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UNIVERSITY  OF  TORONTO  LIBRARY 

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DRAMA 


1  neatre  rid 


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TITUfi  RIQ.  U.  3.  PAT.  OfF. 


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JULY,      1918 

VOL.  XXVIII.  NO.  209 


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DephMV  8'floor.  17QOBVag.,N.Y  o 


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Sh,  /Aontrea  I.  Canadd. 


In  the  city,  the  suburbs,  or  nearby  towns - 
anywhere  you  drive  you'll  find  our  Sales  and 
Service  Depot  Sign. 

And  you  can  count  on  the  dealer  or  garage 
man  who  displays  it. 

We  have  selected  him  for  his  reliability- 
then  marked  him  for  your  convenience. 

He  carries  the  complete  line  of  United  States 
Tires, 

—'Royal  Cord',  'Nobby',  'Chain',  'Usco' 
and  'Plain'. 

He  will  tell  you  exactly  the  one  you  ought 
to  have  for  your  car, 

-just  the  tire  you  need  for  the  conditions 
you  have  to  meet. 

Ask  his  advice.    Bank  on  his  judgment. 

That's  the  way  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
motorists  are  getting  most  miles  for  the  least 
money, 

-the  supreme    satisfaction  you,  too,  will 
find  in  United  States  Tires. 

United  States  Tires 

are  Good  Tires 


Theatrt  Magazine,  July,  1918 

'Royal  Cord' 

one  of  the  ftve 


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NOTICE  TO  READER  When  you  fioi.h  reajin  <  ihii 
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dicr,  and  laiiora  deitined  to  proceed  overicn 

NO  WRAPPING    NO  ADDRESS 


SCRIBNERS 
MAGAZINE 

THE  WORLD  WAR 

The  United  States  Naval  Academy  .       CAROL  HOWE  FOSTER  3 

America's  "  Over  There  "  Theatre  League      .  E.  H.  SOTHERN  22 

The  Defensive  Battle    ....  CAPTAIN  JACQUES  ROUVIER  K, 

The  Great  Work  of  American  Railroad  Men  in  France      .     .  to 

Japan  and  Righteousness      BARRETT  WENDELL  71 

Defeat,  Compromise,  or  Victory      .     .       FREDERICK  MOORE  iti 


MAXWELL  STRUTHERS.  BURT  35 

.    EDWARD  C.  VENABLE  51 

.    HANSELL  CRENSHAW  <n 

LOUIS  DODGE  «t 


Wheat 

CHARLES  MOREAU  HARGER      80 
ROBERT  GRANT     109 


STORIES  j. 

Wings  of  the  Morning  . 

At  Isham's 

Money  Magic.   A  Hugo  Brill  st< 

THE  SERIAL.    A  Rons*  V 

SPECIAL  ARTICLES 

The  Farmer  and  Three-Dollar 

Perils  of  Will-Making 

POEMS 

A  Call  to  Arms    .     .        MARY 

On  Sargent  Mountain 

The  Peaceful  War 

A  Sprig  of  Rosemary 

The  Afternoon    . 

The  Fighting  Swing 

DEPARTMENTS 

The  Point  of  View.       An  Englishwoman's  Point  of  View  —  Have  We  a 

Common  Tongue  ? 

The  Field  of  Art.     A  Romance  in  the  Early  Life  of  Van  Dyck  ICarroll 
t.and  Bertha  Beckwith).     Illustrated         .... 

[tandal  Situation. 

ALEXANDER 
JNS :  Color  Frontispiece,  "The  New  Fourth  of  . 

iter-color  by  Charles  Hoffbauer,   ofVaji     Ath 
•  Plalsted  Abbott,  Arthur  G.  Dove,1 


RAYMOND  JSHIPMAN  ANDREWS 
HAMILTON  FISH  ARMSTRONG 
.      '.       .    HENRY  VAN  DYKE 
^£y=»     .       .       AMY  LOWELL 
W.  i.  HENDERSON 
BADGER  CLARK 


121 


[ER'S 


SONS. 

TABLE  VI 


1M.C.A.HU 

ON  THE   BATTLE    FRON 


[2] 


Theatre  Magazine,  July.  1918 


THE  GARDENS 

OF  THE 

RlTZ- 
@RLTON 

NEW  YORK 


ALBERT    KELLER 

GENERAL  MANAGER 


The 

ROOF    GARDEN 

AvI  open-air  dining 
place  in  which  the 
fullest  expectations  of  the 
elite  are  realized.  Incom- 
parable in  brilliance  of 
setting,  service,  music  and 
cuisine,  peerless  in  the  tone 
of  its  clientele,  it  stands 
as  the  ultimate  achieve- 
ment of  fashionable  New 
York's  summer  season. 


The  JAPANESE  GARDENS 

DESIGNED  by  Japanese  artisans  of  highest 
skill,  this  exquisitely  beautiful  out-of-doors 
restaurant  surrounds  you  at  luncheon  or  tea 
with  all  the  picturesqueness  and  subtle  charm 
of  Nippon.     Cool,  novel,  refreshingly  different. 


[3] 


Pennsylvania 

\ACUUM  CUP 

TIRES 


ETTER  tires  for  the  best  cars — the  best 
1  tires  for  better  cars. 


Expressive  of  those  personal  standards  of 
individuality  and  quality  reflected  by  the 
selection  of  cars,  Vacuum  Cup  Tires  have  a 
generous  margin  of  first-preference  percent- 
age  over  second-choice  equipment. 

The  Vacuum  Cups  will  not  skid  on  wet, 
slippery  pavements — they  are  so  guaranteed. 

Aside  from  the  service  of  6,000  miles 
guaranteed  by  the  warranty  tag  attached 
to  each  casing,  Vacuum  Cup  Tires  run  up 
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Makers  of  Auto  Tubes  "Ton  Tested" 

PENNSYLVANIA  RUBBER  COMPANY 
Jeannette,  Pa. 

Direct  Fiiftory  Branches  and  Service  Agencies 
Throughout    the    Untied  Slates   and   Canada 


WE  offer  a  splendid 
summer   weather. 

Yes,  you've  guessed  it ! 

The  August  issue  of 
MAGAZINE. 

No  disheartening  war 
that  will  lead  to  heated 
discussions.  Chatty  news 
of  theatre  land  for 
those  vacationing  who 
wish  to  keep  informed, 
and  sprightly,  entertain- 
ing stories  for  those 
who  seek  amusement. 

The  August  number 
will  be  primarily  a  pic- 
ture number. 

On  hot,  stifling  days 
just  glance  at  the  en- 
chanting pictures  of 
your  favorites  bathing, 
rowing,  gardening,  boat- 
ing, etc.,  and  be  trans- 
ported to  the  spots 
where  the  cool  breezes 
always  blow. 

Yes,  it's  to  be  a  cork- 
ing summer  number,  if 
we  have  to  be  immodest 
enough  to  confess  it 
ourselves ! 


JULY,      1918 

antidote  for  hot      \A/HO'I5  that  funny  looking  gink  over 
'   •      there,   hidin'   in   the   corner?"   asks 
one   of    the    stage    hands    at    a    dress    re- 
the    THEATRE      hearsal. 

"Aw,  let  'im  stay,"  says  another.     "He's 
news,  or  reports      only  the  author." 


IT'S  been  the  fashion 
of  late  to  rail  at 
the  theatre,  and  to  be- 
rate the  unfortunate 
manager.  Poor  fellow, 
it's  astonishing  how  he 
survives  the  abuse 
heaped  on  his  head.  All 
our  highbrow  critics  de- 
clare that  our  drama  is 
going  to  the  dogs. 

"But  we  can't  be  as 
bad  as  all  that."  So 
Louis  De  Foe  says. 
Surely  this  well-known 
critic  who  has  spent  the 
best  part  of  his  life  sit- 
ting up  nights  weather- 
ing all  kinds  of  terrible 
plays — and  survived  it 
— ought  to  know  some- 
thing about  it. 

He  insists  that  it  is 
an  old  cry — the  de- 
cadence of  the  stage, 
and  proofs  in  hand,  he 
will  show  you  that  our 
generation  is  not  so  far 
behind  the  most  brilliant 
period  of  the  stage. 

This  is  an  entirely 
new  angle  of  a  much 
discussed  question,  and 
Mr.  De  Foe  is  always 
worth  listening  to. 


IN  THIS  ISSUE 


LUCILLE  CAVANAGH  Cover 

MME.   YORSKA  Frontispiece 

LEGS   VS.  THE  BE-WHISKERED   DRAMA       Arthur  Hornblow  8 
WITH     REPUTATIONS     FOR     CHARM— TWO     FAVORITES 

— Full-page  picture  9 

AMUSING  STAGE   CONTRETEMPS                W.  Forrest  GUchrest  10 

"HEAD  OVER  HEELS"— Full  page  of  pictures  11 

MADE  IN  AMERICA                                                        Lucien  Vanera  12 

ACTUALITIES— Full  page  of  pictures  13 

BELASCO'S  LITTLE  GIRLS                                                Vero.  Bloom  14 

FAVORITES  OF  YESTERDAY                                Charles  Burnham  16 

A  THEATRE  FOR  OUR  BOYS  IN  BLUE— Full  page  of  pictures  17 

FEMALE  IMPERSONATION                                           Harold  Seton  18 

THE    DOLLY   SISTERS  19 

IN  THE  SPOTLIGHT  20 

MR.  HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY  21 
Actors'  and  Authors'  Theatre,  "Rock-a-bye  Baby,"  "Hitchy- 
Koo,  1918,"   "Biff-Bang." 

THE    FOLLIES    BEAUTIES— Full-page    portraits    of    LILLIAN 
LORRAINE,   MARGARET  CLAYTON,   DOLORES,   RUTH 

TAYLOR,   LEONORA  MASSO  25 

MAKING  A  MYSTERY  OF  ACTING         Walter  Pritchard  Eaton  30 

LATE  SEASON  PRODUCTIONS Full  page  of  scenes  31 

CARRIE  IS  A  CHORUS  GIRL                                          Lewis  Allen  32 
SEEN     IN     THE     GLARE     OF    THE     SPOTLIGHT— 

Full  page  of  pictures  33 

WHAT  IS  AN   IMMORAL  PLAY?                               Ada  Patterson  34 

"MIDNIGHT   FROLIC"   TABLEAUX — Full    page   of  pictures  35 

LIGHTING  IN  YE  EARLY  PLAYHOUSES     F.  Chouteaa  Brown  36 

SUMMER — Full-page  picture  37 

THE  KING  OF  BULL-FIGHTERS                                 Shtrril  Schell  38 

DO  YOU  KNOW—  38 

MY  MOTHER  AND  I — Full  page  of  pictures  39 

HOW  GEORGE  COHAN  PICKS  WINNERS       Helen  Ten  Broeck  40 

A   PREMIERE   AND  A  REVIVAL— Full   page  of  scenes  41 

FOOTLIGHT  FASHIONS                                               Anne  Archbald  42 

MOTION    PICTURE    SECTION                                Edited   by   Mirilo  53 


On  the  last  sentence  hangs  a  tale. 
And    Lewis   Allen   tells   it   in   his   witty 
skit,    "He's    Only    the    Author,"     in    the 
August  issue. 

The  most  despised  creature  in  theatre- 
dom,  the  downtrodden  playwright  has  his 
troubles.  His  script  con- 
tinually changed  by  the 
manager,  his  funniest  re- 
marks for  the  com- 
edian cut  out  by  the 
star,  who  doesn't  pity 
him? 

Read  about  some  of 
his  experiences  in  a  side- 
splitting article. 


LOUIS  MEYER,  PAUL  MEYER 

Publishers 
ARTHUR  HORNBLOW 

Editor 


THE  THEATRE  IS  PUBLISHED  MONTHLY  BY  THE  THEATRE 
MAGAZINE  COMPANY,  6  EAST  S9TH  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 
HENRY  STERN,  PRESIDENT;  LOUIS  MEYER,  TREASURER; 
PAUL  MEYER,  SECRETARY.  SINGLE  COPIES  ARE  THIRTY- 
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FOREIGN  COUNTRIES,  ADD  $1.00  FOR  MAIL;  CANADA,  ADD  85c. 


IMPORTANT  NOTICED 
TO  SUBSCRIBERS 


If  you  change  your  address,  we  must  ask  lhat  you  notify  us  not  later  than 
the  tenth  of  the  month,  otherwise  the  next  issue  will  go  to  your  old 
address  and  we  cannot  replace  it. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


THE  war  has  brought 
about  many  changes, 
and  it's  responsible  for 
many  queer  things. 
Among  the  oddest  per- 
haps is  the  subterranean 
theatre  recently  opened 
in  Paris  on  account  of 
the  long  range  bombard- 
ments by  German  can- 
non. 

A  brief  cable  dispatch 
spoke  about  the  opening 
of  this  bomb-proof  thea- 
tre, but  no  details  were 
given  of  its  arrange- 
ment. 

Edwin  Carty  Ranck, 
one  of  our  staff  writers, 
has  just  returned  from 
France  where  he  wit- 
nessed a  performance  at 
this  most  unique  theatre 
in  the  world. 

In  the  next  issue  he 
will  give  you  a  full 
description  of  it,  his  ac- 
count being  illustrated 
by  a  very  interesting  pic- 
ture. 


BIFF-BANG."  That's 
the  drama  now. 

It  sounds  like  a  Ger- 
man bomb.  But  don't 
get  frightened.  It's 
only  the  show,  with 
which  the  Pelham  Train- 
ing Boys  captured  New 
Yorkers'  hearts  and 
pocketbooks  at  the  Cen- 
tury. 

"Biff-Bang"  introduced 
the  latest  type  of  chorus 
girl.  "She"  is  the  husky- 
voiced,  brawny  seaman, 
who,  dolled  and  primped 
and  silk-stockinged,  cap- 
tured all  feminine  hearts. 


COPYRIGHT  1918  BY  THE  THEATRE  MAGAZINE  CO.     TRADE  MARK  REG.  U.  S.  PAT.  OFF. 


ENTERED  AT  POST  OFFICE,  NEW  YORK,  AS  SECOND  CLASS  MAIL  U  ATTEI 


Any  time  is  dancing  time 
wherever  there  is  a 

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to  the  music  of  bands  and  orchestras  whose  special  forte  is  dance  music.  The 
delight  of  dancing  to  music  that  is  perfection  itself — strong  in  volume,  clear  in 
tone,  perfect  in  rhythm. 

Music  so  superb  as  to  take  the  place  of  an  orchestra,  and  yet  so  accessible 
that  you  can  have  an  impromptu  dance  at  any  time. 

Whenever  you  feel  like  dancing,  when  a  few  friends  stop  in,  when  soldier 
and  sailor  boys  are  home  on  furlough,  the  Victrola  is  always  ready  with  the  music. 

In  camp  and  on  shipboard  the  Victrola  enables  our  boys  in  the  service  to 
have  their  little  dances,  too. 

Everywhere  the  Victrola  and  Victor  Dance  Records  are  a  constant  invitation 
to  dance — a  source  of  keen  wholesome  pleasure. 

Hear  the  newest  Victor  Dance  Records  today  at  any  Victor  dealer's. 
He  will  gladly  play  any  music  you  wish  to  hear  and  demonstrate  the  various 
styles  of  the  Victor  and  Victrola — $12  to  $950. 

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Berliner  Gramophone  Co.,  Montreal,  Canadian  Distributors 

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New  Victor  Rec- 
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"Victrola"  is  the  ReEis- 
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only. 


[6] 


THEATRE  MAGAZINE 


VOL.  XXVIII.    No.  209 


JULY,  1918 


LEGS  VS.  THE 


•WHISKERED  DRAMA 


Sundry    reflections   awakened   by    visits   to 
"The  Doffs  House"  and  "The  Follies" 

By  ARTHUR  HORNBLOW 


I    TAKE  off  my  straw  hat  (5fi  latest  model) 
to  Mr.  Arthur  Hopkins. 
He  is  one  of  the  few — conspicuously  few 
— American    theatre   managers    not   ashamed    to 
admit  he  has  a  soul  above  the  dollar. 

Not  that  he  is  ignorant  of  the  value  of  the 
elusive  shekel.  Like  most  of  us,  he  seeks  to 
gather  up  as  many  of  them  as  possible,  but 
he's  not  the  kind  to  sidetrack  things  really 
worth  while  and  trade  only  in  mush,  legs  and 
smut  because  the  possibilities  of  larger  profit 
are  more  alluring. 

This  year,  particularly,  he  has  done  yeoman 
service  in  the  cause  of  dramatic  art.  While 
our  local  boards  have  been  literally  buried  un- 
der an  avalanche  of  mawkish,  trivial,  stupid, 
unclean  plays,  he  has  had  the  courage  to  cel- 
ebrate his  first  year  as  manager  of  the  Plymouth 
Theatre  by  devoting  ten  weeks  of  his  season  to 
Ibsen  repertoire.  Think  of  his  nerve,  rehash- 
ing the  be-whiskered  old  gentleman  of  Norway 
when  Broadway  (according  to  the  most  en- 
lightened of  our  theatrical  caterers)  cries  only  for 
mush  and  "pep" ! 

With  Nazimova  as  his  star,  could  he  have 
done  anything  else?  A  strong  actress  requires 
a  strong  play,  and  the  shrewd  manager  isn't 
going  to  pay  big  royalties  on  sloppy,  amateur- 
ish plays  (by  comparison)  when  he  can  get  real 
plays  for  nothing. 


WHICH  came  first— the  strong  actress 
or  the  strong  play?  It  recalls  that 
other  problem  of  the  poultry  yard — who  pre- 
ceded, the  egg  or  the  hen?  I'm  not  good  at 
conundrums,  but  it*,  quite  understandable,  even 
to  a  slacker  intelligence,  that  the  dramatist 
must  first  write  his  play  before  the  actor  can 
interpret  it,  just  as  the  boy  must  first  have  his 
cake  before  he  can  eat  it,  and  it's  as  plain  as 
the  nose  on  your  face  (excuse  my  being  so 
personal)  that  if  the  playwright  doesn't  write 
good  plays,  we  can't  have  good  actors. 

That  is  why  we  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  to 
Arthur  Hopkins  for  giving  us  an  occasional 
glimpse  at  dramatic  art  at  its  best — masterpieces 
whose  appeal  is  universal,  played  by  an  actress 
of  magnetic  and  appealing  personality,  who  is 
without  a  rival  on  our  stage  in  interpretations 
demanding  intellectual  breadth  and  brilliant 
technique. 

Laugh  at  the  be-whiskered  drama  as  old-fash- 
ioned, high-tbrow  stuff  if  you  will.  Person- 
ally, I  prefer  it  to  "Happiness,"  "The  Little 
Teacher"  and  plays  of  that  ilk.  For  the  sake  of 
the  reputation  of  this  burg  for  common  in- 
telligence, let  us  rejoice  that  there  are  still 
theatregoers  among  us  who  prefer  Ibsen's  mar- 
velous delineations  of  character,  the  thoughts 
his  philosophy  awakens  and  sets  coursing 
through  the  brain  to  the  vacuous,  inconsequen- 
tial, degrading  stuff  which  passes  for  theat- 
rical entertainment  in  too  many  of  our  theatres 
nowadays. 

We  seldom  get  the  opportunity  to  see  the 
serious,  or  even  the  poetic  drama.  Shakespeare 
is  practically  banished  from  our  stage.  W'hy? 
Because  we  are  living  in  what  may  be  termed 
the  low  visibility  era  of  the  theatre.  The  play- 


wrights, fat  and  prosperous,  are  uninspired. 
The  stage  itself  is  almost  entirely  in  the  hands 
of  commercial  hucksters  who  have  constituted 
themselves  our  moral  guardians.  It  is  they  and 
not  we  who  dictate  what  kind  of  dramatic  enter- 
tainment we  shall  have.  They  know  we  can't 
think  for  ourselves,  so  they  think  for  us. 
They  give  us  "The  Madonna  of  the  Future," 
"Anthony  in  Wonderland,"  "The  Barton  Mys- 
tery," "Words  and  Music,"  "The  Three  Bears," 
and  the  rest,  ad  nauseum. 


THE  managers  consider  this  sort  of  dramatic 
fare  good  enough  for  our  present  Kultur. 
When  our  audiences  have  grown  in  intelligence 
they  will  be  given  stronger  mental  food.  Mean- 
time, they  must  accept  the  silly,  childish  stuff 
doled  out  to  them. 

Mr.  Hopkins  succeeded  in  drawing  large  au- 
diences with  "The  Doll's  House,"  a  play  writ- 
ten nearly  forty  years  ago,  and  which  even 
to-day  our  play  hacks  vainly  try  to  imitate. 
And  such  audiences — the  cognescenti  and  in- 
telligenzia  of  the  world's  greatest  democracy. 
Have  you  ever  stopped  to  study  audiences  as 
they  flow  out  from,  say  an  Ibsen  audience  and 
an  audience  that  has  gaped  and  chortled  over 
the  latest  nasty  musical-comedy?  Look  at  the 
faces,  listen  to  the  voices,  note  the  manners.  It 
is  the  Great  Divide — the  wide  chasm,  which  can 
never  be  bridged,  between  those  who  have  been 
given  brains  with  which  to  think  and  those  who 
have  been  endowed  with  large  mouths  with  which 
to  grin. 

If  Ibsen  is  too  serious  in  this  time  of  war, 
if  the  people  must  laugh  to  hide  their  aching 
hearts,  by  all  means  give  them  comedy.  Buv 
not  of  the  room  and  bath  variety.  If  our  dram- 
atists can  write  only  sewerage  comedy,  why  not 
turn  over  the  business  of  playwriting  to  the 
plumbers  ? 

For  those  who  want  to  laugh  in  an  honest, 
wholesome  way,  there  are  plenty  of  good  old 
comedies  that  would  bear  revival.  We  haven't 
seen  "The  School  for  Scandal"  in  years.  It 
wouldn't  hurt  our  present  generation  of  theatre- 
goers to  have  a  speaking  acquaintance  with  the 
loquacious  Mrs.  Malaprop,  nor  with  the  genial 
Bob  Acres  in  "The  Rivals."  Personally,  I 
wouldn't  mind  seeing  that  side-splitter,  "Charley's 
Aunt"  again.  And  as  for  the  mirthful  "Bunty 
Pulls  the  Strings,"  I  could  see  it  every  day. 


BUT  you  object — that  is  old  stuff.  Only  dead 
ones  insist  on  standing  still.  Quite  true— - 
the  world  certainly  does  move  as  brother  Galileo 
heretically  observed.  The  jaded  theatrical  appe- 
tite demands  constant  novelty — above  all  it 
craves  "pep."  Solomon,  as  sagacious  a  monarch 
as  ever  drew  an  unearned  income,  is  renowned 
for  three  things — he  knew  how  to  pick  a  par- 
ticular baby's  mother  from  among  a  million 
other  babies'  mothers,  his  own  personal  charms 
filled  the  oriental  eye  of  the  languorous 
Queen  of  Sheba,  he  was  the  first  to  make 
the  trite  but  true  remark,  "There's  nothing 
new  under  the  sun."  He  might  also  have 


added,  "under  the  moon."  For  these  modern 
days,  when  no  Hun  raiders  are  around,  Broad- 
way nights  show  up  almost  as  bright  as  do  the 
days. 

But  the  demand  for  novelty  cannot  be  brutally 
ignored  or  set  aside.  It's  a  childish  craving,  no 
doubt,  yet  still  a  natural  and  not  unwholesome 
one.  Let  us  see  now  how  our  intelligent,  enter- 
prising theatre  managers  cater  to  this  keen  thirst. 
Do  they  encourage  new  authors,  do  they  ex- 
periment with  novel,  big  ideas,  do  they  explore 
new  fields  of  thought  or  fancy? 

No — nothing  of  that  kind.  A  few  bold  spirits 
— styling  themselves  independents,  and  operating 
in  bandbox  theatres — venture  to  follow  untrodden 
paths,  and  now  and  then  succeed  in  striking  an 
original  note,  presenting  plays  that  have  both 
virility  and  literary  charm. 

But  these  side-shows,  in  little  out-of-the-way 
theatres,  appealing  only  to  a  special  cultured  few. 
do  not  reach  the  great  mass  of  theatregoers,  and 
can  be  of  little  influence  in  elevating  the  public 
taste.  When  one  says  the  theatre — one  means  the 
regular  Broadway  house  with  its  big  seating 
capacity  and  well-established  clintele. 

What  do  the  managers  of  these  theatres  give 
us  by  way  of  novelty?  Apparently  only  one 
thing  occurs  to  them — the  feminine  form  un- 
draped,  which,  in  view  of  the  heated  term,  is,  I 
agree,  logical  enough.  But,  if  less  an  appeal  to 
animalism  than  a  desire  to  keep  cool  these  dog 
days,  why  not  be  consistent  and  ask  your  audi- 
ences also  to  throw  all  their  clothes  to  the  four 
breezes?  Camouflaged  only  by  palm-leaf  fans, 
the  nudity  of  the  auditorium  would  present  a 
novel  spectacle  quite  in  keeping  with  the  houris 
in  naturalabis  puris  on  the  stage. 


ANOTHER  form  of  novelty — not  very  orig- 
inal but  ever  popular — is  to  comb  America's 
backwoods  for  pretty  faces.  Mr.  Ziegfeld  is  an 
expert  at  this  delectable  business,  and  you  may 
see  for  yourself  how  successful  are  his  gleanings 
by  taking  the  trouble  of  paying  a  visit  to  the  "Fol- 
lies" at  the  New  Amsterdam.  A  veritable  gar- 
den of  feminine  beauty  of  all  types — girls  to 
please  every  taste,  stately  blondes,  vivacious 
brunettes.  They  have  nothing  to  do  but  pose 
and  look  pretty,  for  which  let  us  be  thank- 
ful, as  otherwise  the  illusion  might  be  lost. 
Later  on,  we  may  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
them  as  movie  stars. 

As  it  is,  the  beauty  show  alone  is  more  than 
worth  the  price  of  admission. 

This  is  all  in  the  way  of  novelty  that  any  self- 
respecting  bounder  can  expect.  And  as  for  the 
country  visitor — the  mainstay  of  all  our  theatres 
• — Ziegfeld's  girls  are  the  very  Alpha  and  Omega 
of  the  theatre.  When  Uncle  John  and  Aunt  Sue 
go  back  to  Skillihunk,  Mass.,  and  thrill  their 
gaping  neighbors  with  stories  of  all  the  sights 
they  saw  in  little  old  New  York,  they  never  fail 
to  mention  their  visit  to  the  "Follies." 

"Say,  we  wuz  at  the  theayter.  You  uns  should 
see  'em  gals !  Sure  New  York  can't  be  beat 
when  it  comes  to  a  lively  show." 

There  you  have  it.  The  provinces  are  more 
than  satisfied.  The  metropolis  may  well  be  proud 
of  its  pre-eminence  in  the  world  of  art. 


[8] 


Theatre  Magazine,  July, 


Maurice  Goldberg  (Right) 

FAY  BAINTER 

The  dark-eyed,  light-haired  beauty,  who 
charmed  all  New  York  last  year  as  the 
Japanese  princess  in  "The  Willow  Tree,"  is 
proving  that  she  can  sing  and  dance  as  well 
as  act  in  "The  Kiss  Burglar"  at  the  Cohan 
Theatre 


Sarony 


IRENE   FRANKLIN 


(Left) 


One  of  Vaudeville's  brightest  lights,  who  returned  to 
the  Palace  recently  for  an  engagement  de  luxe  with 
the  inimitable  Burton  Green,  and  proved  that  for 
variety  patrons  she  is  shining  as  resplendently  as  ever 


WITH       REPUTATIONS       FOR       CHARM  — TWO       FAVORITES 


AMUSING  STAGE  CONTRETEMPS 

Some  ludicrous  blunders  ivhich  turned  tragedy  into  comedy 
By  W.   FORREST  GILCHREST 


THE  work  of  a  dramatic  critic  grows 
monotonous  at  times,  but  now  and  then 
occur  amusing  incidents  that  serve  to  en- 
liven otherwise  dull  moments.  Occasionally 
there  are  scenes  enacted  upon  the  stage  that  are 
not  set  down  in  the  prompt  book,  which  cause 
the  auditors  to  smile,  and  while  some  of  them  are 
not  sufficiently  plain  to  be  realized  by  an  audi- 
ence, although  patent  to  the  critic,  yet  now  and 
then  I  have  witnessed  some  very  laughable  mis- 
takes which  were  immediately  recognized  on  both 
sides  of  the  footlights.  On  several  occasions  I 
have  witnessed  errors  that  completely  overthrew 
the  serious  character  of  a  play,  and  turned  the 
entire  effect  into  ridicule. 

During  one  of  Sarah  Bernhardt's  numerous  en- 
gagements in  New  York  she  produced  "La 
Femme  de  Claude" — ("The  Wife  of  Claude"), 
which  was  then  seen  for  the  first  time  in  this 
country.  In  anticipation  of  a  notable  presen- 
tation a  large  and  fashionable  audience  had 
gathered,  and  the  great  French  actress  won 
hearty  and  deserved  applause  throughout  the 
various  acts.  But  in  the  closing  scene,  toward 
which  all  the  previous  performance  had  worked 
up,  something  happened  that  entirely  changed 
the  complexion  of  the  play,  and  turned  what  was 
intended  for  a  very  dramatic  ending  into  a 
scene  of  great  hilarity. 


only  to  reappear  a  moment  later.  For  a.  momem 
she  stood  irresolute ;  then  she  staggered  to  the 
center  of  the  stage  and  died  a  horrible  death,  by 
the  rules  of  stage  decorum.  But  the  sight  of  a 
woman  dying  from  a  wound  inflicted  by  a  gun 
that  had  not  been  discharged,  proved  too  much 
for  the  risibilities  of  the  audience,  and  the 
smiles  which  had  greeted  the  first  stage  episode, 
turned  into  roars  of  laughter. 


IN  this  scene  the  wife  of  Claude,  a  thoroughly 
bad  woman,  is  about  to  elope  with  a  young 
protege  of  her  husband.  The  latter  is  the  in- 
ventor of  a  gun  which  has  been  approved  by  the 
Government.  Claude  keeps  the  plans  for  this 
weapon  in  a  cabinet,  located  at  the  side  of  the 
stage.  In  order  to  secure  funds  to  maintain  her- 
self after  the  elopement,  the  wife  resolves  to 
carry  away  with  her  the  plans  to  sell  them  to  the 
authorities. 

She  enters  and  goes  to  the  cabinet,  from 
which  she  extracts  the  plans.  While  she  is 
busily  engaged  in  rifling  the  cabinet,  Claude 
enters  the  apartment  and,  intuitively,  the  whole 
plot  is  revealed  to  him.  A  gun  is  standing  be- 
side the  door,  through  which  he  entered.  Now, 
according  to  stage  directions,  Claude  is  to  seize 
the  weapon  and  shoot  his  wife,  who  is  to  stagger 
to  the  center  of  the  stage  and  die.  This,  of 
course,  would  make  a  tragic  ending  of  the  play. 

But  just  then  something  occurred  that  caused 
a  halt  in  the  proceedings.  Claude  caught  up  the 
gun  and  pointed  it  toward  Sarah,  while  the  audi- 
ence sat  spell-bound  by  the  situation,  as  it 
awaited  the  report.  And  the  audience  waited, 
for  when  Claude  did  pull  the  trigger  of  the 
weapon,  no  report  followed.  Unfortunately,  the 
person  whose  duty  it  was  to  load  the  gun  had 
forgotten  that  important  duty. 

Claude  pulled  the  trigger  two  or  three  times 
without  result,  and  he  was  so  surprised  at  the 
situation,  that  he  stood  like  a  statue,  completely 
bewildered.  Instead  of  rising  to  the  situation, 
as  an  American  actor  would  have  done,  and  pre- 
tend to  brain  Sarah  with  the  gun,  he  stood  gazing 
blankly  at  the  obdurate  weapon. 

In  the  meantime  Mme.  Bernhardt  stood  calmly 
awaiting  the  fatal  bullet  which  was  supposed  to 
end  her  wicked  career.  Its  non-appearance  dazed 
her  also,  and  she  stood  for  a  moment  irresolute, 
then  she  dashed  through  a  window,  out  of  sight, 


THIS  was  probably  the  only  time  in  this 
great  star's  stage  experience  that  an  audi- 
ence had  ever  laughed  at  the  dying  struggles  of 
Sarah.  The  audience  thought  it  funny ;  what 
Sarah  thought  about  it  is  unknown,  but  the  stage 
manager  told  me  the  next  day,  that  the  at- 
mosphere behind  the  curtain  after  its  fall,  was 
of  a  sufficiently  blue  character,  so  dense  that  it 
could  have  been  cut  out  in  chunks. 

I  remember  another  laughable  episode,  the 
ridiculous  character  of  which  was  somewhat  al- 
leviated by  the  quick  wit  of  the  star.  It  was  on 
the  occasion  of  a  revival  of  "Diplomacy"  by  Rose 
Coghlan.  As  every  theatregoer  knows,  the  plot 
of  the  play  hinges  on  the  abstraction  of  an  offi- 
cial document  from  a  box,  by  the  adventuress. 
The  box  was  brought  out  all  right  and  placed 
on  a  table  in  the  center  of  the  stage.  The  key 
was  supposed  to  have  been  left  in  the  lock  of 
the  box.  Miss  Coghlan,  after  the  other  charac- 
ters had  left  the  stage,  walked  over  to  the  box 
and  attempted  to  open  it.  Somebody  had  blun- 
dered ;  the  box  was  locked,  and  the  key  missing. 
The  attempt  of  the  actress  to  open  the  box,  and 
the  surprised  look  on  her  face  revealed  the  pre- 
dicament, and  many  in  the  audience  began  to 
titter.  Miss  Coghlan,  however,  grasped  the  situ- 
ation. She  looked  off  the  stagt  and  said  quietly : 
"Perhaps  the  key  has  been  dropped  on  the  floor," 
and  then,  as  if  seeking  the  missing  key,  she 
walked  off  the  stage,  returning  a  moment  later 
with  a  paper  folded,  in  her  right  hand,  con- 
cealed from  view  of  the  audience.  She  walked 
over  to  the  box,  and,  seemingly,  picked  up  the 
desired  paper,  saying:  "Ah,  it  was  left  on  the 
outside."  There  was  laughter,  of  course,  but  the 
audience  rewarded  the  actress  with  a  round  of 
hearty  applause,  for  the  clever  manner  in  which 
she  had  handled  the  situation. 


AS  a  spectator  I  saw  the  first  night  of  "Our 
American  Cousin,"  which  was  produced  at 
Laura  Keene's  Theatre,  on  Broadway,  near 
Houston  Street,  in  October,  1858.  E.  A. 
Sothern,  who  had  been  in  the  old  Wallack  com- 
pany, and  had  not  distinguished  himself  above 
the  ordinary  stock  actor,  literally  jumped  into 
fame  on  that  occasion,  through  a  mishap,  and  of 
all  that  talented  organization,  he  made  the 
greatest  hit,  as  the  English  fop,  Dundreary.  As 
originally  written  by  the  author,  Tom  Taylor,  an 
English  dramatist,  the  part  was  a  small  one,  and 
had  been  accepted  by  the  comedian  only  after 
considerable  persuasion  by  Miss  Keene,  after 
J.  H.  Stoddard  had  refused  to  appear  in  the 
part,  on  account  of  its  inconspicuous  character. 

As  Sothern  made  his  first  entrance,  through 
a  large  door  at  the  back  of  the  stage,  he  trippea 
over  a  rug,  and  hence  came  on  the  stage  with  a 
hop,  skip  and  jump.  The  audience,  believing  it 


to  be  part  of  the  stage  business,  laughed  loudly, 
and  Sothern,  quickly  realizing  the  point,  kept  up 
the  strange  walk  throughout  the  evening.  In- 
deed, it  was  this  comical  sort  of  walk  that  made 
the  character  amusing.  Sothern  afterward 
starred  in  the  character,  and  he  is  best  re- 
membered by  his  very  amusing  rendition  of  the 
character  of  the  assinine  English  nobleman. 

Stoddard  afterward  refused  to  play  a  char- 
acter, in  which  another  actor  started  toward 
fame.  He  was  cast  for  Baron  Chevril  in  "A 
Parisian  Romance,"  and  refused  the  part  as 
being  beneath  him.  Mansfield  had  no  such  com- 
punction, and  his  work  in  the  character  is  stage 
history. 

How  slight  an  incident  can  ruin  a  play  was 
well  exemplified  in  the  production  of  "The  Year 
One,"  by  Neil  Burgess.  He  had  made  a  heavy 
outlay  for  scenery,  costumes  and  stage  effects, 
and  the  play  was  certainly  mounted  in  a  gorgeous 
manner.  All  went  well  on  the  opening  night,  at 
the  Star  Theatre,  and  although  the  audience  wai 
somewhat  surprised  to  see  the  former  proprietor 
of  "Cold  Molasses"  without  a  female  dress,  but 
in  that  of  a  Roman  Senator,  the  production 
promised  to  be  a  great  success.  However,  in  the 
closing  scene  a  mishap  occurred  that  ruined  the 
play. 


'T'HERE  was  a  chariot  race  with  which  the 
•••  play  closed.  A  curtain  hung  from  the 
first  groove,  and  hid  the  arena,  but  the  vociferous 
shouts  of  the  spectators  were  greatly  in  evidence. 
The  drop  went  up,  and  Burgess  was  seen  in  a 
chariot,  racing  with  another  charioteer.  The 
old  treadmill  effect,  which  had  been  so  success- 
fully used  in  "The  Country  Fair,"  had  been 
brought  into  use  again  for  this  scene.  But,  while 
the  stirring  effect  of  a  chariot  race  was  expected 
to  thrill  the  audience,  the  opposite  was  the  re- 
sult. Three  of  the  horses  driven  by  Burgess 
were  on  a  hard  gallop,  while  the  other  animal 
was  standing  stock  still,  gazing  placidly  at  the 
audience.  There  was  a  howl  of  laughter  from 
the  auditors,  who  rose  in  their  seats  at  the 
ridiculous  scene  and  they  quitted  the  theatre 
without  waiting  for  'the  close  of  the  play. 

Burgess  told  me  afterward  that  the  play  had 
been  written  by  his  sister,  who,  from  spirit- 
land,  dictated  to  her  brother  the  various  scenes. 
Burgess,  as  is  well  known,  was  a  Spiritualist. 

On  one  occasion  I  went  to  see  "Damon  and 
Pythias,"  that  good  old-time  "scene-chewing" 
drama,  at  the  Bowery  Theatre.  J.  B.  Allen,  a 
capital  actor,  but  with  a  high  temper,  was 
Damon,  and  George  C.  Boniface  was  the 
Pythias.  In  the  closing  scene  Damon  staggers 
in,  having  returned  just  !n  time  to  save  Pythias 
from  death,  the  latter  having  remained  as 
hostage  for  his  safe  return,  after  a  last  visit  to 
his  wife  and  child.  Dionysius,  the  Tyrant,  at 
once  summons  Damon  to  the  scaffold.  Allen 
sprang  to  the  scaffold  and  the  supernumaries  be- 
hind the  scene  shouted,  according  to  stage  direc- 
tion. Then,  after  a  few  lines,  Damon  was  sup- 
posed to  be  interrupted  by  more  shouting,  and 
had  to  say,  "Shout  again."  But  no  shouts  came; 
the  silence  was  impressive,  so  much  so  that  the 
fall  of  the  traditional  pin  would  have  sounded 
like  an  earthquake.  Allen  looked  off  the  stage 
and  blurted  out:  "Shout,  you 


[10] 


Theatre  Magazine,  July, 


Photos 


MITZI 

The   little    Italian    girl   enters    the 
lawyer's  office  through  the  transom 


iall        Mitzi  George  F.  Marion  Robert   Emmett  Keane 

Act  I.     The  little  acrobat  relates  her  romance 


MITZI,  the  firefly  of  musical-comedy, 
has  a  new  vehicle  in  "Head  Over 
Heels,"  in  which  she  impersonates  a 
little  Italian  acrobat.  She  sings,  dances, 
mimics,  tumbles  and  reveals  unexpected 
athletic  skill  and  agility  in  a  romance 
that  blends  humor  and  pathos.  Mitzi's 
season  has  begun  with  a  summer  run  at 
the  Tremont  Theatre,  Boston.  Her  New 
York  appearance  will  be  made  shortly 


Mi(zi  George  F.  Marion 

Act  II.    The  Bambinetti  troupe  rehearse 


i  Boyd  Marshall 

Act  III.    A  happy  finale 


MITZI       SCORES       IN       "HEAD       OVER       HEELS' 


Why   don't  you  shout?"     The  "supers'"   shouts 
were  drowned  by  the  shouts  of  laughter. 

Mrs.  James  Brown  Potter  is  known  35  an 
actress  of  great  impulse,  and  this  quality  once 
made  trouble  for  her.  When  she,  for  the  first 
time  here,  essayed  the  character  of  Charlotte 
Corday,  I  journeyed  up  to  Harlem,  at  the  in- 
stance of  my  old  friend,  Kyrle  Bellew,  to  criti- 
cize the  performance.  All  went  well  with  the 
play,  like  the  traditional  marriage  bell,  until 
the  last  scene,  in  which,  as  Charlotte  Corday, 
Mrs.  Potter  is  supposed  to  kill  Marat,  enacted 
by  Bellew.  As  Marat  sat  in  the  tub  indulging 
in  a  bath,  Charlotte  rushed  toward  him  with  a 
knife  in  her  hand,  With  all  the  fierce  energy 
that  this  actress  possessed,  she  rushed  to  the 
bath  and  stabbed  Marat;  but,  unfortunately  for 


her  and  her  companion,  in  the  struggle  she  up- 
set the  bathtub,  and  the  audience  discovered 
that  Marat  was  having  a  bath  in  a  tub  which 
had  no  bottom. 

Augustin  Daly  once  gave  a  sumptuous  re- 
vival of  "A  Midsummer  Night's  Dream,"  and 
Ellen  Burg,  who  was  the  wife  of  Robert  Ede- 
son,  was  engaged  to  play  the  character  of  Puck. 
At  one  period  she  was  supposed  to  fly  away, 
and  she  did  this  by  means  of  a  wire  attached  to 
her  waist.  She  went  up  nicely,  but  as  she  was 
just  above  the  flies  the  cord  slipped  and  she 
was  left  hanging,  the  audience  seeing  only  a 
pair  of  plump  legs  dangling  from  the  skies. 

The  first  production  of  Humperdinck's  pretty 
play,  "Hansel  and  Gretel,"  was  at  Daly's 
Theatre,  before  a  representative  audience.  Au- 


gustus Harris — then  plain  Mr.  and  not  Sir — 
was  the  manager  of  the  enterprise.  Harris  was 
a  good  theatrical  manager,  but  from  an  educa- 
tional standpoint  he  was  somewhat  lacking.  In 
response  to  a  call  before  the  curtain,  Harris  ap- 
peared, and  made  a  short  address,  thanking  the 
audience  for  its  approval  of  "Pumpernickel's" 
play. 

One  evening  I  went  to  an  East-Side  theatre 
to  see  a  popular  actress,  who  had  grown  gray 
in  the  character,  play  Lady  Isabel  in  the  peren- 
nial "East  Lynne."  In  the  scene  where  Lady 
Isabel  is  kneeling  over  her  dying  child,  a  pa- 
thetic moment,  in  which  the  spectators  are  al- 
ways moved  to  tears,  a  big  black  cat  strolled 
out  leisurely  from  behind  the  scenes,  at  the 
front,  and  walked  slowly  across  the  stage. 


MADE  IN  AMERICA 

How  plays  are  manufactured  and  thrown  upon  our  stage  as  seen  by  a  Frenchman 

By  LUCIEN   VANERA 


SOME  of  my  Paris  friends  have  asked  me  to 
tell  them  how  stage  productions  are  made 
in  this  country — in  what  the  American 
methods  differs  from  the  French.  I  confess  that 
I  am  puzzled  what  to  answer. 

Plays  are  not  produced  in  America.  They  are 
manufactured,  like  locomotives.  Everybody  has 
a  finger  in  the  pie,  and  the  unfortunate  author, 
at  the  end  of  a  few  days  rehearsal,  sees  his 
comedy  transformed  into  a  drama,  musical- 
comedy  or — nothing  at  all. 

This  is  the  way  it  goes :  The  manager  accepts 
your  comedy.  He  thinks  it's  great.  Only 
three  weeks'  rehearsal  and  you'll  have  a  big 
Broadway  success  on  your  hands.  Unfortu- 
nately, there  are  the  three  weeks  rehearsals 
ahead,  also  the  manufacturer — excuse  me,  I 
mean  the  manager. 

American  managers  are  divided  into  several 
classes.  First  we  have  the  manager  who  manu- 
factures musical-comedy  which  I  might  call 
"catalogues  of  popular  music."  He  gets  one  man 
to  write  the  piece,  another  to  do  the  costumes, 
another  the  music,  a  fourth  the  scenery.  As  to 
the  "artists,"  one  finds  them  ready-made.  The 
director  selects  those  most  in  the  public  eye, 
adapts  them  to  the  costumes  and  scenery  and 
then,  having  made  them  learn  by  heart  certain 
words  and  move  about  according  to  the  music, 
he  presents  the  whole  concoction  to  the  consumer 
•{the  dear  theatregoing  public)  under  some 
snappy  title  which,  of  course,  has  nothing  to  do 
with  what  one's  going  to  see.  It  charms  the  eye, 
sometimes  the  ear,  but  above  all,  it  tranquilizes 
the  mind. 

Then  we  have  the  manager  who  specializes 
in  comedy.  There  are  good  and  bad.  A  thea- 
tre manager  is  like  a  well-known  trade-mark. 
You  order  tickets  for  a  Belasco  play  as  you'd 
order  Lynhaven  oysters.  The  artists  are  no 
better,  but  they  are  better  set  up. 

Then  there  are  managers  who,  having  no 
specialty,  dabble  a  little  in  everything,  and  sad 
to  relate  these  are  the  ones  who  make  barrels 
of  money. 

Your  play  is  accepted  by  one  of  these  three 
classes  of  caterers  to  the  public  amusement.  It 
now  becomes  a  matter  of  organizing  the  com- 
pany. The  less  important  actors  are  easily 
found.  The  leading  roles  are  more  difficult  to 
fill.  Miss  Flossie  Smith  will  be  wonderful  in  the 
title  role.  They  send  for  her,  and  engage  her. 


Then  they  hand  her  the  part.  Everything  is 
going  swimmingly. 

All  the  author  has  got  to  do  now  is  to  adapt 
his  piece  to  the  star,  make  his  heroine  ten  years 
younger,  make  her  very  fashionable,  and  change 
the  scenes  so  that  she  may  hold  center  stage 
continually. 

Now,  as  to  the  lady's  father !  The  manager 
sees  him  little  and  fat,  the  author,  tall,  with  a 
moustache,  but  the  manager's  son  prefers  him 
without  a  moustache.  After  much  discussion, 
the  son  carries  the  day.  Now,  the  leading  man! 
Mr.  Jones  would  be  very  good  if  he  were 
shorter,  Mr.  Brown  is  rather  thin.  He  would 
make  Miss  Flossie  look  too  fat,  and  Mr.  Robin- 
son is  no  good  because  he's  a  blond.  Finally, 
they  end  by  finding  the  perfect  type — a  floor- 
walker in  a  dry  goods  store.  The  manager  ran 
across  him  when  buying  some  socks.  He  tele- 
phones for  him  and  engages  him  at  $200  a  week 
on  a  three  years'  contract,  subject  to  the  usual 
two  weeks'  cancellation  clause! 

Finally,  they  begin  to  rehearse.  For  eight  days 
everything  goes  fine.  The  leading  man  is  taught 
his  part — like  a  parrot.  They  make  him  walk  up 
and  down  the  stage.  Then  they  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  he  is  not  at  all  suited  to  the  part. 
They  send  for  the  author — if  he  can  change  the 
text  and  some  of  the  stage  business,  it  will  help 
things.  Author  consents  to  change  three  or 
four  of  the  smaller  parts,  and  modify  some  of 
the  scenes. 

To-day,  dress  rehearsal  in  the  presence  of 
the  manager  who  took  the  author  aside  and 
complimented  him.  "If  you  cut  out  that  leading 
man's  scene  in  the  first  act  and  change  the  end, 
it'll  be  fine."  For  the  third  time  the  author 
makes  the  play  over.  They  are  to  open  next 
week  out  of  town.  Suddenly  the  manager 
comes  to  the  conclusion  that  the  father  ought  to 
have  a  moustache.  They  send  for  the  actor, 
take  away  his  part  and  give  it  to  an  actor  who 
has  a  moustache  like  the  Kaiser.  At  the  end  of 
three  days,  they  get  tired  of  the  turned  up  points 
and  get  another  actor  who  wears  a  moustache 
like  a  brush. 

After  two  weeks  delay  they  open  at  Atlantic 
City — a  three  days'  engagement  to  try  the  piece 
on  the  dog.  The  first  night  there  is  only  a  small 
audience  as  a  result  of  poor  advertising.  But 
the  play  appears  to  go.  Next  morning,  rehearsal. 
The  end  of  the  play  must  be  changed.  The 


second  scene  must  be  made  the  first  and  the 
funny  lines,  with  which  the  comedian  made  his 
big  hit,  must  be  given  to  the  star.  Second  per- 
formance! Next  morning,  rehearsal.  The  man- 
ager knew  he  was  right.  The  father  should  have 
been  little  and  fat.  They  telegraph  to  New 
York  to  send  on  another  actor  of  the  required 
proportions.  The  piece  is  again  slightly  changed, 
after  which  follows  the  third  performance  which 
has  nothing  in  common  with  the  first. 

The  manager  is  delighted.  "We've  got  a  big 
success."  However,  there's  a  hitch,  and  they 
keep  on  the  jump  for  three  or  four  weeks,  going 
from  place  to  place,  and  every  day  the  play  is 
changed.  Finally,  all  agree  that  it  is  perfect, 
excepting  in  one  thing.  The  manager  thinks  it 
lacks  something.  What  it  is,  he  doesn't  know. 
To-day  is  Thursday,  they  finish  Saturday  and 
open  on  Broadway  the  following  Thursday. 
But 

On  Saturday,  during  the  second  act,  the  man- 
ager is  suddenly  struck  with  an  idea.  "At 
last!"  he  cries,  "I've  got  it!"  He  rushes  up  to 
the  author.  "Say — we've  got  a  big  thing  here, 
only  we  must  change  things  around  a  little.  The 
play  is  all  right  as  far  as  it  goes,  but  it  don't 
go  far  enough.  What  it  needs  is  ginger,  'pep,' 
music,  dancing,  girls!  That's  what  it  needs. 
See?" 

The  company  is  immediately  discharged,  and 
another  company  of  musical  people  engaged  in 
its  place.  Everything  is  begun  all  over  again, 
and  finally  they  open  in  great  style  in  New  York. 
The  piece  proves  a  frightful  frost  and  at  the  end 
of  the  week  is  sent  to  the  storehouse.  The  man- 
ager says  he  realizes  now  that  he  should  have 
made  a  drama  of  it.  Happily,  he  is  too  late! 

Forgive  them,  oh  ye  authors,  they  know  not 
what  they  do.  Besides  all  American  managers 
are  not  as  bad  as  that.  Sometimes  one  is  satis- 
fied to  produce  the  piece  exactly  as  the  author 
writes  it,  and  casts  it  with  really  good  artists. 
The  piece  turns  out  a  corking  success,  it  has  a 
prodigious  run,  and  the  other  managers  all  cry 
out,  "What  luck!"  Happily  there  are  in  Amer- 
ica a  few  of  those  scncalled  lucky  ones  who 
know  how  to  choose  good  authors,  good  artists 
(of  which  there  are  plenty  here)  and  who,  hav- 
ing the  artistic  instinct,  respect  authors  and 
artists,  and  understand  that  it  is  not  enough  to 
have  one's  name  on  the  door  of  a  manager's 
office  to  know  how  to  write,  act  and  judge  a  play. 


[12] 


Theatre  Magazine,  July,  if  it 


Some  of  the  principals  in  the  Thrift  Festival  held  at  the  Polo  Grounds  recently.  Left  to  right: 
Leon  Rothier,  Oscar  Seagle,  Marie  Sundelius,  John  Philip  Sousa,  Betty  McKenna,  Sophie 
Braslau,  Charles  Harrison.  (Inset)  Lieut.  Sousa's  band  and  the  chorus  of  10,000  voices 


ENTER  ADOLPH  KLAUBER,  PRODUCER 

Mr.  Klauber,  who  for  the  last  few  years  has  been 
literary  adviser  to  the  Selwyns,  will  make  his 
debut  next  season  as  an  independent  producer. 
He  began  his  career  as  a  reporter  on  the  New 
York  Times  and  later  became  dramatic  critic  of 
that  newspaper.  He  left  there  to  go  with  the  Sel- 
wyns. Some  years  ago  he  married  Miss  Jane  Cowl 


Peggy  Wood,  Mrs.  Rida  Johnson  Young  and  Charles  Purcell,  plant- 
ing an  apple  tree  on  Mrs.  Young's  estate  at  Stamford.  Mrs.  Young 
is  the  author  of  "Maytime"  and  the  tree  has  been  planted  in  mem- 
ory of  the  apple  tree  around  which  the  plot  of  the  play  hinges 


THEATRICAL  ACTUALITIES 


BELASCO'S   LITTLE 


Showing  how  the  Wizard  of  Broadway  develops  successful  stars 
By  VERA  BLOOM 


NO  one  has  been  able,   so   far,  to  analyze 
David     Belasco's     magic    but     the     fact 
remains  that  he  can  take  the  most  com- 
monplace plays,  and  by  sheer  genius  of  casting 
and    production,    turn    out    baffling    successes — 
baffling  because  no  one  knows  just  why  they  suc- 
ceed. 

There  was  a  period,  about  a  year  ago,  when 
an  impression  got  around  that  the  Belasco  era. 
was  over — that  instead  of  his  detailed  realism 
we  wanted  the  sketchy  sort  that  originated  with 
the  little  Theatre  movement. 

But   early   in   the   present   season   and   quietly 

Belasco  slipped  into  his  own  theatre  with  "Polly 

With  a  Past,"  a  comedy  and  Ina  Claire,  and  a  bit 

later    into    the    Lyceum,    with    "Tiger    Rose,"    a 

melodrama,  and  Lenore  Ulric.    Ever  since  you've 

had  to  have  had  a  career  in  housebreaking  or 

second-story  work  to  get  inside  either  playhouse, 

As    far   as    Belasco's    regular    audiences    were 

concerned,   they  only   knew    Lenore  Ulric   from 

"The  Heart  of  Wetona"   and  Ina  Claire  not  at 

all.     Now  Miss  Claire  is  the  shining  example  to 

which   aspiring  comediennes   are  compared,   and 

Miss  Ulric  has  even  had  the  crushing  praise  of 

being  called   the   "coming   American    actress." 


Miss  Claire,  with  confidence  rather  than  con- 
ceit. "I  had  really  been  prepared  to  do  this 
sort  of  work  for  some  time,  and  I  had  offers 
from  managers  for  several  years  before.  It  was 
a  case  of  what  the  song-writers  call  Vamp  till 
ready'— just  keeping  step,  you  know,  without 
marching! 


TNA  CLAIRE  and  Broadway  became  acquainted 
•*•  when  she  was  "The  Quaker  Girl,"  then  she 
went  to  London,  and  came  back  to  make 
"Hello,  Frisco !"  and  her  imitations  famous  in 
the  Follies,  and'jumped  from  there  in  one  bound, 
when  Belasco  "discovered"  her  impersonation  of 
Marie  Odile,  to  center-stage  and  star  dressing 
room  at  the  Belasco  Theatre,  the  secret  goal, 
you  should  know,  of  every  stage-struck  girl  from 
Salem  to  Seattle. 

One  of  the  advantages  of  Miss  Claire's  position 
is  being  able  to  give  interviews  in  the  comfortable 
little  salon  Mr.  Belasco  provides  for  his  stars. 
The  programmes  and  pictures  on  the  walls  per- 
meate it  with  the  -spirit  of  success,  and  the  old 
furniture  fairly  cries  for  confidential  chats. 

Miss  Claire  sank  gratefully  into  a  chair  after 
the  matinee.  Fluctuating  all  afternoon  between 
a  French  adventuress  and  a  demure  black-and- 
white-clad  maid  is  harder  work  than  being  the 
champion  costume-changer  in  the  Follies,  for  it 
involves  characterization  as  well  as  clothes. 

"Oh!"  she  laughed,  protestingly,  "some  day  I 
hope  to  have  a  part  where  I  won't  have  to 
work  harder  off  the  stage  than  on.  As  'Polly' 
[  have  to  change,  my  makeup  completely  sev- 
eral times,  and  in  record  time,  at  that.  It  would 
have  been  easy  to  make  my  adventuress  the 
ordinary  sort,  with  blackened  eyes  that  look 
like  burnt  holes,  chalky  face,  and  scarlet  lips. 
But  I  wanted  her  to  be  the  more  subtle,  chic 
looking  demi-mondaine  one  sees  at  the  smart 
hotels  in  Paris,  with  just  a  touch  of  Gaby 
Deslys  thrown  in  for  the  high-lights." 

Ina  Claire  has  plenty  of  high-lights  of  her  own. 
She  is  poised,  vivacious  and  spirited,  both  in 
words  ^  and  gestures,  and  she  combines  the 
animation  of  a  brunette  with  the  delicacy  of  a 
blonde  to  quite  an  unusual  degree. 

"How  did  it  feel  to  break  one  of  the  dramatic 
hurdle   records"   I   asked   her,   "and  jump   from 
Ziegfeld  to  Belasco  in  a  bound  ?" 
"It  was  not  such  a  jump  as  you  think,"  said 


FN  a  way  it  was  far  more  difficult  than  this. 
*  In  musical^comedy,  o'r  revues,  everything 
depends  on  'personality.'  That's  what  you 
are  paid  for,  and  the  director  pays  much  more 
attention  to  the  chorus  than  to  the  principals. 
In  fact,  he  usually  leaves  you  severely  alone,  and 
you  develop,  or  rather  manufacture  your  per- 
sonality yourself.  That  is  why  all  the  singing 
comedians  have  certain  little  tricks  of  speech 
or  'business'  of  their  own  that  they  always  use. 
There  is  no  such  thing  as  sustained  characteriza- 
tion in  musical  comedy." 

"Then  how  were  you  able  to  step  into  a  lead- 
ing part  without  experience?"  I  asked  this 
unusual  young  lady. 

"I  made  my  own  experience  with  my  imita- 
tions," she  explained,  "every  one  was  a  tabloid 
character-part.  Not  alone  that,  but  each  was 
three  parts  in  one— the  actor,  the  character  and 
the  parody  on  the  two !  To  tell  the  truth,  when 
I  came  to  Mr.  Belasco,  I  felt  that  I  hadn't  the 
proper  foundation  of  technique  without  playing 
small  roles,  or  doing  'stock'  work,  but  he  told 
me  that  with  intelligent  study  and  the  know- 
ledge of  quick  characterization  I  had,  missing 
the  usual  training  wouldn't  be  an  insurmount- 
able handicap." 

Coming  to  the  real  question  at  last,  I  asked: 
"What  did  Mr.  Belasco  do  for  you  ?  Did  you  see 
how  the  magic  works?" 

"Mr.    Belasco    gave    me    confidence,"    declared 
Miss  Claire,  still  with  her  air  of  alert  penetra- 
tion,   "he    is    a    great   teacher,    you    know,    and 
treats    each    'pupil'    differently.      But    he    never 
laughed  at  me,  and  what's  more,  he  never  ridi- 
culed.    I    can    always   get    things    best   by    sug- 
gestion,  rather  than  being  told  every  detail,   so 
he  would  just  say— "—here  Miss  Claire  changed 
m  a  flash  to  the  priestly,  rather  sad  manner  of 
David  Belasco,  and  went  on  as  Belasco,  and  not 
herself— "Tf  I  were  you,   I  would  just— just— ' 
he  rarely  said  the  exact  words,  for  I  could  tell 
from   the   inflexion   of   his   voice  and    from   his 
gestures  exactly  what  he  wanted,  and  we  would 
go^on  with  the  scene  in  perfect  accord. 

"At  rehearsals,  I  would  only  go  through  the 
lines  and  'business'  mechanically,  but  every 
night,  lying  in  the  dark.  I  would  go  over  each 
speech,  each  scene  in  my  mind's  eye.  I  could 
picture  the  ensemble,  and,  from  the  angle  of  the 
audience,  you  see,  put  myself  in  the  picture 
First,  I  always  find  the  climax  of  a  scene,  then 
shade  it,  with  a  quiet  space  just  before  to  make 
the  effect  more  vivid." 


off-stage  lives,  few  people  really  know  if  Tiger 
Rose  becomes  tame  when  she  leaves  the  stage- 
door,  or  if  all  the  fire  and  intensity  is  Lenore 
Ulric  herself. 

When  I  came  into  her  dressing-room  after  the 
performance,  she  had  slipped  into  a  demure  neg- 
ligee, but  still  wore  Rose  Bocion's  vivid  makeup 
and    impudent   hair.     "Ah,"   I    thought,    "she   is 
primitive!"     But  in  a  moment  the  hair,  rippling 
down    in    soft    waves    about   her    face,    and   the 
makeup    rubbed    off,    changed    her   to    a    gentle, 
modest  girl  with  the  only  touch  of  the  "wilds" 
in  her  delightful  lack  of  Broadway  sophistication. 
"How     did     I     come     to     play     these     'wild' 
parts?"    she    echoed    my    question,    with    just    a 
suspicion   of   the   clear-cut    accent   she    used    on 
the  stage,  "first  of  all  because  I'm  dark,  I  think. 
Naturally  people  associated  me  with  Spanish  and 
Indian  characters.    And  then,  you  see,  there  are 
so  few  small  actresses  who  can  play  emotional 
parts.    We   usually  associate  big  emotions   with 
those   great,    magnificent    women    like    Margaret 
Anglin,  Julia  Arthur  or  Helen  Ware. 


ENORE  ULRIC,  Belasco's  other  "little  girl" 
•L/  plays  primitive,  emotional  parts,  like  the 
Hawaiian  heroine  of  the  "Bird  of  Paradise"  the 
Indian  "Wetona,"  and  now  wild,  lovable  French- 
Canadian  "Tiger  Rose"  with  more  dash  and  feel- 
ing than  anyone  on  the  stage. 
And  because  Miss  Ulric  leads  the  quietest  of 


LJUT  the  public  likes  the  unknown — either  in 
-*-*  types  or  atmosphere.  That  is  why,  being 
an  ingenue  in  size,  and  yet  being  able  to  play 
these  elemental  characters,  it  has  found  a  place 
for  me.  We  love  what  we  don't  know  and  live 
every  day.  That  is  why  people  flock  to  Mr. 
Belasco's  plays  which  take  them  to  out-of-the-way 
places,  because,  through  him,  they  see  the  very 
soul  of  things  that  otherwise  would  be  just 
vague  to  them. 

"In  a  play  like  Tiger  Rose,'  with  such  big 
struggles,  you  must  live  the  part  every  time. 
But  it  is  easy,  because  the  settings  are  so  real, 
that  the  moment  you  step  on  the  stage,  you  slip 
almost  unconsciously  into  the  part,  just  as  the 
audience  is  swept  into  the  story. 

"At  rehearsals  I  always  go  'in  front,'  into 
the  empty  house,  and  just  let  the  atmosphere  of 
the  scene  on  the  stage  seep  into  me,  until  I  feel 
that  that  room  is  my  home,  or  else  that  the 
woods  are  as  real  to  me  as  they  are  to  the  girl 
in  the  play  herself." 

It  is  easy  to  see  that  Miss  Ulric  is  the  sort 
of  actress  to  do  fine  things.  She  is  so  sym- 
pathetic, so  eager,  and  so  patient  in  perfecting 
details. 

"How  do  you  work  out  a  part?" 
'First,  I  develop  my  own  conception — good 
or  bad.  And  then,  when  I  feel  I  have  done  all 
I  could,  Mr.  Belasco  'edits'  it,  he  polishes  the 
good  points,  shows  me  where  I  am  wrong,  and 
then  develops  the  material  that  we  select  as 
worth  while.  He  has  the  most  graphic  way  of 
explaining,  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to 
misunderstand  him.  His  descriptions  are  like 
an  open  picture-book. 

"I  must  always  have  -what  I  call  my  'me- 
chanics'—the words  and  action— perfected  until 
I  do  them  unconsciously.  Then  I  can  begin  to 
feel.  That  seems  to  me  the  only  way  to  act." 

Now  that  Mr.  Belasco  has  Miss  Claire  and 
Miss  Ulric  safely  launched  on  what  bids  fair  to 
be  famous  careers,  he  will  soon  look  for  other 
worlds  to  conquer  with  other  little  girls— Jeanne 
F.agles  has  already  made  her  debut  under  his 
banner. 


[14] 


Theatn  Magazine,  July, 


Photos  Underti'ood  and  Underwood 


Mrs.  Gould,  Lieutenant  Murray  and  staff 
on  the  stage  of   the   Ellis   Island   Theatre 


"All  sorts  and  conditions" — a  typical  audience  at  Ellis  Island 


MRS.  GEORGE  J.  GOULD,  as  Chair- 
man of  the  Entertainment  Committee 
of  the  Mayor's  Committee  of  Women  on 
N'ational  Defense,  has  built  and  equipped  a 
theatre.  It  is  situated  in  a  hall  at  the  Ellis 
Island  Naval  Receiving  Station.  Mrs.  Gould 
donated  the  stage,  velvet  curtains,  three  sets 
of  scenery,  lights,  properties,  etc.,  and  here 
professional  performances  are  given  for  the 
U.  S.  sailors.  A  vaudeville  program  is 
arranged,  many  of  the  most  famous  stars  in 
the  theatrical  world  volunteering  their  ser- 
vices. "Sometimes,"  says  the  N.  Y.  Times, 
"a  sombre  note  is  injected.  The  program  is 
stopped,  a  bugler  sounds  attention,  the  name 
of  a  ship  is  read  by  the  officer  and  the  num- 
ber of  men  called — 75,  100,  150 — whatever 
the  number  may  be — rise  from  the  audience 
and  march  out,  to  go  under  sealed  orders 
they  know  not  whither.  As  they  fall  in 
formation  to  march  to  get  their  kits  the  men 
in  the  audience  all  break  out  in  a  lusty 
shout  of  song,  'Where  do  we  go  from  here, 
boys,  where  do  we  go  from  here?'  " 


"The  Entertainment  Bulletin"  announces  the  "prescription  of  happiness" 
for  each  night.  Lieutenant  Murray,  Commandant  of  the  Naval 
Receiving  Station  at  Ellis  Island  and  Mrs.  George  Jay  Gould 


T    H    E  A  T    R   E        F    ()    R       ()    IT    R        HOYS        IX        B    L    U   E 


sarcastically  informed  us,  that 
"Su'eet  Kate  Pennoyer, 
Lives   three   doors   below  'yer." 

"That's  all  right  gran-pop,  but  if  you  will  come 
with  me  and  see  'The  Follies' " — 

"  'The  Follies,'  why  that  is  only  a  modern 
'Black  Crook.'  Ah,  there  was  a  piece  that 
showed  true  to  form — I  mean  the  human  form. 
Talk  about  'show  girls' — that  is  all  they  can  do. 
Here  is  one  who  could  both  show  and  do.  Anna 
Kemp,  the  original  Stalacta  in  'The  Crook,'  was 
a  member  of  the  leading  opera  company  of  those 
days,  and  an  excellent  actress  as  well.  I  grant 
you  the  costume  is  not  so  taking  as  some  of 
those  Ziegfeldian  ones  of  the  present  time  and 
it  does  make  her  look  a  bit  queer,  but  styles  in 
clothes  change,  and  it  was  her  voice  that 
counted.  Good  singers  were  more  successful  in 
attracting  attention  in  those  days  than  good 
lookers. 


"Now,  here  is  Millie  Cook,  whom  we  called  a 
good  looker  and  a  fair  actress.  She  was  clever 
though,  and  followed  Kemp  as  Stalacta  in  The 
Black  Crook.' 

"Here  are  some  of  the  charming  women  who 
came  over  here  with  Lydia  Thompson.  This  one 
is  a  picture  of  Eliza  Weathersby,  one  of  the 
great  favorites  of  the  time.  Clever  as  a  dancer, 
actress  and  singer.  She  was  Nat  Goodwin's  wife 
number  one. 

"When  this  young  woman  first  arrived  here  she 
created  a  havoc  in  the  bosoms  of  the  young  men 
of  the  day,  almost  creating  a  social  disaster  in 
some  families.  In  the  heyday  of  her  youth  she 
was  dubbed  the  'legitimate'  successor  to  that  well- 
known  lady  of  Milo.  Your  'Follies'  can  show 
none  superior  to  Pauline  Markham.  And  who 
can  you  match  against  this  once  bewitching 
creature,  Lydia  Thompson,  with  her  wealth  of 
golden  hair — dyed  I  grant  you — which  set  a  style 


that  made  brunettes  seem  out  of  date.  She  was 
blessed  with  the  gift  of  perpetual  youth,  which, 
added  to  her  talent,  made  her  one  of  the  most 
charming  and  versatile  actresses  our  stage  has 
ever  seen. 

"Some  day  while  walking  down  the  avenue  you 
may  chance  to  meet  a  tall  gracious  appearing  lady 
with  a  pair  of  dark,  piercing,  yet  gentle  look- 
ing eyes,  gracefully  carrying  the  added  years 
which  have  come  to  her  since  I  first  saw 
her  disport  on  the  stage  of  the  old  Olympic  in 
'Humpty  Dumpty."  Emily  Rigl  was  one  of  two 
sisters  who  captivated  the  town  when  ballet 
dancing  was  the  rage,  and  afterwards  became  a 
prominent  member  of  Augustin  Daly's  company." 

"That's  all  right,  gran-pop,  lock  up  your  pic- 
tures and  store  them  away  with  your  other  mem- 
ories, and  then  some  night  come  down  on  Forty- 
second  Street,  I  will  take  you  to  a  theatre  where 
you  will  see — some  real  live  ones." 


FEMALE 


DONATION 


By   HAROLD    SETON 


SINCE  the  outbreak  of  the  Great  War,  the 
newspapers  have  on  various  occasions  con- 
tained accounts  of  plays  produced  by 
soldiers  at  cantonments,  sailors  at  training-sta- 
tions, and  prisoners  of  war  who  have  been  in- 
terned. Furthermore,  figures  have  been  pub- 
lished showing  these  men  arrayed  in  all  man- 
ner of  fanciful  attire,  the  group  generally  in- 
cluding at  least  one  fellow  in  woman's  clothes. 

In  a  Sunday  supplement  a  photograph  was 
reproduced  of  a  young  sailor  at  the  Great  Lakes 
Training  Station  in  a  startlingly  realistic  im- 
personation of  a  stage  beauty.  In  a  tour  of  the 
neighboring  towns  a  vaudeville  troupe  from  the 
306th  Infantry  started  out  from  Camp  Upton, 
Long  Island,  and  presented  individual  special- 
ties, including  a  female  impersonation. 

Pictures  have  come  from  Germany  showing 
British  war  prisoners  arrayed  for  a  theatrical 
performance,  some  disguised  as  women,  and 
pictures  have  also  come  from  England  show- 
ing German  war  prisoners  in  similar  attire. 
Motion  pictures  of  life  behind  the  firing  lines 
have  shown  soldiers  amusing  their  comrades  as 
female  impersonators.  These  instances  only  go 
to  prove  that  the  love  of  masquerade,  especially 
the  love  of  masquerade  in  the  garments  of  the 
opposite  sex,  is  to-day,  as  in  the  days  of  old, 
an  instinct  in  human  nature  for  the  provocation 
of  mystery  or  mirth. 

Away  from  the  firing  lines,  away  from  the 
training  camps,  do  not  the  residents  of  Ameri- 
can cities  and  towns  flock  to  the  movies  when 
Julian  Kltinge's  appearance  is  announced,  to 
marvel  at  this  actor's  "ambisextrous"  ability? 
Similarly,  does  not  London  still  laugh,  as  it  has 
laughed  for  the  past  twenty  years,  at  the  spec- 
tacle of  Malcolm  Scott,  one  of  the  .bright  lights 
of  the  music  halls,  whose  specialty  has  always 
been  the  female  impersonation  of  a  grotesque 
type? 

Who  that  has  visited  the  vaudeville  shows 
of  Paris,  Rome,  Berlin  and  Vienna  has  not  seen 
men  in  women's  clothes?  Who  that  has  trav- 
eled in  the  Orient  has  not  seen  female  imper- 
sonators in  Constantinople,  Bagdad,  Pekin  and 
Yokohama?  It  was  only  a  couple  of  genera- 
tions ago  that  women  were  first  introduced 
upon  the  stage  of  Japan,  and  the  most  popular 
performer  in  China  is  still  the  female  imper- 
sonator. China  and  Japan  are  full  of  them. 


Female  impersonation  began  when  dramatic 
art  began.  Theatrical  presentations  originated 
when  the  ancient  Greeks  performed  their  relig- 
ious rites  before  the  Temple  of  Dionysius. 
The  chorus  danced  around  the  altar  while  the 
solitary  actor  declaimed  in  honor  of  the  deity. 
In  the  course  of  time  this  procedure  became  elab- 
orated, and  eventually  the  production  of  tragedy 
became  a  State  institution  in  Athens.  Suit- 
able places  were  provided  for  the  perform- 
ance, one  being  the  Orchestra,  near  the  Agora, 
where  a  circular  dancing-place  was  surrounded 
by  raised  seats  for  the  spectators.  In  Rome, 
at  a  later  period,  plays  were  presented  at  the 
public  games,  and  at  shows  provided  on  spe- 
cial occasions  by  private  individuals. 

In  Greece  and  in  Rome  all  roles  in  these  re- 
ligious rites  and  dramatic  performances  were 
taken  by  men,  some  attired  as  men  and  some  as 
women.  Masks  were  worn,  of  masculine  or 
feminine  type,  and  the  female  impersonators 
had  garments  differing  from  the  men's,  and 
trailing  on  the  ground. 

During  the  Middle  Ages  theatrical  perform- 
ances continued  in  the  form  of  dialogues  deliv- 
ered in  the  church,  during  the  services  at  Christ- 
mas and  Easter,  the  priests  serving  as  actors. 
These  dialogues  were  enlarged  upon,  until,  dur- 
ing the  twelfth  century,  plays  were  presented 
in  the  vernacular,  the  various  episodes  in  the 
Scriptural  story  being  depicted  from  the  Crea- 
tion to  the  Last  Judgment.  These  Miracle 
Plays  were  acted  either  in  the  church  itself  or 
on  a  scaffold  by  the  church  walls.  Priests,  aco- 
lytes and  choir  boys  were  the  sole  participants. 
Records  have  been  preserved  of  such  perform- 
ances, with  descriptions  of  the  parts  played  by 
men  in  impersonating  the  Virgin  Mary,  Mary 
Magdalene,  the  two  sisters  of  Lazarus,  and  other 
women  of  the  Bible. 

By  the  fifteenth  century  allegorical  dramas  por- 
traying the  conflict  between  the  personified 
powers  of  good  and  evil  for  the  possession  of 
the  soul  of  man  were  fully  developed.  These 
Morality  Plays  afforded  increased  opportunities 
for  acting.  Then,  too,  gorgeous  spectacles  were 
provided  in  the  form  of  pageants,  various 
events  being  illustrated  on  different  floats, 
which  passed  in  review  before  the  throng  of 
spectators.  But,  for  the  benefit  of  smaller 
towns  and  private  houses,  bands  of  strolling 


players  were  organized  and  wandered  about  the 
country.  In  England  such  players  formed  a 
guild  as  early  as  1469. 

These  actors  performed  in  the  courtyards  of 
inns  or  in  the  banquet  halls  of  nobles.  No 
women  were  included  in  the  company,  all  fe- 
male characters  being  interpreted  by  men  or 
boys,  many  of  whom  were  adept  in  such  pres- 
entations. When  a  boy's  voice  changed  he  was 
transferred  to  male  roles,  and  another  boy  was 
substituted  for  female  parts. 

During  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth  these 
companies  increased  in  prestige,  until  it  became 
a  great  distinction  for  a  nobleman  to  have  play- 
ers under  his  protection.  The  most  celebrated 
company  of  all  was  that  formed  by  the  Earl  of 
Leicester,  with  James  Burbage  as  leader,  be- 
cause Shakespeare  subsequently  joined  it,  wrote 
all  of  his  plays  for  it,  and  produced  them  all 
with  it.  Men  and  boys  created  the  roles  of  Ju- 
liet, Ophelia,  Desdemona,  Rosalind  and  Lady 
Macbeth. 

It  was  James  Burbage  who  built  the  first 
public  theatre  in  England,  which  he  established 
just  outside  of  London  in  1576.  Later  othef 
theatres  were  built,  but  all  of  them  were  closed 
during  the  civil  wars  and  under  Cromwell's 
protectorate.  But  at  the  time  of  the  Restora- 
tion, in  1660,  theatres  were  opened  and  plays  were 
produced  with  great  success.  At  this  period 
women  first  appeared  upon  the  stage,  which  fact 
is  duly  noted  by  Samuel  Pepys  in  his  famous 
diary. 

Since  that  time  innumerable  dramatists  have 
employed  the  device  of  having  women  disguise 
themselves  as  men,  frequently  under  tragic  cir- 
cumstances, and  innumerable  dramatists  have 
employed  the  device  of  having  men  disguise 
themselves  as  women,  though  for  farcical  effect. 
And  so  to-day  American  audiences  laugh  at 
George  Munroe,  masquerading  as  a  fat  old 
woman,  or  at  Fred  Stone  masquerading  as  a  fe- 
male circus-rider  or  a  .female  skater  on  ice. 
Similarly,  American  and  foreign  soldiers  and 
sailors  laugh  at  their  comrades  or  shipmates 
tricked  out  in  frills  and  furbelows. 

Yet  the  Bible  distinctly  says :  "The  woman 
shall  not  wear  that  which  pertaineth  unto  a 
man,  neither  shall  a  man  put  on  a  woman's 
garment,  for  all  that  do  so  are  abomination  unto 
the  Lord  thy  God." 


[18] 


Theatre  Magazine,  July.  1918 


DOLLY  SISTERS 

The  dainty,  piquant,  adorable 
Dollies  who  have  just  signed  a 
three-year  contract  with  Corn- 
stock  and  Gest.  With  Harry 
Fox  they  are  taking  "Oh,  Look" 
to  Chicago  for  a  summer  run, 
after  which  they  will  probably 
open  the  Princess  Theatre  with 
a  new  piece 


From  a  camera  study  by  Maurice  Goldberg 


THE    S 


FLORENCE  O'DENISHAWN 

A  SOUTHERNER,  shorn  of  her  accent,  is  Miss 
Florence  O'Denishawn,  of  ''Ilitchy-Koo,  1918," 
About  the  Globe  Theatre  and  along  the  Rialto  they 
designate  her  as  "The  girl  who  stopped  the  show  on 
Hitchcock's  opening  night."  She  did,  indeed,  inter- 
rupt the  action  of  the  revue,  dammed  the  stream  of 
gay  nonsense.  How?  By  her  youth — she  is  not  yet 
twenty — by  her  beauty,  and  by  the  classic  grace  of 
her  dancing.  Florence,  though  born  Andrews,  had 
a  romantic  start.  She  was  born  amid  magnolia 
blooms.  In  a  far  Lousiana  city  they  allude  to  her 
as  "One  of  Shreveport's  fairest  daughters,  suh." 
After  attending  a  finishing  school  she  enrolled  as  a 
pupil  at  Denishawn,  the  school  of  grace,  directed  by 
Ted  Shawn  and  his  wife,  Ruth  St.  Denis,  and 
adopted  as  her  stage  name,  the  name  of  the  school, 
Denishawn.  She  joined  Miss  St.  Denis  on  a  con- 
cert tour.  Subsequently  she  appeared  for  eighteen 
months  in  a  vaudeville  circuit.  In  "Hitchy-Koo" 
she  made  her  debut  in  a  Broadway  production.  It 
was  her  Egyptian  dance  at  the  end  of  the  second 
act  that  "stopped  the  show" 


BERNARD   McOWEN 

HAVING  played  Hamlet  with  an  amateur  company 
at  the  age  of  fourteen,  Bernard  McOwen,  who 
plays  Michael  Devlin  in  "Tiger  Rose,"  made  his  first 
professional  appearance  in  a  melodrama,  "Marked 
for  Life."  Thereafter  he  was  a  popular  stock  actor 
in  Chicago,  St.  Louis  and  other  cities  of  the  Middle 
West.  He  was  a  pillar  of  the  temple  of  "The 
Nigger,"  of  "A  Thousand  Years  Ago"  and  "The 
Climax."  For  five  years  he  was  of  the  Comstock 
and  Gest  forces.  To  Cleveland  went  George  Middle- 
ton  and  Guy  Bolton  with  their  play,  "Polly  With 
a  Past."  Belasco  saw  him  and  engaged  him 


<g)  Marceau 

CLARE  EAMES 

EMMA  EAMES   scolds  her  niece  after  a  perform- 
ance   and    the    next    performance    records    a    one 
hundred  per  cent,   improvement.     Clare  Eames  is  the 
daughter     of     the     grand     opera     singer's    brother,     a 
business   man    of    Cleveland.      Representatives   of   the 
Greenwich   Village  Theatre  saw  her  in  a  performance 
and    engaged    her.      She    conquered    critics    and    audi- 
ence   in    Schnitzler's   play,    "The   Big   Scene" 


Tkealrt  Mmfttint,  July, 


MR.  HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY 


N' 


Laurette  Taylor 
in  "Happiness" 


EVER  before 
within  the  mem- 
ory of  man  have 
we  enjoyed  a  season 
quite  so  pithecoid  and 
so  momentary.  It  has 
been  a  period  replete 
with  meteoric  rises  and 
falls.  The  significance 
of  it  all  is  quite  beyond 
human  ken. 

Naturally  enough,  the 
martial  influence  has 
prevailed  throughout.  Last  year 
about  this  time  we  were  all  inquiring 
as  to  what  effect  the  war  would  have 
on  the  theatre.  Now  we  know. 

I  believe  the  first  engagement  (in 
the  military  sense)  of  the  season 
was  the  Brady-Brenon  skirmish, 
though  strictly  speaking,  that  was 
more  to  the  credit  of  the  screen 
than  of  the  stage.  Just  what  it  was 
all  about,  deponent  sayeth  not;  but 
'twas  a  famous  victory,  and  one  of 
the  antagonists,  perhaps  fascinated 
by  this  taste  of  war,  has  since  gone 
to  Europe  to  get  more  of  the  real 
article. 

A  regrettable  feature  of  this 
phase  of  the  season's  activity  is  that 
to  the  time  of  volplaning  to  press, 
there  have  been  almost  no  casualties 
among  either  critics  or  managers. 
Samuel  Shipman's  long-cherished 
ambition  to  slay  a  producer 
has  not  been  realized,  although 
plenty  of  people  would  be  glad  to 
pick  the  producer.  No  critic,  so 
far  as  I  know,  has  been  mauled  by 
a  manager  in  any  club  or  cafe— all 
good  and  sufficient  provocation  not- 
withstanding. Indeed,  no 
reviewers  of  note  have 
even  so  much  as  been 
barred  from  any  theatre 
— and  surely  this  is  a 
record. 

Apparently  the 
only  serious  ad- 
ventures in  this 
line  have  be- 
fallen H  e  y  w  o  o  d 
Broun.  He,  no  doubt, 
has  had  more  than 
his  share.  Not  con- 
tent with  having 
been  deleted  by  the 
censor  in  France 
and  stood  up  before 
a  "in  oral  firing 
squad"  by  Mr.  Creel, 
this  sprightly  (if 
not  spritely)  critic- 


whose  abilities  were  formerly  so 
highly  appreciated  by  Miss  Barry- 
more—has  succeeded  in  drawing 
the  fire  of  the  redoubtable  Miss  Eva 
Tanguay,  the  "parsnip  of  perform- 
ers." 

There  have  been  other  minor  en- 
gagements. For  instance,  it  required 
two  complete  knockouts  to  make 
Sidney  Rosenfeld  realize  that  he  had 
been  licked.  And  Arnold  Daly  has 
shown  a  similarly  grim  determina- 
tion. 

The  murder  under  most  harrowing 
circumstances  of  William  Shake- 
speare by  Laurette  Taylor,  O.  P. 
Heggie,  ct  al.  is  still  fresh  in  our 
throbbing  memories,  as  is  Walter 
Hampden's  prompt  First  Aid  ad- 
ministered to  the  dying  man. 

Another  item  that  by  all  tradi- 
tions of  stage  humor  should  fall 
under  the  caption  "War"  concerns 
the  following  query  which  has  been 
much  on  our  well-known  billboards 
of  late: 

"WHY  MARRY?" 
NAT   GOODWIN 

For  the  life  of  me  I  can't  think 
of  a  satisfactory  answer.  By  some 
strange  association  of  ideas,  I  am 
reminded  only  of  the  fact  that 
Douglas  Fairbanks  gave  largely  of 
his  gold  dust  to  Uncle  Sam  for  war 
uses,  and  that  Mary  Pickford,  to 
say  nothing  of  Charles  Chaplin, 
Enrico  Caruso,  John  McCormack, 
and  others,  immediately  thereafter 
did  likewise.  This  is  probably 
matter  for  psycho-analysis. 

Of  course,  the  real  Battle  of 
Picardy,  so  far  as  the  theatre  is 
concerned,  was,  and  is  still  being 
fought  by  the  armies  of  Generals 
Klaw  and  Erlanger  on  the  one  side 
and  the  cohorts  of  Admirals  Jake 
and  Lee  on  the  other.  Will  this 
war  last  long?  So  far,  it  looks  like 
a  draw.  It  is  true  that  the  Shuberts 
have  captured  the  Woods  after  a 
sanguinary  struggle,  but  the  other 
side  has  a  firm  grip  on  a  consider- 
able extent  of  territory.  One 
shudders  to  think  of  the  war  debts 
that  are  bound  to  accumulate.  And 
one  marvels  at  the  weird  alliances 
induced  by  such  a  conflict. 

Taking  a  sort  of  Toxen  Worm's- 
eye  view  of  the  entire  season,  one 
promptly  notes  that  speed  has  been 
its  most  outstanding  characteristic. 
Plays  have  come  and  gone  with  a 
rapidity  th.it  has  fairly  made  one 
giddy.  "Friend  Martin"  set  the 


Raymond  Hitchcock 
in  "Ilitchjr-Koo" 


fashion  and  the  pace. 
Gose  on  her  flying 
heels  came  Allen 
Doone,  "The  Lassoo," 
"The  Deluge,"  "Good 
Night,  Paul,"  Henr> 
Miller,  Eugene 
Walter,  Marie  Doro, 
William  H  u  r  1  b  u  t, 
John  Cort,  Clare 
Kummer,  Frank 
Craven,  two  Eves 
(one  by  Grace  George  and  the  other 
by  Laurette  Taylor),  "Romance  and 
Arabella,"  "Art  and  Opportunity," 
"Furs  and  Frills,"  "Daybreak," 
"Sweet  Kitty."  "Three  Bears," 
"Words  and  Music,"  "Broken 
Threads,"  "Rosamund,"— the  list 
stretches  out  to  infinity,  the  imagina- 
tion sickens,  and  the  censor  reels. 

It  got  so  for  a  while  that  starting 
out  from  201st  Street  to  see  "Here 
Comes  the  Bride,"  you  were  lucky 
if  you  got  in  in  time  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  "The  Grass  Widow." 
Even  the  most  utter  disregard  of 
the  speed  laws  would  get  you 
nothing  closer  to  your  original  aim 
than  "The  Naughty  Wife." 

And  then  there  was  that  terrible 
period  of  depression  right  in  the 
middle  of  things  when  a  Liberty 
Loan  was  piled  like  Pelion  on  top 
of  a  mayoralty  campaign  and  the 
Ossa  of  a  ten  per  cent,  war  tax 
was  added  unto  the  aforesaid  Pelion. 
No  wonder  managers  and  play- 
wrights turned  gray  over  night! 
The  Spectre  of  Poverty  stared  them 
in  the  face  at  every  turn.  For  a 
while  it  began  to  look  as  if  only  a 
million  dollars  was  going  to  be  the 
maximum  of  profit 
to  be  expected 
from  any  one  show 
of  the  season. 

But  the  lonn 
road  had  its  turn- 
ing, and  many  a 
producer  was  .-t 
the  eleventh  hour 
saved  from  the 
poorhouse.  Whm 
the  reconstruction 
period  was  under 
way.  we  looked 
about  us  and  saw 
that  "A  Tailor- 
Made  Man"  and 
"Eyes  of  Youth" 
and  "Business  Be-  Mme  Xaiimova 
fore  Pleasure"  and  in  "The  Wti.i 
"Chu  Chin  Chow"  1  >»<•>>-" 


[SI] 


Leo   Ditrichstein 
in  'The  King" 


and     Mr.    Belasco's 
squadron,      not      to 
name    others,    were 
still    afloat.      More- 
over,     there       was 
Fred     Stone,     who 
.could  have  filled  the 
Hippo- 
drome 
quite     as 
easily    as 
he  did  the  Globe. 

So  take  it  all  in  all  and 
by  and  large  and  cum 
grano  salts,  it  was  a  very 
interesting  season  indeed, 
notwithstanding  that  it 
seemed  as  jumpy  as 
Emily  Stevens'  acting 
and  as  interminable  as 
Bill  Hart's  upper  lip. 
At  least,  it  was  be- 
sprinkled with  a  vari- 
ety of  amusing  little 
trifles.  For  instance, 
an  entire  act  from 
"Her  Market  Value,"  turned  up  in 
"Eyes  of  Youth"  without  making  the 
least  fuss  in  the  world  about  it,  and 
Marjorie  Rambeau  thus  went  right 
on  playing  Willard  Mack. 

Very  little  prominence,  moreover, 
was  given  to  the  fact  that  the  soldier 
skit  acted  by  Jack  Norworth  and  ac- 
complices in  "Odds  and  Ends"  was 
from  the  "Rosy  Rapture,"  which  Sir 
James  M.  Barrie  wrote  for  that 
celebrated  throne — emptyer,  Gaby 
Deslys.  Moreover,  nearly  all  the 
unclaimed  slang  phrases  were  made 
into  more  or  less  successful  musical- 
comedies  by  Messrs.  Wodehouse, 
Bolton,  and  Kern  in  some  combina- 
tion or  other.  Any  argot  they 
slighted  was  promptly  taken 
care  of  by  others  of  our  latter- 
day  Gilberts  and  Sullivans. 

The  actors  naturally  got  in- 
to the  game  early  and  often. 
Lester  Lonergan  further  illu- 
minated New  York's  streak  of 
incandescence  (Thursdays  and 
Sundays  excepted)  with  "The 
Torches."  But  they  soon 
flickered,  and  nobody — not 
Channing  Pollock  nor  yet 
Walter  Pochard  Eaton — could 
tell  exactly  why.  That  is,  no- 
body but  John  Corbin,  a  critic 
so  erudite  that  he  calls  the 
classic  authors  by  their  first 
names.  I  am  not  sure,  but  I 
think  the  reason  was  that  he 
didn't  make  the  translation. 

Norman  Trevor  excited  a  bit 
of  comment  as  time  went  on 
and  he  began  to  be  seen  every 
day  or  so  in  some  new  pro- 
duction. I  can't  begin  to  name 
the  others  who  deserve  hon- 
orable mentions  or  iron  crosses. 


Let  it  suffice  so  say  that  we  missed 
Lyn  Harding,  but  the  race  was  very 
spirited,  and  that  along  toward  the 
end,  Lionel  Barry-more  dusted  in- 
to the  stretch  with  his  mane  in  a 
braid  and  carried  off  the  blue  ribbon. 

I  mean,  of  course,  the  Gentle- 
man's Prize.  As  for  the  ladies, — 
ah,  no ;  I  haven't  forgotten  what 
happened  to  a  party  from  Troy, 
name  of  Paris.  Nevertheless,  I 
shall  breathe  the  name  of  Nazimova 
— thereby  risking  much  critical 
opprobrium.  I  am  thankful  for  her 
Ibsen.  Great  is  Allah  !  But  I  feel  that 
the  movies  are  her  principal  profit. 

And  there  are  other  little  matters. 
With  what  delight  we  hailed  the 
heralding  of  Galli-Curci  by  means 
of  all  the  old  temperament  stuff 
warmed  over  from  the  days  of 
Patti  or  Calve  or  Tetrazzini.  That 
is,  all  of  us  but  Mr.  Caruso.  But 
I  forgot ;  that's  grand  opera  stuff. 

Let's  see.  Oh,  yes;  romantic  clap- 
trap is  as  valuable  as  ever.  Watch 
Mr.  Belasco's  bank-roll  grow.  But 
goo  is  going  down :  I  refer  to  "The 
Three  Bears"  and  "The  Pipes  of 
Pan."  As  for  the  risque — oh,  well, 
"Lombard!"  and  "Flo-Flo"  got 
along;  and  Mr.  Woods  did  very 
nicely,  thank  you,  with — was  it 
"Parlor,  Bathroom,  and  Bed?"  As 
for  the  Greenwich  Village  folks, 
they  put  on  a  regular  flabbergaster : 
I  think  the  name  was  "Carrion"  or 
something. 

I  really  had  hoped  to  remind  you 
of  several  other  important  matters. 
There  was  Louis  Sherwin's  self- 
amazing  discovery  that  "The  Wild 
Duck"  is  quite  funny  in  spots.  And 


Clayton       Hamilton's 
further     addition     to 
the       gayety       ot 
nations  —  about 
"  Ta/nqu  eray  " 
being  the   greatest 
English  play  since 
Sheridan,    and    all 
that.    And  Arnold 
Daly's  charming  little 
comedy      about      the 
Kaiser.     And — 

But  space  fails  me, 
and  I  must  reluctantly 
ring  down  the  curtain 
on  a  dramatic  season 
which  we  all  sincerely 
hope  may  have  neither 
epilogue  nor  sequel. 


FULTON.  ACTORS' 
AND  AUTHORS'  THEA- 
TRE. "The  Good  Men 
Do,"  by  Hubert  Os-  ;"  "w^, 

Marry?  ' 

borne,  with  the  follow- 
ing cast : 

Nurse  Grace    Griswold 

Jenkyns  H.    Asheton   Tonge 

Judith  Victoria.  Montgomery 

Suzanna  Hilda   Spong 

Mistress   Whately  Grace    Fisher 

Anne  Hathaway  Mrs.  Thomas  A.  Wise 

Dr.    John    Hall  Albert    Gran 

The  Vicar  Maxwell   Ryder 

"HER  HONOR,  THE  MAYOR,"  a 
comedy  by  Arline  Van  Ness  Hines. 
Produced  on  May  23rd  with  this 
cast: 

Miss  Midge  Olive  May 

Windsor  Arthur   Cornell 

Mrs.  Stimson  Barr    Amelia  Summerville 
Mrs.   Emmy   Wilkins 

Ada   Oilman 


Minnie   Scott 


Mary   Blair 


Gregory  Kelly  and  Ruth  Gordon  in   '  Seventeen" 


Julia  Kennedy, 

Laura  Nelson  Hall 
Mrs.    Emmett   Potts, 

Florence   Pendleton 
Miss  Lucretia  Dobbs, 

Julia  Rheinhardt 
Henrietta  Holt  Marion  Kerby 
Rev.  Tanner  Etienne  Girardot 
Buddy  Martin, 

Charles  H.  Meredith 
Jerry   McGrath, 

J.   Irving  Southard 
Miss   Miller  Auriol    Lee 

Elsie  Harris  Margalo  Gilmore 
John  Martin  Brandon  Hurst 
Frank  Stanton, 

Edward  Fielding 
Sofie   Wojeska  Zola  Talma 

THERE  would  seem  to  be 
distinct  place  in  New 
York  stage  life  for  the 
Actors'  and  Authors'  Theatre. 
Inc.  Its  purpose  is  to  present 
simply  but  appropriately  new 
untried  plays  by  such  actors 
and  actresses  as  may  at  the 
time  be  wanting  in  permanent 
engagements.  Excellent  .casts 
are  thereby  assured.  But  like 
all  new  ventures,  time  is 


[22] 


Theatre  M*t*fine.  July  i9it 


needed   to  get  such  an  organization 
into  smooth  running  order. 

Its  initial  programme  was  hardly 
up  to  standard.  The  players  were 
entirely  adequate  and  worked  har- 
moniously and  effectively  together. 
It  was  the  playwrights  who  fell 
down.  The  curtain  raiser,  "The 
Good  Men  Do,"  hy  Hubert  Oshornc, 
a  scene  at  the  bier  of  Shakespeare, 
had  genuine  atmosphere  and  a  liter- 
ary flavor  of  distinct  merit,  but  its 
story  was  tenuous  and  its.  finale  lack- 
ing in  necessary  conviction.  Mrs. 
Thomas  A.  Wise  distinguished  her- 
self as  the  shrewish,  selfish  relict  ot 
the  immortal  poet. 

"Her  Honor,  the  Mayor,"  a  comedy 
in  three  acts,  by  Arline  Van  Ness 
Mines,  was  a  machine-made  product, 
lifeless  as  far  as  character  was  con- 
cerned and  fairly  reeking  with  a  suc- 
cession of  scenes,  that  had  all  done 
service  before.  The  idea  was  one 
that  in  the  hands  of  an  expert  might 
have  amounted  to  something.  As 
developed  by  Miss  or  Mrs.  Hines, 
it  was  nothing  but  prosaic  artificiality. 
1  he  title  role  was  acted  with  much 
spontaneous  glibness  and  nice  nat- 
uralness by  Laura  Nelson  Hall.  Ada 
Oilman,  J.  Irving  Southard  and 
Zola  Talma  shone  conspicuously  in 
the  production. 


ASTOR.  "ROCK-A-BYE  BABY." 
Musical-comedy  in  three  acts.  Book 
by  Edgar  Allan  Woolf  and  Margaret 
Mayo  ;  mu?ic  by  Jerome  Kern  ;  lyrics 
by  Herbert  Reynolds.  Produced  on 
May  22nd  with  this  cast: 


Archie  Drummond 

Monte   Laidlow 

George   Westbury 

Madame  Tentelucci 

Bell    Boy 

Alfred   Hardy 

Xoie  Hardy 

Jimmy  Jinks 

Chauffeur 

Aggie  Jinks 

Dorothy   Manners 

Maid 

Weenie 

Finnegan 

Weenie's  Father        II 

Pasquale 


Carl    Hyson 

Alan  Hale 

Eddy    Meyers 

Edna  Munsey 

S.    Sydney    Chon 

Frank   Morgan 

Edna  Hibbard 

Walter  Jones 

Frank    Derr 

Louise   Dresser 

Dorothy    Dickson 

Claire   Nagle 

Mae    Carmen 

Gus   Baci 

.   Nelson   Dickson 

Artnur   Lipson 


IT  has  become  the  fashion  of  late 
to  make  musical  pieces  out  of 
straight  farces.  The  latest  attempt 
in  this  direction  is  a  musicalized 
version  of  Margaret  Mayo's  amusing 
farce,  "Baby  Mine."  Edgar  Allan 
Woolf  undertook  to  make  the  book, 
Herbert  Reynolds  wrote  the  lyrics, 
while  Jerome  Kern  furnished  the 
music.  The  result  of  this  formidable 
collaboration  was  recently  pre- 
sented at  the  Astor  under  the  title 
"Rock-a-bye  Baby." 

It  is  only  a  summer  show,  but  the 
music  proved  to  be  one  of  the  best 
scores  Broadway  has  heard  in  many 


a  day,  while  thanks  to  Miss  Mayo's 
farcical  situations,  the  librettist  finds 
no  difficulty  in  keeping  his  auditors 
amused.  There  are  several  capital 
songs,  one  of  which  is  "There's  no 
Better  Use  for  Time  Than  Kissin,,." 
which  the  heroine  sings  while  sittini; 
up  in  bed.  Others  that  caught  the 
public's  fancy  are  "According  to  Dr. 


Ethel   Barrymore  in  "The  Lady 
with   the  Camellias" 

Holt,"  and  "My  Own  Light  Infantry," 
the  latter  a  pretty  nursing  melody. 

Edna  Hibbard,  an  attractive 
ingenue,  plays  the  role  of  Zole 
originated  by  Marguerite  Clark.  She 
gave  an  agreeable  though  somewhat 
colorless  performance.  Dorothy 
Dickson  made  a  hit  in  her  small 
part,  and  Louise  Dresser  was 
applauded  in  several  numbers. 

The  piece  is  attractively  staged. 


GLOBE.  "HiTCHY-Koo,  1918." 
Revue  in  two  acts  by  Glen  Mac- 
Donough  and  Raymond  Hubbell. 
Produced  on  June  6th  with  this 
cast: 


Yogi 

Yogi's   Assistant 

Plain  Clothes  Man 

Officer 

Lem    Balliss 

Stenographer 

Martha   Pringle 

The   Modern   Siren 

A   Manager 

A  Backer 


Ivan    Arbuckle 

Geo.    Spelvin 

Warren  Jackson 

R.  E.   Addis 

Felix    Rush 

Ruth    Mitchell 

Helen   Weer 

Iren    Bordoni 

Raymond  Hitchcock 

Leon    Errol 


Brass  KnucUe  Bessie       George   Moore 
Muck-a-Weena  Eleanor   Sinclair 

Agony   Al  Charles  Cartmcll 

Big  Bill  James   Miller 


Sn  all   Change 
LOOK   Caib 


Mary 

Tilly 

Kate 

Carmen 

Jacinta 


K">    Cumminfi 
Frank    liruinfrr 
June    i 

lirltrililr    Rial 

Kmma    llai( 
War   1 

Sara  Kmm« 
Nclli, 


II. IKK  the  summer  attraction  be- 
rau-c  alter  the  hard  work  of  the 
winter    months,    none    of    the    warm 
weatlu-r   shows   ever   tax    the   .  riti. '•, 
brain. 

••IliU-hy-Koo,"  I'jl*  vintage,  if 
somewhat  more  pretentious  than  its 
1!U7  predecessor.  If  my  memory 
serves  me  right,  Mr.  Hitchcock  made 
a  point  of  Hooverizing  on  scenery 
and  costumes  in  his  first  pn -duct  ion. 
Not  so  this  time.  Both  the  scenery 
and  costumes  are  clever  and  attrac- 
tive. 

As  to  the  show  itself,  what  more 
can  one  expect  than  to  be  entertained 
and  amused?  You  get  both  in  a 
good  measure  in  "Hitchy-Koo."  Mr. 
Hitchcock  is  the  Hitchcock  of  old, 
although  his  voice  seems  to  have  im- 
proved. I  wonder  if,  notwithstanding 
the  numerous  charities  and  other 
noble  work  he  claims  to  have  done, 
he  has  found  time  to  take  a  few 
singing  lessons! 

Leon  Errol  is  always  a  scream. 
His  work  in  the  "Dinner  Is  Served" 
scene,  where  he  takes  the  part  of  a 
chef,  is  alone  worth  the  price  of  ad- 
mission. That  clever  actress,  Ray 
Dooley,  who  appears  successively  as 
a  grown-up  baby  in  the  first  act  and 
a  kitchen  maid  in  the  second,  is  well 
worth  watching.  I  also  enjoyed  the 
antics  of  Roy  Cummings,  a  graduate 
from  vaudeville.  The  dancing  of 
Florence  O'Denishawn  deserves  spe- 
cial mention.  Nor  must  I  forget  the 
chorus  which  has  a  full  share  of 
beauties. 

As  a  whole,  as  summer  entertain- 
ment goes,  this  is  one  of  the  best 
seen  in  New  York  in  many  a  day, 
but,  as  I  stated  before,  it  will  hardly 
tax  anyone's  brain. 


CENTURY.  "BIFF-BANG."  A 
song  and  dance  revue,  by  and  with 
the  sailors  from  Pelham  Naval 
Training  Camp.  Music  by  William 
Schroeder;  lyrics  by  William  Isreal, 
Robert  D.  Cohen,  Frank  Mills  and 
Joseph  Fields.  Book  by  Philip 
Dunning.  Dances  by  Dinnie  Mac- 
Donald.  Produced  on  May  30th  with 
the  following  cast : 


The  Sailor 
The  Girl 
The  Mother 


George  Robinson 
Alonzo    King 
George    Wulfing 


The  Chicago    Millionaire. 

John    J      Byrnes 

Gypsies,  Arthur   Leydecker. 

Willis  Claire,   Harry    Davits 
The  Cabaret   Queen  Hugh    Dillman 

The  Two    Detectives. 

William   Isreal,   Robert   D.  Cohen 


The  Kid  Brother 


Jimmie   Fox 


r 


[23] 


If  the  sailor  boys  from  Pelham 
called  their  revue  "Biff-Bang"  with 
the  idea  of  scoring  sure-fire  musical 
hits  and  strike-the-bull's  eye  comedy 
scenes  they  must  be  credited  with  a 
mighty  accurate  aim. 

Whether  the  show  was  originally 
well-written  or  the  result  of  expert 
cutting  I  cannot  say,  but  the  audi- 
ence was  hardly  subjected  to  a  dull 
moment  throughout  the  performance, 
and  the  contrast  in  scenes  and  melo- 
dies would  be  a  good  example  for 
the  Broadway  revue-ists  to  follow. 

Philip  Dunning,  whose  book  was 
unobtrusively  adequate,  wisely  kept 
away  from  all  talk  of  the  war.  Not 
a  gun  or  a  battleship  was  in  evi- 
dence, and  the  chorus,  whose  beauty 
was  its  own  reward,  was  wisely  put 
to  the  fore.  William  Schroeder, 
whose  songs  heretofore  have  been 
too  complicated  to  be  widely  pop- 
ular, wrote  a  consistently  tuneful 
and  stick-to-you  score,  with  a  waltz 
called  "Love"  that  will  be  this  year's 
successor  to  the  "Sweetheart"  num- 
ber in  "Maytime." 

The  ensembles,  under  the  able  di- 
rection of  one  Dinnie  MacDonald, 
were  both  lively  and  original,  and 
the  pony  ballet  had  mastered  the 
difficult  steps  to  such  a  degree  that 
it  could  dance  with  true  professional 
indifference. 

But  the  real  hit  of  the  show  was 
scored  by  a  ravishing  row  of  "show 
girls,"  so  magnificently  gowned  as 
to  bring  tears  of  envy  to  Ziegfeld's 
eyes.  One  blonde  beauty  on  the  end 
could  work  more  havoc  in  Berlin  in 
his  "Biff-Bang"  makeup  than  he  ever 
could  in  his  Navy  uniform. 

Lest  too  much  beauty  should  cor- 
rupt New  York,  there  was  a  full 
quota  of  comedy  scenes  including 
"Things  We  Pay  to  See,"  that  was 
a  series  of  pertinent  burlesque  on 
the  movies,  the  circus — and  other 
things,  and  a  •  hilarious  dance 
grotesque  by  Wulfing  and  Fox,  that 
was  wildly  acclaimed  as  an  imitation 
of  the  Dooleys. 

The  principals,  including  Alonzo 
King  as  a  piquant  bride,  and  Edward 
Costello  in  a  charming  1830  dunce, 
were  good,  but  not  startling  enough 
to  impede  the  straight-to-Berlin 
action  of;the  show. 

"Biff-Bang"  even  succeeded  in 
crowding  the  Century,  which  is  one 
more  point  for  the  Navy. 


"ART'S  REJUVENATION,"  an  operetta 
by  Kenneth  and  Roy  Webb,  with  this 
cast: 


FULTON.  ACTORS'  AND  AUTHORS' 
THEATRE.  Four  one-act  plays. 
"MUGGINS,"  a  comedy  by  Frank  J. 
Gregory,  with  the  following  cast: 

Mrs.  Hodge          Mrs.  Thomas  A.  Wise 
Maggie  Hodge  Elizabeth   Risdon 

Muggins  Whitford   Kane 


Art 

Antique 

Cynicus 

Wisdom 

Sculpture 

Painting 

Poetry 

Music 


Harrison    Brockbank 

Harold    Fowler 

Hamilton   Earle 

Hal  Forde 

Gertrude  Dallas 

Rene    Detling 

Betty    Daintry 

Jean    Webb 


"NOCTURNE,"    a    drama    by    A.    P. 
Wharton,  with  this  cast : 

Martha  Blac"  burne  Minnie   Dupree 

Cecilia    Hope  Auriol    Lee 

Mrs.   Gaul  Marion   Kerby 

James  Trantbridge  Dudley  E.  Oatman 

The  Man   in   Grey  Courtenay  Foote 


"THE  BEST  SELLERS,"  a  musical 
fantasy  by  Kenneth  and  Roy  Webb, 
with  this  cast: 


Queen   Wilhem 
George  Washin 

Lady  Claire 
John    Smith 
Faro   Kate 
Capt.  Blake 
Black  Ben 
The  Buyer 
The  Seller 


Edith   Taliaferro 
gton  van  Rensalaer, 

Charles  Meredith 
Edith  Taliaferro 
Regan    Hughston 
Edith  Taliaferro 
Regan  Hughston 
J.    Irving   Southard 
Dudley   E     Oatman 
Agnes  Patterson 


EITHER  there  is  a  paucity  of 
really  good  material  or  the  play 
committee  of  the  Actors'  and  Au- 
thors' Theatre,  Inc.,  is  lacking  in  dis- 
crimination, for  its  second  bill  now 
on  view  at  the  Fulton,  consisting  of 
four  one-act  pieces,  is  f£r  from  sat- 
isfactory. 

Its  final  item,  an  hilarious  sub- 
limated vaudeville  sketch  by  the 
Webb  brothers,  Kenneth  and  Roy, 
called  "The  Best  Sellers,"  is  a  very 
amusing  skit  on  the  exaggerated 
vagaries  by  some  of  our  popular  au- 
thors. It  is  admirably  acted  in  the 
true  vein  of  burlesque  by  Edith 
Taliaferro,  Chas.  Meredith,  Regan 
Hughston  and  J.  Irving  Southard. 
Mr.  Hughston  is  a  veritable  artist. 
A  couple  of  the  sketches  were  of 
English  origin.  If  there  are  not  two 
of  American  .composition  equal  to 
these  in  either  theme  or  treatment 
then  the  native  drama  is  in  a 
parlous  state. 

In  "Muggins,"  the  opening  number 
by  Frank  J.  Gregory,  Whitford  Kane 
gives  his  familiar  impersonation  of 
an  abashed  Lancashire  suitor.  This 
time  failing  to  win  the  daughter,  he 
follows  on  and  woos  and  takes  to 
wife  the  mother.  It  is  all  very  in- 
genuous and  palpable.  Mrs.  Wise 
and  Elizabeth  Risdon  help  out. 
"Nocturne,"  by  A.  P.  Wharton,  is 
the  dream  romance  of  a  poor,  over- 
worked, disillusioned  spinster.  It 
took  an  unconscionable  time  to 
plant  its  premises.  Whether  they 
were  worth  the  time  and  effort  may 


be  open  to  debate.  I  vote  no. 
Minnie  Dupree  was  a  gentle,  pathetic 
figure  and  her  shadowy  Lancelot 
was  poetically  presented  by  Courtney 
Foote.  An  operetta  by  the  Webb 
brothers,  called  Art's  Rejuvenation, 
completed  the  bill.  Symbolically 
fantastic  it  contains  a  mild  appeal. 
Harrison  Brockbank,  Hamilton  Earle 
and  Hal  Forde  did  full  justice  to  its 
score.  To  add  further  to  the  spice 
of  variety,  M.  and  Mme.  Edouard 
de  Kurylo  gave  a  so-called  dance  of 
the  American  Indian. 


VARIOUS  WAR  BENEFITS.  Music 
even  hath  charms  to  win  the  wary 
dollar  after  we've  "given  until  it 
hurts,"  as  the  President  advised,  and 
the  Red  Cross,  the  Thrift  Stamp 
Campaign,  and  many  war  charities 
have  been  aided  by  monster  con- 
certs within  the  past  month. 

Although  these  events  are  of 
musical,  rather  than  dramatic,  im- 
portance, the  theatrical  profession 
has  helped  the  song-birds  and  instru- 
mentalists by  working  hand  in  hand. 

The  greatest  undertaking  was  the 
Thrift  Stamp  Festival,  when  Men- 
delssohn's "Elijah"  was  given  at  the 
Polo  Grounds  on  Sunday  afternoon. 
June  second,  with  a  chorus  of  ten 
thousand  voices  under  the  baton  ot 
Lieutenant  John  Philip  Sousa,  who 
had  his  great  marine  band,  and 
Sophie  Braslau,  Marie  Sundelius, 
Oscar  Seagle,  and  Charles  Harrison 
among  the  soloists. 

Like  all  those  mammoth  affairs, 
the  anticipation  was  far  better  than 
the  realization.  The  two  men  sing- 
ers had  fine  diction,  but  the  chorus, 
which  took  half  an  hour  to  march 
on  the  field  and  find  their  places, 
was  less  impressive  than  a  single 
soloist.  The  thousands  of  voices 
seemed  to  lose  themselves  in  vine 
air  vacuum  and  merge  into  insignifi- 
cance. The  Polo  Grounds  will 
never  have  a  successful  open  air 
choral  until  it  bows  to  the  inevitable. 
and  erects  a  temporary  sounding- 
board  behind  the  singers. 

Of  course,  they  were  exposed  to  a 
broiling  sun,  and  every  few  minutes 
some  unfortunate  chorister  would 
keel  over,  to  be  revived  by  har.l- 
working  sailors  \vith  buckets  of 
water.  "Elijah"  was  pretty  near 
being  in  the  wilderness,  as  far  as 
discomfort  was  concerned. 

The  one  enthusiastic  bit  of  the 
afternoon  was  when  Leon  Rot'nier 
sang  the  "Marseillaise"  with  superb 
fervor  and  the  vast  audience  rose  to 
acclaim  him.  Aside  from  that,  the 
only  thrill  of  the  occasion  was  the 
combination  of  an  oratorio  and'  an 
ice  cream  cone  at  the  same  time. 
(Concluded  on  page  52) 


[24] 


Tkealrt  Mtttsint.  July, 


THE 

F 


L 
L 

I 
E 


E 

A 


T 


E 
S 


Photos  Alfred  Cheney  Johnston 


LILLIAN   LORRAINE 

The  beauty  of  a  lovely  woman  is  like  music — ELIOT 


MARGARET  CLAYTON 

There  is  no  beauty  on  earth  which  exceeds  the  natural  loveliness  of  womvi — J.  PETIT-SEXX 


Theatrt  Mittsime,  July. 


DOLORES 

She  mores  a  goddess,  and  she  looks  a  queen! — HOMER 


RUTH   TAYLOR 

Beautiful  as  szveet!  and  young  as  beautiful! — YOUNG 


Thtalrt  Umftnmt,  J*ly,  ,9,l 


LEONORA    MASSO 

Eyes  darker  than  darkest  pansies — TENNYSOX 


MAKING  A  MYSTERY  OF  ACTING 

How   many   of  our  so-called  critics   recognize 
good    acting    when   they   see    it?     An   inquiry 

By  WALTER  PRITCHARD  EATON 


LOUIS  CALVERT,  skilled  and  experienced 
actor,  has  just  published  a  book  about  his 
art — "Problems  Of  The  Actor,"  to  which 
Clayton  Hamilton  has  contributed  a  preface. 
It  is  not  my  purpose  to  say  anything  about  Mr. 
Calvert's  book,  which  is  full  of  sound  sense,  ex- 
cellent advice  to  the  young  actor,  the  reflect  ons 
drawn  from  ripe  experience;  it  adds  one-more  to 
the  too  small  number  of  volumes  about  acting 
written  by  actors.  If  it  were  less  excellent  than 
it  is,  it  would  still  be  a  blessed  improvement  on 
the  traditional  Sunday  "interview,'"  which  is  the 
usual  way  in  which  actors  cast  a  fog  about  their 
art.  But  what  I  should  like  to  do  is  to  enler  a 
protest  against  certain  statements  in  Mr.  Hamil- 
ton's introduction,  because  they  represent  a  point 
of  view  toward  acting  which  is,  unfortunately, 
quite  too  common,  to  the  very  great  detriment 
of  the  art. 

Mr.  Hamilton  says,  with  that  categorical  finali- 
ty of  statement  characteristic  of  Morningside 
Heights:  "It  is, not  unfair  to  state  that  no  'dra- 
matic critic'  of  the  present  time  (and  the  writer 
of  this  sentence  is  one  among  the  many)  knows 
anything  at  all  about  the  craftsmanship  of  act- 
ing. 'Dramatic  critics'  are  often  able  to  eluci- 
date the  problems  of  the  playwright.  Whether  or 
not  they  happen  to  have  written  plays,  they  are, 
at  least,  accustomed  to  the  processes  of  author- 
ship ;  they  can  tell  a  good  play  from  a  bad  play, 
and  can  explain  to  the  public  the  reason  why 
one  play  is  worthy  of  consideration  and  another 
worthy  only  of  contempt.  But  when  it  comes 
to  'criticising'  actors,  they  can  merely  state  that 
they  liked  one  performer  and  did  not  like 
another,  and  cannot — in  either  case — explain  the 
reason  whv. 


IN  my  entire  association  with  the  tH?atrt 
which  stretches  back  over  a  period  of  fifteen 
years — I  have  never  met  a  man,  however  cul- 
tured, whose  opinions. on  the  art  of  acting  were 
of  any  value,  unless  he  was  himself  an  actor, 
a  stage-director,  or  a  playwright ;  and,  from  con- 
versations with  my  elders,  I  have  gathered  evi- 
dence of  only  two  laymen  in  the  English-speak- 
ing world  whose  appreciation  of  this  art  could 
be  regarded  as  authoritative.  One  if  these  was 
George  Henry  Lewes,  whose  treatise,  On  Actors 
and  the  Art  of  Acting — originally  published  in 
the  early  eighteen-seventies — is  still  accepted  as 
a  standard  work,  because  no  subsequent  'dramat- 
ic critic  has  been  able  to  transcend  and  super- 
sede it.  The  other  was  Professor  Fleeming  Jen- 
kin, — the  friend"  and  teacher  of  Robert  Louis 
Stevenson  at  the  University  of  Edinburgh;  but 
Jenkin  was  noted  as  an  amateur  actor,  and  per- 
haps, on  this  account,  cannot  rightly  be  regarded 
as  a  non-practitioner." 

He  further  says,  that  the  laws  of  musical  com- 
position, architecture,  painting,  sculpture,  play- 
writing,  poetry  have  been  expounded  by  the  lay- 
man, but  the  laws  of  acting,  never.  Only  an 
actor,  he  says,  can  expound  them.  And  from  this 
he  seems  to  draw  the  inference  that  only  an  actor 
has  any  right  to  express  an  opinion  about  the 
practice  of  the  art  of  acting. 

There  is  just  enough  truth  in  all  this  to  make 
it  sound  plausible,  and  the  more  people  who 
find  it  plausible,  the  more  people  will  give  up  the 


effort   to   understand   the   art   of  acting,  and  the 
lower   the   art  will   sink. 

In  the  first  place,  Mr.  Hamilton  falls  Into  the 
common  confusion  of  lumping  the  art  of  acting 
with  the  other  arts  of  painting,  writing  and  so 
on.  The  art  of  acting,  in  common  with  the  art 
of  musical  reproduction  (though  to  a  greater  ex- 
tent), does  not  depend  on  any  fixed  "laws"  for 
its  effect;  it  depends  almost  exclusively  on  the 
human  personality  of  the  actor,  on  the  mood  of 
the  moment.  Once  painted,  the  picture  is  done ; 
once  written,  the  poem  is  frozen ;  once  erected 
in  stone  or  steel,  the  architect's  building  is  for- 
ever a  monument  (or  an  accusation).  But  no 
actor  lives  who  can  give  exactly  the  same  per- 
formance two  nights  running,  and  no  two  actors 
live  who  can  give  the  same  performance  of  the 
same  part.  Moreover,  you  cannot  take  their 
art  home  and  study  it,  you  cannot  visit  it  at  all 
hours  of  the  day  to  study  it.  You  have  got  to 
see  it,  as  they  to  practice  it,  at  a  certain  hour, 
in  a  certain  place,  with  all  the  proper  accessories. 


AN  architect  gets  an  effect  of  soaring  height 
by  accentual. ng  the  vertical  and  eliminating 
the  horizontal  lines,  as  Cass  Gilbert  did  in  the 
Woolworth  Building,  and  you  and  I  and  Mr. 
Hamilton  can  tell  how  he  did  it,  by  standing  in 
City  Hall  Park  and  gazing  upward.  But  when 
Renaud,  as  Don  Giovanni,  sent  a  shiver  down 
three  thousand  backbones,  and  keyed  the  opera 
up  to  the  pitch  of  tragedy,  merely  by  standing  be- 
low the  Commander's  statue  and  throwing  open 
his  redlined  cloak,  who  can  say  how  he  did  it?  I 
once  asked  him,  and  he  couldn't.  »He  admitted 
that  his  eyes  probably  had  something  to  do  with 
it,  and  the  color  of  his  cloak  lining.  Beyond 
that,  he  said  it  was  instinct,  practice  in  feeling 
out  the  moods  of  an  audience,  emotional  intensi- 
ty in  his  own  mood  reacting  on  the  crowd — he 
knew  not  quite  what.  Thus  Renaud,  one  of  the 
greatest  lyric  actors  in  the  world,  and  one  of 
the  most  intelligent.  Similarly,  I  once  asked 
George  Arliss  how  he  secured  the  sinister  effect 
of  his  entrance  into  the  ballroom  scene  in  "Becky 
Sharp"  (he  played  Lord  Steyne  to  Mrs.  Fiske's 
Reeky),  without  speaking  a  word.  He,  too,  re- 
plied that  his  eyes  had  something  to  do  with 
it,  and,  still  more,  he  thought,  the  fact  that 
before  he  came  on,  he  put  himself  rigorously  into 
the  proper  mood,  which,  he  felt,  communicated 
itself.  There,  again,  we  are  getting,  from  one  of 
the  most  intelligent  of  actors,  an  explanation  of 
an  effect  which  has  little  to  do  with  "laws,"  with 
technique  in  the  academic  sense,  which  is  the 
sheer  metaphysics  of  mood  and  sympathy.  If 
the  actors  can't  do  any  better  than  this  (and  not 
even  Mr.  Calvert  really  does),  why  expect  the 
poor  dramatic  critics  to  put  into  "laws"  what 
thev  cannot? 


THIS  doesn't  mean  that  acting  has  no  tech- 
nique, or  that  such  effects  can  be  achieved  by 
mere  "inspiration."  The  mere  fact  that  each  ac- 
tor spoke  of  the  use  of  his  eyes  is  against  any 
such  rash  statement.  However,  a  tolerably  com- 
petent observer  who  had  made  some  effort  to 
study  acting  from  "out  front"  would  be  aware 
that  each  man  used  his  eyes  effectively,  Renaud 


with  an  electric,  defiant,  and  yet  curiously  ter- 
rified flash,  Arliss  with  a  droop-lidded,  sinister 
leeriness.  Now,  when  Strauss  in  "Salome"  rasps 
the  auditors'  nerves  by  making  the  bass  fiddles 
yank  heavily  rosined  bows  over  the  G  string  (or 
whatever  string  it  is),  while  all  the  other  instru- 
ments are  silent,  naturally  any  "critic"  can  ex- 
plain to  a  waiting  world  all  the  "laws"  involved 
in  the  process.  It  is  mechanics,  like  Gilbert's 
uprights  in  the  Woolworth  Building.  But  quite 
naturally  no  critic  can  tell  anybody  how  another 
man  uses  his  eyes — he  can  only  analyze  the  ef- 
fect produced.  When  you  come  to  read  Mr.  Cal- 
vert's book,  you  find  that  he  cannot  tell,  either. 
He  can  advise  the  young  actor  to  learn  how  to 
use  his  eyes — but  he  can't  tell  him  how  to  do  it, 
for  the  simple  reason  that  every  man's  eyes  are 
his  own,  and  nobody  else's.  I  have  no  doubt 
Cleopatra  used  her  eyes,  but  she  would  have 
had  a  rather  difficult  time  explaining  the  process 
to  Queen  Victoria. 

It  is  perfectly  natural,  then,  that  in  an  art 
which  so  entirely  depends  on  the  personal  ele- 
ment there  is  a  far  less  body  of  traditional  rules 
to  guide  the  beginner,  he  has  to  learn  far  more 
for  himself  by  actual  practice,  and,  further,  that 
what  body  of  rules  or  suggestions  there  is  has 
almost  entirely  been  written  by  the  actors  them- 
selves, who  have  actually  practiced  this  art  of 
harnessing  the  personality.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
even  in  architecture,  painting,  sculpture,  it  is  not 
to  the  books  of  the  critics  that  the  students  go, 
but  to  the  practical  practitioners.  Xobody  ever 
learned  to  paint  by  reading  Ruskin — who.  by  the 
way,  himself  could  handle  a  brush.  Keats  has 
made  more  poets  than  all  his  critics,  merely  by 
the  results  of  his  practice.  But  all  this  doesn't 
prove  that  nobody  but  an  actor  has  any  right  to 
talk  about  acting,  or  can  appreciate  technical  pro- 
ficiency, or  can  understand  the  causes  of  differ- 
ence between  a  good  performance  and  a  bad. 


WHEN  Mr.  Hamilton  says  that  no  present 
day  dramatic  critic  knows  anything  about 
acting,  and  only  two  in  the  past,  he  is  emitting 
nonsense.  In  all  conscience,  America  is  flooded 
with  incompetent  critics,  for  the  newspapers,  as 
a  rule,  make  no  effort  to  pick  men  properly 
equipped  for  the  delicate  task  of  critical  analysis, 
and  do  not  keep  them  long  enough  on  the  job 
to  acquire  experience.  It  takes  a  critic  some 
years  to  pick  up  the  intricacies,  just  as  it  takes 
an  actor  some  years.  But  there  are  critics  who 
know  good  acting  when  they  see  it,  and  who  can 
tell  you  why  it  is  good.  If  there  weren't,  it 
would  be  a  sad  commentary  on  human  intelli- 
gence. There  have  been  many  more  in  the  past. 
Some  of  whom  wrote  more  interestingly  than 
George  Henry  Lewes,  whose  dry  book  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton so  overrates.  There  is  a  critic  on  a  New 
York  daily  at  present,  a  man  of  ripe  years  and 
long  observation,  who  knows  very  well  the  possi- 
ble effects  an  actor  could  achieve  in  a  given  role, 
knows  when  he  falls  short  and  why  he  falls  short. 
The  technical  fundamentals  Mr.  Calvert,  the 
actor,  mentions  in  his  book  are  understood  by 
this  critic  perfectly  from  long  observation  of 
players  in  action.  They  were  understood  by 
William  Winter,  too,  who,  in  spite  of  his  distaste 
for  everything  modern  in  playwriting,  never 


[so; 


Tkealrt  M*ft:,xr,  July,  if  it 


Photos  H'liit 


Carnival  scene  in  Mildred  Cram's  play,  "The   Door" 
AN  AMATEUR  COMEDY  CLUB  PRODUCTION  AT  THE  GARDEN  THEATRE  RECENTLY 


Edna  Hibbard  Louise  Dresser  Frank  Morgan 

"ROCK-A-BYE  BABY,"  A  NEW  MUSICAL  COMEDY  AT  THE  ASTOR 

SOME      LATE      SEASON       PRODUCTIONS 


failed  to  appreciate  fine  acting,  and  could  ex- 
plain in  the  utmost  detail  not  only  the  effects, 
but  the  evident  means  used  to  achieve  them. 

Does  it  take  a  towering  genius  to  determine 
whether  an  actor's  voice  has  a  varied  range, 
whether  it  is  pitched  right,  whether  his  tones 
are  colored  to  the  emotion  or  key  of  the  scene? 
It  is  not  the  critic's  place  to  tell  the  actor 
how-  to  train  his  voice,  or  how  to  color  it. 
But,  unless  he  is  a  fool,  he  knows  whether  it  has 
been  trained  or  colored,  and  he  knows  that  cer- 
tain emotional  effects  are  gained  or  enhanced  by 
a  proper  use  of  it.  It  is  no  more  his  business  to 
•tell  the  actor  how  to  use 'his  eyes,  but  he  knows 
when  the  eyes  have  been  used  and  when  they 
have  not  been  used.  More  than  one  critic  knew 
what  a  splendid  actor  Frank  Worthing  was,  and 
•knows  what  a  brilliant  comedienne  Laura  Hope 
Crews  is  (neither  of  them  "stars"),  and  just  why 
each  excelled  or  excels.  If  it  were  not  for  the 
prevalence  of  this  Hamiltonian  attitude,  this  be- 
lief that  nobody  but  an  actor  can  possibly  tell 
whether  acting  is  good  or  bad,  or  why  it  is  good 
or  bad,  more  people  would  listen  to  criticism, 
and  there  would  be  a  keener  appreciation  of  such 
players  as  these  two. 

At  the  production  of  Jesse  Lynch   Williams's 
comedy,  "W'hy  Marry?"  I  heard  a  layman    (not 


even  a  critic),  express  a  capital  appreciation  of 
Nat  Goodwin's  acting.  "1  he  old  boy  was  al- 
ways on  hand  with  the  oil  can,"  he  said.  Now, 
Mr.  Calvert,  in  his  book,  has  a  whole  chapter 
about  the  duty  of  the  actor  to  help  the  play,  to 
contribute  his  share  no  less  while  the  other  char- 
acters are  speaking  than  while  he  is  speaking. 
Here  was  Mr.  Goodwin  bustling  about,  playing 
a  delightful  character,  and  keeping  every  scene 
when  he  was  on  the  stage  right  up  to  the  mark. 
And  here  was  a  layman  in  the  audience  grasping 
the  fact  and  taking  pleasure  in  it. 

Mr.  Calvert  speaks  of  the  art  of  listening  as 
an  important  part  of  the  actor's  equipment.  He 
tells  the  young  player  how  to  listen,  how  long 
to  "wait  on  a  laugh,"  what  to  do  with  his  eyes, 
etc.  But,  bless  your  heart,  long  ago  the  New 
York  critics  used  to  write  columns  telling  what 
a  good  listener  Joe  Weber  was  ad  the  old  Music 
Hall,  analyzing  the  upturned,  expectant  tilt  of  his 
head,  describing  his  complete  absorption  in  the 
conversation,  his  utter  failure  to  show  any  ap- 
preciation of  his  own  comedy,  and  so  on.  As 
we  look  back  on  the  old  Music  Hall,  it  is  Joe 
We'ber's  listening,  perhaps,  that  we  think  of  with 
the  keenest  pleasure.  We  knew — all  of  us — 
what  he  was  about. 

Mr.  Hamilton  says  all  any  critic  can  do  is  to 


say  he  didn't  like  one  actor  and  did  like  another, 
and  cannot  tell  the  reason  why.  If  that  is  a-H  Mr. 
Hamilton  can  do,  he's  missed  his  vocation.  (Of 
course,  it  isn't.)  I  didn't  like  Maude  Adams  in 
act  one  of  ''The  Legend  of  Lecnora,"  and  I  can 
tell  you  exactly  why.  She  was  supposed  to  be  half 
a  dozen  kinds  of  a  woman,  and  she  can  be  only 
one  kind — the  Maude  Adams  kind — which  is  a 
very  nice  kind,  to  be  sure.  1  didn't  like  Na.zi- 
mova  as  Hedda  Gabler,  and  I  can  tell  you  exactly 
why,  only  it  would  take  too  long.  So  can  Mr. 
Hamilton.  I  liked  John  Barrymore  in  "Justice," 
and  I  can  tell  you  exactly  why,  again.  I  could 
still,  after  two  decades,  analyze  Mrs.  Fiske's  per- 
formance either  as  Tess  or  Becky  Sharp,  and  de- 
scribe a  score  of  effects  she  gained  by  this  or  that 
vocal  one,  by  a  peculiar  emphasis,  by  a  look,  a 
gesture,  a  cry;  though  by  what  inner  process  of 
the  emotions  and  imagination  she  first  conceived 
these  effects  I  cannot  tell  you  and  probably  she 
cannot  either,  any  more  than  Mozart  could  tell 
you  how  the  melody  of  the  "Don  Giovanni"  min- 
uet came  into  his  brain.  What  she  might  tell  you.  if 
you  were  an  actor,  is  how,  when  you  have  found 
your  effect,  to  school  yourself  to  reproduce  it 
again,  night  after  night,  at  will.  And  therein 
lies  the  great  value  of  the  actor's  words  on  act- 
ing, which  no  mere  observer  can  supply. 


IS  A  CHORUS  GIRL 

By  LEWIS  ALLEN 


SUMMER  GARDEN  THEATRE, 
New  York  City. 

DEAR  Sis: 

Just  got  your  frantic  letter  saying  that  if  I 
brought  the  great,  shining,  glorious  and  bucolic 
name  of  "Wiggins"  to  an  ignominious  (I  guess 
that's  the  word  you  meant  to  write,  but  it  looked 
more  like  "indigestible,"  to  me),  shame  by  going 
on  the  stage,  you  would  never  mention  my  name 
again. 

You  don't  have  to  mention  it,  because  I've 
changed  it  to  "Sari  St.  John."  They  told  me  that 
"Carrie  Wiggins"  was  too  euphonious — I  looked 
the  word  up  and  it's  no  insult,  otherwise  I'd  have 
slapped  that  guy's  face — and  that  I'd  better  pick 
out  something  else.  "Who  ever  heard  of  a  chorus 
girl  with  a  natural  sounding  name?"  the  director 
asked  me. 

When  I  wrote  you  that  I  was  so  dead  tired  of 
yelling  "Two  on  th'  beef,  meed-e-yum,"  in  a 
beanery,  that  I  was  desperate  enough  to  marry  a 
lame  widower,  I  was  telling  the  truth.  Then  T 
.saw  that  "ad"  about  chorus  girls  wanted  and 
decided  to  try. 

Of  course  you  hate  to  believe  that  your  homely 
•sister  Carrie,  with  the  upshoot  nose  and  large 
freckles,  ever  managed  to  get  a  job  at  $30  per  to 
start  in  a  chorus,  and  you  are  wondering  about 
the  chorus  part  because  you  know  that  whenever 
I  tried  to  sing  back  home  the  livestock  would 
stampede  and  run  for  the  woods. 

A  chorus  girl  has  about  as  much  to  do  with 
singing  as  a  butterfly  has  to  do  with  the  week's 
churning. 

I've  been  on  the  stage  a  whole  month  now  and 
still  retain  my  girlish  laughter  and  all  of  my 
freckles.  Your  letter,  sent  to  the  beanery,  was 
a  long  time  being  forwarded. 

I  suppose  you  want  to  know  all  about  the  "ex- 
amination" that  you  mention  in  your  letter. 
Well,  Sis,  it  fooled  me  a  little.  I  always  believed 
that  a  girl  had  to  demonstrate  to  the  boss,  when 
she  tried  for  a  chorus  girl  job,  whether  she  was 


built  like  a  lead  pencil  or  a  sofa  cushion.  And 
so  I  dolled  up  underneath  in  my  classiest  inti- 
mate garments  and  gritted  my  teeth  and  decided 
that  as  long  as  other  girls  had  lived  through  it 
I  guessed  I  could. 

"Examination?"  Say,  it  was  a  scream.  Some 
examination,  lie — the  man  who  hired  me — ex- 
amined my  hands,  my  feet,  and  took  a  hasty 
look  at  my  face.  Recovering  from  the  latter, 
he  asked  me  to  walk  across  the  room.  I  heard 
him  mutter  to  another  man  beside  him,  "She's 
the  first  girl  in  two  days  that  didn't  trip  over 
her  own  feet  and  we  can  camouflage  them 
freckles,"  and  the  other  man  nodded  his  head, 
and  they  told  me  to  come  next  day  at  ten  for 
rehearsals. 

Why,  Sis,  it  was  the  most  depressingly  correct 
and  highly  moral  proceeding  I  ever  dreamed 
of.  That  time  I  applied  to  old  Deacon  Smith  - 
ers  down  to  the  village  in  Homeberg  for  a  job 
in  his  grocery  store  as  cashier  he  held  my  hand 
and  chucked  me  under  the  chin  and-  -but  you 
remember  that,  and  how  I  walloped  him  in  the 
nose  and  walked  out.  Nothing  like  it  here.  I 
was  the  most  surprised  girl  you  ever  saw.  I 
thought  I'd  got  to  show — but  you  will  recall  what 
I  wrote.  Nothing  to  it. 

There's  a  bunch  of  girls,  mostly  frights,  who 
are  in  the  back  rows  and  who  can  sing  to  beat 
our  church  choir.  They  are  hired  to  sing.  Their 
faces  are  pretty  well  plastered  up,  but  they  have 
to  keep  in  the  back  rows  because — well,  what 
good  is  paint  and  powder  as  a  fairy-aid  to 
knobby,  emaciated  and  wabbly  extremities,  I  ask 
you  ? 

When  they  get  the  rouge  on  me  and  the  white 
and  the  eyebrow  stuff  and  lip-stick  paint  and  the 
messy  stuff  on  my  eyelashes  to  make  "em  look 
long,  you  wouldn't  know  me,  and  I've  learned 
a  lot  about  dancing.  I  knew  a  whole  lot  before; 
I  never  practiced  dancing  out  in  our  barn  for 
years  for  nothing. 

I    am    sending    you    a    programme.     See    my 


name  on  it?  I'm  one  of  the  Arctic  girls  in  one 
scene  and  one  of  the  Grecian  goddesses  in 
another,  and  in  the  third  I'm  one  of  the  Apple 
Blossom  girls.  Perhaps  some  day  I'll  send  you 
my  picture  in  the  apple  blossom  suit.  Just  now 
I  don't  dare  to,  as  I'm  afraid  you  couldn't  stand 
all  of  this  excitement)  at  once  and  the  apple- 
blossom  suit  is  Hooverized  to  a  fare-ye-well 
consisting  mostly  of  a  couple  of  pink  petals. 
But  you'll  like  me  in  the  Greek  goddess  cos- 
tume. I'm  enclosing  the  picture.  I'm  the  second 
from  the  left — your  right.  I'm  getting  so  stagy 
now  that  I  talk  like  a  stage  diagram,  "R.  U.  E.." 
and  "L-3,"  which  is  all  a  blank  to  you,  I  know. 

I  suppose  you  think  that  after  being  one  of 
those  terrible  wild  chorus  girls  for  a  month  I 
ought  to  have  a  house  on  the  drive  and  a  limou- 
sine and  two  pounds  of  diamonds.  You've  got 
another  think  coming.  I've  only  seen  two  chaps 
I  thought  were  Willie  Boys  hanging  around  the 
stage  door,  and  it  seems  they  were  waiting  for 
their  mothers  who  were  in  the  chorus  and  had 
been  for  twenty-four  years. 

There's  no  brain  work  in  this,  all  you  have  to 
remember  to  do  is  to  keep  grinning,  keep  in 
step,  and  pretend  to  sing.  And  the  dancing  and 
marching  exercise  is  mild  and  healthful.  I  used 
to  get  more  exercise  in  one  hour  at  the  beanery 
than  I  get  in  a  week  here. 

I  wish  you  could  come  and  see  some  of  the 
clothes  we  have  to  wear.  No  almost-silk,  but 
the  real  goods,  and  shoes  that  would  set  you 
back  about  sixteen  bucks.  You  and  Billy  may 
be  tucking  something  away  in  a  sock  every  year 
and  you  may  be  pillars  of  the  church  and  all 
that,  but  you  don't  know  you're  living. 

You  know  me,  Sis.  I'll  fall  some  day,  sure  as 
preaching,  but  when  I  do  it  will  be  for  a  gink 
who  hands  me  a  plain  gold  ring  and  can  stand 
right  up  in  front  of  the  parson  and  say  "I  do" 
without  keeping  his  fingers  crossed. 

Your   loving   sister, 

CARRIE. 


[32] 


©  Edith  Emerson 


Mural   decoration   for   the   Little   Theatre,   Philadelphia,   l>y    Kdilh 
Emerson,  representing  "The  Marriage  of   Dionysus   .-md    Ari.ulnr" 


Thealrt  Mitisint.  July,  ifll 


Charles   Rann  Kennedy,  the  author,  and 
his  actress  wife,  Edith  Wynne  Matthison 


Nazimova — a  bust  by  the  dancer 
sculptor   Paul   Swan 


Arnold  Genthe 


RIHANI 

An  agile,  fantastic  and  engaging  dancer  seen  with  the  Other 
Players.      Her   static   dancing   is   extraordinarily    interesting 


After  a  successful  appear- 
ance in  "Toot  Toot"  this  sea- 
son, this  popular  player  is 
now  in  the  f.  S.  Marine  Corps 


SEEN   IN   THE   G  L  A  II  E   OF   THE   SPOTLIGHT 


WHAT  IS  AN  IMMORAL  PLAY? 

Distinctions  to  be  drawn  between  the  piece  that 
conveys  a  lesson  and  one  that  is  merely  suggestive 

By  ADA  PATTERSON 


EVERY  season  there  are  hand  raisings  and 
eye  rollings  and  elevation  of  eyebrows  at 
that  portion  of  the  collective  amusement 
offerings  which  the  public  regards  as  immoral. 

Sometimes  the  plays  come  to  a  speedy  end, 
though  in  many  instances,  it  must  be  granted, 
not  because  they  are  immoral,  but  because  they 
are  dull.  The  public  has  a  tolerant  soul.  It 
classifies  naughty  plays  with,  naughty  persons. 
If  they  are  sufficiently  amusing  their  naughtiness 
is  condoned.  But  the  union  of  Miss  Naughti- 
ness with  Mr.  Dullness  is  a  mesalliance  which 
Parent  Public  never  forgives.  The  salacious 
play  is  on  a  plane  with  its  cousin,  the  wicked 
story.  Wit  covers  a  multitude  of  evils.  Like- 
wise is  there  resemblance  between  the  play  that 
is  deemed  vicious  and  an  audacious  woman.  For 
their  brilliancy  both  are  pardoned. 

"It  is  a  bad  play,  but  not  in  the  sense  you 
mean,"  exclaimed  an  impatient  home-goer  who 
had  issued  five  minutes  before  from  a  Broadway 
playhouse.  "A  bad  play  is  one  tfnat  b$res  you." 

An  example  of  public  tolerance  is  found  with- 
out exception  at  a  musical  play.  •  Given  pretty 
faces  and  shapely  legs  and  smart  costumes,  a 
fair  book  and  music  accelerance, — it  must  be 
accelerando — and  audacities  of  speech  and  mere- 
triciousness  of  plot  are  veiled  by  the  enveloping 
mantle  of  charity. 

An  instance  is  "The  Girl  from  Rector's,"  on 
which  good  playgoers  turned  the  cold  shoulder 
a  brief  span  of  years  age',  yet  coming  back  gar- 
mented in  music  as  "See  You  Later,"  I  prophecy 
that  it  will  have  a  warm  welcome.  Always  with 
the  provision  that  the  faces  are  sufficiently  pretty, 
the  leg,s  shapely  enough  and  the  music  accel- 
erando. Always  accelerando. 
«*EB9^ 


FOUR  plays,  and  a  feeble  fifth,  have  pained 
New  York's  nice  sensibilities  in  the  closing 
season.  Of  these,  three  "are  brain  children  of 
the  prolific  putters  forth,  known  as  the  Hattons. 
Not  a  vaudeville  team,  but  "a  brace  of  Chicago 
playwrights,  married  and  indefatigable  writers. 
Fanny  Hatton  is  the  daughter  of  a  clergyman, 
Frederick  Hatton,  an  ex-critic.  Wherefore  their 
courage  to  write  of  things  as  they  see  them. 
Admirers  of  the  fecund  pair  have  compared  them 
with  Balzac,  the  comparison  being  provoked  by 
their  power  to  expand  a  small  segment  of  life 
into  an  evening's  entertainment.  Those  who 
hold  for  them  a  smaller  measure  of  admiration 
accuse  them  of  frivolity  and  of  a  daring  beyond 
the  boundaries  of  good  taste. 

But  what  of  the  public  that  is-  as  far  mightier 
than  the  official  critic  as  the  ocean  is  greater 
than  the  raindrop?  The  public  laughed  joyously 
for  a  season  at  "Lombard!'  Ltd.,"  which  included 
a  mannikin  who  artlessly  offered  her  person  to  a 
male  dressmaker  because  she  believed  such  course 
is  customary,  and  is  the  price  of  advancement. 
Heavily  played  this  scene  would  have  been  nau- 
seous. But  deftly  done  and  incidental  to  the 
good  character  work  of  a  gifted  actor,  and  a 
continual  shower  of  witticisms,  the  most  power- 
ful of  all  censors,  public  opinion,  winked  at  it. 
The  second  Hatton  child,  the  "Squab  Farm," 
was  received  with  less  warmth.  A  candid  expose 
of  the  harem-like  conditions  that  are  believed  to 
prevail  in  a  particular  cinema  studio,  a  comedy 


with  notes  of  pathos,  was  shorter  lived.  Well 
staged  and  admirably  acted,  there  was  a  more 
or  less  obvious  recoil  from  it.  -In  part  because 
of  the  unpleasantness  of  the  theme.  In  greater 
part  because  it  was  less  plentifully  begemmed 
with  wit.  The  third  of  their  trio  of  comedies, 
"The  Indestructible  Wife,"  tarried  briefly  on 
the  boards.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hatton  built  the  play 
upon  a  phrase.  Airs.  Hatton,  because  of  her 
abounding  energy,  has  won  from  her  intimates 
the  nickname  "Tireless  One"  and  "The  Inde- 
structible Wife."  Applying  the  last  to  an  ath- 
letic brfde  w)ho  wearies  of  her  lymphatic  hus- 
band and  seeks  one  of  greater  vitality,  the  Hat- 
tons  labored,  but  I  am  convinced,  not  with  their 
usual  assiduity,  to  develop  the  theme.  They 
wrote  the  play  as  though  they  were  tired  and 
anxious  to  finish  a  stunt.  Audiences  displayed 
the  same  spirit. 


CAME  then  Alan  Dale  bearing  in  his  hands 
"The  Madonna  of  the  Future."  Not  as  the 
wise  men  journeyed  to  the  bedside  of  the  Ma- 
donna in  the  manger,  led  by  a  star.  Or  if  he 
was,  it  was  an  ill  star.  For  after  the  critic 
playwright  had  taken  the  hurdle  of  an  opening 
in  New  York  and  his  brother  analysts  had  in 
the  mass  said  little  of  him  worse  than  that  he 
had  written  the  kind  of  play  he  had  for  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century  scolded  other  authors  for  writ- 
ing, the  police  paid  the  play  a  visit.  Mr.  Dale 
called  his  play  a  satire,  a  way  of  saying  that 
though  you  "say  something  you  don't  mean  it. 
But  the  men  in  blue  with  the  portentious  shields 
on  their  breasts  indulged  in  no  subtleties.  They 
said  the  title  was  offensive  to  persons  of  an  old 
and  fine  faith.  They  declared  that  the  text  and 
situations  of  the  "satirical  comedy"  offended  the 
proprieties.  They  could  find  notf.iing  funny,  sa- 
tirical or  not,  in  a  young  woman's  determination 
to  become  a  mother  without  marriage.  There 
were  summonses,  and  appearances  in  the  police 
court,  for  the  author,  the  producer,  and  the  two 
chief  players,  Emily  Stevens  and  Jerome  Patrick. 
The  magistrate  before  whom  the  culprits  stood 
awaiting  judgment  said  his  reading  of  the  play 
convinced  him  that  "it  should  have  been  played 
in  a  stable."  There  was  a  promise  to  rewrite 
the  p!ay,  eliminating  the  objectionable  portions. 
But  the  proposition  of  the  play  could  not  be  ex- 
punged without  an  elimination  of  the  play.  The 
attempt  to  revise  it  was  abandoned  and  the  play 
withdrawn. 


IREFFRRED,  you  remember,  to  a  "feeble 
fifth"  in  the  group  of  the  season's  offenders. 
Its  feebleness  was  due  merely  to  its  distance 
from  Broadway.  Butler  Davenport's  "The  Call 
to  Women"  was  presented  at  his  tiny  neighbor- 
hood theatre,  The  Bramhall  Playhouse.  Only  an 
occasional  gasp  from  a  startled  spectator  echoed 
to  distant  Broadway.  The  Bramhall  Playhouse, 
rechristened  by  Mrs.  Phil  Lydig,  The  House  of 
Truth,  plays  up  to  its  alternative  title.  "Never 
Mince,"  is  its  motto.  "A  Call  to  Women"  is  a 
revelation  of  the  lives  of  scarlet  women  in  the 
tent  near  the  encampments  in  the  zone  of 
war.  To  one  of  these  came  the  printed  plea  of 
an  organization  of  good  women,  to  help  them 


in  keeping  the  lives  of  their  husbands,  lovers  and 
sons,  clean.  The  plea  wrought  a.  change  of  mind 
and  soul  in  one  of  the  tent  women. 

I  followed  a  man  and  a  woman  out  of  the  wee 
playhouse  on  the  first  night  of  the  performance 
of  "A  Call  to  Women." 

"It  was  horrible,"  said  the  man,  as  he  helped 
her  into  their  limousine.  "No.  Because  it  had  a 
great  purpose,"  was  the  answer. 

So  have  we  the  second  reason  for  pardon  for 
the  presentation  of  ugly  facts  of  life  upon  the 
stage.  If  it  serves  a  great  purpose  it  has  an  ex- 
cuse for  being.  Virginia  Harned,  whose  sob-rent 
Iris  was  one  of  the  great  characterizations  of  the 
American  stage,  said  in  defense  of  Iris  and 
Anna  Karcnina  and  the  sisterhood  of  erring,  ex- 
piating women :  "The  play  is  moral  that  shows 
the  suffering  that  follows  sin."  Which  places 
"Camille"  high  in  the  category  of  moral  plays. 

Out  of  the  chaos  of  much  play-seeing  emerges 
a  standard.  My  measuring  rod  for  a  play's  dra- 
matic merit  is  that  it  contain  truth,  humanity 
and  a  surprise,  in  generous  measure.  My  stand- 
ard of  the  morale  of  a  play  is  that  it  does  not 
incline  the  character  of  one  who  views  it  toward 
evil.  That  play  which  flashes  upon  the  screen 
of  the  mind  the  dangers  that  beset  the_  ignorant, 
and  the  penalties  of  error,  is  to  my  mind  a  moral 
play.  That  which  jests  at  wrongdoing  and  ren- 
ders vice  attractive  is  immoral. 


RECURS  to  my  memory  "The  Lure."  George 
Scarborough,  a  former  secret  service  agent 
wrote  the  play  out  of  a  .vast  experience 
in  the  methods  of  the  sinister  in  decoying  inno- 
cent girls  into  the  paths  of  shame.  I  was  one 
of  the  women  who,  at  a  special  performance  of 
the  play,  voted  for  its  continuance.  I  voted  thus 
because  I  knew  that  the  reaction  of  the  play  on 
the  minds  of  girls  was  good.'  I  knew  a  trim 
little  clerk  who  had  said  to  me :  "Before  I  saw 
'The  Lure'  I  used  to  think  it  was  fine  if  men 
spoke  to  me  on  the  street.  I  thought  they 
spoke  to  me  because  they  admired  me.  Since  I 
saw  'The  Lure'  I  know  what  these  street  ac- 
quaintances lead  to.  I  turn  my  back  on  the  man 
and  hurry  away  for  a  policeman."  The  didac- 
tic phase  of  the  drama  exemplified  ! 

That  is  a  bad  play  which  reveals  filth  for  filth's 
sake.  That  is  a  bad  play  that  emphasizes  the 
more  private  phases  of  life  for  the  mere  titiva- 
tion  of  the  audience.  To  this  class  belongs  "The 
Clemenceau  Case,"  an  importation  that  disclosed 
a  nude  woman  in  the  bath  and  "Orange  Blos- 
soms" closed  after  its  first  presentation  because 
it  revealed  a  bride  disrobing. 

Stalk  through  memory's  halls  ghosts  of  other 
plays  that  served .  no  great  purpose,  that  were 
but  slightly  amusing.  The  reaction  upon  the 
mind  and  characters  of  those  who  saw  was  bad. 
But  we  may  leave  to  the  public  the  final  censor- 
ship. By  this  generation  of  playgoers  it  has 
been  demonstrated  that  the  na'sty  play  as  such 
is  unwelcome  and  soon  dies  from  chill. 

As  a  guide  for  personal  criticism  may  I  offer 
two  questions  to  ask  concerning  a  play  about 
whose  morale  we  are  dubious?  Is  it  necessary? 
Does  it  follow  the  advice  which  Ellen  Terry  gave 
to  her  niece.  Phyllis.  "Put  something  of  beauty 
into  everything  you  do." 


[34] 


Tkealrt  Mi.*-i,e,  J*ly.  if  it 


COLUMBIA  (;r.\ni>s 

UKR  KICMTIXC  MK\ 


STRICKEN  BELGIUM 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  RED  CROSS 


MIDNIGHT    FROLIC"    TABLE AUX— POSED    BY    BEN    ALI    HAGGIN 


[TING  IN  YE  EARLY  PLAYHOUSES 

Candles,   oil  and  gas   the  forerunners  of 
our  present  most  luxurious  electric  system 

By  F.   CHOUTEAU   BROWN 


Manager  Thomas  Wig- 
nell  ushering  Presi- 
dent Washington  into 
his  box  at  the  John 
Street  Theatre,  1789 


THE  lighting  appliances  available  in  the 
early  American  theatres  were,  of  course, 
very  crude.  It  was  first  generally  the 
custom  to  use  candles  for  the  footlights,  which 
made  it  necessary  to  occa- 
sionally trim  the  wicks  in 
order  to  keep  the  light 
burning  at  its  highest 
amount  of  illumination — and 
while  an  attempt  may  gen- 
erally have  been  made  to 
trim  the  wicks  between  the 
scenes,  probably  it  .  occa- 
sioned no  comment  if  the 
diminution  of  the  lighting 
made  it  necessary  for  the 
light  man  to  make  his  round 
of  the  footlights  during  the 
progress  of  the  action  upon 
the  stage. 

Occasionally  candles  were 
carried  on  the  stage  and 
placed  upon  the  furniture, 
as  occasion  demanded,  and 
as  this  most  easily  came  in- 
to the  action  of  the  piece 
in  connection  with  night 
scenes  or  evening  interiors, 
it  therefore  quite  naturally 
resulted  that  the  illumina- 
tion upon  the  stage  was  generally  better  in  the 
scenes  located  in  the  evening  than  those  sup- 
posed to  be  given  during  full  daylight !  In 
addition,  in  the  more  important  scenes,  cande- 
labra were  occasionally  suspended  from  above, 
and  both  candelabra  and  sperm  oil  lights  were 
used  for  this  purpose,  both  upon  the  stage  and 
in  the  auditorium,  although  generally  the  hang- 
ing auditorium  lights  were  of  the  sperm  oil 
variety,  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  getting 
at  them  to  trim  the  candle  wicks  during  the 
performance. 

Sconces  with  candles  were  used  along  the 
walls,  or  projecting  from  balconies  or  boxes,  as 
these  could  easily  be  trimmed,  when  necessity 
required,  by  an  usher  or  any  individual  seated 
nearby,  who  felt  so  disposed ! 


A  LITTLE  later  the  footlights  were  arranged 
on  a  separate  wooden  strip,  or  on  a  long 
platform,  which  could  be  lowered  into  or  below 
the  front  edge  of  the  stage,  thus  reducing  the 
illumination  on  the  scene  (and  also  giving  a 
chance  to  trim  the  wicks,  when  that  was  nec- 
essary). This  same  crude 
method  of  controlling  the 
footlights  was  continued 
for  a  number  of  years  and 
used  with  both  the  sperm 
and  oil  lighting,  and  from 
this  came  the  origin  of  the 
word  "float,"  as  applied  to 
the  footlights.  In  some 
cases  the  lights  were  sep- 
arate wicks,  arranged  in 
one  long  oil  reservoir,  at 
which  time  it  was  also  the 
custom  to  hang  over  the 
apron  of  the  stage,  in  front 
of  the  curtain  line,  or  pro- 


ject from  the  side  boxes  one  or  two  or  three 
clusters  of  oil  lights,  to  help  illumine  actors  and 
scene. 

At  this  period  it  was  also,  of  course,  impos- 
sible to  have  the  lines  of  border  lights  hanging 
over  the  stage,  as  was  later  done  with  gas,  and 
consequently  the  upper  portion  of  the  stage  was 
lighted  by  groups  of  lamps  hung  from  above, 
or  placed  at  the  tops  of  tall  ladders  set  in  the 
wings,  a  system  which  was  continued  through 
the  early  years  of  gas-lighting  up  to  the  middle 
of  the  19th  century.  It  is  supposed  that  the 
first  experiments  in  hanging  strips  of  gaslights 
overhead  (which  suggested  the  present  arrange- 
ment of  the  borders)  did  not  become  a  general 
custom  until  about  this  time,  as  the  overhead 
use  of  these  strips  did  not  occur  until  after  their 
use  on  the  stage  behind  set  pieces  of  profile 
scenery  had  become  quite  common.  Gas  was 
also  used,  as  candles  had  been  employed  in  early 
times,  grouped  in  reflectors  off  the  stage  en- 
trances as  "bunch  lights"  and  also  in  short 
lengths  or  "strips,"  the  latter  of  which  could  be 
laid  upon  the  stage  back  of  the  scene  "rows" 
(the  trough  here  being  of  considerable  length) 
and  attached  at  the  end  by  flexible  hose  to  out- 
lets provided  in  the  stage  floor  or  in  the  wall 
of  the  theatre,  with  cocks  to  turn  the  illumina- 
ting current  on  and  off. 


WHEN  theatre  lighting  began  to  change  to 
gas — which  was  sometimes  manufac- 
tured upon  the  premises  or  in  the  theatre  and, 
while  providing  more  illumination  than  candles, 
it  was  at  first  nearly  as  crude  in  its  handling 
and  methods  of  control.  While,  according  to 
some  records,  it  would  seem  that  attempts  at 
introducing  gas  had  begun  as  early  as  1820  or 
thereabouts,  it  hardly  seems  to  have  come  into 
general  use  until  between  1850  and  1860. 
Previous  to  this  time,  however,  the  old-fashioned 
candle  and  sperm  oil  lamp  has  been  supplanted 
by  better  systems  of  oil  illumination,  including 
some  rather  ingenious  adaptations  of  oil  for 
footlight  purposes — which  appear,  however,  to 
have  been  the  result  of  individual  experiments 
rather  than  become  general  customs. 

Not  only  were  various  kinds  of  control  of  gas- 
lighting  systems  tried,  which  would  not  only 
bring  up  the  lights  on  the  stage,  but  could  also 
partially  control  the  lights  in  the  house,  but 
there  were  also  mechanical  methods  of  lighting 
the  gas  once  it  had  been  turned  on — and  it  was 
always  easy  to  partially  or  wholly  shut  off  the 


current  when  it  was  desired  to  turn  the  lights 
out.  It  was  generally  customary,  in  the  audi- 
torium itself  during  the  performance,  to  turn 
the  gaslights  very  low — not  to  turn  them  out — 
as  the  lighting  systems  were  generally  so  imper- 
fect that,  in  lighting  up  again,  a  considerable 
amount  of  gas  was  allowed  to  escape  before  all 
the  jets  would  take  fire,  with  the  result  of  con- 
siderably contaminating  the  atmosphere,  and 
this  was  therefore  rarely  done  while  the  audi- 
ence was  in  the  theatre,  although  such  changes 
were  occasionally  necessary,  on  the  stage,  dur- 
ing the  progress  of  the  play.  Of  course,  the 
gas  burning  continually  through  the  evening 
made  the  auditorium  very  hot  and  also  de- 
vitalized the  air,  as  can  easily  be  recalled  by 
many  patrons  of  the  Boston  Museum,  where  gas 
was  burned  up  to  within  several  years  of  the 
time  it  was  torn  down  in  1903. 

Gas-lighting  was  continued  in  many  theatres 
up  to  a  comparatively  recent  date;  even  in 
houses  where  electric  systems  were  complete,  it 
was  for  years  the  custom  after  rehearsals  to  light 
the  stage  by  a  single  gaslight  on  a  standard  set 
in  the  centre  near  the  footlights,  or  by  a  "bunch" 
of  two  or  four  gaslights  set  at  about  the  same 
position.  Of  course,  illuminating  gas  was  sup- 
planted on  the  stage  by  cylinder  gas  for  "bunch," 
"spot"  and  "flood"  lights,  and  here  again  a  cus- 
tom was  formed  which  continued  long  after 
the  use  of  electricity — Sir  Henry  Irving  claim- 
ing that  these  side  entrance  calcium  lights  were 
far  more  effective  and  soft  for  lighting  from 
the  wings  than  the  electric  lights  then  customarily 
being  employed.  In  fact,  he  insisted  upon  retain- 
ing them  for  use  in  his  productions  up  to  the  last 
one  or  two  tours  he  made  in  this  country. 


NEW   YORK'S   FIRST   FOOTLIGHTS 
In  this  theatre  built  by  Douglass  on  Cruger's  Wharf  in 
1758,    candles    were    used    for    illumination    purposes 


CALCIUM  or  "lime"  light,  as  it  is  called  in 
England,  came  into  general  use  for  stage 
illumination  just  previous  to  the  Civil  War, 
about  1860  or  thereabouts.  Although  it  had  been 
in  use  for  several  years  before  that  in  England, 
it  yet  spread  very  slowly  in  American  theatres 
and  for  a  number  of  years  was  confined  to  the 
principal  Eastern  cities,  particularly  as  it  was  not 
the  custom  at  that  time  for  the  traveling  stars 
to  take  any  "production"  with  them,  but  to  de- 
pend upon  the  local  scenery  "and  effects"  as  well 
as  the  local  company  for  minor  characters  re- 
quired to  support  them  in  their  famous  parts. 
Later,  when  special  scenes  began  to  be  painted 
and  carried  about,  the  calcium  light  equipment 
spread  more  rapidly,  until  it  came  to  be  in  use 
in  all  the  theatres  of  this 
country.  It  is  difficult  to 
realize  that  it  was  in  the 
eighties  before  it  was  pos- 
sible to  control  the  lights 
in  the  auditorium  or  on  the 
stage  with  any  degree  of 
certainty  or  satisfaction. 
Up  to  that  time  the  audi- 
torium of  the  theatre  was 
seldom  darkened  sufh- 
ciently  to  make  the  stage- 
picture  very  effective.  The 
Bijou  Theatre  in  Boston, 
was  one  of  the  first  theatres 
lighted  with  electric  lights. 


r 


t  Jf«f«*tnr.  July 


From  a  camera  study  by  Maurice  Goldberg 


SUMMER 

Posed    by     the     Marion     Morgan    dancers 


THE  KING  OF 


,L~FIGHTKRS 


By  SHERRIL   SCHELL 


TO  arrive  at  any  understanding  of  the  ado- 
ration lavished  upon  a  great  bull-tighter 
one  must  visit  some  Spanish  town  when  a 
corrida  is  in  progress.  Failing  that,  one  must 
think  of  the  enthusiasm  in  this  country  over  a 
John  McCormick  in  the  concert  wcrld  or  a 
"Doug"  Fairbanks  in  the  vaster  domain  of 
Moviedom.  Add  to  this  the  remembrance,  say, 
of  the  frenzied  excitement  that  Richmond  Peary 
Hobson  called  forth  in  patriotic  breasts  during 
his  triumphal  tour  across  the  country  during  the 
Spanish-American  War,  and  you  will  have  some 
faint  idea  of  the  spell  that  a  dashing  matador, 
is  able  to  invoke  among  the  people  of  his  own 
land. 

Feted,  fawned  upon,  adored,  they  are  the  dar- 
lings of  the  people.  Their  photographs  appear 
in  all  the  shops  and  are  produced  not  only  in 
the  more  important  magazines  and  newspapers, 
but  in  periodicals  devoted  exclusively  to  the  na 
tional  sport.  Books  are  written  about  their 
technique  in  tauromachy,  their  taste-,  and  fads, 
and  even  their  conquests  over  the  fair  sex.  Fond 
of  display,  with  the  means  to  gratify  their  weak- 
ness (some  matadors  make  as  much  as  seventy- 
five  thousand  dollars  a  year),  their  appearance 
in  the  street  on  foot  or  in  automobile  is  greeted 
with  an  acclaim  that  even  the  popular  King 
Alfonso  must  envy. 

"The  greatest  man  in  the  world!  I  except 
no  one!"  is  an  expression  that  frequently  strikes 
the  ear  in  Spanish  cafes.  The  uninitiated  might 
be  deluded  into  the  idea  that  some  king,  gen- 
eral or  statesman  is  being  discussed,  but  the  sub- 
ject in  a  Spanish  cafe  is  always  bull-fighters  and 
bull-fighting.  And  after  several  glasses  of  the 
golden  mantilla  have  been  passed  around:  "If 
there  is  anyone  in  this  place  who.  says  he  is  not 
the  greatest,  well,  I'm  here  ready  for  him!" 
"The  greatest  man  in  the  world !"  is  some- 
times Vasquez,  Cellita,  Gallo.  or  often  Belmonte : 
but  nearly  always  he  is  Joselito.  or.  to  give  him 


his  full  name  Jose  Miguel  del  Sagrado  Cora/on 
de  Jesus  Gomez  y  Ortega,  or  again,  as  the  aficio- 
nados vary  it  in  their  delirium  of  adulation, 
"Maravilla,"  "Emperador,"  "Magno,"  or  "Pap  i 


JOSELITO 

King  of  bull-fighters  and,  in  the  opin- 
ion of  the  Spanish  man  in  the  street, 
the  greatest  personage  in  the  world 


Key,"  the  latter  a  nickname  usually  conferred 
on  the  King  himself.  In  truth,  Alfonso  may 
\ve!l  envy  this  particular  "Papa  Key,"  as  his 
sway  is  only  a  limited  one,  while  Joselito's  is 
absolute.  It  may  be  said  in  passing  that  the 
Spanish  King,  never  an  ardent  lover  of  the  na- 
tional sport,  going  to  the  Plaza  de  Toros 
because  policy  requires  it,  very  poorly  conceals 
his  boredom  while  sitting  in  the  royal  box, 
except  on  those  occasions  when  Joselito  holds 
the  sword.  Then  he  is  all  attention,  frequently 
cheering  the  esfada  for  some  brilliant  feat. 

Joselita  was  born  in  Triana,  that  part  of  Se- 
ville that  lies  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Guadal- 
quivir to  the  Giralda— Trajan's  town  !  But  the 
people  of  Triann  are  more  exultant  over  the  fact 
that  they  have  produced  a  great  torero  for  the 
"bloody  arenas"  of  Spain  than  in  the  remem- 
brance that  they  gave  an  Emperor  to  Rome. 

Triana  was  ever  a  fecund  breathing  place  for 
those  lithe,  intrepid  youths  who  dedicate  them- 
selves ere  the  first  down  has  appeared  on  their 
lip  to  the  "glorious"  art  of  tauromachy,  and 
Joselito  is  a  living,  wondrous  proof  that  the 
lighting  strain  pulses  as  strong  and  red  as  in 
the  old  days.  There  have  been  many  picadors 
and  matadors  in  the  Gomez  family  throughout 
several  generations ;  indeed,  Joselito's  father  was 
a  noted  esfada  of  a  generation  ago,  even  now 
occasionally  appearing  at  some  benefit,  while  his 
elder  brother,  Gallo,  is  one  of  the  most  skillful 
of  bull-fighters  in  the  Land  of  Joy. 

