Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-11

old Girard Avenue Stock Company, in
the halcyon days Of Eddie Middle
Radcliffe, will recall Barbier's work as
the leading heavy man of the outfit.
When lie left this company, he went
on the road with James X. Hackett
in THE Pride of Jenico" and then did
a notable bit Of character work as tho
hunchbnck in 1.-The Hunchback Of
Notre Dame with Bertha Galland.
Then came tours at the head of his
own company and then back to Phila-
delphia for a season with the Orpheum
stock Company at the Chestnut Street
Opera House after 1t moved from the old
Chestnut Street Theatre.
=. Those were great days, children.
You'll have to excuse an old man for
IT'S a pleasure to meet different"
! actor now and then. Most of 'em.
hrn minutes after you've met. take you
aside and tell you how good they were
in this part or that.
Met Robert pitkin, Of the Greenwich
Village Follies at the Shubert, the other
night and he gleefully showed me n
treasured criticism from newspaper
out In Little Rock. Ark. which he has
carried for some years. 1t said:
II wrote review Of 'rhc Telephone
Girl when 1t was presented here by
repertoire company. At that time,
said the comedian who had the role Of
Hans Nix gave the worst performance
of German dialect comedian had ever
seen or could imagine. Since l. wrote
hat hn
away. l owe 1t to his memory and in
justice to his art to retract that state
mcnt in its entirety because | saw Rob-
ert pitkin in the same role last night at
the Opera House."
"Main Street." that much discussed
novel by Sinclair Lewis. which had
most of the population of the country
-, lined up as ''pros"
"Nmn Streec a.,d ..-L.S" as to
Coming in its status as the
Next Week Great American
Novel," is likely to
be just as provocative of argument In it's
stage form, which IS coming to the city
for an indefinite run.
'Stuart Walker, In that most valuable
stock company Of his in Indianapolis.
gave the first performance Of Main
Street" last summer. In the cast were
the same Mckay Morris. Julia Nc.
appear at the Walnut next week.
Norris will have the role of Doc
Kennicott and to play opposite him in
the part Of Carol the producers chose
Alma Tell. Indeed. the Tell family
seems to have pronounced leaning for
this particular Philadelphia theatre. as
Alma's equally attractive sister. Olive.
was Robert Warwick's leading lady in
"In the Night Watch" which was here
early in the fail.
The story. MS probably everybody
knows. is laid in Gopher Prairie. typ
ical. says the author, of hundreds of
similar small towns between the Hud-
son River and the Rocky Mountains.
Its reaction on the recently married
Carol Kcnnicott forms the basis of the
plot.
On the stage. as in the novel. small
town characters. typical not only of
Gopher Prairie. but of any place Of its
kind, compose the supporting cast.
Mckay Morris will be of particular
tive mood who saw "Mr. PIN Passes
Rv." Like Erskinc Sanford, who
played the role Of Cnrraway PIN
in that comedy. Mr.. Morris perform
ance is case of young man doing
nm older role, though. in this case.
doc" Kcnnicott is by no means as
old as the chap who caused all the
trouble in the Milne play. Stuart
Walker picked Morris for the role.
and Indianapolis liked his portrayal so
much that he was again chosen for the
part when "Main Street" was first
given on Broadway. incidentally. he
jumped from the role of the romantic,
handsome sculptor in "Aphrodite" to
Street" which marks as radical diff
ference as could be conceived. His en-
tire wardrobe for the play was pur-
chased in Noblesville, Indiana.
THERE are interest and pathos in an
L event which will occur in little
corner Of Philadelphia theatrical
world Monday. This will be benefit
performance to be given In the Arch
Street Theatre in the evening for Will
liam Siegel, one of the leading dramat-
lists of the American Yiddish theatre,
who recently had to have foot am
putated and who lay near deaths door
for many weeks in hospitals here and
in Camden, his home town.
In connection with his benefit per-
formance, Vera Gordon, the stage and
picture star, and remembered for her
playing of the role of the mother in
"Humoresque, is breaking VOW.
Her acquaintance with Siegcl dates
back to 1914, when he saw her in n
play in Montreal Later, he wrote
"The Mother Without a Home" espe-
cially for her and secured her Il posi-
ton on the English speaking stage
after she had tried in vain to get good
parts in the big Yiddish theatres. She
vowed at that time never to appear on
the Yiddish stage. Then came her
phenomenal success in "Iumoresque"
and tlnttering offers from many mana
gers, but she expressed the determine
tlon never to appear on the Yildsh
stage.
Siegel's injury, received in 1910,
which resulted in the amputation of a
foot, resulted in his friends here COM
bining to arrange the benefit perform
ance, and Miss Gordon broke her re :
solve and will appear, with other
prominent stage players, on the pro-
gram Monday night. Leon Blank, who
starred in Siegel's play, "The Drunk
urd," will also appear.
Griffith Changes Feature
d. w. Griffith j. one photoplay pro-