The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-10
MOVING PICTURES
BLAMED FOR BAD
SEASON IN LONDON
Revivals of Old FavOrites
Have Been Real Sue
cesses This Year
HEIRS OF SIR FRANCIS
DRAKE DISAPPOINTED
Estate Was Distributed Several Hun
dred Years Ago-Lawn Tennis
Has Again Become the Rage
in England

London, August 2.-The theatrical sea-
son of London closes with the ending of
the social season in July. When all the
town houses of the West End lower their
blinds the curtains of the leading the
atres drop until fall, and the principal
London managers go touring through the
provinces.
This last season has been another of
those disastrous experiences like the ''un-
usual winters so common in Indiana ;"
Moving pictures for the masses and the
music halls for the tired business man
get the blame from the magnates of
the legitimate, but the lack of good new
plays also undoubtedly has had much to
do with the slump in business. Revivals
of old favorites have been the real sue
cesses of the year, with only two or
three exceptions. The plays drawing most
people today are Sardou's Diplomacy,
a veteran of 40 years. life, and Pinero' s
1.-The Second Mrs. Tanqueray," with Sir
George Alexander and Mrs. Patrick Camp
bell in the parts they played 20 years
ago Crowding them closely In popular
ity is a revival of "Bunty Pulls the
Strings and "Milestones," which has
drawn steadily through its second sea-
son.
New Plays Come to Grief
Many of the new plays have run brief
and disastrous courses. English managers
do not pay actors for rehearsals cur
rent story is of an actor who requested
salary for three weeks rehearsing When
the manager expressed surprise at this
presumption, the actor said: Pay me for
the rehearsals, and | will throw In my
work for the run of the piece.
Several American plays have been tried
here, as usual. Only a minority We're
fairly successful. Yet American man.
ayers seem never to tire of paying money
to learn that London is not Broadway.
The only theatrical event of historical
Importance has been the farewell season
OF Sir Johnstone Forbes Robertson and
Lady Robertson, who was Gertrude Ell
lott They managed to fill the enorm-
Gus Drury Lane Theatre for several
weeks. with Hamlet for the chief at
traction.
Would Nati0nalize Mines
The most advanced step in the Labor
Socialist program, which Is being formu-
lated as the protest against the alleged
mildness of the social legislation of the
present government. has been marked
by the introduction in Parlment from
the labor benches of a bill for the nation
alization of all coal and other minera,
mines. The first reading of the bill was
moved by Stephen Walsh, the most in
dependent of all labor members Briefly
stated, the law contemrlates:
l. The fixing of an appointed day on
which the state is to take over all
the coal mines and minerals in the king
dom:
q Compensation to all those who
have III good faith invested money ia
the sinking and equipment of mines
8. No compensation whatever to royal
ty owners; the bill catergorically refuses
to recognize or acknowledge their rights;
l. That the amount OF compensation re
calculated on the actual output for the
previous five years. a maximum of two
dollars and one-half ton being paid in
case of mines with an output of more
You'll get time, for mans1aughter." At
last the mate signalled to gunboat in
tho offing and in response to the flag
message for assistance the cutter was
sent. Head then took refuge in the
cabin and, still holding the hammer,
sat defying every one until the vessel
sailed into port when he surrendered
to the police.