The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-08-02
"A Wonderful and Dazzling
Display of Pyrotechnics
Thrills Crowd of Three
Thousand People.
COMMERCIAL CLUB
SCORES A SUCCESS
Deserving of Praise for Ven
ture in Bringing Pains
Gorgeous Production to
Richmond.
BY ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

sort of Sublimated Fourth of July
Is the Last Days of Pompeii," which
opened three nights engagement,
under the auspices of the Commercial
Club, in the Athletic Ball Park, last
evening before an audience of three
thousand people.
With an admixture of three-ring
vaudeville against near-classic back
ground.
Everybody has read Bulwer-Lytton's
story by this name.
1t is doubtful, indeed, whether any
body, aside from archeologists, would
have known or cared particularly
about the destruction of this famous
Italian city if it hadn't been for its
realistic presentation through the me-
dunn of fiction.
1t is from the novel that the scenes
are taken, it's characters that figure in
the latter's dramatic phases, its de-
scriptions that give color to the mise
en- scene.
Auspicious weather conditions made
the opening night success and that
the city appreciated the enterprise of
the Commercial Club in bringing this
spectacle here, one seen in the largest
cities of the country, was apparent by
the numbers that packed the bleach
ers, filled the chairs, and occupied the
automobiles which were parked with
in the enclosure.
OF Theatre Value.
"The Last Days of Pompeii," is pri-
marily, of course, spectacular and a
medium for the making of brilliant
pyrotechnic display, but it possesses
certain theatric value in addition.
The figures of "Nydia," the flower
girl, blind and beautiful, of the
fascinating Glaucus and others made
immortal by the pen of the celebrated
English novelist, give verisimilitude to
the setting and the holiday-making OF
the various aggregation of citizens,
both private and public, dignitaries Of
the bench, church and forum, give
substance to the reproduction of a
street scene in the fated city before
the terrible event which blotted it
from the map and lost it to the world
for so many centuries.
The effects, of course, accentuated
by the vari-colored lighting and the
constant movement of the figures in
volved in the presentation.
The introduction of number of
good vaudeville stunts was not the
least attractive part of the spectacle
as seen in Richmond. They were &C.
robatic in character and made a strik.
ing showing in the brilliant light
Among the best were Wills & Hasson
whose head and hand balancing were
out Of the ordinary and elected some
of the heartiest applause of the even
ing, and the aerial acrobats whose gay
costumes were silhouetted vividly.
The only laugh" of the evening
followed the performance of the Her
bert Germaine trio, whose feats or
the bounding bed" were amusing
for any other part of the affair the
vaudeville acts will alone repay yOu
for the famed price of admission.
And If the Pompeiian populace was
not as enthusiastic as it might be
over the introduction of twentieth cen
tury theatrics into its fete day, that is
neither here nor there.
There could be no discounting, how
ever, the realistic exhibition of frigh,
given when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. II
was a terrifying spectacle and some OF
the audience on the front seats wished
they were far back on the bleachers
In this scene our local supers are to
be congratulated. Their fright seem
ed good enough to be true. Vesuvius
whose perspective was not noticeable
erupted all over and licked up the pop
ulace without fear or favor.
Fire Works Display.
This beginning of the fireworks dis
play was replete with thrills, not onl,
to the supers. but to those in the pres
box and the audience in general, ant
was Introductory to one of the mos
magnificent pyrotechnic spectacles ev
er seen hereabouts.
There is nothing in the world t
equal the combination of color an,
light.
This is the theory OF the impress
ionist school Of painting and the mo
tive OF the Pain Fireworks product
One is made permanent through tn,
medium OF paint The other evanes
cent by route OF powder and electrici
". The latter is seemingly endless il