Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-07
THE AG|TATOR" FALLS
SHORT OF PROPER MARK
Other Acts on 0rpheum Bill Are
Interesting and Make Up
for This Loss
BY SHIRLEY OLYMPUS

/ T may have been the shirtwaist
makers strike, or it may have
- been gormandizing on relishes, or
again. it may have been a laudable,
though poorly executed desire to revo-
lutionize and remedy industrial con-
ditions. which gave Mrs. Oscar Ber-
linge the idea of writing "The Agi-
tator," a one act comedy drama pre-
sented yesterday as a portion of the
Orpheum vaudeville bill. Whatever
caused Mrs. Berlinge to write the
sketch Is beside the question. The re-
suit of her writing, to use a slangy
mixed metaphor, Is a large, juicy lem
on. Said lemon was passed, none too
adroitly, to Orpheum attenders twice
yesterday and will be passed twice
daily for two weeks by Helen Grant
ley and her company Miss Grantley
has done some rather good things in
her career-"The Never, Never Land"
being one of them-and the wonder of
it all is that she will permit her name
and talent to be associated with
playlet in which there is no dramatic
worth.
Headline position and big type do
not mean anything in vaudeville un-
less worth sustains the endeavor. The
constant and discriminating vaude-
VILE attender could not by any stretch
Is headline act-that Is, the best Of
fering of the bill. 1t may seem a bit
harsh to say such unkind things about
vaudeville playlet. but when we are
told something is good, although we
know 1t is the reverse. we should voice
our opinion in a manner which will
leave no room for doubt of our denial
of the other fellows judgment.
1.-THE Agitator" is lacking in dra-
matte and climacteric worth, has no
proper blending of pathos and humor
and is a poor preachment at best. |
Also it Is not we'll acted. mainly be-
cause there is nothing with which to
act. Even the dragging forth of a
shiny nickel pistol does not create |
enough atmosphere to carry the play
let to a gripping climax. The scene |
the revolver Is taken from
pickles" grasp tends to weaken the
force of her character, for she Is re-
vealed as a woman who talks about
fighting and in reality would become
a coward by taking her own life,
leaving "her girls" to fight it out for
"The Agitator'' certainly is not a
good sketch.
OF the new acts James Harrigan's
mixture of comedy and Juggling is the
best feature. One does not know
Mr.. Harrigan makes his
an excuse for his clever
cigar box juggling or his juggling an
excuse for his monologue. His final
talk on Shapes" should be toned
down quite bit, for 1t borders on vul-
garity.
Eddie Leonard, black-face singer
and dancer, very nearly spoiled the
turn succeeding his "At Home Again
by a stage trick of appearing in the
wings just as the curtain was going
H., xfyfr
The incident may have been uninten-
.ional. If so the blame attaches to
he stage manager. The Leonard turn
s clever, especially Mr.. Leonards
lancing.
Ragtime on a guitar was one of the
,ut- of the ordinary features of the Of
ering of the Ollivotti troubadours,
,agno brothers made laughter with
heir comedy falls and created Won
Ter by their tumbling and daring aero
,atic tricks.
OF the entire bill "Swat Milligan,"
he baseball comedy, was the real
being the best turn, al
hough a holdover. Other holdovers
re the Klos sisters, three gymnasts,
Who got much applause for their skill I
nd daring and the Avon Comedy
FOUR, who presented a medley of nom
ense and music entitled 1.-THE New
school Teacher"
Notwithstanding 1.-THE Agitator" the
i'll entire is enjoyable. for there are
even high-class features to offset the
ingle poor one.
Wholesome humor pervades "The
'wo from Texas" at the Princess this
7eek. Fred Ardath and Roscoe Ar
uckle, two comedians of the First {
treet forces, are practically the whole I
how In the roles of an Irish and Dutch
esident of the Lone Star state, who are c
ouring in Spain. The mock bullfght is 6
eally the climax of the affair In her l
olo feature, "Dusky Salome," and in t
er duet with Ben Sellar, would You e
Liss Me?" Miss Durfee scores. Pro- S
ucer Arbuckle has an eccentric coon a
houting offering, when Pal of Mine o
teals a Gal of Nine" Ben Sellar is a
aatured in "Marx You're a Big Girl I