El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-22
Lifting of Veil of Mystery
From Actors and Actresses
Hurts the Box Office.

Jew YORK, Jan z2.-There is one
N actor who is cold-at least theb-
retically-to press agents and
publicity. He is Otis Skinner, whom
some think the greatest man on the
stage today. The actor bIames TOO
much light on the lives and charac-
! ters OF stage folk for IN unfortunate
lesSening of the mystery aud romance
that once surrounded the famous i'm
personator.
Mr.. Skinner told me all about it in
ms dressing room at the Cohan theater,
While he was waiting 10 go on" again
in Cock of the Walk"
had asked him whether he received
many letters from matinee girls, the
former idolatrous class.
There are no more matinee girls
here" sadly explained Mr.. Simmer.
Perhaps they've gone I'D the street
to the moving picture houses. The
day manifests herself in letters -
beautiful male persons whose pictures
she sees on a screen.
The mantle Of mystery has been
torn from. the actor. Matinee girls
know him, or their cousins know him
He is entertained at tango teas at their
homes They golf with him. He
stands revealed as a poor human. eat
ing. drinking creature like themselves
"Augustin Daily was a psychologist
publicity about the personality OF play
ers- He never let anyone get near Ada
Rehan. for instance. The members OF
his company remained men and women
of mystery The result was what
might have been expected Everyone
wanted 10 know more about them and.
to learn more about them. went to the
theaters to see them play.
The mystery has been transferred
to cabaret and screen performers. It
su II
girl can found fantastic romance by
the expenditure Of 10 cents at a mo-
ton picture theater. She sees the
handsome creature on the screen and
tries to learn his address. She is
told to write to this or that film COM
pany- She does.
4 have heard that women used to
besiege Wallack's stage door and beg
Lester Wallack to elOpe with them
That sort OF thing has disappeared"
"Sybu" Is another Hungarian oper-
eta (miscalled musical comedy but
this time with a difference. "Sybil'
has a real plot. 1t is an interesting
plot, too, not tiresome series of com
plications which withdraws the inter-
est, but a story that adds TO the gen
eral all-appealing gaiety OF the &C.
casion.
This new work of Vi stor Jacob. the
composer of The Money Market" by
bound TO be popular whistling material
before long In translating the orig
inal German of Max Brady and Frank
Martoz. Harry Graham and r. B. Smith
have also contrived TO inst.l a good
deal Of Broadway humor, which is
neither vulgar or risky"
The real reason for the success OF
"Sybil" is TO be found. nevertheless. in
the magnetism Of JULIA Sanderson,
Joseph Cawthorn and Donald Brian.
three long time musical comedy IA
vOrites.
The plot commences with Capt. Pot
rev. OF the Guards. falling madly in
love with Sybil Remand, a beautiful
singer who is sojourning at the Grand
+ Hotel in BOmsk. Russia At the same
caravanserai are also staying Mile.
Sybils manager. Herr Otto Spreckles,
and his wife. known to intimates as
AIargor
Somehow or other SybH assumes the
title of grand duchess Anna \ blum
der OF muddling Otto leads to her be
being suddenly brought into the pup
lie eye and hailed by the whole local
garrison and by the governor. who is
giving a grand ball that night
In the second act we see the ball
room of the governor handsome
place, whose pretty women and orh-
liant officers harmonize in brilliant
assemblage
With the arrival Of the grand duke
who expects to find his real wife at
the ball. the fair Sybil seems to have
come to a bad pass. But the grand
duke proves perfectly satisfied with
the substitute and indeed makes vio-
lent love to the charming singer
Enter the grand duchess masquera-
elng, OF all persons, as Mile Syoll-
me grand duchess asks Captain
Petrow to escort her to her hotel;
while the grand duke makes off with
the real Sybil, who is supposed BY
everyone to be his wife.
OF course, all the knots are united
IN the third act But it is done neatly
and skillfully. an unusual thing in a
piece OF this general character.
Miss Julia Sanderson. as the singer,
was exceptionally winning, while Miss
Josephine Whittelrs part OF the grand
duchess will not be forgotten. Mr..
Cawtnorn as Spreckles is a scream
snd Mr. Brien is a distinguished grand
ouke' as was to be expected