The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-31

parts In such skillful manner as to make It easy to prophecy that he would speed, fly come into his professional own, once gwen the New York opportunity that every actor craves and needs MT. Pres- ton was member of the original Baby Mine cast and participated in the re- markably successful run of an entire year in New York enjoyed by Margaret Mayo's comedy.
 Arthur Houghton, the affable acting manager of Charles Dillingham's 'Tha Old Town" company, has the proud dis tinction of being the only theatrical man outside of Fred Stone who has eyer hunted polar bears in the Arctic seas. Al, of last summer both he and Fred Stone got six days shooting after travelling 7oOO miles. wasting three months and nearly losing their lives a half a dozen times. They bagged ten polar bears, one of which was roped by Fred Stone and sent to Hagenbach at Hamburg and some 30 seals. They will surely sport fur lined coats this season.
 No play produced in recent years has the brilliant record of "The Fortune Hunter'-two years straightaway in New York are to its credit where as in Chi cago it won celebrity for it's unparalleled run through hot summer. William Ro- selle, Albert Travernier Joseph Gillow. w J. Holden, Miss Meta Green, Emma Messing and Blanche Aimee are mem- bers of the cast that delighted the play- goers metrsnpiT In it's successful rug Z s r IT. --.--- -s... For the first time fin the history of the. atricals great organization is to make the long and tremendously expensive frin to the Pacific coast twice in one season for arrangements have already been made by which "The Spring Maid" now on it's eastward way. will soon turn about ano head back to San Francisco after playing a few of the largest cities of the middle west The Spring Maid" with the pi- quant Hungarian, Mzzi Hajos. left New York about August first, and after a tri- umphant week at Atlantic City passed | across the country to California with only a few brief stops. The furore that this diminutive star and this operetta created in the west is said not to have been equalled, and even the wonderful high water marks of finance established ,y ''fhe Merry Widow and "The Chocolate Soldier are reported to have been wiped out by "The Spring Maid" receipts.
 The travelling arrangements that have been made will bring the organization back into New York the first of next october. after having played a contin- uous season of 14 months.
 William Schuster the popular basso D, the 'Aborn English grand opera company, Is said to have been longer in his pro- fession than any other American singer, and has appeared with nearly every prom inent organization giving grand opera in English in this country during the past 20 years, indluding the Savage, Cas- tie Square, Tivoli, Aborn and other noted organizations. TIe also has the reputa- ton of having apteared in a larger num- Der of grand opera roles than any other native artist, his Ifpertoire covering over fifty operas.
 That irresistibly charming comedienne, Blanche Bates, in her latest success
 Nooody's Widow from the pen of Avery IIopwood, will be an early attrac- tion at the Jefferson theatre This com edy was one of New Works biggest src- cesses last season and emphasized very emphatically the fact that Miss Bates is as great comedienne as she is an emo- tional actress.
 The farcical romance. as it is termed deals with the adventures of beautiful and witty American woman who meets the man of her choice abroad marries him. and half hour after marriage finds him bidding farewell to an old sweet heart with such fervor that she indig- nantly leaves him, returns to America and poses as widow whose husband died of enlargement of the heart or their wedding eve.
 At house party at Palm Beach, Flor
 ida, she meets her husband who is one ol the invited guests, and as both are really attractive to each other the wooing be- gins all over again. The story is tee elusive and episodic to be told save as the players themselves tell it in spirited action and exquisite delineation, together with the scenic embroidery and detail characteristic of everything bearing the managerial name of David Belasco.
 Manager Semon declares that he has wonderful list of bookings for the Biiou including several new musical shows which were genuine hits on Broadway.
 Ward X Vokes the premier fun makers will have an early hearing at the Bjou
 The inmitabe George Sidney, who as Busy lazy" has delighted thousands of Birmingham theatregoers is underlined for an early appearance at Manager Sem ons playhouse.
 Three famous American writers, whc wrote of the golden era and of Mississippi steamboat travel, in the days before the railroad pushed it's way southward to the gulf were Mark Twain in Tom Saw yer John Hay in Jim Bludso," of the Prairie Belle, and Bartley Campbell in The White Slave" The fourth act of this popular play takes place on board the Belle Creole and illustrates q phase of life and customs which belonged to that time and which cannot be found anywhere in our present day civilization The new production of ''The White