The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-24

stage annals represent the scene of Ham
let's seeing the ghost for the first time
as something appalling. Hamlet is
clothed In black and his cap is drawn
down over his eyes. 1t is midnight and,
as Francisco says, "'Tis bitter cold" The
theatre is darkened- The stiffness is ab-
solute. Suddenly Horatio starts, exclaim-
ing:
Look, my lord, it comesy'
Hamlet turns and falls back few
steps, extends his arms. his eyes glare,
his lips fall apart, and his features ex-
Press such horror that the audience felt
repeated shudders before Hamlet began
to speak. At length he began:
angels and ministers of grace defend
us!'
He spoke with trembling breath, and
everything else was forgotten in the hor-
ror that he portrayed. This tremen-
dously awful scene of itself stamped Gar
rick as the chief histrionic genius of his
day, though he was master all through
the great drama. I have heard the lines
to which have referred rendered in such
wise as ito tear passion to tatters, to
very rags, to split the ears of ground
nngs." have known It to be introduced
with a wild, sharp scream in false-setto
awfulness of the scene. The actor was.
however, playing Hamlet: he was not
Hamlet. though he thought he was.
THE KEMBLEs.
John Philip Kemb1e, was the son of an
actor and brother to the greatest actress
the world ever saw Sarah Siddons One
of the first pictures, l mean literally
pictures that was hung upon the walls
of the hall of my memory was copy of
a portrait of this histrionic Adonis, a
duplicate OF which I possess in Terrell's
Shakespeare. Kemble is represented as
Hamlet In the grave scene, repeating the
lines beginning,
ALAS, poor Yorick."
He is clothed in black velvet, mantle
hangs carelessly from his shoulders,
black plume gracefully trails from his
hat, beneath which is seen face of re-
markable beauty, tranquil and solemn.
Mr.. Kemble was man of learning and
fine culture, and possessed the histrionic
temperament. He was thus fitted to
enter into the very soul of the prince and
to portray him with dignity, solemnity,
Kemble, There were times when his
passionate climaxes were overpowering,
and at other times his cold disdain was
like an arctic iceberg, but like the Ice
berg in its frigid splendor and awe-in-
spring magnifcence." He was one of the
best scholars on the stage. He was con-
scientously punctilious in the use of En-
glish, and was, therefore, an authority
on pronunciation and elegance of literary
ck-, T,, oC;n ,oy-r hat In. Tn
glsh dictionaries known to us as Walk
ers, Sheridans and Smart's were the
works of actors who had learned pre-
cisiOn on the stage. In our own times,
Edwin Booth was an authority on ORTIZ
oepy.
Kemble's Hamlet was tender, vitality
appealing and magnetic. The scene in the
third act between Hamlet and his moth
err was lifted out of the conventional by
Kemble's originality and genius. and left
Impressions upon the mind which years
could not obliterate. One has left on rec
ord the sentence: Il never saw an audi
ence more deeply affected" Charles
Lamb said. at is difficult to disencum-
Der the idea OF Hamlet from the person
of Mr.. Kemble.'
For over 80 years he lived in London,
and was so well known and esteemed
that Hazlitt said, I'VE feel more re-
spect for John Kemble in plain coat
than for the Lord Chancellor on the
woolsack."
Charles Kemble brother to John Philip,
though not so famous as his great broth
er. was, nevertheless one of the worlds
distinguished Hamlets. Leigh Hunt said
of him, Charles Kemble. who had an
ideal face and figure, was the nearest APP
proach ever saw to Shakespeare's GEN
tlemen and heroes of romance.
AS to his Hamlet ] shall quote the
words of Fanny Kemble his daughter.
Said she:
II have acted Ophelia three times with
my father, and each time in that beauti-
full scene where his madness and his love
gush forth together like torrent, swol-