Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-01
BURBANK COMPANY SEEN
IN MUSICAL COMEDY
Marjorie Rambeau and Percy
Bronson Triumph in Swift
Little Johnny Jones"

If you had not known differently you
would have said that musical comedy
was their life work, that they could
play it any day that the notion pos
| sessed them. And this Is speaking of
Marjorie Rambeau and the supporting
| Burbank stock company in yesterday
afternoons opening matinee of an en-
gagement of Little Johnny Jones" at
the Burbank theater.
| The manner in which the Burbank
| company sang and danced its way
| through the three acts Of George Co.
| hans swift comedy was not only sur
| prising-it was startling, The average
| first afternooner when he entered the
| Burbank theater yesterday expected to
| be given an opportunity of smiling loft
| lily upon the efforts of an aggregation
Of stiff, quivering voiced, serious
meined, hard working players, whose
! talents lay In very different lines than
musical comedy He was disappointed.
Or, rather, he was happily elated at his
misjudgment. If any company ever
got more fun and melody out of the
rollicking Little Johnny Jones" than
| the Burbankers 1t is surprising.
Miss Rambeau, 1t has been discov-
| cred, sings with q sweet voice. Her
voice has in it q strange little tone
which makes 1t wonderful in its appeal,
and which, If she should desire to cul-
! tiVate It, might lead her into eminence
as a light opera prima donna. MISS
| Rambeau displayed another feature or
her art which has of course been
known, but which musical comedy alone
| offers full opportunity for demonstra-
| tion-she Is amazingly graceful. In her
| dance with Percy Bronson yesterday
| afternoon she won constant recognition
| for her ability to do some musical
comedy steps in a manner which would
do credit to any premiere danseuse or
! long experience.
| Percy Bronson, engaged especially
for this production, has had great
deal of experience in the song and
dance field, and he became favorite
with Los Angeles audiences during the
engagement of Kolb and Dill at the
Majestic. He handled the mile-a-
minute character of Little Johnny
Jones in admirable fashion.
| Other members of the company, not
able among whom was Peter Lang in
the part of Wilson, the unknown" !"
| lent Miss Rambeau and Mr.. Bronson
| excellent support. Jane Urban, in an
interpolated song and dance, won gen.
| erous applause.
Aside from the facts that the chorus
| girls bumped into each other frequent
ly, that the lights in the second act
were bad and that there were few
| DELAYS IN entrances uub " lilOA pei lOlSO
in making quick changes of costumes,
the first musical comedy effort of the
Burbank company for many moons
may be said to be truly successful.
"The Queen of the Highway" Charles
Taylor's sensational western melo-
drama, opened at the Grand opera
house yesterday to two enthusiastic
| capacity audiences. That the Grand
| audiences delight in seeing horses,
| cowboys, Indians, holdup men and
| being given taste of the exciting at
mosphere of which novels tell of the
early days in the west was demon
strated Yesterday by the round after
round of applause and the numerous
| curtain calls after each big climax.
It is an exceptionally we'll written
melodrama, and while rather sensa-
| tional in many situations is far from
being as overdrawn as the majority of
these "thrillers." It's story is of the
adventures of Belle Diamond, a woman
outlaw, who by her daring and single
handed holdup of stage coaches and
pony riders has gained the name of
Queen of the Highway. Her husband,
from whom she has been separated for
some fifteen years." Is government
detective detailed to catch this terror
to travellers of the road, and in the last
act shoots her, only to discover he has
Killed his own wire.
There are tWo-score cowboys and
Indians used in the production, an old
time stage coach drawn by four horses
and the stage settings are picturesque
and of the period. There is plenty of
the love interest, some good dramatic
situations and a well drawn and eX-
citing climax at the finish of each act.
Miss Iva Sheppard, who made her
first appearance as leading woman,
rhCfn oil c
as Belle Diamond, Queen of the High
way. She handled the role in most
capable manner and won her audience
from the very start. She has good
looks, a good voice and, most of all,
can act. George Webb in the role of
Oscar, the government detective, and
Chester Stevens as Mat Rawley are
also to be commended for their eX-
cellent work. Clever character studies
are contributed by Frank McQuarrie
as Cohen, the whisky peddler; Edwin
Charles and Gertrude Claire, who fur
nish the principal comedy of the piece.
The panorama scene showing the
stage coach descending the mountain
while Belle Diamond lies in wait for
the holdup is most realistically given
and a clever bit of stagecraft.
Tim McMahons watermelon" girls,
one of the most successful girl acts
that have ever been brought forth for
the vaudeville stage, with their
sprightly miniature musical comedy,
entitled "a Breeze from the Sunny
South" and Phil Staats, the 300-pound
comedian, with his continuously funny
pianologue and monologue, are the
headline features of the now bill open
ing at the Los Angeles theater this
afternoon.
Other attractive acts on the new pro-
gram are Betsy Bacon, the charming
little California comedienne, who with
her company will offer the southern
comedy, "Deborahs Wedding Day."
Emelie Benner the baritone soloist;
Strength brothers, European equilib-
rists, and Williams brothers with their
new songs and fast dances. This bill
promises to be the best that has been
seen at the Los Angeles theater in
many a week.
Loie Fuller's own corps de ballet
headlines the Orpheum bill opening this
afternoon, presenting the BALLET of
Light" Will M. Cressy and Blanche
Dayne return with "Grasping an OPP
portunity," a special Offering for a
special season prior to their tour of
the world. The Morati opera company,
a troupe of excellent singers, bring a
complete little opera, "Mardi Gras in
Paris" and Captain Gruber brings a
trained elephant in his equestrian re-
view. In addition, Annabelle Whit
ford, "the Brinkley girl" the Olym-
piers, White & Simmons and DeLion
remain, with new motion pictures,
n 1r.a1I ro1p5a6 and vary StrOp o.