Brother  Rafael,  aside  from  his  prowess  in  the 
bull  ring,  is  no  less  famous  as  the  triumphant 
suitor  of  that  tantalizing  gypsy,  Pastora  Im- 
perio.  the  Snanish  Yvette  Guilbert,  whose  songs 
of  Espana  have  thrilled  so  many  and  whose 
twinkling  heels  have  danced  on  such  countless 
hearts.  The  marriage  took  on  the*  dignity  of  a 
national  fiesta,  and  the  presents  sent  from  far 
and  wide  to  the  dancer  would  have  turned  the 
head  of  ?.n  Tnfanta. 


DO  YOU 


'I  hat  when  "Kindling"  was  written  from  a 
news  item,  the  reporter  who  wrote  the  item 
sued  for  a  share  in  the  royalties? 

That  Kitty  Gordon,  who  is  now  being  featured 
in  "vampire"  roles  in  the  moving  pictures,  was 
formerly  starred  in  musical  comedies,  notably 
"The  Temptress,"  and  before  that  was  a  singer 
in  the  London  music  halls? 

That  in  the  fourth  century  actors  were  ex- 
cluded from  the  benefit  of  Christian  sacraments 
and  that  Sunday  playgoers  were  liable  to  ex- 
communication ? 

That  Maude  Adams  has  always  insisted  that 
her  private  life  remain  private,  never  granting 
interviews,  never  employing  a  press-agent  and 
always  shunning  notoriety?  Of  her  intimate 
circle  of  friends  few  are  connected  with  thT 
stage. 

That  the  earliest  Italian  tragedy  was  Galeotto's 
"Sofonisba,"  written  in  3502  and  comprising 
twenty  acts? 

That  Peg- Woffington  was  stricken  with  paraly- 
sis while  playing  Rosalind  in  "As  You  Like  It"? 


1  hat  Edmund  Kean's  last  words  on  the  stage 
were,  "Othello's  occupation's  gone"? 

That  May  Irwin  used  to  be  a  member  of 
Daly's  Stock  Company,  along  with  Ada  Rehan, 
John  Drew  and  Mrs.  Gilbert?  Before  that  she 
and  her  sister  Flo  Irwin  did  an  act  at  Tonv 
Pastor's,  in  which  they  sang,  danced  and  played 
the  cornet. 

That  Paul  Armstrong  wrote  "Alias  Jimmy  Val- 
entine" in  five  days? 

That  E.  H.  Sothern  is  now  associated  with  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  "somewhere  in  France,"  in  the  pro- 
duction of  plays  for  the  entertainment  of  Ameri- 
can soldiers? 

That  theatrical  censorship  started  in  London 
In  1737  as  a  result  of  the  audacity  of  Fielding, 
who  satirized  Sir  Robert  Walpo'.e  in  a  play? 

That  Lillian  Russell  was  one  of  four  daugh- 
ters, and  that  of  her  three  s*sters,  Mrs.  Schultz, 
Mrs.  Ross,  and  Mrs.  Westford,  the  last-named, 
as  Susanne  Leonard,  was  the  only  one  to  ever 
appear  upon  the  stage? 


That  Joseph  Jefferson  once  ran  a  saloon?  It 
was  in  1846,  when  he  was  in  Mexico.  He 
opened  a  cake  and  coffee  stand  for  the  gam- 
blers at  Matamoras,  and,  up  to  the  bar  counter 
—consisting  of  a  large  dry  goods  box  on  which 
two  boards  were  placed — "the  blear-eyed  gam- 
blers with  shaky  hands  r.nd  gloomy  looks  called 
for  their  morning  cocktail." 

That  Frances  Alda,  Annette  Kellermann  and 
Haddon  Chambers  are  Australians? 

That  theatrical  benefits  oiiginated  in  the  fact 
that  the  early  managers  underpaid  their  actors, 
and  sometimes  did  not  pay  them  at  all?  All 
the  old-time  contracts  between  manager  and 
player  carried  the  stipulation  that  the  actor 
was  to  receive  so  much  a  week  (sometimes  as 
low  as  $4)  and  one  or  more  benefits  during  the 
season. 

That  the  name  Lothario,  usually  applied  to 
a  man  of  many  amours,  was  the  name  of  the 
principal  character  in  Rowe's  old  play  entitled 
"The  Fair  Penitent,"  one  of  the  popular  pieces 
of  the  eighteenth- century? 


[ 


Thratrr  H»;*siilt.  Inly,  i-.it 


Photos  Press  III 


Hazel  Dawn,  mother,  and  sister,  Eleanor 


©  Press  III 

Claudia  Muzio,  the  opera  star,  with  her  mother 


With  mother  and  daughter 
—Kitty   Gordon 


Press  III 

Louise  and  Mrs.  Dresser 


©  Press  III. 


In  the  sunken  tea  room  at  Philipse  Manor,  N.  Y — Elsie  Janis  and  mater 

MY          MOTHER         AND          I 


HOW  GEORGE  COHAN  PICKS  WINNERS 

He  says  he  doesn't,  but  he's  responsible 
for  ha/f  a  dozen  of  the  season's  successes 

By  HELEN  TEN  BROECK 


THE  income  tax  contributed  this  year,  by 
George  M.  Cohan  to  the  willing  coffers 
of  Uncle  Sam,  must  be  of  staggering, 
not  to  say  appalling,  proportions.  Fame  and  its 
ever-welcome  but  not  always  visible  perquisite, 
the  merry  little  dollar,  have  presented  them- 
selves anew  at  the  door  of  Mr.  Cohan's  private 
office,  and  garlanded  him  with  gold  and  glory 
each  time  he  has  launched  a  new  piece  this  sea- 
son. And  that— -alas! — has  not  been  the  experi- 
ence of  all  producing  managers  in  our  midst,  for 
the  dramatic  year  of  1917-18,  has  been  far  from 
financially  brilliant,  and  far  from  artistically 
satisfying  to  many  of  Mr.  Cohan's  confreres  who 
have  watched  the  author  of  "Over  There"  with 
an  embittered  eye  and  witnessed  an  unbroken 
series  of  successes  as  they  were  produced  one 
after  another  until  six  big  hits  ranged  themselves 
gaily  under  the  banner  of  Cohan  and  Harris. 

With  "A  Tailor-Made  Man,"  and  Grant  Mit- 
chell appearing  throughout  the  season  at  the 
Cohan  and  Harris  theatre,  to  a  business  whose 
capacity  is  limited  only  by  the  size  of  the 
treasurer's  box,  with  "The  King"  in  which  Leo 
Ditrichstein  duplicated  the  artistic  and  financial 
success  of  his  "Great  Lover,"  with  Frank  Craven 
introducing  aviation  as  a  popular  indoor  sport 
at  the  Liberty  theatre  to  enormous  audiences  in 
"Going  Up,"  and  with  "The  Cohan  Revue" 
sprinkled  full  of  Cohan  songs  and  Cohan  laughs 
turning  people  away  from  almost  every  perform- 
ance for  several  months  at  the  New  Amsterdam 
one  might  well  think  that  George  Michael  Cohan 
had  exhausted  the  utmost  possible  capacity  of 
any  manager  as  a  producer  of  successes  in  a 
single  season ;  but  no.  Just  as  the  dramatic  year 
begins  to  wane,  along  comes  this  incredible  young 
man  with  Mary  Ryan  in  "The  Little  Teacher," 
which  bids  fair  to  run  all  summer  at  the  Play- 
house, and  Chauncey  Olcott,  younger  and  fresher 
of  voice  than  ever,  in  "Once  Upon  A  Time," 
which  promptly  established  itself  as  one  of  the 
season's  most  profitable  offerings.  And  it  must 
not  be  forgotten  that  besides  producing  this  round 
half-dozen  of  winning  plays,  Mr.  Cohan  has  also 
found  time  to  compose  the  most  popular  war 
song  thus  far  contributed  by  America  to  the 
music  of  to-day  in  "Over  There." 


N  these  days  when  our  splendid  boys  are 
winning  crosses  and  decorations  for  valor 
and  bravery  at  the  front,  Mr.  Cohan  has  quit 
producing  plays  long  enough  to  work  like  a 
nailer  in  the  interests  of  the  Government,  and 
allow  his  favorite  club,  The  Friars,  to  decorate 
him  with  the  bright  badge  of  honor  of  their 
guild,  and  bestow  upon  him  the  formal  degree 
of  P.  P.  W.— Pre-eminent  Picker  of  Winners. 

"It  seems  as  if  Georee  can't  help  producing 
successes;  go  and  ask  him  how  he  does  it,"  said 
the  editor. 

It  was  a  very  willing  compliance  with  this 
mandate  that  I  Broadwayed  and  Forty-second 
Street^rf,  and  Cohan-and-Harris-Theatre'</  my- 
self into  the  blue-eyed  presence  of  America's 
own  and  only  playwright,  songsmith,  actor- 
manager  and  theatre-owner,  G.  M.  Cohan,  P.  P.  W. 

Seated  in  the  throne  chair  in  his  own  private 
office  in  his  own  public  theatre,  Mr.  Cohan  gave 
me  what  I  can  only  describe  as  a  cold  and  scruti- 


nizing once-over  when  I  asked  the  editorial 
question.  He  shifted  uneasily  in  his  seat  and 
turned  his  gaze  away  to  the  distant  skyline  of 
roofs  and  theatre-chimneys  visible  through  the 
open  window.  His  air  I  grieve  to  say  was  that 
of  a  man  grappling  with  a  great  wonder  as 
to  why  a  wise  Providence  permits  feminine  in- 
terviewers to  pester  innocent  celebrities.  Evi- 
dently his  thoughts  were  far  away.  Like  a  grim 
Fate,  fixing  her  victim  at  the  point  of  her  scis- 
sors, I  waved  an  insistent  pencil  toward  the 
P.  P.  W.,  and  repeated  the  question.  "How  is 
it  that  you  side-step  all  the  dead  ones  and  man- 
age to  pick  nothing  but  winners?"  I  demanded. 
Mr.  Cohan  brought  his  gaze  back  from  the  dis- 
tant skyscape  with  a  jump. 


DO  I?"  he  asked,  as  if  the  idea  had  never 
occurred  to  him  before.  It  was  a  trying 
moment.  An  interviewer  hates  being  questioned 
at  the  very  outset  of  a  chat.  It  rather  takes 
the  wind  out  of  one's  sails  and  reverses  the  nor- 
mal and  accepted  attitude  of  the  occasion.  "Of 
course  you  do,"  I  rejoined,  tartly.  "You  always 
have  picked  'em.  Wasn't  it  discreet  of  you  to 
select  everybody's  loved  'and  lamented  Jerry 
Cohan  for  your  father?  And  to  choose  his  gifted 
wife,  Helen  Cohan  for  a  mother?  And  wasn't  it 
abnormally  and  patriotically  clever  of  you  to 
pick  the  Fourth  of  July  as  a  birthday?  Wasn't 
it?  And  haven't  you  gone  on  picking  winners 
ever  since?" 

Mr.  Cohan  shook  his  head  as  one  who 
modestly  disclaims  all  praise  for  his  perform- 
ances. 

"Maybe,"  he  admitted,  falteringly,  "Maybe  I 
am  entitled  to  pat  myself  on  the  back  for  pick- 
ing one  best  bet  in  my  career.  That  was  when 
I  choose  Sam  Harris  as  a  business  partner  and 
a  pal.  He's  some  partner,  Sam  Harris,  and  some 
friend,  but  aside  from  that"  —  an  airy  wave  of 
the  hand  pantomime  that  Mr.  Cohan  filed  a 
demurrer  against  the  title  of  P.  P.  W.  with 
which  not  only  the  Friars  club,  but  all  New  York 
has  invested  in. 

"Life  is  just  one  accident  after  another,"  he 
cont-'iiued,  musingly. 

"Do  you  mean  that  your  selection  of  a  long 
and  unbroken  string  of  winners  this  season  is 
an  accident?" 

"May  I  smoke?"  asked  Mr  Cohpn.  his  fingers 
closing  caressingly  around  a  titian  blonde  cigar 
of  slender  build. 

"Please    do,"    I    assented. 

Again  the  author  of  "Over  There"  fixed  his 
merry  blue  gaze  upon  the  facade  of  a  theatre 
across  the  street. 


AS  a  matter  of  fact,"  he  said,  "I  don't  think  a 
manager  is  ever  entitled  to  say  he  has 
picked  a  winner,  or  can  pick  one.  He's  got  his 
nerve  with  him,  if  he  makes  that  claim.  It's  the 
public  that  picks  'em  ;  the  audience  that  says 
in  the  last  analysis  whether  a  play  is  a  success  or 
not.  If  a  manager  gets  a  lucky  decision,  he  likes 
to  call  himself  a  great  fellow,  but  he  knows,  in 
the  bottom  of  his  little  heart  the  strange 
sensation  in  his  knees  on  the  first  night,  was  not 
caused  by  the  caving  in  of  the  floor  under  him, 
but  by  craven  fear  that  he  wasn't  going  to  put 


it  over  with  the  new  play.  It  wasn't  indigestion 
as  he  tried  to  persuade  himself,  that  gave  him 
that  sinking  feeling  at  the  heart,  but  a  deadly 
distrust  of  his  own  judgment  in  selecting  the 
play,  and  the  cast,  in  choosing  the  music  and 
scenery  and  inventing  the  stage  business — why, 
girl  alive,  until  the  public  gives  him  a  verdict 
the  manager  doesn't  know  whether  he  has  picked 
a  winner  or  not.  He  can't  know  it;  any  time; 
ever." 

Pale  blue  rings  of  fragrant  smoke  wafted  up- 
ward, and  Mr.  Cohan's  eyes  followed  them  for 
a  moment  of  silence.  "The  quality  to  which  the 
successful  play  must  speak,"  he  resumed,  "is  an 
intangible,  impalpable,  vague  something  in  the 
mass-mind  to  which  certain  fundamental  ideas, 
certain  situations,  certain  sentiments  always  ap- 
peal. An  audience  is  a  being  with  a  thousand 
minds,  but  there  are  some  good  old  master-emo- 
tions that  stir  people  all  the  time.  The  dram- 
atist who  captures  their  elusive,  appealing 
quality  and  gets  it  into  a  play,  holds  the  key  to 
success.  He  may  not  be  able  to  define  this  baf- 
fling, radiant  thing  that  sweeps  his  audience  into 
a  new  mood;  some  dramatists  name  it  'punch'; 
some  of  them  call  it  'pep' ;  high-brow  critics  al- 
lude to  it  vaguely  as  'vision' ; — but  whatever 
it  is,  if  it's'  in  a  play — that  play's  a  winner.  If 
it  isn't  there, — bla-a-a." 

"Shakespeare," — I  began — 

With  a  wave  of  his  cigar  Mr.  Cohan  signalled 
for  silence. 

"Shakespeare,"  he  cried  with  enthusiasm. 
"Shakespeare  has  the  tang  of  it  in  every  one  of 
his  plays." 


BUT  Shakespeare  spells  'failure,'  according  to 
a  dramatic  axion,"  I  hazarded.  "That's  be- 
cause actors  are  so  afraid  of  being  called  modern 
that  they  daren't  sweep  aside  tradition,  and  play 
Shakespeare  like  Broadway  or  the  High  Street  of 
Stratford-on-Avon  in  1918.  Shakespeare  wrote 
for  all  time;  didn't  he?  Then  what's  the  use  of 
playing  him  as  if  he  wrote  only  for  the  Eliza- 
bethan intelligence?  I'm  willing  to  bet  you  that 
if  some  regular  guy  with  what  Shakespeare  crit- 
ics call  'vision'  were  to  do  'Hamlet,'  for  exam- 
ple with  a  loud  pedal  on  the  comedy  effect  it 
would  be  a  walkover.  I  think  'Hamlet'  played  ac- 
cording to  tradition  is  the  funniest  play  ever." 

"Perhaps,  you  might  be  induced  to  play  the 
Melancholy  Dane  from  a  modern  slant  your- 
self?" I  suggested. 

Mr.  Cohan  looked  pained. 

"I  don't  expect  to  meddle  with  Shakespeare," 
he  said,  "any  more  than  I  expect  to  write  the 
Great  American  Play." 

"Do  you  think  the  present  war  will  bring  forth 
that  dramatic  masterpiece?"  I  asked. 

"Possibly,  but  not  in  my  day  or  yours.  This 
world  struggle  must  have  a  distant,  a  clari- 
fying perspective  before  it  can  be  summed  up 
and  reduced  to  the  diminished  terms  of  the  stage. 
It's  too  big  and  too  reeking  with  titanic  drama, 
to  be  crowded  onto  a  stage.  No  doubt  hun- 
dreds of  plays  will  be  based  upon  the  present 
war  before  some  writer  stands  on  a  mountain 
peak  of  understanding  and,  looking  back  over 
the  agony  and  crash  and  ruin,  fuses  them  into 
a  play. 


[40] 


Tktatr,  Mtitrin,.  July.  ,f,t 


Mark  (Morgan  Farley)— Where  is  he? 
Fiula  (Margaret  Mower) — In  a  green  world. 
And  all  the  drowned  in  the  sea  are  rising 
to  meet  him  bringing  garlands  and  singing 
songs. 


ALICE  BROWN'S  POETIC  WAR  PLAY 
"THE    HERO,"    A   SUCCESSFUL   FEA- 
TURE  OF   STUART  WALKER'S  REP- 
ERTOIRE   IN    INDIANAPOLIS 


Western  Photo 


Genevieve  Hamper  as  Cordelia  Robert  Mantell  as  Lear 

SHAKESPEARE'S  "KING  LEAR"  GIVEN  AT  THE  GREEK   THEATRE,  BERKELEY,  CAL. 


A     PREMIERE     AND     A     REVIVAL— TWO     INTERESTING     PRODUCTIONS 


TYPES 


MISS  GERALDINE  FARRAR- 
COSMOPOLITAN 

By  ANNE   ARCHBALD 


WHEN    we   started    out    to    "type"    Miss    Farrar    it    seemed    a 
comparatively    simple    matter.      "American    Girl,    par    excel- 
lence" we  gaily  threw  off.     But  no....    not  so  fast.     That 
doesn't  cover  it.     Miss  Farrar  has  too  much  vivacity,  too  much  Latin 
expressiveness  of  eyes,  of  mobile  smile,  of  hands,  to  be  representa- 
tive of  the  typical  American  girl.    "American  Beauty"  then?    Oh — yes 
— true,   but   commonplace,    much   too   commonplace.     "Irish    Beauty?" 
Because  of  her  black-haired,  blue-eyed,   red-rose-cheeked   Irish  color- 
Yes,    part    of    the    picture,    but    still    pallid,    inadequate.      And 
then  the  mot  juste — the  only  one  comprehensive  enough — came  to  us. 
(  Osmopolitanl     Which  suggests,  as  nearly  as  any  one  mere  word  can, 
the   brilliant,   the  complex,  the  many-faceted   personality   that  is   Miss 
Geraldine  Farrar. 


"Each  of  my  evening  gowns  lias  its  own  wrap  to  go 
with  it,"  says  Miss  Farrar.  "This — which  shelters  a 
gown  of  white,  embroidered  with  silver  threads — has  de- 
signs in  old  gold  and  silver  on  a  white  watered  panne 
velvet  background.  A  mass  of  poppies  in  burnt  orange, 
in  midnight  blue,  and  yellow  touched  with  soft  brown, 
trail  down  the  side,  the  lining  of  the  wrap  being  of 
chiffon  in  a  similar  broii'n  shade 


The  short-sleeved,  Florentine-necked  day  frock  that 
Paris  sponsors  this  season  meets  with  Miss  Farrar' t 
approval.  Here  the  simple  but  piquant  cut  and  the 
material,  a  strikingly  patterned  blue  and  white  foulard. 
start  the  costume,  whose  ultimate  finesse  is  achieved  by 
a  cream  charmeuse  sash  and  brilliant  red  velvet  poppy 
a  beaded  bag  in  red  and  white  stripes  to  go  with  poppy 
and  sash  and  a  blue  chip  tricorne  tipped  mth  blue  ostrich 


Theatre  Magazine.  July, 


One  of  the  many 
aspects  of  Miss  Far- 
rar's  cosmopolitanism, 
it  need  hardly  be 
mentioned  >  is  her 
Parisian  elite  which 
appears  particularly 
appealing  in  tins  pic- 
ture. The  frock  is  of 
burnt  orange  color 
paiileted,  its  attendant 
wrap  of  chandron 
colored  satin  that 
tones  in  ti'ith  the 
frock  and  is  em- 
broidered in  sil-i'trr. 
The  black  luce  hat  has 
for  panaches  burnt 
orange  paradise  the 
stones  in  the  ear-rings 
are  on  the  same  tone 
and,  as  Miss  Farrar 
said,  "ercn  tlr&  'pcke' 
is  tawny" 


Photos  White 


The  white  and  silver  frock  of  the  opposite  page, 
seen  without  its  wrap!  The  wide  band  around 
the  top  of  the  bodice  is  of  cloth  of  silver  and  at 
the  waist  line  there  is  a  buckle  emplacement 
worked  in  pearls  and  brilliants.  Note  the  charm- 
ing mode  of  Miss  Farrar' s  wearing  of  pearl- 
strung  bracelets  also  the  superstitionless  ad- 
dition of  her  peacock  feather  fan  in  whose  fronds 
nestles  a  small  mirror 


To  every  true  artist  in  dress  her  own  favorite 
and  individual  assembling  of  colors!  Isn't  this 
a  delectable  and  mouth-watering  combination? 
On  an  all-oz'er  lace  afternoon  frock — the  bodifc 
cut  very  low  in  back,  as  is  "being  done''  by  the 
best  afternoon  frocks  this  year — a  wide,  wide 
sash  of  Scotch  plaid  in  orange,  green,  purple  and 
blackr  and  a  hat  to  wear  with  it  of  cream  straiv 
trimmed  with  ostrich  tips  in  the  same  four  tones 


A  BEACH  PARTY  FOR  TWO 

By  ANGELINA 


EDWIN"    telephoned    me    from    Long    Island 
last   week  and   suggested   that   we   have   a 
beach    party    on    Sunday.      "Just    the   two 
of   us!"     And    I    was    nothing    loth. 

So  Sunday  morning  hright  and  early  he  turned 

up  in  his  yellow   roadster  and  shortly  after   we 

had   joined   the   long  queue   that   winds   its   way 

across  Long  Island  on   that   day.     The   weather 

was  just  right,  "cool  and  yet  warm,"  as  O.  Henry 

might  have  said,  and  Edwin  looked  so  smart  in 

his    khaki,    and    the    yellow    roadster    looked    so 

smart,  and  I  looked  so  smart  too,  in  a  new  brown 

Wooltex  motor  coat  that  had  -been  given  me  as  a 

present— never  mind  why— and  with  a  brown  hat 

and    yellow    chiffon    veil.      All    our    browns    and 

yellows   and   khakis   blended   into   each   other   so 

well  that  we  must  have  appeared  most  effective 

and  posterish.     I  know  I  caught  several  admiring 

glances  out  of  the  tail  of  my   eye.     The  brown 

charmeuse  lining  of  my  coat   has  a  novel   trick, 

a  yellow  strip  twelve  inches  wide  running  around 

at  about  knee  depth.     And   taking  a   tip   from   a 

well-known     stocking    advertisement     I     amused 

myself  and  gave  a  final  touch  to  our  brown  and 

yellow  picture  by  pretending  to  let  the  wind  flap 

my  coat  open  so  that  the  strip  might  show. 


1T7E  were  very  merry.  Edwin  was  so  ap- 
preciative of  everything,  especially  of  me 
in  my  new  coat.  I  told  him  the  secret  of  how  I 
came  to  have  it— How  ?  I  said  it  was  a  secret- 
ami  of  how  Miss  Hazel  Dawn  has  one  too,  I 
mean  a  Wooltex,  in  Evora  cloth  of  a  soft  wood 
brown — "I  know  hew  important  all  these  little 
details  are  in  your  young  life,"  I  interpolated 
teasingly— with  an  aviation  collar  to  snuggle  up 
close  all  around  the  neck,  and  of  how 

"Your's  should  have  had  the  aviation  collar  out 
of  respect  for  me,"  Edwin  cut  in. 

"Yes,  I  suppose  it  should,"  I  answered.  "But 
it  hasn't.  It  has  a  rabbit's  ear  collar  instead. 
Anyway  you  interrupted.  I  was  going  to  tell 
you  that  I  knew  as  well  that  Miss  Alice  Joyce 


was  wearing  a  Wooltex  in  green,  and  that 
Madame  Lina  Cavaleri  had  one  too,  and  that  if 
that  doesn't  prove  the  superior  brand  of  coat  it 
is  then  there's  no  proving." 


A  FTER  we  had  reached  'the  beach  and  parked 
-ti-  the  car  we  wandered  onto  the  boardwalk 
and  hung  over  the  rail  watching  the  crowd  on 
the  sands.  It  was  still  sufficiently  early  in  the 
morning  so  that  we  had  the  benefit  of  seeing  the 
smartest  people  going  in  for  their  dip. 

Is  there  anything  more  glorious  than  a  summer 
beach?  Its  life,  its  gayety,  its  color?  And  such 
colors  as  fashion  has  added  to  Nature's  this  sea- 
son! Not  only  were  the  bathing  suits  brighter, 
more  dashing,  but  there  were  the  further  com- 
plications of  the  bathing  capes— such  as  I  men- 
tioned last  month — of  parasol  and  beach  bag 
sets,  of  stockings  and  shoes. 

And  as  for  the  bathing  caps—- now  more  like 
small  hats— they  are  a  whole  new  department  in 
themselves.  If  any  woman  who  has  even  half 
a  face,  a  few  pennies,  and  a  little  taste  doesn't 
look  attractive  on  the  summer  sands  it's  her  own 
fault.  I'll  even  omit  the  necessity  for  her  having 


taste  of  her  own,  for  the  shops  have  taken  care 
of  that  for  her.  You  can  hardly  go  wrong  in 
any  cap  you  choose :  it  would  be  simply  a  ques- 
tion of  whether  you  expected  to  laze  about  on 
the  shore  a  good  deal  and  wanted  a  brim  for  the 
sun,  or  whether  you  were  a  person  accustomed 
to  go  quickly  from  the  bathhouse  and  to  spend 
most  of  your  time  in  the  water. 

You  realize  I'm  jumping  ahead  of  my  story— 
about  the  shops?  At  the  time  of  hanging  over 
the  rail  with  Edwin  I  couldn't  know  all  that,  of 
course.  But  I  made  mental  notes  furiously  of 
the  caps  I  liked  best  and  the  minute  Monday 
morning  came  I  rushed  off  to  verify  where  they 
could  be  found.  And  if  you  will  look  at  tin- 
heading  of  the  next  page  you  may  know  too. 

For  beach  wear,  though  it's  made  to  go  in  the 
water  too,  there  was  the  most   fascinating  lillle 
hat— it's    the   first    in    the   sketch— of    rubberized 
black  satin,  with  a  shirred  tain  crown  and  shirred 
brim.    I  saw  several  of  those  and  it  was  my  pet, 
I  think.     Now  I  possess  one  of  my  own  and  I 
shall    be    tempted    to    pop    it    ,,n    for    motoring, 
especially    if    it   threatens   rain.      They   do    make 
these   rubberized    satins   so   beautifully   that   you 
can  hardly  tell  them  from  the  real  thing.     Next 
in   my   favor  came  a   sassy  and   amusing  cap  in 
soft  rose  rubberized   silk,   its   three   floppy  peaks 
piped  in  old  blue.     (See  the  middle  one  in  the 
sketch.)     ^And,    after    that,    a     tight-fitting    cap 
called    a    "super-diver,"    for    the    swimming-only 
fiends,  its  white  rubber  stamped  with  a  blue  bor- 
der, appealed  to  me  as  combining  adornment  and 
practicality.     There  were  the  old  bandana  hand- 
kerchiefs in  new  forms  of  plaids  and  stripes  and 
plain    squares    in    all    colors:      there    were.. 


T^DWIN  brought  me  to  by  entreating  that  we 
-*—'  get  started,  so  we  went  back  to  the  car  and 
fetched  the  provender  and  the  rug  and  made 
off  up  the  beach  far  away  from  the  crowd,  a 
subsidized  small  boy  trailing  our  heels  with  a 
beach  umbrella. 


441 


Theatre  Magazine.  July,  tyig 


Hosiery 


Simple  Frocks  and  Attractive  Hose 
answer  the  call  of  war  time  gowning. 

Plain  little  dresses  are  made  delightfully  effective  by  that 
touch  of  Smartness  which  pretty  hose  alone  can  give. 

"Onyx"  hosiery  is  the  war  time  hosiery.  Its  piquante  new 
patterns  are  designed  with  a  clear  purpose — to  glorify  the 
simple  frock  and  make  the  wearer  Irresistible — !! 

Your  favorite  shop  has  all  the  new  "Onyx"  Styles,  Colors  and 
Shades  that  are  right  now  so  greatly  in  demand.  However, 
if  you  need  our  aid,  write  to  us  to-day. 


Emery  &  Beers  Company  .inc.  NEW  YORK 

Sole    owners    of   "Onyx"    and    wholesale    distributors 


[45] 


HE  SONORA  period 
models  are  gems  for 
lovers  of  beautiful  fur- 
niture. 

Each  has  a  magnificent 
tone  of  marvelous  purity, 
sweetness,  and  brilliancy 
of  expression.  This  is  confirmed  by  all 
Sonora  owners  and  was  most  strongly 
emphasized  at  the  Panama  Pacific  Ex- 
position when  the  only  jury  which 
judged  all  phonographs,  gave  Sonora 
highest  score  for  tone  quality.  It  is 
unquestionably  'The  Highest  Class 
Talking  Machine  in  the  World." 

Send  for  information  and  artistic  printed 
matter  regarding  these   Period   Models. 


George  EJBrit/Wson.,  Bcesideret 

Salon:    Fifth  Avenue  at  53rd  Street 
NEW  YORK 


Reading  from  left  to  right:  the  new  black  and  white 
satine  bathing  ties:  a  black  rubberised  satin  bathing  hat: 
one  in  rubberized  rose  silk,  piped  with  old  blue:  a 
"super-diver"  in  u'hite  rubber,  stamped  with  blue:  and 
a  pair  of  surf  cloth  bathing  shoes.  From  McCreery 


EDWIN   is  a  treasure  on   such  occasions!     He  thinks   of  everything. 
I   furnished  the   sandwiches   and  a  thermos   of   coffee,  but  he  had 
thoughtfully  added  a  thermos  of  claret  lemonade  from  the  club,  and  he 
had    bought    all    my    favorite    papers    and    plenty    of    Milo    cigarettes, 
our  favorite.     Edwin  and  I  will  never  have  any  "Lord-and-Lady-Algy" 

differences    in    the    family    over    that.    We    are    perfectly    agreed 

Edwin  likes  Milos  best,  and  so  do  I.  And  one  "reason  why"  is  because 
of  the  scented  cigarettes  that  are  made  in  the  Milo  brand  for  women. 
Edwin  always  brings  along  a  \>OK  of  those  with  the  others,  in  case  I 
may  happen  to  be  partly  swearing  off  cigarettes  that  week  and  don't 
want  a  real  man's  size  smoke,  or  in  case  we're  with  some  conservative 
people  who  haven't  yet  reached  the  broad-minded  stage  of  being  able 
to  see  with  equanimity  a  woman  sit  up  and  smoke  a  cigarette  in  public. 


IT  makes  a  difference,  we've  found,  if  it  is  explained  that  the  cigarette 
they  see  is  simply  a  scented  feminine  one,  that  they  musn't  shudder 
away  in  horror,  for  the  lion  isn't  a  real  lion,  so-to-speak.  "Then  know, 
that  I,  one  Snug  the  joiner,  am  no  lion  fell,"  quotes  Edwin. 

It's  curious  how  many  of  these  conservations  still  remain  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  there  are  only  two  or  three  places  in  New  York  City 
where  you  aren't  permitted  to  smoke.  I  said  to  Edwin,  after  we  were 
comfortably  settled  under  our  umbrella  and  were  having  a  companionable 
puff  together,  that  the  Milo  scented  cigarettes  would  be  a  very  good 
starting  point  for  anyone  who  was  "thinking  of  taking  up  smoking 
seriously,"  as  Hermione  might  say.  "Yes,"  assented  Edwin,  "they 
might  never  need  to  get  past  the  starting  point.  But  it's  awfully  jolly 
for  a  chap  to  have  a  girl  join  him  in  a  pally  cigarette.  If  only  for 
selfish  reasons  I  can't  understand  these  men  who  object  to  sharing  that 
pleasure." 

Edwin  really  is   a  dear! 


This  is  the  Wooltex  motor 
coat  of  brown  broadcloth  that 
Angelina  boasted  about.  The 
name  Wooltex  doesn't  refer 
to  the  fabric,  as  you  might 
suppose,  but  means  style  and 
finish.  It  is  a  guarantee  of 
perfection  of  tailoring,  of  de- 
lightful details  such  as  the 
rabbit's  ear  collar  the  adorn- 
ment of  the  back,  the  yellow 
strip  running  across  its 
brou'n  silk  lining 


[46] 


Theatre  Magazine,  July, 


THE  ENVELOPE  THAT'S 
REALLY, TRULY  SEALED! 

IT'S  the  Vanity  Fair  Step-in  Envelope! 
You  step  in  because  there's  no  other 
way  of  getting  in.    Not  a  snap  or  button 
on  it  anywhere. 

"Wear  step-ins  and  win  the  war"  would 
be  a  trifle  far-fetched,  but  really  you  can 
take  an  extra  stitch  or  two  in  that  sock 
when  you  lessen  your  personal  mending! 
This  bit  of  tailored  daintiness  is  fash- 
ioned of  Vanity  Fair  glove  silk— and  we  all 
know  what  that  is,  and  its  hemstitched 
trim  lends  a  charmingly  simple  note.  If 
your  favorite  shop  cannot  serve  you,  send 
us  $4.00  and  you  will  receive  it  postpaid. 

Ask  for  Vanity  Fair  in  unions,  vests, 
Pettibockers,  knickers,  envelopes  and 
other  articles  of  silken  undress. 

Makers  of  Vanity  Fair  Undersilks  and  Silk  Gloves 


r    -^ 

vanily^Jair 


IB 

SCHUYLKILL      SILK      MILLS,      READING,      PA.       U.     S.     A 


<5hirti(-3Surtli  c&reet  EAST  atd/ark  (a/henue 


An  Ideal  Hotel  with  an  Ideal  Location 


pvURING  your  stay  in  New  York  it 
will  be  pleasant  to  be  near  the 
fashionable  shopping  district,  the  theatres 
and  the  busy  part  of  town,  and  at  the 
same  time  in  a  district  noted  for  its  quite 
air  of  comfort. 

All  of  this  you  will  find  at  the 
Vanderbilt  Hotel,  on  the  direct  car  lines 
to  both  the  Pennsylvania  and  Grand 
Central  Terminals.  The  Vanderbilt 
Hotel  is  noted  for  its  cuisine  and  its 
service.  Its  appointments  are  beautiful 
and  home-like;  the  charges  are  reason- 
able, and  it  makes  its  own  appeal  to 
exclusive  travellers. 


WALTON  H.  MARSHALL. 


Ms, 


nager 


iliiiimiin mi iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinit iimmmiiiiiiiiMiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiimiimiiiiiiiii miiimiiimiiiiimmmiiiiii iniiiiiiiiimimiiiiiraimimimiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiim 11 minimum n iimiiiiimiMimiiimiiiiimiiimiiimiiiiiMiiimiiiiiiiimimiiiiuis 

[47] 


IMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUMIinilllllllllllllllllllllllllllNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIMIIIIIIIIIHIIIUIIIIillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^ 


or 


sheen  \ 
and      I 

softness  I 


Shampooing  regularly  j 

with  PACKER'S  TAR  SOAP  | 

protects  the  health  of  \ 

the  scalp  and  brings  out  | 

the  beauty  of  the  hair,  j 

I 


PACKER'S  TAR  SOAP    | 

Cake   and   Liquid 

iniiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiii'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiii? 


'  The  most  interesting  new  thing  I  have 
seen  in  a  long  time."—H.  G.  WELLS. 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  SOLDIER 

By  REBECCA  WEST 

/'">\NE  of  the  finest  things  in  contemporary  fiction ;  a 
^^^  war  story  which  has  called  forth  enthusiastic 
comments  From  the  most  discriminating  reviewers  in  the 
country. 

"This  book  is  like  a  golden  cup  of  some  best  period,  beautifully 
designed,  graven  with  details  one  cannot  look  at  often  enough, 
covered  with  a  patina  such  as  nobody  but  Rebecca  West  gets, 
and  filled  with  a  curious  wine  of  unfamiliar  vintage." — The  New 
Republic. 

"  Miss  West  has  told  a  superb  love  story  tersely  and  beautifully, 
with  warmth  and  significance." — New  York  Sun. 

"  So  unusual  in  plot,  so  faithful  in  its  realism,  yet  so  touched  with 
the  higher  issues  of  life  as  to  stand  almost  alone  among  stories  of 
war  for  beauty  and  terror  and  truth." — Chicago  Tribune. 

"  Miss  West's  diction  ....  is  of  a  richness — a  tempestuous,  tangled 
richness  that  keeps  one  interested  and  excited." —  The  Dial. 

Illustrated.     Price  $1.00. 
At  all  bookstore*.  THE  CENTURY   CO.,   Publishers 


THE  EMPIRE   STATE 
ENGRAVING  COMPANY 

165   WILLIAM   STREET, 

NEW  YORK 
TELEPHONE  3880  BEEKMAN 


Many  of  the  photographs  reproduced 
in  the  Theatre  Magazine  come  from 
the  Ira  L.  Hill's  Studio,  580  Fifth 
Ave.,  New  York,  where  duplicates 
of  any  that  particularly  interest  you 
may  be  purchased. 


BOX 


1-1  AIR  is  our  subject  this  month.  And  we  immediately 
•*• A  thought  of  Miss  Mary  Nash  as  the  person  to  talk 
to  us  about  it.  She  should  speak  with  authority,  we  said, 
because  she  is  the  possessor  of  a  wonderful  head  of 
thick,  dark  hair,  hair  that  is  a  veritable  gift  of  the  gods, 
but  that  like  other  gifts  has  had  to  be  tended  and  indulged 
and  made  the  most  of. 

On  the  stage  Miss  Nash's  hair  looks  the  blackest  thing 

in  the  world,  a  raven's  wing jet the  dead  of 

night.  Off,  there  are  dark  reddish  brown  lights  through 
it,  one  notes,  the  red  black  that  belongs  to  the  Irish  hair, 
as  against  the  blue  black  of  the  Latin.  And  if  you  have 
ever  seen  Miss  Nash  in  "The  New  York  Idea,"  or  the 
more  recent  "Man  Who  Came  Back,"  you  will  not  soon 
forget  the  glorious  contrast  its  masses  make  against  the 
pallor  of  her  skin  and  the  red  of  her  mouth. 


'VT'OUR  hair  is  one  of  the  most  important — if  not  the 
most  important — "properties"  of  your  appearance, 
Miss  Nash  will  tell  you. 

"I  can  change  my  appearance  on  the  stage  by  its  ar- 
rangement" she  said  "more  than  by  anything  else,  and  in 
assuming  a  role  it  is  always  my  hair  problem  that  I  tackle 
first.  It  stands  to  reason,  therefore,  that  it  must  have  the 
same  importance  off  the  stage. 

"The  hair  should  be  a  frame  for  the  face,  and  to  the 
end  of  making  it  the  most  beautiful  frame  possible,  ex- 
quisite cleanliness  is  its  first  requisite. 

"When  I  am  playing,  I  wash  my  hair  once  a  week, 
there  is  so  much  dust  and  lint  flying  around  back  of  the 
scenes,  and  any  woman  who  is  much  in  a  dusty  atmos- 
phere should  do  the  same.  It  is  a  mistake  to  imagine  that 
these  washings  dry  the  natural  oil  in  the  scalp  and  make 
the  hair  fall  out.  On  the  contrary  how  can  the  hairs  grow 
through  if  the  pores  of  the  scalp  are  all  clogged  up. 
Of  course  if  one  is  in  fairly  clean  surroundings  the 
washings  are  not  necessary  so  often. 

(Concluded  on  (age  50) 


[48] 


'/  Itctit  e  Magazine,  July, 


BEAUTY 


THE  WATCH-WORD 

Who  goes  there  ? 
A  woman. 

What  do  you  want? 
To  be  happy,  to  be 
liked,  to  be  attractive. 

What  is  the  watch-word? 
"Beauty." 

The  woman  without  it  is  stopped 
by  every  sentinel.  The  woman 
who  exhibits  it  is  welcome  every- 
where. 

You  may  learn  the  watch-word, 
you  may  acquire  it.  MME. 
RUBINSTEIN  has  demon- 
strated that  no  woman  need  re- 
main other  than  beautiful.  She 
has  demonstrated  it  in  Paris. 
London,  Moscow,  Sydney,  New 
York  and  all  over  the  world.  She 
has  demonstrated  it  with  thou- 
sands, she  has  demonstrated  it 
with  women  of  the  keenest  in- 
tellect, of  the  most  conservative 
ideas. 

MME.  RUBINSTEIN'S  Retinue  of 
followers  is  international. 

To  resist  the  ravages  of  Summer,  let 
Madame  Helena  Rubinstein  arm  you 
with  these  weapons  of  defence: 

VALAZE   BEAUTIFYING   SKINFOOD 

expels  all  impurities  of  the  skin,  clears  the 
pores,  imparts  beauty  and  softness;  wards 
off  wrinkles  and  crow's-feet.  Valaze  re- 
pairs the  daily  beauty  wastage,  removing 
frecVles  and  tan  and  dispels  the  tanning 
and  staining  effects  of  sunburn.  Valaze 
restores  and  preserves  the  natural  beauty 
of  the  skin.  Price  $1.25,  $2.25  and  $6.00. 

VALAZE    SKIN-TONING    LOTION— Used 

with  Valaze  Skinfood  will  insure  quicke. 
and  better  results.  A  splendid  anti- 
wrinkle  lotion.  Price  $1.25,  $2.25.  For 
a  dry  skin  the  "Special"  is  used.  $2.00. 
$4.00  and  $7.50. 

VALAZE  LIQUIDINE— Quite  mystifying 
in  its  action  of  overcoming  oiliness  and 
"shine"  of  the  skin,  and  undue  flushing  of 
nose  and  face.  Also  reduces  enlarged 
pores  and  blackheads.  Price  $1.65.  $3.00 
and  $6.00. 

VALAZE  BLACKHEAD  AND  OPEN 
PORE  PASTE  — Refines  coarse  skin  tex- 
ture, removes  blackheads  and  reduces  en- 
larged pores.  Is  used  in  place  of  soap. 
Price  $1.10,  $2.10  and  $5.50. 

VALAZE  BEAUTY  FOUNDATION 
CREME  for  a  greasy  skin.  Conceals  tan, 
freckles  and  other  skin  blemishes.  Whitens 
and  bleaches  the  skin  instantly.  Excellent 
foundation  for  powder.  Price  $1,  $2,  $3 
and  upwards. 

VALAZE  OUTDOOR  BALM  ROSE  pro 

tects  a  dry  skin  from  freckles,  sunburn  and 
tanning.  Unequalled  as  an  anti-wrinkle 
preparation  and  exquisite  foundation  for 
powder.  Price  $1.65,  $3.30  and  upwards. 

VALAZE  SNOW  LOTION,  a  liguid  pow- 
der and  an  indispensable  beauty  lotion  for 
Summer.  It  soothes,  refreshes  and  cools. 
Adheres  firmly  and  invests  face  with  ex- 
quisite softness  of  color.  Price  $1.25, 
$2.25  and  $5. 

CRUSHED  ROSE  LEAVES,  natural  face 
coloring.  Mention  whether  for  blonde  or 
brunette.  Price  $1.00,  $3.50  and  upwards. 

VALAZE    COMPLEXION     POWDER,    for 

greasy  or  normal  skin.     $1,  $3  and  $5. 

NOVENA  POUDRE.  for  dry  skins.  In 
five  tints:  flesh,  rose,  white,  cream,  and 
rachel.  Price  $1.00,  $3.00  and  $5.00. 

VALAZE  COMPRESSED  POWDER,  witi. 

putt  and  mirror,  in  dainty,  convenient 
lorm  for  purse.  Price  75c.  each. 

MME.  HELENA  RUBINSTEIN 


PARIS 

255  Ru.  St.Honon? 


LONDON.  W. 

24  Graf  Ion  Su»l 


1427  Boardwalk.  Atlantic  City.  N.  J. 

Natatorium  Bldz.,  Asbury  Park,  N.  J. 
Ckieato:   Mile.  Lola  Beelcman.  30  No.  Michigan  Air. 
S»  Fraaciico:   Mini  Ida  Martin,  177  Post  St. 
Km  Orluiu:    Mn.  C.  V.  Butler.  8017  Zimple  St. 


VICTOR  RECORDS 

Light,  airy,  gay,  are  the  vacation- 
time  dance  numbers  newly  recorded 
to  furnish  the  requisite  for  dancing 
wherever  you  go.  "The  Rainbow 
Girl"  and  "Oh  Lady !  Lady !"  are  two 
medley  foxtrots  played  by  the  Victor 
Military  Band  on  one  Victor  Record. 
"The  Rainbow  Girl"  has  been  having 
a  big  success  at  the  New  Amsterdam 
Theatre  in  New  York,  and  some  of 
its  most  attractive  numbers  make  up 
this  medley  fox-trot,  which  include: 
"/'//^  Think  Of  You";  "My  Rainbow 
Girl";  "Alimony  Blues";  and  "Mister 
Drummer." 

The  gems  from  the  musical-com- 
edy "Oh  Lady!  Lady!"  are  culled  for 
the  fox-trot  of  that  name.  They  are 
"You  Found  Me  and  I  Found  You"; 
"When  All  the  Little  Ships  Come 
Sailing  Home";  and  "Not  Yet." 

On  another  Victor  Record,  Pietro, 
that  wonderful  accordionist,  pre- 
sents a  fox-trot  and  a  one-step. 
These  two  medley  dance  numbers  in- 
clude some  of  the  most  popular 
songs  of  the  day.  In  the  "War 
Ballad  Medley"  there  are  "Just  a 
Baby's  Prayer  at  Tmlight" ;  and 
"Joan  of  Arc." 

A  tender  tribute  is  paid  to  the 
women  who  are  to-day  crooning  their 
little  ones  to  sleep  while  their 
thoughts  are  with  the  men  who  have 
left  them  that  they  may  defend 
them.  It  is  expressed  in  a  touching 
little  song  by  Geraldine  Farrar  on  a 
new  Victrola  Record.  "The  War 
Baby's  Lullaby."  Adi: 


COLUMBIA  RECORDS 

An  event  of  no  inconsiderable  im- 
portance to  phonograph  owners  is 
the  announcement  by  Columbia  of 
the  first  Columbia  Record  from  the 
Metropolitan  Opera  Orchestra.  This 
historic  organization  now  plays  ex- 
clusively for  Columbia,  and  offers  in 
the  July  group  of  records  the  glorious 
Ballet  Music  from  "Faust."  Lovers 
of  music  will  hail  this  superb  record 
with  joy,  and  watch  eagerly  for 
others  from  the  same  source. 

Musical  critics  are  paying  tribute 
with  increasing  frequency,  these  days, 
to  the  radiantly  lovely  voice  which 
the  beautiful  Amparito  Farrar  has 
brought  with  her  into  fame.  The 
brilliant  young  soprano  makes  her 
Columbia  debut  in  a  record  that  in- 
cludes "Sweet  and  Low"  and  "Mighty 
Lak'  a  Rose." 

Recently  the  New  York  Philhar- 
monic Orchestra  made  a  tour  of  the 
National  Army  Cantonments,  giving 
concerts  to  the  soldiers.  This  tour 
lends  especial  interest  to  the  newest 
Columbia  Record  of  the  Philhar- 
monic, Victor  Herbert's  "American 
Fantasie"  and  on  the  reverse  the 
"Estudiantina"  waltz. 

Among  the  other  splendid  records 
in  this  July  group  from  Columbia 
are  Stracciari  singing  Massenet's 
"Elegie,"  with  violin  obbligato  by 
Lascha  Jacobsen ;  Josef  Hofmann 
playing  Chopin's  "False  Brilliante." 

Adv. 


BOOKS  RECEIVED 

INTERPRETERS  AND  INTERPRETATIONS.  By 
Carl  Van  Vechten.  New  York:  Alfred 
A.  Knopf. 

THE  INSURGENT  THEATRE.  By  Thomas 
H.  Dickinson.  New  York:  B.  W. 
Huebsch. 

SACRIFICE  AND  OTHER  PLAYS.  By 
Rabindranath  Tagore.  New  York:  The 
Macmillan  Company. 

MORE  SHORT  PLAYS.  By  Mary  Mac- 
millan. Cincinnati:  Stewart  and  Midd 
Company. 

FIFTY-ONE  TALES.  By  Lord  Dunsany. 
Boston:  Little,  Brown  and  Company. 

THE  SORCERESS.  By  Victorien  Sardou. 
Translation  by  Charles  A.  Weissert. 
Boston:  Richard  G.  Badger. 

AMATEUR  AND  EDUCATIONAL  DRAMATICS. 
By  Evelyne  Milliard,  Theodora  McCormick, 
Kate  Oglebay.  Illustrated.  New  York: 
Macmillan  Company. 

PROBLEMS  OF  THE  PLAYWRIGHT.  By 
Clayton  Hamilton.  New  York:  Henry 
Holt  and  Company. 


THE  Sour 
of  ROMANCE 

ethereal,  enchanting, 
lies  imprisoned  in 

Quelques  Fleurs 
Talcum  the  'world's 
moff  exquisite  powder. 

Alluringly  cool,  subtly 
fragrant,  caressingly  soft, 
with  all  the  inimitable 
charm  of  a  Houbigant 
creation. 


iOUBIGANT 

r  MASTER  PER 
FUMER  of  PARIS 

His  creations  represent 
the  utmost  refinement  of 
taste.  Q  The  smartest 
shops  sell  Houbigant 's 
Suelques  "Violettei,  Ideal, 
Coeur  de  Jeannelte,  &vette, 
etc.  Perfume  samples  .1)  ea. 

Mdrttt 

PARK   &.  TILFORD 

Soli  cAgfiat 
529  W.  42d  St.  New  York 


CHARM 

No  girl, 
conscious    of 
hair  on  face,  arms 
or  armpits  could 
have  such  charm. 
Superfluous  hair 
can   be  removed   in 
five    minutes    with 
X-BAZIN  — safely, 
effectively,  without  dis- 
comfort 

Order  to-day    (50c   and   $1.00) 
from  your  druggist  or  department 
;tore — or  we  will  mail  to  you  direct 
on  receipt  of  price. 

HALL  &  RUCKEL.  Inc.,  Mfrt.,  21S  Wukuvt..  St..  N.  T. 


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AMERICAN  ACADEMY 
OF  DRAMATIC  ARTS 

Franklin  H.  Sargent,  President 

If  The  standard  institution  of  dramatic  If 
([education  for  thirty 'three  yearsj 

Detailed  catalog  from  the  Secretary 
ROOM  172,  CARNEGIE  HALL,  NEW  YORK 
Connected  with  Charles  Frohman's  Empire  Theatre  and  Companies 

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will  pay  cash  for  good  motion  picture  material 
that  has  been  published  in  book  or  magazine  form. 
We  desire  to  deal  direct  with  you — no  agents. 

Address  L.  B.  C.,  c/o  Theatre  Magazine 


[49] 


Remove  superfluous  hair 
in  five  minutes 

One  simple  application  of 
Evans's  Depilatory  removes 
hair  harmlessly,  cleanly, 
comfortably. 

Its  occasional  ,usc,  keeps  the 
underarms,  lips  and  other  parts 
hair-free  for  a  long  time. 
Permanent  removal  of  hair  is 
always  harmful. 


Get  the  complete  outfit 
at  your  druggist's  or 
department  store  today 
r  send  75c.  for  it  to 

George  B  Evani 
1103  Chestnut  St  Philadelphia 


"Mum" 

(as  ca-y  to  use  as  to  say) 

— makes  dainty  women 
so  much  daintier 

A  little  "Mum,"  applied 
after  the  bath,  neutralizes 
all  embarrassing  body  odors. 
Thousands  of  stylish  women 
are  "Mum"  devotees. 

25c — at  drue-  and  department-stores. 

"Alum"  is  a  Trade  Mark  registered  in  [7.  S.  Patent  Office. 
"Mum"  Mfg  Co  1 106  Che.ti.ut  Street  Philadelphia 


do  they  iaj 
Nobody 

ever  changes 
from        6 

Ramesgs' 

The  Aristocrat- 
of  Curettes 


THE  VANITY  BOX 

(Continued  from  page  48) 


t'FF  I  find  my  scalp  becoming  dandruffy  or  dry  I  rub 
*  in  a  little  good  hair  cream,  or  a  bit  of  hot  oil.  And 
another  bit  of  hygiene  that  I  consider  important  is  that 
of  keeping  my  hair  cut  off  to  about  waist  length,  though 
if  I  let  it  grow  it  would  come  down  to  my  knees.  I  be- 
lieve that  it  grows  better  when  it  is  shorter,  has  more 
vitality,  and  can  be  put  up  more  gracefully." 

It  is  another  of  Miss  Nash's  beliefs  that  black  hair 
should  be  sleek  and  smooth  and  polished,  "like  jet,"  as 
she  expressed  it,  "and  not  like  velvet."  Fluffiness  in  hair 
is  for  blondes  only.  A  deep  wide  marcel  is  allowable, 
but  frizzy  dark  hair  is  not  attractive. 


MISS  NASH  in 
everyday  life 
wears  her  hair  parted 
in  the  middle,  waved 
in  this  deep  marcel 
and  then  drawn  into  a 
large  compact  knot  at 
the  back  of  her  head. 
And  it  is  comforting 
to  have  her  tell  us 
that  she  does  not 
think  that  the  hot  iron 
in  the  hands  of  a  pro- 
fessional is  injurious 
to  the  hair.  (One 
should  choose  a  good 
and  conscientious 

hairdresser  and  go  to  that  same  one  each  time  that  he  or 
she  may  take  pride  in  keeping  the  hair  in  fine  condition.) 
But  she  is  not  very  much  for  the  amateur  waving  of  it 
oneself  at  home. 

And  every  so  often,  too,  one  should  snatch  a  few  days 
off  to  give  the  hair  a  rest,  and  during  the  summer  as 
long  as  possible. 

It  was  in  one  of  those  "days  off"  that  I  happened  to 
see  Miss  Nash.  So  her  hair  was  unwaved,  parted  slightly 
on  the  side,  instead  of  the  middle,  and  drawn  sleekly  back 
under  a  net.  And  she  made  a  remark  about  her  manner 
of  adjusting  it  that  was  particularly  interesting  to  me.  It 
was  to  the  effect  that  it  was  a  great  mistake  to  pin  the 
front  of  one's  net  down,  that  that  made  a  hard  line  across 
the  head. 

And  that  was  interesting  because  that  very  morning  I 
had  been  visiting  the  establishment  of  the  Bonnie-B  hair 
net  people,  the  oldest  human  hair  net  firm  in  New  York, 
who  handle  nothing  but  "imports."  and  I  had  been  given 
a  demonstration  of  the  Bonnie-B  hair  net  which  fitted 
in  exactly  with  what  Miss  Nash  said.  The  Bonnie-B,  in 
the  first  place,  is  not  a  cap  net.  The  cap  net  is  now 
vieu.v  jeux.  In  the  second  place,  it  has  no  cord  across 
the  front,  only  on  the  sides.  The  part  that  goes  over  the 
head  in  front  ends  simply  in  loops  of  the  mesh  which 
melt  in  with  the  hair  and  must  not  be  fastened  down. 
This  ejives  a  perfectly  natural  look  to  the  hair  and  makes 
the  Bonnie-B  the  most  invisible  hair  net  that  one  can 
wear. 


E  recommend  to  you  the  new  Russian  Shampoo 
powder  that  has  just  been  put  out  by  the  importers 
of  Djer-Kiss.  The  formula  for  it  was  brought  from 
Russia — one  asks  for  Smirnoff's  Russian  Shampoo 
Powder — is  now  manufactured  in  America,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  delightful,  fragrant  and  easily  used  aids  for 
keeping  that  hair  frame  of  yours  up  to  its  requisite  stand- 
ard of  exquisite  cleanliness  and  beauty. 


Petrole   Hahn 

For  Fatting  Hair 

A    TONIC  made  in  France  of 
prepared  petroleum  oil,  con- 
sidered by  medical  authorities  the 
ideal  food  for  thin,  lifeless  hair. 

Petrole  Hahn  delicately  perfumes  the 
hair,  and  without  making  it  oily  renders  it 
lustrous,  brilliant  and  wavy. 

This  Hair  Beautifier 

applied  regularly  keeps  the  scalp  clean 

and  stimulates  growth. 

Sold  by  smart  shops — $1 .00  and  $1 .50  size, 

Generous  sample  25c.    Address 

PARK  &  TILFORD,  Sole  Agents 
529  W.  42nd  St.,  New  York 


Are  You  Getting  the 
Most  Out  of  Your  Life? 

Have  you  learned  tbe  greatest 
lesson  of  all — to  be  calm 
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of  others ? 

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[so; 


Theatre  Magazine,  July. 


DEI     ES 


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By  ALICE  DUER  MILLER 

TN  this  new  novel  the  author  of  "Come  Out  of  the 
•*•  Kitchen ! "  strikes  a  graver  note  than  in  her  previous 
work,  without  losing  any  of  her  brilliance  and  gaity.  A 

romance  set  in  New  York's  fashionable  world and 

the  author  is  on  the  side  of  the  lovers. 

The  New  York  Times  says:  "A  brilliant  story  of  New  York 
'society',  delightfully  written  ....  Its  cleverness  is  not  mere  sur- 
face brilliance ;  it  is  keen  satire  as  well.  The  story  is  worked  out 
delightfully,  as  a  story ;  and  through  it  is  the  sharp  interest  of  the 
contrasting  types  of  women,  the  way  they  meet  each  other,  the 
way  they  meet  men,  the  way  they  meet  life  ....  But  whatever 
one  seeks  in  the  novel — so  long  as  it  is  something  clean  and  bright 
— and  from  whatever  standpoint  one  approaches  'The  Happiest 
Time  of  Their  Lives,'  it  is  a  book  that  will  be  thoroughly  enjoyed." 

illustrated.      Price  $1.40. 
At  all  bookttore,.  THE   CENTURY   CO.,    Publisher* 


GOOD  FRIENDS 
GOOD  CIGARS 
GGDD  STORIES 


AND 


OF  COURSE 


KING  OF  TABLE  WATERS 


[51] 


|^S^^^': 


till)    '    I'lM 


COFT 


water  cleanses 
much  better  than  hard. 
Nothing  softens  water  as 
well  as  Borax.  That's 
why  you  should  sprinkle 
a  little  20  Mule  Team 
Borax  in  the  water  before 
you  take  your  bath.  But 


MULE  TEAM  BORAX 

is  more  than  a  water  sof- 
tener. It  is  an  antiseptic, 
it  keeps  the  pores  free 
and  clean,  is  an  excellent 
deodorant,  refreshes  the 
skin  and  keeps  the  com- 
plexion clear. 

Always  use  this  Borax  in 
baby's  bath — it  is  very  soothing 
to  tender  skin. 


You  will  find  many  uses  for 
20  Mule  Team  Borax  in  the 
kitchen  and  laundry.  Be  sure 
to  see  the  picture  of  the  famous 
20  Mules  on  every  package. 

All  Dealers  sell 

20  MULE  TEAM   BORAX 


MR.  HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY 


(Continued 

The  Metropolitan  Opera  House 
has  done  its  bit  since  the  season 
closed  in  helping  the  war  charities. 
Geraldine  Farrar's  benefit  last  month 
was  a  great  success,  and  the  Italy- 
America  concert,  at  which  Caruso 
was  one  of  the  stars,  netted  a  splen- 
did sum. 

And  now  Frances  Alda,  not  to  be 
outdone  by  Miss  Farrar,  gave  a 
festival  on  June  tenth,  with  the 
superlative  hit  of  press-work — "the 
five  greatest  tenors  in  the  world." 
The  purpose  was  to  raise  money  to 
buy  music  and  musical  instruments 
for  the  Navy,  and  Caruso  and 
Martinelli  for  Italy,  McCormack  for 
Ireland,  Muratore  for  France,  Lazaro 
for  Spain,  and  Althouse  for  Amer- 
ica, helped  the  cause. 

Besides  these,  Elman  and  Harold 
Bauer  played,  Ethel  Barrymore  're- 
cited the  "Bqftle  Hymn  of  the  Re- 


from  page  24) 

public" — which  seems  the  only  rival 
of  the  "Marseillaise"  in  inspiring  en- 
thusiasm, when  done  by  Miss  Barry- 
more,  Julia  Marlowe,  or  Julia  Arthur 
— and  Sousa  conducted. 

Sousa  has  been  more  than  gen- 
erous in  appearing  in  as  many  places 
as  he  can,  and  his  new  "Riveters" 
march,  dedicated  to  the  shipbuilders, 
and  incorporating  some  remarkable 
orchestral  effects,  is  one  of  the  most 
original  and  distinctive  compositions 
to  come  out  of  the  war. 

The  Government,  in  recognition  of 
his  untiring  work,  has  offered  him 
twelve  weeks'  leave  of  absence,  but 
like  the  ticket-man  who  had 'been  at 
the  theatre  day  in  and  day  out  for 
years,  and  who,  at  last  given  a  holi- 
day, hung  disconsolately  around  the 
lobby  all  evening,  Lieutenant  Sousa 
will  use  the  time  in  taking  his  band 
on  a  tour  of 'the  United  States. 


SOME  NEW  BOOKS 


"REPRESENTATIVE  AMERICAN  PLAYS." 
Edited'  by  ARTHUR  HOBSON  QUINN. 
968  pp.  New  York :  The  Century  Co. 

This  interesting  collection  of  plays 
illustrating  the  development  of  our 
native  drama  from  its  beginning  to 
the  present  day  is  invaluable  to  the 
dramatic  student.  No  theatrical 
library  can  be  considered  complete 
without  it.  All  the  plays  in  the 
collection  are  the  work  of  significant 
American  playwrights,  and  all  have 
had  actual  stage  presentation  by  a 
professional  company.  Of  the 
twenty-five  plays  chosen,  the  scenes 
of  sixteen  are  laid  in  this  country, 
while  so  far  as  possible  all  the  prin- 
cipal types  characteristic  of  our 
drama  are  represented.  A  brief  in- 
troduction to  each  play  explains  its 
significance  and  gives  a  biographical 
sketch  of  the  author,  with  a  selected 
bibliography.  The  stage  directions 
are  represented  in  the  earlier  days 
as  originally  given. 

Opening  with  "The  Prince  of  Par- 
thia,"  by  Thomas  Godfrey,  the  first 
American  play,  the  collection  includes 
examples  of  the  work  of  such  early 
playwrights  as  William  Dunlap,  John 
Howard  Payne,  Nathaniel  Parker 
Willis,  George  Henry  Boker,  and 
Julia  Ward  Howe.  "Rip  Van 
Winkle,"  as  played  by  Joseph  Jeffer- 
son, is  included,  as  is  also  another 
old  favorite,  "Shenandoah,"  by 
Bronson  Howard.  Of  living  writers 
and  the  younger  generation  the  fol- 
lowing names  appear :  Clyde  Fitch, 
Langdon  Mitchell,  Percy  MacKaye, 
Augustus  Thomas,  William  Vaughn 
Moody,  Edward  Sheldon,  and  Rachel 
Crothers. 


"MEN  IN  WAR."  By  ANDREAS 
LATZKO.  New  York :  Boni  and  Live- 
right. 

Hundreds  of  books  have  been 
written  about  the  war,  but  only  two 
stand  out  as  masterpieces.  One  is 
"Under  Fire,"  by  the  French  soldier 
Bartmsse,  the  other  is  "Men  in  War," 
by  the  Austrian  officer,  Andreas 
Latzko. 

The  latter  surpasses  its  predecessor 
in  the  terrifying  realism  of  its  pic- 


tures of  human  agony.  If  it  is  in- 
tended as  anti-militarist  propa- 
ganda it  certainly  accomplishes  its 
purpose,  for  it  even  goes  one  better 
than  Sherman,  showing  that  war  is 
worse  than  hell.  The  book's  one 
weakness  is  that  it  fails  to  discrim- 
inate between  the  criminal  war  of 
aggression,  such  as  that  now  being 
ruthlessly  waged  by  the  Central 
Powers,  and  the  holy  war  of  self- 
defense,  which  the  Allies  are  fight- 
ing. The  author,  blinded  by  his 
furious  hatred  of  all  war,  sees  no 
distinction  between  the  burglar  and 
the  policeman.  The  man  who  de- 
fends his  home  and  family  is,  to  his 
thinking,  as  much  an  enemy  of  man- 
kind as  the  housebreaker.  Such 
reasoning  as  this  may  infuse  joy  in- 
to the  shrivelled  hearts  of  pacifists, 
slackers  and  other  moral  degener- 
ates, but  it  does  not  appeal  with  any 
force  to  the  sane  and  normal  mind. 
Apart,  however,  from  the  fallacy  of 
its  premises,  the  book  should  be 
read  as  a  remarkable  piece  of 
literature,  that  only  a  world  con- 
vulsion could  produce. 


"KEEPLNG  OUR  FIGHTERS  FIT — FOR 
WAR  AND  AFTER,"  by  Edward  Frank 
Allen,  written  in  co-operation  with 
Raymond  B.  Fosdick,  Chairman  of 
the  War  Department  and  Navy  De- 
partment Commissions  on  Training 
Camp  Activities;  with  a  special 
statement  written  for  the  book  by 
President  Wilson.  New  York :  The 
Century  Co. 

This  book  deals  with  the  soldier 
and  sailor  in  training  camp  and  com- 
munity. It  tells  what  the  Govern- 
ment is  doing,  and  doing  for  the 
first  time  in  its  history,  to  add  to 
the  comfort,  happiness,  safety,  and 
efficiency  of  the  million  or  so  men 
called  to  the  colors.  It  is  a  book  of 
information  and  reassurance  that 
should  be  welcomed  by  relatives  and 
friends  of  the  men  in  the  camps. 
Knowing  what  the  Government  is 
doing,  moreover,  will  enable  friends 
and  relatives  to  co-operate  more  in- 
telligently with  it  for  the  benefit  of 
the  American  men  preparing  to  fight. 


[58] 


zine 


35  Cents 
$3.50  a  Year 


AUGUST.    1918 

VOL.  XXVIII   NO.  2JO 


The 

SUPREME  QUIETNESS 

of  this 

SELF  PRESERVING 

MOTOR 

is  responsible  for 

NOISELESS  BODIES 


1  HE  best   known   advantage 
of  Willys-Knight  oars  is  that  — 

THIS   type   of    motor  is  the 
only    one    that    improve!    with 


EMPHASIZING  the  tre- 
mendous value  of  this  is  the 
fact  that  — 

ALL  other  types  deteriorate! 

PROBABLY  the  next  best 
known  advantage  is  the  guilt- 
ness  and  lack  of  vibration  of 
the  Willys-Knight  motor. 


EMPHASIZING  this  is  the 

fact  that  it  remaini  quiet! 

1  HIS  motor's  quietness 
would  magnify  the  squeaks 
and  rattles  of  ordinary  bodies 
that  are  drowned  by  the 
pounding,  noise  and  de- 
structive vibration  of  poppet- 
valve  types. 

THE  Willys-Knights'  me- 
chanical efficiency,  economy 
of  operation,  freedom  from 
ordinary  motor  troubles  and 
expenses,  maximum  comfort, 
and  r;ire  beauty  are  crowned 
by  this  achievement  of  noise- 
less body  construction. 


Four,  touring  car 
Eight,  touring  car 

Willys-Overland  Inc.,  Toledo,  Ohio 

Willys-Knight  and  Overland  Motor  Cars  and  Light  Commercial  Cars 
Canadian  factory,  It'tst  Toronto,  Canada 


'-Valve  Motor 


Tktftrt  Mtfffine,  Anfut, 


muni iiiiiii!iii!iii;]::;;iii;i!;i;;:;;;i;iiiiiiiiii;i]iiiii;;;:;;Hii;i!]iiiiiiiiiuiinim!ii!iiii;iiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiMiiniiii;ii niiiuiiiiiiiiiiiii iiniiiiiniiiiiiininiiimi 


<ShirGf3Surlfi  JfneC  EAST  atfSait 


An  Ideal  Hotel  with  an  Ideal  Location 


POURING  your  stay  in  New  York  it 
will  be  pleasant  to  be  near  the 
fashionable  shopping  district,  the  theatres 
and  the  busy  part  of  town,  and  at  the 
same  time  in  a  district  noted  for  its  quite 
air  of  comfort. 

All  of  this  you  will  find  at  the 
Vanderbilt  Hotel,  on  the  direct  car  lines 
to  both  the  Pennsylvania  and  Grand 
Central  Terminals.  The  Vanderbilt 
Hotel  is  noted  for  its  cuisine  and  its 
service.  Its  appointments  are  beautiful 
and  home'like;  the  charges  are  reason' 
able,  and  it  makes  its  own  appeal  to 
exclusive  travellers. 

WALTON  H.  MARSHALL, 

Manager 


iHiiiiiiiiiiitniiiitntiiitiiiiiinfiHtuiiiiiiiiiiiHHiiiiiiii 


[61] 


MR.  HAMILTON  KING  IN  HIS  STUDIO 


SPECIAL    NOTICE 


We  take  pleasure  in  announcing  that  beginning  with  the  September  issue,  the  THEATRE 
MAGAZINE  will  have  on  its  cover  a  decorative  portrait  of  a  prominent  actress  by  the 
well  known  American  artist  Mr.  Hamilton  King. 

Mr.  King's  work  is  too  well  known  to  need  any  introduction  here.  A  specializer  in 
beautiful  femininity,  his  women  are  Creations  of  the  delicate  Dresden  china  type  and 
whether  he  paints  a  French  peasant,  an  actress  or  a  society  debutante,  the  spirit  as  well 
as  the  flesh  of  his  model  is  there. 

As  heretofore,  the  policy  of  the  THEATRE  MAGAZINE  is  to  reproduce  on  its  covers 
only  the  portraits  of  women  of  the  stage  whose  talent  and  standing  have  won  them 
that  distinction.  It  is  not  enough  to  be  merely  pretty.  The  actress  to  be  so  honored 
must  have  won  a  distinct  place  for  herself  in  the  affections  of  our  theatregoers. 

Mr.  King's  work  will  add  still  another  beautiful  feature  to  the  artistry  for  which  the 
THEATRE  MAGAZINE  is  justly  famed  throughout  the  two  hemispheres. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


[68] 


Tktalrt  Magarini,  August,  Ifil 


To  Theatre  Magazine  Subscribers 

The  Government  is  sending  broadcast— not  an  S.  O.  S.  signal, 
but  a  request  for  conservation  in  all  sorts  of  business  and  in 
all  walks  of  life.  The  cost  of  paper  is  going  up  -and  the  supply 
going  down. 

The  new  postal  rates  for  magazines  which  went  into  effect 
July  1st,  means  an  increased  expense  for  postage  to  all 
publishers,  of  from  50%  to  300% ! ! 

We  have  been  carrying  our  share  of  the  extra  cost  of  produc- 
tion, paper,  and  what-not,  right  along,  but  now,  in  common 
with  all  publishers,  we  will  be  compelled  to  increase  the  sub- 
scription price  of  the  Theatre  Magazine. 

Before  the  increase  goes  into  effect,  we  send  you  this  special 
invitation— 

Send  us  the  renewal  of  your  subscription — whether  it  expires 
now,  or  a  year  from  now— at  the  present  rate  of  $3.50,  and  it  will 
be  accepted  providing  it  reaches  us  not  later  than  September  1st. 

After  that  date,  subscriptions  will  only  be  accepted  at  the 
increased  rate.  You  must  act  NOW  if  you  want  to  take 
advantage  of  the  present  rate. 


Theatre  Magazine 

6  East  39th  Street 
New  York 

Gentlemen :     I  enclose  herewith  $3.50  for  which  please  renew  my  sub- 
scription to    the  Theatre    Magazine,   for         _years  from  the   expiration  date 


•which  is 


Name_ 


Address 


Onyx 


Hosiery 


Action, 

Motion,  Stress  and         "^^ 
Strain — "Onyx"  stands  them  all 

Summer's  activities  put  a  hard  test  on  any  Hosiery — Bathing,  Tramping, 
Sports  and  Dancing — demand  great  wearing  qualities  plus  the  style  of  the 
moment.  "Onyx"  answers  the  call. 

The  newest  designs  for  Mid-Summer  and  Early  Autumn  are  ready 

—in  those  shades  that  everybody  seems  to  want  all  of  a  sudden— 

at  your  favorite  shop.  If  you  need  our  aid  please  write  to  us  today! 

Emery  &  Beers  Company,  inc.  NEW  YORK 

Sole    owners   of    "Onyx"   and   wholesale    distributors 


AUGUST 


1918 


THE     September     THEATRE     MAGAZINE 
will  help  usher  in  the  new  theatrical 
season — a    cracker-jack    number,    full    of 
surprises. 

Full    of   "ginger,"    "pep,"    and    "punch" 
will    be    the    articles,    and    the    pictures — 
exquisite     half-tones    of 
the  leading  lights  of  the 
stage. 

Are  you  going  to 
continue  being  a  theatric- 
al back  number?  Will 
you  sit  dumb  when  the 
conversation  turns  to  the 
latest  play  and  the  new- 
ly risen  star? 

You  don't  have  to  at- 
tend all  the  new  open- 
ings. Just  read  the 
THEATRE  MAGAZINE,  and 
get  all  the  brightest 
theatrical  news  in  a  nut- 
shell. 


pearance  in  America  of  the  elder  Wallack, 
destined  to  be  the  foremost  figure  of  his 
time  in  the  history  of  the  New  York  stage. 
Our  next  issue  will  contain  a  reminiscent 
article  about  this  distinguished  actor.  It 
is  replete  with  anecdotes,  and  is  written 


by   an   old   favorite   with   THEATRE   MAGA- 
ZINE readers — Charles   Burnham. 


D 


WHAT  new  plays 
are  the  managers 
going  to  give  us? 

All  the  stages  and  all 
the  stars  are  busy  re- 
hearsing new  roles. 
You'll  want  to  know 
what  they  are,  won't 
you? 

Then  read  the  fore- 
cast of  the  new  season 
in  the  September  issue. 


THE  war  has  made  a 
great  deal  of  dif- 
ference in  the  attitude 
of  the  public  towards 
plays. 

There  is  no  more 
room  for  trifles  of  life 
in  drama.  To  hold  ai- 
tention  nowadays,  the 
play  must  deal  with 
some  big,  vital  theme. 

Then,  too,  there  is  no 
more  room  for  scoffing 
at  home  ties  and  domes- 
tic relations  which  used 
to  be  an  ever-fertile  field 
for  the  dramatist.  The 
war  has  knit  families 
closer. 

Charlotte  Wells,  who 
has  her  finger  on  the 
trend  of  Broadway, 
writes  about  this  subject 
interestingly  in  the  next 
number. 


SEPTEMBER     marks 
the    hundredth     an- 
niversary of  the  first  ap- 


THIS  ISSUE 


MARION  DAVIES  Cover 

ALMA  TELL  Frontispiece 

THE   POOR   OLD   SHOW   BUSINESS  68 
MR.   AND   MRS.    SIDNEY    DREW    IN    "KEEP   HER    SMILING" 

— Full  page  of  scenes  69 

DO   YOU    KNOW—  "0 

THE    DENISHAWN    DANCERS— Full   page  of  pictures  Tl 
CLIFTON   WEBB— Full-page  portrait 
JEAN  ROBERTSON— Full-page   portrait 

THE  CLEVEREST  MAN  ON  BROADWAY  Ada  Patterson  74 

STAGE  PEOPLE  WHO   HAVE    DONE   THEIR   BIT— 

Full  page  of  pictures  7.5 
THE  COWBOY  THAT  CONQUERED   NEW   YORK, 

William  P.  Adams  76 

SYLVIA   DE   TELL— Full-page   portrait  77 

NEW  MUSIC  FOR  OLD  PLAYS  Harold  Seton  78 

IN  HOLIDAY   SEASON  79 

WHO'LL  MOTHER  THESE  SOLDIER  BOYS?  82 

RICHARD    BENNETT— Full-page   portrait  83 

FROM  MADAME  X  TO  MUSICAL  COMEDY    Eileen  O'Connor  84 
PRINCIPALS   IN    "HITCHY-KOO"— Full   page  of   pictures 

WE  CAN'T  BE  AS  BAD  AS  ALL  THAT  Louis  V.  De  Foe  86 

SCENES    IN    "FRIENDLY    ENEMIES"  87 

HE'S  ONLY  THE  AUTHOR  Leslie  Allen  88 

BELLES   OF   MUSICAL   COMEDY— Full   page   of  pictures  89 

THE  HOME  FOLLOWS  THE  STAGE  Zeta  Rothschild  90 

YESTERDAY    AND   TO-DAY    IN    STAGE    SETTINGS— 

Full   page  of  pictures  91 
THE    MOST    UNIQUE   THEATRE    IN    THE   WORLD, 

Edwin    Carty   Ranch  92 

MARTHA    HEDMAN— Full-page    portrait  93 

THE   COMPLEAT   PLAYWRIGHT  Franklyn    Wright  94 

HERE   AND   THERE   IN   THEATRE   LAND— 

Full    page   of   pictures  95 
"BIFF   BANG"   CREATES  THE   STAGE   DOOR  JANE, 

Vera   Bloom  !>6 
PRETTY    FACES    BEFORE    THE    FOOTLIGHTS— 

Full    page   of   pictures  97 

A  WAR   MINSTREL  C.   Blythe  Sherwood  98 

THEATRICALS   IN   THE  TRENCHES— Full   page  of   pictures  99 

NEW  ORLEANS'  FIRST  THEATRE  Rosel  Gotthoid  100 

THE  THEATRE  REPRESENTED  IN  GREAT  PARADE— 

Full    page    of    pictures  101 

FOOTLIGHT  FASHIONS  Anne  Archbald  102 

MOTION  PICTURE  SECTION  Edited  by  Mirilo  113 


AVID  BELASCO  loves  Nature.    He 
has   seen   some   of  her   sunrises  and 
sunsets   that   are  almost 
as  good  as  his  own." 

Read  this  and  other 
witticisms  in  Harold  Se- 
ton's  amusing  contribu- 
tion to  the  September 
i  s  s  u  e  —  "Theatre 
Thoughts." 


LOUIS  MEYER,  PAUL  MEYER 
Publishers 

ARTHUR  H'ORNBLOW 

Editor 


THE  THEATRE  IS  PUBLISHED  MONTHLY  BY  THE  THEATRE 
MAGAZINE  COMPANY,  6  EAST  39TH  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 
HENRY  STERN,  PRESIDENT;  LOUIS  MEYER,  TREASURER; 
PAUL  MEYER,  SECRETARY.  SINGLE  COPIES  ARE  THIRTY- 
FIVE  CENTS;  THREE  DOLLARS  AND  A  HALF  BY  THE  YEAR. 
FOREIGN  COUNTRIES,  ADD  $1.00  FOR  MAIL;  CANADA,  ADD  85c- 


IMPORTANT  NOTICE  = 
TO  SUBSCRIBERS 


If  you  change  your  address,  we  must  ask  that  you  notify  us  not  later  than 
the  tenth  of  the  month,  otherwise  the  next  issue   will   go  to  your  old 

address  and  we  cannot  replace  it. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


'VERY  actress  you 
mtet  talks  about 
"Temperament."  T  h  e 
man  who  beats  his  wife 
uses  the  same  word. 

Temperament  is  one 
wf  the  most  misused 
words  in  the  lexicon  of 
the  theatre.  It  is  re- 
sponsible for  late  re- 
hearsals, changing  of 
whole  scenes  to  meet 
stars'  r  e  q  u  i  r  e  m  ents, 
playwrights'  gray  hair, 
etc. 

Mildred  Cram  analy- 
ses this  subtle  thing  in 
her  usual  brilliant  way 
in  the  coming  issue. 


on     the 


THE     Jew 
Stage ! 


Rachel,  one  of  the 
world's  greatest  actress- 
es, was  a  Jewess.  So  is 
Bernhardt. 

Our  local  stage  in- 
cludes many  favorites — 
from  Bobby  North  to 
David  Warfield.  And 
then  the  producers — 
from  Belasco  to  Zieg- 
feld. 

Ada  Patterson  has 
written  an  interesting 
article  on  the  Jew  on 
the  Stage  in  the  next 
issue. 


R1 


EMEMBER,  Sep- 
tember starts  re- 
newed theatrical  activity. 

Let  it  be  the  time  for 
you  to  subscribe  to  the 
liveliest  magazine  of  the 
stage — and  the  most 
beautiful  —  the  THEA- 
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[66] 


THEATRE  MAGAZINE 


VOL.  XXVIII.    No.  210 


AUGUST,  1918 


ALMA       TELL 

A  rising  young  actress,  who  is  being  featured  in  the  lead- 
ing role  in  "Eyes  of  Youth"  at  the  Maxine  Elliott  Theatre 


THE  POOR  OLD  SHOW  BUSINESS 


IN  order  to  insure  so  far  as  possible  the 
bodily  welfare  of  the  public,  the  State  only 
licenses  its  would-be  physicians  after  they 
have  had  a  fairly  thorough  general  and  special 
training  and  after  they  have  passed  a  more  or 
less  rigorous  examination. 

A  man  cannot  practise  dentistry  until  he  lias 
given  similar  guarantees  of  his  qualification :  the 
general  teeth  are  far  too  precious  to  be  need- 
lessly risked. 

That  the  people  may  have  some  sort  of  decent 
representation  in  our  courts  of  law,  we  do  not 
admit  to  the  bar  without  preparation  and  for- 
malities every  unfledged  newcomer. 

In  order  to  make  certain  that  our  young  folk 
shall  not  be  subjected  to  the  baneful  influences 
of  inefficient  or  perverted  instruction,  we  care- 
fully train,  examine,  license -and  supervise  the 
teachers  in  our  public  schools.  Vigilant  univer- 
sity trustees  always  have  an  eye  to  their  facul- 
ties. 

The  church  takes  infinite  precautions  to  see 
that  the  many  flocks  are  wholesomely  fed  and 
not  swollen  with  rank  mists. 

We  do  not  even  allow  a  man  to  become  a 
veterinarian  without  due  instruction,  for  we  are 
Very  considerate  of  our  horses,  cattle,  sheep, 
and  swine — not  to  mention  our  Pomeranians,  our 
Persians,  and  our  Pekingese. 


"OUT  the  stage— 

Ah,  the  stage — that's  something  else  again. 
You  cannot  become  a  doctor,  a  lawyer,  a 
preacher,  or  a  professor  by  merely  hanging  out 
your  shingle;  but  all  on  earth  you  need  is  a 
little  cash  or  credit  and  an  abundance  of  nerve, 
and  you  may  produce  plays,  write  them,  act  them, 
or  criticize  them  for  the  public  prints. 

What,  after  all,  is  the  show  business  that  we 
should  classify  it  as  a  profession  or  even  as 
a  trade? 

It  is  neither ;  it  is  what  we  call  it — a  business ! 
(Of  this  we  are  frequently  reminded  by  the 
gentry  who  have  been  financiajly  successful  in  it.) 
Productions,  plays,  acting,  criticism  even,  are 
merely  a  certain  commodity  of  amusement  which 
is  bought  and  sold,  and  which  is  profitable  when 
it  is  popular. 

Does  the  theatre  also  preach,  teach,  instruct, 
educate,  establish  standards  of  taste,  crystallize 
a  public  sentiment  of  morals,  fix  national  ideals? 

Possibly  so;  but  that  is  only  its  by-product. 
(Thus  we  are  informed.)  And  the  by-product 
must  take  care  of  itself. 

We    have    so     much     entertainment     for    sale. 


Some  of  it  is  Grade  A;  most  of  it  is  Grade  X. 
How  much  wiil  you  give  for  it?  How  much 
more  like  it  shall  we  manufacture?  What  chance 
have  we  of  making  some  of  our  inferior,  slow- 
selling  stuff  stylish  and  thus  disposing  of  it 
without  loss  at  Wiast?  How  can  we  manage  to 
get  our  new  fall  line  of  fabrics  in  the  show- 
rooms a  few  weeks  ahead  of  rival  dealers?  And 
so  on. 


'  P'HE  show  business  is  a  business. 

Hands  off!  No  government  interference. 
Do  what  you  please  with  the  doctors  and  the  law- 
yers, but  leave  us  managers  in  peace.  Don't  we 
pay  our  war-tax— and  a  big  one  at  that?  Don't 
we  turn  off  our  electric  signs — with  the  critics' 
names  and  all — every  Thursday  and  Sunday 
night  ? 

That  ends  our  responsibility. 
Find  out  what  the  public  wants  and  give  it  to 
'em.  We  mean,  in  the  line  of  entertainment. 

Educational  influences?  They  mean  nothing  in 
our  young  lives. 

Look  at  Skinnem.  Once  he  was  an  usher. 
Now  he's  a  millionaire.  Never  been  to  school 
a  day  in  his  life — but  he  gets  the  money.  He's 
produced  everything— high-brow  stuff,  too — 
though  he  usually  lost  on  that. 

Take  a  slant  at  Purling.  College  graduate. 
Born  rich.  In  the  theatre  game  fifteen  years  and 
hasn't  piled  one  copper  on  another !  That  shows 
you  what  counts. 

Business !     Business ! 

"Some   guys —  (I    might   as   well   let    Mr. 

Maztima,  the  celebrated  manager,  tell  it  in  his 
own  way) — "some  guys  are  natural-born  pick- 
ers. You  may  be  one  and  not  know  it.  If  you 
ain't,  it's  easy  to  find  out. 

"Lessee  how  much  you  got?  Eh?  All  right, 
I  can  get  you  a  house.  That  J.  and  B. 
show  at  the  Chappington  '11  fliv  inside  of  six 
weeks.  I  give  it  four,  I'll  say.  I  had  that  show 
on  my  desk  three  months.  The  minute  I  picked 
it  up  I  kntw  it  was  a  lemon.  All  I  looked  at 
was  the  cast— not  a  character  under  thirty !  But 
Robinstein  couldn't  keep  off  it.  Take  it  from 
me,  that  poor  fish  don't  know  a  play  when  he 
sees  it ! 


'  I  ""HAT'S  the  difference.  If  you're  a  good 
picker  you  win.  It's  just  like  the  ponies.  Take 
a  chance.  There  ain't  no  sure  thing.  Be  certain 
you've  got  a  love  story  and  a  wallop  in  your 
script;  and  if  you  can  afford  it,  hire  actors  with 


names.  Names  is  what  counts.  I  got  a  hun- 
dred plays  there  on  them  shelves  I'd  produce  to- 
morrow if  I  could  get  actors  for  'em  with 
names." 

So  it  goes.  A  man  enters  the  show  business 
because  as  a  youth  he  got  a  job  as  a  stage-hand, 
because  he  is  a  natural-born  gambler  and  he  en- 
joys the  theatrical  risks,  because  he  is  tired  of 
the  wholesale  clothing  business,  because  he 
believes  it  will  give  him  the  grande  entree  to  the 
human  poultry  yard — and  for  kindred  high  ar- 
tistic and  altruistic  motives.  And  it  is  most  true 
that  all  he  needs  to  be  is  "a  good  picker." 

Of  course,  there  are  exceptions — shining  ones; 
but  most  of  them  sooner  or  later  give  up  in 
digust. 

The  case  of  the  actor  is  too  often  similar. 

Probably  he  is  often  the  victim  of  circum- 
stances. 1  he  standards  are  low,  the  status  is 
indeterminate,  the  requirements  are  rarely  any- 
thing beyond  a  certain  mimetic  gift.  Why  bother 
to  add  thereto  education,  culture,  refinement, 
taste?  It  would  be  sheer  vulgarity  to  make 
one's  self  thus  conspicuous! 


\  S  for  the  critic — what  is  he  ? 
•*  Usually  a  cub  reporter  with  a  flair  for 
the  playhouse  who  is  eager  to  help  out  with  the 
reviewing  for  the  sake  of  occasional  passes.  In 
time  he  is  graduated  into  the  department  dramat- 
ic editor's  chair.  Or  perhaps  he  has  won  his 
M.  A.  at  one  of  our  leading  universities  with  a 
thesis  on  "Shakespeare  as  a  Psychiatrist."  Or 
maybe  he  was  an  apprentice  press  agent.  Often 
he  is  all  three! 

To  this  gentleman,  to  whom  it  is  given  to 
mould  the  opinions  of  thousands  with  regard  to 
the  drama;  to  point  out  the  good  and  the  bad, 
the  artistic  and  the  inept,  the  elevating  and  the 
degrading;  to  guide  with  his  knowledge,  wisdom, 
and  taste  the  course  of  the  theatre  and  thus  to 
antidote  in  no  inconsiderable  degree  the  evils 
attendant  on  the  circumstances  of  the  show 
business  and  its  haphazard  management — to  this 
gentleman  of  such  momentous  responsibilities 
what  reward  is  given  ? 

Dear  reader,  if  you  don't  know  what  your 
favorite  dramatic  critic  receives  for  his  labors, 
we  cannot  be  so  cruel  as  to  shock  you  with  the 
truth.  If  you  knew,  you  would  better  under- 
stand how  his  importance  is  rated.  And  you 
would  not  wonder  at  his  customary  inefficiency. 

For  the  most  part,  he  takes  his  reward  chiefly 
in  reverse-English,  self-hatred  and  such  food  for 
it  of  notoriety  as  he  can  trump  up. 


[68] 


Photos  ll'liite  W.  H.  Whitecar  Mrs.  Drew  .       Sidney  Drew 

Act  I.     The  sight  of  the  real  estate  agent  annoys  Henry,  who  has 
an   overdue    payment   on    his    house    which    he    is   unable    to   meet 


John  Dilson 


Mrs.  Drew 


Act  II.     Polly— "I  hope  I  shan't  have  to  report  you  to  my  husband— your  em- 
ployer."     And    poor    Henry    looks    wonderingly    on    from    his    cashier's    cage 


RI  C  H  A  R  D  W  A  L  T  O  N 
TULLY'S  latest  produc- 
tion, "Keep  Her  Smiling," 
scheduled  for  presentation  in 
New  York  in  August,  will  mark 
the  return  to  the  speaking  stage 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sidney  Drew, 
who  have  won  an  enviable  re- 
nown by  their  wholesome,  merry 
screen  presentations.  "Keep 
Her  Smiling"  is  just  such  a 
piquant  domestic  comedy  as  the 
Drews  have  long  been  identified 
with,  and  breathes  the  unusual 
message  that  u  wife's  extrav- 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sidney  Drew 

Henry — "Polly,  when  you  smile  at  me 
like    that,    we    can    afford    anything" 


agance,  instead  of  embroiling 
her  husband  in  ruin,  may  just 
as  well  spur  him  on  to 
permanent  and  undreamed  of 
success.  The  play  was  written 
by  John  Hunter  Booth,  author 
of  "The  Masqucrader,"  and  be- 
sides the  Drews,  enlists  the  ser- 
vices of  more  thin  twenty 
actors 


Mrs.  Drew 


Sidney  Drew 


Act  III.    Henry— "You're  going  to  have  a  mansion  on  the  terrace.    The  consolidation 
has    gone    through,    I'm    in    the    directorate    and    my    salary    has    been    tripled" 


MR.  AND  MRS.  SIDNEY  DREW  ON  THE  LEGITIMATE  STAGE  IN  "KEEP  HER  SMILING" 


Just  why  the  Socialists  have  never  made  more 
of  the  downtrodden  critic  whom  unjust  economic 
conditions  force  into  a  life  of  shame,  is  beyond 
our  comprehension.  And  as  for  our  up-to-date 
nose-for-news  playwrights,  surely  in  the  critics' 
status  lies  material  for  another  "Within  the 
Law." 

There  is  no  systematic  regulation  of  the 
theatre. 

It  is  an  incalculably  potent  factor  for  good  01 
ill,  and  yet  it  is  most  often  left  without  intelli-' 
gent    direction. 

Its  possibilities  for  propaganda  are  unlimited ; 
yet  the  police  commissioner — once  or  twice  a 
season — is  its  only  censor,  and  he  merely  acts 
to  curb  it — usually  in  a  single  respect. 

It  furnishes  amusement,  of  course;  and  peo- 
ple— sometimes — pay  for  that  commodity. 


But  its  inestimable  by-product  of  mental  and 
moral  influence  is  the  concern  of  nobady — 
of  importance.  What  doctrines  It  spreads,  what 
poisons  it  'instils,  what  stupidity  it  inculcates, 
what  good  or  evil  it  does  to  popular  discrimina- 
tion, tastes,  ideals — all  this  is  rarely  if  ever  offi- 
cially considered.  Yet  more  people  go  to  sleep 
daily  in  schools,  college  classrooms,  courts  ot 
l:i\v.  and  churches  than  in  even  rh«  dullest  of 
our  playhouses. 

Our  bitter  experience  of  the  past  has  taught 
us  something  of  the  power  or  modern  applied 
psychology — to  realize  that  when  it  is  employed 
for  purposes  of  evil,  it  is  as  effective  as  high- 
explosives  or  poi?on  gas. 

Does  not  the  state  of  the  theatre  indicate  the 
necessity  for  some  degree  of  public  self-protec- 
tion? 


There  are  no  borrbproofs  or  gas  masks  in  the 
majority  of  our  playhouses.  We  must  take  what 
comes  our  way — often  from  a  pestilent  source. 

Why  not  correct  the  evil  by  elevating  the  thea- 
tre to  the  rank  of  a  profession? 

We  see  no  reason  why  a  man  who  purposes  to 
produce  plays,  act  in  them,  or  criticise  them 
should  not  be  a  trained  expert  with  a  broad 
background — as  well  as  your  doctor  or  your 
teacher.  The  need  for  safeguards  is  at  least 
equally  great. 

When  they  have  been  established  wisely  and 
well,  we  are  sure  that  each  theatrical  season  that 
passes  will  not  seem — as  now — more  provocative 
of  pessimism  than  even  its  immediate  predecessor. 

Who  knows — possibly  the  drama  may  blossom 
forth  into  a  real  art  and  desert  forever  its 
present  condition  of  tawdy  camouflage. 


YOU 


That  Maude  Adams  made  her  first  appearance 
on  the  stage  at  the  age  of  nine  months  in  a 
piece  called  "The  Lost  Child,"  and  later,  as  a 
little  girl,  made  a  hit  in  a  play  called  "Fritz," 
with  the  late  J.  K.  Emmett? 

That  Charles  B.  Dillingham,  the  theatrical 
manager,  was  formerly  dramatic  editor  of  the 
.\\'w  York  Evening  Sun? 

That  Leo  Ditrichstein  is  a  grandson  of  Joseph 
Von  Etooes,  a  famous  Austrian  novelist,  and 
that  his  first  appearance  on  the  stage  was  in 
Berlin? 

That  Virginia  Harned  'was  born  in  Boston  in 
1872,  and  her  husband,  William  Courtenay,  WM» 
also  born  in  Massachusetts,  in  Worcester,  in 
1875? 

That  Henry  E.  Dixey  created  leading  roles  in 
the  American  productions  of  Gilbert  and  Sulli- 
van's comic  operas  "Pinafore"  and  "lolanthe," 
beginning  his  memorable  engagement  in  "Adonis" 
in  1884? 

That  William  Courtleigh  was  originally  in- 
tended for  the  law,  and  for  some  time  studied 
in  preparation  for  that  profession,  making  his 
stage  debut  in  1889,  in  a  phy  called  "Brother  and 
Sister." 

That  May  Robson  was  born  in  Australia,  the 
daughter  of  a  British  naval  officer,  making  her 
first  appearance  on  the  stage  in  Brooklyn,  in 

1884,  in  "The  Hoop  of  Gold"? 

That  Florence  Roberts  is  a  cousin  of  Theodore 
Roberts,  and  for  many  years  played  leading  parts 
in  the  San  Francisco  Stock  Company  of  her  late 
husband,  Lewis  Morrison? 

That  Kathryn  Kidder  was  born  in  Newark, 
New  Jersey,  and  is  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Colonel  H.  M.  Kidder,  making  her  stage  debut  in 

1885,  in   Chicago,  in  "The   Streets  of   London," 
with   the  late   Frank   Mayo,  with  whom  she  re- 
mained for  many  years? 

That  James  K.  Hackett  studied  for  the  bar  in 
the  New  York  Law  School,  after  graduating 
from  the  College  of  the  City  of  New  York, 
making  his  first  appearance  on  the  stage  in  1892, 
in  New  York,  in  "A  Stag  at  Bay"? 


That  Elsie  de  Wolfe,  after  being  well-known 
in  fashionable  New  York  society,  as  an  amateur, 
having  appeared  with  Cora  Urquhart  Potter  and 
Elita  Proctor  Otis,  made  her  professional  debut 
in  1891,  in  "Thermidor"? 

That  H.  Cooper  Cliffe,  who  appeared  last  sea- 
son in  the  heavy  part  of  the  General  in  the 
British  melodrama,  'Seven  Days  Leave,  '  began 
his  stage  career  in  187!),  touring  the  English 
provinces  in  D'Oyly  Carte's  cjmpany,  the  reper- 
toire including  "Pinafore"  and  other  comic 
operas  ? 

That  William  A.  Brady,  the  th:atrical  man- 
ager, was  formerly  an  actor,  first  appearing  on 
the  stage  in  1882,  in  "The  White  Slave,"  sub- 
sequently touring  in  "After  Dark,"  "The  Cotton 
King,"  "Humanity"  and  "Old  Glory'1? 

That  Katharine  Kaelred's  early  sjccesses  were 
in  Australia,  where  she  went  from  England  and, 
co-starring  with  Julius  Knight,  under  the  man- 
agement of  J.  C.  Williamson,  retraining  in  the 
Antipodes  from  1906  till  190S,  coming  to  Amer- 
ica to  appear  in  "The  Devil"? 

That  Adele  Ritchie  was  the  daughter  of  J.  B. 
Pultz,  of  Philadelphia,  and  first  attracted  the 
attention  of  theatregoers  in  18  3,  at  the  Fifth 
Avenue  Theatre,  New  York,  in  "The  Isle  of 
Champagne"? 

That  Bertha  Kalich  was  born  in  Lemberg, 
Galicia,  and  in  1890,  made  her  debut  in  a  comic 
opera  company,  gaining  popularity  by  her  singing 
at  the  Bucharest  National  Theatre  in  1831? 

That  Blanche  Ring  appeared  during  her  early 
days  on  the  stage  in  support  of  James  A.  Herne, 
Nat  C.  Goodwin,  and  Chauncey  Olcott,  making 
her  first  big  hit  in  1902,  in  "The  Defender"? 

That  Mrs.  Thomas  Whiffin  was  born  in  Lon- 
don, in  1845,  the  daughter  of  Mary  Galton,  a 
singing  teacher,  and  made  her  stage  debut  in 
1865,  at  the  Royalty  Theatre,  later  appearing 
with  her  aunt,  Louisa  Pyne,  of  the  famous  Pyne- 
Harrison  company? 


That  Henry  Miller  was  barn  in  London,  in 
1860,  and  started  his  theatrical  career  i  i  Toronto, 
in  "Amy  Robsart,"  later  acting  in  New  York,  in 
1880,  with  Adelaide  Neilson,  in  "Cyrr.beline"? 

That  May  Irwin  was  born  at  Whitby,  Ontario, 
in  1862,  first  singing  in  public  in  1875,  at  Roches- 
ter, New  York,  later  appearing  at  Tony  Pastor's 
Theatre,  New  York  City,  in  1877,  remaining 
under  that  management  until  1883? 

That  Grace  George's  frst  parts  were  in  farce- 
comedies,  such  as  "Charley's  Aunt,"  "The  Turtle" 
and  "Mollie  Fifi,''  her  first  success  in  a  more 
serious  role  being  in  1900,  in  "Her  Majesty"? 

That  Henry  Arthur  Jones,  t!ie  famous  English 
playwright,  was  for  some  years  a  commercial 
traveler,  commencing  writing  plays  in  1878,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-seven,  one  of  his  earliest  suc- 
cesses being  a  piece  called  "Hearts  of  Oak"? 

That  the  late  Joseph  Jefferson  made  his  first 
appearance  on  the  stage  as  a  darkey?  This  was 
in  Washington  in  1832  when  he  danced  "Jim 
Crow"  together  with  that  celebrated  knight  c.1' 
the  cork,  J.  D.  Rice. 

That  Alice  Kauser,  the  now  successful  play 
broker,  began  her  theatrical  career  as  stenog- 
rapher to  Elizabeth  Marbury? 

That  Daniel  Frohman,  the  well-known  man- 
ager, began  life  as  Horace  Greeley's  office  boy 
in  the  old  days  of  the  New  York  Tribune? 

That  Chicago's  first  theatre  was  opened  in 
the  year  1837?  The  banquet  hall  of  the  historic 
Sauganash  Hotel — a  rough  tavern  which  stood 
at  some  distance  out  on  the  prairie,  solitary  and 
alone,  had  been  fitted  up  with  stage  and  seats 
and  there  the  Isherwood  and  McKenzie  com- 
pany acted  with  Lake  Michigan  roaring  on  one 
side  and  the  ferocious  prairie  wolves  on  the 
ether  ? 

That  Martha  Morton,  the  well-known  Amer- 
ican playwright,  has  been  virtually  a  prisoner  in 
Europe  for  four  years?  Caught  in  Switzerland 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  she  tried  to  get 
home  but  too  late. 


That    Charles    Richman,    now    in    the    movies,  That   Kotzebue,  the   German   dramatist,   wrote 

first  trod  the  boards  at  the  Fifth  Avenue  Thea-  over   two    hundred   plays,   many   of   which   were 

tre,  in  1894,  in  support  of  Mrs.  James  A.  Herne,  great    favorites    with    American    theatregoers    a 

in  a  piece  called  "Margaret  Fleming"?  hundred  years  ago? 


[TO] 


Theatre  Magazine,  August.  191 1 


f'/tolostQ  f.'i.-:on-Coni:clly   ' 


At  Denishawn,  their  dance  villa  in  California,  Ruth  St.  Denis,  Ted 
Shawn  and  their  pupils  pay  homage  to  Terpsichore.  A  university 
of  the  dance  and  its  related  arts,  the  school  includes  every  phase  of 
dancing—the  aesthetic,  Egyptian,  Greek  and  ryhthmic.  The  pictures 
show  some  of  the  pupils  in  two  entirely  different  kinds  of  dances 


T      H      E 


DENISHAWN 


DANCE       R     S 


CLIFTON   WEBB 

Whose  name  on  a  theatre  programme 
always  indicates  that  there  is  some 
lively  dancing  in  store  for  the  audi- 
ence. And  those  out  front  are  par- 
ticularly appreciative  of  Mr.  Webb's 
nimble  steps  and  pleasing  personality, 
for  he  is  one  of  Broadway's  most 
popular  young  actors.  His  dancing 
is  one  of  the  pleasant  memories  of 
"Love  o'  Mike" 


From  a  portrait  ©  by  Hiron-Conneliy 


Theatre  Magazine.  August, 


JEAN    ROBERTSON 

A  successful  young  Australian  actress. 
She  came  to  New  York  last  year, 
but  received  no  encouragement  from 
Broadway  managers,  until  Morris 
<3est  recognized  her  ability.  He  en- 
gaged her  to  become  understudy  for 
the  leading  role  in  "The  Wanderer." 
Now  she  is  playing  the  seductive 
Tisha  with  such  success  on  tour  that 
in  all  probability  Broadway  will 
soon  be  able  to  judge  her  merits 


From  a  portrait  ©  by  Hixon-Connelly 


THE  CLEVEREST  MAN  ON 

Leon  Erro/,  the  red  nose  comic,  a  classic  of  inebriety 
By  ADA   PATTERSON 


HI-:  calls   himself  "The   Red   Nose  Comic." 
Discriminating    others   entitle   him   ''The 
Cleverest  Man  on   Broadway." 
He  is  unique  among  actors.     Who  that  reads 
this,  or  refrains  therefrom,  knows  a  mime  who 
doi-s  not  teg  for  a  good  speech  as  a  dog  for  a 
bone?     Some  thespians,  stellar  in  their  positions 
in  the  high  theatrical  heavens,  have  bodily  torn  a 
rich   and   telling   line    from    its   owner.      Ensued 
blows,   oral   and   corporeal    "two    week   notices", 
cries    of    "You're    fired,"    resignations    on    paper 
bespattered    with    indignant    ink.      But    if    Leon 
Errol's    star    says    urgently    "Gimme    that    line. 
Leon.      Come   on"   the    subject   of   this    sketch 
makes  answer  unprecedented  on  the  stage. 

"All  right"  he  answers  and  fearing  redun- 
dancy, because  the  request  is  so  often  made  dur- 
ing rehearsals  and  in  the  first  weeks  of  the  play, 
likewise  1 ecause  his  desire  is  not  to  seem  curt, 
he  varies  it  with  "Certainly''.  In  this  Mr.  Errol 
is  generous,  but  not  as  generous  as  he  seems. 
For  a  "line''  to  him  is  merely  a  few  words 
about  which  he  cares  nothing.  "All  I  want  is 
business,  a  chance  to  do  something"  is  his  play- 
ing creed.  Wherefore,  he  permits  himself  freely 
to  be  plucked  featherless  of  speeches.  Sincer- 
ity rings  in  his  voice  and  flashes  from  his  eye 
while  he  delivers  his  own  impromptu  line  that 
no  one  else  wants :  "I  wouldn't  care  if  I  never 
had  another  speech  to  speak  on  the  stage." 

Given  a  face  of  mirror-like  reflections,  a  body 
of  ruh'ier-hke  suppleness,  and  legs  that  writhe 
and  curve  and  exe-cute  spirals,  and  the  figure 
eight  and  the  number  ten,  of  what  need  is 
speech  ? 


\117T1KN  his  age  was  measured  by  two  years 
the  pliant  Mr.  Errol  was  flung  by  his 
father  into  an  overflowing  bath  tub  and  com- 
manded to. swim.  At  fifteen  he  thr.ught  a  part 
in  Paul  Martinetti's  company  and  learned  from 
the  great  pantomimist  the  art  of  silent  speech. 
These  facts  are  closely  related.  They  constitute- 
the  foundation  of  the  career  of  the  producer  of 
"Hitchy  Koo,  1918"  and  one  of  the  chief  illumi- 
nants  of  the  "Ziegfeld  Follies"  for  five  years, 
the  man  who,  as  aforesaid,  has  been  dubbed  "The 
Cleverest  Man  on  Broadway." 

Yet  if  he  were  to  pause  mid-career,  he  is 
lhirt\ -seven  and  if  you  view  him  from  the 
northwest  you  will  descry  a  line  of  thinning  hair, 
he  would  l:e  remembered  farthest  and  longest 
for  his  scenes  of  intoxication.  Stage  scenes,  I 
am  in  haste  to  amend.  It  was  after  several 
seasons  of  them  that  he  catalogued  himself  as 
."The  Red  Nose  Comic."  Season  after  season  a 
Folly  was  not  a  Folly  without  one  of  the  Errol 
hcadaching  sprees. 

"I  did  not  expect  it  would  ever  be  a  pleasure 
to  meet  a  notorious  drunkard,"  I  said  in  tone  of 
reproof.  The  little  man  small  as  a  jockey, 
turned  brown  eyes  with  will-o'-the-wisp  lights  in 
them,  upon  me. 

"You  have  the  same  tastes  as  mine,"  he  coun- 
tered.     "I    never    see   a    drunken    man    without 
wanting  to   follow  him." 
"You  do  follow  him?" 

"For  blocks.  I'm  always  learning  something 
new  about  intoxication.  Do  you  know  there  are 
almost  as  many  kinds  of  drunkards  as  there  are 


drinks?  There's  the  laughing  drunkard  and  the 
crying  one,  the  argumentative  one,  the  fighting 
one,  the  mean  one." 

"lrxri'se  me.  Mr.  Errol,  it's  fifteen  minutes." 
A  head  was  thrust  in  at  the  door  of  the  little 
back  stage  office  and  withdrawn. 

Leon  Errol  nodded  and  twisted  his  rubber  legs 
in  a  curious  knot  about  the  corner  of  the  desk 
on  which  he  had  perched  for  our  chat-a-wing. 
He  had  hurled  adjectives  at  the  head  of  the 


LEON  ERROL 
As  the  chef  in  "Hitchy-Koo" 

absent  minion  who  had  forgotten  to  tell  him  the 
time  of  our  back  stage  meeting. 

"I  see  that  you  are  intoxicated  every  night." 

"And   two   matinees,"    he   cheerfully   amended. 

"You  are  showing  tin  why  some  dishes  come 
upstairs  fearfully  and  wonderfully  miscooked." 

"Yes,  you  are  taken  behind  the  scenes  of  the 
kitchen.  The  skeleton  of  your  feast  is  shaken. 
But  haven't  I  proven  what  I  said,  that  there  are 
different  kinds  of  drunkards?  The  cook  in 
'Hitchy  Koo'  is  different  than  the  gentlemanly 
jag  in  the  'FoKi.  s  of  191P,'  and  both  differ  from 
the  inebriate  in  the  cab  in  the  'Follies  of  1914'." 


PHAT  spree  in   which   the   society   girls   mis- 

•••      took  you  for  a  tango  teacher  and  imitated 

you    was    a    classic    of    inebriety.      Theatregoers 

will   talk   of   it   as   long  as   they   have   talked   of 

Maude  Adams'  tipsy  scene  in  'A  Masked  Ball'." 

"A  great  deal  of  the  fun  of  that  scene  was  in 
the  strained,  anxious  faces  of  the  pupils.  They 
knew  that  they  had  to  do  everything  I  did,  stag- 
ger when  I  staggered,  roll  on  the  floor  when  I 
rolled,  sit  down  when  I  sat  down  and  flop  when 


I  flopped.  1  had  rehearsed  each  girl  separately, 
for  hours.  They  were  letter  perfect,  foot  per- 
fect. But  after  they  had  thoroughly  learned 
the  dance  and  I  had  numbered  the  changes  in  the 
steps,  I  warned  them  that  I  wouldn't  follow  that 
order.  Every  night  I  would  vary  the  dance. 
No.  9  might  come  on 'Thursday  night  where  No. 
7  had  been  on  Tuesday.  That  is  the  reason  the'y 
were  so  painfully  intent  on  every  step  I  took." 
"How  do  you  get  your  stage  effects?" 
The  producer,  inventor  of  dances,  playwright, 
composer,  comedian,  what  not,  made  answer  in 
one  sentence:  "By  seeing  it  first  in  my  mind, 
in  color,  then  visualizing  my  plan  to  the  last 
detail."  He  might  have  gone  a  bit  further  but  I 
doubt  it.  It  is  strangely  difficult  for  great  folk 
to  tell  how  they  do  their  work.  But  an  insistent 
head  again  appeared  at  the  door.  Anxious  eyes 
besought  him.  The  call  boy's  voice  pleaded 
"Overture,  Mr.  Errol.'' 

With  seeming  reluctance  the  rubber  legs  in  the 
creased  gray  trousers  untwisted  themselves  from 
the  desk  corner. 

"I've  always  been  glad  Dad  made  me  learn  to 
swim.  It  gives  one  grit.  When  I  was  three 
and  a  half  I  won  a  prize  in  a  swimming  contest 
with  men  as  old  as  I  am  now.  That  gave  me 
confidence.  And— yes,  I'm  coming— I've  often 
been  glad  that  I  was  with  Martinetti  long  enough 
to  learn  pantomime.  If  you  can  swim  and  if 
you  know  pantomime  you  can  make  a  dash  at 
almost  anything  on  the  stage.  At  a  pinch  I 
played  the  nurse  of  a  repertoire  Juliet." 

He  was  gone  in  answer  to  frenzied  cries  of 
"Errol,  'Where's  Errol?'" 


HP  HERE  had  not  been  time  for  Mr.  Errol  to 
-•-  tell  me  the  "That's  cute  for  me"  story. 
It's  an  oft-told  tale  on  the  Bias  Street.  Diagonal 
Highway  recalls  the  comedian's  successive  steps 
and  falls.  A  step  was  into  the  circus.  A  fall 
was  from  the  back  of  a  beribboned,  careening 
horse,  which  nearly  ended  Master  Errol's  career 
as  a  clown  and  nearly  closing  his  engagement  in 
the  serio-comedy,  Life.  A  step  was  his  joining 
the  Sydney  Stock  Company,  which  George 
Ringold  came  from  England  to  direct  at  Her 
Majesty's  Theatre.  Followed  Shakespearean 
repertoire  and  "The  Black  Crook,"  "AH  Baba," 
"Lights  of  London,"  "The  Geisha,"  "East  Lynn," 
"Jack  the  Giant  Killer"  and  "Confusion."  A 
fall  his  friends  deemed  it  when  he  left  his  native 
and  appreciative  Australia  for  San  Francisco. 
The  City  of  the  Golden  Gate  laughed  at  his 
eccentric  dances,  admired  his  eloquent  legs,  but 
frowned  at  his  unintelligible  cockney  accent. 

Then  Chicago.  Unrest.  Ambition  that  would 
not  sleep,  pointing  to  the  Metropolis. 

Chance  came  to  write  some  dialogue  in  a  one- 
act  farce.  Greater  chance  came  to  sell  two 
musical  farces,  and  produce  them.  He  was 
proud  to  receive' $1,500  for  the  work.  While  he 
was  rehearsing  these,  A.  L.  Erlanger  wandered 
into  the  dim  theatre  and  disposed  himself  in  the 
dusk  of  a  rear  chair.  When  the  rehearsal  was 
over  he  asked:  "What  contract  have  you  with 
that  man?"  The  terms  did  not  dismay  the 
magnate. 

"I'll  give  you  $15,000  for  the  contract,"  he 
said.  Thus  the  debut  with  the  Follies. 


[74] 


Theatre  Magazine,  August, 


Huron-Connelly 

ROBERT  EDESON 
A    new    picture    of    this    forceful 
actor  who  was  one  of  the  speakers 
for  the  recent  Liberty  Loan  Drive 


IRENE  BLACKWELL 
During  the  Red  Cross  Drive,  Miss 
Blackwell  was  one  of  th?  stage 
women  who  donated  her  services, 
dressed  in  the  special  costume  de- 
signed for  the  occasion 


©  American  Press  Assn. 


Margaret  Crawford  and  her  company  of  dancers  who  were  a  feature  of  the  fete  for 
the  Red  Cross  held  at  the  estate  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Arents,  Jr.,  at  Rye,  N.  Y. 


STAGE      PEOPLE     W  H  O     HAVE     DONE     THEIR     BIT 


THE  COWBOY  THAT  CONQUERED  NEW  YORK 


Rogers,  the  man  who  lassoed 
the  hearts'  of   Broadway   audiences 

By  WILLIAM   P.  ADAMS 


"Me  and  the  Missus  and  the  kids" 

WILL  ROGERS  is  the  man  who  lassoed 
and  hobbled  Broadway.    A  tanned  cow- 
boy   from    Oklahoma    has    done    what 
thousands    of    pale    students,    and    bright-eyed 
beauties  have  failed  to  do.     He  has  captured  the 
most  captious  street  in  the  world.     He  has  con- 
quered Broadway. 

Souls  have  been  lost  while  their  owners  tried 
to  attain  what  the  cowboy  has  done  with  a  quip, 
a  grin  and  the  twist  of  a  deft  wrist.  New  York 
is  the  Mecca  of  the  actor.  He  turns  the  face  of 
his  ambition  toward  it  as  the  Mahometan  lifts 
his  visage  toward  the  site  of  the  sacred  city. 
A  New  York  success  is  the  height  of  thespian 
achievement. 

Once  he  panted  for  London's  past  approval,  as 
a  dessert  of  the  banquet  of  a  "New  York  hit." 
But  that  time  is  no  more.  The  war  has  lessened 
opportunities  and  desire  for  appearances  on  the 
London  stage.  Moreover,  figures  impress.  New 
York  has  become  the  largest  city  in  the  world. 
Wherefore,  the  conquest  of  its  street  of  amuse- 
ment is  the  pinnacle  of  the  professional  enter- 
tainer's achievements. 

Is  the  lean,  brown-faced  man  with  the  shrewd 
glance  and  the  nimble  tongue  grateful  to  the 
thespian  gods  for  his  victory?  Not  particularly. 
Is  he  awed  by  the  heights  he  has  attained  ?  No. 
Are  his  prairie-filled  eyes  dazzled  by  the  white 
lights?  They  can  see  as  far  and  as  clearly  as 
•when  they  stared  across  the  plains  seeking  a 
nomad  yearling.  Do  the  gauds  and  the  glitter 
of  the  shining  street  claim  him?  You  wouldn't 
think  so  if  you  saw  him  after  the  curtain  falls 
on  the  Ziegfeld  Follies,  "streaking"  for  the  Long 
Island  station  to  catch  the  train  for  his  home  at 
Amityville. 

You  are  surprised?  So  was  I.  The  Great 
White  Way  has  dizzied  multimillionaires  and 
turned  the  heads  of  grave  United  States  senators 


on  their  pivots.  Why  has  this  simple  man  of  the 
plains  contrived  to  keep  his  head  on  straight  and 
retain  his  clarity  of  vision? 

Two  reasons  rival  each  other.  One-eighth  of 
Mr.  Rogers  is  Indian.  A  Cherokee  Indian  chief 
was  his  grandfather.  Indians  are  stoics.  None 
of  their  race  has  been  bewitched  by  the  siren  of 
streets.  Another  reason,  not  necessarily  of 
heredity,  is  that  Will  Rogers  has  the  rare  gift 
of  enormous  common  sense.  That  quality  which 
is  simply  the  power  of  seeing  things  in  propor- 
tion has  been  his  since  birth.  He  sees  far  and 
clear.  He  perceives  that  the  number  of  essentials 
is  small  and  the  number  of  non-essentials  great. 
He  cancels  the  non-essentials. 

For  these,  and  a  third,  perhaps  greatest  reason, 
the  man  from  Tulsa,  Oklahoma,  who  has  never 
worn  evening  clothes  in  his  life  and  never  will, 
except  on  the  stage,  keeps  his  pulses  even  and 
his  head  cool  on  the  world's  most  hectic  high- 
way, for  he  is  the  head  of  a  fast  growing  famil  / 
in  a  small  Long  Island  town.  The  family  is  four, 
the  girl  who  "came  visiting  from  Arkansas"  to 
Tulsa,  Oklahoma,  ten  years  ago  and  inspired  the 
cowboy  with  an  instant  wish  to  Insso  her  for 
life,  and  their  three  babes.  By  the  time  this 
reaches  your  eye  the  number  may  le  five.  He 
told  me  so  with  pride  and  joy  in  the  eyes  that 
laugh  at  and  with  New  York  audiences. 

"You  have  seen  great  contrasts  in  life,"  I  said 
to  him  who  has  ranged  four  continents,  who 
knows  Buenos  Ayres  and  the  pampas,  Africa  and 
the  Transvaal,  Tulsa  and  London  and  New  York. 
"Will  you  tell  me  of  the  two  extremes?" 

"The  roughest  life  I  have  seen  was  in  Argen- 
tina," he  answered  with  the  tongue  that  never 
trips.  "I  wanted  to  wander  and  I  sailed  for 
Buenos  Ayres.  I  hired  out  for  ranch  work.  The 
agent  for  the  ranch  owners  sent  rue  into  the 
middle  of  the  big  country.  I  herded  with 
gauchos  who  couldn't  speak  a  word  of  English. 
We  were  even  for  I  couldn't  speak  a  word  of 
Spanish.  Ever  see  a  gaucho?  He's  the  roughest 
looking  customer  in  the  world.  He  carries  his 
knife  down  the  back  of  his  shirt.  He's  very  im- 
pulsive about  using  it.  The  gauchos  didn't  take 


to  me  none  at  first.  They're  mighty  suspicious 
and  awful  exclusive.  They're  great  lariat 
throwers.  When  one  threw  a  lariat  across  my 
horse's  back  and  landed  a  steer  on  the  other  side 
I  got  down  and  took  off  my  hat  and  hung  my 
head.  After  that  we  were  friends— kinda." 

"And    the    other    extreme?"      I    pressed.      It 
would     be    the     diamond     studded,     velvet    clad 
millionaire-possessed    horseshoe    of    the    Metro- 
politan   Opera    House    on    a    Friday    night.      Of 
course!     Assuredly!     Had   not   a  young   officer, 
homing  from  the  Philippines  gone  straight  to  it 
the   evening   of   his   arrival,   and    said    sighingly, 
"Here   one    sniffs    the   orchid    of   life,   the    finest 
flower  of   civilization  ?"     I   told   the  cowboy  the 
story.     He  sniffed.     Not  the  orchid,  but  CDntempt. 
"Diamonds   and   the   big  wads   that  buy  them 
don't  mean  much  to  me.     I'll  give  you  a  picture 
of  the   highest  civilization   I   have  ever  seen  or 
want  to  see.     There  ain't  any  higher.     That  was 
when  the  Friars  went  to  Baltimore.     They  took 
the  Academy  of  Music  there.     President  Wilson 
came  over.     It  is  no  great  shakes  for  the  Presi- 
dent to  go  to  the  theatre  in  Washington.     He's 
expected  to  go  and  he  does.     But  no  President 
had   gone   to   Baltimore   to   the   theatre   for   fifty 
years.    All  of  the  finest  people  of  Baltimore  and 
the  country  around  came.    The  Southern  women, 
—you  know  how  beautiful  they  are,— were  there 
in  their  best.     In  the  box  was  the  greatest  man 
on  earth.     He's  the  greatest  of  Nature's  princes. 
And  he's  got  a  great  sense  of  humor.    The  audi- 
ence didn't  look  at  any  of  us  when  we  were  on 
the    stage.      They   all    looked    at    him.      When    I 
came  on  and  had  been  working  for  five  minutes 
and  hadn't  got  an  eye  I  said :     'Why  don't  you 
look   at   me    some?'      That    made    the    President 
laugh.     He  got  all  the  points  quicker  than  any- 
body else  in  the  house  did.    I  sprung  the  speech, 
'It's  easier  to  tell  how  to  run  the  government  than 
to  run  it.'     He  raised  his  hands  and  clapped  and 
clapped  and  laughed  and  laughed.    That  hit  him 
where  he  lives.     Yes,  when  I  go  back  to  the  old 
ranch  at   Tulsa   and   tell   the   Indians   and   half- 
breeds  and   whites  about   my  doings  out  in  the 
world   I'll   tell   'em   that   was  the  finest  night  of 


Will  Rogers  doing  a  lariat  stunt-his  three  kiddies  in  the  rope 
[76] 


Theatre  Magazine ,  August, 


From  a  portrait  by  Koehne 


SYLVIA     DE     TELL 

A  Chicago  girl  of  French-Swiss  parentage,  who,  it  is  predicted,  will  rival 
Pavlowa.  Probably  the  youngest  premiere  danseuse  in  opera,  she  is  not  yet 
sixteen  years  old.  The  Illinois  law  prevents  her  dancing  in  public  until 
November  eighteenth  of  this  year.  That  also  happens  to  be  the  opening 
date  of  the  season  of  the  Chicago  Opera  Company  at  the  Chicago  Audi- 
torium, where  she  will  have  a  debut  and  a  birthday  at  the  same  time 


my  life,  among  the  finest  people  in  the  world." 
His  undisputed   reign  of  the  troubled   Broad- 
way realm  has  given  rise  to  no  need  to  deflate 
Will  Rogers'  cranium.    He  tells  no  glowing  stor- 
ies of  the  day  he  was  "discovered."    "It  came  as 
most  things   do,  by  accident,"  he   declares   with 
conviction.     "I    was   doing   a    lariat    stunt    in    a 
vaudeville  house.     It  was  getting  past.     But  no 
more.     The  manager  said,  'The  trouble  is  they 
don't   understand   a    lariat.     You    go    out    front 
and  explain  it  to  them.     That  will  make  the  act 
go  better.'     I  went  limping  along  the   footlights 
and  told  them  a  few  things  about  how  the  rope 
is    thrown    and    what    happens    to    the    steer    it 
throws.  Then  I  loped  off.  The  audience  howled. 
I  got  sore.     I   was  goin'  to   stop  the  act.     The 
manager  said:     'Whatever  it  is  they  are  laugh- 
ing at  they  like  it.     You  go  on.'     After  that  I 
made  a   little  speech  about  rope  throwin'.     Bye 
and    bye    I    tumbled    to    it    that    they    liked    the 
speech  as  well  as  the  lassoing.     The  managers 
told  me  to  spin  it  out.     It  didn't   take   long  to 
tell  how  to  throw  a  rope,  so  I  began  readin'  the 
newspapers    close   to    get    stuff    to    talk    about 
That's  all." 

No  one  doubts  the  conversational  powers  of 
dollars.  Surely  their  voice  was  loud  in  Will 
Rogers'  ears.  I  would  test  him. 

"Of  course,''  most  casually,  "one  of  the  great- 
est contrasts  between  the  free  life  of  the  plains 
and  the  imprisoned  life  of  Broadway  is  one  of 
money." 

Will  Rogers'  gray  optics  twinkled  at  me.  "Not 


at  all,"  he  answered.  "Not  on  your  life.  If  I 
had  stayed  on  the  ranch  in  Oklahoma  I'd  have 
been  richer  than  I  am  to-day." 

Echoes  of  Will  Rogers'  huge  honorarium 
nearly  deafened  me.  Feebly  I  dissented.  "That's 
a  Will  Rogers'  joke." 

"No  it  ain't.  Dad  is  comfortably  off  any- 
where, wealthy  in  that  section.  If  I'd  staid  at 
home  and  helped  him  take  care  of  the  place  and 
managed  the  herd  I'd  have  had  a  bigger  bank 
balance  than  I  have.  Honest!" 

Not  only  a  free,  but  an  untutored  man  of  the 
plains,  is  the  cowboy  conqueror  of  Broadway. 
"People  think  I'm  an  educated  man  that  is 
simply  actin'  like  a  broncho  buster,"  he  laughs. 
"Why  I  was  in  the  fifth  reader  for  three  years. 
Never  got  out  of  it.  When  I  got  to  compound 
tractions  1  quit  school.  Them's  what  druv  me 
to  South  America.  I  was  afeared  of  the 
gauchos  but  I  wasn't  afeared  of  'em  as  I  was 
of  them  mixed  uo  fractions." 

He  is  going  back.  Not  this  season,  nor  next. 
nor  perhaps  the  season  after.  But  he's  going 
back  to  Tulsa  to  stay.  He  will  take  the  girl 
that  "came  visiting  from  Arkansas"  and  the 
four,  or  more,  babies.  He  will  ride  mustangs 
at  a  gallop  across  miles  of  rolling  prairies,  knee 
high  in  rich  grass.  He  will  rope  cows  and  their 
natural  companions  with  all  the  flourishes  he 
now  uses  for  entertainment. 

"For,"  savs  the  cowboy  king  of  common 
sense,  "I  watch  things  and  folks  on  this  lane. 
I  hear  the  boys  spittin'  cuss  words  when  things 


don't  go  right.  They  can't  see  that  the  folks  out 
front  are  gettin'  restless  an'  want  a  change. 
I'll  know.  The  first  year  that  things  begin  to 
break  wrong  I'll  pull  up  Broadway  stakes.  Me 
and  the  Missus  and  the  kids  will  go  back  to 
1  ulsa.  And  Broadway  will  be  a  big  yarn  we'll 
spin  to  the  neighbors  that  ride  over  thirty  or 
forty  miles  for  Sunday  dinner  wth  us. 

"I'll  never  come  back,  except  once  in  five  years 
to  show  the  town  to  my  girl  and  the  kids. 

"Critics  can  be  too  smart,"  Will  Rogers  says 
with  a  grin.  "For  instance  when  this  one  of  the 
'Follies'  opened  they  said  that  the  scene  that 
was  Harry  Fisher  and  me  with  a  mule  rigged 
up  as  an  automobile  was  a  substitute  for  Bert 
Williams.  'Twant  nothing  of  the  kind.  Mr. 
Williams  was  in  the  show  the  opening  night  at 
Atlantic  City  and  left  it,  because  he  didn't  have 
enough  material.  I  thought  that  act  out  a  year 
ago  and  tried  it  on  Fred  Stone.  Fred  thought 
it  was  funny.  But  nobody  except  a  critic  with 
a  headache  ever  thought  I  was  there  to  take 
Bert  Williams'  place.  It  can't  be  done." 

Crude  ranchman  though  he  be,  Will  Rogers' 
satire  has  been  borrowed  to  adorn  the  editorial 
page  of  a  New  York  newspaper.  In  bold  faced 
type  and  duly  accredited  appeared  his  flash :  "I 
think  England  ought  to  give  Ireland  home  rule 
and  reserve  the  motion  picture  rights." 

Beside  this  belonged  the  other  Rogerism : 
"I  guess  the  Russians  will  be  mixin'  in  the  war 
again  before  long.  They're  doin'  enough  re- 
hearsin'  among  theirselves." 


NEW  MUSIC  FOR  OLD  PLAYS 


An  exposition  of  the  latest  fad 
By  HAROLD  SETON 


SOME   years   ago    it    became    the    fashion    to 
adapt  dramatic  productions  for  operatic  per- 
formance.     Thus     Puccini    and     Giordano 
utilized     Sardou's     "La     Tosca"    and     "Madame 
Sans-Gene,"   and   Puccini   also   utilized   Belasco's 
"Madame   Butterfly,"   and    "Girl   of    the    Golden 
West."      Richard    Strauss's    musical    setting    of 
Oscar  Wilde's  "Salome"  created  a  sensation. 

So  far  so  good.  But  this  was  not  far  enough 
for  the  American  theatrical  managers.  America 
is  the  home  of  labor-saving  devices,  so  a  system 
*as  conceived  and  elaborated  for  the  rapid  pro- 
duction of  musical  comedies,  simply  by  taking  a 
play  that  had  already  succeeded,  and  setting  it 
to  music.  Thus  no  time  or  energy  need  be 
wasted  on  devising  new  plots  or  situations,  the 
only  problem  being  the  finding  of  more  or  less 
suitable  melodies.  If  none  that  were  appropri- 
ate could  be  obtained,  any  available  ditty  might 
be  interpolated. 

When  the  play  "Over  Night"  became  the 
musical  comedy,  "Very  Good,  Eddie,"  a  pre- 
cedent was  established.  A  second,  a  third,  and  a 
fourth  play  was  harmonized,  and  each  and  every 
one  made  a  hit— for  the  second  time.  The  sea- 
son of  1916-1917  saw  the  experiment  attempted 
d  repeated,  and  the  season  of  1917-18  saw  the 
astonishing  results.  One  old  play  after  another 
was  dug  up  and  dragged  forth,  and  such  foi- 
gotton  favorites  as  "The  College  Widow,"  "The 
Ay.ator,"  and  "Excuse  Me"  found  new  ad- 
mirers, as  well  as  old  ones. 

Nowadays  Philip  Bartholomae,  Rupert  Hughe* 
and  Margaret  Mayo,  and  the  Lord  knows  how 
many  more,  are  performing  the  miracles  of 


raising  the  dead,  for  their  old  successes  have 
been  resurrected,  and  seem  as  lively  as  ever,  if 
not  more  so. 

This  curious  situation  naturally  causes  one  to 
speculate  as  to  just  what  will  be  the  final  out- 
come. The  possibilities  are  limitless.  But 
musical  comedy  librettists  will  become  extinct. 
When  there  is  no  demand,  there  is  no  supply. 
For  my  own  part,  I  would  like  to  offer  some 
suggestions  to  theatrical  managers  and  the  stars 
whom  thev  control. 

For  instance,  that  old  stand-by,  "The  Two 
Orphans,"  could  easily  be  adapted  to  the  singing- 
and  dancing  requirements  of  the  Dolly  Sisters, 
and  the  long-popular  Frank  Daniels  would  be 
provided  with  a  suitable  vehicle  in  harmonized 
"Rip  Van  Winkle."  Lillian  Russill  would  be  a 
radiant  Nora  in  a  tuneful  "Doll's  House,"  and 
George  M.  Cohan  would  be  a  patriotic  Yankee 
in  a  syncopated  "Secret  Service." 

"Lady  Windermere's  Fan"  would  present  a 
brilliant  setting  for  Julia  Sanderson,  and  two 
Pinero  pieces,  "The  Second  Mrs.  Tanqueray" 
and  "The  Notorious  Mrs.  Ebbsmith,"  could  be 
utilized  by  such  comic-opera  stars  as  Fritzi 
Scheff  and  Lina  Abarbanell.  Raymond  Hitch- 
cock would  make  a  droll  Svengali  in  a  tinkling 
"Trilby,"  and  DeWolf  Hopper  could  interpolate 
"Casey  at  the  Bat"  in  a  jazz-band.  "Shore 
Acres." 

Richard  Carle,  as  von  Earwig,  in  "The  Music 
Master,"  could  have  a  topical  song  with  the 
catch-word  refrain,  "If  you  don't  want  her,  I 
want  her!"  Elsie  Janis,  in  "Hedda  Gabler." 
could  give  imitations  of  Mrs.  Fiske  and  Nazi- 


mova,  and  Frances  White  would  be  a  delightful 
"Little  Lord   Fauntelroy." 

"The  Heart  of  Maryland,"  with  its  "curfew 
shall  not  ring  to-night"  episode,  would  provide 
a  comic  background  for  Marie  Dressier,  and 
Weber  and  Fields  could  display  their  talents  in 
a  German-dialect  "Ccrsican  Brothers."  Mr. 
Julian  Eltinge  would  have  an  excuse  for 
female  impersonation  in  "A  Woman  of  No 
Importance." 

Al  Jolson,  still  in  black-face  make-up,  would 
be  a  joy  in  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  with  rag-time 
coon  songs  to  his  heart's  content,  and  Nora 
Bayes  in  "East  Lynne,"  could  produce  effective 
results.  Jack  Norworth  could  use  "The  Old 
Homestead,"  and  Maurice  and  Florence  Walton 
would  be  superb  in  "Man  and  Superman." 

Harry  Fox  would  have  a  golden  opportunity 
in  "The  Silver  King,"  and  Anna  Held  could  roll 
her  eyes  in  "A  Parisian  Romance."  Eva 
Tanguay  would  be  a  cyclonic  "Zaza,"  even  beat- 
ing Mrs.  Carter  at  her  own  game,  and  Paul 
Swan,  "the  most  beautiful  man  in  the  world," 
would  be  well-suited  in  "Beau  Brummel."  Eddie 
Fov  and  the  Seven  Little  Foys  would  attract  at- 
tention in  "The  Importance  of  Being  Earnest." 
These  observations  are,  of  course,  merely  sug- 
gestions on  my  part.  I  am  already  engaged  on 
musical  comedy  settings  of  "The  Garden  of 
Allah"  for  Gertrude  Hoffman,  "Dr.  Jekyll  and 
Mr.  Hvde"  for  Harry  Houdini,  and  "The  Pass- 
ing of  the  Third  Floor  Back"  for  Bert  Williams. 
Florenz  Ziegfeld,  Jr.,  wants  me  to  make  a  ver- 
sion of  "As  You  Like  It,"  to  be  incorporated  in 
his  next  edition  of  "The  Follies." 


Theatre  Magazine.  August 


PLAYERS   IN   HOLIDAY  LAND 


PRANCES  STARK 

Resting  at  her  camp  at  Lake  George  prior  to 
the  opening  of  her  new  play,  "Over  the  Hills" 


Gladys  Hanson  spends 
her  summer  on  her 
father's  estate  at  At- 
lanta, Ga.,  which  is  fa- 
mous for  its  flowers 


Here  is  Eugene  Walter, 
the  playwright,  camping 
in  Wisconsin,  where  no 
doubt  he  gets  inspiration 
for  his  plavs 


White 


Henry  Miller,  the  actor-manager,  at  Sky  Meadows 
Farm,    his    country     place    at     Stamford,    Conn. 


White 


CHANNING  POLLOCK 

"The  Perfect  Lady,"  Mr.  Pollock's  yacht,  named  after  his  successful 
play,  illustrates  the  rewards  of  playwriting.  It  is  fifty  feet  long, 
has  two  cabins,  and  sleeping  accomodations  for  eight  people 


Far    from    Broadway — Charlotte 

Walker  in  the  briny  deep  down 

in  Galveston,  Texas 


GUY  BATES  POST 

Out   for   an   early   morning   row   on   the   lake 
near  his  home  summer  home  at  Winsted,  Conn. 


AS     MUCH     AT     HOME     IN     THE     WATER     AS     ON     THE     STAGE 


Theatre  Magazine,  August,  i 


JOHN  McCORMACK  AND  HIS  FAMILY 


Enjoying  the   beauties  of  Nature  after   a  par- 
ticularly    busy     season     for     the     Irish     tenor 


Charlotte  Fairrhilrl 

LINA   CAVALIERI    AND   LUCIEN   MURATORE 
This  is  not  an  operatic  scene,  but  Mme.  Cavalieri 
and  her  husband,  whose  picturesque  personalities 
give    a   classic   touch    to    the    bucolic    background 


©  Hartsook 


THE  LOU  TELLEGENS 

Notwithstanding  her  operatic,  movie  and  other  activities, 
Geraldine  Farrar  still  finds  time  for  the  joys  of  country 
life  and  finds  a  willing  partner  in  Lou  Tellegen 


MUSIC        HATH       C    H    A    R   M    S   —   N   A    T    IT    R   E        HAS        TOO 


WHO'LL   MOTHER   THESE   S 


After  our  soldiers  have  gone  through  the  horrors  of  No  'Man's  Land  they  naturally 
turn  to  the  softer  side  of  life  for  'relaxation.  What  most  of  them  miss  is  the  feminine 
influence.  This  difficulty  has  been  overcome  in  a  measure  by  kind,  sympathetic  women  taking 
the  trouble  to  correspond  with  soldiers  of  every  nationality  all  over  the  world.  To  some  sol- 
diers the  actress  represents  an  ideal — an  ideal  of  beauty  and  charm.  Is  it  surprising  that,  far 
away  from  theatrical  life,  his  thoughts  turn  now  and  again  to  the  beauties  of  the  stage? 


A  SOLDIER,  lying  wounded   in  a  Belgian 
hospital,  has  written  us  asking  that  we 
use  our  influence  to  find  him  some  good 
Samaritan  who  will  consent  to  serve  him  as  foster 
mother.     His  letter  reads  as  follows: 


, 


Hopital  Militaire  Beige, 

Chambery  (Savoie),  France. 

Le  5  Mai,  1918. 
Monsieur  le  President: 

Je  prends  1'audace  de  vous  ecrire  ces  quelques 
mots  pour  vous  demander  si  vous  ne  pourrez  pas 
intervenir  aupres  de  Miss  Kitty  Gordon,  line  ac- 
trice,  pour  etre  ma  marraine,  vous  verrez  dans  le 
folio  172  de  Mars,  1918,  du  THEATRE  MAGAZINE. 

Je  suis  soldat  Beige,  en  traitement  dans  un 
hopital  du  Midi,  pour  une  maladie  de  la  colonnc 
vertebrale,  atteint  par  une  balle  Allemande,  dont 
je  vais  un  peu  mieux,  et  si  jamais  cette  personne 
n'accepterait  pas,  j'espere  que  vous  pouriez  m'en 
trouver  une  pour  me  faire  oublier  certaines  souf- 
franccs  de  cette  euerre.  et  vous  me  feriez  grand 
plaisir  en  m'envoyant  de  tant  a  autre  quelques 
magazines. 

J'espere  que  vous  preterez  une  oreille  attentive 
a  ma  demande.  et  dans  1'attente  de  vous  lire,  re- 
cevez.  Monsieur  le  President,  mes  sentiments  re- 
spectueux. 

EDOUARD  RENTIER. 

(Translation) 

Belgian  Military  Hospital, 

Chambery,   France. 
Mr.  President: 

I  venture  to  write  you  a  few  lines  to  request 
you  to  kindly  ask  Miss  Kitty  Gordon,  the 
actress,  if  she  will  be  a  foster  mother  to  me.  I 
saw  a  photograph  of  her  on  page  172  of  the 
March,  1918,  issue  of  the  THEATRE  MAGAZINE. 

I  am  a  Belgian  soldier  now  under  treatment,  in 
a  hospital  in  the  South  of  France,  for  spinal 
trouble,  due  to  a  German  bullet,  and  from  which 
I  am  slowly  recovering.  If  Miss  Gordon  is  un- 
able to  grant  my  request,  I  trust  you  will  be  able 
to  find  me  someone  else,  to  enable  me  to  forget 
the  sufferings  I  have  endured  in  this  war,  and 
you  would  also  afford  me  great  pleasure  if  from 


time  to  time  you  could  send  me 
a  few  numbers  of  your  magazine. 
I  hope  that  you  will  give  this 
appeal  your  kind  consideration  and 
while  waiting  to  hear  from  you, 
I  beg  you  to  accept  my  respectful 
regards.  EDOUARD  RENTIER. 

Another    soldier,    also    engaged 

in    fighting    on    the    side    of    the 

Allies  for  the  cause  of  Liberty — 

one  of  our  boys  with  the  American  Expeditionary 

Forces — finds   all   the   recreation  he  needs   when 

off  duty   in   the   beautiful   and  .interesting   pages 

of  the  THEATRE  MAGAZINE.     He  writes: 

At  the  Front  in  France, 

May  14,   1918. 

Kditor  of  the  THEATRE  MAGAZINE: 
Dear  Sir, 

I  am  aware  that  you  are  an  extraordinarily 
busy  man,  and  a  letter  from  a  stranger  may 
seem  waste  of  precious  time.  But,  having  had 
sincere  emotions  of  gratitude  many  times 
(especially  since  leaving  America,  nearly  a  year 
ago)  aroused  by  the  THEATRE  MAGAZINE,  I  feel 
I  must  tell  you.  I  have  read  the  THEATRE  since 
I  was  a  kid  in  grammar  school,  and  I  kept  on 
through  college,  and  the  four  years  since.  I 
have  done  the  same  with  other  magazines,  one 
other  theatrical  periodical  in  particular.  The 
point  is,  I  enjoy  each  number  of  the  THEATRE 
better  than  the  last.  It  is  not  so  with  the  other 
periodical.  In  fact,  if  I  didn't  want  to  learn 
what  my  friends  were  doing  in  the  business,  I 
wouldn't  care  if  I  ever  saw  it  again.  But  a  new 
life  has  been  gradually  growing  in  the  THEATRE, 
till  now  it  is  a  thing  to  be  pointed  to  with  pride : 
"Yes,  that  can  come  out  of  America !" 

You've  got  ideals,  and  they're  good  ones.  Art 
is  not  just  a  thing  to  be  scorned  as  "high-brow"; 
the  theatre  is  not  merely  a  place  where  only  the 
senses  must  be  "amused" — oh,  well,  I  can't  get 
exclamatory  and  rhetorical,  but,  at  any  rate,  it 
does  one  good  to  know  that  the  theatre  is 
cherished  and  loved  by  those  who  know  a  great 
deal  more  about  it  than  I  do.  In  other  words, 
I'm  sure  your  magazine  is  doing  more  for  the 
good  of  the  American  stage  than  any  one  thing. 
Life,  life,  life!  If  the  managers  think  the  re- 
turned soldiers  aren't  going  to  be  a  different 
audience  than  they  were  before  being  forced  into 
realities,  they're  greatly  mistaken.  And  I  might 

[82] 


say,  that  I  hope  they'll  be  careful 
when  they  present  men  in  agony  of 
any  sort;  the  soul  has  got  to  show, 
or  the  poor  actor's  done  for. 

I  have  been  connected  with  the 
French  army;  and  the  entertainments 
that  the  regiments  themselves  get  up 
are  really  marvellous.  Technique  is 
often  woefully  lacking,  but  the  real 
stuff  isn't.  And  you  should  hear  a 
poiiu  audience  laugh !  I  heard  a 
theatre  at  the  front  deafened  by  the 
roar  one  evening,  and  three  nights 
later  that  same  bunch  of  men  was 
stopping  the  perfect  waves  of 
soldiers  the  Germans  sent  over.  Do  you  think 
the  laughter  helped? 

A  peculiar  personal  letter  to  a  busy  man,  but 
"personal"  is  one  of  the  elements  I  like  in  the 
THEATRE  MAGAZINE,  and  I  have  been  so  im- 
pressed by  the  unusual  spirit  pervading  it  that 
I  couldn't  resist  letting  you  know. 

Hoping  you  will  excuse  my  taking  up  your 
valuable  time,  I  am, 

Your  admirer, 

"AN  Ex-AcroR." 


KITTY  GORDON 
Selected  by  a  wounded  Belgium  sol- 
dier    as     the     ideal     foster     mother 


Theatre  Magazine,  /lugust, 


From  a  portrait  ©  ffixon-Connelty 


RICHARD      BENNETT 

This  popular  actor  who  contributed  a  capital 
characterization  to  "The  Very  Idea"  last  sea- 
son will  be  seen  in  a  new  play  shortly 


FROM  MME0  X  TO  MUSICAL 

Dorothy  Donnelly,  the  former  weeping  heroine 
of  drama   now   deals   in   nothing   but  smiles 

By  EILEEN   O'CONNOR 


EIGHT  years  ago  Dorothy  Donnelly  was 
weeping  real  tears  and  rending  the  hearts 
of  audiences  in  the  name  role  of  Bisson's 
drama  "Madame  X."  For  two  years  she  has 
been  the  co-parent  of  a  farce  and  two  musical 
comedies  that  have  paid  long  visits  to  Broad- 
way. The  latest  of  her  outputs  is  the  vehicle 
for  the  funmakers,  Clifton  Crawford  and  Harry 
Conor.  In  a  word,  Dorothy  Donnelly  has  re- 
pented. Her  repentance  for  causing  audiences 
to  weep  she  is  expressing  by  furnishing  them 
with  cause,  for  laughter. 

It's  a  long  way  from  "Madame  X"  to  "Fancy 
Free."  Not  downward,  nor  upward,  but,  to 
Miss  Donnelly's  mind,  straight  ahead.  She 
summons  in  proof  of  this,  her  recollection  of  a 
letter  which  an  old  and  distinguished  actress 
wrote  her  while  she  was  playing  "Madame  X." 
"You  are  magnificent,  my  dear.  You  wrung  our 
hearts.  But  don't  let  her  wretchedness  possess 
you.  Laugh,  dear  heart.  Laugh." 

"As  though  you  ever  did  anything  else,"  said 
Louise  Closser  Hale,  author  and  Miss  Donnelly's 
best  friend. 

The-  first  year  as  Madame  X  she  contrived  to 
laugh  a  great  deal.  To  subdue  her  ebullient 
spirits  she  locked  her  dressing  room  door  at 
the  New  Amsterdam  Theatre,  muffled  the  dress- 
ing room  telephone,  and  deliberately  plunged 
ioto  a  very  abyss  of  misery.  This  was  necessary 
to  banish  the  claim  of  her  joyous  youth  and  to 
imbue  and  enwrap  herself  with  the  atmosphere 
of  Bisson's  wretched  heroine. 


BUT  the  second  year  of  her  evocation  of  the 
spirit  of  the  outcast  the  role  reacted  upon 
her.  The  battle  against  high  spirits  became  a 
battle  against  low  moods.  The  reaction  was  not 
"blues"  but  "blacks."  To  dissipate  the  cloud  of 
dolor,  she  resumed  her  childhood  diversion  of 
writing. 

There  is  a  treasured  possession  of  the 
Donnelly  family  that  is  occasionally  shown  to 
visitors  who  have  no  reverence  but  an  active 
sense  of  humor.  It  is  a  ponderous  pile  of 
manuscript,  carefully  covered  in  close-written, 
childish  hand  with  prim  characters.  It 
weighs  a  pound.  Its  age  is  nearly  thirty  years. 
A  child,  Dorothy  Donnelly  by  name,  wrote  the 
"novel,"  copied  and  tied  it  with  a  red  ribbon, 
to  await  the  return  from  the  road  of  her  actor 
brother,  Henry  V.  Donnelly.  Characteristic  is 
it  of  the  kindly  and  tactful  Donnelly  family  that 
no  one  ever  laughed  at  this  premature  literary 
outpouring.  Again  and  again  the  child  crossed 
her  feet,  hunched  her  knees,  and  screwed  her 
eyes  to  their  task  of  following  the  characters. 
From  her  seat  on  a  low  stool  she  would  read 
her  novel  to  the  family.  Although  her  eyes  are 
by  habit  keen  she  never  detected  a  gleam  of 
anything  save  encouragement  in  the  eyes  of  her 
auditors. 

The  child  grown  up  did  not  revert  to  the 
novel  form  in  her  megrim  banishing.  She  wrote 
jingles  and  limericks.  The  verses  she  sent  to 
friends  sailing  for  Europe,  to  friends  who  were 
young  enough  to  indulge  in  birthdays,  to  friends 
who  were  giving  dinners  and  wanted  something 
appropriate  for  place  cards.  These  good-will 


offerings  carried  her  through  the  second  year  of 
Madame  X,  lifting  the  burden  of  another's 
fictitious  woes  that  threatened  to  crush  her  into 
nervous  prostration. 

For  Dorothy  Donnelly,  actress,  is  not  of  those 
whose  creed  is  "Do  not  feel,  but  pretend  you 
feel,  the  sorrows  you  depict.  Three  persons 
play  every  part,  the  one  who  feels  it,  the  one 
who  does  it  and  the  one  who  watches,"  she 
quotes  when  she  tells  of  her  evolution  into  a 
playwright.  "But  the  one  who  felt  was  always 
dominant  in  me.  And  it  tore  and  wore  me. 
Duse  answered  when  asked  why  she  only  played 
four  times  a  week,  'But  I  must  rest  from  my 
emotion.'  " 


MORE  jingles  and  limericks  were  needed  to 
lighten  the  weight  of  Maria  Rosa.  You 
remember  her  portrayal  of  the  Spanish  widow, 
who,  ignorant  of  his  deed,  weds  the  murderer 
of  her  husband?  The  verses  with  laughter  in 
every  line  flowed  faster  while  she  was  Anne 
Merckle  of  the  "Song  of  Songs."  You  must 
remember  the  discarded  favorite  who  was  forced 
to  teach  her  childlike  successor  the  arts  that 
amused  their  master?  A.  H.  Woods  telegraphed 
her,  "It's  eight  minutes  of  acting  but  it's  got 
to  be  acting.  That's  the  reason  I  want  you." 
The  five  months  of  eight-minute  acting  were 
profitable.  A  farm  on  Croton  Lake  is  the  monu- 
ment to  them. 

Her  first  play  met  the  fate  of  most  first  plays, 
oblivion.  Managers  complained  of  the  dearth 
of  plays  furnishing  a  character  strong  enough 
for  her  robust  talents.  "I'll  write  one,"  she 
said,  with  blithe  confidence.  She  and  a  dis- 
tinguished litterateur  collaborated  and  brought 
forth  a  melodrama.  Each  still  possesses  a  copy 
of  it.  Each  still  believes  it  has  worth.  Both, 
knowing  that  Broadway  conditions  are  as 
changeful  as  the  sea,  set  about  writing  other 
plays.  Both,  though  not  together,  have  attained 
the  happy  state  of  production. 

Still  in  search  of  a  play  for  herself,  Miss 
Donnelly,  in  collaboration  with  Miss  Charlotte 
Wells,  well  known  as  author,  adapter  and  critic 
of  plays,  wrote  "The  Riddle  Woman."  It  rested 
awaiting  the  change  of  events,  and  the  will  of 
producers.  But  Miss  Donnelly  waited  not,  for 
another  chance  came  in  the  need  of  the  Amer- 
icanization of  "Flora  Bella."  Cosmo  Hamilton 
had  made  an  English  version  of  it  for  the  taste 
of  London.  To  Miss  Donnelly  on  the  whirling 
wheel  of  opportunity  came  the  task  of  adapting 
th6  feast  to  Broadway  palates.  So  well  did  it 
succeed  that  "Flora  Bella,"  interpreted  by  Miss 
Lina  Abarbanell,  was  a  tenant  of  the  Casino  for 
some  time. 


Cort  sent  an  S.  O.  S.  for  Dorothy  Donnelly. 
Yes,  she  thought  she  could  cement  it,  polish  it, 
make  it  workable.  So  in  a  few  weeks  of  in- 
tensive effort  she  did.  In  company  with  "Johnny 
Get  Your  Gun"  she  made  her  second  Broadway 
appearance  as  an  author. 

With  "Fancy  Free"  she  made  her  debut  as  a 
collaborator — less  playwright.  She  wrote  its  book, 
Augustus  Barrett  its  lyrics  and  music,  though  she 
is  capable  of  lyrics  herself  and  has  written  them, 
as  she  will  show  you  in  the  impending  season. 
In  September,  "The  Riddle  Woman"  will  be 
produced,  but  not  with  Dorothy  Donnelly.  Her 
new  art  has  won  her  from  the  old.  She  will 
direct  it.  The  musical  version  of  "The  Melting 
of  Molly"  is  claiming  her  interest. 

And  beyond?     Well,  for  us  all  there  is  a  be- 
yond, a  striving  point    a  farther  on.     Else  life 
would     stale.      The     little     its     that     make    up 
humanity  would  slip  back  to  their  starting  place. 
Dorothy  Donnelly's  beyond  is  a  comedy. 
"Comedy   is   so   wise,"   she   says.     "It  has  the 
essentials    of    drama    in    it    for    there    must    be 
tragedy  to  make  one  laugh." 

Miss  Donnelly  regards  herself  as  a  beginner. 
"I've  been  writing  only  two  years  and  am  lucky," 
she  insists.  But  heredity,  environment,  special 
training  and  equipment,  she  has  brought  to  her 
task  of  entertaining  Broadway  in  a  new  way. 

Her  uncle  was  the  late  Henry  V.  Donnelly. 
the  actor-manager,  long  the  manager  of  the 
Murray  Hill  Stock  Company.  Under  him  and 
her  uncle,  Fred  Donnelly,  of  the  Lyceum  Thea- 
tre, she  received  her  invaluable  stage  training. 
Fritz  Williams,  her  cousin,  has  aided  by  sug- 
gestions. Henry  Donnelly  schooled  her  in  mod- 
ern comedies,  Fred  Donnelly  in  the  classic  and 
romantic  roles,  including  Juliet  and  Lady  Mac- 
beth. Her  education  included  music  and  Bern- 
hardt,  Bartet,  Rejane  and  Hading  in  their 
greatest  roles. 


ENTER  "Johnny  Get  Your  Gun."  The  play 
that  turned  on  the  pivot  of  a  Western 
character  introduced  into  a  London  drawing 
room  had  been  sketched  by  Lawrence  Burke. 
Mr.  Burke  did  not  fill  in  his  sketch  because  he 
engaged  in  the  more  important  work  of  defying 
the  Huns  with  bullets.  Mr.  Burke  in  the 
trenches,  his  crude  play  giving  promise, 
Louis  Bennison,  born  to  play  it,  waiting  to  begin 
rehearsals  of  material  not  yet  rehearsable,  John 


WILL  there  be  more  Madame  X's?"  I 
asked  her  at  the  conclusion  of  a  morning 
chat  in  her  artistic  bachelor  girl  apartment  in 
the  quiet  East  Forties. 

"I  think  not,"  was  her  answer.  "I  am  rather 
a  fatalist  about  playing.  I  will  never  play  again 
unless  it  is  inevitable.  Either  that  I  must  play 
to  earn  my  living  or  a  part  is  offered  me  that  is 
so  compelling  that  it  demands  that  I  play  it." 

"I  almost  hope  that  I  will  never  play  again. 
If  one  is  successful  she  must  go  with  the  char- 
acter she  has  created  in  the  play  she  has  helped 
to  make  successful,  on  the  road.  The  hardships 
and  discomforts  of  the  actor's  life  are  depress- 
ing. Life  is  more  livable  for  the  playwright. 
She  can  keep  her  home  and  stay  in  it.  She 
need  not  leave  friends  for  a  long  time.  She  has 
hours  of  quiet  when  the  grind  of  wheels  ceases 
its  torture. 

"Acting  is  the  greatest  sport  in  the  world," 
she  summed  up.  "But  writing  is  great  fun,  and 
added  to  it  one  has  the  delight  of  producing  the 
play.  That  to  one  who  loves  the  stage  and  lives 
in  it  is  a  delight.  I've  never  gotten  away  from 
the  stage?  Writing  and  directing  keep  one  in 
its  atmosphere." 

If,  then,  we  must  bid  farewell  to  Madame  X, 
we  may  expect  to  greet  many  "Fancy  Frees." 


[84] 


'theatre  Magazine,  August, 


Lewis-Smith 

ELEANOR  SINCLAIR 

a  la  Lenore  Ulric 
in  "Tiger  Rose" 


RAYMOND  HITCHCOCK 

The  popular  mirth  maker,  who  is  presenting  him- 
self in  "Hitchy-Koo,  1918"  at  the  Globe  Theatre 


Goldberg 

EMMA  HAIG 

A  dancing  recruit  from  vaudeville,  and 
a  former  favorite  in  "The  Follies",  who 
has  scored  again  in  her  dance  features 


SOME      OF      THE      PRINCIPALS       IN      "HITCHY-KOO      1918" 


WE  CANT  BE  AS.  BAD  AS  ALL  THAT 

Without  apologies  to  Mr.   Henry  Arthur  Jones' s  play  by  the  same  title 

By   LOUIS  V.    DE   FOE 


AT  this  particular  dinner  party  there  were 
eight  around  the  table.  The  talk  had 
drifted  through  various  topics  for  a  time, 
groping  in  the  usual  desultory  way  in  search  of 
a  common  denominator  of  interest.  Then  it 
turned  naturally  to  the  subject  of  the  stage  and, 
what  was  even  more  natural,  the  agreement  was 
general  that  the  theatre,  with  the  most  liberal 
allowances  for  the  stagnating  influences  of  a 
world  at  war,  was  in  its  usual  chronic  state  of 
decline.  No  hope  seemed  possible  for  the  two 
always  ailing  twins  in  art — playwriting  and  play 
acting. 

The  dinner  party  was  representative  of  a  suf- 
ficiently high  average  of  taste  to  lend  certain 
weight  to  its  conclusions — conclusions  in  which 
almost  any  similar  gathering  is  almost  sure  to 
concur.  The  house  at  which  it  was  held  stands 
in  lower  Fifth  Avenue,  not  very  distant  from 
Washington  Square,  but  into  it,  in  spite  of  its 
proximity,  had  not  intruded  the  artistic  and 
philosophical  views  peculiar  to  the  near-intellec- 
tuals of  the  contiguous  Greenwich  Village  re- 
gion. In  other  words,  the  people  who  were  con- 
ducting the  customary  post-prandial  mortuary 
services  for  the  theatre  were  normal  humans, 
quite  content  with  existing  conditions  in  general 
— except,  of  course,  in  the  theatre— until  by  the 
will  of  a  responsible  majority  of  the  social 
fabric  a  change  is  decreed. 


murred.  But  he  was  overruled,  and  there  was 
no  immediate  court  of  appeal.  The  evidence  he 
might  have  introduced  in  behalf  of  the  case  of 
the  theatre  was  excluded,  perhaps  on  the  popu- 
lar theory  that  the  professional  critic  of  any  art 
must  always  be  wrong  unless  he  takes  the  most 
discouraging  view  of  the  art  he  criticizes. 


THE  host  was  a  Yale  graduate  of  the  early 
eighties  and  a  lawyer  of  standing  who  was 
a  patron  of  the  theatre  and  a  fairly  thoughtful 
observer  of  its  shifting  conditions  within  his 
time.  One  of  his  guests  was  a  successful  archi- 
tect, a  man  of  highly  developed  artistic  instincts, 
who  admitted,  nevertheless,  that  the  stage  was 
important  in  his  life  chiefly  for  the  relaxation 
and  mental  exhilaration  it  could  supply.  He  was 
not,  though,  of  the  tired  business  man  type ;  he 
could  think  logically  in  a  medium  other  than 
figures.  A  second  guest  was  a  visitor  from  a 
distant  but  lively  inland  city.  His  interest  in 
the  theatre,  he  confessed,  was  only  for  the  sake 
of  the  ephemeral  diversion  it  offered.  But  his 
opinions  were  pertinent  to  the  discussion,  since 
he  fairly  represented  the  transient  hotel  popula- 
tion which  makes  fortunes  for  ticket  speculators 
and  provides  about  one-third  of  the  audiences 
at  every  play  in  New  York.  A  third  guest  was 
a  dramatic  critic  who  had  devoted  twenty  years 
to  close  professional  observation  of  the  stage. 
I  will  leave  the  reader  to  speculate  as  to  his 
identity,  if  such  speculation  be  of  interest.  Then 
there  were  the  four  women.  Two,  at  least,  had 
undergone  systematic  college  training.  The  other 
two  were  old  enough  to  have  earned  bachelor 
degrees  in  the  school  of  observation  and  ex- 
perience. Their  deprecatory  views  of  the  theatre 
they  were  quite  ready  to  defend  by  lively  argu- 
ment not  unmixed  with  reflections  against  the 
morals  of  its  people.  The  party,  in  short, 
limited  in  numbers  though  it  was,  fairly  well 
represented  the  playgoing  public  that  perpetually 
sits  in  off-hand  judgment  upon  the  most  univer- 
sally patronized  and  democratic  of  the  arts. 

To  the  verdict  that  the  theatre  in  which  the 
English  language  is  spoken  is  steadily  moving 
on  the  downward  path  the  dramatic  critic  de- 


HOWEVER,  the  discussion  around  the  din- 
ner table  in  Fifth  Avenue  settled  nothing 
conclusively.  Its  importance  is  only  that  it  was 
the  usual  thing  in  the  usual  place.  The  case  of 
the  offending  theatre  is  always  on  the  docket 
in  the  court  of  public  opinion.  It  never  is  given 
a  fair  hearing  and  seldom  is  it  even  allowed  the 
assistance  of  expert  counsel.  Meanwhile,  it  is 
taken  for  granted  that  the  culprit  is  plunging 
to  perdition  along  the  downward  path  on  which 
Colley  Gibber,  one  of  the  first  of  the  critics  to 
put  himself  on  record,  discovered  it — and  it  must 
be  remembered  that  Gibber  lived  long  enough 
to  earn  the  distinction  of  having  acted  in  Better- 
ton's  company.  Shakespeare's  death  was  then  a 
fairly  recent  calamity.  Why  in  these  nearly  two 
hundred  intervening  years  has  the  theatre  not 
reached  the  bottom  in  its  descent  and  plunged 
into  chaos? 

It  is  the  fashion  in  gauging  the  state  of  the 
theatre's  art  to  regard  as  its  golden  age  the 
years  that  have  gone  just  before.  The  weak- 
ness of  this  accepted  process  lies  in  a  failure  to 
reflect  that,  during  the  seemingly  golden  age, 
a  similar  rosy  view  was  held  of  the  years  that, 
in  their  turn,  had  vanished.  By  such  a  course 
of  reasoning  the  drama  must  always  be  declin- 
ing. The  secret  of  this  fallacy  of  the  stage's 
retrogression — for  the  "decline  of  the  drama," 
as  the  conventional  phrase  has  it,  is  a  fallacy — 
is  that,  critics  and  casual  observers  of  the  stage 
alike,  we  are  too  familiar  with  all  the  plays  of 
the  present  and  not  familiar  enough  with  all  the 
plays  of  the  past. 

The  Elizabethan  age  which  gave  the  English 
theatre  the  poetic  drama  of  Shakespeare  has 
since  been  unapproached — there  is  no  room  for 
argument  over  this  greatest  phenomenon — or 
was  it  the  greatest  accident? — in  the  literature 
of  all  time.  But  when  we  proceed  to  glorify 
the  brilliant  period  of  what  we  call  the  eigh- 
teenth-century comedies  of  manners  and  romance 
we  do  not  stop  to  consider  the  length  of  time 
that  was  needed  for  the  accumulation  of  its 
very  limited  number  of  surviving  plays.  These 
works  we  designate  as  the  "old  comedies"  or  the 
"classics,"  not  many  of  us  knowing  definitely 
what  they  are  or  what  we  really  mean. 


THE  term,  "classics,"  is  vague  and  uncer- 
tain, considering  that  it  is  so  often  and  so 
glibly  employed.  Applied  to  plays  it  roughly 
designates  those  works  of  the  theatre  which,  be- 
cause of  literary  perfection,  truth  to  universal 
traits  in  human  nature  as  well  as  to  the  customs 
and  manners  of  their  times,  and  vigor  and  vital- 
ity of  characterization — a  combination  of  some 
or  all  these  qualities  with  the  elusive  attribute 
called  popular  appeal — have  survived  from  the 
contemporaneous  mass  of  less  fortunately  di- 
rected effort  and  energy  and  have  been  received 
into  the  fund  of  permanent  literature  of  the 


theatre.  Their  recognition  is  not  easily  won. 
The  test  of  a  century  of  opinion  is  needed  to 
establish  them  in  the  honored  dompany  of  the 
elect. 

These  elected  plays  which  have  borne  success- 
fully the  acid  test  we  customarily  compare  with 
the  average  product  of  our  own  contemporary 
stage  to  its  inevitable  disparagement.  We  do  not 
take  account  of  the  thousands  of  other  plays  that 
helped  to  tarnish  in  their  time  the  age  which 
to  us  seems  golden.  Then  we  go  to  our  chatty 
dinner  parties  and  join  in  the  complaint  that  the 
art  which  of  all  the  arts  gives  greatest  pleasure— 
and  no  little  aesthetic  satisfaction,  besides — to  the 
greatest  number  of  people  is  staggering  down 
the  hill  on  tottering  legs. 

When  the  discouragingly  industrious  and  al- 
most exasperingly  accurate  Rev.  John  Genest 
compiled  his  "Account  of  the  English  Stage  from 
1660  to  1830"  in  ten  volumes,  he  made  it  possible 
for  W.  S.  Gilbert,  who  himself  was  no  mean  ex- 
ample of  painstaking  industry,  to  explode  the 
notion  of  the  English-speaking  theatre's  decline. 
But  the  explosion  took  place  so  many  years  ago 
that  it  has  failed  to  reach  the  ears  of  the  stage's 
present  mourners.  Gilbert  found  from  his  ex- 
haustive examination  of  Genest's  minutely  cor- 
rect work  that  during  the  period  between  1700 
and  1830,  from  which  we  cull  the  conceded  clas- 
sic of  English  dramatic  literature — all  except 
the  ante-dating  dramas  of  Shakespeare — there 
were  produced  in  England  more  than  four  thou- 
sand plays  of  all  kinds. 


BY  a  process  of  elimination  he  came  to  these 
conclusions  which,  I  venture,  are  unknown 
to  most  people  who  presume  to  pass  judgment 
on  the  theatre's  present  state : 

"Three  thousand,  nine  hundred  and  fifty  are 
absolutely  unknown,  except  by  name,  to  any 
but  professed  students  of  English  dramatic  litera- 
ture. Of  the  remaining  fifty,  only  thirty-five  are 
ever  presented  on  the  English  boards  at  the 
present  day ;  of  these  thirty-five,  only  seventeen 
are  works  of  acknowledged  literary  merit ;  and 
of  these  seventeen,  only  eleven  can  claim  to  rank 
as  standard  works." 

