The Washington herald., 1911-06-04

pass on their way to their costly seats.
They do not realize that the more humble
! drama is a copy Of the costly one upon
| which they look. The virtues OF the
one are the eXcellencies OF the other, the
vices Of the one are the faults Of the
other.
THE moving picture shows should be
| severely censored, not less should the
costly theater have equal censorship. The
| buildings should be safeguarded and
I made sanitary. Children unattended by
chaperons\ should not be admitted The
perils OF the darkened rooms should be
provided for. and every film should be
scrutinized that not even by 'sugges.
ton should brutality, salaciousness or
mental or moral degradation be permit
| ted. This is being demanded, and because
the public demands it the purveyors.
guided by self-interest will provide.
In the theaters such rigidness OF CEN
sorship is not demanded, and perhaps
would not be tolerated. We make rules
for our children which We do not our
selves keep. for youth is more impressible
TO wrong and has not the balance of ma
ture wisdom to counteract evil.
But some Of the vices of men are self
corrective Public opinion ostracises sala-
ciousness from book and stage, and even
managers who commercialize art would
good rather than that which is rotten and
corrupt
We ought to be glad that the great
world OF art. history. and knowledge, the
splendid dramas Of the past, the drama
OF the present daily life, its fluctuations,
and its vast concerns the art OF great
galleries. the stirring stories of great
heroes, are being brought before the
vision of the humble toilers of the world
and that they can be permitted, with
their wives and children, to live in the
pictorial world Of the imagination. They
will come back to the drudgery of their
daily toll refreshed and have larger SUBJ
jects for talk and thought at their tables
and in their homes
In w. s. Gilbert the world has lost the
most eminent satirist and wit of all
whose names were ever attached to
operate librettos. In collaboration with
Sir Arthur Sullivan Mr. Gilbert gave to
the stage a series of light operas that
will stand for all time as the unattain-
able standard of comic composition. The
deathlessness of "Pinafore," for instance.
is again attested by the swarms attend
ing its presentation to-day in New York.
Crowds, composed in the main of young
people who have never seen the opera
performed and are familiar with 1t only
through hearing their elders. sound its
praises. A fitting epitaph for Gilberts
tomb would be He lived that a world
might laugh forever"
The return of Henry Mortimer, first
leading man of the Columbia Players at
the opening of their present season, to
fill that position with the Vagabonds
a ha is Of
theatrical happenings over which the
public racks its brain for a solution.
The facts are simple. Being imbued with
lots and lots of artistic temperament, Mr..
Mortimer, when at the Columbia, found
position. The trouble started when the
Columbia management neglected to con-
suit Mr.. Mortimer In regard to the plays
to be produced. He allowed Miss Nelson
to play Kitty Bellairs" without q muir
mur. and even stood for Arizona" but
when he heard that "A Woman'S Way
and THE Girl from the Golden West"
were to be put on. both plays with the
feminine role predominant, II was more
than his leading-man temperament could
withstand, and he sent in his resignation.
Later he repented his impulsiveness. but
by that time Messrs. Berger and Metz
rott had resigned themselves to his resig
nation and engaged Mr.. Van Buren to
succeed him. Mr.. Mortimer departed in
a revengeful mood. When Charles Hop
kins. late leading man of the Belasco
stock company. gave satisfactory evidence
that a new leading man was a necessity.
the management of the Vagabonds
bethought themselves of Mr.. Mortimer.
Understanding that Washington's fair sex
had taken a strong fancy to this young
actor and thought him too sweet for
words. the chief of the Vagabonds
sent for him to come down and resusci-
tate the company. And there he is. all
ready to play John Storm in The Chris
tian" tomorrow evening. Isn't It grand,
girls? f R.