Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-05-16
THE CHARM OF ISOBEL"
IS AROUS|NG CHICAGO
Play opens With Scene in Bed Room
in Paris with Widow Busy
Disrobing.
SCENE THEN SWITCHES
TO SALEM, MASS.
Madam Nazimoza Has Returned to
Europe 'Electrocution" Is
New Sketch.

New York, May 16.-When a play
opens with the scene in a bedroom in
Paris with a young American widow
disrobing, and an enamOred Frenchman
gliding surreptitiously through win
dow and proposing over the foot of the
bed, some interest might be expected
to be aroused even to the extent Of
stirring Chicago censors into action
should the play be produced there.
But when the second act Of this same
play suddenly switches you from the
bed room to the home of Ephraim Nor
ton in Salem, Mass, where rigid sim
plicity is the watehword, it is another
story.
This happens in "The Charm of
Isabel'', late spring offering of Will
liam A.. Brady from the pen of Sydney
Rosenfeld. "The Charm of Isabel"
rests in the subtitle "She Couldn't Say
NOT" but whether Isabel's charms will
be able to stand the hot weather is
doubtful.
Miss Marie Nordstrom, as 'Isabel",
disrobes in the first act-discreetly and
with the evident realization that she
is being watehed-dons her "nightie"
and gets into bed. With lights lowered
and "lsabel' dropping into slumber-
it is a. m.-the enamored Frenchman
comes through the window, and as
."Isabel' alternately ducks her head
under the covers and hobbs into view
be presses his SUIT.
As "Henri Latoui -, the Frenhcmal,
Albert Brown il the real shining
light Of the show. Could he but make
h". .icr time in trailing Isabel" from
Paris TO Salem, Mass, he migh5 get into
tho second act as well as the first and
last end save many tagging moments. p
He is one Of the best stage French
men to appear here in mauy months.
Brown was the the real life OF "Tbe
Charms of Isabel"
The charms were sufficient to carry
away Frenchman and lead to Il 1900
mile pursuit, reach "Ephraim Norton
who had been led to believe he was on
invalid for six years by a Puritan sister
in-law, entangle young john Morton, a
probationer, and lure him from the
ministry to keep the story up, but they
failed to produce much effect in New
York.
Nothing came up in the bedroom
scene, even though Isabel" finally
managed to say ono" when the
Frenchman proposed again in the last
act. The play cases away with trip to
Paris in prospect for the Salemites and
the announcement of ''Isabel" that il
would be awfully hard to say "no"
to "IIenri.'
Madame Nazimova has returned ia
Europe, having completed her tour in
Bella Donna, but will return in Sep
tember. While in Europe Nazimova
will visit Paris, Berlin and London
where she will witness plays she is con
sidering for her use next season anu
will also confer with representatives OF
n French movie company who have
made her an offer.
Something new in the way of q
vaudeville sketch is to be offered at
the Victoria theatre Monday when
William Hammerstein will put on a
playlet entitled Eloetrocution One
of the scenes is in the death chamber
of prison. The production requires a
east of twenty and elaborate scenery.
EleCtrocution is a Pacific Coast
product, having just closed an engage
ment in San Francisco. 1t was writ
ten by San Francisco newspaper man
Reports from London declare that the
two great successes achieved there this
season have been by Americans. Maud
Fay has scored at the Covent Garden
Opera and Elsie Janis is drawing i'm.
mense crowds at the Palace Music Hal
in the rovue, "The Passing Show
London regards Miss Janis as one OF
the greatest musical comedy stars that
ever appeared there,
-e--s-