Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-12
HOPPER SCORES IN
A MATINEE IDOL"
Comedian Returns to Los An
geleS for First Time Since
Days of Wang
HIS NEW PLAY MAKES A HIT
Music Is TunefuI and Company
Is of Good Supporting
Ability
HIS NEW PLAY MAKES A HIT

De Wolf Hopper, at the Majestic
theater last night, played a straight"
comedy part in burlesque style, thus
proving that though you may capari-
son a comedian in conventional even
ing black" you cannot change his
methods and demonstrating further
that you wouldn't If you could.
Through his disguise we saw the
eminent Regent Wang, masquerading
as a modern. We discerned the bonn
bastic and craven FL Captain, we
recognized the comically puissant Pan
jandrum and then, when statuesque
Louise Dresser bestowed herself upon
the capacious Hopper knee, some few
of us recalled "Castles In the Air" and
the diminutive comedienne, then at the
outset of her career, who from that
same point of vantage sang This Lit
tie Pig Went to Market"
All of which is merely roundabout
way of saying that Hopper is still the
same old Hopper. He has grown
trifie stouter since his last visit to Los
Angeles-just trifie; but he is as
nimble of wit, as agile of limb and as
happy in his curtain speech as of yore.
That same curtain speech, by the way,
always Is an important part of a Hop
per entertainment 1t was as funny
last night as anything in the show, and
the show, by the same token, was al
liiOSL Do lulihy hS aiS bhiiiB ~ bhS NNN
tain speech, so there you are.
TAKEN FROM MOLIENE
The Hopper vehicle this season is "A
Matinee IDOL" a two-act comedy with
numerous musical interpretations and
girl chorus in Kaleidoscope and vari-
Gus fashioned costumes. The program
calls ii a "song comedy success" and
perhaps that is as good designation
as any other. Likewise the program
confesses that the plot has been filched
from Molieres lie Medecin Malgre
Lui," and il the program in French is
not exactly accurate, at least its can
dor should atone for that short
coming
Hopper, of course, plays the bogus
physician. He Is an actor, down on
his luck, not a maken of fagots as in
the Moliere original; a down-to-date
Sganarele with all modern improve
ments. He undertakes the masque-
rade just as did the fagot maker, Tor
the money there is in it and like his
famous prototype he, too, finds pa
tient who is shamming illness, simulat-
ing an affection of the brain to con-
ceeal an affection of the heart. The
role is rich In comedy opportunities
and Hopper makes the most of them.
incidentally. In one of the songs, he
and MISS Louise Dresser contribute
five minutes of travesty-frank, un-
ashamed DurleSque that Is funny
enough to draw tears of laughter from
a Niobe.
Miss Dresser is a leading woman,
not a pr1ma donna. she doesn't try
to sing but she has a knack of send
ing her songs over the footl1ghts
aimed straight Tor the collective run
NY bone of her audiences. Her rendi-
tion OF "Lovin' ways" could not be
improved upon by Tettrazini herself
Then, there is Georgie Mack, lit
tie chap who might have been a Pepat
had he Joined the Hopper forces dec
ade and a half ago, but who really
lilumines with laughing gas the role
OF Jimmie Grant, a jockey who could
nave made big money in America II
only he hadn't been ruled or. Also
there is Dorothy webb, q soubrette
whose fortune Is in her toes and ed
ward Earle, just a juvenile but a good
one.
MUSIC HAS LIFTING SWING
The music Of "a Matinee Idol' is by
SllVlo Helm and 1t mas a lifting swing
that makes you want to hear more OF
it, even though the plot is hung up
to dry while you are listening to the
melodies. The best of them are Auto
graphs III which Hopper delivers
bit of nonsense verse at the close of
each passage; miss Doodle and Her
Poodle" which falls to the lot of Miss
Dresser; Hypnotic Waltz ensemble
number; 1.-The Dancing Banshee" and
IF You Could only See Yourself as
Other People Do
Hopper Is funny. HIS support is
competent The piece is laughable
and brilliantly costumed. The girls are
pretty, youthful and active. What more
could you ask?-