Prof.  Brander  Matthews  once  made  use  of 
Gilbert's  computations  and  brought  to  the  sur- 
face another  surprising  fact.  He  pointed  out 
that  "during  the  one  hundred  and  thirty  years, 
when  the  drama  in  England,  if  not  at  its  best, 
was  at  least  the  centre  of  literary  interest  and 
more  important  and  more  profitable  than  any 
other  department  of  literature,  only  once  in 
more  than  ten  years,  on  an  average,  was  a  play 
produced  which  by  some  union  of  popular  at- 
tributes with  literary  quality,  has  managed  to 
survive  to  the  present  day." 

Can  we,  then,  be  as  bad  as  all  that  ?  A  war- 
time dramatic  season  has  .just  ended  in  New 
York,  during  which  something  like  eighty-nine 
hitherto  unacted  plays  have  been  ground  out  in 
forty-seven  theatres  in  frenzied  competition. 
We  look  vainly  through  the  mass  hoping  to  find 
at  least  one  of  more  than  ephemeral  interest — 
and  we  fail.  But  this,  on  second  thought,  is 
only  a  single  season.  On  the  basis  of  the  W.  S. 
Gilbert's  deductions  we  have  at  least  nine  more 
years  to  equal  the  record  of  the  golden  age  of 
English  comedy. 


Tkealre  Magazine.  August,  iflt 


FRIENDLY  ENEMIES,"  by 
Samuel  Shipman  and  Aaron 
Hoffman,  is  an  American  play  in 
three  acts.  The  central  characters 
are  two  middle-aged  and  prosper- 
ous German-Americans  who  have 
spent  the  greater  part  of  their 
lives  in  the  United  States.  They 
are  intimate  friends  but  hold 
opposite  views  regarding  the  war. 
One,  portrayed  by  Louis  Mann, 
is  intensely  pro-German;  the  other, 
portrayed  by  Sam  Bernard,  is  in- 
tensely American.  Their  divergent 
views  are  the  cause  of  a  good  deal 


America,  and  who  is  using  it  for 
purposes  of  destruction.  Unknown 
to  Mann,  his  only  son  has  enlisted 
as  an  officer  in  the  American 
Army,  and  comes  home  on  the  eve 
of  departing  for  France  to  marry 
his  fiancee — the  daughter  of  Ber- 
nard. Of  course  Mann  refuses  to 
forgive  his  son  and  immediately 
after  the  marriage  the  latter  sets 
sail  for  France.  The  boat  is  tor- 
pedoed and  Mann,  believing  his 
son  lost,  gives  himself  up  to 
despair  and  to  fierce  denunciation 
of  the  Hun.  The  son  is  really 


Photos  White 

Sam  Bernard 

The  friendly  enemies  enjoying  the  war 
news — each  from  his  own  point  of  view 


Louis  Mann  Mathilde  Cottrelly 

(Inset)  The  pro-German's  son  listens  dubi- 
ously to  his  father's  praise  of  the  Teutons 


Sam  Bernard  Louis  Mann          Regina  Wallace 

The   pro-German   learns   that   the    ship 
on  which  his  son  is  sailing  has  been  sunk 


The    friendly    enemies    have    a    little 
tfte-a-tete     with     the     German      spy 

of  heated  and  amusing  argument. 
The  pro-German  Mann  has  been 
contributing  a  good  deal  of  money 
for  what  he  thinks  is  propaganda 
that  will  set  Germany  right  in  the 
eyes  of  the  world,  and  that  will 
end  the  war.  This  money  is  turned 
over  to  a  man  who  is  really  the 
head  of  the  German  spy  system  in 


"Friendly  enemies" 


The  son  is  saved  and  the  former  pro-German 
understands  at  last  where  his  true  interests  lie 


saved  and  returns  to  find  a  father 
to  whom  the  true  German  char- 
acter has  been  revealed. 

"Friendly  Enemies"  has  been 
playing  for  the  past  three  months 
at  the  new  Wood's  Theatre,  Chi- 
cago, with  unusual  success  and 
will  be  presented  at  the  Hudson 
Theatre,  New  York  next  month. 


A   N 


A    X    T    I    -   G    E    R    M   A   X         P    R    O    P  A  G  A    X    I)  A         P    L    A  Y 


Our  experimenting  craftsmen  in  their  relent- 
less pursuit  of  royalties  may  never  match  Sheri- 
dan's brilliant  achievements  of  "The  School  for 
Scandal,"  or  "The  Rivals,"  or  "The  Critic,"  or 
Goldsmith's  lucky  stroke  of  "She  Stoops  to 
Conquer."  But  in  much  less  than  one  hundred 
and  thirty  years — even  within  the  last  quarter 
of  a  century — have  not  the  dramatists  who  write 
in  English  equalled  Mrs.  Cowley's  "The  Belle's 
Stratagem"  and  Holcroft's  "The  Road  to  Ruin" 
and  Colman's  "The  Heir-at-Law"  and  "The 
Poor  Gentleman"  and  "John  Bull"?  Have  they 
not  improved  upon  what  to  us  now  is  the  sopor- 
ific wit  of  Garrick's  "High  Life  Below  Stairs," 
or  Foote's  "The  Liar,"  or  O'Keefe's  "Wild 
Oats"? 

All  these  plays  stand  in  the  first  division  of 
the  classic  comedies  with  which  we  must  reckon 
when  we  attempt  to  convict  of  futility  the  stage 
of  the  present  day.  Coming  down  to  a  some- 
what later  period,  and  considering  more  familiar 
plays  which  by  critical  consent  have  been  con- 
ceded places  among  the  standard  works  of  the 
English  stage,  have  we  not  in  the  same  last 
quarter  century  produced  favorable  rivals  in 
manner  and  quality  to  Sheridan  Knowles'  "The 
Hunchback"  and  "The  Love  Chase,"  Dion  Bouci- 
cault's  "London  Assurance"  and  "Old  Heads  and 
Young  Hearts,"  Bulwer  Lytton's  "Money,"  and 
Tom  Taylor's  "Masks  and  Faces"  and  "Still 
Waters  Run  Deep"? 


Enshrined  in  their  covers  these  victors  in  the 
struggle  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest  compel  our 
veneration — if  we  take  care  not  to  become  too 
well  acquainted  with  their  contents.  But  every 
now  and  then,  when  the  programme  of  a 
dramatic  season  in  New  York  is  complete,  some 
manager  is  seized  with  an  impulse  to  perform 
a  service  for  art  and  brings  one  of  these  revered 
old  works  from  its  place  of  hiding.  If  it  be 
"The  School  for  Scandal,"  or  "The  Rivals,"  or 
"She  Stoops  to  Conquer"  our  satisfaction  is 
great.  But  do  we  take  delight  when  the  rest  of 
these  masterpieces  are  galvanized  into  new  life? 

The  American  branch  of  the  English  theatre 
will  not  be  without  its  honorable  representatives 
in  any  future  list  of  standard  plays.  Clyde 
Fitch's  deep  divination  of  feminine  character  and 
the  photographic  accuracy  of  his  stage  pictures 
of  social  life  must  receive  future  recognition 
in  the  deftly  drawn  heroines  of  "The  Truth" 
and  "The  Girl  With  the  Green  Eyes."  As 
dramas  of  speculative  interest  and  characteristic 
of  the  virile  and  red-blooded  American  life  of 
their  time  Augustus  Thomas's  "The  Witching 
Hour"  and  "As  a  Man  Thinks"  will  have  places 
on  the  stage  of  the  future,  and  "Arizona"  may 
also  be  revived  with  interest  to  its  audiences. 
Though  William  Vaughn  Moody  died  as  his 
undoubted  genius  was  just  ripening,  he  lived  to 
place  "The  Great  Divide"  among  the  most  search- 
ing and  powerful  of  our  native  plays.  As  a  bril- 


liant, artificial  comedy  of  manners  "The  New 
York  Idea,"  by  Langdon  Mitchell,  rivals  all  but 
the  very  best  of  its  predecessors  written  in  Eng- 
lish. Eugene  Walter's  "The  Easiest  Way"  un- 
doubtedly bears  the  stamp  of  creative  art  and 
has  the  qualities  of  an  enduring  melodramatic 
play.  Among  the  miscellaneous  dramas  and 
comedies  that  assert  their  claims  as  literature 
may  be  included  "The  Servant  in  the  House"  by 
Charles  Rann  Kennedy,  and  "The  Scarecrow"  by 
Percy  MacKaye— plays  of  permanent  interest  in 
the  library  as  well  as  on  the  stage.  There  remains 
the  picturesque  fancies  of  Benrimo  and  Hazelton's 
"The  Yellow  Jacket"  which  already  has  been 
adopted  into  the  literature  of  four  languages. 

Other  judgment  may  fasten  upon  other  plays 
as  evidence  that  the  case  of  the  theatre  is  not 
hopeless.  But  undoubtedly  many  of  the  works 
that  I  have  named  would  be  found  in  all  the 
lists.  As  a  people  inordinately  committ  d  to  the 
habit  of  playgoing  we  bear  the  burden  of  an 
over-supply  of  theatres  out  of  proportion  to  the 
creative  abilities  of  our  authors.  Consequent 
upon  a  condition  brought  about  by  commercial 
competition  we  endure,  and  must  continue  to 
endure,  in  these  superfluous  theatres  an  affliction 
of  rubbish  that  all  but  obscures  the  occasional 
work  of  literary  and  dramatic  genius  which,  if 
it  keeps  up  with  the  schedule  of  a  golden  age 
that  is  gone,  should  make  its  appearance  once  in 
about  every  ten  years. 


HE'S  ONLY  THE  AUTHOR 

By  LESLIE   ALLEN 


HEY,  Bill,  who's  that  funny  looking  gink 
over  there,  hidin'  in  th'  corner?"  asks 
one  of  the  stage  hands  at  a  dress  re- 
hearsal. "He  looks  durn  suspicious.  Shall  I 
run  him  out?" 

Bill  gives  the  abject  little  man  in  the  corner 
a  sharp  once-over. 

"Him?     Aw,  let  'im  stay,  he's  only  th'  author!" 

The  average  author  of  a  play — not  the  few  big 
fellows  who  have  put  a  dozen  successes  across, 
but  the  ordinary  everyday  sort  of  a  dramatic 
author — is  about  as  welcome  at  a  rehearsal  of 
his  own  play  as  a  chaperone  at  a  May  picnic. 

"Persona  non  grata"  was  invented  solely  to 
apply  to  authors  in  relation  to  the  rehearsals  of 
their  brain  children. 

The  producer,  sitting  back  in  the  gloom  of  the 
unlighted  "house"  and  watching  proceedings, 
does  not  approve  of  the  setting. 

"Say,"  he  yells  to  the  stage  manager,  "that's 
no  good." 

"Don't  I  know  it !"  the  stage  manager  comes 
back,  without  batting  an  eye,  "but  watcher 
goin'  to  do?  This  here  author's  script  calls  for 
it.  It  ain't  my  fault,  it's  his." 

"But — er— but  I  didn't  designate  a  couch  foi 
that  corner,"  the  author  timidly  observes. 

"Well,  what  wouldjer  have  there?"  he  is 
asked. 

"A  bookcase  might  not  be  out  of  place,  as  I — 
that  is — the  scene  is  supposed  to  represent  a 
library,"  suggests  Mr.  Author. 

The  producer  is  talking  to  a  friend  about  the 
new  hazard  at  the  eleventh  hole  out  at  the  club 
links.  The  leading  lady,  who  is  to  have  her 
strongest  bit  in  this  scene,  is  telling  the  reporter 
about  movie  offers  she  has  turned  down.  The 
stage  manager  looks  at  the  author  in  surprise. 

"Bookcase?     Say,  who's  doin'  this?" 


The  author  goes  back  to  his  corner,  apologiz- 
ing to  one  of  the  stage  hands  for  walking  in 
front  of  him. 

Finally  they  are  off.  The  rehearsal  is  under 
way. 

"All  through  the  long,  long  night  I  waited  and 
watched  for  you,"  recites  the  leading  lady. 

"A-hem — er — pardon  me,"  stammers  the  au- 
thor, "but  the  action  takes  place  in  the  day, 
you  know — 

Ihe  leading  lady  pauses  and  stares  stonily  at 
him. 

"Night  is  much  better,"  she  says,  crisply,  "it 
means  dreary,  dark  hours  and  all  that,  you 
know.  I  shall  say  'night'." 

''But — but  the  entire  action  will  have  to  be 
changed,"  pleads  the  author,  "you  see  they  don't 
get  there  until  morning  and  she  waits  all 
day " 

"That's  all  right,"  shouts  the  producer,  "gimme 
th'  script.  Here,  Joe,"  to  his  publicity  man, 
"just  shift  that  scene  around  to  night,  Miss 
Killington  wants  a  night  scene  here." 

And  so  they  shift  it  all  over. 

"The  speeding  years,"  recites  the  leading  lady, 
''have  left  their  tracery  of  sorrow  upon  your 
brow,  John  Golightly,  even  as  they  have  marked 
my  own  sad  countenance — say,  that's  rot,  my 
countenance  isn't  marked,  you  know,  and  I 
won't — • — •" 

"All  right,  all  right,  cut  out  that  sentence  if 
you  don't  like  it,"  says  the  director. 

"Sure,"   remarks  the  producer. 

"Really  you  know,  that  line  is  a  plant;  it 
leads  up " 

"Never  mind.  Never  mind.  You're  delayin' 
this  rehearsal,"  scolds  the  director.  The  author 
sighs  and  crosses  out  on  his  much-fingered  script 
his  pet  paragraph.  And  so  it  goes. 


Finally  the  play  is  produced.  Ihe  billing  tells 
in  large  letters  the  name  of  the  leading  la.dy 
and  in  type  almost  as  large  the  title  of  the  play. 
In  type  but  a  bit  smaller  is  the  name  of  the 
producer  and  a  whole  lot  more  information,  and 
then,  tucked  away  in  a  corner,  out  of  sight,  is 
the  line,  in  agate : 

By 
John    Jones 

Perhaps  the  play  fails.  On  the  Rialto  it  is 
discussed  like  this : 

"Heard  your  show  flopped." 

"Yep,  didn't  live  through  the  first  act.  But 
what  could  you  expect?  We  told  the  producer 
he  was  crazy  to  put  on  such  a  rotten  play.  Say, 
the  best  of  us  can't  make  a  success  out  of  a 
rotten  play,  you  know.  It  was  the  author's 
fault,  entirely." 

Or  perhaps  the  show  makes  a  sensational  hit. 
'I  hen,  on  the  Rialto,  we  hear  this : 

"Hear  you  are  making  a  hit  with  your  new 
show." 

"Hit?  We  are  a  riot — positively  a  riot. 
Standing  'em  up  every  performance.  Biggest 
hit  ever  came  to  town,  will  run  two  years  with- 
out a  break — 

"Glad  of  it.  You  were  lucky  to  have  such  a 
corking  fine  author." 

"Author?  Author?  What  th'  blazes  has  lie 
got  to  do  with  it?  It  was  a  punk  script  when 
we  got  it,  but  we  worked  it  over  ourselves  and 
it  wasn't  what  the  author  wrote  that  made  the 
hit,  you  know,  it  was  the  way  we  put  it  over. 
It  was  our  work.  It  doesn't  make  a  bit  of  dif- 
ference what  the  play  is,  you  kndw,  if  you've  got 
real  people  in  it  they'll  make  good.  What  d'ye 
mean  'author'?  He  don't  deserve  any  credit, 
anyway.  Who  ever  heard  of  him?" 

Pity  the  poor  author. 


[88] 


Theatre  Magazine,  August, 


HELEN  SHIPMAN 
The  road  saw  dainty  Miss  Shipman  in 
the  leading  r61e  in  "Oh  Boy"  last  season, 
and  Broadway  will  see  her  shortly  in  a 
new  musical  comedy  to  be  produced  at 
the  Broadhurst  Theatre 


(Oval) 
Johnston 

RUBY   DE    REMER 

A  former  Ziegfeld  beauty  who  will  be 
seen  in  the  new  Weber  and  Field's  piece, 
"Back  Again,"  in  an  important  r&le 


Lewis-Smith 

JULIA  SANDERSON 
Now  under  the  management  of  Charles 
Dillingham,  who,  this  coming  season,  will 
present   her    and   the    inimitable   Joseph 
Cawthorn,    in    a    new    musical    comedy 


BELLES    OF    MUSICAL    COMEDY 


THE  HOME  FOLLOWS  THE  STAGE 

Just  as  the  stage  introduces  new  styles  in  dress, 
so  it  introduces  new  fashions  in  home  decoration 

By  ZETA   ROTHSCHILD 


WHAT  care  we  who  writes  the  plays  of 
a  nation,"  say  the  dressmakers,  "as 
long  as  we  provide  the  costumes?" 

"What  care  we  who  provides  the  plays  and 
costumes  of  a  nation,"  echo  the  interior  decora- 
tors, "as  long  as  we  design  the  stage  settings?" 

For  the  stage  to-day  is  the  best  publicity  means 
of  putting  anything  before  the  public  and  getting 
it  over;  especially  a  new  note  that  can  be  visual- 
ized— such  as  fashions  and  interior  decorations. 

To  use  the  stage  as  a  go-between  has  long 
been  the  custom  of  fashion  artists.  Dressmakers 
use  it  to  introduce  a  new  style;  do  you  recall 
the  Sarah  Bernhardt  collar  that  scratched  the 
lobes  of  the  ear?  Women  on  both  sides  of  the 
Atlantic  encased  their  throats  in  tight  collars 
like  barb-wire  fences.  Pajamas  likewise  were 
lifted  out  of  the  haberdashery  into  the  ladies' 
lingerie  when  Miss  Billie  Burke  proved  their  be- 
comingness  by  wearing  them  publicly  in  "Jerry." 
To-day  Ina  Claire  is  held  responsible  for  the 
present  bustle  epidemic  by  having  introduced  a 
revised  edition  of  the  1880  fashion  in  "Polly 
With  a  Past,"  a  successful  play  of  the  current 
season. 

The  stage,  in  this  decade,  sets  the  fashion  for 
the  home  as  well  as  for  the  mistress  of  it.  In- 
terior decoration  of  one's  surroundings  is  as  im- 
portant a  matter  as  the  exterior  decoration  of 
one's  person.  Current  drama  is  a  valuable  guide 
in  the  art  of  home-making. 

All  this  has  come  to  pass  in  the  last  ten  years. 
Even  five  years  ago  the  stage  was  merely  a  pho- 
tograph of  the  home,  attractive  or  otherwise. 
When  the  stage  was  set  with  a  mass  of  cluttered 
detail,  such  as  Belasco  used  in  staging  Du  Barry, 
the  average  American  home  was  the  resting  place 
of  curio  cabinets,  souvenirs  and  photographs  of 
the  past,  present  and  the  hopes  of  the  next  gen- 
eration. Belasco,  in  staging  Du  Barry,  imported 
yards  and  yards  of  old  Du  Barry  velvet,  antique 
silks  and  furniture  of  the  period.  To  carry  out 
every  detail  he  gathered  together  a  menagerie 
of  a  monkey  and  three  kinds  of  dogs,  such  as 
Du  Barry  had  at  her  court.  But  they  proved 


to  be  such  ungracious  actors  that  even  Belasco 
had  to  place  safety  before  detail. 

However,  Du  Barry  marked  the  beginning  of 
the  end  of  the  reign  of  realism.  Decorators 
turned  their  backs  on  the  home  as  a  model.  As 
artists,  not  as  collectors  of  detail,  they  planned 
to  use  the  stage  as  the  fashion  artists  have  always 
done.  They  made  their  models  for  stage  set- 
tings, according  to  the  spirit  and  mood  of  the 
play,  kept  in.  mind  the  value  of  line  and  color, 
and  pulled  back  the  curtain  and  said :  "Look 
at  us."  "Here  is  the  fashion — the  model — of 
what  is  beautiful  in  decoration;  we  know  how." 
Then  began  the  new  adaptation  of  the  creed  that 
the  home  follows  the  stage. 

To  picture  the  change  that  has  taken  place, 
compare  the  two  presentations  of  the  one  play, 
"The  Concert."  The  first  was  staged  by  Belasco, 
starring  Leo  Ditrichstein.  The  drawing-room  of 
the  musician's  home  was  crowded  with  chairs, 
bric-a-brac,  hassocks ;  not  one  foot  of  space  was 
without  its  piece  of  furniture.  The  room  was 
overcrowded,  though  nothing  in  it  was  out  of 
keeping  with  the  period  in  which  the  piece  was 
laid.  The  stage  setting  might  have  been  lifted 
out  of  eight-tenths  of  the  homes  in  America  of 
that  day. 

Now  consider  the  recent  presentation  of  "The 
Concert,"  by  Stuart  Walker;  it  reflects  the  new 
order.  Instead  of  copying  an  inartistic  home, 
he  planned  to  set  a  model  for  a  room,  com- 
fortable as  well  as  attractive.  Comfort  need 
never  be  sacrificed  to  art.  To  draw  on,  he  had 
an  accumulated  supply  of  furniture  handed  down 
in  the  property  room  of  a  stock  company,  no 
more  than  two  chairs  of  the  same  period.  But 
from  this  collection  of  odds  and  ends,  Mr. 
Walker  fitted  out  a  room  both  homelike  and 
artistic.  Gray  was  the  motif  of  the  scene ;  the 
walls  were  gray,  a  rug  of  gray  without  design 
was  on  the  floor.  There  was  but  one  picture, 
for  the  value  of  empty  spaces  was  taken  into 
account.  Lunettes  over  the  windows  and  black 
panelling  around  the  door  gave  a  hint  of  lofti- 
ness. But  the  impression  of  height  was  kept  in 


check  by  a  black  border,  a  foot  and  a  half  from 
the  top,  which  made  thje  centre  of  the  stage  the 
centre  of  the  picture.  Five  chairs  were  needed 
in  the  action  of  the  play,  and  only  five  chairs 
were  placed  in  the  room.  But  far  from  being 
bare,  the  room  had  an  atmosphere  of  homelike 
intimacy,  for  which  due  credit  must  be  given 
the  curtains  of  creamy  unbleached  muslin  at  the 
windows.  On  these  were  stencilled  a  simple  de- 
sign in  bright  colors  which  made  the  only  vivid 
color-note  of  the  restful  interior.  Instead  of  a 
photograph  of  a  home,  Mr.  Walker  presented  an 
inspiration  for  a  more  beautiful  Home. 

Compare  the  two  photographs,  the  new  and 
the  old  school,  and  get  the  contrast. 

As  the  new  theory  of  stage  setting  ousted  the 
old,  simplicity  and  beauty  of  line  and  color  took 
the  place  of  detail.  As  the  new  plays  showed 
themselves  with  these  new-style  settings,  so  did 
the  American  home  begin  to  undergo  the  same 
change.  The  beauty  of  a  simple  background  was 
appreciated.  Plain  wallpaper  pushed  the  large 
fleur-de-lys  and  the  gargantuan  roses  out  of  the 
living-room.  Odds  and  ends  that  bespattered  the 
living-room  were  slowly  eliminated.  Not  newer 
furniture,  but  fewer  pieces  was  the  cue.  Com- 
fort had  become  the  keynote.  And  in  the  name 
of  comfort  old  fussy  detail  was  swept  away. 

What  comfort  is  in  the  home,  dramatic  effect 
is  on  the  stage.  Whatever  makes  for  comfort 
is  legitimate;  whatever  makes  for  dramatic  effect 
is  permissible.  To  produce  atmosphere  for  a 
play  the  manager  is  justified  in  taking  advantage 
of  every  means  to  that  end.  In  one  scene  in  a 
Belasco  play,  for  instance,  the  curtain  goes  up 
on  a  cosy  living-room,  an  open  fire  in  the  grate 
and  a  lazy  cat  stretching  on  the  hearth.  That 
that  cat  should  stretch  at  the  moment  the  cur- 
tain rose  was  akin  to  a  miracle,  it  seemed.  But 
to  Belasco  it  was  merely  an  effective  bit  of 
atmosphere,  easily  achieved.  For  a  short  time 
before  the  scene,  the  cat  was  placed  in  a  box  too 
short  for  it.  Released  from  its  cramped  position 
before  the  curtain  went  up,  the  cat  spent  the  next 
five  minutes  in  stretching  its  cramped  muscles. 


A  recent  stage  setting  for  "You  Never  Can  Tell."  Wainscoting,  doors  and  doorways  of  gray  contrast  delicately 
with  the  light  buff  walls.  Color  is  introduced  in  the  bright  blue  and  orange  squares  near  the  ceiling  and  in  the 
pictures  and  lunette  whereby  deep  browns,  reds  and  greens  can  be  used  logically.  These  hues  are  repeated  in 
a  higher  key  in  the  lanterns  which  bring  the  garden  into  close  co-ordination  with  the  room.  The  set  was  de- 
signed for  Stuart  Walker  by  Frank  J.  Zimmerer  and  executed  by  Mr.  Zimmerer  and  Arthur  Wells 


Theatre  Magazine,  August,  jp/l 


OTAGE    setting    in    "The    Con- 
cert"    as    originally    produced 
in    New    York   showing   the   over- 
elaboration   of  detail.     The   lower 


picture  shows  a  scene  in  the  same 
play  as  produced  to-day  by  Stuart 
Walker  in  Indianapolis,  according 
to  modern  art. 


T*HE  remarkable  advance  made 
in  stage  settings  is  shown  in 
this  picture  (left) —  a  scene  in 
Belasco's  production  of  "The  Easi- 
est Way,"  about  ten  years  ago. 
The  furnishings  look  as  old-fash- 


ioned to-day  as  the  women's 
clothes.  If  the  same  play  were 
staged  now,  it  would  have  an  alto- 
gether different  setting.  Note  the 
picture  on  the  lower  right  hand 
corner — a  scene  from  "Polly  With 
a  Past,"  also  a  Belasco  production 


White 


YESTERDAY      AND      TO-DAY      IN      STAGE      SETTINGS 


THE  MOST  UNIQUE  THEATRE  IN  THE  WORLD 

Subterranean  playhouse  where  Parisians  en- 
f'oy  performances  while  ' '  Big  Bertha ' '  roars 

By  EDWIN   CARTY    RANCK 


UNDOUBTEDLY  the  most  unique  play- 
house in  the  world  to-day  is  L'Abri 
Theatre  de  Guerre  (War  Shelter  The- 
atre) at  Paris,  which  is  nightly  presenting  for 
the  delectation  of  unterrified  Parisians  a  sort  of 
French  George  M.  Cohan  revue  in  two  acts  and 
a  prologue  entitled  "1918."  While  the  German 
Gothas  drop — or  attempt  to  drop — bombs  upon 
the  dauntless  French  capital,  and  while  "Big 
Bertha"  roars  sullenly  every  half  hour  or  so  as 
she  expectorates  her  Boche  hatred  from  a  dis- 
tance of  seventy  miles,  Parisian  audiences  are 
shaking  with  mirth  as  they 
sit  in  L'Abri  and  hear 
their  favorite  comedians 
poke  fun  at  the  Boche  and 
his  abortive  attempts  at 
schrechlichkeit. 

L'Abri  is  the  newest  the- 
atre in  Paris  and  is,  as 
far  as  I  have  been  able  to 
ascertain,  the  only  play- 
house of  its  kind  in  exist- 
ence. It  first  opened  its 
doors  to  the  Parisian  pub- 
lic on  the  night  of  May  6, 
frankly  advertising  itself 
as  a  refuge  theatre  where 
amusement-seekers  might 
laugh  without  danger  of 
their  laughter  being  cut 
short  by  shells.  And,  al- 
though the  reVue  on  ex- 
hibition at  L'Abri  is  well 
worth  seeing,  as  a  light 
form  of  amusement,  the 
theatre  itself  is  even  more 
so.  The  play  is  only  part 
of  the  thing  at  L'Abri. 

This  bombproof  theatre 
is  located  at  167  Rue  Mont- 
martre,  in  the  cellar  of  a 

seven-story  building.  If  a  bomb  from  a  raiding 
Gotha  demolished  five  stories  of  this  building 
and  a  shell  from  "Big  Bertha"  clipped  off  an- 
other, it  probably  wouldn't  even  interrupt  Jane 
Pierly's  song  in  "1918,"  where  she  makes 
"jamais"  rhyme  with  "Sammy."  But  the  feature 
that  makes  L'Abri  absolutely  unique  is  that  the 
audiences  are  as  much  interested  in  the  stories 
above  the  stage  as  in  the  stories  on  the  stage. 

The  front  of  L'Abri  is  not  impressive.  It  re- 
minds one  somewhat  of  a  burlesque  theatre  on 
New  York's  East  Side.  All  around  it  are  clus- 
tered small  boulevard  cafes.  One  enters  a 
diminutive  lobby  which  is  flush  with  the  side- 
walk and  then  steps  down  a  flight  of  stairs  into 
the  auditorium,  which  is  merely  a  camouflaged 
cellar — so  artistically  camouflaged,  however,  that 
Greenwich  Village  would  grow  mad  with  envy 
after  just  one  glance,  for  it  is  everything  in  the 
way  of  a  perfectly  appointed  small  playhouse 
that  theatrical  experimenters  in  America  have 
vainly  dreamt  of. 

L'Abri  has  a  seating  capacity  of  210  and  its 
stage  is  about  the  size  of  the  defunct  Bandbox 
Theatre  in  New  York.  The  interior  is  finished 
in  dark  blue  and  turkey  red.  Loge  seats  are 
on  the  right  and  left  and  there  are  only  two 
boxes.  Balconies  are  conspicuous  by  their  ab- 
sence. The  wartime  prices,  including  the  tax, 
are  as  follows:  Box  seats,  15  francs;  loges, 


12  francs;  fauteuil  seats,  10  francs.  There  are 
other  seats  to  be  had  in  the  rear  of  the  audi- 
torium at  seven  francs  and  less.  A  combined 
concert  hall  and  smoking-room,  where  men  and 
women  can  lounge  between  acts,  is  a  very  popu- 
lar adjunct  of  the  theatre. 

L'Abri  is  so  far  underground  that  the  audi- 
ences cannot  even  hear  the  three  cannon  shots, 
followed  by  the  weirdly  shrieking  sirens  on 
Notre  Dame's  twin  towers — the  signal  that  the 
Boche  is  trying  to  spill  more  kultur  upon  Paris. 
Nor  can  they  hear  that  more  welcome  sound — 


Entrance  to  "L'Abri,"  the  bomb-proof 
playhouse     recently     opened     in     Paris 

the  "all  clear"  bugle  note  which  means  that  the 
latest  air  raid  is  over.  The  walls  of  the  theatre 
are  of  reinforced  concrete  and  the  audiences  sit 
beneath  an  armored  cupola.  The  only  danger, 
in  fact,  is  to  abandon  one's  seat.  For  the  time 
being  you  are  on  absolutely  neutral  territory  and 
no  German  metal  can  touch  you. 

It  is  quite  an  experience  to  visit  the  L'Abri 
Theatre  at  night.  One  descends  into  Egyptian 
darkness  that  is  relieved  here  and  there  by  the 
glow-worm  flashlights  of  the  girl  ushers.  The 
lamps  in  the  corridors  are  extinguished  and, 
until  the  footlights  are  flashed  on,  you  sit  there 
in  the  darkness,  listening  to  a  French  verbal 
bombardment  on  all  sides  of  you.  Then  the  cur- 
tain stirs,  the  footlights  bloom  forth  and  a  ro- 
tund French  comedian  with  the  usual  beard 
announces,  solemnly :  "Monsieur  Kling  has  ar- 
rived !"  and  the  house  rocks  with  laughter,  for 
Monsieur  Kling  is  the  director  of  the  municipal 
laboratory  and  has  charge  of  the  work  of  analyz- 
ing all  shells  and  bombs  that  the  Germans  drop 
upon  Paris.  From  now  on,  the  house  is  in  an 
excellent  humor,  ready  to  laugh  at  the  most 
gruesome  war-time  jests. 

In  advertising  itself  as  a  theatre  where  audi- 
ences can  be  absolutely  immune  from  German 
raiding  attacks,  L'Abri  is  following  the  example 
of  the  Odeon  during  the  big  cholera  scare  of 
1832.  when  it  announced  that  "the  Odeon  is  the 


only  theatre  in  Paris  where  not  a  single  case  of 
cholera  has  yet  been  seen."  This  is  mentioned 
in  Alexandre  Dumas'  Memoirs.  In  the  year 
1918  L'Abri  can  state,  without  fear  of  contra- 
diction, that  it  is  the  only  theatre  in  Paris  where 
not  a  single  case  of  shell  shock  has  yet  been 
seen. 

As  I  sat  in  the  L'Abri  Theatre,  looking  around 
at  the  reinforced  concrete  walls,  it  suddenly  oc- 
curred to  me  that  the  French  playwrights  had  a 
great  chance  to  even  scores  with  Parisian  man- 
agers  during   war   times   by   insisting   that   their 
plays    and    revues    be    pre- 
sented only  in  the  very  best 
protected    and    most    up-to- 
date     shell-proof     theatres. 
What  would  the  poor  man- 
ager   do?    Man    Dieu!     It 
would    be    terrible    indeed ! 
The  critics  of  New  York 
are   prone   to   poke    fun   at 
programmed     lists    of    au- 
thors,    collaborators,    com- 
posers   and    librettists    who 
are    jointly    responsible    at 
times  for  the  anaemic  con- 
coctions that   so   frequently 
masquerade        under        the 
name         "musical-comedy." 
But  what  would  they  think 
of       this       announcement, 
which    is    copied    from    the 
program  at  L'Abri :     "1918, 
a   revue  in  two  acts  and  a 
prologue      by      M.      Lucien 
•Boyer  and  Albert  Willemetz. 
Misc    en   scene   by   M.   Ed- 
mond   Roze.     Musical   nov- 
elty by  M.  Andre  Colomb. 
Decorations      designed      by 
Atamian    and    executed    by 
Beisson    and    Proust.     Cos- 
tumes designed  by  Gesmar  and  executed  by  Pas- 
caud.     Hats    by    Lewis.     Gowns    for    Mile.   Jane 
Pierly    by    the     firm     of     Doeuillet.     Orchestra 
directed  by  M.  Andre  Colomb." 

"1918"  is  a  clever  revue  that  satirizes  in 
amusing  fashion  various  aspects  of  the  war  sit- 
uation in  Europe,  acts  from  other  plays  now 
current  in  Paris,  and  sensational  bits  of  news 
from  the  papers,  such  as  the  Caillaux 
case.  The  very  things  that  the  incredibly  stupid 
Germans  blind  themselves  into  believing  have 
terrified  Paris,  are  the  subjects  of  more  fun  at 
the  hands  of  Messrs.  Boyer  and  Willemetz  than 
anything  else  in  the  revue.  For  instance,  most 
window-panes  in  Paris  are  criscrossed  with 
strips  of  paper  to  prevent  the  concussion  from 
exploding  bombs  and  shells  shattering  the  glass. 
Well,  one  of  the  funniest  comedians  in  "1918" 
came  out  upon  the  stage  wearing  a  huge  pair 
of  spectacles,  the  lenses  of  which  were  cris- 
crossed with  tiny  strips  of  paper.  The  audience 
greeted  him  with  roars  of  appreciative  laughter. 
Surely,  the  ostrich-like  Germans  wouldn't  like 
this  reception  of  their  schrechlichkeit  methods ! 
Popular  American  music,  much  'of  it  of  stale 
vintage  to  us,  is  one  of  the  big  features  of 
"1918."  The  authors  have  given  new  words  to 
the  music,  words  that  are  appropriate  to  war 
conditions  of  to-day.  I  heard  "Every  Little 
Movement"  given  with  great  effect  by  the  entire 


[92] 


V  ncatre  Magaztnt.  August,  IflS 


From  a  portrait,  copyright,  Strauss-Peyton 


MARTHA      HEDMAN 

This  fair  daughter  of  Sweden,  whom  the  United  States  has  adopted  for  its  own, 
has  been  missing  from  Broadway  for  some  seasons,  owing  to  her  success  as  Virginia 
in  "The  Boomerang."  Miss  Hedman  is  too  ambitious  to  be  satisfied  with  being  a 
one-part  actress,  therefore,  she  has  severed  her  connection  with  Mr.  Blasco,  and 
will  be  seen  this  fall  on  Broadway  in  a  new  play  written  by  herself 


company  of  principals  and  chorus,  who  sang 
words  that  were  Parisian  to  the  very  core.  A 
number  of  Anna  Held's  famous  old  songs  were 
revamped  in  this  fashion  and  were  received  in 
their  camouflaged  dress  with  as  much  gusto  as 
if  they  were  brand  new. 

The  comedians  made  fun  of  the  high  prices 
of  butter  and  eggs,  the  new  luxury  tax  and 
other  topics  that  one  doesn't  usually  laugh  at 
in  Paris  in  these  days  of  pinching  privation. 
But  the  audience  liked  it  immensely  and  vehe- 
mently cried  "Encore!"  Most  of  the  hotels  and 
cafes  in  Paris  give  diners  saccharine  with  their 
coffee  as  a  substitute  for  sugar.  Therefore,  a 
big  hit  was  made  by  Alice  Cocea  when  she  came 
out  dressed  in  a  sort  of  white  satin  costume, 
a  la  Eva  Tanguay,  conspicuously  labelled  "Sac- 
charine" and  sang  a  rhapsody  on  American  rag- 
time music.  There  were  a  large  number  of 
American  soldiers  in  the  audience  and  they  were 
most  enthusiastic.  So  were  the  French. 

But  the  real  hit  of  the  evening  was  made  by 


Jane  Pierly  when  she  sang  the  song  in  which 
"jamais"  rhymed  with  "Sammy."  The  "Sam- 
mies" in  the  audience  were  delighted  with  the 
song  and  the  singer  and  gave  her  a  real  Ameri- 
can welcome.  Jane  Pierly,  by  the  way,  is  a  sort 
of  Parisian  Frances  White.  She  is  diminutive, 
like  Miss  White,  and  besides  being  charming  to 
look  upon,  is  vivacious  and  clever.  The  program 
well  called  her  "la  petite  fentme  de  Paris." 

There  was  a  highly  amusing  burlesque  of  Fer- 
min  Gemier's  revolutionary  production  in  Paris 
last  winter  of  "Antony  and  Cleopatra,"  in  which 
Gemier  out-Granvilled  Granville  Barker's  famous 
production  of  "A  Midsummer  Night's  Dream." 
M.  Bazin  impersonated  William  Shakespeare ; 
Alice  Cocea  was  Cleopatra,  and  M.  Coucot,  a 
highly  intelligent  comedian  appeared  as  "Firmin" 
Shakespeare.  It  was  delightful  foolery  and  the 
audience  caught  the  spirit  of  the  satire  at  once 
and  manifestly  enjoyed  it.  Gemier  himself,  by 
the  way,  was  an  amused  spectator  of  the  bur- 
lesque on  the  opening  night  of  L'Abri. 


Another  feature  that  pleased  the  wartime  au- 
dience mightily  was  a  burlesque  bit  in  which  a 
German  Gotha,  represented  as  a  pompous  wind- 
bag, invited  the  statue  of  Louis  XIV  to  descend 
from  his  pedestal.  M.  Boucot  impersonated  the 
statue,  and  his  royal  amazement  as  he  descended, 
coupled  with  his  remarks  about  German  air- 
planes and  German  stupidity,  convulsed  the  au- 
dience and  brought  the  comedian  back  again  and 
again.  There  is  much  of  William  Collier's  suave 
fun-making  in  the  work  of  M.  Boucot.  He  and 
Jane  Pierly  are  the  chief  stars. 

L'Abri  is  really  a  diminutive  French  music  hall 
that  is  doing  successfully  on  a  small  scale  what 
the  Century  Theatre  tried  unsuccessfully  to  do 
on  a  big  scale.  And,  while  the  Boche  is  not 
dropping  any  bombs  upon  New  York,  some  enter- 
prising Broadway  manager  might  well  take  a  tip 
from  the  success  of  L'Abri.  It  is  not  dollars 
that  have  made  this  tiny  cellar  theatre  popular. 
Ingenuity,  resourcefulness  and  brains  are  three 
ingredients  that  went  into  its  making. 


THE  COMPLEAT  PLAYWRIGHT 

A  friendly  guide  to  dramatists  enabling  any- 
one to  turn  out  a  play  isoith  rapid  fire  speed 

By  FRANKLYN   WRIGHT 


IT  has  come  to  a  point  now  where  everyone 
is  writing  plays.  Perhaps  it  is  simply  the 
ancient  case  of  old  man  Supply  doing  the 
hare  and  hounds  after  friend  Demand,  or  perhaps 
it  is  merely  a  fad,  like  the  dance  craze  of  a  few 
years  back.  At  all  events  it  is  a  fact  that  if 
your  business  partner  stares  vacantly  at  you 
when  you  ask  him  where  he  filed  that  letter 
about  the  new  spring  models,  and  the  lady  of 
your  choice  replies  to  your  queries  about  the  gas- 
range  with,  "Sh !  darling,  sh !  I'm  thinking," 
you  can  be  reasonably  certain  that  in  both  cases 
they  have  just  got  their  hero  into  about  twenty- 
four  pages  of  plot  and  are  having  mental  epi- 
leptics trying  to  get  him  out  of  it. 

The  thing  has  become  so  poignantly  a  part  of 
all  our  lives,  as  the  four-minute  men  say  so 
truly  of  the  war  in  their  thirty-five  minute 
speeches,  that  it  seems  only  right  that  some 
bright,  young  and  attractive  male,  like  myself, 
should  offer  balm  to  the  rest  of  humanity  by 
dropping  a  few  gentle  hints  on  how  the  art  of 
playwriting  is  managed.  Of  course  there  have 
been  no-end  of  learned  treatises  penned  on  this 
subject  already,  but  most  of  my  friends  who 
have  taken  up  the  game  in  their  leisure  moments 
seem  to  find  that  none  of  them  apply  directly  to 
the  play  that  they  are  writing. 

Now,  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  whole  thing  is 
tremendously  simple,  and  can  be  stated  in  a 
very  few  words — fewer  in  fact  than  I  am  going 
to  state  it  in  here.  I  am  really  only  going  into 
details  to  fill  out  that  space  in  the  lower  right 
hand  corner  of  this  page  which  really  looks 
dreadfully  when  it  is  left  all  naked  and  not  full 
of  words  the  way  the  editor  likes  to  sc-e  it.  I 
have  divided  my  subject,  after  considering  it 
carefully,  into  several  divisions.  Let  us  get 
right  at  the  first  of  them. 

1.  THE    BIG    SITUATION. 

To  handle  a  Big  Situation  in  the  Great  Amer- 
ican Play  that  you  will  write  sooner  or  later, 
be  sure,  in  the  first  place,  that  your  idea  is  based 
on  stage  properties,  stage  lighting  effects,  and 
stage  mechanical  devices  rather  than  on  real 
emotions  as  you  have  observed  them  in  real  life. 


In  this  way  you  will  be  carrying  on  the  great 
traditions  of  the  American  Stage.  If  you  do 
otherwise  you  will  be  just  carrying  on — so  don't 
When  you  get  to  the  point  of  writing  that  Big 
Scene,  you  cannot  fail  if  you  arrange  to  have 
an  enormous  white  spot-light  fall  suddenly  on 
something  that  has  hitherto  been  in  the  dark. 
It  really  doesn't  matter  what  the  light  is  sup- 
posed to  be,  or  what  it  falls  on.  That, is  simply 
a  matter  of  taste.  It  can  be  a  search-light,  a 
street  lamp,  or  a  flash  of  lightning,  and  it  can 
fall  on  a  corpse,  a  knife,  or  a  wriggling  hero. 
It  is  quite  immaterial.  If  you  have  a  soft  spot 
for  wriggling  heroes  you  must  not  let  the  nat- 
ural reaction  of  your  feelings  run  away  with 
you  when  the  play  is  put  into  rehearsal,  and  ar- 
range to  have  something  heavier  than  a  spot- 
light do  the  falling.  American-  audiences  do  not 
like  sad  plays,  and  they  simply  cannot  stand 
seeing  heavy  things  falling  on  people  who  have 
done  nothing  to  them  that  they  can  be  sued  for. 
And,  by  the  way,  when  that  spot-light  falls,  pick 
out  an  actress  who  has  a  particularly  unpleasant 
voice — the  star  will  always  answer  the  purpose — 
and  have  her  scream  like  anything.  That  is 
what  makes  people,  and  sometimes  the  critics 
too,  call  your  little  effort  a  Strong  Play.  ' 

3.     THE  BIG  SCREAM. 

It  is,  of  course,  exceedingly  important  to  make 
your  audience  laugh.  This  is  not  nearly  so  hard 
as  it  sounds.  It  can  be  done : 

A.  By    having   the   hero's    aunt,    who    is    the 
President  of  a  Temperance   Society,  drink  eight 
cocktails,  under  the  impression  that  she  is  being 
served  with   Moxie. 

B.  By   having   the   hero  pursue   a   girl   whom 
he  has  never  met  to  the  threshold  of  an  elevator 
in    a    hotel,    when    the    elevator    boy    slams    the 
door,   narrowly   missing   the   hero's  nose. 

C.  By  having  an  adventuress — only  you  must 
call  her  a  vampire — faint  into  the  arms  of  the 
heroine's    father,    who    is    a    clergyman,    just    as 
the  heroine's  mother  makes  her  entrance. 

D.  By    having  the  hero,   who   is  accused   by 
the  heroine  of  being  a  rake,  burst  into  tears  and 
wipe  his  eyes  with  a  silk  stocking,  which  he  mis- 


takes for  a  handkerchief.  The  stocking,  of 
course,  is  in  the  pocket  of  a  dressing-gown 
which  really  belongs  to  the  hero's  gay  friend. 

RULES  OF  THE  THEATRE. 

1.  Novelists   and   short  story  writers   cannot 
write  plays.     John  Galsworthy,  Rachel  Crothers, 
Montague   Glass   and   a   few   hundred   more   are 
just  little   exceptions   to   this   fine   old  theatrical 
maxim. 

2.  Bernard   Shaw's  plays  are  not  really  plays 
at  all.    They  are  acted  on  the  stage  before  large 
audiences   who   pay   the   usual — whatever    is  the 
usual     price    at    the     present     moment — to     see 
them — but   they   are  not   plays. 

3.  No   one  can   possibly  tell   what  the  public 
wants.     Therefore   the   way   to  write  a  success, 
is  to  give  the  public  what  it  wants. 

4.  Novels    cannot    possibly    be    successfully 
dramatized.    Good  examples  of  this  are  "Trilby" 
and   "Peter  Ibbetson." 

WHAT  THEY  ARE. 

ORCHESTRA:  A  body  of  men  hired  by  the 
theatre  to  keep  the  members  of  the  audience 
from  hearing  what  they  say  to  each  other  be- 
tween the  acts. 

THEATRE  PARTY:  Eight  people— of  the  upper 
classes— equally  divided  as  to  sex,  who  come  in 
during  the  big  moment  of  the  second  act,  and 
afford  a  sparkling  diversion  by  kicking  hats  and 
stepping  on  feet  until  they  get  to  their  seats, 
in  front  of  which  they  undulate  and  arrange 
themselves,  until  Ethel  who  entered  first  and 
George  who  is  very  polite  and  came  in  last, 
are  seated  together — and  the  scene  on  the  stage 
is  over. 

HERO:     Shelley   Hull. 

HEROINE  :     The  Girl  who  marries  Shelley  Hull. 

PRODUCER:     The  man  who  saves  the  show. 

AUTHOR:  The  man  who  nearly  ruins  the 
show. 

ARTISTS:  Theatrical  slang  for  actors  and  ac- 
tresses. 

HIT:  Any  play  before  it  is  taken  off. 

A  CAST  OF  UNUSUAL  DISTINCTION  :  More 
slang  for  actors  and  actresses. 


Theatre  Magazine,  August, 


Moffett 


EVA  TANGUAY 

Cyclonic   Eva,   whose   popularity    seems   never   on 
the    wane,    is    still     going    strong    in     vaudeville 


White 


GEORGE  RENAVENT 

A  young  French  actor 
who  brings  the  finesse  of 
the  French  stage  to  his 
impersonation  of  the 
Count  in  "Flo-Flo" 


This  picture  gives  an  excel- 
lent idea  of  the  art  of 
camouflaging.  The  car  shown 
was  prepared,,  and  its  use 
donated  by  The  Baker  R  & 
L  Company  to  the  Thrift 
Stamp  Campaign.  Countess 
Margherita  de  Cippico,  who 
was  Rita  Jolivet,  while 
touring  in  the  interest  of 
war  work,  used  it  most 
effectively  in  the  selling  of 
Thrift  Stamps 


CECIL  KERN 

Leading  woman  at  the 
Great  Northern  Hippo- 
drome, Chicago,  where 
condensed  versions  of  the 
world's  famous  plays  are 
to  be  given 


HERE        AN    D       T    HERE        IN        T    H    E    A  T    R   E        LAND 


'BIFF- 


CREATES  THE  STAGE-DOOR  JANE 

Pelham  Naval  Training  Camp  Boys 
Capture   the   Hearts    of  Broadway 

By  VERA  BLOOM 


THE  stage-door  Johnny  is  a  familiar  charac- 
ter   on     Broadway.     He     is    the    ignoble 
figure   with    white    spats,    one-button   cut- 
away and  bunch  of  orchids,  who  loafs  near  the 
"No    Admittance"    sign    on    the    door    through 
which   the   Follies'  beauty   is   soon   to  dash   and 
speed  away  in  "the  Governor's"  car. 

The  stage-door  has  always  been  the  one  place 
where  the  female  of  the  species  isn't  as  deadly  as 
the  male.  Johnny's  nearest  counterpart  is  the 
matinee  girl,  only  her  whole  attitude  is  one  of 
worshipful  awe.  The  last  thought  in  her  mind 
is  of  meeting  the  object  of  her  inflamed  enthu- 
siasm. All  she  wants  is  to  be  as  near  as  pos- 
sible to  the  narrow  lane  through  which  her  idol 
will  hurry  smilingly  to  the  waiting  motor.  Any 
bona-fide  matinee  girl  will  shudder  at  the  idea 
of  an  introduction. 

But  when  the  boys  in  blue  from  the  Pel- 
ham  Naval  Training  Camp  brought  "Biff-Bang," 
their  own  musical  show,  to  the  Century,  and 
scored  one  of  the  most  emphatic  successes  of 
the  season  with  a  chorus  that  combined  Ziegfeld 
beauty  with  Marbury  daintiness,  suddenly  all 
the  feminine  part  of  the  audience  from  old  maids 
from  Maine — corresponding,  I  suppose,  to  the 
bald-headed  row  at  the  Winter  Garden — to  little 
rah-rah  girls  from  school,  burst  into  a  heated 
discussion  over  the  merits  of  the  "third  from 
this  end"  and  the  "second  from  the  left,"  in  an 
assortment  of  beauties  that  three  weeks  before 
had  either  been  engaged  in  shoveling  coal  or 
scrubbing  the  decks  of  Uncle  Sam's  invincible 
navy. 

Never  was  seen  such  an  array  of  loveliness 
to  undulate  across 
a  stage  in  the  man- 
ner sacred  to  Jus- 
tine Johnstone  and 
her  ilk,  or  more 
successfully  be- 
Hepnered  and  be- 
Hicksoned.  The 
leading  lady  was  a 
model  for  any  in- 
genue, and  the  pony 
ballet,  trained  by 
the  Sunshine  Girls 
from  "Jack  o"  Lan- 
tern," forgot  their 
sea-legs  and  ac- 
quired stage  ones 
in  less  time  than  it 
takes  Ned  Way- 
burn  to  get  the 
most  experienced 
dancers  in  trim. 

We're  always  very 
loathe  to  give  make- 
up its  due.  In  our 
hearts  we  really 
hope  the  ladies 
across  the  foot- 
lights are  as  beau- 
tiful as  they  seem. 
But  this  time  we 

knew    it    couldn't    be    true — golden    curls    or    a 

peaches-and-cream  complexion  don't  figure  in  the 

physical  examination  for  the  Navy. 
So  after  the  show  I  joined  the  procession  of 

stage-door  Janes — there  were  a  surprising  lot  of 


them — and  went  back  of  the  stage  to  see  how 
this  superb  camouflage  was  achieved.  Most  of 
the  "girls"  had  already  hurried  off  to  their  dress- 
ing rooms  to  change  to  the  simple  blue  street 
costume  provided  by  Uncle  Sam,  but  William 
Schroeder,  the  composer,  who  has  written  sev- 
eral Broadway  scores,  and  who  is  now  band- 
master at  Pelham ;  Dinnie  MacDonald,  the  direc- 
tor, unknown  to  New  York,  who  performed  the 
feat  of  changing  husky  tars  to  airy  sprites,  and 
arranging  the  dances;  and  Hugh  Dillman,  the 
vampire,  who  conceived  the  idea  of  giving  the 
show,  were  there  to  begin  the  tale. 

"Biff-Bang"  was  written,  rehearsed,  and  per- 
formed in  three  weeks — half  the  time  needed  to 
produce  the  average  musical  revue.  And  instead 
of  the  usual  ten-to-five  rehearsal  hours,  these 
boys  were  fortunate  to  snatch  three  hours  a  day 
between  drill  and  classes,  for  they  are  all  in 
training  to  be  officers  eventually,  and  the  large 
majority  had  never  been  on  a  stage  before. 

The  music  was  written  during  rehearsals,  and 
studied  a  page  at  a  time,  with  the  dances  worked 
out  in  the  same  way.  Several  of  the  numbers 
became  instantaneous  hits,  which  speaks  well  for 
impromptu  composing. 

A  stream  of  brawny  sailor  boys  began  to  pour 
downstairs — any  one  of  them  looked  able  to  sink 
a  U-boat  single  handed.  I  thought  these  must 
be  the  chorus  men  who  had  made  a  background 
for  the  girls,  but  a  forgotten  cupid's  bow  mouth 
here  and  powdered  arms  there  revealed  the 
truth. 

These,  then,  were  the  slim,  girlish  figures. 
Somehow  or  other  those  heroic-size  boots  had 


Our  sailors  make  their  ddbut  in  skirts  and  bonnets— the  pony  ballet 
in  "Biff-Bang."  Messrs.  McCauley,  Washburn,  Cavanaugh,  Duggan, 
Lamont,  Keyes,  Murray,  Knight,  Cunningham,  Fitzimmons,  Pringle,  Costello 


been  changed  for  small,  high-heeled  slippers,  and 
even  tonsorial  neglect  had  been  successfully  cov- 
ered with  grease  paint! 

If  you  can  imagine  waiting  for  the  Dolly  Sis- 
ters and  seeing  Jess  Willard  and  James  J.  Corbett 

[96] 


arrive  in  their  stead,  you  have  an  idea  of  the 
shock  of  the  re-appearance  of  the  "Biff-Bang"  cast. 
The  leading  lady,  Alonzo  King,  and  the 
premiere  danseuse,  Edward  Costello,  took  char- 
acteristically long  to  appear,  but  the  "Misses" 
Harold  Samuel,  Mooney — Gypsy-of-the-Follies' 
only  rival — and  End-on-the-Right  Levy,  told  me 
about  the  making  of  a  chorus  girl,  rubbing 
strained  insteps  and  painfully  laced  waists  the 
while. 

"Mr.  Hickson  told  us  all  to  come  up  and  be 
fitted  at  one  time,"  they  explained.  "Well,  I 
wish  you  could  have  seen  it !  The  salesladies 
refused  to  sell,  and  the  customers  refused  to 
buy  while  we  were  there.  They  stood  us  up  for 
hours,  and  made  the  clothes  right  on  us.  And 

to  think  we  called  the  navy  WORK ! 

"One  fellow,  cast  for  a  vampire,  was  to  wear 
an  extremely  low-cut  back.  They  tied  on  the 
costume,  and  he  was  a  dream !  'Turn  around,' 
said  Mr.  Hickson.  He  turned — and  there,  in  the 
center  of  that  beautiful  decoltee,  was  a  vivid  an- 
chor by  some  artist  of  the  tatoo!" 

"What  did  you  do  for  slippers?"  I  asked, 
knowing  that  only  one  man  in  a  thousand  would 
have  the  courage  to  wear  the  three  sizes  too 
small  sizes  footgear  that  Julian  Eltinge  does. 

"We  just  took  the  largest  size  made  and 
squeezed  into  that.  And  the  heels —  '  One  of 
them  stuck  out  a  manly  foot,  still  encased  in  a 
pink  satin  pump,  that  in  the  enchantment  of  dis- 
tance might  have  inspired  some  poetry  about 
"the  fall  of  fairy  feet."  "Any  one  of  us,"  he 
said,  "would  have  preferred  doing  the  entire 
show  on  stilts!" 

The  leading  lady 
sauntered  along,  the 
heroine  of  one  of 
those  tales  dear  to 
the  small-town  girl. 
"Star  overnight. 
Chosen  from  a 
thousand  applicants. 
Never  on  the  stage 
before."  For  Mr. 
King,  waiting  in 
line  in  hope  of  a 
showgirl  part,  had 
been  spied  far  down 
toward  the  end,  and 
put  in  the  limelight 
at  once. 

"Biff  -  Bang" 
proved  to  be  a  real 
money-maker,  and 
Lieutenant  McCul- 
logh,  personally  in 
charge  of  the  com- 
pany, told  me  that 
several  of  the 
Broadway  managers 
literally  begged  Ad- 
miral Usher  to 
book  the  boys  for 
a  long  run. 

But  their  purpose 

was  to  raise  enough  money  to  build  a  theatre  at 
Pelham,  and  as  this  was  practically  accomplished 
by  the  opening  night,  it  was  a  great  concession 
of  the  authorities  to  allow  the  engagement  to 
be  extended  as  it  was. 


Theatre  Magazine,  August,  1918 


Photos  Campbell 


EDITH  STOCKHAM 


MARTINE   BURNLEY 


DOROTHY  KOFFE 


T  TNDOUBTEDLY,  the 
V^  peg  on  which  the 
drama— I  mean  musical- 
comedy—hangs  in  the  good 
old  summer  time  is  the 
chorus  girl.  She  holds  the 
stage — providing  she  can  be 
classed  as  a  beauty — and 
lures  the  dollars  from  the 
tired  business  man  into  the 
willing  box-office.  When- 
ever there  is  a  dull  moment 
in  the  show,  whenever  the 


fun  begins  to  pall,  on  trips 
the  chorus  girl,  gaily  be- 
decked, and  the  audience  is 
put  in  good  humor  again. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  she 
is  a  national  institution, 
with  her  curls,  her  smiles, 
and  her  gaiety.  "Hitchy- 
Koo"  has  a  bevy  of  beauties, 
in  its  chorus.  Perhaps 
that's  one  of  the  reasons  for 
its  success. 


LUCILLE  DARLING 


PRETTY    FACES    BEFORE    THE    FOOTLIGHTS 


A  WAR  MINSTREL 

HOIV    Lieut.     Gitz    Rice    composed    songs 
to  the   accompaniment  of  the  enemy's  guns 

By  C.  BLYTHE   SHERWOOD 


STRIKE  up  the  Jass  Band !     Send  your  flags 
flying  and  shout  your  bravos.     A  hero  has 
come  back  to  us  an  dis  no  wrecruiting  for 
our    government — Lieutenant     Gitz     Rice,     who 
volunteered  in  1914  and  went  with  the  first  Can- 
adian Contingent  to  help  push  back  the  ferocious 
Hun.    His  battery  consisted  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  men,  and  he  is  one  of  the  seven  survivors. 
"Over    There"    three    years — and    back    with    a 
smile ! 

The  boys  called  him  the  Joker  of  Flanders. 
He  was  forever  getting  up  concerts  and  pro- 
ducing skits,  and  writing  foolish  songs  for  them. 
"It's  surprising,"  he  claims,  "what  a  hunger  for 
amusement  they  have.  Theirs  is  an  insatiable 
thirst.  It  was  nothing  for  the  men  to  hike 
twenty  or  thirty  miles  to  be  entertained. 

"Once  I  managed  to  get  some  old  Charlie 
Chaplin  reels  and  played  them  in  a  tumbled-down 
barn.  We  attached  the  projection  machine  to  the 
motor  of  one  of  our  trucks,  as  we  had  no  other 
electricity;  and  would  you  believe  it,  we  were 
compelled  to  show  those  pictures  over  and  over 
again,  as  the  soldiers  had  tramped  from  miles 
around  to  witness  the  fun. 

"When  the  chaps  got  what  they  wanted,  they 
would  not  let  it  go.  I  remember  one  fortunate 
night,  when  the  late  Captain  Vernon  Castle  had 
arranged  a  concert  for  his  Flying  Squadron  at 
Bailleul  (since  taken  by  the  Huns)  and  the  fel- 
lows kept  him  playing  the  drums  for  over  three 
hours.  At  performances  like  this,  or  at  any 
amateur  vaudeville  affairs  we  got  up  ourselves, 
it  was  considered  the  usual  thing  to  start  at 
eight  o'clock  and  sing  'Good-night  Ladies'  at 
daybreak. 

"They  loved  music.  But  they  went  to  ex- 
tremes. They  would  become  enrapt  in  Tag- 
liacci'  and  selections  from  'Carmen'  or  they  would 
enthuse  over  a  little,  funny  song.  And  although 
they  could  not  tolerate  slush,  they  liked  the  sim- 
ple ballads  about  home  fires,  and  pals  they  left 
behind." 

Lieut.  Rice  has  written  the  most  popular  songs 
of  the  trenches;  and  has  sung  them  to  the 
troops  in  the  lines  in  Flanders  and  France.  So 
important  were  these  cheering  services  re- 
garded, that  his  piano,  discovered  and  taken  at 
\pres,  was  borne  on  a  big  wagon  and  taken  by 
him  through  all  the  Canadian  lines,  by  order  of 
the  Commanding  Officer. 

Back  with  a  smile?  Well,  rather!  Lieut.  Gitz 
Rice's  laugh  is  the  acme  of  Lieut.  Gitz  Rice. 
It's  contagious.  It's  his  personal  souvenir  of 
the  war. 

"In  my  existence  of  twenty-seven  years,"  he 
beams,  "I  never  was  healthier;  never  happier; 
and  certainly  never  more  crowded  with  so  many 
humorous  recollections.  I  don't  mean,  of  course, 
that  this  inferno  is  a  jolly  picnic.  It  isn't.  It 
is  dogged  and  hellish  business.  But— it  is  mak- 
ing the  words  about  the  silver-lined-cloud  ring 
true. 

"It  is  turning  out  music.  It  is  making  a  new, 
true  Art,  because  of  the  reality  heretofore  lack- 
ing; and  it  will  produce  literature — real  war 
literature.  So  far,  your  great  book  or  books 
have  not  been  written.  Your  wonderful  poetry 
is  still  unmetered.  Your  big  song  has  yet  to 
come.  "Over  There"  is  a  corker.  It  is  full  of 


Yankee  spirit.  But  it  tells  that  the  Yanks  are 
coming  and  not  what  they  have  done.  It  is 
"Over  Here's"  point  of  view.  The  label  of  New 
York  stamps  it ;  and  it  will  take  the  man  who 
has  been  there,  acted  there,  and  felt  there,  to 
express  the  sentiment  of  the  American  Forces. 
"The  war  is  going  to  produce  things  worth 
while.  Besides,  it  is  going  to  develop  latent 
talent. 

"The  news  reporter  won't  be  able  to  turn  out 
the  true  book  of  the  war,  and  the  current  play- 
wright will  be  handicapped  at  dramatizing  the 
real  play.  It  will  be  the  little,  unassuming  fel- 
low— one  of  the  millions  of  fighters — who  will 
do  the  big  thing.  He  may  never  have  written  a 
line  before  in  his  life,  but— 'he  has  seen  and 
suffered;  and  he  has  been  so  impressed  that 
what  he  is  going  to  put  into  notes,  or  phrases,  or 
splashes  of  color,  will  be  an  exact  reproduction, 
with  not  too  little  reality,  and  too  much  exag- 
geration. 

"Out  There,"  was  a  dear,  humane  play  because 
it  was  written  by  one  who  knew.  J.  Hartley 
Manners  and  his  wife,  Laurette  Taylor,  had  been 
at  the  Base  in  Cliveden,  England,  and  had  seen 
the  'aunted  Annie  fussing  around  the  beds. 
There  honestly  was  a  pessimistic  Irishman  w'ho 
wanted  bonbons,  and  a  Canadian  who  demanded 
cigars,  and  a  Lady  From  'ell  who  cried  for  his 
bonnet. 

"Getting  Together"  is  not  a  sensational  master- 
piece, but  it,  also,  is  true  to  life.  The  scene  ot 
No  Man's  Land  and  the  dilapidated  French  vil- 
lage are  reproduced  exactly  as  men  who  had 
been  there,  saw  them.  Most  of  the  characters 
in  it  are  chaps  who  actually  lived  the  roles  they 
portray. 

"People  have  asked  me  if  I  wrote  'Keep  Your 
Head  Down  Fritsie  Boy'  while  under  rapid 
fire,  and  We  Beat  You  at  the  Marne'  during  an 
air  raid.  Indeed  not.  I  am  no  wonder!  But 
we  didn't  fight  all  the  time  in  the  trenches. 
There  were  long,  lagging  weeks,  in  which  the 
hours  hung  heavily  on  our  hands.  I  wrote 
songs  because  I  had  nothing  else  with  which 
to  occupy  my  time.  Scribbling  away  was  tlie 
only  thing  on  which  I  could  depend  for  diver- 
sion. It  took  this  bally  scrap  to  develop  talent 
which  I  never  knew  I  had.  I  am  just  a  product 
of  the  war." 

The  verification  of  his  statement  lies  in  his 
biography,  previous  to  his  enlistment.  Gitz  Rice 
was  born  in  Nova  Scotia  and  educated  in  Mon- 
treal. Educated— in  the  general  sense  of  the 
word— you  know,  when  alluding  to  tall,  fair, 
sanguine  lads,  tingling  with  real,  red  blood! 
There  were  elementary  school,  and  High  School, 
and  a  taste  of  college,  of  course.  Good  old 
families  from  good  old  Montreal,  always  be- 
lieved in  doing  things  in  the  good  old  way.  But 
that  could  not  prevent  Gitzie  Boy  from  keeping 
one  eye  on  his  books  and  the  other  on  the  ath- 
letic field. 

He  had  been  a  great  one  for  sports.  Besides 
his  captured  Germans'  buttons,  he  can  show  you 
medals  for  swimming,  cups  for  golf,  and  trophies 
for  hockey,  basketball  and  football.  He  was 
president  of  The  Montreal  Athletic  Association. 
In  fact,  it  was  after  a  dinner  given  by  this  club, 
one  evening,  that  he  and  fifty-three  of  its  other 


members  volunteered  to  go  at  once  with  the 
I'irst  Canadian  Contingent. 

Lieut.  Rice's  mother  and  father  were  esthetic- 
ally  inclined.  They  were  seriously  interested  in 
music  and  practiced  photography,  although  they 
never  commercialized  their  art.  When  their  little 
boy  was  ten  years  old,  they  realized  that  his 
piano-playing  was  something  unusual,  and  they 
were  not  taken  wholly  unawares  the  day  he  came 
home  and  told  them  that  the  old  teacher  in  school 
wasn't  going  to  play  the  organ  anymore,  because 
the  boys  had  demanded  that  he,  Gitz,  take  his 
place,  and  give  them  some — here's  where  the 
word  really  originated — "pep"  with  which  to 
march  into  assembly. 

Later,  when  Montreal  contemplated  giving  a 
concert,  it  always  called  upon  Gitz  Rice — not 
only  to  entertain,  but  also  to  get  together  the 
other  performers,  and  if  needs  be,  train  them. 
When  any  charity  affairs  were  given,  the  pro- 
grams usually  read:  "Written,  produced,  staged, 
directed  and  acted  by  Gitz  Rice."  Oh!  Mon- 
treal was  a  gay  town  in  those  days,  with  one 
Mr.  Rice  at  the  head  of  all  the  entertainments! 

However,  even  in  those  garrulous  times,  he 
had  never  tried  to  compose  music  and  had  never 
imagined  himself  writing  verses.  If,  then,  he 
had  made  any  effort  to  look  ahead  and  fathom 
this  song,  both  words  and  music,  attached  to 
his  name,  it  would  have  seemed  "A  Long  Way 
to  Tipperary." 

There   is   a    call   resounding   now;   you   hear   it 

everywhere, 

In  every  town  and  square, 
It  comes  from  Over  There. 
The  U.  S.  A.  is  in  the  fight  and  you  know  what 

that  means — 
That   every   lad   is   joining,   from    the    North    to 

New  Orleans. 
If  you  can't  zvear  a  uniform,  there's  one  thing 

to  do: 

Don't  ever  quit! 
Just  do  your  bit! 
You  know  it's  up  to  you. 

CHORUS  : 

You've  got  to  go  in  or  go  under, 

You've  got  to  be  going  all  day. 

We  know  you're  not  in  khaki  or  in  blue, 

But  you're  as  big  a   man,  and  you've  a  job 

to  do. 

In  Flanders   they're   calling  for  soldiers; 
They're  calling  for  you  and  for  me 

If  you  can't  come  along, 

Back  us  up  good  and  strong, 
And  we'll  drive  them  back  to  Germany. 

Every  day  some  thousand  soldiers  sail  across  the 

sea, 

To  fight  for  you  and  me, 
To  save  Democracy. 
The  men  who  can't  go  over  can  do  something, 

never  fear; 

They  all  can  volunteer,  to  lick  the  Germans  here. 
Pro-Germans  are  a  danger;  they  are  lurking  at 

our  door. 
So  wake  up,  now,  America,  we've  got  to  win  this 

war! 


[98] 


Thiatrt  Magazine,  August, 


Gitz  Rice  as  a  private  (June, 
1915)     at     Bailleul,     France 


In  the  front  line,  machine  gun 
ready.  This  picture  was  taken  of 
one  of  Gitz  Rice's  closest  pals, 
Lieut.  Norman  Edwards,  (Canadian 
Princess  Patricia  Regiment)  the 
day  before  he  was  killed 


> 


|A  GRAND  CONGER 

IN  AID  OF  PRISONERS  OF  WAR 

[British  Expeditionary  Force  will  be  given  in{ 

Caisse   d  Epargne,   BaiUenl 

MONDAY  NOV.  15 

"ATTRACTIONS" 

GRAND  PIERROTT  SHOW 

ENTITLED 


Ypres,  June,  1915.  Gitz  Rice,  and 
three  of  his  pals,  who,  since  then, 
have  all  been  wounded  and  ap- 
pointed Lieutenants.  They  are, 
Thomas  Patterson,  H.  Black,  Wil- 
lard  Price  and  Gitz  Rice 


«>  .\o.  2  CAS(  LTV  CLKAKIX;  STATION 
COSTUMES.  By  Mdm  l)i;  KESKE  PARIS 


Centre 

Poster  put  up  along  the  trenches  to 
advertise  Gitz  Rice's  Pierrot  Show 


sb]fap^pe:Hi'vi(liUf(,ISTIilfei!ivayGfl. 

|.M\t'LK()\IKY.a).LI(;HTIV(..'l.-:MAXni.MAIt(:(>.VlCo. 

PART   II 

PULL  MINSTREL  TROUPE 

20    PERFORMERS 


.• 


AIV1Q.    CAKTAOIAIWS 

.  SHOW  n.a  itus  IH-.<:A«IOV 


First    line    trench    with    No    Man's 

Land    in   the   background.      Notice 

the  rum  jar 


Wmz        ^  ]  ;/"'  OvertBre  5.30  prompt 


T    H    E    A    T    R     I    C    A    L    S 


I    N 


T    H    E 


TRENCHES 


NEW  ORLEANS'  FIRST  THEATRE 

By  ROZEL  GOTTHOLD 


THE  other  day  I  stood  before  the  \vi:!e, 
dark  alleyway  at  one  end  of  an  alluring 
old  house,  down  in  St.  Peter  Street,  in 
the  vieux  carrc  of  New  Orleans.  At  the  rear 
of  the  passage,  I  could  just  see  two  newel  posts, 
which  told  of  a  double  stairway;  and  out  in  the 
courtyard,  in  the  rays  of  the  brilliant  sunshine, 
played  several,  grinning  little  negroes. 

It  was  a  good  combination  of  past  and  present, 
too  good  to  resist,  so  I  stepped  into  the  dark- 
ness. After  a  few  paces,  I  came  to  the  stair- 
way. It  was  a  beautiful  thing,  with  low,  broad 
stairs  leading  up  on  each  side  of  the  alley  to  the 
floor  above. 

I  ran  my  hand  lightly  along  the  smooth,  old 
rail,  as  I  went  quickly  up  the  stairs,  and  I  found 
myself  in  a  perfectly  clean,  bare  hall,  having 
narrow  boards,  and  lighted  fully  by  three  beau- 
tiful old  Spanish  windows,  the  framework  of 
which  was  still  there,  although  much  of  the  glass 
was  gone.  There  was  a  small  partition  at  one 
end  of  the  hall,  with  an  open  door.  I  peeped 
through  and  saw  an  iron  cookstove  on  which 
was  a  pot  of  gumbo,  sending  out  its  savory  odor. 
A  kitchen  table  filled  another  corner;  and  on  the 
wall  behind  me,  I  saw,  when  I  passed  through 
the  door,  a  layer  of  newspaper,  upon  which  hung 
all  sorts  of  kitchen  utensils,  on  large  nails. 

It  was  so  strange  to  see  such  warm,  simple 
evidences  of  human  life  in  this  shell  of  a  long- 
dead  past.  What  sort  of  person  could  make  this 
place  into  a  home?  And  who  could  set  an  iron 
cookstove  in  the  light  of  the  old  Spanish  window 
that  illumined  the  hall  of — the  first  French  the- 
atre in  New  Orleans? 


AS  I  stood  there,  wondering,  from  the  dark- 
ness of  the  inside  room  came  a  woman 
of  middle  age,  a  mulatto,  with  the  soft,  smooth, 
golden  skin  of  her  people.  She  had  few  wrinkles, 
in  spite  of  her  years,  jet  black  hair  neatly 
combed  and  worn  high,  and  in  her  small  ears, 
long  earrings ;  and  those  great,  prominent  ox 
eyes,  which  stamp  so  many  of  her  race  with  an 
air  of  patience  and  resignation. 

She  showed  me  her  home.  It  was  sparsely 
furnished,  but  very  neat  and  clean.  There  were 
two  large  rooms,  having  that  beautiful,  com- 
fortable proportion  which  the  Spaniards  so  easily 
achieved.  The  walls  were  stained  with  time, 
and  the  woodwork  was  painted  over  with  ugly 
brown  and  yellow  color.  The  doors  were  beau- 
tiful, half  wood,  half  glass,  having  oblong  iron 
knobs,  and  interesting  long,  iron  latches  which 
lifted  when  the  knobs  were  turned. 

In  the  front  room,  I  looked  out  upon  the  gal- 
lery which  looked  in  turn  upon  St.  Peter  Street, 
and  the  heart  of  New  Orleans  history. 

Once  more  I  came  out  into  the  improvised 
kitchen.  It  was  so  very  strange  to  see  the  steam 
of  a  savory  pot  of  gumbo  rising  through  the 
dust  of  over  a  century.  It  was  so  extraordinary 
to  view  the  simple,  domestic  stage  settings  of 
the  every-day  life  of  a  mulatto  woman,  on  the 
very  spot  where  ages  ago  Moliere's  "Le  Misan- 
thrope" was  played  'before  the  most  brilliant 
audiences  in  America.  And  it  was  still  more 
remarkable  to  realize  how  fate  had  placed  in  the 
old,  dead  shell,  this  loving  memento  of  that  too 
gay  past. 

I  did  not  disguise  the  fact  from  myself  that 
I  wished  I  might  ask  her  hundreds  of  ques- 
tions, but  she  wanted  to  finish  the  gumbo.  I 


stood  there  watching  her  stir  in  the  crabs  and 
shrimps,  for  awhile,  until  the  rays  of  the  West- 
ern sun,  which  came  through  the  beautiful  win- 
dow, warned  me  that  I  must  go. 

She  glanced  up  at  me.  "I  bin  here  fifteen 
years,"  she  said.  "Hit  was  de  ole  teayter." 

"Yes,"  I  said.  "It's  beautiful.  Some  day  I 
shall  come  again,"  and  I  went  slowly  down  the 
steps,  thinking  of  this  newest,  simplest  drama 
of  life,  nestling  under  the  roof  of  the  old  "The- 
atre St.  Pierre." 

It  is  the  first  theatre  built  in  New  Orleans. 
That  means  the  little  building,  down  in  St.  Peter 


Courtyard  of  New  Orleans'  first 
theatre    as    it    looks    to-day 


Street,  in  the  vieux  carrc,  is  backed  by  about  one 
hundred  and  twenty  or  more  years  of  real  Ameri- 
can tradition,  in  which  the  love  of  the  drama 
stood  vividly  alongside  of  the  love  of  the  church. 

The  first  troupe  of  actors  appeared  in  the 
year  1791.  They  were  refugees  from  the 
island  of  St.  Domingo,  in  the  West  Indies,  who, 
together  with  many  others,  had  fled  from  the 
cruelties  of  the  infuriated  blacks.  They  began 
to  give  plays  wherever  they  could,  finally  open- 
ing in  the  little  theatre  in  St.  Peter  Street.  Here 
they  continued  to  present  the  drama,  until  1810, 
when  the  building  was  put  up  at  auction. 

The  "first  French  theatre"  is  a  Spanish  build- 
ing, of  stucco,  in  beautiful  pink  and  yellow  tints, 
painted  by  time.  It  is  a  two-story  house,  with 
several  long  windows  and  doors  in  street  facade, 
all  protected  by  heavy  wooden  shutters.  Along 
the  length  of  the  house,  on  the  upper  floor,  runs 
a  narrow  gallery,  having  an  iron  railing,  very 
simple  in  type,  but  agreeable,  as  are  all  the  ac- 
cessories of  Spanish  architecture. 

The  Spaniards  came  to  New  Orleans  about 
the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  when  Louis 
XV  and  La  Pompadour  were  ruling  France.  At 
that  time  de  Choiseul,  the  Prime  Minister,  made 
a  neat  little  deal,  turning  Louisiana  over  to  the 
King  of  Spain.  Then  New  Orleans  rose  up  and 


straightway  became  in  spirit  a  strictly  American 
city,  although  she  had  no  idea  of  any  such  thing 
at  the  time.  For  she  had  the  bravery  not  only 
to  be  indignant,  but  to  express  her  indignation 
at  a  public  meeting,  in  which  a  resolution  was 
passed  showing  reasons  why  the  King  of  France 
should  not  cut  her  adrift.  They  sent  the  peti- 
tion to  France,  but  it  was  tied  up  in  one  of  those 
well-known,  political,  devious  paths,  and  the  King 
never  even  saw  it. 

The  Spaniard  came.  The  governor  was  ex- 
pelled, politely  but  firmly,  by  a  people  who 
thought  they  preferred  loyalty  to  France. 
The  second  Spanish  envoy,  not  however  a 
Spaniard,  executed  the  men  who  were  re- 
sponsible for  his  predecessor's  withdrawal. 
But  finally  he  sailed  away,  and  his  of- 
ficers were  left  to  govern  the  colony.  They  were 
rather  more  endowed  with  heart,  which  they 
allowed  to  lead  them  straight  to  the  love  of 
the  French  ladies  of  New  Orleans,  and  then  and 
there  began  the  production  of  that  brilliant 
colonial  society  which  was  the  admiration  and 
delight  of  many  a  European  traveler. 

Now  came  the  year  1788,  with  a  disastrous  fire 
which  swept  out  the  vieux  carrc.  Then  under 
Miro,  the  Spanish  governor  of  the  time,  it  was 
rebuilt.  That  is  why  there  are  so  many  Spanish 
buildings  to  be  seen  in  New  Orleans,  and  that 
is  why  the  "first  French  theatre"  is  of  this  type. 


IT  sprang  to  life  in  stirring  times.  The  drama  of 
the  world,  then  as  now,  was  called  "Liberty." 
The  United  States  of  America  was  a  pretty  well 
established  fact;  and  the  strains  of  the  "Mar- 
seillaise" were  floating  across  the  Atlantic  from 
blood-drenched  France. 

The  governor  faced  a  beautiful  situation.  Be- 
fore him  he  saw  colonists,  who  supposedly  be- 
longed to  his  own  country,  but  who  at  heart, 
ever  since  they  were  given  away  by  their  king, 
were  filled  with  the  zeal  of  republicanism.  Over 
a  hundred  of  them  had  the  audacity  to  sign  a 
petition  asking  the  protection  of  the  republic. 
The  interior  of  the  little  playhouse  rang  to  the 
strains  of  all  the  revolutionary  music  of  the 
times.  "La  Liberte"  of  France  and  the  Ameri- 
can goddess  of  liberty  had  touched  spirit  in  the 
very  streets  of  New  Orleans,  where  were  al- 
ready to  be  seen  the  vanguard  of  that  modern, 
alert  type,  the  American  business  man,  who  had 
come  down  to  New  Orleans  to  open  offices  and 
mercantile  enterprises  in  the  Rue  Chartres. 

A  stone's  throw  away  from  the  "Theatre  St. 
Pierre"  flowed  the  glistening  Mississippi,  lazy  and 
golden  in  the  sunshine.  It  was  the  city's  artery 
of  life.  Down  its  length  from  Ohio  and  Ken- 
tucky and  Pennsylvania,  and  the  rich  states  of 
that  section,  came  new  inhabitants  for  New  Or- 
leans, and  up  from  its  mouth  came  the  settlers 
from  the  islands  of  the  West  Indies,  The  cur- 
rent of  pleasure,  excitement  and  love  of  the 
drama  took  them  straight  to  the  doors  of  the 
little  old  playhouse — and  there,  night  after  night 
were  to  be  seen  such  rapidly  increasing  audiences 
that  the  house  had  to  be  enlarged.  In  1803,  so 
tradition  says,  they  were  playing  "Richard,  Coeur 
de  Lion"  and  "Pizarre." 

That  was  the  year  of  the  Louisiana  pur- 
chase, when  Jefferson,  by  his  transfer  of 
fifteen  millions  of  good  American  dollars  to  the 
great,  little  Napoleon,  labelled  Louisiana  once  for 
all,  truly  American. 


Theatre  Magazine,  August,  1918 


Men  Over  Draft  Age 

Actors,  Artists,  Musicians 

The  younger  men  of  your  city  have  been  called  to 
the  army. 

Thousands  of  them  are  already  in  the  trenches- 
fighting  for  you  and  yours. 

Now  you,  the  older  men,  the  steadier  men,  are  needed 
behind  the  lines  "over  there" 

To  help  these  boys  keep  cheerful,  comfortable— main- 
tain their  fighting  morale,  indispensable  to  Victory  ! 

Do  you  see  what  a  big  job  it  is?  Big  enough  for  the 
biggest  men  in  U.  S.  A.! 

That's  why  the  Government  wants  you,  Pershing  wants 
you,  the  boys  in  Khaki  want  you  "over  there"  -now! 

4000  of  you— over  draft  age— to  wear  the  Red  Triangle 
in  France— actors,  business  men  and  executives,  men  who 
can  run  cars,  athletes,  social  secretaries,  hut  secretaries — 
all  are  wanted. 

Will  You  Go  To  France? 

For  full  particulars  see  MR.  E.    D.    POUCH 

347  Madison  Avenue 

This  space  contributed  for  the  Winning  of  the  War  by 

THE  PUBLISHERS  OF  THE  THEATRE  MAGAZINE 


[105] 


UNUSUAL     NEWS    of    THE     NEW     COATS 


Wooltex  Tempts  One  to  Conserve; 
Creating  Coats  of  Rare  Fabrics 
At  Prices  That  Reward  Foresight 


AJGUST  1 2th  is  the  date  to  remember. 
Then,  in  nearly  a  hundred  shops,  these 
charming  Coats  will  lead  one  to  marvel  that 
they  could  have  been  produced,  in  view  of 
the  serious  wool  shortage. 

You  will  find  new  Motor  Coats  and  Out- 
ing Coats  made  of  such  precious  materials 
as  all-wool  Camelette,  Duvet  de  Laine, 
Evora,  Velour  de  Kashmir,  Crystal  Cord, 
Worumbo  Tussok,  Bolivia. 

Wooltex  bought  these  all-wool  fabrics 
months  ago,  before  Army  needs  made  all- 


Ira    I..   Hill 


Alice  Joyce  has  recently  returned  to  the  screen 
more  popular,  if  possible,  than  ever.  She  is  wear- 
ing a  Wooltex  creation  designed  especially  as  a 
conservation  garment — slender  in  line,  all-wool — 
and  suited  most  happily  to  her  busy  comings  and 
goings.  What  is  this  coat  made  of  ?— Evora  Cloth 
to  be  sure— the  new  and  beautiful  fabric  which 
comes  in  such  charming  shades  as  Twilight,  Kison, 
Frambois  and  Hay. 


Marilynn  Miller  runs  no  risk  of  disappointing  her 
delighted  audiences  for  she  hides  herself  from  the 
chill  of  August  evenings  in  this  comfy  Wooltex 
Outing  Coat  of  wood-brown  Suede  Velour.  New 
York  is  her  proper  setting  and  we  see  this  charm- 
ing dancer  at  her  best  in  the  "Follies  of  1918". 


106] 


'1  hvutre  Magazine,  August,  191! 


n 


Ira  L.  Hill 


Ira  L.  Hill 


Gail  Kane,  the  woman  in  "When  Men  Betray". 
But  we  can  see  her  too  in  another  successful  role, 
taking  the  part  of  the  good  American  and  setting 
an  example  of  war-time  thrift  by  wearing  this 
charming  Wooltex  creation  of  warmth-without- 
weight  Evora  Cloth  in  the  new  brown  shade. 


Hazel  Dawn,  long  to  be  remembered  as  the  "Pink 
Lady"  and  now  appearing  in  the  leading  role  in 
"Dolly  of  the  Follies".  Her  selection  of  this  stunning 
Wooltex  Motor  Coat  may  well  be  taken  as  a  hint  that 
Evora  Cloth  is  as  good  for  Fall  as  it  is  rare  and  that 
a  fancy  Batik  Silk  lining  is  a  thing  to  be  dreamed  of. 


wool  a  thing  much  desired  but  seldom  had. 
Neither  love  nor  money  will  buy  some  of 
them  today.  Even  Wooltex  has  but  a  limited 
supply. 

On  these  pages  are  a  few  of  the  advance 
Wooltex  models  to  be  offered  August  rath. 

Notice  in  these  Coats  the  cloth-saving 
slender  silhouette;  the  designs  that  are 
smart,  different,  but  not  wasteful.  Each 
model  a  happy  style  solution  of  conservation. 

Through  your  influence  they  can  establish 
early  in  the  season  the  keynote  of  fashions. 

By  example,  you  can  show  patriotic 
women  how  conservation  can  be  charming 
—and  practical. 

With  Fall  just  a  step  ahead,  one  must  plan 
quickly.  The  important  thing  is  to  buy 
early.  Good  coats  cannot  long  be  had  at 
such  advantage. 

August  i  ath  is  the  date  to  remember. 


At  These  Stores  and  Many  Others 


BROOKLYN" 
FRED.   LOESER  &  CO.,  INC. 

ST.  LOUIS,  MO. 
SCRUGGS,    VANDERVOORT, 

BARNEY  CO. 

CLEVELAND,  O. 

THE  LINDNER  CO. 

PITTSBURGH,  PA. 

JOSEPH   HORNE  CO. 

MILWAUKEE,  WIS. 

ESPENHAINS 
CINCINNATI,  O. 
THE  DENTON  CO. 

WASHINGTON*.  D.  C. 
FRANK  R.  JELLEFF,  INC. 

INDIANAPOLIS,  IND. 
H.  P.  WASSON  &  CO. 

DENVER,  COLO. 
DENVER  DRY  GOODS  CO. 

COLUMBUS.  O. 
THE   CLEMENS-RICE   CO. 


NEW  YORK 


TOLEDO.  O. 
THE  PARSONS  GARMENT  CO. 

ATLANTA,  GA. 
DAVISON-PAXON-STOKES  CO. 

SYRACUSE,  N.  Y. 
THE  W.  I.  ADDIS  CO. 

DAYTON,  O. 
THE  JOHNSTON-SHELTON  CO. 

OMAHA.  NEB. 
THE  HOUSE  OF  MENAGH 

AKRON,  O. 
THE  WADSWORTH  CO. 

YOUNGSTOWN,  O. 

THE  FRANCE-DEVIN   CO. 

WILKES-BARRE.  PA. 

Mac  WILLIAMS 

HAGERSTOWN,  MD 
LEITER  BROS. 

OKLAHOMA  CITY.  OKLA 
THE  KERR  DRY  GOODS  CO. 


)£)          CLEVELAND 

Makers  of  Wooltex  Coats  and  Suits 
For  Young  Women 


[  107  ] 


tuppendale  ArtModel 


r/V  the  Period  Designs  Sonora  has 
reproduced  the  masterpieces  of 
the  greatest  makers  of  furniture. 

However  it  must  never  be  forgotten 
that  in  the  Sonora,  the  cabinet  of 
extraordinary  merit  is  only  one  part 
of  a  phonograph  of  wonderful  per^ 
fection. 

The  Sonora  plays  all  disc  records 
without  extra  attachments  and  is 
famous  for  its  tone  of  incomparable 
beauty. 

Examine   these    magnificent    models: 

Gothic  William  &-  Mary 

Chinese  Chippendale    Adam 
Louis  XV  Colonial 

Louis  XVI  Duncan  Phyfe 

Jacobean 

Other  Styles  Made  to  Special  Order 
"The  Highest  Class  Talking  Machine  in  the  World" 


Company  INC. 

GEORGE  E.  BRIGHTSON,   Pres. 

Fifth  Ave.  at  53rd  St.          New  York 


HELP  OUTFIT  A  FLAPPER 

(Continued  from  page  104.) 

that  have  been  made  for  them,  the  light  blues  and  grey  with  enlivening 
bits  of  color  instead  of  those  heavy  stuffy  unrelieved  and  unbecoming 
khaki  things  and  the  sombre  dark  blue. 

"Now  is  the  chance  of  a  lifetime  to  see  how  much  artistic  effect  w$ 
can  achieve  with  how  little.  The  French  women  are  so  wonderful. 
Look  at  what  they  do  to  keep  up  the  morale  with  their  specially  de- 
signed "bomb-proof"  gowns  and  chic  boots  for  the  cellars  in  times  of 
air  raids,  the  artistic  little  silk  and  cretonne  cases  to  carry  their 
'fain  de  guerre'  in  when  dining  out,  the  gay  boxes  for  their  allotment 
of  sugar.  As  we  haven't  so  far  had  to  take  care  of  any  of  those  added; 
war  problems  we  ought  so  much  the  more  hold  up  >our  end  in  other- 
matters." 

"The  way  I  look  at  it  as  it  particularly  concerns  Muriel,  Cousin 
Grace,"  I  continued,  "is  that  she  will  be  meeting  the  army  and  navy 
during  holidays  and  week-ends  and  that  even  if  she  is  a  schoolgirl  she 
is  entitled  to  maintain  the  morale  as  well  as  the  rest  of  us." 

You  can  imagine  how  ecstatically  pleased  Muriel  was  during  all  this^ 
especially  as  Cousin  Grace  let  me  go  on  and  have  my  say  without  a 
word  of  interruption  or  protest. 

"And  as  to  the  crepe  de  chine  underwear" — this  was  one  of  the  hotly 
contested  points  between  Muriel  and  Cousin  G. — "that  Muriel  has  set 
her  heart  on,  and  that  you  think  unnecessarily  extravagant  for  a  school- 
girl I  think  the  point 
might  be  stretched  and 
she  might  be  allowed  to 
have  one  of  each.  Of 
course  this  doesn't  ap- 
ply to  Muriel,  but  it's  in 
line  for  us  ... 
really  for  so  many  of 
the  women  I  know, 
bachelor  girls  and  ar- 
tists and  actresses  who 
go  out  on  tour  with 
stage  productions  or  for 
'location'  for  the  screen, 
crepe  de  chine  lingerie 
in  the  end  more  than 
pays  its  own  way,  be- 
cause it  can  be  washed 
and  ironed  with  an  elec- 
tric iron  so  quickly  by 
oneself.  Any  soft  silk 
fabric  when  it  comes  to 
cleansing  is  so  much 
more  of  a  labor  saving 
device  than  a  so-called 
serviceable  thick  cotton 
one,  besides  which  it  re- 
quires no  starch.  (Also  you're  saving  on  cotton.)  Mother  and  I  help 
out  the  maids  frequently  doing  up  a  'chimmie'  ourselves.  And  that's, 
another  way  of  retrenching. 

"Still  another  is  to  have  some  consideration  for  the  stores.  You 
don't  want  to  put  them  out  of  business  altogether.  They're  really  doing 
everything  they  can  to  help  the  great  business  of  conservation.  They 
should  be  co-operated  with,  instead  of  given  the  cold  shoulder." 

And  here  Cousin  Grace  seeming  entirely  impressed  and  chastened  with 
what  I  had  said  did  interrupt. 

"Do  you  think  then  you  could  take  us  around  to  some  of  the  shops, 
Angelina,  and  help  out  in  our  problems,  show  us  what  would  be  smart 
and  not  expensive,  how  to  get  the  effect  of  much  from  little  that  you 
mentioned?  Anything  that  you  sponsored  I'm  sure  would  meet  with 
Muriel's  entire  approval." 

"I  know  I  can,"  I  said,  "and  I  should  love  to." 
*  *  *•  * 

I  led  them  first  to  a  shop  on  the  Avenue  where  I  had  glimpsed  some 
really  remarkable  separate  skirts,  so  unusual  in  cut  and  material  and 
variety  that  their  possibilities  leaped  at  me  at  once.  I  decided  then  and 
there  that  I  could  concoct  an  entire  flapper  wardrobe,  or-any-other-age, 
at  the  minimum  of  expense  and  expedition,  with  their  assistance.  With 
a  skirt  well  cut  and  hung  all  ready  to  your  hand  half  your  battle  is 
already  won. 

First  in  the  separate  skirts  for  novelty  were  those  of  organdie,  in 
all  the  pastel  shades,  with  tucks  arranged  variously,  two  large  tucks 
hemstitched  in  or  small  tucks  grading  up  from  the  hem,  and  little 
pointed-end  sashes.  The  organdie  was  of  a  very  soft  voile-like  quality. 
I  insisted  on  one  of  those  for  Muriel,  in  white.  Worn  with  one  of  her 
thin  batiste  or  organdie  blouses  it  will  make  the  most  charming  flapper 
frock  for  hot  days  in  August  and  September,  and  with  a  little  short- 
puffed  sleeve  and  round  necked  organdie  bodice  an  ideal  dress  for 
Saturday  evening  dances  at  school. 


J 

A  smock  blouse  for  a  flapper — and  for  alt 
other  ages  to  whom  it  is  becoming — in 
voile  of  either  pink  or  blue,  embroidered 
in  the  same  color,  fine  tucks  running  down 
the  front  and  a  white  organdie  collar 


[108] 


Theatre  Magazine,  August, 


THE  ASSURANCE  OF 
PERFECT  GROOMING 

Never  before  has  Dame 
fashion  demanded  such 
perfect  grooming  as  now. 
The  effect  of  the  sheer 
organdie  or  georgette  gown 
may  be  completely  spoiled, 
if  superfluous  hair  is  not 
removed  from  the  arms 
and  armpits.  X-BAZIN, 
the  famous  depilatory  will 
do  this  in  five  minutes 
effectively,  painlessly,  leav- 
ing the  skin  so  ft  and  smooth. 

Order  today  (50c  and  $1.00) 
from  your  druggist  or  depart- 
ment store — or  we  will  mail  to 
you  direct  on  receipt  of  price. 

HALL  &  RUCKEL,  Inc. 

Mfrs. 
215  Washington  St.  New  York 


I-Iow  to  removp 

hear  in     minuted 


Pour  only  enough 
powder  into  the 
bowl  for  immedi- 
ate use. 


Add 
water. 


a    little 


Work  tlie  depil- 
atory and  water 
into  a  smooth, 
thick,  paste  with 
the  horn  spoon. 

Spread  the  paste 
evenly  and  thickly 

over  the  hair.      Leave  it  on  a  few 

moments. 

Then  wash  it  off  and  apply  Evans's 
Soothing  Cream.  Your  druggist 
sells  this  too.  The  skin  stays  hair- 
free  and  velvety  smooth  for  a  long 
time 

At  drug  or  department  stores  or 
send  75c  with  the  order  direct 
to  George  B  Evans  1103  Chestnut 
Street  Philadelphia 

Evans's 


Depilatory 
Outfit 
75c 


IF  there  is  any  one  month  in  the  year  more  than  another  that  is 
associated  with  baths  and  bathing  whether  as  an  indoor  or 
an  outdoor  sport  it  is  August,  isn't  it?  A  high  temperature 
is  August's  average  and  a  "blizzard  of  heat"  is  sure  to  be  added 
somewhere  during  its  run.  And  when  that  happens,  whether  we 
are  in  town  or  at  the  shore  we  all  become  for  the  time  being  in  a 
class  with  the  Japanese  to  whom  their  daily  bath  is  such  a  vital 
necessity  that  if  they  must  choose  between  food  and  a  bath  they 
will  choose  the  latter.  Everybody  in  Japan,  high  or  low,  rich  or 
poor,  expects  to  take  at  least  one  bath  a  day,  regardless  of  Augusts, 
or  blizzards  of  either  heat  or  cold.  And  that  bath  is  a  matter  of  at 
least  an  hour's  time,  sometimes  much  ceremony,  and  always  an 
immense  amaunt  of  scrubbing.  That  any  person  can  consume  less 
than  a  full  sixty  minutes  in  the  operation  and  be  decent  they  think 
an  utter  impossibility.  The  morning  cold  water  splash  that  the 
English  pride  themselves  on  they  regard  as  beneath  contempt  and 
our  American  fashion  of  plunging  into  a  tub  and  hastily  emerging 
from  its  soap-filled  water  without  even  a  rinse,  dressing  and  going 
into  society,  with  horror  and  abomination. 

A  happy  medium  lies  between  the  excessive  meticulousncss  of 
the  Japanese  type  of  bath  and  the  more  casual  American  one,  the 
beautiful  Madame  Irene  Bordoni  of  the  1918  version  of  "Hitchy- 
Koo"  thought,  when  appealed  to  on  the  subject  in  her  dressing- 
room  behind  the  scenes.  Madame  Bordoni  is  the  possessor  of  a 


An  exceedingly  graceful  silver  mirror  and  silver  stoppered  per- 
fume bottles — every  up-to-date  woman  has  at  least  two  perfumes 
to  her  personality — that  were  seen  on  Miss  Ruby  De  Reiner's 
dressing  table,  and  whose  pattern  is  kept  in  stock  at 
Reed  &  Barton's,  we  were  told 

very  wonderful  skin,  a  skin  of  marvellous  whiteness  and  smooth- 
ness and  fineness  of  grain,  a  skin  whose  quality  is  as  beautiful  on 
her  lovely  arms  and  neck  as  it  is  on  her  face  itself.  And  if  you 
fancy  that  is  a  usual  occurrence  you  have  only  to  take  another  look 
around. 

Bathing  is  part  of  the  answer — that  is  bathing  properly.  "We 
take  the  bath  more  seriously  in  France"  said  Madame  Bordoni  in 
her  delightful  French-tinged  English,  "we  treat  it  with  more  cer- 
emony, as  you  suggest  do  the  Japanese  and,  if  I  may  be  permitted 
to  add,  more  artistically.  You  Americans  are  in  such  a  hurry. 
Everything  must  be  quick,  quick !  And  it  is  made  so  easy  for  you, 
you  all  have  your  oXvn  individual  little  white  tubs,  and  you  have 
only  to  turn  on  the  tap  at  any  hour  of  the  day  or  night  to  have  a 


Unfreckled 

Flawless 

Complexions 


DO  you  envy  those  women  whose 
complexions    do    not    stain    or 
freckle    in    the    summer    sun' 
It  seems  to  have  no  effect  on  their 
skin  texture. 

They    no    longer    worry,   no   longer 
need  dodge  the  sun. 
They   enjoy   every    sort   of   outdoor 
sport   without    fear   of   tanning   and 
freckling. 

They  found  a  wonderful  preventive 
of  sun  stains  and  freckles. 

They  visited  Mine.  Rubinstein,  the  world 
famed  Beauty  Culturist,  as  have  many 
thousands  of  women  abroad.  She  treated 
their  complexions,  advised  them  as  to  its 
care  during  the  summer  and  gave  them 
some  of  her  wonderful  Beauty  preparations. 

No  longer  envy  these  women — visit  Mme. 
Rubinstein  yourself.  A  few  of  her  many 
marvellous  Valaze  specialties  especially 
adapted  for  summer's  use  are  lisU-'l  be- 
low, including  a  famous  cream  to  b<-  used 
in  case  you  have  already  carelessly  al- 
lowed your  skin  to  freckle  or  burn. 

VALAZE     BEAUTIFYING     SKINFOOD 

expels  all  impurities  of  the  skin,  clears  tlu- 
pores,  imparts  beauty  and  softness;  wards 
off  wrinkles  and  crow's-feet.  Valazc  re- 
pairs the  daily  beauty  wastage,  removing 
freckles  and  tan  and  dispels  the  tanning 
and  staining  effects  of  sunburn.  Valaze 
restores  and  preserves  the  natural  beauty 
of  the  skin.  Price  $1.25,  $2.25  and  $6.50. 
VALAZE  SKIN-TONING  LOTION— Used 
with  Valaze  Skinfood  will  insure  quicker 
and  hetter  results.  A  splend  d  anti- 
wrinkle  lotion.  Price  $1.25,  $2.50. 

FOR  A  DRY  SKIN    the    "Special"   is   used. 

$2.-0,    $4.40. 

VALAZE  UQUIDINE— Quite  mystifying 
in  its  action  of  overcoming  oiliness  and 
"shine"  of  the  skin,  and  undue  flushing  of 
nose  and  face.  Also  reduces  enlarged 
pores  and  blackheads.  Price  $1.75,  $3.00 
and  $0.00. 

VALAZE  BLACKHEAD  AND  OPEN 
PORE  PASTE—  Refines  coarse  skin  tex- 
ture, removes  blackheads  and  reduces  en- 
larged pores.  Is  used  in  place  of  soap. 
Price  $1.10,  $2.10  and  $5.50. 
VALAZE  BEAUTY  FOUNDATION 
CREME  for  a  greasy  skin.  Conceals  tan, 
freckles  and  other  skin  blemishes.  Wblteni 
and  bleaches.  Price  $1,  $2,  $S  and  up- 
wards. 

NOVENA  SUNPROOF  CREME— A  unique 
preparation,  the  secret  of  which  is  known 
only  to  Madame  Rubinstein.  It  prevents 
freckles  and  tanning  by  paralyzing  the 
action  of  the  sun's  rays  upon  the  skin.  A 
little  rubbed  on  the  skin  before  go-Jig  out 
enables  you  to  enjoy  every  outdoor  form 
of  amusement,  sea-bathing — and  with  no 
fear  of  ill  effect  to  the  complexion.  It 
is  guaranteed  to  be  harmless,  and  may  be 
used  for  children.  It  also  forms  a  ser- 
viceable foundation  for  powder.  $3.00, 
$5.00  a  pot.  Sample  size  $1.00. 

VALAZE  OUTDOOR  BALM  ROSE  pro- 
tects a  dry  skin  from  freckles,  sunburn  and 
tanning.  Unequalled  as  an  anti-wrinkle 
preparation  and  exquisite  foundation  for 
powder.  Price  $1.65,  $3.30  and  upwards. 
VALAZE  SNOW  LOTION,  a  liquid  pow- 
der and  an  indispensable  beauty  lotion  for 
Summer.  It  soothes,  refreshes  and  cools. 
Adheres  firmly  and  invests  face  with  ex- 
quisite softness  of  color.  Price  $1.25, 
$2.25  and  $5. 

CRUSHED  ROSE  LEAVES,  natural  face 
coloring.  Mention  whether  for  blonde  or 
brunette.  Price  $1.00,  .$3.50  and  upwards. 

VALAZE    COMPLEXION     POWDER,    for 

greasy  or  normal  skin.  Price  $1,  $3,  and  $5. 
NOVENA  POUDRE,  for  dry  skins.  In 
five  tints:  flesh,  rose,  white,  cream,  and 
rachel.  Price  $1.00,  $3.00  and  $5.00. 
VALAZE  COMPRESSED  POWDER,  with 
puff  and  mirror,  in  dainty,  convenient 
form  for  purse.  Price  75c.  each. 

A   copy  of  Mme.  Rubinstein's  sug- 
gestion book  will  be  sent  for  three 
cents    to    cover    postage. 

MME.  HELENA  RUBINSTEIN 


PARIS 

253  R"«  SUfcnorf 


LONDON.  W. 

24  Crafton  Su«*t 


1427  Boardwalk.  Atlantic  City.  N.  ]. 

Natatorium  BMc..  Asbury  Park.  N.  }. 
Clicigo:   Mile.  Lola  Bt*kman.  30  No.  Michigan  Arc. 
San  Francisco:   Miss  I<la  Martin.  177  Post  St. 
Ne-- Orleans:   Mrs.  C.  V.  Butler.  8017  Ziraple  Su 


[109] 


Miiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiuiiiuiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiii! 11111:1111 m "^ 

i 


or 
sheen  I 


softness  I 


i 

Shampooing  regularly  j 
with  PACKER'S  TAR  SOAP  i 
protects  the  health  of  i 
the  scalp  and  brings  out  | 
the  beauty  of  the  hair.  ! 


Bimin 


PACKER'S  TAR  SOAP    | 

Cake   and  Liquid 

i iiniiimiiiiit mill iiiiiiiiiiiiinii iiiiiimiiiiiiiin iiiiiiiiinii I niir  urn I I imiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiinii it 


aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinimi i ii i ii ii i i mill" mm ' """ "llllml11 ' "ll"1"" "" '""S 


AMERICAN  ACADEMY 
OF  DRAMATIC  ARTS 

Franklin  H.  Sargent,  President 

YThe  standard  institution  of  dramatic  Y 
{[education  for  thirty 'three  years  Jj 

Detailed  catalog  from  the  Secretary 

ROOM  172,  CARNEGIE  HALL,  NEW  YORK 

Connected  with  Charles  Frohman's  Empire  Theatre  and  Companies 


iiMiiiiiiiiimuiiiiimiiiimiiiiiiiiimiiiiiimiimiiiuiiiiiiiiiiMMiiiiiiiiiiim 


"Mum" 


i.as  ea-y  to  use  a 


to  say) 


-use    it    after 
every  bath 


"Mum"  neutralizes  all  body  odor* 
as  they  occur.  Never  interrupts 
natural  functions.  Harmless, 
stainless,  beneficial.  Lasts  from 
bath  to  bath. 

25c — at  drug-  anil  department-stores, 

".t/w«<"  is  a  Trade  Mark  rtgisttredin  l\  S.  Patent  Ojfit  r 
"Mum"  Mfg  Co  1106  Chestnut  Street  Philadelphi 


THE  EMPIRE   STATE 
ENGRAVING  COMPANY 

165  WILLIAM   STREET, 

NEW  YORK 
TELEPHONE  3880  BEEKMAN 


This  is  an  advertisement 
of  something  tliat  costs 
you  nothing. 

Namely:  The  latest  edition  of  the 
Miniature  LIFE,  which  is 
just  out. 

free:  For  a  good  two-cent  stamp 
for  mailing,  and  your 
address. 

This  is  a  pocket  edition 
of  LIFE,  printed  in  colors, 
full  of  the  best  things  of 
LIFE. 

LIFE.  28  West    31st    Street,    New  York 


Your  Vacation  Begins  the  Moment  You  Step  Aboard 

The  Ideal  Tourist  Route 

Picture  to  yourself  the  luxury  of  a  magnificent,  mammoth  floating  hotel,  perfect  in  its  comforts  and  con- 
veniences, with  staterooms  oS  luxe,  private  baths  and  private  balconies,  appetizing  meals  beautiful  ballroom' 
entrancing  music.  Enjoy  the  grandeur  of  the  scenery  on  the  historic  Hudson  revealed  by  the  giant  searchlight' 


YORK"  ALB  ANY"  TROY 

Leave  Pier  32,  N.  R..  6  00  P.M.     Sundays  and  Holidays.  9.00  P.M.   West  1  32d  St    half  hour  later 

HUDSON  NAVIGATION  COMPANY 

"The  Searchlight  Route"  _  Telephone  CanM   90OO 


Irene  Bordoni  of  "Hitchy-Koo 
1918,"  who  believes  in  the  efficacy 
of  the  serious  bath  for  creating 
and  preserving  a  beautiful  skin 

hot  tub  in  a  minute.  So  you  are  spoiled.  Abroad  where  there  are 
not  so  many  bathrooms  and  so  much  hot  water  to  the  individual 
we  have  been  trained  to  be  less  casual.  And  that  is  much  better, 
better  for  the  body  and  better  for  the  soul,  for  the  bath  is  for  both. 

"We  soften  our  water  always  with  bath  crystals,  with  bath  pow- 
ders, with  toilet  waters,  with  prepared  bags  of  brand  and  sachet. 
It  is  no  nied  to  speak  of  the  reputation  of  our  preparations  for  the 
bath.  Cela  va  sans  dire!  Then  we  have  all  kinds  of  implements, 
of  brushes  and  sponges,  of  bath  towels  to  assist.  I  do  not  believe 
one  can  be  really  clean  without  them.  It  is  not  enough  just  to  get 
into  the  natural,  unsoftened  water,  to  dash  it  over  one,  or  give  a 
hasty  soap  rub. 

"I  will  tell  you  something  for  your  readers  who  have  the  dry 
skin.  Mine  is  naturally  so — too  dry.  So  I  take  and  pour  in  my  bath 
every  so  often,  a  what-you-say?" — making  a  pantomimic  meas- 
uring gesture — "pint?  Yes,  a  pint  bottle  of  glycerine.  That 
softens  my  skin  wonderfully.  And  after  the  bath  I  massage  in  as 
well  some  of  the  glycerine." 

And  then  it  was  time  for  Madame  Bordoni  to  don  the  glistening, 
pailleted  mermaid  gown,  that  affords  such  a  lovely  contrast  for  her 
beautiful  neck  and  arms  and  go  out  in  front  and  give  Raymond 
Hitchcock  his  nightly  lesson  in  French  diction.  She  departed 
throwing  over  her  shoulder  with  her  "Bon  soir"  a  "Vive  le  bain!" 

Madame  Bordoni  is  right.  We  are  too  casual.  Like  Hermione 
we  should  take  up  bathing  seriously.  Not  all  of  us  can  afford  a 
quart  of  glycerine  a  week,  nor  imported  bath  crystals  for  softening 
the  water,  but  there  are  excellent  substitutes.  One  I  know,  most 
inexpensive — Boraxo,  a  combination  of  borax  and  a  soupgon  of 
powdered  soap,  delicately  perfumed.  Shaken  into  the  water  it 
softens  and  perfumes  it.  And,  of  course,  there  is  nothing  like 
borax  for  cleansing  and  healing  qualities.  The  men  working  in 
the  borax  mines  in  the  west  always  have  the  freshest  and  health- 
iest of  skins,  any  cut  or  bruise  healing  almost  immediately. 

For  sheer  bath  luxury  I  know  of  nothing  better  than  Madame 
Rubinstein's  Beauty  Grains,  that  leave  the  skin  so  perfumed,  so 
soft,  so  white:  her  Valaze  Soap:  her  Valaze  Bath  Crystals;  the 
esoteric  and  mysterious  Voskpasta :  and  if  one  needs  to  lose  weight 
the  Valaze  Reducing  Soap  and  Reducing  Jelly  to  be  massaged 
into  the  skin  after. 

And  for  after-the-bath  talcums  we  recommend  the  Borax  Tal- 
cum, put  up  by  the  same  firm  as  Boraxo— on  the  principle  that 
you  can't  have  too  much  of  a  good  thing— and  Talc  Jonteel, 
deliciously  fragrant  and  tonic — and  inexpensive. 


Part  of  taking  bathing  seriously  is  to  keep  the  bath  crystals 
and  powders  in  good  humor  by  having  artistic  homes  for  them 
to  live  in.  Reed  &•  Barton  suggest  this  set — the  delicately 
scrolled  pattern  is  shou'n  in  the  medallion — of  cut  crystal  and  sil- 
ver, sponsored  by  Miss  Ruby  de  Renter,  a  former  Follies'  beauty 


[110] 


Theatre  Magazine,  August,  1918 


EGYPTIAN 

DEITIES 


reople  of  culture  and 
refinement  invariably 
TREFEfL  T)eities 
to  any  other  cigarette. 


fj 


Makers  oflhe  Highest  Grade  Turkish 
and  Egyptian  Cigarettes  in  the  World 


AUTHORS  ATTENTION! 

We  are  in  the  market  for  good  stories  suitable  for  the  film.  Money 
is  no  consideration — what  we  want  are  bright  ideas.  Have  you  a  side 
splitting  farce,  a  powerful  drama,  a  pleasant  comedy  or  a  successful 
play  that  would  make  a  sensational  screen  success  ?  We  want  it! 

If  you  are  a  famous  author  who  wants  prompt  consideration,  let  us 
have  your  story.  If  you  are  an  untried,  but  worthy  photoplay wright, 
submit  your  plots  to  us.  No  matter  who  you  are,  or  where  you  come 
from,  if  you  have  a  corking  good  film  scenario,  it  will  pay  you  to 
get  in  touch  with  us ! 

We  will  pay  well  for  the  best  material !  BUT  IT  MUST  BE  THE 
BEST !  And  if  possible  material  that  has  been  published  in  Book 
or  Magazine  form. 

Address  L  B  C  c  /o 

The  THEATRE  MAGAZINE 


run 


Mil.   HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY 


NEW  AMSTERDAM.  "ZIEGFELD 
FOLLIES."  Lines  and  lyrics  by  Ren- 
nold  Wolf  and  Gene  Buck,  music  by 
Louis  A.  Hirsch  and  Dave  Stamper, 
interpolations  by  Irving  Berlin  and 
Victor  Jacob!.  Produced  on  June 
18  with  this  cast: 


water  cleanses 
much  better  than  hard. 
Nothing  softens  water  as 
well  as  Borax.  That's 
why  you  should  sprinkle 
a  little  20  Mule  Team 
Borax  in  the  water  before 
you  take  your  bath.  But 


MULE  TEAM  BORAX 

is  more  than  a  water  sof- 
tener. It  is  an  antiseptic, 
it  keeps  the  pores  free 
and  clean,  is  an  excellent 
deodorant,  refreshes  the 
skin  and  keeps  the  com- 
plexion clear. 

Always  use  this  Borax  in 
baby  s  bath-it  is  very  soothing 
to  tender  skin. 

You  may  find  many  uses  for 
20  Mule  Team  Borax  in  the 
kitchen  and  laundry.  Be  sure 

on  Tf  t,he  picture  of  the  famous 
Mules  on  every  package. 

All  Dealers  sell 

20  MULE  TEAM  BORAX 


Percival  Johnson  Eddie  Cantor 

Recruiting  Officer  Frank  Carter 

His  Assistant  Gus  Minton 

Asylum  Attendant  Harry  Kelly 

Billie  Burke  Marilynn  Miller 

His  Satanic  Majesty  Will  Rogers 

Head  Clerk  Frank  Carter 

The  Girl  in  Hell  Allyn  King 

Bell  Boy  Kathryn  Perry 

A  Profiteer  Harry  Kelly 

New  York  Society  Woman         "Dolores" 
A  Dancing  Girl  Ann  Pennington 

Eve  Kay  Laurell 

Twin  Imps  Fairbanks  Twins 

Liberty  Loan  Slacker  Clay  Hill 

Somebody's  Sweetheart      Dorothy  Leeds 
Senator  La  Follette  W.  C.  Fields 

Inventor   of   Bicycles          Billie    Ritchie 
Lillian  Lorraine 

OW  old  friends  like  to  meet 
again !  "The  Follies"  are  one 
year  older  and  back  at  the  New 
Amsterdam  we  find  our  acquain- 
tances of  years  past — Will  Rogers, 
W.  C.  Fields,  Ann  Pennington,  and 
Lillian  Lorraine.  The  only  new- 
comer is  cute  little  Marilynn  Mil- 
ler, and  she  indeed  Is  an  asset. 

Scenically,  as  well  as  sartorially, 
"The  Follies"  are  up  to  the  mark  set 
in  previous  productions.  But  the 
piece  can  hardly  be  said  to  present 
anything  particularly  novel  or  orig- 
inal. 

There  is  a  full  share  of  the  famous 
Ziegfeld  beauties— a  dazzling  array 
of  feminine  loveliness.  But,  un- 
doubtedly, "The  Follies"  need  a  new 
note.  Who  among  the  many  libret- 
tists and  lyric  writers  will  find  it  for 
"The  Follies  of  1919?" 


THE      Fourth      of      July      was 
brought  to  a  memorable  close 
at  the  Stadium  of  the  College 
of   the   City    of    New    York,    where, 
with   Secretary  Daniels   as  guest   of 
honor,   for   four  hours  the  talent  of 
the  army  and  navy,  the  stage,  musk, 
and    society    raised    a    crescendo    of 
patriotism. 

The  programme  began  at  twilight 
with  a  naval  band,  a  sham  battle  by 


sailors  from  Pelham,  and  a  drill  by 
the  marines. 

Mme.  Tamaki  Miura,  a  diminutive 
figure,  in  a  gorgeous  kimono,  sang 
the  Japanese  anthem,  and  Un  bel 
di  from  "Butterfly,"  that  is  hers  by 
right  of  birth. 

Then  eighteen  hundred  singing- 
sailors  from  Pelham  marched  on  the 
field,  the  rows  of  dazzling  white 
uniforms  only  broken  by  the  colors 
of  the  flags  standing  at  attention 
before  the  reviewing  stand.  Flags 
of  electric  lights  flashed  out  of  the 
darkness  behind  them,  and  under  the 
zealous  direction  of  Percy  Hemus, 
one  of  the  best  Government  song- 
leaders,  tney  sang  the  good  old 
songs,  and  the  new  ones,  too. 

Schumann-Heink,  who  from  coast 
to  coast  has  become  a  mother  to 
every  boy  in  the  army,  sang  Oley 
Speaks'  "When  the  Boys  Co'tne 
Home,"  and  the  "Star  Spangled 
Banner,"  as  they  can  only  be  sung 
with  the  heart  besides  the  voice. 
Then  she  was  escorted  to  the  re- 
viewing stand  to  watch  the  rest  of 
the  programme,  a  pleasant  arrange- 
ment that  was  repeated  as  each 
artist  finished. 

Ethel    Barrymore,    a    slim    vision 
again,  opened  the  pageant  proper  by 
reciting    Zoe    Akins'    "Ode    to    the 
Allies,"  and  the  spirit  of  it  so  over- 
whelmed her,  with  the  departure  of 
her    husband,    Lieutenant    Colt,    for 
France,   and  the  loss  of  her  cousin, 
Rankin  Drew,  at  the  front,  that  the 
whole      audience      understood      and 
sympathized   when   Miss   Barrymore, 
the     actress,     was     forgotten,     and 
Ethel  Barrymore,  the  woman,  broke 
into   sobs   at   the   end,   and  was   as- 
sisted  from  the  platform. 

Then  Miss  Virginia  Hylan,  the 
mayor's  daughter,  as  New  York,  led 
the  thirteen  original  states,  and  the 
Allies,  represented  by  society  women 
and  prominent  actresses,  each  with  an 
escort  of  their  own  officers  and  men, 
ending  with  the  singing  of  the  na- 
tional anthems  by  Anna  Fitziu  for 
America,  Dora  Gibson  for  England, 
and  Muratore's  inspired  "Marseil- 
laise" as  the  climax  of  it  all. 


VICTOR  RECORDS 

A  very  timely  and  inspiring  or- 
chestra number  is  Victor  Herbert's 
"American  Fanlasie"  played  by  Vic- 
tor Herbert's  Orchestra  on  a  Victor 
Record  just  issued.  The  fantasie  is 
a  brilliant  piece  of  musicianship.  A 
magnificent  introductory  movement 
leads  to  a  full  orchestral  presenta- 
tion of  "Hail  Columbia,"  and  there 
follows  such  soul-thrilling  airs  as 
'The  Old  Folks  at  Home,"  "The 
Girl  I  Left  Behind  Me,"  "Dixie" 
"Columbia  the  Gem  of  the  Ocean." 
Billy  Murray  rolls  off  one  of  his 
inimitable  Irish  songs— "They  Were 
All  Out  of  Step  But  Jim." 

On    the    reverse    of    the     record 

bailor      Reilly    sings    "We're    All 

Going    Calling    On    the    Kaiser—to 

Fit  Him  With  a  Wooden  Kimono." 

The    Peerless    Quartet    presents    a 

song  that  we  are  all  willing  to  echo— 

"We'll  Do  Our  Share  (While  You're 

Over  There.)"  _Adv 


[112] 


COLUMBIA  RECORDS 

Scintillating  with  stars  is  the  list 
of  new  Columbia  records  for  August ! 
ihere  are,  among  the  operatic  and 
concert  artists,  Barrientos,  Lazaro 
Sascha  Jacobsen  and  Hulda  Lashan- 
ska;  from  the  lighter  stage  Al  Tol- 
son  Nora  Bayes,  Harry  Fox,  Van 
I  Schenck  and  the  Farber  Sisters  • 
with  war  songs  and  popular  musicai 
nits  ot  the  day  sung  by  such  well- 
known  singers  as  Campbell  and 
Burr  Robert  Lewis,  Arthur  Fields, 
Charles  Harrison  and  the  Peerless 
wuartet. 

Barrientos,  who  made  musical  his- 
tory last  season  at  the  Metropolitan 
Opera  ,n  "I  Puritani,"  selects   from 
his    great    opera    one    of    its    most 
charming   melodies,    "Qui  la   Vvce" 
for  her  August  Columbia  record     It 
i   the  mad   scerie-a   glittering   col- 
lection   of    runs    and    roulades    just 
suited    to    the   superb    voice    of    the 
brilliant  Spanish  prima  donna. 

— Adv. 


-, 


\  neatre  na 


Cents      $3.50  a  Year 


TITLE  HCG.U.S.PAT.OFF. 
VOL. XXVIII  NO.  Zll 


zme 

SEPTEMBER,    1918 


e 


UL 


A 


J  "    H 


Kac  not 


of  fragrance 


VIOLETS 

rented 
Gold  Ti  pi 


J/f/T' 


Theatre  Magazine,  Septemoer,  1918 


NEW  SONGS  FOR  SEPTEMBER 


Smiles  ..... 

Bluebird 

Mandy  and  Me 

When  we  went  to  Sunday  School 


Callahan  6-  Roberts 
.        Clare  Kummer 
Gamble  &  McKenna 
Kahn— Van  Alstyn 


I'll  Love  you  More  for  Losing  You  A  While 

Egan— Whiting 

We'll  Build  a  Rainbow  in  the  Sky  Whiting— Egan 

It  Might  as  Well  be  You     .         .         Kahn—  Van  Alstyne 
When  We  Meet  in  the  Sweet  Bye  and  Bye 

Stanley  Murphy 

For  Your  Boy  and  My  Boy        .         Kahn—  Van  Alslyne 
Ragtime  Mose's  Old  Time  Bombashay— 

Van — Schenck — Franklin 

Cotton  Hollow  Harmony  .         .         Whiting— Mason 

My  Girl  of  the  Southland  .        .        Brown — Holer 

A  Little  Birch  Canoe  and  You       .         .  Roberts 

She  Was  Not  so  Bad  for  a  Country  Girl        Bud  DeSylva 
Tackin'  Em  Down         .         .         .  Gamble — DeSylva 

POPULAR  OPERATIC  HITS 

N'  Everything  ....         Sung  by  AlJoLon 

But— After  The  Ball  Is  Over  .  Sung  by  Eddie  Cantor 
A  Wonderful  Thing  .  .  .  Sung  by  Sallie  Fisher 
I'm  Over  Here  and  You're  Over  There — My  Baby 
Talk  Lady — The  Gallie-Curci  Rag — Trombone  Jazz, 
From  the  Passing  Show  of  1918  at  the  Winter  Garden. 

For  sale  wherever  music  is  sold,  or  of  the  publishers 

JEROME  H.  REMICK  &  CO. 

CHICAGO  NEW  YORK  DETROIT 


Richard  Walton  Tully 

Season  1918—1919 

ATTRACTIONS 


MR.  €r  MRS.  SIDNEY  DREW 

appearing  personally  in 

"KEEP  HER  SMILING" 

by  John  Hunter  Booth 
Now  Playing  at  Aslor  Theatre,  New  York 


GUY  BATES  POST 


in 


THE  MASQUERADER 

by  John  Hunter  Booth 
On  Tour 


Two  Companies  in 

THE  BIRD  OF  PARADISE 

by  Richard  Walton  Tully 


I  Management  Oliver   Morosco  ' 


AUTHORS  ATTENTION! 

We  are  in  the  market  for  good  stories  suitable  for  the  film.  Money 
is  no  consideration — what  we  want  are  bright  ideas.  Have  you  a  side 
splitting  farce,  a  powerful  drama,  a  pleasant  comedy  or  a  successful 
play  that  would  make  a  sensational  screen  success  ?  We  want  it! 

If  you  are  a  famous  author  who  wants  prompt  consideration,  let  us 
have  your  story.  If  you  are  an  untried,  but  worthy  photoplaywright, 
submit  your  plots  to  us.  No  matter  who  you  are,  or  where  you  come 
from,  if  you  have  a  corking  good  film  scenario,  it  will  pay  you  to 
get  in  touch  with  us ! 

We  will  pay  well  for  the  best  material !  BUT  IT  MUST  BE  THE 
BEST !  And  if  possible  material  that  has  been  published  in  Book 
or  Magazine  form. 

Address  L  B  C  cto 

The  THEATRE  MAGAZINE 


[121] 


3  features  you  will  find  in  the 

METROPOLITAN   every   month 

and  in  no  other  magazine- 


GOLONEL  ROOSEVELT'S  PAGE 

The  Issues  of  the  day  interpreted  and  flavored  with  the 
robust  Americanism  of  "an  American's  American." 


Theodore  Roosevelt 


THE    WORLD 
TIDE 

The  world  and  the  great 
forces  directing  the  des- 
tinies of  nations  seen 
through  the  eyes  of 
one  who  knows  the 
Bagdad  Railroad  as  you 
know  your  home  street. 


H.  J.  Whigham 


THE    BUSINESS    OF    LIVING 

The  whimsical,  sane  and  heartening  philosophy  and 
observations  of  one  who  loves  books  and  life.  The 
freshest  feature  you  will  find  in  any  magazine. 


Clarence  Day,  Jr. 


The  above   plus  special  articles  and  real  life   fiction   go   to  make  the 
METROPOLITAN    incomparably     the     best    magazine    in    America 


This  coupon  will  bring  the  METROPOLITAN  to 
your  home  every  month.  Send  no  money  now. 
Wait  for  our  bill.  Enroll  now  and  make  sure  of 
your  copy.  The  editions  of  the  METROPOLITAN 
are  limited  because  of  paper  conservation. 


[122] 


T.  M. 

METROPOLITAN,    432  Fourth  Ave.,     N.  Y. 

Send  me  the  METROPOLITAN,  each 
month,  for  one  year.  I  will  remit  $2.00  on 
receipt  of  your  bill  and  first  copy  of  my  sub- 
scription. 

Name 


Address 


Canadian  postage,  50c;  foreien  postage.  85c. 


Theatre  Magaiine,  September, 


"I  Am  Against  the  Postal  'Zone'  Law" 

Ambassador  Gerard  Denounces  It  Because 
It   Would   Help   German    Propaganda 


THE  newspapers  and  m&g- 
azines     of     this     country 
are  the  chief  educational 
agencies  of  our  nation,   and   as 
such  of  supreme  importance  in 
our    principles    of    Government. 
The   widest   possible   circulation 
of  publications  ought  to  be  fa- 
cilitated as  a  wise  public  policy. 

The  postal  "zone"  system  was 
abolished  by  Abraham  Lincoln 
in  1863  and  has  since  been  con- 
demned by  United  States  Postal 
Commissions  and  postal  experts. 
Such  a  law  was  denounced  by 
President  Wilson  when  he  was 
governor  of  New  Jersey. 

This  postal  "zone"  system  is 
dangerous  to  our  national  prog- 
ress and  citizenship ;  because  it 
would  sectionalize  the  country ; 
because  it  would  penalize  read- 
ers by  their  accidental  remote- 
ness from  the  city  of  publica- 
tion ;  and  because  it  would  make 
difficult  the  knowledge  and 
achievements  of  American 
thought  and  patriotism. 

There  is  a  direct  relationship 
between  wide  reading,  accessibil- 
ity of  information — and  effective 
patriotism.  Reading  should  be 
encouraged — and  the  history  of 
our  postal  development  from 
George  Washington  to  the  pres- 
ent proves  this.  This  is  what 
George  Washington  said : 

"But  here  I  cannot  forbear  to 
recommend  a  repeal  of  the  tax 
on  the  transportation  of  public 
prints.  There  is  no  resource 
so  firm  for  the  Government  of 
the  United  States  as  the  affec- 
tions of  the  people,  guided  by 
an  enlightened  policy,  and  to 
this  primary  good  nothing  can 
conduce  more  than  a  faithful 
representation  of  public  proceed- 
ings, diffused  without  restraint 
throughout  the  United  States." 
(George  Washington's  Fifth 
Annual  Message  to  Congress, 
December  3,  1793.) 


Our  postage  on  magazine*  is 
FOUR  times  the  Canada  rate. 
Our  Congress  has  increased  mag- 
azine postage  by  50  to  900  per 
cent  through  a  "zone"  system— 
and  during  the  greatest  crisis  this 
nation  has  ever  faced. 

Canada  has  raised  postal  rate* 
during  the  war  on  every  class  ex- 
cept newspapers  and  magazines. 
Canada  recognized  the  vital  need 
of  widespread  reading  to  help 
win  the  war. 

Our  Congress  has  passed  a  law 
to  throttle  reading  during  the  war 
and  after  it  by  this  postal  "zone" 
system  and  a  50  to  900  per  cent 
postage  increase!  Demand  its 
repeal— at  once. 


t'hoto  Copyright  by  Underwood  &  Underwood 

AMBASSADOR  JAMES  W.  GERARD 

Ambassador  Gerard  said: 

"Now  we  have  to  meet  this  German  Propaganda. 

The  war  is  not  going  to  last  forever— and  you  have 
seen  what  German  Propaganda  has  done  in  Russia. 
These  are  grave  dangers,  and  they  only  go  to  show 
what  can  happen  in  a  country  like  Russia. 

"Fortunately,  they  cannot  propaganda  this  country 
as  they  can  Russia,  because  we  have  great  publica- 
tions that  go  all  over  the  country  and  have  unified 
the  whole  country  and  the  whole  continent.  That  is 
why  I  am  against  postal  "zone"  law  passed  in  the  last 
Congress  putting  an  extra  tax  on  papers  sent  from  the 
cities  where  published. 

"They  forget  that,  whether  these  publications  go 
from  Philadelphia,  from  San  Francisco,  or  from  Chi- 
cago, it  is  the  exchange  of  these  papers  from  and  to 
all  parts  of  the  country  that  makes  one,  universal, 
united  America. 

"They  unify  the  sentiment,  and  that  is  worth  far 
more  in  this  war  than  the  small  amount  of  extra 
postage  which  the  Government  will  obtain." 


WIDESPREAD   opportuni- 
ty of  reading  means  effi- 
cient    patriotism — it      is 
proved  by  facts.    Could  any  fact 
be   of   greater   significance   than 
the   following : 

\Yhen  the  recruiting  of 
American  soldiers  for  this  great 
and  righteous  war  was  begun 
one  year  ago,  each  State  was 
alloted  a  certain  quota  of  en- 
listments. One  year  after  eight 
States  failed  to  complete  their 
quotas — and  six  of  these  are 
from  States  showing  the  highest 
percentage  of  illiteracy  in  our 

entire  country: 

Per  cent,  of 
illiteracy  by 
last  census. 

Arkansas 12% 

Louisiana 19% 

Mississippi 22% 

North   Carolina. . .  18% 

South   Carolina. . .  25% 

Virginia 15% 

In  those  States  there  is  no 
magazine  circulation  to  speak  of. 

Magazine  circulations  are  but 
small  in  those  states — every 
publisher's  circulation  list  proves 
this.  How  could  the  ringing 
appeals  to  patriotism  and  sacri- 
fice published  widespread  by  the 
magazines  reach  the  minds  of 
those  who  do  not  read ! 

Read  Ambassador  Gerard's 
statement  that  magazines  unify 
sentiment  and  make  one,  uni- 
versal, united  America. 

And  this  postal  "zone"  law 
would  kill  magazines  and  re- 
strict their  circulation  in  the 
greatest  crisis  that  has  ever  con- 
fronted this  nation  since  the 
American  Revolution. 

Repeal  this  law. 


Restrict  periodical  reading  and 
you  aid  German  propaganda — 
read  Ambassador  Gerard's  con- 
demnation of  this  same  postal 
"zone"  law. 

Oppose  this  law.  Write  to  your 
Senators  and  Congressmen  against 
this  disastrous  postal  "zone"  Uw 
— and  drmand  its  repeal. 

Get  your  friends  and  family  to 
write.  Circulate  a  petition  de- 
manding its  repeal. 

Read  Ambassador  Gerard'* 
word  once  again.  Enroll  to  fight 
this  disastrous  postal  "zone"  law 
and  if  you  will  help,  you  have 
helped — by  discu**ion,  by  letter 
to  Congress,  by  petition — send 
your  name  at  once  to  CHARLES 
JOHNSON  POST,  200  Fifth  Ave., 
New  York  City. 


[123] 


QUESTIONS 

BY  AMATEURS 


The  letters  reproduced  on  this  page  speak  eloquently  of  the 
scope  and  variety  of  work  that  is  being  done  by  amateurs. 
We  wish  we  could  publish  all  the  letters  that  come  to  us 
with  every  mail  from  practically  every  State  in  the  Union. 


AX    amateur    from   Knoxville,   Term.,   writes : 
"Will  you  kindly  tell  me  what  in  theatrical 
vernacular   'trying  it   out   on    the  dog'   means?" 


When  a  play  ii  produced,  it  is  sometimes 
shown  first  at  Atlantic  City,  Albany  or  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  principally  with  the  idea  of  giving 
the  producers  an  opportunity  to  "whip  it  into 
shape."  and  make  necessary  cuts  and  changes 
before  it  is  given  its  premiere  on  Broadway.  As 
a  specific  example — the  "Ziegfeld  Follies,"  now 
running,  had  its  opening  night  at  Atlantic  City 
where  it  played  for  one  week  before  being  shown 
on  Broadway.  Harmanus  Bleecker  Hall,  Albany, 
has  been  a  favorite  of  William  Faversham,  for 
his  opening  performances.  A  great  many  Shu- 
bert  productions  are  first  shown  at  the  Shubert 
Theatre,  New  Haven,  Conn.  Then  before  the 
play  makes  its  bow  to  Broadway — and  the  critics 
— who  are  always  present  at  the  first-night  per- 
formance— it  is  pruned  and  polished  down,  the 
dialogue  changed  where  necessary,  and  the  com- 
pany thoroughly  rehearsed  so  that  a  finished 
performance  is  assured. 


FROM  New  Bedford,  Mass.:  "A  clever  lit- 
tle group  of  amateur  players  are  endeavor- 
ing to  awake  small  town  interest  in  the  'Over- 
Seas'  affairs.  These  players  are  looking  for  a 
play  somewhat  on  the  style  of  Jane  Cowl's 
'Lilac  Time.'  Could  this  be  procured  for  an 
amateur  production  for  a  Red  Cross  benefit 
without  too  exorbitant  a  royalty?  If  not  this, 
will  you  advise  one  that  has  a  strong  appeal 
along  similar  lines  with  a  leading  female  char- 
acter." 


We  do  not  believe  it  would  be  possible  to  get 
"Lilac  Time"  under  any  circumstances,  since 
Jane  Cowl,  who  is  one  of  the  authors  of  the  play 
has  been  appearing  in  it  on  the  road,  and  until 
it  is  released  for  "stock"  it  cannot  be  used.  We 
are  asking  several  reliable  play,  brokers  to  send 
you  catalogues  of  plays  which  they  have  in  stock 
to  fill  your  needs. 


FROM  the  Kimogenor  Point  Club,  Long 
Island :  "Having  a  fairly  good  cast  and 
characters,  which  we  think  and  hope  will  be 
suited  to  our  needs,  we  have  decided  on  Dun- 
sany's  "Night  At  An  Inn.''  Will  you  inform  us 
whether  it  would  be  possible  to  produce  the  play 
without  any  formalities  other  than  securing  and 
learning  our  manuscripts?  This  curtain  raiser 
would  be  for  the  benefit  of  the  Red  Cross.  Will 
you  let  us  know  of  a  firm  where  we  can  secure 
suitable  scenery — also  will  you  inform  us  where 
manuscripts  may  be  secured,  and  how  we  will 
be  able  to  rig  t  p  the  god  'klesh'  from  Dunsany's 
play'" 


.! 


IF  YOU  WANT  TO  KNOW- 

Where  to  rent  scenery 
Where  to  rent  costumes 
How  to  obtain  plays 
How  to  obtain  manuscripts 
Anything  concerning  an 
Amateur  Production  — 

The  Amateur  Department 
Will  Tell  You 


in  all  three  acts.  If  you  wish  to  hire  the 
"Prunella"  costumes  we  believe  we  can  put  you 
in  touch  with  theatrical  costumers  who  can  sup- 
ply them. 


1I/HEi\  sending  inquiries,  please 
'*  do  not  forget  to  enclose  a 
stamped,  addressed  envelope  for 
reply. 

When  submitting  photographs  of 
amateur  productions,  for  publication 
in  the  Theatre  Magazine,  be  sure 
to  write  all  the  information  concern- 
ing the  play  and  the  players  and 
the  name  and  address  of  the  sender, 
on  the  back  of  each  photograph. 


1  o  produce  the  play  you  must  obtain  the  con- 
sent of  the  author  Lord  Dunsany,  or  it  might 
be  obtained  from  Harrison  Grey  Fiske,  19  West 
44th  Street,  New  York,  who  has  purchased  the 
producing  rights.  As  regards  the  scenery,  we 
have  an  arcicle  about  the  play  in  the  July,  1916, 
issue  of  the  THEATRE  MAGAZINE  with  illustra- 
tions showing  the  stage  set  and  a  separate 
drawing  of  the  god  "klesh"  from  which  you 
can  make  a  very  good  working  model.  You  can 
also  get  pointers  as  regards  setting,  costumes 
and  other  details  from  this  article.  The  play 
was  originally  done  by  the  Neighborhood  Play- 
ers, Grand  Street,  New  York,  and  the  original 
manuscript  would  have  to  be  obtained  from 
Harrison  Grey  Fiske.  There  is  a  firm  in  New 
York  who  manufacture  very  convincing  and 
easily  adjusted  paper  scenery  which  may  be 
hung  up.  We  are  asking  them  to  communicate 
witli  vou. 


FROM  the  Emma  Willard  School,  Troy, 
N.  Y.  :  "We  are  going  to  produce  'Prunella' 
in  June.  We  want  a  suggestion  for  'Prunella's' 
costume  in  the  third  act.  We  thought  of  artistic 
tatters  but  cannot  picture  the  costume  in  mind 
—  can  you  ?" 


In  the  December,  1913,  issue  of  the  THEATRE 
MAGAZINE  there  is  a  full  page  of  scenes  from 
"Prunella,"  showing  very  clearly  her  costumes 


THE  Footlights  Club  of  Honolulu.  Hawaii: 
"Our  Club  intends  in  the  coming  season, 
to  put  on  two  or  three  programs  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  Red  Cross  and  we  should  like,  if  pos- 
sible, to  use  Barrie's  three  one-act  war  plays 
for  our  opening  program  in  November.  We 
have  a  little  theatre  of  our  own,  the  Lauai  Thea- 
tre— and  all  our  net  proceeds  are  turned  over 
at  once  to  the  American  Red  Cross.  Last  win- 
ter, in  two  bills  of  three  one-act  plays  each,  we 
cleared  five  hundred  dollars  in  four  nights.  Will 
you  let  me  know  where  I  can  get  Barrie's  three 
little  war  plays— and  whom  to  address  concern- 
ing possibly  nominal  royalty  ? 


We  suggest  that  you  address  an  inquiry  t» 
Charles  Frohman,  Inc.,  Empire  Theatre,  New- 
York,  regarding  the  three  Barrie  plays.  They 
are  in  a  position  to  give  you  full  information. 


A  SHERWOOD,  Wis.,  amateur  asks:  "\Vill 
*"*•  you  kindly  send  me  a  list  of  good  three 
to  five-act  dramas,  etc.,  for  male  characters 
only?" 

*  *         * 

T^ROM  Pittsburg,  Pa.:  "Can  you  tell  me 
A  where  I  can  get  a  short  play  or  musical 
comedy  suitable  for  home  talent?  It  must  be 
something  that  can  be  put  on  in  ten  days.  Two 
short  sketches  would  answer." 

*  *         * 

T^ROM  Richmond,  Va.:  "Will  you  kindly 
A  send  me  a  list  of  the  firms  from  whom  I 
can  purchase  play  manuscripts,  musical  and 
dramatic?" 


We  are  always  glad  to  see  that  catalogues, 
etc.,  are  sent  inquirers  like  the  above,  from 
reliable  playbrokers  who  are  specialists  in 
catering  to  amateur  needs. 


Plays  For  Soldier  Audiences 

JV/TANY  inquiries  come  to  us  for  plays  re- 
i.»-i.  quiring  little  or  no  scenery,  other  than 
a  back  drop,  and  suitable  in  character  for  sol- 
dier audinces.  We  have  an  interesting  cata- 
logue of  just  such  plays,  which  we  shall  be  very 
glad  to  mail  on  request. 


[124] 


THEATRE  MAGAZINE 


A 


PLAY  a  day! 

That's  the  slogan  for  the  new  theat- 
rical  year. 

The  season  started  off  with  a  sure  fire 
hit,   and   judging  by   the   managers'   plans 
which   seldom   go  awry    (God   forgive   us) 
there'll     be     some    high 
sailing. 

Here's  luck  to  it !  May 
it  have  fair  weather,  hit 
few  shoals,  and  bring 
joy  to  1918  theatre  au- 
diences. 


SEPTEMBER,     1918 

No  custom  of  the  playhouse  calls  for 
more  drastic  reform. 

Read  "The  Curtain  Call"  in  the  Octo- 
ner  THEATRE  MAGAZINE  and  learn  about 
all  these  absurdities  which  dampen  rather 
than  enhance  pleasures  of  theatregoing. 


WE   hear 
and 


PITY  the  poor  mana- 
ger! 

He  has  a  hereditary 
enemy  in  that  bugaboo 
of  the  theatre— the  crit- 
ic. 

The  producer  looks 
to  the  critic  for  guid- 
ance. Does  he  get  it? 

George  Jean  Nathan 
says  no.  He  declares 
that  in  the  last  dozen 
years  not  a  single  critic 
has  expressed  a  single 
philosophy  or  a  single 
recommendation  that  has 
helped  an  American  pro- 
ducer or  playwright — 
with  some  exceptions, 
he  of  course,  included. 

An  interesting  article, 
full  of  "punch,"  written 
in  Mr.  Nathan's  inimi- 
table style,  in  the  Octo- 
ber issue. 


HAVE  you  ever  been 
annoyed  at  the 
theatre  when,  for  no 
possible  reason  that  you 
can  discover,  large 
greasy  palms  and  big 
gaping  mouths  yell  for 
"author"  and  "star"  and 
insist  on  a  speech  being 
made  when  there's 
nothing  to  say. 

This  is  one  of  the 
great  abuses  of  the  thea- 
tre, for  it  kills  all  illu- 
sion. Sometimes  it  is 
carried  to  such  ridicu- 
lous extremes  that  an 
actor  who  has  just  ex- 
pired on  the  stage,  is 
forced  to  rise  from  the 
dead  to  answer  a 
frenzied  curtain  sum- 
mons. 


T 


•UE 


ALMA  TELL  Cover 

MARJORIE  RAMBEAU  Frontispiece 

WHAT  THE  PUBLIC  NEEDS  128 

IN  THE  SEASON'S  EARLY  OFFERINGS— Full  page  of  pictures  129 

NEW  SHOWS  FOR  BROADWAY  130 

SCENES   IN   "ALLEGIANCE"  131 

ELSIE  OF  THE  U.  S.  A.                       Private  Andrew  Armstrong  133 
BRIGHT  LIGHTS  IN  COMING  ATTRACTIONS, 

Full  page  of  pictures  133 

A  PAGE  FROM  YESTERDAY  134 

OLD  FAVORITES  IN  NEW  PLAYS— Full  page  of  pictures  135 
THE  PEOPLE,  THE  THEATRE  AND  THE  WAR, 

Charlotte   Wells  136 
TRANSPLANTING  THE  ORIENT  TO  BROADWAY, 

Full  page  of  pictures  13? 

JAKIE  IS  A  MANAGER                                                  Harriet  Kent  138 

MARY    NASH— Full-page    portrait  139 

NEW  YORK'S  FAMOUS  POLICE  BAND             Walter  T.  Howe  140 

MANHATTAN'S    "FINEST"    AS    MUSICIANS  141 

A  SAILOR   SCORES   IN   PICTURESQUE   DANCES  142 

MR.   HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY  143 
''Friendly  Enemies,"   "The  Passing  Show  of  1918,"   "Alle- 
giance,"  "The  Blue    Pearl,"   "Keep  Her  Smiling." 

SCENES  IN   "THE  PASSING   SHOW"  145 

TEMPERAMENT                                                                   Mildred    Cram  146 

IN   THE   MIMIC   WORLD— Full  page   of  pictures  147 

WAR  IS  HELL,  BUT—                                           Edwin  Carty  Ranch  148 

OUR  YOUNGER  ACTORS— Full  page  of  pictures  149 

THE  WALLACK  CENTENNIAL                           Charles  Burnham  150 

VIRGINIA  FOX  BROOKS— Full-page  portrait  151 

A  SHORT  COURSE  IN  PLAYGOING                           Vera.  Bloom  152 
TURNING   A    MANUSCRIPT    INTO    A    PLAY, 

Full   page   of   pictures  153 

THE  JEW  ON  THE  STAGE                                        Ada  Patterson  154 

STAGE  PERSONALITIES— Full   page   of   pictures  155 

THEATRE  THOUGHTS                                                   Harold  Seton  156 

WILLIAM   FAVERSHAM— Full-page  portrait  157 

"OLE  CLOES"                                                                Frances  L.  Garside  158 

THREE   GRACES  OF   "THE   FOLLIES"— Full   page   of  pictures  159 

MY  FIRST  PLAY                                                                     Lisle  Bell  160 

SCENES  IN  "PATSY  ON  THE  WING"  161 

FOOTLIGHT   FASHIONS                                             Anne  Archbald  160 

MOTION   PICTURE   SECTION                               Edited   by  Mirilo  177 


a   good    deal    about   actors, 
a    good    deal    about    theatre 
managers.      But    nobody    outside    of    the 
theatre   knows   much   about  the   stage   di- 
rector— the    most   important    of    them    all. 
The  stage  director  is  the  power  behind 
the  throne,  the  man  who 
pulls  the   strings  in  the 
theatre. 

He  is  despotic,  his 
will  is  absolute  law, 
and  he  must  possess  the 
patience  of  Job. 

Charles  Burnham 
writes  an  entertaining 
article  in  the  next  issue, 
full  of  anecdotes  of 
famous  stage  directors 
he  has  known. 


LOUIS   MEYER,  PAUL   MEYER 

Publishers 

ARTHUR  HORNBLOW 
Editor 


THE  THEATRE  IS  PUBLISHED  MONTHLY  BY  THE  THEATRE 
MAGAZINE  COMPANY,  6  EAST  39TH  STREET,  NEW  YORK 
HENRY  STERN,  PRESIDENT;  LOUIS  MEYER,  TREASURER; 
PAUL  MEYER,  SECRETARY.  SINGLE  COPIES  ARE  THIRTY- 
FIVE  CENTS;  THREE  DOLLARS  AND  A  HALF  BY  THE  YEAR. 
FOREIGN  COUNTRIES,  ADD  $1.00  FOR  MAIL;  CANADA,  ADD  85c. 


IMPORTANT  NOTICE; 
TO  SUBSCRIBERS 


If  you  change  your  address,  we  must  ask  that  you  notify  us  not  later  than 
the  tenth  of  the  month,  otherwise  the  next  issue  will  go  to  your  old 
address  and  we  cannot  replace  it. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


will 


NO     one 
that    players 


deny 
have 

more     interesting     lives 
than    ordinary    mortals. 

Their  days  are  cram- 
med full  of  excitement, 
bustle,  hustle  and  un- 
usual experiences. 

In  our  next  issue  we 
have  a  special  treat  in 
store  for  our  readers. 
Prominent  players  have, 
in  their  own  words,  told 
"The  Most  Striking  Epi- 
sode in  My  Life,"  and 
in  October  we  shall  be- 
gin to  publish  the  first 
of  the  series. 

Read  about  Geraldine 
Farrar's  courtship,  Ray- 
mond Hitchcock's,  job 
at  Wanamaker's,  Irene 
Franklin's  unique  wed- 
ding, etc.  One  is  more 
entertaining  than  the 
other,  and  they're  alt 
novel. 


w 


stage 


play- 


'HAT  if  the 
goes  dry? 

What  will  the 
wrights  and  players  do? 
Many  plays  and  situa- 
tions depend  upon  alco- 
hol for  their  effects — 
amusing  or  tragic.  As 
for  the  comedian— all 
comedy  of  the  red  nose 
variety  at  once  becomes 
obsolete. 

An  amusing  article  by 
Lisle  Bell  in  the  THEA- 
TRE MAGAZINE  for  Oc- 
tober. 


COPYRIGHT    ]<l]8    BV  THE  THEATRE  MAGAZINE  CO.       TRADE    MARK   REG.    U.    S.    PAT.    OFF. 


ENTERED  AT  POST  OFFICE,  NEW  YORK,  AS  SECOND  CLASS)  MAIL  MATTER 


Hosiery 


Tl  T'ARTIME  shopping  starts  with  attractive  hose — for  the  plain 
little  frocks  of  wartime  demand  that  touch  of  effectiveness  which 
smart  hose  alone  can  give.     "Onyx"  is  indeed  the  wartime  hose- 
for  its  novel  shades  and  attractive  patterns  are  designed  to  glorify 
the  simplest  frock  and  make  the  wearer  irresistible. 


Your  favorite  shop  has 
all  the  Autumn  Styles  in 
"Onyx" — in  the  shades 
and  colors  that  everyone 
is  asking  for.  If  you 
need  our  help  u'rite  to 
us. 


"Onyx"  has  long  held 
the  trust  and  confidence 
of  a  most  discerning 
public  and  is  to-day  the 
national  reliance  for 
Hosiery,  Style,  Quality 
and  Value. 


Emery  &  Beers  Company,  inc.  NEWYORK 


' 


of'Onyx 


126 


THEATRE  MAGAZINE 


VOL.  XXXIII.    No.  211. 


SEPTEMBER,  1918 


ait  by  Maurice  Goldberg 

MARJORIE    RAMBEAU 
The  star  of  a  new  war  play  now  at  the  Republic,  entitled,  "Where   Poppies   Bloom" 


Theatre  Magazine,  September,  igll 

aiilllinilliiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiii II n II nun iiiiuiiilii minimi nmiiiiimiim II I inini ""mum I I Illiiiiliniiiiliiiiiiiilli iiimiiiiiiiini iliilillll i(| 


WHAT    THE    PUBLIC    NEEDS 


•>  > 


THE  occasion  was  a  recent  Broadway  pre- 
miere of  a  play  that  had  been  highly 
successful  out  of  town  and  which  bids 
fair  to  run  a  year  in  New  York. 

At  the  end  of  the  third  act  there  were  loud 
cries  of  "Author !"  but  no  author  being  forth- 
coming, one  of  the  stars  of  the  occasion, 
Louis  Mann,  made  a  short  and  tactful  speech  of 
appreciation.  But  Mr.  Mann,  in  his  remarks, 
did  not  confine  himself  to  the  play  "Friendly 
Enemies,"  in  which  he  and  his  associates  had 
just  scored  so  well  deserved  a  success.  He  took 
advantage  of  the  opportunity  thus  offered  to 
sound  a  loud  blast  of  praise  of  the  producer, 
whom  he  referred  to  as  "the  genius  of  the 
American  drama." 

An  exact  stenographic  report  of  the  address  is 
not  at  hand,  but  the  laudations  were  unqualified. 
We  were  told  that  this  producer  is  a  great  artist, 
a  pillar  of  our  stage,  and  one  to  whom  the  fu- 
ture of  our  theatre  may  be  safely  entrusted  be- 
cause ''he  knows  what  the  public  needs." 

The  speaker,  of  course,  probably  only  intended 
his  remarks  as  a  graceful  and,  as  he  thought,  well 
deserved  compliment  to  his  manager.  Possibly 
he  did  not  expect  his  words  to  be  taken  literally. 
It  was  only  a  curtain  speech,  and  one  must  say 
something  when  called  on  to  make  a  curtain 
speech,  even  if  sometimes  it  be  at  the  expense  of 
veracity  and  historical  accuracy. 


IS  it  true  that  this  particular  producer  is  a 
great  artist,  a  pillar  of  our  stage? 

He  has  been  reported  as  saying  in  interviews 
that  his  policy  regarding  plays  is  always 
one  of  instantaneous  decision.  If  a  play  appeals 
to  him  at  first  sight,  he  backs  it.  If  not,  he 
never  gives  it  a  second  thought. 

In  other  words,  he  depends  chiefly  in  this 
matter  on  instinct.  He  has  a  fiair  for  the  thea- 
tre. His  subconscious  mind  tells  him  what  will 
succeed  and  what  will  fail.  The  "little  men" 
who  overnight  wrote  stories  for  Robert  Louis 
Stevenson  pick  plays  for  this  particular  genius 
of  the  stage. 

It  might  be  suggested  that  one  who  follows 
such  a  policy  was  probably  suspicious  of  his  own 
higher  faculties.  It  is  confusing  to  think  such 
matters  out:  the  procedure  requires  so  much  in 
the  way  of  taste,  discrimination,  and  back- 
ground of  artistic  knowledge. 

At  all  events  we  are  asked  to  entrust  the 
American  drama  to  the  instinct  of  this  manager. 

He  "knows  what  the  public  needs." 

Presumably  it  is  this  confidential  and  semi- 
divine  "inner  light"  that  guides  his  choice  of 
dramatic  fare  for  the  public. 

This  year  he  begins  well.  He  has  unques- 
tionably hit  the  bull's  eye  with  "Friendly  Ene- 
mies." This  clean,  wholesome  play  with  its 
honest,  human  touch  and  spirit  of  fine  patriot- 
ism, goes  far  to  make  amends  for  other  pieces, 
presented  by  the  same  manager,  that  would  hard- 
ly bear  the  test  of  close  scrutiny. 

How  *  about  the  dramatic  fare  this  pro- 
ducer offered  us  last  season?  Did  you  find  there 
the  same  moral  uplift?  Were  the  plays  he  gave 
us  the  plays  the  public  needs?  Let  us  see 


Included  therein  were  "Mary's  Ankle" — a  loud 
and  silly  farce  which  even  New  York  could  not 
stomach  overlong;  "Business  Before  Pleasure' 
— another  stage  presentation  of  such  matter  as 
makes  up  the  popular  newspaper  "comics" 
headed  "Abie  the  Agent" ;  "Parlor,  Bedroom, 
and  Bath" — a  piece  whose  title  flaunts  the  vul- 
garity which  is  its  foundation,  and  "An  Amer- 
ican Ace" — the  most  jejune  and  puerile  melo- 
drama that  has  had  metropolitan  production  in 
a  decade. 

Vastly  much  more  could  be  said  regarding 
this  managerial  record,  but  this  is  enough. 

What  the  public  needs ! 


MAWKISH  twaddle,  leering  vulgarity,  slap- 
stick repartee,  ridiculous  childish  "scenic 
effects" — empty-headed,  tasteless,  vapid  piffle,  all 
deliberately  concocted  and  prepared  in  the  obvi- 
ously well-founded  belief  that  it  will  get  the 
money-, 

'Does  the  public  need  the  drama  of  true  senti- 
ment, of  thoughtful  laughter,  of  skilled  satire, 
of  intellectual  stimulation? 

Shall  our  comedy  evoke  only  the  guffaw  from 
tlie  abdomen?  (Are  not  the  stomachs  of  our 
playgoers  already  more  than  sufficiently  occupied 
when  they  enter  the  theatre,  Mr.  Hoover?) 

Shall  we  shed  no  true  tears  in  the  playhouse 
except  over  the  lamentable  decline  of  our  twen- 
tieth century  drama? 

Shall  such  minds  as  have  been  left  to  us  after 
the  long  diet  of  this  theatrical  Mellin's  Food  be 
invariably  insulted  by  every  play  (and  most  of 
the  actors)  we  go  to  see? 

Upon  analysis  it  would  appear  that  the  only 
thing  the  public  needs  is  a  continued  softening 
of  its  brain. 

So  many  other  things  might  have  been  said 
in  this  curtain  speech.  The  occasion — like 
countless  others  of  its  ilk — surely  offered  the 
inspiration. 

The  audience  might  have  been  told  some  of 
the  truth  about  New  York  as  a  producing  center 
for  the  American  drama. 

The  speaker  might  have  said  that  Manhattan 
audiences  are  composed  very  largely  of  people 
who  have  brought  here  from  abroad  the  densest 
of  ignorance.  They  have  become  well-to-do, 
they  have  suddenly  found  themselves  free  from 
the  most  tyrannical  oppression,  they  overflow 
with  the  desire  to  enjoy  themselves  and  at  the 
same  time  to  exhibit  the  evidences  of  their  tri- 
umphant prosperity. 


THEIR  childlike  intellects  (childlike,  that  is. 
in  all  save  the  ability  to  cultivate  the  main 
chance)  delight  only  in  the  obvious,  the  elemen- 
tary, the  hackneyed.  Pinchbeck  is  to  them  more 
desirable  even  than  fine  gold.  They  are  in  the 
majority,  and  by  their  suffrage  here  in  New 
York  they  determine  what  all  the  playgoers  of 
America  shall  see  and  hear. 

These  gentry — estimable  enough  people,  doubt- 
less, in  labor  and   commerce — have   almost  com- 


pletely monopolized  that  branch  of  art  which 
finds  expression  in  the  theatre.  They  supply 
not  only  the  audiences,  but  most  of  the  pro- 
ducers and  far  more  than  their  share  of  the 
players. 

The  manager  (.who  nearly  always  frankly 
declares  himself  a  plain  business  man  and 
rarely  pretends  to  the  appellation  of  "genius  of 
the  American  drama")  knows  what  his  people 
like.  He  has  observed  them  on  the  Bowery  in 
their  transports  of  delight  over  the  trite  and 
the  crude.  He  realizes  that  they  will  welcome 
the  same  pabulum  (and  little  else)  on  Forty- 
second  Street.  And  so  he  is  giving — for  a  good 
round  price — what  his  public  needs — or  wants. 

And  the  speaker  might  have  gone  further  and 
enunciated  this  fact : — 

The  future  of  the  American  drama  is  hopeless 
until  the  producers  with  courage,  appreciation, 
and  taste  begin  to  give  the  truly  intelligent  pub- 
lic what  it  needs.  For  the  truly  intelligent  pub- 
lic is  here.  Only  it  doesn't  go  much  to  the  thea- 
tre. It  has  been  there  once  (or  twice)  too  often. 

"What!"  it  says.  "You  still  go  to  plays  in 
New  York?  What  a  triumph  of  hope  over  ex- 


perience 


"We  used  to  go  when  we  first  came  here  (or, 
when  we  were  young  and  optimistic),  but  it  all 
kept  getting  worse  and  worse.  For  years  now 
we'd  rather  stay  home  and  read  a  book." 

And  so  the  playhouse  is  sold  for  thirty  pieces 
of  silver.  And  so  the  American  "Rialto"  has 
become  merely  the  scene  of  the  noisy  bickerings 
of  the  old-clothesmen  of  the  drama.  With 
raucous  cries  and  grotesque  gesticulations,  they 
buy  and  sell  their  shoddy. 


THE  theatrical  district  of  the  metropolis  is  a 
vast  bazaar,  a  place  of  bargaining  and  barter, 
of  shifty  cunning  and  skilful  haggling — for  all 
the  world  like  a  market-place  out  of  the  Orient 
— picturesque,  perhaps,  but  decidedly  ill-smell- 
ing. 

Behind  its  chorus-girl  slave-mart,  beneath  its 
flaunting  rags  of  color  and  ostentation,  down 
underfoot  in  the  foul  mire  of  animal  stupidity, 
the  Art  of  the  Drama  is  trampled  to  extinction. 
And  none  but  the  brave — certainly  none  of  these 
gentlemen  who  know  "What  the  public  needs"— 
comes  to  the  rescue. 

And — the  speaker  might  very  well  have  con- 
cluded— what  the  public  chiefly  needs  in  the 
playhouse  is  a  little  rest  from  the  tawdry  and 
the  obvious,  a  little  skilled  guidance  upward 
and  outward  toward  sincerer,  better  things,  a 
little  stimulation  to  an  insight  into  what  is 
false  and  true,  what  degrading  and  ennobling. 

For  this — Heaven  being  merciful — will  come 
some  day.  And  it  will  sweep  away  the  tinsel 
and  filth  and  gradually  build  up  here  in  America 
what  we  should  have  had  long  since — as  esti- 
mable a  drama  as  any  civilized  nation  can  boast. 

In  that  sweet  day  a  decent  modicum  of  truth 
shall  be  interpreted  in  our  theatre — and  gifted 
men  (in  place  of  theatrical  hucksters)  will 
gather  together  what  is  best  and  with  the  in- 
finite pains  and  skill  of  actual  genius  give  to 
the  public  what  the  public  needs. 


128 


Ira  L,  Hill 


RUTH  CHATTERTON 

This  sympathetic  ac- 
tress is  co-starring  with 
Henry  Miller  in  "A 
Marriage  of  Conve- 
nience" on  tour,  playing 
the  role  in  which  Billie 
Burke  was  seen  in  New 
York.  In  September 
she  will  open  the  Henry 
Miller  Theatre  with  a 
new  play 


Who  displayed  real 
emotional  capability  in 
"Daybreak"  last  season, 
has  scored  again  in  the 
leading  feminine  role 
in  the  new  war  play 
by  the  Troubetskoys, 
"Allegiance" 


RUTH  FINDLAY 

A  prominent  member 
of  the  cast  of  "A  Very 
Good  Young  Man,"  the 
new  comedy  of  East 
Side  life  at  the  Plymouth 


Moffett 


IN   THE   SEASON'S   E  A  R  L,  V   OFFERINGS 


NEW  SHOWS  FOR 


///  spite  of  war  times  the  theatre  managers 
have    many    good    things  up    their    sleeves 


AGAINST  the  frowning  background  of 
war,  the  dramatic  year  of  1918-9,  looms 
brightly  with  a  golden  promise  of  high 
achievement  for  the  American  actor,  the  Amer- 
ican dramatist  and  the  American  manager.  In 
spite  of  threats  of  an  increased  war  tax  upon 
theatre  tickets,  in  spite  of  vastly  augmented  ex- 
penses in  production  and  transportation,  man- 
agers are  starting  the  new  season  in  high  spirits 
with  plans  of  vast  magnitude..  The  enterprises 
of  the  greater  producing  firms  headed  by  Lee 
Shubert,  David  Belasco,  A.  H.  Woods,  Messrs. 
Selwyn,  Klaw  and  Erlanger,  the  Frohmans  and 
their  confreres  include  a  greater  number  of  new 
plays  than  have  ever  been  announced  at  this  time 
of  any  previous  year. 

The  Shubert  list  is  long  and  imposing,  em- 
bracing all  shades  of  dramatic  entertainment 
and  presenting  grand  opera,  comic  opera,  music- 
al comedy,  farce,  and  legitimate  plays  both 
alone  and  in  conjunction  with  A.  H.  Woods,  W. 
A.  Brady,  John  D.  Williams,  Elliott,  Comstock 
and  Gest,  Oliver  Morosco,  the  Selwyns,  Arthur 
Hopkins,  "Jack"  Welch,  Lawrence  Weber, 
George  Broadhurst,  Wm.  Faversham  and  Max- 
ine  Elliott,  Mme.  Bertha  Kalich,  Lee  Kugel, 
Frederic  Edward  McKay.  Winthrop  Ames,  Rich- 
ard Walton  Tully,  Stuart  Walker  and  others. 


AMONG  the  playwrights  whose  works  will  be 
seen  at  Shubert  theatres  under  one  or  an- 
other of  these  directors  are  Augustus  Thomas, 
Guy  Bolton,  P.  G.  Wodehouse,  Roi  Cooper  Meg- 
rue,  Prince, and  Princess  Troubetskoy  (the  latter 
well  known  to  fortune  and  to  fame  as  Amelie 
Rives),  Samuel  Shipman  and  Aaron  Hofmann, 
Henrik  Ibsen,  Maurice  Maeterlinck,  Bayard 
Veiller,  Margaret  Mayo,  Edgar  Allen  Woolf,  Os- 
car 'Wilde,  Jesse  Lynch  Williams,  Rida  Johnson 
Young,  Victor  Mapes,  Jane  Cowl,  George  V. 
Hobart,  Mark  Twain,  Richard  Walton  Tully, 
Joseph  Howard,  Percy  MacKaye,  William  Coll- 
ier, Max  Marcin,  George  Broadhurst,  Booth 
Tarkington,  William  Hodge,  Oscar  Asche,  Jules 
Eckert  Goodman,  and  others. 

A  massive  Shakesperian  production  is  among 
the  Shubert  possibilities  of  the  coming  season. 
This  plan  has  not  yet  taken  definite  shape,  but 
a  possibility  exists  of  a  brief  return  to  the  stage 
for  a  Shakesperian  War  Festival  Benefit  of  sev- 
eral noted  classic  actors  who  have  hitherto  ap- 
peared under  this  management.  Such  a  list 
would  include  Sothern  and  Marlowe,  Sir  John- 
ston and  Lady  Forbes-Robertson  (Gertrude 
Elliott),  William  Faversham,  Tyrone  Power, 
and  Maxine  Elliott. 

This  season  the  activities  of  Klaw  and  Er- 
langer will  be  varied  and  extensive,  but  except 
for  the  successful  pieces  already  produced,  they 
announce  no  novelties.  "The  Rainbow  Girl" 
will  duplicate  its  New  York  success  in  a  number 
of  companies,  and  other  established  productions 
will  go  on  tour. 

