Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-24
: THE WITCHING HOUR"
SUBTLY INTERESTING
Presents Study of Possibilities of
Control of Conscious by Sub
Conscious Mind
BY SHIRLEY OLYMPUS


but entirely possible, the patholegist
considers closely but with more or
less askance and the public indorses
heartily as an evenings enjoyment.
For be 1t known there are elements in
1.-THE Witching Hour which summon
up train of thoughts in every mind,
thoughts which lead to speculation of
things in the unseen world and the
possibilities of that intangible estate
which exists wholly in our minds. The
play, however, teaches it's lesson and
is at the same time subtly inter-
esting. The lesson Is one of self-con-
| troll, mastery of those foolish fears
which haunt the mind and torture the
soul, and which wreck our stamina
and cowardize us, but which may
easily be dispelled by the exercise of
a bit of common sense. The interest
arises not so much from what hap
pens, but from a desire to know what
will happen next.
The Hour of 1.-THE Witching Hour"
comes between twelve midnight and
two in the morning. The Witchery is
the power of some mortals to influence
and even control entirely the mental
processes of others The basic element
of this play is most interesting study
and has sent as many persons to the
| insane asylum as perpetual motion
almost as many as religion. A little
of it goes q long Way-even in a play.
We all know that mental telepathy,
hypnotism, mind reading or whatever
it is exists. Evidences of this are
countless, so it needs no proof. Rather
does it need explanation. 1t is just at
this point that the play 1.-The Witching
Hour fails. But Augustus Thomas, the
playwright, is not alone in being un-
able to answer the great question of
what, when and how control of the
conscious passes into the power of the
subconscious mind. Maybe some day,
when our souls wing off into space,
the answer will come to US.
Mr.. Thomas always makes his plays
interesting, and his characters human.
He Is a master play builder. 1t would
be difficult to imagine anything truer
to life, more exactly natural, than the
first act of "The Witching Hour"
There's not a superf1uous word, not an
extra action III that act. 1t is laid in
the palatial "home'' of Jack Brooktield,
a gambler, who allows none but the
rich to play at his tables. 1t is here
that Brookfield first learns of psychic
power A man is suddenly killed by
mere youth, who has an inherited
aversion to eats eyes," that peculiar
Jewel which some believe casts spell
of evil over others.
The second act is laid in the rooms
of a justice of the United States su-
preme court. Here again Jack Brook
field learns his power and how to use
it to greater extent Strange as it
may seem, it is through the jurist that
the gambler is wakened to his power
But 1t is in the third act, while
Brookfield and others are waiting for
the verdict in the murder trial of his
nieces fiance that Brookfield comes to
realize to the full extent his peculiar
power over the minds and consequently
the actions of others. He influences
jury merely by mentally willing so to
do. And most of all, he makes a man,
who grips pistol with which he means
to kill Brookfield, let the revolver drop
from his hands. The scene is one which
holds the attention in a viselike grip
of intensity.
In the last act Brookfield realizes
that his power has been for evil, and
when this knowledge comes to him he
starts to remedy his ways and atone
for what he fancies he has done. L
rather believe that if the play were
carried to it's logical conclusion, we
would see Jack Brookfield in a padded
cell in the fifth or sixth act
From first to last 1.-THE Witching
Hour is acted in a wholly satisfactory
manner. Mr.. Mason, who seemed last
night to be suffering from a slight
cold, gave an artistic and finished por-
trayal of Jack Brookf1eld. His inten-
sity dominated, but he was always the
natural, easy man of the world, more
of a gentleman than a gambler. George
CASTOR as Lew Ellinger was delightful.
He made the role of the old "sport"
who walked to the brink Of bankruptcy
but enjoyed the stroll to the fullest one
Of the most interesting comedy parts
seen in a season. Grace Reals showed
her caliber in a wonderfully natural
and realistic emotional scene in the
second act. Her portrayal of the
mother of the condemned man brought
forth many rounds of applause. I liked
e. L. Walton as Justice Henderson
better than l did Harry Leighton as
Justice Prentice, although the formers
role was but a "bit." Mr.. Leighton
seems to me to be a trifie too polite for
a stern man of justice, trifte too
much of a dreamer and to mouth his
words a bit too much. He delivers his
speeches in a "sing- song voice which
may fit exactly the characterization he
is making. But have different con-
ception of what the part calls for
Harry west made a properly insolent
cowardly, clustering bully of Frank
Hardmuth, prosecuting attorney. Clin-
ton Preston as Clay Whipp9e over
acted. Natalie Jerome as Viola Camp
bell Belle Howard Bohn as Mrs
Campbell, Frank Dear as Tom Denning
and others in the cast were acceptable
Yesterday afternoon the Girton stock
company at the Empire theater made
the Jump from melodrama with all
it's ''thrills and sensations" to good,
bright comedy and landed most sue
cessfully with "My Friend from In
dia" as the offering.
The story concerns might OUT of
Young Charles Underholt, the son of a
retired packer, who while inebriated
makes friends with A. Keen Shaver,
who is also feeling happy and who
finally winds up In young Underholt's
home with only part of his clothes. In
the morning he is discovered by the
elder JJnderholt and the son is asked
for an explanation and the identity of
his friend who enters wrapped in
he'd spread Realizing the necessity Of
a name. the two young men hunt hur-
riedly through the morning paper and
finding the name of Rev. James
Tweedle, a missionary from India, in
the arrival columns, Shaver assumes
the name and starts out to imperson-
ate the man from India.
Everything is running well when the
real Rev. Tweedle turns up and then
follows a series of comedy situations
that for genuine laugh-making is
scarcely excelled by any latter day
comedies. Chester Stevens is fully
capable to play the part of A. Keen
Shaver and gives some very amusing
comedy work throughout the piece.
Leslie Bassett appears in the role of
Young Charles Underholt and Roy
Southerland is seen as the elder I'm
derholt Sydney Diamond plays the