The Detroit times., 1913-07-10
THE STAGE

Charlie Ahearn, the speed king,
whose act, Happy Hearn's Wheel
men" who is appearing at the Broad.
way theater this week. has evolved
more odd shapes and mechanical de-
vices for trick wheels than any other
man i'm the world.
IT is curious how a person will get
inspiration aud ideas for his work"
says Ahearn. but when ones work Is
uppermost in his mind almost every
incident and accident will suggest
something in that connection. When
started my comedy bicycle act had
the usual array OF odd and freak bicy-
cles. some with large sprockets and
sore with small, others with very
high frames and still others with
very low But do you know how
II GOT my first idea for some
or the very odd and curious
shaped bicycles that / now use In the
act Through a railroad wreck. Fact.
We were bound from a certain town
in Indiana 10 Chicago when the wreck
occurred Ny baggage and bicycles
wero in the baggage car near the front
or the train ana the slight head-on col
lIsion made a mess OF things. When
viewed the wreck ! thought | was
ruined MY wheels were twisted In
every imaginable shape. Suddenly
was inspired with the thought. why
not make the best OF bad piece OF
business and have the wheels rebuilt
to the twisted shapes. and have real
freak bicycle act"
Miss Margaret Foy is singing the
new song, This World Would Be a
Lonely Land without You Dear" by
Luella Lockwood Moore and Earle
week. The song is also included in
the evening concerts OF Sorignano's
band at Riverview park.
John w. Ellis, who plays the boss
IN the political playlet, THE Power of
Office" one of the features OF the
Miles bill this week. can take you back
few years In the theatrical history
OF Detroit when It comes to remin-
iscing. Although he was born In Ann
Arbor. Ellis has always regarded De-
troit as his home town, for his boy
hood was spent here and It Is pleas
antly associated with the stage life OF
that day. At the age of five years he
appeared with Fannie Louise Buck
ingham in "Mazeppa" at the old Park
theater. At the age Of nine he played
Little Heinrich" In Robert McWade's
production OF RIP Van Wrinkle" In
more recent years he has been seen
here In such plays as THE Squaw
Man" The Third Degree" and THE
Woman" This Is his first local APP
pearance In vaudeville, and the play
let he uses IS from his own pen. 1t Is
sketch with a punch, and Is splen-
didly put over by Ellis and his asso-
ciates, Inez Lyman and John Maurice.
Miss Lyman, In real life, is Mrs. Ellis,
and has appeared In most Of the plays
in which her husband has taken part.
Mr.. Maurice also Is an artist OF wide
experience In the legitimate field. He
| lends much dignity to the part OF the
mayor In The Power Of Office"
John Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress"
| was one Of the greatest books ever
written and masterpiece OF liter
AZURE. In the number OF editions pub
| lished n stands next TO the Bible and
| IL has been translated into every Ian
guage that has written symbols. II
was inevitable. therefore, that this
wonderful book should be made sub
ject for motion picture reproduction.
and admirably does it lend itself to
this. for the book knows no creed.
race or religion. The film reproduction
was produced by the Ambrosio Com
pany Of Turin, Italy, one OF the great
est motion-picture producing houses
In the world. The pictures are being
shown at the Detroit opera house the
current week and have been declared
by critics and movie fans" to be the
most beautiful pictures ever exhibited
in Detroit. The clergy of Detroit have
been taking an especial interest IN the
exhibition and several Sunday school
classes have attended In a body. Said
one prominent minister OF the gospel,
These pictures are better than ser
mon"