Alf  Hayman,  director  of  the  Charles  Frohman 
company,  has  a  number  of  interesting  things 
scheduled  under  the  stage  management  of  Iden 
Payne.  The  next  American  tour  of  Cyril  Maude 
will  present  that  capital  comedian  in  a  new  role 
said  to  rival  "Grumpy"  in  interest.  "Nurse  Ben- 


son," the  most  succesful  comedy  recently  pro- 
duced in  London  will  be  presented  by  Mr.  Hay- 
man,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  Billie  Burke  may 
be  induced  to  appear  as  the  central  figure.  Will- 
iam Gillette's  announced  intention  to  return  to 
the  Frohman  forces  at  the  end  of  his  present 
contract  will  please  all  admirers  of  that  actor. 
Maude  Adams,  of  course,  will  be  seen  on  tour 
in  "A  Kiss  for  Cinderella,"  and  may  play  a  brief 
Spring  engagement  at  the  Empire.  Otis  Skin- 
ner, of  course,  remains  a  Frohman  star. 


THE  activities  of  David  Belasco  are  unusu- 
ally varied.  Already  four  plays  have  been 
successfully  tried  out  by  that  manager,  and  the 
outstanding  triumphs  of  last  season,  notably 
"Tiger  Rose,"  and  "Polly  With  a  Past,"  now 
duplicating  its  New  York  success  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, will  continue  with  companies  intact. 

"Daddies,"  with  John  Cope,  Bruce  McRae  and 
Jeanne  Eagles  has  already  proved  a  winner  in 
a  preliminary  canter,  and  so  has  the  new  vehicle 
in  whkh  Frances  Starr  will  appear.  Miss  Starr's 
support  will  include  that  capital  actor  O.  P.  Heg- 
gie  who  will  be  seen  early  in  the  season  under 
the  banner  of  George  Tyler  and  Klaw  and  Er- 
langer. A  new  piece,  by  an  unnamed  author,  for 
David  Warfield,  is  included  in  the  forthcoming 
productions  by  Mr.  Belasco. 

Among  the  activities  in  which  George  C.  Tyler 
is  engaged  is  firstly  the  much  heralded  produc- 
tion of  the  revised  version  of  "Among  Those 
Present."  This  play  by  Larry  Evans,  Walter  C. 
Percival  and  G.  S.  Kaufman  was  originally  pro- 
duced by  Mr.  Tyler  in  Chicago  with  Henry  B. 
Warner  in  the  title  role.  During  the  summer 
it  was  rewritten  and  recast  with  a  commanding 
roster  of  players  headed  by  Cyril  Keightley  and 
including  A.  E.  Anson,  William  B.  Mack,  Has- 
sard  Short,  and  selected  as  the  initial  offering 
for  the  coming  season  at  the  Knickerbocker 
Theatre. 

Close  upon  the  heels  of  "Among  Those  Pres- 
ent," Mr.  Tyler  will  present  at  the  Booth  Thea- 
tre on  September  2  a  dramatization  by  E.  E. 
Rose  of  Booth  Tarkington's  famed  "Penrod" 
stories.  In  "Penrod,"  which,  by  the  way,  is  a 
play  for  grown-ups,  the  juvenile  roles  will  be 
cast  from  a  group  of  clever  young  players  whose 
ages  correspond  with  those  of  the  characters 
they  impersonate. 


LAURETTE  TAYLOR  will  visit  the  chief 
cities  in  the  United  States  for  the  first 
time  since  attaining  stellar  distinction.  Later 
in  the  season  Mr.  Tyler  will  offer  Marie  Doro 
in  a  dramatization  of  Mary  Roberts  Rinehart's 
story,  "The  Amazing  Interlude"  A  farce,  "All 
Wrong,"  by  W.  H.  Post,  dramatized  from  a 
short  story,  "A  Burglar's  Feelings,"  and  a  new 
circus  play,  are  also  scheduled  for  production 
by  this  manager.  George  Arliss  will  continue 
in  "Hamilton,"  and  "A  Country  Cousin"  will  be 
seen  in  the  principal  cities  with  Alexandra  Car- 
lisle and  important  associates. 

John  D.  Williams  promises  no  less  than  seven 
interesting  novelties  for  the  coming  season.  Be- 


ginning at  the  Comedy  Theatre  on  September  9, 
Oscar  Wilde's  brilliant  satiric  comedy  "An  Ideal 
Husband"  will  be  given  for  the  first  time  in 
America.  This  will  serve  to  introduce  the  series 
of  smart  pieces  with  which  Messrs.  Norman 
Trevor  and  Cyril  Harcourt  will  be  identified 
at  the  Comedy.  A  cast  of  unusual  distinction 
will  include  in  addition  to  Messrs.  Trevor  and 
Harcourt,  Constance  Collier,  Beatrice  Beckley, 
Julian  L'Estrange  and  Jane  Cooper.  Lionel 
Barrymore  will  continue  to  present  his  appealing 
characterization  of  Milt  Shanks  in  Augustus 
Thomas'  "The  Copperhead,"  and  will  be  accom- 
panied on  tour  by  every  available  scrap  of  illu- 
minative data  regarding  Ibsen's  "An  Enemy  to 
the  People,"  in  which  he  will  be  seen  next  year 
in  the  role  of  Dr.  Stockman.  A  new  play,  "Be- 
yond the  Horizon, '  will  introduce  Eugene 
O'Neill  as  a  dramatist  employing  a  larger  can- 
vas than  that  afforded  in  the  one-act  plays  with 
which  he  has  heretofore  been  identified.  Anne 
Flexner  Crawford  has  furnished  Mr.  Williams 
with  a  play  for  early  production  entitled  "All 
Souls'  Eve,"  and  a  piece  by  Isabel  Butler  intro- 
duces the  music  motif  without  which  no  mana- 
ger considers  his  list  of  productions  complete. 
Augustus  Thomas  is  now  at  work  upon  a  play 
which  Mr.  Williams  will  produce,  and  which  is 
dominated  by  the  single  woman  character  which 
figures  in  the  four  acts.  It  is  hinted  that  the 
prominent  American  actress  who  will  be  seen  in 
this  play  is  no  other  than  Ethel  Barrymore. 


ARTHUR  HOPKINS  is  mixing  the  grave 
and  gay,  the  lively  and  severe  with  high 
daring  this  season.  Already  his  first  produc- 
tion, "A  Very  Good  Young  Man,"  by  Martin 
Brown,  who  danced  his  way  into  the  drama  by 
way  of  the  Casino  and  Winter  Garden,  has  been 
given  a  successful  premiere.  Wallace  Eddinger 
heads  the  cast  which  includes  Edna  Aug,  Ada 
Lewis,  Ruth  Findlay  and  others  in  amusing 
characterizations  of  "N'Yoik's  east  side." 

In  September  Mr.  Hopkins  will  produce  a 
bright  comedy  by  Clare  Kummer  with  Lola 
Fisher  in  the  principal  role.  "Be  Calm,  Camil- 
la," is  the  title  of  the  new  play,  and  it  will  be 
followed  later  in  the  season  by  another  piece 
by  Miss  Kummer,  which  has  not  yet  been  chris- 
tened. A  happy  alliance  between  Mr.  Hopkins 
and  John  Barrymore  has  been  concluded,  by 
which  Mr.  Barrymore  will  be  seen  in  October 
probably  at  Mr.  Hopkins'  pleasant  Plymouth 
Theatre.  Later  Mr.  Hopkins  will  present  his  new 
star  in  at  least  two  new  plays.  In  November' 
Alia  Nazimova  will  return  to  the  Hopkins  fold 
for  rehearsals  of  a  new  piece  in  which  she  will 
probably  be  seen  during  the  holiday  season.  Like 
Lionel  Barrymore  Mme.  Alia  is  hugging  Ibsen 
to  her  bosom,  and  will  probably  close  her  season 
with  a  series  of  plays  by  the  Scandinavian  dram- 
atist. 

Great  interest  centers  around  Mr.  Hopkins 
announcement  of  a  new  play  by  Percy  MacKaye 
entitled  "Washington,  the  Man  Who  Made  Us," 
in  which  patriotism,  drama  and  literature  are 
all  lifted  to  the  nth  power.  MacKaye  calls  his 
new  form  a  "ballad  play,"  but  it  is  not  written 
in  metrical  forrrt  Over  a  hundred  people  are 


130 


Theatre  Magazine,  Stf  timber,  if  it 


(Left)     Act  II. 

The  news  of  Teutonic 
perfidy  in  the  sinking 
of  the  Lusitania  is  too 
much  for  Grandfather 
Hartmann,  who  expires 
with  many  Scripture 
quotations. 


(Above)  Act  I. 
The  Hartmann  family 
observes  Grandfather's 
birthday  with  "the  good 
old  German  customs," 
which  include  a  cake- 
frosting  of  candle 
grease. 


Blanche    Yurka  Charles    Laite 

Act  III. 

Billy   Elton   shows   Elsa   Hartmann   her  husband's 
secret      correspondence      with      a      German      spy 


Harrison    Hunter     Blanche    Yurka  Carl    Anthony 

Act  III. 

Karl    Hartmann    protects    his    wife    from    the 
threatened  schrecklichkeit  of  the  German  agent 


S  C  E  N  K  S      IN       "ALLEGIANCE'        AT      M  A  X  I  N  E      ELLIOTT'S 


employed  in  its  presentation,  and  there  are  six- 
teen so-called  "scenes"  and  fourteen  "transi- 
tions" in  its  swiftly  moving  action. 

George  M.  Cohan  is  immersed  in  the  writing 
of  "something"  which  is  a  closely  guarded  secret. 
The  two  all-season  successes  produced  by  this 
organization,  "A  Tailor-Made  Man,"  and  "Going 
Up,"  will  continue  their  careers.  A  new  piece, 
"Three  Faces  East,"  is  scheduled  for  early  pro- 
duction at  the  Cohan  and  Harris  Theatre.  Later 
in  the  season  "David's  Adventure,"  a  whimsi- 
cal play  by  A.  E.  Thomas,  which  has  already 
made  a  trial  success  will  come  to  a  prominent 
Broadway  playhouse.  Leo  Ditrichstein  will  be 
presented  in  a  new  play,  and  so  will  Chauncey 
Olcott.  Included  in  the  plans  of  this  firm  are 
the  usual  Cohan  Revue,  a  new  comedy  by  the 
author  of  "Yes  and  No,"  "The  Beautiful  One," 
a  musical  piece  by  Rennold  Wolf,  Louis  Hirsch, 
and  other  productions  of  magnitude. 

Elliott,  Comstock  and  Gest  will  make  at  least 
two  big  productions  and  offer  a  number  of  im- 
portant plays  of  less  massive  proportions,  as  well 
as  their  annual  "intimate"  music-comedy.  The 
first  important  novelty  of  their  season  is  the 
sensational  London  musical  success  "The  Maid 
of  the  Mountains,"  featuring  oddly  enough 
William  C'ourtenay  in  a  speaking  role.  In  "Loy- 
alty," which  will  be  given  an  imposing  produc- 
tion before  (he  holidays  with  Phoebe  Foster  in 
the  cast,  Elliott,  Comstock  and  Gest  believe  they 
have  found  the  logical  successor  to  "Experience." 
A  sensational  offering  in  preparation  is  the  long- 
heralded  "Aphrodite,"  with  a  wealth  of  scenic 
effects  and  more  feminine  loveliness  than  has 
been  crowded  into  any  play  of  recent  years. 
T.  Roy  Barnes  will  be  presented  in  ''See  You 
Later";  William  Rock  and  Frances  White  will 
sing  and  dance  in  a  piece  not  yet  named.  George 
Middleton  and  Guy  Bolton  have  provided  a  new 
play  called  "The  Cross,"  of  which  much  is  ex- 
pected. Joseph  Santley  and  Ivy  Sawyer  have 
captured  the  prize  plum  of  creating  the  principal 
roles  in  the  yearly  Princess  Theatre  production 
which  will  be  an  intimate  musical  comedy  with 
an  "Oh,"  title  like  its  predecessors  "Oh,  Boy," 


and  "Oh,  Lady!  Lady!!" 

Already  Captain  Charles  B.  Dillingham  has 
opened  the  Hippodrome  with  the  usual  massive 
show  in  .which  the  unusual  and  equally  massive 
comedian  DeWolf  Hopper  is  surrounded  by 
several  tons  of  scenery  and  a  company  including 
Houdini,  Belle  Story,  Charles  Aldrich,  Artlnii 
Geary  and  other  favorites.  Julia  Sanderson, 
Joseph  Cawthorn  and  Clifton  Crawford  will  be 
seen  by  and  bye  with  Doyle  and  Dixon  in  a  new 
comedy  of  which  much  is  expected.  Late  in 
August  "Jack  O'Lantern"  will  take  Fred  Stone 
to  Chicago  for  a  run  after  which  Boston  will 
capture  that  versatile  comedian.  Thomas  A. 
Wise  will  be  presented  by  Captain  Dillingham 
early  in  September  in  a  new  comedy  which  Mr. 
Wise  and  Harrison  Rhodes  have  written  in 
collaboration. 

The  plans  of  Henry  Miller  are  not  fully 
matured,  but  it  is  certain  that  the  beautiful  thea- 
tre in  Forty-third  street  bearing  the  manager's 
name  will  be  the  scene  of  a  number  of  interest- 
ing events.  H.  V.  Esmond,  A.  E.  Thomas  and 
Langdon  Mitchell  have  already  delivered  new 
plays  to  Mr.  Miller  for  production  and  at  least 
one  of  these  will  be  presented  during  Miss  Ruth 
Chatterton's  first  annual  engagement  at  Henry 
Miller's  theatre.  Mr.  Miller  will,  of  course  ap- 
pear in  his  own  theatre. 

The  Selwyn  company  with  three  new  theatres 
under  construction,  have  many  important  irons 
in  the  fire.  Much  is  expected  of  Jane  Cowl 
with  her  new  play,  "Information,  Please,"  in 
which  she  collaborated  with  Jane  Murfin.  "In- 
formation, Please,"  will  be  at  home  to  all  tele- 
phone subscribers  at  the  new  Selwyn  Theatre 
early  in  September,  directly  after  the  premiere 
of  Avery  Hopwood's  new  farce,  "The  Double 
Exposure,"  at  a  Broadway  theatre.  Later  on  a 
new  play,  "The  Crowded  Hour,"  by  Channing 
Pollock  and  Edgar  Selwyn  will  be  seen  on 
Broadway,  and  the  new  Times  Square  Theatre 
and  the  third  of  the  Selwyn  trio  of  new  play- 
houses will  be  thrown  open  with  attractions  of 
high  order. 

In  conjunction  with  Adolph  Klauber,  the  Sel- 


wyns  will  present  "Helen  With  the  High  Hand," 
with  Estelle  Winwood  as  the  fascinating  heroine 
of  that  Arnold  Bennett  story.  Other  productions 
will  be  announced  before  the  holidays  by  this 
firm. 

The  plans  of  Henry  W.  Savage  are  not  reaiK 
at  present  for  publication,  nor  will  Mr.  Savage 
make  any  definite  decisions  as  to  his  later  pro- 
ductions until  "Head  Over  Heels"  brings  Mizzi 
Hajos  to  Broadway. 

A  feature  of  this  season's  dramatic  activities 
is  the  fact  that  several  young  firms  have  chosen 
this  as  the  psychological  moment  for  entering 
the  producing  field.  Conspicuous  among  these 
newcomers,  is  Joseph  Klaw,  son  of  the  head  of 
the  firm  of  Klaw  and  Erlanger.  Mr.  Klaw  has 
a  number  of  offerings  "up  his  sleeve,"  but  fol- 
lowing the  tradition  of  his  father's  firm  makes 
no  definite  statement  of  his  plans  other  than  to 
point  with  commendable  complacency  to  his  first 
offering,  an  unusual  comedy  featuring  Forrest 
Winant  which  had  a  successful  premiere  at  As- 
bury  Park  recently  and  which  will  doubtless 
come  a-knocking  at  the  door  of  a  New  York 
theatre  before  the  snow  flies.  "Jack"  Welch, 
long  identified  with  the  enterprises  of  Cohan 
and  Harris,  heads  a  new  firm  of  producing  man- 
agers whose  initial  offering,  "The  Kiss  Burglar,'' 
was  the  first  of  the  summer  successes  on  Broad- 
way and  which  will  be  presented  by  three  com- 
panies throughout  the  country  during  the  ap- 
proaching season.  "Smart  Aleck,"  a  farce  by 
James  Montgomery  is  already  in  preparation 
and  will  be  followed  by  a  Western  play,  "The 
Border  Legion,"  and  another  drama  "Two  Ave- 
nues," of  which  pleasant  prophesies  are  floating 
out  of  the  ether.  Bert  Feibelman  also  a  grad- 
uate from  the  Cohan  and  Harris  school  of  dra- 
matic management  has  also  entered  the  produc- 
ing field  "on  his  own"  and  will  be  heard  from 
loudly  before  cold  weather. 

Maxine  Elliott  and  William  Faversham  have 
already  thrown  down  the  gauntlet  to  all  actor- 
managers.  Their  career  as  a  producing  firm 
was  happily  inaugurated  at  Maxine  Elliott's 
theatre  early  in  August  with  "Allegiance." 


ELSIE  OF  THE  U.S.A. 

By  PRIVATE  ANDREW  ARMSTRONG 

AMERICAN  EXPEDITIONARY  FORCES 


In   olden   times   it   took   a   maid   all   dressed   in 

armor  bright 
To   rally   fighting   men    in   France   and   put   pep 

in  the  fight. 

She  rode  a  horse  and  flashed  a  sword,  and  all 

that  sort  of  thing, 
To  brace  a  groggy  nation   that   was   reeling  in 

the  ring. 

She  put  it  over  properly,  and  still  we  sing  her 

praise — 

But  that  was  just  old-fashioned_war,  the  brand 
of  yesterdays. 

We're  fighting  bigger   battles  now,  we've  got  a 

tougher  job; 
A  man  can't   be  a   slacker,   and   he   mustn't  be 

a   slob. 

We  haven't  any  Joan,  and  we  wouldn't  let  one 

stay 
In   trenches    where   the   boys    hold    the   fighting 

line  to-day. 

She  couldn't  ride  her  gee-gee  through  the  wire 
in  No  Man's  Land • 


White 


ELSIE  JANIS 


132 


No;    we   have   to   have   a   "shero"   of    distinctly 
modern   brand. 

So,   we've    got  our   Elsie   Janis   from   the   good 

old  U.  S.  A., 
Who's  come  across  the  sea  to  root  for  fighting 

men  to-day. 

She    brings    the    Yankee    spirit    and    she    brings 

the  Yankee  grit, 
And  a  chap  who's  ever  seen   her  won't  neglect 

to  do  his  bit. 

She  comes  with  joy  and  laughter  and  she  spreads 

the  sort  of  stuff 
That  puts  the  mustard  in  us   while  we  nail  the 

Kaiser's  bluff. 

She    comes    with    jazz    and    joking    and    a    big 

Hip!   Hip!  Hooray! — 
Here's    to   you,    Elsie    Janis,    of    the    good    old 

U.  S.  A. 

Here's  to  you,  Elsie  Janis,  here's  a  double  health 

to  you; 
We'll   say   when   we   have   finished   up: 

You  helped  us  put  it  through. 


Faircliild 

MARIE    DORO 

After  a  long  absence 
in  filmland,  Miss  Doro, 
fresh  from  her  screen 
triumphs,  returns  to 
the  stage  as  the  star 
of  "The  Amazing  In- 
terlude," a  dramatiza- 
tion of  Mary  Roberts 
Rinehart's  novel 


SIDONIA  ESPERO 

Much  is  expected  of 
this  new  prima  donna 
who  is  to  appear  at 
the  Casino  in  the 
London  musical  suc- 
cess, "The  Maid  of  the 
Mountains" 


MARJORIE     PATTERSON 
Those    who    remember    Miss    Patterson's 
admirable     impersonation     of      Pierrot, 
will  be  glad  to  know  that  she  is  to  be 
seen    again    on    Broadway    this    season 


BRIGHT   LIGHTS   IN   COMING   AT  T  R  A  C  T  I  O  N  S 


A  PAGE  FROM  YESTERDAY 


DURING    the    summer    of    1895, 
Nat      C.      Goodwin      toured 
through  rural  England  on  a  bicycle. 

*  *        * 

IT  was  "David  Belasco,  Stage  Di- 
rector, Lyceum  Theatre,"  in  1886. 

*  *        * 

DAVID  BELASCO  decided  that 
he  could  go  it  alone  in  1893. 
At  that  time,  in  an  interview  at 
Madison,  Wis.,  he  announced  that 
he  was  through  collaborating  and 
that  in  future  he  would  write  his 
own  plays.  '"The  Girl  I  Left  Be- 
hind Me,"  is  the  last  piece  in  which 
I  will  appear  as  joint  author,"  he 

said. 

*  *        * 


WHEN  BELASCO  STARTED  OUT  FOR  HIMSELF.  THE 
CRUSADE  AGAINST  WOMEN'S  HATS  IN  THE  THE- 
ATRES. AN  ANTI  WAR  TIME  DEAD -HEAD  TAX 


HISTORY  can't  always  repeat 
itself,  anyway.  Back  in  1893, 
a  western  theatre  manager  offered 
to  donate  150  loaves  of  bread  a  day 
to  the  poor,  if  the  municipal  au- 
thorities would  only  permit  him  to 
keep  open  on  Sundays. 


VTI7HAT   kind   of   a   season   is   it   going    to   be? 


IT   is   a    far   cry    from    Urban    to 
Agarthacus.     Five    centuries   be- 
fore the   Christian  era,  Agarthacus, 
an  estimable  artist  of  Samos,  wrote 
a   learned  treatise   upon  perspective, 
and  he  is  mentioned  by   Greek  his- 
torians as  having  painted  scenes,  ob- 
taining illusory  effects  by  means  of 
painted    shadows.      Considering    the 
advanced  stage  of  the  art  shown  by 
the  work  of  the  worthy  Agarthacus, 
it  is  more  than  probable  that  there 
were  others  still  earlier.     He  is  the 
first  of  which  there  is  record.  |  ........  ,  .........  mm  .....  ,„ 

*        *        * 

TTULY  30,  1886,  saw  the  hundredth  consecutive 
**  performance  of  "Prince  Karl,"  as  presented 
by  Richard  Mansfield  at  the  Madii'on  Square 

Theatre. 

*        *        * 

"O  ACK  in  '92,  William  S.  Hart  was  playing 
•"-^  Shakesoearean  roles  as  the  leading  man  in 
Mile.  Rhea's  company. 


at     a     Founders'     Night    of     the 
Players    in    1893  :    Edwin    Booth,    William 
Bispham,     Augustin     Daly,     Joseph     Jefferson, 
Brander   Matthews,  John   Drew,   Owen   Fawcett 
and  F.   Hopkinson   Smith. 

*        *        * 

TUTEASURED  by  results,  1862  was  favorable 
•••  -'*•  for  dramatists.  Maeterlinck  and  Haupt- 
mann  both  were  born  in  that  year. 


"TN  the  middle  nineties,  Walker  Whiteside's 
press  agent  declared  that  the  actor  had  a 
passion  for  autographs,  and  that  he  had  col- 
lected the  seal  and  signature  of  the  mayor  of 
every  city  he  had  appeared  in  during  the  pre- 
ceding seven  years. 

*  *        * 

TTT  seems  only  yesterday — actually  it  was  in 
*•  1890 — that  Margaret  Anglin,  then  a  slender 
young  girl  fresh  from  her  home  in  Toronto, 
went  to  the  Empire  Theatre  every  morning  to 
be  coached  by  Nelslon  Wheatcroft  in  the  ele- 
ments of  acting.  To-day — well  you  know  what 
she  is  to-day — one  of  the  leading  actresses  of 
the  American  stage. 

*  *•        * 

TTN  1903  Daniel  Frohman  gave  it  as  his  opinion 
that  the  day  of  the  star  system  was  over.  He 
proved  a  false  prophet.  To-day  more  "stars"  of 
mediocre  quality  are  inflicted  on  the  public  than 
ever  before  in  the  history  of  the  stage. 


This  is  the 

annual  autumn  query,  and  there  are  usually  as  many 
answers  as  there  are  questioners.  In  the  theatrical  world, 
September  has  come  to  be  the  month  of  prediction  and  pro- 
duction. 

The  managerial  mind  tends  to  pessimism  in  .print.  While 
producers  are  rushing  madly  about  all  day,  casting  and  rehears- 
ing •  and  staging  as  though  they  expected  the  season  to  be  a 
whopper  for  business,  they  are  apt  to  grow  subdued  in  the  face 
of  an  interview.  They  don't  want  to  commit  themselves  too  far. 

There's  the  war,  of  course.  And  the  movies,  to  be  sure.  And 
the  increased  cost  of  living,  indubitably. 

Heads  are  shaken. 

But  cheer  up! 

Heads  were  shaken  back  in  1895. 

And  one  manager  sighed  and  said:  "I  don't  look  for  much 
of  a  season.  Go  up  on  the  avenue  any  evening  and  watch  the 
cycling  procession.  That  tells  the  story.  One  half  the  popu- 
lation of  New  York  is  on  wheels.  What  chance  will  the  theatre 
have? 

In  a  few  years,  you  can  substitute  aeroplane  for  bicycle,  and 
use  the  same  sigh. 


F,, 


1893,  Philadelphia  theatres 
were  enlisted  in  a  movement  to 
tax  complimentary  admission  ten 
cents  each  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Actors'  Fund.  That  was  before  the 

day   of   war   taxes. 

*        *        * 

/pj\FTEN  in  these  days  of 
^-'  charlatanism,"  wrote  Fanny 
Davenport  in  1886,  "I  feel  like  re- 
peating the  words  of  Goethe: 
'Would  the  stage  were  a  tight-rope, 
that  none  but  skilled  artists  could 
venture  thereon.' " 


H.  SARGENT'S  School  of 
••  Acting  is  beginning  to  make  a  mark  for  it- 
self," said  an  account  published  in  1886.  "The 
institution  is  now  three  years  old,  and  it  has 
never  'been  so  substantial  and  so  nourishing." 


BOOTH  and  Signer  Salvini  made 
•  their  joint  appearance  at  the  Academy  of 
Music,  April  26,  1886,  in  "Othello,"  Salvini  speak- 

ing the  lines  in  Italian  to  Booth's  English. 

*  *        * 

A  FTER  an  announcement  that  Clyde  Fitch 
•*•*•  had  been  chosen  by  Charles  Frohman  to 
rewrite  "Mrs.  Grundy,  Jr.,"  the  following  emi- 
nently sound  advice  appeared  :  "Is  it  not 
about  time  that  Clyde  Fitch  turned  out  a  play 
of  his  own?  'A  Modern  Match'  and  'Frederic 
Lemaitre'  indicate  that  he  is  more  than  a  bril- 
liant promise.  But  leaving  out  of  the  question 
'Beau  Brummel,'  the  two  failures,  'Pamela's 
Prodigy,'  and  'Betty's  Finish,'  and  the  two  plays 
mentioned  above,  he  has  attracted  our  attention 
simply  as  a  tinker  of  other  men's  plays."  This 
was  in  1894. 

*  *         * 

'E  are  now  so  accustomed  to  seeing  women 
remove  their  hats  on  the  rise  of  the  cur- 
tain that  it  is  difficult  to  realize  that  only  a  few 
years  ago  women  retained  their  hats  throughout 
the  performance  —  headgear  so  high  and  formid- 
able that  one  had  to  go  "over  the  top"  to  get  a 
glimpse  of  the  stage.  To  Daniel  Frohman  be- 
longs the  credit  for  doing  away  with  this  nui- 
sance. There  were  angry  protests  of  course.  The 
ladies  resented  such  rude  masculine  interference 
with  a  time-honored  privilege,  but  finally  public 
opinion  compelled  them  to  capitulate. 

*  *'        * 

TTN  1894,  what  was  termed  "the  trend  of  amuse- 
ment   activities    uptown"    destroyed   the   use- 
fulness of   Chickering  Hall,  and  it  was  remod- 
eled as  a  studio  and  office  building. 


up !  "Darkest  Russia"  was 
^-^  playing  at  the  Fourteenth  Street 
Theatre,  New  York,  in  1894. 

*        *        * 

TVTORTHWARD  the  stars  of 
•"•^  Broadway  take  their  course. 
Even  by  the  middle  nineties,  the 
boundaries  were  different  from  those 
of  to-day.  There  was  more  truth 

mi MB I      than   poetry   in   the  outburst  of   the 

versifier  of  that  age  who  sang: 
I    like   to   watch    the   gaily   dressed, 

Parading   down   Broadway. 
From  Twenty-third  to  Thirty-third, 

You'll    see   them   any   day. 

— and  then,  after  he  had  described  some  of  the 
types  of  humanity,  he  finished  with : 

And  now   I've  reached  the  farthest  point 

I  care  to,  on  Broadway ; 

It  isn't  right  to  go  beyond — 

Well — Forty  second,    say. 

*  *        * 

C  AID  a  critic  in  the  eighties :  "Persons  that 
notice  Mr.  Mantell's  pronunciation  of  'res- 
pite' seem  to  be  of  the  opinion  that  the  pro- 
nunciation he  prefers  is  unauthorized.  They  are 
in  error.  Mr.  Mantell,  in  accenting  the  second 
syllable,  whether  it  be  the  noun  or  the  verb, 
does  so  on  the  authority  of  no  less  a  personage 
than  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson.  True,  Mr.  Mantell's 
authority  is  rather  archaic,  and  furthermore,  at 
least  some  of  Johnson's  contemporaries  con- 
sidered his  accentuation  incorerct,  for  Ash, 
whose  dictionary  was  published  during  Johnson's 
lifetime,  accented  the  first  syllable,  as  all  the 
orthoepists  have  for  the  last  hundred  years." 

*  *        * 

"O  INERO'S  "Lady  Bountiful"  was  given  simul- 
taneously in  the  fall  of  1891  at  the  Lyceum 
Theatre,  New  York,  and  the  Boston  Museum. 

*  *        * 

A  MONG  the  members  of  the  old  Lyceum  stock 
**•  company  on  Fourth  Avenue  in  the  early 
nineties,  few  were  more  popular  than  Bessie 
Tyree,  a  comedienne  with  a  briskness  and  art 
all  her  own.  Miss  Tyree  is  not  acting  any  more, 
but  one  often  sees  her  at  the  play,  in  company 
with  her  husband  James  Metcalfe,  the  well- 
known  critic,  watching  other  people  act. 

*  *        •* 

"OARNUM'S  parade  hurt  theatrical  business 
*•*  all  over  town  according  to  a  New  York 
news  item  of  1888. 


134 


Theatre  Magazine,  September,  lal3 


JANE  COWL 

Who  will  open  the  new  Selwyn 
Theatre  with  her  new  play, 
'Information,  Please,"  in  which 
she  collaborated  with  Jane 
Murfin 


Mofett 

SHELLEY  HULL 
Appearing  in  "Under  Orders," 
a  play  which  is  a  distinct 
novelty  as  Mr.  Hull  and  Erne 
Shannon  are  the  only  members 
of  the  cast 


ESTELLE  WINWOOD 
The    heroine   of   "Helen   With 
the   High   Hand,"   founded   on 
Arnold  Bennett's  story,  and  to 
be  produced  by  Adolph  Klauber 


VIOLET  HEMING 

In  a  new  piece  entitled  "Three 

Faces  East,"  which  has  already 

opened     at     the     Cohan     and 

Harris  Theatre 


White 


OLD        FAVORITES        IN        NEW        PLAYS 


THE  PEOPLE,  TOE  THEATRE  AND  THE  WAR 

No  wore  room  for  the  trifles  of  life  in  the  acted  drama  of  today 


By  CHARLOTTE  WELLS 

CO-AUTHOR   OF   "THE   RIDDLE    WOMAN." 


A  FEW  days  ago  a  magazine  editor  and  a 
critic  of  plays  were  discussing  the  prob- 
able   popularity    of    certain    themes    for 
present  production,   and   it   was    suggested    that 
at  this  moment  the  divorce  comedy,  the  suffrage 
play  and  the  feminist  drama  or  satire  should  be 
entirely  ruled  out — the  reason  for  this  being  that 
the   great    war   had    obliterated    antagonism    be- 
tween the  sexes  and  given  new  dignity  to  their 
relations.      One    or    two    cases    being    cited    of 
tragic    differences    between    couples    who    could 
not    hope   for    reconciliation,   it   was    whispered 
with  bated  breath  that  Death  was  divorcing  too 
•  many  husbands  and  wives  for  the  law  courts  to 
have  much  to  do  after  the  war  is  over. 

But  just  now,  the  world  needing  entertain- 
ment, the  dramatist  is  not  so  much  concerned 
with  the  tragedy  of  unhappy  marriage  as  with 
its  more  humorous  and  adjustable  differences. 
Nor  need  we  dwell  on  the  more  serious  as- 
pects of  feminism  and  the  suffrage  question.  The 
point  is,  does  the  sex  war  go  on  in  spite  of 
existing  conditions — and  is  it  still  material  for 
the  playwright? 

Fortunately,  Reno  has  not  been  so  busy  with 
real  grievances  as  with  trifling  incompatibilities, 
and  it  is  with  these  that  the  divorce  comedy 
has  most  often  been  concerned. 

And  are  either  men  or  women  occupied  with 
such  small  irritations  in  the  face  of  great  dan- 
gers and  enforced  separations? 


LET  us  look  at  the  matter  from  the  every 
day  standpoint  and  take  our  examples  from 
the  young  men  and  women  who  are  in  action 
either  at  the  front  or  at  home — for  after  all, 
social  questions  begin  and  end  with  the  problems 
of  the  younger  generations — those  below  the 
middle  age  mark  and  within  the  age  of  service. 
The  dramatist  naturally  chooses  that  period 
when  his  characters  are  young  enough  to  be  still 
open  to  temptation  and  subject  to  violent  emo- 
tional crises. 

It  is  astonishing  how  absence  or  danger  changes 
the  point  of  view  toward  one  who  has  perhaps 
been  a  cause  of  irritation  or  hostility.  Many 
a  young  wife  who  has  chafed  at  her  husband's 
want  of  success  or  lack  of  ambition — or  the 
inertia  which  sometimes  takes  hold  of  one  who 
has  become  discouraged— has  been  electrified  in 
these  days  by  the  home  coming  of  an  apparently 
new  man  in  khaki  who  remarks  casually  that  he 
is  going  "over  there"  soon,  and  wishes  it  were 
sooner.  Suddenly  she  realizes  that  his  apparent 
flaccidity  has  been  due  to  lack  of  opportunity  or 
incentive,  and  that  her  own  coldly  expressed 
doubt  of  him  may  have  tended  to  depress  and 
keep  him  back.  This  is  in  itself  a  situation  for 
a  play — a  sincere  one,  not  a  satire. 

Another  wife,  who  has  been  annoyed  by  what 
she  regards  as  the  brutal  masculinity  of  her 
husband  or  his  selfish  love  of  physical  comfort 
— now  for  the  first  time  awakens  to  the  fact  that 
in  marrying  a  real  man,  she  has  married  a  po- 
tential soldier — one  who  can  fight  gloriously,  en- 
dure greatly,  and  laugh  when  he  goes  out  to 
meet  the  Hun.  When  he  throws  his  boots  about 
and  demands  his  dinner,  she  feels  a  pang  at  the 
thought  of  his  certain  privations  in  the  trenches 


and  the  probability  that  he  will  have  wet  feet 
for  the  next  three  or  four  years  and  nobody 
near  him  to  see  that  his  socks  are  darned.  For 
the  first  time  his  rough  ways  awaken  tenderness, 
for  is  he  not  "her  man,"  brave  and  strong  who 
is  going  to  the  front  to  help  protect  the  women 
and  children  of  the  world.  All  the  sentiment 
of  her  early  married  life  comes  back  and  a  new 
halo  surrounds  the  service  cap  of  her  hero. 


HERE  we  have  the  play  of  sentiment,  and  as 
a  young  British  officer  who  was  also  an 
actor  and  a  playwright  once  remarked  to  the 
writer  of  this  article:  "War  is  the  most  senti- 
imntal  thing  in  the  world."  In  a  primitive  and 
wholesome  sense  this  is  undoubtedly  true  and 
quite  as  it  should  be.  Everything  which  involves 
danger,  self  sacrifice  and  courage,  appeals  to 
that  universal  sentiment  which  is  the  most  potent 
thing  in  life- — the  mainspring  of  action  in  crowds 
as  well  as  in  individuals — and  when  the  other 
evening,  the  face  of  a  brave  young  French  offi- 
cer became  puckered  with  emotion  during  the 
singing  of  "The  Star  Spangled  Banner"  it  oc- 
curred to  the  writer  that  a  feeling  like  that — 
sympathetic  —  universal  —  brotherly  —  made  the 
world  a  better  place  to  live  in,  and  the  drama  of 
the  future  visualized  itself  for  a  moment  in  her 
imagination.  But  we  must  not  place  all  the  re- 
sponsibility on  the  woman. 

On  his  side  the  man  sees  new  charm  in  the 
home  life  which  perhaps  had  seemed  boring 
enough  before  the  time  came  to  leave  it,  and 
as  he  looks  back  o.i  the  petty  disagreements 
which  often  sent  him  forth  to  club  or  cabaret, 
he  blames  himself  for  a  brute  and  wonders  what 
he  can  say  in  his  next  letter  to  make  the  little 
wife  at  home  realize  that  he  loves  and  longs 
for  her.  It  is  said  that  in  the  moment  of  going 
over  the  top,  men  have  visions — actual  ones — of 
those  they  have  left  behind  them — and  can  we 
imagine  that  such  moments  are  anything  but  ten- 
der and  regretful,  or  that  the  young  hero  re- 
members aught  against  the  woman  who  prays 
for  him  at  home. 

And  after  all  we  cannot  shut  out  tragedy,  for 
always  the  Great  Reaper  is  busy  and  those  who 
love  and  those  who  hate  may  not  meet  again 
this  side  of  Eternity.  But  to  leave  this  painful 
side  of  the  sex  question  and  study  the  effects  of 
the  war  upon  the  more  aggressive  feministic 
element  in  our  midst,  and  the  necessity  for  an 
adjusted  point  of  view  on  the  part  of  the  play- 
wright. We  all  know  that  in  England  the  mili- 
tant forgot  her  wrongs  the  moment  her  country 
was  in  danger  and  proved  her  right  to  the  vote 
by  simply  and  courageously  shouldering  man's 
burdens  and  bidding  him  Godspeed  as  he 
marched  away  to  the  fro'nt. 


TN  this  country  the  same  thing  is  beginning  to 
•••  be  obvious,  for  most  of  our  club  women  are 
spending  busy  days  and  nights  thinking  of  cloth- 
ing and  comforts  for  our  boys  and  working  like 
beavers  to  provide  them. 

This  is  one  phase  of  the  mother  instinct  which 
is  so  strong  in  most  women,  and  it  develops  with 


extraordinary  rapidity  in  such  times  as  these — 
especially  when  it  is  called  out  by  the  demand 
for  those  things  which  only  the  labor  and  devo- 
tion of  women  can  supply. 

As  the  slim  fingers  roll  the  bandage  or  ply  the 
knitting  needles — the  thoughts  of  the  worker 
are  all  concentrated  on  the  suffering  and  sacri- 
fice of  the  boys  who  are  so  gladly  laying  down 
their  lives  that  the  world  may  be  safe  for 
women  and  children — and  with  pride — sometimes 
with  shame — women  remember  that  this  domi- 
nant creature  who  often  aroused  antagonism 
by  his  supremacy,  is  now  the  hope  and  the  de- 
fender of  the  world.  But  this  thought  is  epic, 
not  dramatic.  It  requires  a  modern  Homer. 

As  we  watch  the  couples  on  the  Avenue — the 
girls  and  women  leaning  on  the  arms  of  lover, 
husband,  brother  or  son — and  note  the  fond 
pride  with  which  they  hang  on  every  word  and 
look  of  him  who  may  in  a  few  months  be  en- 
roled among  heroes  living  or  dead — can  we  think 
for  a  moment  that  there  is  any  longer  a  sex 
rivalry  or  a  sex  war?  To  fill  his  place  at  home — 
to  do  all  that  a  woman  may  to  hold  up  the  hands 
of  the  government — to  strengthen  and  sustain 
the  hearts  of  those  at  the  front — to  shoulder  the 
burdens  of  wage-earning  and  home-keeping — 
and  in  every  branch  of  endeavor  to  prove  that 
though  women  may  not  go  into  the  trenches, 
they  can  he  good  soldiers  nevertheless — is  not 
this  enough  not  only  for  our  own  day  but  for 
generations  to  come — proof  enough  that  shoulder 
to  shoulder — hand  in  hand — not  in  rivalry  but 
in  good  fellowship,  men  and  women  may  tread 
the  rocky  roads  of  life  without  breaking  of 
bonds  or  trampling  of  each  other  in  the  dust. 


THIS  is  the  drama  of  the  ideal.  The  brutal- 
ity of  war  is  restoring  so  many  half  for- 
gotten things — so  many  primitive  and  cosmic 
impulses  and  sentiments. 

Of  late  years  there  has  not  been  too  much  evi- 
dence of  that  pride  in  motherhood  which  is  one 
of  the  first  of  natural  instincts — but  now,  who 
can  hold  her  head  so  proud  and  high  as  the 
woman  who  sends  forth  three  or  four  sons — 
perhaps  more — to  fight  for  liberty.  Volumes 
have  been  written — sermons  have  been  preached 
far  and  wide — plays  have  been  produced  and 
pictures  flashed  on  the  screen — all  in  the  hope  of 
awakening  in  the  hearts  of  the  women  of  our 
nation  that  same  primitive  longing — to  little  pur- 
pose. But  in  this  terrible  hour  of  the  world's 
peril,  there  is  no  longer  any  need  of  such 
preachment — the  cry  for  the  man-child  sounds 
across  oceans  and  continents  and  rises  to  Heaven 
night  and  day — and  the  old  women  pray  for 
those  they  have  borne,  and  the  young  women 
realize  as  never  before,  that  to  bear  and  rear 
men  children  is  their  supremest  pride  and  glory. 
And  here  is  material  for  rnaay  human  plays. 

For  the  childless  wife — the  spinster — the 
grandmother  whose  babies  are  now  grey  headed 
— they  are  still  "our  boys" — and  for  everyone 
of  them  each  woman  may  breathe  a  prayer — may- 
knit  and  bandage  and  labor  and  plan  to  her 
heart's  content.  Don't  let  the  playwright  make 
fun  of  her— it  is  her  life's  opportunity.  A  com- 
mon interest  in  such  a  bond — and  those  boys 


136 


Theatre  Magazine,  Sefteaatr, 


DESIREE 
LUBOVSKA 
A     new     and     talented 
terpsichorean  artist  who 
is  appearing  as  leading 
danseuse    in    the     new 
Hippodrome  show  ballet 


Evan  Burrows  Fontaine 
in   an   Egyptian    dance 


ROSHANARA 

This    picturesque    dan- 


cer, last  seen  in  '•Sin- 
bad,"  has  joined  the 
"Over  There"  Theatre 
League  and  will  go  to 
France  shortly  to 
dance  for  the  boys  in 
khaki 


Copyright   Hiioti    Connelly 


THESSALLY    NILES 

DENISHAWN 
A  clever  disciple  of 
the  well-known  Deni- 
shawn  School  of  Danc- 
ing, and  who  will  short- 
ly be  seen  in  a  new 
Broadway  production 


Photo    Ginthe 

T  R  A  N  S  P  I,  A   X  T   I  N  G 


THE       O  R  I  E  N  T       T  ()       H  11  O  A   1)  W  A  V 


know  .that  we  are  all  thinking  of  them — glorying 
in  their  successes — shedding  tears  perhaps — buc 
proud  tears,  when  the  cross  of  war  is  pinned 
to  a  breast  which  is  still  in  death — or  bestowed 
on  one  who  is  so  shot  to  pieces  that  in  the  words 
of  a  great  and  faithful  woman:  "there  is  only 
enough  left  of  his  body  to  hold  his  brave  soul," 
with  hearts  full  of  such  thoughts,  where  are  the 
women  who  want  to  keep  on  arguing  as  to  their 
divine  right  to  the  first  place  in  the  universe. 

After  all,  American  men  are  willing  enough 
to  grant  it  to  them  at  all  times^-and  never  so 
much  as  now — for  are  they  not  proving  that  it 
is  theirs  to  protect  their  countrywomen  from 
the  perils  which  have  overtaken  the  unhappy 
ones  of  Belgium  and  France? 

Woman  is  the  most  precious  thing  in  life  to 
that  much  maligned  man^creature  who  sits  in 
mud  up  to  his  waist  while  he  writes  his  letter 
home,  and  hopes  that  the  weather  has  not  been 
too  trying  for  his  wife's  neuralgia.  Perhaps 
after  all,  it  is  the  uplift  of  a  great  and  univer- 


sal ideal  which  carries  the  souls  of  men  and 
women  lar  above  the  plane  of  sex  rivalry  and 
domestic  strife. 

To  agree  that  there  is  one  supreme  object 
worth  striving  for — to  work  for  it  together, 
heart  and  soul  and  mind  and  strength — is  to 
form  a  union  which  should  last  into  the  millen- 
nium and  tend  to  bring  it  about.  We  are  told 
that  the  men  in  action  at  the  front  are  learning 
to  believe  in  God  and  to  pray.  Face  to  face  with 
the  most  awful  realities,  the  spirit  of  man  has 
risen  above  the  limitations  of  the  flesh  and  has 
had  visions  of  the  unseen. 

And  in  the  midst  of  the  terrible  struggle — the 
interdependence  of  men  and  women — the  reality 
of  love — the  beauty  of  sacrifice — the  sacredness 
of  the  home  and  the  fireside — have  all  become 
part  of  that  dream  of  the  future  which 
strengthens  hands  to  fight — hearts  to  endure — 
the  hope  of  mankind  to  survive  the  horror  and 
devastation  of  war. 

Perhaps  in  the  end  it  will  be  worth  the  cruel 


sacrifice  of  blood  and  tears — perhaps  a  greater 
race  of  men  and  women  will  follow  the  path  to 
the  stars  with  happy  hearts — perhaps  the  sturdy 
children  of  the  future  will  place  a  new  crown 
of  glory  on  the  brow  of  motherhood — and  men 
will  arise  from  the  graves  of  the  fallen,  who  in 
power,  in  greatness,  in  chivalry,  will  appeal  to 
the  hearts  of  women  which  have  grown  strong 
with  suffering,  patient  with  long  pain — sweet  and 
fragrant  in  their  unselfish  love  as  the  flowers 
which  spring  up  again  on  the  battle-scarred 
fields  of  France.  And  perhaps  great  dramatists 
will  spring  up  to  depict  these  things — and  great 
actors  to  play  them. 

Let  us  hope  then  that  when  this  war  is  over, 
suffrage  and  divorce  may  be  forgotten  words — 
or  only  recalled  as  humorous  illustrations  of  the 
decadence  of  society  before  the  great  conflict. 

But  to-day  "Mere  Man"  God  bless  him,  is 
fighting  for  all  women,  and  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  no  real  woman's  hand  is  against  him,  and 
no  real  dramatist  wants  to  satirize  him. 


JAKIE  IS  A  MANAGER 

A  letter  from  Jake  Bernstein,  the  Broad- 
way   producer  to    his  pawnbroker  friend 

By  HARRIET   KENT 


Dear   Izzy : — 

Yes,  I've  made  good.  I've  forsaken  the  three 
balls  of  our  Third  Avenue  pawnbroker  shop  for 
the  stocking  and  buckskin — or  whatever  it  is  they 
call  the  insignia  of  the  stage.  For  I'm  a  full- 
fledged  manager  now — no  more  appraising  of 
sparklers  for  me.  All  I  have  to  do  in  that  line  is 
sizing  up  the  chorus  girls.  Haven't  you  seen  my 
name  all  over  town — "Jake  Bernstein  Presents" 
in  every  color  of  the  rainbow?  It's  in  small 
letters  on  the  ash  cans  and  in  electric  lights  on 
Broadway. 

I'll  tell  you  why  I  made  good,  Izzy.  I'm  a 
good  gambler.  You  remember  the  chances  I 
used  to  take  in  our  shop,  don't  you?  Well,  the 
game  of  the  theatre  is  as  much  a  game  of  chance 
as  the  pawnbroker's — and  as  much  of  a  business. 
To  this  day  I  can't  understand  why  these  au- 
thors are  forever  prating  about  "art."  There 
ain't  no  such  animal  on  Broadway,  Izzy. 

I've  got  a  scheme  that  makes  every  show  I 
put  on  a  safe  bet.  These  playwrights  who  talk 
"art  for  art's  sake"  till  they're  bhie  in  the  face, 
only  care  to  see  their  "brain  children"  produced.  . 
So  J  oblige  them — and  keep  most  of  the  royalties 
for  myself.  Surely  that's  as  much  as  they  can 
ask,  and  I'm  in  this  business  to  make  money — 
not  for  art. 

Then  there's  these  boobs  with  bushels  of 
money  who  can't  spend  it  quick  enough  on  some 
little  nobody  who  can  only  look  pretty.  Here's 
where  I  come  in.  The  girl  must  be  made  a 
star — and  why  not,  provided  there's  enough 
money  in  back  of  her.  And  who's  better  able 
to  set  her  up  properly  than  yours  truly?  All  I 
have  to  do  is  to  see  the  color  of  the  greenbacks. 
Then  I  put  on  a  lavish  production,  with  music, 
girls — not  forgetting  the  mainstay  of  every 
show— lingerie.  My  press  agent  does  the  rest. 
He  (the  agent)  was  formerly  a  Coney  Island 
barker.  When  his  voice  gave  out  he  started  us- 
ing his  pen,  and  didn't  one  of  those  wise  guys 


say  that  "the  pen  is  mightier  than  the  voice?" 
You  remember  my  show,  "Say,  Kid?"  That 
was  put  on  just  to  please  a  pretty  face,  and  I 
cleared  half  a  million  on  it.  But  it  was  hardly 
worth  it.  The  show  was  all  right— but  the  star! 
She  might  have  ruined  my  reputation  as  a  man- 
ager. Every  time  that  girl  opened  her  rosebud 
mouth  to  sing  the  audiences  fidgetted  for  their 
hats.  I  didn't  blame  them. 

You  know  about  those  fellows  called  dramatic 
critics.  They're  always  arguing  with  each  other 
in  the  daily  press  about  "the  art  of  the  theatre." 
Since  I've  gone  into  the  show  business  the 
sound  of  that  word  gives  me  the  nightmare. 
These  scribblers  are  like  the  morning  after  the 
night  before.  Whenever  I  put  over  a  swell  lit- 
tle show,  and  the  first  night  audience  is  tickled 
to  death  with  it,  in  the  next  morning's  paper 
the  critics  are  sure  to  say  it  is  fierce.  "Shock- 
ing," "a  shameful  exhibition  of  near  nudity,"  is 
what  they  fling  at  me.  But  I  should  worry, 
Izzy.  That  only  makes  the  crowds  rush  to  the 
box-office  for  seats.  Then  if  the  show  gets  past 
the  police,  I  get  into  the  good  graces  of  the 
critics  by  giving  them  passes  for  their  sisters, 
cousins  and  aunts. 

Yes,  it's  a  great  business,  Izzy — and  a  good 
deal  like  the  pawnbroker's.  You  don't  think'  so? 
Well,  listen  to  me  and  you'll  be  convinced. 

An  actress  has  something  to  sell — her  ser- 
vices. I  have  to  buy  them  at  the  least  possible 
cost,  like  all  good  business  men  do.  She  thinks 
they're  worth  a  whole  lot  more  than  they  are 
(you  can't  imagine  how  conceited  these  players 
are).  No  other  manager  has  a  play  to  suit  her 
requirements  and  rather  than  be  "at  liberty"  all 
season  or  suffer  the  next  best,  which  is  going 
into  the  movies,  she  accepts.  Isn't  that  just  the 
same  as  when  one  of  these  poor  guys  must  get 
rid  of  his  watch  and  chain  and  has  to  sell  it  to 
the  pawnbroker  at  the  latter's  price? 

I  tell  you,  Izzy,  there's  one  thing  that  worries 


me  nowadays  and  that's  the  salary  we  have  to 
give  to  chorus  girls.  The  good  lookers,  I  mean, 
not  the  ones  that  sing.  I'd  like  to  know  who 
put  "chorus"  in  chorus  girl — there  is  no  similar- 
ity between  the  two.  If  they  do  sing  at  all,  it's 
always  out  of  chorus.  But  it  isn't  necessary  for 
these  girls  to  sing — all  they  have  to  do  is  dance 
a  little  and  look  pretty. 

Long  ago  we  paid  them  $25  per,  but  now- 
adays they  are  at  such  a  premium  that  to  have 
a  real  beauty  as  a  member  of  the  cast  you  must 
deposit  as  high  as  $100  in  her  weekly  envelope. 
Awful,  isn't  it?  As  if  those  girls  could  help 
having  pretty  faces  and  graceful  curves. 

Last  year  I  discovered  a  "model  of  pulchri- 
tude" as  they  say  in  the  newspapers.  She  came 
from  Oshkosh — used  to  be  a  dairy  maid.  You'd 
never  think  it  looking  at  her,  though — a  real 
Astorbilt  as  to  poise.  Well,  she  made  a  hit 
all  right.  Everybody  in  the  audience  talked 
about  her  on  the  way  out  of  the  theatre — second 
from  the  right,  she  was.  Now  another  mana- 
ger has  spotted  her,  and  to  retain  her  I've  had 
to  raise  her  salary  from  $35  to  $100  per.  When 
I  think  that  used  to  be  a  week's  profit  in  our 
shop,  it  almost  breaks  my  heart  Izzy. 

One  thing  I've  been  spared.  No  one  comes 
to  interview  me  about  my  ideals.  Everybody 
knows  I  haven't  got  any.  I  give  the  public  fun 
and  laughter  and  gaiety.  Mostly  I  give  them 
girls.  That's  what  they  want.  If  I  were  to 
give  them  art  I'd  be  in  the  poor  house.  Maybe 
I'd  have  to  hock  some  of  the  clothes  we  used  in 
last  year's  show. 

That  wouldn't  be  a  bad  idea,  anyway.  There's 
a  lot  of  stuff  that  would  bring  you  good  money, 
Izzy.  Come  over  and  we'll  talk  business.  It'll 
seem  like  old  times.  And  if  we  come  to  terms 
I'll  give  you  a  box  for  the  missus — and  all  you'll 
have  to  pay  is  the  war  tax.  •  TAKIE 

P.  S.  If  the  office' boy  won't  let  you  in,  just 
knock  him  over. 


138 


Theatre  Magazine,  September,  1918 


From  a  portrait  by  White 


MARY 


NASH 


"I.  O.  U."  is  the  title  of  the  new  play  by  Willard  Mack 
and  Hector  Turnbull  in  which  Broadway  will  see  this 
popular  emotional  actress.  Her  success  in  "The  Man  Who 
Came  Back,"  in  which  she  played  for  ninety-seven 
consecutive  weeks,  is  still  a  vivid  theatrical  memory 


NEW  YORK'S  FAMOUS  POLICE  BAND- 

Patriotic    drives    receive  great  stimulus 
through  our  popular  blue-coated  musicians 

By  WALTER   T.  HOWE 


AMONG  the  world's  famous  military  bands, 
the  Band  of  the  French  Garde  Republi- 
caine  and  the  Band  of  the  English  Cold- 
stream  Guards  are  the  best  known.  America  is 
only  just  awaking  to  the  fact  that  music  plays 
a  very  important  part  in  raising  and  preserving 
the  morale  of  the  soldier,  especially  in  times  ot 
war.  The  truth  of  this  is  now  so  generally  re- 
cognized in  official  circles  thatjteps  have  already 
been  taken  looking  to  the  organization  of  per- 
manent military  bands  as  a  regular  part  of  the 
United  States  Army. 

Meantime,  private  initiation  and  enterprise 
has  helped  to  meet  the  constant  demand.  Bands, 
semi-official  and  otherwise,  have  been  organ- 
ized in  all  parts  of  the  country,  the  largest  and 
perhaps  best  known  being  the  Naval  Reserve 
Band,  of  which  the  celebrated  Sousa  is  band- 
master. 

In  New  York  we  have  the  Police  Band,  of 
which  we  have  every  reason  to  be  proud.  This 
band  has  seen  considerable  service,  both  in 
parades  and  concerts,  and  during  the  recent 
Liberty  Loan  Drives,  Red  Cross  parades,  drives 
and  carnivals,  War  Savings  Stamps  Drives,  and 
drives  for  recruits  for  Tank  Service  and 
Marine  Corps  Service,  has  played  at  as  many 
as  five  different  places  a  day. 

The  band  appeared  recently  at  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria  and  played  at  a  dinner  given  to  "The 
Blue  Devils."  It  also  played  at  the  Century 
at  the  celebration  of  the  anniversary  of  the  en- 
trance of  Greece  into  the  war. 


TT  was  the  Police  Band  that  led  the  National 
A  Guard  down  Fifth  Avenue  before  its  depart- 
ure last  year  and  on  many  occasions  it  has 
acted  as  escort  to  regiments  and  drafted  men, 
leaving  to  go  "Over  There."  Incidentally  it  was 
the  first  band  to  play  that  popular  American  air. 
Recently,  it  has  been  given  an  opportunity 
to  show  music  lovers  of  New  York,  what  it  can 
do  in  concert  work,  by  playing  at  park  concerts 
on  Saturdays  and  Sundays  during  the  summer 
months. 

The  Police  Band  of  the  City  of  New  York- 
was  organized  seventeen  years  ago— July  5th, 
1901,  to  be  exact.  The  idea  of  organizing  such 
a  band  was  first  conceived  by  a  few  patrolmen 
attached  to  the  East  51st  Street  Police  Station, 
then  known  as  the  24th  Precinct.  The  idea 
spread  throughout  the  department  and  on 
June  17th,  1901,  a  preliminary  meeting  was  held 
at  Meyer's  Pavillion,  foot  of  East  84th  Street, 
where  seventeen  patrolmen  met  to  discuss  the 
matter.  After  fully  discussing  the  project, 
Patrolman  George  Clemens  (now  deceased"), 
then  attached  to  the  East  51st  Street  Station 
was  selected  as  President  temporary,  and  ad- 
journment was  taken  to  meet  again  on  June 
27th,  1901,  at  the  old  71st  Regiment  Armory, 
the  men  being  told  to  bring  whatever  instruments 
they  had  or  could  obtain  before  that  time. 

Prof.  De  Donato,  of  the  Catholic  Protectory 
Band,  was  instructor  for  about  one  year 
and  a  half,  being  succeeded  by  George 
Fuller,  of  Troop  A  Mounted  Band.  Later  the 


services  of  Prof.  Fanciulli,  formerly  instructor 
of  the  Marine  Band  at  Washington,  were  se- 
cured. He  remained  with  the  Police  Band  un- 
til he  left  to  take  a  band  to  the  St.  Louis  Ex- 
position. The  Police  Band  then  secured  the 
services  of  Prof.  John  George  Frank,  for  many 
years  a  member  of  the  Metropolitan  Opera 
House  Orchestra  and  formerly  conductor  of 
the  12th  Regiment  Band  which  took  a  prominent 
part  in  the  concerts  at  "The  Mall,"  Central 
Park.  Prof.  Frank  was  held  in  high  favor  by 
all  witli  whom  he  came  in  contact.  For  nine 
years  he  continued  as  Instructor  of  the  Police 
Band  and  the  band's  present  proficiency  is 
largely  the  result  of  his  careful  training. 
Chester  W.  Smith  succeeded  Prof.  Frank  and 
through  his  ability  and  personal  popularity  has 
succeeded  in  placing  the  band  as  one  of  the 
foremost  in  the  country. 


["'HE    organization    was    maintained    for    the 
•*•     first   four  years   at  the  members'  own   ex- 
pense, and  then  permission  was  given  the  band 
to  hold   an   entertainment  and   reception   at   the 
old    Grand    Central    Palace,    Lexington    Avenue 
and  43d  Street,  the  proceeds  to  be  used  to  de- 
fray   the    running    expenses.      Since    that    time, 
annual  entertainments  have  been  held,  and  while 
results  have  been  good,  great  expense  has  been 
incurred   in   the  purchase   of  better  equipments. 
At  the.  last   entertainment  twenty-five  per   cent, 
of  the  receipts   were  turned  over  to  the   Police 
Commissioner    to    be    used    in    the    welfare    of 
members  of  the  department   who  enter  the   Na- 
tional   Service,    the    sum    amounting    to    $1,004. 
In    October,    1913,   permission   was   granted   to 
the    members    of    the    band    to    take    two    days' 
leave   to   enable   them   to   go   to    Philadelphia   to 
assist    the    Philadelphia    Police    in    their    parade 
and    to   perform   at  field    games   held  at    Shibe 
Park,     for    the    benefit    of     the    pension     fund. 
From    this    trip    the    sum    of    $61,000    was    real- 
ized.     Again    in   April,   1914,    similar   permission 
was   granted  to   make  another  trip  to   Philadel- 
phia to  participate   with   the   Philadelphia,   New- 
ark and   Jersey   City   Police   Bands   in   a   massed 
concert   at    Convention    Hall.      On    this   occasion 
$19,000  more  was  turned  into  the  pension  fund. 


'  I  ''HE  Police  Band  made  its  first  great  hit  when 
•i-  in  1915  it  was  allowed  to  make  the  trip  to 
Albany,  to  participate  at  the  inauguration  of 
Governor  Charles  S.  Whitman.  In  1917  the 
band  was  permitted  to  again  participate  at  the 
inaugural  parade  and  act  as  honor  escort  of  the 
Governor  from  the  Executive  Mansion  to  the 
Capitol.  In  the  evening  it  appeared  at  the 
Armory  where  the  Inaugural  Ball  was  held. 

The  Police  Band  has  among  its  members 
several  talented  composers  of  music,  the  fore- 
most among  them  being  Sergeant  Otto  C. 
Schasberger,  of  the  14th  Precinct.  Sergeant 
Schasberger  is  the  author  of  a  march  which 
he  named  "Ourselves,"  song,  "Queen  of  Mul- 
berry Bend,"  "The  Land  of  the  Red,  White  and 


Blue,"  waltz,  "Bridal  Blossoms,"  and  a  very 
pretty  two-step  and  march  which  he  named 
"Miss  Columbia."  His  last  great  number  is 
"The  U.  S.  Rainbow  Division  March"  which 
is  being  played  by  every  Army  and  Navy  Band 
here  and  abroad,  as  well  as  all  other  musical 
organizations. 

Another  composer  who  has  made  great  success 
with  his  first  composition  is  Patrolman  William 
F.  Barmbold,  of  Traffic  C,  who  wrote  and  dedi- 
cated to  the  Women's  Motor  Corps  of  Amer- 
ica, the  "Motor  Corps  of  America  March." 

Lieutenant  Floyd  B.  Pitts  of  the  Detective 
Bureau,  who  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
band,  has  just  begun  his  seventh  term  as  Pres- 
ident of  the  organization. 

The  Glee  Club  of  the  Police  Department  was 
organized  in  the  fall  of  1915,  shortly  after  the 
death  of  late  Chaplain  Father  Francis  J.  Sulli- 
van, when  a  quartette  consisting  of  four  mem- 
bers of  the  police  department  rendered  the 
singing  at  the  requiem  mass. 

The  order  was  sent  to  every  precinct  request- 
ing any  member  of  all  ranks  desiring  to  become 
members  of  the  Glee  Club  to  send  his  name  to 
the  Chief  Inspector's  office.  To  this  about  140 
members  of  the  force  responded.  The  applicants 
were  then  notified  to  report  at  St.  George's 
Men's  Club,  No.  207  East  16th  St.,  at  a  subse- 
quent date,  after  which  they  were  put 
through  a  rigid  test  of  their  voices  by  Charles  L. 
Safford,  Director  of  the  St  George's  Choir. 
After  this  test  the  director  placed  each  man  in 
the  part  he  was  best  fitted  for  to  sing  in,  such  as 
first  tenor,  second  tenor,  first  bass  or  second 
bass.  After  this  was  done  the  club  was  able  to 
secure  voices  good  enough  for  to  have  108  mem- 
bers of  all  ranks  consisting  of  the  following: 
one  lieutenant,  four  sergeants,  one  hundred  and 
three  patrolmen;  they  were  divided  into  the 
following  parts,  28  first  tenors,  30  second  tenors, 
33  first  bass,  17  second  bass. 


nPHE  Glee  Club  had  not  appeared  in  pub- 
-•-  lie  before  January  1st,  1918,  except  on  three 
occasions — the  memorial  held  at  the  Metropol- 
itan Opera  House  in  April,  1916,  at  a  town 
meeting  held  at  Carnegie  Hall  (known  as 
Police  Night)  and  also  at  another  town  meeting 
held  at  the  Brooklyn  Academy  of  Music  in  the 
fall  of  the  same  year.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
drive  for  the  Third  Liberty  Loan  a  request  was 
made  for  the  service  of  the  Glee  Club  and  the 
club  sang  at  the  steps  of  the  subtreasury  build- 
ing, Wall  Street,  April  24th  to  a  crowd  of 
20.000  people. 

On  May  1st  the  club  again  appeared  at 
the  Liberty  Bell  at  City  Hall  and  sang 
for  about  two  hours.  From  that  time  on  the 
club  appeared  almost  every  day  a*  different  places 
singing  for  the  Liberty  Loan.  £n  the  last  day 
the  members  sang  at  the  Union  League  Club. 
It  has  also  given  entertainments  for  the  sick 
sailors  at  the  Naval  Hospital  in  Brooklyn  and 
for  the  men  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A'.,  K.  of  C,  Ma- 
sonic Order,  St.  John  College  in  Brooklyn,  Co- 
lumbia Base  Hospital,  Bronx,  Methodist  Church, 
Police  Reserves  of  the  different  precincts. 


140 


Theatre  Magazine,  September,  i 


The   police   band    at    the    Capitol,   Albany 


during  the  inauguration  of  Governor  Charles  S.  Whitman 


The  Police  Band  Glee  Club  which  has  rendered  patriotic  service  during  recent  Liberty  Loan  Drives 

NEW    YORK'S    "FINEST"    IN    THE    MORE    GENTLE    ROLE     OF    MUSICIANS 


IN  "Leave  It  to  the  Sailors," 
a  musical  comedy,  recently 
produced  at  the  Chicago  Audi- 
torium, Charles  Moesser  Ter- 
rill,  of  San  Francisco,  who  had 
danced  professionally  before 
his  enlistment  in  the  Navy,  did 
an  East  Indian  dance  that 
created  a  sensation.  Completely 
out-Orientaling  every  Oriental 
on  the  stage,  he  danced  in 
black  face  draperies,  ablaze 
with  brilliants.  It  was  a 
subtle,  exquisitely  feminine, 
senuous  thing.  Everyone  con- 
nected with  the  production 
is  an  enlisted  man  in  the 
United  States  Navy.  The 
authors  are  Chaplain  Charles 
W.  Moore  and  David  Wolff. 
The  music  and  lyrics  are  by 
Seaman  James  O'Keefe.  The 
critics  declared  it  musically 
and  dramatically  "The  best 
thing  done  since  the  'Choco- 
late Soldier,' "  well-staged,  and 
superbly  costumed. 

Two  acts  and  a  revue  were 
set  on  the  main  deck  of  a 
United  States  battleship  sail- 
ing the  danger  zone.  A  sub- 
marine is  sighted  pursuing  a 
sister  ship.  Gunners  spring 
to  their  machines  and  make 
them  talk  well.  Half-drowned 
victims,  limp  females,  heroines, 
heroes,  and  comedians  are 
brought  aboard  and  a  chorus 
of  uniformed  sailors  come  on 
in  battalions.  In  the  final 
tableau,  they  form  the  giant 
letters  "U.  S.  N."  It  was  a 
triumph  of  patriotism  and 
song. 


CHARLES   MOESSER   TERRILL 


SAILOR       SCORES       IN       ORIENTAL       DANCES 


Theatre  Magazine,  September,  ryig 


MR.  HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY 


HUDSON.     "FRIENDLY  ENEMIES." 

American  comedy  drama  in  three 

acts  by  Samuel  Shipman  and  Aaron 

Hoffman.      Produced    July    22,    with 

this   cast: 


Walter    Stuart 
Nora 

Marie    Pfeifer 
June    Block 
"Karl    Pfeifer 
Henry    Block 
William    Pfeifer 


Felix    Krembs 

Natalie     Manning 

Mathilde     Cottrelly 

Regina    Wallace 

Louis    Mann 

Sam    Bernard 

Richard    Barbee 


WHEN  a  play  both  entertains 
and  serves  a  worthy  cause 
the  stage  may  be  said  to  have  ful- 
filled its  highest  mission.  Never  as 
now,  at  this  supreme  crisis  in  the  life 
of  the  nation,  at  this  anxious  mo- 
ment when  civilization  itself  totters 
on  the  brink  of  the  abyss,  has  the 
dramatist  been  afforded  such  an  op- 
portunity to  do  his  "bit"  for  the  de- 
liverance and  uplift  of  his  race. 

There  have  been  war  plays  in 
plenty,  but  none  of  them  were  quite 
as  much  to  the  point  as  "Friendly 
Enemies."  Messrs.  Samuel  Shipman 
and  Aaron  Hoffman  have  profited 
by  their  opportunity.  They  are  skil- 
ful benefactors  in  that  they  make 
you  laugh  while  they  inculcate 
some  wholesome  truths  that  every 
intelligence  can  understand.  They 
have  by  no  means  produced  a  mas- 
terpiece. Their  play  is  crude  and 
conventional  in  construction,  often 
commonplace  and  trite  in  dialogue. 
But  it  has  what  most  other  plays 
lack.  Extraordinary  circumstances 
have  breathed  a  soul  into  this  very 
ordinary  clay,  and  given  it  a  human 
quality  that  makes  a  potent  appeal. 
Few  of  those  having  sons  serving 
abroad  can  witness  it  dry-eyed.  For 
this  reason,  it  will  make  a  stronger 
impression  on  the  great  mass  of 
theatregoers  than  a  play  of  higher 
literary  pretensions  would  have  done. 
It  is  a  smashing  answer  to  all  the 
miserable  lies  and  damnable  schem- 
ing of  the  traitorous  pro-German 
propagandists,  of  which  there  are 
still  too  many  at  large  in  this  coun- 
try. 

Karl  Pfeifer  and  Henry  Block  are 
both  natives  of  Germany  and  nat- 
uralized American  citizens.  They 
have  prospered  in  the  United  States 
and  raised  families  under  the  benev- 
olent folds  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 
But  while  Block  is  undivided  in  his 
new  allegiance  and  loud  in  condem- 
nation of  the  Hun,  Pfeifer  still  re- 
mains German  at  heart  and  hopes 
to  see  the  Kaiser  win.  The  two  old 


friends  are  constantly  at  logger- 
heads, Block  doing  his  best  to  make 
Pfeifer  see  the  folly  of  his  course, 
but  the  old  man  is  obstinate  and 
contributes  $50,000  to  a  secret  Ger- 
man fund.  The  money  is  ostensibly 
for  propaganda  but  is  really  used  to 
destroy  American  transports.  Mean- 
time, unknown  to  his  father,  Pfeif- 
er's  son  has  left  college  and  enlisted 
in  the  army.  His  regiment  sails  on 
the  very  ship  which  the  spies  have 
planned  to  blow  up.  When  the  ter- 
rible news  comes  Pfeifer  is  over- 
whelmed. His  eyes  are  s'uddenly 
opened  to  the  German  menace  and 
he  devotes  his  energy  forthwith  to 
the  triumph  of  the  Allies. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  find  actors 
better  suited  to  their  respective 
roles  than  Louis  Mann  as  old  Pfeif- 
er and  Sam  Bernard  as  Henry 
Block.  Both  these  popular  come- 
dians have  made  a  specialty  of  Ger- 
man dialect  and  it  serves  them  well 
in  this  instance.  Mr.  Mann's  char- 
acterization is  the  more  finished  and 
more  satisfying  of  the  two.  It  is, 
of  course,  the  more  important  part, 
with  more  shade  and  contrasts.  Mr. 
Mann  is  admirable  throughout  and 
very  convincing  in  the  pathetic 
scene  where  his  obstinacy  makes  him 
refuse  to  bid  his  boy  good-bye.  Mr. 
Bernard  is  funny  as  always,  but  his 
humor  is  of  the  more  obvious  order. 
He  is  a  little  too  anti-German  for  a 
native  born  German.  It  does  not 
ring  quite  true.  The  rest  of  the 
cast  were  adequate. 


MAXINE  ELLIOTT'S.  "ALLE- 
GIANCE." Play  in  three  acts  by  Prince 
and  Princess  Troubetzkoy.  Produced 
August  1,  with  this  cast  : 


Mr.    Hartmann 
Karl    Hartmann 
Max    Hartmann 
Elsa   Hartmann 
Albert  Perry 
Anna  Perry 
Count  Von  Geier 
Billy    Elton 
Gottlieb 
Minna 
Karlchen 


Carl    Sauerraan 

Carl    Anthony 

Charles    Meredith 

Blanche   Yurka 

Charles  Hampden 

Evelyn  Varden 

Harrison  Hunter 

Charles    Laite 

Charles  Kraus 

Margery  Lytle 

William  Read,  Jr. 


IN  "Allegiance"  we  have  another 
anti-German  propaganda  play.  A 
youth  of  German  blood,  but  Ameri- 
can birth,  is  an  ardent  patriot.  His 
father,  a  powerful  banker,  is  all 
Teuton.  The  father's  father,  who 
was  born  in  Germany,  oddly  enough 
sides  with  the  grandson.  The  sink- 
ing of  the  Lusitania  sends  the  lad 
into  the  British  army  and  thus 


gives   the   grandsire   his   death-blow. 

The  third  and  last  act  develops 
into  a  rather  tense  bit  of  spy  melo- 
drama, wherein  a  distracted  wife 
shoots  open  a  drawer  and  takes  from 
it  "the  papers"  which  her  husband — 
for  some  reason  not  knowing  that 
they  listed  the  traitors  in  the  United 
States  Army — was  about  to  deliver 
to  the  cunning  emissary  from  Pots- 
dam. 

When  the  boy  comes  home  blinded 
by  a  Prussian  surgeon,  almost  every- 
body is  ready  to  concede  that  the 
Allies  are  more  or  less  in  the  right. 

"Allegiance"  suffers  from  the  fact 
that  most  of  it  is  only  mildly  dra- 
matic narrative.  The  dialogue  is 
generally  both  stilted  and  trite,  and 
the  characterizations  are  either 
stereotyped  or  incredible. 

The  acting  is  generally  better  than 
the  play,  honors  going  to  Charles 
Meredith,  as  the  grandson;  Harri- 
son Hunter,  as  the  Potsdammer,  and 
Carl  Anthony  and  Blanche  Yurka, 
as  the  boy's  father  and  mother. 


PARK.  "M  OTHER'S  LIBERTY 
BOND."  Melodrama  in  four  acts,  by 
Parker  Fis'her.  Produced  August 
7,  with  this  cast: 

Hubbard  Holmes  Charles  Foster 

Hannah  Trumbull  Carrie  Lowe 

Johnathan    Bond  Richard    Castilla 

Peter   Stanhope  Charles  B.   Stevens 

Alonzo  Phelps  Royal  C.  Stout 

Adele  Bond  Gilda  Leary 

Alf   Trumbull  Edward   Mackay 

Suzanne   Gilkrist  Adeline   Warwick 

Sheriff  Stone  George  La  Tour 

Earl  Phelps  Charles  C.  Wilson 
Gov.   Horace  Bancroft, 

Frank  W.   Taylor 

An   Orderly  Joseph   Will'ams 

A  Sergeant  Bernon  Adams 

A  Private  Louis  D.   Post 

A  Captain  John  Bostock 

A  GOOD  ca"u>se  justifies  much. 
"Mother's.  Liberty  Bond,"  was 
produced  to  help  a  fund  to  provide 
smokes  for  our  soldiers. 

It  proved  to  be  a  fairly  incredible 
production — incredible  as  to  plot 
and  characters,  situations  and  dia- 
logue, acting  and  direction.  If  you 
had  not  actually  seen  it,  you  would 
not  have  believed  that  it  could 
achieve  presentation  in  New  York 
above  Fourteenth  Street. 

For  it  was  melodrama  of  the  old 
school — the  old  high  school,  one 
might  almost  say.  It  so  abounded 
and  overflowed  with  lofty  senti- 
ments that  of  its  three  villians  only 
the  one  that  was  made  in  Germany 
could  withstand  the  benignant  in- 


fluence  to  the  end.  At  almost  any 
moment  a  villian  was  liable  to  be 
converted. 

Acting  quite  as  extraordinary  as 
the  play,  was  done  by  all  parties 
concerned,  including  Gilda  Leary 
and  Adeline  Warwick  as  the  sheroes 
and  Edward  Mackay  as  the  hero. 
The  best  part  of  the  whole  business 
is  that  the  boys  "over  there"  will  get 
the  tobacco  and  not  have  to  see  the 
show. 


LONGACRE.  "THE  BLUE  PEARL." 
Comedy-drama  in  three  acts,  by 
Anne  Crawford  Flexner.  Produced 
August  8,  with  this  cast: 


Rolling  Chair  Boy 
Wilfred  Scott 
Angelica  Topping 
Hooper  McHugh 


E.  H.  Bender 

William   David 

Dorothy  Klewer 

G.  Oliver  Smith 


Mrs.   H.  Augustus  Topping, 

Annie  Hughes 

Major  H.   Augustus  Topping, 

J.   Palmer  Collins 

Holland  Webb  Orlando  Daly 

Sybil   Kent  Julia  Bruns 

Laura  Webb  Grace  Carlyle 

Stokes  Hubert  Druce 

Stephen  Drake  George  Nash 
Alexander  Petrofsky  Charles  Angelo 
Madame  Petrofsky  Yolande  Duquette 

Footman  Lyman   Fink 

Penrose  Kent  Perce  Benton 
Ellis  Frederick  Kaufman 

Monahan  H.  B.  Tisdale 

Mason  Thomas  Borden 

Mrs.  Coombs  Amelia  Hendon 

THE  BLUE  PEARL"  is  a  rather 
skilfully  constructed  jigsaw 
puzzle  play,  but  without  thrills  or 
fascination.  It  closely  parallels 
"The  Thirteenth  Chair,"  the  crime 
this  time  being  theft  instead  of 
murder. 

Some  of  the  important  characters 
in  the  piece  are  a  bad  lot.  They 
week-end  at  Atlantic  City  regard- 
less of  the  fact  that  they  are  mar- 
ried to  other  people.  We  catch  a 
glimpse  of  some  of  their  goings-on 
in  a  perfectly  unnecessary  prologue, 
called  ''Introductory." 

Thereafter  everybody  assembles 
at  a  dinner  party,  and  the  pearl  is 
stolen  when  during  a  hypnotic  ex- 
periment the  lights  suddenly  go  out. 
Then  the  police  commissioner  ar- 
rives and  sets  about  solving  the 
mystery.  After  a  good  deal  of  sher- 
lockholmesing  with  fingerprints  and 
a  magnifying  glance,  he  decides  to 
have  the  gang  searched — which,  I 
should  think,  he  would  have  natur- 
ally done  in  the  first  place. 

The  first  act  is  devoted  to  estab- 
lishing motives  for  the  theft  in  the 
case  of  six  or  seven  of  the  charac- 
ters. In  the  second  act  the  felony 
is  committed,  and  attention  is 
focused  on  one  possible  thief  after 
another  In  Act.  III.  the  guilty  one 
is  discovered,  and  the  matrimonial 
complications  are  adjusted.  To  fol- 
low all  of  which  is  never  more  than 
mildly  engrossing. 

George  Nash's  simple  and  direct 
method  makes  the  sleuthy  commis- 
sioner a  credible  figure.  The  ac- 


tion, however,  centers  about  Julia 
Bruns,  who  proves  a  very  engaging 
vampire  lady.  I  should  say  that  we 
should  be  likely  to  see  a  good  deal 
more  of  Miss  Bruns  in  the  future  it 
I  did  not  vividly  recall  the  gown 
she  wears  throughout  the  play  and 
realize  the  impossibility  of  my  pre- 
diction. At  any  rate,  in  appearance 
at  least  she  is  reminiscent  of  the 
youthful  Maxine  Elliott. 

Good  acting  was  also  contributed 
by  Annie  Hughes,  Hubert  Druce, 
Grace  Carlyle,  and  others. 


ASTOR.  "KEEP  HER  SMILING." 
Comedy,  in  three  acts,  by  John  Hun- 
ter Booth.  Produced  August  5, 
with  this  cast: 

Mr.  Donovan  Byron   Ruisell 

Mr.  Theodore    Brackett, 

De  Witt  C.   Jennings 

Henry  Trindle  Mr.  Drew 

Mr.    Storer  Ivan   Christy 

Stella  Goodwin  Daisy  Rudd 

Grapely  John  H.  Dilson 

Mr.   Bland  John   M.    Washburne 

Marie  Rosanna  Allison 

Polly   Trindle  Mrs.    Drew 

Jim  Merriweather  Lincoln  Plumer 
Myra  Merriweather  Majdel  Turner 
Bentley  Charles  Mylott 

Mr.  Wainwright  William  T.  Hays 

Mr.  Welburn  Otis  W.  A.  Whitecar 
Prulliere's  Man  Joseph  Landes 

Middleton's  Man  Stanley  Mortimer 
William  Sampson  Truscott, 

Page  Spencer 

THE  chief  interest  in  this  pro- 
duction that  braved  the  caloric 
terrors  of  midsummer,  centres 
around  Sidney  Drew  who  after  enjoy- 
ing several  years  of  great  popularity 
in  movie  land  has  returned  to  woo 
his  first  love — the  legitimate  stage. 
It  is  no  secret  that  Sidney  Drew, 
when  acting  in  the  life,  never  scored 
nearly  as  heavily  as  he  has  done  on 
the  screen.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
what  improvement,  if  any,  the  tech- 
nique of  the  film  and  a  long  course 
of  study  of  the  art  of  pantomime 
has  done  for  his  histrionic  equip- 
ment. 

"Keep  Her  Smiling,"  is  a  farce- 
comedy  illustrating  the  well-known 
fact  that  the  way  to  be  prosperous 
(on  the  stage)  is  to  be  highly  ex- 
travagant. The  more  you  spends 
the  more  comes  in.  And  if  you  can 
manage  to  throw  away  $6,000  in  one 
evening,  you  are  sure  to  be  a  mil- 
lionaire next  day. 

In  this  new  piece,  as  in  his  famil- 
iar one-reel  comedies,  Sidney  Drew 
is  the  weak  uxorious  husband. 
Mrs.  Drew,  of  course,  Polly  to 
his  Henry — in  this  case  a  loving 
spouse,  who  requires  a  good  deal 
more  than  a  humble  cashier's  salary 
to  keep  her  smiling. 

When  Henry  chances  to  be  made 
a  dummy  director  in  a  new  corpora- 
tion, without  emoluments  other 
than  one  share  of  stock,  Polly  at  once 
goes  in  for  player-pianos,  automo- 
biles, and  opera  stars  for  her  house- 
warming.  Then  while  Henry  has 


visions  of  himself  departing  as  a 
missionary,  Fortune,  the  sympathetic 
jade,  seeing  his  willingness  to  keep 
his  wife  smiling  at  any  price,  con- 
fers on  him  the  Midas  torch. 

It  is  a  mildly  engrossing  and 
amusing,  if  an  occasionally  thin  and 
often  extravagant  play.  Mingled 
with  the  comedy  of  business  there 
is  the  comedy  of  social  advancement. 
But  alongside  of  "A  Tailor-Made 
Man,"  its  closest  recent  parallel, 
"Keep  Her  Smiling"  seems  a  bit 
tame. 

Mr.  Drew's  artistry  makes  the 
meek  clerk  and  adoring  husband  a 
real  figure,  compounded  of,  usually 
genuine  humor  and  pathos.  Mrs. 
Drew  is  satisfying  in  the  unexact- 
ing  role  of  the  childish  wife.  Others 
in  the  cast  who  distinguished  them- 
selves are  DeWitt  C.  Jennings,  as 
a  woman-hating  broker,  and  Lincoln 
Plumer,  as  a  sort  of  first-aid  neigh- 
bor. The  rest  of  the  cast — twenty- 
nine  in  all — makes  up  in  quantity 
for  what  it  lacks  in  quality. 


WINTER  GARDEN.  "THE 
PASSING  SHOW  OF  1918."  Annual 
fall  revue  in  two  acts  and  fourteen 
scenes.  Dialogue  and  lyrics  by 
Harold  Atteridge;  music  by  Sig- 
mund  Romberg  and  Jean  Schwartz. 
Produced  July  25,  with  these  artists : 

Adele  Astair,  Olga  Roller,  Flor- 
ence Elmore,  Charks  Ruggles, 
Frank  Fay,  Virginia  Fox  Brooks, 
Arthur  Altro,  Fred  Astair,  Louise 
Conti,  Peggy  Mitchell,  Mary  Booth, 
David  Dreyer,  Nell  Carrington, 
Willie  Howard,  Isabel  Rodriquez, 
Emily  Miles,  Isabel  Lowe,  Jessie 
Reed,  Fawn  Conway,  and  others. 

THERE  is  getting  to  be  much  of 
a  sameness  about  these  per- 
ennial Winter  Garden  revues. 
Practically  the  only  thing  that 
changes  each  year  is  the  date  in  the 
title.  The  show  remains  about  the 
same — pretty  girls,  interlarded  with 
more  or  less  incoherent  tableaux 
depicting  timely  topics,  and  archaic 
farce-comedy  of  a  quality  that 
makes  one  despair  of  the  sense  of 
humor  of  your  modern  4ibrettist. 

The  girls  are  comely-^here  is  no 
gainsaying  that.  You  may  think  the 
privilege  of  gazing  on  their  demure 
faces  well  worth  the  price  of  your 
seat.  The  "Bouquet  of  Winter 
Garden  Beauties,"  a  feature  of  Act 
I.,  is  the  very  latest  thing  in  ex- 
hibitions of  female  pulchritude. 

Other  features  which  may  please 
are  "The  Hotel  Gilt-more,"  a  skit 
in  which  Adele  Astair  and  Charles 
Ruggles  made  hits;  a  burlesque  on 
"Salome,"  in  which  Virginia  Fox 
Brooks  takes  the  title  role;  "A  Lon- 
don Air  Raid";  a  comedy  entitled 
"Childs,"  in  which  Emily  Miles  ap- 
pears as  "Miss  Wheatcakes,"  etc., 
etc.  (Concluded  on  page  176) 


144 


Theatre  Magazine,  September,  j 


THE  SQUAB  FARM  GIRLS 

A  travesty  of  the 
play  of  that  name — a 
product  of  last  season 


FRED  AND  ADELE  ASTAIRE 

A  vaudeville  team  of  ex- 
ceptionally clever  dancers 
who  scored  one  of  the 
biggest  hits  of  the  show 


(Below) 
FHE  VAMPIRE  GIRLS 


Photos  White 


"THE     PASSING     S  H  O  W     OF     1918'      AT     THE     WINTER     GARDEN 


TEMPERAMENT 

Some  differences  between  the  artistic  tem- 
perament and    the    temperamental    artist 

By  MILDRED  CRAM 


VEMPERAMENT:  What  on  earth  is  it? 
Passion,  eccentricity,  insanity  or  intelli- 
gence? To  discuss  it  at  all  is  playing 
with  fire,  since  one-half  of  humanity  regards 
temperament  as  a  picturesque  madness,  while 
the  other  haJf  cherishes  the  belief  that  tempera- 
ment is  simply  an  excuse  for  attractive  iniquity. 
Actors  and  actresses  are  always  suspected  of 
having  temperament,  because  they  claim  to  be 
artists.  An  artist,  according  to  popular  belief, 
is  a  devilish  fellow.  Art  is  supposed  to  create 
temperament — an  exotic,  unfamiliar  and  fascina- 
ting state  of  mind  and  morals  found  principally 
in  studios  and  behind  the  footlights.  And 
thanks  to  an  hereditary  distrust  of  all  minstrels 
and  vagabonding  mummers,  the  public  suspects, 
even  while  it  acutely  and  often  slavishly  ad- 
mires, the  popular  player.  When  the  temper- 
amental one  errs,  topples  off  the  moral  pedestal, 
transgresses,  blackslides  or  otherwise  faills,  the 
public  puts  its  finger  to  its  offended  nose  and 
cries,  "I  told  you  so!" 

The  backsliding  of  the  butcher,  the  baker  and 
the  candlestick  maker  is  never  so  gratifying,  for 
they  go  the  way  of  all  weak  flesh,  while  the 
temperamental  sinner  justifies  a  popular  tradi- 
tion and  subtly  flatters  the  public  intelligence. 
The  press  is  to  blame.  If  a  greengrocer  or  a 
plumber  leaves  his  wife  or  develops  a  passion 
for  purple  neckties,  public  opinion  is  not  in- 
flamed. Let  a  famous  author,  a  talented  painter 
or  a  great  actor  do  the  same  thing  and  there 
is  a  howl  of  indignation. 


VX^HAT  did  I  tell  you?"  the  Tired  Business 
Man  cries,  looking  up  frotn  his  newspaper 
with  an  air  of  supreme  justification.  "These 
artistic  fellows  are  always  running  amuck! 
Temperament!  I  tell  you  I  distrust  it!" 

Of  course.  The  word  has  been  misused  for 
nearly  a  generation,  so  that  now  temperament 
has  come  to  mean  a  violent  disposition  and 
positively  unbridled  behavior.  The  word  "artis- 
tic" has  somehow  attached  itself  to  the  epithet 
so  that  when  the  Tired  Business  Man  hears  of 
some  one  who  is  peculiar,  erratic,  damnable  and 
fascinating,  he  credits  him  with  an  artistic  tem- 
perament and  lets  it  go  at  that.  Charletans  hide 
behind  the  popular  misbelief  and  every  other 
would-be  genius  hooks  a  doting  audience  with 
the  temperamental  bait.  When  anything  goes 
wrong  it  is  easier  to  blame  one's  temperament 
than  to  hold  one's  intelligence  and  perception 
to  account.  Society  girls  who  elope  with  chauf- 
feurs, beautiful  women  who  commit  political 
murders,  chorus  girls  and  opera  singers-  who 
delude  gullible  millionaires  make  themselves  out 
the  victims  of  a  picturesque  curse  and  trail  their 
temperaments  into  court  and  sometimes,  praise 
Allah,  into  jail.  It  is  the  fault  of  the  press  and 
of  sentimental  press  agents  if  temperamental 
forgers,  bigamists  and  card  sharks  are  made  to 
seem  picturesque,  pathetic  and  abused. 

All  truly  great  players— and  there  are  sca,lly- 
wags  and  saints  among  them — are  gifted  with 
the  artistic  temperament,  which  is,  after  all,  only 
a  fine  appreciation  of  the  beautiful,  a  keen  per- 
ception of  color,  sound  and  form,  a  delicate. 


unerring  response  to  the  vast  music  of  the 
world  and  the  ability  to  make  artistic  material 
out  of  life  itself.  The  great  actor  who  throws 
a  coffee  cup  at  his  wife  may  have  a  bad  tem- 
per, but  bear  in  mind  that  temper  is  not  tem- 
perament. If  it  were,  the  commonest  bully 
could  claim  to  be  inspired. 

Many  great  artists  have  been  weak  men,  since 
artists  are  as  human  as  greengrocers,  police- 
men and  plumbers.  The  scales  balance  evenly 
when  you  weigh  the  behavior  of  the  world's 
artistic  celebrities.  The  worst  of  them  have 
never  blamed  their  artistic,  temperament — that 
elusive  quality  of  understanding  which  enables 
them  to  put  the  drab  commonplaces  of  life  into 
terms  of  beauty — for  their  mistakes;  they  realize 
that  its  possession  is  as  much  a  matter  of 
chance  as  a  straight  nose,  a  pair  of  good  legs 
or  a  strong  chin,  and  that  without  it  all  their 
knowledge,  all  their  studied  technique  would  go 
for  nothing. 


IT  is  possible  to  have  an  artistic  temperament 
and  to  cut  immoral  capers.  A  sense  of  beauty 
is  no  guarantee  of  a  sweet  disposition.  Yet 
genius  is  not  responsible  for  torrid  behavior.  A 
man  may  be  gifted  by  the  gods  and  be  a  sensual- 
ist. Or  he  may  have  the  artistic  temperament  and 
be  thrifty,  practical  and  sane.  He  may  be  in- 
spired and  yet  live  happily  with  his  wife  and  be 
abysmally  ignorant  of  the  joys  of  Bohemia. 
Which  only  goes  to  prove  that  when  we  consider 
a  man's  art  we  must  ignore  his  sins.  The 
American  public  has  a  passion  for  personalities, 
an  inexhaustible  curiosity  of  the  rocking-chair 
variety.  It  is  more  important  to  know  what 
the  artist  eats,  what  he  wears  and  how  much 
lie  weighs  than  to  inquire  into  his  art. 

Acting  will  never  come  into  its  own  until  the 
artistic  temperament  is  recognized  as  a  thing  of 
the  spirit,  the  gift,  elusive  and  penetrating,  of 
expression.  Then  perhaps  it  will  cease  to  drape 
the  indiscretions  of  fools  and  counterfeiters  and 
will  take  its  place  as  a  radiant  investiture. 

The  artistic  temperament  does  not  bring  se- 
renity, since  a  truly  artistic  person  is  necessarily 
nervous,  volatile  and  sensitive,  quick  to  give 
and  recoil,  easily  tired,  fluent,  fastidious  and 
impressionable.  A  great  genius  has  to  gain 
control  of  his  temperament  before  he  can  bend 
it  to  the  restrictions  of  his  intelligence.  He 
never  uses  it  as  an  excuse  for  license  or  as  a 
screen  for  weaknesses. 


GRANTED  that  an  actor  or  an  actress  has  the 
artistic  temperament,   it   does  not  stand  to 
reason  that  they  are  temperamental.    To  be  tem- 
peramental   is   to   be   emotional,    which    is   quite 
another  kettle  of  fish. 

Mrs.  Fiske,  an  actress  of  delicate  artistic  per- 
ception, could  scarcely  be  called  as  emotional! 
as  Eva  Tanguay,  for  instance.  Mrs.  Fiske 
achieves  emotional  effects  by  sheer  force  of  in- 
telligence. In  "Leah  Kleshna,"  you  remember, 
standing  by  a  door  which  she  opened  little  by 
little  she  said,  "I  am  going  away"  three  times — 

[146] 


the  first  time  in  a  low  voice,  very  basso  profondo, 
the  second  time  in  the  middle  voice,  the  third 
time  in  an  acute  treble.  The  result  was  intel- 
lectually passionate,  as  emotional  as  the  beating 
of  sticks  in  Strauss'  "Electra." 

Richard  Mansfield  had  the  same  brittle  and 
precise  method  of  depicting  emotion.  His 
"Prince  Karl"  stared  like  a  glassy-eyed  image 
under  the  stress  of  a  broken  heart.  Yet  there 
was  always  a  hint  of  violent  feeling  in  Mans- 
field's attitudes,  as  if  the  emotional  dynamo 
were  going  full  speed  behind  the  expressionless 
mask. 

Irving  and  Tree  both  had  the  artistic  tempera- 
ment but  neither  was  temperamental.  Irving 
ranted,  clawed  the  air,  and  failed  to  produce  a 
single  unstudied,  spontaneous  emotion.  Yet 
Grasso,  who  has  no  claim  to  the  artistic  temper- 
ament, contrives  to  send  chills  down  the  public 
back  by  the  sheer  audacity,  the  anima,!  ferocity, 
the  unrestrained  fury  of  his  acting. 

Temperamental?  So  is  Aguglia,  so  is  Bern- 
hardt,  who  bites  the  floor  and  shrieks  like  a 
maniac  because,  having  learned  how  to  act,  she 
dares  to  be  exuberant.  So  was  Duse,  who 
really  suffered  and  really  died  in  "La  Giaconda," 
in  "La  Citta  Morta,"  in  "Francesca  da  Rimini." 
She  was  an  artistic  prodigal,  an  emotional  spend- 
thrift. So  was  Hanako,  the  Japanese  actress 
who  perished  inch  by  inch  before  our  eyes  in  an 
unforgettable  drama  of  suicide  and  sacrifice. 


THERE  is  no  great  emotional  actor  or  actress 
in  America  to-day  although  there  are  many 
who  have  the  artistic  temperament.  Nazimova  is 
perhaps  an  exception.  I  can  think  of  no  other 
player  who  is  so  lacking  in  the  dubious  quality  of 
restraint  and  repression.  She  is  both  fluent  and 
emotional.  The  "light  touch"  has  come  into 
fashion  with  the  Broadway  "school."  Skating 
on  the  thin  ice  of  profound  feeling  without 
falling  through  has  become  the  most  popular 
parlor  trick  of  the  modern  theatre.  This  facile 
skimming  over  the  emotions — often  charming 
and  clever  in  itself— grew  out  of  the  national 
dislike  of  seeming  to  feel  deeply.  Human  an- 
guish, poignant  and  undisguised,  is  distasteful 
to  American  audiences  who  have  got  quite  out 
of  the  habit  of  thinking  at  the  theatre. 

We  do  not  like  to  see  a  baring  of  human 
hearts,  and  shrink  from  the  sight  of  a  dissected 
soul.  Our  playwrights,  having  carefully  selected 
pleasant,  improbable  and  palatable  dramatic  sit- 
uations, have  no  trouble  in  casting  their  plays. 
There  are  any  number  of  clever,  pretty,  well- 
bred  young  women  and  handsome,  stalwart, 
self-contained  young  men  to  act  the  "Cinderella 
Man"  concoctions  made  to  order  for  them.  If 
there  were  an  American  Ibsen  or  an  American 
D'Annunzio,  who  on  earth  would  act  their  plays? 
We  have  whimsical  actresses,  we  have  intellec- 
tual actresses,  we  have  many  actresses  with 
charm,  vivacity  and  spirit,  but  where  is  the 
woman  who  is  impersonal,  tragic,  magnificent, 
the  woman  who  can  reach  beyond  our  hearts 
into  our  secret  thoughts  and  stir  us  to  the  soul, 
the  temperamental  woman,  passionate,  fearless 
and  profound? 


Theatre  Magazine,  September, 


(Oval) 


EMMY  WEHLEN 


The  dainty  and  charming  musical  comedy 
favorite  who  is  devoting  herself  untiringly 
to  patriotic  service.  Her  efforts  have  been 
expended  on  the  Liberty  Loan  and  War 
Savings  Stamps  Drives  and  for  the  various 
theatrical  war  benefits — with  great  success 


BEATRICE    MAUDE 

As  a  pert  stenographer  in  "Seven  Up," 
Miss  Maude  has  scored  the  hit  of  the  play. 
A  dancer,  a  violinist,  and  a  capable 
actress,  she  has  come  to  the  fore  as  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Portmanteau 
company 


Photo  Ctntkt 


R  £  I  C  X   I  N  G       BEAUTIES       IN       T  H  E       M  I  M  I  C       YV  O  R  L  D 


AR  IS  HELL,  BUT— 

A  dramatic  episode  in  the  trenches 
By   EDWIN    CARTY    RANCK 


SCENE:  " An  American  dugout  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  front-line  trenches  "someivhere  in 
France."  It  is  night  and  a  trench  lamp  burns 
feebly,  casting  uncertain  shadows  upon  the  clayey 
walls.  Three  men,  in  officers'  uniforms,  are 
seated  in  various  attitudes.  They  are  in  the 
midst  of  a  heated  argument,  so  heated,  in  fact, 
that  they  are  utterly  oblivious  to  their  surround- 
ings. They  are  a  famous  American  playzvright, 
a  popular  Broadway  actor  and  a  very  rich  New 
York  theatrical  manager. 

PLAYWRIGHT  (decisively):  There  is  no 
ground  for  argument,  Shakespeare  said  it 
for  all  time :  "The  play's  the  thing." 

MANAGER  (impatiently)  :  Bill  Shakespeare 
said,  "The  play's  the  thing,"  because  it  was  the 
thing  to  say.  If  he  was  living  in  New  York 
to-day  he  would  write  the  sort  of  plays  I  told 
him  to  write. 

PLAYWRIGHT  (coldly)  :  I  must  confess  that  I 
don't  follow  you. 

MANAGER  (putting  cigar  in  his  mouth  and 
"registering"  authority)  :  Then,  get  this,  Son ! 
Shakespeare  was  a  commercial  playwright.  He 
was  after  the  coin — just  like  you  and  me  are  ( 
after  the  coin.  The  public  liked  the  sort  of 
stuff  that  he  handed  'em.  They  ate  it  up.  You 
know  that  as  well  as  I  do.  But,  if  it  hadn't  paid 
Bill  Shakespeare  to  write  that  sort  of  stuff  he 
wouldn't  have  written  it.  Bill  was  a  wise  guy. 
He  sized  up  his  audience  and  gave  'em  what  they 
wanted.  I  can't  see  that  he  was  any  different 
from  Harold  Bell  Wright  or  Robert  W.  Cham- 
bers. Get  me? 


PLAYWRIGHT:       No,  I  don't  "get  you,"  as 
you  vulgarly  call   it.    That  kind  of  talk  is 
degrading  to   say  the   least.    What   becomes   of 
Art?    What  becomes  of  Idealism? 

MANAGER  (bluntly)  :  I  don't  care  a  damn  what 
becomes  of  'em,  but  I  do  care  whether  a  play 
is  a  success  or  a  failure,  and  that's  all  that 
counts.  Play-producing  is  a  gamble  anyhow,  but 
it  is  up  to  me  to  pick  as  many  winners  as  I 
can;  otherwise  you  artistic  guys  wouldn't  eat 
three  meals  per. 

ACTOR:     Where  do  I  come  in? 

MANAGER  (brutally)  :  You  don't— except  when 
you  get  your  cue  from  us.  You  don't  amount  to 
a  tinker's  damn  any  more. 

ACTOR  (heatedly):  Is  that  so?  Then,  where 
do  you  think  you'd  have  gotten  off  with  "So 
Long,  Madeline,"  if  it  hadn't  been  for  me? 
What  would  have  happened  to  "Oh,  Joy,"  if  I 
hadn't  carried  all  the  comedy  on  my  own  shoul- 
ders? (turning  to  the  playwright)  and  I  have 
saved  two  of  your  rotten  plays  from  utter  failure. 

PLAYWRIGHT  (sneering):  Oh,  is  that  so! 
Then,  let  me  remind  you  Mr.  Matinee  Idol  that 
if  I  hadn't  written  in  a  few  lines  out  of  sheer 
good-heartedness,  just  to  help  out  a  pal,  you 
wouldn't  have  been  in  those  plays  at  all.  You 
were  on  your  uppers  when  I  got  you  booked. 

MANAGER  (eating  his  cigar  with  relish)  :  Tush! 
Tush !  You  fellows  make  me  sick  with  your 
chatter  about  whose  responsible  for  the  success 
of  a  play.  I  should  like  to  know  where  any  of 


you  would  get  off  if  I  didn't  give  you  the  bang-up 
productions  that  I  do?  "So  Long,  Madeline" 
cost  me  nearly  $15,000  to  produce,  and  it  didn't 
run  nearly  as  long  as  I  expected  (to  playwright). 
I've  produced  a  lot  of  your  plays,  not  because 
they  were  good,  but  because  I  figured  that  your 
name  would  carry  'em  and  I  wouldn't  lose  money. 

ACTOR  (snorting):  And  you  didn't!  You  are 
too  cold  blooded  to  give  a  dying  fish  a  breath 
of  fresh  air. 

MANAGER  (with  a  sour  grin)  :  Oh,  I  don't 
know ! 

PLAYWRIGHT  (evenly):  Don't -lose  your  tem- 
per, "Matty."  Some  day,  Fritz  willing,  you  will 
be  eating  out  of  our  hand. 


ACTOR  (murderously)  :  Eating  out  of  your 
hand!  You  hate  yourself,  don't  you?  If 
you  had  said  eating  out  of  his  hand  there  might 
have  been  some  degree  of  truth  in  your  state- 
ment. God  knows,  we  actors  do  have  to  eat  out 
of  the  manager's  hand,  or  else  not  eat  at  all. 
Until  that  happy  days  comes — the  day  of  the 
actor-manager,  when  a  man  can  still  act  and 
preserve  his  self-respect — we  must  expect  to  be 
snubbed  by  these  butchers  and  bakers  and  candle- 
stick makers  who  don't  know  the  difference  be- 
tween Shakespeare  and  sciatica. 

MANAGER  (nibbling  venomously  at  his  cigar)  : 
Just  for  that,  "Matty,"  I'll  never  give  you  a  job 
again.  I 

(Enter  a  messenger  in  khaki,  who  looks 
excited.  'He  approaches  the  three  men  and 
coughs.  They  pay  no  attention  to  him.  He 
coughs  again,  but  they  are  so  engrossed  in 
their  conversation  that  they  fail  to  hear 
him.) 

MESSENGER  (saluting)  :     I  beg  your  pardon. 

ACTOR  (angrily)  :  Good.  I  always  thought 
your  productions  were  punk,  anyhow. 

MESSENGER!:     Gentlemen,  I — 

PLAYWRIGHT  (slapping  actor  on  the  shoulder)  : 
That's  the  stuff,  "Matty."  Be  independent ! 
Now,  I'll  tell  you  what  we'll  do.  You  just 
spoke  of  the  actor-manager.  That  is  a  corking 
idea.  You  and  I  will  get  together  and — 


MESSENGER     (desperately)  :      Gentlemen, 
gentlemen !     I 

ACTOR  (loftily):  Cease,  boy!  We  are  con- 
versing ! 

MESSENGER  (wildly)  :     But 

PLAYWRIGHT  (petulantly)  :  Don't  you  see  that 
we  are  engaged  (turning  to  actor)  ?  Now,  as  I 
was  saying,  we  will  form  our  own  combination 
after  this.  I  will  write  the  plays  and  you  will 
act  in  them.  The  firm  shall  be  under  your  own 
name  and 

MESSENGER  (yelling)  :  But  you've  got  to  listen 
to  me !  The  Colonel  says 

ACTOR   (bitingly)  :     Tush,  boy,  you  annoy  me! 

MESSENGER  :     But 

MANAGER   (pointing)  :     That  way  out! 

MESSENGER  (furiously)  :  I  hope  Fritz  gets 
every  damn  one  of  you! 


(Exit  Messenger.  There  is  a  dramatic 
pause.  The  three  look  at  each  other  inquir- 
ingly.) 

MANAGER  (vaguely)  :  Fritz !  What  do  you 
suppose  he  meant? 

PLAYWRIGHT  (impatiently)  :  I  don't  care  what 
he  meant.  But  I  do  know  that  some  day,  Mr. 
Broadway  Manager,  we  are  going  to  put  you  out 
of  business. 

MANAGER   (tolerantly),:     Who  is  "we"? 

PLAYWRIGHT  (suavely)  :  A  new  liaison  ar- 
rangement, whereby  the  star  and  the  playwright 
will  work  out  their  own  salvation,  independent 
of  YOU. 

MANAGER  (smiling  genially)  :  It  can't  be 
done,  my  boy !  It  simply  can't  be  done ! 

ACTOR   (belligerently)  :     And  why  not? 

MANAGER  :  Because  it  takes  brains,  and  (wav- 
ing his  cigar  in  their  direction),  well,  don't  make 
me  say  it. 

ACTOR  (rising  threateningly  and  moving  toivard 
manager)  :  Why,  you  poor  boob !  For  five  cen- 
times I'd 

PLAYWRIGHT  (hastily  intercepting  him)  :  Don't 
do  anything  rash,  my  dear  fellow.  Allow  me 
to  smash  him. 

MANAGER  (also  rising)  :  What  is  this,  any- 
how? A  mutiny? 

(They  are  all  standing  in  tense  attitudes 
when  an  Exponent  of  German  Kultur  sud- 
denly bursts  into  the  dugout  with  an  auto- 
matic revolver  in  his  hand.) 


EOF  G.  K.   (in  English)  :     Hands  up! 
.      ACTOR   (as  they  all  elevate  their  hands)  : 
He  speaks  English ! 

E.  OF  G.  K. :  Sure,  I  speak  English.  I  lived 
in  New  York  for  ten  years.  I  used  to  be  a 
stage  hand  at  the  old  Commercial  Theatre  on 
Forty-second  Street. 

MANAGER   (excitedly):     That  was  my  theatre! 

E.  OF  G.  K.  (looking  at  him  closely)  :  You 
don't  mean — Mem  Gott!  If  it  ain't  the  Herr 
Manager  himself ! 

MANAGER  :  I  remember  you  now.  You  are 
Hans  Gugglestopfken.  I  never  could  forget  that 
name. 

E.  OF  G.  K. :     Ja,  that's  my  name !     Well,  well ! 

(He  drops  his  automatic  and  is  trying  to 
shake  hands  with  the  manager  when  an 
American  Colonel  enters  with  a  file  of  men, 
all  armed  with  Springfields.  Hans  makes  a 
move  toward  his  automatic,  but  the  Actor 
puts  his  foot  on  it  and  the  doughboys  cover 
Hans  with  their  Springfields.) 

HANS  (throwing  up  his  hands)  :     Kamerad! 

COLONEL  (briefly):  Take  the  swine  away! 
(Exit  doughboys  with  the  Hun.)  What  were 
you  fellows  doing  in  here? 

MANAGER  :     But — 

COLONEL  :  There  are  no  "buts"  about  it.  Get 
me?  This  is  France — not  Broadway.  You'll 
either  obey  my  orders  or  go  into  solitary  con- 
finement. 

ALL  (in  chorus)  :     We'll  o'bey  you,  Colonel ! 

COLONEL  (scowling  at  them)  :  Sherman  was 
right,  but  there  are  worse  things ! 


[148] 


Theatre  Magazine,  September,  1918 


©  Hixon-Connelly 


CARL  HYSON 
The    partner-husband    of    Dorothy     Dickson    can 
well     stand     on     his     own     merits     as     a    dancer 


RALPH  MORGAN 

Who    is    playing    a    leading   role    in    "Lightnin', " 
which     is     soon     to     be,     seen     in     New     York 


©  Hvcon-Connilly 


©  Hixon-Connelly 


OTTO  KRUGER 
The  popular  young  juvenile  last  seen  here  in  "The 
Gypsy  Trail,"  and  to  appear  shortly  in  a  new  play 


Abbe 


NEIL  MARTIN 

Who  holds  the  unique  job  of  actor-press  agent.     He  created  the  role  of 
Johnnie  Watson  in  "Seventeen"  and  is  now  doing  the  publicity  for  the  play 


QUARTETTE   OF   OUR   YOUNGER   ACTORS 


THE  WALLACK  CENTENNIAL 

Distinguished  English  player  who  became  the 
acknowledged  leader  of  dramatic  art  in  America 

By  CHARLES   BURNHAM 


THE  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  first 
appearance  in  America  of  an  actor,  who. 
in  the  years  to  come  was  destined  to  be 
the   foremost   figure  of   his   time   in  the  history 
of  the  New  York  stage,  will  occur  on  Septem- 
ber 7.     On  that  date  in  1818,  James  W.  Wallack, 
known  to  a  later  generation  as  the  "elder"  Wal- 
lack, made  his  debut  at  the  old   Park  Theatre, 
in  the  part  of  "Macbeth." 

James  W.  Wallack  was  born  in  London, 
August  17,  1794.  His  father,  William  Wallack, 
was  a  distinguished  actor  of  his  day,  the  records 
of  the  time  speaking  of  him  as  "an  excellent 
comedian  and  a  'capital  singer."  He  had  six 
children,  four  girls  and  two  boys,  all  of  whom 
attained  eminence  in  the  theatrical  profession. 
James  was  the  younger  of  the  two  boys  and 
made  his  first  appearance  on  the  stage  at  the  age 
of  nine.  When  but  22  years  of  age,  he  ap- 
peared as  lago,  Macduff,  Richmond,  and  in  other 
characters  in  support  of  Edmund  Kean.  He 
became  a  member  of  the  Drury  Lane  company. 
and  in  1818,  he  eloped  with  the  daughter  of  a 
famous  actor  of  those  days  known  as  "Irish" 
Johnstone.  Desirous  of  visiting  America  both 
for  his  honeymoon  and  business,  he  was  com- 
pelled to  seek  the  influence  of  his  personal 
friend,  Lord  Byron,  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Directors  of  Drury,  in  order  to  cancel  his  en- 
gagement at  that  theatre. 


FOR  some  years  previous  to  Wallack's  arrival 
in  America,  Thomas  A.  Cooper,  occupied 
first  place  in  the  affections  of  theatregoers,  as  a 
delineator  of  the  leading  roles  in  Shakespeare's 
tragedies.  When  Wallack,  on  arriving  here,  was 
asked  what  part  he  would  make  his  debut  in, 
he  replied,  "Hamlet."  The  management  in- 
formed him  that  "Cooper's  excellence  in  that 
part  rendered  the  success  of  a  "stranger  more 
than  doubtful."  "  'Richard  the  Third" — nobody 
had  succeeded  in  that  character  since  Cooper's 
elaborate  display."  "  'Othello' — if  there  was 
one  part  more  than  another  where  in  Cooper 
had  made  a  strong  impression,  it  was  in 
Othello."  By  this  time,  Wallack  was  consider- 
ably annoyed,  and  inquired  which  of  Mr. 
Cooper's  impersonations  had  drawn  the  most 
money,  or  in  which  he  had  appeared  most  fre- 
quently. He  was  answered,  "Macbeth." 

"Very  well,  then,"  he  retorted,  "I  hoped  to 
have  avoided  all  comparisons,  for  I  mean  no 
opposition,  but  if  I  must  be  judged,  not  by  my 
own  merits  but  by  the  standard  of  another 
actor's  qualifications,  I  will  make  my  first  ap- 
pearance in  'Macbeth.' " 

History  records  his  extraordinary  success.  In 
those  early  days,  an  actor's  popularity  was  meas- 
ured somewhat  by  the  receipts  of  his  benefit, 
which  occasion  .was  always  a  part  of  his  con- 
tract. Mr.  Wallack's  benefit,  which  took  place 
on  the  seventh  night  of  his  engagement,  brought 
in  $1,850,  being  practically  the  capacity  of  the 
theatre. 

The  same  success  attended  him  in  the  other 
cities  which  he  visited,  and  he  firmly  established 
himself  in  the  regards  of  all  lovers  of  good  act- 
ing. James  H.  Hackett,  at  one  time  considered 
the  best  exponent  of  Falstaff  the  stage  had 


known,  attended  the  opening  performance  of 
Wallack,  and  wrote  this  appreciation  of  the 
actor : 

"Mr.  Wallack  then  seemed  not  more  than 
25  years  of  age,  came  directly  from  the  Drury 
Lane,  where  he  had  already  attained  a  high  rank 
in  a  profession  then  graced  by  many  eminent 
artists;  and  the  season  of  1818  was  Mr.  Wal- 
lack's first  in  America.  His  figure  and  personal 
bearing  on  and  off  the  stage  were  very  dis- 
tingue; his  eye  was  sparkling;  his  hair  dark, 
curly  and  luxuriant;  his  facial  features  finely 
chiseled;  and  together  with  the  natural  con- 
formation of  his  head,  throat  and  chest,  Mr. 
Wallack  presented  a  remarkable  specimen  of 
manly  beauty.  He  at  once  became,  and  con- 
tinued to  be,  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  in- 
variably attractive  favorites  furnished  the  Amer- 
ican by  the  British  stage." 


JAMES  W.  WALLACK 
One  of  the   foremost  figures   in  the 
history     of     the     New     York     Stage 

In  speaking  of  Wallack's  ability  as  an  actor, 
Mr.  Hackett  said :  "In  versatility  of  talent, 
probably  the  stage  has  never  had  any  other  actor 
capable  of  satisfying  the  public  in  such  a  variety 
of  prominent  characters;  his  costumes,  too,  were 
remarkably  characteristic,  and  always  in  admir- 
able taste,  and  Mr.  Wallack,  in  every  respect, 
has  proved  himself  a  complete  master  of  the 
histrionic  art." 

Mr.  Wallack  continued  to  play  starring  en- 
gagements both  here  and  abroad  until  1837, 
when,  in  the  latter  part  of  that  year,  he 
assumed  direction  of  the  National  Theatre, 
which  stood  at  the  corner  of  Church  and 
Leonard  Streets,  and  there  established  what  may 
properly  be  termed  the  first  Wallack  Theatre. 
The  building  was  originally  constructed  for  an 
opera  house  in  1833,  but  had  never  met  with 
success.  Its  location  was  greatly  against  it,  the 
neighborhood  being  unsuited  for  a  theatre  even 
in  those  early  days.  But  the  liberality,  indus- 
try and  talent  displayed  by  Wallack  in  his  man- 
agement soon  placed  it  in  the  front  rank  of  the 
places  of  amusement,  and  it  quickly  became 


known  as  the  best  appointed  theatre  in  the  coun- 
try. About  a  year  previous  to  taking  over  the 
management  of  the  house,  Mr.  Wallack  placed 
the  following  card  in  The  Mirror,  a  leading  pub- 
lication of  the  day,  edited  by  George  P.  Morris: 

TO  NATIVE  DRAMATIC  AUTHORS.— The  sub- 
scriber offers  the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars  for  the 
best  original  play  upon  an  attractive  and  striking  subject 
in  American  history.  The  principal  part  to  be  adapted 
to  his  style  of  acting.  A  committee  of  literary  gentle- 
men will  be  chosen  to  decide  upon  the  merits  of  such 
plays  as  may  be  submitted  to  them  for  this  premium, 
which  will  be  awarded  to  the  writer  of  the  best  produc- 
tion of  the  above  description.  It  is  requested  that  all 
manuscripts  may  be  addressed  to  George  P.  Morris,  Esq., 
New  York  Mirror  office. 

Mr.  Wallack  never  publicly  stated,  as  far  as 
known,  whether  such  a  play  had  been  accepted 
and  not  produced,  but  it  is  presumed  that  a  play- 
written  by  N.  P.  Willis,  and  produced  by  Mr. 
Wallack,  during  his  management  of  the  Na- 
tional, was  in  part  an  answer  to  the  offer. 
Among  Mr.  Wallack's  papers  was  a  letter  from 
Mr.  Morris  which  read,  "I  am  still  of  the  opin- 
ion that  the  play  submitted  by  Willis  is  vastly 
superior  to  the  others."  The  title  of  the  play 
was  "Tortesa,  the  Usurer,"  and  was  considered 
to  be  one  of  the  best  of  Mr.  Wallack's  imper- 
sonations. When  he  produced  the  play  in  Eng- 
land, his  son  Lester  made  his  first  appearance 
on  the  legitimate  stage  in  a  minor  role  in  the 
drama. 


FOR  some  two  years  the  capability  displayed 
by  Mr.  Wallack  in  his  conduct  of  the  the- 
atre brought  him  continued  prosperity  and  added 
to  his  reputation  as  an  actor  and  manager,  while 
his  theatre  despite  the  drawback  of  its  loca- 
tion became  the  centre  of  theatrical  activity  of 
the  day.  In  September,  1839,  the  house  but  re- 
cently renovated,  and  as  the  announcements  of 
the  day  described  it,  "resplendent  with  glitter- 
ing decorations  of  gold,  and  tasteful  paintings," 
was  completely  destroyed  by  fire. 

Immediately  following  the  destruction  of  the 
playhouse,  a  meeting  of  many  of  the  most  promi- 
nent citizens  of  the  city  was  hei^  fur  the  pur- 
pose of  raising  funds  for  the  erectic.n  of  a  new 
house  for  Mr.  Wallack.  Unfortunately,  nothing 
came  of  it  and  after  a  brief  period,  during 
which  with  his  company  he  played  at  Niblo's 
and  the  Chatham  Theatre,  Mr.  Wallack  returned 
to  England,  where  he  continued  his  starring 
engagements,  occasionaly  visiting  America  for 
the  same  purpose.  In  1844,  while  appearing  in 
London,  Mr.  Wallack  presented  for  the  first 
time  the  drama  of  "Don  Caesar  de  Bazan,"  in 
the  leading  role  of  which  he  made  the  greatest 
hit  of  his  career.  He  was  close  on  to  fifty  years 
of  age  at  this  time,  but  the  dash,  the  romance 
and  the  chivalrous  bearing  of  the  actor  became 
the  talk  of  the  town.  Not  long  afterwards  he 
again  added  to  his  laurels  by  his  performance 
of  Massaroni  in  "The  Brigand,"  a  musical  play. 

In  1847,  he  again  visited  America,  and  opened 
at  the  old  Park,  where  he  had  originally  made 
his  debut,  appearing  as  Don  Caesar. 

His  final  appearance  as  an  actor  was  made 
upon  the  stage  of  his  Broome  Street  Theatre  in 
a  play  written  by  his  son  Lester,  entitled  "The 
Veteran."  His  final  appearance  in  public,  was 
at  the  newer  Wallack's  Theatre,  at  the  corner 
of  Thirteenth  Street  and  Broadway,  in  1862. 


[150] 


Theatre  Magazine,  September,  Jpj| 


From  a  portrait  by  White 


VIRGINIA       FOX       BROOKS 

This  daughter  of  the  late  manager,  Joseph  Brooks,  has  come 
into  her  own  on  the  stage.  Gifted  with  a  pleasing  voice  and 
dramatic  ability,  the  gates  of  success  have  been  flung  open 
to  her.  Broadway  liked  her  as  the  young  prima  donna  in  "The 
Great  Lover"  and  she  is  now  a  favorite  at  the  Winter  Garden 


A  SHORT   COURSE  IN   PLAYGOING 

The  old  adage  "All  that  glitters  is  not  gold" 
applies   to   the  stage  as   well  as  anything  else 

By   VERA    BLOOM 


IN  the  old  days,  about  a  year  ago,  before 
New  York  had  ever  heard  of  economy  or 
prudence,  we  went  to  the  theatre  as  if  we 
were  playing  eeny-meeny-miny-mo.  We  didn't 
know,  and  seldom  cared,  if  a  play  were  good  or 
bad,  but  there  was  the  money  in  our  pocket,  it 
was  8  o'clock,  and  time  to  go  somewhere,  so, 
if  we  were  lazy,  we  called  up  an  agency  and 
paid  an  exorbitant  price  for  any  pair  of  seats 
they  gave  us ;  if  we  were  a  bit  more  industrious, 
we  ran  a  careless  eye  down  the  newspaper  list 
of  attractions,  and  either  went  to  the  one  at 
the  head  of  the  column  or  the  one  with  the 
largest  type.  Few  people  make  theatregoing  an 
art. 

Then  the  war  tax  came  like  a  dash  of  cold 
water  in  the  playgoer's  face.  Where  he  tossed 
four  dollars  away  as  nothing,  that  extra  forty 
cents  made  him  ponder,  then  he  became  impos- 
sible to  please,  and,  finally,  stayed  home  alto- 
gether. It  needed  a  national  campaign  to  con- 
vince the  people  that  that  accumulated  10  per 
cent,  would  not  only  add  millions  to  the  war, 
but  that  relaxation  in  the  form  of  the  theatre 
is  an  integral  part  of  modern  life. 

Those  were  hard  times  for  the  professional 
"dead-head,"  an  individual  who  in  all  his 
charmed  life  had  never  paid  a  penny  for  his 
dramatic  amusement.  For  the  tax  law  stated 
pitilessly  that  no  one  was  to  pass  the  door-man 
without  paying  his  tribute  to  the  god  of  war. 
The  "dead-head"  was  crushed,  grieved  and  pa- 
thetic. Why,  he  figured,  should  he  pay  the  same 
price  to- see  a  poor  show — and  it's  amazing  how 
many  poor  shows  there  are  when  you  pay  for 
them! — as  for  a  good  movie?  So  in  the  most 
obscured  picture  places  you  could  find  the  same 
audiences  that,  as  the  famous  "free-list,"  used 
to  give  Broadway  more  brilliance  than  all  the 
white  lights  put  together. 


BUT  when  things  gradually  adjusted  them- 
selves, we  began  going  to  the  theatre  like 
sensible  human  beings — often  and  well.  We 
wanted  to  know  what  was  good,  and  why  we 
should  see  it.  Newspaper  criticisms  have  al- 
ways been  the  most  general  form  of  guiding  the 
public,  but  so  many  of  the  critics  went  across 
for  a  try  at  war-corresponding,  that  you  can't 
blame  them  for  being  bored  by  vapid  comedies 
or  imitation  military  melodramas  when  they  get 
back.  But  you  and  I,  who  haven't  seen  the  Big 
Fight,  like  to  have  it  brought  down  to  compre- 
hensible terms  of  a  hero,  a  heroine,  and  a  foiled 
German  spy.  We  sit  gladly  for  three  hours 
listening  to  a  play  that  without  garnishings  o  la 
guerre  would  be  hissed  off  the  stage  as  silly 
rubbish. 

Not  being  able  to  take  all  the  critics  unques- 
tioningly,  the  press  agent,  the  next  man  in  form- 
ing public  opinion,  can't  be  taken  seriously  at  all. 
If  a. story  is  true,  it  isn't  good  enough  for  him 
to  use,  and  the  ones  he  does  use  are  too  good 
to  be  true.  So  there  you  are. 

But  this  is  one  infallible  method  to  find  out 
the  success  of  a  play,  and  you  don't  have  to 
know  the  manager  or  see  the  star  beaming  a 
successful  smile  on  the  avenue  to  test  it.  You 
can  read  it  through  the  window  of  a  Rolls 


Royce  or  a  Tenth  Avenue  car  with  equal  ease, 
and  if  you  spend  your  spare  up-and-down- 
town  moments  doing  it,  you  will  avoid  some  long 
hours  at  painful  plays  and  a  lot  of  indecision. 
In  other  words,  study  the  billboards.  They 
never  fail. 


THERE  are  always  the  preliminary  billboards 
— those    modest,    hopeful    affairs    on    cheap 
paper    with    commonplace    lettering,    stating    the 
bare  facts  that 


SHUBERT    and    ERLANGER 

announce  the  new  comedy 

DO  TELL! 

by 
somebody  or  other 


If  that  sign  stays  up  long  after  the  opening, 
it  means  the  show  is  going  off  very  soon.  A 
possible  success  is  usually  helped  along  with  an 
attractively  colored  poster,  and  often  a  picture 
or  a  scene  from  the  play.  In  an  overwhelming 
personal  success,  like  Lionel  Barrymore's  in 
"The  Copperhead,"  you  may  have  noticed  that 
the  entire  wording  of  the  billboards  was  changed. 
Mr.  Barrymore's  name,  that  did  not  appear  at  all 
on  the  first  announcements,  came  out  in  huge 
letters  on  the  later  ones,  with  a  large  sketch  of 
him  besides. 

Sometimes,  even  though  a  player  is  not  fea- 
tured, the  whole  poster  is  built  around  the  lead- 
ing role,  like  the  sign  for  "Tiger  Rose,"  that  is 
an  attractive  picture  of  Lenore  Ulric.  And  as 
her  face  is  already  familiar  to  the  casual  passer- 
by it  would  appear  that  she  was  really  starred. 

The  musical  shows,  once  they  have  passed  the 
black-and-white  or  red-and-yellow  trial  stage  on 
the  fences,  blossom  out  with  fantastic  posters. 
These  are  usually  the  work  of  some  famous 
Greenwich  Villager,  who  has  been  bearded  in 
his  hundred-dollar-a-month  attic,  and  persuaded 
to  attract  the  public  to  a  mere  money-making 
production  with  a  few  daubs  from  his  inspired 
pallette.  Inspired  by  a  certified  cheque,  he 
creates  a  curdled  color-scheme,  and  someone  in 
the  manager's  office  supplies  the  missing  details 
of  the  lettering  or  the  name  of  the  play. 

These  posters  are  one  real  test  of  success. 
No  manager  is  going  to  pay  a  popular  young 
artist  for  a  sketch  that  he  might  just  as  well 
have  sold  for  an  enviable  price  as  a  magazine 
cover,  unless  he  feels  that  his  attraction  is  pretty 
sure  to  stay. 

But  in  any  event,  that  first  doubtful  placard- 
ing is  replaced  by  a  sign  arranged  with  some 
care,  if  not  flambuoyantly  artistic. 


YOU  can  tell  the  substantial,  all-season  suc- 
cess by  the  painted,  not  papered,  sign. 
Paint  is  permanent,  and  the  box-office  must  be 
constantly  besieged  before  the  advertising  man 
orders  space  taken  by  the  month,  and  painters 
set  to  work  on  individual  signs.  There  was  one 
block  on  Broadway  where  advertisements  for 
four  successes  were  painted  since  early  in  the 
season.  You  had  a  comfortable,  assured  feeling 
in  buying  seats  for  one  of  these  theatres,  and 
they  were  practically  crowded  for  months. 


But  the  acid  test  of  the  overwhelming  success, 
except  in  the  rare  case  where  a  star  is  made 
over-night  by  public  demand,  and  must  be  pro- 
claimed through  advertising,  is  the  absence  of 
any  signs  at  all ! 

If  you  hear  a  great  deal  of  a  play,  if  it's  hard 
to  get  seats,  and  moreover,  if  it  doesn't  adver- 
tise, then  you  have  found  the  real  thing,  at  last. 
It  simply  means  that  there  is  such  a  demand  at 
the  theatre  and  the  agencies,  that  billboards 
would  be  both  a  useless  expense  and  would  mean 
disappointment  to  still  more  people  at  being  un- 
able to  go. 

Word-of-mouth  advertising  is  a  play's  greatest 
asset.  If  a  manager  were  offered  all  the  sign- 
board and  newspaper  space  in  town  for  nothing, 
and  he  was  given  his  choice  between  that  and 
a  hundred  people  giving  spontaneous  praise  to 
his  production,  he  would  choose  the  latter  with- 
out a  second  thought. 

Even  before  the  criticisms  are  out,  and  they 
appear  like  magic  a  few  hours  after  the  opening, 
an  intangible  atmosphere  has  come  from  the 
theatre  and  everyone  knows,  absolutely  and  in- 
contestably,  if  a  great  success  has  come  to  town. 

I  don't  believe  there  was  a  single  poster  around 
for  Fred  Stone  in  "Jack  o'  Lantern,"  except  the 
one  at  the  stage  door  of  the  theatre.  All  the 
"preliminaries"  for  "Oh,  Lady!  Lady!!"  disap- 
peared, and  until  late  in  the  season  I  could  only 
discover  one  lorn  announcement  apiece  for  "Tiger 
Rose"  and  "Polly  With  a  Past."  All  these,  as 
everyone  knows,  have  played  to  S.  R.  O. — that 
mystic  symbol  of  success,  "standing  room  only" 
— for  the  entire  season. 


SO  far,  the  Winter  Garden  has  been  the  only 
house  to  use  an  electric  advertising  sign, 
aside  from  the  illumination  in  front  of  the  the- 
atre, but  this  was  not  continued  permanently. 
Perhaps  it  wasn't  necessary,  as  the  Winter  Gar- 
den has  a  distinctive  clientele  of  its  own  that 
patronizes  every  revue,  and  is,  of  course,  a 
celebrated  goal  for  out-of-towners. 

You  can  usually  tell  the  cleverness  of  a  play 
from  the  "smartness"  of  its  poster;  its  impor- 
tance from  the  simplicity  and  steel-engraved  ap- 
pearance of  the  sign,  while  you  can  guess  the 
possible  thrills  of  a  melodrama  from  the  bill- 
board in  lurid  colors. 

But  if  you  prefer  to  take  a  sporting  chance 
when  you  go  to  the  theatre,  just  look  over  those 
first  non-committal  announcements,  choose  a 
promising  name,  and  trust  to  luck.  That  is  one 
of  the  chief  requisites  for  becoming  a  "first- 
nighter" — it  takes  a  real  sportsman  to  melt 
through  every  August  and  September  evening 
in  some  broiling  theatre,  and  then  find  that 
ninety  per  cent,  of  his  self-inflicted  tortures  have 
been  withdrawn  by  October  first!  And  yet  the 
same  group  of  hardy-perennials  meet  year  after 
year,  at  the  Autumn  premieres,  with  the  hopeless 
optimism  of  a  fisherman  who  doesn't  dare  ex- 
pect a  catch. 

If  you  want  to  choose  your  plays  for  yourself, 
keep  your  ears  open  for  the  few  great  successes, 
and  study  the  billboards  for  the  rest  of  the 
season.  Above  all,  read  religiously  the  THEATRE 
MAGAZINE. 


152  ] 


Theatre  Magazine,  September, 


Ernie  Sole  and  his  gang  of 
carpenters  turn  canvas  and 
wood  into  scenery  for 
Stuart  Walker's  production 
of  "Seven  Up" 


High  up  on  the  paint 
bridge,  fifty  feet  above  the 
stage,  Frank  Zimmerer, 
scenic  artist,  and  Sam  War- 
shaw,  his  assistant,  paint 
the  skyline  of  New  York 
City,  to  be  seen  through  the 
window  in  the  first  act  set 


(Right) 

Stuart  Walker  and  his  pet 
"bank  of  dimmers"  and  his 
pet  electrician,  Johnny 
Hodgins,  work  out  lighting 
effects 


At  her  dressing  table,  Margaret 
Mower  transforms  herself  into  Nan, 
the  artist's  sweetheart,  in  "Seven  Up" 


Way  up  "in  the  flies,"  Charlie  Heneck, 
head  flyman,  hangs  the  "flats"  of  the 
scenery  and  weights  them  with  sand  bags 


TURNING 


MANUSCRIPT   INTO 


PLAY 


THE  JEW  ON  THE  STAGE 

No  chapter  in  the  book  of  drama  is  closed  to  him 
By  ADA   PATTERSON 


THAT  the  Jew  is  a  large  figure  in  the  busi- 
ness of  the  stage,  as  he  is  in  banking,  re- 
quires no  massing  of  proof,  no  assembling 
of  an  overpowering  array  of  names.  A  glance  at 
the  bulletin  boards  of  the  office  buildings  on  the 
Rialto  discloses  that  this  race  is  well  represented, 
and  that  in  one  branch  at  least,  the  photo  drama, 
he  numerically  dominates. 

But  the  Jew's  part  in  the  art  of  the  stage,  by 
no  means  a  little  one,  has  had  small  recognition. 
A  few  take  for  granted  that  he  has  figured  force- 
fully upon  the  boards,  but  many  do  not  know. 

Attempt  research  in  that  direction  and  you  will 
hear  that  it  is  a  new  field,  one  which  few  at- 
tempts have  been  made  to  explore. 

A  Jewish  calendar,  issued  in  London  in  1899, 
furnishes  a  long  list  of  eminent  Hebrews,  but 
the  "umber  of  actors  it  names  is  inconsiderable. 
Yet  the  Jewish  race  is  one  of  four  that  has  con- 
tributed the  world's  greatest  players.  The  Eng- 
lish, the  French,  the  Irish,  the  Jew  are  the 
sources  of  the  greatest  histrionic  talent  of  the 
world.  The  Irishman  and  the  Jew  stand  side 
by  side,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  in  respect  to  their 
natural  gifts  for  the  interpretative  art.  Both  are 
richly  equipped  with  imagination.  Both  have 
dramatic  intensity.  Both  possess  in  what  may 
be  termed  their  natural  state,  before  repressive 
measures  have  checked  its  spontaneous  flow,  a 
startling  vehemence.  Both  are  of  the  emotional 
temperament. 

It  has  been  cited  by  a  rabbi,  as  proof,  that  for 
generations  they  have  been  schooled  for  dramatic 
expression,  that  the  persecution  of  ages  has 
caused  the  Hebrew  to  be  one  person  in  his  home, 
another  in  the  world. 


A  HEBREW  might  bend  under  his  peddler's 
pack,  cringe  before  closing  doors,  yet 
when  he  returned  to  the  pale,  that  part 
of  the  city  in  which  his  brothers  in  race  and 
sisters  in  faith  were  permitted  to  dwell,  he  in- 
stantly became  upright,  self  respectful  and  com- 
manding respect  from  his  household."  Thus,  ac- 
cording to  one  of  their  leaders,  all  Jews  played 
a  part  through  the  ages. 

Contributory,  too,  to  their  preparation  for 
effectiveness  on  the  stage,  are  the  Scriptural 
plays,  written  by  their  religious  leaders  and 
presented  by  the  grown-ups  and  the  children,  at 
their  festivals.  Esther  is  the  favorite  character, 
and  Haman's  conspiracy,  foiled  by  her,  the  theme, 
of  most  of  their  sectarian  dramas.  A  massacre, 
great  as  St.  Bartholomew's,  Haman  plotted  for 
the  extermination  of  the  Jews.  Esther  disclosed 
the  plot  to  her  husband,  the  Persian,  King 
Ahasuerus,  the  Mordecai  of  Bible  students'  ac- 
quaintances, at  the  same  time  confessing  herself 
to  be  a  Jewess.  "Save  my  people,"  she  pleaded. 
Her  royal  spouse  granted  her  prayer,  and  tran- 
scended it  even  to  the  execution  of  the  conspira- 
tor. Wherefore,  our  frequent  phrase:  "Hang 
him  as  high  as  Haman." 

With  such  traditions,  and  with  the  hot  blood 
of  the  sun-warmed  Orient  bounding  through 
their  veins,  and  the  imagery  of  the  East  peopling 
their  minds  with  visions,  it  is  logical  that  from 
among  Hebrews  many  actors  have  come. 

The  race  claims  that  greatest  of  English-speak- 


ing actors,  Edmund  Kean.  Arthur  Bouchier 
wrote  in  The  Contemporary  Review  of  the  "son 
of  Aaron  Kean,  the  property  man  and  roust- 
about," and  undoubted  Jew,  who  gave  London  a 
new  Shylock  and  went  home  that  night  to  his 
waiting  wife  with  the  words :  "Mary,  you  shall 
ride  in  your  carriage  and  Charlie  shall  go  to 
Eton."  And  so,  Mr.  Bouchier  reminds  us,  they 
did.  Hitherto  all  Shylocks  had  been  played  with 
a  red  wig  and  treated  much  as  red-haired  bur- 
lesque men  are  treated  by  partners  of  their 
"teams."  Edmund  Kean  gave  his  Shylock  a 
black  wig.  The  estimable  English  actor's  com- 
mentary upon  the  dramatic  incident  was  an  allu- 
sion to  Walter  Scott's  attitude  toward  the  Jew, 
as  shown  by  his  noble  knight  Ivanhoe  shrinking 
from  contact  with  Isaac  of  York.  Ivanhoe,  rep- 
resenting the  stage,  no  longer  shrinks  from  con- 
tact with  Isaac  of  York,  the  Jewish  player.  Ed- 
mund Kean's  triumph  was  the  beginning  of  the 
Jewish  invasion  of  the  stage. 


SARAH  BERNHARDT  is  as  is  well  known  of 
Jewish  birth.  She  was  born  in  Paris  of  a 
father  who  was  a  merchant  of  Amsterdam,  and 
a  mother,  Julie  Bernhardt,  who,  though  born  in 
Berlin,  was  a  Dutch  Jewess.  The  child,  when  she 
was  ten  years  of  age,  was  placed  in  the  Grand- 
champs  Convent  at  Versailles.  There  she 
adopted  the  Catholic  faith.  Since  she  has  been 
classified  with  ardent  Romanists,  yet  shortly  af- 
ter one  of  the  most  severe  of  her  recent  illnesses, 
she  was  quoted  as  making  the  statement  that  she 
did  not  expect  to  live  again,  because  she  did 
not  believe  in  a  future  life.  When  playing  her 
more  repressed  scenes  she  seems  what  she  has 
become  in  her  rich,  nomadic  career,  a  citizeness 
of  the  world.  But  at  moments  of  torrential  pas- 
sion, her  fervor  and  staccato  utterance  proclaim 
her  the  true  daughter  of  her  forebears. 

The  great  French  actress,  Rachel,  the  dark, 
tempestuous,  melancholy  woman  of  France, 
whose  body  burned  out  in  the  flame  of  her 
genius,  when  she  had  lived  and  served  her  art 
but  thirty-eight  years  ago,  was  a  daughter  of 
the  Hebrew  race.  Unfortunately  not  of  the  best 
of  the  race  for  the  exactions  and  rapacity  of  her 
family,  brought  nearer  her  untimely  death. 

Mme.  Bertha  Kalich's  sympathetic  portrayal  of 
the  family  harassed  genius,  done  in  English,  is 
one  of  the  high  lights  of  Broadway  memories. 


THE  German  stage  was  illuminated  by  many 
Jewish  players.  Adolph  Sonnenthal,  Aus- 
tria's most  distinguished  dramatic  artist,  was  a 
Jew.  Of  his  brotherhood  was  Rogumil  Davison. 
Anton  Ascher,  the  Viennese  comedian,  and  Leo- 
pold Teller  spoke  the  German  tongue  with  a 
Jewish  accent. 

Come  we  now  to  the  Booths.  It  was  said  and 
denied,  said  and  again  denied,  that  in  Edwin 
Booth's  veins  flowed  the  blood  of  the  Jew.  Yet 
there  is  no  proof,  and  there  is  little  upon  which 
to  base  conjecture,  that  this  was  true.  I  have 
it  from  one  who  knew  him  well  in  his  latter 
years  that  the  greatest  of  the  American  Hamlets 


had  established  to  his  own  satisfaction,  and  ex- 
pected soon  to  spread  before  the  world,  conclu- 
sive evidence  that  the  player  of  the  dark  and 
melancholy  Dane,  himself  derived  his  darkness 
and  his  melancholy  from  Spanish  source.  He 
said  the  original  name  was  Cabana,  which  trans- 
lated into  English  is  "Booth."  The  supposed  as- 
sociation of  the  Booth  name  with  the  creed  of 
Palestine  was  traced  to  Junius  Edwin  Booth's 
father,  Junius  Brutus  Booth.  His  daughter, 
Asia,  sister  of  Edwin,  described  in  her  book, 
"The  Elder  and  the  Younger  Booth,"  her  father's 
profound  interest  in  the  great  religions. 


ALL  forms  of  religion  and  all  temples  of 
devotion  were  sacred  to  him,  and  he  never 
failed  to  bare  his  head  reverently  when  passing 
any  church,"  she  wrote.  "He  worshipped  at 
many  shrines.  He  admired  the  Koran,  and  his 
copy  of  that  volume  had  many  beautiful  passages 
underscored.  Days  sacred  to  color,  ores  and 
metals  were  religiously  observed  by  him.  In  the 
synagogues  he  was  known  as  a  Jew,  because  he 
conversed  with  rabbis  and  learned  doctors,  and 
joined  in  their  worship  in  the  Hebraic  tongues. 
He  read  the  Talmud  also  and  strictly  adhered  to 
many  of  its  laws. 

"Several  fathers  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
recount  pleasant  hours  spent  with  him  in  theo- 
logical discourses  and  averred  that  he  was  of 
their  faith  because  of  his  knowledge  of  its  mys- 
teries. Of  the  numerous  houses  of  worship  to 
which  he  went  the  one  he  most  loved  to  fre- 
quent was  a  floating  church  or  Sailors'  Bethel. 
The  congregation  was  of  the  humblest  kind  and 
the  ministry  not  at  all  edifying.  The  writer  re- 
members kneeling  through  a  lengthy,  impromptu 
prayer,  which  contained  no  spirit  of  piety  to  her 
childish  ears,  but  looking  wearily  at  her  father 
she  beheld  his  face  so  earnestly  inspired  with 
devotion  that  she  felt  rebuked,  and  it  became 
pleasant  to  attend  that  which  before  had  been 
devoid  of  interest. 

"His  reverence  for  religion  was  universal  and 
deep  rooted.  It  was  daily  shown  in  acts  of 
philanthropy  and  human  deeds  that  were,  how- 
ever, often  misdirected.  He  was  not  a  secta- 
rian, but  made  many  creeds  his  study." 

Which  testimony  would  seem  to  dispose  of  the 
oft-told  tale  that  he  was  a  convert  to  Judaism. 
As  to  his  having  it  for  an  inheritance  there  is 
a  tradition  that  the  original  family  name  was 
"Beth."  Yet  the  Israelitish  word  "Beth"  is  a 
common  noun,  signifying  house,  and  students  of 
Hebrew  say  it  is  never  used  as  a  proper  noun. 

Another  bit  of  evidence  that  may  not  be  mag- 
nified is  that  on  his  Maryland  farm  in  the  little 
cemetery  which  he  made  for  his  servants,  the 
small  colony  of  blacks  who  served  him,  he  planted 
amidst  yews  and  willows,  the  Jewish  althea  bush. 
Yet  he  lies  in  the  family  plot  in  Greenmount 
Cemetery,  Baltimore,  where  a  clergyman  of  the 
Church  of  England  read  above  his  coffin  the 
familiar  service  beginning  with  the  words  of 
Jesus  Christ — -"I  am  the  Resurrection  and  the 
Life." 

Back  to  John  Booth  Edwin  traced  his  ancestry 
in  search  of  the  Spanish  root  of  the  family  tree. 
John  Booth  had  married  Elizabeth  Wilkes,  so 


[154] 


Theatre  Magazine,  September, 


Pell  Mitchell 

RAYMOND   HITCHCOCK 

This  camel  proved  obstinate  at  Luna  Park 
until  Mr.  Hitchcock  informed  him  what  a 
talented  player  he  had  the  honor  to 
carry — in  the  person  of  Irene  Bordoni 


Sarony 


IRENE  FRANKLIN 

Good    news    for   our    boys!      Miss    Franklin,   the 
well-known   vaudeville  headliner,  has  donned   the 
Y.    M.   C.   A.    uniform   and    will   soon   be   enter- 
taining them  "over  there" 


©  Clara  Petzoldt 


KATHERINE  EMMET 
This  great,  great  granddaughter  of  Betsy  Ross, 
is  as  ardent  a  patriot  as  her  celebrated  ancestor, 
being  an  active  member  and  worker  in  the  Stage 
Women's  War  Relief.  Broadway  is  to  see  her 
shortly  in  a  dramatization  of  the  "Penrod"  stories 


MAY  LESLIE 
Women  are  coming  into  their  own,  as 
is  proven  by  Miss  Leslie  the  popular 
show  girl.  She  is  now  stage  manager 
of  the  Century  Grove  Midnight  Revue 


Campbell 


PERSONALS   ABOUT   STAGE   PERSONALITIES 


allying  himself  by  marriage  to  the  famous  Eng- 
lish friend  of  freedom,  John  Wilkes.  Their  son 
Richard,  chose  for  his  life  mate  Miss  Game, 
who  was  of  the  Welsh  Llewellyns.  Their  son, 
Richard  Booth,  tried  to  escape  to  America  to 
join  the  Revolutionists  in  their  war  for  freedom, 
but  was  taken  back,  reprimanded  and  ultimately 
forgiven  as  a  wild,  but  well-meaning  youth. 
Junius  Brutus  Booth,  his  son,  was  born  in  St. 
Pancras,  London,  being  English  as  were  his 
father  and  grandfather.  The  facts  are  mine, 
drawn  from  many  sources.  The  deductions  are 
yours. 

Of  the  Jewish  actors  on  the  American  stage 
David  Warfield  is  chief.  I  recall  yielding  to  the 
temptation  for  a  little  gallop  on  my  hobby, 
heredity,  asking  David  Warfield  "What  is  your 
nationality?"  His  answer,  simple,  direct  as  his 
gaze,  was  "I  am  a  Jew." 

Louis  Mann  and  Sam  Bernard,  who  have 
brought  "Friendly  Enemies"  into  the  fore  as  the 
most  profitable  play  of  the  -year,  were  reared 
by  the  same  tenets.  So,  too,  that  other  pair  of 
funmakers,  Barney  Bernard  and  Alexander  Carr. 
Of  the  same  original  faith,  but  now  a  disciple  of 
Mrs.  Mary  Baker  Eddy  is  that  singer  of  the 
soul  of  songs,  Nora  Bayes.  Her  sister  singer 
in  vaudeville  Nan  Halperin  attends  services  at 
a  synagogue. 

The  Morrisons,  Felix  and  Lewis,  were  He- 
brews. Daniel  E.  Bandmann  and  family  were 
born  in  the  Judean  belief.  Anna  Held's  "Eyes 
That  Won't  Behave"  were  inheritances  from  her 
mother,  a  Polish  Jewess. 

Leon  Errol,  comedian  and  producer  par  ex- 
cellence, reveals  his  Judean  extraction  in  his  per- 
sonal phase,  but  it  is  not  apparent  in  his  stage 
portrayals.  Ed  Wynn,  funmaker  alternately  for 
the  "Ziegfeld  Follies"  and  the  Winter  Garden, 
got  his  fun  and  vigor  from  a  hardy  line  of  Jewish 
ancestors.  Willie  and  Eugene  Howard,  other 
Winter  Garden  amusers,  are  branches  of  the 
same  stock  that  bore  Joseph  Weber  and  Lew 
Fields. 

That  dainty  ingenue  Francine  Larrimore,  whose 
entrance  upon  the  stage  is  greeted  by  not  too 
subdued  whispers,  "Isn't  she  sweet?",  "Isn't  she 


a  darling?",  has  a  sure  sense  of  comedy  that 
has  been  schooled  by  her  celebrated  uncle,  the 
great  player  of  Shylock  to  the  East  Side.  Jacob 
Adler  is  the  King  of  the  East  Side  Rialto.  David 
Kessler  has  won  community  fame  among  those 
of  his  own  Vace  in  the  crowded  district  of  New 
York.  A  playwright  prophet  of  theirs  is  Boris 
Tomaschefsky,  who  writes  robust  emotional 
dramas  for  himself  and  others. 

Occasionally  a  Jewish  player  emerges  from  the 
East  Side  and  plays  successfully  in  new  English 
diction.  This  Mme.  Bertha  Kalich  achieved, 
though  she  has  temporarily  forsaken  that  field 
for  the  at  present  more  profitable  one  of  the 
photo  drama.  David  Kessler,  with  that  beautiful 
blonde  actress,  once  leading  woman  for  John 
Drew  and  now  in  happy  retirement  the  wife  of 
Chevalier  Ricardo  Bertelli,  Ida  Conquest,  left 
off  Yiddish  parlance  to  appear  in  English  dra- 
mas. "Bobby"  North  accomplished  the  journey. 
David  Belasco  gave  him  his  opportunity  in  one 
of  his  offerings.  The  young  man  has  become 
the  owner  of  touring  attractions  on  the  vaude- 
ville circuit. 

Florence  Reed,  one  of  the  most  vividly  emo- 
tional of  the  younger  generation  of  players,  was 
the  daughter  of  the  former  Roland  Reed  and 
a  Jewess.  Her  portrayal  in  "The  Yellow  Ticket" 
of  a  girl  who  was  inhumanly  persecuted  because 
she  wandered  from  the  Jewish  pale,  was  imbued 
with  the  smouldering  fire  of  her  race.  It  flamed 
in  her  unique  rendering  of  Tisha  in  "The  Wan- 
derer." It  is  evinced  in  her  characterization  of 
the  slave  girl  in  "Chu  Chin  Chow." 

The  reaches  of  the  race  are  as  great  in 
tragedy  as  in  comedy.  The  Jew  taps  tears  and 
stirs  laughter.  He  mimics  and  imitates  and  bur- 
lesques. No  chapter  in  the  book  of  drama  is 
closed  to  him. 

Should  their  critics  say  that  Jews  lack  finesse 
we  would  need  but  to  answer :  ''David  Warfield." 
If  that  their  tremendous  earnestness  barred  them 
from  comedy  we  would  reply :  "Barney  Bernard 
and  his  brother  Sam."  Or  reverse  it  if  you  will. 
They  won't  care.  If  you  should  say  that  their 
characterizations  are  superficial,  I  would  say: 
"See  Louis  Mann  and  Nora  Bayes."  And  Flor- 


ence Reed  is  a  dynamo  of  power  tempered  by  the 
critic  that  is  her  other  self  standing  outside, 
watching,  measuring,  weighing.  Thus  she  pro- 
vides the  two  elements  of  great  acting,  force  and 
balance. 

A  forceful  writer  of  their  own  race  would 
gladly  lend  his  patented  phrase  to  summarize  the 
success  of  his  people  on  the  stage.  "Vim,  Vigor, 
Victory,"  according  to  Herbert  Kaufman. 

Rabbi  Clifton  Harby  Levy,  preaching  Joe 
Welch's  funeral  sermon,  when  the  imitator  ot 
Jewish  peddlers  died  mad  last  midsummer,  said : 
"He  made  the  world  happier,  for  he  made  it 
laugh."  He  Exalted  laughter  bringing  to  the 
world  one  of  the  blessed  missions.  No  Jew, 
nor  Gentile,  will  contradict  the  mad  comedian's 
"last  notice." 

Nor  must  we  forget  our  Oriental  Hedda  Gab- 
ler — Alia  Nazimova,  beloved  of  Broadway  audi- 
ences. In  her  roof  garden  is  stretched  an 
Oriental  rug  with  a  set  of  willow  furniture. 

"Why  should  I  not  live  on  the  roof?  she  said, 
"I  am  an  Oriental,  a  Jew.  The  wandering  tribes 
of  Israel  slept  often  under  the  stars.  They  do 
still  in  the  East." 

The  Dolly  Sisters  are  also  daughters  of 
Israel  who  have  added  to  the  gaiety  of  Broad- 
way. Mme.  Petrova  is  another  prominent  rep- 
resentative of  her  race. 

It  is  obviously  impossible  in  an  article  of 
limited  length  to  mention  every  artist  of  Jew- 
ish faith  or  origin  on  the  stage.  The  Jew  is 
popular  in  the  theatre.  He  seems  exceptionally 
fitted  for  it  both  by  temperament  and  instinct. 
He  has  cast  lustre  upon  it  as  actor,  playwright, 
and  manager. 

In  this  last  field  particularly,  you  will  find  the 
Jew  most  prominent.  He  controls  the  theatrical 
business  as  he  controls  many  other  enter- 
prises. The  Frohmans — Daniel,  Charles,  and 
Gustave — Belasco,  the  Wizard,  the  Shuberts  of 
many  activities,  the  energetic  Al  Woods,  Klaw 
and  Erlanger,  Flo  Zieerfeld,  the  Selwyns.  not  for- 
gettinsr  the  redoubtable  Oscar  Hammerstein — all 
these  important  figures  connected  with  the  past 
and  present  history  of  the  American  stage,  are 
of  Jewish  extraction. 


THEATRE  THOUGHTS 

By  HAROLD   SETON 


^  I  HHERE  is  some  talk  of  the  canonization  of 
George  M.  Cohan  as  the  patron  saint  of 
Broadway. 

When  Florenz  Ziegfeld,  Jr.,  has  a  pleasant 
dream,  he  imagines  a  new  kind  of  centipede. 
When  he  has  an  unpleasant  dream,  he  imagines 
the  old  kind  of  centipede. 

After  having  seen  George  Arliss  as  "Disraeli," 
"Paganini"  and  "Hamilton,"  I  am  convinced 
that  George  Arliss  is  a  splendid  interpreter  of — 
George  Arliss. 

A  drunken  man  staggered  into  a  theatre  where 
Ruth  St.  Denis  was  dancing.  The  next  day  that 
man  signed  the  pledge. 

Paying  two  dollars  to  see  Julian  Eltinge 
dressed-up  in  woman's  clothes  is  like  paying  two 
dollars  to  see  a  duck  swim. 

Margaret  Mayo,  author  of  "Baby  Mine"  and 
"Twin  Beds,"  beats  Charlotte  at  her  own  game. 
For  Miss  Mayo  can  skate  on  very  thin  ice. 


Willard  Mack,  author  of  "Kick  In"  and  "Tiger 
Rose,"  is  said  to  write  his  plays  with  a  pen- 
point  stuck  in  the  muzzle  of  a  revolver. 

Nora  Bayes  represents  the  triumph  of  mind 
over  patter. 

A  Belasco  production:  Real  doors  for  artificial 
people  to  come  in  through,  and  real  windows  for 
artificial  people  to  look  out  of. 

Instead  of  holding  the  mirror  up  to  Nature, 
Emily  Stevens  holds  it  up  to  her  aunt,  Mrs. 
Fiske. 

Encouraged  by  the  success  of  Fannie  Ward 
and  Marguerite  Clarke  as  interpreters  of  chil- 
dren in  the  movies,  Mrs.  Whiffen  and  Amelia 
Bingham  are  about  to  attempt  similar  work. 

When  Claire  Kummer  wrote  "Good  Gracious, 
Anabelle,"  she  stepped  into  Clyde  Fitch's  shoes. 
But  when  she  wrote  "The  Rescuing  Angel,"  she 
stepped  out  of  them. 

Fritzi  Scheff's  progress  from  the  Metropolitan 
Opera  House  to  a  Broadway  cabaret  is  an  ex- 
ample of  what  can  be  accomplished — if  one  does 
not  try. 


Elsie  Janis's  favorite  pet  is  a  chameleon. 

John  Drew  has  put  a  codicil  in  his  will  to  the 
effect  that  he  be  buried  in  a  shroud  made  by 
Poole,  of  London,  in  the  fashion  of  the  day, 
whatever  it  may  be. 

Billie  Burke  has  been  on  the  stage  for  many 
years,  but  still  there  is  not  a  wrinkle — in  any 
of  her  gowns. 

Oliver  has  "a  typical  Morosco  caste"  in  his 
eye. 

Kitty  Cheatham  enjoys  childhood — the  second 
time. 

Valeska  Suratt's  idea  of  interpreting  joy: — 
"Gowns  by  Lucile."  Valeska  Suratt's  idea  of 
interpreting  sorrow: — "Gowns  by  Lucile." 

When  Lillian  Russell  dies,  the-  Museum  of  Art 
will  receive  her  unique  collection  of  cosmetiques. 

David  Belasco  loves  Nature.  He  has  seen 
some  of  her  sunrises  and  sunsets  that  are  almost 
as  good  as  his  own. 


[  150  ] 


Theatre  Magazine,  September, 


From  a  portrait  by  Moffett 


WILLIAM  FA-VERSHAM 

The  distinguished  player  who  will  live  up  to  his 
title  "actor-manager"  this  season.  "Allegiance"  has 
already  been  produced  under  his  direction,  and  in 
October  he  will  appear  on  the  stage  in  a  drama- 
tization of  "The  Prince  and  the  Pauper" 


tl 


OLE 


The   ultimate  fate   of  the  gorgeous 
stage  gowns  which  make  women  gasp 

By  FRANCES   L.  GARSIDE 


THE  heroine  has  made  her  audience  laugh 
and  weep.  She  has  been  persecuted  and 
oppressed,  but,  triumphing  over  all  her 
enemies  in  that  fashion  peculiar  to  the  stage,  she 
has  risen  to  affluence  and  power.  She  trails 
through  three  acts  in  a  swish  of  satins,  chiffons 
and  ermine,  and  the  final  curtain  falls  with  the 
hero's  arms  around  her. 

The  younger  women  in  the  audience  carry 
away  a  vision  of  the  last  scene,  and  sigh 
ecstatically. 

The  older  women,  in  whose  breasts  fancy  has 
been  subdued  by  fact,  grow  thriftly  speculative. 

"I  wonder,"  they  say  as  they  pass  out,  "what 
she  does  with  her  old  clothes." 

They  have  tasted  the  supreme  joy  of  brushing 
a  skirt  and  selling  it  to  an  old  clothes  man; 
they  know  to  the  fullest  the  satisfaction  of  turn- 
ing a  ribbon  on  last  season's  hat  and  letting  it 
go  for  a  price.  Those  who  sit  in  high  places 
all  day  and  cut  coupons  have  no  greater  elation 
of  soul  than  these  experiences  bring.  But  the 
actress?  The  woman  who  gets  more  in  a  week 
than  the  majority  of  the  husbands  in  the  au- 
dience earn  in  six  months:  Does  she  ever  sell 
her  old  clothes?  Does  she,  perhaps,  ever  give 
them  away?  Would  she  (here  the  thrifty  wo- 
man experiences  a  blissful  moment)  ever  give 
them  to  a  women  who  has  two  or  t^iree  growing 
girls  to  clothe,  and  who  is  so  handy  with  the 
needle  she  could  make  them  over?  Though  (she 
forgets  to  get  off  the  car  at  her  corner  in  her 
absorption),  the  dark-blue  velvet  worn  in  the 
second  act  would  just  fit  her  Annabelle  without 
any  alteration  at  all. 


r*HE  woman  on  the  stage  does  give  them 
•*•  away,  and  she  gives  freely  and  judiciously. 
There  is  said  to  be  one  actress  so  thrifty  she 
bargains  with  the  old  clothes  man  as  greedily 
as  if  she  were  poor  and  had  children  to  provide 
with  raiment,  but  she  is  an  exception.  The  peo- 
ple of  the  stage  are  noted  for  their  generosity. 
There  is  no  class  of  people  who  give  more  to 
others,  and  who  take  less  thought  of  their  own 
to-morrows.  The  moth  holds  no  family  reunions 
in  the  discarded  garments  of  the  actress :  while 
she  might  still  find  a  use  for  them  (for  they 
are  never  worn,  as  we  in  the  audience  know 
what  the  word  "worn"  means),  she  forgets  her 
own  needs  in  the  greater  necessity  of  others. 

Marguerite  Clarke,  with  her  four  feet  and  four 
inches,  could  make  few  women  happy  with  her 
discarded  garments,  for  they  are  too  small.  It 
is  the  good  fortune  of  two  young  girls,  whom 
Miss  Clarke  has  taken  under  her  protection  to 
educate,  that  they  are  Miss  Clarke's  size,  and  the 
superfluous  clothes  in  which  she  appears  as  an 
adult  are  sent  to  them.  But  more  often  she 
takes  a  child's  part  and  these  tiny  little  gar- 
ments also  serve  a  great  purpose.  An  orphan 
herself,  Miss  Clarke's  heart  is  tender  to  the 
motherless,  and  the  little  dresses,  coats  and  petti- 
coats, in  which  she  appears  as  a  child  of  eight 
or  nine,  are  sent  to  an  orphan  asylum,  and  they 
amount  to  so  many  in  the  course  of  a  year  that 
the  clothes  problem  of  the  little  waifs  is  almost 
completely  solved. 

Mary  Pickford  belies  her  Irish  ancestry  with 


an  unsuspected  thrift,  but  gives  liberally  to  the 
needy.  Lina  Cavalieri,  who  spends  more  on 
clothes  than  any  other  woman  on  the  stage 
to-day,  with  the  possible  exception  of  Geraldine 
Farrar,  makes  the  disposal  of  her  discarded  gar- 
ments an  international  question.  Some  years  ago 
she  sent  huge  boxes  semi-annually  to  her  be- 
loved Italy.  Since  her  marriage  to  Lucien 
Muratore,  she  divides  this  offering,  giving  half 
to  his  adored  France. 

Pearl  White,  with  the  recklessness  that  charac- 
terizes her  in  the  scenes  in  which  she  risked  her 
life  for  your  entertainment,  doesn't  give  a  second 
thought  to  her  garments.  She  has  in  her  care, 
and  with  her  all  through  the  summer,  three 
young  girls.  They  are  her  secretary,  if  she  needs 
one,  her  stewardess,  her  companion,  her  house- 
keeper, her  maid ;  any  capacity  in  which  love  and 
thought  may  serve  a  busy  woman,  and,  in  return, 
she  gives  them  a  home,  watches  over  them,  and 
pays  them  well,  though  one  of  the  girls  gets  $75 
a  week  in  an  office  position. 


MISS  WHITE  knew  the  girls  when  she 
was  working  in  a  stock  company, 
and  does  not  forget  them  now  she  is  re- 
ceiving $200,000  a  year.  On  one  occasion  she 
gave  one  of  the  girls  a  fur  coat  costing  $6,500, 
and  which  she  had  worn  only  a  few  times,  and 
she  gives  them  other  garments,  often  before  she 
has  worn  them  at  all. 

Marie  Osborne's  discarded  garments  are  given 
to  the  children  in  her  company.  No  other  child 
in  the  world,  under  the  age  of  six,  has  so  many. 
Anna  Case  donates  generously  to  old  friends 
in  New  Jersey,  and  May  Peterson,  also,  has  a 
waiting  list. 

Marie  Rappold,  who  makes  the  claim  of  being 
the  best-dressed  woman  on  the  stage  of  the 
Metropolitan  Opera  House,  buys  no  fewer  than 
twelve  tailor-made  gowns  a  season,  for  which 
she  has  never  paid  less  than  $150  each.  She 
appears  in  concert  during  the  summer  season, 
and  never  wears  the  same  gown  twice,  with  so 
many  hats,  cloaks,  shoes,  pumps  and  furs  in  her 
wardrobe  that  her  maid  keeps  books  on  them. 
She  never  sells  a  garment,  having  a  long  list  of 
relatives  and  friends  who  have  not  been  as  for- 
tunate in  this  world's  goods  as  herself. 


IRENE  CASTLE  donates  her  discarded  clothes 
to  the  Stage  Woman's  War  Relief.  Usually, 
there  is  a  sale,  and  the  proceeds  go  to  this  fund, 
and  she  is  so  universally  a  favorite  with  the 
women  that  her  sales  bring  more,  in  proportion 
to  the  value,  than  the  donations  of  any  other 
woman. 

"My  wife,"  said  a  man,  with  indignation, 
"paid  five  dollars  for  a  pair  of  Mrs.  Castle's 
pumps.  They  didn't  fit  her ;  she  knew  they 
wouldn't,  but  she  wanted  them  because  Irene 
Castle  had  danced  in  them.  Of  course,  I  roared, 
but  I'd  have  roared  louder  did  I  not  know  that 
the  proceeds  go  to  making  life  more  comfort- 
able for  our  boys  over  there."  When  Captain 
Castle  was  killed,  she  gave  everything  she  pos- 
sessed in  the  wav  of  clothes  to  this  sale. 


Geraldine  Farrar  receives  $1,500  a  performance 
at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  which  means 
$102,000  a  season.  To  eke  out  a  living  she  acts 
for  the  movies  at  $2  a  minute,  and  gets 
an  income  from  the  records  of  her  voice. 
She  cannot  spend  her  money  on  lux- 
uries for  her  table.  If  she  eats  as  one 
might  dream  of  eating  with  such  an  income,  her 
stomach  is  disordered.  If  her  stomach  is  dis- 
ordered, her  voice  is  affected,  and  if  her  voice 
is  affected,  whizz,  bang,  away  goes  her  income. 

Denied  the  comfortable  joy  of  a  luxurious 
meal,  she  has  a  greater  sum  to  spend  on  clothes, 
and  in  her  clothes  she  takes  supreme  satisfac- 
tion, holding  that  when  a  singer  appears  in  public 
her  raiment  is  as  important  as  her  voice. 

She  has  no  sisters,  nieces,  nor  cousins  who  look 
with  longing  eyes.  She  has  a  kinship  with  all 
the  world  in  a  broader  sense,  and  sends  all  these 
garments  to  the  Jumble-In.  The  Jumble-In  is  a 
storehouse  where  garments  are  received  and  sold, 
and  the  proceeds  devoted  to  buying  luxuries  for 
the  soldiers.  Miss  Farrar  has  a  personal  maid, 
but  the  maid's  duties  are  made  light  by  her  mis- 
tress' generosity.  Every  few  days  she  sends 
something  to  the  Jumble-In  which  shows  not  a 
sign  of  wear  or  tear. 

The  same  story  is  told  of  every  actress'  ward- 
robe. It  reaches  an  honorable  and  useful  old 
age.  Pride  and  a  needle  and  thread  make  the 
change  the  garment  demands  for  more  humble, 
or  less  romantic,  circumstances,  and  many  a 
woman,  after  patronizing  one  of  these  sales  ap- 
pears in  a  becoming  and  handsome  garment  that 
cost  her  less  than  a  fourth  of  its  original  price. 


