Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-23
Burbank Offering Makes
Delightful Stage Picture
BY SHIRLEY OLYMPUS


a capacity house. Everywhere the
touch of Belasco genius is to be OBJ
served, for from several standpoints
THE Rose of the Rancho is perfect. |
No more elaborate or artistic stage
settings could be devised. Every de-
tail has been added to the mechanical
portrayal of the comedy so that 1.-THE
Rose of the Rancho" is a delight.
To be able to whip any play into
shape in a single week is no mean job.
But to be able to bring play as tech
nically intricate as 1.-THE Rose of the
Rancho" to a state of near perfection
is herculean task. 1t speaks vol
umes for the brain of stage director
and players alike. Both are to be con-
graduated for the admirable results
they have attained.
"The Rose of the Rancho is a story
of land-1ust and love of the days when
'the Gringo" came to California after
this state had come into the possession
of the United States. The romance of
those days would fill tones, for there
was comedy galore and tragedy every
day. The dispossessing of the old
Spanish families though legal, was
heartless. 1t is a dispossession that
Richard Walton Tully and David
Belasco have dramatized in "Ihe Rose
of the Rancho" The play Mr.. Tully
wrote originally was called "Juanita
of San JUAN" and 1t was presented on
the Burbank stage for the first time
several years ago. But David Belasco
made Mr.. Tully's work a sincerely
great stage picture by bringing genius
and stagecraft to bear upon 1t. AS
THE Rose of the Rancho" is today
its opening act is light comedy, de-
liclous and refined. In the second act
melodrama begins to creep in here ana
there. And in the final act it is an
out-and-out melodrama which makes
gallery gods howl and parquet sltters
applaud or weep as the spirit moves.
1t is n play fairly surfeited with at
mosphere-a distinctive mark of all BE
laseo collaborations. In fact, some
dramatic worth has been forfeited to
satisfy the demands of atmosphere
"The Rose of the Rancho offers IN
Juanita stellar roie 10 G5eroi ,
actress. Be it said to Marjorie Ram
beau's credit she measured up to the
mart in every respect. In the first act
she kept her audience ripping with
laughter And when she sang a pretty
little Spanish song--a song which sure
ly must touch every heart-she was
revarded with thunderous applause. |
Fortunately, Miss Rambeau has sing
ing voice of rare sweetness. IN the
second act she was properly emotional,
nroperly perverse and properly recall
citrant In the one big scene Wheh
she hurled the candles from her, she
gripped her audience in admiration anu
svmpathy. Her third act was begun
In the kew of restrained emotion and
nndog In that of ingenue Joy and sim
nle. Welding love. Miss Rambeau mas
done nothing since her association with
the burbank forces to endear her more
in the hearts of "Burbankers' than
Juanita. . -o,o T.. |
that of Don Luis. POSSIBLY other
characters are more to the liking OF
tbo enectators. but Don Luis shows
nm hest Harry Mestayer gave the
nert finished and artistic portrayal:
making 1t a dramatic cameo, carved
and colored in a deft, clever manner:
A BYRON Beasley's characterlzatlon OF
<earnev. "the Gringo" representative
from Washington, was one OF s's tlose
sincere. convincing portrayals which
have marked his career. MT. Beasiey
did not resort to melodramatic heroics
or theatricalism at any time, pul
r1aved the character in qulet' artls-
Tic though powerful and compeliihs
manner. David Hartfords portrayal 81 81
the bullying, land-lustful ooor hlnhaiu .1.'t !
was excellent. Henry oIoon'tl ''l. 1s Soutb
all the necessary exuberance OF youuteil,
oil the copious comedy OF the uli
eoidier" into his characterization OF
7 ieutenant I,arkin. Agnes Lee was
york of art from the standpoint oI
makeup. although her lines are rev anu
far between. Others In the company,
,,o+ob1v frederick Gilbert in a Dit,
To,isa Royce. David Landau, Willie
NTorlre and Ethel Won Waldron We're
~ n standard. Greater strength
,lljaht uI he added to the role OF Padre
A9onio nv Harry S. Duffield. Ihere
&c something wonderfully beautiiul
about the role. some suptle sSilp"STnS syn MI
attaching to the character WllIGn MI
Duffield did not convey yesterday.
Dun,o Uan criticism of every player who
.,'oito a line yesterday is offered IN
eli 1rindness. The criticism Is or pro
nciation. Spanish is Span1sh-notn-
mo else Five minutes spent In learn
ing ing to pronounce such @ Worns a. a+e
"senor." "senorita," MeAlco,, 80
etc. would be five minutes wen sp Goi
hv all the Burbank cast we OIL al az
eNS,.oio oS who live surrounded by Ihe
.o,nns 10, ,,' of some of the very farnll1es
s,,ho furnished the material Tor ne
nnse nllU of the Rancho" recoil at mis-
,r,ronunciat tion or garbled one OF sonhe
pf those familiar Spanish words
o1yorv Baxter Butted In," perhaps
oro of the most substantial Of the pop
,,ior melodramas ever written WeS
tli,.ar, ui,.1 Yesterday by Charles King ana
bis company at the Grand opera house
80 two audiences. From the nuhlpel VI
oI,rtain calls and the enthusiastic ap-
,,iouse that greeted every big sltuatloh'
lY,asterdav's audience found TINS produc-
fion even moro to their llhihS 'ii''--
"By Right of Sword. -. o,,,,,
GLOW Baxter Butted In" is not only
n rood melodrama, but a ilne iaIoe
with the two so evenly distributed IIie'|
the niece furnishes three hours OF me
Entertainment. It's story is that or the
GOOD natured drummer, Billy Baxter,
who on stopping at the mail New
En@land village of Beaver Creek "putts
49, 70 q lot of trouble caused by the
aid hotel proprietor, Erastus Wincn'
1,,bo tries to marry his stepdaughter,
Neil Dale. very much against her
wishes to the town sport, Abner Meek
Raxter butts in" and stays In, pc
friending the girl and her brother, VINO
is accused of crime, against practlcally
the whole village, and finally manages
10 clear UP the troubles OF both ana
incidentally develops pretty little re-
nance with Nell Dale.
Baxter furnishes good bright comedy
throughout the piece with his witty
and s1angy sayings, delivered in clear
emf manner, while much of the humor
of the piece is handed out by the anus
ing and nonsensical things done by
the "hired help Ezra Quick. Charles
King plays the jovial Billy Baxter with
a snap and dash and good humor that
completely wins his audience. Myrtle |
Vane enjoys her first real opportunity
as Nell Dale. In this she does splendid |
work and sh hows herself a clever actress. |
One of the best parts of the piece is the
conical character drawing of Ezra
Quick by Frank Bonner, who wins new