Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-02-04
THE FORTUNE HUNTER
IS LOCAL TALENT"
SHOW IN NAME ONLY
Salem Cast Filled Parts With
Grace and Ease Of Pro-
fessiOnaIs Last Night

The largest audience of the season
packed itself into the Grand last even
ing to see the opening performance of
'''rhe Fortune Hunter" Every seat
was taken and extra chairs were placed
in the aisles to take care Of the over
flow. What the audience saw was be
yond all doubt the best local talent play
that has yet been given in Salem,
The show bills said "The Fortune
Hupter" would be presented by an
amateur" cast and because the people
Of Salem knew the members of the east
by their first names they went expect
ing to witness an amateur production.
1t may be said, however, that the au-
dience was disappointed only in the
amateur part as the Salem talent fairly
arose above itself for the occasion. Each
character was fitted for the part played
and each played the part.
James Mott, as Nat Duncan, the for
tune hunter, is too wen known to Sa-
lem theatre-goers to need introduction
and Salem people have grown to expect
finished work from him as a matter of
course. His rendition of the part of
the failure-in-hfe in the first act was
a different role to handle and the con
trast with the man confident and alert
in business in the last act was q breach
that would prove the undoing of any
but a professional actor. All of t
small details of the long, hard role were
worked out with painstaking care and
Mr.. Mott "put it over" with ease and
finish.
Aline Thompson as Betty Graham,
the village druggists S daughter, was the
slovenly drudge about the musty drug
store in the first act and then she went
to the boarding school in the city and
the liveryman 8 son said it all in
"Gosh, how d you do it," Miss Thomp-
sons friends also were surprised at the
success with which she carried out the
part of the leading lady through all of
the difficult scenes from working girl
to the young lady Of the finishing
school and from humor to pathos with
out q touch of the amateurishness that
usually prepares the audience at the To-
cal talent show to treat the subject III
the most kindly manner. In fact there
were no apologies of any kind to be
made for the work of any of the mem
bers of the case and Director Mott is to
be congratulated upon his selection Of
the cast and Salem for possessing it.
Rev. r. f. FISCHER filled the part of
the simple, kindly old druggist whose
mind ran to inventions more than to
business and the business ran itself un-
til the brisk fortune hunter appeared.
Mr.. FISCHER not only filled the part but
he was the part and no touch of pathos
was overdone as is generally the ease
in the an amateur production. The
tone, gesture and manner of Mr.. Tiseh-
er left no room for Improvement and
he was easily one of the stars of the
cast.
Walter A. Denton, the rising young
financier, carried out the part of the
keen, shrewd, business man who at last
showed a streak of humanity, to o per-
fection. He said he liked to work and
his acting showed that he had put lot
of work into his lines to polish them
off for presentation.
4NAoo AAoANl lAllAuhi Us lne hlIhef
Lockwood's daughter, sustained diff.
ficult part with ease ana grace and her
change of heart in the last act was a p
of excellent acting that showed consid.
cradle promise for the young wo-
man.
"Larry" Hofer, the village con.
stable, with his moving picture make
up, carried through d role of humor in
manner that never failed to put over
q laugh at the proper time. He was
inflicted with wife and the resultant
matrimonial troubles but his sound ad.
vice failed to make any effect upon the
others and love scenes were thick in the
last act in spite of the gloomy forebod.
ings of the officer.
Charles Reynolds, as Roland Barnett.
the bank clerk, was the heavy villain.
If there is any villain in the play. and
he carried off the village heircss with
the true villain s smirk and smile. Carl
Gobrielson. as Tracy Tanner. and Miss
Mariory Marvin, as Angie, his sweet
heart, cooed through their love seenes