THE  wives  of  millionaires  make  similar  dis- 
posal of  their  discarded  garments.  Natu- 
rally, a  blue  satin  cannot  be  given  to  the  scul- 
lery maid,  and  a  pink  velvet  is  not  appropriate 
to  wear  when  preparing  turnips.  Barred  the 
privilege  of  giving  to  the  "help,"  a  story  told 
in  humbler  walks  of  life,  the  women  of  wealth 
sell  to  a  dealer  in  second-hand  garments,  and 
he  re-sells  to  women  in  moderate  circumstances. 
Or,  which  is  told  oftener,  and  to  their  credit, 
they  hold  sales  at  regular  intervals,  the  proceeds 
given  to  some  charity. 

The  woman  who  said  as  she  walked  out  of 
the  theatre,  "I  wonder  what  she  does  with  her 
old  clothes?"  may,  perhaps,  have  sat  next  to 
one  of  these  garments  on  the  way  home.  To 
the  good  taste  of  the  buyer,  the  stage  costumes 
rarely  appeal,  unless  they  are  street  clothes,  in 
their  original  form.  Often  a  complete  trans- 
formation is  essential,  for  the  dress  worn  by  the 
inn-keeper's  saucy  daughter,  in  a  scene  laid  in 
Paris,  will  hardly  do,  without  complete  ripping 
and  altering,  for  the  Bible-class  teacher  in  New 
York. 

Yet  a  simple  frock  you  might  see  on  Fifth 
Avenue  worn  jauntily  by  a  dainty  debutante  may 
one  day  have  graced  the  sinuous  person  of  a 
stage  vampire.  You  would  never  recognize  it 
with  its  added  frills,  its  ribbons  and  its  furbe- 
lows. Then  again  you  may  stop  with  a  little 
gasp  to  admire  a  smart  hat  that  really  adorned 
the  heroine  in  a  show  that  failed  and  went  to 
the  storehouse  after  a  week. 


[158] 


Theatre  Magazine,  September, 


(Left) 
MARTHA  MANSFIELD 


(Right) 
DOROTHY  LEEDS 


(Center) 
FLORENCE   CRIPPS 


Ceisler  <5*  Andrews 


HE  chorus  girl  cannot 
be  passed  over  lightly. 
She  is  by  far  too  important 
a  personage.  Who  else  is 
responsible  for  the  success 
of  "The  Follies"?  And  is 
not  the  New  Amsterdam 
filled  even  on  dog  days 
(and  nights)  with  audiences 
eager  to  view  her  beauty? 


Johnston 


Here  are  three  of  the 
pretty  maids  who  have 
done  their  bit  to  make 
"The  Follies"  what  the 
press  agent  aptly  terms  "a 
national  institution," — Miss 
Mansfield,  petite  and  sum- 
mery, Miss  Leeds,  slender 
and  tailor-made,  and  Miss 
Cripps,  blonde  and  lovely 


Jonnslon 


THREE    GRACES    OF 


THE    FOLLIES 


MY  FIRST  PLAY 

Some  suggestions  on  how  to  prepare  a  manuscript  for  the  worst 
By  LISLE  BELL 


A    YEAR  ago  I  decided  to  write  my  first 
play.    The  first  thing  that  I  did  was  to 
take  a   mental   inventory,   to   make   sure 
that  I  possessed  all  the  needed  qualifications.     I 
found  that   I   had  everything  necessary  but  the 
technique.     So   I    set   about   acquiring   the   tech- 
nique.    At  the  present  writing,  I  still  have  every- 
thing   necessary,    plus    the    technique,    plus    the 
play. 

Externally,  my  play  is  a  little  the  worse  for 
wear,  but  when  you  consider  that  it  has  had  a 
long  run  on  Broadway  (in  producing  offices  from 
Thirty-ninth  Street  to  Forty-eighth  Street),  it 
is  really  remarkably  well  preserved.  To  put  the 
history  of  my  play  into  a  nutshell,  it  is  sufficient 
to  say  that  it  has  been  accepted  by  the  copy- 
right office,  and  rejected  by  everyone  else.  The 
'  Government  and  I  against  the  world,  so  to 
speak. 

As  for  my  technique,  it  is  like  silver  stored  in 
a  safety  vault:  it's  nice  to  know  that  you  have 
it  and  maybe  can  use  it  again,  some  day.  I  dare 
say  that  my  play  is  like  many  other  plays,  but 
my  technique,  I  feel  confident  in  saying,  stands 
alone.  It  is  unique.  And  not  the  least  of  its 
services  is  that  it  has  taught  me  where  to  place 
the  emphasis  in  the  dictionary's  definition : 
"Technique — a  method  of  execution  in  fine  art." 
My  hopes  were  high  when  I  began  the  pursuit 
of  technique.  The  first  thing  that  I  did  was  to 
surround  myself  with  all  the  available  text- 
books on  the  subject.  There  are  a  lot  of  them, 
and  I  don't  believe  I  missed  a  single  one.  I 
read  every  line  of  "What  Every  Young  Drama- 
tist Ought  to  Know,"  and  studied  diligently  such 
works  as  "First  Steps  in  Playwriting,"  "Dramat- 
ic Technique  in  Words  of  One  Syllable,"  and 
so  on. 


AT  the  start,  I  got  a  delightful  stimulation, 
immersing  myself  in  these  text-books. 
They  seemed  so  adroitly  adjusted  to  my  needs. 
They  told  me  just  what  I  should  know.  And 
they  did  it  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  me  feel  it 
was  nothing  less  than  slander  to  refer  to  them 
as  text-books.  For  there  was  nothing  dictatorial 
in  them,  nothing  harshly  worded.  Everything 
was  in  the  spirit  of  "Come,  let  us  reason  to- 
gether." 

These  volumes,  in  short,  made  me  feel  as  if 
my  play  were  as  good  as  written— if  not  better. 
I  acquired  the  faith  that  moves  mountains — if 
not  managers.  I  burned  with  eagerness  to  put 
my  technique  (I2mo,  $1.35  net)  to  the  test  of 
actual  creation. 

When  one  authority  assured  me  that  the  the- 
atre "is  a  democratic  institution,  and  co-opera- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  audience  is  the  first 
essential  of  success,"  I  closed  the  book,  closed 
my  eyes,  and  saw  my  name  in  electric  lights. 
I  actually  began  to  worry  for  fear  the  "lightless 
nights"  might  dim  my  glory.  The  thought  that 
"co-operation  on  the  part  of  the  manager"  might 
be  quite  an  important  factor  in  my  success  never 
crossed  my  mind.  Apparently,  it  didn't  disturb 
the  author  of  my  text-book,  either.  At  any  rate, 
there  was  no  cloud  on  my  horizon — not  then. 

I  may  have  been  just  a  little  troubled  when 
I  read  that  "congenital  endowment"  has  some- 
thing to  do  with  the  making  of  a  dramatist. 


My  family  tree  boasted  no  dramatic  branches. 
I  had  about  made  up  my  mind  to  hobble  along 
without  any  congenital  endowment,  when  I 
learned  that  one  of  my  aunts  taught  "elocu- 
tion" before  her  marriage.  I  drew  a  sigh  of  re- 
lief. Aunt  became  my  "congenital  endowment." 

The  rules  seemed  admirable  and  concise.  I 
learned  them  all  by  heart.  For  example :  "See 
that  the  play  (i.  e.,  the  play  which  I  intended 
to  write)  is  always  moving  straight  toward  its 
goal ;  divagation  is  usually  death." 

Surely  nothing  could  be  simpler  than  seeing 
that  my  play  was  always  moving  straight  toward 
its  goal.  To  be  sure,  the  rule  sounded  a  bit 
like  a  city  traffic  regulation,  but  I  linked  it  up 
with  that  phrase,  "the  two  hours'  traffic  of  the 
stage,"  and  felt  quite  secure.  As  I  look  back 
now  upon  my  experience,  however,  I  think  per- 
haps the  fellow  should  have  defined  goal.  May- 
be he  didn't  mean  what  I  thought  he  meant. 


IVA CATION,  I  will  confess,  sent  me  to 
the  dictionary,  where  I  discovered  that  it 
means  nothing  more  nor  less  than  "wandering 
about."  The  trouble  was,  when  I  actually  came 
to  doing  the  thing,  I  discovered  that  it  apparently 
is  a  synonym  for  managers'  offices. 

There  was  always  this  to  be  said  in  favor  of 
those  text-books :  they  were  most  flattering  to 
the  intelligence,  or  so  I  thought  at  the  time. 
When  one  of  the  writers  spoke  of  the  "thirty- 
six  fundamental  situations  counted  by  Gozzi  and 
Schiller,"  he  never  stopped  to  tell  me  who  or 
what  Gozzi  was.  So  far  as  the  context  showed, 
he  might  have  been  an  adding  machine.  Again, 
when  I  came  across  the  "twenty-four  situations 
announced  by  Gerard  de  Nerval  as  fit  for  the 
theatre,"  no  one  troubled  to  identify  de  Nerval. 
I  assumed  that  I  was  supposed  to  know,  and 
did  nothing  at  all  about  it. 

In  the  concluding  chapter  of  one  of  my  guides, 
I  came  upon  this : :  "It  is  now  time  to  be  about 
writing  your  full-length  play."  This  was  the 
assurance  that  I  had  been  waiting  for.  It  cer- 
tainly was  nice  to  be  told  that  it  was  time  to  be 
about  writing  my  full-length  play. 


renewed  confidence,  I  applied  my 
mind  to  the  final  summing  up  of  the 
rules.  They  were  brief  and  to  the  point : 

"Decide  on  a  theme  or  foundation  incident. 
(I  already  had  done  that.)  Outline  your  plot, 
sketch  the  grouping  of  characters  by  descrip- 
tion for  your  own  guidance,  determine  on  their 
relative  importance,  and  assign  the  space  to  be 
given  each  act.  Take  plenty  of  time  to  revise 
and  re-revise;  study  the  stage-books  of  success- 
ful modern  plays;  and  lay  your  work  aside  to 
cool." 

I  found  all  this  decidedly  stimulating,  even  if 
the  wording  did  resemble  the  culinary  directions 
for  turning  out  a  custard. 

"Why  not?"  I  said  to  myself.  "Why  shouldn't 
technique  resemble  a  cooking  recipe?  Plays, 
like  cookies,  are  made." 

And    with    this    original    contribution    to    the 


philosophy  of  dramatic  technique,  I  closed  the 
volume  and  started  to  work — on  my  cookie. 

Outlining  the  plot,  as  suggested,  was  a  bit  dif- 
ficult. I  outlined  mine  in  black,  before  I  got 
through.  Black  is  not  my  favorite  color,  but  it 
seemed  more  appropriate,  somehow.  As  for 
sketching  the  grouping  of  characters,  I  couldn't 
be  quite  sure  the  fellow  didn't  mean  to  draw  a 
picture  of  them.  At  any  rate,  I  omitted  that. 

One  of  the  directions  which  bothered  me  con- 
siderably was  in  regard  to  assigning  the  space 
to  be  given  each  act.  I  didn't  know  whether 
to  do  it  upon  the  basis  of  the  number  of  pages 
or  what.  I  think  I  finally  decided  upon  "what." 

As  for  taking  plenty  of  time  to  "revise  and 
re-revise,"  the  advice  was  really  superfluous.  I 
have  had  generous  co-operation  along  that  line. 
I  took  quite  a  little  time  myself,  and  the  man- 
agers have  given  me  all  the  rest. 

I  am  now  at  work  on  a  text-book  of  my  own. 
When  it  is  finished,  it  will  be  more  detailed — I 
might  even  say  more  frank — than  any  of  its 
predecessors  which  guided  me.  I  shall  call  it 
"Preparing  the  Play  for  the  Worst." 

So  far,  I  have  completed  but  one  chapter.  It 
is  on  "The  Manuscript."  All  the  text-books 
which  I  used,  and  which  have  led  to  my  play 
being  "laid  aside  to  cool"  for  quite  some  time, 
devoted  one  chapter  to  "The  Manuscript."  They 
told  how  the  manuscript  should  be  prepared, 
what  size  and  style  of  paper  to  use,  what  type 
spacing,  and  how  the  title-page  should  be  hand- 
illumined.  They  told  everything,  in  fact,  ex- 
cept what  kind  of  play  to  put  on  the  paper.  If 
they  had  told  me  that,  I  probably  wouldn't  be 
at  work  on  a  text-book  of  my  own. 


PREPARING  the  manuscript  is  a  topic  which, 
it  appears  to  me,  has  been  treated  in  a 
somewhat  too  skeletonized  manner.  My  method 
has  been,  therefore,  to  set  down  the  rules  which 
appear  in  these  older  authorities,  and  then  to 
elaborate  upon  them. 

All  the  text-books  start  out  with  this  admoni- 
tion: 

"In  the  first  place,  your  manuscript  should 
be.  typewritten." 

What  they  should  do  is  to  go  on  and  explain 
that  they  mean  typewritten  in  both  senses  of 
the  word.  If  a  manager  doesn't  discover  "types" 
in  your  play,  he  will  decide  that  it  is  no  good, 
and  file  it  away  for  his  own  use  next  winter, 
in  case  his  coal  supply  runs  short.  Be  sure 
your  play  is  "type"-written. 

"Write  on  only  one  side  of  the  sheet." 

The  reason  for  this  rule  is  obvious.  The 
manager,  if  he  accepts  your  play,  will  need  to 
use  the  other  side  upon  which  to  re-write  it. 

"On  the  second  page,  give  the  cast  of  charac- 
ters." 

For  Broadway  production,  the  cast  of  char- 
acters will  vary  from  pure  to  off-color.  Purple 
tints  are  always  in  great,  favor. 

"These  details  attended  to,  take  the  play  to 
the  managers'  offices.  Don't  worry  if  it  doesn't 
come  back  promptly." 

This  last  rule  docs  not  permit  of  much  elabor- 
ation. I  shall  merely  add,  out  of  the  fulness  of 
my  experience : 

"Don't  worry ;  it  will." 


[160] 


Theatre  Magaiine,  September, 


Peggy  O'Neil  as  "Patsy" 


Peggy  O'Nell 


Victor   Moore 


SCENES    IN    EDWARD    PEPLE'S    NEW    COMEDY,    "PATSY    ON    THE    WING,"   WHICH    HAS   BEEN    RUNNING 
ALL  SUMMER  AT  THE  GRAND  OPERA  HOUSE  IN  CHICAGO  AND  TO  APPEAR   IN  NEW  YORK   NEXT  MONTH 


AMATEUR  DEPARTMENT 

In  this  department,  will  be  shown  each  month,  the  work  that  is  being 
done  by  clever  Amateurs  in  the  small  town,  the  big  city— in  the 
universities,  schools  and  clubs  throughout  the  country. 

I  shall  be  glad  to  consider  for  publication  any  photographs  or  other 
matter,  concerning  plays  and  masques  done  by  amateurs,  and  to  give 
suggestions  and  advice  wherever  1  can.  Write  me.  The  Editor 


THE  AMATEUR  PRODUCER 

By  CHRISTINE    HOPKINS 

Member  of  the  Strollers,  State  University  of  Kentucky. 


DO  you  ever  manage  an  amateur  play?   No? 
Then  what  was  responsible  for  your  need 
of  a  rest-cure?     Merely  overwork?     Oh, 
dear!      Well    then,   you    don't   know    what    real 
nerves  are  like!     You  see,  it's  this  way: 

A  group  of  enthusiasts — organized  or  disin- 
tegrated— the  Something-or-others,  merely  a 
group  of  arters  for  art's  sake— decide  they  will 
have  A  Play.  In  the  Stone  Age,  excuses  were 
sometimes  hard  to  find,  but  now  they  are  as 
plentiful  as  knitting  needles  or  second  lieuten- 
ants or  applications  for  next  winter's  coal.  The 
Red  Cross,  Liberty  Bonds,  the  Red  Star,  W.  S.  S., 
all  excellent  causes,  so  intensely  patriotic !  After 
much  discussion,  the  charity  most  socially 
prominent  at  that  particular  time  wins,  and  the 
society  column  announces  that  in  the  near  future 
the  event  of  the  season  will  be  produced,  its 
exact  nature  not  yet  determined  upon. 

*  *        Mi- 
Then    the    trying    ordeal    of    choosing    a    per- 
formance to  be  performed.    Ibsen  and  Shaw  are 
considered,    but    discarded    because    they    aren't 
quite  nice,  at  least  some  of  the  paying  husbands 
might  think   so.     But  stay !     Why  not  choose  a 
"coach"  first,  and  let  him  earn  some  of  his  easy 
money  by  helping  in  the  selection?     Just  decide 
on  a  certain  sum   for  bis   services,  and  turn  all 
responsibility  over  to  him?     Of  course,  he  must 
find  good  parts   for  the  Chairman   of  the  Com- 
mittee, and  select  a  piece  in  which  there  is  an 
opportunity     for     some     incidental     music     and 
vocal,    (not    for    any    one    person's    benefit,    of 
course,  but  just  to  add  variety),  and  one  which 
commands  no  royalty,  and  has  rosy  scenery,  and 
no  costuming,   that  is,  beyond   the   wee  bit   ne- 
cessitated   by    after-dinner    acts    in    the    modern 
drawing-room    comedy. 

*  *        * 

On  third  thought,  as  this  performance  is  for 
charity,  why  should  not  the  "coach"  give  his 
services?  Mr.  -  -  or  Miss  —  -  of  the  Univer- 
sity is  up  on  these  things,  and  such  social  prom- 
inence this  direction  would  give,  besides  the 
patriotism  of  the  thing,  should  secure  absolutely 
grateful  free  and  gratis  assistance. 

It  is  done.  You  being  Mr. ,  or  Miss  . 

consent.  For  various  reasons  of  your  own,  per- 


haps, but  still,  you  do.  Maybe  you've  always  had 
a  sneaking  hankering  to  go  on  the  stage,  and 
this  is  the  nearest  you  can  get  to  it !  And 
maybe  the  charity  game  really,  sincerely  appeals. 
Anyway,  you  agree,  and  the  cooing  young  things 
who've  come  to  persuade  you,  triumphantly 
depart. 

You  feverishly  hunt  through  catalogues, 
drama  league  lists,  old  manuscripts,  the  Public 
Library,  actor  friend's  old  plays,  until  you  find — 
the  very  thing!  Ecce  homo!  But  oh,  dear,  no, 
that  won't  do  at  all.  There's  a  line  in  it  about 
the  heroine's  wearing  a  "buttercup  satin,"  and 
couldn't  you  see,  (with  politely  veiled  impa- 
tience) that  the  incipient  leading  lady  couldn't 
possibly  wear  that  shade,  with  her  color  hair? 
You  couldn't,  but  after  due  persuasion,  you  do. 

*  *        *• 

You  try  again.  This  time  the  time  of  day 
doesn't  give  opportunity  for  attractive  gowns. 
You  try  several  times  more.  When  you  are  about 
to  suggest,  more  or  less  civilly,  that  one  of  the 
young  aspirants  write  a  play,  herself,  the  bril- 
liant idea  of  an  evening  of  the  act-plays  strikes 
you.  W-e-1-1,  perhaps — at  least  it  would  be 
original  and  varied,  and  they  might  try  some 
of  the  subtle  one-act  Little  Playhouse  things, 
mightn't  they?  They  might,  but  by  this  time 
you're  inclined  to  doubt  whither  such  a  trial 
might  lead. 

They  are  finally  chosen — a  short  drama,  broad 
"a,"  please;  a  folk  play;  a  half-hour  masque, 
too  picturesque  for  anything;  a  brief  modern 
comedy.  You  tactfully  suggest  you'd  like  an 
expression  of  opinion  in  choosing  the  cast,  but 
you  are  diplomatically,  albeit  with  some  asperity, 
reminded  that  you  are  only  the  .coach,  and  are 
to  train  the  cast  after  they  are  chosen,  not 
before ! 

*  *        *• 

Rehearsals  begin.  Yes,  indeed,  seven-thirty 
sharp!  Because  there's  so  much  to  be  done,  you 
know,  and  in  such  a  short  time.  On  the  third 
night  or  so,  well,  of  course,  when  the  cook's  late 
with  dinner,  what  can  one  do?  Onie  can't 
offend  her,  merely  to  keep  an  engagement  on 
time,  for  she's  really  very  economical  and  in 
these  days  when  it's  one's  first  duty -to  conserve 


— what's    that — her    cue?      She   never   could    re 

member   that    line 

You  plead  with  them  not  to  rush  in,  procure 
the  exact  center  of  the  stage,  and  proclaim ;  you 
urge  them  to  forget  their  hands  and  feet ;  you 
suggest,  by  every  means  in  your  power  that 
they  neither  stand  rooted  to  one  spot  nor  waft 
hither  and  thither  aimlessly  about  as  "inspira- 
tion" moves  them ;  you  insist  that  some  glimmer 
of  intelligent  comprehension  light  their  counte- 
nances when  others  are  talking  and  they  are 
still.  Your  meek  advice  is  disdainfully  ignored; 
they  are  there  to  express  their  feeling  as  the 
emotion  of  the  thing  demands,  not  to  be  bound 
by  hard  and  fast  movements  on  certain  lines. 
Set  "business"  ?  Ridiculous ! 

*  *        *• 

The  night  of  the  performance  arrives.  So 
do  you,  laden  with  hand  props  telephoned  for  at 
the  last  moment.  The  scene  shifters  and  stage- 
hands are  loafing  on  the  job,  their  humble  ser- 
vices, like  yours,  having  been  "donated";  and 
when  the  actual  sets  are  up,  you  set  the  stage 
yourself,  call  the  overture,  ring  the  curtain, 
grasp  the  prompt  book,  utter  a  prayer,  and 
prepare  for  the  worst. 

The  first  piece  gets  an  appreciative  laugh, 
even  a  hand  or  two;  the  audience  is  kind.  The 
drama — broad  "a"  and  all — interests  them ; 
really,  your  amateurs  are  steaming  up  unex- 
pectedly well.  The  folk  play,  not  too  subtle,  is 
different,  it's  high-browness  appeals.  Things  are 
going  fairly  well.  And  the  closing  comedy  is 
good,  the  cast  remember  what  you  told  it,  they 
do  not  merely  walk  thru  their  lines,  they  act; 
there  are  curtain-calls,  plural. 

*  *        * 

You  ring  down  the  last  time.  Excited  and 
congratulatory  friends — of  the  performers,  burst 
thru  the  stage  door  to  fall  on  their  necks  and 
exclaim.  Little  animated  supper-parties  drift 
off.  The  promoter  hails  you  a  careless  note  of 
thanks  over  her  shoulder  as  she  importantly 
marshals  her  debutantes  toward  a  late  dance. 

You  dazedly  and  tiredly  collect  your  outer 
garments,  and  go  home.  Never  again!  And 
yet — and  yet —  If  one  only  had  the  chance! 
Oh,  the  very  smell  of  the  theatre ! 


[162] 


Theatre  Magazine,  September,  /p/8 


DRAMATICS  AT  PURDUE  UNIVERSITY 

By  BERNARD  SOBEL,   Lafayette,  Indian* 


UXIQUE  in  the  history  of  University 
Dramatics  has  been  the  record  of  the 
English  Players  of  Purdue  University, 
an  organization  of  student  actors  who  have  been 
successfully  presenting  dramas  of  real  merit 
during  the  last  four  years  and  who,  up  to  now, 
have  given  out  no  public  statement  in  regard  to 
their  work.  The  achievements,  however,  of  the 
English  Players  are  of  such  importance  in  rela- 
tion to  the  history  of  the  American  drama  that 
they  are  worthy  of  serious  consideration. 

The  English  Department  Players  were  organ- 
ized about  four  years  ago  by  a  group  of  Purdue 
students  who  were  interested  in  studying  and 
acting  plays.  They  worked,  at  first,  under  par- 
ticularly trying  circumstances  as  their  auditorium 
was  large  and  their  stage  very  small,  without  a 
rear  exit  and  overshadowed  by  a  pipe  organ. 
These  mechanical  disadvantages  they  overcame 
by  covering  the  instrument  with  a  large  curtain 
and  by  forming  scenery  from  building  board. 
Their  stage  properties  consisted  of  several  chairs 
and  a  table,  borrowed  from  the  fraternity  houses, 
rugs  and  cut  flowers,  donated  by  the  Horticul- 
ture Department.  This  was  all;  what  was  miss- 
ing was  left  to  the  imagination.  Costumes  were 
designed  by  the  Household  Economics  Depart- 
ment and  a  few  simple  electrical  effects  were  de- 
signed by  students  in  the  School  of  Electrical 
Engineering. 


FROM  the  first,  one-act  plays  made  up  the 
programs,  and  this  policy,  with  but  two  ex- 
ceptions, has  never  been  changed.  The  list  of  plays 
given  up  to  the  present,  includes  several  per- 
formances of  Dunsany,  four  years  ago,  when  he 
was  scarcely  known;  and  a  performance  of 
"Thompson,"  by  St.  John  Hankin,  who,  even 
now,  is  known  almost  exclusively  to  the  reading 
public.  The  plays  given  the  first  year  were  "The 
Fifth  Commandment,"  by  Stanley  Houghton ;  "A 
Marriage  Has  Been  Arranged,"  by  Alford  Su- 
tro;  "A  Gentle  Jury,"  by  Arlo  Bates;  "The 
Workhouse  Ward,"  by  Lady  Gregory;  "By  Our- 
selves," by  Fulda;  "On  His  Devoted  Head,"  a 
play  written  for  Coquelin ;  and  "The  Lost  Silk 
Hat,"  by  Lord  Dunsany. 

The  second  year  the  plays  presented  were 
"A  Doctor  in  Spite  of 
Himself,"  by  Moliere ; 
"The  Ghost  of  Jerry 
Bungler,"  by  W.  W.  Ja- 
cobs; r'The  Dear  De- 
parted," by  Stanley 
Houghton;  "In  Hospital," 
by  Thomas  H.  Dickinson, 
and  "Thompson,"  by  St. 
John  Hankin. 

The  third  year  the  plays 
included  "The  Twelve 
Pound  Book,"  by  Barrie 
and  "Marse  Covington." 
by  George  Ade.  In  addi- 
tion, two  pageants  were 
also  presented ;  a  Shake- 
speare pageant,  in  honor 
of  the  centenary,  with 
scenes  from  ten  plays, 
and  an  Indiana  pageant, 
showing  dramatic  inci- 
dents in  the  history  of 
Indiana.  For  this  vear 


the   Players  have  in  preparation  Moliere's  "The 
Miser." 

In  addition  to  furnishing  a  direct  acquaintance 
with  the  foregoing  list  of  plays  and  authors,  the 
Players  have  influenced  the  community  in  a 
worthy  way.  The  student  body  has  been  aroused 
to  the  cultural  and  inspirational  value  of  the 
theatre  and  have  been  directed  to  the  voluntary 


become  so  well  established,  as  an  organization, 
that  they  have  been  able  to  bring  theatrical  or- 
ganizations and  speakers  to  the  University.  At 
one  time  they  brought  Indianapolis  Little 
Theatre  Players  to  the  University  for  a  per- 
formance of  "Suppressed  Desires,"  '  The  Maker 
of  Dreams,"  and  "The  Lost  Silk  Hat."  At  an- 
other time  they  brought  the  Maxincuckee  Mum- 
mers, with  Miss  Marjorie  Vonnegut,  now  of  the 
Washington  Square  Players  for  an  evening  of 
one-act  plays.  At  the  invitation  of  the  Players, 
Prof.  Thomas  H.  Dickinson  gave  a  university 
lecture  entitled  "The  Modern  Idea  of  Tragedy." 
A  unique  feature  in  the  development  ol 
the  organization  has  been  the  manner  in 
which  the  various  departments  of  the  University 
are  gradually  contributing  toward  its  growth. 
The  students  in  Electrical  Engineering  provide 
the  electrical  effects.  The  students  in  Mechanical 
Engineering  built  the  curtain.  The  Department 
of  Household  Economics  makes  and  designs  the 
costumes.  The  School  of  Education  has  inform- 
ally incorporated  play-coaching  in  its  course 
while  the  Purdue  Summer  School,  composed 
largely  of  superintendents,  principals  and  teach- 
ers, carries  the  message  of  good  plays  to  the 
rural  community.  The  students  in  Journalism 
provide  the  publicity  and  the  students  of  the 
School  of  Pharmacy  provide  chemicals  and  cos- 
metics. Two  students,  Mark  Liddel,  Jr.,  now  at 
the  front,  and  R.  J.  Krieger,  have  designed 
scenery  and  posters. 


Scene  from  Moliere's  "A  Doctor  in  Spite  of  Himself" 
Esther    Evans,    Charles    Downs,    La    Cegale    Bone 

study  of  good  plays.  The  local  public  has  been 
made  so  eager  for  good  plays  that  the  Players 
have  been  invited  to  appear  off  the  campus. 
They  tour  from  one  high  school  to  another  giv- 
ing performances  of  Moliere  and  Dunsany  to 
audience's  made  up  of  representative  public 
gatherings.  Clubs,  well  content  to  use  their 
imaginations  have  invited  them  to  give  per- 
formances without  scenery.  The  Players  have 


rehearsal  of  Moliere's  "The  Miser 


The  English  Department  Players  in  a 

Ruth   Whitford,    Cordy   Hall,   J.    C.   Young,   Homer  Reprogle,    Norbert   Wagner, 
Virginia    Stemm,    Frank    Ferguson 


WHILE  devoting  themselves  to  repertory, 
the  Players  have  been  able  to  develop  sev- 
eral promising  amateur  actors  and  playwrights. 
Charles  Downs,  now  "somewhere  in  France,"  has 
done  excellent  work  in  character  roles.  Frank 
Ferguson,  though  a  young  man  in  his  teens,  has 
been  able  to  give  a  noteworthy  interpretation  of 
"Harpagon,"  while  Mary  Agnew  has  shown  orig- 
inal ability  as  a  comedienne.  Henry  T.  DeHart 
has  written  several  one-act  plays  and  the  annual 
college  musical  production  for  last  year. 

The  success  of  the  English  Department  Play- 
ers may  be  never  competing  with  the  professional 
stage.  Their  performances  are  attributed  to  the 
fact  that  they  have  been  content  to  present  plays 
informally.  Their  per- 
formances are  always 
called  "Readings  in  Cos- 
tume" so  that  the  general 
public  may  understand 
that  their  purpose  is  artis- 
tic and  not  professional 
or  financial.  Sometimes 
the  plays  are  given  free 
of  charge;  sometimes  for 
a  small  fee  that  will  help 
pay  expenses.  The  Play- 
ers prohibit  favoritism. 
The  student  assigned  a 
role  must  be  fitted  for  it 
and  capable  of  the  proper 
interpretation.  If  he  needs 
criticism  or  correction,  he 
gets  it.  This  arrange- 
ment is  regarded  as  high- 
ly significant,  for  it  can 
be  duplicated  scarcely 
anywhere  else  in  the 
stage  world. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  LOUISVILLE   PLAYERS 


THE   University   of   Louisville    (Kentucky; 
Players,    who    recently    sprang    into    na- 
tional recognition  by  contributing  twelve 
hundred  dollars  to  the  Permanent  Blind  Relief 
War  Fund,  the  profit  on  their  two  performances 
of  Sir  James  Matthew  Barrie's  "The  Admirable 
Crichton,"    are    an    interesting    and    progressive 
group  of  amateur  producers,  players  and  scenic 
artists. 

The  Players  were  founded  first  as  a  dramatic- 
club  of  the  University  in  1911  and  composed 
forty  members.  During  the  theatrical  season  ol 
1914-'15,  Boyd  Martin,  dramatic  editor  of  the 
Courier- Journal  was  secured  as  director  and  the 
club,  under  his  guidance,  has  become  an  efficient 
and  well  supported  organization  of  eighty-six 
active  members,  composing  a  regular  credited 
class  in  Dramatics  in  the  college.  The  Players 
make  one  public  appearance  each  year,  at  a  local 
theatre,  and  at  least  three  minor,  but  equally 
complete,  productions  in  their  work  shop,  an 


auditorium  seating  about  two  hundred  and  fifty, 
to  which  the  public  is  invited.  Each  week  when 
the  class  meets  with  Mr.  Martin  for  an  hour, 
a  one-act  play  is  presented  in  the  work  shop  and 
the  play  is  directed,  acted  and  staged  by 
students  appointed  by  the  director.  Rehearsals 
for  public  performances  are  htld  during  the  eve- 
ning and  so  well  is  the  class  organized  and 
trained  that  twenty  rehearsals  of  two  and  a 
half  hours  each  are  a.11  that  have  been  found 
necessary  for  the  production  of  any  of  their 
plays  of  an  evening's  length. 

The  first  public  appearance  of  the  Players  un- 
der Mr.  Martin's  direction  was  on  April  29, 
1915,  in  George  Bernard  Shaw's  "You  Never  Can 
Tell."  The  following  year  Madeleine  Lucette 
Ryley's  romantic  comedy  "Mice  and  Men"  was 
revived  and  in  1917  Sardou's  "A  Scrap  of  Paper" 
was  put  on.  This  year  "The  Admirable  Crichton" 
was  the  major  play  and  it  exceHed  in  every  way 
any  previous  performance  given  in  Louisville  by 
amateurs  and  rivaled  in  completeness  many  pro- 


fessional productions  seen  in  "The  Gateway  to 
the  South." 

The  Players  have  also  presented  two  original 
plays  in  their  work  shop,  Mr.  Martin's  "The 
Cradle-Snatcher"  and  "Phidias,"  a  Greek  trag- 
edy written  by  Rolla  L.  Wayne,  president  of  the 
players,  who  also  built  the  scenery  for  the  pro- 
duction, designed  the  costumes  and  acted  the 
title  role.  Other  plays  in  the  repertoire  of  the 
Players  are  "Who's  Who,"  "Sunset,"  "Miss  Civi- 
lization," "Engaged,"  "The  Bishop's  Candle 
Sticks"  and  "The  Fatal  Message."  George  Henry 
Boker's  "Francesca  da  Rimini"  is  now  in  prep- 
aration and  a  one-act  melodrama  by  Mr.  Mar- 
tin called  "The  Thirty-Four." 

The  University  of  Louisville  Players  are 
"keeping  the  home  fires  burn'ng"  in  dramatics, 
producing  for  the  students  of  the  college  and 
the  public  and  reflecting  great  credit  upon  their 
college,  their  chief  patron  Dr.  John  L.  Patterson, 
Dean  of  the  College  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  them- 
selves and  their  director. 


Boyd  Martin,  Dramatic  Editor  of 

the  Courier- Journal  and  Dramatic 

Director    of    the    University    of 

Louisville  Players 


Virginia  Moremen,  whose  Lady 
Mary  in  "The  Admirable  Crich- 
ton" was  her  first  part  with  the 
University  of  Louisville  Players 


Horace  Seay,  who  won  distinc- 
tion as  Cheviot  Hill  in  "En- 
gaged" and  Lord  Brocklehurst 
in  "The  Admirable  Crichton" 


Scene  from  the  University  of  Louisville's  production  of  W.  S.  Gilbert's  old  comedy 
"Engaged.;"  Staged  and  played  in  the  University  of  Louisville  Work  Shop. 
From  left  to  right:  Martha  Dietz,  W.  E.  Applehous  and  Emma  Clark 


Theatre  Magasine,  Seftember, 


'THE  BOHEMIAN  GIRL"   AS  PRESENTED  BY  THE 
SULLIVAN  DRAMATIC  CLUB  AND  SULLIVAN 

HIGH  SCHOOL  CHORUS  OF  INDIANA 


Queen  of  the  Gipsies 
(Margaret  Queen) 


Devilshoof,  Chief  of  the  Gipsies 
(Claude  Merril) 


Thaddeus 
(Darrel    Brown) 


Arline,  "The  Bohemian  Girl" 

(Mary  Frances  Maxwell) 


THE  Bohemian  Girl"  came  and  saw 
and  conquered.  That  is  to  say, 
twelve  hundred  persons  witnessed 
the  presentation  of  Balfe's  tuneful  opera 
at  the  high  school  gymnasium  by  the 
Sullivan  High  School  Chorus  and  Or- 
chestra, and  enjoyed  every  minute  of 
it.  It  was  a  splendid  success,  and 
Prof.  H.  W.  D.  Tooley,  supervisor  of 
music,  who  directed  the  play,  cer- 
tainly proved  himself  not  only  a 
guiius  in  handling  the  two  hundred 
young  actors  but  he  displayed  an  array 
of  professional  talent  which  is  excep- 
tionally rare  in  high  school  circles.  The 
audience  was  delighted. 

The  students  and  their  director  had 
been  working  unceasingly  for  days  on 
the  presentation  of  "The  Bohemian  Girl," 

and  the  parts  were  well  prepared.    The  stage  settings  were  beautiful  and 
the  lighting  effect  added  much  to  the  high-grade  production. 

The  leading  characters  were  taken  by  young  people  possessing  talent 
which  promises  great  things  for  them,  and  the  singing  was  remarkable. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that 
nearly  two  hundred  per- 
sons were  necessary  to 
stage  the  play,  they  were 
handled  in  a  masterful 
manner  and  there  was 
hardly  a  hitch  in  the 
entire  performance.  The 
chorus  singing  was 
spirited,  and  the  solo 
work  was  near  the  pro- 
fessional standard.  The 
costumes  were  especially 
imported  for  the  occa- 
sion, and  the  young 
folks  looked  most  at- 
tractive in  them. 

One  of  the  pleasing  fea- 
tures of  the  entertain- 
ment was  a  dance  by  the 
Noblemen  and  Ladies  in 

i       :,,  •  " 

•••••••••^••i      the    Rye    Waltz,    which 

Count   Arnheim 
(Jesse    A.    Dix) 


The  Ballet  between  Acts  II  and  III 


brought  back  pleasant  memories  to  many 
of  the  older  ones  in  the  audience  of  the 
days  when  they  were  young  and  gay.  The 
fair  scene  was  a  mirth  producer.  It  looked 
just  like  a  real  one  with  Skinny  the 
Clown,  Samson  the  strong  man,  and  all 
the  rest  of  the  cottrie  arrayed  on  dry- 
goods  boxes  and  other  improvised  ped- 
estails. 

"The  Moonlight  Scene"  in  act  two  was 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  portions  of  the 
play  and  the  chorus  singing  of  "Silence 
the  Lady  Moon"  was  splendid  in  its 
effect. 

The  high  school  orchestra  did  much  to 
make  the  evening's  presentation  a  suc- 
cess. The  score  was  difficult  but  the 
young  musicians  were  equal  to  the  task, 
mastered  it  without  difficulty  and  rendered 

the  music  in  a  manner  beyond  criticism. 
The    Ballet    showing    devastated    Belgium    should    not    be  forgotten. 

Miss  Keitha  Ward,  as  Miss  Columbia,  came  to  minister  to  the  stricken 

children    of    Belgium.      Miss    Ward's   dancing   was   the    feature   of   this 

scene. 

The  pantomime  showed 

the  suffering  of  the  chil- 
dren of  this  unfortunate 

country.        They      were 

praying     for     help     and 

finally      fell,      exhausted 

from    hunger    and    cold, 

to     the     ground.       Then 

enters  Miss  Columbia  in 

a  very  happy  mood,  but 

this    quickly   changes   to 

one    of    pity    when    sh; 

discovers     the    children. 

She  decides  to  help  them 

and  dances  among  them, 

dropping    flowers    repre- 
senting the  money  of  the 

U.  S.  The  children  were 

revived  by  this  help  and 

they    alf    knelt    to    a;ive 

thanks  to  that  Giver  of 

all  good  things. 

Flore  stein,  nephew  of  the  Count 
(Ira  Long) 


(Right) 

The  fairness  and  wide  blue-eyedncss  of 
Miss  Winwood's  type  are  exquisitely  and 
strikingly  set  off  in  the  frame  of  this  hat 
of  blue  batiste,  the  shade  of  Ragged 
Robins  embroidered  in  white,  with  a  so  t 
southing  of  white  mousseline  around  the 
crown  and  a  flange  of  the  same  haloing 
the  brim.  With  the  hat  was  worn  one  of 
the  simfle  round-necked  blouses  so  justly 
popular  now,  in  white  Georgette  and  a 
string  of  beads  in  the  Ragged  Robin  blue 
tone  nf  the  batiste 


(Below) 

The  end  of  the  summer  lias  made  smart 
wrafs  of  grey  chiffon  and  net  triminel 
with  grey  squirrel.  Miss  Winwood's  wrap 
is  of  grey  silk  net  lined  with  grey  chiffon 
and  is  worn  o'cer  an  evening  frock  glitter- 
ing with  irridescent  paillettes  in  mother- 
of-pearl  lights.  Flesh  pink  satin  slippers 
and  stockings  finish  off  the  lonely  ensemble 


TYPE 


MISS  ESTELLE  WINWOOD 
AN  ENGLISH  BEAUTY 

By  ANNE  ARCHBALD 


UNQUESTIONABLY  English,  Miss  Winwood !  I  don't 
think  you  could  mistake  her  for  anything  else.  A 
splendid  example  of  English  beauty  of  the  blonde  type, 
with  her  large  blue  eyes,  vivid  yellow  hair,  Cupid's  bow  mouth, 
and  those  regular  classic  features  that  are  peculiarly  the 
property  of  the  English  race.  You  know?  Not  only  a  fineness 
and  delicacy  in  the  modeling  of  the  bone  structure,  especially 
around  the  chin  line,  but  a  certain  distinct  harmony  in  the  re- 
lation of  the  features.  Miss  Winwood  is  medium  in  height  and 
of  a  slenderness !  All  of  which  you  may  see  for  yourselves 
when  her  new  play— Arnold  Bennett's  ''Helen  With  the  High 
Hand" — opens,  which  it  is  to  do  shortly.  We  take  great  pleas- 
ure in  showing  you  here  some  of  the  ways  in  which  Miss  Win- 
wood  garbs  her  individuality. 


Theatre  Magazine,  September,  1918 


(Below) 

For  a  house  gown  Miss  Win- 
wood  has  chosen  this  pina- 
fore model,  kimono-sleeved 
and  falling  in  resolutely 
straight  lines  from  shoulder 
to  hem.  It  is  of  a  rich 
black  fibre  silk  embroidered 
all  over,  back  as  well  as 
front,  with  a  lovely  design 
in  peacock  blue.  The  little 
border  that  you  see  running 
around  the  neck  and  down 
the  sleeves  is  worked  in  a 
fine,  dull  gold  thread 


(Below) 

V/ 1.«  Winwood  has  found 
that  u'hitc  is  one  of  the  most 
becoming  shades  she  can 
wear  and  her  next  prefer- 
ence is  for  blue  in  all  its 
shades  with  Hark  blues  for 
the  street.  Here  her  fu*c» 
favorites  combined  hare  been 
made  up  for  her  into  » 
sports  suit.  The  material  is 
tlut  new  knitted,  worsted 
fabric,  that  is  to  be  popular 
Paris  says,  in  a  soft  old  blue 
with  collar,  cuffs  and  wide 
band  on  the  hem  in  white 
Angora.  Those  ball-finished 
ends  to  the  tying  belt  are  a 
new  note  for  the  Fall 


(Above) 

A  favorite  peignoir  of  Miss 
Winivood's  in  cream-silk  tulle 
with  loose  three-quarter 
length  jacket,  embroidered  on 
the  hem  with  old  blue,  lines 
of  little  steel  beads,  and  flow 
ers  of  dark  crimson.  It  is 
worn  over  a  slip  of  palest 
blue  chiffon  which  has  a  most 
pleasing  touch,  in  that  the 
wide  casing  that  runs  around 
the  body  at  armpit  height 
is  threaded  with  pink  satin 
ribbon  which  emerges  at 
both  centre  front  and  cen- 
tre back  in  a  pink  satin  bow 
and  long  streamers 


Photos  by  Ira  L.  HUl 


THE  FURS  I  SAW  IN  THE 


By  ANGELINA 


//  you  want  something  quite  new 
and  original,  choose  this  cape-wrap 
of  mole,  taupe-brocaded-lined  from 
Revillon,  with  its  single  armhole 
for  your  left  hand  to  come  through. 
The  idea  seems  to  be  that  with  the 
left  hand  you  anchor  the  cape  to 
your  person  and  with  the  right  you 
accomplish  graceful  and  Toreador 
effects  amongst  the  folds 

AND  that  is  practically  the  same  as  saying 
"the  furs  that  are  going  to  be  worn  by 
smart    American    women    this    Fall    and 
the   coming  Winter,"   isn't   it? 

It  was  great  fun  "doing"  furs,  I  found.  And 
luckily  the  days  on  which  I  had  my  appoint- 
ments with  the  Fur  Houses  happened  to  be  the 
hottest  days  we  had  during  August,  so  that.... 
Don't  interrupt !  I  know  what  you  wish  to  ex- 
claim. "Why  lucky,  the  combination  of  heat 
and  fur.;?" 


Because  the  homes  of  the  furs  turned  out  to 
be  the  coolest  places  in  town.  Naturally,  poor 
dears,  like  the  Polar  Bear  at  the  Zoo,  they  must 
be  provided  with  an  artificially  cold  climate.  So, 
in  large,  airy,  shaded  rooms  we  reviewed  and 
savored  the  new  models  at  our  leisure  and  in 
the  greatest  comfort.  Besides,  the  psychological 
effect  of  merely  considering  furs  and  cold 
weather  has  a  lowering  effect  on  one's  temper- 
ature, don't  you  think? 


But  let's  get  down  to  business.  Has  every- 
body got  a  comfortable  chair?  Yes?  Well, 
then 


Imagine  yourselves,  first  of  all,  in  one  of  the 
charming  and  spacious  English-atmospherecl 
salons  of  Balch,  Price  in  Brooklyn,  with  a  young 
and  good-looking  member  of  the  firm  to  do  the 
honors,  an  Englishman  as  chief  showman  and 
instructor,  and  a  pretty  mannequin,  Ires  aimable, 
on  which  to  display  the  furs. 


We  are  shown  to  begin  with  a  series  of  long 
cape-wraps  which  we  are  told  are  to  take  the 
place,  even  in  the  daytime,  of  the  more  fitted 
coats  of  last  season.  They  all  have  deep  cape- 
yokes  coming  well  down  over  the  shoulders,  big 
collars,  and  slits  or  semi-sleeves  for  the  arms 
to  come  through.  There  is  one  in  mole  with  an 
amusing  collar  that  wraps  round  the  neck  and 
falls  in  taupe-tasselled  points  at  the  back  (see 
the  sketch  at  the  end).  There  is  a  beauty  all  of 
Hudson  Seal,  the  black  of  its  pelt  peculiarly 
dieep  and  rich  and  velvety,  since  "the  American 
dyes  are  getting  better  every  day."  There  is  a 
squirrel  (I  should  say  Balch  Price  specialized  in 
squirrel,  so  soft  in  color  and  so  plumage-like 
are  their  squirrel  skins)  day  and  evening  wrap 
lined  engagingly  with  a  tan  and  blue  Batik  silk. 


This  Russian  Sable  wrap  from 
Balch,  Price  combines  a  stole  and  a 
cape,  the  belt  of  the  garment  run- 
ning around  in  the  back  underneath 
the  cape  which  is  fringed  with 
sable  tails.  Lift  up  an  end  of  the 
itole  and  see  the  beautifully  finished 
details  of  the  green  and  brown 
lining .  the  little  pocket,  the  silk 
flower  at  the  corner 


Gunther  tells  us  that  Hudson  Seal 
is  to  continue  holding  its  own  in 
popularity  especially  for  long  coats, 
but  it  must  be  made  up  on  the  new 
semi-fitting  lines  like  this  cape- 
wrap,  with  its  deep  yoke  and  half- 
sleeres.  Here  Kolinsky  forms  the 
wrap's  big  collar  and  cuffs,  but,  of 
course,  one  may  have  Skunk  or 
Chinchilla,  or  any  combination  one 
likes 


But  thin  all  of  the  Balch  Price  linings  are  most 
unusual, — that's  another  of  their  specialties. 


After  the  coat-wraps  we  are  shown  the 
coatees,  which  are  to  continue  their  popularity 
for  the  winter;  the  stoles,  some  of  tlum  com- 
bined with  a  cape-back  (such  as  you  may  see  in 
the  sketch  of  the  Russian  sable  garment  shown 
here)  to  make  a  fur  piece  new  and  original ; 
and  the  fox  skins,  which  are  being  brought  back 
in  much  larger  shape  and  spread  flat  over  the 
shoulders.  Lastly,  as  a  great  treat,  the  wonder- 
ful Russian  sable  coat  that  had  bien  "in  work" 
for  Mrs.  W.  E.  Corey,  in  years  past  the  musical 
comedy  prima  donna,  Mabelle  Gilman,  since 
early  spring  and  was.  now  all  complete  save  for 
the  choice  of  a  lining. 

*        *        * 

Now  bring  your  chair  with  you  over  to  Gun- 
ther's  big  shop  on  Fifth  Avenue.  We  are  equally 
at  ease  in  its  dim  interior.  Not  too  dim,  how- 
ever, to  see  the  rich  quality  of  the  furs  used  in 
the  very  latest  thing  in  coat-wraps.  Note  the 
deep  cape-yokes  again,  the  large  muffling  collars 


1  neatre  Magazine,  September,  /p/o 


NEW  PATTERNS— EXCLUSIVE 

DESIGNS  IN  AUTUMN 

FURNITURE 

^iVitb.  tke  ever-increasing  demand  for  furniture 
of  eighteenth  century  design  has  come  a  fresh 
appreciation  of  the  -work  executed  in  Mahogany  hy 
Sheraton  and  the  Brothers  Adam. 

Included  among  the  many  exclusive  patterns  in 
\Valnut  and  Lacquered  suites  which  we  have  now 
on  vijw  are  exquisite  pieces  hand-painted  in  repro- 
duction of  designs  hy  these  old  masters. 

ORIENTAL  AND  DOMESTIC  RUGS 
AND  DRAPERIES 

FLINT  &  HORNER  CO.,  INC. 

20-26  WEST  36th  STREET 
NEW  YORK 


Women  doing  work  that  calls  for  unusual 
physical  exertion  enjoy  garter  comfort  and 
security  by  wearing  Velvet  Grip  Hose  Sup- 
porters. They  stand  strain,  give  long  wear  and 
render  patriotic  service  by 

Reducing    Hosiery    Bills 

They  prevent  tearing  and  drop  stitches  and  thus  save 
Stockings.  To  make  sure  of  getting  Velvet  Grip,  look 
for  the  clasp  having  the  button  that  is 

OBLONG  and  ALL  RUBBER 

Styles    for    women,    misses    and    children    sold    everywhere. 
GEORGE      FROST      CO..      Ma  ken.      BOSTON 


Mink  Martial  Cafe  with  yoke,  wide 
collar  and  cuffs  and  bands  at  bottom. 
Ample,  clinging,  luxurious  garment 
for  evening  or  street  icear. 


ADVISING  EARLY 
PURCHASES  OF  FURS 

Exclusive  and  superior  Fur  Styles  for  the  coming 
season  are  now  being  shown  by  us. 

We  suggest  that  you  anticipate  your  Fall  and 
Winter  Fur  requirements — in  view  of  higher 
labor  charges  and  other  probable  advances  in  the 
cost  of  wearing  apparel. 

SE\I)  FOR  BOOKLET  OF  THE  SEASON'S  FUR  STYLES 


Turners 

384  Fifth  Avenue 

Between  35th  and  36th  Sts. 

NEW  YORK 


\ 


[169] 


LOUIS  XVI  ART  MODEL 


HE  basis  of 
the  Sonora 
period  designs 
is  not  a  cabinet 
but  a  phonograph.  The 
wonderfully  beautiful 
Sonora  with  its  sweet, 
pure,  expressive  tone  is 
here  seen  in  a  charming 
LouisXVI  setting, which 
brings  back  memories  of 
days  when  the  pastoral 
was  the  mode. 

See  these  superb  instruments 
in  such  styles  as 


Gothic 
Chippendale 
Chinese  Chippendale 
Louis  XV 
Louis  XVI 


Jacobean 
William  &  Mary 
Adam 
Colonial 
Duncan  Phyfe 


Other  models  made  to  special  order  on  request. 


g>nttnra 


(Enmpanp 


GEORGE  E.   BRIGHTSON.   President 

Fifth  Avenue  at  53rd  Street,  New  York 

The  Hightst  Clou  Ta'king  Machine  In  the  World 


I 


THE  FURS  I  SAW  IN  THE  BIG  FUR  HOUSES 


(.Continued  from  page  168.) 


on  top  of  them,  and  either  the  arm 
slits  or  half  sleeves,  as  in  the  upper 
right  hand  sketch. 

See  the  long  coat  of  Persian 
moire  with  chinchilla  collar  and 
cuffs,  the  moire  supple  and  fine  as 
a  piece  of  vdvtt  or  silk.  I  should 
like  so  much  to  have  one  of  those 
suits  of  Persian  moire,  short  skirt 
of  the  fur  and  little  jacket,  if  Father 
could  be  induced  to  "come  across." 
Persian  moire,  broadtail,  Persian 
lamb,  are  all  to  be  very  popular  this 
year,  the  courteous  gentleman  tells 
us.  So  is  Hudson  Seal,  he  adds. 
"It  will  continue  to  hold  its  own  in 
popularity  and  we  are  making  up 
many  seven-eights  coats  of  it." 

Isn't  that  a  stunning  Hudson 
Seal  model  the  mannequin  is 
just  showing,  with  its  Kolin- 
sky collar  and  cuffs?  So 
smart !  So  adorably  becoming ! 
And  one  could  wear  it  any- 
where, anytime.  Let's  take  a 
sketch  of  it. 

*  *        * 

Take  a  quick  leap  from 
lower  to  upper  Fifth  Avenue. 
Set  the  imaginary  stage  at 
Revillon  next.  What  an  orig- 
inal wrap  that  long  one  of 
mole  (you  see  again  that  the 
definitely  sleeved  coat  is  not 
to  be  grand  chic)  with  egress 
for  only  the  left  arm.  The 
right  clutches  the  wrap  from 
inside  and  draws  it  into  grace- 
ful folds.  Slim  Desiree  Lu- 
bovska,  the  Russian,  who 
dances  in  the  new  Revue, 
"Everything,"  should  have 
such  a  coat.  She  loves  those 
different-sided  effects  in  her 
costumes.  I  am  sure  she 
would  wear  with  it  one  white 
pearl  and  one  black  pearl  ear- 
ring, and  whoever  buys  the  coat 
should  adopt  such  a  harmony. 

*  *         * 

Revillon    will    feature,    they 
said,    soft    sable    stoles,    made 
of  four  or  five  skins  fastened 
to     each     other     end     to   end     and 
each  joining  finished  with  tails  and 
claws.      We    saw     such    a    one    in 
Hudson    Bay    sable.     Another    com- 


posed of  two  skins,  the  joining 
brought  about  by  having  the  skin  of 
the  one  sable  held  clasped  at  right 
angles  in  the  small  jaws  of  the  other. 

*        *        * 

At  Shayne's,  on  Forty-scond 
Street — yes,  we're  over  there  now — 
we  find  the  most  wonderful  assort- 
ment of  muffs,  large  as  those  of  the 
Eighteenth  Century,  small  as  those 
of  the  1880  period,  oblong  or  pillow 
or  the  new  canteen  shape,  any  shape 
and  any  fur  or  combinations  thereof 
you  may  have  wished  for,  and  sev- 
eral that  you  have  never  thought  of. 

And  we  hear  fisher,  though  scarce, 
is  to  be  exceedingly  popular — if  you 
can  reconcile  such  statements. 


Ermine,  like  that  other  aristocrat 
Sable,  like  old  furniture  and  real 
lace,  never  comes  in  or  goes  out, 
it  just  stays.  Though  it  does 
change  its  shape  with  every  sea- 
son. C.  C.  Shayne  shows  for  the 
coming  one  this  graceful  stole  and 
muff, — muffs  by  the  way  in  every 
shape  and  she  and  pelt  to  suit  the 
heart's  desire  being  one  of  their 
specialties 


Next  month  I  shall  take  you  to 
A.  Jaeckel  and  Co.,  who  have 
promised  to  show  me  some  lovely 
furs  "specially"  for  my  readers. 


[170] 


Theatre  Magazine,  September, 


"Vanityjair 


is    something 
"once  in  a  life-time"! 


that 


THE     Pettibocker 
happens 

It  combines  so  much  comfort  and  so 
much  frilly  daintiness  that  you  wonder  how 
you  got  along  without  it. 

No  more  up-riding  jersey  silk  petticoats 

•  —  though  fall  and  winter  breezes  blow,  the 

Pettibocker  is   kept  firmly  in  place  by 

THE  SCHUYLKILL  SILK 

Matin  «/  Vanity  F-ir 


an  elastic  placed  just  below  the  knee. 

In  street  and  evening  colors — all  fashioned 
of  heavy  Vanity  Fair  glove  silk.  If  your 
favorite  shop  does  not  have  just  what  you 
wish,  write  us. 

Ask  for  Vanity   Fair  in   Unions,   Vests, 
Envelopes,  and  Knickers  as  well. 
MILLS,   Reading,  Pa.,  U.  S.  A. 


Undtrtilti  end  Silk  Glmi 


Town  Topics 


Contains  much  that  should  appeal  to 
the  readers  of  THE  THEATRE. 

Its  Dramatic  criticisms  are  authori- 
tative. 

Its  Musical  Critic  is  one  of  the  most 
competent  and  accomplished  in  this 
Metropolis. 

Its  Banter  is  bright,  very  INTIME 
and  full  of  personal  interest  to  the 
Profession. 

Its  Social  News  and  Gossip  should  be 
read  by  every  Actor  and  Actress  and 
everyone  else  who  cares  to  know  what 
Society  is  doing. 

Its  Short  Story  every  week  is  famed 
for  cleverness  and  a  unique  character 
found  in  no  other  publication,  and  is 
alone  worth  the  price  of  the  paper. 

Subscribe  for  it,  and  the  address  will 
be  changed  as  often  as  you  desire. 

$6.00  per  year. 

Sold  on  every  reputable  newstand,  1  5c. 


American  Lady  Waists 

Are   Planned   for 

Thrifty  Days — 

Their  painstaking  workman- 
ship, charming  style  and 
exclusive  designs  are  offered 
at  prices  that  truly  define 
economy. 

You'll  find  American  Lady 
Waists  at  Shops  that  make  a 
close  study  of  the  importance 
of  value. 

Write  us  if  you  cannot  be 
supplied. 

THE  AMERICAN  LADY  WAIST  CCX 

2  WEST  S3---ST.(WAlDO«f  BIBO  A1SO  51-4  BROADWAY  N EW  YDR< 


m] 


Unfreckled 

Flawless 

Complexions 


DO  you  envy  those  women  whose 
complexions    do    not    stain    or 
freckle    in   the    summer    sun? 
It  seems  to  have  no  effect  on  their 
skin  texture. 

They    no    longer    worry,    no    longer 
need  dodge  the  sun. 
They    enjoy   every    sort   of   outdoor 
sport    without    fear   of   tanning   and 
freckling. 

They  found  a  wonderful  preventive 
of  sun  stains  and  freckles. 

They  visited  Mme.  Rubinstein,  the  world 
famed  Beauty  Culturist,  as  have  many 
thousands  of  women  abroad.  She  treated 
their  complexions,  advised  them  as  to  its 
care  during  the  summer  and  gave  them 
some  of  her  wonderful  Beauty  preparations. 
Xo  longer  envy  these  women — visit  Mme. 
Rubinstein  yourself.  A  few  of  her  many 
marvellous  Valaze  specialties  especially 
adapted  for  summer's  use  are  listed  be- 
low, including  a  famous  cream  to  be  used 
in  case  you  have  already  carelessly  al- 
lowed your  skin  to  freckle  or  burn. 

VALAZE     BEAUTIFYING     SKINFOOD 

expels  all  impurities  of  the  skin,  clears  the 
pores,  imparts  beauty  and  softness;  wards 
off  wrinkles  and  crow's-feet.  Valaze  re- 
pairs the  daily  beauty  wastage,  removing 
freckles  and  tan  and  dispels  the  tanning 
and  staining  effects  of  sunburn.  \  alaze 
restores  and  preserves  the  natural  beauty 
of  th«  skin.  Price  $1.25,  $2.25  and  $6.50. 
VALAZE  SKIN-TONING  LOTION— Used 
with  Valaze  Skinfood  will  insure  quicker 
and  better  results.  A  splendid  anti- 
wrinkle  lotion.  Price  $1.25,  $2.50. 

FOR  A  DRY  SKIN  the  "Special"  is  used. 
$2.20,  $4.40.  • 

VALAZE  UQUID1NE— Quite  mystifying 
in  its  action  of  overcoming  outness  and 
"shine"  of  the  skin,  and  undue  flushing  of 
nose  and  face.  Also  reduces  enlarged 
pores  and  blackheads.  Price  $1.75,  $3.00 
and  $6.00. 

VALAZE     BLACKHEAD     AND     OPEN 
PORE     PASTE  —  Refines    coarse    skin    tex- 
ture,   removes    blackheads    and    reduces    en 
larged    pores.      Is    used    in    place    of    soap. 
Price  $1.10,   $2.10  and   $5.50. 
VALAZE     BEAUTY     FOUNDATION 
CREME     for  a  greasy   skin.      Conceals   tan, 
freckles  and  other  skin  blemishes.     Whitens 
and    bleaches.      Price    $1,    $2,    $3    and    up- 
wards. 

NOVENA  SUNPROOF  CREME— A  unique 
preparation,  the  secret  of  which  is  known 
only  to  Madame  Rubinstein.  It  prevents 
freckles  and  tanning  by  paralyzing  the 
action  of  the  sun's  rays  upon  the  skin.  A 
little  rubbed  on  the  skin  before  going  out 
enables  you  to  enjoy  every  outdoor  form 
of  amusement,  sea-bathing — and  with  no 
fear  of  ill  effect  to  the  complexion.  It 
is  guaranteed  to  be  harmless,  and  may  be 
used  for  children.  It  also  forms  a  ser- 
viceable foundation  for  powder.  $3.00, 
$5.00  a  pot.  Sample  size  $1.00. 

VALAZE  OUTDOOR    BALM   ROSE  pro 

tects  a  dry  skin  from  freckles,  sunburn  ami 
tanning.  Unequalled  as  an  anti-wrinkk- 
preparation  and  exquisite  foundation  for 
powder.  Price  $1.65,  $3.30  and  upwards. 

VALAZE  SNOW  LOTION,  a  liquid  pow- 
der and  an  indispensable  beauty  lotion  for 
Summer.  It  soothes,  refreshes  and  cools. 
Adheres  firmly  and  invests  face  with  ex- 
quisite softness  of  color.  Price  $1.25, 
$2.25  and  $5. 

CRUSHED  ROSE  LEAVES,  natural  face 
coloring.  Mention  whether  for  blonde  or 
brunette.  Price  $1.00,  $3.50  and  upwards. 

VALAZE    COMPLEXION     POWDER,    for 

greasy  or  normal  skin.    Price  $1,  $3,  and  $5. 

A  copy  of  Mme.  Rubinstein's  sug- 
gestion book  will  be  sent  for  three 
cents    to    cover    postage. 

MME.HELENA  RUBINSTEIN 


PARIS 

253  R"e  SUtonorf 


LONDON.  W. 

24  Graflon  Sueel 


SPECIAL  NOTICE 

After  October  First 

Mme.  Rubinstein  will  be  located  at 
her  new  salon  at 

46  West  57th  Street 


IL  fant  souffrc  pour  ctre  belle,"  no  longer  holds.  One  doesn't 
have  to  suffer.  One  only  has  to  work.  And  work  but  a  little  at 
that.  Merely  the  mental  effort  of  keeping  one's  mind  con- 
centrated on  the  matter,  of  never  letting  up  on  the  beauty  culture 
for  evtn  a  single  day.  Or  if  you  should  slack  by  way  of  a  bit  of 
a  vacation,  of  making  up  for  it  by  working  overtime  afterwards. 

That  is  the  way  the  actress  gains  and  keeps  her  youth  and 
beauty,  through  relentless  and  untiring  devotion  to  beauty  routine. 

Though  the  routine  should  be  varied  from  time  to  time,  Miss 
Gail  Kane  says : 

"I  have  a  pet  theory  gained  from  my  stage  and  movie  experience," 
she  told  me  recently,  "that  the  skin  neids  variety,  a  change  in  its 
environment  every  so  often,  just  as  much  as  the  whole  human 
being.  If  you  keep  using  the  same  kind  of  treatment  or  the  same 
cream  on  the  face  month  in,  month  out,  you  lose  the  full  benefit 
of  it.  The  first  fresh  stimulus  wears  away,  just  as  it  does  with 
everything  else. 

"So  I  use  several  kinds  of  creams- — not  just  any  creams,  of 
course,  haphazard,  but  those  that  I  have  tried  out — and  different 
schemes  of  treatment. 

"And  I  like  to  be  open-minded  about  trying  a  new  wash  or 
cream  or  powder,  if  it  comes  to  me  well  recommended  through 
a  source  that  I  have  found  reliable.  Chemists  and  beauty  people 
are  working  and  experimenting  on  the  subject  all  the  time  and  con- 
stantly discovering  ingredients  or  new  combinations  of  ingredients 
to  aid  and  abet  nature ;  and  if  a  woman  insists  on  sticking  con- 
servatively to  the  same  cosmetics  forever  she  loses  out  in  the  race 
for  beauty — a  race  that  has  more  competitors  and  gets  keener,  I 
might  almost  say  fiercer,  every  day. 


"Only  last  week  an  English  actress  was  expressing  to  me  her 
wonder  and  admiration  over  American  women."  Tn  England,' 
she  said,  'if  one  is  pretty  it  is  something  to  be  noticed.  Every- 
body crowds  round  and  you  get  singled  out  for  a  lot  of  attention. 
But  over  here  everybody  is  pretty  or  good-looking  or  noticeable 
in  some  way,  because  you  give  so  much  clever  attention  to  your 
appearance  and  take  so  much  pains  over  it.' " 

Miss  Kane  was  looking  extraordinarly  fit  when  I  saw  her,  es- 
pecially considering  the  fact  that  she  has  been  constantly  at  work, 
even  through  the  hot  weather,  on  moving  pictures,  with  many  "out- 
side locations"  to  take  her  out  of  doors. 

"How  do  you  manage  to  keep  your  skin  looking  so  pink  and 
white,  so  free  from  the  effects  of  the  sun?"  I  asked  her,  with 
an  eager  personal  curiosity — since  it  is  the  face  problem  we're 
all  most  concerned  with  just  now. 

"Oh,  my  moving  picture  make-up  with  its  underlayer  of  cream 
takes  care  of  that,"  she  replied.  "And  if  the  sun  has  been  par- 
ticularly scorching  and  I  find  when  I  get  home  at  night  that  sun- 
burn has  crept  underneath  my  make-up  I  use  a  combination  of  oil 
with  a  few  drops  of  lime  water  added. 

"A  life  guard  on  one  of  the  beaches  where  I  was  spending  the 
summer  once  told  me  about  that  remedy.  It's  what  the  life 
guards  themselves  use.  And  I've  heard  they  keep  such  a  prepara- 
tion on  hand  in  factories  that  manufacture  inflammatory  materials, 
where  the  operators  are  likely  to  incur  burns." 

Witch-hazel  is  another  good  old-fashioned  stand-by  of  a  remedy 
for  sunburn.  And  an  English  actress  tells  me  that  the  English 
women  who  are  out  in  the  open  so  much  and  yet  retain  their 
beautiful  rose  and  white  complexions  are  very  fond  of  a  com- 
pound of  lemon  and  glycerine,  or  lemon  and  rosewater.  The 
combination  must  be  mixed  however,  a  few  drops  of  glycerine  and 
a  few  drops  of  lemon  juice,  as  glycerine  used  alone  on  the  skin 
is  not  good  for  it 


Removes  superfluous 
hair  in  five  minutes 

Removing  superfluous  hair 
harmlessly  is  easy  and  quick 
with  Evans's  Depilatory 
Outfit. 

Done  in  a  jiffy.  And  its 
occasional  use  keeps  super- 
fluous hair  away  for  long 
periods. 

Ask  your  druggist  or  depart- 
ment store  for  the  complete 
outfit — powder,  dish  and  spoon 
— 75c. — or  send  direct  for  it  to 
George  B  Evans  1103  Chestnut  St 
Philadelphia 

Booklet  free 

Evans 's 

Depilatory 
Outfit 
75c 


RAALTE 


Made  in  U.  S.  A.  .-it  all  l.'.W  Shops 

YlfHAT  a  delight  to  be  able  to  buy  a 
*     veil  that  has  neither  been  handled 

nor  tried  on  belore. 

And  it's  convenient,  economical  and 

sanitary  to  buy  the  Van  Raalte  individual 

package  veil  at  25c — 35c — 50c,  according 

to  mesh  and  quality. 

If  your  dealer  doesn't  sell  them,  send 

us  your  address  and  we  will  see  that  you 

ate  supplied. 

If 'rite  Deft.  "O"  for  S(\le  /,',*'£ 
K.  *  /..  Van  Raalte,  5th  Ave.  at  16th  Str<-tt 
Sow  York  City 


[172] 


Theatre  Magazine,  Septtwer,   191! 


DEITIES 


People  of  culture  and 
refinement  invariably 
TREFEP^  "Deities 

to  any  other  cigarette. 
c/  c/ 


Makers  of  the  Highest  Grade  Turkish 
and  Egyptian  Cigarettes  in  the  World 


1 


I 

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1 


<3htrGf~3SuTth  (Street  EAST  atdfyrk  Oi/dlenue 


An  Ideal  Hotel  with  an  Ideal  Location 


your  stay  in  New  York  it 
will  be  pleasant  to  be  near  the 
fashionable  shopping  district,  the  theatres 
and  the  busy  part  of  town,  and  at  the 
same  time  in  a  district  noted  for  its  quite 
air  of  comfort. 

All  of  this  you  will  find  at  the 
Vanderbilt  Hotel,  on  the  direct  car  lines 
to  both  the  Pennsylvania  and  Grand 
Central  Terminals.  The  Vanderbilt 
Hotel  is  noted  for  its  cuisine  and  its 
service.  Its  appointments  are  beautiful 
and  homelike;  the  charges  are  reason^ 
able,  and  it  makes  its  own  appeal  to 
exclusive  travellers. 

WALTON  H.  MARSHALL, 

Manager 


„, n i mmiinmi nun i i i iiiiiiiiiiiiini i nun iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin i i i IIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIII iiiiiiniiiiimni miiimiiiimiin minium imiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiimiiimiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiimiimiiiiiii minim 

[173] 


To  Theatre  Magazine  Subscribers 

The  Government  is  sending  broadcast— not  an  S.  O.  S.  signal, 
but  a  request  for  conservation  in  all  sorts  of  business  and  in 
all  walks  of  life.  The  cost  of  paper  is  going  up— and  the  supply 
going  down. 

The  new  postal  rates  for  magazines  which  went  into  effect 
July  1st,  means  an  increased  expense  for  postage  to  all 
publishers,  of  from  50%  to  300% ! ! 

We  have  been  carrying  our  share  of  the  extra  cost  of  produc- 
tion, paper,  and  what-not,  right  along,  but  now,  in  common 
with  all  publishers,  we  will  be  compelled  to  increase  the  sub- 
scription price  of  the  Theatre  Magazine. 

Before  the  increase  goes  into  effect,  we  send  you  this  special 
invitation- 

Send  us  the  renewal  of  your  subscription — whether  it  expires 
now,  or  a  year  from  now— at  the  present  rate  of  $3.50,  and  it  will 
be  accepted  providing  it  reaches  us  not  later  than  October  1st. 

After  that  date,  subscriptions  will  only  be  accepted  at  the 
increased  rate.  You  must  act  NOW  if  you  want  to  take 
advantage  of  the  present  rate. 


Theatre  Magazine 

6  East  39th  Street 
New  York 

Gentlemen :     I  enclose  herewith  $3.50  for  which  please  renew  my  sub- 
scription to    the  Theatre    Magazine,  for  years  from  the   expiration  date 

which  is 

Name 

Address  


Yearly  Subscription  to  the  Theatre  Magazine  is  Now  $3.50 
Beginning  With  the  November  Issue  $4.00 

EXTRA  CHARGE  FOR  CANADIAN  AND  FOREIGN  POSTAGE 


[174] 


Theatre  Magazine,  September, 


Hello!    Wake  up!  Read 


VANITY  FAIR 

Don't  be  a 

Social  Back  Number — 

If  you  are  out  of  step  with  the  whirling 
progress  of  our  time;  if  you  are  removed 
fro:n  its  magnetic  influences;  if,  despite 
your  youth,  you  are  becoming  an  old 
fogey,  or  an  old  maid,  or  an  old  bachelor, 
or  an  old  bore;  if  your  joie  de  vivre  is 
dying  at  the  roots — then  you  must  read 
Vanity  Fair,  and  presto!  you  will  be 
Bnnble-witted  and  agile-minded  again— the 
joy  of  the  picnic — the  life  of  the  party — 
the  little  ray  of  sunshine  in  the  gloom  of 
the  grill  room. 

Six   months    of  Vanity  Fair   will   enable 

you  to  ignite  a  dinner  pariy 

at  fifty  yards 

Don't  settle  down  comfortably  in  the 
ooze.  The  world  is  rroving,  moving  on  all 
eight  cylinders — and  you  might  just  as 
well  move  along  with  it.  Don't  stall  your- 
self on  life's  highroad;  don't  be  satisfied 
to  take  everybody  else's  dust.  Hop  up  and 
take  a  little  joy  ride  on  the  red  and  yellow 
band-wagon — Vanity  Fair's  band-wagon. 

Every  Issue  Contains 


THE  STACE:  Reviews  of 
all  that's  £ointr  on — and 
coming  oiT-in  the  theatre: 
and  portrait  ot  who's  who 
in  the  New  York  dramatic 
spot-light. 

THE  ARTS:  Painless  crit- 
icisms and  peerless  illus- 
trations of  all  the  newest 
happenings  in  painting . 
literature,  sculpture  and 
architecture. 

HTM  if!:  Not  the  custard- 
pie  school,  nor  even  the 
Sunday  supplement  vein, 
but  the  most  amusing  work 
of  our  younger  writers 
and  artists. 

8FORT8:  Every  known 
species  of  sports;  indoor 
and  outdoor,  heroically 
masculine  and  politely 
ladylike. 

KSStt*)  AMI  REVIEWS: 
The  enlivening  and  uncon- 


ventional output  of  our 
most  wakeful  essayists, 
critics,  and  authors. 
IH\mfi:  All  varieties  ol 
dances,  both  wild  and  hot- 
house, and  their  indoor, 
outdoor,  rhythmic  and  ball- 
room exponents. 
FAMHOVS:  The  last  word 
— pronounced  with  a  Pa- 
risian accent  -on  the  smart- 
est clothes  for  the  smartest 
men  and  women. 
IIO6S  A>D  MOTORS: 
Photographs  and  life  his- 
tories of  the  most  suc- 
cessful IH18  models  of  well- 
bred  dog-s  and  well-built 
motors. 

SHOPPING:  The  heart  of 
the  blue  list  shopping  dis- 
trict; a  pageant  of  its 
riches;  and  the  shortest 
and  easiest  way  to  acquire 
their  contents. 


5  Issues  For  $1 

(Six,  if  you  respond  promptly) 

If  you  do  not  know  Vanity  Fair,  or 
would  like  to  know  it  better,  you 
may  have  the  next  five  issues  for 
$1-  six  if  you  mail  the  coupon  now. 

You  thin'<  nothing — in  your  poor  deluded 
way — of  spending  $1  for  a  new  novel,  or 
a  seat  at  the  theatre,  yet  for  that  very  $1 
you  may  have  five  months  of  Vanity  Fair 
— six  if  you  mail  the  coupon  now — and 
with  it  more  entertainment  than  you  would 
get  from  a  winter  of  problem  plays,  or  a 
five-foot  shelf  of  novels. 


Don't  sleep  in  the  past  !  Be  a  Modern  ! 

Tear  off  that  coupon  ! 


VANITY 


19  WEST  44th  STREET.  NEW  YORK  CITY 

Please  send  me  the  next  FIVE  issues  of 
Vanity  Fair.  I  will  remit  $1  on  receipt  of 
your  bill.  (OR)  I  enclose  $1  herewith. 
(Canadian  $1.25).  If  this  order  is  received 
in  time,  I  understand  that  you  will  send 
me  a  complimentary  copy  of  the  current 
issue,  making  SIX  issues  in  all. 


Strtet 

city- 


of  the  War 


This  hook  tells  you  what 
you  have  been  wanting  to 
know  about  all  the  princi- 
pal racial  and  territorial 
problems  involved  in  the 
war;  the  problems  of  the 
Ukraine,  the  Yugo-Slav 
territories,  Poland,  Bel- 
gium, the  Baltic  Provinces, 
Mesopotamia,  etc.,  etc. 

In  the  presentation  of  each 
problem  there  is  given  a 
short  historical  background, 
an  economic  survey,  and  a 
clear  analysis  of  the  facts 
that  one  most  desires  to 
know ;  such  facts  as,  the 
location  of  the  territory, 
the  different  races  com- 
prising the  population,  what 
nation  has  controlled  or 
occupied  the  territory,  the 
political,  economic,  strateg- 
ic, racial,  cultural,  and 
religious  interests  that  va- 
rious nations  have  in  the 
territory,  and  a  summary 
of  the  various  solutions 
that  have  been  proposed. 
There  are  thirteen  political, 
racial  and  economic  maps. 

"Stakes  of  the  War'     is   by 

Lothrop  Stoddard  and 
Glenn  Frank,  is  warmly 
recommended  by  Ex-Pres- 
ident Taft,  and  is  published 
by  The  Century  Co.,  New 
York.  It  is  at  all  book 
stores.  Price  $2.50. 


The  Flame 
That  is  France 


This  is  the  book  that  won 
the  famous  Goncourt  Prize 
for  Henry  Malherbe  for 
1917,  awarded  the  previous 
year  to  the  author  of  "Un- 
der Fire."  In  it  you  feel 
the  fire  that  makes  France 
what  it  is — the  most  loved 
nation  in  the  world.  Made 
up  of  impassioned  medita- 
tions in  the  trenches  and 
fragmentary,  impressionis- 
tic sketches  of  battle  life 
and  incident,  some  tragic, 
some  pathetic,  some  repul- 
sive, all  compelling,  it  em- 
bodies at  the  same  time  the 
weariness  and  the  burning, 
unconquerable  resolution  of 
France  at  war.  The  imag- 
inative element  that  is  so 
pronounced  in  the  author's 
reflections,  together  with 
his  grace  of  expression, 
lifts  his  book  far  above 
most  of  its  kind. 

"The  Flame  That  Is 
France"  is  published  by 
The  Century  Co.,  New 
York,  and  is  at  all  book 
stores  for  $1.00. 


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or 

sheen 
and 
softness 


Shampooing  regularly 
with  PACKER'  s  TAR  SOAP 
protects  the  health  of 
the  scalp  and  brings  out 
the  beauty  of  the  hair. 


PACKER'S  TAR  SOAP 

Cake   and  Liquid 

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii IIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIII iiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiimmiiiimiiig 

gmiimiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiHimiiimiiimijiiiiMiiimiimiiiiijiiiijimiiim^ 


Three  slices  of  Basy  Bread  a  day 

Reduces  your  weight  in  a  natural  way 

What  one  woman  says: 
Back  Bay,  Boston,  Mass. 

Feb.  26,  1918. 

Doctors'  Essential  Foods  Co., 
Orange,  N.  J. 

Gentlemen :  The  Basy 
has  the  desired  effect.  I 
have  lost  thirty  pounds 
and  am  in  tohat  I  consider 
perfect  health. 

Yours  sincerely, 

W.  C  L. 


Your  friends  must  have  told  you  about  Basy  Bread, 
now  recognized  as  the  standard  weight  reducing  ration. 

Basy  Bread  is  not  a  medicine  or  drug,  but  a  whole- 
some and  delicious  food  scientifically  prepared. 

By  simply  eating  three  slices  of  Basy  Bread  a  day, 
thousands  of  people  have  regained  their  normal  weight. 
No  dieting.  No  medicine.  No  irksome  exercise. 


You  will  be  very  much  interested  in  the  Basy  Booklet  which  is  an  luthoritative 
statement  on  Obesity,  its  cause  and  cure.     Write  for  your  copy  today. 


DOCTORS'  ESSENTIAL  FOODS  CO.  &S£T£.AZZ 


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"Mum" 

(as  easy  to  use  as  to  say) 

is   an    all-the-year-'  round    comfort 
for  men  and  women.      It  gently 

neutralizes  all 
bodily  odors 

and    keeps   the   body   sweet    from 
bath  to  bath. 

Harmless  to  skin  or  clothing — 
does  not  check  perspiration. 

2Sc — at  dru?-  anil  department-stores. 

"Mam"  is  a  Tradt  Mark  rceisltrt,i  ill  U.  S.  Paltut  OJ/i,,. 
"Mum"  MfK  Co   1 106  Chestnut  Street  Philadelphia 


Kill  the  Hair  Root 


My  method  is  the  only  way  to  prevent 
the  hair  from  growing  again.  Easy, 
painless,  harmless.  No  scars.  Booklet 
free.  Write  today  enclosing  2  stamps. 
We  teach  Deauty  Culture. 

D.  J.  MAHLER 
279-A  Mahler  Park  Providence,  R.I. 


NobodK 

* 


changes 

from 


Ramesos 


The    J 

Aristocrat 


Plays!      Plays! 

We  have  the  newest  and  most 
attractive  as  well  as  the  largest  assort- 
ment of  plays  in  the  world. 

Send  a  two-cent  stamp  for  our  new 
catalog  describing  thousands  of  plays. 

SAMUEL  FRENCH 
28-30  W.  38th  St.     New  York  City 


[175] 


OBITUARY 


COFT  water  cleanses 
much  better  than  hard. 
Nothing  softens  water  as 
well  as  Borax.  That's 
why  you  should  sprinkle 
a  little  20  Mule  Team 
Borax  in  the  water  before 
you  take  your  bath.  But 

<H 


MULE  TEAM  BORAX 

is  more  than  a  water  sof- 
tener. It  is  an  antiseptic, 
it  keeps  the  pores  free 
and  clean,  is  an  excellent 
deodorant,  refreshes  the 
skin  and  keeps  the  com- 
plexion clear. 

Always  use  this  Borax  in 
baby's  bath— it  is  very  soothing 
to  tender  skin. 

You  may  find  many  uses  for 
20  Mule  Team  Borax  in  the 
kitchen  and  laundry.  Be  sure 
to  see  the  picture  of  the  famous 
2Q  Mules  on  every  package. 

All  Dealers  sell 

20  MULE  TEAM  BORAX 


in* 


ANNA  HELD  DEAD 

AFTER  making  a  long  and 
brave  fight  for  life,  Anna 
Held,  the  well-known  ac- 
tress and  singer,  died  in  New  York 
on  August  12  last  of  pneumonia, 
aggravated  by  pernicious  anaemia. 
Miss  Held  was  born  in  Paris  of 
Polish  parents  in  1873,  and  made 
her  stage  debut  in  London  at  the 
Princess  Theatre.  Subsequently, 
she  sang  at  various  music  halls  all 
over  Europe,  and  returning  to 
London  in  1895  appeared  with 
notable  success  at  the  Palace  Thea- 
tre. She  first  came  to  America  in 
IS'.H;,  appearing  at  the  Herald 
Square  Theatre  in  "A  Parlor 
Match."  At  the  Lyric  Theatre, 
October  20,  1897,  she  played  the 
part  of  Alesia,  in  "La  Poupee" 
with  great  success,  and  at  the 
Manhattan,  in  1899,  she  was  seen 
as  Anna,  in  ''Papa's  Wife." 
Other  successful  roles  were 
Niniche,  in  "The  Little  Duchess," 
Ma'm'selle  Mars,  in  "Napoleon," 
Mimi,  in  "Higgledy  Piggledy," 
and  Mrs.  Trimley  Dazzle,  in 
"The  College  Widow."  At  the 
Opera  House,  Philadelphia,  Octo- 
ber 2,  1906,  she  was  seen  for  the 
first  time  as  Anna  in  "The  Parisian 
Model,"  'and  in  the  same  city  No- 
vember, 1908,  she  originated  the 
part  of  Miss  Innocence.  She  was 
married  to  Florenz  Ziegfeld,  Jr.,  the 
well-known  theatrical  manager,  but 
subsequently  they  separated. 

The  actress'  funeral,  which  took 
place  on  August  14,  was  attended 
by  1,500  persons,  most  of  them 
friends  or  associates  of  the  popu- 
lar comedienne. 

HARRY  GILFOIL 

HARRY  GILFOIL,  the  well- 
known  comedian,  died  at  his 
home  at  Bayshore,  Long  Island,  on 
Saturday,  August  10th.  For  some 
time  he  had  suffered  from  heart  and 
kidney  disease. 

Air.  Gilfoil,  whose  family  name 
was  Frank  B.  Graff,  was  born  in 
Washington,  D.  C,  fifty-three  years 
ago.  At  seventeen,  he  made  his 
stage  debut,  and  later  was  identified 
with  a  number  of  Charles  Hoyt's 
plays.  Klaw  &  Erlanger  featured 
him  in  "The  Liberty  Belles,"  and 
for  one  season  he  appeared  in  "The 
Strollers."  He  was  leading  com- 
edian with  Blanche  Ring  for  four 
years.  While  appearing  in  the  Hoyt 
pieces,  he  went  to  Europe  three 
times.  Of  late  years  he  has  been 
appearing  in  vaudeville,  his  expert 


whistling   serving  him   well   in   com- 
edy roles. 

Mr.  Gilfoil  was  a  member  of  the 
Lambs  Club,  Actors'  Fund,  the  Elks, 
National  Vaudeville  Association, 
and  Hyatt  Lodge,  Masons,  in  Brook- 
lyn. His  widow,  Mrs.  Louise  De 
Rozas  Graff,  survives  him. 

MR.  HORNBLOW  GOES 
TO  THE  PLAY 

(Continued  from   page    144.) 

PLAYHOUSE.  "SHE  WALKED 
IN  HER  SLEEP."  Farce  in  three  acts, 
by  Mark  Swan.  Produced  August  12th. 

THE  only  inspiration  that  came 
to  Mark  Swan  when  he  wrote 
"She  Walked  in  Her  Sleep,"  con- 
cerned somnambulism  as  a  farce 
motif.  That  being  duly  set  down,  lie 
proceeded  to  write  a  very  laborious 
and  mechanical  farce.  It  is  all  the 
old  familiar  story  of  the  young  peo- 
ple trying  to  deceive  wives,  hus- 
bands, and  mother-in-law,  and  inci- 
dentally to  conciliate  a  fire-eater,  about 
suspicious-looking  circumstances. 

The  acting  for  the  most  part  is 
distinguished  by  no  unusual  exhibi- 
tion of  talent.  And  the  direction 
includes  every  time-tried  trick  of  the 
farceur  that  has  been  used  since  the 
days  of  good  Queen  Bess.  The  whole 
affair  struck  me  as  an  intensive  cam- 
paign for  laughter  at  any  price,  with 
much  silliness  and  inanity  as  inevit- 
able by-products. 

Alberta  Burton  was  a  lovely  vi- 
sion as  "La  Somnambula" ;  and  Eva 
Williams,  as  the  slavey,  proved  a 
hard-working  and  occasionally  suc- 
cessful grotesque  for  farce. 

VICTOR  RECORDS 

OVER  THERE,"  the  song  for 
which  George  M.  Cohan  was 
paid  $25,000  uy  a  music  publisher,  is 
undeniably  the  most  popular  war 
song  in  America  to-day.  It  is  as 
sweeping  a  favorite  with  the  Amer- 
ican people  as  "  /  iffcrary."  And 
because  "Over  1  here"  is  "the  peo- 
ple's choice"  as  the  best  American 
song  produced  by  the  war,  the  public 
is  now  afforded  the  opportunity  of 
hearing  it  sung  by  the  world's 
greatest  tenor  on  the  Victrola. 
Never  before  has  Caruso  made  a 
Victor  Record  of  one  of  the  so- 
called  "popular"  songs.  A  song  by 
George  M.  Cohan  sung  by  Enrico 
Caruso  is  something  new  in  the  mu- 
sical world.  Every  American  who 
hears  the  record  will  thank  Caruso 
mentally  when  the  great  tenor's  stal- 
wart voice  rings  out,  "We  won't 
come  back  till  it's  over  'Over 
There.' "  Caruso  has  sung  the  sec- 
ond verse  of  the  song  in  French  as 
a  touch  of  homage  to  that  great 
people. 

John  McCormack's  new  record  is 
also  a  war  song.  The  music  of 
"Dear  Old  Pal  of  Mine"  is  full  of 
the  most  exquisite  tenderness. — Adv. 


illiiiiiiiiliHlimiiiMiimiiiiiiiiiiiimiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiimiiM 


AMERICAN  ACADEMY 
OF  DRAMATIC  ARTS 

Franklin  H.  Sargent,  President 

T The  standard  institution  of  dramatic  T 
([education  for  thirty 'three  yearsj 

Detailed  catalog  from  the  Secretary 
ROOM  172,  CARNEGIE  HALL,  NEW  YORK 
Connected  with  Charles  Frohman's  Empire  Theatre  and  Companies 

iiiiHmiiiumiiuMiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiimiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiimiiiiiimiiiiiiiH 


[176; 


OCTOBER,    1918 


*. 


WT 

airpnq 


add.    to  life's 
rarance 


1OLET9 

-tippecL 


If  yoar  dealer  cannot 
Supply  you,  \vrtte  to 


I7QO  Broaway  NYC 
Or  Dept  MX  36 
5t,  Montreal, 


4850 


BEACH 


TMGIDDIKG&Co. 

£/       "THE  PARIS  SHOP  OF  AMERICA" 


ROYAL  POINCIAN*  6ROUN05 


GO\VNS   •  WRAPS  •  SUITS 
COATS  MILLINERY  AND  FURS 


SHOWN     BY     THEIR    OWN    ESTABLISHMENTS     IN    THE 
PRINCIPAL     CITIES    THROUGHOUT    THE    UNITED  STATES 

WASHINGTON    1510  H  ST. N.W.        PARIS       42  RUEDU  PARADIS 

PHILADELPHIA  1422  WALNUT   ST. 

CINCINNATI      10-12  WEST  FOURTH  ST. 


0 


[189] 


"Onyx 


Hosiery 


Reg   US  Pat   Office 


^^ 


WE  watch  every  pair  of  "Onyx"  today  as  carefully  as  we  did  in  the 
beginning  when  we  first  began  advertising.     We  do  not  advertise 
merely  to  let  people  know  where  "Onyx"  can  be  had,  but  to  keep  on 
winning  their  confidence  on  account  of  "Onyx"   goodness. 

Nowadays   the    public   naturally   turns   to    values    that  give  the  most 
for  their  money — and  "Onyx"  Silk  Hose  is  one  of  them. 


The  new  season's  of- 
ferings follow  closely 
the  demands  of  fashion. 


This  trade  mark  iden- 
tifies   them    at    shops 
where  good  hosiery  is 
sold. 


Reg  U.S.Pat.  Off i 


Emery  &  Beers  Company,  Inc. 

Sole  Owners  of  "Onyx"  and  Wholesale  Distributors 


[190] 


THEATRE  MAGAZINE 


DO  you  want  to  get  away  from  yourself 
for   a   couple  of  hours? 

Do  you  want  real  amusement — real  en- 
tertainment? 

No — we're   not   going   to   advise   you   to 
go  to  the  theatre.     Maybe  you're  too  tired 
to     get     out     of     your 
dressing    gown,    or    you 
have  a  hard   day   ahead 
of  you  and   must   retire 
early. 

Let  us  be  your  guide 
to  the  popular  plays 
through  the  columns  of 
the  THEATRE  MAGAZINE. 
We'll  pass  by  all  the 
"flivvers"  and  let  you 
peep  in  only  at  the  plays 
that  are  displaying  the 
S.R.O.  sign. 

Get  acquainted  with 
us.  You'll  start  well  bv 


OCTOBER,*  1918 

under  which  theatrical  entertainments  are 
given  in  the  trenches.  Can  you  imagine 
the  unusual  and  very  many  difficulties  the 
khaki-clad  stage  manager  and  uniformed 
thespians  labor  under  before  they  can  give 
a  performance? 


Read  in  the  next  number  the  article 
entitled,  "Say,  Let's'  Have  a  Show,"  writ- 
ten by  a  man  who  has  really  been  "ovir 
there"  and  taken  part  in  a  performance. 

It's  an  eye  opener  to  the  way  the  drama 
thrives  in  No  Man's  Land. 


reading     the     November 


DID  you  ever  study 
the  psychology  of 
stage  clothes? 

Clothes  can  be  witty 
and  poetic,  full  of  emo- 
tional meanings. 

Actresses  have  sprung 
into  fame  because  of 
their  clothes,  or  because 
of  their  lack  of  them. 

A  Salvation  Army 
bonnet  earned  a  fortune 
for  Edna  May. 

Merode  became  famous 
because  she  wore  her 
hair  over  her  ears. 

Maude  Adams  is  the 
most  popular  actress  on 
our  stage  in  spite  of  her 
preferring  to  be  un- 
fashionable. 

Read  Mildred  Cram's 
clever  article,  "Clothes 
and  the  Actress"  in  the 
November  issue. 


WE  all  know  the 
splendid  work 
that  is  being  done  in  this 
country  by  the  Stage 
Women's  War  Relief 
and  the  Liberty  Thea- 
tres in  the  camps  to  se- 
cure for  America's  fight- 
ing man  that  amusement 
and  diversion  that  will 
raise  his  morale  and  help 
him  to  forget  the  hor- 
rors of  war. 

But   we   do   not  know 
exactly     the     conditions 


IN  THIS  ISSUE 


197 
198 


199 


MARILYNN  MILLER  Cover 

JEANNE  EAGELS  Frontispiece 

AFTERTHOUGHTS   OF  A  FIRST   FIGHTER  194 

SCENES  IN  "PENROD"  195 

PROHIBITION  AND  THE  DRAMA  Lisle  Bell     196 

STARS  THAT   SHINE  IN   THE  NIGHT— Full  page  of  portraits 
THE  CURTAIN  CALL  Lido.  Rose  McCabe 

"EVERYTHING"  AT  THE  HIPPODROME, 

Full  page  of  pictures 
THE  MOST  STRIKING  EPISODE  IN  MY  LIFE, 

Raymond  Hitchcock,   George  Arliss, 
Irene  Franklin  and  Geraldine  Farrar 
BEATRICE  BECKLEY— Full  page  portrait 

PITY  THE  POOR  STAGE  DIRECTOR  Charles  Burnham 

SCENES  IN  '  LIGHTNIN'" 

WANTED— A  LIBRETTIST  Charlton  Andrews 

THEATRE  THOUGHTS 

OVER  HERE  AND  OVER  THERE— Full  page  of  pictures 
CHURCH  AND   STAGE  Harold  Seton 

PROMINENT  PERSONALITIES'  HOME  LIFE, 

Full  page  of  pictures 
IN  THE  SPOTLIGHT 
MR.  HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY 

"Lightnin',"  "A  Very  Good  Young  Man,"  "Three  Faces 
East,"  "Watch  Your  Neighbor,"  'The  Woman  On  the 
Index,"  "Daddies,"  "Penrod,"  "Head  Over  Heels," 
"Where  Poppies  Bloom,"  "Everything,"  "Double  Ex- 
posure," 'He  Didn't  Want  To  Do  It,"  "Fiddlers  Three," 
"Why  Worry." 
THRILLS  IN  BROADWAY  PRODUCTIONS, 

Full  page  of  scenes 
DO  AUDIENCES  WANT  SERIOUS  PLAYS? 

Interview  with  Bertha  Kalich 
.Mrs.   V'ERAON  CASTLE— Full  page  portrait 
IMAGINARY    OR    REAL    HEROES— WHICH? 

Edwin    Carty   Ranck 
TYPES — Full    page    of   portraits 
A  GRIPPING  SPY  PLAY 
SCENES   IN    "UNDER   ORDERS" 

CYRIL  IS  A  PLAYWRIGHT  Harriet  Kent 

STARS  AND  NEAR  STARS— Full   page  of  portraits 
NEW   YORK  CHEERS  "YIP,  YIP,  YAPHANK" 
FASHIONS   IN   TITLES  Zeta   Rothschild 

THE   RENEGADE — Poem  Marjorie  Patterson 

JULIA  BRUNS— Full  page  portrait 

THE  GENESIS  OF  A  PROPAGANDA  PLAY    Helen  Ten  Broeck 
AMATEUR  THEATRICALS 

FOOTLIGHT  FASHIONS  Anne  Archbald 

MOTION  PICTURE  SECTION  Edited  by  Mirilo 

LOUIS   MEYER,  PAUL   MEYER 

Publishers 

ARTHUR  HORNBLOW 
Editor 


207 
203 
209 


213 


214 
215 


THE  THEATRE  IS  PUBLISHED  MONTHLY  BY  THE  THEATRE 
MAGAZINE  COMPANY,  6  EAST  39TH  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 
HENRY  STERN,  PRESIDENT;  LOUIS  MEYER,  TREASURER; 
PAUL  MEYER,  SECRETARY.  SINGLE  COPIES  ARE  THIRTY- 
FIVE  CENTS;  THREE  DOLLARS  AND  A  HALF  BY  THE  YEAR. 
FOREIGN  COUNTRIES,  ADD  $1.00  FOR  MAIL;  CANADA,  ADD  85c. 


=  IMPORTANT  NOTICE  = 
TO  SUBSCRIBERS 

If  you  change  your  address,  we  must  ask  that  you  notify  us  not  later  lhan 
the  tenth  of  the  month,  otherwise  the  next  issue  will  go  to  you  old 
address  and  we  cannot  replace  it. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


I 


N  the  current  number 


tells  us  how  he  was  fired 
from  Wanamaker's,  and 
Irene  Franklin  describes 
amusingly  her  midnight 
marriage. 

But  these  are  only 
two  experiences.  Next 
month  Nazimova,  Leon 
Errol,  Blanche  H;ik-s 
and  others  will  tell  you 
in  their  own  words  "The 
Must  Striking  Kpivide 
of  Mv  Life." 


H 


rOW  has  the  war  af- 
fected the  drama  ? 

The  majority  of  our 
plays  nowadays  concern 
the  crushing  of  the  llun. 
Yet  no  one  pretends  it 
is  good  art.  It  would 
be  unnatural  for  such  a 
period  of  storm  and 
stress  to  bring  forth 
first  class  art  in  any 
form. 

Read  "War  and  the 
Drama"  in  the  THEATRE 
MAGAZINE  for  Novem- 
ber. An  article  with  a 
"punch"  that's  sure  to 
interest  you. 


w 


rHEN  you  see  the 
matinee  idol  make 
love  on  the  stage  doesn't 
it  all  seem  real?  Don't 
you  think  the  leading 
lady  the  luckiest  woman  ? 

When  you  see  the 
villain  in  the  melodrama 
cheating  and  murdering 
his  fellows,  don't  you 
just  clench  your  fist  willi 
indignation? 

Well — if  you  do  feel 
like  this  you're  all 
wrong.  The  matinee  idol 
doesn't  love  his  kading 
lady.  The  villain,  too,  is 
far  from  being  as  black 
as  he's  painted. 

Read  "His  Letters 
Home"  and  learn  the 
true  feelings  of  the  "love 
sick"  leading  man. 


COPYRIGHT    1918    BY    THE    THEATRE    MAGAZINE    CO. 
TRADE     MARK     REGISTERED     U.     S.     PATENT     OFFICE. 


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REC.  U.S.  PAT.   OFF. 


[198] 


THEATRE  MAGAZINE 


VOL.  XXVIII.     No.  212. 


OCTOBER,   1918 


From  a  portrait,   copyright,   Strauss-Peyton 


JEANNE      EAGELS 

This  sympathetic  young  actress  plays  the  leading  feminine 
role     in     "Daddies,"     the     new     comedy     at     the     Belasco 


iiiiiiii iimiiiiini nil IIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIII in: I I I I I mi I I I I iiiiiuiiimiiniillli in I iiiiiiimini IIIMII| 

|    AFTERTHOUGHTS  OF  A  FIRST  NIGHTER    | 

=„ iiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiimilliilllllimilMmilMlllimillllllllimillllllimilimilllMlllimilimilllllllimilllimilllHIIIIIMIMIMIlim^ 


IN  these  war  times,  when  everything  connec- 
ted with  the  murderous  Hun  is  abhorrent 
to  all  straight-thinking  Americans,  it  is 
interesting  to  know  that  the  Government  is  in- 
quiring into  the  origin  of  some  of  the  plays 
which  have  recently  proved  money  makers  on 
Broadway. 

From  the  office  of  A.  Mitchell  Palmer,  Enemy 
Alien  Property  Custodian,  comes  the  announce- 
ment that  the.  American  rights  to  several  enemy 
owned  operas,  operettas  and  plays  have  been 
taken  over,  and  in  the  future  all  royalties  col- 
lected for  these  rights  will  be  invested  in 
Liberty  Bonds.  The  operettas  taken  over  include 
"Her  Soldier  Boy,"  played  all  last  year  in  New 
York,  "Pom  Pom,"  "Sari,"  'Miss  Springtime," 
another  favorite  of  last  season,  and  "The  Choco- 
late Soldier."  The  plays  include  'Madame  X," 
and  "The  Concert."  Among  grand  operas  are 
"Salome,"  "The  Jewels  of  the  Madonna,"  and 
"The  Secret  of  Suzanne." 

Are  these  all?  Report  has  it  that  a  highly 
successful  farce,  which  ran  for  months  at  a 
leading  theatre  last  season,  and  whose  coarse- 
ness and  vulgarity  might  have  suggested  its 
Teutonic  source,  is  also  an  adaptation  from  the 
German.  Other  pieces  which  had  long  and  pros- 
perous runs  in  New  York  last  year,  are  likewise 
said  to  be  thinly  disguised  adaptations  of  plays 
that  had  previously  been  applauded  in  Berlin. 


E  are  not  among  those  who  are  indis- 
criminating  in  their  righteous  rage 
against  everything  German.  We  are  still  able 
to  enjoy  the  music  of  Beethoven,  Mozart  and 
Wagner  without  identifying  their  world  genius 
with  the  atrocious  baby  killers  who  burned 
Louvain.  Don't  let  us  forget  that  the  arrogance 
and  barbarism  of  the  Prussians  has  never  been 
denounced  more  bitterly  than  by  their  fellow 
countrymen  Goethe  and  Heine.  We  should  be 
foolish  to  deprive  ourselves  of  the  masterpieces 
of  German  music  and  literature  simply  because 
the  nation  that  produced  them  has  temporarily 
gone  mad. 

But  emphatically  what  we  should  do  is  to 
see  to  it  that  no  present-day  German  dramatist 
is  allowed  to  profit  by  the  exploitation  of  his 
play  on  our  stage.  This  is  a  matter  that  can  be 
safely  left  to  the  United  States  authorities. 
There  is  no  necessity  why  American  managers 
should  go  to  Berlin  for  their  plays.  There  are 
plenty  of  plays  by  American  authors — just  as 
clever  and  certainly  far  more  wholesome  and 
cleaner — that  are  only  waiting  for  a  chance  to 
be  produced.  If  our  managers  are  so  anxious 
to  go  to  Berlin,  let  them  follow  the  Flag,  and 
go  there,  rifle  in  hand,  to  avenge  the  victims  of 
the  Lusitania. 


TT'S    impossible   to   be   late   at   the   theatre   in 
•*•      New  York." 

A  well  seasoned  playgoer  just  behind  me  uttered 
this  sage  remark  the  other  evening  as  he  cooly 
strolled  in  thirty  minutes  after  the  time  adver- 
tised for  the  rise  of  the  curtain  and  leisurely 
took  his  seat.  According  to  the  time  set  by  the 
manager  for  the  commencement  of  the  play,  the 
first  act  should  have  been  half  over  when  he 
arrived,  but,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  asbestos 
had  not  yet  gone  up. 


\\/HY  do  theatre  managers  leave  themselves 
open  to  this  sort  of  criticism?  Are  their 
published  announcements  ever  to  be  taken  serious- 
ly or  are  they  only  Germanized  ''scraps  of  paper" 
which  the  manager  may  honor  or  disregard  at 
his  convenience? 

Cannot  a  theatre  be  run  on  business  principles 
like  any  other  commercial  establishment?  If  a 
dry  goods  store  advertises  that  it  will  open  its 
doors  at  a  stated  time,  or  a  railroad  traffic  man- 
ager schedules  a  train  to  leave  at  such  and  such 
an  hour,  you  may  lay  odds  on  the  doors  being 
opened  and  the  train  leaving  promptly  on  time. 
But  when  a  theatre  manager  makes  any  an- 
nouncement of  the  kind,  you  know  by  long  ex- 
perience that  you  are  perfectly  safe  in  ignor- 
ing it. 

Why  are  we  theatregoers,  who  have  the  decency 
to  come  early  to  the  play,  constantly  annoyed  by 
late  arrivals  pushing  rudely  past  us,  treading  on 
our  corns  and  blocking  our  view  of  the  perform- 
ance already  in  progress?  Why  are  we  unable 
to  hear  the  lines  of  the  actors  in  the  opening 
scenes  of  the  play  owing  to  the  confusion  and 
noise  of  seating  late  comers? 

Because  theatregoers  are  so  tired  of  being 
kept  stewing  in  the  auditorium  for  the  perform- 
ance to  begin  that  they  arrive  late  at  the  theatre 
deliberately.  Because  they  know  you  can  never 
be  late  at  a  New  York  theatre,  they  saunter  in 
at  all  hours,  sure  of  not  missing  very  much, 
even  if  they  are  an  hour  late. 


N  the  first  night  of  "A  Very  Good  Young 
Man,"  at  the  Plymouth,  manager  Arthur 
Hopkins  announced  that  the  curtain  would  rise 
at  8:20  p.  m.  Some  patrons  were  foolish  enough 
to  take  the  announcement  literally  and,  risking 
acute  indigestion,  they  bolted  their  dinners, 
jumped  into  their  cars  and  raced  down  on  high 
to  the  theatre,  only  to  find  the  auditorium  empty 
and  the  lady  ushers  smiling  pleasantly  at  their 
gullibility.  After  having  been  parboiled  in  a 
torrid  temperature  for  what  seemed  an  inter- 
minable period,  the  curtain  at  last  rose  at  a 


quarter  to  nine — nearly  half  an  hour  later  than 
Mr.  Hopkins  declared  it  would  rise. 

What  is  the  trouble?  Does  Mr.  Hopkins  not 
know  his  own  mind  or  has  he  no  authority  in 
his  own  theatre  to  enforce  his  orders?  If  I 
were  manager  of  a  New  York  playhouse  I  would 
have  more  consideration,  if  not  respect,  for  my 
patrons.  The  day  has  gone  by  when  "the  public 
be  damned"  policy  can  be  followed  with  impunity. 
That  might  have  been  all  right  in  Commodore 
Vanderbilt's  time,  but  it  won't  work  nowadays. 
If  I  were  manager  of  a  New  York  theatre  and 
I  advertised  a  performance  to  begin  at  8:20 
o'clock  the  curtain  would  rise  at  8 :20 — not  a 
minute  sooner  nor  a  minute  later. 

Is  it  surprising  that  our  theatre  managers  fail 
so  lamentably  in  catering  to  the  public's  spiritual 
uplift,  when  they  themselves  are  lacking  in  one 
of  the  most  elementary  of  virtues — punctuality? 


T7VERYTHING  is  being  Hooverized.  Why 
•'— •*  not  Hooverize  the  long  and  expensive  casts 
of  metropolitan  productions?  A.  H.  Woods  has 
led  the  way  at  the  Eltinge.  In  the  new  war 
drama,  'Under  Orders"  there  are  only  two 
actors — Erne  Shannon  and  Shelley  Hull.  It's  a 
distinct  novelty  watching  only  two  players  where 
usually  one  watches  a  dozen  or  more,  but  I'm 
not  sure  that  it's  an  experiment  that  would  bear 
much  repetition.  It  becomes  rather  wearisome 
to  see  the  same  two  faces  throughout  the  four 
acts. 

To  the  manager,  of  course,  it  would  be  a  God- 
send if  playwrights  could  be  always  restricted  to 
two  actors  (why  not  one  actor  doing  a  mono- 
logue). Think  of  the  saving  in  the  pay  roll — 
only  two  people  to  settle  with  on  the  day  the 
ghost  walks !  In  these  days  of  big  salaries  the 
economy  would  be  enormous.  The  pay  roll  of  a 
Broadway  production  ranges  from  $1,500  to 
$:f..")00  a  week.  The  price  of  actors,  like  the  price 
of  eggs  (strange  how  readily  one  associates  hen 
fruit  with  the  actor!)  is  steadily  rising.  Who 
knows?  Very  soon  the  manager,  burdened  by 
other  heavy  expenses,  may  have  to  do  without 
actors  at  all,  like  some  of  us  have  to  do  without 
eggs.  In  cutting  down  his  cast  to  two,  Mr. 
Woods  may  be  very  farseeing.  His  present 
salary  list  at  the  Eltinge  can't  be  much  more 
than  $400  a  week,  just  about  what  it  cost  William 
Dunlap  to  run  his  entire  stock  company  at  the 
famous  John  Street  Theatre  in  1798.  But  for 
that  price  Dunlap  had  a  dozen  famous  players 
where  Mr.  Woods  has  only  two,  and  instead  of 
getting  $200  and  $300  a  week  each,  as  most  of 
our  leading  players  do — they  were  glad  to  get 
anything,  from  the  $25  a  week  paid  to  the  cele- 
brated star  Thomas  Abthorpe  Cooper,  to  the  $4 
a  week  paid  to  the  dainty  ingenue ! 


[  194 


Richard  Ross,  Andrew  Ljwlor,  Thomas  McCann,  Charles  Whitfield. 
Penrod  and  his  "detectifs" — Sam  Williams,  Herman  and  Verman 


Katherine  Emmett 
Penrod's  mother  with  the  two  culprits 


Photos  White 


Helen  Hayes  John    Davidson 

The  "detectifs"  spy  on  the  object  of  their  persecution,  the  heau  of  Penrod's  sister 


BOOTH  TARKINGTON'S  BOY  HERO  "PENROD'   ON  THE  STAGE 


PROHIBITION  AND  THE  DRAMA 

Teetotalism  will  rob  the  dramatist  of  effect- 
ive scenes  and  the  comedian  of  his  red  nose 


Bv   LISLE   BELL 


THIS   is   an   inquiry    into   the   state   of   the 
drama  under  prohibition.     It  will  be  pur- 
sued—and possibly  overtaken— in  two  di- 
rections.    In  the  first  place,  what  will   national 
prohibition    do    to    the    theatfar      And    in    the 
second,  what  will  the  theatre  do-~to  national  pro- 
hibition ? 

One  point  is  clear  to  start  with.  If  the 
nation  goes  dry,  the  theatre  must  follow  suit.  A 
moist  theatre  in  an  arid  land  is  unthinkable. 
There  must  be  no  hanging  back,  no  mooning  at 
the  bar.  Wet  is  wet,  and  dry  is  dry;  and  never 
the  twain  shall  meet. 

Should  Congress  go  dry— in  a  liquid,  not  an 
oratorical  sense— the  effect  will  be  far-reaching. 
It  would  be  unreasonable  to  expect  the  theatre 
to  remain  passive  in  the  midst  of  this  reform. 
If  the  drama  has  been  at  times  a  little  over- 
stimulated,  then  the  abrupt  withdrawal  of  all 
spiritous  liquors  will  involve  many  minor  ad- 
justments. 

Under  the  new  regime,  for  example,  there  is 
no  doubt  that  numerous  dramatists  will  find 
themselves  stripped  of  some  of  their  best  ma- 
terial. They  will  discover  themselves  hampered, 
cramped  for  material.  Think  how  many  a 
good  situation  is  founded  upon  alcohol.  And 
now  they  may  lose  their  punch,  in  both  senses 
of  the  word. 

If  the  nation  goes  dry,  many  plays  will  auto- 
matically acquire  a  purely  antiquarian  interest. 
To  steal  a  term  from  the  technicians,  they  will 
begin  to  "date"  badly.  If  no  one  can  drink,  no 
one  will  be  much  interested  in  a  play  where 
liquor  enters  into  the  plot  or  the  hero. 


THERE  is  the  drama  "Bought  and  Paid 
For,"  to  cite  a  familiar  instance.  Its  third 
act  climax,  and  its  fourth  act  moral  lesson  will 
go  by  default,  will  drop — as  'twere — from  the 
sublime  to  the  bibulous.  And  think  of  "Fair 
and  Warmer"  under  prohibition.  With  what 
mixed  feelings  will  men  regard  its  mixed  drinks. 
With  what  uncompromising  attitudes  will 
women  view  its  compromising  situation. 

Of  course,  certain  of  these  plays  might  be  re- 
written. It  might  be  possible  to  do  "Bought  and 
Paid  For"  over  and  give  it  a  "Daddy  Longlegs" 
flavor.  "Ten  Nights  in  a  Bar-Room"  might  be 
renovated  and  rechristened  "Ten  Nights  in  a 
Bevo-Bar,"  but  it  would  be  difficult.  Even  Fal- 
staff  may  lose  his  charm  for  a  non-imbibing 
audience. 

Theatrical  criticism  will  not  go  unchallenged 
under  the  new  dispensation — or  rather  lack  of 
dispensation.  Plays  may  no  longer  be  .seen 
through  a  glass  sparklingly.  Do  you  recall  the 
advice  of  a  New  York  reviewer  during  the  past 
season,  who  urged  "some  good  Burgundy"  as  a 
prerequisite  for  the  best  enjoyment  of  "A  Mar- 
riage of  Convenience,"  and  then  embellished  the 
idea  by  advocating  "a  couple  of  Bronxes"  to 
precede  the  Burgundy?  It  begins  to  look  as  if 
the  critics  -will  have  to  discover  some  war-time 
substitutes  for  this  sort  of  thing. 

As  for  the  actor,  he  will  find  his  field  of  en- 
deavor more  and  more  restricted.  All  comedy 
of  the  red-nose  variety  will  become  obsolete. 
The  hilarious  effect  of  a  carbonated  water  siphon 


will  become  nil.  Going  upstairs  unsteadily 
which  has  been  known  to  evoke  the  biggest 
laugh  of  the  evening,  will  cease  to  lure  the 
guffaws  of  reminiscent  gentlemen. 

Even  such  a  master  of  the  art  of  mimic  in- 
ebriacy  as  Leon  Errol  may  find  his  following 
less  appreciative.  When  he  begins  to  plunge 
and  pirouette  about  the  stage  in  "Hitchy-Koo," 
you  roar  your  delight.  Each  succeeding  fall 
seems  more  ludicrous  than  the  last.  But  under 
prohibition,  it  is  to  be  feared  that  this  hearty 
reception  may  give  place  to 

"A  feeling  of  sadness   and   longing 

That  is  not  akin  to  pain, 
And  resembles  sorrow  only 

As  the  missed  resembles  the  rain." 


TURNING  now  to  the  producing  phase  of 
the  problem,  there  is  little  question  that,  if 
what  is  true  of  other  fields  holds  good  for  the 
theatre,  we  may  look  forward  to  a  marked  in- 
crease in  production.  At  any  rate,  that  is  the 
way  the  experts  size  up  the  situation. 

In  order  to  determine  just  how  much  of  an 
increase  may  be  expected,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  compare  the  theatrical  field  with  some  other 
industry.  Take  coal,  for  instance.  (It  will  be 
difficult  to  do,  but  take  it  just  the  same.) 

Recently  it  was  reported  that  in  West  Vir- 
ginia, which  is  a  dry  State,  coal  miners  have  in- 
creased their  production  five-sixths  of  a  ton  per 
man  per  day.  These  figures  are  stupendous,  not 
to  say  bituminous. 

However,  upon  the  same  basis,  we  estimate 
that  prohibition  in  New  York  ought  to  increase 
theatrical  production  five-sixths  of  an  actor  per 
act  perhaps. 

But  there  are  other  phases  of  the  situation 
which  do  not  fall  into  simple  arithmetical  solu- 
tion. There  is,  to  take  one  instance  out  of 
many,  the  intermission  to  be  considered.  If  the 
nation  goes  dry,  the  intermission  will  go  beg- 
ging. 

There  will  be  no  occasion  for  long  waits 
bridged  by  short  drinks.  There  will  b;  no  sud- 
den and  concerted  withdrawal  of  the  male  por- 
tion of  the  audience,  intent  upon  discussing  the 
progress  of  the  play,  act  by  act.  One  may  con- 
fidently predict  the  gradual  disappearance  of  the 
entr'acte  altogether.  Perhaps  that  is  why,  with 
his  unfailing  foresight,  Bernard  Shaw  composed 
"Mis,alliance"  with  no  break  in  the  action  from 
the  first  curtain  to  the  last.  He  foresaw  the  ap- 
proaching aridity,  and  with  it  the  atrophy  of  the 
intermission.  If  there  is  nothing  to  go  out  for, 
why  go  out? 


ALL  these  changes,  and  numerous  others,  may 
be  expected  to  follow  in  the  wake  of  pro- 
hibition. But  do  not  reach  a  hasty  conclusion, 
just  because  the  theatre  may  cease  to-  be  fluid, 
in  the  fermented  sense  of  the  -word. 

The  drama  is  notoriously  adaptive.  Other 
days;  other  liquids.  The  substitute  beverage 
lies  close  at  hand ;  it  has,  in  fact,  become  part 
and  parcel  of  one  phase  of  the  drama  already. 

You  hear  a  great  deal  about  the  "new  move- 


ment" in  the  theatre.  You  hear  it  so  frequently 
that  you  almost  get  the  impression  that  the  thea- 
tre is  some  sort  of  Ingersoll. 

You  hear  that  the  various  community  play- 
houses are  turning  'em  away,  that  the  Drama 
League  is  doing  capacity,  and  that  the  commercial 
theatre — whatever  that  may  be — is  doomed.  Of 
course,  you  don't  have  to  believe  all  of  it ;  no 
one  expects  you  to,  in  fact,  but  it  makes  such 
rattling  good  conversation. 

Do  you  want  to  know  why  the  community 
theatres  are  thriving,  why  the  Drama  League  is 
lusty,  why  the  commercial  theatre  is  doomed — 
if  it  is?  The  reason  has  been  discovered.  It 
was  discovered  by  the  Chinese.  It  is,  to  be  quite 
brief  and  monosyllabic,  tea.  Of  course,  other  in- 
fluences have  had  a  hand  in  the  affair,  but  none 
has  played  such  a  large  part.  Man  does  not  live 
by  tea  alone — nor  drama,  either. 

But  the  "new  movement"  is  steeped  in  tea, 
nevertheless.  Without  tea — and  teas— the  new 
movement  wouldn't  have  amounted  to  more  than 
a  budge.  The  Greeks  poured  libations;  we  pour 
tea.  (Miss  de  Peyster  during  the  first  hour; 
Mrs.  Van  Highebrough  during  the  second.) 

Every  self-starting  theatre  uses  tea  to  lubri- 
cate its  bearings.  Every  Drama  League  center 
is  christened  with  a  baptism  of  the  same  fluid. 
By  their  teas,  ye  shall  know  them. 

In  these  facts  lie  our  cue.  It  is  significant 
that  there  is  a  pronounced  as  well  as  a  pro- 
nouncing similarity  between  teetotalism  and  tea- 
totalism.  Verily,  the  weaker  brew  shall  succeed 
the  stronger. 

Why  smile  at  the  illiterate  New  Yorker  who 
speaks  of  going  to  the  "tee-atre"?  He  is  not 
so  far  wrong  after  all.  His  error  is  mispro- 
nunciation, but  he  pronounces  truth. 


THE  working  philosophy  of  the  "new  move- 
ment" is  elementary  and  sound.  One  must 
give  'em  something — why  not  tea?  Coffee  might 
keep  some  of  them  awake,  and  something 
stronger  might  put  thfem  to  sleep.  Tea  is  the 
happy  medium. 

And  in  truth,  it  wou)d  be  difficult  to  estimate 
how  many  plays  have  been  written  under  the  in- 
fluence of  tea.  Possibly  many  a  slice-of-life 
drama  could  be  traced  to  a  slice-of-lemon  in- 
spiration. One  lump  or  two,  dissolved  in  the 
cup,  may  be  chrysolized  again  in  one  lump  or 
two,  dissolved  in  the  throat. 

There  are  those  who  believe  that  they  can  read 
their  life's  future  in  tea  grounds.  If  the  leaves 
arrange  themselves  in  the  bottom  of  the  cup  in 
a  certain  way,  it  means  certain  things.  If  the 
leaves  arrange  themselves  in  certain  other  ways, 
it  means  certain  other  things.  It's  a  great 
system. 

If  the  nation  goes  dry,  we  ought  to  be  able  to 
read  the  future  of  the  drama  in  tea  grounds. 
And  no  one  ever  heard  of  an  attempt  to  read 
the  future  of  the  drama  in  wine  dregs.  Per- 
haps, if  we  put  tea  to  this  use,  our  findings 
might  be  termed  a  pekoe  into  the  future. 

The  history  of  the  dramatic  renascence  has 
not  been  written — not  at  yet.  When  it  is,  it  will 
have  one  whole  chapter  devoted  to  tea.  It 
probably  will  be  an  oo-long  chapter. 


[196] 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  tyit 


MOLLIE     KING 


From  musical  comedy  to  moving  pictures,  and 
from  movies  to  midnight  revue  is  Miss  King's 
interesting  stage  record.  From  one  of  our  most 
successful  screen  stars  she  has  become  the  hit  of 
the  new  revue  atop  the  Century  Theatre,  for 
she  can  sing  and  dance  as  well  as  act 


GLADYS     SLATER 

Being  the  possessor  of  that  much-prized  theatrical 
asset — beauty — Miss  Slater  has  adorned  the  chorus 
of  many  musical  pieces  until  now  she  has  become 
one  of  the  shining  lights  at  the  Century  Grove 


STARS    THAT    SHINE 


I  N 


THE    NIGHT 


THE  CURTAIN  CALL 

An  annoying  custom  which  has  come  to 
be  one  of  the  great  abuses  of  the  theatre 

By  LI  DA  ROSE   McCABE 


NO  custom  of  the  modern  playhouse  calls 
for   more   drastic   reform   than  the   cur- 
tain caJl.     How  its  abuse  is  tolerated  by 
managers,    actors    and    the   theatre-going    public 
defies   intelligent  comprehension. 

One  of  the  objects  of  drama  is  to  create  illu- 
sion. The  play  that  fails  to  provide  it  rarely 
gets  over  the  footlights.  With  the  objective  end 
of  the  play  achieved— often  at  the  expenditure 
of  much  money,  labor,  talent,  time— why  destroy 
all  this  effort  at  one  blow  by  revealing  the  arti-- 
ficiality,  the  make-believe  of  the  whole? 

Nowhere  has  this  theatrical  invention  of  un- 
certain origin  degenerated  into  such  a  nuisance 
as  in  America.  It  is  merely  perfunctory,  for 
the  curtain  usually  rises  and  rerises  without  the 
provocation  of  a  single  handclap,  and  no  longer 
is  the  call  confined  to  the  character  or  characters 
erf  the  scene  upon  which  the  curtain  fell.  It 
often  embraces  a  play's  entire  cast,  regardless 
erf  a  previous  appearance.  Personally,  we  have 
always  resented  the  actor  or  actress  stepping 
out  of  the  picture  and  thrusting  his  own  per- 
sonality between  us  and  the  character  or  atmos- 
phere his  art  created. 

It  is  not  a  new  grievance — this  curtain  call 
nuisance.  William  B.  Wood,  the  veteran  man- 
ager of  the  Old  Chestnut  Street  Theatre,  Phil- 
adelphia, denounces  it  in  no  uncertain  terms. 
He  says : 


THK  advent  of  Kean  introduced  a  custom, 
which,  however  tolerable  in  view  of  his 
great  genius,  led  subsequently  to  much  annoy- 
ance and  to  many  abuses.  I  allude  to  the  habit 
of  calling  out  performers,  dead  or  alive,  and 
after  the  curtain  has  dropped,  to  receive  a 
tribute  of  extra  applause.  The  absurdity  of 
dragging  out  before  the  curtain  a  deceased 
Hamlet,  Macbeth  or  Richard  in  an  exhausted 
state,  and  solely  for  the  gratification  of  a  few 
unthinking  partisans,  or  a  few  lovers  of  noise 
and  tumult,  is  one  which  we  date  with  us  from 
this  time.  It  has  always  been  a  matter  of  won- 
der with  me  that  the  better  part  of  the  audience 
should  tolerate  these  fooleries.  Can  anything 
be  more  ridiculous,  than  that  an  actor,  after 
laboring  through  an  arduous  character — a  pro- 
tracted combat,  and  the  whole  series  of  simulated 
expiring  agonies,  should  instantly  revive,  and 
appear  panting  before  the  curtain  to  look  and 
feed  like  a  fool,  and  to  destroy  the  little  illusion 
which  he  has  been  endeavoring  to  create.  'The 
time  has  been  that  when  the  brains  were  out, 
the  man  would  die,  and  there  an  end,  but  now 
they  rise  again  with  forty  mortal  murders  on 
their  heads.'  This  custom,  reprehensible  as  it 
has  ever  appeared,  even  in  rare  cases  of  superior 
talent,  becomes  absolutely  insufferable  when 
seeking  to  gratify  the  vain  aspirations  of  com- 
mon place  powers.  To  such  an  extent  has  it 
of  late  years  obtained,  that  'on  some  occasions 
nearly  the  whole  characters  of  a  play  have  been 
paraded  to  receive  the  applause  of  their  parti- 
zans ;  when  they  certainly  must  have  received 
the  derision  of  the  more  numerous  and  sensible 
portion  of  the  house.  We  are  all  aware  that  this 
custom  was  borrowed  from  the  French  stage,  and 
was  doubtless  part  of  the  system  employed  by  the 


claijttcrs,  or  acknowledged  hired  applauders.  Not 
the  least  offensive  feature  is  the  establishing  of 
a  personal  communication  between  the  audience 
and  performers;  a  practice  equally  indelicate  and 
unwise." 

In  more  modern  times  theatregoers  have  re- 
belled at  Erne  Ellsler's  many  curtain  curtseys  in 
"Heroine  in  Rags,"  Maggie  Mitchell's  frequent 
appearances  before  the  curtain  in  "Fanchon," 
Minnie  Maddern's  curtain  appearances  in  "Fog 
Ferry,"  and  Kate  Claxton's  many  curtain  bows 
in  "The  Two  Orphans,"  to  be  fanned  down  the 
years  by  the  recollection  of  innumerable  Romeo 
and  Juliets  from  the  tomb,  to  the  Divine  Sarah 
blowing  kisses  through  a  consumptive  death 
mask  before  we  had  time  to  dry  our  eyes  or 
blow  our  nose. 


THEY  have  worked  hard  all  evening  to  bring 
us  to  Troy,"  we  once  remarked  as  a  re- 
luctant curtain  rose  a  third  time  on  a  Greek 
play,  "And  now  they  have  succeeded  in  getting 
us  within  the  walls  why  couldn't  we  be  left 
there,  so  we  might  take  home  with  us  Troy  and 
the  Trojans  instead  of  the1  Provincetown  Play- 
ers?" 

"You  feel  that  way?"  beamed  my  neighbor. 
"So  glad!  You're  the  first  I  ever  heard  speak 
out  so  frankly  against  actors  showing  themselves 
clothed  in  their  right  minds  at  the  end  of  a 
play.  All  my  life,  I've  been  strong  against  this 
calling  them  before  the  curtain,  but  was  afraid 
to  say  so  because  everybody  seems  to  think  it's 
the  right  thing  to  do." 

On  the  other  hand,  some  theatregoers  think 
different.  Roland  Holt,  publisher  and  Drama 
League  enthusiast,  declares :  "When  an  artist 
gives  me  pleasure  I  like  to  show  my  appreciation 
by  applauding,  to  add  my  mite  towards  bringing 
him  or  her  back  to  receive  my  applause.  It  is 
a  pleasure  for  me  to  have  them  know  how  I 
feel."  This  unquestionably  is  the  attitude  of 
the  average  normally  constituted  playgoer. 

That  approval  in  guise  of  handclapping  is  the 
crowd's  natural  outlet  of  inner  feeling  is  proved 
by  the  frequency  of  applause  in  moving  picture 
theatres.  Applause  is  contagious  as  measles  in 
boarding  school,  smallpox  in  camp  or  appendi- 
citis at  Newport  or  Palm  Beach.  And  the  germ 
from  which  it  starts  is  often  as  difficult  to  lo- 
cate. Happily  for  the  preservation  of  illusion, 
the  silent  drama  has  no  come  back !  This  to 
some  minds  is  not  the  least  of  movie  virtue. 


ACTORS  like  applause.  They  live  on  it.  No 
one  who  has  never  faced  an  undemonstra- 
tive audience  can  know  the  heartbreaking  strug- 
gle the  actor  goes  through  to  overcome  its  ap- 
parent apathy.  The  terrorizing  depression 
caused  by  a  cold  audience  is  paralyzing  to 
thought  and  action. 

Richard  Mansfield  was  one  of  the  first  of 
American  actors  to  break  away  from  the  curtain 
call  tradition.  He  positively  refused  to  appear 
before  the  curtain  in  the  character  of  the  scene 
in  which  he  had  just  died.  After  a  death  scene 
he  at  once  removed  all  his  make-up.  If  the  ap- 
plause became  insistent,  he  would  appear  be- 


fore the  curtain,  but  it  was  Mansfield,  the  man, 
not  the  stage  character,  who  faced  the  audience. 

Louis  Calvert  thinks  the  curtain  call  is 
all  wrong.  He  says:  "I  never  take  one  when 
it  can  be  avoided.  Response  to  a  curtain  call  at 
the  end  of  a  play  is  sometimes  admissable — 
when  the  demand  is  spontaneously  persistent, 
A  curtain  call  should  never  be  taken  in  char- 
acter. During  the  many  years  I  played  with 
Henry  Irving  he  always  took  a  curtain  call 
reluctantly,  and  then  only  by  walking  across  the 
stage  in  character." 

Edith  Wynne  Matthison  is  inclined  to  defend 
the  custom.  "I  think  a  few  things  may  be  said 
for  it,"  she  said.  "The  curtain  call  has  evolved 
out  of  a  very  natural  desire  of  the  public  to 
thank  the  artist  for  his  work  and  has  there- 
fore about  it  certain  elements  of  the  democratic 
and  the  courteous.  Incidentally  it  encourages. 
the  artist." 

Mrs.  Fiske  shares  Miss  Matthison's  disap- 
proval  of  the  "worked  up"  call. 

"There  is  no  more  revolting  aspect  of  the  cur- 
tain call,"  said  Mrs.  Fiske,  "than  the  forced  cal) 
which  a  vulgar  stage  management  would  extract 
from  an  audience  which  has  reached  the  end  of 
spontaneous  feeling.  With  what  distaste  all  of 
us  in  the  audience  have  watched  that  nervous 
jumping  curtain!  But  not  a  little  of  the  call  is 
warming  and  beautiful  and  seems  to  be1  a  part  of 
the  old  Theatre  we  like  to  read  about." 


DAVID  BELASCO  loves  the  curtain  calk 
Who  so  much  as  he?  One  of  the  most 
pleasant  incidents  of  a  Belasco  first  night  comes 
at  the  end  of  the  second  act  when  the  curtain 
shoots  up  and  down  sometimes  half  a  dozen 
times  without  anyone  appearing.  Then,  when  the 
audience  has  shouted  itself  hoarse  with  crying 
"Author !  Author  ! !  Belasco !  Belasco ! !"  the 
wizard  of  Broadway  comes  shyly  and  reluctant- 
ly to  the  footlights,  as  if  some  kindly  soul  in 
the  wings  had  pushed  him  forward,  and  tugging 
his  curly  forelock  thanks  the  spectators  modest- 
ly for  their  kind  reception  of  "the  play  and  this 
little  girl" — whoever  his  leading  lady  may  hap- 
pen to  be  at  the  moment. 

"I  agree  with  your  objections,"  said  M. 
Jacques  Copeau,  Director  General  of  the  Theatre- 
du  Vieux  Colombier.  "Unfortunately,  there  are 
always  certain  facts  which  have  to  be  taken 
into  consideration,  and  which  cannot  be  ignored 
with  impunity.  While  I  am  absolutely  opposed 
to  making  concessions  in  regard  to  the  high 
quality  of  the  plays  to  be  produced  in  my  thea- 
tre and  turn  a  deaf  ear- to  those  who  clamor  for 
more  'popular'  type,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  a 
compromise  may  be  made  in  certain  other  direc- 
tions and  the  public  met  'half-way'  in  their  de- 
mand for  old  customs  and  usages.  I  prefer  to 
educate  the  public  little  by  little,  step  by  step 
toward  certain  desirable  reforms  rather  than  to- 
impose  my  personal  desires'  and  opinions  on 
them  all  at  once.  However,  this  I  can  promise 
you :  Next  season  the  Vieux  Colombier  in 
serious  drama  will  cut  out  the  curtain  call !" 

It  seems  only  justice  that  this  tiresome  custom 
which  came  to  us  originally  from  France  should! 
be  abolished  here  first  by  a  Frenchman. 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  1918 


Sarony 


A   group   of  the  principal   roller   skaters 


Gerda  Gulda  (left)   and  Marion  Saki   (right) 
Two  of  the  dancing  girls 


111 


a1  mini1  imnmi  mismi  mrar  """>"'•  \ 


Singing  "Every  Girl 
Is  Doing  Her  Bit 
Today,"  in  front  of 
the  New  York  Public 
Library  at  42d  Street 


The  acrobatic  Gaud- 
smiths  and  their  even 
more  acrobatic  poodles 


"EVERYTHING 


IN      ONE      AT      THE      HIPPODROME 


THE  MOST  STRIKING  EPISODE  IN  MY  LIFE 

Well-known  stage  people  relate  'what  they  consider  their  most  exciting  experiences 


WHY  I  WAS  FIRED 
By   Raymond   Hitchcock 

THE  most  striking  epi- 
sode in  my  life,  you 
ask?  Without  a  doubt  it 
was  my  discharge  from 
Wanamaker's  in  Philadel- 
phia. I  was  "fired"  by 
Tom  Wanamaker,  person- 
ally. And  I'll  say  that  1 
deserved  it. 

I  was  No.  839— all  the 
employees  of  John  Wana- 
maker have  numbers — in 
Department  0,  which  was 
then  the  shoe  department. 
I  had  been  a  shoe  clerk  in 
RAYMOND  HITCHCOCK  Auburn>  New  York  before 

I  went  on  the  stage  so  when  our  comical  opera 
troupe  was  stranded  in  Philadelphia  I  took  to 
the  shoe  game  again. 

The  day  on  which  "the  most  striking  episode 
in  my  life"  took  place,  was  a  hot  one  It  seems 
to  me  that  I  tried  on  several  thousand  pair  of 
boots  without  making  a  sale.  Nothing  that  I 
was  able  to  show  customers  seemed  to  suit  them. 
To  make  a  long  story  short,  my  last  customer 
was  a  very  stout  lady  who  insisted  on  trying  on 
at  least  a  dozen  pair  of  high  boots.  I  nearly 
broke  my  back  over  her  and  finally  when  she 
asked  me  to  unlace  the  twelfth  pair  of  high 
boots  and  put  on  her  old  shoes  the  worm  turned. 
"Madame,"  I  said,  "those  high  boots  you  have 
on  are  going  to  stay  on." 

"You  mean  you  refuse  to  take  them  off?"  she 
blazed  back. 

•"Madame,"  I  repeated  as  respectfully  as  possi- 
ble, "as  far  as  I  am  concerned  those  bootj  are 
on  for  the  rest  of  your  life." 

And  as  far  as  I  know  the  stout  lady  is  wear- 
ing them  to-day.  She  couldn't  have  taken  them 
off  herself  and  I  know  that  I  didn't.  Tom  Wan- 
amaker happened  to  come  along  at  the  psycho- 
logical moment  and  I  was  "fired"  on  the  spot. 
The  funny  part  of  it  was  that  I  didn't  have  a 
nickel  in  my  pockets.  However,  I  went  back  on 
the  stage  and  Wanamaker's  was  saved  from  the 
poorest  shoe  clerk  who  ever  laced  up  a  high  boot. 


MY  FIRST  REHEARSAL 
By  George  Arliss 

THE  greatest  moment 
of  my  life  has  noth- 
ing dramatic  in  it,  and  was 
of  no  moment  to  anyone 
else.  The  pushing  open 
of  a  grimy  door  that  led 
from  a  grimy  court  onto 
a  grimy  stage,  doesn't 
sound  very  exciting,  but  it 
was  for  me  the  most  thrill- 
ing moment  I  have  ever 
known. 

I  had  been  "taken  on"  at 
a  salary  of  six  shillings  a 
week  (a  dollar  and  a  half) 
as  a  real  member  of  a  real 
stock  company,  and  this  was  the  morning  of  my 
first  rehearsal. 

I  had  been  warned,  as  most  young  stage-struck 
men  were,  that  to  go  upon  the  stage  meant  cer- 
tain poverty,  and  privation.  I  remember  think- 


GEORGE  ARLISS 


ing,  as  I  pushed  open  that  door:  "I'll  do  my  best, 
and  whatever  happens  I  will  never  regret  the 
step  I  am  taking,  because  I  can  never  be  happy 
in  any  other  business."  I  had  no  ambition  but 
to  be  "on  the  stage."  I  hoped  to  make  enough 
to  pay  my  way  eventually,  but  never  expected 
any  more. 

It  was  a  dirty,  ill-ventilated  theatre,  with 
scenery  known  as  "kitchen  sets"  and  "palace 
sets"  and  "library  sets"  that  had  done  service 
for  twenty  years.  The  paint-rack  was  against 
the  back  wall  of  the  stage,  where  a  regularly 
paid  scenic  artist  was  always  at  work  touching 
up  and  painting  special  pieces  for  the  next  week's 
production.  The  stage  had  its  own  special 
smell,  that  can  only  be  obtained  through  gener- 
ations of  stagnant  "scenic  effects,"  the  presence 
of  the  well-seasoned  "props"  of  the  old  stock 
actor,  and  the  aura  of  unwashed  audiences.  To 
me,  it  was  as  the  perfume  of  Araby. 

I  was  shouted  at  by  a  stage  manager  as 
though  I  were  deaf,  and  treated  generally  as 
though  I  were  a  born  fool  (this  was  not  meant 
unkindly;  it  was  considered  to  be  the  only  way 
to  treat  beginners),  but  nothing  could  depress 
me.  If  ever  I  am  admitted  into  the  Kingdom 
of  Heaven,  I  know  I  shall  feel  very  much  as 
I  felt  that  morning. 


GERALDINE    FARRAR 


A    RAPID    FIRE    COURTSHIP 
By  Geraldine   Farrar 

THE  most  amazing  mo- 
ment of  my  life  was 
not  my  operatic  debut,  nor 
my  adventures  in  the  films. 
Before  that  moment  I  had 
considered  that  my  life  had 
been  filled  with  more  than 
its  share  of  thrills,  but  all 
those  previous  "big  mo- 
ments" faded  into  insignifi- 
cance, when  compared  with 
the  episode  of  which  I 
write. 

It  happened  after  a  cas- 
ual entertainment  at  my 
Hollywood  (California) 
home  about  two  years  ago  There  had  been 
dancing,  supper,  and  a  maypole  dance  on  the 
lawn  at  midnight.  The  guests  were  leaving  in 
a  body — all  except  a  tall,  handsome  and  dis- 
tinguished young  man,  who  lingered  behind.  It 
was  Lou  Tellegen,  whom  I  had  met  but  a  few 
times  before. 

"Good  night,"  I  said,  holding  out  my  hand, 
thinking  he  simply  wanted  to  thank  me  for  a 
pleasam  evening  before  leaving. 

Mr.  Tellegen  gripped  my  hand  in  a  cave-man's 
vise,  and,  without  preface  exclaimed  with  vehe- 
mence, and  conviction,  "I  am  going  to  marry 
you  !" 

Although  his  unexpected,  and  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, somewhat  strange  declaration  al- 
most took  my  breath  away,  I  had  sufficient  pres- 
ence of  mind  to  answer: 

"No.  I  am  never  going  to  marry — I  am 
wedded  to  my  work.  I  would  not  even  think  of 
relinquishing  my  personal  independence!" 

But  the  amazing  fact  remains  that  this  more 
than  determined  young  man  chose  the  most 
odiferous  (unpleasantly  so)  oil  fields  in  southern 
California  as  the  setting  for  his  preliminary 
courtship,  in  a  next  day  run  in  his  two-seater. 


To  clinch  matters,  we  were  arrested  for  speed- 
ing by  an  over-zealous  traffic  officer  (how  it 
came  about  is  a  mystery,  for  Mr.  Tellegen's  arm 
was  about  me — and  we  were  only  flying  in  our 
thoughts)  !  To  the  order  to  appear  before  the 
local  magistrate,  the  officer  added : 

"Who's  the  lady?" 

"My   wife,"   promptly   answered   Tellegen. 

I  had  no  choice.  So  we  were  married  "and 
are  living  happily  ever  after." 


IRENE  FRANKLIN 


NEXT  MONTH  WE  SHALL  PUBLISH  UNDER  THIS  HEADING 
BY    ALLA    NAZIMOVA,    LEON    ERROL,    BLANCHE    BATES 


MY  WEDDING  DAY 
By  Irene  Franklin 

THE   most    striking   epi- 
sode of  my  life  was  on 
the  15th  of  May — as  to  the 
year,    I    will    keep    that    to 
myself ! 

Burt  Green  and  I  decided 
to  get  married  on  that  day 
— because  I  wanted  that  day 
and  no  other.  The  place 
was  Jersey  City. 

How  to  get  there  was 
another  story,  as  between 
my  husband-to-be,  Maude 
Fulton,  who  was  to  be  the 
bridesmaid,  the  best  man, 
and  myself — all  we  had 
was  $1.84. 

To  be  married  without  a  bridal  bouquet  was 
another  impossibility,  and  up  to  this  day  Mr. 
Shubert  does  not  know  that  it  was  he  who  sup- 
plied it,  as  we  gathereel  violets  and  orchids  from 
the  Carnival  at  Nice  used  in  the  play  "The 
Orchid." 

We  all  got  into  a  hansom  as  far  as  the  ferry 
— then  went  across  the  river. 

The  town  was  in  darkness.  The  first  hotel  we 
came  to  was  in  a  most  dilapidated  condition,  and 
what  I  shall  always  remember  was  a  large  stuffed 
alligator  in  the  window. 

When  the  manager  of  the  hotel  saw  the  two 
men  in  their  dress  clothes— Maude  Fulton  and 
I  in  evening  dress  (also  borrowed  from  the 
show)  he  stared  at  us,  indicating  that  his  place 
was  respectable,  and  we'd  better  fade  away. 
When  we  flashed  our  marriage  license  his  ex- 
pression changed. 

By  the  time  the  Justice  of  the  Peace  had  ar- 
rived, and  we  were  ushered  into  a  room  whete 
banging  on  the  wall  was  a  large  reproduction 
of  a  steamer  entitled  ''Henry  Peck."  My  hus- 
band-to-be, however,  found  the  similarity  to 
"henpeck"  so  strong  that  he  insisted  upon  being 
married  'in  another  room. 

The  Justice  asked  my  name  in  full  and  I  re- 
plied Irene  Lucille  Marguerite  Franklin,  and 
soon  to  be  Mrs.  Van  Tassell.  When  it  came 
to  Burt's  turn  he  said — James  Eugene  Burton 
Gre«n  Van  Tassell.  We  were  married. 

Returning  to  New  York  in  the  early  morning 
we  found  that  Churchill's  was  the  only  place 
open.  There  we  had  a  heated  argument  as  to 
whether  it  was  to  be  a  wedding  breakfast  or  a 
wedding  supper.  We  compromised.  The  brides- 
maid and  groom  said  it  was  supper  and  had  lob- 
ster salad.  The  best  man  and  the  bride  said  it 
was  breakfast  and  had  ham  and  eggs. 

And  just  across  the  room  sat  Helen  Green 
celebrating  her  divorce  from  Burton  Green, 
granted  twelve  hours  before  while  we  cele- 
brated our  wedding. 

EXPERIENCES 
AND    OTHERS 


[300] 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  1918 


From  a  portrait  by  Charlotte  Fairclnld 


BEATRICE       BECKLEY 

Who  created  the  wife  in  "Why  Marry,"  is  appearing 
again  as  a  wife  this  season  in  Oscar  Wilde's  play  "The 
Ideal  Husband."  This  is  the  first  time  Broadway  has 
seen  this  charming  English  actress  in  a  leading  rdle, 
and  as  Lady  Chilton  she  is  being  cast  true  to  type 


PITY  THE  POOR  STAGE  DIRECTOR 

Players  must  be  both  roared  at  and  ca- 
joled as   they  are   drilled  in   their  parts 

By  CHARLES    BURNHAM 


THE  stage  director,  or  as  he  should  more 
properly  be  termed,  the  producer,  is  an 
individual,  quite,  if  not  absolutely,  neces- 
sary to  the  success  of  the  theatre.  Given  the  play, 
there  is  then  needed  one  upon  whose  sagacity  de- 
pends the  selection  of  the  proper  people  to  inter- 
pert  the  author's  meaning,  upon  whose  intelligence 
rests  the  suitable  illustration  of  the  play  about 
to  be  produced.  It  has  been  said  that  the 
actor's  power  to  represent  a  passion  is  a  gift, 
not  a  deliberate  artistic  effort  obtained  by  study. 
It  is  a  faculty,  to  be  developed  and  improved 
by  practice.  The  author  only  affords  the  actor 
an  opportunity  to  display  his  powers.  The  actor 
who  is  built  on  an  author,  is  merely  a  mouth- 
piece, not  an  artist,  for  he  should  obtain  his  in- 
spiration as  the  author  gets  his,  out  of  his  inner 
self.  Even  when  he  is  possessed  of  dramatic  in- 
stinct, the  guiding  genius  of  the  director  is 
needed  to  turn  the  art  of  the  actor  into  the 
right  channel. 

The  actor  of  to-day  lacks  the  schooling 
that  belonged  and  was  necessary  to  an 
actor  in  the  earlier  days  of  the  theatre,  and 
therefore  more  reliance  must  be  placed  upon 
the  director's  ability  to  inform  and  assist 
the  actor  in  the  assimilation  of  the  character  he 
is  to  enact.  Time  was  when  the  stage  director 
depended  upon  the  actor  to  help  him  in  his  task. 
He  would  give  the  simpler  stage  directions,  con- 
sidering it  the  province  of  the  actor  to  illustrate, 
to  embody,  and  perfect  the  meaning  of  the  au- 
thor by  judicious  additions  and  by-play.  He 
would  explain  the  purport  of  the  character  or 
scene,  and  leave  the  rest  to  the  actor.  The 
elder  Wallack,  who  in  his  time  guided  the  minds 
of  more  actors  than  perhaps  anyone  connected 
with  the  stage,  always  followed  this  course.  At 
the  conclusion  of  his  description  of  the  part  he 
would  say,  "You  must  paint  your  own  picture." 


EDWIN  BOOTH,  once  in  speaking  of  the  in- 
ability of  many  of  the  actors  of  his  time  to 
assimilate  their  roles,  said,  "We  have  not  the  nat- 
ural aptitude  for  dramatic  action,  the  inborn  dra- 
matic genius,  that  the  French  and  Italian  possess. 
The  poorest  and  most  uneducated  of  those  peo- 
ple have  an  unconscious  ease  and  eloquence  of 
gesture,  and  a  dramatic  delivery  of  sentences 
which  neither  the  Englishman,  the  American, 
nor  the  German  possess.  But  we  have  strong 
dramatic  instincts,  nevertheless,  when  rightly 
guided,  and  as  for  gesture  and  intonation,  we 
readily  'assume  a  virtue  if  we  have  it  not.' " 

Mr.  Booth  was  far  from  being  a  model  of 
patience  with  the  actor  at  rehearsal  and  was 
frequently  known  to  abruptly  leave  the  stage  in 
the  midst  of  a  rehearsal,  turning  over  the  duties 
to  an  assistant  with  the  remark,  "See  if  you 
can  instil  in  that  actor's  mind  some  regard  for 
himself,  some  reverence  for  his  art,  some  knowl- 
edge"— a  speech  generally  delivered  so  that  the 
offending  actor  could  make  no  mistake  as  to 
whom  it  was  intended  for.  In  speaking  of  stage 
directors,  Mr.  Booth  was  asked  whom  he  con- 
sidered the  best  director  of  his  day. 

"Henry  Irving,"  he  replied.  "He  possesses 
the  necessary  patience,  a  quality  which  I 
must  confess,  I  do  not  possess.  He  is  despotic  on 


his  stage,  commanding  all  points,  with  an  under- 
standing that  his  will  is  absolute  law,  that  it  Is 
'not  to  be  disputed,  whether  it  concerns  the  entry 
of  a  mere  messenger  who  bears  a  letter  or 
whether  it  is  the  reading  of  an  important  line 
by  Miss  Terry.  From  first  to  last  ha  rules  his 
stage  with  an  iron  will,  but  as  an  offset  to  this 
he  displays  a  patience  that  is  marvelous.  At  re- 
hearsal he  will  sit  upon  the  stage  among  his 
players,  watching  every  movement  and  listening 
to  every  word,  and  instantly  stopping  anyone — 
Miss  Terry  as  readily  as  the  messenger — who 
does  not  do  exactly  right.  Mr.  Irving  rises,  ex- 
plains the  fault  and  gives  the  proper  form,  and 
that  part  of  the  scene  is  immediately  repeated. 
As  he  is  very  exact  as  to  every  detail,  and  re- 
quires its  elaboration  to  a  nicety,  you  can  readily 
imagine  that  the  scene  does  not  quickly  reach 
perfection,  but  his  patience  holds  out  against 
every  test  it  receives.  Over  and  over  again  the 
line  is  recited,  or  the  bit  of  action  is  done, 
until  all  is  perfected.  At  his  theatre  one  sees 
the  perfection  of  stage  discipline  and  in  Mr. 
Irving  the  perfection  of  stage  patience." 

Stage  directors,  like  other  humans,  are  of 
many  minds  and  methods  in  their  work.  One 
will  call  out  to  the  offending  actor  with  an  ap- 
pealing voice,  begging  him  not  to  rrin  his — the 
director's — efforts,  hoping  to  reach  the  actor's 
understanding  with  a  plaintive  note.  Others  are 
sarcastic  and  bitter  in  their  remarks,  calling 
down  the  judgment  of  heaven  on  the  head  of 
the  offender,  praying  that  he  may  be  given  a 
glimmer  of  intelligence.  Regrettable  to  say,  there 
are  also  those  who  so  far  forget  themselves  and 
those  about  them  as  to  transcend  all  rules  of 
decorum. 


BUT,  directors,  like  artists,  have  their  tem- 
peraments, and  they  are  liberally  displayed 
while  at  work.  An  eminent  director,  one  of  the 
exponents  of  the  new  idea  in  the  art  of  the 
stage,  who  came  to  this  country  some  few  years 
ago  to  present  his  ideas,  would  frequently  stop 
a  rehearsal,  while  he  rended  the  air  with  ex- 
clamations that  would  not  pass  a  ?unday-school 
censor,  and  berated  some  unfortunate  actor  who 
had  failed  to  grasp  his  meaning.  Again  he 
would  frantically  pace  up  and  down  the  aisles, 
seemingly  pulling  his  hair  out  by  the  roots  in 
his  anguish  of  mind,  and  then,  by  way  of 
change,  would  throw  himself  down  on  the  floor, 
beating  the  carpets  with  his  hands,  declaring  by 
all  the  gods  of  mythology,  that  he  was  being 
driven  mad  by  the  stupidity  and  lack  of  compre- 
hension on  the  part  of  those  whom  he  was  re- 
hearsing. But,  with  all  his  temperament,  and 
his  vagary  of  action,  he  was  a  director  of  ability 
and  possessed  of  a  thorough  knowledge  of  his 
art. 

One  of  the  most  successful  managers  of  to- 
day, who  was  his  own  director  and  producer, 
who  is  frequently  referred  to  as  the  leader  of 
his  time,  has  reached  his  present  position  through 
ability  to  so  direct  a  performance  as  to  make  it 
notable.  His  aptitude  in  this  direction  is  some- 
thing akin  to  genius.  He  has  been  known  to 
take  a  play  almost  devoid  of  plot  and  situation, 
and  develop  it  into  a  popular  success,  solely 


through  his  skill  in  directing  the  actor  and  in 
properly  illustrating  the  play. 

The  late  Charles  Frohman  was  a  most  indul- 
gent, yet  capable  director,  with  a  companionable 
sort  of  way  and  possessing  the  necessary 
amount  of  patience  which  Booth  thought  so 
essential.  When  explaining  to  an  actor  some 
desired  bit  of  action  he  would  briefly  sketch  the 
point  and  then  wind  up  by  saying,  "You  see 
what  I  mean,  you  understand,"  thus  leaving  with 
the  actor  some  of  the  responsibility  for  develop- 
ing his  part.  While  patient  at  rehearsals  he 
was  wont  to  display  a  bit  of  sarcasm  if  he 
failed  in  receiving  a  proper  response  to  his  in- 
structions. Cnce  when  rehearsing  a  play  in 
which  Mrs.  Patrick  Campbell,  the  English 
actress  was  engaged,  he  suggested  a  bit  of  busi- 
ness to  which  the  actress  took  exception.  Walk- 
ing down  to  the  footlights,  she  called  to  Mr. 
Frohman,  who  was  seated  in  the  front  of  the 
house,  "I  object  to  that.  You  must  remember, 
I  am  an  artist." 

"All  right,"  retorted  the  manager,  "I  will  keep 
your  secret.  Now  let's  get  on  with  our  work." 


IN  former  times,  the  actor-manager,  one  who 
directed  his  performances,  and  at  the  same 
time  took  part  in  them,  was  more  in  evidence 
than  in  these  modern  days  of  the  drama. 
Booth,  Forrest,  Macready,  Wallack,  Irving,  in 
fact  all  the  great  historical  figures  of  the  stage, 
were  possessed  of  the  ability  to  direct.  The 
actor-manager  of  the  olden  day  was  a  great 
stickler  for  strict  obedience  in  following  direc- 
tions at  rehearsals,  and  autocratic  to  a  degree  in 
their  demands  upon  the  actor.  It  is  told  of 
Macready,  ^he  once  famous  English  tragedian, 
and  perhaps  one  of  the  most  arbitrary  directors 
of  the  old  school,  that  at  a  rehearsal  of  the 
banquet  scene  in  "Macbeth,"  the  First  Murderer, 
in  spite  of  Macready's  adjurations,  persisted  in 
walking  to  the  center  of  the  stage,  until  the 
tragedian  called  for  the  carpenter  and  had  a 
brass-headed  nail  hammered  upon  the  spot  where 
the  actor  should  stand.  "Now,  sir,"  said  Mac- 
beth to  the  Murderer,  "stand  upon  that  nail  un- 
til I  come  to  you."  When  the  night  perform- 
ance came  the  Murderer  entered,  walked  down 
the  stage  and  apparently  began  to  search  for 
something  he  had  dropped.  The  "house"  tittered. 
"In  heaven's  name,  what  are  you  about?"  audibly 
demanded  Macready.  As  audibly  replied  the 
actor,  "Why,  looking  for  that  confounded  nail 
of  yours." 

While  the  burden  lies  heavily  upon  the  direc- 
tor and  makes  him  more  or  less  of  a  serious 
turn  of  mind,  he  is  human  and  humorous.  Mary 
Anderson  and  Louis  James  were  appearing  in  a 
performance  of  "Romeo  and  Juliet,"  and  when  the 
tomb  scene  was  reached  and  Romeo  throws  him- 
self upon  the  supposedly  dead  body  of  Juliet,  the 
phial  from  which  he  was  to  derive  his  share  of 
the  poison,  could  not  be  found. 

"What  shall  I  do,"  exclaimed  Mr.  James  in 
an  undertone  to  the  director  in  the  wings.  Miss 
Anderson  convulsed  with  laughter  could  not 
offer  no  suggestion.  The  director,  an  English- 
man, deliberately  drawled  out,  "If  I  were  you, 
I  would  swallow  the  dagger." 


[202] 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  ip,iS 


Photos  White  Frank  Bacon  Harry  Uavenport  Ralph    Morgan 

Prologue:      Lightnin'   Bill  Jones,  who  has  had  plenty  of  experiences,  and 
is    not    averse    to    talking    about    them,    recounts    another    imaginary    tale 


Frank   Bacon         Ralph    Morgan 

Prologue:     Bill:     I  brought  you  over  these 

honeysuckle   shoots   to   plant  out   there   on 

your  mother's   grave 


Frank   Bacon  Bessie   Bacon 

Act  I.    Mrs.  Harper:     Isn't  that  trunk  heavy? 

Bill:      Not    when   you    know   how   to   handle 

trunks— it's    just    a    knack 


Jessie  Pringle 

Act   II.     Mrs.   Jones:      Please,   Bill,    I   don't   want   a 
divorce.      Will    you    forgive    me    and    take   me    back? 


Act  III.  Millie: 
Father,  are  you 
all  right?  Bill: 
Sure,  I  ain't  had 
a  drink  in  a 
month 


Act  III.  Bill:  1 
drove  a  swarm  of 
bees  across  the 
plains  in  the  dead 
af  winter  once 
and  never  lost 
a  bee 


Beatrice   Nichols       Frank   Bacon 


Jessie 


George  Spelvin 


Frank  Bacon 


HUMOR     AND     CHARM     IN     "LIGHTNIN'         AT     THE     GAIETY 


WANTED—A  LIBRETTIST 

The  reasons  'why,  in  musical  shows, 
the  singing  is   left    to   the   dancers 

By  CHARLTON  ANDREWS 


ACCORDING  to  the  press  agents  at  least, 
untold — or  rather,  very  often  told — 
millions  are  spent  on  annual  non-descript 
shows  of  the  Winter  Garden — Follies — Revue 
type.  The  money  is  spent,  it  would  ap- 
pear, principally  for  scenery,  costumes,  and 
pulchritude.  Whatever  is  left  over  is  invested 
in  comedians,  a  book,  and  lyrics.  According  to 
tradition  someone  must  sing  the  songs,  of 
course;  but  that  work  is  invariably  left  to  the 
dancers. 

Scenically  nowadays  all  our  shows,  being 
painted  by  Joseph  Urban,  are  successful.  In 
many  recent  instances,  too,  the  costumes  have 
actually  harmonized  with  the  background.  As 
for  feminine  loveliness,  it  varies  inversely  with 
the  square  of  the  distance  from  Mr.  Ziegfeld's 
office.  Show  girls  at  present  are  divided  into 
two  classes:  those  who  average  in  looks  above, 
and  those  who  average  below,  our  well-known 
conductorettes. 

Regret  it  as  the  producers  apparently  do,  all 
this  eye-banquet  has  to  be  unified  by  some  sort 
of  lines  and  relieved  by  one  grade  or  another 
of  appeal  to  the  ear.  The  masque  must  have  its 
anti-masque.  The  matter  of  music  presents  few 
difficulties.  There  are  always  the  good  old 
melodies  and  the  familiar  jazzeries  to  be  re- 
moulded as  close  as  possible  to  the  heart's  de- 
sire by  our  gifted  galaxy  of  composers.  Novelty 
or  the  vestige  of  an  idea  in  show  music  being  a 
calendered  crime,  nobody  in  Tinpan  Alley  cares 
to  chance  a  penitentiary  sentence. 

Naturally  it  is  easy  enough  for  the 
lyricists  to  accomplish  their  object  all 
sublime — to  make  the  punnishness  fit  the  rhyme, 
the  punnishness  fit  the  rhyme.  Anybody  in 
these  days  who  goes  to  a  musical  piece  and  can't 
predict  the  rhymes  for  nine  lines  out  of  every 
ten  in  the  lyrics  is  indeed  a  dull-pated-fellow  or 
else  one  whose  theatre-going  has  been  sadly 
neglected. 

The  state  of  affairs  is  just  as  well,  I  suppose, 
since  nobody  but  the  dancers  is  employed  to 
sing  these  songs.  No  one  begrudges  them  their 
little  fling  when  they  experiment  in  corporc  vili. 
That  they  dance  well  is  sufficient.  So  long  as 
Marilynn  Miller  pirouttes  like  incarnate  vouth. 


it  would  be  absurd  to  bother  about  what  happens 
when  she  lifts  up  her  voice  in  lyric  rapture. 

'lhat  brings  us  down  to  the  ''book,"  which  in 
musical  shows  means  the  few  expository  and 
the  many  pseudo-comic  lines  that  infest  the 
entertainment.  Once  in  a  while  at  the  Winter 
Garden  one  of  these  productions  makes  some 
initial  pretense  at  a  plot  to  account  for  the 
frequent  reappearance  of  the  same  characters 
in  one  costume  or  another  or  none  to  speak  of. 
But  usually  this  story  dies  young.  Messrs.  Zieg- 
feld,  Hitchcock,  and  Cohan  almost  never  take 
any  chances  with  anything  so  fractious  as  a 
plot. 

Without  a  story,  then,  the  lines,  except  when 
needed  to  explain  the  scenery,  have  nothing  to 
do  but  to  be  funny.  I  daresay  if  anybody  con- 
nected with  the  theatre  concerned — any  stage- 
hand, usher,  musician,  or  even  librettist — can 
think  of  any  funny  lines  while  the  piece  is  being 
prepared,  said  lines  are  incorporated.  If  not,  as 
would  probably  be  the  case,  the  hokum  store- 
house is  ransacked  for  whatever  is  oldest  and 
most  reliable  for  setting  off  the  crow-like 
chanticleer  those  innumerable  lungs  that  are 
tickle  o'  the  sere. 

Hokum,  of  course,  belongs  primarily  to  vaude- 
ville. That  is  why  managers  of  musical  pieces 
find  it  easiest  just  to  transfer  not  only  the  stuff 
itself  but  its  most  adept  perpetrators  direct  from 
the  variety  stage.  That  is  why  "scenery,  cos- 
tumes, girls,  and  vaudeville"  has  become  the 
established  formula  for  musical  shows. 

Personally,  I  am  very  fond  of  all  these 
ingredients,  when  they  are  Grade  A.  But 
I  can't  help  thinking  that  their  sum  total  is 
always  insufficient,  that  the  resultant  concoction 
lacks  seasoning,  that  there  is  a  sad  deficiency 
of  salt — Attic  salt.  There  was  a  Gilbert  once — ! 
Ah,  but  that's  entirely  too  much  to  expect  of 
the  Twentieth  Century. 

At  any  rate,  the  Winter  Garden  is  ever  with- 
out a  trace  of  anything  but  the  most  obvious 
travesty.  The  "Follies"  are  never  cleverly 
ratirical  except  in  the  scintillant  epigrams  of 
Will  Rogers,  which  stand  out  in  such  bold  re- 
lief against  the  background  of  routine  comedy. 
Once  in  a  while  there  is  a  gleam  of  true  bur- 


lesque in  what  Eddie  Cantor  chirps;  and  in  the 
good  old  days  of  Bert  Williams — but  why  dis- 
inter the  past?  Hitchcock  COULD  do  much;  but 
he  sticks  to  his  clowning. 

The  musical  showman  who  makes  the  greatest 
pretensions  to  the  satirical  is,  of  course,  George 
M.  Cohan.  His  two  revues  were  supposedly 
take-offs  on  the  plays  of  the  season.  In  the 
first  instance,  he  at  least  gave  much  promise.  A 
wit  as  nimble  as  the  author's  feet  played  about 
such  subject-matter  as  was  afforded  by  "Marie- 
Odile,"  "On  Trial,"  and  "Common  Clay." 

Great  hopes  were  aroused  by  the  first  Cohan 
Revue.  A  year  rolled  by  and  in  lieu  of  a  suc- 
cessor we  had  only  a  ban  mot  about  the  impos- 
sibility of  anything  being  funnier  than  the  serious 
plays  of  1916-1917.  And  this  last  season  brought 
us  from  our  most  patriotic  of  satirist  (if  not 
our  most  satirical  of  patriots) much  disappoint- 
ment. 

The  second  Cohan  Revue  turned  out  to  be 
just  another  girl-and-song  show,  with  vaude- 
ville by  Nora  Bayes,  et  a/.,  music  (to  say  nothing 
of  words)  by  Irving  Berlin,  and  all  the  old 
familiar  material.  When  the  author  would  be 
satirical,  he  only  repeated  what  he  had  given 
us  two  years  before.  Even  the  mimicry  was, 
for  the  most  part,  mere  literal  reproduction 
without  a  trace  of  the  ingenious  caricature  we 
so  eagerly  craved. 

So  taking  things  by  and  large  and  in  the  last 
analysis  and  all  that  sort  of  rot — as  Percy 
Ames  would  say — when  we  look  for  Attic  salt 
in  our  musical  show  fare,  we  needn't  look  any 
place  else  for  it  except  where  Fred  Stone  is. 
The  essence  of  wit  is  in  not  what  Stone  says 
so  much  as  in  what  he  does.  He  not  only  skates 
as  well  as  Charlotte,  but  he  caricatures  fancy 
skating.  Whatever  he  does,  indeed,  he  is  always 
making  merry  with  something  that  deserves  and 
can  stand  a  bit  of  quizzing. 

Will  Rogers  does  it  in  words ;  Stone  for  the 
most  part,  in  action. 

Some  day,  let  us  hope,  some  producer  will  do 
without  an  extra  scene  or  two,  and  invest  some 
of  his  money  in  Attic  salt  for  his  musical  show. 
Of  course,  the  first  thing  to  do  will  be  to  find 
a  librettist  with  salt  in  his  attic. 


THEATRE  THOUGHTS 


STRANGE  that  Billy  Sunday  has  not  joined 
the  Lambs  or  the  Friars,  along  with  the 
other  actors. 

If  Julia  Sanderson  keeps  on  growing  younger 
each  year,  the  Gerry  Society  will  soon  prevent 
her  from  appearing  on  the  stage. 

Instead  of  being  stuffed  with  sawdust,  the 
Dolly  Sisters  seem  to  be  filled  with  quicksilver. 

There  has  been  speculation  about  George 
Cohan's  middle  name.  The  "M"  generally  ac- 
credited to  him  is  simply  a  "W"  inverted  by  a 


careless    typesetter,    and    stands,    of    course,    for 
"Washington." 

Lenore  Ulric,  star  of  "Tiger  Rose,"  used  to 
spell  her  name  "Leonore  Ulrich."  As  her  fame 
expanded,  her  signature  contracted. 

Lillian  Russell  assures  the  purchasers  of  "The 
Lillian  Russell  Toilet  Preparations"  that  she 
herself  expects  to  use  these  aids  to  beauty— 
eventually. 

Raymond  Hitchcock  has  hope  of  eventually 
becoming  editor  of  "The  Review  of  Revues." 


It  was  thought  that  the  climax  had  been 
reached  when  "Under  Orders"  was  produced 
with  only  two  characters  in  the  cast,  but  Elsie 
Janis  is  now  preparing  to  give  an  imitation  of 
an  all-star  cast. 

