and q perfect sense of ac-
cent and pronunciation. A pleasing
personality, genuine emotional power,
an admirable sense of restraint, and an
evident intellectuality-all these are
Miss Gordons and will establish her
securely in the esteem of her audiences.
"Zira" is frequently selected as the
vehicle for introducing a new leading
woman. 1t is familiar play and not
a pleasant one, for much of 1t is Weepy
and creepy, and despite its many good
lines and some strong scenes 1t can
scarcely present the player in her best
costuming are few, but Miss Gordon
appeared to splendid advantage in the
simple gowns of the first two acts and
was most picturesque in the later
scenes.
Frank Camp played the part of Rev.
Gordon ClaVering, leaving the less ad-
mirabe but far more entertaining part
of his ne'er-do-well cousin, Arnold
Sylvester, to Mr.. Stone, which he
played delightfully."-, drinking a little
too much occasionally, just as many
we'll bred men do, and reverting to in
correct English in his inebriation-
fast as we'll bred men do, too.
Miss Adele Harrington had the part
of Ruth Wilding, hard, severe role,
in which the thousand charms we are
wont to see in this admirable actress
were necessarily hidden. She was con-
vincing in the role, however, and
demonstrated once more that versatil-
ity for which she is so well noted. Ida
Lewis as the irascible old countess was
amusing in her comedy and dignihed
and earnest when those qualities were
required.
OF the many other roles, William
Yeranee had almost the only part of
note as Sir Frederick Knowles, while
Richard Vivian, Charles Rugges and
Charles Giblyn appeared only in the
first act in brief bits.
The production is good and the play
moved along smoothly last night with
apparently no behind curtain annoy
ances. Miss Gordon, who is already
we'll known here socially, was hon
ored by a number of box parties ar
ranged by friends and the whole force
of ushers was required to carry the
floral tributes called forth by her splen-
did success.
The Orpheum bill this week has an
unusual number of elaborate acts
which require full stage settings and
effects, and the result is apparently
to the great delight of the Orpheum
audience which laughed over the an
tics of the monkey men and the traV-
esty of High Life in JAIL with the
same zest that it marveled at the mys-
terious Rameses.
'Dinkelspiels Christmas" is the big
new act of the week, and introduces
five players, among others Bennett
Southard. formerly a member of a To-
cal stock company. Other members OF
the cast are Bernard Reingold. Kath-
crime De Barry, Thomas G. Carroll
and Mabel Van Buren. The latter
young woman is so pretty that she
rather obscures the rest of the COM
pany, which presents this German
dialect of the familiar Dinkelsptel
character in mediocre manner.
waterbury Brothers and Tenny,
with the musical glasses, were among
the best features of the new bill.
Their act was clean and they did not
spoil the value of their speciality by
the cheap humor with which many OF
the vaudeville turns are now marred.
Dave Lane and Charles O'Donnell IN
troduced some novel tumbling and ac-
robatic work in their Looping the
Bumps" and Harry Linton and Anita
Laurence offered musical specialties,
parodies on topical songs and other
features possible in "a piano store.
The first part of their act is distinctly
poor, but in the latter half and the
closing tabeau 1t is more amusing.
Several features of yesterdays bill
showed a lack Of terminal facilities
which was rather appalling.
Other holdovers in the bill are Zellah
Covington and Rose Wilbur in their
sketch, 1.-THE Parsonage" and THE
-Four Rianos" repeat their familiar
monkey act.
James Mccormack and Eleanor Irv-
ing, who are this week one of the fea-
lures of the new Sullivan e. Considlne
bill which opened at the Los Angeles
theater yesterday afternoon, are two
musical comedy stars who have de-
serted the Legitimate" for vaudeville
and who have scored an individual
success.
Both of these clever young people
have appeared at local theaters with
some of the big musical comedies, but
deserted musical comedy because they
had ideas of their own which they
could not realize under some one else's
management. They both supported
Sam Bernard in his tour of "The Rol-
licking Girl' during the winter of
1905-O6. Both were intrusted with inn
portant parts and both made good; in
fact, they were so successful that when
"a Knight for Day was first intro
duced in ST. Paul they were found in
the leading roles and remained with
this production for two entire seasons.
They then went into the big musical
production "Too Many Wives" and af-
ter a season with this company made
up their minds to join hands in their
novel vaudeville skit called "Flirtol-
ogy," in which they are now appear
ing. They are only one of the features
of the new bill
Although Ferris Hartman enjoyed
the biggest opening in the history of
his organization i'm 'Mary's Lamb" at
the Grand opera house Sunday and
the advance sale has reached big pro-
portions for the remainder of the
week, 1t has already been decided by
the management that "Mary's Lamb"
will only "gambol" one week and on
next Sunday this capital fun maker
will offer for the first time by stock
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