The Washington herald., 1918-10-18

New York. Oct. 17.-Handsome Mike
Donlin. hero of a hundred escapades
on and of the baseball field, has
landed on Broadway as a fullfiedged
theatrical star. and for the past week
has been the talk of the Rialto.
Mike is playing the part OF q suave
crook in a last years Broadway sue
cess on upper Broadway. They
wanted TO bill him as Mique Dona-
line. Mike almost went into convul-
sions when he heard the twist on his
name and he demanded that he be
billed as Mike Donlin-the name by
which he has been known TO thou
sands of admirers for years.
Donlin made his first stage appear
ance with the late Mabel Hite, his
wife, In vaudeville several years ago.
AS an actor he was a good ball play
er. He stood around on the stage
abashed while his wife made sport
OF him In an amusing manner.
But Mike was willing to learn. and
he persevered. He got his chance 10
become a star with a road company
playing in Canada the first part OF
| the present theatrical see son He
made good, but he refused to come TO
New York until he felt sure Of him
self. He then made a tour through
the far West
A couple OF weeks ago he was
ready for Broadway, and he made
his debut. 1t is faint praise TO say
that II is the best bit OF acting that
any professional athlete has ever
done. The real fact is that Donlin
has shown himself TO be a finished
stage star.
After the first night he invited his
friends OF the sporting pages. Mixes
home for years, TO dine with him
back OF the stage, I was privileged
10 be a guest. Never was an actor
finer over success. Donlin simply
could not believe that he was des-
tined to become a real star. He took
the whole thing more as a joke.
He believes. that the old-fashioned
melodrama, with a more finished pol
, ish, will reign in the next few years.
All of which recalls that Fourteenth
| Streets Rialto used to thrill New
Workers with the angry fathers tirade
| against the wsyward daughter. out
Of my house, I'll have no dinner OF
{ your Cittin'," he roared when she
| crept back home 10 hide from the
| scohinC OF a pitiless world.
| New Workers smile row at the old
fashioned melodrama and yet they
go twenty blocks or so further up
| Broadway and wax tense as a tin
seled fop and a simpering sister brew
free love strategems over a tea cart
in a pink and white boudoir.
| There seems to be no end OF YER
satIlity TO those allied with the stage.
One hears about Mike Donlin. sees
elephants stepping over De Wolf Hop
I ,s - &c -
up short with a copy OF Florence
Nash's poems-iust published
The volume Of verse is called June
Dusk and is worth reading Miss
Nash is a auelque poet. even though
she does rhyme gods" with "sobs."
She wanders along on the highway
Elysian. drinks OF the waters OF
Lethe, times her feet to the pipe
flutes OF Pan and stroIls aIo<S with
the Dryads and fairy folk.
II is difficult to picture this actress
who season after season fills three
acts with Bowery chat dashinE
OF such fetching lyrics. Her poetry
has a clever swing all the way
through.
The hotel foyers were sblsze with
patriotic colors during the Liberty
loan drive. The booths were occu'
pied by society girls and all worked
feverishly for the success OF the
bonds allotted to them. The Wander
biIt had a patriotic orchestra playins
all day long. The Waldorf had Pea
cock Alley salesgirls who tackled
every leather chair lounEer. At tht
Ritz young girls dressed as bri'
gands and with imitation pistols
held up guests and visitors to max,
them purchase