Mary  Pickford's  coat-of-arms  consists  of  a 
cash-register  and  the  motto  "Cash!" 

For  years  Houdini  has  broken  out  of  hand- 
cuffs and  straight  jackets,  and  now  he  has  broken 
into  the  movies. 

Laurette  Taylor  never  forgets  her  Manners. 


[204] 


Theatre  Magazine,  October, 

• 


First  New  York  actors  and 
actresses,  members  of  the 
Over  There  Theatre  League, 
to  sail  for  France  to  entertain 
American  soldiers  at  the  front 

Sitting  (Left  to  right) :  Roland 
Young,  Margaret  Mayo,  Elizabeth 
Brice,  Will  Morrissey,  Inez  Wil- 
son, Henry  Souvaine 
Second  row:  Helen  Goff,  Howard 
T.  Collins,  Helene  Davis,  James  F. 
Kelly,  Emma  Pollock,  Will  M. 

Cressy,  Blanche  Dayne 
Standing:  Will  J.  Kennedy,  Paula 
Sherman,  Amy  Horton,  Hal  Pier- 
son,  Madeline  Glynn,  Kate  Condon, 
Alfred  Armand,  Leo  J.  Donnelly, 
D.  C.  Maclver,  Tony  Hunting, 
Corinne  Frances,  Burton  Green 
and  Irene  Franklin 


Rochlitz 


MRS.  FARRAR 


The  most  recent  portrait  of 
Geraldine     Farrar's     mother 


Photo  Marcia  Stein 


Jacques  Copeau  and  his 
French  players  rehears- 
ing on  Otto  H.  Kahn's 
estate,  Morristown,  N.  J., 
for  the  new  season  at 
the  Vieux  Colombier 


JOSEPH   KLAW 

Son  of  the  well-known 
manager,  Marc  Klaw, 
and  launching  this  season 
into  managerial  enter- 
prises on  his  own  ac- 
count, making  his  ddbut 
as  a  producer  with  a 
piece  called  "Some 
Night."  This  picture 
shows  him  in  the  uniform 
of  a  corporal  of  the  71st 
Infantry,  U.  S.  A. 


ANDREW   LAWLOR 
The   eleven-year-old    boy    who   plays    the 
title     rdle     in     "Penrod"     at     the    Globe 


OVER      HERE      AND      O  V  E  R      THERE      IN      T  H  E      T  H  E  A  T  R  E 


AND  STAGE 

Despite  prejudice,  many  we//  known  play- 
ers the  sons  and  daughters  of  clergymen 

By  HAROLD   SETON 


DURING  the  Middle  Ages  church  and 
stage  were  closely  associated.  In  fact, 
the  latter  was  part  and  parcel  of  the 
former.  There  were  no  theatres,  and  strolling 
players  were  merely  singers,  dancers,  jugglers 
and  acrobats.  But  Miracle  Plays  were  presemed 
in  the  churches  at  regular  intervals,  principally 
at  Christmas  and  Eastertime,  all  the  parts  being 
interpreted  by  priests  and  acolytes.  At  a  later 
date  Morality  Plays  were  introduced,  still  un- 
der ecclesiastical  auspices,  although  no  longer 
acted  in  the  cathedrals. 

Oliver  Cromwell,  in  righteous  indignation, 
closed  the  theatres,  but  they  were  soon  reopened, 
during  the  reign  of  Charles  the  Second,  the  Merry 
Monarch.  The  dramatists  of  the  Restoration 
wrote  brilliant  but  indecent  comedies,  and 
stage-players  were  naturally  eyed  askance.  Nell 
Gwynn,  the  royal  favorite,  had  originally  sold 
oranges  at  the  Drury  Lane  Theatre.  Samuel 
Pepys,  the  famous  diarist,  speaks  of  seeing 
women  on  the  stage  for  the  first  time,  until  then 
all  the  characters  having  been  taken  by  men. 

As  generation  followed  generation,  and  the 
theatre  gained  in  general  popularity,  the  old 
prejudice  against  actors  was  overcome  to  a  con- 
siderable extent,  but  church  and  stage  were  still 
separated  as  completely  as  were  the  sheep  and 
the  goats  of  the  Scripture  parable.  When 
Queen  Victoria  came  to  the  throne  players  lived 
in  a  little  world  of  their  own,  and  were  seldom 
encountered  in  polite  society,  although  then,  as 
now,  men  of  wealth  and  position  sometimes 
married  stage-women. 


BEFORE  long,  however,  one  after  another, 
ladies  and  gentlemen  went  on  the  stage,  or 
persons  already  on  the  stage  became  recognized 
as  ladies  and  gentlemen.  Queen  Victoria  com- 
manded various  thespians  to  appear  before  her, 
and  was  especially  partial  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ken- 
dal.  Albert  Edward,  as  Prince  of  Wales  and  as 
King  of  England,  was  always  devoted  to  the 
stage  and  cordial  to  the  players.  Knighthoods 
were  bestowed  upon  Henry  Irving,  John  Hare, 
Charles  Wyndham,  George  Alexander,  Herbert 
Beerbohm  Tree  and  Johnston  Forbes-Robertson. 
Certain  playwrights  were  similarly  favored, 
such  as  James  M.  Barrie  and  Arthur  Wing 
Pinero. 

Many  actors  and  actresses  of  the  present  gen- 
eration are  of  gentle  birth  and  excellent  connec- 
tions, and  quite  a  number  are  sons  and  daugh- 
ters of  clergymen.  It  is  true  that  these  cases  of 
church  affiliations  have  been  much  more  fre- 
quent in  England  than  in  America,  but  that  is 
simply  because  there  is  an  older  culture  in  the 
land  of  Shakespeare  than  on  this  side  of  the 
water.  It  may  prove  of  interest  to  enumerate 
just  a  few  examples,  some  of  which  may  come 
as  a  surprise  to  the  majority  of  readers. 

The  famous  Vanbrugh  sisters,  Violet,  who 
married  the  actor-m.anager,  Arthur  Bourchier, 
and  Irene,  who  married  the  actor-manager,  Dion 
Boucicault  are  the  daughters  of  the  Reverend 
Prebendary  Barnes,  of  Exeter.  Violet's  most 
noted  roles  have  been  in  "The  Case  of  Rebell- 
ious Susan,"  "Whitewashing  Julia,"  "The  Walls 


of  Jericho,'  "Samson"  and  "The  Woman  in  the 
Case,"  and  Irene's  most  noted  roles  have  been 
in  "The  Liars,"  "Trelawney  of  the  Wells,"  "His 
Excellency  the  Governor."  "Letty"  and  "The 
Gay  Lord  Quex." 

Lilly  Langtry,  who  was  in  her  day  a  grtat 
theatrical  attraction,  because  of  her  remarkable 
beauty  rather  than  her  histrionic  ability,  was  ilhe 
daughter  of  the  Very  Reverend  W.  C.  E.  Le 
Breton,  Dean  of  Jersey.  Her  principal  vogue 
was  in  England,  but  she  made  frequent  tours 
of  the  United  States.  Lena  Ashwell,  who  dis- 
played exceptional  talent  in  "Mrs.  Dane's  De- 
fence," "The  Darling  of  the  Gods,"  and  "Ma- 
dame X,"  is  a  daughter  of.  Captain  Pocock,  of 
the  Royal  Navy,  who  in  later  life  became  a 
clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England. 


BASIL  GILL,  a  London  favorite,  is  the  son  of 
the  Reverend  John  Gill,  of  Cambridge. 
Charles  Hawtrey,  another  London  favorite,  is  the 
son  of  the  Reverend  John  Hawtrey,  a  master  at 
Eton.  His  best  known  roles  have  been  in  "A 
Message  From  Mars,"  "Lady  Hunt-worth's  Ex- 
periment" and  "The  Man  From  Blankley's." 
The  late  Kyrle  Bellew,  for  many  years  asso- 
ciated with  Mrs.  Brown  Potter,  the  American 
beauty  who  abandoned  society  for  the  stage,  was 
a  son  of  the  Reverend  J.  C.  M.  Bellew,  a  clergy- 
man of  London. 

Charles  Brookfield,  successful  as  an  actor  and 
an  author,  was  the  son  of  the  Reverend  W.  H. 
Brookfield.  In  1911  he  was  appointed  a  censor 
of  the  plays  produced  in  England.  Percy  Bur- 
ton, who  has  appeared  as  an  actor,  but  is  best 
known  as  manager  for  Charles  Wyndham, 
Henry  Irving,  John  Hare,  and  Forbes-Robertson, 
is  a  son  of  the  Reverend  E.  Burton.  Matheson 
Lang,  who  was  born  in  Canada,  but  has  gained 
renown  in  England,  South  Africa  and  America, 
is  the  son  of  the  Reverend  Gavin  Lang,  a  cousin 
of  the  Archbishop  of  York  who  visited  America 
at  the  suggestion  of  the  British  government.  His 
noted  roles  are  in  "Hamlet,"  and  "The  School 
for  Scandal,"  and  he  created  the  title  role  in 
"Mr.  Wu." 

F.  R.  Benson,  famous  for  Irs  Shakespearean 
productions,  having  given  semi-annual  perform- 
ances at  Stratford-on-Avon  since  1887,  is  a 
nephew  of  the  late  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
and  his  connection  with  the  stage  has  assuredly 
not  tarnished  the  family  name  and  tradition. 
Keble  Howard,  who  has  written  many  novels 
and  plays,  is  the  son  of  the  Reverend  G.  E. 
Bell,  vicar  of  Henley-in-Arden,  Warwickshire. 
Anthony  Hope,  who  has  also  written  novels  and 
plays,  is  the  son  of  the  Reverend  E.  C  Haw- 
kins, vicar  of  St.  Bride's,  Fleet  Street,  London. 


OTHER  British  novelist-playwrights  include 
Robert  Hichens,  who  is  the  son  of  the 
Reverend  Canon  Hichens,  rector  of  St.  Stephen's, 
Canterbury,  and  Jerome  K.  Jerome,  who  is  the 
son  of  the  Reverend  Jerome  C.  Jerome.  The  re- 
ligious note  is  struck  in  Mr.  Hichens'  play,  "The 
Garden  of  Allah,"  and  in  Mr.  Jerome's  play. 
"The  Passing  of  the  Third  Floor  Back." 


In  America  Otis  Skinner  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  leading  players  before  the  public.  He  is 
the  son  of  the  Reverend  Charles  A.  Skinner,  of 
Cambridge,  Massachusetts.  His  production  of 
"Kismet"  was  a  notable  one.  Hartley  Manners 
was  formerly  an  actor,  but  is  best  known  for 
the  series  of  successful  plays  he  has  written  for 
his  actress-wife,  Laurette  Taylor.  These  plays 
include  "Peg  o'  My  Heart,"  "Over  There"  and 
"Happiness."  Mr.  Manners  was  educated  for 
the  Roman  Catholic  priesthood,  as  was  also  that 
excellent  character-actor.  Leo  Ditrichstein.  who 
is  the  son  of  Count  Ditrichstein,  of  Austria. 

Charles  Rann  Kennedy,  who  made  his  mark 
as  an  actor  before  achieving  fame  as  a  play- 
wright, studied  for  the  ministry,  and  this  in- 
Huence  is  seen  in  his  celebrated  drama,  "The 
Servant  in  the  House."  He  is  the  husband  of 
Edith  Wynne  Matthison..  Reginald  de  Koven, 
author  of  many  musical  comedies,  including 
"Robin  Hood,"  "Rob  Roy"  and  "The  Highway- 
ruin,"  is  the  son  of  the  Reverend  Henry  de 
Koven. 

Marie  Wainwright,  for  many  years  a  popular 
player,  is  a  daughter  of  Commodore  Wainwright, 
United  States  Navy,  and  a  granddaughter  of 
Bishop  Wainwright.  Flora  Zabelle,  who  has  ap- 
peared in  many  musical  comedies,  and  is  the  wife 
cf  Raymond  Hitchcock,  the  comedian,  is  a 
daughter  of  the  Reverend  M.  M.  Mangasarian, 
of  Constantinople.  Al  Jolson,  one  of  the  great 
favorites  of  the  Winter  Garden  productions,  is 
the  son  of  a  cantor  in  a  Jewish  synagogue  of 
Washington,  D.  C.  Carmel  Meyers,  a  moving- 
picture  star,  is  the  daughter  of  a  rabbi,  and  also 
has  a  rabbi  for  an  uncle.  Houdini  is  the  son  of 
a  rabbi. 


SO  the  days  are  past  when  the  church  could 
despise  the  stage,  or  when  actors  could  be 
regarded  as  l:eyond  the  pale.  And  yet  many  of  us 
can  remember  how  "The  Little  Church  Around 
the  Corner"  gained  its  nickname,  by  extending 
the  hand  of  fellowship  to  players  who  had  been 
slighted  at  other  houses  of  worship.  An  actor 
even  abandoned  the  stage  in  order  to  become 
minister  of  this  congregation.  Nowadays  many 
actors  and  actresses  are  church-goers  and  even 
church-members,  and  when  Mrs.  Gilbert,  "The 
Grand  Old  Lady  O'f  the  Stage,"  passed  away  a 
church  honored  her  memory  with  a  memorial 
window. 

Cardinal  Farley,  of  New  York,  has  expressed 
his  approval  of  a  society  composed  of  players 
who  are  Roman  Catholics.  The  devout  adherents 
of  this  faith  include  George  M.  Cohan,  Wilton 
Lackaye,  Fritz  Williams,  John,  Lionel  and  Ethel 
Barrymore,  John  McCormack,  Andrew  Mbck, 
Brandon  Tynan,  Mary  Anderson,  Marie  Cahill, 
and  Eleanor  Robson,  now  Mrs.  August  Belmont. 

Another  religious  denomination  that  includes 
many  stage  celebrities  among  its  adherents  is 
Christian  Science.  Those  interested  are  Emma 
Dunn,  Effie  Shannon,  Isabel  Irving,  Nora 
Bayes,  Bessie  McCoy  Davis,  Lillian  Russell, 
Mrs.  Richard  Mansfield,  Henrietta  Crosman, 
Edna  Aug  and  Ruth  St.  Denis.  Also  Henry 
Jewett,  Malcolm  Dunn,  and  William  Norris. 


206 


Theatre  Magazine,  October, 


Photos  Bachrach 

While   DeWolf   Hopper   amuses   audiences   at  the    Hippodrome,   his 

wife  and  son  find  entertainment  in  watching  the  airplanes   that  fly 

over  their  charming  home  at  Great  Neck,  L.  I. 


"It  is  motherhood  that  links  a  woman  with  heaven,"  says  Blanche 
Bates  (Mrs.  George  Creel),  "and  makes  the  ways  of  earth  a  path 
enchanted  to  her  feet.  With  earth  and  heaven  in  her  heart,  how 
can  she  help  being  able  to  give  a  truer  expression  to  stage  ideas 
and  ideals  than  the  artist  to  whom  the  crown  of  motherhood  is 
denied?"  That  Miss  Bates  practices  what  she  preaches  may  be 
seen  by  the  evidence  below. 


We  are  not  accustomed  to  seo 
a  premiere  danseuse  as  she  ap- 
pears in  the  seclusion  of  her 
own  library  in  private  attire. 
But  this  attractive  young  wo- 
man is  no  other  than  Rosina 
Galli  of  the  Metropolitan 
Opera  House  ballet 


GLIMPSES     INTO     PROMINENT     PERSONALITIES'     HOME     LIFE 


White 


THE  S 


ALBERTA  BURTON 


MISS  ALBERTA  BURTON,  the  young 
woman    about    whom    all    the    fuss   is 
made    in    "She    Walked    in    Her    Sleep*'    at 
the  Playhouse — is  one   of  the   minute   girls 
of    the    stage.       She    was    ready    when    her 
chance  came.     George  Broadhurst   saw   her 
in     "Toot     Toot"     and     next     day     secured 
her  signature  to  a  contract 


CHARLES   MEREDITH 

'T'HIS    emotional    young    hero    of    "Alle- 
giance"    literally    j  umped    into    Broad- 
way  success,  for  he  jumped  out  of  one  of 
the    pages    of    the    big    stage    book    in    the 
playlet    "The    Best    Sellers"     presented    at 
the    Fulton    by    the    Actors'    and    Authors' 
Theatre.     He    is    the    something    good    that 
has    come    out    of   the    Washington    Square 
Players 


©  Hixon-Connelly 


LYDIA   DICKSON 


V17HO  has  made  a  distinct  hit  as  Osprey 
Mandelharper,  the  man  hunter  in  "A 
Very  Good  Young  Man,"  at  the  Plymouth, 
came  out  of  the  West.  She  is  not  a  novice. 
She  was  a  contemporary  and  rival  of 
Douglas  Fairbanks  in  the  Denver  dramatic 
school  in  which  both  were  trained  for  the 
stage.  For  five  years  she  supported  Thomas 
Ross  and  frivolled  funnily  in  "Excuse  Me." 
She  figured  in  "Checkers,"  "The  Silver 
Wedding,"  "Fine  Feathers"  and  "Good 
Gracious,  Annabelle" 


ALAN    DIXEHART 

T T  has  become  "The  Thing"  to  recruit 
•*•  the  dramatic  stage  from  vaudeville. 
Comedy  is  the  door  of  entrance  or  the 
bridge  from  the  humbler  to  the  higher 
form  of  entertainment.  Alan  Din'ehart, 
whose  every  utterance  as  the  waiter  in 
*'A  Very  Good  Man,"  is  a  signal  for 
laughter,  is  one  of  these  recruits.  He 
was  best  known  in  the  varieties  for  his 
characterization  in  'The  Meanest  Man  in 
the  World,"  in  which  sketch  he  has 
played  all  the  big-time  houses  from 
Coast  to  Coast 


©  Hartsook 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  1918 


MR.  HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY 


GAIETY.  -LIGHTNIN'."  Play  in 
three  acts  by  Winchell  Smith  and 
Frank  Bacon.  Produced  on  August 
26  with  this  cast: 


Lightnin'  Bill  Jones 
John    Marvin 
Raymond  Thomas 
Lemuel  Townsend 
Rodney  Harper 
Everett  Hammond 
Nevin  Blodgett 
Oscar  Nelsen 
Fred  Peters 
Walter  Lennon 
Zeb  Crothers 
Liveryman 
Hotel  Clerk 
Mildred  Buckley 
Mrs.  Jones 
Margaret  Davis 
Mrs.  Harper 
Freda 

Emily  Jarvis 
Mrs.  Moore 
Mrs.  Jordan 
Mrs.  Brainerd 
Mrs.  Starr 
Mrs.  Cogshall 
Mrs.  Brewer 


Frank  Bacon 
Ralph   Morgan 
Paul  Stanton 
Thomas  Maclarnie 
Harry  Davenport 
E.  J.  Blunkall 
Sam  Coit 
George  Thompson 
Sidney  Coburn 
William  F.  Granger 
George  Spelvin 
Fred  Conklin 
James  C.  Lane 
Beatrice  Nichols 
Jessie  Pringle 
Jane  Oaker 
Bessie  Bacon 
Beth  Martin 
Sue  Wilson 
Phyllis  Rankin 
Minnie  Palmer 
May  Duryea 
Frances  Kennan 
Ruth  Towle 
Helen  Story 


ACTORS  will  write  plays,  and 
most  of  the  time  the  product 
is  of  the  theatre  theatrical.  It  is 
so  with  "Lightnin', "  which  Frank 
Bacon  has  been  nursing  for  these 
many  years,  and  which  Winchell 
Smith  has  doctored  into  shape  for 
him.  But  in  this  instance,  the  au- 
thors have  put  into  their  play  some- 
thing— a  character,  in  fact,  that 
seems  to  have  been  drawn  from 
life. 

Bill  Jones,  derisively  nicknamed 
"Lightnin' "  because  of  his  laziness, 
is  a  combination  of  the  village 
loafer,  the  village  drunkard,  and  the 
village  liar.  In  addition  to  this,  he 
is  witty  and  fundamentally  honest. 
When  the  land  sharks  persuade  his 
credulous  wife  to  sell  the  old  home 
and  divorce  her  husband,  who  re- 
fuses to  sign  the  deed,  Bill,  with 
the  aid  of  the  youth  who  courts  his 
foster-daughter,  turns  up  in  time  to 
put  a  quietus  on  the  whole  nefarious 
project. 

Obviously  old  stuff,  this,  as  you 
see.  But  Lightnin'  himself  is  so 
quaintly  humorous  and  lovable  that 
the  rusty  plot  never  for  a  minute 
interferes  with  his  comic  effective- 
ness. It  is  true  that  the  prologue 
and  the  first  act  drag  considerably, 
while  Lightnin'  is  not  holding  the 
center  .of  the  stage.  But  the  court- 
room scene  in  Act  II  is  more  gen- 
uinely amusing  than  anything  of  the 
sort  I  have  seen  in  many  a  long  day 

Mr.   Bacon's  impersonation   of  the 


central  figure  is  Jeffersonian  in  its 
simplicity  and  understanding.  He  is 
satisfactorily  aided  by  a  long  cast, 
noteworthy  among  whom  are  Ralph 
Morgan  as  Lightnin'  's  youthfu' 
friend  and  attorney;  Thomas  Mac- 
larnie as  a  sentimental  judge;  Harry 
Davenport  as  a  highly  plausible  vil- 
lain; Jessie  Pringle  as  the  gullible 
wife;  and  Beatrice  Nichols  as  the 
daughter. 

A  special  word  of  prasie  is  due  to 
Jane  Oaker,  who  characterizes  with 
skill  a  vaudeville  dancer  seeking  a 
divorce  in  Reno. 


PLYMOUTH.  "A  VERY  GOOD 
YOUNG  MAN."  Comedy  in  three  acts 
by  Martin  Brown.  Produced  on 
August  19  with  this  cast  : 


Mrs.  Hannigan 
Pearl  Hannigan 
Walter  Hannigan 
Katie  Hannigan 
Dutch  Grogan 
Mrs.  Mandelharper 
Osprey  Mandelharper 
Leroy  Gumph 
Elmer  Erdwurm 
Fred  Pantzer 
Birdie  Pantzer 
Minnie  Pintitten 


Josephine  Meyer 

Ruth  Findlay 

Frank  Longacre 

Fannie  Bourke 

Harold  Salter 

Ada  Lewis 

Lydia  Dickson 

Wallace  Eddinger 

Alan  Dinehart 

William  H.  Elliott 

Marion  Dyer 

Grace  Knell 


George    Wemyss-Daingerfield 

St.   Clair   Bayfield 

Pebolita  Berrigan         Eleanor  Boardman 
The  Roaches'  Second  Cousin 

Clarke  Williams 

BEWARE  of  the  young  man  with 
no  vices."  That  is  the  theme  ol 
Martin  Brown's  clever  farce  comedy, 
"A  Very  Good  Young  Man"  —  a  piece 
quite  Dickensonian  in  atmosphere  and 
characters  which  recently  provided 
a  capital  evening's  entertainment  at 
the  Plymouth. 

Leroy  Gumph,  a  sober,  hard-work- 
ing young  chap  who  is  shortly  to  be 
promoted  to  $17  a  week,  is  engaged 
to  marry  Pearl  Hannigan,  a  demure 
and  unsophisticated  young  person  of 
the  East  Side.  Pearl's  mother  and 
sister  —  always  quarrelling  among 
themselves  —  are  inclined  to  scoff  at 
Pearl's  young  man,  declaring  he  is 
altogether  too  good  to  be  genuine. 
This  view  is  sustained  by  Mrs. 
Mandelharper,  a  vinegary  and  social- 
ly ambitious  undertaker's  widow, 
who  loudly  denounces  all  men  as 
imposters. 

"Every  one  of  "em,"  she  declares, 
"breaks  out  sooner  or  later  and  no 
doubt  Leroy  is  only  waiting  an 
opportunity  to  sow  his  wild  oats." 

This  kind  of  talk  convinces  Pearl 
that  her  sweetheart  is  hiding  his 
true  character,  and  when  he  runs  in 


jubilantly  to  tell  her  that  the  ex- 
pected $2  raise  has  come  at  last,  the 
announcement  leaves  her  cold.  She 
takes  him  to  task  for  his  conceit. 
Bewildered,  he  demands  an  explana- 
tion, and  when  he  finds  that  she  is 
ready  to  break  off  the  engagement 
because  he  does  not  drink  or  stay 
out  at  nights  like  other  fellows,  he 
makes  up  his  mind  to  be  a  bounder 
like  the  rest. 

So  Act  II  finds  him  going  tTie 
pace  at  Pantzer's  Pier  Pavilion, 
Sheepshead  Bay,  where  he  has  gone 
with  Mrs.  Mandelharper's  daughter, 
a  desperate  husband  hunter  who  has 
lines  out  for  every  male  she  meets— 
a  delicious  part.  Here  the  fun 
waxes  fast  and  furious.  Leroy 
opens  champagne  for  the  crowd, 
hugs,  and  dances  with  all  the  girls 
and  makes  a  general  ass  of  himself. 
A  feature  of  the  act  is  a  quartet  of 
singing  waiters,  who  at  a  signal  from 
the  head  waiter,  suddenly  stop  in 
the  act  of  serving  and  burst  into 
song. 

Leroy  is  hopelessly  compromised 
and  returns  to  Pearl  confident  of 
her  approval,  but  to  his  amazement 
she  refuses  to  have  anything  to  do 
with  him,  complaining  that  his  con- 
duct has  broken  her  heart. 

"But  didn't  you  tell  me  to  do  it?" 
he  asks. 

"Yes — but  I  didn't  expect  you 
would,"  is  the  inconsistent  and  quite 
feminine  answer. 

The  foregoing  brief  outline  of 
the  plot  fails  to  do  justice  to  the 
wit  and  sparkling  quality  of  the  dia- 
logue, the  fun  of  the  situations,  and 
the  cleverness  of  the  character  draw- 
ing. Mrs.  Mandelharper,  a  Mala- 
prop  of  the  East  Side,  as  played  by 
Ada  Lewis,  is  a  sheer  delight.  While 
she  is  on  the  stage  {he  audience  is 
kept  in  convulsions  of  laughter. 
Wallace  Eddinger  is  always  the 
same,  but  this  performance  ranks 
with  his  best  which  is  saying  a  good 
deal.  Ruth  F"indlay  makes  a  pretty 
and  sympathetic  Pearl,  Alan  Dine- 
hart is  capital  as  the  head  waiter — 
a  character  worthy  of  Dickens — and 
Lydia  Dickson  was  the  little  feminine 
bounder  is  the  hit  of  the  play. 

The  public  failed  to  appreciate  the 
play  and  it  only  had  a  short  run— 
which  is  a  reflection  on  New  York's 
judgment. 

COHAN  AND  HARRIS.  "THREE 
FACES  EAST."  Play  in  three  acts  by 
Anthony  Paul  Kelly.  Produced  on 


[  209  ] 


August  13,  with  the  following  cast: 


Kugler 

Helen 

Colonel  Von  Ritter 

Captain  Luchow 

George  Bennett 

Lieut.  Arthur  Bennett 

Valdar 

Thompson 

Mrs.  George  Bennett 

Dorothy 

Miss  Risdon 

Hewlett 

Yeats 

Brixton 

Lieut.  Frank  Bennett 

Nurse 


Joseph  Selman 

Violet  Heming 

Fred  J.  Fairbanks 

Otto  Niemeyer 

Charles  Harbury 

Frank  Westei  ton 

Emtnett  Corrigan 

Herbert  Evans 

Marion  Grey 

Grace  Ade 

Cora  Witherspoon 

Harry  Lambart 

Frank  Sheridan 

David  L.  Leonard 

William  Jeffrey 

Mary  Ilene  Mack 


THREE  FACES  EAST"  is  a 
sort  of  combination  of  "Under 
Cover"  and  "Cheating  Cheaters," 
with  a  war  intelligence  background. 
It  is  a  trick  play  of  mystification 
carried  to  the  nth  power,  wherein 
half  a  dozen  spies  may  or  may  not 
originally  belong  to  this  or  that 
secret  service  as  the  case  may  be. 
Need  I  add  that  the  heroine  has 
nursed  her  wounded  lover  back  to 
life  in  a  hospital  behind  the  lines? 

The  prologue  in  Germany  and 
Act  I  in  a  British  cabinet  minister's 
home,  flow  along  as  engrossing  dra- 
matic narrative  about  young  ''Fraii- 
lein  Helene,"  who  is  sent  by  the 
Huns  to  England  and  received  into 
the  minister's  household.  There  she 
finds  a  mysterious  butler,  who  greets 
her  with  the  password,  "Three 
Faces  East." 

Then  begins  double-crossing  doubly 
redoubled.  The  arch  Teuton  spy, 
Franz  Boelke,  is  being  sought  by  the 
British.  During  the  chase  so  many 
agents  appear  now  on  on  this  and 
now  on  that  side  of  the  fence  that 
the  spectator  at  length  could  scarcely 
be  surprised  if  the  cabinet  minister 
turned  out  to  be  Boelke  and  the 
Scotland  Yard  man  were  the  kaiser 
with  a  clean  shave. 

However,  there  is  always  the 
thought  that  high-priced  "heavies" 
like  Emmet  Corrigan  are  rarely  em- 
ployed to  play  secondary  heroes  or 
even  secondary  villains,  and  that 
leading  ladies  like  Violet  Heming  in 
melodrama  never  prove  to  be 
hardened  adventuresses. 

Obviously  the  play  is  all  intricate 
Sam  Lloyd  with  scarcely  a  note  of 
human  interest.  Its  success  will  de- 
pend on  the  number  of  puzzle-lovers 
among  our  theatregoers. 

The  acting  and  the  direction  are 
expert  throughout.  London  is  bom- 
barded and  the  audience  gassed  at 
the  end  of  the  second  act.  Mr. 
Corrigan  is  a  model  of  suavity  and 
forcefulness  as  the  mysterious  butler. 
Miss  Heming  plays  the  "fraiilein" 
with  appealing  skill.  Among  the 


other  men  Charles  Harbury  as  the 
cabinet  minister,  Frank  Sheridan  and 
Harry  Lambart  as  Scotland  Yarders, 
and  William  Jeffrey  as  the  lad  who 
returns  from  the  front  just  in  time 
to  supply  Miss  Heming  with  a  lover, 
are  all  that  well-acted  melodrama  can 
demand.  Marion  Grey  does  nobly 
with  her  bit  of  pathos. 


BOOTH.  "WATCH  YOUR  NEIGH- 
BOR." Play  in  three  acts  by  Leon 
Gordon  and  Le  Roy  Clemens.  Pro- 
duced on  September  2  with  this 
cast: 

Corporal  Greene  Le  Roy  Clemens 

Commissioner  Alexander  Loftus 

MajorTomms  Frederick  Esmelton 

Captain  Fielding  Gerald  Pring 

Captain  Bennett  Leon  Gordon 

Sergeant  Birdseye          Stanley  Harrison 
Edith  By  Herself 

Dorothy  Farnham  Mary  Servoss 

Mr.  Dudley  Emil  Hoch 

Mrs.  Patch  Ruby  Hallier 

Comrade  Deversalles  Harold  Vosburgh 
Karl  Dore  Rogers 

Comrade  Olganoff,  of  Russia 

Bertram  Marburgh 
Comrade  Nagle,  of  Germany 

Dodson  L.  Mitchell 
Comrade  Pastorelli,  of  Italy 

Edward  Colebrook 
Comrade  Beaubien,  of  France 

John  De  Briac 
Comrade  Bergstoff,  of  Austria 

Charles  Fisher 

A  DELUGE  of  spy  plays  has 
swept  the  stage  early  in  the 
new  season — most  of  them  thrillers 
of  the  penny  dreadful  order.  Yet, 
artless  and  crude  as  these  hastily 
constructed  pieces  may  be,  they  all 
appear  to  interest  and  hold  audiences. 
The  reason,  of  course,  is  not  far  to 
seek.  Any  subject  connected  with 
the  war  is  so  timely,  so  perfectly  in 
tune  with  what  is  uppermost  in 
everyone's  mind,  that  the  theatregoer 
swallows  every  war  play  greedily  and 
cries  for  more. 

"Watch  Your  Neighbor"  is  easily 
a  winner  among  the  sensational 
dramas  of  its  kind.  It  is  thrilling 
and  what  is  better — it  is  amusing. 
Improbable  it  is  in  spots — what  self- 
respecting  melodrama  isn't?- — but  the 
hero,  apparently  a  "silly  ass"  Eng- 
lishman but  really  a  nimble-witted 
secret  service  man,  at  all  times  com- 
mands our  respect  and  never  fails  to 
tickle  our  risibilities. 

English,  American  and  Italian 
pacifists,  lured  on  by  German  spies, 
agree  to  call  on  their  nationals  in 
the  trenches  to  throw  down  their 
arms  at  a  given  moment,  the  under- 
standing being  that  the  Germans  will 
do  the  same.  It  is,  of  course,  only 
a  trap,  the  Germans  planning  to  at- 
tack in  overwhelming  force  directly 
the  Italians,  French,  British  and 
Americans  have  thus  voluntarily  dis- 


armed themselves.  This  nice  little 
plot  is  hatched  at  a  secret  inter- 
national meeting  in  Switzerland,  but 
the  German  conspirators  have 
reckoned  without  Captain  Bennett, 
V.  C.,  of  the  British  Secret  Service. 
After  a  number  of  daring  adven- 
tures, during  which  the  auditors  grip 
their  seats  from  sheer  excitement, 
he  frustrates  the  conspirator's  nefari- 
ous schemes  and  puts  them  where 
they  belong. 

Leon  Gordon  rather  overacts  the 
role  of  the  English  dude-detective, 
especially  in  his  silly  scenes,  but  he 
is  always  amusing,  and  is  the  life 
of  the  piece.  There  is  an  American 
girl,  delegate  to  the  Geneva  meeting 
— a  part  dragged  in  apparently  for 
the  purpose  of  giving  the  play  a 
quite  unnecessary  love  interest — the 
role  enacted  with  considerable  spirit 
and  charm  by  Mary  Servosa.  Emil 
Hoch  is  excellent  as  a  belligerent 
British  pacifist  and  Dodson  L. 
Mitchell  and  Bertram  Marburgh  de- 
serve mention,  the  first  for  a  life- 
like portrait  of  a  Prussian  officer 
masquerading  as  a  pacifist,  the 
second  for  his  Comrade  Olganoff,  a 
black-bearded  Bolshevik,  secretly 
playing  the  German  game. 


48TH  STREET.  'THE  WOMAN 
ON  THE  INDEX."  Melodrama  in 
three  acts  by  Lillian  Trimble  Bradley 
and  George  Broadhurst.  Produced 
August  29,  with  this  cast: 

David  Maber  Lester  Lonergan 

Henri  Delcasse  George  Probert 

Robert  Alden  Lee  Baker 

Gen.  Sir  William  Thorndyke 

Walter  Ringham 

Monsieur  Deschamps          George  LeSoir 
Zetts  Bennett  Southard 

Johnson  Harry  Hadfield 

Oki.  T.  Tamamoto 

Helene  Maber  Julia  Dean 

Lady  Millicent  Thorndyke 

Alison  Skipworth 

Sylvie  Angot  Amy  Ricard 

Madam  Zenlon  Eugenie  Blair 

Madame  Deschamps         Camilla  Dalberg 

STILL  another  spy  play,  with  even 
less  to  commend  it,  is  "The 
Woman  on  the  Index,"  a  most  arti- 
ficial melodrama  unadorned  by  a 
single  shred  of  probability.  This 
piece  has  many  stirring  theatrical 
situations  but  it  is  too  much  a  melo- 
drama concerning  a  woman  and  too 
little  a  melodrama  of  the  war. 

It  is  amazing  to  find  Mr.  Broad- 
hurst  with  his  long  apprenticeship  of 
the  theatre,  permitting  such  an 
absurdity  as  that  in  the  prologue 
where  a  police  captain,  who  looks 
and  talks  more  like  a  naval  officer, 
enters  a  den  of  theives  and  dig? 


iaio] 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  1918 


$50,000  out  of  the  ash  can  without 
first  taking  the  precaution  to  search 
for  the  crook  who  lies  dead  under 
the  clothes  on  the  bed.  Another 
childish  device  is  in  Act  I  where  the 
marked  passenger  list  is  conveniently 
placed  just  where  it  will  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  spy. 

There  is  a  more  or  less  terrible 
Turk  as  the  spy  and  a  mysterious 
Japanese  to  solve  the  action.  The 
two  principal  characters  thus  being 
foreign  to  the  verities  of  the 
moment,  it  is  not  exactly  a  war  play 
at  all,  but  a  melodrama,  mainly  con- 
cerning the  distressing  difficulties  of 
a  woman  who  is  forced  to  choose 
between  her  husband,  an  American, 
and  the  Turk  in  the  personal  rela- 
tion, and  at  the  same  time  prevent 
the  sending  to  the  enemy  of  Marshal 
Foch's  plan,  the  conveying  of  which 
would  mean  the  destruction  of  the 
allied  cause.  The  Jap  is  more  instru- 
mental in  that  matter  than  she  is, 
for  he  proves  to  be  a  spy,  but  an 
allied  one,  in  the  service  of  the 
conspirator. 

Julia  Dean  is  a  charming  and  sym- 
pathetic actress  but  as  the  woman  in 
the  case  she  was  as  artificial  as  the 
play.  Lester  Lonergan  was  hope- 
lessly miscast  as  the  new  Ambassador 
to  the  Court  of  St.  James.  George 
Probert,  as  the  spy,  hardly  suggested 
the  type  of  man  for  whom  foolish 
women  are  willing  to  leave  home. 
The  best  acting  of  the  evening  was 
done  by  Amy  Ricard  as  Sylvia  Angot 
and  Eugenie  Blair  as  the  blind 
Madam  Zenlon. 


BELASCO.  "DADDIES."  Comedy 
in  four  acts  by  John  L.  Hobble. 
Produced  on  September  5  with  this 
cast: 


Robert  Audrey 

James  Crocket 

Nicholson   Walters 

Henry  Allen 

William  Rivers 

Parker 

Ruth    Atkins 

Mrs.   Audrey 

Bobette 

Madame   Levigne 

Lorry 

Alice 

Francois  &  Co. 

Katie 

Nurse 


Bruce  McRae 

John  W.  Cope 

Edwards   Davis 

Georye  Abbott 

S.  K.   Walker 

George   Giddens 

Jeanne   Eagels 

Winifred  Fra.er 

Edith  King 

Paulette    Noizeux 

Lorna  Volare 

Aida  Armand 

The  Quinns 

Mrs.   Armand 

Mrs.  Quinn 


DAVID  BELASCO'S  first  offer- 
ing of  the  season,  "Daddies," 
by  John  L.  Hobble,  might  just  as 
well  have  been  called  "Kiddies"  or — 
even  better — simply  shortened  to 
"Goo."  Goo  is  there  in  gobs,  and  the 
darling  little  kiddies  help  to  spread 
it  thick. 

Four  members  of  a  preposterous 
rah-rah  bachelor  club  are  induced  by 
a  hypermaternal  old  lady  to  adopt 
an  assortment  of  war  orphans.  One 


old  grouch  (John  W.  Cope),  who  in- 
sisted on  a  boy,  drew  a  cute  little 
girl  who  nearly  pestered  the  life  out 
of  him  by  reading  aloud  about  the 
c — o — w  cow. 

A  second,  more  youthful  bachelor 
was  awarded  a  seventeen-year-old 
girl,  who  made  things  so  miserable 
for  him  that  he  fell  in  love  with  her. 
A  third  ascetic  had  to  marry  his 
petite  ward's  aunt  to  keep  the  child. 
And  a  fourth  was  rewarded  with 
triplets.  Never  did  the  heart-melting 
influence  of  a  little  child  wreak 
such  havoc. 

Although  sugar  and  sentimentality 
were  unhooverized  throughout  the 
piece,  there  was  a  decided  thinness 
as  to  both  interest  and  plausibility. 
In  fact,  the  burden  of  the  comedy 
fell  upon  John  W.  Cope  as  the 
woman-hater  and  a  remarkable  chili 
actress,  Lorna  Volare,  as  the  tiny 
minx  who  quite  enslaved  him. 

Few  demands  in  the  way  of 
histrionism  were  made  upon  the 
other  children.  Of  the  remaining 
grown-ups  Jeanne  Eagels  distin- 
guished herself  with  her  quaint, 
pathetic  characterization  of  the 
seventeen-year-old  ward  whose  heart 
was  partly  with  Bruce  McRae,  her 
Satevepost  author-guardian,  and 
otherwise  with  the  orphaned  children 
of  France.  Her  landsick  scene,  how- 
ever, was  distinctly  unpleasant  to  all 
save  the  guffoons.  In  it  she  ap- 
peared fragile,  anemic,  and  suffer- 
ing, while  Mr.  McRae  stood  by  and 
watched  her  misery  without  so  much 
as  an  effort  to  aid  her.  She  almost 
had  to  stagger  across  the  room  to 
faint  where  he  couldn't  help  catching 
her. 

Appropriately  enough,  Winifred 
Fraser  was  quite  the  sugariest  stage 
mother  you  could  imagine,  a  cham- 
pion long-distance  smirker.  George 
Giddens  was  the  butler,  and  I 
couldn't  help  expecting  him  to  break 
in  at  any  moment  with  "You  never 
can  tell." 

If  you  like  to  watch  the  little 
dears  cavorting  on  the  boards  long 
past  bedtime,  "Daddies"  will  tickle 
you  to  pieces. 


GLOBE.  "PENROD."  Play  in  four 
acts,  adapted  for  the  stage  by  Ed- 
ward E.  Rose  from  Booth  Tarking- 
ton's  stories.  Produced  on  Septem- 
ber 2,  with  this  cast. 


Sam  Williams 
Rev.  Lester  Kinosling 
Rodney  Magsworth  Bi 
Maurice  Levy 
Georgia  Bassett 
Mrs.  Bassett 
Mamie  Rennesdale 
Marjorie  Jones 
Herman 
Verman 


Richard  Ross 

Wm.  F.  Canfield 

Its    Bevor  Alverez 

Henry  Quinn 

Ben  F.  Grauer 

May  Ellis 

Lillian  Roth 

Helen  Chandler 

Thomas  McCann 

Charles  Whitfield 


Mr.  Coombes  Jack  Ellis 

Tim  Robert  Vaughn 

Delia  Flo  Irwin 
Mary  Schofield                 Catherine  Emmet 

Burns  Thomas  Ford 

Robert  Williams  I'aul  Kelly 

Mrs.  Laura  Rewbush  Maud  Hosford 

Jarge  Leslie  M.  Hunt 

Henry  P.  Schofield  Edmund  Elton 

Margaret  Schofield  Helen  Hayes 

Mr.  Jones  George  Meech 
Herbert  Hamilton  Dade     John  Davidson 

Penrod  Schofield  Andrew  Lawlor 

BOOTH  TARKINGTON'S  later 
"Penrod"  stories,  as  made  into 
a  play  by  Edward  E.  Rose  provide 
real  fun  for  the  greater  part  of  an 
evening.  There  is  much  of  the 
original  author's  sympathetic  obser- 
vation of  childhood  in  the  piece  and 
enough  plot  to  make  it  coherent. 

This  plot  concerns  the  shadowing 
by  four  boys  of  a  suave  young 
stranger  who  is  bent  on  robbing  their 
elders  in  a  small  community  not 
named  in  the  programme,  but  doubt- 
less somewhere  in  Indiana.  Event- 
ually a  chance  pistol  shot  fired  by  one 
of  the  lads  in  a  fortuitous  moment 
results  in  the  capture  of  the  crook. 

The  lads  believe  they  have  com- 
mitted murder,  and  in  the  last  and 
best  act  of  the  play  they  weave  a 
diabolically  ingenious  entanglement 
of  prevarication  to  exculpate  them- 
selves. Then  to  their  astonishment 
the  chief  of  police  arrives  with  the 
facts,  and  they  suddenly  find  them- 
selves heroes. 

The  burden  of  the  acting  falls  up- 
on Andrew  Lawlor  and  Richard 
Ross,  who  portray  the  eleven-year- 
old  Penrod  and  his  assistant  detec- 
tive Sam  Williams  with  remarkable 
life-likeness  and  obvious  fidelity  to 
their  stage  direction.  They  are  ably 
abetted  by  two  negro  lads,  Thomas 
McCann  and  Charles  Whitfield,  as 
Herman  and  Verman,  who  live  in 
Penrod's  alley. 

The  other  characters  merely  form 
a  sort  of  background  for  the  activi- 
ties of  this  precious  quartette.  John 
Davidson  as  the  suave  stranger  and 
Edward  Elton  as  Penrod's  father  are 
the  principal  'feeders"  for  the 
younger  comedians.  Unfortunately 
these  parts,  like  most  of  the  other 
adult  roles,  are  of  broadly  farcical 
drawing.  The  Tarkingtonian  obser- 
vation, keen  as  it  is  with  the  children, 
seems  helpless  in  the  higher  altitudes. 

"Penrod"  begins  and  ends  well, 
although  it  sags  considerably  in  the 
middle.  It  suffers,  too,  from  the  in- 
evitable monotony  incident  to  its 
theme  and  its  child-acting.  More- 
over, it  is  afflicted  with  a  sad  case 
of  calf-love  feebly  re-echoing 
"Seventeen."  But  there  is  enough 
honest-to-goodness  comedy  in  the 
antics  of  the  four  young  sleuths  to 
furnish  forth  a  half-dozen  of  our 
ordinary  plays. 


[211] 


GEORGE  M.  COHAN.  "HEAD 
OVER  HEEI.S."  Play  with  music  in 
two  acts.  Book  and  lyrics  by  Edgar 
Allan  Woolf,  suggested  by  Lee 
Arthur's  dramatization  of  Nalbro 
Hartley's  story  'Shadows" ;  music  by 
Jerome  Kern.  Produced  on  August 
:.".»  with  this  cast: 

Mr.  Robert  Lawson  Boyd  Marshall 

Mr.  Edward  Sterling  Irving  Beebe 
Mr.   Squibbs          Robert  Emmett  Keane 

Mitzi  Uambinetti  Mitzi 

Signor  Bambinetti  Charles  Judels 

Miss  Edith  Penfield  Grace  Daniels 

Mrs.  Sarah  Montague  Gertrude  Dallas 

Baron    D'Oultremont  Ernest    Marini 

Jarvis  Edmund  Gurney 

Molly  Carrie  McManus 

Toni  Joseph  Dunn 

Oscar  James  Oliver 

Buxaume  Andy  Bennett 

Henri  Edward  Mathews 

MITZI  is  Mitzi,  and  the  most 
diminutive  of  bodies  to  be  so 
great  a  personage,  for  she  is  in- 
fallible in  entertaining  if  she  is  not 
smothered,  as  she  has  been  more 
than  once,  in  the  inanities  of  some 
attempted  comic  opera  plot.  She  is 
very  human  and  can  act,  for  she  has 
a  strong  touch  of  tenderness  in  her 
composition  and  a  telling  sense  of 
humor. 

But  in  "Head  Over  Heels,"  at 
Cohan's  Theatre,  she  is  hardly  more 
than  called  on  for  a  little  while  to 
be,  or  pretend  to  be,  suffering  un- 
utterable woe  from  the  pangs  of  love 
while  gaiety  is  in  her  voice,  manner, 
song,  dancing  and  prankery.  The 
play  then  falls  into  the  frivolity  of 
a  slightly  connected  variety  perform- 
ance. Jerome  Kern's  melodies  are 
spirited  and  pretty.  The  best  per- 
haps is  "The  Big  Show,"  in  which 
Mitzi  imitates  what  we  can't  help 
but  hear  at  the  circus,  emphasizing 
very  drolly  the  impudent  noisiness 
of  the  calliope. 

Mitzi  and  Robert  Emmett  Keane, 
the  principal  comedian,  burlesque  the 
"turns"  that  are  familiar  to  that 
wierd  part  of  the  public  whose  con- 
centration of  mind  can  be  held  not 
longer  than  about  ten  minutes  at  a 
stretch.  Of  course,  in  these  ten 
minutes,  prodigies  of  humor  and 
entertainment  can  happen.  Keane 
was  comical  enough  in  a  mock 
military  drill  of  women.  Charles 
Judels  has  an  interpolated  song  in 
''Me."  The  girls  are  pretty,  and  the 
production,  by  Mr.  Savage,  has  every 
possible  pleasing  factor  of  comic 
opera  as  we  know  it  and  like  it  in 
these  days. 


Guido 

Breval 

Charlie 

Lagarde 

Pierre 

Henry 

Velieres 

Brochier 

Theuret 

Bertolle 

Shorty 

Marianne 

Rene 


By  Himself 

Jean  Gautier 

Will  Demins 

Laurence  Eddinger 

Alfred  Hesse 

Percival  Knight 

Marcel  Rousseau 

Paul  Doucet 

Roy  Walling 

Lewis  S.  Stone 

Frank  Nelson 

Marjorie  Rambeau 

Pedro  De  Cordoba 


REPUBLIC.  "WHERE  POPPIES 
BLOOM."  Melodrama  in  three  acts 
by  Roi  Cooper  Megrue,  founded  on 
the  French  of  Henri  Kistemaekers. 
Produced  on  August  26,  with  this 
cast: 


M  HENRY  KISTEMAEKERS' 
•  most  recent  play,  "Un  Soir 
au  Front,"  when  produced  in  Paris 
last  spring  proved  a  gripping  melo- 
drama of  the  war,  centering  about 
the  world-old  struggle  between  love 
and  duty.  Starting  with  a  brief 
scene  of  trench  '  atmosphere"  ming- 
ling the  humorous  and  the  pathetic, 
it  developed  swiftly  into  a  simple, 
dramatic  tale,  wherein  a  woman's 
heart  was  torn  between  love  for  a 
true  soldier  of  France  and  loyalty 
to  the  memory  of  her  husband. 

Friend  husband,  Marianne  believed, 
had  .given  his  life  for  her  country. 
But  it  speedily  developed  that  he  was 
not  only  alive,  but  a  German  spy 
wearing  the  French  uniform.  I 
was  the  soldier-lover  who  discovered 
this  fact,  and  she  implored  him  to 
save  the  traitor  from  the  firing- 
squad  so  that  she  would  not  have 
to  tell  her  son  that  his  father  was 
sent  to  his  death  by  his  wife  and 
her  lover. 

A.  H.  Woods  purchased  the  rights 
to  this  piece  and  eventually  turned 
it  over  to  Roi  Cooper  Megrue.  Its 
fate  was  that  which  nine-tenths  of 
foreign  plays  meet  at  the  hands  of 
American  adaptors.  Mr.  Megrue 
introduced  a  group  of  low  comedy 
soldiers  and  started  each  act  with 
about  fifteen  minutes  of  "gags,"  all 
wholly  unrelated  to  the  play,  its 
theme,  its  atmosphere,  or  its  tone. 

"Where  Poppies  Bloom" — as  it  is 
absurdly  called — might  have  sur- 
vived even  this  treatment.  But  for 
some  occult  reason  the  adaptor  threw 
away  all  the  emotional  possibilities 
of  the  central  situation.  In  the 
original  the  hero,  after  his  love  had 
made  him  sacrifice  his  duty,  went  in- 
to battle  to  atone.  Mr.  Megrue  sends 
him  there  in  a  fit  of  disappointment 
because  the  prospective  widow 
won't  promise  to  marry  him. 

Percival  Knight  contributed  his 
familiar  Cockney  soldier  bit.  Pedro 
de  Cordoba,  as  Marianne's  lover, 
was  customarily  melancholy.  Lewis 
Stone  missed  his  opportunity  by  not 
making  the  German  spy  cold-blooded 
and  rnatter-of-fact. 

Miss  Rambeau  was  a  disappoint- 
ment. Her  performance  was  utterly 
without  nuance;  and  when  she 
should  have  been  emotionally  im- 
pressive, she  merely  ranted  like  a 
virago. 


HIPPODROME.  "EVERYTHING." 
Musical  spectacle  by  R.  H.  Burnside; 
music  by  Lieut.  Philip  Sousa,  Sergt. 
Irving  Berlin  and  others;  lyrics  by 
John  L.  Golden  and  others.  Pro- 
duced on  August  22  with  this  cast: 

The  Toymaker  DeWolf  Hopper 

The  Amateur  Magician  Chas.  T.  Aldrich 
The  Little  Stranger  Helen  Patterson 
The  Good  Fairy  Belle  Story 

The  Terrible  Tiger  Arthur  Hill 

The  Rag  Doll  Will  J.  Evans 

The  Tin  Soldier  Albert  Froom 

Captain  Inbadsky  "Bluch" 

Night  Desiree  Lubovska 

The  Moon  Peggy  H.  Barnstead 

The  Rainbow  Gerda  Gulda 

The  Village  Postmaster  Tommy  Colton 
Lazy  Luke  William  A.  Weston 

Jack  Rough  J.  Parker  Coombs 

Mr.  Smart  Albert  Alberto 

THE  Hippodrome  show  is  always 
an  event  of  every  new  season. 
This  year  the  big  show  is  entitled 
"Everything"  and  everything  it  is,  if 
one  may  judge  by  the  number  and 
brilliancy  of  the  many  acts  and 
scenes.  There  are  fifteen  "Things," 
and  for  spectacular  effect  and  beauty 
of  color,  the  Toy  Factory,  in  Lamp- 
land,  and  The  Hall  of  History  easily 
lead  them  all. 

The  show  lacks  a  real  thriller, 
however.  There  is  no  sensational 
scene  such  as  the  Ice  Ballet  of  a 
couple  of  seasons  ago.  There  is  a 
roller  skating  scene,  but  this  can 
scarcely  be  called  a  novelty. 

DeWolf  Hopper  heads  the  list  of 
performers  which  includes  such 
established  favorites  as  Belle  Story, 
Houdini,  Bluch  Landolf  and  Lubov- 
ska, the  dancer.  As  Uncle  Sam,  Mr. 
Broadway,  and  the  Admiral  of  the 
Bad  Ship  Bolsheviki,  Hopper  is 
always  entertaining. 

The  patriotic  note  is  dominant  in 
the  entertainment  and  furnishes  the 
motive  for  some  beautiful  coloring. 
Taking  all  in  all,  "Everything"  lives 
up  to  its  name. 


BIJOU.  "DOUBLE  EXPOSURE." 
Play  in  three  acts  by  Avery  Hop- 
wood.  Produced  on  August  27  with 
this  cast: 

Jimmie  Norton  John  Cumberland 

Baba  Mahrati  J.  Harry  Irvine 

Maggie  Grace  Hayle 

William  William  Postance 

Officer    O'Brien  Dan   Moyles 

Tommy  Campbell  John  Wesley 

Lecksy  Campbell  Francine  Larrimore 

Sybil  Norton  Janet  Beecher 

AVERY  HOPWOOD'S  new 
farce,  "Double  Exposure," 
starts  with  an  act  that  might  well  be- 
gin a  melodrama,  an  act  marked  as 
much  by  seriousness  as  by  comedy. 
Thereafter  the  piece  becomes  a 
thing  of  repetious  silliness  and 
burlesque. 

John  Cumberland,  as  the  abused 
husband,  was  as  funny  as  ever  in 
his  familiar  impersonation  of  meek- 
ness. When  he  had  lost  his  ego, 


[212] 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  1918 


& 


Julia  Bruns  and  Orlando  Daly  George  Nash  and  Yolande  Duquette 

SCENES  IN  "THE  BLUE  PEARL,"  A  COMEDY  DRAMA  AT  THE  LONGACRE 


Photos    White 


Joseph   Selman  Violet   Heming 

"THREE  FACES   EAST,"   A   PLAY  OF  THE  SECRET  SERVICE,  AT  THE  COHAN  AND  HARRIS 


THRILLS   IN   NEW   BROADWAY   PRODUCTIONS 


DO  AUDIENCES  WANT  SI 


"S  PLAYS? 


Weary  of  artificial  thrills,  theatregoers  eagerly  respond  to  problems 
akin   to   those  in   their  own  lives.      Being  an   interview   with 

BERTHA   KALICH 


AMERICAN"  theatregoers  unappreciative  of 
serious  drama  and  of  real  acting?  It 
is  not  true.  There  are  nowhere  more 
sympathetic  audiences  than  Americans.  They 
have  a  quick  understanding  for  every  situation 
on  the  stage.  Nothing  seems  foreign  to  their 
hearts.  But  you  must  have  the  key  to  their 
hearts,  if  you  wish  to  make  them  feel  with  you, 
if  you  wish  to  move  them  to  tears  and  to 
laughter." 

The  speaker  was  Bertha  Kalich,  who  after 
two  years  spent  in  motion  picture  production,  re- 
turns this  season  to  the  spoken  drama  in  her 
new  play,  "The  Riddle  Woman."  The  piece 
opened  in  Washington,  on  September  23d,  and 
will  come  to  New  York  shortly. 

"Truth  and  sincerity,"  the  actress  went  on, 
"are  the  only  passwords.  American  audiences, 
I  think,  are  tired  of  the  eternal  suspense  that 
is  supposed  to  keep  them  breathless  until  the 
curtain  of  the  last  act.  They  are  tired  of  arti- 
ficial thrills,  tired  of  seeing  the  evolution  of 
plots  that  are  absurd  and  improbable.  But  give 
them  real  life,  logical  and  illogical,  just  as  it 
really  is,  confront  them  with  facts  such  as  they 
have  to  face  in  their  own  lives;  don't  act  as  a 
clever  stage  manager  has  taught  you  to,  but  live 
for  them  up  there  on  the  stage  evening  after 
evening.  Don't  go  through  the  motions  of  your 
part  automatically  like  a  phonograph  record,  but 
experience  the  emotions  you  are  expressing,  be 
humbly  the  person  whom  you  are  portraying. 

"There  is  so  much  romance  and  tragedy  just 
now  in  the  lives  of  everyone  of  us,  so  much 
joyful  sacrifice,  that  people  are  fairly  hungry 
for  an  outlet  for  their  emotions;  they  welcome 
everything  on  the  stage  that  parallels,  even  in 
a  slight  degree,  their  own  experiences.  They 
want  to  see  a  solution  to  the  complexities  of 
their  own  lives. 


THE  hearts  of  Americans  do  not  know  dis- 
tinctions of  classes,  of  social  and  material 
differences.  Rich  and  poor  are  close  neighbors 
at  home  and  at  work.  Rich  and  poor,  high  and 
low,  virtue  and  vice  rub  elbows  constantly  in 
life.  It  is  immaterial  if, .fate  overtakes  one  in 
a  mansion  or  in  a  tenement  house ;  it  does  not 
matter  if  the  man  who  wronged  another  man's 
wife  wore  evening  dress  or  the  rags  of  the 
slums.  Everyone  of  us  carries  his  own  tragedy 
in  his  heart  as  his  silent  secret;  on  an  evening 
he  meets  his  carefully  guarded  secret  on  the 
stage.  He  sees  how  others  act,  how  they  solve 
his,  or  nearly  his  dilemma.  He  cries  tears  of 
relief,  he  weeps  in  compassion,  he  shudders  at 
the  violent  solution  of  his  struggle,  and  thanks 
his  Maker  who  saved  him  from  succumbing  to 
a  similar  temptation.  He  gets  up  a  better  man, 
though  his  problem  is  far  from  being  solved." 
Thus  Bertha  Kalich  defended  her  audiences. 
The  actress  spoke  passionately,  and  with  con- 
viction. Her  slender  hands  rested  on  the  arms 
of  her  chair.  She  has  wonderful  hands.  There 
seems  such  a  lot  of  latent  power  about  them. 
Often  when  I  saw  Bertha  Kalich  on  the  stage 
I  felt  that  these  quiet  hands  were  actually  ready 
to  accomplish  the  deeds  of  which  her  mouth 
spoke.  A  small  gesfarr  of  these  hands  indicate 


inexpressible  sorrow,  threw  an  audience  into  the 
terror  of  the  situation  on  the  stage,  showed  in- 
dignation, commanded  obedience,  urged  silence 
and  invited  confidences. 


T  DARE  to  speak  with  authority  about  Amer- 
•*•  ican  audiences.  I  have  made  it  the  busi- 
ness of  my  life  to  find  out  about  them,  and  no 
matter  what  managers  and  others  say,  the  thea- 
tre has  remained  for  me,  until  this  very  day, 
my  temple.  I  was  born  in  Poland,  of  Jewish 
parentage.  My  people  were  Orthodox  Jews, 
and  frivolity  quite  foreign  to  their  natures.  My 
enthusiasm  for  the  theatre,  my  desire  to  act, 
seemed  to  them  my  calling  in  life.  'Her  talent 
is  a  gift  of  God,'  I  remember  my  grandfather 
saying.  'And  she  must  go  out  and  do  it  honor.' 
And  I  have  played  ever  since  I  can  remember, 
leading  parts  in  four  different  languages  in 


MUUkfc 

Bertha  Kalich  in  "The  Riddle  Woman" 


Europe.  The  terrible  persecutions  of  the  Jews 
in  Russia  developed  in  them  a  fine  sense  for 
tragedy,  not  only  in  life  but  also  on  the  stage. 
It  was  during  the  height  of  Jewish  emigration 
to  America  that  I  was  called  here  to  play  in 
Yiddish  in  the  East  Side  theatres. 

"I  met  my  first  American  audience.  The  more 
sincere  I  was  on  the  stage,  the  more  I  felt  the 
pain  and  the  tragedy  I  impersonated,  the  greater 
grew  my  influence  over  them.  One  day  Mr. 
Fawcett  'discovered'  me.  It  was  quite  fashion- 
able in  those  days  to  go  slumming  to  the  Bowery 
and  pay  a  visit  to  the  Yiddish  theatres  with 
their  strange  atmosphere,  where  people  were  sit- 
ting in  shirt  sleeves,  eating  oranges  between  the 
acts,  and  moaning  loudly  in  deep  sorrow  or 
shouting  at  the  top  of  their  voices  with  joy. 
He  introduced  me  to  Broadway.  I  selected 
'Theodora'  for  my  debut.  My  English  was  very 
poor.  I  knew  hardly  anything  but  the  lines  I 
had  to  speak.  Mr.  Fiske  became  my  manager 
later,  and  I  found  the  Broadway  audiences  just 
as  responsive  as  my  followers  on  the  East  Side. 
It  was  under  his  management  that  I  appeared 
in  the  'Kreutzer  Sonata,'  I  played  Marta  in  the 
Spanish  drama  'Marta  of  the  Lowlands.'  In 
all  these  plays  I  had  portrayed  snatches  from 
real  life.  My  audiences,  who  knew  life,  were 
always  with  me. 


LATER  I  starred  in  Percy  MacKaye's 
'Sappho  and  Phaon.'  This  was  the  tragedy 
of  my  stage  life.  It  was  my  only  play  that 
failed.  It  was  a  beautiful  poetic  drama,  but  had 
nothing  whatever  to  do  with  American  life,  or 
with  real  life,  as  a  matter  of  fact.  The  critics 
pronounced  it  a  beautiful  work  of  art,  classical. 
'The  Merry  Widow'  was  playing  across  the 
street,  and  that  is  where  people  went.  Then  I 
went  into  vaudeville. 

"Between  the  acts  of  acrobats  and  black-faced 
comedians,  I  presented  one  of  the  tensest  plays 
ever  brought  out  ort  the  stage.  'The  Light  of  St. 
Agnes.'  I  needed  quiet  in  the  audience,  I  needed 
the  full  attention  of  everybody.  It  was  a  dan- 
gerous experiment.  I  never  have  had  a  more 
grateful  audience  than  these  millions  of  vaude- 
villegoers  from  coast  to  coast  to  whom  I  pre- 
sented my  one-act  play.  I  kept  them  spellbound 
from  the  first  to  the  very  last  minute.  I  ac- 
tually could  hear  the  breathing  of  the  people  in 
the  first  rows  in  the  orchestra. 

"About  my  new  play,  'The  Riddle  Woman"? 
Who  knows?  It  was  very  successful  at  its 
original  production  in  Denmark.  It  deals  with 
one  of  the  vital  dangers  of  our  times,  with 
blackmail.  A  woman  who  loves  her  husband, 
is  devoted  to  him  and  his  interests,  sees  her- 
self confronted  with  the  necessity  to  lie,  even 
steal  in  order  to  keep  silenced  the  man  who  has 
taken  advantage  of  her  inexperience  years  ago. 
Her  husband  is  a  business  man,  a  man  who 
says  'Yes'  or  'No'  and  means  it.  Shall  she  go 
on  deceiving  him,  being  afraid  of  risking  his 
and  her  happiness,  or  shall  she  tell  him  the 
truth  to  get  rid  of  the  blackmailer  and  perhaps 
ruin  her  own  and  her  husband's  life?  Fate 
solves  such  questions  usually  in  life." 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  1918 


From  a  portrait  by  Charlotte  Fairckild 


MRS 


VERNON         CASTLE 


A  new  study  head  of  America's  favorite  ball-room  dan- 
cer, who  is  soon  to  sail  for  France,  where  she  will 
entertain  "the  boys"  with  the  intricacies  of  the  latest 
fox-trot,  one-step,  etc.  She  is  seen  here  wearing  the 
war  decoration  of  the  late  Captain  Vernon  Castle 


IMAGINARY  OR  REAL  HEROES— WHICH? 

Historical  dramas  fail  because  playgoers  have 
illusions  which   most  costume  plays  destroy 

By  EDWIN  CARTY  RANCK 


WE  are  becoming  unutterably  tired  of  the 
pseudo-historical  play ! 
Once  upon  a  time,  when  Bernard  Shaw 
wrote  "Cjesar  and  Cleopatra"  for  Forbes-Rob- 
ertson, and  that  charming  English  actor  visual- 
ized with  keen  intelligence  a  sort  of  dress-suited 
and  modern-clubman  Csesar  who  kicked  into  a 
cocked  hat  some  of  our  preconceived  ideas  of 
fabled  greatness,  we  chuckled  with  huge  enjoy- 
ment. It  was  delightful  foolery — the  sort  th'at 
Bernard  Shaw  alone  seems  able  to  handle  with 
the  deft  and  subtle  touch  that  such  plays  require. 
Then,  many  years  later,  Louis  N.  Parker  wrote 
"Disraeli,"  an  interesting  and  mildly  dramatic 
play,  in  which  George  Arliss  achieved  a  deserved 
and  lasting  success.  Then  came  "Paganini,"  by 
Edward  Knoblauch,  a  play  of  the  same  genre  as 
"Disraeli" — a  play  that  bored  us  almost  to  ex- 
tinction. Its  historical  atmosphere  and  correct 
data  were  all  there,  but  its  drama  was  almost  as 
invisible  as  the  strand  of  a  spider's  web.  It  was 
a  wooden  transferal  to  the  stage  of  a  dead- 
and-gone  master  who  lives  only  through  tradi- 
tion. 

Last  season  we  had  "Hamilton" — an  almost 
hopeless  attempt  to  convey  to  audiences  of  to- 
day some  idea  of  the  personal  charm  and  win- 
some individuality  of  the  first  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury.  George  Arliss  created  the  role  of 
Hamilton  and  he  brought  to  the  task  all  of  tht 
intelligence  and  sensitive  understanding  of  char- 
acter that  have  made  him  one  of  the  most  pleas- 
ing actors  on  the  English-speaking  stage.  But  he 
didn't  look  like  Hamilton,  and  even  his  con 
summate  art  could  not  achieve  the  impossible 
task  of  bringing  to  life  a  steel  engraving. 


NEXT,  we  were  given  a  stage  presentment 
of  "Madame  Sand."  Philip  Moeller's 
brilliant  comedy  was,  literally  and  figuratively, 
built  upon  sand,  and  stage  houses  erected  upon 
such  a  foundation  are  usually  as  short-lived  as 
the  famous  house  mentioned  in  the  Bible.  Moel- 
ler's pl'ay,  based  on  the  life  of  this  literary  light- 
o'-love,  gave  Mrs.  Fiskg  a  wonderful  acting  op- 
portunity. But  there  w'a's  just  a  touch  of  the 
Eden  Musee  about  her  performance ;  a  faint  per- 
fume of  lavender  and  old  lace;  an  echo  down  the 
corridors,  of  time.  It  was,  in  other  words,  a 
combination  of  Moeller  and  mothballs.  And, 
while  Mrs.  Fiske  succeeded  brilliantly  in  shaking 
out  the  mothballs  and  holding,  as  'twere,  the 
Sand  up  to  nature,  enough  Moeller  remained  to 
remind  us  that  it  was  still  the  Twentieth  Century 
and  not  the  Nineteenth. 

Arnold  Daly  was  the  next  wanderer  through 
the  dead  forest  of  historical  drama.  This  time 
it  was  "Napoleon,"  served  to  us  on  a  theatrical 
plate  garnished  with  D'aly-Mansfield  trimmings. 
Arthur  Forrest  being  especially  hired  to  aid  in 
the  back-to-Mansfield  illusion.  But  it  didn't  go 
worth  a  cent.  Of  course  not.  Why  should  it? 
We  had  already  seen  the  Little  Corsican  in 
"Madame  Sans  Gene"  and  in  Shaw's  "The  Man 
of  Destiny,"  and  Herman  Bahr,  author  of  "The 
Concert"  was  a  temerarious  person  to  challenge 
comparison  with  this  existing  collection  of  stage 
Napoleons.  But  he  has  had  his  fling,  and  now 
let  us  cry  "Havoc!"  and  let  loose  the  dogs  of 


war  upon  the  next  dramatist  who  tries  this  sort 
of   theatrical   entertainment. 

Why  do  historical  dramas  fail?  Why  is  it  that 
the  public  never  evinces  the  same  interest  in  his- 
toric personages  put  into  plays,  that  it  does  in 
men  and  women  who  never  existed  except  in  the 
brain  of  their  dramatic  creator?  We  are  going 
to  try  to  answer  these  questions  co  the  best  of 
our  ability.  We  have  our  own  personal  theory 
on  the  subject,  and  we  modestly  believe  that  we 
are  right,  but  you  don't  have  to  agree  with  us. 
However,  here  is  our  theory : 


DOWN  in  their  hearts,  playgoers  have  a  little 
nest  of  illusions,  and  they  guard  this  nest 
as  jealously  and  watchfully  as  a  mother  bird 
guards  her  newly-laid  eggs.  They  may  not  be 
aware  of  the  fact  that  there  is  such  a  nest  in 
their  hearts,  but  it  is  there  just  the  same  and 
they  unconsciously  pay  frequent  visits  to  it — jus't 
as  the  mother  bird  does.  Every  year  some  of 
these  illusions  grow  old  enough  to  fly,  and  they 
leave  the  nest  without  ceremony — never  to 
return  to  it.  But  there  are  always  a  few  illu- 
sions left  and  their  owner  secretly  hopes  that 
these  will  never  take  flight. 

'1  here  is  nothing  that  puts  illusions  to  flight, 
however,  quicker  than  the  historical  drama.  It 
drags  forth  from  the  musty  lair  of  history  those 
personages  that  we  have  all  read  about — and 
they  always  look  bewildered  and  bizarre  in  the 
blazing  sheen  of  the  footlights.  They  are  not  at 
all  what  we  expected  to  see.  So  another  illusion 
takes  wings  and  flies  away  forever. 

But  'there  is  even  a  stronger  argument  against 
the  historical  play.  It  takes  the  romance  out  of 
drama.  It  is  too  concrete.  Besides,  "it  smells 
of  mortality."  One  is  always  tempted  to 
hold  one's  nose  as  if  a  corpse  had  suddenly  been 
disinterred  and  brought  out  before  the  footlights. 

"Well,  well,  I  never  dreamed  he  would  look 
like  that!"  is  your  inward  ejaculation  when  the 
spotlight  falls  mercilessly  upon  the  body. 

Even  if  you  don't  agree  with  us  so  far,  you 
must  admit  that  the  most  damning  argument 
that  can  be  brought  up  against  the  historical 
drama  is  that  it  contains  no  suspense.  The  au- 
dience usually  knows  the  ending  before  the  cur- 
tain goes  up — unless  the  dramatist  has  taken 
undue  liberties  with  history.  Therefore,  what- 
ever may  happen  to  made-up  personages  in  the 
subsidiary  love  story  that  the  author  lias  dragged 
in,  you  know  that  the  main  character — the  per- 
sonage de  resistance,  so  to  speak — went  on  to  his 
appointed  fate.  The  real-life  ending  of  Napoleon 
was  upon  the  desolate  sand  of  St.  Helena— and 
the  tragic  ending  of  Lincoln's  life  story  was 
played  in  Ford's  Theatre. 


IT  was  not  the  story  of  Disraeli  himself  that 
made  Mr.  Parker's  play  such  a  success.  It 
was  the  apocryphal  love  story  that  the  author 
introduced.  Without  this  element,  the  play  would 
have  been  an  utter  failure,  despite  the  splendid 
acting  of  George  Arliss.  And  the  principal  in- 
terest in  "Hamilton"  lay  in  the  love  affair  of 
Hamilton  with  the  fascinating  Mrs.  Reynolds 


and  its  subsequent  developments.  Nobody  cared 
a  rap  about  Hamilton,  the  great  statesman,  but 
they  did  care  immensely  about  the  mixup  that 
followed  when  our  first  Secretary  of  the  Treas- 
ury imprudently  made  love  to  another  man's 
wife — which  was,  in  real  life,  a  mere  episode  in 
Hamilton's  life.  But,  although  the  curtain  came 
down  upon  the  reconciliation  scene  between 
Hamilton  and  his  wife,  the  audience  knew  that 
there  was  another  ending — the  grim  ending  in 
a  certain  field  when  the  bullet  from  Aaron  Burr's 
pistol  cut  short  Hamilton's  brilliant  life. 

The  reason  "Madame  Sand"  was  such  a  failure 
— both  in  New  York  and  on  the  road — is  very 
easily  explained.  Mr.  Moeller  relied  entirely  too 
much  upon  the  actual  life  story  of  Madame 
I  hidevant — in  many  instances,  using  George 
Sand's  own  witty  lines  and  the  witty  lines  of 
Heine.  And  they  were  too  witty !  Too  clever ! 
A  superabundance  of  wit,  like  too  many  puns,  is 
apt  in  the  end  to  turn  admirers  into  enemies. 
Whistler  and  Oscar  Wilde  are  notable  example* 
of  this  sort  of  thing. 

Macaulay  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  men 
of  his  day,  but  when  he  was  invited  out,  he  took 
the  centre  of  the  stage  and  monopolized  the 
conversation.  From  public  interest  his  hearers 
merged  into  polite  boredom  and  then — finally — 
they  wanted  to  throw  things  at  him — even  if  he 
was  Lord  Macaulay!  It  is  often  thus!  Genius 
doesn't  give  a  man  the  right  to  turn  himself  into 
a  human  phonograph.  Nor  does  it  compel 
human  beings  to  turn  themselves  into  large  ears, 
just  for  his  especial  benefit. 


BECAUSE  he  stuck  to  historical  facts.  Mr. 
Mueller  was  buried  beneath  his  owr.  clev- 
erness— and  Madame  Sand's.  The  audiences 
grew  weary  of  her,  just  as  men  and  \\<>:ren  in 
re:il  life  grew  weary  of  her.  She  was  a  human 
vampire  and  great  men  were  her  meat.  In  real 
life,  ironically  enough,  this  blase  French  woman 
grew  to  be  quite  old  and  died,  prosaically  enough, 
in  the  odor  of  sanctity.  But  that  ending  wouldn't 
have  done  at  all  for  Mr.  Moeller's  purposes.  So 
there  wasn't  any  ending.  It  was  just  left  up  in 
the  air.  But  the  audience  knew  full  well  what 
was  going  to  happen  to  poor  Chopin.  Even  if 
they  hadn't  read  about  it  before,  they  could, 
putting  two  and  two  together,  forsee  his  finish. 

And  it  was  because  George  Sand  was  an  in- 
sincere dilettante  in  real  life,  with  no  settled 
convictions  about  anything;  with  the  soul  of  a 
butterfly  and  the  face  of  a  female  satyr—chat 
she  made  no  lasting  impression  upon  French 
literature,  although  she  wrote  novels  by  the  ton. 
She  was;  to  quote  Edith  Wharton's  definition  of 
a  coquette,  "all  things  to  all  men,  and  nothing 
to  any  man."  She  was  a  failure  as  a  woman 
for  this  very  reason — and  no  one  is  quicker  to 
discover  insincerity  than  an  American  audience. 
Mence  the  failure  of  the  play.  Nothing  is  so  bad 
asf  insincerity — in  an  individual  or  in  a  play ! 

A  foreigner  tried  to  describe  the  hostile  recep- 
tion of  a  play.  He  had  heard  the  expression, 
"Damned  with  faint  praise"  but  had  forgotten  it, 
so  when  asked  how  the  play  was  received,  he 
thought  for  a  moment  then  his  face  brightened. 

"It  was  praised  with   faint  'Damns,'  "  he   said. 


[2  G 


Theatre  Magazine,  October, 


JESSIE  REED 

A   vivacious  brunette 

in  "Sinbad" 


ISABEL  LOWE 
The  fluffy  blonde  at 
the    Winter    Garden 


MTA  NALDI 

An    Italian    type    in 
"The  Passing  Show" 


Cetsler  &  Andrews 


Lewis-Smith 


ISABEL  RODRIQUEZ 
Who  dances  with  Spanish  fire 
in    the    Winter    Garden    show 


DOLORES 

Tall  and  regal— a  real  Gib- 
son type  in  "The  Follies" 


ALL    TYPES    OF   STAGE    FEMININITY 


A  GRIPPING  SPY  PLAY 

''''Under  Orders,"  acted  by  only  two  play- 
ers, a  distinct  novelty  of  the  new  season 


A  DISTINCT  novelty  of  the  iu\v  season 
is  "Under  Orders"  at  the  Eltings  Thea- 
tre, in  which  four  characters  are  played 
by  two  actors.  This  poignant  drama  of  the  war 
is  the  work  of  Berte  Thomas,  an  Englishman, 
and  was  first  produced  in  London  under  the  title 
".My  Boy." 

The  play  consists  of  a  Prologue — a  long  fare- 
well between  an  American  mother  and  her  son 
who  is  off  for  the  trenches ;  two  acts,  which  are 
"big  scenes,''  and  a  concluding  act  which  is  non- 
descript. 

Mrs.  Ford,  the  American  mother,  has  a  twin 
sister,  Marion,  who  disappeared  years  before  the 
play  opens  and  whom  she  believes  to  be  dead. 
This  sister,  betrayed  by  the  German  officer  Hartz- 
mann  had  to  marry  him  to  save  her  reputation 
and,  ashamed  to  communicate  with  her  family, 
has  been  living  in  Germany  ever  since.  To  her 
house  comes  Arthur  Ford,  ragged  and  starving 
after  escaping  from  a  German  internment  camp. 
He  does  not  know  she  is  his  aunt  but  notes  the 
strange  resemblance  to  his  mother : 

FRAU  HARTZMANN:     Who  are  you: 

ARTHUR:     Who  are  you? 

FKAU  :  It  is  not  for  you  to  ask  questions — it 
is  for  me  to  question  you. 

ARTHUR:  Yes — you  are  quite  right.  I'm 
Arthur  Ford. 

FRAU:     I  don't  know  that  name. 

ARTHUR:     I'm  an  escaped  prisoner. 

FRAU:  Why  have  you  come  here  at  this  time 
of  night — is  it  to  rob  me? 

ARTHUR:  1  am  an  officer  in  the  American 
Army.  God — it's  cold. 

FRAU:     Go  over  to  the  fire. 

ARTHUR:  Thanks  awfully.  (Frau  goes  to 
window.)  There's  a  wind  blowing  straight  fr.im 
Siberia,  or  the  Arctic  regions  or  some  other 
blasted  place. 

FRAU  :     Why  have  you  come  here  ? 

ARTHUR:     (Sits  chair  left.)     For   help. 

FRAU  :     You  expect  to  get  help  from  me  ? 

ARTHUR:  I  won't  say  what  I  expect.  I  in- 
tend to  have  a  good  try. 

FRAU  :     You  will  waste  your  time. 

ARTHUR  :  It's  nice  and  warm  in  here  anyhow 
— and  that's  a  help  to  start  with — and  you  won't 
refuse  to  hear  me — will  you? 

FRAU  :     I   will   hear  what  you   have   to   say — 
yes.    But  as  to  helping  you — no. 
ARTHUR:    I  have  to  turn  that  "No"  into  "Yes." 
FRAU  :     If    you   can — always   bearing   in    mind 
what  happens  to  women  here  who  help  prisoners 
to  escape. 

ARTHUR:     That  finishes  me — I'm  off.     (Rises.  1 


F'RAU:  Don't  go.  There's  .no  harm  in 
talking — evin  if  I  have  to  give  you  up  in 
the  end. 

ARTHUR*     I  can't  see  you  doing  that. 

FRAU  :     I  could. 

ARTHUR:     Do  you  really  mean  that? 

FRAU  :  I  do.  I  have  married  a  German,  and 
I'm  German.  Why  are  you  so  like  my  son? 

ARTHUR:     Carl  Hartzmann? 

FRAU  :     You  know  him  ? 

ARTHUR  :     To  my  cost — yes. 

FRAU:     Then  where  did  you  meet  him? 

ARTHUR:     Oh,  in  Berlin. 

FRAU  :     He  came  to  see  you  there  ? 

ARTHUR  :     Every  day. 

FRAU:     Why? 

ARTHUR:  That's  what  I've  got  to  find  out. 
Some  dirty  work. 

FRAU:  You  forget  that  you  are  speaking  of 
my  son.  You  have  no  right  to  say  that  to  his 
mother. 

ARTHUR:  You're  quite  right.  I  ought  not  to 
have  said  it.  I'm  sorry. 

FRAU:     You  are  so  like  my  boy. 

ARTHUR:  You  know — at  first,  I  mistook  you 
for  my  mother. 


FKAU:     Say  that  to  me  again. 

ARTHUR:  At  first  I  mistook  you  for  my 
mother — your  face  is  so  like — and  your  hair  is 
like  hers,  too. 

FRAU:     Tell  me  who  you  are? 

ARTHUR:     I  have  told  you — Arthur  Ford. 

FKAU  :  That  tells  me  nothing — your  mother's 
name — 

ARTHUR:    Before  she  was  married? 

FRAU  :     Yes — yes — quick. 

ARTHUR:  Margaret  Maddison.  (Sits  chair 
left.) 

FRAU:     So?     Her  boy  in  Germany!     Now! 

ARTHUR:  I  didn't  come  because  I  wanted  to — 
I  don't  love  Germany — you  can  take  my  word 
for  that.  I  didn't  want  to  be  interned  in  Torgan 
— and  I  wasn't  there  for  my  health.  I  was  just 
sick  of  it — and  I've  got  out. 

FRAU  :     I  have  heard  it  is  horrible. 

ARTHUR:     It's  hell.     And  I've  got  o;;t. 

FRAU  :     I  shall  not  give  you  up. 


SHE  procures  for  him  ,-ni'  old  German  uniform 
belonging   to    her    son.      Presently    he    reap- 
pears before  her  in  his  disguise.     She  expresses 
surprise  at  his   appearance. 

KRAU  :  It's  wonderful.  My  son  might  be 
standing  before  me. 

ARTHUR:  I  hate  wearing  their  damned  uni- 
form. 

FRAU:     My  son  wore  it. 
ARTHUR:     I  say — I'm  sorry. 
FKAU  :     And  it  may  save  your  life. 
ARTHUR:     Look  here.     What  am  I  to  do  with 
these   things?      (Holding   up   the   rags  which   lie 
has  brought  with  him.) 

FRAU:  Safer  to  burn  them.  In  there.  (Of ens 
door  of  stove.)  (He  puts  clothes  in;  she  closes 
door.)  They'll  leave  no  trace. 

ARTHUR:  I  say — what  would  happen  if  Carl 
came  home,  and  asked  for  these?  (Pointing  to 
uniform  he  zvears.) 

FRAU:  1  should  tell  the  truth.  He  wouldn  t 
give  his  mother  away. 

ARTHUR:  I  don't  know.  He's  frightfully 
patriotic,  and  all  that. 

FRAU:     Aren't  you? 

ARTHUR:     Of  course  I  am. 

FRAU:  And  would  you  give  your  mother 
away? 

ARTHUR:  You  know  that's  an  awful  thing  to 
ask  a  fellow. 

FRAU  :  Yes,  I  do  know — that's  why  I  asked. 
Will  you  answer  it? 

ARTHUR:  Well,  then — if  it  were  to  save  my 
country  from  any  danger — or  anything  like  that 
— she — she'd  expect  me  to — she's  that  sort  of 
won. an — and — I — Yes,  I  would.  But,  if  it  were 
only  to  pay  her  out  for  helping  a  prisoner  to 
escape — I — No — I'd  see  anybody  damned  first. 

FRAU  :      So   would   he. 

ARTHUR:     Oh,  and  what  about  your  husband  ? 

FRAU  :  That's  another  question  altogether. 
As  regards  him,  I  must  trust  to — you'd  call  it 
luck  perhaps — I'll  call  it  Providence.  I  have 
been  writing  a  letter  to  your  mother.  (Gives  it 
to  him.) 

ARTHUR:     I'm  glad  you've  done  that. 

FRA  J  :  When  you  see  her,  tell  her  what  you 
can  of  me — and  give  her  my  very  dear  love. 

ARTHUR:     I  will. 

He  thanks  her  for  what  she  has  done,  and  he 
kisses  her  good-bye.  He  goes  to  window  and 
opens  it. 

FRAU:  No — no — let  me — (She  follows  him  to 
zvindow  and  looks  over  his  shoulder.  A  shot  is 
fired  from  outside.  Both  jump  to  one  side.) 
That  shot  was  meant  for  you. 

ARTHUR:     By  Jove,  he  nearly  got  me. 

FRAU:     You  must  have  been  followed. 

ARTHUR  :  I  couldn't  have  been.  I  came 
through  the  woods — and  I  crept  across  the  field 
to  the  end  of  the  road.  I'd  have  known  it  if 
anyone  were  following  me. 

FRAU  :     Then  he  must  have  seen  you  entering 


the  house. 

ARTHUR:  If  he  did — I  don't  understand  why 
he  didn't  come  in  after  me. 

FRAU:  He  probably  wanted  to  catch  you  red- 
handed. 

ARTH  UR  :     Red-handed  ? 

i'RAU:     Mistook  jou  for  a  thief. 

ARTHUR:  'Ihen  maybe  he's  waiting  to  see 
what  happened  before  he  ventures  in.  I'll  have 
a  shot  too. 

FRAU:     What  are  you  going  to  do? 

ARTHUR:  Sh !  (Puts  cap  on  sword.  <  Put 
out  the  light.  (Frau  puts  out  lights.  Arthur 
futs  caf  out  of  the  window.  Shot  from  outside 
Arthur  fires  three  times.)  He's  down.  (He 
goes  into  the  firelight  and  looks  at  the  cap  ) 
Right  through  the  hat,  by  Jove!  Good  shot! 
(lo  frau)  .NOW,  if  they  question  you— remem- 
b:r  it  was  a  burglar  who  got  away."  Thank  God 
you'll  not  have  to  suffer  for  helping  me. 

FRAU  :  I  shouldn't  have  minded  it.  You  are 
my  sister's  boy. 

ARTHUR:  And  you  are  my  mother's  sister 
(He  kisses  her  on  the  forehead.) 

FRAU  :  Now  I'll  get  my  things  and  we'll  go 
at  once. 

ARTHUR:  No— Aunt  Marion,  you've  done 
enough— I'll  take  my  chance  alone.  Good-bye— 

FRAU:  (As  he  goes  through  the  door)  God 
watch  over  him ! 

The  next  scene  opens  in  England  in  the  house 
of  Mrs.  Ford.  Captain  Hartzmann,  the  German 
spy,  has  come  home  in  the  stolen  uniform  of  his 
cousin  Arthur,  and  represents  himself  to  the 
mother  as  her  own  son.  She  finds  him  a  little 
stouter,  but  has  no  cause  to  doubt  his  identity 
until  he  inadvertently  starts  playing  the  piano, 
which  Arthur  could  never  do.  Instantly,  she 
realizes  he  is  an  imposter.  Quietly,  she  goes  to 
the  door  and  locks  it. 


HARTZMANN:      What    was    that?      (Rises 
and  faces  her.)     You  locked  the  door. 

MRS.  FORD:  I  did.  (Moving  slowlv  to  the 
of  en  window.) 

HARTZMANN:     Why? 

MRS.  FORD:     Who  are  you? 

HARIZ.MANN  :      Your  son,  Arthur,  of  course. 

MRS.  FORD:     No! 

HARTZMANN  :     Mother ! 

MRS.  F<RD:  Don't  call  me  that— imposter— 
you  are  not  my  son — now  tell  me  who  you  are? 

HARTZMANN  :     Have  you  gone  mad  ? 

MRS.  FORD:     For  an  instant.     But  not  now. 

HARTZMANN:     Give  me  that  key. 

MRS.  FORD:     No. 

HARTZMANN:  Mein  Gott,  I'll  have  it.  (Ad- 
vances toward  her.  :> 

MRS.  FORD:  (Throws  the  key  through  the  win- 
dow.) (He  looks  out  of  the  window:)  I  don't 
think  you'll  venture — (He  goes  to  the  door.)  If 
you  make  a  noise  you'll  arouse  my  servants. 
(He  turns  and  faces  her.)  Now  if  you  please, 
we've  done  with  lying — we'll  have  the  truth. 

HARTZMANN:  (Pauses.  Moves  to  Mrs.  Ford.) 
Whv  do  you  doubt  me  ? 

MRRSL  FORD:  Fighting  in  the  trenches  have 
proved  a  wonderful  school.  When  my  son  left 
home  he  couldn't  play  the  piano? 

HARTZMANN:      (Aside.)      Fool.      (Mnrcs    R.) 

MRS.  FORD  :     A  fool  for  some  criminal  purpose. 

HARTZMANN:     Well,  I  will  tell  you  who  I  am. 

MRS.  FORD:     If  you  please. 

HARTZMANN:  Though  in  so  doing  I  place  my 
life  in  your  hands. 

MRS.  FORD:  Your  life  is  of  little  importance 
to  me. 

He  tells  her  that  it  was  all  arranged  in  Ber- 
lin that  if  he  is  captured  and  executed  as  a  spy 
her  son  will  suffer  a  like  fate.  For  a  moment 
the  mother  hesitates.  Maternal  love  struggles 
with  what  she  considers  her  duty  to  her  country. 

HARTZMANN:     Choose. 

MRS.  FORD:     I  cannot — I  cannot. 


[218] 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  tyit 


Photos  White         Mrs.    Ford 


Arthur  Ford 


Prologue.     Mrs.  Ford:     "Good-bye,  ray 

boy.      Good-bye,    in    its    truest,    fullest 

meaning." 


Act  I.  Arthur:  "If  I  am  to  go 
back  to  Torgan — it's  all  up  with 
nie — it  was  killing  me.  They're 
dying  by  dozens  in  the  camp- 
neglected  —  diseased  —  filth—starva- 
tion— cruelty ; — prisoners  are  expen- 
sive luxuries — dead  men  cost 
nothing.  They  are  killing  us." 


Arthur  Ford 


Frau   Hartzmann 


Act  I.    Frau:    "It's  wonderful.    .My  so:i 

might  be  standing  before  me." 

Arthur:     "I  hate  wearing  their  damned 

uniform." 


Mrs.    Ford  Captain    Hartzmann 

Act  II.     Hartzmann:     "Well,  it  depends  on  you 
whether  I   am  to  continue  to  be  Arthur  Ford — 

or   whether   Arthur    Ford   dies." 
Mrs.  Ford:     "Or— whether— Arthur— Ford— dies?" 


Arthur  Ford 


Mrs.    Ford 


Act  III.     Arthur:     "Mother!     Mother!" 

Mrs.  Ford  (after  a  pause)  "  Arthur!    My  boy- 

my  boy— have  you  come  back  to  me?" 


EFFIE  SHANNON  AND  SHELLEY  HULL  PLAY  DUAL  ROLES  IN 
"  UNDER  ORDERS,"  A  WAR   DRAMA   FOR   ONLY  TWO  ACTORS 


HARTZMAXX:     You  must. 

MRS.  FORD:  If — if  I  am  to  be  your  confederate 
in  this  treachery  to  your  country — I  must  know 
your  plans.  I  must  know  what  you  propose  to  do. 

HARTZMANX  :  I  must  stay  out  my  three  weeks 
jiere,  and  you  must  acknowledge  me  as  your 
son.  Then — I  shall  rejoin  my  regiment  in 
France. 

MRS.  FORD:     My  son's  regiment? 

HARTZMANX  :  Your  son's  if  you  prefer  it — 
and  then —  • 

MRS.  FORD:  And  then— the  great  scheme  you 
have  in  hand.  What  was  it  you  called  it?  A 
veritable  Sedan — thousands  of  prisoners  would 
fall  into  your  hands.  Thousands  of  our  men — 
ours !  And  you  expect  me  to  join  hands  with 
you  in  this?  No,  no — a  thousand  times,  no! 

UARTZMANN:  His  death  will  lie  on  your 
conscience. 

MRS.  FORD:  My  conscience  will  be  clear.  His 
death  will  be  mine.  Death  is  but  a  small  matter 
so  that  my  nation  lives.  Those  were  your  words. 
Arc  they  false?  Or  are  they  true? 

HARTZMAXN     (Pauses.) 

MRS.  FORD:  (Goes  to  telephone,  takes  up  rc- 
cciicr.)  Give  me  the  Military  Exchange,  please. 
(  There  is  a  pause,  and  they  look  at  each  other.) 
Is  that  the  Military  Exchange?  Put  me  through 
to  Starford  Barracks,  please.  No — no — not  the 
Mess — the  Orderly  Room.  (Pause.)  Can  1 
speak  to  the  Adjutant?  Thank  you.  It  that 
Captain  Murray? — it  is  Mrs.  Ford  speaking.  Yes, 
Captain  Ford's  mother — Captain  Ford  of  the  2nd 


Battalion.  Send  me  an  escort  here— to  my  house 
at  once.  There  is  a  German  officer  here— a  spy. 
(She  replaces  receiver  quickly.  They  face  ctifh 
other  in  silence.  There  is  a  slight  pause.) 

HARTZMANN  :  You  have  condemned  me  to 
death. 

MRS.  FORD:     So  be  it. 

HARTZMANN:  Well,  I  give  my  life  for  my 
country. 

MRS.  FORD:  I  sacrifice  my  son's  life — for 
mine!  (She  has  the  framed  photograph  in  her 
hands.  Music  swells.) 

But  the  American  in  Germany  is  saved.  Ex- 
changed, he  comes  home  to  find  his  mother's 
reason  like  sweet  bells  jangled  out  of  tune  and 
harsh.  She  plays  Ophelia,  indeed,  for  a  whole 
act  before  she  finally  recognizes  her  son. 

MRS.  FORD:  I  listened  to  you  before — I'll  not 
listen  to  you  again. 

ARTHUR:     Mother! 

MRS.  FORD:  I'll  not  hear  you.  Why  is  it  that 
my  son  is  dead  and  that  you  still  live — why  is 
it  that  you  are  free?  You  came  here  to  spy, 
and  I  had  you  arrested — you  are  spying  still.  I 
see  clearly  now — the  hidden  hand  of  Germany 
is  working — working— working.  My  son  is 
dead — and  you  free !  Why  then  there  is 
treachery  going  on — treachery  to  my  country — 
treachery — treachery — ah ! 

ARTHUR:     For  God's  sake. 

MRS.  FORD:  For  God's  sake — for  my  coun- 
try's sake — for  my  country's  sake.  (Takes  up 


scissors  and  attacks  him — a  struggle —  he  dis- 
arms her — she  sinks  in  Bench  C — she  collapses. 
He  stands  sobbing.  He  then  kneels  by  her.) 

ARTHUR:  Mother!  Mother!  (Hides  his  face 
on  her  knees.) 

MRS.  FORD:  (After  a  pause — recovers — 
strokes  his  head — raises  his  head — looks  long 
into  his  face.  Her  expression  changes  from 
agony  to  joy.)  Arthur !  My  boy — my  boy — 
have  you  come  back  to  me? 

ARTHUR:  Mother — have  you  come  back  to 
me?  (Embrace.) 

MRS.   FORD:     My  boy — my  boy! 

The  play  is  undeniably  strong  and  highly  en- 
grossing in  the  middle  but  tenous  and  frayed  at 
both  ends.  And  after  an  hour  or  so  of  watching 
two  players  only,  there  were  moments  when  one 
fairly  ached  to  see  somebody  else  appear  upon 
the  scene. 

Shelley  Hull  plays  the  Dromic  lieutenants  with 
accustomed  vigor  and  intelligence.  Their  dif- 
ferentiation is  scarcely  subtle,  though  the  Ger- 
man's attempt  to  impersonate  the  American 
naturally  requires  a  degree  of  complexity. 

Effie  Shannon  makes  appealing  figures  of  the 
two  grief-stricken  and  harassed  mothers.  The 
roles  as  written  make  for  monotony,  and  it 
would  be  difficult  for  the  most  accomplished  of 
actresses  to  do  much  with  the  Ophelia  business 
at  the  end. 


CYRIL  IS  A 


A  letter  from  Cyril  Hyghbroiv,  the  popular 
dramatist,    to   his    college    chum   out    west 

By  HARRIET  KENT 


Dear  Pal: 

IV'E  achieved  my  ambition  at  last — my  play 
is  on  Broadway.  But  kst  you  conjure  up 
a  vision  of  me  riding  around  in  a  Rolls 
Royce,  or  dining  at  the  Ritz  on  the  fat  of  the 
land,  hear  my  tale. 

I  have  seen  my  name  on  the  billboards,  but 
with  it  I  have  also  beheld  the  last  of  my  cher- 
ished illusions,  my  hopes,  my  dreams — and  my 
bank  account.  All  in  four  years,  too,  since  I 
left  home  to  gain  fame  and  fortune  overnight 
in  Xew  York  as  a  playwright. 

When  I  reached  this  town  with  the  play  that 
all  the  folks  back  home  thought  a  masterpiece,  I 
fully  expected  to  have  my  first  royalty  check 
within  a  month.  But  tTv*  Ms.  took  two  years  to 
go  the  rounds  of  the  managers'  offices  (I  think 
it's  going  yet) — and  each  time  the  postman 
brought  it  back  to  my  three  by  four  room  (New 
York's  the  only  place  that  has  these  miniature 
chicken  coops)  it  was  accompanied  by  the 
customary  "unavailable"  slip. 

So  I  diagnosed  the  "child's"  case  and  found 
that  all  its  suffering  was  due  to  the  fact  that  it 
was  a  fantasy — and  poetry  doesn't  go  on  Broad- 
way. Trying  to  attract  a  Broadway  manager 
with  poetic  verse  is  like  trying  to  catch  fish  with 
a  statue  of  Venus.  No  one  will  deny  that  Venus 
is  beautiful,  but  she  doesn't  appeal  to  fish. 
Neither  does  anything  that  bears  relation  to 
poetry  encourage  managerial  advance. 

Audiences  must  be  kept  awake,  the  producers 
say,  and  what's  suggestive  in  poetry?  Nothing 
but  sleep,  according  to  their  point  of  view. 

You  can't  live  on  rejection  slips,  Johnnie, 
especially  if  you've  a  healthy  young  appetite  and 
the  price  of  living  goes  along  with  the  aero- 
planes. Neither  can  you  survive  on  expectations, 
without  assuming  the  shape  of  a  string  bean. 


So  I  got  a  job  in  a  manager's  office,  and  have 
been  there  ever  since.  Oh,  how  I  wish  that  all 
our  embryo  playwrights  could  be  on  some  Broad- 
way producer's  pay  roll.  What  a  saving  of 
broken  hearts  it  would  mean ! 

I  learned  the  producing  business  from  the 
bottom  up,  and  believe  me,  neither  the  bottom 
nor  the  top  will  bear  close  scrutiny.  Finally,  I 
was  elevated  to  a  post  in  the  playreader's  office. 
Ah,  I  thought,  here's  where  I  get  my  chance. 
But  nothing  doing,  as  they  say  in  this  burg.  The 
only  opportunity  I  got  was  to  address  envelopes 
for  returned  Mss.,  and  now  I  believe  the  oft- 
told  tale  that  everybody  from  the  street  cleaner 
to  the  stock  broker  writes  plays — or  what  they 
think  are  plays. 

One  day  the  boss  asked  me  if  I  knew  any- 
thing about  French.  You  remember  what  a 
"parley  vous"  student  I  was  in  college.  I  trans- 
lated a  French  drama  for  him,  and  as  I  sat  up 
nights  burning  the  midnight  oil,  I  had  rosy 
views  of  roast  turkey  instead  of  ham  and  eggs 
for  dinner.  But  all  I  got  as  I  passed  in  the 
finished  product  was  a  slap  on  the  back  from 
Friend — I  mean  Enemy — Manager  and  "It's  sure 
to  make  money,  my  boy." 

And  it  did.  But  not  for  me.  It  ran  for  six 
months  on  Broadway,  but  I  got  no  recompense 
for  my  labors ;  and  wasn't  even  rewarded  by 
having  my  humble  name  attached  as  translator. 

Why  didn't  I  quit,  you  ask?  Where  else  was 
I  to  get  a  job — and  the  weekly  board  bill  coming 
due  as  usual?  So  I  situck  of  course.  But  while 
I  was  returning  rejected  scripts  to  the  butcher, 
the  baker  and  the  candlestick  maker,  I  con- 
ceived an  idea  for  a  real  money  maker.  This 
time  it  was  a  farce,  with  plenty  of  zip  and  go. 
I  knew  it  would  prove  a  winner.  So  did  the 
Z s,  for  they  accepted  it.  Now  all  I  have 


to  do,  thought  I,  is  to  picture  my  name  spelled 
out  in  tiny  electric  bulbs,  and  wait  for  the  first 
check.  But— 

The  cast  was  selected,  the  piece  rehearsed, 
and  the  out-of-town  tryout  occurred.  Then  the 
trouble  began.  Oh,  no,  not  with  the  play — with 

the  star.  The  Z s  thought  her  too  fat,  or 

too  old,  or  too  tall,  or  too  something.  1  can't 
remember  which.  Out  of  the  cast  she  must  s" 
But  then  there  was  her  contract  to  be  considered. 
That's  where  I  came  in. 

At  rehearsals  she  had  put  in  a  word  here  an-1 
half  a  word  there — a  couple  of  "ands"  and 
"buts."  To  let  her  down  easily  the  cunning 
managers  talked  her  into  believing  she  was  pan 
author,  roused  her  Egoism  (it's  spelled  with  a 
capital  for  actresses)  and  finally  amicable 
arrangements  were  concluded  'between  manager 
and  star.  Her  name  had  been  affixed  to  the 
play  as  co-author,  and  she  had  resigned  from 
the  cast. 

I  could  have  withdrawn  my  play,  of  course. 
But  was  I  to  go  through  all  the  weary  months 
of  waiting  before  some  other  producer  saw  its 
possibilities?  Could  I  endure  the  agony  of  more 
rehearsals,  more  changes?  I  decided  in  the 
negative. 

We  have  opened  on  Broadway.  The  farce  is 
a  howling  success.  Audiences  are  in  love  with 
the  adorable  leading  lady,  the  charming  intimate 
theatre,  and  their  money  fills  the  managerial 
coffers.  And  the  former  star — now  she  has  dis- 
covered that  she  never  really  cared  for  acting. 
Her  forte  is  writing.  Looking  over  her  family 
tree  she  has  found  a  branch  somewhere  that 
leads  directly  to  Old  Bill  Shakespeare  himself. 

Johnnie,  I  wish  I  had  gone  in  for  street 
cleaning.  I'm  sure  I  would  have  liked  the  work 
better.  CYRIL. 


[220] 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  191! 


©  Hiron-Conuelly 

JOHN  CHARLES  THOMAS 
Undoubtedly  the  matinee  idol 
de  luxe.  He  is  now  playing  a 
leading  role  in  the  popular 
musical  success  "Mavtime" 


Victor  Georg 


CYRIL  MAUDE 
Everyone  who  remembers  this 
English  actor's  characterization 
of  Grumpy  will  want  to  see 
him  in  "The  Saving  Grace"  at 
the  Empire 


EMMETT  CORRIGAN 
Gives  a  forceful  performance  of  the 
mysterious  butler  in  "Three  Faces 
East"    at    the    Cohan    and    Harris 


Dupont 


OTIS  SKINNER 

Starring      in      "Humpty      Dumpty,"      a 
new   play   by   Horace    Annesley    Vachell 


GEORGE  NASH 
Solves  the  mystery  of  "The  Blue 
Pearl"  in  the  detective  play  of  that 
name  at  the  Longacre  Theatre 


Matsene 


STARS     AND     NEAR-STARS     IN     THE     THEATRICAL     FIRMAMENT 


NEW  YORK  CHEERS     YIP,  YIP,  YAPHAN 


Irving  Ber/in's  latest  show  is  fun-coated 
propaganda  and  introduces  the  soldier-actor 


IMAGINE  this— the  Century  Theatre  jammed 
to  the  doors  with  an  audience  that  included 
every  good  American  who  .could  get  inside, 
from   the   latest  draft   recruit   to  the  man   who 
wrote  "Over   There"  and   ringing   with   a   wild, 
friendly   clamor   of   "Berlin !     Three   cheers   for 
Berlin!     Hey,   Berlin!" 

No,  it  wasn't  a  triumph  of  German  propa- 
ganda, in  fact,  the  whole  occasion  was  part  of 
the  plan  to  take  Berlin  off  the  map.  Every  man 
on  the  stage  carried  a  gun  that  he  hopes  to  aim 
dinct  at  the  Kaiser.  The  cheers  were  for  a 
boyish-looking  little  man  in  a  soldier's  uniform 
who  stood  before  the  curtain — Sergeant  Irving 
Berlin,  who  was  the  first  to  go  over  the  top 
with  the  syncopated  rag,  when  he  wrote  "Alex- 
ander's Ragtime  Band." 

Then,  a  few  months  ago,  after  a  long  series 
of  world-wide  song  successes,  Irving  Berlin  was 
rnlled  to  the  National  Army,  and  left  for  Camp 
Upton,  at  Yaphank,  as  a  private.  Broadway 
heard  little  more  of  its  favorite  tunester,  until 
news  came  that  he  was  writing  the  words  and 
music  of  a  show  for  a  few  hundred  of  his 
"bunkies"  to  give  at  the  Century.  Finally  the 
town  was  dotted  with  posters  announcing  "Yip, 
Yip,  Yaphank"  by  Sergeant  Berlin,  and  Broad- 
way was  proud  indeed. 

So  that  was  why  the  first  night  became  one 
long  cheer  for  Berlin,  a  cheer  that  came  not 
only  from  his  old  friends  but  from  new  ones 
in  the  army  and  navy  who  formed  a  consider- 
able part  of  the  audience. 


BERLIN  made  "Yip,  Yip,  Yaphank"  distinctly 
a  man's  show.  There  was-  real  illusion  to 
the  "feminine"  cast  of  "Biff  Bang,"  the  earlier 
naval  success  at  the  Century,  the  "girls"  were 
actually  dainty  and  graceful.  But  the  Yaphank 
chorus  was  frankly  masquerading. 

Of  course,  the  reason  is  that  Camp  Upton  is 
a  melting  pot,  and  offered  entirely  different  ma- 
terial to  work  with.  It  is  where  Algy  Fitzgerald 
learns  that  one  can  eat  beans  with  a  knife  and 
still  be  a  gentleman,  and  where  Mike  Grogan 
learns  that  one  can  wear  a  wrist-watch  and  still 
be  a  man. 

So  the  Yaphank  ensemble  was  more  to  be 
commendeff*  for  brawn  than  beauty,  although 
they  disarmed  criticism  by  each  admitting  their 
former  occupations  and  habits  in  pithy  couplets 
— one  said  he  "was  a  packer,  and  ate  plug  to- 
baccer."  The  rest  were  quite  as  evidently  in- 
tended for  anything  but  show  girls,  but,  oh, 
what  soldiers  they  will  make! 

The  military  atmosphere  began  on  the  side- 
walk outside,  where  every  few  paces  a  soldier 
was  stationed  with  rifle  at  shoulder,  and  others 
guarding  the  entrances  inside.  But  they  were 
all  smiling,  and  gave  a  reassuring  feeling  that 
martial  law  to  ragtime  wouldn't  be  too  severe. 

A  record  first-night  audience  crowded  the  lob- 
bies, and  army  and  navy  dignataries  caught  a 
glimpse  of  stage  celebrities  as  Ethel  Barrymore, 
George  Cohan,  Mrs.  Castle,  Raymond  Hitch- 
cock, Jeanne  Eagels  or  Al  Jolson  passed  by. 
Then,  sharply  across  the  clamor  of  tongues  came 
the  military  command:  "Arten-shun !"  People 
paused  in  the  middle  of  a  word,  and  programme 
girls  stopped  selling,  amazed.  Broadway  disci- 


plined !  And  at  attention  they  stood  where 
Major-General  Bell,  through  whose  consent  it 
was  possible  to  give  the  show,  passed  through 
to  his  box. 

After  the  opening  cliorus,  which  developed  into 
a  minstrel  show  with  only  the  endtnen  in  black- 
face and  the  rest  in  the  conventional  khaki,  Cap- 
tain McAllister  told  the  men  that  there  was  a 
hard,  seasoned  enemy  on  the  other  side  of  the 
footlights,  and,  although  it  was  completely  sur- 
rounded and  pocketed,  it  would  have  to  be  rid- 
dled with  riddles,  bombed  with  jokes,  and  van- 
quished with  songs  before  it  could  be  annihi- 
lated. 


THE  first  raid  into  No  Man's  Land  was  a 
song  about  "You  Can't  Stay  Up  All  Night 
On  Bevo!"  for  which,  they  say,  the  Anheuser- 
Busch  Company  has  already  paid  Sergeant  Ber- 
lin ten  thousand  dollars.  He,  in  turn,  has  given 
it  to  the  "Yip,  Yip,  Yaphank"  fund,  to  help  es- 
tablish a  community  house  at  Camp  Upton  for 
the  wives,  mothers  and  sweethearts  who  visit 
the  boys.  For  Yaphank,  being  a  "boom"  town, 
that  a  year  ago  was  only  a  deserted  stretch  of 
Long  Island,  is  adding  its  creature  comforts  bit 
by  bit. 

But  the  enemy  really  capitulated  first  at  a 
quartette  which  ran  something  like  this : 

"Darling,   I   am  not   so  o^old, 
There's  no  silver  'mongst  the  gold, 
I  am  only  twenty-three-ee, 
And  the  draft  is  after  me !" 

After  that,  the  coldest  audience  in  the  world 
became  a  carefree  mob  that  whistled,  shouted 
and  cheered  every  number,  and  joined  in  the 
choruses  after  the  first  encore.  The  enthusiasm 
and  vigor  of  the  boys  on  the  stage  and  the  stim- 
ulus of  the  songs  swept  everyone  irresistibly 
into  the  spirit  of  the  evening.  It  was  more  like 
the  last  inning  of  a  world-series  ball  game  than 
anything  else. 

The  minstrel  finale,  a  Darktown  wedding,  in- 
troduced the  only  real  lady  in  the  cast,  a  colored 
baby-vampire,  who  acted  as  flower-girl,  and 
fairly  stopped  proceedings  with  a  pair  of  eyes 
that  would  be  worth  a  million  dollars  in  the 
movies  if  they  were  topped  with  Pickford  curls 
instead  of  Topsy  pigtails. 


\  LTHOUGH  there  was  a  chance  for  the  pro- 
•ii-  fessional  dancers,  jugglers,  and  acrobats 
whom  the  long  arm  of  the  draft  has  brought  to 
Yaphank  to  do  their  specialties,  the  best  part  of 
the  show  came  in  the  second  act,  that  showed 
the  different  sides  of  a  rookies  life  at  Yaphank. 
There  was  a  complete  syncopated  drill,  and 
the  theatrical  police  reserves — the  managers, 
actors,  and  playwrights  who  have  been  drilling 
all  summer  to  take  the  'place  of  the  regular 
New  York  police  force  when  they  are  needed— 
watched  the  ragtime  soldiers  jig  into  more  and 
more  complicated  formations  with  hopeless  awe 
written  em  their  faces.  A  few  months  ago  they 
would  have  sat  through  the  drill  complacently, 
but  after  leading  their  companies  into  the  wall 
a  few  times  at  beginners'  pace,  they  understood 
only  too  well  what  the  boys  on  the  stage  had 


accomplished  in  their  few  months'  training  from 
citizenship  to  soldiery. 

A  wholesale  imitation  of  everyone  in  the  Fol- 
lies entertaining  the  boys  was  the  opportunity 
to  bring  in  more  "girls,"  all  of  whom  had  ob- 
viously been  exempted  by  General  Ziegfeld.  But 
Kuy  Kendall  as  Ann  Pennington,  and  Private 
Belles  as  Marilynn  Miller  did  toe-dancing  and 
buck-and-wing  with  real  grace,  and  Private  Cut- 
ner  was  Eddie  Cantor  himself  shouting  "That's 
the  Kind  of  a  Baby  for  Me!" 

Finally,  Berlin  himself  was  pulled  from  his 
tent,  half  asleep,  to  sing  his  already  immortal 
lyric  about  the  bugler.  Of  course,  there  was  a 
welcome  that  rocked  the  theatre,  but  to  his 
credit  as  a  good  actor,  there  he  stood,  while  his 
friends  waited  for  a  nod  of  recognition,  staring 
dreamily  ahead,  and  buttoning  up  his  coat.  Then 
he  sang,  in  his  peculiar,  plaintive  little  voice, 
the  chorus  that  goes : 

"Oh,  how  I  hate  to  get  up  in  the  morning, 
Oh!  how  I'd  love  to  remain  in  bed; 
For  the  hardest  blow  of  all, 
Is  to  hear  the  bugler  call : 

(Here  reveille  sounded) 

You've  got  to  get  up, 

You've  got  to  get  up, 

You've    got    to    get    up,    this    morning! 
Some  day  I'm  going  to  murder  the  bugler, 
Some   day  they're  going  to   find   him   dead, 
I'll   amputate  his   reveille, 
And  step  upon  it  heavily, 
And    spend    the    rest   of    my    life    in    bed !" 


WITH  each  encore  he  grew  more  mournful, 
until  finally  he  "got  the  pup,  the  one  who 
wakes  the  bugler  up !"  and  went  back  to  spend 
the  rest  of  his  life  in  bed. 

But  he  came  out  again  as  one  of  the  dejected 
Kitchen  Police,  and  sang  about  how,  with  his 
mop  and  pail,  he  was  making  the  wide  world 
"Safe  for  Democracy !"  Every  soldier  in  the 
audience  who  was  doing  his  bit  by  peeling  pe>ta- 
toe's  or  picking  weeds  from  the  parade  ground 
howled  joyfully  in  response. 

For  the  last  part,  Berlin  showed  what  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  huts  mean  to  the  men  in  camp,  with 
true  feeling  and  atmosphere.  These  scenes 
seemed  almost  real,  with  some  of  the  spirit  of 
the  hospital  scene  in  "Out  There"  or  the  re- 
cruiting scene  in  "Getting  Together."  He  has 
written  a  really  beautiful  song  about  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A. — a  simple  melody  and  lyric  that  is  likely 
to  .be  sung  at  the  "Y"  huts  all  over  the  world. 
I  have  heard  soldiers  singing  it  already,  not 
carelessly,  as  they  sing  the  average  popular  song, 
but  as  if  it  really  meant  something  to  them,  as 
they  sing  "Over  There." — It's  just: 

"You   can   think  of  me  in   the   evening. 

At  the  close  of  the  day, 

Writing  a   little  letter 

At  the   Y.    M.   C.    A. 

Don't  you  worry,  mother  darling, 

For  although  the  skies  are  gray, 

I    can    always    find    a    little    sunshine    in 

The  Y.   M.   C.   A." 

"Yip,  Yip,  Yaphank"  is  not  only  a  good 
"military  mess."  cooked  up  to  entertain  the  com- 
pany and  audience,  but  it  shows  those  at  home 
that  the  boys  are  happy  and  contented.  It  is 
fun-coated  propaganda,  and  that's  the  most 
effective  kind,  after  all. 


[  222  ] 


Theatre  Magazine,  October, 


The  "Yip,  Viji, 
Yaphank"  boys 
all  together  for 
the  super  jazz 
hand  ensemble 


Sergeant    Irving    Berliri    singing   Safe   for   Democracy    and    a    few 
"beauties"   picked   at   random   from   the   draft — all   lucky   numbers! 


Some  of  the  Yaphankers  bringing  the  old- 
fashioned     minstrel     show     up     to     date 


The  Darktown  bride,  three  future  sol- 
diers and  a  potential  Red  Cross  nurse 


YAPHANK  MAKES  A  SUCCESSFUL  RAID  ON  BROADWAY 


FASHIONS  IN  TITLES 

By  ZETA   ROTHSCHILD 


SCAN   the  titles   of   plays   produced   in   New 
York    City    during    the    last    twenty    years 
and   you  will   realize  the  changing   fashion 
in   titles   that  is   ever   taking   place   during   that 
period.     Slowly  but   surely   the   titles   testify   to 
the  Americanizing   of  the  American  stage. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  century,  when  the 
dramatic  section  of  the  newspaper  was  all  of 
one  column  and  a  half,  and  the  announcements 
of  current  amusements,  theatre,  opera,  concert 
and  everything  else  took  less  than  half  a  page, 
then  the  majority  of  plays,  though  writteb, 
staged  and  produced  by  Americans,  were  given 
a  foreign  sounding  title  to  insure  popularity.  If 
the  home  brewed  article  were  offered  to  the 
public,  the  label  had  to  bear  a  foreign  trade- 
mark. It  evidently  was  the  day  for  importa- 
tions. 

This  vogue  held  good  for  several  years. 
Foreign  librettos  and  operettas  were  given  first 
place  on  Broadway  just  as  musical  circles  wel- 
comed to  the  platform  the  :artist  who  bore  the 
hall-mark  of  foreign  training. 

But  about  1910  a  new  era  began.  Perhaps  it 
«;i<  due  to  the  wave  of  organized  charity  with 
its  systematic  research,  and  social  reform  with 
its  cohorts  swept  over  the  country.  Problem 
plays  became  the  fashion.  Every  play  had  a 
moral  and  a  message.  Naturally  to  be  under- 
stood and  appreciated  these  plays  had  to  deal 
with  American  problems  and  have  American 
backgrounds.  Despite  an  epidemic  of  imported 
actresses  the  American  play  came  to  stay.  Even 
these  foreign  stars  had  to  learn  English  to  hold 
their  audiences.  Only  Bernhardt  could  hold  her 
own  in  an  alien  tongue. 

A  crop  of  musical  comedies  a  few  years  later 
mark  another  interesting  digression  from  the 
general  order  of  titles.  Exclamatory  titles 


blazed  the  way  for  a  series  of  successful 
pieces.  "Very  Good,  Eddie,"  "Good  Gracious, 
Annabclle,"  "Oh,  Look,"  "Oh,  Boy,"  and  "Oh, 
Lady!  Lady!  !"  evidence  that  American  slang 
has  dramatic  possibilities. 

But  to  illustrate  this  gradual  Americanizing 
of  titles  it  will  be  necessary  to  check  up  the 
plays  popular  on  Broadway  a  decade  or  two 
ago.  There  was  Fritzi  Scheff  in  "Giroufle- 
Giroufla,"  Jesse  Bonstelle  in  "Siberia,"  Marie 
Doro  in  a  French  farce  "Friquet,"  Mrs.  Leslie 
Carter  in  "Du  Barry,"  nnd  "Adreaj,"  Adele 
Ritchie  in  "Fantana"  and  Mrs.  Fiska  in  "Leah 
Kleshna."  This  handful  of  plays  sorted  at 
random  would  attempt  to  show  the  foreign 
sounding  titles  of  the  vehicles  in  which  the 
stars  of  the  day  appeared. 

A  catalogue  of  tha  plays  lined  up  five  years 
later  is  very  much  like  the  preceding  list.  The 
fashion  for  foreign  make  had  not  abated. 
Marguerite  Clark  was  announced  in  "The  King 
of  Cadonia,"  Christie  MacDonald  in  "The  Prince 
of  Bohemia,"  "The  Chocolate  Soldier,"  "The  Dol- 
lar Princess,"  "The  Merry  Widow,"  "The  Girl  in 
the  Taxi,"  all  invaded  our  shores.  And  whether 
the  subject  was  "made  in  America"  or  not,  the 
label  bore  a  foreign  mark. 

But  the  wave  of  social  reform  alluded  to  be- 
fore left  its  mark  on  the  titles  of  the  day. 
Social  problems,  political  and  economic  re- 
forms fascinated  our  dramatists.  Elmer  Reizen- 
stein's  "On  Trial"  saw  the  light  of  day,  Elsie 
Ferguson  appeared  in  "Outcast,"  Robert  Edeson 
navigated  "Sinners"  into  popularity,  Richard 
Bennett  steered  both  "Damaged  Goods"  and 
"Maternity"  up  Broadway,  Julia  Dean  sponsored 
"The  Law  of  the  Land"  and  John  Mason 
fathered  "The  Song  of  Songs,"  while  "The 
Easiest  Way"  found  an  easy  path  to  popularity. 


This  year's  crop  of  plays  are  showing  many 
interesting  angles  as  far  as  the  titles  are  con- 
cerned. Naturally  the  war  and  its  especial 
problems  for  us,  those  of  the  alien,  friendly  or 
otherwise  within  our  gates,  is  the  hub  around 
which  many  of  our  plays  revolve.  .  Their  titles 
are  mild  illustrations.  One  musical  comedy 
seems  to  herald  a  new  idea.  John  Cort's  "Fid- 
dlers Three"  is  a  romantic  picturesque  operetta, 
based  on  the  medieval  legend  of  the  three 
violin  makers  of  Cremona.  It  stands  'apart 
from  the  general  run  of  musical  comedies  at 
present  and  may  be  the  forerunner  of  a  new 
period. 

But  the  most  striking  titles  of  the  season  have 
outclassed  the  exclamatory  headlines  of  last 
year.  Whole  sentences,  descriptive  and  direct, 
announce  these  modern  farces.  "Tis  George 
Broadhurst  who  has  put  hisl  titles  in  many 
words  and  has  introduced  "He  Didn't  Want  to 
Do  It"  and  "She  Walked  in  Her  Sleep"  to  the 
public.  They — the  titles — seem  the  beginning  of 
a  new  era  in  titles,  the  peak  of  American  humor 
and  suggestiveness.  Not  even  the  French  can 
arouse  a  visualization  more  vivid  than  do  these 
titles.  The  entire  plot  is  outlined — "He  Didn't 
Want  to  Do  It"  and  little  strain  is  necessary  to 
follow  the  plot.  That  "She  Walked  in  Her 
Sleep"  is  assured,  no  other  interpretation  is  per- 
missable. 

The  new  titles  admit  of  no  suspense, 
doubt  or  surprise ;  the  public  is  relieved  of  any 
strain.  What  more  can  a  title  do?  It  is  the 
offering  to  the  tired  business  man,  the  war 
harassed  and  the  weary.  Utterly  American  in 
this  new  line,  mapped  to  cheer  and  relieve  of 
strain  and  tension  in  every  way,  the  new  titles, 
crisp  with  slang,  take  their  places  in  the  history 
of  titles. 


THE  RENEGADE 

By  MARJORIE   PATTERSON 


J\  my  time  I  had  a  liking  for  the  Devil, 
Yes,  a  sort  of  sneaking  fondness  and  regard, 
For  his   sporty   speculations, 
His   terse   ejaculations. 

I  invoked  him  with  the  dice  box  and  the 
card. 

JN  my  time  I  had  a  liking  for  the  Devil. 

Now  vague  treason  in  my  hero-worship  lurks, 

For  since  Germany  turned  martial 

I  find  I'm  not  so  partial 

As  I  once  was  to  the  Devil  and  his  works. 


J^O,  of  late,  I'm  not  so  keen  about  the  Devil, 
Though    I    still    play   golf    through    church    time 

with  a  vim, 

Yet    since    Wilhelm    first   paraded, 
Since  Belgium  was  invaded 
I  like  "Onward  Christian  Soldiers"  as  a  hymn. 

[   AM  getting  rather  fed  up  with  the  Devil; 

I'll  go  easy  with  the.  high-balls  for  a  bit, 

Even,  conjuring  up  the  dime 

Can  wait  over  for  a  time, 

While  I  face  about  and  pack  my  soldier  kit. 


J  SHALL  send  this   ultimatum  to  the  Devil. 
"Ah,  Hell's  honor— Ah,  her  chivalry— All  boasts ! 
You,  a  good  sport?     On  the  level? 
You  lie,  you  crooked  Devil; 

Now   I  know   you  and    I'll  fight  you   and   your 
hosts." 


[234] 


Theatre  Masa:ine,  October,  /p/S 


Front  a  portrait  by  Alfred  Cheney  Jolinston 


JULIA 


B     R     U     N.    S 


MISS  BKUN'S'  dark  beauty  was  her  fortune — at  least  in  the  beginning.     In  good  time,  she  supplemented  it  with  cleverness  and  dra- 
matic  instinct.     The  St.  Louis  girl,  coming  to  New  York  to  seek  her  fortune,  found  it  in  the  studios.    James  Montgomery  Flagg 
drew  many  sketches  of  lovely  women,  with  Miss  Bruns  as  the  model.     I,ee  Shubert  approved   the  illustrator's  choice  believing  that   her 
quality  was  not  merely  pictorial.     He  gave  her  an  opportunity  in  "The  Squab  Farm."     She  distinguished  herself  as  the  chief  of  the 
Motion-picture  harem  in  the  Hatton  satire.     Her  next  opportunity  came  as  the  unscrupulous  woman  of  enchantment  in  "The  Blue  Pearl" 


THE  GENESIS  OF  A  PROPAGANDA  PLAY 

Princess  Troubetzkoy  tells  how  she  and  her 
sculptor-husband  came  to  write  '''"Allegiance" 

By  HELEN   TEN   BROECK 


THIS  is  the  hour  of  the  awakened  woman, 
the  woman  with  a  new  vision,  a  new  grasp 
on  the  deeper  verities  of   life  and   a  new 
voice  for  the  utterance  of  her  new  knowledge. 
It    is    the   hour   of    woman's    recognition    as    no 
longer  the  silent  complement,  but  the  articulate 
aid  and  ally  of  those  men  who  have  risen  by  the 
divine   right  of   personal   fitness   and   power,   to 
leadership   among  nations. 

Lloyd  George,  little  noted  as  a  psychologist, 
uttered  a  deep  metaphysical  truth  when  he  ac- 
knowledged with  a  generosity  not  always  looked 
for  in  prime  ministers,  that  woman's  aid  in  win- 
ning the  present  war,  was  a  pronounced  factor 
in  the  equation  of  victory.  The  stage  lias  given 
more  richly  than  any  other  profession  of  its 
feminine  effort  in  war  work — and  in  saying 
this  I  do  not  except  the  magnificent  profession 
of  which  the  American  trained  nurse  is  the 
fine  flower — and  it  is  quite  fitting  that  an  Amer- 
ican war  play  should  be  contributed  to  the  stage 
by  a  woman. 


I 


N  "Allegiance,"  Amelie  Rives,  uniquely 
prominent  among  literary  women,  has  given 
to  dramatic  literature  and  to  patriotic  propa- 
ganda a  living,  breathing  document.  Interview- 
ing Amelie  Rives  presents  many  of  the  difficul- 
ties one  would  encounter  in  seeking  the  views 
of  some  great  free-flighted  bird.  Her  thoughts 
have  wings — eagle's  wings — and  her  vision  owns 
a  sweep  difficult  to  confine  to  a  rigidly  spaced 
and  circumscribed  magazine  article.  Neverthe- 
less I  scampered  gaily  down  to  Huntington, 
Long  Island,  to  capture  a  few  minutes  with  the 
princepessa — for  of  course  you  know  that  Amelie 
Rives  is  the  wife  of 
Prince  Pierre  Trou- 
betzkoy —  artist  and 
collaborator  in  her 
new  play. 

"When  the  horror 
of  the  'Lusitania' 
stunned  us,"  said 
Princess  Troubetzkoy, 
when  I  asked  her  to 
tell  me  something  of 
the  genesis  of  "Alle- 
giance," "my  first 
thought  was,  this  crime 
will  awaken  America 
to  the  fact  that  this 
awful  thing  that  has 
arrayed  itself  against 
the  world  is  not  civi- 
lization of  any  order; 
it  is  reckless  wrong 
and  tyranny  wearing 
the  helmet  of  the 
Hohenzollern. 

"It  happened  that 
Troubetzkoy,  who  was 
in  a  distant  city  paint- 
ing a  portrait,  saw  a 

newspaper  article  bearing  on  a  new  phase  of  alle- 
giance, and  sent  it  to  me  with  a  suggestion  that 
here  was  an  idea  for  a  play." 

In  a   near-by   room,   Prince   Troubetzkoy   was 
clicking  away  on  a  clattering   typewriter,   copy- 


ing a  just  finished  act  of  "Prince  and  Pauper," 
in  the  adaptation  of  which  he  is  assisting  his 
wife.  A  sudden  pause  in  the  pattering  of  the 
keys  came  at  this  moment  and  ,a  very  troubled 
Italian  interrupted  the  interview  with  a  plea 
to  be  enlightened  as  to  the  interpretation  of  cer- 
tain hieroglyphics  in  Princess  Troubetzkoy's 
manuscript. 

"It  wasn't  a  bare  idea  by  any  means  that 
Troubetzkoy  sent  me,"  resumed  the  princess 
when  the  matter  had  been  straightened  out  and 
her  husband  had  returned  to  his  labors;  "as  a 
matter  of  fact  the  scenario  of  'Allegiance'  was 
almost  entirely  embraced  in  the  sketchy  outlines 
he  based  upon  the  newspaper  clipping.  And  it 
is  quite  wonderful  how  scene  by  scene,  speech 
by  speech,  character  by  character,  the  play  de- 
veloped itself.  Almost  before  I  knew  it,  'Alle- 
giance' was  finished,  and  through  the  medium  of 
Miss  Shaw — please  notice  the  feminine  factor  in 
all  the  equations — was  introduced  to  the  notice 
of  manager  A.  H.  Woods." 

"But  Mr.  Woods,"  I  interrupted  again,  "didn't 
produce  it." 

"No,"  said  the  dramatist  with  that  cryptic 
smile  in  which  dramatists  always  mention  pro- 
ducing managers,  "Miss  Shaw  sketched  the  story 
to  him  and  arranged  an  interview  between  us, 
which  Mr.  Woods  was  unable  to  keep,  and  again 
enters  the  feminine  element. 

"I  told  Mrs.  Faversham  (Julie  Opp)  the  plot 
of  the  piece  and  she  asked  to  read  it.  This,  of 
course,  was  some  months  ago.  She  read  it,  ap- 
proved it,  and  sent  the  script  to  Mr.  Faversham 
who  had  just  started  on  tour  with  'Lord  and 
Lady  Algy,'  asking  him  to  let  her  buy  the  rights 
to  the  play. 

''Mr.   Faversham  replied  with  a  wire  which  is 


"And  here  again  enter  the  feminine  element. 
Miss  Maxine  Elliott  as  you  know,  was  acting 
with  Mr.  Faversham  in  'Algy,'  and  she  too  read 
'Allegiance,'  and  insisted  that  her  theatre  should 
be  chosen  to  house  the  piece  for  its  New  York 
presentation. 

"Because  my  literary  agent  had  communicated 
with  Mr.  Woods,  I  felt  that  he  had  a  prior  claim 
to  the  piece  since  he  had  seemed  enthused  with 
its  plot;  but  after  a  number  of  unavailing  efforts 
to  see  him,  I  concluded  that  in  the  uncertainty 
of  his  intention  to  produce  it,  I  might  be  free  to 
offer  it  elsewhere,  and  so  it  passed  into  the  hands 
of  Mr.  Faversham  and  as  you  know  was  pro- 
duced by  Mr.  Faversham  and  Miss  Elliott. 

"Oddly  enough,  the  last  time  I  tried  to  com- 
municate with  Mr.  Woods,  he  was  out  of  town 
producing  a  new  play — the  new  play  being 
'Friendly  Enemies'  which,  I  am  told,  is  built 
around  a  theme  quite  similar  to  the  basic  idea 
in  'Allegiance.' 


White 


Maxine   Elliott  and  William   Faversham   (the  producers)   and  the  Prince  and 
Princess  Troubetzkoy    (the     authors)      at     a     reading     of     "Allegiance" 


the    only    contract    under    which    'Allegiance'    is 
produced. 

"  'It  is  a  wonderful  play,' "  ran  the  telegram, 
"  'and  I  bless  you  for  writing  it !  I  want  to  pro- 
duce it  myself.' 


SOMETIME,"  the  princess'  fine  eyes  fixed 
themselves  upon  a  bit  of  sparkling  water 
that  stretched  before  her  windows,  "sometime  I 
hope  to  meet  the  authors  of  'Friendly  Enemies' 
and  compare  notes  upon  what  seems  a  clear  case 
of  synchronous  cerebration.  It  would  be  odd — 
wouldn't  it? — if  one  innocent  little  newspaper 
clipping  had  inspired  two  people  who  had  neve." 
seen  each  other  to  think  out  two  different  plays 
upon  the  same  lines? 

"But  to  return  to  the  writing  of  'Allegiance'; 
the  character  of  Von  Geier  was  no  newspaper 
inspiration.      It    was    carefully    built    up    from 
records  of  work  by  our  Secret  Service  in  tracing 
the  activities  of  a  sub- 
ject of  the  Kaiser  who 
stood   as  the  foremost 
exponent     of     German 
music   in   America   un- 
til   his    internment    re- 
cently. 

"The  line  in  'Alle- 
giance' in  which  the 
young  agent  of  the 
Secret  Service  says 
that  it  has  been  found 
necessary  to  'get'  many 
German  spies  of  wealth 
and  position  on  other 
charges  in  order  that 
they  may  be  prevented 
from  jumping  bail  and 
escaping  by  a  dread  of 
being  tried  for  a  crime, 
is  no  dramatist's 
dream.  It  is  an  estab- 
lished fact;  and  over 
and  over  again,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  Doctor 
of  Music,  from  whom 
the  character  Von 
Geier  in  'Allegiance' 

was  drawn,  the  United  States  authorities  have 
been  forced  to  take  exactly  those  steps  to  prevent 
interned  Germans  from  seeking  to  escape — the 
precautions  being  taken  before  the  enemy  alien 
charges  are  formally  made." 


[=20] 


AMATEUR  THEATRICALS 

In  this  department,  will  be  shown  each  month,  the  work  that   is   being  done  by  clever  Amateurs  in 
the  small  town,  the  big  city — in  the  universities,  schools  and  clubs  throughout  the  country. 

I  shall   be    glad   to    consider  for  publication  any  photographs  or  other  matter,  concerning   plays    and 
masques  done  by  amateurs  and  to  give  suggestions  and  advice  wherever  I  can.   Write  me.         The  Editor 


MAKING    UP 


MAKE-UP,  as  a  legitimate  art  to-day,  exists  only  in  the  precincts  of  the  theatre.  It  is  a  special 
art  for  a  special  purpose,  and  belongs  particularly  to  stage  work. 

Externals  and  their  effectiveness  play  a  very  prominent  part  in  the  success  achieved  by  amateur 
actors. 

But  it  is  axiomatic  to  repeat  that  no  mask,  however  perfect,  will  accomplish  much  if  the  gray 
matter  is  not  working  actively  behind  it.  After  all,  the  "make-up"  is  simply  an  adjunct  to  the  por- 
trayal of  a  conception,  a  very  necessary  and  important  one,  but  still  only  an  element  of  success. 

It  was  Carl  Baudin  who  made  face  transformation  an  art.  A  member  of  the  Leipziger  Stadt 
Theatre  he,  like  many  others,  felt  the  need  of  something  that  would  hide  that  demarking  line  between 
the  forehead  and  the  wig  band.  His  grease  paint  was  first  used  for  this  purpose  alone,  but  its  possi- 
bilities were  recognized  and  he  and  his  associates  quickly  widened  its  sphere  of  usefulness.  To-day 
grease  paint  can  be  secured  in  any  shade  from  corpse-like  pallor  to  the  ruddy  hue  of  wind-beaten  sailor. 
The  color  of  any  nationality  is  on  immediate  tap,  and  a  few  dabs  from  these  sticks  of  pigment  and 
you  have  an  Indian,  a  Mongolian,  or  an  Ethiopian  ready  at  hand. 

A  palette  may  contain  all  the  colors  in  the  rainbow,  but  it  needs  the  brush  of  an  artist  to  blend 
them  into  a  picture.  So  it  is  with  these  sticks  of  grease  paint.  To  utilize  them  to  the  full  advantage, 
study  and  experience  are  needed.  How  to  cast  shadows,  how  to  bring  wrinkles  into  relief,  how  to 
lengthen  or  broaden  the  face  and  all  the  other  phases  of  theatrical  "make-up"  are  subject  to  rules  as 
imperative  as  those  employed  in  the  composition  of  an  oil  painting  or  a  water  color. 

The  telling  force  and  effect  of  Richard  Mansfield's  masks  was  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  with 
pencil  and  brush  Mr.  Mansfield  was  no  inferior  artist. 

The  Amercian  stage  is  rich  in  actors  capable  of  making  marvelous  facial  changes,  and  many 
women  are  artists  enough  to  sink  their  vanity  and  with  the  aid  of  paint  and  powder  turn  their  pretty 
selves  into  veritable  caricatures  and  hags. 


PAINTS 

f*  REASE- PAINT  is  the  temporary  eradicator 
^J  of  wrinkles,  and  also  the  means  by  which 
they  are  acquired — a  paradoxical  statement,  but 
think  for  a  moment  and  the  meaning  will  be 
clear.  By  its  aid  the  young  may  become  old 
without  waiting  for  the  lapse  of  time,  and  the 
old  may  secure  the  appearance  of  the  bloom  of 
youth  for  the  time  being. 

Grease-paint  is  made  in  sticks  of  various 
shades,  from  the  alabaster  white  of  the  clown, 
to  the  weather  tan  of  the  mariner,  and  these 
sticks  are  numbered  for  the  convenience  of  the 
consumer,  certain  numbers  always  representing 
certain  shades.  The  following  list  of  grease- 
paints, known  as  the  flesh  tints,  represent  the 
shades  of  the  complexion  required  for  stage 
work: 

No.  1.    Very  pale  flesh  color. 

2.  Light    flesh,   deeper   tint. 

3.  Natural  flesh  color,  for  Juveniles. 

4.  Rose   tint  color,   for  Juveniles. 

5.  Deeper     shade     color,     for     Juvenile 

Heroes. 

6.  Healthy  sunburnt  color,  for  Juveniles. 

7.  Healthy  sunburnt  color,  deeper  shade. 

8.  Healthy   color,   for   Middle   Ages. 

9.  Sallow    color,    for    Young    Men. 

10.  Sallow  color,  for  Old  Age. 

11.  Ruddy   color,    for    Old    Age. 

12.  Olive   color,   healthy. 

13.  Olive   color,   lighter   shade. 

14.  Gypsy,  flesh  color. 

15.  Othello    (Moor). 

16.  Chinese. 

17.  American   Indian. 

18.  East       Indian,       Hindoos,       Filipino, 

Malays,    etc. 

19.  Japanese. 

20.  Negro. 


Forthcoming  Articles 

On  this  page,  from  time  to  time, 
will  appear  articles  on 
Sceneries 
Costumes 
Properties 
Plays 

and  in  the  November  issue,  the 
second  and  last  instalment  on 
"Making-Up." 


CREAM   PAINTS 

THESE  are  of  a  softer  consistency  than  the 
grease-paints.  They  are  put  up  in  jars,  in- 
stead of  sticks,  are  more  generally  used  by 
women.  The  effect  produced  is  practically  the 
same  as  that  resulting  from  grease-paint.  The 
different  shades  are  white,  .flesh,  pink,  brunette, 
deep  brunette  for  dark  complexions,  also  Creole, 
Gypsy,  Indian  and  other  shades,  which  may  be 
made  to  order.  It  may  be  well  to  state  here, 
to  those  who  have  never  used  these  articles,  that 
the  application  of  good  grease-paint  is  in  no 
way  disagreeable;  in  fact,  it  will  be  found  more 
pleasant  than  otherwise,  and  will  not  injure  the 
most  delicate  skin. 

GREASE-PAINT  LINERS 

LINERS  are  used  for  other  purposes  than 
that  which  is  implied  by  their  name.  They 
are  handy,  not  only  for  making  lines,  but  are 
also  the  paints  used  for  coloring,  blending  and 
creating  shadows,  for  sunken  effects,  and  also 
to  produce  high  lights. 


They  are  made  of  grease  in  sticks,  half  the 
size  of  the  flesh  tints;  the  colors  mostly  used 
are:  Gray  (in  three  shades),  light  brown,  dark 
brown,  blue  (in  three  shades),  crimson,  ver- 
milion, carmine,  white,  black. 

Black  is  used  for  lining  the  eyes,  darkening 
the  eyebrows  and  eyelashes. 

White  is  for  blending  the  wrinkles,  for  high 
lights  and  to  secure  prominence  to  certain 
features. 

Blue  is  also  used  for  lining  the  eyes,  and  is 
preferable  to  black,  especially  for  blondes. 

Red  is  put  to  many  uses.  It  may  be  used  for 
coloring  in  place  of  rouge;  also  for  the  lips. 

Deeper  tints  of  flesh-colored  paint  can  be 
made  by  mixing  a  light  shade  of  flesh  tints  with 
red. 

For  dark,  ruddy,  sunburnt  characters,  red 
rubbed  on  the  face  after  the  complexion  paint 
has  been  put  on  will  lie  found  useful,  if  care- 
fully blended. 

Dark  red  is  for  the  cheeks  of  old  men. 

Different  shades  of  gray  are  for  producing 
shadows  to  secure  sunken  effects  in  the  cheeks : 
dark  gray  is  sometimes  desirable  for  wrinkles. 

Brown  is  principally  used  for  lining  the  fare, 
and  is  the  best  color  for  producing  wrinkles. 
It  is  used  for  the  eyebrows  instead  of  black, 
when  required  by  the  complexion  of  the  char- 
acter portrayed. 

CREDIT  is  given  for  the 
foregoing  material,  to 
Mr.  James  Young,  whose  thor- 
ough-going book — "Making- 
Up" — should  be  in  the  hands 
of  every  amateur  as  well  as 
every  professional  player. 


[227"] 


THE  PARTHENAEIA 

Annual  masq ue s  given  by  the  women  of  the   University  of  California 
By  MAUDE   MARIEN 


SPRING    in    California!      I    do 
not  know  what  that  may  mean 
to    you,    you    Easterners    and 
you  of  the  Middle  West,  but  shall 
I  try  to  tell  you  what  Spring  means 
to  us,   here   on   the   University   of 
California  Campus? 

First  of  all,  it  means  long, 
scented  evenings  when,  from  the 
hills  above  the  "  Greek  Theatre, 
one  may  look  out  across  San 
Francisco  Bay  to  watch  the  sun 
flatten  into  a  crimson  disk  at  the 
water's  edge  and  sink  out  of  sight 
within  the  Golden  Gate.  It  means 
sparkling  pale-gold  mornings  on 
the  Campus,  where  the  Acacia 
trees  hang  heavy  with  powdery 
yellow  clusters,  and  Hearst  Hall 
is  fragrant  with  lavender  Wisteria. 
It  means  that  little  green  babies 
are  appearing  on  the  gnarled  gray 
branches  of  the  Faculty  Oaks.  But 
most  of  all,  it  means  the  Spring 
festival  of  the  women,  the  Par- 
thenaeia. 

The    Parthenseia    is    an    annual 
masque    presented    by    the    women 
of  the  University  of  California.  It 
takes   place   each   April   in    Faculty 
Glade,  on  the  Campus.     It  is  one 
of  the  few  truly  folk  performances 
of   which    the   country    may    boast, 
since  the  masque  is  written,  man- 
aged, and  produced,  and  the  costumes  designed 
and    made    solely    by    the    women    students,    of 
whom    there    are    nearly    three    thousand.      The 
masque  serves  no  purpose  other  than  the  purely 
aesthetic  one  of   self-expression.     It  has   always 
been   financially   successful,   each   production   be- 
ing given  before  an  audience  of  approximately 
five    thousand    people.      The    profit    from    each 
performance  is  devoted  toward  making  the  pro- 
duction of  the  following  year  more  beautiful. 


Dorothy  Epping  as  Ratri 

Every  year,  as  the  Spring  term  commences, 
preparations  also  are  begun  for  the  one  after- 
noon in  April  that  is  the  women's  own.  Up  in 
Architecture  Hall  girls  in  art  classes  are  making 


Scene  from  "The  Dream  of  Dierdre,"  presented 
by  the   women  of  the   University   of  California 

designs  for  costumes,  which  will  be  later  carried 
out  in  chiffon,  cheese-cloth,  and  tarleton  by  girls 
at  sewing  machines  and  tables  down  in  Hearst 
Hall.  At  the  women's  gymnasium  regular  classes 
are  being  formed  in  dancing  to  train  the  choruses 
of  the  masque.  Tubs  of  dye  are  bubbling  in  the 


Marylie  Krusi  as  Wildwood 

kitchen  of  the  students'  cafeteria  at  Hearst  Hall 
and  from  the  high  balcony  of  that  quaint  edifice 
hang  newly  colored  costumes  of  orange,  crimson 
or  rose  among  the  lavendar  Wisteria  blossoms. 

The  masque  for  the  occasion  is  chosen  from 
those  submitted  in  annual  competition  by  the 
students.  It"  has  always  been  a  symbolic  presen- 
tation of  the  central  theme  of  the  Parthenwia — 
the  transition  from  girlhood  to  womanhood. 

The  conception  of  the  Parthenseia  came  in  1912 
to  Miss  Lucy  Prague,  then  Dean  of  Women  at 


the  University.  The  masque  for 
the  occasion  was  written  by  Anna 
Reardon  '12,  a  senior  in  Greek.  It 
was  Greek  in  setting,  and  the 
theme  was  developed  by  ritual 
and  pantomime.  No  one  who  saw 
that  first  Pathena:ia  will  ever  for- 
get it.  It  was  given  one  April  af- 
ternoon, beneath  the  gnarled  gray 
branches  of  Faculty  Oaks.  A 
stretch  of  dappled  greensward 
made  a  natural  stage  with  a  back- 
drop of  gray-blue  eucalyptus 
trees.  An  audience  of  thousands 
watched  the  tall  figure  in  floating 
robes  approach  the  stone  altar 
that  had  been  erected  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  glade.  It  was  the  Spirit 
of  Maidenhood.  Eucalyptus  Dryads 
stole  in  from  the  grove  behind  and 
sang  their  "Song  of  Sorrow.''  Fog 
Spirits  in  chiffon  veils  floated  in 
and  were  dispersed  by  the  rush  of 
Sea  Breezes.  It  was  all  very  love- 
ly, and  far  removed  from  the  busy 
commerce  of  San  Francisco  across 
the  bay,  into  the  Land  of  Ideals 
and  Dreams. 

The     next     masque,     also,     was 
Greek,  in  conception.  "Everymaid," 
by    Evelyn     Steele,    '13    was    pre- 
sented   in    1913,    with    an    original 
musical    setting    by    Mr.    Stricklen, 
of   the    College    of   Music.     Again 
the  theme  was  developed  by  pantomime  and  danc- 
ing with  passages  of  spoken  verse.     The  masque 
rises  to   its   climax :     Everymaid   follows   Desire 
of  the  World  and  her  rich  robed  company.  Sud- 
'le'iily  across  the  glade  flits  Shadow  of  a  Dream 
;:nd  in   her  track  walks,  clad   in  heavenly  blue, 
t'.ie  vision  of  The  Madonna.    A  shaft  of  sunlight 
through    the   branches   of    a    tree   lights    up    the 
golden  hair  of  the  child  in  her  arms,  and  Every- 
maid, leaving  behind  the  gay  company  of  Fame 


Dorothy  Riedy  as  Girlja 

and  Pleasure  follows  the  vision,  and  the  masque 
is  done. 

The  third   Parthenseia,  in   1914,  changed   from 
Greek   to   Celtic   antiquity.     Who   has   not   wept 


[  228  ] 


with  Dierdre  of  the  Sorrows?  Helen  Cornelius, 
'14,  who  wrote  "The  Dream  of  Dierdre,"  brought 
the  wistful  airs  of  ancient  Irish  mysticism  to 
tihe  grassy  slope  on  the  Campus  which  became 
"Tlie  Enchanted  Land  of  Ideals,  where  Druid 
Oaks  tower  loftily  with  outstretched  arms.  A 
holy  silence  pervades  the  place,  making  it  like 
a  temple.  Near  the  center  stands  an  old  ruinous 
Celtic  Cross.  To  the  left  one  sees  among  the 
daisies  which  have  sprung  up  in  great  profusion 
a  curious  ring  which  seems  to  have  been  trodden 
out  in  a  late  ritual  by  the  little  folk  of  mystery." 

In  this  mystic  spot  the  Shadow  of  Youth 
Eternal  calls  to  Dierdre.  Dierdre  importunes 
the  universe  for  love.  But  only  through  sorrow 
may  she  know  the  true  depth  of  its  meaning. 
Our  Lady  of  Tears  leads  in  the  great  tragic 
heroines,  among  them  Iphigenia  Iseult  of  Brit- 
tany, Heloise,  Francesca.  At  the  last,  with  the 
vision  of  her  lover  Naoise  lying  dead,  Dierdre 
of  the  Sorrows  learns  the  tragedy  of  love. 

The  Parthenaeia  was  still  more  pageant  than 
play.  In  1915,  however,  the  year  of  the  Panama- 
Pacific  Exposition  in  San  Francisco,  Mary  Van 
Orden,  '06,  wrote  a  masque  in  which  the  pageant 
element  was  made  to  serve  the  dramatic  side  of 
the  production.  "The  Queen's  Masque"  was 
Elizabethan  in  setting,  though  half  the  scenes 
are  laid  in  fairyland.  The  play  purported  to  be 
given  in  honor  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  the 
Virgin  Queen  herself  sat  on  a  dais  and  watched 
as  Margat,  half  fay,  half  mortal,  appeared  like 
a  pink  flower-petal  on  the  green  slope,  for  a 
romp  with  her  playmates,  the  elves.  But  Mar- 
gat,  because  her  father  was  a  mortal,  and  only 
her  mother  a  fairy  princess,  needs  must  go  to 
the  world  of  men,  and  teach  them  the  sound  of 


fairy  laughter.  So  she  goes,  and  meets  beggars 
and  a  prince,  and  the  beggars  rob  her,  and  the 
prince  would  marry  her,  but  it  is  in  the  help- 
kssness  of  two  small  beggar  children  that  she 
finally  finds  happiness.  "The  Queen's  Masque" 
was  given  twice  instead  of  once,  in  order  to 
accommodate  the  exposition  crowds. 

In  1916  "Aranyani  of  the  Jasmine  Vine,"  by 
Maude  Meagher,  '17,  was  produced.  This 
masque  went  to  Hindoo  mythology  for  its  at- 
mosphere, and  the  action  takes  place  in  the  Ninth 
Dynasty  of  the  Hindoo  kings.  Aranyani — which 
in  Sanskrit  means  "beloved  of  the  bees,"  lives 
alone  in  the  forest  with  her  father,  an  exiled 
king.  She  is  very  happy  with  only  the  nymphs 
of  the  wood  and  stream  for  company,  and  the 
love  of  Girija,  a  minstrel.  But  one  day  the 
prince  of  a  neighboring  kingdom,  Wasuki, 
wanders  that  way  while  hunting.  He  falls  in 
love  with  the  fresh  beauty  of  Aranyani,  and, 
learning  that  she  longs  to  see  the  wonders  of  the 
World-without-the-forest  offers  to  show  her. 

She  is  gone  a  year.  Spring  dances  in  as  a 
chorus  of  violets,  daffodils,  and  fruit  blossoms. 
Summer  follows  to  drowsy  music.  The  Spirits 
of  Summer  are  in  the  dusty  yellow  of  the  Golden 
Rod,  and  the  crimson  of  the  Poppy.  There  is  a 
swirl  of  music  and  the  Autumn  Leaves  are 
dancing.  Then  comes  the  Storm  Dance.  The 
Gray  Clouds  gather  in  the  glade,  growing  darker 
and  thicker  until  suddenly  there  is  a  peal  of 
thunder  from  the  orchestra.  Lightning  dances 
across  like  a  golden  flash.  Then  the  Spirits  of 
Rain  come  through  from  behind  clad  in  tinkling 
crystals. 

When  the  storm  is  over,  a  great  red  and  black 
spider  slips  down  from  a  tree  and  weaves  a  web 


in  a  fantastic  sort  of  dance.  On  the  hill  beyond 
appears  a  girl  with  great  shimmering  butterfly 
wings.  In  her  dance  she  falls  into  the  web, 
breaking  her  lovely  wings.  She  drags  the  web 
behind  her  as  she  crawls  away. 

Then  Aranyani  comes  stumbling  back  from 
the!  prince's  court  "weighed  down  with  jewels, 
wearied  sick  of  lies,  longing  for  the  peace  of 
her  glade  and  her  little  jasmine-covered  Dream- 
shrine."  The  people  of  the  court  follow  her 
mockingly — Gauri,  the  jester;  Bhairawi,  th« 
prince's  jailer;  Hasimurti,  the  dancing-girl.  But 
Girija,  her  minstrel  lover,  drives  them  away, 
and  holds  out  his  arms  "hungrily  to  Aranyani, 
who  moves  into  them  with  a  weary  gesture. 

The  music  was  entirely  composed  and  or- 
chestrated by  Catherine  Urner,  a  student  in  the 
College  of  Music.  It  was  considered  the  finest 
work  done  along  that  line  in  the  university. 
Dorothy  Epping,  '17,  designed  the  costumes, 
which  were  exceptionally  beautiful.  Ruth  Cal- 
den,  '17,  managed  the  production. 

The  following  year  the  students  produced 
"Youth's  Adventure,"  by  Mariquita  de  Laguna, 
'17.  The  music  was  written  by  Sara  Unna,  and 
Ruth  Cornell,  the  latter  of  whom  wrote  inci- 
dental music  for  two  preceding  masques,  those 
of  1914  and  1915.  The  scene  is  set  in  early 
English  times,  "on  the  road  to  Camelot."  Alisande 
longs  to  be  a  knight,  as  was  her  father,  so  all 
in  shining  armor,  she  goes  to  wrest  her  father's 
sword  from  Malcoeur  le  Noir,  the  wicked  dwarf 
who  stole  it.  The  masque  had  scenes  of  wonder- 
ful pageantry. 

It  is  to  Porter  Garnett,  of  Berkeley,  that  we 
owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  his  directing  genius 
and  sympathetic  interest  in  the  Parthenaeia. 


FETE  AT  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  NORTH  DAKOTA 


ONE  would  not  think  of 
North  Dakota  as  being 
a  place  of  May  flow- 
ers and  May  Day  dances,  yet 
annually  on  the  campus  of  the 
University  of  North  Dakota 
hundreds  of  people  witness  a 
charming  celebration  of  the 
spring  time.  The  May  fete 
this  year,  under  the  direction 
of  Miss  Nell  Martindale,  di- 
rector of  physical  education 
for  women,  included  a  wide 
variety  of  dances  and  some 
unusual  features. 

One  of  the  most  charming 
conceptions  of  the  spring  time 
spirit  was  the  discovery  of  the 
May  Queen.  The  Fairy  Queen, 
with  all  her  court,  gather  upon 
the  green  at  the  approach  of 
twilight,  awaiting  the  coming 
of  the  May  Queen  to  preside 


over  their  festivities.  Dancing 
from  flower  to  flower,  the 
Fairy  Queen  touches  the  petals 
with  her  magic  wand,  seeking 
everywhere  for  the  May 
Queen  whom  she  knows  is 
concealed  in  a  flower.  At  last 
she  touches  a  large  anemone. 
The  petals  unfold  disclosing 
the  dainty  little  Queen  of  the 
May,  att  white  and  gold  in  the 
heart  of  her  favorite  flower. 
The  patriotic  note  dom- 
inated the  fete.  The  Allied 
colors  were  everywhere  to  be 
seen.  One  of  the  most  at- 
tractive dances  was  that  by 
the  Red  Cross  girls  and  Sam- 
mies. There  were  French 
dances  and  old  English  dances 
and  an  impressive  dance  called 
the  Spirit  of  America. 


The  patriotic  note  dominated  this  year's  fete 

at    the     University    of     North     Dakota.     The 

dance   by   the   Red   Cross   girls   and    Sammies 

made   a  distinct   hit 


"A  PAIR  OF  SIXES"   BY  THE  EVANSVILLE  PLAYERS 

A  community  organization  that  fills  a  small  town  theatrical  deficiency 
By  REV.  WILLIAM  McDERMOTT 

DIRECTOR  AND'  SUPERVISOR 


THE  Evansville  Players  of  Evansville,  Wis- 
consin, is  a  community  organization — or 
hopes  to  be  when  Uncle  Sam  whips  the 
Kaiser — and  some  of  our  boys  come  back.  The 
club  was  organized  to  supply  the  usual  small 
town  deficiency  for  the  right  kind  of  theatrical 
productions.  The  members  are  almost  all  uni- 
versity and  college  graduates  and  have  made 
splendid  progress  in  dramatic  work.  The  club 
is  purely  amateur  and  no  salaries  are  paid  to 
anyone. 

The  ambition  of  the  club  is  limited  only  by 
the  enthusiasm  of  youth.  "Anything  from  the 
•Greeksvand  Shakespeare  to  Shaw  and  Dunsany," 
may  appear  on  our  programs.  "A  Pair  of 
Sixes"  is  neither  Greek,  Shakespeare  nor 
Shaw,  but  please  remember  that  we  are  very 
youthful  and  need  time  and  experience. 

A  local  paper  says  of  the  Evansville  Players' 
performance  of  the   Broadway  success  "A 
Pair  of   Sixes": 

•'What  constant,  steady  training  of  the  right 
kind  will  do  for  a  theatrical  company  was  amply 
demonstrated  in  the  splendid  way  the  Evansville 
Players  presented  the  comedy,  'A  Pair  of  Sixes.' 
This  little  pair  of  'spots'  not  only  won  the  game 
in  the  play  but  they  also  won  the  applause  and 
endorsement  of  all  who  witnessed  its  production. 

"The  play  was  the  best  this  home  company  has 
yet  produced,  and  the  experience  gained  in  their 
former  plays  gave  the  snap  and  a  forgetful- 
ness  of  the  audience  that  tended  to  place  them 
on  semi-professional  rating  as  a  company. 

After  their  experience  in  this 
play  this  company  need  not  fear 
to  put  on  their  plays  in  larger 
towns  than  Evansville,  for  the 
reputation  achieved  here  will  go 
before  them,  and  there  is  no  ques- 
tion but  what  they  can  come  up 
to  advance  notices. 

"While  each  player  individually 
has  exceptional  talent,  the  perfect 
results  attained  by  this  company 
are  due  to  a  great  extent  to  the 
dramatic  training  given  them." 

A  NOTHER  critic  speaks  high- 
•**•  ly  in  praise  of  the  players. 
He  says  of  the  individual  per- 
formers : 

"Roy  Reckford  and  Harley  Smith 
as  the  partners  in  the  Digestive 
Pill  Company  were  the  shining 
lights  about  whom  the  play  itself 
revolved.  They  were  immense. 
Their  office  force,  Krome  the 
bookkeeper,  in  real  life  J.  Spencer 
Pullen;  Jimmie  the  office  boy, 
Marion  Jones,  and  the  stenogra- 
pher, Miss  Sallie  Parker,  better 
known  to  Evansville  people  as  Miss 


MISS     JOSEPHINE     ANTES,     as     Mrs. 
George     Nettleton,     and     Miss     Elizabeth 
Gault  as   Miss   Florence   Cole,  as  the  wife  and 
sweetheart  of  the  two  partners  in  the  pill  busi- 


T.  Boggs  Johns,  Harley  A.  Smith; 

Coddles,    Miss    Ruth    Kumlien    In 

"A   Pair  of  Sixes" 


(Standing)   Krome,  J.  S.   Pullen;  Thomas  J.  Vanderholt,   P.   P. 

Pullen;   Sally   Parker,  Miss   Thelma  Clark 

(Sitting)  T.  Boggs  Johns,  Harley  A.  Smith;  George  B.  Nettleton, 
Royal   Reckord 


Thelma  Clark,  were  there  in  full  force  and  left  ness,  were  also  fine.     They  were  both  artists  in 

nothing  to  be  desired.     They  were  typical  work-  their  respective  parts  and  displayed  very  clever 

ers  in  a  large  city  office  and  kept  the  audience  acting.    The  very  dignified  and  staid  Miss  Gault, 

in   a   gale   of   merriment.  one  of  the   instructors  in  the  local  high  school, 


was  a  revelation  to  everyone  in  the  audience. 
Miss  Ruth  Kumlien,  as  Coddles,  the  maid,  was 
another  whirlwind  who  brought  down  the  house. 
Her  costume  was  odd  and  wonderful  to  behold 
and  her  acting  was  in  keeping  with  her  make-up. 
"Earl  Fellows  as  Toney  Toler,  the  traveling  sales- 
man, Bert  Holmes  as  Mr.  Applegate,  a  wealthy, 
prospective  buyer,  and  Paul  Pullen  as  Thomas  J. 
Vanderholt,  the  lawyer,  were  all  especially  good, 
and  deserve  special  mention." 


r  I  ''SIS  organization  has  been  blest  with  many 
-*-  of  the  handicaps  and  obstacles  that  are  na- 
tive to  amateur  dramatic  societies  the  world  over. 
It  has  no  endowment,  and  no  promise  of  ever 
having  one,  which  is  all  to  its  spiritual  and  ar- 
tistic well-being.  It  has,  however,  what  is  of 
far  greater  necessity  to  its  progress.  It  has 
youth,  enthusiasm,  a  love  for  the  good  things 
of  dramatic  literature  and  art,  a  powerful  will 
to  work  and  a  great  ambition.  What  that  great 
ambition  is  may  be  best  expressed  by  saying 
that  the  Players  hope  some  day  to  evolve  into 
a  community  theatre. 


FOR   Evansville  and  communities   of   its   size 
the   present   day   theatre   is   almost   an   un- 
known quantity,  save  for  those  who  can  journey 
to  the  great  centers.     These  communities  never 
see   the   real   plays,   and    real   actors   are  as  the 
gods  of  the  mountain  to  the  elect.     A  first-class 
amateur    organization    can    help    greatly    in    the 
relief    of    this    sad    condition,    by 
bringing    the  good    plays  into    the 
local  scheme  of  things.     It's  a  big 
problem — too  big   for  one  club  or 
one     community     to     solve.       The 
Evansville    Players    are    trying    to 
help. 


AT  present  every  effort  is  bent 
towards  the  completion  of  a 
playhouse  for  the  production  of 
plays,  but  more  particularly  as  a 
place  for  rehearsals.  A  large  hall 
has  been  rented  and  is  being  fur- 
nished with  stage  scenery,  and 
lighting  equipment.  All  the  labor 
is  being  done  by  amateurs.  Amateur 
carpenters,  electricians,  scene  build- 
ers and  painters  are  earnestly  try- 
ing to  emulate  the  great  masters  of 
their  respective  crafts.  There  is  no 
need  to  say  that  their  efforts  are 
crude,  they  know  that.  Both  as 
actors  and  as  mechanics  they  have 
much  to  learn,  and  they  are  very 
willing  to  learn.  Some  of  them  sat 
at  the  feet  of  Robert  Edmund 
Jones  and  his  skilled  associates  of 
the  Janny  Players  during  the  Mil- 


waukee engagement  of  that  splendid  organiza- 
tion. And  for  all  that  was  beautiful  and  all  that 
was  stimulating  and  all  that  was  inspiring  they 
would  here  make  grateful  acknowledgement. 


[230] 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  io:t 


olumbi 


THE  Columbia  Grafonola  holds  the  record  for 
melodious  mileage  because  Columbia  Records  have 
really  put  amusement  into  music. 

Musically  up-to-date — that's 'the  Columbia  key-note.  If 
there's  anything  in  melody  that's  sparkling  new  or  enter- 
taining, you'll  surely  find  it  on  Columbia  Records.  And 
of  course  the  Grafonola  plays  Columbia  Records  best. 

Mississippi  steamboats  whistling  through  some  clever 
novelty  chorus,  haunting  love  songs  from  the  latest 
opera  hit,  patriotic  music,  military  marches — any  piece 
that's  catchy,  tuneful,  bubbling  with  the  joy  of  life — 
that  you'll  find,  and  find  it  first,  on  a  Columbia  Record. 


Buy  War 
Saving*  Stamps 


Columbia  Grafonolat, 
Standard  Models  up  to  $300 
Period  Modcli  up  to  $2100 


YOU' LL  never  miss  the  way  if  you  follow  Columbia 
Records.  Their  very  titles  are  signboards  on  the 
happy  road  that  leads  to  song  and  laughter.  They  set 
the  pace  for  dancing  mirth  and  joyous  melody — and 
the  Grafonola  always  follows  through.  Such  a  jolly, 
happy-go-lucky  sort  of  a  fellow  is  this  big,  handsome, 
clear-voiced  Grafonola.  Just  a  merry,  likable,  musical 
friend.  His  voice  is  seldom  silent  in  the  homes  he 
lives  in — he  sings  live  music  in  a  lively  way. 

To  make  a  good  record  great,  play  it  on  the 
Columbia  Grafonola 

COLUMBIA  GRAPHO PHONE  COMPANY,  NEW  YORK 

[231] 


For  mild  October  days  Miss  Heming  is  wearing  tins  personal 
frock  of  navy  blue  and  grey  Roshanara  crepe,  whose  charm 
needs  no  further  amplification.  You  would  like  to  know, 
however,  that  the  slippers  that  go  with  it  and  that  you  can't 
see,  are  grey  suede  with  cut  steel  buckles,  that  the  hat  is  blue 
and  grey  also,  the  bag  French  blue  and  silver,  and  that  the 
medallion  plaque  on  fts  platinum  chain  is  an  XV III -Century- 
looking  bauble  of  blue  enamel  set  in  brilliants.  Miss  Heming 
is  another  actress  who  votes  for  blue  in  all  its  shades,  blue 
being  the  most  popular  member  of  the  spectrum  so  far 


Photos  Ira  L.  Hill 

An  Anglo-Saxon  in  an  angelic  frock!  Of  white  chiffon,  hand- 
painted  in  nosegays  of  blue  and  lavender  and  orange  tied 
with  trailing  bowknots  of  turquoise  blue  ribbon,  of  which 
you  may  get  a  glimpse  on  the  flowing  sleeves.  The  hand- 
painting  runs  symmetrically  up  the  back  of  the  bodice  as  well, 
and  forms  a  border  for  the  hem  of  the  looped-up  skirt.  The 
frock  had  to  be  handpainted  on  that  account,  Miss  Heming 
said.  No  mere  printed  pattern  could  have  been  brought  into 
line  at  the  right  spots.  There  is  an  unusual  girdle  for  the 
frock  made  of  three  strips  of  taffeta,  two  in  different  shades 
of  turquoise  blue  and  one  in  lavender,  the  edges,  picoted  and 
sewn  together 


TYPES 


VIOLET  HEMING 
TRUE  ANGLO-SAXON 


By 
ANNE  ARCHBALD 


AND  by  right  of  no  less  an  authority  than  the  British  Government, 
who  have  selected  Miss  Heming  to  represent  Britannia  in  their 
forthcoming  moving  picture  propaganda ! 

