New Britain herald., 1927-04-23
NEW BRITAIN ONCE
 ROAD SHOW MECCA
Back in the 90's Stars of Stage
 Appeared at Lyceum

passing Of many day since B Legitimate" stage troupe played within its confines. but the mem- ories Of better days still fingers among longtime residents who for merly were wont to view the very best road productions in the coun- try. "Too close to Hartford" "too opolitan population, and "an industrial town" have been ad- vanced as reasons for the failure o. the drama here during recent years. Perhaps these explanations are cor rect, for certainly the town has be- come cosmopolitan and industriali2- cd and the automobile has cut the distance to Hartford since the hey day Of the stage in this city.
 The Good old Days"
 As an example Of the good old days" the gala season Of 1e0l-l902 will serve. How did the brown derbied and top-hatted dandies. the tightly laced and tlowingly skirted gentlewomen of 25 years ago amuse themselves at the theater? :? What were the productions which these times, haloei with a semi saintliness by the passage of time, witnessed?
 In New Britain the Russwin Ly- neum. under the management Of Gilbert X Lynch, was careering ioyously through its ninth season. The plays which were offered seem now, in this day Of the glorification us "it," 10 have verged on the in ane. for the hottest Sex feature of g play Of those days was the chaste final clinch. But great actors strode he boards Of the Lyceum and characterizations still remembered as perfect were given by them. The young bloods who were out to "cut up" had Hanna's Opera House for their Mecca, for there were present. cd those disgracetul burlesques in ed in long tights. Those were the only two theatets in the city.
 The motion picture was in its in fancy. IL had just emerged from the kinetoscope stage and had not reached the nickelodeon develop been built nor even a shooting gal iery made over. The films had no continuity nor story and were mere iy short shots dealing with a variety Of subjects from 8 ballet dancer 10 the Tai Mahal A review Of the high l1 La {,, ept.
 Husswin Lyceum Opens
 On September ? the season Of the Russuin Lyceum was opened with The Gay Mir. Goldstein," featuring Mary Hampton. Thoma. J. keogh, and George C.. Boniface. Miss Hampton, an old favorite here. was given a welcome on her first ap- pAarance. The Lyceum orchestra, led by Prof. Charles Mueller. offer ed special opening program con- 'aining hits from ''The Singing Girl'' and The Burgomaster." During the ummer the house had been reno vated and the Herald reviewer re- marked that it looked 'as bright md cheerful as one could hope to ind it."
 The second attraction was Daniel snllivan's third appearance in The Parish Priest and the next night came the annual one night stand of Quo Nadis," with it's mammoth company of g speaking parts ans great choir of trained voices," to say nothing Of the carloads of scenery mentioned in the blurhs. The audi ence was deeply interested in this play, as 1t had been in the past and was destined 10 be for years to come.
 Mistress Nell,' dealing with the timelcss Nell Gwyn the-ne, drew only a fair-sized audience and lack d effective scenery. A week later the same story was presented by tho May Fiske Stock Go. On the same program was q sketch by Mrs. Gen eral Tom Thumb, Count and Baron Masri, and this made a hit.
 Frank l.. Perley's comedians in "The Chaperons" was one Of the VOWS 0. the season, containing in the cast such well known people as Digby Bell, Marie-Cahill, and Eva Tanguay, along with many pretty women in fetching costumes" The Waite Stock Co, playing for a week presented a number of standard pieces such as Under Two Flags. The Octoroon," and "The Siege Of o. the Alamo" this was one of many one-week stock companies, the Corse Payton troupe being perhaps the mos: popular.
 Motion Pictures!
 An important event was the showing of Lyman II. Howe's high class motion pictures. In reviewing these the Herald said, "They were shown before the largest audience which ever witnessed them Tn this city. Much stress vas placed on all the pictures being new and the management certainly has kept faith with the audience. Not a pie ture was shown that has had it's duplicate in previous exhibitions. The program was a varied one, in- cluding comic picture novelties, Pan-American exposition as seen from boat, and scenes in Buffalo, Canton, and Washington irnmedi- ately following McKinley's death. Trick photography has reached | high degree O. excellence as shown in the explosion Of an automobile and one where the machine appears tp run over the operator Of the ap- Iiara'us."
 Alter a performance of Henry Miller in "D'Arcy Of thc Guards" William g, Hart. who had previous ly appeared hero in "Thn Man in 'ho Iron Mask" returned in a great production Of Uau Gaines The Christian" supported by a cast Of 50 people. Hart had succeeded sew "ral other actors who had tried the title role and failed, this was long before his use as a twog gun movie hero Frank Dumout'S "HaDpy