Were  you  taught,  when  you  studied  English  history  at  school,  the 
legend  of  the  early  Britons  taken  captive  during  one  of  the  Roman 
conquests  and  brought  back  to  Rome?  Of  how  tremendously  they  were 
admired  for  the  goldenness  of  their  hair  and  the  blueness  of  their  eyes 
and  the  fairness  of  their  skins?  And  of  how  on  inquiry  being  made  as 
to  who  and  what  the  beautiful  creatures  were,  and  answer  being  given 
that  they  were  "Angli"  (Angles) — all  hands,  of  course,  speaking  fluently 
in  Latin — an  ardently  admiring  high  dignitary  burst  rapturously  into  the 


Latin  pun:  "Non  Angli,  sed  Angeli"  (."Xot  Angles,  but  Angels"!) 
I'm  sure  the  British  Government  had  this  traditional  tale  in  mind 
when  they  selected  Miss  Heming  as  the  perfect  Anglo-Saxon  type,  as 
you  have  only  to  cast  your  eyes  across  these  pages  to  realize.  Paint  in 
the  angelic  coloring  of  golden  hair,  and  sky-blue  eyes,  and  peaches-and- 
cream  skin. 

But  even  if  you  look  like  an  angel  you  must  be  careful  not  to  kill  your 
type  with  unangelic  frocks.  No  question  that  Miss  Heming  has  entirely 
lived  up  to  hers  here — is  there? — in  these  four  frocks  she  wears  in  her 
exciting  new  spy  play  "Three  Faces  East,"  with  the  fifth  frock  that  is 
for  her  own  personal  use. 


[  232  ] 


Theatre  Magazine,  October, 


TWO  EVENING  FROCKS  AND— "  MY  U-BOAT 


COSTUME "     WORN     BY     VIOLET     HEMING, 


APPEARING      IN      "  THREE      FACES      EAST ' 


Below  is  what  Miss  Heming 
called  with  a  smile  "My  U-boat 
costume,"  so  all  of  you  who  are 
contemplating  U-boat  trips  take 
notice!  It  is  of  old  blue  broad- 
cloth, faced  down  the  front  with 
red  velvet  and  trimmed  else- 
where  with  black  silk  braid,  sil- 
ver  bullet  buttons,  a  silver  buckle 
to  the  belt.  The  hat  is  of  the 
same  blue  and  red  combination. 
A  skeleton  vest  of  white  net 
frillies  and  a  taupe  mesh  veil 
soften  the  severe  military  aspect 


Photos  I 


As  to  describing  this  evening 
frock  I'm  almost  as  much  at  sea 
as  a  mere  male  might  be.  I 
think  there  was  a  flesh-colored 
slip  to  begin  on  and  then  over 
that  were  draped  lengths  of  pale 
blue  chiffon  and  pale  lavender 
chiffon;  and  I  know  there  was  a 
spray  of-  silk  flowers  at  the  waist 
in  the  same  shades,  and  flesh 
pink  satin  slippers  and  stock- 
ings. If  that  description  doesn't 
suffice  you  had  better  go  to 
*•  Three  Faces  East"  and  look 
up  the  frock  for  yourself 


Another  "Three  Faces  East" 
evening  frock,  in  which  Miss 
Heming  looks  particularly  an- 
gelic— of  palest  flesh-colored 
charmeuse  with  the  bodice  a 
mass  of  pearl  passementerie  and 
the  skirt  showing  the  length  and 
slimness  that  are  to  be  the  new 
features  of  Fall  skirts.  One  end 
of  the  silk  is  drawn  snugly 
around  the  ankles  and  tucked 
under  the  other  directly  in  back 
so  that  the  petticoat  with  its 
metallic  silver  boinknots  and 
lines  of  silver  hemstitching  may 
frill  out  below  in  its  frillies 
and  laciest  manner 


[233] 


One  oj  Reunion's  main  trading  stations:  Ungava.    All  buildings  built  and  owned  by  Rcvillon  Freres.    Some  are  used  as  homes  by  agents,  others  as  stores 
and  warehouses  /or  goods,  (thus  divided  to  reduce  fire  risks)  and  as  workshops  and  mess  houses  in  which  Eskimos  are  cared  jor  on  their  visits  to  the  post. 


REVILLON    TRADING    POSTS    in    the    NORTH 

ALL  THE  ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  THIS  ARTICLE  ARE  REPRODUCED  FROM  PHOTOGRAPHS 
TAKEN  BY  MEMBERS  OF  THE  FIRM  OF  REVILLON  FRfiRES  OR  BY  THEIR  EMPLOYEES. 


The  husky  dog — the  trolley  oj  the 
north. 


THE    growing    appreciation    of 
beautiful  furs  and  the  increasing 
scarcity  of  fur  bearing  animals 
has  aroused  a  keen  interest  in  the 
fascinating  business  of  fur  trad- 
ing.    As  accurate  information 
about  the  taking  of  furs  is  difficult  of 
access  and  our  organization  is  the  only 
one  of  its  kind  equipped  to  gather  it,  we 
have  undertaken  at  the  request  of  vari- 
ous friends  to  relate  a  few  of  the  more 
interesting  facts  about  the  trapping  and 
collecting  of  furs  in  different  parts  of  the 
world.    The  present  article  is  devoted  to 
Revillon  activities  in  Canada. 

As  the  trapper  cannot  bring  his  skins  to  the  market  the  market  must  go  to  him. 
Small  posts  are  established  all  through  the  wild  regions  where  traders,  one  or  more 
at  each  post,  exchange  the  necessaries  of  life  for  the  pelts  which  the  trappers  bring 
in.  Many  of  these  traders  hear  from  the  outside  world  only  once  a  year  when  they 
get  their  supplies. 

The  trappers  are  a  strange  army  of  Indians,  Eskimos  and  adventurers  of  many 
races  who  trap  as  much  for  sport  as  for  necessity.  They  enjoy  hunting,  and  follow 
with  interest  everything  pertaining  to  wild  animal  life.  Fur  bearing  animals  even 
of  the  same  species  differ  widely  according  to  climatic  conditions,  abundance  of 

food  and  other  causes. 
Sometimes  a  short  dis- 
tance will  show  great 
variation  in  their  devel- 
opment. To  get  perfectly 
matched  furs  it  is  essen- 
tial to  have  skins  from 
animals  with  a  common 
ancestry.  This  is  impos- 
sible when  skins  are 
bought  in  the  open  mar- 
ket after  passing  through 
many  hands.  It  is  in  or- 
der to  secure  perfectly 
matched  skins  coming 
from  the  same  district 
that  Revillon  Freres  have 
established  their  trading 
posts  in  the  fur  produc- 
ing regions  of  both  hem- 
ispheres. 

From  Canada  they  get 
large  supplies  of  fox, 
marten,  lynx,  mink, 
beaver  and  muskrat,  to 
mention  only  a  few  of  the 
most  important  species. 
To  obtain  these  furs  at 


Tukalook  and  his  wife. 
1918  by  Revillon  Freres 


their  best  the  immense  country 
must  be  covered  from  the  Cana- 
dian border  to  the  perpetual 
snow  and  ice  of  Hudson's  Bay. 
The  Canadian  fur  trading  sea- 
son must  be  started  early  in 
Summer  in  order  to  ship  the 
trading  goods  to  the  North. 
The  most  remote  Revillon  posts 
in  Canada  are  in  the  Hudson's 
Bay  country,  and  in  normal 
times  are  supplied  by  Revillon 
steamship  going  directly  to  a 
base  post  in  James  Bay.  From 
that  point  the  goods  are  dis- 
tributed by  a  fleet  of  small 
schooners  to  the  different  posts 
along  the  shore.  Transportation 
of  freight  in  this  region  is  a  hard 
task  as  the  straits  are  open  only 
three  months  for  navigation.  A 
few  years  ago  the  Revillon 
steamship  ELDORADO  was 
wrecked  on  her  return  trip.  Her 
successor,  the  ADVENTURE, 


A  typical  post  factor  or  trader. 


Katalee,  an  Eskimo  lady  oj 
quality. 


was  sold  to  the  Russian  government  in  1916  for 
breaking  ice  in  the  harbor  at  Archangel.  The  tre- 
mendous demand  for  Trans-Atlantic  tonnage  for 
war  purposes  made  new  transportation  arrange- 
ments necessary  for  the  posts,  and  a  fleet  of  schoon- 
ers with  auxiliary  gasoline  engines  is  now  carrying 
merchandise  to  the  posts  and  bringing  back  the  furs. 
In  the  fleet  are  the  DOROTHY  C.  SNOW,  the 
ALBANY,  the  HILDA  P.,  the  KING  GEORGE,  the- 
VIOLETTE,  the  ANNIE  GEELE,  the  JAMES  L.t 
the  ROMEO,  and  the  steamer  EMELIA.  The 
schooner  calls  only  once  a  year  at  each  post,  but 
there  is  communication  between  some  of  the  posts, 
by  dog  sledge,  and  it  is  remarkable  the  amount  of 
freight  which  can  be  transported  in  this  way  in. 
spite  of  the  risky  journey  among  the  blizzards  of 
this  desolate  country. 

The  only  inhabitants  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  dis- 
tricts are  the  Eskimos,  divided  into  two  main  tribes, 
—the  Coast  Eskimos  and  the  Inlanders.  These 
tribes  have  a  monopoly  of  the  trading.  They  are- 
hard  working  and  honest,  but  their  mode  of  living 
is  very  primitive  and  their  language  is  crude  and 
difficult  for  the  white  man  to  learn.  These  Eskimo, 


.234] 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  t 


Trading  schooner  "Annie  Cede"  in  winter 
quarters. 


posts  furnish  the  white  furs,  the 
only  product  from  an  eternally 
snow  covered  land.  The  Eskimos 
live  largely  on  flesh  and  animal 
fats  though  there  is  a  great  de- 
mand now  for  tea,  sugar,  to- 
bacco and  other  such  luxuries  of 
civilization.  They  also  trade  for 
pipes  and  matches,  the  snow 
knives  with  which  they  cut 
blocks  of  snow  to  build  their 
huts,  and  for  field  glasses  which 
enable  them  to  trail  the  caribou 
which  migrate  in  large  herds  and 
furnish  them  their  yearly  meat 
supply.  For  hunting  they  still 
favor  old  style  muzzle-loading 
guns  with  powder  and  lead  balls. 
The  enormous  capital  neces- 
sary to  finance  a  chain  of  trad- 
ing posts  in  the  Hudson's  Bay 
district  has  limited  trading  op- 
erations in  this  part  of  the  world 
to  two  companies,  the  En- 
glish Company,  who  dispose  of 

their  furs  at  auction  in  London,  and  Revillon  Freres,  who  ob- 
tain a  good  share  of  each  year's  catch,  which  accounts  for  the 
beauty  of  the  skins  they  are  able  to  show  at  their  numerous 
branches. 

Further  West  in  Canada  transportation  to  the  trading  posts  is 
by  river,  light  draught  steamers  being  used  wherever  possible.  As 
most  of  the  rivers  are  navigable  for  only  about  ten  days  in  the 
Spring  at  the  time  of  melting  snows,  the  main  reliance  for 
freight  are  fleets  of  scows  towed 
by  power  boats.  These  scows 
make- but  a  single  voyage  as  there 
is  not  time  for  them  to  make  the 
return  trip  before  Winter.  They 
are  usually  given  to  the  Indians 
who  break  them  up  and  use  the 
lumber  for  building  huts.  The 
scows  travel  in  large  groups,  a 
score  or  more  at  a  time  each  carry- 
ing about  twenty  tons  of  freight. 
The  illustration  below  shows  one 
of  the  regular  Revillon  river 
transports,  consisting  of  about 
twenty-five  scows  which  left  this 
year  on  May  15  for  the  northern 
posts. 

In  the  Peace  River  district  civ- 
ilization is  rapidly  changing  con- 
ditions, and  driving  traders  and 
trappers  farther  north.  No  later 
than  1905  this  was  still  a  wilder- 
ness,  but  now  regular  railroad 
service  traverses  the  section.  At  "^U"  '  '  P°st- 


knowing  that  if  these  companies  did  not  take  care  of  the  Indians  in  years  of 
famine  the  burden  would  fall  on  the  government. 

In  some  districts  Indians  have  sold  their  claims  to  the  land  to  the  Canadian 
government  and  receive  in  exchange  a  yearly  revenue  called  the  "Treaty  Payment". 
It  consists  of  a  certain  sum  in  cash  and  a  specified  outfit  of  provisions.  The 
Treaty  Commission  makes  a  yearly  trip  and  is  naturally  warmly  welcomed  by  the 
Indians.  Revillon  Freres  Company  is  often  the  successful  bidder  for  the  delivery 
of  these  supplies  and  the  transportation  of  the  Commission  which  distributes 

The  "Eldorado"  in  the  ice. 


Mr.   J.    M.   Revillon' s    guide   and   dog 

driver  on  one  of  his  inspection  trips  to 

the  North. 


them,  and  it  is  a  very  interesting 
sight  to  see  the  Indians  gather 
around  the  posts  at  Treaty  time  en- 
joying real  feasts  of  their  favorite 
luxuries.  The  Canadian  govern- 
ment takes  exceptional  care  of  the 
Indians,  absolutely  forbidding  the 
dispensation  of  liquor  to  them.  In 
most  of  the  territories  even  the 
white  agents  must  have  a  special 
permit  to  bring  in  a  limited  amount 
of  liquor  for  their  personal  use. 
Revillon  Freres  having  a  Federal 
Charter  under  the  Canadian  gov- 
ernment enjoy  special  privileges 
which  enable  them  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  many  opportunities  of 
the  northern  country.  They  intro- 
duced modern  business  methods  in 

the  fur  trading  country  and  treat  the  Indians  exactly  as  white  people.  Trans- 
portation is  organized  and  regular  freight  rates  are  established  between  the  dif- 
ferent districts  and  posts  which  enable  them  to  help  in  the  development  of 
new  fertile  belts.  In  some  places  Revillon  trading  posts  were  the  starting 
points  of  new  towns ;  in  other  places  railroads  were  built  with  the  company's  help. 
The  Revillon  Freres  steamships  "Ombabika"  and  "Minawa"  on  Lake  Ombabika 
were  used  to  transport  men  and  material  for  the  construction  of  the  main  road  of 
the  National  Transcontinental  Line.  Dominion  land  surveyors  opening  up  un- 
surveyed  territory  were  transported  with  their  supplies  by  Revillon  Freres,  and 
many  American  prospectors  and  lovers  of  wild  life  took  advantage  of  Revillon 
facilities  for  traveling  through  the  North.  One  of  them,  a  well  known  magazine 
writer,  has  given  as  a  reason  of  the  success  of  Revillon  Freres  and  their  large  fol- 
lowing in  the  North  the  fact  that  the  principal  stations  are  visited  at  intervals  by 
members  of  the  Revillon  family,  who  control  the  operations  of  their  trading  com- 
panies as  directly  as  their  establishments  in  large  cities. 

At  the  end  of  their  journey  the  furs  collected  in  the  great  chain  of  Canadian 
posts  find  their  way  to  New  York,  where  Revillon  Freres  have  large  warehouses 
for  raw  and  dressed  skins  in  addition  to  their  retail  establishment  and  their  sepa- 
rate cold  storage  building.  The  finished  garments  made  from  these  carefully 
selected  and  beautiful  skins  are  for  sale  in  the  Revillon  building  at  Fifth  Avenue 
r.nd  53rd  Street,  at  Revillon  Freres  in  London,  180  Regent  Street,  and  at  the 
original  house  in  Paris,  81  Rue  de  Rivoli. 


A  remote  post  snowing  winter  snow  entrance 

the  time  the  Police  Road  was  built  from  Peace  River  to  the  Yukon,  Revillon 
Freres  had  the  contract  to  supply  food  to  the  Northwest  Mounted  Police  engaged 
in  the  work.  Then  all  transportation  was  by  man  power,  ten  Indians  towing  a 
seven  ton  scow  at  the  rate  of  about  twenty-five  miles  a  day. 

The  Indians  in  Western  Canada  are  mainly  of  two  tribes:  the  Crees  in  the 
South  and  the  Beavers  or  Chippewyans  further  north.  The  Crees  have  a  euphoni- 
ous language  very  easy  to  learn.  The  Chippewyans  are  a  rougher  and  less  civil- 
ized tribe.  Still  further  north  we  again  find  the  Eskimo.  Originally  the  Indians 
lived  entirely  on  meat,  killing  moose,  deer  and  other  animals  for  their  food  and 
clothing.  Under  these  conditions  it  was  difficult  for  the  trading  companies  to 
induce  the  Indians  to  trap  fur-bearing  animals.  Gradually  they  developed  the 
native's  taste  for  such  delicacies  as  bacon,  beans,  flour,  jam,  etc.,  and  soon  had  no 
difficulty  in  getting  him  to  work  for  this  more  appetizing  food  instead  of  devoting 
all  his  time  to  hunting  moose  and  deer.  The  Indian  trapper's  business  is  precarious. 
Some  years  furs  are  very  scarce,  whole  species  of  animals  practically  disappearing 
temporarily.  During  these  times  of  scarcity  the  Indians  have  to  be  kept  alive. 
For  this  reason  the  Canadian  government  gives  their  support  to  the  two  large 
companies  operating  in  this  district — Revillon  Freres  and  their  English  competitor, 


One  of  Revillon  Freres  fleets  of  scows  leaving  for  the  North,  May,  19 IS. 


[235] 


&T 


Miss  Pearson  has ,  the  loveliest  head  of  dark 
hair,  thick,  soft,  curling,  responsive.  This  is 
the  way  she  dresses  it  when  she  wishes  to 
present  herself  as  a  Spanish  type,  the  hair 
massed  around  the  face,  drawn  up  high  on  the 
head  into  a  knot,  and  held  by  a  large  tortoise- 
shell  comb,  as  you  may  see  in  the  smaller  pro- 
file view  of  the  same  head-dressing  at  th-e  bot- 
tom of  the  page 


Photos  ©  Lumiere 


But  Miss  Pearson  insists  that  the  first  requisite 
of  all  hairdressing  is  to  have  beautiful  hair  to 
dress.  And  you  never  will  if  you  sleep  with 
your  hair  done  up  in  curlers  or  fall  lazily  into 
bed,  leaving  it  ratted  and  hair  pinned  as  you 
have  been  wearing  it  during  the  daytime. 
Brush  it  thoroughly  for  ten  minutes,  shake  it 
out  and  leave  it  au  naturel,  like  this 


BOX 


MISS  VIRGINIA  PEARSON,  that  lovely 
star  of  the  Fox  Films,  is  another  of  those 
ardent  believers  in  the  significance  of  hairdress- 
ing  —  in  the  changes  of  appearance  that  one  can 
effect  through  it.  She  gave  us  a  most  interest- 
ing talk  on  the  subject,  which  has  unfortunate- 
ly to  be  compressed  into  this  small  space. 

Miss  Pearson's  motto  for  herself,  in  the  first 
place,  and  which  she  suggests  for  every  woman, 
is  :  "Take  care  of  your  comforts,  and  your 
luxuries  will  take  care  of  themselves."  And 
hair  comfort  is  one  of  the  first  essentials.  How 
can  you  be  comfortable,  for  instance,  if  your 
hair  is  in  a  poor  condition,  dry,  or  overoily,  or 
limp  and  stringy,  so  that  "you  can't  do  a  thing 
with  it"?  How  can  you  be  comfortable  if  you 
are  obliged  to  wear  it  everlastingly  in  one 
fashion  because  of  its  deficiencies? 

"I  should  get  so  tired  of  looking  just  one  way 
in  my  pictures,"  says  Miss  Pearson,  "and  1 
should  get  so  tired  of  wearing  my  hair  in  just 
one  way  in  real  life.  I  know  I  get  very  weary 
of  seeing  certain  women  everlastingly  wearing 
their  hair  in  the  same  way  year  after  year.  You 
don't  have  to  make  violent  or  unbecoming 
changes  but  out  of  all  the  numerous  manners, 
there  are  at  least  two  or  three  suited  to  your 
type  and  temperament,  and  fashion  is  constantly 
disclosing  new  ones. 

"But  to  be  master  of  and  not  mastered  by 
your  hair  means  constant  hygiene,  employing 
the  services  of  a  scientific  caretaker,  daily 
brushings. 

"Two  admonitions  !  Have  many  brushes  —  I 
have  no  less  than  twelve  —  and  keep  them  clean. 
Keep  the  hair  only  reasonably  long,  for  com- 
fort, and  clip  it,  don't  singe  it.  The  hairs  are 
hollow  and  the  smoke  is  drawn  up  through 
them  to  their  injury  and  that  of  the  scalp." 


And  this  is  a  hairdressing  that  you  have  never 
seen  before,  because  it  is  absolutely  original 
u'ith  Miss  Pearson.  She  parts  her  hair 
straight  in  the  middle  from  forehead  to  nape 
of  neck,  making  two  separate  masses,  which 
she  then  crosses  and  wraps  around  the  neck, 
fastening  the  ends  snugly  on  the  left  side. 
From  this  dark  frame  the  skin  stands  out  with 
alluring  fairness.  Sometimes  Miss  Pearson 
adds  a  jewelled  plaque  at  the  fastening 


This  shows  how  one  transforms  oneself  into 
a  beautiful  blonde  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye, 
not  by  peroxide,  but  with  a  w-i-g,  wig.  Only 
that  is  really  unfair,  a  horrid  misnomer  for 
that  lovely  misty  aureole,  the  modern  article 
is  so  far  removed  in  artistry  from  its  pre- 
decessors^ Better  call  it  a  transformation, 
which  it  is  and  a  marvelous  one,  at  that. 
Can't  the  hairdressers  work  wondersf 


[236] 


Theatre  .Wagatine,  October,  tyiS 


MALLINSONS  PUSSY  WILLOW 


All  the  cKarrrw  and  moods  of  Autumn  find  perfect 
expression  in  the  new  desig'ns  and  colorings  of 

MALLIN5ON5  PUSSTWILLOW SILK. 

R.IC  IJT  t  HLC        V .  J.       fATINT        O  T  t  I  C  E. 

%is  wonderful  fabric  has  attained  the_  distinction 
of  the  "National  silk  of  International  fame'. 
PUSSYWILLOW  istKesilkinimitatie. 

Its  individuality  is  its  own.  It  is  truly  the  silk 
of  sensible  economy.  It  costs  alittle  .more  but  iff 
worth  awhde  lot  more  and  is  guaranteed  for  two  seasons' wear. 
There  islxit  one  genuine  PUSSY  WILLOW  Lcyliforihenajne  on 
the  selvage  or  for  the  kbel  on  the  garment. 

H.R.MALLINSON  &  COMPANY 

rut, 

MADISON  AVENUE,- 


jjsk  at  the  better  stores  for 


Indestructible  Voile 
5atin  Duveb'  n 

Will  o'tKeWisp 
Orkid-Ti^su 

Kashmere  -KlotK 
Roshaoiaira-  Cree 

Chinchilla 


trade  mark  names 


iTJttaiT- JUE.W  YORK 


[237] 


384  FSWh  Avonmnc 

(Between  35th  and  36th  Sts.) 

NEW  YORK 
'Phone  2044  Greeley 

Frars  Tiaaft  Hefl 

No.    1— Alma  Tell 


Hudson   Seal   Sport    or    Trotting   Coat;    Natural    Beaver   Panel 

back    and   front,    Border   and    large    Collar   and    Cuffs.     Smart, 

but    inexpensive    and    serviceable — made   in    other   combinations. 

STYLE  BOOK  FREE. 


By 

ANGELINA 


IS     that    you,     Angelina?"     came 
across     the     'phone     the     other 
morning    from    a    nice    man    I 
know.     "Do  you   like   ribbons?" 

"Did  you  ever  know  any  woman 
that  didn't?"  I  responded. 

"All  right,  then,"  he  replied. 
"Come  to  lunch  with  me  and  an- 
other handsome  man  and  after- 
wards we'll  take  you  where  you  can 
see  a  whole  houseful  of  them,  and 
the  most  stunning  you  ever  laid 
eyes  on,  too." 


ance  was  as  strips  of  hand-made 
cloth  or  leather  to  lace  the  edges  of 
garments  together.  And  did  I  know 
also,  the  gentleman  said,  that  when 
ribbons  first  came  along  they  were 
worn  exclusively  by  men  and  for 
many  centuries  used  by  them  as 
adornments  for  their  clothes.  Again, 
no !  How  interesting !  Doesn't 

that    make    us    all    nice    and    pally! 
*        *        * 

After    being    fortified    with    food 
we    started   on   the   real   business   of 


A  trio  of  tlie  new  wall-papers:  a  rough  grey  background  on 
•which  a  flower  design  of  Madonna  blue  and  mauve  and  red- 
brown  looks  as  if  it  had  been  hand-painted:  a  Japanese 
grass  cloth  in  silvery  brown  printed  in  dull  blues  and  greens 
and  darker  browns:  and  an  all-over  pattern  of  soft  brown  and 
blue-grey  leaves 


You  know  how  quickly  I  jumped 
at  the  chance,  don't  you? 

*        *        * 

We  talked  ribbons  all  through 
lunch.  When  they  first  started  .  .  . 
I  didn't  know  and  was  told  that  it 
was  so.  far  back  that  "the  memory 
of  man  runneth  not  to  the  con- 
trary." How  they  first  started  .  .  . 
I  didn't  know  that  either,  and  again 
was  told  that  their  first  appear- 


the  afternoon,  walking  a  block  or 
two  from  the  Holland  House  over 
to  the  big  wholesale  establishment 
of  Johnson,  Cowdin,  where  I  was 
to  see  the  promised  "houseful"  of 
ribbons. 

Which  I  did.  They  let  me  loose 
on  the  first  floor  and  I  ranged 
around  from  one  long  table  to  the 
other  savoring  the  ribbons  as  if  I 
were  in  a  flower  garden.  Johnson, 
(.Concluded  on  page  240) 


Two  of  the  numerous  uses  to  which  you 
can  put  ribbon,  a  boudoir  cap  and  mules 
to  match,  woven  of  the  famous  Johnson, 
Cowdin  "Lady  Fair."  The  pink  and  blue 
combination  of  "Lady  Fair"  was  used  in 
these,  a  pink  side  alternating  with  a  blue 
side  to  make  a  surface  of  small  pink  and 
blue  squares 


[238; 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  roil 


RE-TOP   WITH    DREDNAUT 


"More  Chase  material  is 
used  on  Vehicles  today 
than  any  other  brand. 

THE  above  statement 
is  only  one  of  many 
reasons  why  you  should 
choose  Drednaut  as  the 
top  material  for  a  real  top. 

Elegant  in  Appearance 

A  Drednaut  top  will  add  to 
i  he  beauty  of  any  car—  making 
an  old  car  look  like  a  new  one. 

Durable  and  Weatherproof 

Often  outlasting  the  car  itself, 
a  top  of  Drednaut  will  protect 
you  from  the  severest  storms  or 
the  hottest  sun. 

Drednaut's  Reputation 

We  sold  top  material  long  be- 
fore motor-cars  were  made — 
leaders  in  manufacturing  since 
1847,  Drednaut  is  one  of  our 
several  sterling  products. 

A  Suggestion 

Rejuvenate  the  old  car — 
repain'  —  new  upholstery  and 
more  important —  a  new  top. 


t  'riteffrr  sample*  and  particulars 


L.  C.  CHASE  &  CO.,  BOSTON 


Quality  First. 

Boston  Garter 


X/OU  may  have  confidence  in  the  goods  of 
•*•  a  men's  wear  shop  that  recommends  the 
Boston  Garter.  You  may  be  sure  that  the 
policy  of  the  dealer  is  to  give  the  customer 
full  value  for  his  money. 

The  Boston  Garter  is  first  in  quality  and  first 
in  service.     Ask  for  it. 

35  cents  and   upward  in  lead- 
ing stores  from  coast  to  coast. 

GEORGE     FROST    CO.,    MAKERS.    BOSTON 


mNRAALTE 


«*fc 


Made  in  U.  S.  A. 


At  all  good  shops 

THE  most  familiar  face  in    the 
world — your  own — greets  you 
with  new  charms  through  the  flat- 
tering meshes  of  Van  Raalte  Veils. 

E.  &  Z.  VAN  RAALTE,  5th  Ave.  at  i6th  St.,  New  York  City 
Look  for  this  little  -white  ticket  on  every  yard 


VAN  RAALTE  MAKE 


Beauty 

for  All  Ages 

To  the  woman  approaching 
mature  years,  the  bitterness  of 
fading  charm — to  these  women 
Madame  Helena  Rubinstein 
brings  a  message  of  hope,  the 
aid  of  her  wonderful  science, 
reclaiming  before  too  late  the 
fresh  youthful  charm  of  com- 
plexion that  is  every  woman's 
right. 

Royalty  Endorses 
Mme.  Rubinstein 

The  most  famous  Beauties 
and  the  Aristocracy,  as  well  as 
all  leading  stars  of  the  Opera 
and  Drama  throughout  the 
world,  have  endorsed  with 
their  appreciative  patronage 
for  over  25  years  the  wonder- 
fully effective  Valaze  Beauty 
Treatments  and  preparations 
of  Madame  Rubinstein. 

VALAZE  BEAUTIFYING  SKIN- 
FOOD  expels  all  impurities  of  the 
skin,  clears  the  Pores,  imparts  beauty 
and  softness;  wards  off  wrinkles  and 
crow's-feet.  Valaze  repairs  tlie  daily 
beauty  wastage,  removing  freckles 
and  sunburn.  Valaze  restores  and 
preserves  the  natural  beauty  of  the 
skin.  Price  $1.25,  $8.25  and  $6.50. 
VALAZE  SKIN-TONING  LOTION- 
Used  with  Valaze  Skinfood  will  in- 
sure quicker  and  better  results.  A 
splendid  anti-wrinkle  lotion.  Price 
$1.25,  $2.50.  For  a  dry  skin  the 
"Special"  is  used.  $2.20  and  $4.40. 
VALAZE  UQUIDINE— Quite  mys- 
tifying in  its  action  of  overcoming 
oiliness  and  "shine"  cf  the  skin, 
and  undue  flushing  of  nose  and 
face.  Reduces  enlarged  pores  and 
blackheads.  Price  $1.75,  $3.00  and 
$6.00. 

VALAZE  BLACKHEAD  AND  OPEN 
PORE  PASTE — Refines  coarse  skin 
texture,  removes  blackheads  and  re- 
duces enlarged  pores.  Is  used  in 
place  of  sosp.  Price  $1.10,  $2.20 
and  $5.50. 

VALAZE  BEAUTY  FOUNDATION 
CREME  for  a  greasy  skin.  Con- 
ceals tan,  freckles  and  other  skin 
blemishes.  Whitens  and  bleaches 
the  skin  instantly.  Excellent  foun- 
dation for  powder.  Price  $1,  $2,  $3 
and  upwards. 

VALAZE  OUTDOOR  BALM  ROSE 
protects  a  dry  skin  from  freckles, 
sunburn  and  tanning.  Unequalled 
as  an  anti-wrinkle  preparation  and 
exquisite  foundation  for  powder. 
Price  $1.65,  $3.30  and  upwards. 
FOR  RELAXED  BAGGY  AND 
FLABBY  SKIN— When  the  muscles 
of  face,  chin  and  throat  become  flab- 
by, and  loose,  the  use  of  Valaze 
Roman  Jelly  will  be  found  wonder- 
ful for  remedying  this  defect. 
Price  $1.50  and  $3.00. 
VALAZE  EXTRAIT,  ANTI-WRIN- 
KLE LOTION.  Unequalled  for 
wrinkles,  crow's-feet  and  puffiness 
under  eyes.  Suited  for  all  skins. 
Price  $2.50,  $5  and  upwards. 
CRUSHED  ROSE  LEAVES,  natural 
face  coloring.  Mention  whether  for 
blonde  or  brunette.  Price  $1.00, 
$3.50  and  upwards. 
VALAZE  COMPLEXION  POWDER. 
for  greasy  or  normal  skin.  $1.00, 
$1.50,  $3.00  and  $5.50. 
VALAZE  COMPRESSED  POWDER, 
with  puff  and  mirror,  in  dainty  con- 
venient form  for  purse.  Price  75c 
each. 

MME.HELENA  RUBINSTEIN 

is  now  established 
in  her  new  Malon* 

46  We.t  57th  St,  N.Y. 

1427  Boirdw.lk,  Atltntic  City,  N.  J. 
ChkKo:  Mlk.  BttkmiD,  20  N.  Micki«u  Are. 

San  Fnnci.co  :  Mil.  Id.  M.rlin.  177  Pott  St. 


[239] 


urs 


M  STYLE 


Advance  showing  of  at- 
tractive Fall  and  Winter 
models  in  Coats,  Wraps, 
Coatees,  Scarfs  and  Muffs 


All  the 

fashionable  furs 


C.  6.  GUNTHER'S  SONS 


391  Fifth  Avenue 


New  York 


Froc/t  »/  •*«« 
Indestructible 
Voile  trimmed 
with  "J.  C." 
LADY  FAIR 
K/KSO.V 
fashioned  by 
Maduine  Crone. 


The  Ideal  Trimming   : 

Nothing   adds   the   complete   finishing   touch    and   charm   to   a 

garment  like  a  ribbon. 

There  is  a  "J.   C."   Ribbon  adaptable  for  your  every  need — 

on  sale  at  the  better  stores. 

SATIN"  DE  LUXE — The  recognized  quality  peer  of  all  Satin 

and  Taffeta  Ribbons. 

TROUSSEAU — An  appropriate  combination  of  Rose-Bud  and 

Polka  Dot  Lingerie  Ribbon. 

LADY   FAIR— The   Ribbon   Sensation   of   1918. 

SAXKANAC — A   Satin   and   Taffeta  Ribbon  popularly  priced 

— in  colors  to  match  Satin  de  Luxe. 

THISTLE — The    ideal    Lingerie    Ribbon    in    Pink,    Blue    and 

White. 

DEMOCRACY — The  Grossrain  Ribbon  "for  the  people." 

(All  Registered  Trademarks) 


38-44  EAST  30th  STREET    :    :    NEW  YORK 


RIBBON  AND  WALL-PAPER  AFTERNOON 

(Continued  from  page  238) 


Cowdin,  you  know,  stand  at  the  top 
in  the  ribbon  field  and  make  the 
most  artistic  and  individual  and — 
sequentially — the  highest  priced  rib- 
bons in  America.  There  were  bolts 
of  ribbons  with  colorings  like  Du- 
lae's  illustrations  to  the  Arabian 
Nights,  sapphire  blue  and  gold,  rose, 
and  green,  and  blue  .  .  .  ten  or 
twelve  different  combinations,  an- 
swering to  the  alluring  name  of 
"Lalla  Rookh";  ribbons  in  the  vivid 
tones  of  tropical  birds;  ribbons  in 
Indian  patterns  and  colorings;  in 
tinselled  black  and  gold  and  black 
and  silver,  coming  to  the  call  of 
"Mogul" ;  ribbons  Roman-striped 
and  Bayadere-striped  in  the  most 
stunning  combinations ;  last  but  not 
least  the  well-known  "Lady  Fair,"  a 
lingerie  ribbon  de  luxe,  in  all  its 
nine  different  blue-pink-lavender- 
yellow-white  combinations. 

One  corner  of  the  floor  was  per- 
fectly fascinating.  It  was  devoted 
to  glass  cases  showing  everything 
that  can  be  made  of  ribbon.  And 
everything  can,  it  seems — dresses 
and  hats  and  waists  and  scarves  and 
muffs  and  mules  and  dressing-sacks 
and  pillows.  I  didn't  see  any  rib- 
bon stockings  or  ribbon  gloves,  but 
outside  of  those  trifling  omissions 
nothing  was  lacking.  Don't  worry 
about  the  lack  of  wool  or  cotton, 
as  long  as  we  have  Johnson,  Cow- 
din  ribbons  to  dress  ourselves  in. 
*  *  * 

On  my  way  up  Madison  Avenue 
I  passed  the  Thibaut  wall-paper  place 
and  having  a  half  hour  to  spare 
dropped  in  to  see  what  was  new  in 
wall-papers.  Not  that  I  happened 
to  need  any  just  then,  but  you  never 
can  tell  at  what  moment  such  in- 
formation isn't  going  to  be  a  neces- 
sary, even  vital  matter,  in  your  day. 
And  then  I  had  a  special  friend  at 
court  ...  I  mean  Thibaut's,  who 
knows  all  about  wall-papers. 

''What's  new,"  turned  out,  for 
one  thing,  to  be  the  Japanese  grass 
cloth,  printed  in  soft  colored  pat- 
terns showing  a  little  Willow  Tree 
house  here  and  there,  a  sacred 
pheasant,  a  lotus  The  paper  is 


known  as  "Okame-San"  paper, 
"Okame-San"  (whose  head  is 
stamped  on  the  paper)  being  the 
Japanese  "girl  of  good  luck."  She 
will,  of  course,  bring  good  luck  to 
any  room  which  she  papers.  Then 
there  were  some  enchanting  land- 


Here  is  one  of  the  lovely  new  fur  coat- 
wraps  from  A.  Jaeckel  &  Co.  we  promised 
to  show  you  and  if  you  will  look  at  page 
238  you  may  see  another  on  Miss  Alma  Tell 


A  Maxon  frock  taken  from  the  Fall  show- 
ing, "now  on,"  of  the  Model  Gown  Shop, 
blue  serge  with  all  the  new  notes,  the 
straight  lines,  the  machine  pleating  of  the 
skirt,  the  blouse-jacket  buttoning  down  the 
back.  Simple  but  excellent  tucked  white 
cambric  collar  and  cuffs  are  part  of  the 
good  measure  that  you  can  always  rely  on 
Maxon  to  give 


scape  and  tree  papers,  one  of  white 
panels  with  an  upper  border  of 
misty  grey  trees  like  a  snow  land- 
scape. And  a  lovely  all-over  pat- 
tern (see  the  sketch)  of  soft  brown 
and  blue-grey  leaves,  a  pattern  prob- 
ably suggested  by  arbutus  plants. 
And  a  rough  grey  "made  in  U.  S. 
A."  paper,  with  a  design  of  double 
poppies  in  vivid  Madonna  blues, 
mauves,  and  red-browns,  looking 
as  if  the  design  had  been  painted 
by  hand.  And  many  others  .  .  . 
*  *  * 

It's  Maxon  Fall  opening  time 
again,  Maxon,  the  Model  Gown 
Shop.  I'm  so  glad!  That's  always 
one  of  the  brightest  spots  in  the 
new  season.  Don't  you  like  the  blue 
serge  frock  we  sketched  from  there? 
It  has  so  many  of  the  new  notes,  the 
lengthened  skirt,  the  machine  pleats, 
the  crenellated  jacket  blouse,  the 
general  straight  •  up-and-down  lines. 
The  sketch  is  not  only  illustrative 
of  this  particular  frock  but  symbolic 
of  everything  Maxonic,  the  new,  the 
chic  .  .  .  The  price?  But  a  bargain, 
as  always,  ma  chere!  Have  I  not 
said  it  was  a  Maxon ! 


[240] 


Theatre  Magazine,  October,  jyil 


vanity^Jair 

fiettibocfier 

V  INCE  we're  not  permitted  even  a  tiny 
/~  ^  curve  at  the  hip — not  the  slightest  sus- 
V_X  picion  of  a  wrinkle  nor  ripple  to  mar  the 
"six-o'clock"  silhouette — the  Pettibocker  is  a 
life-saver !  It's  so  soft  and  slimpsy,  you'd 
never  know  you  had  it  on  !  The  elastic  just 
below  the  knee  keeps  it  in  place  and  you 
escape  the  annoyance  of  an  'up-rising"  silk 
petticoat.  From  its  elastic  waistband  to  its 
dainty  hemstitched  ruffle,  the  Pettibocker 
gives  a  clean-cut  silken  line  ! 

You'll  want  Pettibockers  to  match  your 
street  suits— they  come  in  all  the  season's  best 
colors  and  for  evening  wear  there's  a  shell 
pink  and  a  pure  white. 

No  matter  what  you  seek  in  undersilks, 
Vanity  Fair  is  the  name  to  remember! 
There's  the  Plus-4-Inch  Vest,  the  Step-in 
Envelope,  the  Double-Back  Knicker  and  the 
Sure-Lap  Union. 

All  the  better  ihopi  carry  Vanity  Fair 
— if  you  have  any  difficulty  in  getting 
ivhat  you  'want,  'write  us  direct. 

SCHUYLKILL    SILK    MILLS,    READING,    PA. 

Matin  if  Vanili  Fair  VndtniHi  and  Silk  Gltvn 

200   FIFTH   AVENUE,  NEW   YORK 
CHICAGO  BOSTON  SAN   FRANCISCO 

3 ~~~~ 


1.  Altaian  &  do. 

THE   FUR   DEPARTMENT   has   ready   for  immediate  selection  an 
ymumsimallly  extensive  stock  of  extremely  handsome 

FURS   AND    FUR  GARMENTS 

in  the  most  approved  styles  and  com  foi  nations 

Having  effected  large  purchases  of  Mglhi=grade  Furs  far  in  advance  of  tlhe  season, 
B.  Altaian  <&  Co.  are  in  a  position  to  offer  tlhese   Furs   at  prices   tlhat  cannot 
fail  to  interest  prospective  buyers. 

EARLY   SELECTIONS   ARE   EARNESTLY   RECOMMENDED 
(Third  Floor,  Madison  Avenue  section) 

iiateott  Aunuw>-3Ftfilj  Aunme,  Nnu  fork 

Uttjirtg-fourtij  £>tmt                 TELEPHONE  7000  MURRAY  HILL                 (jlljirtg-fifilj  £>tmt 

[241 


American  Lady  Waists 

are  tne  choice  of  many  of 
the  charming  ladies  of  the 
screen  and  stage.  If  these 
most  fashionable  women  of 
the  world  select  American 
Lady  Waists  as  meeting  their 
fastidious  ideas  of  smartness, 
— there's  a  hint  for  clever 
dressers  everywhere. 

On  sale  at  your  favorite  waist 
shop.  Write  us  if  you  cannot 
be  supplied. 


THE  AMERICAN  LADY  WAIST  CQ 

2  WEST  W-'STIWAIDORF  BLDO  ALSO  5H  BROADWAY  N EW  YORK 


liiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiim 


For  Your  Boy 
and  My  Boy 

You'd  do  anything  in  the  world  For  Your 
Boy  and  My  Boy,  wouldn't  you? 

Certainly! 

Then  learn  and  sing  the  new  timely  song 
"FOR  YOUR  BOY  AND  MY  BOY"  by  KahH 
and  Van  Alstyne.  A  song  with  the  wonderful 
patriotic  thrill  that  will  fill  your  soul  with  the 
fire  of  Victory.  It  is  so  designed  by  these  well 
known  American  song  writers  that  it  will  mean 
to  you  what  the  "Marseillaise"  means  to  the 
French—  "The  Star  Spangled  Banner"  to  the 
Americans  —  and  "Rule  Britannia"  to  the 
English.  Before  long  the  Allies  will  be  singing 
it  in  their  own  tongue,  because  your  boy  is 
thfir  boy  and  their  boy  is  your  boy.  Remem- 
ber when  our  boys,  at  the  .front  hear  that  you 
are  singing  this  song,  it  will  be  like  a  ray  of 
sunshine  from  home. 


For  Sale  Wherever  Music  is  Sold 

Published  by 

JEROME  H.  REMICK  &  COMPANY 

New  York    Dcb-otl    Chicago    San  Francisco 


' mmm ' NiiiNiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiii linn iiiiiiiiiiiimiiiimiiiiii iiiiiniimi mi iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii iiiiinii n 


MR.   HORNBLOW  GOES 
TO    THE    PLAY. 

(Continued  from  page  212) 

however,  and  had  to  imitate  the 
domineering  husband  (John  West- 
ley),  he  was  much  less  amusing. 
Janet  Beecher,  whom  I  cannot  con- 
sider particularly  adapted  to  farce, 
was  the  coveted  wife.  More  success- 
ful was  Francine  Larrimore  as  the 
neglected  spouse,  another  of  the 
cute,  though  whining,  roles  that  have 
been  accorded  her  so  regularly  in 
recent  seasons. 


BROADHURST.  "HE  DIDN'T 
WANT  TO  Do  IT."  Book  and  lyrics 
by  George  Broadhurst.  Music  by 
Silvio  Hein  (based  on  a  farce  by 
Walter  Hackett  and  Mr.  Broad- 
hurst).  Produced  on  August  20. 

This  revamped  Broadhurst-Hack- 
ett  piece  never  succeeds  in  being 
anything  more  than  so-so.  It 
has  conventional  and  uninspired 
tunes  by  Silvio  Hein,  an  unusually 
good-looking  chorus,  several  hard- 
working comedians,  and  some  still 
harder-working  dancers.  What  it 
lacks  is  a  foundation. 

Helen  Shipman  knows  some- 
thing about  grotesquerie  but  greatly 
overdoes  it.  Ernest  Torrence  did 
his  best  to  eke  out  with  grimaces 
the  slender  comedy  assigned  to  him. 
Percy  Ames  gave  a  colorless  im- 
personation of  the  Englishman,  and 
Ned  A.  Sparkes  contributed  his  se- 
pulchral specialty  as  one  of  the  de- 
tectives. 

Much  praise  is  due  to  Katherine 
Galloway.  She  owns  both  an  at- 
tractive stage  presence  and  a  pleas- 
ing voice. 


CORT.  "FIDDLERS  THREE."  Ope- 
retta in  two  acts.  Book  and  lyrics 
by  William  Gary  Duncan;  music  by 
Alexander  Johnstone,  orchestral 
arrangement  by  Domenico  Sodero. 
Produced  on  September  3. 

The  ^music  of  this  "modern 
operetta"  is  so  reminiscent  that 
when  the  overture  had  got  under 
way  I  thought  I  was  listening  to  a 
medley  of  popular  airs.  As  for  the 
wit  of  the  piece,  the  answer  to  the 
question,  "How  is  the  world  treating 
you  lately?"  which  is  "Not  very 
often,"  is  its  brightest  line. 

The  operetta  concerns  a  violin- 
maker's  competition  in  Cremona,  but 
if  never  gets  nearly  so  exciting  as 
an  old  fiddlers'  contest  at  a  county 
fair.  The  hand  of  the  master  violin- 
maker's  fair  daughter  is  to  go  to  his 
apprentice  if  the  lad's  fiddle  wins  the 
prize.  But  alas !  she  loves  another 
catgut  expert,  and  this  latter's 
opponents  are  unable  to  defeat  him 
by  fair  means  or  foul. 

The  first  act  is  in  the  Mid-Vic- 
torian tradition,  with  the  merry 
villagers  assembling  on  the  green 
and  singing  the  good  old  choruses  in 
the  good  old  way.  Then  the  com- 
edians trickle  in.  The  first  is  a  very 
sad  stage  Englishman,  played  by 
Echlin  Gayer.  The  second  is  a  far 
gayer  stage  American — an  egg- 
beater  peddler — done  with  much  fan- 
tastic dance  and  vocalizing  by  Hal 
Skelley.  Adding  somewhat  to  the 
hilarity,  is  Josie  Intropidi  as  the 
widow  of  an  American — you've 
guessed  it — pickle  manufacturer. 
Of  course,  then,  Mr.  Skelley's  num- 
ber is  up,  and  it  is  57. 

The  second  act  audaciously  ap- 
proaches the  twentieth  century.  It 
begins  with  jazz  dancing  specialties, 
contributes  unintended  gayety  in  the 
matter  of  a  dozen  or  more  bare 
biees,  and  meanders  off  into  an 
ultimate  happy  ending. 

By  far  the  most  delectable  feature 
of  "Fiddlers  Three"  is  the  singing 
of  Tavie  Beige  as  the  shero.  Miss 
Beige  actually  has  a  voice  and  knows 
low  to  use  it!  All  she  needed  was 
some  good  songs.  Louise  Groody 
did  her  bit  with  much  agile  and 
acrobatic  dancing. 


CHAMBERLAIN  BROWN 

1 482  Broadway  —  9 1  30  Bryant 


Exclusive  manager  for 

BLANCHE  RING 
GRACE  LA  RUE 
LOUISE  DRESSER 
ADELAIDE   &   HUGHES 
EMILY  ANN  WELLMAN 
FLORENCE  MILLS 
MARIE  CARROLL 
SYDNEY  SHIELDS 
CARLOTTA  MONTEREY 
XORVAL   KEEDWELL 
ZOE   BARNETT 
ADA  MEADE 
MARTHA  MAYO 
SUE  MACMANAMY 
MARION   COAKLEY 
MABEL  WITHEE 
HARRY   FOX 
MARION   DORR 
GEORGE   KIXNEAR 
JULIA  KELETY 
CHRISTINE  NORMAN 
EM^A   CARUS 
MARGOT  KELLY 
ROBERT  HYMAN 


Casting  Most  of  this  Season's 
Successes 


B.  F.  KEITH'S 
Circuit  of  Theatres 

A.  PAUL    KEITH,  Pre.ident 
E.  F.    ALBEE,  Vice-President 

UNITED 
BOOKING 
OFFICES 

(AGENCY) 

ARTISTS  and  Acts  of 
*•  *•  Every  Description 
Suitable  for  Vaudeville  Can 
Obtain  Desirable  Engage- 
ments in  These  Offices. 
You  Can  Book  Direct  by 
Addressing  S.  K.  Hodgdon, 
Booking  Manager  of  the 
United  Booking  Offices. 


OFFICES  : 

B.  F.  Keith's  Palace  Theatre 

Building 
NEW  YORK  CITY 


[242] 


Theatre  Magaiint,  October,  tyig 


DEITIES 


"clfie  Utmost  in  Ci 

TlainEndor&rKlip 


People  of  culture  and 
refinement  invariably 
TREFEIL  T)eities 
to  any  other  cigarette. 

3Ot 


Makers  of  the  Highest  Grade  Turkish 
and  Egyptian  Qgarettes  in  the  World 


r 


Remove  hair 
easily 

You  can  have  a  smooth 
underarm,  face,  or  arm  in 
a  few  minutes. 

Just  mix-up  a  little 
Evans's  Depilatory,  apply 
it,  wait  a  few  minutes, 
and  wash  off. 

The  hair  is  gone.  Will 
it  come  back?  Of  course 
— by-and-by;  and  you  do 
it  again. 

No  trouble — the  outfit 
is  complete. 

Get  it  today  of  your  druggist 
or  department-store,  or  we 
send  by  mail,  75c  postpaid. 

George  B  Evans 

1103Che»tnut  St         Phil.delphi. 
Maters  of'Mttm" 

Evans's 

Depilatory 

Outfit-75c 


Iff 


lilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliiiiiiiiniiiiiiH I inimiiii minimi^ 


b> 

or       | 

sheen 
and     \ 
softness  I 


Shampooing  regularly  j 
with  PACKER'  s  TAR  SOAP  j 
protects  the  health  of  | 
the  scalp  and  brings  out  { 
the  beauty  of  the  hair.  ] 


PACKER'S  TAR  SOAP    | 

Cake   and  Liquid 

aiiumiiimii i iiiiiiiiini mini mini mm'" """ IMI1111 """:l i""""1"1" lumHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii P 


VICTOR   RECORDS 

A  RARE  exhibition  of  the  spark- 
ling  genius  of  the  young 
wizard  of  the  violin  is  given  in 
Jascha  Heifetz's  playing  on  a  new 
Victrolia  Record  of  "La  Ronde  det 
Latins  (Dance  of  the  Goblins)." 

In  this  selection  Heifetz  displays 
all  the  technicalities  known  to  the 
violinist's  art. 

A  remarkable  blending  of  voices 
is  heard  in  a  duet  by  Caruso  and 


De  Luca  presenting  the  highly  dra- 
matic passage,  "Is  My  Secret  Then 
Betrayed?"  from  Verdi's  opera  "The 
Force  of  Destiny,"  sung  on  a  new 
Victrola  Record  just  issued,  The 
voices  are  well  matched  in  volume 
and  when  heard  together  a  singular- 
ly well-balanced  effect  is  produced. 
Reinald  Werrenrath's  voice  rings 
out  in  two  soldier  songs  "A  Khaki 
Lad"  and  "/  Want  to  Go  Back  to 
Blighty."— Advt. 


FOR  FALLING  HAIR 

A  French  tonic  which  encour* 
ages   a   luxuriant   growth   of 


beautiful  hair. 

Its  ingredients  are  endorsed  by 


medical  authorities  as  ideal 
food  for  hair  cells.  Thin,  life- 
less  hair  is  revivified  and  re- 
uvenated  by  its  use. 

THIS  HAIR  BEAUTIFIER 

keeps  the  scalp  clean  and  hratihy. 

and  imparts  *  delightful  freshness, 

ustre  and  waviness  to  the  coiffure. 

Sold  by  smart  shops 

Generous  sample  25c.     Address 
PARK  &  TII.FORD.  Sat,  Aftxti 
529  "  •  •<   '-»  1  Street  Sew  T»rk 


(243] 


The 

"Womanly"  Way 
To  Remove  Hair 

El-Rado 


Yonthifying  the  underarms  with  El- 
Rado  sanitary  lotion  is  an  agreeable  way 
to  remove  the  hair.  Easily  applied  with 
absorbent  cotton  to  the  face,  neck,  under- 
arms or  limbs.  After  removing  the  hair 
from  your  underarms  with  El-Rado  you 
can  wear  chiffon  sleeves  withoutany  dress 
shields,  and  enjoy  a  delightful  sensation 
of  comfort  and  cleanliness.  Entirely  harm- 
less. Ask  for  "El-Rado"  hair  remover  at 
any  toilet  goods  counter.  Two  sizes,  60c 
and  $1.00.  Money-back  guarantee. 

Orders  filled  direct  on  receipt  of  stamp? 
or  coin  if  dealer  cannot  supply  you. 
PILGRIM  MFG. CO., Dept.F.  112E.  19th St.  II. ¥ 


in  .Priares-     \ 


For  the  best  jingles  received  before 
Dec.  15th,  1918,  we  will  give  nine 
prizes  :  *150,  tl'io,  $75, 125,  and  five 
$10  prizes.  The  jingles  must  tell 
convincingly  why  ZVMOLE  TRO- 
KEVS  are  so  good  for  the  voice. 
They  must  tell  wliat  you  know— 
and  others  should  know  —  ab  ut 
ZYMOLETROKEYS.  Not  cough 
drops  —  but  mildly  antiseptic 
throat  pastilles  of  real  worth.  At  all 
drug  stores.  Send  your  jingles  to 

ti   T;     — l  .     T^  ._  -  •' 


/ 


course! 


"Nobody 


ever  changes 


Ramejes" 


the  aristocrat 


COLUMBIA    RECORDS 

A  NOTHER  Columbia  Star  makes 
her  bow  to  the  phonograph 
public  this  month — in  the  slender, 
piquant  person  of  Barbara  Maurel, 
who  comes  from  across  the  ocean. 
She  is  here,  singing  two  well-beloved 
old  ballads  in  the  Columbia  October 
group  of  new  records.  "Ever  of 
Thee,"  and  "Long,  Long  Ago,"  are 
indeed  worthy  vehicles  for  this  gifted 
mezzo  soprano.  Hulda  Lashanska, 
beloved  American  soprano  gives  us 
another  of  her  marvelous  records 
this  month  in  her  Columbia  record- 
ing of  "Bonnie  Sweet  Bessie." — Advt. 


Kill  The  Hair  Root 


My  method  is  the  only  way  to  prevent 
the  hair  from  growing  again.  Easy, 
painless,  harmless.  No  scars.  Booklet 
free.  Write  today  enclosing  2  stamps. 
We  teach  Beauty  Culture. 

D.  J.  MAHLER 
Z70-A  Mahler  Park         Providence,  R.  I. 


COFT  water  cleanses 
much  better  than  hard. 
Nothing  softens  water  as 
well  as  Borax.  That's 
why  you  should  sprinkle 
a  little  20  Mule  Team 
Borax  in  the  water  before 
you  take  your  bath.  But 


MULE  TEAM  BORAX 

is  more  than  a  water  sof- 
tener. It  is  an  antiseptic, 
it  keeps  the  pores  free 
and  clean,  is  an  excellent 
deodorant,  refreshes  the 
skin  and  keeps  the  com- 
plexion clear. 

Always  use  this  Borax  in 
baby' s  bath— it  is  very  soothing 
to  tender  skin. 

You  may  find  many  uses  for 
20  Mule  Team  Borax  in  the 
kitchen  and  laundry.  Be  sure 
to  see  the  picture  of  the  famous 
20  Mules  on  every  package. 

All  Dealers  sell 

20  MULE  TEAM  BORAX 


uim  i  tin 


HYGIENOL 

OKe   STERILISED 

POWDER  PUFF 


The  Finest  Quality  Lamb  i  Wool 

In  Individual   Envelopas  boarinq  Trade  Mark 
showing  Lamb's  Face  in  Circle  —  ». 


Six  Popular  Sizes 
lOe.  ISc,  20c,  25c,  35c.  50c 
At  All  Best  Dealeri 


Sent 


•Protector  o'f  All 
Women's  Beautq" 
Illustrates  ever^  detail 
In  makincj  of  HYGIENOL  Powder 

MAURICE  LEVY.  l5W.38"-Str.et .  NewYorl 

Importer  of  Famoul  Cremo  Simon  and 
Socifto  Hyqieniquff    Toilet  Products 


Puffs 


1 
J 


Salt  Mackerel 

CODFISH,  FRESH  LOBSTER 

RIGHT   FROM   THE    FISHING    BOATS    TO    YOU 


FAMILIES  who  are  fond  of  FISH  can  be 
supplied  DIRECT  from  GLOUCESTER. 
MASS..  by  the  FRANK  E  DAVIS  COM- 
PANY.  with  newly  caught,  KEEPABLE. 
OCEAN  FISH,  choicer  than  any  inland 
dealer  could  possibly  furnish. 

We  sell  ONLY  TO  THE  CONSUMER 
DIRECT,  sending  by  EXPRESS  RIGHT  TO 
YOUR  HOME.  We  PREPAY  express  on  all 
orders  east  of  Kansas.  Our  fish  are  pure, 
appetizing  and  economical  and  we  want  YOU 
to  try  some,  payment  subject  to  your  approval. 

SALT  MACKEREL,  fat,  meaty,  juicy  fish, 
are  delicious  for  breakfast.  They  are  freshly 
packed  in  brine  and  will  not  spoil  on  your 
hands. 

CODFISH,  as  we  salt  it,  is  white,  boneless 
and  ready  for  instant  use.  It  makes  a  sub- 
stantial meal,  a  fine  change  from  meat  at  a 
much  lower  cost. 

FRESH  LOBSTER  is  the  best  thing  known 
for  salads.  Right  fresh  from  the  water,  our 
lobsters  simply  are  boiled  and  packed  in 
PARCHMENT-UNED  CANS.  They  come 
to  you  as  the  purest  and  safest  lobsters  you 
can  buy  and  the  meat  is  as  crisp  and  natural 
as  if  you  took  it  from  the  shell  yourself. 

FRIED  CLAMS  is  a  relishahle,  hearty  dish 
that  your  whole  family  will  enjoy.  No 
other  flavor  is  just  like  that  of  clams, 
whether  fried  or  in  a  chowder. 

FRESH     MACKEREL,    perfect  for  frying, 
SHRIMP  to  cream  on  toast,  CRABMEAT  for 
Newburg  or  deviled, SALMON  ready  to  serve, 
SARDINES   of  all  kinds,  TUNNY    for  salad, 
SANDWICH  FILLINGS  and  every  good  thing 
packed   here  or  abroad   you   can   get  direct 
from    us    and    keep    right    on    your    pantry 
shelf  for  regular  emergency  use. 
With  every  order  we  send   BOOK  OF 
RECIPES    for  preparing  all  our  prod- 
ucts.  Write  for  it.  Our  list  tells  how    .-•'' 
each  kind  of  fish  is  put  up  with    ..-•' 
the  delivered  price  so  you  can 
choose   just    what    you    will    .-•' 
enjoy     most.       Send     the 
coupon  for  it  now. 

FRANK  E. 
DAVIS  CO. 

64  Central 

Wh.rf, 

Gloucester,     .••'„  _ 

Mass.         _..-'      N<tme 

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p.       .   F 
.5     f1**" 
•  Davis  Co. 

.        M  Central  Wharf, 
..  •''          GloocMttr,    Ma,,. 
"'      Please  send  me  your 
latest  Fiih  Price  LUt. 


244] 


35 


1  heatre  napazine 

T,TctRE5u.s.PAT.or,  1  I  NOVEMBER,    1918 

Cents      $4.U(J  a  Year  voi.xxvm  no.  zia  ^^       ^J 

^^-^^^^^^^^_^^__  ^^BB^^^^ 


eece  w  i 


.IT 


.  .  .  and  at  big  hotels 
and  clubs,  East  and  West 

act: 

Sales  reports  from  8  leading  cities — just 
as  received  at  our  main  office  during  the 
last  week  in  August: 

ASMT  and  NAVY  CLUB,  Washington,  D.  C.: 

"Fatima  sells  biggest— irrespective  of  price" 
BELLEVOF.-STHATFORD,  Philadelphia: 

"Fatima  outsells  all  other  cigarettes, 

except  two  26-cent  brands 
CONGRESS  HOTEL,  Chicago: 

"Fatima  ia  one  of  the  leading  sellers  among  the  better  brand*' 
HOTEL  ABTOR,  N.  Y.  City: 

"We  sell  more  Fatimas  than  any  other  cigarette*' 
HOTEL  GIBSON.  Cincinnati: 

"Fatima  leads  all  other  brands  In  sales" 
HOTEL  SINTON,  Cincinnati: 

"More  Fatimas  are  sold  than  any  other  cigarette" 
HOTEL  WILLARD  Washington,  D.  C.: 

"Fatima  is  biggest-selling  cigarette" 
MABSHALL  FIELD'S  GENTLEMEN'S  GRILL.  Chicago: 

"Fatima  Is  as  big  if  not  a  bigger  seller  than 

any  of  the  other  high-class  brands" 
OFFICERS'  CLUB,  West  Point: 

"More  Fatimas  smoked  than  any  other  cigarette" 
TH»  PONCHARTRAIN,  Detroit: 

"Fatima  ia  the-  second  best-selling  brand" 
RACQUET  CLUB,  St.  Louis: 

"Fatima  is  largest  seller" 
THE  SHOBEHAM,  Washington,  p.  C.: 

"With  one  exception,  Fatima  ia  best  seller" 
UNION  CLUB,  Cleveland: 

"Fatima  is  one  of  the  largest  seller*" 
TALI  CLUB,  Mew  York  City: 

"Fatima  continues  to  be  one  of  the  three  best  sellers" 

FATIMA 

Sensible    Cigarette 


And  Fatima  (rives  fnfl,  honest  value 
Instead  of  "showy"  looks.    It  b  for 
every  smoker  who  wants  a  cigarette 
that  never    talks  back, "even  if  a  man 
should  smoke  more  often  than  uroal 


Theatre  Magazvne,  November, 


I 
I 


s 
1 


I 

I 

I 
i 


PvURING  your  stay  in  New  York  it 
will  be  pleasant  to  be  near  the 
fashionable  shopping  district,  the  theatres 
and  the  busy  part  of  town,  and  at  the 
same  time  in  a  district  noted  for  its  quite 
air  of  comfort. 

All  of  this  you  will  find  at  the 
Vanderbilt  Hotel,  on  the  direct  car  lines 
to  both  the  Pennsylvania  and  Grand 
Central  Terminals.  The  Vanderbilt 
Hotel  is  noted  for  its  cuisine  and  its 
service.  Its  appointments  are  beautiful 
and  home'like;  the  charges  are  reason- 
able, and  it  makes  its  own  appeal  to 
exclusive  travellers. 

WALTON  H.  MARSHALL, 

Manager 


AUTHORS  ATTENTION! 

are  in  the  market  for  good  stories  suitable  for  the  film.  Money 
is  no  consideration  —  what  we  want  are  bright  ideas.  Have  you  a  side 
splitting  farce,  a  powerful  drama,  a  pleasant  comedy  or  a  successful 
play  that  would  make  a  sensational  screen  success  ?  We  want  it! 

If  you  are  a  famous  author  who  wants  prompt  consideration,  let  us 
have  your  story.  If  you  are  an  untried,  but  worthy  photoplaywright, 
submit  your  plots  to  us.  No  matter  who  you  are,  or  where  you  come 
from,  if  you  have  a  corking  good  film  scenario,  it  will  pay  you  to 
get  in  touch  with  us  ! 

We  will  pay  well  for  the  best  material  !  BUT  IT  MUST  BE  THE 
BEST  !  And  if  possible  material  that  has  been  published  in  Book 
or  Magazine  form. 


Address  M  R  L  da 
The  THEATRE  MAGAZINE 


minium iiiiuiiiiiiaiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiniiii » iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii 


The  Soul 
of  Romance 

ethereal,  enchanting,  lies  imprisoned 
in  Houbigant's  creations.  X  X 

Caressing  in  fragrance,  unobtrusive 
in  charm,  their  delicacy  and  re* 
finement  are  beyond  the  reach  of 
words. 


imiiumiiillilimuiinil umigimimiimmimiiiiiiiiiiiuim iiiiiiiiiniii I 

Houbigant's 
Quelques  Fleurs 

is  the  world's  most  exquisite  perfume. 

It  is  sold  by  the  smartest  shops  in 
extracts,  powders,  sachets,  etc.  Other 
Houbigant  odors  are  Parfum  Ideal, 
Evette,Coeur  de  Jeannette,Qyeiques 
Violettes.  Ng  Ng  sg  v« 

Perfume  Samples  35c  each  Address 

PARK  €r  TILFORD,  Sole  Agents 

529  West  42nd  Street     ::     ::      ::      ::     New  York 


HOUBIGANT 

Master  Perfumer  of  Paris 


SQunQi'tsriMH 

/^i   HOI  mi.xs 


iiiimitauminiiimuiuitiutuiuiiiiiiiiiiiniiuiintitiniiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiw 


[262] 


THEATRE  MAGAZINE 


/CHRISTMAS    will    soon    be    with    us 


V; 


again  ! 


So,    too,    the    Christmas    issue    of    the 
THEATRE  MAGAZINE. 

Both    will    bring    with    them    cheer,    joy 
and  gaiety. 

Don't  be  deprived  of 
your  annual  treat — the 
sprightly,  entertaining 
beautiful  Deceniber 
number. 

There'll  be  pictures  'n 
everything. 


STAGE  women  have 
surely  done  their  bit 
in  the  war. 

They  have  worked  and 
are  working  in  France 
with  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
and  the  "Over  There 
Theatre  League,"  they 
expended  their  efforts 
on  the  Liberty  Loan 
and  War  Savings  Stamp 
Drives,  they  have  ap- 
peared at  all  patriotic 
rallies  lending  their  tal- 
ents to  entertain  audi- 
ences, and  their  popu- 
larity to  attract  the 
throngs. 

The  December  issue 
will  contain  full-page 
portraits  of  a  number  of 
our  favorite  players  in 
strikingly  beautiful  poses 
representing  America 
and  her  Allies. 

Each  picture  will  be 
worth  framing — as  a 
glimpse  of  our  next 
number  will  prove. 


THERE  has  been  a 
great  deal  of  dis- 
cussion, pro  and  con,  re- 
garding the  theatrical 
marriage. 

In  the  Christmas  is- 
sue Zoe  Beckley  will 
tell  you  about  famous 
couples  in  stardom — 
how  they  fare  in  matri- 
mony, why  there  are  so 
many  failures  and  some 
notable  successes. 

Children,  too,  influence 
the  player.  Jane  Grey 
would  never  have  gone 
on  the  stage  but  for  her 
two  \oungstirs. 

Then  there  is  the 
question  of  marrying 
out  of  the  profession. 
This  interesting  article 
will  tell  you  about  the 


NOVEMBER,      1918 


stage  as  a  matrimonial  bureau  for  British,  It  made  managers  sit  up  and  take 
Wall  Street  and  Pittsburgh  aristocracy.  notice.  Organizations  with  ideas,  ideals 
^Qg^p  and  youthful  daring  produced  playlets 

that   were   really   worth    while. 

Dunsany    was     first     introduced     to     us 
through  the  little  theatres. 

But     now,     alas,     the 
Little  Theatre  has  gone 
Pierrot 


T     AST    season    the    Little    Theatre    was 


the  talk  of   Broadway. 


IN  THIS  ISSUE 


ESTELLE  WINWOOD  Cover 

GINA  RAVINE  AS  BELGIUM  Frontispiece 

THE  WAR  AND  THE  DRAMA  266 

SCENES   IN  "THE  UNKNOWN   PURPLE"  267 

FAMOUS    FRENCH   ORCHESTRA   HERE  868 

ARTISTIC  TOUCHES  IN  NEW  PLAYS— Full  page  of  pictures  869 
THE  MOST  STRIKING  EPISODE  IN  MY  LIFE, 

Blanche  Bates,  Hazel  Dawn,  Leon  Errol, 

Nazimova,   DeWolf   Hopper  270 
MUSIC  AND  DRAMA  IN  PASSING  SHOWS, 

Full  page  of  scenes  271 

NEW   YORK  WELCOMES  OPERA  IN  ENGLISH  278 

SCENES   IN   -THE  SPICE  OF  LIFE"  273 

HIS  LETTERS  HOME                                             Frances  L.  Carside  274 
COMEDY,  FARCE,  AND  SPIES  ON  BROADWAY, 

Full  page  of  scenes  275 

IN  THE  SPOTLIGHT  276 

MR.  HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY  277 
"Redemption,"  "The  Saving  Grace,"  "Tea  For  Three,"  "An 
Ideal  Husband,"  ''The  Un'.nown  Purple,"  "Information, 
Please!"  '  The  Awakening,"  ''Some  Night,"  "Someone  In 
The  House,"  ''Crops  and  Croppers,"  ''Another  Man's 
Shoes,"  "One  of  Us,"  "Over  Here,"  "Humpty-Dumpty," 
''The  Maid  of  the  Mountains,"  "Jonathan  Makes  A  Wish," 
"The  Walk-Offs,"  '  Forever  After." 

SCENES   IN    "AN   IDEAL  HUSBAND"  281 

CLOTHES  AND  THE  DRAMA                                      Mildred  Cram  282 

MITZI— Full-page    portrait  283 

SAY,  LET'S   HAVE  A  SHOW                               Charles  M.   Steele  284 

LITTLE  THEATRE   STARS   SHINE— Full   page  of  pictures  285 

AFTER  THE  PLAY  IS  OVER                                        Harriet  Kent  286 
DRAMATIC   FARE  FOR  THE   PLAYGOER, 

Full  page  of  scenes  287 

A  THEATREGOER'S   TABLE  TALK                 Charlton   Andrews  288 
STAGE  FOLK  AS  SEEN  BY  A  WELL  KNOWN  ARTIST, 

Full  page  of  portraits  889 

A   NEW  RIP  FOR  THE  OLD                                       Ada  Patterson  290 

YOUTH,   BEAUTY  AND  ABILITY— Full  page  of  portraits  291 

MODERN  COMEDIES  AT  THE  FRENCH  THEATRE  292 

SCENE  IN  "FIDDLERS  THREE"  293 

THE  PUBLIC  AND  THE  ARTIST                       Desiree  Lubot'ska  294 
A  TRIUMVIRATE  OF  LEADING  PLAYERS, 

Full   page  of  portraits  295 

A  PAGE  FROM   YESTERDAY  890 

AMATEUR  THEATRICALS  297 

FOOTLIGHT  FASHIONS                                              Anne  Archbald  303 

MOTION  PICTURE  SECTION                                 Edited  by  Mirilo  315 


LOUIS  MEYER,  PAUL   MEYER 

Publishers 

ARTHUR  HORNBLOW 
Editor 


THE  THEATRE  IS  PUBLISHED  MONTHLY  BY  THE  THEATRE 
MAGAZINE  COMPANY,  6  EAST  39TH  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 
HENRY  STERN,  PRESIDENT;  LOUIS  MEYER,  TREASURER; 
PAUL  MEYER,  SECRETARY.  SINGLE  COPIES  ARE  THIRTY- 
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IMPORTANT  NOTICE 
TO  SUBSCRIBERS 


If  you  change  your  address,  we  must  ask  that  you  notify  us  not  later  than 
the  tenth  of  the  month,  otherwise  the  next  issue  will  go  to  you  old 
address  and  we  cannot  replace  it. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


to  war.  Pierrot  has 
laid  aside  his  frills  for 
the  olive  drab  of  Uncle 
Sam. 

If  you  want  to  learn 
what  has  become  of  the 
brave  Washington 
Square  Players  and  the 
artistic  Greenwich  Vil- 
lagers, the  Christmas 
THEATRE  MAGAZINE  will 
help  you  out. 


DO  you  know  that 
Nazimova  once 
pushed  a  wheel  cart 
holding  her  costumes 
and  baggage  through 
the  streets  of  London — 
when  she  was  too  poor 
to  pay  the  cartage  from 
the  railway  station  to 
the  theatre  at  which  she 
was  to  appear? 

If  you  don't — it's  one 
of  the  reasons  why  you 
sit  quietly  in  the  back- 
ground while  the  com- 
pany is  being  entertained 
with  intimate  details 
regarding  players. 

Do  you  know  that 
Tully  Marshall,  the 
well-known  player,  at 
one  time  worked  for 
an  undertaker,  before 
he  became  an  actor  and 
actually  wore  the  fringe 
from  a  hearse  on  his 
costume  (as  a  prince) 
when  he  made  his  first 
stage  appearance? 

Of  course  you  don't. 
But  you  would  if  you 
read  the  THEATRE  MAG- 
AZINE regularly.  Read 
these  and  other  snappy, 
witty  bits  in  the  next 
issue. 


The  warning  this  year 
is  "Do  your  Christmas 
shopping  early." 

We  add,  order  your 
THEATRE  MAGAZINE 
early — before  the  sup- 
ply is  gone. 

Or,  so  as  to  be  sure 
of  your  copy,  subscribe 
now.  $4.00  a  year. 


COPYKIGHT    1018  BY  THE  THEATRE   MAGAZINE  CO.      TRADE   MARK   REGISTERED   U.   S.   PATENT  OFFICE. 


Emery  &  Beers  Company,  Inc.  NEW  YORK 

Sole    owners   of  ''Onyx"  and    wholesale     distributors 


everywhere  bv  representative  dealers,  the  trad"  mark  'identifies  them 


THEAT: 


VOL.  XXVIII.     No.  213. 


NOVEMBER,  1918 


From  a  photograph   by  Sarony 

MLLE.  GINA  RAVINE  AS  THE  SPIRIT  OF  HEROIC   BELGIUM 

At  the  recent  Liberty  Loan  Rally  at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  Mile.   Ravine,  assisted  by  George   Rena- 
vcnt,  recited  the  stirring  patriotic  poem  "La  liataille  de  L'Yser"  by  the  well-known  Belgian  poet  Armand  Varlez 


Theatre  Magatine,  Novemttr.  191! 

„„„ „,„„, „„„„ lllllmllni miiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiii iiiimiiiii nun i iiimiiiiiiiini i mini minim imiimiimiiiiiiimiiiniiimiiiiiiiimiim mi liiimi iiiiiiininin 


THE  WAR  AND  THE 


„,,„„„, miiiiiimiiiNii i iiiinniirani iiiraniiuniii i m mum mm »»""" "'" '"' "«»« ' """"" """"""""""imiimimimiimmi? 


A  SEASON  or  two  back,  one  of  the  favor- 
ite    foolish    questions    among   the    nuts 
thfatricalis  was,  How  will  the  war  affect 
the  drama? 

The   answer   to   the   question    has    long   since 
become  apparent     It  is  : — 

Barring  propaganda,  not  at  all. 


BUT,  you  persist,  the  majority  of  our  plays 
nowadays  are  about  the  war. 

Very  true.  In  spite  of  our  astute  producers, 
nearly  all  of  whom  a  few  years  ago  were  sagely 
announcing  that  in  war  times  theatregoers 
wanted  their  attention  distracted  in  the  playr 
house  from  the  horrors  of  the  conflict,  and  who 
accordingly  prophesied  that  few  war  plays  would 
reach  the  stage— in  spite  of  the  relentless  logic 
of  these  male  Cassandras  the  majority  of  our 
plays  nowadays  concern  the  crushing  of  the  Hun. 

Nevertheless  the  war  has  as  yet  not  actually 
affected  the  drama.  Rather,  we  may  say,  the 
drama  has  affected  the  war,  in  that  these  martial 
plays  almost  without  exception  have  extracted 
from  their  subject-matter— as  subject-matter 
involving  all  that  is  noblest  and  most  colossal  in 
the  supreme  effort  to  make  the  world  a  decent 
place  to  live  in — the  merest  triviality. 

The  best  that  the  stage  has  been  able  to  real- 
ize from  this  subject-matter  is  its  propaganda. 
And  propaganda  is  really  not  the  true  material 
of  art.  Plays  like  "Out  There"  and  "Getting 
Together"  have  served  a  patriotic  purpose  by 
encouraging  recruiting.  Other  pieces  such  as 
"Friendly  Enemies"  and  "Allegiance"  have  done 
their  bit  toward  converting  the  citizenry  of 
Germanic  origin  to  a  purer  Americanism. 

But  however  successful  in  that  field,  the 
drama  is  never  at  its  best  when  it  devotes  itself 
chiefly  to  the  didactic. 


OU  will  perhaps  recall  that  in  the  begin- 
ning  our  war  plays  were  mostly  pacifist 
tracts.  We  had  such  effusions  as  "Beyond  the 
Border,"  and  "Moloch,"  wherein  the  author 
assuming  that  no  evil-doing  could  justify  the 
least  act  of  violence  in  self-defense,  lambasted 
Mars  without  mercy. 

That  such  a  thesis  should  have  been  sustained 
by  playwrights  and  producers  was  in  itself 
pathetic  enough.  The  American  playgoing  pub- 
lic resented  the  insult  to  their  intelligence.  Most 
of  them  knew  perfectly  well  that  war  itself— 
so  far  from  being  intrinsically  evil — may  be  the 
holiest  of  human  activities,  and  that  only  the 
motive  behind  war  may  be  questioned  as  to  its 
righteousness. 

We  knew  that  German  war,  ruthlessly  fought 


for  self-aggrandizement,  was  the  most  hor- 
rendous thing  in  modern  history.  But  we  knew, 
too,  that  Belgian  war  and  French  war  and 
British  war,  waged  as  much  in  a  spirit  of  self- 
sacrifice  for  human  liberty  as  for  self-preserva- 
tion, was  only  the  supreme  expression  of  that 
love  than  which  no  man  hath  a  greater. 

But  America  was  "neutral."'  For  a  long,  weary 
time  we  were  "neutral."  And  there  were  man- 
agers in  those  days  who  were  stupid  enough  to 
think  that  the  public  would  be  pleased  to  see 
on  the  stage  Belgium,  because  she  dared  to  re- 
sist, by  implication  branded  with  the  same  mark 
of  Cain  that  sets  apart  the  Germans  from  the 
rest  of  mankind! 

That  was  the  first  step  in  the  theatre  toward 
the  reduction  of  the  war  to  piffle. 

And  the  second  was  like  unto  it. 

The  second  was  the  inevitable  war  melodrama. 

Obviously  it  was  no  new  form.  It  was  just 
the  same  old  melodrama  that  countless  Howards 
and  Gilkttes  had  written  about  the  Civil  War, 
and  that  innumerable  other  playwrights  had 
written  about  all  the  wars  that  have  ever  afflicted 
humanity. 


in  Revolutionary  days  there  was  a  big 
demand  for  war  plays.  Long  after  the  sur- 
render at  Yorktown,  the  victorious  Americans 
liked  to  see  in  mimic  action  on  the  stage  some  of 
the  vivid  scenes  of  the  real  battlefield.  One  of 
the  most  popular  of  the  early  American  plays — in 
fact  the  first  piece  in  this  country  to  have  a 
run,  was  Burk's  "Bunker  Hill,"  a  rank  melo- 
drama full  of  what  Dunlap  probably  correctly 
calls :  "smoke,  noise  and  nonsense,"  but  the  pre- 
sentment, crude  as  it  was,  pleased  the  patrons 
of  the  Boston  and  New  York  theatres,  and  for 
a  time  the  play  held  the  stage  against  all  comers. 

The  plot,  incidents  and  characters,  of  most  of 
our  war  plays  are  about  the  same.  It  is  neces- 
sary to  change  only  the  location,  the  uniforms, 
and  the  ordnance.  A  flash  or  two  of  wireless, 
the  whir  of  an  airplane  motor,  a  reference  to 
"Big  Berthas"  and  forty-two  centimeter  guns, 
and  your  "Shenandoah"  became  your  "Under 
Fire." 

To  call  them  war  melodramas  is  to  dignify 
them  unduly.  Invariably  they  were  nothing 
more  than  common  spy  plays.  The  war  was 
only  the  background.  And  you  could  safely 
wager  your  Panama  that  either  the  taciturn  but- 
ler or  the  buxom  vampire  was  acting  under  or- 
ders from  Wilhelmstrasse,  and  that  there  was  a 
secret  wireless  concealed  somewhere  in  every 
second  act. 

Eventually  the  war  melodrama  degenerated 
into  a  noise  contest,  with  each  manager  seeking 

[266] 


to  outdo  his  predecessors  in  gunfire,  dust,  smoke, 
and   falling  scenery. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  mention  the  titles.  We 
have  been  more  than  drenched  with  this  sort  of 
fatuous  puerility,  which  must  have  grieved  the 
great  god  Mars  far  more  poignantly  than  did  all 
the  yammerings  of  the  hen-headed  pacifists. 


\  NOTHER  favorite  way  of  reducing  war  to 
banal  nonsense  has  been  exhibited  in  what 
might  be  called  the  mush  plays.  In  most  of 
them  a  poiltt  or  a  Tommy  marched  away  to  bat- 
tle, leaving  behind  him  a  tear-spattered  bride  or 
bride-elect,  only  to  march  back  again  with  a 
chestful  of  medals  in  the  last  act. 

Isn't  stage  novelty  wonderful? 

It  even  extended  to  that  fresh  and  highly 
probable  situation  wherein  the  shero — separated 
usually  by  an  impossible  misunderstanding  from 
her  heroic  swain — became  a  Red  Cross  (or  a 
cross  red)  nurse  invariably  to  find  her  wounded 
lover  dying  in  the  same  hospital  to  which  she 
was  assigned. 

Naturally  it  took  only  a  touch  of  her  warm 
hand  to  snatch  him  back  from  the  jaws  of  death 
after  all  the  surgeons  had  failed.  We  came  up 
against  this  wonderful  situation  even  in  "Out 
There." 

There  wouldn't  be  so  much  to  object  to  in 
the  mush  type  of  war  drammer  if  more  of 
the  sentiments  expressed  therein  would  ring  true, 
and  if  each  opus  were  not  so  obviously  a  Hin- 
denburg  drive  against  the  tear-ducts  of  those 
easy  weepers  who  seem  to  confine  their  facial 
ablutions  to  the  playhouse. 

Somehow  or  other,  mush  and  sincerity  get  out 
of  step  with  each  other. 

When  it  comes  to  comedies  of  the  war — Lord, 
how  we  have  suffered !  Most  of  them  died  young 
— glory  be ! — but  a  few  of  them  were  mistaken 
by  a  misguided  public  for  actual  humor.  There 
was,  for  instance,  "Arms  and  the  Girl,"  which 
was  founded  on  the  intolerable  thesis  that  the 
Germans  in  Belgium  were  a  kind-hearted,  if 
brusk,  set  of  human  beings! 


\/t  ORE  recently  the  topic  under  discussion  is 
loyalty.  The  authors  are  worrying  con- 
siderably about  the  poor  hyphens  over  here  who 
have  to  reconcile  their  German  blood  with  their 
American  allegiance.  But  the  loyalty  play,  for  - 
the  most  part,  gives  us  a  purely  machine-made 
German-American  at  a  time  when  even  real  Ger- 
man-Americans have  lost  most  of  their  interest 
for  us. 

Barrie  is  credited  with  worth-while  war  play- 
lets in  the  case  of  "The  New  Word"  and  "The 


Photos   White 


Richard  Bennett  as  Peter  Marchmont 


TH  E  UNKNOWN 
PURPLE"  is  the 
story  of  a  wife  who 
wrongfully  sends  her 
husband  to  jail,  marries 
her  lover,  and  profits  by 
the  invention  of  her 
locked  up  mate.  When 
the  latter  is  discharged, 
like  the  Dantes  of  the 
historic  "Monte  Cris- 


to,"  he  sets  out  in  his 
career  of  diabolically 
conceived  revenge.  Pos- 
sessed of  the  power  that 
makes  him  invisible,  this 
"unknown  purple"  is  the 
medium  through  which 
a  series  of  scenes  is 
evolved  that  keeps  ten- 
sion to  the  highest  point 
till  the  final  curtain 


Jewel  Allison  Bonnie  V.    Cromfort 

Helen   MacKellar     Frank    McCormick  Marion  Kerby          Richard   Bennett 


THE   UNKNOWN  PURPLE"   A   GRIPPING  MYSTERY   PLAY 


Old  Lady  Shows  Her  Medals."  Yet  they  are 
merely  thumbnail  sketches  of  character  with  the 
war  as  a  background.  Their  sum  total  by  no 
means  equals  what  we  should  expect  of  the  au- 
thor of  "Peter  Pan"  with  the  world  conflict  for 
his  inspiration. 

One  of  the  most  laudable  efforts  of  recent 
days  at  real  war  drama  was  "Her  Country"  by 
Rudolph  Besier  and  Sybil  Spottiswoode.  It  was 
an  attempt  to  portray  the  actual  conflict  of  ideals 
and  opinions  which  underlies  the  g'eit  struggle. 
Teuton  barbarism  was  shown  at  de-ith  grips 


with  civilization;  kultur  was  matched  against 
culture. 

Here  surely  was  the  right  plan  of  attack  in 
dealing  dramatically  with  the  tremendous  prob- 
lem. But  the  playwrights  neglected  their 
technique,  and  their  labor  was  largely  in  vain. 

Commencing  with  a  shrewd  satire  upon  the 
trivialities  of  German  crudity,  they  switched 
abruptly  to  a  deadly  serious,  a  savage  but  realistic 
picture  of  Hun  brutishness  in  the  home.  Inevi- 
tably critic  and  spectator  were  baffled.  In  keep- 
ing with  the  earlier  portion  of  the  play,  the  lat- 


FAMOUS  FRENCH  ORCHESTRA 


ter  part  was  taken  for  merciless  exaggeration. 
Those  who  knew  realized  that  the  portrait  was 
just,  but  they  were  in  the  impotent  minority. 

And  so  runs  the  history  of  our  drama  thus 
far  during  the  Great  War. 

Perhaps  it  would  be  unnatural  for  such  a 
period  of  storm  and  stress  to  bring  forth  first- 
rate  art  in  any  form.  Nevertheless,  it  seems 
characteristic  of  the  theatre  in  our  day  that  un- 
der its  influence  such  vast  dramatic  material  as 
the  war  affords  should  be  for  the  most  part  mini- 
fied and  reduced  to  insignificance. 


AMERICA 


Celebrated  musical  organization  of  the  Paris 
Conservatoire    heard    at  the    Metropolitan 


BY    the    time    this    issue    of    the    THEATRE 
MAGAZINE  is  in   its   readers'   hands,  that 
fraternity  between  the  sister-republics  of 
France  and  the   United   States,— long-celebrated, 
its  foundation  cemented  by  the  patriots  of  both 
countries,  which  has  been  strengthened  every  day 
since  the  United  States  entered  the  present  war, 
— will  have  been  accorded  a  new  and  most  inter- 
esting proof.     For  by  that  time,  a  French  battle- 
ship will  have  entered  one  of  our  harbors,  bring- 
ing one  of  the  most  famous  of  French  musical 
bodies,    the    celebrated    orchestra    of    the    Paris 
Conservatory    (or    as    it    is    known    there,    "La 
Societe  des  Concerts  du  Conservatoire")   led  by 
a  man   of   international   renown,   the   subject   of 
this   article.     Sixty   of  our   largest   cities   are   to 
enjoy  the  delight  of  hearing  this,  an  association 
not  only  of  musicians  but  of  artists ;  and  so  en- 
thusiastic have  been  the  responses   and   guaran- 
tees  received   by  the   French-American  Associa- 
tion for  Musical  Art,  which,  at  the  request  of  the 
French  High  Commission,  has  taken  the  matter 
in  charge,  that  the  fifty  concerts  which  began  at 
the  Metropolitan  on  October  15th   will  probably 
be  added  to  by  a  score  of  additional  hearings. 
It  is  good  that  it  should  be  so.    The  love  and 
enthusiasm  for  all  things  French  which  is  sweep- 
ing our   entire  country  to-day,  can  most  profit- 
ably be  extended   to   French   music.     We   have, 
it  is  true,  shown  for  a  long  time  great  interest 
in    the    works    of    the    French     composers, — an 
interest  fostered  in  things  operatic  by  the  Metro- 
politan, Manhattan  and  Chicago  Operas,  in  things 
orchestral  by  our  symphonic  and  chamber  music 
societies,  and  recently  again  demonstrated  through 
Otto  Kahn's  agency,   in   the   delight   with   which 
the  critics  and   public  of   New   York  and   else- 
where received  the  performance  of  the  Societe 
des  Instruments  Anciens.     But  we  have  only  be- 
gun as  a  public,  to  delve  in  this  mine  of  beauty, 
and   no   better   opportunity   could   be   offered    us 
for  its  further  exploration  than  the  visit  of  an 
organization  which  is  also  a  French  institution ; 
a   tradition    in    its    history    of    exquisite    artistic 
achievement.     The   Orchestra  of   the   Conserva- 
toire is  unique;  as  an  organization,  in  origin,  in 
history,  in  training,  and  in  the  character  of  its 
work.     Its   personnel,   made   up   as   it   is   almost 
entirely  of  men  who  are  instructors  at  the  Con- 
servatoire, includes  many  players  who  arc  classed 
among  the   foremost   French   perforners   of   to- 
day of  their  several  instruments, — such  violinists 
as  Alfred  Brun,  such  a  bassoon  as  Letellicr,  such 
flautists  as  Gaubert,  and  such  a  piano  soloist,  it 
may  be  added,  as  Alfred  Cortot,— all   Conserva- 
tory "first  prize"  winners  of  their  time.    Many  of 
them  have   seen   service  in  the   present  war. 


Perhaps  an  especial  interest  attaches  both  to 
the  career  and  the  personality  of  the  conductor, 
Andre  Messager,  a  musician  of  an  unusual  ar- 
tistic type,  which  has  manifested  itself  in  the 
threefold  aspects  of  theatre  director,  orchestral 
conductor  and  composer  of  music.  He  is  not 


ANDRE   MESSAGER 
Distinguished  French  composer  and  con- 
ductor   of    the    Conservatoire    Orchestra 


young,  this  man  who  has  achieved  distinction  on 
three  stages, — M.  Messager  was  born  at  Mont- 
lugon  in  1853.  But  the  sixty-five  years  of  his 
life  have  held  incident  and  accomplishment 
enough  for  twice  that  time.  Personally,  he  is  all 
that  there  is  of  the  most  charming  and  elegant. 
Polish  and  delicacy  of  manner  are  his  in  all  the 
trying  situations  that  arise  in  a  career  concerned 
no  less  with  men  than  with  ideas,  and  no  less 
with  ideas  than  with  men.  It  was  said  of  him 
by  a  man  who  knew  his  Paris  and  his  Parisians 
well, —  "Message r  is  the  man  of  the  world  par 
excellence;  the  man  who  has  learned  to  adapt 
himself  to  any  and  every  contingency."  He  is 
much  more  than  that,  as  a  review  of  his  career 
will  show. 

Although  M.  Messager  studied  harmony  ana 
composition  with  Saint-Saens,  "the  grand  old 
man  of  French  music,"  his  original  training  in 
music-technique  was  given  him,  like  Gabriel 
Faure's,  at  the  Niedermeyer  school  of  classic 

[  268  ] 


and  religious  music.  Like  Gounod,  again,  he  be- 
gan his  career  as  organist  and  as  maitre  de 
chapelle;  but  his  subsequent  career  was  totally 
different  from  that  of  either.  It  has  been  for 
him,  while  receiving  less  marked  distinction  per- 
sonally perhaps  as  composer, —  although  success 
has  unqualifiedly  been  his, — to  play  a  part  which 
marks  him  uniquely  in  the  history  of  French 
music  as  a  man  who  grew  with  his  epoch ;  one 
who  used  his  position  as  dictator  of  operas  at 
the  Comique  and  Grand  Operas  respectively  and 
as  conductor  of  the  Conservatoire  Orchestra,  not 
only  to  follow  the  great  leaders  of  French  music- 
thought,  but  to  aid  these  leaders  to  develop  the 
French  operatic  and  concert  stages  in  a  manner 
worthy  of  the  traditions  of  Rameau  and  Gretry 
in  classic  elegance;  of  Halevy,  Gounod  and  Bizet 
in  romance  and  exoticism. 

As  musical  conductor  of  the  Opera  Comique, 
in  conjunction  with  Albert  Carre,  from  1898  to 
1903  Messager  gave  Paris  five  of  the  most 
brilliant  years  known  to  the  Comique's  clientele. 
His  first  production,  for  example,  was  d'Indy's 
"Fervaal,"  a  work  not  known,  unfortunately,  in 
the  United  States,  but  considered  by  many  judges 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  modern  French 
operas.  Next,  came  Charpentier's  "Louise,"  a 
daring  innovation  that  justified  its  daring;  then 
his  beautiful  and  notable  interpretation  of 
"Pelleas  et  Melisande."  To  illustrate  the  re- 
markable energy  of  the  man,  it  is  only  necessary 
to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  in  addition,  from 
1901  to  1907,  he  directed  during  the  grand  opera 
season  at  Covent  Garden,  and  that  these  were 
among  his  fruitful  years  in  the  composition  of 
his  own  works. 

The  year  1907  saw  M.  Messager  associated 
with  Brousseau,  as  chief  director  of  the  Paris 
Opera,  that  time-honored  institution  which  be- 
longs not  only  to  the  Paris  which  its  wonderful 
building  adorns,  but  to  the  whole  of  France  in 
a  musical  kinship.  On  the  death  of  Marty,  in 
1908,  he  had  been  appointed  conductor  of  the 
Conservatoire  Orchestra,  which  position  he  has 
retained  ever  since. 

If  Andre  Messager's  conducting  shows  him  a 
musician  of  rare  natural  gifts,  his  own  compo- 
sitions also  are  worthy  of  serious  notice.  These 
count  about  twenty,  ranging  from  ballet,  like  his 
"Deux  Pigeons,"  fairy  play,  such  as  "Isoline," 
though  the  field  of  opera  bouffe, — in  which  some 
of  his  best  successes  were  made  with  "La 
Bearnaise'1  (1885)  and  "Les  Petitcs  Michus," 
(1897)  to  that  of  the  lyric  opera.  His  "La 
Basoche"  (1890)  perhaps  marked  the  transition 
from  opera  bouffe  in  his  work ;  the  parting  of 
the  wavs. 


Theatre  Magatine,  November,  191! 


©  Mlshkin 


LOUISE  GROODY 

Whose       graceful       and 

agile   dancing    is   one   of 

the     brightest     spots     in 

"Fiddlers    Three" 


Carpenter 


KHYVA  ST.  ALBANS 

Playing  a  leading  role 

in  the  new  piece  at  the 

Criterion  entitled  "The 

Awakening" 


THEODORE 
KOSLOFF 

The  well-known  dancer 

who     is     appearing     in 

Ruth      Sawyer's      play 

"The   Awakening" 


Mary  Dale  Clarke  Beatrice  Maude  Gregory  Kelly 

The   hunchback,   Jonathan,   sings    "  'Twas   on    a   sum- 
mer's   day,"    the    song    they    both    know,    for    Susan 

STUART  WALKER'S  PRODUCTION  OF  "JONATHAN  MAKES  A  WISH"  RECENTLY  AT  THE  PRINCESS 


ARTISTIC         TOUCHES         IN        NEW        PLAYS 


THE  MOST  STRIKING  EPISODE  IN  MY  LIFE 

Well-known  stage  people  relate  what  they  consider  their  most  exciting  experiences 


BLANCHE  BATES 


A  TRIUMPH  OF  THE  THEATRE 
By  Blanche  Bates 

OF  all  the  real  and 
vital  experiences  in 
my  long  years  on  the  stage, 
the  realest  and  most  vital— 
in  a  purely  professional  way 
—happened  only  a  few  days 
ago.  I  was  asked  to  speak 
on  ''The  Work  of  Women 
in  War"  to  some  five  thou- 
sand women  workers  in  a 
munition  factory.  The  scope 
and  immensity  of  the  sub- 
ject frightened  me— the  fact 
that  I  was  to  stand  before 
real  women  war  workers 
didn't  add  to  my  courage- - 
and  that  there  were  five  thousand  of  them 
and  outdoors— appalled  me! 

And  yet,  after  the  first  seconds  of  terror  i 
facing  them  came  such  an  uplift,  such  a  soul 
inspiration,  as  could  only  be  borne  by  perfect 
understanding,  launched  by  absolute  knowledge 
of  the  immensity  of  their  part  in  this  Worlds 
War.  There  stood  representatives  by  blood  t 
of  Poland,  Austria,  Russia,  Italy  and  that  myriad 
of  mid-Europe  states  that  are  only  names  to  us 
—and  ail  of  them  in  their  upturned  eager  young 
faces  bearing  America's  message  of  help  to 
those  blood-soaked  peoples  over  there— the  calm 
determination,  unalterable  belief  in,  all  unswerv- 
ing loyalty,  to  the  Right  that  is  the  American 
Woman's  answer  to  the  toll  of  blood  and  sweat 
and  sacrilege  demanded  by  Germany's  challenge 
to  the  civilized  world. 

And  that  a  mere  Stage-Worker,  with  only  sheer 
belief,  guided  by  the  craft  of  her  trade,  could 
carry  any  message  to  that  group,  was  a  triumph 
for  the  Theatre,  second  to  none  that  I  know  of. 
That  the  Theatre  can  be  of  use  in  influencing 
one  of  the  tremendous  forces  of  the  day— that 
it  can  bear  a  directing  relation  to  Labor— be  of 
benefit  in  releasing  an  emotional  current  to  il- 
luminate any  phase  of  true  war  work— is  surely 
encouraging,  gratifying,  prideful,  to  us  workers 
— and  lovers  of — the  Theatre. 


A  TRUE  FISH  STORY 
By  Leon  Errol 


us,  but  he  kept  on  diving  in  the  water  and  climb- 
ing back  on  the  rock.  Finally,  I  shouted  "Good- 
bye, Jimmy,  we're  going  home." 

"All  right,  fellows,  I'm  coming,  this  is  my  last 
dive,"  said  Jimmy.  It  was.  He  had  hardly 
struck  the  water  when  a  srtark  got  him.  We 
never  saw  Jimmy  again. 

After  that,  we  boys  never  went  into  the  ocean, 
but  did  our  swimming  inside  the  walls  of  a 
ruined  calcium  plant  whose  foundation  was 
built  in  the  water.  There  were  several  small 
openings  that  let  in  the  water  in  which  we  did 
our  swimming.  On  one  occasion  I  dove  in,  and 
felt  something  grab  my  left  leg.  I  caught  hold 
of  the  wall,  and  screamed  at  the  top  of  my  voice. 
A  workman  who  had  been  using  an  axe  came  to 
help  me.  He  found  that  an  octopus  had  wound 
its  tentacles  around  my  leg,  and  that  I  was  being 
held  there  in  a  death  grip.  The  workman  cut 
the  tentacles  with  his  axe,  and  I  had  a  terrible 
time  tearing  them  away  from  my  leg.  They 
took  some  of  the  flesh  with  them.  I  still  have 
the  scars. 


AN  UNFORGETABLE  PREMIERE 
By   Hazel  Dawn 


A 


BOUT      twenty-six 
years   ago,   with  three 
or  four  boy   friends,  I  was 
swimming   in   Sydney   Har- 
bor, Australia.     The  water 
was    infested    with    sharks. 
We  boys  were  quite  accus- 
tomed  to   these   wolves   of 
^—  ^        __,        the  sea,  and  their  presence 
did  not  terrify  us.     On  this 
j»  x    y  occasion,  we  swam  out  to  a 

*  wJ  f      j        rock  about  a  hundred  yards 
F  J  distance    from    the     shore, 

laid  on  the  rock,  basked  in 

the     sunshine     and     swam 
LEON  C.RROL 

back      to      shore — all      but 

Jimmy  Carter,  who  remained  on  the  rock  alone. 
The  boys  were  going  home  to  dinner,  and  we 
shouted  to  Jimmy  to  swim  ashore  and  come  with 


A    SHATTERED    ILLUSION 
By  Alia  Nazimova 


T 


ALLA  NAZIMOVA 


'HAT  it  should  have 
become  comedy  to  me 
with  the  passing  of  years, 
a  veiled  nothing  at  the 
moment  of  tragedy  when 
it  occurred, — and  shattered 
forever  a  cherished  illu- 
sion. 

We  all  cherished  it — we 
young  girls  of  the  dramatic 
school  of  Moscow, — the 
illusion  that  a  great  actor 
must  play  his  part  with 
every  fibre  of  his  soul  and 
body  thrilled  by  inspiration. 
Ah,  yes,  to  be  a  rea 
one  must  actually  LIVE  one's  role  always! 

There  was  one  great  actor,  the  greatest  at  the 
Imperial  Theatre,  whom  we  decided  to  honor 
on  the  day  of  his  Jubilee.  Our  class  chose  four 
of  us  to  go  to  the  theatre  where  he  was  ap- 
pearing in  his  best  part  "King  Richard  III,"  and 
to  present  him  with  a  bouquet  from  his  admirers 
in  the  school.  There  was  a  speech,  too — praising 
him  for  upholding  the  traditions  of  the  stage, 
etc.,  etc.,  etc.,  and  I  was  to  be  spokesman. 

I  stood  in  the  wings  of  the  theatre,  awestruck 
by  the  solemnity  of  our  mission  and  by  the  tense 
interest  of  the  "big  scene."     I  realized  that  our 
hero   would   in   a   moment   stand   before   us,   ex- 
hausted by  the  demands  made  upon  him  by  his 
great   role,   but   perhaps   graciously   rising  above 
his   exhaustion   to   listen   to   my   humble   praise. 
Thrilled,  I  heard  his  tragic  despair : 
"I  think  there  ba  six  Richmonds  in  the  field : 
'Five  have  I  slain  to-day,  instead  of  him — 
"A  horse!  Ahorse!   My  Kingdom  for  a  horse!" 

and  then  he  strode  off-stage,  toward  us, 

panting  and  still  trembling  with  intense  emotion. 
He  stopped  abruptly,  looked  about  an  empty 
table  crowded  with  props  and  said  in  the  most 
casual  tone:  "Who  in  hell  took  my  cigar?  I 
left  it  right  here !" 

I  dropped  my  bouquet. 


M 


HAZEL  DAWN 


Y  appearance  in  "The 
Pink  Lady"  at  the 
new  Amsterdam  Theatre 
in  New  York  in  1911  was 
the  turning  point  of  my 
career  on  the  stage.  But 
the  incident  I  regard  as 
the  most  striking  of  my 
life  took  place  later  in 
London. 

After  a  most  successful 
run  in  this  country,  "The 
Pink  Lady"  was  taken  to 
London  in  1912.  On  the 
night  of  April  8th,  of  that 
year,  we  opened  at  the 
Globe  Theatre  on  Shaftsbury  Avenue. 

I  will  never  forget  the  pleasure  of  that  night. 
I  had  left  London  practically  unknown.  When 
I  returned  in  "The  Pink  Lady"  I  was  given  an 
ovation. 

After  the  performance  I  had  to  hire  a  moving 
van  to  take  my  flowers  from  the  theatre  to  the 
hotel.  And  what  pleased  me  the  most  was  that 
Lily  Elsie  and  other  English  girls  I  had  known 
in  more  obscure  days  were  among  those  who 
had  remembered  me  most  kindly. 


ELEPHANTS  AND  THRILLS 
By  DeWolf  Hopper 

THE  most  thrilling  mo- 
ment of  my  life  was 
not  the  day  I  saw  my  first 
World  Series.  Neither  was 
it  the  day  when  I  recited 
"Casey  at  the  Bat"  for  the 
first  time  on  any  stage,  nor 
yet  when  I  contracted  mat- 
rimony for  the  first,  second, 
third,  fourth,  or  last  time. 

It  remained  for  Jennie, 
the  five-ton  Hippodrome 
elephant  who  is  now  playing 
ingenue  roks  with  me  in 
"Everything,"  to  give  me 
the  real  thrill,  when  she  first 
towered  above  me,  sitting  on  the  little  red  tub 
on  which  she  maintains  a  precarious  balance. 

I  had  all  the  sensations  of  a  drowning  man 
going  down  for  the  last  time.  How  long  could 
the  giant  pachyderm  defy  all  the  laws  of  gravi- 
tation and  remain  seated  on  an  object  which 
looked  to  my  excited  eyes  about  the  size  of  a 
silver  dollar,  without  falling  and  smashing  me. 

Only  after  a  dreadful  moment  in  which  I 
vainly  tried  to  recall  the  greatest  sins  of  my 
life  did  I  realize  that  Jennie  was,  onto  her  job. 
Firmly  as  the  Rock  of  Gibraltar  she  remained 
poised  on  her  little  tub,  her  paws  gracefully  in 
air,  while  I  remained  silhouetted  against  her 
glowing  north  eastern  facade. 

In  an  excess  of  gratitude  I  reached  out  a 
shaking  hand  and  gave  Jennie  two  tremendous 
pats  on  her  exotic  tummy — and  now  the  darned 
old  elephant  won't  get  down  without  those  two 
pats.  If  I  forget  them  she  sits  like  a  graven 
image  on  her  tub  and  holds  up  the  show. 


DEWOLF    HOPPER 


;270] 


Theatre  Magazine,  November,  191! 


William  Courtenay  as  Baldasarre,  the  bandit  chief,  dis- 
guised as  the  new  Governor  of  Santo,  and  Sidonie  Espero 
as  Teresa,  whom  he  has  come  to  rescue  from  captivity 

Act  II  in  "The  Maid  of  the  Mountains" 
recently    at    the   Casino 


Jennie  (Alice  Brady)   and  Ted  (Conrad  Nagel),  the  youthful  lovers 
in     Owen    Davis'     play,    which     opened    the     new    Central     Theatre 


Photos   White 


Donald  Brian  and  some  of  the  girls  in  the  musical  hit 
"The   Girl   Behind    the  Gun"   at   the    New   Amsterdam 


MUSIC      AND       DRAMA       IN       PASSING       SHOWS 


NEW  YORK  WELCOMES  OPERA  IN  ENGLISH 


The  Society  of  American  Singers 
opens  successful  season  at  the  Park 


THE  Society  of  American 
Singers,  in  the  tirst  weeks 
of  this  season,  came,  saw 
and  conquered.  In  a  season 
distinguished  for  an  already 
great  strain  financially  on  the 
majority  of  persons,  audiences 
of  good  size  attended  perform- 
ances in  English,  most  of  them, 
and  given  by  Americans  or 
Americanized  singers.  Also, 
these  audiences  manifested  en- 
thusiasm, at  times  a  noisy  de- 
light, at  the  work  of  such  well- 
known  and  well-loved  artists  as 
Maggie  Teyte,  Henri  Scott, 
Riccardo  Martin,  David  Bis- 
pham,  Marguerite  Sylva;  such 
promising  and  clever  debu- 
tantes as  Blanche  Da  Costa, 
Ruth  Miller,  Bianca  Saroya,  and 
Craig  Campbell.  The  singing  of 
John  Hand,  the  new  tenor, 
evoked  perhaps  less  enthusiasm 
than  his  somewhat  glowingly 
worded  advance  notices  led  the 
hearers  to  expect. 

Maggie  Teyte's  delightful 
Mignon,  like  her  charming 
Antonio,  is  well  known  to  a 
public  which  took  her  to  its 
heart  some  years  ago.  "Mig- 
non," by  the  way,  was  chosen  as 
the  opening  opera  of  the  first 
week,  and  an  excellent  choice  it  was.  The 
proper  "opera  comique"  note  was  struck  and  sus- 
tained throughout  by  a  cast  in  the  main  ex- 
cellent. Miss  Teyte's  Mignon,  in  singing  ap- 
pearance, dramatic  skill  and  diction,  added  to 
the  admiration  which  has  always  been  hers  for 
her  interpretation  of  this  role.  Ruth  Miller's 
Filina  was  charmingly  sung  and  acted ;  Henri 
Scott,  as  Lothario,  scored  a  success,  and  Carl 
Formes'  Jarno  indicated  his  steady  advance  as 
an  artist. 

Perhaps  ''Carmen"  touched  the  high-water  mark 
in  the  excellence  of  the  Society's  performances; 
without  doubt  "The  Daughter  of  the  Regiment" 
reached  the  lowest.  In  the  former,  the  now  fa- 
mous Carmen  of  Marguerite  Sylva,  who  sang  the 
role  for  the  three  hundred  and  fiftieth  time,  was 
almost  disputed,  in  its  interest  for  the  audience, 
by  Riccardo  Martin's  Don  Jose.  The  efficient, 
yet  always  artistically  subtle  interpretations,  which 


QMishkin 

MAGGIE  TEYTE 
as  Mignon 


JOHN  HAND 

(Tenor) 

have  distinguished  Henri  Scott's  work  ever  since 
his  introduction  to  the  public,  marked  his 
Escamilla  and  received  tumultuous  applause. 
Minor  roles,  sung  by  Florence  Mulford,  Franklin 
Riker,  Walter  Green  and  Howard  White,  were 
capably  filled  in  the  "Carmen"  performances,  and 
the  Micaela  of  Ruth  Miller,  in  its  sweetness  and 
purity  of  tone,  no  less  than  in  the  attractiveness 
with  which  she  invested  her  role,  deserves  espe- 
cial attention.  Richard  Hageman's  conducting  of 
the  performance,  marked  with  spirit  as  it  was, 
yet  regarded  always  the  lovely  coloring  and  the 
subtlety  of  the  Bizet  score.  Miss  Sylva's  Carmen, 
before  referred  to,  is  always  one  of  the  finest  im- 
personations of  this  character  before  the  public. 


In  the  old  days  of  the  "star  sys- 
tem," it  would  have  carried  the 
performance  on  its  merits  alone. 
The  singers  departed  from  the 
rule  of  '  opera  in  the  vernacu- 
lar" so  far  as  to  give  this  work 
in  French. 

"The  Daughter  of  the  Regi- 
ment" suffered  rather  at  the 
hands  of  the  librettist  than  in 
those  of  the  interpreters,  but 
the  general  effect  of  the  per- 
formance was  in  some  ways  less 
pleasing  than  any  of  the  other 
offerings  of  the  company. 
Bringing  this  opera's  lines 
"up-to-date"  is  a  risky  proc- 
ess, one  attended  with  a 
certain  amount  of  difficulty  as 
regards  the  subsequent  interpre- 
tation, even  by  artists  not  ex- 
perienced in  the  roles;  even 
more,  usually  in  the  case  of 
those  long  experienced  in  the 
older  version.  Not  so  with 
David  Bispham.  That  war  horse 
among  baritones  and  operatic 
actors  quite  carried  the  house 
by  storm.  In  fact,  the  whole 
production  drew  stability  and 
success  from  his  presence,  with 
its  splendid  authority  of  song 
and  the  perfect  ease  of  his 
acting.  His  interpolation  ol 
''The  Marseillaise"  brought  down  the  house. 
Bianca  Saroya,  as  Maria,  somewhat  lacking  in  the 
visualization  of  the  role,  sang  with  good  control 
though  without  any  extraordinary  richness  of  tone. 
Craig  Campbell's  Tony  was  marked  by  more 
dramatic  activity  than  by  unusual  vocal  beauty; 
but  as  regards  both  his  and  Miss  Saroya's  inter- 
pretation, due  allowance  must  be  made  for  in- 
experience. Mr.  Hadley's  conducting  showed,  as 
always,  his  fine  musicianly  appreciation  and  an 
excellent  command  of  his  forces. 

Comparatively  few  general  criticisms  need  be 
made  of  the  Society's  work  this  year.  Such  de- 
fects as  marred  their  performances  were  more 
or  less  inseparable  from  easily-understood  con- 
ditions ;  a  few  cried  for  remedy.  Long  inter- 
missions, for  example,  were  marked  as  a  defect 
of  the  Society's  productions.  That  this  particu- 
lar defect  has  long  been  the  operagoer's  bug- 
bear, having  disfigured  performances  of  other 


Q.Wishkin 

MARGUERITE  SYLVA 
as  Carmen 


White 


THE  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICAN  SINGERS  IN  "MIGNON"  AS  PRESENTED  AT  THE  PARK 


Theatre  Magazine,  November,  191! 


THE     MINUET 


(Right) 

Kitty    Gladney    and 
Charles   Derickson 


(Below) 

Edythe  Whitney  as 
June   Elvidge 


(Below) 
Louise  Saunders  as  Drama 


THE  "revue"  has  become 
one  of  our  theatrical  insti- 
tutions, but  the  management  of 
the  Palais  Royal  has  succeeded 
in  putting  over  something  dif- 
ferent. The  attractiveness  of 
the  new  bill  at  this  popular 
"restaurant  theatre"  is  proven 
by  the  crowds  that  flock  to  see 
it.  "The  Spice  of  Life,"  in  ad- 
dition to  being  well  staged,  is 
smartly  costumed  and  exudes 
an  atmosphere  of  elegance, 
very  soothing  to  the  frayed  out 
nerves  of  the  tired  business 
man.  One  may  partake  either 
of  dinner  or  supper  served  in 
a  way  to  satisfy  the  most  ex- 
acting Lucullus,  without  being 
compelled  to  disgorge  in  one 
day  his  weekly  allowance 


Photos  ©  Underwood  &  Underwood 


"THE    SPICE    OF    LIFE"    ATTRACTS    CROWDS    TO    THE    PALAIS     ROYAL 


companies  of  greater  size  and  much  greater 
fame,  did  not  alter  the  effect  it  produced,  as  it 
invariably  does,  on  the  audience.  A  perfection 
of  ensemble  perhaps  could  not  be  looked  for 
under  the  circumstances;  the  artists,  many  of 
whom  were  also  inexperienced,  had  not  that  ease 
and  confidence  in  one  another's  support  which 
can  only  result  from  years  of  work  together  by 
the  same  artists  on  the  same  roles,  even  on  the 
same  stages.  But,  for  attention  to  details  of 
costuming  and  scenery ;  for  good,  or  at  the  least, 
conscientious  chorus  work;  for  an  earnest  de- 
sire on  the  part  of  the  principals  to  give" of  their 
best  to  an  audience  not  only  kindly  but  appre- 
ciative, the  performances  were  noteworthy. 

The  second  week  had  promised  the  "Tales  of 
Hoffman"  with  Maggie  Teyte  as  Antonia, 
Bianca  Saroya  as  Giulietta,  Ruth  Miller  as 
Olympia,  with  Riccardo  Martin  and  Henri  Scott 
respectively  assuming  the  roles  of  Hoffman  and 
Dr.  Miracle.  An  additionally  interesting  feature 
scheduled  was  Kathleen  Howard's  appearance  as 
the  violiniste  Nicklausse.  This  was  however 
postponed  to  Tuesday,  October  10. 

Following  the  example  of  the  Metropolitan 
Opera  Company,  a  series  of  Sunday  evening  con- 
certs has  been  scheduled,  to  be  directed  by 
Henry  Hadley.  The  first  of  these  took  place 
before  a  good-sized  audience  on  Sunday  evening, 
September  30,  at  the  Park  Theatre.  Florence 
Hinkle  Witherspoon,  soprano,  sang  the  "Depuis 
le  jour''  aria  from  "Louise"  exquisitely  and  with 
fine  effect  "In  the  Time  of  Roses,"  Spoff's 
"Yesterday  and  To-day"  and  Woodman's  "Lives 
in  My  Heart."  Max  Gegna,  'cellist,  played  sev- 
eral numbers;  Craig  Campbell  sang  "Che  Gelida 


Manina"  from  "La  Boheme";  and,  with  Ruth 
Miller,  Viola  Robertson  and  Carl  Formes,  the 
famous  quartet  from  "Rigoletto."  Besides  the 
Liszt  "Les  Preludes"  the  orchestra  played  ad- 
mirably two  of  Mr.  Hadley's  own  compositions, 
"The  Angclus,"  a  melodious  and  well-written  bit 
of  music  from  his  own  symphony ;  and  the  pre- 
lude to  "Asora." 

A  large  audience  heard  the  second  Sunday 
concert  on  October  6,  the  feature  of  which  was 
a  new  suite  of  Mr.  Hadley's,  "Silhouettes,"  given 
for  the  first  time.  While  the  Spanish  and 
Egyptian  movements  seemed  informed  with  an 
especial  charm,  the  work  as  a  whole  appealed 
greatly  to  the  audience. 

Mary  Kent  delighted  the  hearers  with  the  fa- 
mous contralto  aria  "Man  coeur  s'ouvre  a  ta 
voix"  from  Saint-Saens'  "Samson  et  Dalila" ; 
the  singer's  voice  possessing  an  especially  rich 
and  sympathetic  quality.  In  encore  she  sang 
"Robin  Adair."  David  Bispham  once  more 
demonstrated  the  reason  for  his  exceptional 
place  in  the  esteem  of  American  audiences,  by 
his  singing  of  the  prologue  from  "Pagliacci." 
His  addition  of  "America"  and  "La  Marseillaise" 
struck  the  patriotic  note  to  the  delight  and  en- 
thusiasm of  the  hearers.  Franklin  Riker  sang 
a  group  of  songs  effectively.  The  orchestra  under 
DP.  Hadley  held  to  the  high  standard  of  work 
which  has  distinguished  it  throughout. 

In  this  connection,  it  is  interesting  to  note  a 
recent  editorial  in  the  New  York  Globe,  com- 
mending the  course  of  the  Society  in  "putting 
into  execution,"  as  the  writer  remarks,  "its  idea 
of  providing  New  York  with  a  comic  opera  com- 
pany similar  to  the  Paris  Opera  Comique.  Such 


a  company  would  take  upon  itself  the  production 
of  the  lighter  and  more  intimate  operas,  and, 
when  once  established,  could  relieve  the  big 
Metropolitan  of  the  duty  of  handling  many  works 
which  are  really  ill-adapted  to  performance  in  a 
large  auditorium.  New  York  would  thus  pos- 
sess two  lyric  theatres  dividing  between  them 
according  to  suitability  the  operatic  repertory. 

"Toward  this  commendable  end  the  Society  of 
American  Singers  is  shaping  its  course  in  wise 
fashion.  Learning  from  the  mistake  of  the  New 
Theatre  venture,  the  Society  has  not  begun  by 
building  a  costly  theatre  and  setting  up  a  new 
rendezvous  of  fashion.  Its  first  solicitude  has 
been  to  gather  a  company  and  a  repertory. 
While  these  are  being  perfected  any  one  of  a 
score  of  theatres  will  do.  When  the  venture 
shall  have  established  itself  will  be  time  enough 
to  consider  a  home  for  the  organization. 

"Although  a  belief  seems  to  be  general  that  in 
the  case  of  a  comic  opera  theatre  in  this  coun- 
try the  performances  ought  to  be  in  the  English 
language,  the  directors  of  the  present  venture 
have  no  intention  of  sacrificing  success  to  a 
theory.  It  is  with  the  public  that  must  rest  the 
final  verdict  as  to  whether  all  performances  are 
to  be  given  in  English,  or  some  or  all  in  the 
original  tongues,  and  the  public  will  have  the 
opportunity  to  decide. 

"Altogether  the  Society  of  American  Singers 
is  going  about  its  task  along  the  lines  of  dis- 
cretion and  common  sense  that  are  likeliest  to 
lead  it  to  success.  It  is  almost  superfluous 
to  point  out  that  the  project  deserves  the  cordial 
and  active  support  of  the  music-loving  and 
theatre-going  public  of  New  York." 


,    HIS  LETTERS   HOME 

The  true  fee/ings  of  the  hero  and  the  "villain  as  revealed  in  their  correspondence 

By  FRANCES  L.  GARSIDE 


w 


HEN  he  was  playing  the  part  of  the 
villain  so  capably  the  audience  hissed 
at  his  every  appearance  on  the  stage.) 

DEAREST  MARY — I  am  sorry  not  to  send  you 
your  full  allowance  this  week,  but,  hang  it  all, 
I  just  couldn't  refuse  to  chip  in  to  help  Smith. 
After  he  broke  his  leg,  the  baby  died,  and  then 
his  wife  took  sick  and  is  in  a  hospital,  so  when 
the  subscription  paper  started  around  I  gave 
half  my  week's  wages.  I  am  going  without 
lunches  to  break  even,  but  that  won't  hurt  as  I 
was  getting  too  fat  to  be  a  good  villain.  What 
worries  me  is  that  the  limited  allowance  may 
pinch  you  and  the  babies.  Well,  thank  God, 
we've  got  them,  anyhow.  Poor  Smith  lost  his. 
With  kisses  all  around, 

JOHN. 
*        *•        * 

(When  he  was  the  matinee  idol.) 

DEAB  MARY — I  am  sending  you  a  lot  of  photo- 
graphs foolish  girls  have  sent  me.  Every  girl 
thinks  I  have  her  picture,  and  hers  alone— on  m> 
dresser.  I  thought  perhaps  you  could  paste  them 
into  a  funny  sort  of  scrapi-book  and  give  it  to 
Alice  on  her  birthday,  as  a  souvenir  of  her 
father's  amusing  experiences.  To  think  I  have 
a  daughter  of  seventeen !  I  can't  believe  it. 

Yesterday  the  manager  asked  me  to  make  a 
speech  between  acts.  "Tell  them,"  he  said,  "that 
you  have  never  married  because  you  love  all  of 
them  too  well  to  love  one  any  better  than  the 
others.  That  sort  of  dope,  you  know."  I  did  it, 


and,   by   George,   the   box   receipts   to-day   were 
doubled.     And   I'm  the  father  of  seven.     I   can 
just  see  you  smiling  as  you  read. 
Devotedly, 

JOHN. 

*  *        * 

(When  he  was  the  dauntless  hero,  killing 
seven  men  single-handed  in  the  second  act.) 

DEAR  MARY— Just  a  note.  Sorry  the  plumber 
is  asking  so  much,  but  suggest  that  you  pay  him 
in  full.  It  is  robbery,  but  it  costs  too  much  to 
go  to  law,  and  I  am  too  much  afraid  of  his 
fists  to  try  to  settle  when  I  get  home. 

Hurriedly, 

JOHN. 

*  *        * 

(When  his  love-making  was  causing  all  the 
women  in  the  audience  to  rapturously  sigh.) 

DEAR  MARY — I  am  too  tired  to-night  to  write. 
This  love  business  on  the  stage  sickens  me.  I 
said  to  her  to-night,  and  by  "her"  I  mean  that 
bleached  up  nut  they  have  made  leading  lady, 
"If  you  don't  stop  eating  garlic  I  won't  kiss  you 
again,  even  if  it  spoils  the  act.  You  smell  like 
Italy."  She  complained  to  the  manager,  but 
Hartly's  a  good  old  scout  and  he  has  ordered 
her  to  cut  the  garlic  out.  "It's  John's  love- 
making,"  he  says  he  told  her,  "that  makes  the 
act,  not  yours.  He  can  fold  a  dummy  from  a 
dry  goods  store  to  his  breast  in  a  way  that  fills 
the  house  with  skirts.  You  just  cut  all  smelK- 


food,  and  put  a  little  perfume  on  your  lips  occa- 
sionally. It's  a  tough  part  for  John,  and  it  is. 
up  to  you  to  make  it  as  easy  as  possible." 

Dear,  I  wish  I  had  you  and  the  kids  here  with 
me. 

Devotedly, 

JOHN. 

*        *        * 

(When  he  was  the  hard-hearted  father  whcr 
drove  his  daughter  from  home  for  marrying 
against  his  wishes.  This  is  a  night  letter.) 

MRS.  JOHN  MANNERS,  Detroit,  Mich. — Broken- 
hearted because  Alice  eloped,  but  don't  let  her 
know  it.  If  she  has  made  a  mistake,  we  have 
to  stand  by  her,  for  she  is  ours,  isn't  she?  Take 
both  of  them  home,  and  make  them  welcome. 

JOHN. 

»        *        * 

(At  the  end  cf  a  season  of  wrecking  homes.)' 

DEAREST  MARY — Season  ends  in  Frisco  next 
week,  and  I'll  take  the  first  train  home  after 
that.  I  have  been  so  home-sick  I  just  stand 
around  on  street  corners  and  watch  the  kiddies- 
with  their  mothers  and  fathers,  and  want  to- 
be  Her  like  a  school  boy  because  I  am  so  far 
away  from  all  who  belong  to  me.  Home !  Why, 
I  could  just  write  tons  of  poetry  about  it.  It's- 
wonderful  how  love  of  home  gets  under  a  man's- 
ribs. 

Kisses   for  all, 

JOHN. 


[274] 


Theatre  Magazine,  November,  1918 


Photos  White 


JULIA   HAY  AND   ROBERT   HUDSON 
IN      "SOMEONE      IN      THE      HOUSE" 


EVA     WILLIAMS,     ARTHUR     AYLESWORTH     AND 
LEILA  FROST  IN  "SHE  WALKED  IN  HER  SLEEP" 


Stanley  Harrison  Mary  Servoss  Leon  Gordon  Betram  Marburgh 

Act  III.    Captain  Bennett,.  V.  C.,  turns  the  tables  on  the  German  spies 

SCENE  IN  "WATCH  YOUR  NEIGHBOR"  AT  THE  BOOTH  THEATRE 


COMEDY,   FARCE   AND   SPIES   HOLD   THE   BOARDS 


IN  THE    SPOTLIGHT 


Matstne 


(Left) 

CONRAD  NAGEL 

V\7  HO  plays  Ted  in  "Forever  After" 

•  '      is  a  native  of  Iowa,  and   got  his 

experience     in     stock.       When     William 

Elliott    gave    up    his    role    of    Youth    in 

"Experience,"    it    \vas    Mr.    Xagel    who 

succeeded    him.      Later,    he    went    into 

pictures,    from    which    he    was    rescued 

by   W.    A.    Brady   who   engaged   him   to 

support  his  daughter 


(Right) 
EDGAR   STEHLI 

WHOSE  work  as  Hank  in  "Jonathan 
Makes  a  Wish"  attracted  much 
attention,  was  born  in  France.  Three 
years  ago  he  joined  the  Stuart  Walker 
organization.  In  one  summer  he  ran 
the  gamut  that  lies  betweeen  the  Ger- 
man inventor  in  "Alias  Jimmy  Valen- 
tine" and  the  gentle  old  Sam  Graham 
in  "The  Fortune  Hunter."  Ueioie  "»s 
association  with  Mr.  Walker  he  was 
one  of  "Arsene  Lupin"  and  "The  Coun- 
try Boy"  companies 


Mats 


White 


JANE    OAKER 


\\7  HO  plays  the  divorcee  with  sucb 
quaint  humor  in  "Lightnin',"  came 
from  society  to  the  stage.  She  was  a  St. 
Louis  girl,  granddaughter  of  the  tobacco 
magnate,  C  hristian  Peper.  Miss  Oaker 
made  her  debut  with  Louis  James  and 
Katherine  Kidder  in  Shakesperian  reper- 
toire. She  was  seen  in  serious  roles  in  "The 
Pit,"  "Love  Among  the  Lions,"  "The 
Silver  Girl,'*  and  "Everywoman."  It  was 
in  ''The  Dummy"  that  Miss  Oaker's  metier 
was  revealed  for  in  that  play  her  first 
comedy  role  was  granted  her.  She  says 
she  will  cleave  to  comedy  as  the  Bible 
advises  women  to  cleave  to  their  husbands 
and  for  the  recommended  term 


Sarony 


MARGARET    LAWRENCE 


T^TOT  a  new  face  on  Broadway,  but  one 
•*•  ^  that  has  been  eclipsed  for  nearly  seven 
years,  by  marriage.  Not  that  it  shone  less 
exquisitely  on  the  domestic  stage,  but  its 
lustre  was  for  an  audience  of  one.  Mar- 
garet Lawrence's  dramatic  star  rose  on 
Broadway  as  the  childlike  stage  br  ide  in 
Philip  Bartholomae's  farce  "Over  Night." 
It  set  when  she  became  the  real  bride  of 
Orson  D.  Munn,  Lieutenant  Commander 
in  the  United  States  Service.  Miss  Law- 
rence lends  her  youthful  cleverness  and 
loveliness  to  "Tea  for  Three"  because 
hubby  is  of  necessity  away  from  home. 
Furthermore  she  is  actuated  by  the  general 
American  spirit  "Everyone  do  something" 


Theatre  Magazine,  November, 


MR.HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY 


PLYMOUTH.  "REDEMPTION." 
Drama  in  eleven  scenes  by  Tolstoi. 
Produced  on  October  3  with  this 
cast: 


Anna  Pavlovna 

Elizaveta 

Sasha 

Fedor 

Sophia 

Victor 

Prince   Serghei 

Afremov 


Beatrice  Moreland 

Maude  Hanaford 

Margaret   Fareleigh 

John    Barrymore 

Zeffie  Tilbury 

Manart   Kippen 

Russ  Whytal 

John  Reynolds 


Ivan    Makarovich  Jacob   Kingsberry 

Nastasia  Ivanovna  Helen  Westley 

Masha  Mona   Hungerford 

Ivan  Hubert   Druce 

Petush'  ov  E.   J%    Ballantine 

Artemyev  Thomas  Mitchell 

Voznesenski  Ernest  Hopkinson 

Magistrate  Charles  Kennedy 

Secretary   to   the   Magistrate, 

Eugene   Lincoln 

Lawyer  William  J.  McClure 

Petrushkin  Arthur  Clare 

A  Maid  Ruza  Wenclaw 

A   Xurse  Gladys  Fairbanks 

Misha    (first  act)  Helen   Gaskill 

Misha   (second  act)  Lois  Eartlett 

I  ADMIT  I  like  unusual  plays,  not 
for  a  steady  diet,  but  the  exotic 
and  the  bizarre  appeal  to  me.  I  hope 
there  are  a  lot  of  my  way  of  think- 
ing for  Arthur  Hopkins  deserves 
well  of  the  public  for  his  temerity. 
The  man  who  produces  Tolstoi's 
"The  Living  Corpse,"  these  days, 
certainly  has  his  nerve  with  him.  I 
wish  success  to  the  production,  too, 
on  John  Barrymore's  account,  a 
young  actor,  who,  vivid  in  his  inter- 
est of  big  things,  plays  the  protag- 
onist of  this  particularly  morbid 
play,  now  called  "Redemption,"  in 
the  manner  of  a  true  artist. 

"Redemption"  is  the  story  of  an  ar- 
tistic sensual  weakling  told  in  a  series 
of  episodes  that  show  his  gradual 
decline,  ending  in  utter  degradation 
and  suicide.  Its  effect  on  his  wife 
and  friends  is  collaterally  revealed. 
It  is  graphic,  varied  and  hectic  and 
psychologically  introspective  in  its 
study  of  the  lack  of  will.  It  contains 
at  least  two  flashes  of  propaganda, 
the  futility  of  the  indissoluble  tie  of 
matrimony  as  imposed  by  the  ortho- 
dox church  and  the  oppression  of 
stupidly  constituted  authority.  It  is 
impressive  in  its  simplicity  and  ex- 
ploited by  suggestion  rather  than  by 
detailed  literary  analysis. 

As  a  production  "Redemption"  is 
quite  remarkable  in  its  atmospheric 
verity,  attained  too  by  the  simplest 
means  ingeniously  devised  by  Robert 
Edmond  Jones.  Throughout,  is  the 
absolute  suggestion  of  Russia,  height- 
ened by  the  continuous  accompani- 


ment of  Slavic  music.  The  company, 
too,  is  a  large  one  and  of  unusual  ex- 
cellence. 

Fedor  is  an  acting  part  of  the  first 
magnitude.  Some  of  its  phases  es- 
cape Barrymore,  but  in  three  scenes 
he  reveals  a  histrionic  grasp  thac 
shows  the  wonderful  and  impressive 
strides  that  he  has  made  in  his  pro- 
fession. His  drunken  scene  with  the 
gypsies,  his  recital  in  the  underground 
slums  of  his  mordant  philosophy  of 
•  love,  hate,  life  and  death,  and  his  out- 
burst of  latent  decency  prior  to  the 
suicide  he  shied  at  earlier,  betokened 
evidences  of  the  big  dramatic  man- 
ner. Mr.  Barrymore  is  distinctly  ar- 
riving. 

Russ  Whytal,  as  the  elderly  friend, 
and  Zeffie  Tilbury,  as  mother  of  the 
young  man  who  marries  Fedor's 
wife,  when  he  is  believed  to  be  dead, 
were  admirable  in  their  natural 
sweetness  and  dignity.  Hubert 
Druce,  as  a  drunken  egoist,  who 
styled  himself  a  genius,  brought  a 
refreshing  breath  of  comic  variety  to 
the  scene,  while  the  Tzigane  parents 
of  Fedor's  enslaving  influence,  were 
characteristically  presented  by  Jacob 
Kingsberry  and  Helen  Westley. 
There  was  real  charm  and  nobleness 
in  Manart  Kippen's  rendering  of  the 
devoted  lover,  while  two  bits  of 
realistic  Russian  character  were  con- 
tributed by  E.  J.  Ballantine  and 
Thomas  Mitchell.  As  the  distracted 
wife  Maude  Hanaford  was  engaging- 
ly pathetic.  Mona  Hungerford  was 
the  Tzigane  syren. 


EMPIRE.  "THE  SAVING  GRACE." 
Comedy  in  three  acts  by  C.  Haddon 
Chambers.  Produced  on  September 
30,  with  this  cast: 


Blinn    Corbett 
William   Hogg 
Ripley  Guildford 
Mrs.     Corbett 
Susan    Elaine 
Mrs.    Guildford 
Ada  Parsons 


Cyril    Maude 

William    Devereux 

Edward  Douglas 

Laura    Hope    Crews 

Cathleen    Nesbitt 

Charlotte   Granville 

Annie  Hughes 


BY  all  means  the  most  captivating 
light  comedy  that  New  York 
has  witnessed  in  several  seasons  is 
"The  Saving  Grace,"  which  Haddon 
Chambers  wrote  for  Cyril  Maude. 
It  is  furnished  with  a  set  of  char- 
acters who  are  both  credible  and 
interesting  and  whose  conversation 
is  constantly  amusing. 

Blinn  Corbett,  known  in  South 
Africa  by  civilians  as  "Fighting" 
Blinn,  by  soldiers  as  "Bloody"  Blinn. 
has  been  cashiered  for  eloping  with 


the  colonel's  lady  and  thus  rescuing 
her  from  a  brutal  husband.  And  so 
the  great  war  finds  Corbett  without 
a  command  and  penniless  because  his 
business  ventures  are  a  trifle  too 
imaginative. 

When  the  purposed  marriage  of  the 
wife's  niece  to  a  wealthy  neighbor's 
son  seems  impossible,  and  when 
Corbett  s  request  for  reinstatement 
in  the  army  has  been  turned  down, 
he  goes  off  to  London  with  his 
butler  to  enlist.  Meanwhile,  the 
wife  and  the  niece  practice  a  little 
diplomacy  which  restores  the  re- 
jected old  warrior  to  his  former 
rank.  And  the  saving  grace  of 
humor  in  him  wins  over  the  wealthy 
neighbor  so  that  the  young  folks 
may  wed. 

This  simple  tale  is  told  with  no 
extraordinary  brilliancy  of  dialogue, 
but  with  that  good  breeding  that  is 
so  rare  on  our  stage  and  with  un- 
failing spirit  and  good  humor.  The 
central  figure  is  deftly  characterized, 
a  full-length  portrait  of  a  decidedly 
human  person  whose  weaknesses 
merely  serve  to  make  him  the  more 
lovable.  The  role  affords  Mr. 
Maude  a  perfect  opportunity  to  dis- 
play his  gifts  for  subtle  and  polished 
character  acting. 

He  is  closely  seconded  by  Laura 
Hope  Crews  as  the  amiable 
Barriesque  wife,  overflowing  with 
material  tenderness  and  delightful 
feminine  unlogic.  As  the  niece, 
Cathleen  Nesbitt  shows  unguessed 
talent  as  a  comedienne,  and  Edward 
Douglas  is  a  delight  in  his  char- 
acterization of  the  cheerful  young 
idiot  who  falls  in  love  with  Susan 
Elaine. 


MAXINE  ELLIOTT'S.  "TEA  FOR 
THREE."  Play  in  three  acts  by  Roi 
Cooper  Megrue.  Produced  on  Sep- 
tember 10,  with  this  cast: 


The  Friend 
The  Wife 
The   Husband 
The  Maid 
The  Valet 


Arthur  Byron 

Margaret  Lawrence 

Frederick    Perry 

Kathryn  Keyes 

William  Postance 


IN  the  world  of  pure  comedy  one 
must  go  back  a  long  way  to  find  an 
equal  for  "Tea  for  Three,"  which  is 
a  big  hit  at  Maxine  Elliott's  Theatre. 
Roi  Cooper  Megrue,  the  author, 
acknowledges  that  a  play  by  Charles 
Slaboda  gave  him  inspiration  for  cer- 
tain episodes.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the 
result  is  one  of  cheerful  delight.  The 
play  is  a  mental  oasis  in  a  desert  of 
mediocrity. 


1277 


As  the  title  suggests,  it  is  simply  a 
variation  of  the  well-worked  triangle, 
but  the  treatment  is  so  fresh,  the 
handling  so  expert,  the  interest  so 
sustained,  the  dialogue  so  bright  and 
witty,  that  it  all  takes  on  the  spirit  of 
true  novelty.  There  is  only  one  flaw. 
It's  conclusion  is  obvious  ten  minutes 
before  the  final  curtain.  What  hap- 
pens in  that  interim  is  only  anti- 
climax, and  mars  an  almost  perfect 
piece  of  its  kind. 

The  acting  is  of  a  high  order  of 
excellence.  As  the  platonic  friend, 
cold  and  contained,  yet  warm  and 
pulsating,  the  master  of  himself,  of 
the  situation,  and  of  the  overlooked 
and  bored  wife's  admiration — The 
Friend — suggests  a  modified  Anatole. 
Arthur  Byron  acts  with  a  sure  and 
firm  touch,  a  fine  sense  of  comedy, 
and  an  authority  that  carries  convic- 
tion. 

The  husband,  not  bad  at  heart,  but 
narrow  in  his  view  of  life,  is  well 
sustained  by  Frederick  Perry.  In  this 
almost  tragic  episode  between  the  two 
men,  and  in  his  subsequent  scene  of 
mental  anguish,  he  plays  with  unde- 
niable conviction. 

The  wife  is  a  perfectly  charming 
creation  at  the  hands  of  Margaret 
Lawrence.  It  is  so  absolutely  true 
and  natural,  so  spontaneous  and  gen- 
uine, that  it  gives  no  impression  of 
acting.  She  is  the  real  thing. 


COMEDY.  "AN  IDEAL  HUSBAND." 
Comedy  in  four  acts,  by  Oscar  Wilde. 
Produced  on  September  16,  with  this 
cast: 


Lady  Chiltern 
Mrs.  Marchmont 
Lady  Basildon 
Viscomte  de  Nanjac 
The   Earl    of   Cavers 

Mabel   Chiltern 
Lady  Markbey 
Mrs.  Cheveley 
Mr.   Montford 
Count  Strelic 
Sir  Robert  Chiltern 
Lord   Goring 
Phipps 
Mason 


Beatrice  Beckley 

Elizabeth  Deimel 

Merle  Maddern 

George  Hayes 

ham. 

Cyril   Harcourt 

Gretchen  Yates 

Alice  Gordon 

Constance  Collier 

S.  V.   Phillips 

Vincent  Sartori 

Norman  Trevor 

Julian    L'Estrange 

Henry   Crocker 

Alfred  Helton 


TN  the  makeup  of  a  play  I  confess 
•*•  that  form  and  dignity  of  expression 
appeal  to  me.  That  is  why  I  put  my- 
self on  record  as  highly  recommend- 
ing the  revival  of  "An  Ideal  Hus- 
band." 

Although  revised  since  its  original 
composition,  some  twenty-five  years 
ago,  it  proves  that  dramatic  crafts- 
manship has  improved  since  then. 
But  it  is  an  excellent  play,  accord- 
ing to  the  lights  of  its  time,  and  still 
is,  for  it  tells  a  good,  human  story 
of  man's  weakness,  detailed  by  dia- 
logue of  a  literary  quality  and  punc- 
tuated with  that  scintillant  wit  of 
which  its  author  was  a  past  master. 


The  story  concerns  a  certain  Lord 
Chiltern,  rich  and  powerful.  His  ini- 
tial start  was  due  to  the  fact  that  he 
sold  a  state  secret.  How  this  secret 
rises  up  at  the  hands  of  a  polished 
adventuress  to  threaten  his  political 
supremacy  and  his  wife's  love,  is  the 
basis  of  the  plot,  worked  out  with  a 
full  appreciation  of  dramatic  effects. 

The  women,  to  my  mind,  bear  off 
the  honors.  The  adventuress,  as  acted 
by  Constance  Collier,  is  boldly  con- 
ceived, and  carried  out  with  dashing 
execution,  while  the  trusting  wife, 
albeit  just  a  trifle  priggish,  is  ex- 
pressed with  a  refined  feminine  skill 
that  denotes  the  high-bred  woman 
and  the  idealistic  wife.  As  Lord 
Goring,  the  worthy  trifler  and  raison- 
neur,  Julian  L'Estrange  gives  an  im- 
personation fraught  with  social  ele- 
gance and  a  sense  of  imperturbable 
humor  and  common  sense,  quite  irre- 
sistible. 

I  thought  Norman  Trevor's  ren- 
dering of  Lord  Chiltern  somewhat 
hard  and  monotonous.  The  gossipy, 
anecdotal  and  detached  Lady  Markbey 
was  capitally  presented  by  Alice  Au- 
garde  Butler.  My  masculine  mind 
grasped  the  fact  that  Miss  Collier's 
last  costume  was  something  exquisite- 
ly beautiful,  while  I  wish  to  pay  a 
tribute  to  the  man  who  redecorated 
the  Comedy  Theatre.  The  true  artis- 
tic sense  is  his. 


LYRIC.  "THE  UNKNOWN  PURPLE." 
Play  in  a  prologue  and  three  acts  by 
Roland  West  and  Carlyle  Moore. 
Produced  on  September  14,  with  this 
cast: 

Jewel  Helen  MacKellar 

Bonnie  Marion  Kerby 

Peter   Marchmont  Richard   Bennett 

James  Dawson  Earl  Brown 

Phelan  E.    L.   Duane 

Bobby  Dawson  Arthur  LeVien 

Ruth  Charleton  Lorraine  Frost 

Richard  Bradbury  Edward  Van  Sloan 

George  Allison  Frank  McCormick 

Johnson'  Herbert  Ashton 

The  Stranger  V.   Cromport 

Burton  Curtis  Benton 

f"  TRY  to  be  discreet  in  my  use  of 
•*•  adjectives,  and  employ  only  words 
which  really  convey  the  impression  I 
want  to  express.  Therefore,  when  I 
say  "The  Unknown  Purple"  is  a 
thriller  that  thrills,  I  mean  just  that. 
It  is  a  "corker"  in  its  particular  line, 
a  gripping,  moving  melodrama,  with 
a  picturesque  touch  of  the  supernat- 
ural. Roland  West  wrote  the  origi- 
nal story,  and  Carlyle  Moore  helped 
him  lick  it  into  the  acting  version  that 
will  undoubtedly  hold  the  stage  at  the 
Lyric  for  many  a  month  to  come. 

An  outline  of  the  story  is  given 
elsewhere  in  this  issue,  and  it  would 
be  manifestly  unfair  to  tell  anything 
more.  Go  to  the  Lyric  and  see  for 


yourself  how  ingenious  the  authors 
have  been  in  the  gripping,  exciting 
exploitation  they  have  made  of  their 
original  premises.  It  is  splendidly  acted 
throughout,  and  the  electrical  effects 
are  managed  with  a  skill  that  con- 
vincingly enhances  the  illusion. 

Richard  Bennett  is  the  sweet,  ami- 
able, gullible  inventor  of  the  pro- 
logue and  the  suave,  polished,  implac- 
able nemesis  of  the  later  scenes.  In 
either  phase  he  is  finely  successful. 
An  impressive  bit  of  emotional  work 
is  contributed  by  Earle  Brown,  as  the 
lover.  The  ex-convict  butler  is  im- 
pressively personated  by  Herbert 
Ashton ;  Bradbury,  an  imposed  on 
friend  with  nice  feeling,  by  Edward 
Van  Sloan,  while  the  "society"  detec- 
tive becomes  a  real  figure  in  the  hands 
of  Frank  McCormick.  Helen  Mc- 
Kellar,  as  the  selfish,  faithless  wife, 
and  Lorraine  Frost,  as  her  antithetical 
sister,  are  eminently  satisfying. 


SELWYN.  "INFORMATION, 
PLEASE!"  Comedy  in  three  acts  by 
Jane  Cowl  and  Jane  Murfin.  Pro- 
duced on  October  2  with  this  cast: 

Morrow  Helen    Salinger 

Sir   John    Desmond  Orme   Caldara 

Lady    Betty   Desmond  Jane    Cowl 

Ivy    Druce  Viola  Compton 

Simpson  Hetty  Graham 

Edith   Bacon  Blanche  Yurka 
Sir   George                   Henry    Stephenson 

Gerald  Forrester  Robert   Rendel 

Smithers  Clifford  Brook 

Meggs  Harry  Hanlon 
Ralph  Morse                    Malcolm  Duncan 

Bell   Boy  Jack   McKee 

Tom   Morgan  Alan   Brooks 

Frederick  Coningsby  Cecil  Owen 

Pierre  Jules   Epailly 

LONG  since  assured  of  her  abil- 
ity to  move  audiences  to  tears, 
Jane  Cowl,  at  the  new  Selwyn,  is 
now  out  to  prove  that  she  is  equally 
proficient  in  the  art  of  comedy. 

Her  new  medium,  of  which  she 
herself  and  Jane  Murfin  are  the  au- 
thors, is  frankly  farcical  and  deals 
with  "high  society,"  for  she  of  the 
lustrous  orbs  plays  the  petulant, 
whimsical  but  truly  feminine  wife  of 
a  titled  Irish  M.  P.,  so  engaged  in 
his  political  duties  that  he  neglects 
his  better  half. 

To  cure  him,  she  engages  in  a  des- 
perate flirtation  and  after  a  quarrel 
with  him,  elopes.  Compromising  as  it 
all  is,  she,  nevertheless,  after  consid- 
erable farcical  intrigue,  clears  her 
skirts  and  all  ends  happily. 

Always  suggesting  "Divorgons," 
"Frangillon,"  "The  Case  of  Rebellious 
Susan"  and  "The  Benefit  of  the 
Doubt,"  it  is  of  its  kind  alone  in  the 
very  marked  spirit  of  its  American 
treatment.  It  is  often  amusing  and 
has  bright  lines;  its  general  render- 
ing, however,  hardly  suggests  the 
milieu  intended. 


[278; 


Theatre  Magazine,  November,  191! 


Miss  Cowl  is  American  to  the 
core,  but  she  plays  Lady  Betty  with 
sure  and  sound  comedy  effects.  As 
a  middle-aged  polite  rounder,  Henry 
Stephenson  acts  with  distinction  and 
fine  humor.  The  new  theatre  is  one 
of  unusual  beauty  and  splendidly  ap- 
pointed as  to  physical  comfort  and 
convenience. 

CRITERION.  "THE  AWAKEN- 
ING." Drama  in  three  acts  and  an 
epilogue  by  Ruth  Sawyer.  Produced 
on  October  1  with  this  cast : 


Prince  Alexis 

Mikail 

Ivan 

Rupert  Leighton 

Roger  Penfield 

Lucien  Thibault 

Chas.   Saurel 

Louis  Le  Cleve 

Maurice  De  Brissac 

Zametoff 

General  Petain 

Pierre 

Sergei 

Flora  Tamar 

Fitzgerald 

Princess  Maria 

Mrs.    Lewiston 

Sybil  Lewiston 

Louise  Saurel 

Vigee   Delvair 

Clarice 


Wilton  Lackaye 

Theodore   Kosloff 

Henry  B.   Walthall 

Leonard  Willie 

Oscar  G.   Briggs 

Howard  Boulden 

Edwin  Beryl 

Harry  Sothern 

Bennett  Kilpack 

Luray    Butler 

G.  R.  Post 

Chas.   Eaton 

Harry  Sothern 

Khyva  St.  Albans 

Frederick  Walter 

Gilda  Varesi 

Laura    Burt 

Shirley  Carter 

Agnes  Ruge 

Betty   Prescott 

Mary   L.   Wilson 


THE  only  way  I  can  explain 
"The  Awakening"  is  to  assume 
that  Khyva  St.  Albans  and  Theodore 
Kosloff  wanted  a  play  written  around 
their  well-known  Russian  dancing 
abilities,  and  they  decided  that  Ruth 
Sawyer  might  as  well  do  it.  At  all 
events,  the  net  total  of  the  transac- 
tion is  the  most  lugubrious  chapter  in 
the  history  of  metropolitan  drama 
since  "Mother's  Liberty  Bond." 

It  isn't  necessary  to  relate  the 
nebulous  plot.  Incidentally  the  piece 
seemed  to  possess  all  the  elements  of 
an  up-to-date  popular  success,  viz., 
kiddies,  spies,  and  amnesia. 

Wilton  Lackaye  made  a  forbidding 
Russian  prince.  H.  B.  Walthall  did 
most  of  the  real  acting  as  a  Siberian 
exile.  Mr.  Kosloff  and  Miss  St. 
Albans  are  excellent  dancers. 


HARRIS.  "SOME  NIGHT."  Music- 
al comedy  in  three  acts  by  Harry 
Delf.  Produced  on  September  16 
with  this  cast: 


John  Hardy 

Robert 

Mrs.    Hardy 

Marjorie 

Daisy 

Bobby 

Joe 

Dorothy  Wayne 

Madden 

Joe  Scanlon 

Henry  Spiffens 


Forrest  Winant 

Charles    Welsh-Homer 

Camilla    Crume 

Grace  Edmond 

Anna    Fredricks 

Harry  Lambert 

Louis  Simon 

Roma  June 

Thomas   H.   Walsh 

James  C.    Marlowe 

Charles  W.   Meyers 


CjOME  NIGHT"  must  be  classed 
^-*  among  the  early  season  plays 
that  missed  fire.  Described  as  a 


comedy  with  music,  it  was  a  nonde- 
script production  of  the  usual  hack- 
neyed type.  The  plot  was  fairly  in- 
teresting but  there  was  much  forced 
hilarity  in  the  humorous  situations. 
The  only  novelty  was  the  chorus,  the 
individual  members  of  which  did  in- 
dividual stunts  on  their  own  initia- 
tive. The  music,  while  not  original, 
contained  some  catchy  numbers. 


KNICKERBOCKER.  "SOMEONE  w 
THE  HOUSE."  Melodramatic  comedy 
in  four  acts,  by  Larry  Evans,  Walter 
Percival  and  George  S.  Kaufman. 
Produced  on  September  9,  with  this 
cast: 


McVeigh 

Snowie 

The  Deacon 

English 

Jimmy    Burke 

Halloran 

Peter   Spencer 

Freddie  Vanderpool 

Tom   Hargraves 

Gerald  Fenshaw 

Molly  Brant 

Mrs.  Glendenning 

J.  Percyval  Glendenni 

Higgins 

Roberta  Rollings 

Malone 

Anderson 

Coffery 

O'Brien 

Olson 


Joseph  Woodburn 
Edwin   Redding 
Wm.  B.  Mack 
Dudley  Digges 
Robert  Hudson 
Sidney  Toler 
Robert  Barrat 
Rex  McDougal 
John   Blair 
James  Dyrenforth 
Julia  Hay 
Lynn  Fontanne 
ng    Hassard  Short 
Basil  West 
Mona  Kingsley 
John  Sparl  3 
James   Henderson 
George  Andrews 
Henry  Lawlor 
Thomas  Larsen 


ONCE  it  was  written,  Omniagallia 
est  divisa  in  tres  partes.  Now  it  is 
the  local  drama  that  is  divided  into 
three  different  kinds — mystery  come- 
dies, spy  plays,  and  pieces  in  which 
the  protagonist  is  a  boy. 

Of  the  first  genre  an  excellent  ex- 
ample is  on  view  at  the  Knicker- 
bocker, "Someone  in  the  House." 
Three  authors  were  concerned  in  its 
composition.  It  is  a  crook  play,  and 
the  element  of  suspense  is  so  ingen- 
iously contrived  that  the  final  cur- 
tain is  needed  to  solve  the  real  status 
of  Jimmy  Burke,  a  thief,  whose  so- 
cial graces  give  him  entree  to  the  best 
circles.  The  plot  revolves  about  the 
theft  of  a  fabulously  valuable  dia- 
mond necklace,  brought  to  a  head  by 
an  amateur  theatrical  production. 

The  satire  of  this  feature  is  bright 
and  amusing,  something  on  the  lines 
of  "The  Pantomime  Rehearsal."  The 
vacuous  importance  of  the  author  and 
the  complacent  adulation  of  his  ador- 
ing wife  make  for  some  excellent  far- 
cical scenes,  acted  with  rare  comic 
adroitness  by  Hassard  Short  and 
Lynn  Fontanne. 

The  crook  is  played  by  Robert 
Hudson,  a  young  actor,  thrust  into 
almost  stellar  importance  by  the  ex- 
igencies of  the  dramatic  profession. 
He  plays  it  nicely.  One  with  more 
presence  could  have  made  it  more 
fascinating;  convincing.  His  valet, 


however,  was  acted  with  fine  nervous 
intensity  by  Dudley  Digges,  and  the 
Deacon,  a  pawnbroker  fence,  fell  to 
the  capable  hands  of  W.  B.  Mack. 
Sidney  Toler,  as  a  Police  Inspector, 
and  his  associate,  McVeigh,  by  Jo- 
stph  Woodburn,  had  quite  the  gen- 
uine flavor  of  Mulberry  Street. 

The  cast   throughout   was  entirely 
competent,  and  the  settings  elaborate. 


BELMONT.  "CROPS  AND  CROP- 
PERS." Comedy  in  three  acts  by 
Theresa  Helburn.  Produced  on  Sep- 
tember 12  with  this  cast: 


Annie 

Janie  Wimpole 

Margot  Marbrook 

Peter  Weston 

Allison   Marbrook 

Ray  Parcher 

Stetson 

Jean 

Mrs.  Bradley 

Dr.    Truesdale 

Stephen  Marbrook 

Mrs.   Spencer 

Mrs.  Pray 

Pete  Cobb 


Irene  Daly 

Eleanor  Fox 

Louise  Cook 

Ben  Johnson 

Eileen  Huban 

Thomas  Mitchell 

J.  M.  Troughton 

Georges  Plateau 

Madeline  Valentine 

Vernon    Kelso 

Henry  Stanford 

Helen  Westley 

Maud  Sinclair 

Charles  Kennedy 


THIS  comedy,  now  off  the 
boards,  was  a  satire  on  the  en- 
thusiastic but  impractical  farmerette, 
the  young  woman  who  would  help 
win  the  war — at  least  by  her  good 
intentions.  Romance  was  supplied  by 
the  employment  of  a  French  soldier 
on  leave,  suffering  from  shock,  who 
becomes  the  man  of  all  work  on  the 
little  farm. 

Although  the  play  failed  to  please 
Broadway,  Mrs.  Helburn  shows  her- 
self a  writer  who  is  to  be  reckoned 
on.  The  story  was  told  with  genuine 
wit  and  with  a  very  nice  appreciation 
of  what  really  goes  to  make  up  life. 
If  this  is  her  first  attempt,  to  my 
mind  it  is  an  admirable  one. 

Miss  Eileen  Huban  was  not  at  her 
best  as  the  venturesome  farmerette. 
Comedy  is  not  her  forte.  Louise 
Cook,  as  her  sister,  gave  an  admir- 
able interpretation  in  both  spirit  and 
effect,  while  Georges  Flateau  brought 
a  real  Gallic  charm  to  the  part  of 
the  farmer  poilu. 


39TH  STREET.  "ANOTHER  MAN'S 
SHOES."  Comedy  in  three  acts  by 
Laura  Hinkley  and  Mabel  Ferris, 
based  upon  a  story  by  Miss  Hinkley. 
Produced  on  September  12  with  this 
cast: 


Dick 

Miss   Podmore 

Mrs.  Wolfe 

Anne 

Hughes 

Dora 

Dr.  Worrall 

Slade 

Mr.  Wolfe 

Dawson 

Miles 

Mrs.   Milson 


Lionel   Atwill 

Ethel  Wilson 

Lucia  Moore 

Carol  Lloyd 

Paul    Porter 

Elsie  Mackay 

George  Backus 

Richard  Taber 

Aubrey  Beattie 

Erville  Alderson 

Cyril    Raymond 

Gilda  Leary 


[279] 


ANOTHER  MAN'S  SHOES"  is 
another  play  that  had  a  brief 
and  inglorious  career  on  Broadway. 
A  crack  on  the  head  changed  Rich- 
ard Trent,  a  Nebraska  newspaper- 
man, to  Richard  Craven,  who, 
though  he  had  lost  his  memory, 
reared  a  fortune  and  a  home  in  New 
York  City.  Then  a  railroad  wreck 
gave  Richard  another  crack  on  the 
head,  and  he  reverted  to  Trent  with 
no  recollections  of  Craven.  Convales- 
cing in  his  Craven  home,  he  insisted 
on  his  Trentian  identity  to  no  avail. 
The  doctor  merely  looked  solemn, 
and  said  the  poor  chap  would  be  all 
right  eventually. 

Meanwhile,  Trent,  having  Craven's 
beautiful  young  wife  on  his  hands, 
fell  desperately  in  love  with  her,  but 
resolved  with  a  breaking  heart  to  do 
the  right  thing  by  Craven.  It  ap- 
peared to  the  self-denounced  im- 
postor that  the  rightful  husband  had 
fled  with  stolen  money,  perhaps  to 
another  woman;  and  so  for  the 
wife's  sake  the  unwilling  intruder 
had  to  stay  on  in  the  household  for 
upwards  of  a  year. 

Finally  an  old  sweetheart  of 
Trent's  turned  up— herself  married 
for  these  twelve  long  years — and 
helped  to  demonstrate  that  Trent  and 
Craven  were  one  and  the  same. 

It  was  all  fairly  interesting,  but  it 
ran  the  gamut  from  farce  to  near- 
tragedy,  and  was  further  baffling  be- 
cause of  the  ineptitude  of  much  of 
the  dialogue. 


BIJOU.  "ONE  OF  Us."  Comedy  in 
three  acts  by  Jack  Lait,  in  collabora- 
tion with  Joseph  Swerling.  Produced 
on  September  9  with  this  cast: 


David  Strong,  Jr. 
Elsie  Strong 
Cyril    Roswell 
Tony   Watson 
Harry  Miller 
Marie  Foley 
"Frisco"  Molly 
"Jazz  Joe"  Falk 
Joan  Grey 
"Parson"  Smith 
"Coast-to-Coast 


Arthur  Ashley 
Helene  Montrose 
Murray    Stevens 
Millard   Vincent 
Frank  Livingston 
Ruth   Donnelly 
Isabella  Jason 
Harry  Hart 
Bertha  Mann 
Harry  C.  Bradley 
Taylor, 

Charles  Gotthold 
Wm.   Balfour 
Stanley  Jessup 
Frank  Raymond 


Mullen 

Egan 

Barry 

Mrs.  David  Strong, 

Mrs.   Edmund   Gurney 
A  Butler  Williston  Haggard 


THIS  piece  had  an  old  idea  with 
more  of  the  new  in  it,  in  treat- 
ment, than  of  the  old.  Efficiency  it 
had,  but  it  lacked  sufficiency.  A 
young  man  of  means  and  social  posi- 
tion, announces  his  intention  to 
marry  a  girl  of  a  cabaret  and  to  re- 
form her.  He  has  observed  her  and 
been  attracted  to  her,  without  being 
acquainted  with  her.  It  was  not 
wholly  clear  whether  he  wanted  to 
reform  her  from  actualities  or  rescue 
her  from  possibilities.  The  cabaret 


scene  in  the  opening  gave  the  atmos- 
phere with  two  specialties  that  were 
spiritedly  unique.  The  types  and 
characterizations  were  to  the  life  as 
well  as  of  the  theatre.  Arthur  Ashley, 
the  young  marrying  reformer,  adopts 
Petruchio's  methods  with  Katherine 
It  was  good  foolery.  The  girl  is 
tamed,  but  does  not  know  why  and 
how  until  the  end,  when  she  discov- 
ers that  her  husband  is  altogether 
somebody  else,  in  name  as  well.  An 
odd  character  is  "Parson"  Smith, 
played  by  Henry  C.  Bradley,  a  waiter 
by  profession,  at  the  cabaret,  and  a 
prea'cher  by  vocation,  with  a  bottle  in 
one  hand  and  the  Bible  in  the  other. 
The  "reformed"  wife  was  played  by 
Bertha  Mann,  who  made  all  the 
points. 


FULTON.  "OVER  HERE."  Play  in 
four  acts  by  Oliver  D.  Bailey.  Pro- 
duced on  September  10  with  this 
cast: 

Keever  George  Schaefer 

Haines  Elmer   Grandin 

Daggart  Harry   Sherwood 

Kennth  Merrill,  Jr.  Ralph  KeJJard 

Adolph  Von   Hellar     William  Ingersoll 
Johann   Berg  Fred   W.    Peters 

Kenneth   Merrill,   Sr.      Harry  Leighton 
Beth    Grayling  Lily    Cahill 

"Cupid"    Little  Earle   Mitchell 

Mrs.   Kenneth   Merrill,   Sr., 

Evelyn  Carter  Carrington 
Karl   Von   Hellar  Leo  Lindhard 

An  Officer  of  the  U.  S.  Navy, 

Frank  E.   McDermott 

TN  the  long  list  of  this  season's 
•*•  many  failures  must  also  be  in- 
cluded this  piece  seen  for  a  short  time 
at  the  Fulton.  The  idea  of  the  play 
is  a  good  one  and  tolerably  new.  It 
has  become  necessary  to  show  certain 
young  persons  who  have  been 
inoculated  with  pacifism  what  the 
consequences  of  the  triumph  of  Ger- 
man frightfulness  would  mean  to 
themselves.  There  is  a  plot  within 
a  plot  and  we  see  how  the  lesson  is 
brought  home.  During  our  short 
period  of  ignorance  that  it  is  all  make 
believe  for  a  good  purpose  those  of  us 
who  like  stirring  melodrama  and  for 
whom  the  arm  of  coincidence  never 
stretches  too  far,  will  enjoy  the  piece. 


LYCEUM.  "HUMPY  -  DUMPTY." 
Comedy  in  four  acts  by  Horace  An- 
nesley  Vachell.  Produced  on  Sep- 
tember 16  with  this  cast: 

Albert    Mott  Otis    Skinner 

John    Delamothe  Fleming    Ward 

Hon.  Henry  Delamothe     Morton  Selton 
Viscount  Loosechanger 

Robert   Harrison 

Higginbotham  Ernest   Elton 

Jopling  Robert    Entwistle 

Puttick  William    Eville 

James   Wallop  John    Rogers 

Sinkins  Walter   Scott 

Lady  Delamothe  Maud   Milton 

Nancy  Delamothe  Ruth  Rose 

Mrs.   Mott  Beryl   Mercer 

Crissie  Parkins  Elizabeth  Risdon 

Mrs.  Rogers  Clara  T.  Bracy 


OTIS  SKINNER  is  the  type  par 
excellence  of  the  romantic  act- 
or. In  "Kismet,"  "The  Honor  of 
the  Family"  he  was  inimitable.  I 
do  not  mean  that  he  should  not  try 
other  roles,  but  from  former  suc- 
cesses to  "Humpty-Dumpty"  there  is 
too  wide  a  breach.  The  part  de- 
manded a  young  comedian  with  a 
very  light  touch.  That  is  not  his 
any  more,  or  maybe  never  was.'  In 
the  second  act,  for  instance,  when 
the  hairdresser  of  Swashcombe  is 
transplanted  suddenly  into  the  role 
of  a  Lord  of  the  House,  the  situation 
is  preposterous.  Mr.  Skinner  is  too 
fine  an  actor  to  lower  himself  to 
such  buffoonery. 

But  what  a  delightful  actress,  how 
sympathetic  and  heartrending,  was 
Beryl  Mercer  as  the  mother.  Noth- 
ing finer  has  been  seen  in  New 
York  in  many  a  day.  The  rest  of 
the  cast  were  very  good  indeed. 


CASINO.  "THE  MAID  OF  THE 
MOUNTAINS."  Musical  play  in  three 
acts.  Book  by  Frederick  Lonsdale, 
lyrics  by  Harry  Graham,  music  by 
Harold  Frascr-Simson,  additional 
lyrics  by  Clifford  Harris  and  Val- 
entine, additional  numbers  by  Jas. 
W.  Tate  and  Lieut.  Gitz  Rice.  Pro- 
duced on  September  11  with  this 
cast : 


Baldasarre 

Tonio 

Beppo 

Carlo 

Andrea 

Pietro     • 


William    Courtenay 
Bert  Clark 
Carl    Gantvoort 
Jackson    Hines 
Victor  Leroy 
M.    La   Prade 


General  Malona         William     Danforth 

Crumpet  AI    Roberts 

Lieutenant  Rugini  John  Steel 

Mayor  of  Santo  William  Reid 

Zacchi  Louis   Le   Vie 

Teresa  Sidonie   Espero 

Vittoria  Miriam    Doyle 

Angela  Evelyn  Egerton 

Gianetta  Gertrude    Hamilton 

Maria  Mina    Davis 

Marietta  Marguerite   May 

Beppiria  Eva  Newton 

Pepita  Patricia    Frewen 

\  \  7  HAT  London  could  see  in 
V  V  "The  Maid  of  the  Moun- 
tains" that  is  now  in  its  second 
year  there,  is  only  another  example 
of  what  war  can  do. 

New  York,  particularly,  is  ahead 
of  time  and  the  popular  musical 
comedy  has  long  since  replaced  the 
old  time  comic  opera. 

In  "The  Maid  of  the  Mountains" 
we  have  the  reincarnation  of  the 
band  of  brigands  with  its  amorous, 
fearless,  careless  chief  who  is  ready 
to  risk  imprisonment  for  the  sake 
of  his  love.  Notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  the  Maid  of  the  Moun- 
tains does  not  hide  her  love,  he  falls 
to  the  charm  and  beauty  of  the  gov- 
ernor's daughter.  Of  course,  every- 
body knows  that  he  will  finally  come 
to  his  senses  and  find  out  who  is 
who  and  what  is  what. 

(Concluded  on  page  312) 


[280] 


Theatre  Magazine,  November,  191! 


Mabel:    "You    silly    Arthur!      It's 

a  public  scandal  the  way  I   adore 

you." 


Mrs.  Chevely:    "Even  you  are  not 

rich     enough    to   buy   back     your 

past.     No  man  is." 

Constance  Collier  Norman  Trevor 


Gretchen    Yates  Julian    L'Estrange 


Photos  White 

Beatrice  Beckley  Norman  Trevor 

Lady   Chiltern:      "Yes,    write   the 

word  dishonest.     She  knows  what 

that    word    means." 


Julian  L'Estrange  Norman  Trevor  Cyril  Harcourt 

Lord  Goring:     "But  it  is  after  seven,  and  my  doctor  says  I  must  not  have 
any   serious   conversation   after    seven.     It   makes   me   talk   in   my   sleep." 


OSCAR    WILDE'S     "AN     IDEAL     HUSBAND"    AT    THE    COMEDY    THEATRE 


CLOTHES  AND  THE  DRAMA 

Actresses  who  have  sprung  into  fame 
because   of  individuality    in    dressing 

By  MILDRED  CRAM 


IS  an  actress  pretty?  Is  she  young?  Is  she 
well-dressed?  Ah,  then  her  battle  is  half- 
won.  Nowadays  you  may  be  jolie  laide, 
you  may  have  only  an  ounce  of  the  pure  essence 
of  genius,  but  if  you  possess  the  secret  of  the 
chic  you  can  go  far,  very  far  indeed.  Ugliness 
in  itself  is  not  alluring,  but  witty  ugliness,  well- 
dressed  ugliness,  is  irresistible. 

Mistinguette  will  go  down  in  our  theatrical 
memories  as  a  tiny  monkey  of  a  woman  who 
made  capital  of  her  ugliness,  as  La  Polaire  and 
Ethel  Levey  do.  Fritzi  Scheff  understood  the 
lure  of  her  tip-tilted  nose.  And  Yvette  Guilbert 
— who  will  ever  forget  her  gaunt  plainness  and 
the  long  black  gloves  and  that  inspired 
"debutante  slouch" — curved  back,  swinging  arms 
and  sagging  knees,  the  weary,  tragic,  vastly 
humorous  insouciance  of  the  Parisian  gamine? 
If  Yvette's  modern  red  curls  and  cap  are  not  so 
famous,  it  is  the  fault  of  a  public  too  lazy  or  too 
hurried  to  cherish  such  divine  foolishness. 

Not  a  few  actresses  have  sprung  into  fame 
because  of  their  clothes  or  their  lack  of  them. 
Some  happy  trick  of  originality  or  daring  or 
beauty  has  elevated  many  an  obscure  player  to 
stardom.  Every  one  remembers  Irene  Castle's 
dizzy  leap  to  the  Parnassian  pinnacle  on  the 
wings  of  docked  hair,  a  Dutch  cap  and  a  pair 
of  long  satin  slippers !  Gaby's  monstrous  feath- 
ers, her  exotic  crowns  of  paradise  and  aigrette 
made  her  famous  long  before  foolish  young 
kings  smiled  into  her  eyes.  A  Salvation  Army 
bonnet  earned  a  fortune  for  Edna  May.  Merode 
was  internationally  conspicuous  because  she 
parted  her  hair  in  the  middle  and  wore  it  over 
her  ears.  And  Fannie  Ward  has  stamped  herself 
on  the  public  retina  by  wearing  strings  of  fabu- 
lous pearls,  each  one  as  big  as  a  hen's  egg. 


/"CLOTHES  can  be  witty  and  poetic,  full  of 
~*  emotional  meanings.  They  can  reflect  the 
spirit  of  the  woman  who  wears  them.  They  can 
be  fiery,  electric,  as  multifarious  as  a  prism,  as 
vital  as  one's  own  skin.  Or  they  can  be  dull, 
dowdy,  unpleasant,  a"  false  note  in  the  symphony 
of  light  within  the  proscenium. 

There  have  been  unforgettable  stage  costumes. 
Jones'  delicious  dress  made  of  yellow  suede, 
which  moved  across  the  stage  during  the  per- 
formance of  "The  Man  Who  Married  a  Dumb 
Wife,"  will  live  as  long  as  our  memory  of  the 
modern  theatre.  So  will  the  "Sheherezade"  of 
Bakst  and  the  "pale  green  nymphs"  in  "L'Apres- 
Midi  d'un  Faune"  and  the  crinolines  of  Ethel 
Barrymore's  "Camille."  Mary  Garden's  "Salome" 
will  outlive  our  memory  of  a  dozen  operatic 
daughters  of  Herodias  who  have  not  understood. 
as  Garden  does,  the  strange  beauty  of  smooth, 
red  hair,  a  pallid  face  and  the  Biblical  shift  sans 
spangles,  sans  girdle,  sans  Teutonic  embellish- 
ment. In  Paris,  Ida  Rubenstein  has  worn  gowns 
as  strange  as  Ravel's  music,  as  haunting  as  the 
verses  of  Verlaine,  as  provoking  as  the  cubistic 
vorticisms  of  the  modern  painters.  Rubenstein's 
costumes  are  made  from  the  fabric  of  dreams, 
outlandish,  beautiful  and  mysterious. 

Very  few  American  actresses  know  how  to 
dress  for  the  stage  with  consistent  art  and  in- 
dividuality. Yet  nearly  all  of  our  actresses  are 


well-dressed.  An  actress  should  have  an  innate 
sense  of  the  spiritual  quality  of  clothes.  A  fash- 
ionable gown  destroys  the  spirit  of  tragedy,  per- 
haps because  fashion  is  nothing  less  than  a 
witty  commentary  on  the  caprices  of  society. 
Farce,  on  the  other  hand,  may  be  as  chic  as  you 
like.  But  comedy,  unless  it  be  very  sophisticated, 
should  not  be  too  fashionable.  Whimsical  com- 
edy, subtle  comedy,  poetic  comedy,  must  be 
gowned  discreetly,  with  intelligence,  simplicity 
and  restraint. 

Perhaps  that  is  why  Maude  Adams  has  always 
preferred  to  be  unfashionable.  She  is  a  disem- 
bodied spirit  who  has  the  fairy  gift  of  invisibil- 
ity. She  would  be  quite  at  a  loss  in  Mrs.  Pat 
Campbell's  chiffons,  or  wearing  Grace  George's 
very  modern  clothes.  Maude  Adams  has  never 
set  the  fashion  as  Lily  Langtry  did  for  so  many 
years  in  England,  as  Monda  Delza  did  in  France 
before  the  war.  Billie  Burke  and  Irene  Castle 
bear  that  burden  here. 


MRS.  FISKE  is  another  American  actress 
who  refuses  to  be  smart.  In  "Erstwhile 
Susan"  her  coiffure  was  very  droll  and  the  cut 
of  that  first-act  gown  was  deliciously  funny.  Yet 
Mrs.  Fiske  has  never  made  the  most  of  her  hair 
and  eyes,  perhaps  because  she  reasons  that  while 
many  women  have  hair  and  eyes,  personality  is 
rare.  One  thinks  of  her  in  awful  hats,  in  dowdy 
gowns,  confused  confections  of  lace  and  ribbon 
— and  always  the  little  flickering  fan!  If  she 
should  attempt  to  wear  Emily  Stevens'  ultra 
satins,  the  Fiske  charm,  that  perverse  and  bird- 
like  intelligence,  might  lose  its  peculiar  flavor. 

Like  Sarah  Bernhardt,  Mrs.  Fiske  is  a  fash- 
ionable law  unto  herself.  Bernhardt's  clothes 
were  as  wilful  as  her  temper.  Her  very  hats 
were  emotional.  She  wore  enormous,  boned 
collars,  fantastic  ruches  so  stiff  and  high  that 
she  could  scarcely  turn  her  head.  From  these 
skyscraper  swathings  her  face  rose  like  an  exotic 
flower — an  intentional  effect,  of  course.  She 
cared  nothing  for  fashion,  or  else  could  not  at- 
tain it.  She  exploited  her  pallor  when  rosy 
cheeks  and  quick  blushes  were  made  imperative 
by  a  sentimental  Victorian  court.  Her  clothes 
were  morbid,  eccentric,  essentially  Bernhardt  .  .  . 

Xo  one  has  ever  dane  it  quite  so  well  although 
Nazimova  apes  the  divine  Sarah's  sinuosity  when- 
ever she  can.  In  the  prehistoric  "Comet"  and  in 
"Hedda  Gabler,"  Nazimova  poured  her  nervous 
self  into  snakelike  sheathings  which  made  her 
unpleasantly  like  a  wet  codfish.  Now  she  has 
docked  her  hair.  What  next?  Gestures!  Gis- 
tures,  all  of  them. 


USE  understood  herself  and  her  public.  Her 
gowns  were  as  sombre  and  austere  as  the 
legendary  Duse  temperament.  She  cared  nothing 
for  personal  adornment.  Her  slovenly  costumes 
were  picturesque;  they  never  interfered  with 
Duse's  harmonious,  poetic  and  tragic  self.  She 
did  not  wear  jewels;  her  hair  was  often  untidy; 
she  despised  the  chic,  disdainful  of  anything 
which  might  detract  from  the  lucid  simplicity  of 
her  acting.  In  watching  her  one  was  conscious 
only  of  her  face,  her  eyes,  her  expressive  hands. 

[282] 


Duse  in  a  smart  hat  and  a  French  gown  is  un- 
thinkable. One  remembers  her  in  the  loose, 
straight  robes  and  the  full  sleeves  of  "La  Gio- 
conda"  and  "La  Citta  Morta."  As  to  style,  color 
or  fabric,  one  has  forgotten.  It  did  not  matter 
what  "Francesca"  wore  but  rather  what  she  said 
and  how  she  moved.  Duse  was  always  Duse 
delle  belle  mani,  she  who  could  make  d'Annun- 
zio's  very  silences  beautifully  -audible. 

Lenore  Ulric  costumes  her  emotional  young 
self  daringly ;  she  wears  coral  beads  and  puts  a 
scarlet  flower  aslant  in  her  hair.  There  was  tem- 
per as  well  as  temperament  in  her  dress  for 
"Tiger  Rose."  She  wore  it  as  a  primitive  girl 
would  have  worn  such  a  gown — carelessly,  grace- 
fully, with  fine  contempt. 

Laurette  Taylor  has  no  remote  flavor  of  the 
true  chic,  yet  she  was  irresistible  in  'Aunted 
Annie's  rags  and  tags.  Frances  Starr,  Mary 
Nash,  Miss  Anglin  and  Miss  Rambeau  are  al- 
ways well  dressed  but  they  have  no  sense  of  the 
dramatic  value  of  clothes.  They  are  clothed,  and 
that  is  all.  Elsie  Ferguson  is  lovely  enough  to 
make  her  poetic  gowns  superfluous.  Strange  to 
say,  she  has  appalling  taste  in  hats,  wearing  her 
headgear  at  the  Scandinavian  angle,  floating  atop 
her  beautiful  hair  like  ships  at  sea.  A  Parisienne 
would  snatch  Miss  Ferguson's  chapeau.r  and  jam 
them  down  over  her  eyes  with  no  mercy  for  the 
famous  golden  coif ! 

The  screen  has  created  a  fashion  in  heroines — 
an  Elizabethan  composite  of  flapper  and  vampire. 
If  Mary  Pickford  would  sacrifice  her  curls  she 
might  gain  the  attention  of  critical  posterity. 
As  it  is,  a  faint  aura  of  socks  and  baby  ribbon 
hangs  about  her  and  one  suspects,  perhaps 
unkindly,  that  Mary  cannot  see  how  funny  socks 
and  baby  ribbons  are.  Lillian  Gish  has  gone 
even  further  and  has  evolved  a  screen  fashion 
of  her  own. 


HER  gowns  are  complex  and  bizarre ;  they 
belong  to  no  period,  no  country,  no  style. 
Miss  Gish's  shoes  are  infantile,  her  skirts  are 
crinoline,  her  sleeves  are  mediaeval,  her 'collars 
are  Directoire,  her  hats  are  a  nightmare.  It 
is  sad,  for  the  screen  has  been  known  to  set  the 
fashion.  Valeska  Suratt  induced  a  million 
women  to  uncover  their  ears  in  a  reckless  at- 
tempt to  imitate  the  Suratt  coiffure,  and  to  look 
as  nearly  as  possible  as  if  they  had  just  been 
immersed  in  a  deep  and  very  wet  river  .  .  . 

What  are  we  trying  to  prove?  That  beautiful 
clothes  are  essential  to  great  acting?  Apparently 
not.  A  great  actress  may  be  dowdy  and  in- 
spired. Frances  White  knows  more  about  the 
art  of  clothes  than  Ellen  Terry  knew.  Terry's 
costumes  were  sumptuous  and  beautiful — like 
Henry  Irving's  stage-settings  they  are  already 
forgotten.  Ina  Claire  understands,  as  Julia 
Marlowe  never  understood,  the  witty  way  to 
wear  a  gown,  the  audacious  angle  of  a  hat,  the 
humorous  possibilities  of  a  parasol. 

An  actress  may  have  supreme  imagination, 
delicate  fancy,  infinite  charm.  There  may  be 
poetry  in  her  voice,  grace  and  beauty  in  her 
walk.  If  she  does  not  understand  the  art  of 
dress  she  is  never  a  harmonious  part  of  the 
piece  in  which  she  happens  to  be  playing. 


Theatre  Magazine,  November, 


From  a  portrait  by  Abbe 


M     I     T     Z     I 

The  diminutive  star  of  "Head  Over  Heels"  at  the 
George  M.  Cohan  Theatre  is  undoubtedly  the  joy  of 
the  piece,  for  she  sings,  dances,  acts  and  performs 
acrobatic  stunts — and  does  them  all  well,  too 


SAY.  LET'S  HAVE  A  S 

In  spite  of  the   Hun,  the  Doughboys   man- 
age  to   amuse   themselves  in   the   war  zone 

By  CHARLES   M.  STEELE 

DIRECTOR    OF    ENTERTAINMENTS     FOR    THE    A.    E.    F.,    Y.    M.    C.    A. 


THOSE  who  have  read  "Over  the  Top"  will 
remember  how  Empcy  and  his  mates 
"promoted"  an  amateur  show  and  pro- 
duced it  for  an  audience  of  British  Tommies  in 
the  face  of  many  amusing  difficulties.  Among 
the  American  boys,  however,  "promoting"  a  show 
is  unnecessary.  "The  desire  for  dramatic  ex- 
pression"— as  the  college  professors  would  say — 
is  very  near  the  surface.  When  routine  palls 
and  billet  life  becomes  dull,  the  lure  of  the  foot- 
lights is  the  favorite  antidote  and  ''Let's  have 
a  show"  is  a  spontaneous  and  frequently  heard 
suggestion. 

Once  the  desire  has  manifested  itself  it  must 
be  carried  into  effect  quickly.  The  soldiers  are 
impatient  of  rehearsals.  A  show  suggested  and 
decided  upon  to-night  must  be  rehearsed  to- 
morrow and  next  day  and  produced  the  day 
after — at  least  that  is  the  way  the  boys  generally 
feel  about  it.  Difficulties  in  the  way  of  lack  of 
costumes  and  equipment  are  not  really  obstacles ; 
they  are  just  problems  calling  for  the  use  of 
resourcefulness  and  ingenuity.  Solving  them  is 
part  of  the  fun  of  "getting  up  the  show." 

The  first  show  produced  by  the  " — th  Infantry 
Dramatic  Club"  (the  — th  was  the  outfit  to  which 
I  was  attached  for  a  time)  was  an  amazing 
illustration  of  the  above  observations.  I  had 
been  with  the  battalion  about  a  day  when  the 
demands  to  "have  a  show"  began. 

"But   we   have   no   play   books,"   I 
pointed  out. 

"Aw,    lefs    write    one,"    was    the 
answer. 

"All    right,"    I    replied,    "I'll    see 
what  I  can  think  of." 

But  that   wouldn't  do ;   what  they 
wanted  was  immediate  action. 


around  personal  musical  instruments  all  the  way 
to  the  war  zone  in  France  will  always  be  a 
mystery.  But  there  they  were — a  marvelous 
combination,  man  and  instrument  together. 
These  two,  aided  by  a  soldier-pianist  played  the 
"overture"  and  entr'acte  music  and  also  the 
"accompaniment"  for  a  clog  dancer  whom  we 
introduced  at  the  last  minute. 


THE  "lady  musician"  was  added  to  the  cast  of 
characters  at  the  dress  rehearsal,  for  a 
woman  character  (taken  by  a  man)  always  makes 
a  hit.  Her  costume  was  a  marvel.  The  skirt  we 
made  out  of  a  blanket — on  which,  at  the  sugges- 
tion of  Private  Lisk,  the  stage  manager,  our 
make-up  man  drew  with  chalk  large  buttjons  as 
trimming.  My  own  near-Sam  Browne  belt  held 
up  the  skirt.  The  waist  was  a  lace  curtain  from 
the  peasant's  house  where  I  lived.  Its  corners 
were  fastened  around  the  tattooed  arms  of  the 
soldier-lady  by  what  looked  like  pink  ribbon,  but 
was  really  some  of  the  official  red  tape  of  the 
War  Department  obtained  from  one  of  the  com- 
pany headquarters.  Around  the  neck  of  "Daisy" 
— that  was  her  name- — a  strand  of  the  red  tape 
suspended  a  "dog  tax,"  a  soldier's  name  tag. 
For  a  hat  she  wore  a  woolen  winter  cap, 


I  KNOW  a  show,"  declared  one 
Mathews,  a  cook  in  one  of  the 
officers'  messes,  "I  helped  shift 
scenes  for  it  in  the  opera  house  in 
my  home  town.  I'll  tell  it  to  you — 
and  you  can  write  it  down." 

"Sure,  let's  do  that,"  assented  the 
others,  and  so  the  "libretto"  was 
communicated— by  oral  tradition,  as 
it  were. 

Matthews  couldn't  remember  the 
real  name  of  the  piece,  but  sug- 
gested that  it  be  called  "Hotel  Life 
in  Arizona" — and  so  it  was  billed. 
The  cast  of  characters  was 


covered  with  dark  brown  paper  ("like  bronze," 
one  imaginative  soul  suggested)  and  labelled 
"Cash"  to  represent  a  register.  Neat  paper  signs 
pinned  on  the  wings  informed  the  audience  that 
this  was  the  "Office"  and  that  was  the  way  to 
the  "Elevator." 

The  show  was  announced  for  seven  o'clock. 
Shortly  after  five  the  crowd  began  to  assemble, 
having  come  direct  from  "chow"  at  4 :45.  Most 
of  the  seats  were  filled  by  5 :30  and  there  they 
sat  more  or  less  patiently  with  only  occasional 
clamors  for  the  show  to  commence.  The  audi- 
ence presented  quite  a  picture.  The  place  was 
jammed.  Men  sat  on  all  the  chairs  and  benches. 
They  stood  up  in  the  back  of  the  hut.  They  sat 
on  the  floor  right  up  to  the  curtain ;  in  fact,  they 
had  to  be  pushed  back  off  the  front  of  the  stage, 
when  the  musicians  went  outside  the  curtain  to 
play  while  the  scenes  were  being  shifted. 

The  play  began  with  Peterson,  the  Proprietor, 
coming  in  and  announcing  that  he  had  just 
opened  the  hotel.  Soon  Jerry,  the  Drummer, 
came  in  and  registered  and  was  shown  to  his 
room,  with  comedy  by  the  negro  porter.  Then 
came  Einstein,  the  Jew,  who  delighted  the  audi- 
ence as  soon  as  he  hove  in  sight.  Then  the  lady 
Musician,  whose  appearance  called  forth  flatter- 
ing remarks.  When  the  miners  came  in  carrying 
a  bag  of  "gold"  (consisting  of  stones),  the  porter 
worked  the  old  change-bags  trick 
and  stole  the  "dust."  And  at  the 
end  of  the  act  the  "bad  nigger" 
came  in  and  the  scene  broke  up  in 
a  row  between  him  and  the  porter. 
At  this  point,  because  we  found 
that  the  play  was  going  too  fast,  we 
worked  in  an  extra  musical  number 
and  a  blackface  comedian  between 
acts.  I  learned  afterward  that 
some  of  the  audience  liked  the 
entr'actes  best. 


Proprietor 

Negro  porter 

Bell  hop  (blackface) 

A  "bad  nigger" 

Lady  musician 

Drummer 

Elevator  boy   (blackface) 


Waiter 


•as      follows : 


Cow-puncher 

Cook 

Mine  owner 

Mine  foreman 

Farmer 

Jew  merchant 

Iceman   (German) 


From  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  the  next  village  we 
borrowed  some  grease  paint.  A  corporal  ap- 
peared (the  needed  person  always  does)  who 
was  a  good  make-up  artist.  And  the  make-up 
of  the  characters,  though  a  bit  emphatic,  was 
really  excellent.  From  another  battalion  of  the 
regiment,  quartered  in  the  next  town,  we  also 
secured  a  fiddler  and  a  guitar  player —  ivith  in- 
struments. How  they  had  managed  to  carry 


The   hut,   crowded   and    full   of   tobacco    smoke,   is 
packed     with     soldiers     eager     to     see     the     show 

trimmed  with  a  green  bow  made  out  of  a 
piece  of  felt  from  an  old  billiard  table.  Daisy's 
hair  was  made  of  a  frayed  out  rope,  which  we 
found  on  the  floor  of  an  epiceric  at  the  next 
village  and  brought  home  for  that  express  pur- 
pose. By  the  time  she  had  been  properly  "rouged 
up"  Daisy  was  just  such  a  lady  musician  as  might 
be  frequenting  an  Arizona  hotel. 

Our  stage  was  a  dandy — quite  deep  and  fitted 
up  with  three  or  four  wings  on  either  side, 
which  our  stage  manager  neatly  constructed  out 
of  blankets  suspended  by  the  corners  from  the 
roof.  The  back  drop  was  made  in  the  same  way 
of  blankets,  with  a  door  in  the  center  leading 
to  the  "kitchen."  Through  this  the  cook  would 
stick  his  head  from  time  to  time  and  bawl  out 
negroid  humor.  The  hotel  office  desk  was  a  pine 
table  covered  with  a  blanket  and  on  it  sat  a  box 


ACT  II   showed  the  dining  room 
of  the  hotel.     One  by  one  the 
guests  came  in  and  took  their  places 
for    breakfast.      Einstein    talked    all 
the  time  and   flirted  with   Daisy — to 
the    great    diversion    of    the    crowd. 
There   was    general    conversation    at 
the   table,   working  in   various   local 
jokes.     Then  the;rube  farmer  came  in 
and  passed   through   to  the  kitchen. 
The  cowpuncher  followed,  looking  for 
him  with  a  rawhide  whip  and  many  threats.     (It 
will  be  observed  that  these  two  characters  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  action  of  the  play — they 
just   wanted   to   be   in.)      Einstein   sang   a   song 
about  the  food  of  the  Army — always  a   fruitful 
subject    for  conversation   and   jokes.     Then   the 
cowpuncher,  who  had  threatened  to  "try  his  new 
spurs"  on  the  farmer  came  actually  riding  him 
across   the   stage,   followed   wildly   by   the   negro 
porter.    Again  the  scene  broke  up  in  a  row  with 
all  the  hotel  guests  running  madly  for  safety. 

For  the  next  entr'acte  we  put  on  a  clog  dancer 
with  guitar  and  fiddle  accompaniment.  We  were 
to  have  had  a  "buck  and  wing"  dancer  if  the 
stage  manager  had  not  unfortunately  told  the 
performer  that  he  was  "punk,"  which  so  incensed 
him  that  he  could  not  be  induced  to  perform, 
though  he  confided  to  me  that  a  buck  and  wing 


f  284  ] 


Theatre  Magazine,   November,   1918 


Charlotte  Fairchild 


FANIA  MARINOFF 


Who     played    leads     at    the    Greenwich     Village 

Theatre  last  season,  is  the  picturesque  and  sinuous 

Russian  model  in  the  new  comedy  by  the  Hattons 

entitled   "The   Walk-Off s" 


Maurice  Goldberg 


HELEN   WESTLEY 


In  the  recent  production  of  "Crops  and  Croppers," 
Miss  Westley,  formerly  a  prominent  Washington 
Square  Player,  contributed  one  of  her  neat  thumb 
nail  sketches  of  vigorous  New  England  character 


MARGARET   MOWER 

The  temperamental  Mile.  Perrault  of  "Jonathan 
Makes  a  Wish"  attained  her  first  success  as  a 
member  of  the  Washington  Square  Players 


Mary  Dale  Clarke 


L  I  T  T  L  E       T  H  E  A  T  R  E       STARS       SHINE       ON       B  11  ()  A  I)  W  A  Y 


dance  was  so  far  superior  to  "what  dat  guy 
done"  that  there  was  no  comparison.  Following 
the  clog-dance  there  was  a  clown  act,  put  on  by 
a  really  able  comedian  discovered  at  the  last 
minute. 

In  the  last  act,  after  some  blackface  comedy 
between  the  negro  servitors,  the  proprietor 
comes  on  and,  in  the  course  of  conversation  with 
the  porter  reveals — what  the  audience  had  not 
yet  guessed— that  he  and  his  whole  outfit  are  a 
bunch  of  crooks.  They  are  all  diligently  en- 
gaged in  an  effort  to  steal  the  guests'  money 
and  particularly  the  miner's  gold  dust.  One  of 
the  guests  overhears  them,  denounces  them  and 
goes  off  making  dire  threats.  Einstein,  who  has 
paid  in  advance,  tries  vainly  to  get  his  money 
back  but  finally  leaves  without  it.  The  miner, 
at  the  point  of  a  revolver,  seeks  to  make  the 
proprietor  disgorge,  but  during  the  argument 
the  negro  attendants  steal  across  the  front  of 
the  stage  with  the  bags  of  gold  and  other  lodt. 
Thev  are  detected  by  the  mine  foreman  just  as 


they  reach  the  wings.  The  miners  give  chase 
and  the  play  ends  with  shooting  off  stage. 

It  was  suggested  at  rehearsal  that  in  the  in- 
terests of  justice  the  crooks  should  be  captured, 
brought  back  on  the  stage  and  shot.  But  the 
more  influential— or  at  least  the  more  vocal — 
members  of  the  company  insisted  that  it  would 
be  better  to  leave  the  ending  indefinite,  per- 
mitting each  one  in  the  audience  to  drkw  his 
own  conclusions  as  to  whether  the  crooks  es- 
caped or  were  winged  by  the  pursuing  posse — 
a  modern  adaptation  of  "The  Lady  and  the  Tiger." 

So  the  curtain  fell,  the  audience  dispersed 
and  we  immediately  called  a  conference  of  the 
better  actors — eliminating  the  others  with  diffi- 
culty— to  plan  for  another  show  next  week. 

"Were  you  satisfied  with  the  performance?"  I 
asked  Private  Lisk,  the  stage  manager,  as  we 
walked  home  to  our  billets  through  the  dark- 
ened village  streets. 

"Well,"  he  replied,  "we  could  'a  done  better — • 
vnu  know  it  and  I  know  it.  But  I'll  bet  when  we 


announce  our  next  show  you  won't  be  able  to 
get  into  the  hut  for  the  crowd." 

"Yes,"  I  agreed,  "the  public  likes  it" — and  I 
smiled  at  the  time  worn  excuse. 

The  amateur  play — burlesque  or  minstrel 
show  or  vaudeville,  or  "a  play  out  of  a  book,"  as 
the  boys  say — is  one  of  the  important  factors  in 
the  entertainment  of  the  A.  E.  F.  Of  course  the 
work  of  the  professionals  is  the  big  thing.  The 
boys  hunger  for  them,  go  wild  over  their  ap>- 
pearance  and  give  them  a  reception  they  will 
never  forget.  But  the  professionals  can't  al- 
ways be  with  the  regiment.  The  amateur  actors 

are  always  on  hand,  and  as  Major  R put 

it,  "what  the  boys  do  for  themselves  they  enjoy 
twice — once  for  the  show  itself  and  once  for  the 
amusing  efforts  of  their  comrades."  The  show 
above  described  was  given  by  a  battalion  of  old- 
line  regulars  diluted  with  rather  recently  en- 
listed men.  With  the  coming  of  the  men  of  the 
draft  army  the  standard  of  amateur  dramatic 
effort  is  improving  constantly. 


AFTER  THE  PLAY  IS  OVER 

Characteristic   comments  from   the   box- 
es,  the  gallery,  and  behind  the   curtain 

By  HARRIET  KENT 


Miss  GET-RiCH-QuicK :  Mamma,  I  must 
have  a  dress  like  the  ingenue  wore  in 
the  first  act,  a  hat  like  the  star  wore  in 
the  second,  and  a  fur  stole  like  the  vampire  wore 
in  the  last  scene.  Mamma,  I  must !  This  is  an 
awful  show,  but  I  don't  care.  I've  selected  one 
of  my  new  Fall  costumes  out  of  it.  What  was 
it  all  about  anyway?  I  was  so  busy  making 
sketches  and  noting  colors  that  I  only  heard 
about  three  lines  in  each  act.  I  tell  you  the 
theatre's  the  place  for  discovering  the  latest 
styles  all  right. 

THE  SHOP  GIRL:  Did  you  see  him  kiss  her, 
Mary?  Beats  any  love  making  I  ever  seen  in 
the  movies.  You  bet  it  does.  And  what  d'ye 
think  of  her  curls?  Why,  that  girl  could  put 
Mary  Pickford  out  of  business  in  a  week.  And 
she  cried  real  tears  when  she  thought  he'd  desert 
her.  Say,  I  could  too  if  a  handsome  gink  like 
that  was  going  to  leave  me  flat.  No  wonder  all 
the  girls  are  stage  struck.  You  never  get  that 
kind  of  love  making  in  real  life,  do  you?  Gee, 
ain't  I  the  romantic  kid,  though?  But  what's 
the  use.  Come  on  and  let's  have  an  ice  cream 
soda. 

THE  ACTOR  (out  of  a  job)  :  No  wonder  he's 
made  a  reputation  and  gets  $200  a  week.  Just 
look  at  the  parts  the  managers  hand  out  to  him. 
They're  as  fat  as  the  lady  in  the  circus.  Who 
wouldn't  make  a  hit  in  such  a  role?  Surely 
there's  nothing  wonderful  about  his  looks,  either. 
And  here  I  am — experienced  and  handsome — no, 
I'm  not  giving  myself  bouquets,  but  that's  what 
everyone  tells  me — and  been  at  liberty  for  a  sea- 
son. Did  you  hear  that  simp  of  a  girl  alongside 
of  us  praise  his  love  making?  The  fool — every- 
body knows  that  he  hates  the  leading  lady,  be- 
cause she  gets  $250  in  her  envelope — $50  more 
than  he.  I  wish  that  girl  could  see  me  act.  Not 
that  I'm  conceited,  but  at  love  making  on  the 
stage,  I  bet  I  outshine  Lou  Tellegen  himself. 

THE  CRITIC:     Just  another   instance  to  prove 


my  contention  that  the  drama  is  going  to  the 
dogs.  The  leading  lady's  greatest  asset  is  her 
wig,  the  leading  man  should  have  been  a  tailor's 
model,  and  the  piece  has  not  a  thrill,  a  laugh,  or 
a  witticism.  This  is  the  tenth  opening  I've  at- 
tended this  week.  For  mediocrity  it  certainly 
leads  all  the  rest. 

THE  FLAPPER:  What  a  perfectly  darling  show! 
1  simply  idolize  the  leading  man,  and  the  star 
is  a  dear !  We  must  have  a  theatre  party  from 
our  club  and  come  to  see  it  again.  And  the  little 
dog  that  comes  on  in  the  first  act.  Isn't  he  the 
cutey?  You  know  how  wild  I  am  about  dogs 
and  they  always  have  the  dearest  darlings  on 
the  stage.  I  must  come  again  if  only  to  see  the 
little  pet — and  bring  Gwen  with  me.  You  know 
how  perfectly  cra/.y  she  is  for  Pekingese. 

THE  HOUSEWIFE  :  I'm  so  tired  of  this  never 
ending  grind — washing  dishes  and  clothes.  I 
wish  I  could  go  on  the  stage.  Fine  gowns, 
travel,  position — what  an  enviable  life  the  actress 
leads.  If  only  I  could  have  a  tiny  bit  of  fame — 
to  live  in  a  world  of  make-believe,  of  romance 
and  fiction.  Well,  I  better  rush  home  to  cook 
the  dinner.  There'll  be  no  dessert  to-night,  be- 
cause I've  spent  the  money  on  the  show. 

THE  STAR:  Another  performance  over.  Oh, 
how  sick  I  am  of  that  fool's  love  making.  What 
a  silly,  empty  part.  Nothing  to  do  but  change 
one's  clothes.  I  may  as  well  be  a  fashion  model. 
Not  an  emotional  scene,  nor  a  ctiance  to  show 
my  ability.  I'm  tired  too,  of  traveling  about. 
No  home— no  comforts — none  of  the  real  joys 
of  life.  I  wish  I  had  married  and  settled  down. 
Now,  no  one  will  have  me.  I'm  such  a  fright 
without  my  make-up.  But  I  suppose  I'll  have  to 
make  the  best  of  it.  I  must  go  now  and  see 
that  my  name  is  given  more  prominence  in  the 
advertisements.  You  have  to  stand  up  for  your 
rights,  you  know. 

THE  TIRED  BUSINESS  MAN:  Come  on,  let's 
have  a  high  ball  after  that.  It  certainly  was  a 


lemon  we  picked  all  right.  Not  a  girl,  a  song  or 
a  dance.  And  they  call  it  a  comedy,  too.  I'd 
call  it  a  tragedy  for  the  man  who  deposits  his 
$2  at  the  box-office.  Three  acts  devoted  to  the 
love  making  of  a  silly  young  ass  and  a  dressed- 
up  girl.  Why,  I  can  watch  my  daughter  go 
through  that  same  nonsense  any  evening,  and 
it  doesn't  cost  me  a  cent.  There  may  be  noth- 
ing elevating  in  racuous  farce  or  musical  com- 
edy, but  give  it  to  me  every  time.  Hurry  up, 
Bill,  we  may  still  have  time  to  get  into  one  of 
those  midnight  shows.  I'll  not  do  a  cent's  worth 
of  business  to-morrow  if  I  don't  get  over  the 
effects  of  that  sentimental  slush  just  inflicted 
on  us. 

THE  HIGH  BROW  :  I  reiterate  what  I  have 
often  said — when  Ibsen  died  the  drama  went 
with  him.  This  gooey,  sentimental  drivel  we 
have  just  witnessed,  so  sugar-coated  that  the 
theatregoers  can't  detect  how  tasteless  it  really 
is,  goes  hand  in  hand  with  our  asinine  short- 
story  and  our  senseless  motion  pictures.  Where 
is  the  message  it  carries  to  the  masses?  Now- 
adays the  climax  of  all  plays  is  the  final  clutch, 
center  stage,  between  hero  and  heroine.  What 
has  become  of  American  art?  Has  it  gone  to 
the  trenches?  Hereafter  I  shall  attend  none  but 
the  Little  Theatres.  They  may  be  small  in  size, 
but  they  are  large  in  artistry. 

THE  USHER:  Gee,  I'm  glad  tin's  show  is  overt 
Every  gosh  darn  person  forgot  his  program  and 
handed  me  this :  "Usher,  may  I  trouble  you  for 
a  program?"  Trouble!  Well,  I  should  say  you 
would !  After  running  up  and  down  the  aisle 
500  times,  do  they  think  it's  a  joy  to  run  up  500 
times  more  for  programs?  Well  take  it  from 
me,  it  ain't.  And  drink,  did  you  say?  Not  a 
guy  refused  water  during  intermission.  Take  it 
from  me,  boy,  this  audience  must  have  landed 
straight  from  the  Sahary  Desert.  If  there's 
many  more  crowds  like  this,  I'm  goin'  to  make 
the  boss  pay  for  my  shoes. 


[286] 


Theatre  .Magazine,  November,  ifit 


(Below) 

"Mr.  Barnum"  is  a  quaint  char- 
acter comedy  sketching  the  life 
of  the  world's  greatest  showman, 
P.  T.  Barnum.  All  our  friends 
of  the  circus  are  there — clowns, 
acrobats,  freaks,  the  snake 
charmer  and  the  lady  bare- 
back rider.  The  picture  shows 
Mr.  Barnum  and  Luvinia  Warren, 
the  diminutive  coquette  who  later 
marries  General  Tom  Thumb 

THOMAS     A.     WISE 
IN    "MR.    BARNUM" 


John  Cope,  Jeanne  Eagels  and  Bruce  McRae 


"Daddies"  tells  the  story  of  four 
confirmed  .  bachelors  who  are  per- 
suaded to  adopt  war  orphans.  In 
the  end  Robert  Audrey  (Mr.  Mc- 
Rae) falls  in  love  with  his  ward 
(Miss  Eagels)  and  an  adorable 
kiddie  softens  the  heart  of  the 
hardened  woman-hater  James 
Crocket  (Mr.  Cope) 

SCENE     IN     "DADDIES" 
AT     THE     BELASCO 


Tom   Wise 


Queenie  Mab 


(Left) 

"Humpty  -  Dumpty"  Introduce* 
Otis  Skinner  in  a  new  rdle — that 
of  an  English  hairdresser.  Fate- 
takes  him  out  of  his  shop,  how- 
ever, and  he  becomes  the  Lord  of 
Delamothe.  With  him  to  his 
great  estate  goes  his  simple 
mother  (Miss  Mercer),  who  is 
eager  for  her  old  life.  In  the  end 
he  tires  of  his  splendor  and  longs 
for  his  wigs  and  shop,  where  in 
the  final  act  we  find  him  with  the 
girl  he  loves 

OTIS    SKINNER    STARS 
IN  "HUMPTY-DUMPTY" 


Clara  T.  Bracy,  Otis  Skinner  and  Beryl  Mercer 


DRAMATIC    FARE    FOR    THE    PLAYGOER 


A  THEATREGOER'S  TABLE  TALK 

Murdering  the  King's  English  and  other 
freakisms    of   the    contemporary    stage 

By  CHARLTON  ANDREWS 


SPEAKING  of  the  war  tax  and  the  theatres, 
it  seems  to  me  that  our  legislators  have 
overlooked  an  opportunity  in  not  levying 
severely  upon  the  producers  of  bad  plays.  If 
managers  had  to  pay  Uncle  Sam,  say,  $30,000 
every  time  haste  or  poor  judgment  caused  them 
to  insult  the  general  intelligence  with  stupid  or 
dull  plays,  surely  both  the  war  chest  and  a  long- 
suffering  public  would  benefit  exceedingly. 

For,  of  course,  such  a  penalty  would  not  deter 
a  large  number  of  the  more  hopeless  producers — 
not,  at  least,  until  their  bank  balance  was  ex- 
hausted. It  is  obvious  enough  to  any  playgoer 
that  there  are  plenty  of  people  who  will  put  on 
the  stage  almost  any  kind  of  concoction  in  which 
actors  may  mouth  lines. 

And  on  the  other  hand  ultimately  the  public 
would  be  spared  much  needless  misery,  since  our 
butchers,  bakers  and  candlestick-makers  would 
hesitate  before  investing  their  savings  in  Cousin 
Charlie's  farcical  knock-out,  or  Aunt  Maria's 
soul-stirrer  that  she  learned  to  write  at  Yarvard. 
And  particularly  we  should  be  spared  that  pest 
of  pests,  the  first  play  which  the  author  produces 
himself. 

If  such  a  law  had  been  in  effect  since  the  first 
of  last  August  only,  we  might  not  have  been 
afflicted  with  some  of  such  woes  as  "Allegiance," 
"Double  Exposure,"  "Why  Worry?"  "He  Didn't 
Want  to  Do  It,"  "Crops  and  Croppers,"  and  more 
particularly,  "The  Woman  on  the  Index,"  "Over 
Here,"  and  "Mother's  Liberty  Bond." 


ONE  of  those  painful  quarter-hours  that 
occasionally  crop  up  in  the  theatre  I  ex- 
perienced during  the  first  performance  of 
"Daddies."  Bruce  McRae,  of  the  play's  bachelor 
club,  had  adopted  a  war  orphan  by  cable.  He 
expected  a  child,  but  instead  there  turned  up  a 
girl  of  seventeen.  She  was  frail,  pallid,  stoop- 
shouldered,  and  pathetic,  instantly  suggesting — 
thanks  to  the  art  of  Jeanne  Eagels — an  abused 
and  starved  victim  of  the  kultured  Hun. 

To  intensify  the  painfulness  of  her  plight  she 
was  suffering  with  an  attack  of  mal  de  terre 
such  as  occasionally  afflicts  sea-voyagers  newly 
landed.  Weak  and  staggering,  she  appeared  be- 
fore her  guardian,  a  picture  of  helpless  feminine 
misery.  How  any  human  being  could  have 
laughed  at  this  wretched  study  in  pathology  is 
more  than  I  can  ever  fathom. 

And  yet  for  the  purposes  of  the  play  she  was 
there  to  be  laughed  at.  Instead  of  being  moved 
by  pity  and  chivalry  to  come  to  her  rescue,  her 
surprised  guardian  for  comic  purposes  merely 
registered  disappointment  and  avoided  her.  She 
might  have  fainted  and  fractured  her  skull  a 
dozen  times  for  all  the  aid  he  seemed  willing  to 
render  her. 

But  the  saddest  part  of  it  all  was  that  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  audience — the  guffoons 
who  are  usually  in  the  majority — did  laugh 
throughout  the  whole  painful  scene.  You  would 
think  nothing  could  be  funnier  to  them  than  the 
sufferings  of  a  French  refugee  war  orphan! 
Across  the  aisle  from  me  the  critic  of  an  eve- 
ning newspaper  fairly  haw-hawed  with  glee,  and 
another  reviewer  described  the  scene  as  one  of 
the  most  delicious  bits  of  comedy  imaginable. 


One  of  the  curiosities  of  newspaper  English 
as  She  is  Wrote  concerns  the  word  "aphasia." 
As  anybody  who  uses  a  dictionary  or  kens  a 
little  Greek  must  know,  this  word  names  a  brain 
affection  in  which  the  power  of  expression  in 
words  is  impaired.  It  has  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  "amnesia,"  which  means  loss  of  memory. 

And  yet  until  the  last  year  or  so  nearly  all 
the  New  York  City  newspapers  have  spoken  of 
persons  who  could  not  recall  their  own  identities 
as  "victims  of  aphasia."  In  this  misuse  the  word 
has  been  taken  over  by  the  theatre.  I  recall  a 
one-act  play  by  Edgar  Allan  Woolf  in  which 
"aphasia"  is  lovingly  dwelt  upon  as  meaning  a 
mental  affliction  involving  total  forgetfulness. 


RECENTLY  in  "Another  Man's  Shoes"  some 
effort  was  made  to  straighten  out  the  tangle. 
In  the  first  act  the  doctor  attending  the  amnesic 
hero  muttered  something  about  '  aphasia,''  and 
later  he  spoke  of  "alternating  amnesia,  some- 
times inaccurately  called  'double  aphasia.' " 
Inaccurately,  indeed! 

Yet  even  this  explanation  seems  to  have  been 
insufficient  for  one  of  the  reviewers  of  the  New 
York  Times.  For  after  quoting  these  clarifying 
words  of  the  doctor's  this  critic  goes  on  to  ex- 
pound :  'The  scientific  accuracy  of  the  author's 
premise  has  long  made  aphasia  and  amnesia 
popular  subjects  for  both  drama  and  fiction." 
Evidently  this  gentleman  has  progressed  no 
farther  than  to  the  belief  that  "amnesia"  and 
"aphasia"  are  synonyms. 

The  latter  disease,  says  the  lexicographer,  "is 
the  impairment  or  abolition  of  the  faculty  of 
using  and  understanding  written  and  spoken 
language."  According  to  which  it  is  the  "un- 
lettered Caribbees"  of  the  press  and  the  stage 
who  are  actually — if  unconsciously — suffering 
with  aphasia. 

And  speaking  of  the  unlettered,  what  is  to  be- 
come of  English  pronunciation  in  our  theatre  at 
the  present  rate  of  decline? 

I  don't  refer  to  the  matter  of  accent  or  pre- 
sume to  decide  whether  there  is  any  real  Amer- 
ican standard.  Perhaps,  after  all,  we  of  the 
United  States  speak  only  a  collection  of  dialects. 
But  at  least  there  are  reasonably  definite  stand- 
ards of  diction,  quite  sufficient  to  make  in- 
excusable the  atrocities  with  which  our  ears  are 
repeatedly  assailed  in  the  playhouse. 


CHANNING  POLLOCK  in  one  of  his  recent 
feuilletons  observed  that  in  the  same  sen- 
tence in  "The  Man  Who  Stayed  at  Home," 
Katherine  Kaelred  said  "yeahs"  and  "gover'- 
ment,"  while  Amelia  Bingham  was  contributing 
"potentualities"  and  "Deutschland  oober  alles." 
It  would  require  more  print  paper  than  war 
conditions  allow  to  record  the  similar  instances 
most  of  us  have  met.  Charles  Hopkins,  for 
example,  in  "April"  is  to  be  credited  with 
"wahstrel"  and  "flahrist."  Shelley  Hull  in  "Un- 
der Orders"  lays  much  stress  on  what  he  calls 
his  "dooty."  Laurette  Taylor  reads  into  her 
Shakespeare  such  variations  as  "preverse"  and 
"w'en."  Henry  Miller  is  faithful  to  his  "ideel." 


Hilda  Spong  thinks  there  is  a  "d"  sound  in 
"Wednesday."  And  -even  Olive  Tell  is  fond  of 
her  little  "jew  d'esprit." 

I  felt  much  indebted  last  season  to  Walter 
Hampden  for  his  most  laudable  Shakesperian 
interpretations,  but  I  could  not  see  just  how  he 
glorified  the  Bard  by  such  pronunciations  as 
"unleeneal,"  "su'gestion,"  and  "eye"  in  "stand 
aye  accursed."  (At  all  events  I  sympathized 
with  the  actor,  when  playing  Macbeth  in  a  pair 
of  squeaky  shoes,  he  exclaimed,  "Hear  not  my 
steps !") 

These  are  but  a  few  instances  culled  from 
many.  From  less  official  theatrical  sources  I  have 
had  "avviator,"  "raddiator,"  "burgular,"  "tre- 
menduous,"  "perculator,"  and  scores  of  similar 
gems.  And  one  of  our  three  or  four  most  noted 
managers  recently  conferred  with  me  as  to  how 
to  make  the  villain  in  one  of  his  new  plays  do 
something  "despickable." 

As  for  words  and  phrases  and  reviewers,  I  am 
reminded  that  it  seems  a  comparatively  simple 
thing  to  be  a  dramatic  critic.  Judging  by  what 
I  have  lately  read,  all  you  have  to  do  is  make 
judicious  combinations  of  the  following  locu- 
tions and  then  slap  your  stuff  into  print: — 


Delightful    portrayal 

stilted    lines 

crude    characterization 

genuine  note 

adds   distinction 

pivotal  role 

spirit  of  romance 

facial    play 

voice    her    feelings 

grasp  the  situation 

metropolitan    standard 

semblance  of  reality 

reeks  of  the  theatre 

her    big   moments 

rings  all  the  changes 

strains   of  credulity 

well-approved     ingredients 


hackneyed    and   trite 
heightened  the   effect 
time-worn    expedients 
not  convincing 
subtlety  of  method 
sketchy   in   outline 
palpably  theatric 
professors  of  the  drama 
skating  on  thin  ice 
tasteful    production 
attractive   setting 
stage    puppet 
a  finished  actor 
extracted  the  comedy 
vaguely    reminiscent 
mediocre   production 
wallowing  in  sentimentality 


OF  course,  there  are  a  lot  more,  but  these 
will  at  least  suffice  for  a  beginning,  and  a 
little  study  of  the  amusement  columns  of  daily 
newspapers  will  supply  whatever  else  you  need 
when  you  begin  to  branch  out.  And  whatever 
you  do,  don't  forget  to  put  in  about  the  star 
comedian : — 

"His  work  is  particularly  notable  for  its  re- 
straint in  the  comedy  moments,  for  much  of 
the  piece  could  have  become  farce  in  the  hands 
of  a  less  finished  player." 

And  speaking  of  restraint  in  comedy  moments 
reminds  me  of  an  incident  I  witnessed  lately  at 
the  filming  of  Leonce  Ferret's  patriotic  movie, 
"Stars  of  Glory."  Assisting  at  the  performance 
were  the  Carusos.  There  came  a  thrilling  mo- 
ment when  a  regiment  of  Yanks  went  over  the 
top,  charged  through  a  hail  of  shrapnel  across 
No  Man's  Land,  and  routed  the  super  boches  (or 
boche  supers)  from  their  trenches.  When  an 
unexpected  bomb  exploded  within  two  yards  of 
him,  and  a  half-dozen  battle  planes  swooped 
down  within  fifteen  feet  of  the  ground,  the 
movie-actor-tenor  seized  his  bride  and  fled  to 
shelter  along  with  E.  K.  Lincoln  and  Dolores 
Cassinelli,  the  co-stars  of  the  piece. 


[288] 


Theatre  Magazine,  November,  1918 


Photos  Juley 

KATHLEEN 
CLIFFORD 

This  portrait  in  differ- 
entiated blacks,  was 
placed  low  on  the  canvas 
to  emphasize  the  slight- 
ness  and  youth  of  the 
subject 


T>EN      ALI      HAGGIN, 

•'-*  the  well-known  artist, 
who  has  been  conspicuous- 
ly before  the  theatregoing 
public  of  late  as  the 
arranger  of  the  patriotic 
Tableaux  in  the  Ziegfeld 
"Follies"  and  "Midnight 
Frolic,"  recently  gave  an 
exhibition  at  the  Seligmann 
Galleries,  Fifth  Avenue,  of 
his  portraits  of  stage  people 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Fra- 
ternit6  des  Artistes.  The 
pictures  shown  included 
portraits  of  Marie  Doro, 
Laurette  Taylor,  J.  Hartley 
Manners,  Kathleen  Clifford, 
Mary  Garden,  Maxine  Elli- 
ott and  others 


A  strong,  impressionistic 
portrait  of  J.  Hartley 
Manners,  the  dramatist 


Lovers   of   Peg   will   like    this   un- 
usual portrait  of  Laurette  Taylor 


Marie  Doro's  spiritual  and  fragile  beauty 
is   well   caught   by   Mr.    Haggin's   brush 


PROMINENT    STAGE    FOLK    AS    SEEN     BY    A    WELL    KNOWN    ARTIST 


A  NEW  RIP  FOR  THE  OLD 

Frank  Bacon,  who  recently  captured  Broad- 
way, tells  how  he  came  to  play  Lightnin' 

By  ADA  PATTERSON 


A  metropolitan  critic,  commenting  on  the  suc- 
cess of  Frank  Bacon  in  "Lightnin"'  said  that  no 
one  had  heard  much  about  him  before.  The 
critic  was  mistaken.  The  THEATRE  MAGAZINE 
had  heard  of  him.  Several  years  ago  we  pre- 
dicted his  success.  In  our  department  "In  the 
Spotlight,"  a  valuable  indicator  of  the  players 
who  are  likely  to  capture  Broadway- 
was  a  sketch  of  Frank  Bacon.  At  that 
time  we  said':  "His  performance  has 
the  touch  sure  and  Arm  of  authority, 
yet  the  delicacy  of  perception  of  the 
artist.  Frank  Bacon  seemed  not  to  act, 
but  to  be."  We  consider  Mr.  Bacon  an 
alumnus  of  our  Spotlight  Academy,  and 
present  herewith  this  interesting  inter- 
view in  which  Mr.  Bacon  gives  some  acj 
count  of  his  career: 

I  "DIDN'T  care  about  coming  to  New 
York,"  the  Lightnin'  of  "Lightnin'," 
says  in  his  endearing  drawl.  "Califor- 
nia's all  right.  I  had  a  prune  farm  on 
a  hill  overlooking  Santa  Clara  Valley.  I 
liked  the  folks  of  the  Golden  State  and 
they  were  patient  with  me.  I  didn't 
want  to  go  further.  But  the  earthquake 
shook  me  out  of  it." 

The  man  who  with  Winchell  Smith, 
wrote  "Lightnin"'  and  has  been  raised 
to  the  theatrical  heavens  as  a  star,  in 
the  play  which  is  establishing  one  of  the 
leading  records  of  the  season,  was  a 
barnstormer  in  California. 


as  metal  turns  to  the  lodestone.  He  doesn't 
know  how  nor  why  he  is  an  actor.  He  tries  no 
more  than  did  Maude  Adams  in  her  first  year 
nor  her  successive  years  as  a  star,  to  reduce  the 
art  to  a  formula. 

"One  cannot  tell   how   to   register  an   impres- 
sion   upon    an    audience.      Acting    defies    rules," 


THE  wisest  knoweth  not  what  di- 
rection feline  Broadway  will  spring. 
The  preponderance  of  experience  hath 
it  that  she  prefers  the  exotic,  the  never- 
before-heard-of,  the  stimulatingly  spiced. 
Yet  now  and  then  she  purrs  long  and 
loudly  at  some  treasure  that  those  wisest 
would  have  catalogued  for  stock  com- 
panics  in  communities.  She  achieves 
ecstacy  of  approval  of  the  sweetly  simple. 

"Lightnin' "  is  a  simple  play  about,  for 
the  most  part,  simple  folk.     It  is  a  pearl 
of    pathos    in    the    beginning    stage    of    solution 
in   the  vinegar   of   wit.     Its   star   and   co-author 
is  a  small  town  man   from   California.     He  has 
been  a  photographer,  a  newspaper  publisher  and 
a    prune    grower.      But    his    performances    have 
the   tang   and   richness-  of   rare   old   wine. 

The  new  generation  of  playgoers  that  pour 
into  the  Gaiety  Theatre,  disdaining  analysis,  says  : 
"Mr.  Bacon  is  delightful.  You  must  see  him." 
The  old  generation  say  that  no  other  man  was 
ever  so  like  Joseph  Jefferson,  the  incomparable 
Rip  Van  Winkle.  "See  Frank  Bacon  and  you 
will  see  dear  old  Joe  Jefferson  again.  He  is  as 
like  him  as  a  reincarnation." 

Yet  the  new  favorite,  blinking  in  the  near- 
sighted, owlish  way  of  a  Belasco,  says :  "I 
never  saw  Mr.  Jefferson."  It  is  quite  true.  To 
his  backwoods  of  California  came  once  Edwin 
Booth,  playing  Hamlet.  Clearly  he  remembers 
and  fervently  admires  W.  E.  Sheridan.  But 
Sheridan  was  a  tragedian.  He  has  had  no  mod- 
els of  acting.  He  became  an  actor  as  surely 


FRANK    BACON 
as   the   quaintly   humorous   and    lovable    Lightnin' 
Bill  Jones  in  "Lightnin' "    at  the  Gaiety   Theatre 

she   said.     David   Warfield,  too,   flouts  them. 

"Either  you  can  or  you  can't,"  he  says. 

They  who  recognize  in  Frank  Bacon  the  qual- 
ity of  Joseph  Jefferson  detect  in  him  a  War- 
fieldian  flavor.  When  "Lightnin' "  crept  timid- 
ly into  the  national  capital  on  a  preliminary  test 
of  its  strength,  a  critic  welcomed  Mr.  Bacon, 
"because  he  restores  the  standard  of  acting 
that  we  feared  was  lost."  The  Californian  blinks 
more  rapidly  at  recollection  of  this  critique. 
There  have  been  many  eulogies  since  but  that 
was  as  a  draught  to  a  desert-weary  traveler. 
"For  it  came  when  we  needed  it,"  he  says,  and 
repeats,  "It  came  when  we  needed  it." 


didn't  I  couldn't  make  others  believe  it,  I  sup. 

pose." 

Yet   Frank    Bacon    discusses    no    subtleties    of 

theatrical  art.     He   talks  not  of   insight  that  is 

a   true   guide   nor   of    every   man   enveloping   in 

the  potentialities  of  all  men. 
"I  knew  Lightnin'  long  ago,"  he  says.  "It 
was  in  Vallejo,  a  California  port.  Mother 
and  I  had  just  been  married.  We  had  a 
room  at  his  house.  He  wouldn't  work. 
He  was  always  under  the  influence. 
Generally  he  was  quietly  amiable  al- 
though once  or  twice  we  heard  him  as- 
sert himself.  He  was  a  liar  and  a  brag- 
gart too." 

When  the  young  man  of  California 
had  lived  through  his  successive  phases 
of  photographer  and  country  newspaper 
proprietor  emerging  empty-handed,  save 
for  the  rich  sediment  of  knowledge  of 
human  nature,  and  adopted  the  life  ol 
the  theatre,  he  remembered  Bill  Jones. 
He  built  three  sketches  about  the  mild 
inebriate.  All  were  successful.  But  that 
which  was  surest  of  the  response  of 
smiles  and  tears  that  form  the  rainbow 
of  success  was  "Coming  Home"  Bill 
Jones  evolved  through  fifteen  years  un- 
til he  reached  the  stage  of  the  Gaiety 
Theatre  and  was  pronounced  perfect. 
For  fifteen  years  he  was  written  around 
by  Mr.  Bacon.  For  three  years  and  three 
months  he  was  Winchell  Smith's  alter 
ego.  In  his  present  form  the  prophets 
predict  for  him  a  life  of  at  least  six  years. 


T1 


MAYBE,"  he  begins   in  his   deliberate   fash- 
ion, "people  like  'Lightnin' '  because  it  is 
true.     There's  nothing  in   it  that  isn't  true." 

Of  his  own  phenomenal  leap  into  metropoli- 
tan popularity  he  ventures:  "While  I'm  on  the 
stage  I  believe  everything  I  say  and  do.  If  I 


HE  man  who  may  be  remembered 
for  his  Lightnin'  as  James  O'Neill 
will  be  for  his  Monte  Cristo  and  as 
Joseph  Jefferson  for  his  Rip  and  as 
David  Warfield  for  his  Music  Master,  is 
a  silver-haired  son  of  the  Golden  West, 
The  silver  hair  and  the  drawling  speech 
and  the  extreme  deliberation  of  manner 
of  the  new  risen  star,  mislead  hasty  ob- 
servers. 

"What  a  pity  that  his  success  has  come 
so  late,"  they  say,  folding  their  programmes  in 
their  muffs  as  they  wend  their  crowded  way 
from  the  Gaiety.  Overhearing  which  the  sub- 
ject of  their  observation  slowly  smiles. 

"Father  seemed  as  old  when  I  married  him  as 
he  does  to-day,"  says  vivacious  Jennie  Jeffreys, 
the  wife  of  his  youth  and  of  his  maturity.  "Ex- 
cept that  his  hair  was  a  little  darker.  It  has 
always  been  somewhat  gray."  In  truth  Mr. 
Bacon  is  of  nearly  the  age  at  which  Grover 
Cleveland  rose  to  national  fame.  There  had 
been  in  both  instances  fifty  years  of  preparation 
for  the  plaudits  of  the  multitude. 

He  was  born  at  Marysville.  In  his  unripe 
years  he  worried  French  sheep  herders  by  im- 
promptu declamation  on  the  hills  of  California. 
That  the  herders  slept  and  the  sheep  wandered 
away  was  disconcerting  to  the  tow-headed,  bare- 
footed disciple  of  Thespis.  The  unresponsiveness 
of  the  audience  may  have  caused  him  to  enter 
the  nearest  path  to  the  goal  of  livelihood  earning. 
His  brother  was  a  photographer.  Frank  followed 


[290] 


Theatre  .Magazine,  November,  tyil 


Campbell 


BEATRICE  NICHOLS 
Who  plays  the  pretty  hero- 
ine   in    "Lightnin' "    at    the 
Gaiety 


©  Hixon-Connelly 

ELISE    BARTLETT 

Lou    Tellegen's    new    leading    woman 

who     will     be     one     of     Broadway's 

youngest    leads    this    season 


ELSIE   MACKAY 
Who     gave     an     appealing 
characterization  of  the  wife 
in    "Another    Man's    Shoes" 


Mogett 


Campbell 


UEGINA  WALLACE 

As  June  Block  in  "Friendly  Enemies"  at  the  Hudson,  Miss  Wallace  has 
scored  an  individual  hit  in  one  of  the  most  successful  plays  of  the  season 


YOUTH,     BEAUTY     AND     ABILITY     IN     NEW     DRAMATIC     PRODUCTIONS 


his  brother's  example  and  became  his  partner  in 
the  camera  art. 

Neither  fame  nor  fortune  beckoning  him  fur- 
ther down  that  path  the  Native  Son  applied  him- 
self to  the  service  of  a  San  Jose  newspaper. 

Perceiving  the  gratifying  emoluments  of  the 
newspaper  business  he  purchased  a  weekly 
newspaper  at  Mountain  View. 

Ambition  led  him  to  another  hamlet.  He  pur- 
chased the  Mayfield,  now  the  Palo  Alto,  organ 
of  community  intelligence.  Fate  was  peevish. 
The  young  proprietor  caused  it  to  become  known 
that  he  was  willing  to  sell  his  plant.  A  stranger 
called  and  asked  the  price. 

"Five  hundred,"  said  Editor  Bacon.  Then 
began  bargaining  after  the  Turkish  method. 
They  reached  and  agreed  upon  twenty-five  dol- 
lars. The  bear  upon  newspaper  stock  confessed 
he  hadn't  that  sum. 

The  publisher  accepted  his  note,  which  was 
never  paid. 

During  the  dusk  of  stress  that  ensued  flashed 
a  hope.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bacon  had  pleased 
friendly  audiences  in  amateur  theatricals.  Why 
not  join  one  of  the  repertoire  companies  that 
followed  the  Calif ornian  highways?  They  did 


and  their  first  season  netted  them  "cakes," 
(board)  and  "forty  dollars  sent  home." 

At  this  inauspicious  time  Mr.  Bacon  met  a 
State  Senator  whom  his  newspaper  had  ardently 
supported. 

"Where  and  what  are  you  now?"  asked  the 
politician. 

"I'm  an  actor." 

Whereupon  it  was  proven  that  gratitude  may 
dwell  in  the  heart  of  a  politician. 

"I  own  a  theatre  in  Sacramento.  Come  over 
and  play  with  the  stock  company." 

With  an  alacrity  he  had  never  before  nor  has 
since  displayed  Frank  Bacon  accepted  the  offer. 
Soon  he  became  the  stage  director  of  the  thea- 
tre. Oliver  Morosco  saw  him  in  that  playhouse 
in  a  drama  the  Senator  had  written.  He  invited 
him  to  bring  the  play  to  the  Morosco  Grand 
Opera  House  in  San  Francisco.  After  that  pro- 
duction he  was  an  established  favorite  with  the 
playgoers  of  the  Pacific  Coast  metropolis.  But 
sixty  dollars  a  week  was  the  apex  of  his  salaries. 

Came  the  earthquake,  journeyings  to  and  fro 
with  vaudeville  sketches  of  his  own  and  his 
wife's  writing,  and  played  by  the  Bacons  and 
their  children  Lloyd  and  Bessie.  Throughout 


the  circuits  "Bill  Jones"  made  divers  but  fre- 
quent appearances.  Playing  in  vaudeville  in 
New  York  he  met  James  Montgomery. 

"Go  over  and  get  the  old  man  part  in  'Stop 
Thief',''  said  the  author  of  "Ready  Money"  and 
"Going  Up." 

"We  are  doing  very  well  with  vaudeville.  I 
have  a  farm  at  Mountain  View.  I  am  a  con- 
tented man." 

"Go !"  commanded  James   Montgomery. 

"I'll  go  and  find  out  what  there  is  in  it," 
dr,awled  Mr.  Bacon. 

There  was  so  much  in  it  that,  seeing  him, 
Winchell  Smith  engaged  him  for  "The  Fortune 
Hunter." 

In  the  two  years  that  followed  they  explored 
the  maps  of  each  others'  mind.  Frank  told 
Winchell  about  the  popularity  of  Bill  Jones, 
amiable  drunkard,  plausible  liar  and  beloved  ego- 
tist. Followed  collaboration,  the  while  Mr. 
Bacon  acquired  a  New  York  reputation  as  Prim- 
rose, the  servant  in  "The  Cinderella  Man." 

Then  and  now  Lightnin'. 

To  avoid  idleness  the  incorrigible  stage  idler 
is  writing  with  Freeman  Tilden  another  play 
called  "Five  o'Clock." 


MODERN  COMEDIES  AT  THE  FRENCH  THEATRE 

Jacques  Copeau  opens  his  second  season  at  the  Vieux  Colombier 


THE  French  Theatre  du  Vieux  Colombier 
recently  inaugurated  its  second  New  York 
season,  under  the  direction  of  Jacques 
Copeau,  with  Henri  Bernstein's  piece  "Le  Secret," 
played  here  in  English  a  few  years  ago  by 
Frances  Starr. 

The  note  of  modernity  struck  in  the  closing 
days  of  the  Vieux  Colombier's  first  endeavor  to 
create  a  paying  clientele  is  evidently  being  reL 
peated  this  year.  Plays  of  to-day  or  no  older 
than  the  nineteenth  century  drew  better,  it  was 
then  discovered,  and  nobody  can  have  it  in  his 
heart  to  blame  the  most  idealistic  director  for 
turning  half  an  ear,  at  least,  to  the  voice  of  the 
box-office. 

The  classic  French  theatre  will  be,  in  fact, 
drawn  on  but  seven  times  in  the  twenty-five 
weeks  and  another  innovation,  if  it  had  been 
intended  to  be  a  rule,  is  this :  each  week  is  to  be 
devoted  to  a  single  production  or  double  bill 
which  will  be  run  regularly  from  Monday  to 
Saturday,  inclusively,  Moliere,  Beaumarchais, 
Shakespeare,  Alfred  de  Musset  are  the  authors 
whose  masterpieces  are  thus  to  be  infrequently 
given.  "Le  Medecin  malgre  Lui,,"  "L'Avare," 
"Le  Misanthrope"  and  "L'Amour  Medecin,"  are 
the  Moliere  offerings.  Alfred  de  Musset's  sin- 
gle draught  is  the  charming,  witty  and  melan- 
choly "Caprices  de  Marianne" ;  the  Shakespeare 
bill  will  be  the  same  play  we  saw  in  French  at 
this  theatre  last  season,  "La  Nuit  des  Rois" ; 
(Midsummer  Night's  Dream)  Alfred  de  Vigny's 
"Chatterton"  may  be  classed  as  a  classic  and, 
•of  course,  La  Fontaine's  little  known  "La  Coupe 
Enchantee"  is  one. 

Dumas  Fils,  Ibsen,  Augier,  Verlaine,  repre- 
sent the  19th  century  French  theatre,  rather  a 
meager  showing  since  it  includes  a  foreigner  and 
Verlaine  whose  play,  his  only  play,  "Les  Uns  et 
les  Autres,"  a  one-act  piece  can  be  shown  merely 
^s  a  curiosity. 

The  moderns,  therefore,  have  the  season  al- 
most to  themselves  and  this  fact  speaks  volumes 
=as  to  what  M.  Copeau  learned  last  year.  Ex- 


perience taught  him  that  a  literary  play,  pur  et 
simple,  did  occasionally  catch  the  public;  Meri- 
mee's  piece  did  but  also  that  literature  without 
drama  emptied  the  theatre.  So  he  uses  of  the 
French  master  only  those  pieces  of  his  maturity 
which  still  interest  a  general  public  and  chooses 
his  other  scant  classics  with  the  same  wisdom. 
The  spice  of  Beaumarchais's  "Figaro"  rarely  fails 
of  a  degree  of  effect  and  in  war  times  it  is  apt 
to  prove  more  than  usually  sparkling. 

The  same  care  in  selection  seems  to  have  been 
employed  when  it  came  to  a  choice  of  the  near- 
classics  :  Dumas'  "Femme  de  Claude"  is  the 
nearest  approach  to  a  topic  pertinent  to  the 
times  which  could  have  been  chosen  out  of  his 
long  list  of  plays ;  "Georgette  Lemeunier,"  by 
Maurice  Donnay  is  less  encumbered  than  some 
of  that  author's  recent  pieces  with  dogma  and 
of  course  when  it  comes  down  to  Bataille, 
Renard,  Bernard  and  Bernstein,  nothing  given 
us  by  these  modern  successful  writers  is  caviare 
to  the  present  generation  of  playgoers  who  know 
them  in  translation  almost  as  soon  as  Parisians 
do  in  their  vernacular. 

The  modern  comedy  writers  are  in  force  in 
the  announced  repertoire :  Paul  Claudel,  Emile 
Mazaud,  Alfred  Capus,  George  Courteline.  We 
may  therefore  look  for  a  quite  different  company 
in  the  Theatre  du  Vieux  Colombier  this  year 
than  last.  For  to  say  it  as  kindly  as  possible, 
last  year's  society  of  players  in  that  little  house 
was  a  serious  band.  They  worked  hard  and 
unfortunately  showed  that  they  were  working 
hard  which  worried  the  spectator  brought  up 
to  believe  in  the  traditional  Gallic  lightness  of 
touch  and  mercurial  verve;  they  rarely  smiled 
and  when  they  did  it  was  nearly  always  with  a 
suspicion  of  tears  behind  the  smile. 

The  French  company  of  last  season  has  been 
increased  by  the  addition  of  Eloise  Beryl,  Mine. 
Van  Doren,  Mile.  Jeaniet,  Romaine  Bouquet, 
Rene  Bouquet  and  Henri  Noel. 

M.  Copeau  has  the  theory  and  practices  it  of 
engaging  young  people  who  are  untrained  and 


tm-stagy,  believing  that  he  can  get  better  results 
from  this  material  than  he  would  be  able  to  ob- 
tain from  actors  afflicted  with  a  smattering  of 
stage  tradition  and  habit.  No  doubt  he  is  right. 
The  theory  is  not  original  with  him ;  it  was  em- 
phasized by  a  playwright  and  producer,  the  late 
Dion  Boucicault  in  many  of  his  pieces.  That 
celebrated  actor  had  at  his  finger  tips  all  the 
tricks  and  devices  of  the  stage  and  of  the  play- 
author.  It  used  to  be  amusing  to  see  his  pupils  in 
one  of  his  pieces ;  one  could  close  one's  eyes  and 
fancy  Boucicault  was  assuming  all  the  parts. 

That  M.  Copeau  overcame  great  obstacles  in 
his  first  season  has  to  be  admitted  freely.  He  lit- 
erally built  a  stage,  constructed  scenery,  designed 
and  manufactured  costumes  and  laid  plans  for 
obtaining  audiences  while  at  the  same  time  and 
all  the  time  he  was  rehearsing  artists  whom  he 
dared  not  leave  for  a  moment  to  their  own  in- 
spirations. That  some  of  his  effects  of  novelty 
on  the  stage  were  flimsy  may  be  admitted  with- 
out detracting  from  the  value  of  his  work  as  a 
whole.  Out  of  these  herculean  labors  he  suc- 
ceeded in  putting  on  in  his  first  season  a  half 
dozen  pieces  which  should  have  taught  our  na- 
tive producers  that  they  still  had  a  great  deal 
to  learn.  In  truth,  although  he  did  not  succeed 
in  establishing  his  theatre  on  a  firm  financial 
foundation  he  carried  out  as  far  as  was  humanly 
possible  his  very  lofty  ideals  for  the  theatre.  It 
was  a  happy  day  for  New  York  when  this  actor- 
producer  transported  his  little  stage  from  an  ob- 
scure street  of  Paris  to  West  35th  Street  in  New 
York.  If  any  theatre  needs  ideals  and  aspira- 
tions, if  any  theatre  needs  new  ideas,  it  is  the 
stage  of  the  Western  metropolis. 

From  the  prospectus  it  would  appear  that  the 
Parisian  manager  who  is  still  regarded  in  his 
native  Paris  with  a  degree  of  condescension  has  - 
learned  a  little  more  of  what  this  audience  wants 
and,  without  lowering  his  standard,  is  prepared 
to  give  it  to  them  within  reason.  On  his  lofty 
compromise  the  best  hopes  of  the  French  Thea- 
tre in  New  York  may  well  be  based. 


[292] 


Theatre    Magazine,  November,   191! 


Promt  a  photograph  by   White 


Act  II.  The  Queen  of  the  Carnival  bestows  the  prize 
on    Nicolo    as    the    best    violin    makei    in    Cremona 


TAVIE     BELGE     AND     THOMAS     CONKEY     IN     THE     MODERN 
OPERETTA     "FIDDLERS    THREE,"     AT    THE    CORT    THEATRE 


THE 


AND  THE 


LTIST 


We  know  what  the  audience  thinks  of  the  dancer,   but 
what  are  the  feelings  of  the  dancer  towards  her  audience? 

By  DP:SIREE  LUBOVSKA 


DO  the  public  and  the  artist  see  the  same 
in  the  dance?  Much  has  been  written 
about  this  art  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
audience,  its  spectacular  and  scenic  effects,  the 
personality  of  the  different  talented  interpreters. 
It  has  all  been  from  the  other  side  of  the  foot- 
lights. I  should  like  to  present  to  the  public  the 
feelings  of  the  artist  towards  the  audience,  in 
order  to  make  clear  certain  of  the  aspirations 
of  all  artists  who  express  themselves  in  the 
dance. 

I  feel  that  too  much  mystery  has  been  woven 
into  the  fabric  of  the  modern  dance  and  that  the 
public  who  are  not  students  of  this  form  of  ex- 
pression perhaps  only  take  a  small  part  of  what 
the  artist  really  intends  them  to  get,  since  their 
minds  are  devoted  to  absorbing  the  color  and  music 
and  are  seeking  for  mysteries  that  do  not  exist  or 
exist  only  in  a  degree  sufficient  to  .arouse  in- 
terest, as  in  a  picture  of  fine  quality.  An  old 
Eastern  fairy  tale  will  illustrate  my  thought : 


AN  ancient  king  desired  the  finest  robe  for 
his  coronation  that  could  be  made.  Hearing 
of  this,  two  tailors  of  a  rather  doubtful  reputa- 
tion set  out  at  once  for  the  court,  with  a  plan 
of  great  ingenuity,  although  reflecting  little 
credit  on  their  honesty.  Once  there,  they  an- 
nounced themselves  as  being  able  to  produce  the 
finest  material  the  world  had  ever  known.  This 
material  was  to  be  so  marvelous  that  only  the 
wisest  men  in  the 
kingdom  would  be 
able  to  see  it  at  all ; 
it  was  not  for  the 
common  eye.  They 
called  for  the  finest 
materials,  the  rarest 
jewels,  and  then  ap- 
parently set  to  work. 
In  spite  of  their  ap- 
parent efforts  the 
looms  remained  emp- 
ty. This  deeply  im- 
pressed the  entire 
populace  who  set  out 
to  see  this  marvelous 
weaving.  At  first  they 
doubted  their  own 
senses  and  then  rath- 
er than  be  considered 
stupid,  professed  to 
see  something  that 
did  not  exist.  From 
all  sides  came  paeans 
of  praise  for  these 
wonderful  weavers 
and  no  one  but  was 
able  to  describe 
something  that  ex- 
isted only  as  a  fig- 
ment of  their  imag- 
ination. The  king 
himself  paid  a  visit 
of  state  to  the  craftsmen  who  had  excited  so 
much  talk  in  his  kingdom  and  since  everyone 
else  was  able  to  describe  the  beauties  and  mar- 
vels of  the  tissue,  he  himself  felt  that  he  must 
be  very  stupid  not  to  be  able  to  see  it;  and 
rather  than  admit  his  mental  lack  to  his  people, 


allowed  himself  to  he  gulled  into  the  popular 
belief. 

At  last  the  tailors  announced  that  their  labors 
were  completed,  and  they  went  through  the 
movements  of  putting  this  wonderful  garment 
on  the  still-deluded  king.  Sad  to  relate,  he  at- 
tended the  coronation  in  little  more  than  his 
crown,  his  sceptre,  and  the  illusion  that  possessed 
him  and  his  entire  people  in  regard  to  the  cos- 
tume. 

In  the  audience  that  saw  the  splendid  cere- 
monies performed,  there  were  certainly  a  few 
doubters,  and  the  solemnity  of  the  coronation 
must  have  been  to  them  extremely  entertaining. 
The  doubts  thus  aroused  gradually  spread  to 
the  people,  and  the  public  then  visited  thiir  dis- 
pleasure on  the  entire  race  of  tailors  because  of 
the  chicanery  of  these  two. 

This  reflects  the  popular  attitude  towards  cer- 
tain phases  of  the  art  of  dancing.  They  are 
tired  of  looking  at  the  empty  looms.  They  de- 
mand the  real  thing;  they  are  turning  to  the 
devoted  few  who  have  really  created  something, 
who  in  following  the  form  of  the  story,  are  good 
tailors,  but  who  for  one  reason  or  another  have 
not  had  the  best  material  to  work  with. 

It  is  trite  to  ask  the  public  to  take  the  art  of 
dancing  seriously,  and  yet  no  other  form  of 
words  conveys  the  thought  that  is  in  my  mind. 
In  primitive  times  the  dance  was  used  to  inter- 
pret every  deep  emotional  relationship  with  the 


was  the  one  language  they  felt  deeply  enough 
to  reach  and  express  the  god  idea.  The  efffort 
to  conventionalize  certain  characters,  developed 
certain  forms  of  physical  expression  which  grad- 
ually grew  into  dance  steps  and  movements. 

The  modern  dancers  must  feel  the  dignity  of 
the  art  which  they  interpret.  The  public  must 
be  brought  to  understand  the  dignity  and  im- 
portance of  this  ancient  form  of  expression  that 
lias  survived  through  all  the  ages  with  an  ever- 
increasing  interest.  Therefore,  anything  that 
tends  to  degrade  the  art,  to  put  it  on  a  level  with 
sensational  efforts,  or  to  make  its  appeal  too 
pointedly  along  sensual  lines,  is  equally  repulsive 
to  the  true  artist  and  to  the  cultured  audience. 
A  sincere  dancer  is  as  jealous  of  the  reputation 
of  his  art  as  is  a  sculptor,  a  painter,  or  a  musi- 
cian. 

The  modern  dancer  seeks  to  express  to  the  au- 
dience not  only  the  surface  emotions  of  the  char- 
acter represented,  but  the  deeper  significance. 


Photo  Marcia  Stein 


DESIREE    LUBOVSKA 
Premiere  danseuse  in  "Everything"  at  the   Hippodrome 

phenomena  of  nature.  Dancing  was  the  center 
of  tribal  life  and  was  the  basis  of  the  modern 
drama,  music,  and  religious  ceremonies,  and  the 
costumes  especially  created  for  the  dance  among 
primitive  peoples  represent  their  highest  form  of 
esthetic  expression  in  color  and  line.  Dancing 

[294] 


THE  aim  is  to  show  through  beautiful  move- 
ments of  the  body  not  only  the  beauty  of 
the  physical   body  but  the   finest  expressions  of 
mental  vision  and   spirtual  conception. 

How  true  it  is,  indeed,  that  where  beauty  is 
depicted  for  mere  beauty's  sake,  it  is  a  cold  and 
colorless  affair.  A  work  of  art  must  be  fired 
with  the  dynamics  of  life  and  spiritual  vision  in 
order  to  stir  the  heart  or  awaken  the  intellect. 
Superficial  d  a  n  c  ers 
could  be  likened  to 
little  children  learn- 
ing to  recite  poetry 
without  knowing  its 
meaning.  Little  at- 
tention has  been  paid 
to  the  psychology  of 
color,  the  potency  of 
natural  human  ex- 
pression, and  emotion 
in  motion — soul  pic- 
tures set  music. 

Nearly  every  one 
to-day  has  been 
trained,  or  instinc- 
tively knows,  how  to 
distinguish  the  inte- 
gral parts  of  musical 
composition  — melody, 
rhythm,  harmony, 
point,  counterpoint, 
theme,  etc.  We  know, 
because  we  are  not 
blind,  that  painting 
has  color,  light,  shad- 
ow, technique,  and  a 
meaning  —  practically 
all  the  parts  of  music 
save  its  melody. 

"Pure  dancing, 
then,  is  and  should 
be  the  essence  of 
emotional  expression ;  the.  visualized  ideals  of  all 
phases  of  emotional  beings,  historical,  psycho- 
logical, and  religious;  the  perfect  demonstration 
of  the  law  of  obedience  with  respect  to  impulse, 
principle,  idea ;  a  reproduction  of  ideals  in  rhyth- 
mical motion ;  the  visible  language  of  the  soul. 


Theatre  Magazine,  November, 


(Below) 
JANET  BEECHER 

One  of  the  leading  play- 
ers in  "Double  Expo- 
sure," the  farce  by  Avery 
Hopwood  recently  seen 
here 


Sarony 


WALKER 
WHITESIDE 


Broadway  will  see  this 
splendid  actor  shortly  in 
"The  Little  Brother,"  a 
piece  which  ran  success- 
fully in  London  for  a  year 


(Below) 
GERTRUDE    DALLAS 

This  attractive  player  is 

supporting   Mitzi   in   the 

new  musical  piece,  "Head 

Over    Heels" 


Sarony 


Lewis-Smith 


TRIUMVIRATE    OF    LEADING    PLAY  E  R  S 


A  PAGE  FROM  YESTERDAY 


N  "The  Great  Ruby"  was  play- 
ing  at  the  Fourteenth  Street 
Theatre,  a  balloon  used  to  advertise  the 
play  lay  down  on  the  job  and  also  on 
the  Sixth  Avenue  elevated,  holding  up 
traffic  for  some  time. 

*  *        * 

"TN  1900,  when  it  was  reported  that 
David  Belasco  was  going  to  build  a 
model  theatre  on  Broadway,  he  received 
a  letter  from  a  woman  expressing  the 
wish  that  the  proposed  theatre  would 
have  a  looking  glass  where  women 
could  put  on  the  hats  which  they  had 
just  learned  to  take  off  during  per- 
formances. "Please,  oh,  please,  Mr. 
Belasco,"  the  letter  ran,  ''be  good  to 
us.  The  manager  who  makes  women 
comfortable  while  they  are  in  the  thea- 
tre is  unconsciously  acquiring  a  large 
staff  of  unsalaried  press  agents  that  are 
good  talkers  and  grateful  to  the  point 
of  insanity  for  small  favors." 

*  *        * 

"[TOURING  the  late  nineties,  one  of 
*^  the  hotels  in  Terre  Haute,  Ind., 
kept  a  separate  register  for  theatrical 
people. 


I 


TDOBERT  G.  INGERSOLL  dipped 
•"•^  into  dramatic  criticism  in  1887, 
with  the  following  remarks  about  Julia 
Marlowe:  "To  retain  the  freshness 
that  is  her  greatest  charm,  all  she  will 
have  to  do  is  to  keep  away  from  the 
elocutionists  and  pay  no  attention  to 
the  critics.  Her  talent  needs  no  guide 
save  that  afforded  by  experience  and 
her  own  mentality." 

*        *        * 

HP  HE  press  in  1887  heralded  a  new 
gas-burning  apparatus  which  it  was 
predicted  would  "revolutionize  interior  illumina- 
tion and  put  out  the  incandescent  light."  One 
authority  thought  that  it  would  "prove  more 
powerful  and  economical  than  the  electric  light 
for  lightning  theatres  and  theatre  lobbies."  But 
somehow  the  incandescent  has  managed  to  sur- 
vive. 

*        *        * 

"P  EARLS    come    in    different    hues.      William 
Gillette  appeared  in  "The  Great  Pink  Pearl" 
in    1887.     And    this    season,    "The    Blue    Pearl" 
came   to   Broadwav. 


[EW  YORK  ticket  speculators  please  copy! 
In  1866,  when  Forrest  opened  an  engage- 
ment in  San  Francisco  as  Richelieu,  the  first 
ticket  for  the  opening  performance  brought  $500. 

*        *        * 

"TS  the  theatre  a  luxury?  Congress  wants  to 
know.  And  Providence,  in  Colonial  days, 
passed  "an  Act  to  Prevent  Stage  Plays  and 
other  Theatrical  entertainments  within  this 
Colony,"  on  the  ground  that  theatregoing  oc- 
casioned "great  and  unnecessary  expenses." 


EARLY  TICKET  SPECULATION 
HAMLET  IN  STREET  CLOTHES 
ROBERT  G.  INGERSOLL  A  CRITIC 

,i i i mmim urn m i mm in mil mm i i inn i | 

WHENEVER  a  new  brand  of  breakfast  food  or  a 
new  style  of  scouring  soap  is  put  on  the  market, 
one  of  the  favorite  ways  of  introducing  it  is  to  distrib- 
ute "samples"  in  a  house-to-house  canvass.  What  if 
the  Broadway  managers  were  to  adopt  similar  tactics, 
and  distribute  "free  samples"  of  their  fall  productions? 
It  doesn't  seem  likely,  does  it? 

And  yet  no  longer  ago  than  in  1899  a  repertoire  com- 
pany in  one  of  the  principal  New  England  cities  gave 
a  free  matinee  at  the  beginning  of  the  week  in  order  to 
coax  patronage  nor  is  it  so  long  ago  that  Corse  Payton 
and  Cecil  Spooner  gave  tea  parties  to  the  audiences  on 
the  stage  of  their  Brooklyn  theatre,  after  the  matinee 
performance— the  object,  of  course,  being  to  encourage 
hero  worship  and  thus  advertise  the  show. 

Most  of  the  old  methods  of  attracting  crowds  have 
given  place  to  more  modern  devices.  Nowadays,  when 
a  manager  wants  to  "drum  up  trade,"  he  either  papers 
the  house  or  else  arranges  with  the  speculators  to  buy 
a  big  block  of  the  seats  for  the  first  eight  weeks  of 
the  run. 

And  yet,  why  abandon  all  the  old  tricks?  Think  of 
the  drawing  power  of  a  marriage  on  the  stage.  County 
fairs  used  to  advertise  the  marriage  of  a  couple  in  a 
balloon  as  a  special  attraction.  Some  of  our  war  melo- 
dramas could  substitute  a  tank  for  the  balloon. 

Then  there  were  the  street  parades,  bloodhounds  and 
all  that  used  to  precede  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin." 

Wonder  if  the  Shuberts  ever  thought  of  that  idea  for 
the  Winter  Garden? 


fllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllNIIIIIMIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIimilllllllimilllllllMIIMnimilMIIIIIIIIF 


MATHILDE      COTTRELLY,      ap- 
pearing on   Broadway  this   season 
in  "Friendly  Enemies,"  has  been  mana- 
ger as  well  as  actress.    For  she  at  one 
time   managed   the    Thalia    Theatre   on 

the   Bowery. 

*  *        * 

WHEN    Wallace    Eddinger    got    his 
first    bicycle,  back    in  1893,    that 
fact    appeared    in    the    theatrical   notes. 
Only  everyone  called  him  "Wally"  then. 

*  *        * 

AT    the   beginning    of   this    century, 
Douglas  Fairbanks  and  the  movie 
camera  hadn't  even  had  an  introduction. 
"Doug"  was  playing  small   Shakespear- 
ian  role   with    Frederick    Warde. 

*  *        * 

THE    Bowery    After    Dark"    sounds 
like  a  lightless  night  play,  doesnt 
it?    It's  the  title  of  a  melodrama  which 
Sam    H.    Harris   produced   many   years 
ago,    with    Terry    McGovern,    feather- 

weight pugilist,  as  the  star. 

*  *        * 

'ORE  than  thirty  years  ago,  Flo  and 
May     Irwin     were     appearing     in 

vaudeville  in  a  "sister"  act. 

*  *        * 

"IPjvO  you  go  down  to  the  Bowery  to 
•"*  hear  grand  opera  when  you  are  in 
New  York?  Not  now,  but  in  the 
seventies  a  $5,000  house  to  listen  to 
grand  opera  in  the  Stadt  Theatre  was 

not  unusual. 

*  *        * 

¥N  1903,  George  Bernard  Shaw's 
•"•  "Arms  and  the  Man,"  was  placed  un- 
der the  ban  in  Vienna  because  it  pre- 
sented a  somewhat  burlesqued  picture 
of  the  Bulgarian  army.  Wonder  what 
Vienna  thinks  of  it  by  now  ? 
*  *  * 


HP  HE  first  voice  that  traveled  over  a  wire 
•*•  from  Chicago  to  Boston  was  an  actor's.  It 
belonged  to  DeWolf  Hopper.  Faulty  insulation 
of  the  telephone  instrument  resulted  in  a  slight 
burn  on  the  actor's  hand.  "Never  mind,"  was 
his  commuit.  "This  isn't  the  first  time  I  have 
been  roasted  in  Chicago." 

*  *        * 

TTN  1893  Marie  Wainwright  announced  her  re- 
tirement  from  the  stage.  "But,"  she  added, 
"I  am  not  certain  that  my  retirement  will  be 
permanent."  Subsequent  events  have  justified 
her  uncertainty. 

*  *         * 

|U*AITH  in  the  power  of  advertising  was  never 
stronger  than  in  1899,  when  this  advertise- 
ment appeared  in  a  theatrical  journal:  "Wanted, 
an  author  to  write  a  romantic  play.  State  ex- 
perience." 

*  *         * 

TIJTHEN  Horace  Greeley  was  offered  a  box 
for  a  performance  of  Charles  Fechter  in 
"The  Lady  of  Lyons,"  he  declined  on  the  ground 
that  he  "didn't  want  to  lose  the  right  to  criti- 
cize a  foreigner."  Fechter  was  an  Anglo-French 
actor. 

*  *        * 


""OTHEN  electric  signs  first  began  to  come  into 
*  *  general  use  as  theatrical  display  advertis- 
ing, they  didn't  have  the  sweep  of  vision  nor  the 
prodigality  of  their  modern  successors.  In  the 
early  days,  there  was  often  just  a  limited  space 
for  the  lettering,  and  if  an  author  had  been  so 
thoughtless  as  to  select  a  long  title,  he  had  to 
take  the  consequences.  The  electrician  did  the 
necessary  abbreviating.  Thus  there  appeared 
"The  Jmt  of  King  Solomon"  for  "The  Judgment 
of  King  Solomon,"  and  "A  Rmkble  Case,"  a 

remarkable  makeshift  for  "A  Remarkable  Case." 

*  *         * 

/~>NE  thing  is  certain:  Richard  Mansfield's 
^^^  tours  were  made  before  the  day  of  McAdoo 
railroad  regulation.  That  artist  utilized  a 
private  train  of  ten  cars  when  he  went  on  the 
road,  and  his  own  private  car  was  reputed  to 

have  cost  $30,000. 

*  *        * 

nPHE   word   "green   room"   was   evolved    from 
*•     the  old  "scene  room"  ;  that  is,  the  room  off 

the  scene,  or  stage. 

*  *         * 

r  |n  HERE    was    a    time    when    actresses    shrunk 

from  publicity.     Incredible,  but  true.     Mrs. 

Morris,  a  favorite  American   actress  of  the  last 


"JLJTAMLET"    isn't   necessarily    a   costume   play.      "ILJTAVE  you  missed  vaudeville  recently?  When       century,    was    so   modest    that    she    went   to    the 


Once,  when  his  baggage  failed  to  arrive 
in  time  for  the  performance  at  Waterbury, 
Conn.,  Booth  played  the  first  three  acts  in  his 
street  clothes,  while  the  Ghost  wore  a  tin  dipper 
on  his  head  in  lien  of  a  helmet. 


motion  pictures  were  shown  for  the  first 
time  in  Keith's  Union  Square  Theatre  J.  Aus- 
tin Fynes,  then  Mr.  Keith's  general  manager, 
predicted  that  in  ten  years  the  movies  would 
replace  the  vaudeville  houses. 


trouble  of  having  a  private  path  made  from  her 
lodgings  in  John  Street,  so  that  she  could  reach 
the  Park  Theatre  without  being  stared  at  by  the 
fashionable  loiterers  on  Broadway.  As  to  em- 
ploying a  press  agent !  Never  ! 


[296  ] 


Theatre  Magasvne,  Norember,  191! 


,mm | numiiimiiiiiiiiimi iimminniniinmminniii iiiimiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimii niiminiiimiimiMinn iiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiimiimimiiiiiiiiiiimimiii minim iiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimin 


I 


AMATEUR  THEATRICALS 

In  this  department,  will  be  shown  each  month,  the  work  that   is   being  done  by  clever  Amateurs  in 
the  small  town,  the  big  city— in  the  universities,  schools  and  clubs  throughout  the  country. 
1  shall   be   glad   to    consider  for  publication  any  photographs  or  other  matter,  concerning   plays    and 
masques  done  by  amateurs  and  to  give  suggestions  and  advice  wherever  I  can.   Write  me.         The  Editor 

|  i 

|lllmllmmllmllll mn inmmiimmnn mnmimnmniinmminmninmnmnmniinmmiiimiinmnnnmnmminmn ninimmnimmnmn inimn inn mimnmimniiimnmimnmimmi 


M     A     K     I     N 


U     P 


IN    the   first    instalment   of    "Making 
Up"  in  the  October  issue,  we  dis- 
cussed   the    various    kinds    of    creams 
and     grease-paints,     essential     to     an 
effective  make-up,  and  in  this,  the  lasc 
article,  on  this  fascinating  subject,  we 
will  take  up  the  question  of  wigs  and 
beards.     If  space  permitted,  we  should 
like  to  tell  you  in  detail  all  the  meth- 
ods  of   make-up    from   youth   to   ma- 
turity and  old  age;  the  correct  way  to 
make  up  the  eyes,  the  mouth,  the  lips 
— and     even     the     hands — for     "char- 
acter" as  well  as  "straight"  parts,  but 
in  the  brief  outline  we  have  been  able 
to  give  you  in  these  two  articles,  we 
believe  that  we  have  at  least  pointed 
the  way,  to  the  amateur  performer  who 
is   keen    for   perfection.     We    recom- 
mend to  the  amateur  wishing  to  make 
a  serious  study  of  make-up,  the  book 
"Making    Up"    by    James    Young,    to 
whom  we   are  indebted   for   much  of 
the  material  in  this  article.    The  book 
gives  a  complete   history  of  make-up, 
explicit     and     understandable     direc- 
tions, with  many  illustrations. 


WIGS 

SOMEWHERE  we  have  been  told  that  the 
hair  is  the  crowning  glory — and  it  is  cer- 
tainly the  crowning  achievement  of  a  good 
make-up.  Even  though  the  wig  may  be  lack- 
ing in  the  qualities  of  luster  and  luxuriancy, 
it  may,  from  the  artistic  point  of  view,  be 
beautiful  in  its  baldness,  in  its  delicacy  of 
construction,  and  naturalness  of  effect. 

Naturalness,  undoubtedly,  is  paramount  to 
every  other  effect.  It  is  the  aim  of  those  who 
wear  wigs  that  they  shall  not  be  "wiggy"  in 
appearance;  and  to  gain  this  effect,  much  care, 
labor  and  thought  are  demanded. 

In  costume  plays,  representing  a  particular 
period,  great  care  as  to  correctness  must  be 
observed.  The  hair  should  be  worn  "accord- 
ing to  the  fashion  of  the  time." 

If  the  wig  happens  to  be  of  a  different 
color  from  your  own  hair,  you  can  easily 
color  yours  to  blend  with  the  wig.  With  a 
little  mascaro,  water  and  brush,  your  hair  can 
be  made  gray,  blonde  or  brunette,  and  this  is 
easily  washed  off.  Grease-paint  is  sometimes 
used  to  color  the  sides  of  the  hair  to  match 
the  wig,  and  while  it  is  for  many  reasons 
not  satisfactory,  yet  it  will  do  in  an  emer- 
gency. 

The  wig  must  be  pulled  well  down  in  the 
back,  in  order  to  completely  cover  your  own 
hair.  With  your  hand-mirror,  see  that  this 
is  well  executed  before  going  on  the  stage. 
The  sides  and  back  are  the  points  where  the 
fact  that  it  is  a  wig  is  most  apparent,  and,  if 
the  illusion  is  to  be  complete,  the  wig  must 


George  C.  Williams  as  "Cap'n  Warren" 

seem  to  be  the  thing  that  it  is  not,  and  not 
what  it  is.  When  it  is  put  in  place  on  the 
head,  it  must  cease  to  be  a  wig.  If  you  are 
to  play  only  a  few  performances,  you  will 
find  that  you  will  now  be  able  to  rent  very 
fine  ones  which  are  carried  in  stock,  and  can 
be  hired  for  these  occasions.  These  will  be 
dressed,  and  made  to  fit  the  wearer. 

Wig  making  has  reached  such  a  degree  of 
perfection  that  it  is  not  difficult  to  secure  a 
wig  that  will  appear  as  if  it  were  your  own 
hair,  no  matter  what  the  style  of  the  wig 
may  be. 

BEARDS 

THERE    are    two    methods    of    attaching 
false    beards    to    the    face.      The    most 
natural   and   effective   way  is,   of   course,   the 


i!;iiniiiiiii:niMim; 


;miimiinmiimmimiiimniiinmnmnmnimimninimii| 


Forthcoming  Articles 

On  this  page,  from  time  to 
time,  will  appear  articles  on 

SCENERIES 
COSTUMES 
PROPERTIES 
PLAYS 


iimiimniinmninnnmnmiimniiiiiimiminiiiiiiiiimimiiimiinimimmiiminiiinimnir. 


[297] 


most  difficult  and  troublesome.  It 
is  to  practically  make  the  beard 
on  the  face,  by  shaping  it  out 
of  crepe  hair ;  the  other  way  is  to 
have  the  beard  on  a  gauze  foundation, 
which  fits  the  lines  of  the  face. 


To  be  quite  frank,  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  accurately  describe  how  to 
make   beards    any   more   than   physics 
can   be   studied    satisfactorily   without 
the  aid  of  demonstrations  and  exper- 
iments ;    yet,    there    are    certain    rules 
which,   when   combined   with   practice, 
will     be     sufficient     to     enable     the 
student     to     make     for     himself     a 
natural  appearing  beard.     Some  actors 
excel  in  the  perfect  handling  of  crepe 
hair,  and  their  moustaches  and  beards 
are    so    true   to    life    that   they    could 
walk  upon   the  street  with  little  fear 
of  detection.    Again,  other  painstaking 
players    seem    never    to    be    able    to 
master  the  science  of  the  manipulation 
of  this  part  of  the  make-up,  and   so 
have  the  beards  made  on  gauze. 


THE     MOUSTACHE 

THE  moustache  is  the  "bete  noir"  of  the 
beginner,  or,  speaking  more  exactly,  to 
both  the  amateur  and  his  audience;  for  it  is 
usually  black  beyond  all  semblance  to  any 
natural  shade,  and  in  shape  and  size  out  of 
all  natural  proportions. 

In  the  first  place,  the  young  amateur  is 
often  fearful  of  his  moustache  falling  off. 
The  consciousness  of  this  fact  makes  him 
nervous,  and  as  this  agitation  is  by  some 
peculiar  psychological  transmission  conveyed 
to  the  understanding  of  the  audience,  both 
suffer  from  its  effects. 

Remember,  to  begin  with,  the  hair  on  the 
face  is  almost  invariably  lighter  than  the  hair 
of  the  head. 

Moustaches  made  by  the  wig-maker,  woven 
on  silk  gauze,  are  the  most  natural  in  repre- 
senting modern  styles.  They  are  pasted  on 
the  lips,  and  when  artistically  made,  look  as 
if  the  hair  were  growing  from  the  flesh. 
*  *  * 

THE  particularly  clever  make-up  of  George 
C.  Williams  as  "Cap'n  Warren,"  in  a  pro- 
duction by  the  Amards,  an  amateur  dramatic 
organization  connected  with  the  Ithaca  Con- 
servatory of  Music,  is  a  striking  example  of 
what  may  be  accomplished  with  a  properly 
worked-up  beard  of  crepe  hair— and  careful 
attention  to  detail.  We  have  but  one  criticism 
to  make— and  that  a  rather  important  one. 
Mr.  Williams  forgot  to  make  up  his  hands  to 
convey  the  illusion  of  rugged  old  age. 


'SHERWOOD,  or  ROBIN  HOOD   and   the  THREE   KINGS 

Direcud  liy  GRACE  C.  ANDERSON 

MITCHELL  COLLEGE.. STATESVILLE,  N.  C. 


THE  students  of  Mitchell  College,  Statesville, 
N.   C.,   presented  that  most  beautiful  play, 
"Sherwood,"   by   Alfred   Noyes,   on   the  College 
out-of-door  stage. 

The    stage    is    situated    on    low,    tree-crowded 
ground,  from  which  the  foreground  gently  rises, 


Ruth  Morrison   as   "Robin    Hood"   and 
Mildred     Smith     as     "Maid     Marian" 

affording  a  very  fine  elevation   for  an  audience. 

The  stage-setting  for  "Sherwood"  need  not  be 
elaborate.  A  framework  was  built  about  five  feet 
from  the  back  of  the  stage  to  hold  the  gates  of 
fairy-land,  a  window,  a  green-curtained  alcove, 
and  a  platform  from  which  steps  led  down  to 
the  stage. 

This  framework  and  the  entire  back  and 
sides  of  the  stage  were  massed  with  trees 
and  ferns.  From  the  side-front,  and  on  the 
ground,  a  painted  set  of  woodland  slides  cut  off 
the  "behind-the-scenes"  from  the  audience. 


Mildred   Bedford   as   "Shadow-of-a-Leaf" 

COLORED  lights  were  used  for  flower-hung 
fairy-land  (which  showed  beyond  the  gates 
when  they  stood  open) — ,  and  for  a  sunset  glow; 
yellow  and  clear  lights  were  turned  on  for  moon- 
light and  for  castle  scenes.  Wide  steps  led  up 
to  the  many  entrances  for  the  free  passage  of 
the  actors.  Over  the  gangways  tramped  the 
Black  Knight's  war-horse  and  Blondel's  snow- 
white  charger.  And,  over  them  too,  trotted  the 
little  grey  donkey  led  by  the  dancing  Fool  as  he 
waved  his  ferns :  and  cried,  ''Hosanna !" 

AN  unusual  feature  of  the  presentation  was 
"A  Song  of  Sherwood,"  (one  of  Noyes' 
short  poems)  used  as  a  prologue.  The  stage  is 
set.  For  a  moment  there  is  an  expectant  still- 
ness. Then,  far-off — bugles  blow  in  like  ghosts 
of  echoes.  Silence.  Suddenly,  a  dancing  figure, 
looking  like  a  spray  of  forest-green,  appears 
through  the  trees.  It  is  the  Spirit  of  Sherwood. 


She  is  on  tiptoe,  her  hands  lifted,  her  face 
listening:  "Sherwood  in  the  twilight,  is  Robin 
Hood  awake?"  She  pleads  with  a  great  longing 
that  the  dead  of  the  merry  green-wood  rise 
from  their  leafy  beds.  Her  voice  joyously  ex- 
ults as,  at  last,  full-blown  bugles  f— -H  close 


- 


Virginia  Steele  as  "Queen  Elinor"  and 
Kathryn     Somers     as     "Prince     John" 


at   hand, 
green : 


She    disappears   dancing   through   the 

-   the   bugle-note   shivers   through   the 
leaves, 

Calling,  as  he  used  to  call,  faint  and  far  away, 
In  Sherwood,  in  Sherwood,  about  the  break  of 

day." 

Again  there  is  a  moment  of  stillness,  broken 
this  time,  (as  a  fuller  moonlight  floods  the 
stage)  by  the  wild  cry  of  a  serf  who  is  dragged 
on  by  King  John's  men  and  the  play  has 
begun. 


KING     J  OH  N'S 


MEN 


IN 


.SHERWOOD, 


ABOUT   THE    BREAK 


OF  DAY" 


[  298 


Theatre  Magastne,  November, 


NOTABLE       PRESENTATIONS       BY       AMATEUR       SOCIETIES 


"MAID     OF     FRANCE" 


BY    HAROLD    BRIGHOUSE 


PRESENTED     BY     THE 


OUTDOOR     PLAYERS, 


PETERBORO,     N.      H., 


FOR      THE      FUND      FOR 


KNITTING  IN  NEW  HAMP- 


SHIRE    INSTITUTIONS 


Hilda    White    as    Joan    of    Arc    and 
Sidney  Dudley  as  an  English  Tommy 


IN  a  charming  spot  about  two  miles  from 
Peterhoro,  N.  H.,  is  located  the 
delightful  summer  school  camp  who  call 
themselves  "The  Outdoor  Players."  A 
beautiful,  natural  out-door  stage,  in  a 
picturesque  spot  has  been  the  scene  of 
many  a  delightful  pantomime  or  dramatic 
performance.  Recently  a  performance  of 
"The  Magic  Flute"  was  given,  as  arranged 
end  coached  by  Alexis  Kosloff  (of  the 
Imperial  Russian  Ballet,  Moscow).  Other 
instructors  in  the  school  include  Lotto 
Alma  Clark,  Head  of  the  Department  of 
History,  Boston  Normal  School;  Louise 
Mackentosh  Rogers,  Dramatic  Coach  and 
Hostess,  and  Marie  Ware  Laughton,  Di- 
rector. Their  performance  of  the  "Maid 
of  France"  was  given  with  special  scenery 
end  lighting  effects  by  Livingston  Platt, 
in  which  Hilda  White  impersonated  Joan 
of  Arc,  with  uncommon  dignity,  and  Sid- 
ney Dudley  (who  we  might  mention,  is  a 
professional)  took  the  part  of  an  English 
Tommy  with  easy  freedom 


THE   FLAYERS   CLUE   OF   SAN   FRANCISCO 

I  N 

4 '  T  H  E   R  I  V  A  L  S  " 


A  REMARKABLE  per- 
formance of  "The 
Rivals,"  by  Richard  Brins- 
ley  Sheridan,  was  given  in 
the  Greek  Theatre,  Berke- 
ley, California,  when  William 
H.  Crane  and  Emelie  Mel- 
ville appeared  with  members 
of  the  Little  Theatre  of  San 
Francisco,  conducted  by  the 
Players  Club,  of  which  Mr. 
Crane  and  Miss  Melville 
are  honorary  members.  The 
Players  Club  is  an  organiza- 
tion of  unusual  amateur 
actors,  who  have  been 
banded  together  for  six 
years,  producing  plays  of 
the  highest  literary  merit. 
"The  Rivals"  was  staged 
under  the  direction  of 
Reginald  Travers,  director 
of  the  Little  Theatre 


(From    left   to    right) 

i\afaele   Jirunnetto, 

as  Captain  Absolute 

Pearl  King  Tanner, 

as  Lydia  Languish 

William  H.   Crane, 

as  Sir  Anthony  Absolute 

Emelie  Melville, 

as  Mrs.  Malaprop 

William  8.  Rainey, 

as  Bob  Acres 

Mae  O'Keeffee, 

as   Lucy 


[299] 


A  PERFORMANCE  OF  "SHYLOCK' 

GIVEN    BY 

••THE  AMARDS"-A   DRAMATIC  SOCIETY  AT  THE   ITHACA 

CONSERVATORY  OF  MUSIC 


THE  Amards  is  the  enigmatic 
name  given  to  the  Students' 
Society  in  the  Dramatic  Department 
of  the  Ithaca  Conservatory  of  Mu- 
sic. This  society  is  now  in  its 
twentieth  year  and  has  presented 
some  very  creditable  dramatic  pro- 
ductions. They  regularly  present 
a  long  play  in  January  and  June ; 
also  several  short  plays  during  the 
season.  The  long  plays  are  coached 
by  the  director  of  the  department, 
while  the  short  plays  are  presented 
under  the  coaching  of  one  of  the 
advanced  students  in  the  school. 
Last  year  the  society  presented  six- 
teen short  plays,  also  "The  Mer- 
chant of  Venice"  and  "Cap'n 
Warren,"  the  latter  being  a  drama- 
tization by  George  C.  Williams, 
head  of  the  dramatic  department, 
of  Joseph  C.  Lincoln's  Cape  Cod 
story  by  the  same  name. 


A  SHORT  time  ago  this  society 
conducted  a  Dramatic  Fes- 
tival for  three  afternoons  and  eve- 
nings, giving  in  all  twelve  plays 
typical  of  various  epochs  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  drama  from  its 
beginning  down  to  the  present  time. 

The  society  also  conducts  four 
annual  social  affairs : — a  Masquer- 
ade Ball  on  Hallowe'en ;  Twelfth 
Night  Revels,  including  a  banquet, 
Christmas  tree  and  Twelfth  Night 
Games,  at  Christmas  time;  a  Sleigh 
Ride  to  one  of  the  neighboring 
towns  in  February;  and  a  Picnic 
on  Cayuga  Lake  in  June. 

Frederick  Ward,  the  noted  tra- 
gedian, is  an  honorary  member  of 
the  Amard  Society. 


George  C.  Williams  as  Shylock 


THE  MERCHANT  OF  VENICE" 
.  was  presented  in  Elizabethan  man- 
ner with  the  regular  Elizabethan  setting, 
pictures  from  the  presentation  accom- 
panying this  article.  Two  very  credit- 
able presentations  were  given  for  local 
charity  benefit. 

Other  plays  given  by  the  society  in- 
clude "A  Professor's  Love  Story,"  by 
Barring;  "The  Lady  of  Lyons,"  "The 
Rivals,"  "The  Middleman,"  by  Henry 
Arthur  James ;  "A  Bachelor's  Romance," 
by  Morton ;  "The  Taming  of  the 
Shrew,"  "She  Stoops  to  Conquer," 
"Master  Pierre  Patelin,"  "Sweet  Lav- 
ender," by  Pinero ;  "The  Suppliants,"  by 
Aeschylus ;  "Esmeralda,"  by  Burnett ; 
"David  Garrick"  and  "Everyman." 


Ray  Smith  and  Nadia  London  as  Bassanio  and  Portio 


Arthur  Bell  as  young  Gobbo 


[300] 


Theatre  Magazine,  November,  1918 


Columbia 


rafonola 


'  I  VHE   greatest   operatic    music   was 
-••    beautiful  before  it  was  great — and 
Columbia  Records  bring  you  the  best 
of  that  magical  beauty. 

Haunting  melodies,  exquisite  catches 
and  snatches  of  song,  music  of  joy  and  of 
laughter,  glorious  marches,  the  fanfare 
of  trumpets,  majestical  choruses— all 
that  and  more  have  Columbia  Records 


SUCH  great  artists  as  Lazaro,  Stracciari, 
Barrientos  and  Mardones  make  records 
exclusively  for  Columbia.  But  the  music 
they  choose  for  recording  is  always  the 
truly  great  music  of  beautiful  and  inspiring 
melody.  Beautiful  melody— that  is  the 
distinguishing  quality  of  both  Columbia 
Records  and  the  Columbia  Grafonola. 
Music  you  really  like,  played  as  you  like  to 
hear  it — that's  what  they  give  you  always. 


• 


'^k 


/COLUMBIA  Records  on  the 
^^  Columbia  Grafonola  bring  the 
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the  friendly  intimacy  of  your  own 
home.  They  make  good  music  what 
it  ought  to  be  in  every  family — an 
enduring  source  of  pleasure  and  in- 
spiration, a  solace  in  time  of  trouble, 
an  added  joy  in  happy  days. 

A  very  human  sort  of  an  instru- 
ment is  this  Columbia  Grafonola. 
A  big,  handsome,  musical  friend 
with  a  voice  that  is  sweet  and  clear 
and  strong,  bringing  good  cheer 
to  every  home  he  enters.  You 
need  his  cheerful  voice  in  yours. 

Buy   War  Savingi  Stamps 

Columbia  Graphophone  Co.,    New  York 


la  wake  a  good  record  great,  play 
it    on    the    Columbia     Grafonola. 


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Period  Designs  tip  to  $2100. 


[Ml] 


TYPES  — 

MISS  MARY  NASH  AN  IRISH  BEAUTY 


By 
ANNE  ARCHBALD 


JUST   as  there  are  two   Irelands,   the  North 
and  the  South,   so  there  are  two   different 
types    of    Ixauty,    the    Northern    and    the 
Southern.     Miss  Nash's  type  is  the  South  of  Ire- 
land, County  Clare  being  the   hirthplace  of  her 
ancestors.     Therefore   she   has   brown   eyes   and 
brown  shades  in  her  black  hair,  to  go  with  them, 
instead  of  blue  eyes  and  blue-Mack  hair,  though 


she  has  the  white  camellia  skin  that  is  the  com- 
mon property  of  both  types. 

Miss  Nash  is  one  of  the  most  individually 
dressed  women  on  the  stage  and  her  appearance 
in  any  play  always  means — among  othtr  things — 
a  distinct  sartorial  treat.  One  "reason  why"  is 
that  each  of  her  frocks  is  "designed  on  her," 
she  says.  Madame  Julie— who  has  dressed  Miss 


Nash  for  several  years — superintends  the  design- 
ing, "and  the  material  is,  never  cut  until  it  has 
first  been  draped  and  pinned  on  her.-" 

Miss  Nash's  is  a  type  that  can  stand  a  great 
deal  of  vivid  color  in  her  clothes,  and  she  has 
taken  full  advantage  of  that  fact  in  these  five 
frocks  from  "I.  O.  U.,"  which  was  recently  pre- 
sented at  the  new  Belmont  Theatre. 


Photos  Ira  L.  Hi/I 


Yellow  is  one  of  Miss  Nash's  favorite  shades  both  for  individual  wear 
and  for  her  stage  frocks,  and  this  tea-go-wn  of  corn  yellow  panne  •velvet, 
a  fabric  which  takes  on  the  most  delicious  nuances  under  the  lights,  is 
contrasted  with  the  tawny  yellow  of  fitch  fur.  There  is  a  high-in-front 
and  down-in-back  neckline  and  the  part  of  the  robe  that  is  hidden  from 
you  is  cut  on  semi-fitted  Princess  lines  with  a  girdle  of  twisted  yellow 
chenille  and  tassels  loosely  knotted  around  the  waist  line 


To  match  Miss  Nash's  lovely  County-Clare-South-of-Ireland-broum-eyes- 
and-black-liair-coloring  is  this  day  frock  in  that  smart  and  unusual 
French  combination  of  shades,  black  and  brown,  the  brown  of  tobacco 
duvetyn  with  the  black  of  soutache  and  chenille  embroidery.  There  are 
long  black  soutache  and  chenille  tassels  hanging  from  the  wrists  and 
the  side  folds  of  the  skirt,  whirh  reaches  quite  to  the  ankles  and  is 
buttoned  down  one  side  with  black  bone  buttons 


[  302  ] 


Theatre  Magazine,  Noi'ember,  1918 


(Center) 

It  ij  perhaps  not  so  difficult  to 
summon  that  come-hither  Irisli 
light  in  the  eyes  when  you  can 
rest  with  such  absolute  Gi- 
braltar-like assurance  on  the 
breath-taking  picture  you  make 
in  a  flamingo  pink  velvet  din- 
ner gown  over  a  sili'er  lace 
petticoat,  with  every  accessory 
in  a  state  of  artistic  perfection, 
— fan  of  deeper  pink  in  un- 
curled ostrich,  diamond  hoop 
earrings  and  chain'  and  Pin, 
slippers  of  flesh  pink  satin  with 
brilliant  buckles 


(Below) 

A  rich  claret-colored  velvet  is 
combined  with  Kolinsky  ftf 
and  a  shining  silver  girdle  rib- 
bon for  this  street  frock,  and 
Miss  Nash's  choice  of  headgear 
to  go  u^th  it  is  one  more  proof 
of  her  expertness  in  handling 
tones  in  a  costume.  For  the 
hat  is  of  black  velvet  and  lias 
wreathed  around  it  a  feather  o' 
uncurled  ostrich,  a  shade  brigl . '- 
er  and  redder  than  the  claret 
velvet,  the  red.  say,  of  da  ct 
held  to  the  light 


(Below) 

A  gallant  costume,  a  Ccvaiier 
costume.1  A  costume  rich  in 
color!  The  dress  is  of  sapphire 
blue  velvet,  its  skirt  hem  em- 
broidered in  wheat  sprays  of 
hyacinth  blue,  and  has  a  loose 
panel  falling  from  the  shouldcis. 
somewhat  like  a  pushed -back 
Cavalier  cape,  except  that  it  is 
tucked  under  and  fastened  at 
the  hip  line:  the  gay  plumes  on 
the  black  velvet  hat  are  of  vivid 
King's  blue;  and  the  bag  is  of 
black  and  steel 


Photos    Ira    L.    Il.il 


[303] 


REVILLON    FRERES    in    the    ORIENT* 

Trading  Posts  in  Northern  Siberia  for  the  Collection  of  Sables  and 

Ermine:    Zavodes  in  Bokhara  for  Handling  Broadtail  and  Persians. 

French,  American  and  South  American  Furs. 


A  SIA  has  two  great  fur  producing  regions,  one  in  Northern  Siberia,  the  home 

/\  of  two  of  the  most  valuable  furs  known  to  the  market— the  Russian 
_/~\.  Sable  and  the  Ermine— and  Bokhara,  "The  roof  of  the  world",  where 
the  Asiatic  sheep  is  raked  for  its  beautiful  pelt.  The  conditions  of  fur  trading 
in  these  districts  differ  somewhat  from  those  in  our  own  Northwest  country, 
though  they  are  in  no  respects  less  difficult. 

The  northernmost  Revillon  post  in  Siberia  is 
the  one  at  Dudinka  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Yenisei  River.  Fridtjof  Nansen  came  upon 
this  post  in  his  search  for  an  open  passage 
for  shipping  from  Siberia  to  Europe,  and 
seemed  greatly  surprised  to  find  the  comforts 
of  life  so  near  the  Arctic  Circle.  In  his  book 
he  writes  of  the  town  and  the  post  store  as 
follows:  "There  was  a  pretty  little  church 
with  a  belfry  and  no  fewer  than  seven  bells. 
There  was  also  a  French  shop,  Revillon's, 
where  we  bought  a  coffee  pot,  glasses,  plates 
and  various  other  things  to  supplement  our 
scanty  messing  outfit." 

The  native  race  in  Northern  Siberia  is 
the  Ostiaks.  They  are  very  primitive  in  their 
mode  of  life  and  far  from  fastidious.  They 
clean  house  by  the  simple  method  of  moving 
the  tent  a  short  distance  away  from  its  old 
location.  As  real  estate  isn't  valuable  in 
Northern  Siberia  the  plan  works  well  enough. 
The  Ostiaks  live  by  trapping,  which  they 
carry  on  in  much  the  same  way  as  our  own 
Northern  Indians.  They  set  out  in  the  Fall 
for  the  trapping  grounds  with  their  equip- 
ment and  provisions,  working  until  about 
Christmas  when  they  return  with  their  catch 
of  furs.  They  stay  at  home  for  a  few  weeks 
through  the  severest  weather  and  then  go  out 
again  for  what  is  called  their  Spring  catch. 
The  Winter  catch  secured  from  Autumn  to 
December  is  brought  to  the  main  trading 
posts  by  sledge,  but  the  Spring  catch  can  be 
transported  by  rivers  to  the  various  centers 
on  the  Trans-Siberian  Railway. 

With  the  Ostiaks  hunting  and  trapping  are 
religious  observances  as  well  as  a  means  of 
livelihood.     Before  going  out  to  take  game 
they  perform  interesting  ceremonial  rites  and 
the  actual  taking  of  game  is  carefully  guarded 
from  the  eyes   of  any  stranger.     They   regard 
the  bear  with  peculiar  reverence  and  for  a  par- 
ticularly binding  oath  they  swear  on  a  bear's 
head.     This   does  not  prevent   them,  however, 
from  killing  bears  when  they  have  an  oppor- 
tunity to  do  so. 

The  main  office  of  Revillon  Freres  in  Si- 
l:2ria  is  at  Krasnoyarsk  on  the  Yenisei  River. 
This  is  a  town  of  some  importance  on  the 
Trans-Siberian  Railroad  and  is  the  center  of 
the  Northern  Asiatic  fur  district.  Revillon  Freres 
have  erected  here  a  modern  building  for  collecting 
furs  and  sorting  and  shipping  them  to  their 
branches  in  Europe  and  America.  From  this 
main  post  at  Krasnoyarsk  buyers  are  sent  out 
through  the  South  among  the  Tatars.  Tatar 
.buyers  travel  with  cash  and  buy  furs  from  trap- 
pers and  from  the  small  Tatar  shopkeepers  who 
have  taken  the  skins  in  exchange.  The  Tatars 
are  good  trappers  and  shrewd  traders.  Revil- 
lon buyers  travel  among  them  selecting  with  an 
experienced  eye  the  choicest  skins  which  they 
forward  to  the  main  trading  post. 

The  furs  secured  in  the  northern  districts  are 


Coat  oj  Pure  White  Siberian  Ermine. 


*  In  a  preceding  article  we  published  a  brief  sketch 
of  the  activities  of  Revillon  Freres  in  Canada.  The 
present  paper  gives  a  similar  account  of  the  collection 
of  furs  in  Siberia  and  other  countries  where  Revillon 
Freres  have  large  organizations  for  buying  skins  in 
the  original  market. 
Copyright,  1918,  by  Revillon  Freres. 


white  and  red  foxes  and  squirrels,  while  ermine,  kolinsky,  sable  and  Caucasian 
marten  are  found  in  great  numbers  in  the  central  and  Tatar  territory. 

Of  these  pelts  the  sable  and  the  ermine  are  the  most  conspicuous  in  history  as 
well  as  in  fashion.  The  Russian  sable  varies  greatly  in  color  as  in  size,  the  darker 
skins  being  the  most  highly  prized ;  but  as  these  skins  vary  not  only  in  intensity 

of  shade  but  in  tone,  the  individual  difference 
is  almost  unlimited.  The  considerable  cost 
of  sable  skins  is  due  not  only  to  the  rarity  of 
the  animal  but  to  the  variation  in  the  indi- 
vidual pelts  which  requires  the  highest  skill 
in  matching. 

The  finest  sables  are  collected  around  Bar- 
gusin  and  Yakutsk  east  of  Lake  Baikal.  They 
are  very  dark  and  silky,  suitable  for  coats  and 
wraps.  The  Kamchatka  sables  with  deeper 
longer  furs  are  used  more  largely  for  sets. 
The  ermine  furnishes  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting examples  in  nature  of  protective 
coloring.  In  summer  it  is  a  light  reddish  neu- 
tral harmonizing  with  the  general  tone  of 
its  surroundings,  but  in  winter  it  changes 
to  pure  white  which  is  invisible  against  the 
snow.  Naturally  the  ermine  is  trapped  only 
in  winter  when  the  condition  as  well  as  the 
color  of  its  pelt  is  most  attractive. 

Sable  and  ermine  have  been  highly  valued 
from  the  greatest  antiquity  and  are  two  of 
the  four  heraldic  furs.  The  use  of  both  has 
been  limited  at  different  times  by  sumptuary 
laws  but  they  may  now  be  worn  by  whoever 
can  appreciate  their  beauty  and  afford  their 
price.  Ermine  is  still  used  on  the  ceremonial 
robes  worn  at  the  coronation  of  a  British 
sovereign,  the  width  and  markings  of  the 
bands  being  regulated  strictly  by  the  rank  of 
the  wearer. 

Certain  parts  of  Siberia  were  settled  by  the 
former    Russian    government    with    political 
prisoners,  and  sometimes  with  ordinary  con- 
victs.    Some  years  ago  a  half  score  prisoners 
escaped  from  the  prison  at  Tourouharsk,  and 
on  the  night  of  October  1st,  1906,  made  an 
armed  attack  on  the   Revillon  trading  post 
at  Selivanino  on  the  river  Tunguska.    The  as- 
sistant trader  Shuman  was  severely  wounded 
in  the  right  arm  while  trying  to  defend  the  safe 
and  offices  on  the  ground  floor.     The  robbers 
secured    11,275    roubles.     They   also   seized   the 
public  buildings  of  the  town  and  took  the  gov- 
ernment funds.    The  Revillon  district  manager  at 
Krasnoyarsk   complained  at   once  to  the   Gov- 
ernor General,  who  sent  a  guard  of  Cossacks  to 
hunt  out  the  fugitives  and  protect  the  shipments 
of  furs  as  far  as  Krasnoyarsk.     The  whole  dis- 
trict was  for  quite  a  while  under  military  law 
and  ultimately  the  robbers  were  recaptured;  the 
booty,  however,  was  never  recovered. 

With  the  coming  of  Spring  the  collection  of 
Siberian  furs  is  at  an  end  for  the  year,  but  a 
Revillon  buyer  instead  of  enjoying  a  long  rest 
until  next  Winter  must  go  at  once  to  the  other 
extreme  of  climate.  Crossing  the  Caspian  Sea 
he  lands  at  Krashnovodsk  the  terminus  of  the 
Trans-Caspian  Railroad  and  travels  under  a 
broiling  sun  in  overheated  cars  through  desert 
solitudes  until  he  reaches  the  ancient  Khanate  of 
Bokhara,  "The  roof  of  the  world." 

Bokhara  is  the  home  of  the  Persian  lamb  which 
grazes  in  large  flocks,  often  numbering  five  thou- 
sand head,  on  the  desert  table  lands.     As  the 
grass  on  these  steppes  is  short  and  scanty  the 
shepherds  must  constantly  lead  their  flocks  from 
place  to  place.    It  is  a  curious  fact  that  all  at- 
Fur    Market    at          tempts  to  breed  this  fur  bearing  sheep  in  other 
Irbit.  countries   have    failed   entirely.     Only   in   Bok- 


Tke 


[304] 


Theatre  Magazine,  November,  1918 


hara  can  conditions  be  found  which 
give  the  pelt  its  distinctive  and 
beautiful  character. 

The  skins  are  sold  by  the  breed- 
ers in  the  green  state,  and  as  they 
deteriorate  rapidly  in  the  hot  cli- 
mate they  have  to  be  prepared  for 
their  long  voyage  before  leaving  the 
country.     The  native  processes  of 
curing  lambskins  were  so  unsatis- 
factory to  Revillon  Freres  that  they 
determined  years  ago  to  establish  a 
factory    of   their   own   where   the 
skins  could  be  treated  scientifically, 
but  it  was  many  years  before  this 
could  be  accomplished.    Bokhara  is 
a  Mohammedan  country  governed 
until  late  events  by  an  Emir  under 
ihe  protection  of  Russia.    The  old 
city  of  Bokhara  is  entirely  native 
and  the  new  city  is  considered  mili- 
tary  territory.     Land   there   could 
not  be  purchased  by  foreign  own- 
ers, but  a  few  years  ago  Revillon 
Freres   obtained   a   special   permit   to  build   their 
factory  in  the  interests  of  the  fur  industry.     A 
?9-year  lease  was  secured  and  a  modern  zavode 
was  built.     The  zavode  contains  living  accommo- 
dations for  the  white  members  of  the  staff  as  there 
is  no  modern  hotel  in  Bokhara  and  the  ancienL 
caravanserai  is  decidedly  deficient  in  comfort.    The 
representatives   of  the  firm  live  in   Bokhara   for 
about  two  months  in  the  Spring  of  each  year. 

It  actually  requires  more  pluck,  perseverance 
and  energy  to  trade  in  Bokhara  than  in  North 
America  and  Siberia,  since  the  trader  has  to  fight 
against  treacherous  fevers  which  await  the  un- 
acclimated  European.  It  takes  years  for  buyers 
to  get  acquainted  with  the  best  native  breeders 
rnd  to  find  the  herds  which  produce  the  best  skins. 
Each  year  a  million  and  a  half  Astrachan  skins 
are  exported  to  Europe  and  America.  The  lambs 
are  killed  while  quite  young,  the  smallest  of  all 
yielding  the  flat  wavy  fur  called  broadtail.  This 
is  exceedingly  scarce  as  it  is  not  to  the  interest 
of  the  breeder  to  produce  broadtail  but  to  get 
the  Persian  lamb  which  is  the  stronger  fur  taken 
from  an  older  animal. 

Merchant  or  shepherd  the  Bokharese  is  hos- 
pitable, sociable  and  little  inclined  to  violence. 
He  is  keen  on  profit  but  spends  largely  on  cere- 
monious occasions  such  as  holy  days  and  marriage. 
The  native  shepherds  are  gay  and  happy.  After  a 
day's  wandering  the  guides  and  leaders  of  caravans 
put  up  at  some  wayside  caravanserai  to  drink  a 
steaming  cup  of  tea  and  relish  their  pilaff  of  mutton 

while  the  tired  camels  rest  in  the  ancient  courtyard.     When  the  meal  is  over  a 
primitive  guitar  is  brought  out  and  the  dance  is  begun. 

In  the  Spring  of  1918  Red  Guards  invaded  Bokhara  and  a  week  of  heavy 
fighting  ensued,  in  which  several  thousand  people  were  killed  and  the  Red 
Guards  repulsed.  Much  property  was  destroyed  but  luckily  the  Revillon  zavode 
escaped  damage.  Many  of  the  Russian  population  returned  to  Tashkent  with 
the  retreating  Guards,  leaving  those  who  remained  behind  in  dread  of  even  worse 
disorder,  until  the  Emir  decided  to  protect  them.  The  railroad  lines  were  en- 
tirely torn  up  and  traveling  had  to  be  resumed  by  the  old  stage  routes  which 
were  safe  only  when  a  military  escort  could  be  provided. 
Many  readers  will  need  to  be  reminded  that  furs  are  collected  not  only  in 

distant  places  but  that  some  of  the  most 
desirable  are  found  in  well  settled  countries. 
The  mole  from  which  such  graceful  gar- 
ments are  made  is  found  in  England,  and 
in  great  numbers  in  France  where  mole 
catching  is  a  recognized  industry.*  Other 
valuable  French  furs  are  the  marten  and 
fitch  caught  chiefly  by  gamekeepers  and 
other  employees  of  large  estates.  The  most 
valuable  fur  in  the  United  States  is  skunk, 
widely  distributed  in  many  regions,  the 
darkest  and  choicest  skins  coming  from  the 
counties  near  New  York.  Skunk  is  caught 
by  farmer  boys  during  the  leisure  months 
of  Winter. 

One  of  the  costliest  furs  at  the  present 
time   is   Chinchilla   which   comes   from  the 
mountains  of  Chili,  South  America.     This 
.1  mw  born  Persian  Lamb.  fur  used  to  be  trapped  in  large  quantities 


A   Revillon  Zavode  for  collecting  Persians. 


but  the  tpecies  was  so  nearly  ex- 
lerm-nated  that  the  government  of 
Chili  determined  to  protect  it  much 
us  the  seals  of  Alaska  have 'been 
protected  by  our  own  authorities. 
In  1916  they  passed  laws  regulating 
the  taking  of  Chinchilla  for  five 
years.  At  present  only  a  very  few 
fine  Chinchilla  skins  are  procurable 
each  year.  The  heavier  the  fur  and 
the  bluer  in  color  the  greater  the 
value,  the  finest  specimens  coming 
from  the  high  altitudes.  Chinchilla 
is  used  mostly  for  coats  and  sets  for 
evening  wear. 

Another  American  fur  of  great 
commercial  value  is  the  muskrat. 
This  humble  but  useful  little  fur 
bearer  lives  along  lakes  and  rivers 
and  in  marshes.  The  muskrat  is 
fortunately  very  prolific  since  his 
skin  is  one  of  the  most  widely  used 
in  the  fur  trade.  The  darkest  musk- 
rats  are  beautiful  in  color  and  when 
carefully  dressed  and  skilfully  handled  make  very 
attractive  garments.  Large  quantities  of  the 
ordinary  muskrat  skins  are  used  for  coat  linings, 
and  many  more  are  sheared  and  dyed  to  make 
"Hudson  Seal"  one  of  the  most  widely  used  furs 
for  women's  medium  priced  coats  and  sets.  In 
former  years  large  quantities  o*  American  muskrat 
skins  were  sold  to  the  Russian  government  for 
military  clothing. 

In  all  these  countries  buyers  for  Revillon  Freres 
go  from  place  to  place  collecting  the  skins  which 
are  forwarded  to  the  firm's  central  warehouses. 
American  purchases  are  shipped  to  the  raw  fur 
warehouse  on  the  West  Side  in  New  York,  where 
they  are  immediately  prepared  for  manufacture. 
During  the  busy  season  of  December  and  January 
work  goes  on  continuously  night  and  day. 

In  whatever  country  they  may  be  trapped  or 
produced,  the  choicest  furs  come  at  last  to  the 
Revillon  building  in  Fifth  Avenue  at  53rd  Street 
where  they  are  made  up  into  garments  or  offered 
to  the  patrons  of  the  hou^e  for  selection  for  custom 
work,  or  they  are  sent  to  the  Revillon  establish- 
ments in  London  at  180  Regent  Street  and  to  the 
original  house  at  81  Rue  de  Rivoli,  Paris. 


Evening  Coat  of  Chinchilla. 


A   Revilloii  Buyer  Thadee  Zabieha  Inspecting 
Persian  Lamb  Skins. 


The  ail-black  cost \t me  is 
to  be  a* feature  of  Miss 
Walton's  wardrobe  and 
this  chemise  frock  from 
Lam*in  is  of  black  satin 
trimmed  znfc/t  black  cord 
fringe — much  like  a  cur- 
tain fringe  of  a  very  fine 
quality — which  gives  a 
quaint  Victorian  effect. 
Note  the  fringed  neck- 
line and  the  new  belt 
which  buttons  across  into 
seven  buttonholes  instead 
of  tying 


Another  of  Miss  Walton's 
French  model  frocks,  also 
from  Cheruit,  also  of- 
black,  black  taffeta.  This 
time  over  a  narrow  pulled 
back  under  petticoat  of 
the  same  and  trimmed 
unth  row  upon  row  of 
loop  upon  loop  of  inch- 
u'ide  black  grosgrain  rib- 
bon. The  straight  up  and 
down  chemise  lines  are 
ingeniously  worked  out 
and  given  character  by 
lines  of  stitching 


Photo   Fairchild 

A  house  gozvn  from  Callot  that  is  beautifully  representative  of  all  that  goes 
to  make  a  French  model  a — well,  a  French  model,  quality  and  color  of 
material,  extreme  charm  in  the  simplicity  of  lines.  It  comprises  a  pink 
satin  slip  banded  head  and  foot  with  gold  lace  over  which  falls  from  an 
Italian  neck-Kne  a  robe  of  the  palest  of  crushed  raspberry  chiffons,  an 
enchanting  contrast  with  Miss  Walton's  brunette  beauty 


I  HAVE  A 

SOME  FRENCH  MODELS 

By   ANGELINA 


IRAN  into  Miss  Florence  Walton  the  other 
afternoon  as  I  was  coming  out  of  the  tea- 
room at  the  Biltmore.  She  was  looking 
very  fresh  and  blooming  after  her  summer  at 
Great  Neck  and  was  attired  charmingly  in  an  all- 
black  costume,  black  tricolette  frock  with  deep 
embroidery  on  the  hem,  small  black  hat  with  a 
large  black  Alsatian  bow,  a  black  fox  fur  slip- 
ping off  her  shoulders  and  a  pair  of  those  smart 
French  pumps,  silver-buckled,  whose  round, 
short-vamped  shape  she  so  believes  in  for  the 
trimness  and  comfort  of  a  dancing  foot.  With 
Miss  Walton  was  her  new  Russian  dancing 
partner,  who  takes  the  place  of  Mr.  Maurice  now 

fighting  in  France. 

*        *        * 

Miss   Walton   was  told  how  effective  her  all- 
black   picture  was  and   responded   that  she   was 


rather  specializing  in  it  for  the  Fall.  "I've  just 
bought  two  other  all-black  frocks,  two  stun- 
ning French  models.  And  I  think  they  must 
have  been  delivered  by  this  time  Don't  you 

want  to  come  up  to  the  apartment  and  see?" 

*         *         * 

Naturally  I  did.  We  found  th»  frocks  just 
being  taken  from  the  tissue  by  Miss  Walton's 
maid.  They  were  adorable.  Quaint,  mid-Vic- 
torian !  Yet  both  built  on  the  modern  "chemise" 
lines,  and  those  lines  manipulated  in  true  French 
fashion,  the  material  cut  out  and  fitted  together 
again  like  a  picture  puzzle,  with  ingenious 
stitchings,  as  you  may  see  in  the  little  sketches 
above.  One  black  frock,  a  Lanvin  model,  was 
of  satin  with  a  border  of  rows  of  black  silk-cord 
fringe,  the  fringe  outlining  the  neck  also.  Its 
b'.ack  satin  belt  fastened  with  black  satin  but- 


tons instead  of  tying.     Xot  a  stitch  of  any  other 
shade,  or  trimming,  was  on  the  frock.     It  was  to 

be   worn  dead,   solid,  black. 

*  *         * 

So  too  was  the  second  model,  a  Cheruit,  of 
black  taffeta,  with  rows  of  grosgrain  ribbon 
loops  weighting  down  the  hem  of  the  skirt  like 
the  petals  of  so  many  flowers,  loops  likewise- 

around  the  neck  and  the  elbow  (Note!)   sleeves. 

*  *        * 

Miss  Walton  told  me  that  when  she  was  in. 
Paris  a  year  ago,  Madame  Boulanger,  head  of 
Cheruit  had  just  originated  that  loop  idea.  She- 
used  it  first  on  a  frock  for  Miss  Walton  to  take- 
to  Biarritz  with  her,  a  white  chiffon  trimmed  with 
lapin  on  which  the  little  loops  were  of  chiffon' 
and  ran  down  the  front.  It  certainly  is  H 
charming  conception.  (Concluded  on  page  308)) 


[306] 


Theatre  Magazine,  November, 


J\aaiant  with  the  spirit  ap4uhzrnn,  andcolorfut 
as  the  bnqm,  bloomina  chrysanthemums  and 
fallen  leases  are  ihe  new  desiansftir1 

MALLINSON'S  PUSSY  WILLOW  SILK 

(~^,          Re£  U.S.Pat.  Off. 
^Jne  silk  oflsensible  economy 

Jnierestma  in  its  blend  of  qualities  is  4ms  cor- 
rect and  exquisiie  silJ^  and  deliqhifuuTf*^ 
•Versatile. 


w  fall  SUIT, 
- 


_x%r  a  lining  in  your  new    a     SUIT,  co 
furs;  or  as  a  cnarminyl-y  fasnioned  frock^or- 
blouse  H  adds  zest  and  joy  to  ine  ivearina^ 
PUSSY  WILLOW  isauaranieedforiwofuU 
seasons'  wears 


a  litile  more,  but  worth  a  whole  lot 


more 


THERE  IS  BUT  ONE  MALLINSONS 

PUSSY  WILLOW.  THE  NAME  ON 

THE  SELVAGE  OR  THE  LABEL 

IN  THE  GARMENT  MARKS  THE 

GENUINE. 


H.R.MALLINSON  SCOMPANXinc 

a(*JAe  new  silks  first" 
A\AD!SON  AVENUE- ^rf  STREET  NEW  YORK. 


_x#5/{  cii/ie  Aetter  stores  for 

^LLiNSO 

Silks  de  Luxe 


^411  trade  mart!  names 


Between  35th  &  36th  Sts 
NEW  YORK 


No.  2 — Jeanne  Eagels 


EvcninK   Wrap  of  blue  and  silver  brocaded  wi/h 

Black   1'ox  collar  and   cuffs,   deep  border  and 

panel  of  black  velvet 


'"Thus  Fours  Thsilt  Heighten 
Woimaim's  Qjaurm" 


FUR  STYLE   BOOK 
FREE 


HAVE  A  PRIVILEGED  VIEW  OF  SOME 
FRENCH  MODELS 

(Continued  from  page  306) 


Having  had  a  first  taste  of 
French  models  I  thirsted  for  more 
and  luck  favored  me  the  next  morn- 
ing in  the  shape  of  a  telephone  call 
from  Giddings  asking  me  if  I 
didn't  want  a  look  behind  the 
scenes  at  their  French  models  that 
had  just  arrived.  Again  yes,  en- 
chanted ! 

*        *        * 

The  Premet  collection  is  the 
fintst  this  year,  all  hands  agree. 
And  the  finest  of  their  finest  are 
steel  beaded  effects  on  black  for 
afternoon  and  semi-evening  frocks. 
An  enchanting  frock  of  black  satin 
—chemise  lines,  long  sleeves,  deeply 
cut  V  neck,  practically  to  the  waist 
line — was  studded  over  its  whole 
surface  at  invervals  with  tiny  steel 
beads.  I  don't  mean  thickly  stud- 
ded, but  regularly  and  diagonally 
placed,  each  tiny  bead  at  about  a 
two'inch  interval  from  the  other. 
Around  the  waist  line  of  this  goes 
a  narrow  girdle,  heavy  and  glisten- 
ing with  the  steel  beads,  which 
crosses  over  once  and  drops  down 
the  skirt;  and  there  is  a  long  row  of 
small  steel  buttons  to  button  it 
down  the  back. 


Those  small  ornamental  buttons 
for  the  back  and  for  other  orna- 
mentation are  very  popular  with 
Premet  and  with  several  of  the 
other  houses.  The  former  takes  a 
reduced-in-size  copy  of  the  "man- 
darin" button — that  button  you  know 
originating  on  the  jacket  of  the 


A  Premet  frock  of  blue  serge  whose 
creation  has  evidently  been  inspired 
by  the  coral-stranded  "mandarin" 
button.  Small  editions  of  it 
decorate  one  side  of  the  bodice  and 
a  design  worked  out  in  tvny  coral 
and  crystal  beads  with  a  gold  thread 
covers  the  tunic,  edges  the  neck 
and  sleeves  and  forms  a  heavy 
girdle.  From  J.  M.  Gidding. 


One  of  the  best  of  Jenny's  col- 
lection and  distinctly  made  for 
coalless  days!  Black  velvet  il 
combined  with  taupe  angora,  which 
forms  a  muffling  collar  and  vest  to 
which  vs  attached  in  back  a  long 
sailor  collar.  For  a  bit  of  bright- 
ness flexible  diamond  slides  hold 
the  narrow  black  velvet  belt  in 
place  at  either  side  of  the  vest  and 
attach  the  full  tunic  skirt  to  the 
tight-fitting  angora  under  petticoat 

Chinese  dignitary  and  made  of 
strands  of  tiny  coral  beads — and 
makes  it  the  starting-point  for  a 
blue  serge  one-piece  frock.  These 
small  sized  ''mandarins"  run  diag- 
onally down  the  left  side  of  the 
front  and  to  carry  on  the  inspira- 
tion there  is  a  peplum  skirt  em- 
broidered all  over  with  a  pattern  of 
coral  beads  intermingled  with  tiny 
crystal  ones  and  a  gold  thread. 


This  bead  tmbroidery  runs  around 
the  neck  and  sleeves  and  forms  a 
girdle  similar  to  that  used  on  the 
black  satin  frock  mentioned  above. 
To  wear  with  this  Madame  Georg- 
ette, of  Giddings,  suggests  the  chic 
little  toque  from  Julia  (seen  in  the 
sketch  vis-a-vis)  that  is  of  black 
velours  sectioned  by  means  of  lines 
of  henna-colored  (obsolete,  terra- 
cotta: up-to-date,  henna)  embroid- 
ery, with  a  great  Panjandrum  "little 
round  button  at  the  top." 


Small  ornamental  buttons  running 
down  the  back,  by  the  way,  are  a 
feature  of  several  of  the  French 
model  frocks  of  this  season.  They 
may  be  of  cut'  steel,  or  set  with 
brilliants,  and  sometimes  slides  to 
match  the  latter  are  used,  employed  in 
somewhat  unexpected  manner,  as 
for  instance  on  the  combined  velvet 
and  angora  wool  model  from  Jenny 
shown  above,  also  at  present  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Gidding  household. 


[308] 


Theatre  Magazine,  November,  1918 


_THE  PARIS  SMO»  0*  AMERICA' 

INTRODUCE 


those  of  us  who  tip  the  scales  even  a  tiny  ounce 
beyond  fashion's  rigid  limit,  ways  and  means  of 
"denying  our  flesh"  are  tremendously  important. 

There's  nothing  that  gives  us  quite  the  straight  up-and- 
down  slimness,  with  never  a  hump  nor  bump  to  mar  the 
line  that  a  silk  union  suit  does  ! 

One  objects  to  the  ordinary  silk  union  suit  because  it 
simply  won't  stay  closed — it  has  an  uncomfortable  ten- 
dency to  gap.  Now,  Vanity  Fair  just  loves  to  solve 
problems  like  that  and  the  "sure-lap"  union  is  the  result 
of  much  deliberation.  There's  not  a  snap  nor  button  on 
it  to  keep  it  closed — it's  all  in  the  way  it's  cut  and  that 
way  is  patented. 

There's  a  difference  in  the  shoulder  straps,  too.  Instead 
of  the  usual  ribbon  shoulder  straps  that  seem  positively  to 
evaporate  when  washed  these  straps  are  of  hem-stitched 
glove  silk !  They  don't  go  wandering  down  your  arm, 
either !  They're  closer  together  in  back  than  in  front  and 
this  angle  keeps  them  just  where  they  belong,  on  your 
shoulders! 

Whether  it's  in  unions,  vests,  knickers,  envelopes  or 
Pettibockers,  you'll  always  find  a  special  "something" 
about  Vanity  Fair  undersilks  that  means  either  added 
comfort,  beauty  or  wear.  They're  all  made  of  the  jersey 
silk  that  you  "can't  wear  out."  All  the  better  shops 
carry  Vanity  Fair — write  us  if  you  have  any  difficulty 
getting  just  what  you  want. 

SCHUYLKILL   SILK    MILLS,    READING,   PA.,    U 

Makers  of  Vanity  Fair  Undersilks  and  Silk  Gloves 
200      FIFTH     AVENUE,     NEW     YORK 

Boston  Chicago  San  Francisco 

[309] 


S.    A 


COATS  WRAPS 

FURS 

SCARFS  MUFFS 

Exclusive  Models  Wide  Variety 

In   the    Season's    Most    Fashionable    Furs 


Photographs  and  price  list  sent  on  request. 
Please  specify  whether  particularly  interested 
in  coats  or  sets  that  we  may  better  serve  you. 


BOX 


NO  class  of   women  knows  so  much  about  perfumes   as  the   actress. 
She  has  always  specialized  in  them  along  with  the  other  cosmetics 

I   think   you   could   call    a   perfume    a   cosmetic    under    the    dictionary 

definition  of  "cosmetic,  something  that  beautifies"— that  are  an  in- 
tegral part  of  her  profession.  She  has  always  known  and  used  the  best, 
which  means  the  highest  priced,  which  means,  in  turn,  the  French  im- 
ported'perfumes,  and  notably  those  of  Houbigant  and  Guerlain. 


A  fresh  shipment,  of  both,  we  are  happy  to  report,  has  just  arrived 
from  the  other  side.  It  looked  for  a  time  recently  as  if  there  were 
going  to  be  a  distressing  shortage,  but  fortunately  that  period  has  pas- 
sed. The  price  of  even  these  highest-priced  products  has  advanced,  of 
course,  but  that  is  only  to  be  expected.  And  we  must  have  them. 
Some  so-called  luxuries  rank  really  as  necessities  and  such  are  the 
Houbigant  and  Guerlain  perfumes.  They  are  the  perfumes  that  are  the 
most  deliciously  fragrant  and  sense-stirring,  that  are  pervasive  and 
elusive  all  in  the  same  breath,  as  a  real  perfume  should  be. 

Houbigant's  famous  Ideal  has  had  a  recrudescence  of  popularity  among 
the  stage  and  society  women  and  is  being  widely  used  again,  in  both 
the  Extract  and  the  Toilet  Water.  It  is  just  a  little  less  expensive  than 
the  newer  Quelques  Fleurs,  which  is  Houbigant's  last  "odor  supreme" 
and  comes  to  us  with  the  fashion  approval  of  Paris.  There  are  besides 
the  "Coeur  de  Jeannette,"  one  of  the  favorite  perfumes  of  Queen 
Alexandra,  which  smells  like  an  old-fashioned  garden;  the  always  staple 
Violettes  and  a  La  France  Rose  rich  and  heavy  and  lasting,  almost  like 
an  attar  of  roses.  And  others....  With  all  of  these  extracts  go  the 
corresponding  soaps  and  talcs  and  face  powders  and  toilet  waters :  also 
an  Eau  Vegetate  in  all  the  different  odors,  used  instead  of  toilet  water 
'and  less  even  in  price. 


Rich  and  rare  perfumes  should  be  Housed  vn  rich  and  rare  bot- 
tles and  cases!  So  the  amber  liquid  of  Quelques  Fleurs,  Hou- 
bigant's last  new  odor,  reposes  in  a  clear  crystal  bottle  in  a  pale 
blue  box  and  the  subtle  and  indescribable  scent  of  Guerlain's 
Parfum  des  Champs  Elysees  in  a  hand-can'ed  bottle  -ivifth  a  red 
morocco  leather  case 

If  I  had  my  way  I  should  have  a  number,  a  set  of  perfumes,  selected 
to  be  sure  within  certain  limits  to  suit  my  personality,  and  use  them 
according  to  different  costumes  and  moods  and  occasions. 

This,  by  the  way,  is  also  what  Monsieur  Guerlain,  the  head  of  Guer- 
lain et  Cie,  believes  should  be  done.  It  is  his  greatest  delight  to  create 
"rich  and  strange"  perfumes,  and  two  of  his  newest  creations  are  the 
Parfum  des  Champs  Elysees  and  the  Parfum  Rue  de  la  Pa\x,  which 
impart  the  atmosphere  of  those  wonderful  streets  themselves  and  sug- 
gest the  mingled  scents  that  are  wafted  to  one  from  the  courtyards  of 
the  old  houses  that  line  their  way,  curious,  intriguing  perfumes. 


[310] 


Theatre  Magazine,  November, 


to  remove  hair 

Of  course  you'd  like  to  re- 
move hair  from  the  arms, 
under-arms,  and  face,  so  that  it 
won't  come  back  —  but  you 
can't.  There  is  no  safe  way. 

The  safe  way — and  the  eary 
way — to  remove  it  temporarily 
is  Evans's  Depilatory.  Won't 
make  hair  grow  either  faster  or 
slower. 

Easy  to-use,  handy  and  safe 
— get  it  today  of  your  drug  or 
department  store  or  from  us  by 
mail. 

George  B  Evans 

1103  Chestnut  St        Philadelphia 
Also  maJkers.aS", \furn" 

Evans's 

Depilatory 

Outfit 
75c 


Elusive.never  cbtrusivc. 

it  refines  the  toilet 

and  defines  the 

qentle  woman 


15  cents  brings  a  dainty 

CEAUTY  BOX  _.tk  ^.-.rou. 
...ple.  ,1  AZUREA  F~.K_4« 
Sacn.t  Powder  anj  P«rfum* 


IS  L.  T.  P  I  V  £,  R  Ihma 

) 

CHAS.RAEZ    Sol.  Ag.nt>-ll.S..W  Canada 
».-•  -is-  14  £„<!   JZ,)  Street    N«w  York  City 


Kill  The  Hair  Root 


My  method  is  the  only  way  to  prevent 
the  hair  from  growing  again.  Easy, 
painless,  harmless.  No  scars.  Booklet 
free.  Write  today  enclosing  2  stamps. 
We  teach  Beauty  Culture. 

D.  J.  MAHLER 
27 1  -A  Mahler  Park          Providence,  R.  L 


THE   EMPIRE   STATE 

ENGRAVING  COMPANY 

165  WILLIAM   STREET, 

NEW  YORK 
Telephone  3880   Bec.kman 


BROADWAY  AT  48th  ST. 

Second  Season  of  the  Only  Continental  Music  Hall 
in  America 

"America's  Most  Famous  Restaurant" 

The  smartest  rendezvous  in  New  Ycrk, 
so  different,  so  refined — featuring  the 
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elaborate  show  ever  presented 

"The  Spice  of  Life" 

By  John  Murray  Anderson,  with  Music  by  James  K.  Hackett 
Twice  Nightly  (including  Sunday)  at  7.15  and  1  1.15   P.  M 


NO  COUVERT  CHARGE    FOR   DINNEK 


For  Rescrvaiions,   Phone   9440   Bryant 


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or 

sheen 
and 
softness 


Shampooing  regularly 
with  PACKER'S  TAR  SOAP 
protects  the  health  of 
the  scalp  and  brings  out 
the  beauty  of  the  hah. 


PACKER'S  TAR  SOAP 

Cake   and   Liquid 

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AMATEUR  THEATRICALS 


The  only  Department  of  its  kind  in  any  magazine — devoted  solely 
to  amateurs  and  their  work. 

Every  month  in  the  Theat-?  Magazine 


\ANRAALTE 


VANRAALTE 


\y~ATCH  the  sparkle  ct 
your  eyes,  the  allure 
of  your  smile  —  the  dozen 
and  one  unguessed  graces 
revealed  in  your  face  by  a 
becoming  Van  Raalte  Veil. 

E.  &  Z.  VAN  RAALTE 
Fifth  Ave.  at  i6th  St.,  N.  Y.  C. 

Look  for  this  little  white  ticket 


[311] 


urs 


of  SUPERIOR  QUALITY 

DflSHNClWE  JN  iSTYLE 


Practical 

Christmas 

Gifts 


1— Miue.'  Hudwn  Se«l 
Coat  with  collar,  cuffs 
and  border  of  Natural 
Squirrel. 

2— Mines'  Taupe  Nulria 
Coat. 


G,  G,  GUNTHER'S  SONS 

391  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 


Ribbon  is  decreed  by 
the  leading  French 
and  American  Stylists. 

The  very  newest  ideas  in  dress 
call  for  a  greater  use  than  ever 
of  K1BBONS. 

Untold  are  the  poS' 
sibilities  revealed  by 

LADY  FAIR 


beautiful 
picture. 


MR.  HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY 

(Continued   from  page   280) 

Edmond  Lowe  is  as  offensive  as  any- 
body could  wish  as  the  Kentuckian, 
and  Carroll  McComas  is  quite  as  ar- 
tificial as  the  woman  who  stoops  to 
conquer  him,  and  is  eventually  bullied 
into  submission. 


William    Courtenay   was  very 
pressive  as  Baldasarre.    Sidonie 
pero  sang  well  and   Evelyn 
the     governor's      daughter, 


im- 
Es- 

Egerton 
looked 


and   blended   nicely   in   the 


PRINCESS.  "JONATHAN  MAKES 
A  WISH."  Play  in  three  acts,  by 
Stuart  Walker.  Produced  on  Sep- 
tember 10,  with  this  cast: 

Elizabeth    Patterson 
Beatrice  Maude 
George  Gaul 
Ainsworth   Arnold 
Gregory  Kelly 
Margaret  Mower 
Edgar  Stehli 


Aunt   Letitia 
Susan  Sample 
Uncle   Nathaniel 
Uncle  John 
Jonathan 
Mile.    Perrault 
Hank 
Albert   Peet 
Mary 
John  III 


CENTRAL.  "FOREVER  AFTER." 
Play  in  three  acts,  by  Owen  Davis. 
Produced  on  September  9,  with  this 
cast: 

Conrad   NTagel 
John  Warner 


Joseph  Graham 
Elizabeth  Black 
John  Talbott 


i 

the  new 
double'faced,  satin 
ribbon.  Colorful  and 
bewitchingly  beauti' 
ful,  it  adds  a  much 
desired  touch  of  real 
charm  to  the  gar- 
ment  it  trims. 


Other    successful  "  J.C.  " 
ribbons  are 

Satin  de  Luxe 

Sankanac 

Trouiteau 

Thistle 

Democracy 


"J.C  '*  ribbons  a'e  on  sale  al 
the  belter  stores.    Buy  by  name . 


JOHNSON,  COWDIN  &  COMPANY 


THIS  piece  did  not  enjoy  long 
life  on  Broadway. 
Jonathan  was  a  lad  of  four- 
teen who  wanted  to  be  an  actor- 
playwright-manager.  But  his  tyran- 
nical uncle  was  resolved  to  make  an 
engineer  of  him.  They  quarreled. 
Uncle  boxed  Jonathan's  ears  and 
locked  him  in,  and  the  boy  climbing 
out  at  a  high  window,  had  a  fall. 
Jonathan  became  delirious.  He  was 
a  hunchback,  and  none  of  his  old  ac- 
quaintances recognized  him.  Then 
he  climbed  a  green  hill,  reached  the 
top  of  the  world,  preached  a  little 
sermon  to  boys  of  fourteen,  and 
jumped  off.  Eventually,  Jonathan 
recovered.  Then  he  quarreled  again 
with  the  autocratic  uncle  and  went 
away  with  the  sympathetic  one,  who 
was  a  writer  of  best  sellers  and  had 
an  income  of  $350,000  a  year. 

Before  his  fifteenth  year  Jonathan 
had  written  forty-one  plays.  I  hope, 
at  least,  some  of  them  were  better 
than  Stuart  Walker's.  The  first  act 
of  "Jonathan  Makes  a  Wish"  was  ex- 
tremely interesting  and  full  of  prom- 
ise, but  the  last  act  merely  reiterated 
it,  and  the  intervening  one — the  in- 
jured boy's  ravings — was  a  dreary 
waste  of  the  spectator's  time.  I  sus- 
pect it  of  symbolism,  but  venture  no 
further  than  the  suspicion. 


MOROSCO.  "THE  WALK-OFFS." 
Comedy  in  three  acts,  by  Frederic 
and  Fanny  Hatton.  Produced  on 
September  17,  with  this  cast : 

Mary   Carter  Frances  Underwood 

Sonia   Orloff  Fania   Marinoff 

Ah  Foo  Elmer   Ballard 

Carolyn  Rutherford  Roberta  Arnold 
Peter  Grandin  Charles  A.  Stevenson 
Schuyler  Rutherford  William  Roselle 
Judge  Charles  Brent  Percival  T  Moore 
Mrs.  Alicia  Elliott  Janet  Travers 

Kathleen  Rutherford  Carroll  McComas 
Murray  Van  Allan  Fred  L.  Tiden 

Robert  Shirley  Winston  Edmcnd  Lowe 
George  Washington  White, 

Emmett   Shackelford 

IT  has  remained  for  the  Hattons 
to  exhume  "The  Love  Drive,"  after 
New  York  had  twice  buried  that  piece 
last  season.  To  it  they  have  added  a 
dash  of  "She  Stoops  to  Conquer,"  and 
then  finished  off  with  an  act  from 
"The  Taming  of  the  Shrew." 

The  trite  story  is  inundated  with 
wit  that  usually  misses  fire.  Prac- 
tically its  only  amusing  moments  are 
furnished  by  the  bibulous  ex-husband, 
assisted  by  his  tearful  and  amorous 
ex-wife.  And  it  is  chiefly  the  acting 
of  William  Roselle  and  Roberta  Ar- 
nold that  makes  these  roles  effective. 

The  others  of  the  cast  give  the 
piece  the  interpretation  it  deserves. 


Ted 

Jack 

Jennie 

Mrs.  Clayton 

Mr.  Clayton 

Nan 

Private  Nolan 

Tom    Lowell 

McNabb 

Miss  Webb 

Doctor  Mason 


Alice   Brady 
Mrs.   Russ  Whytal 
Frank  Hatch 
Isabel  Lamon 
Maxwell  Driscoll 
Frederick   Manatt 
J.    Paul   Jones 
Bernice  Parker 
J.   R.  Armstrong 


'HIS  latest  work  of  Owen  Davis 
A  is  merely  another  instance  of 
what  incredible  stuff  may  achieve 
presentation  on  our  stage.  The  story 
is  trite  and  undramatic,  the  char- 
acters are  generally  without  sem- 
blance of  reality,  and  the  dialogue  is 
for  the  most  part  without  distinction. 
A  delirious  soldier  lying  near  the 
firing  line  lives  over  three  episodes  in 
his  past  life — one  in  which  he  first 
told  the  rich  neighbor's  daughter  that 
he  loved  her,  a  second  in  which  he 
stroked  the  Harvard  crew,  just  after 
learning  of  his  father's  death,  and  the 
third  in  which  his  excessive  pride 
made  him  tell  his  sweetheart  that  he 
no  longer  cared  for  her. 

Thereafter — I  am  sure  it  is  quite 
needless  for  me  to  add— he  went  to 
war,  got  wounded,  and  inevitably  was 
carried  to  that  very  room  in  that  very 
hospital  over  which  his  ex-fiancee 
presided  as  a  Red  Cross  nurse.  What 
war  play,  story,  or  movie  nowadays 
is  complete  without  this  highly  prob- 
able concluding  incident? 

As  happens  so  often,  the  acting  was 
generally  much  superior  to  the  ma- 
terial. The  skill  and  sincerity  of  Alice 
Brady  and  Conrad  Nagel  made  the 
parting  scene  in  Act  III  seem  almost 
real,  even  when  reason  revolted  at 
the  idea  of  an  upright  Harvard 
stroke-oar  and  A.  B.  being  reduced  to 
acting  as  soda  jerker  in  a  village 
drug  store. 

The  Czerwonky  Recital 

A  MUSIC  event  of  considerable 
interest  will  be  the  appear- 
ance in  this  city  at  his  own  recital 
this  month  of  Richard  Czerwonky, 
the  well-known  violinist,  teacher 
and  composer,  lately  concert  mas- 
ter of  the  Minneapolis  Symphony 
Orchestra,  and  now  director  of  the 
violin  department  of  the  Bush 
Conservatory,  Chicago.  Mr.  Czer- 
wonky will  be  heard  at  Aeolian 
Hall  on  November  13  next  in  a 
programme  arranged  with  a  view 
to  encourage  his  fellow  American 
artists  by  playing  their  composi- 
tions. The  programme  is  as  fol- 
lows: 1.  Chaconne,  by  Bach;  2. 
Concerto  in  B  minor,  D'Ambrosio ; 
3.  a.  Prelude,  Spalding;  b.  Men- 
uet  in  olden  .  style,  Hochstein ;  c. 
Humoresque,  Stoessel ;  d.  Serenade 
Negre,  Macmillan;  <t.  a.  Etude 
Melodique,  Rode-Elman;  b,  Im- 
provisation, Saenger ;  c.  Reverie, 
Enrico  Polo;  d.  Dance,  Czer- 
wonky. 


[312] 


Theatre  Magazine,  November,  / 


reople  of  culture  and 
refinement  invariably 
'PREFER  ^Deities 
to  anu  other  cwarette. 

3Ot 


Makers  of  the  Highest  Grade  Turkish 
and  Egyptian  Qojarettes  in  the  World 


IOBODY 

ever  changes 
from 

Rameses 

The  Arilfooat- 


I 


in  Prices 


Would  you  wrrr  a  jingle  for  $150? 
It  might  be  worth  it  to  us.     Nine 
prizes    $150.  $100,  $75.  $25  and  five 
$10.  to  be  awarded  Dec.  15th  f<  r 
short  rhym--»  which  best  describe 
ZYMOLE  TROKEYS.  Used  wher- 
ever voices  are  used.      Keen  the     j 
voice  fit.     Not  cough    drors-but     i 
m-Wly  antiseptic  throat  pastilles  cf 
real  worth.    At  all  druggists. 

Frederick  Slearni  &  Company 
1 246  E.  Jeffenon  Avc. 

Detroit.  Mich,      j 


Dame  fashion  Says:  "Sheer  fabrics,  for  blouses,  afternoon  and 
evening  gowns."  No  smart  woman  can  afford  not  to  remove  the 
hair  from  her  arms,  and  arm-pits.  Fashion  and  modesty  demand  this 
of  her.  X-Bazin,  mixed  with  water,  dissolves  any  superfluous  hair  in 
five  minutes  just  as  soap  removes  dust  from  the  skin,  leaving  it  smooth 
and  white  and  soft. 

50c  and  $  1 .00  at  all  drug-  and  department  stores,  or  we  will 

mail  direct  on  receipt  of  price.      75c  and  $1 .50  in  Canada. 

HALL    *.   RHCKEL,   Inc.,    224  Washington  Street,  Nev/  York  City 


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AMERICAN  ACADEMY 
OF  DRAMATIC  ARTS 

Franklin  H.  Sargent,  President 

YThe  standard  institution  of  dramatic  Y 
i[education  for  thirty 'three  years J 

Detailed  catalog  from  the  Secretary 
ROOM  172,  CARNEGIE  HALL,  NEW  YORK 
Connected  with  Charles  Frohman's  Empire  Theatre  and  Companies 

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AMATEUR  THEATRICALS 


The  only  Department  of  its  kind  in  any  magazine — devoted  solely 
to  amateurs  and  their  work. 

Every  month  in  the  Theatre  Magazine 


[313] 


\ftNRAALTE 


Madi  In  U.  S.  A.  At  All  G«,d  Shot' 

PARTICULAR  women  en- 

f  joy  the  knowledge  that  their 
veils  come  to  them  fresh  and 
untouched  by  other  hands. 

The  Van  Raalte  individual  pack- 
age veil  is  convenient,  eco- 
nomical, and  sanitary.  25c — 
35c — 50c  according  to  mesh 
and  quality. 

If  you  cannot  get  them  from 
your  dealer,  send  us  your  ad- 
dress and  we  will  see  that  you 
are  supplied. 

E.  &  Z.  VAN  RAALTE 
5th  Ave.  at  16th  St.,  N.  Y.  C. 


•^2, 


tun 


gO  FT 


water  cleanses 
much  better  than  hard. 
Nothing  softens  water  as 
well  as  Borax.  That's 
why  you  should  sprinkle 
a  Tittle  20  Mule  Team 
Borax  in  the  water  before 
you  take  your  bath.  But 


MULE  TEAM  BORAX 

is  more  than  a  water  sof- 
tener. It  is  an  antiseptic, 
it  keeps  the  pores  free 
and  clean,  is  an  excellent 
deodorant,  refreshes  the 
skin  and  keeps  the  com- 
plexion clear. 

Always  use  this  Borax  in 
baby's  bath— it  is  very  soothing 
to  tender  skin. 

You  may  find  many  uses  for 
20  Mule  Team  Borax  in  the 
kitchen  and  laundry.  Be  sure 
to  see  the  picture  of  the  famous 
20  Mules  on  every  package. 

All  Dealers  sell 

20  MULE  TEAM  BORAX 


COLUMBIA  RECORDS 

WITH     the     opening     of     the 
operatic      season      close      at 
hand,      Columbia     announces     three 
new   records   of  exceptional   interest 
in  its  list  of  November  music. 

One  is  that  scintillating  musical 
skyrocket,  the  "Qucsta  O  Quella^ 
of  the  heartless  Duke  in  "Rigoktto, 
sung  by  Lazaro.  The  second  is  by 
Georges  Baklanoff,  the  great  Rus- 
sian baritone,  who  contributes  ^the 
exquisite  Fishers'  song  from  "La 
Gioconda."  The  third  is  another 
famous  baritone  aria  by  Riccardo 
Stracciari,— "Pan  Siamo"  from  the 
"Rigoletto"  that  is  the  most  notable 
performance  in  Stracciari's  varied 
repertoire. 

Just  the  softest,  sweetest,  croon- 
ing lullaby  that  ever  wafted  off  a 
drowsy  pickaniny  into  slumberland 
is  "Ma  Curly  Headed  Babby"  sung 
by  Hulda  Lashanska.  It  is  one  of 
the  best  of  the  new  November 
Columbia  Records. 

Another  notable  record  in  this 
group  is  made  by  Barbara  Maurel, 
"From  the  Land  of  the  Sky  Blue 
Water"  and  "By  the  Waters  of 
Munetonka"  are  exquisitely  rendered 
on  this  beautiful  record. 

"Drink  to  Me  Only  With  Thine 
Eyes"  and  "Loch  Lomond"  arc 
songs  that  thrill  even  in  the  men- 
tioning. The  only  measure  of 
beauty  that  could  be  added  to  either 
is  to  say  that  Oscar  Seagle  sings  it. 
Dance  music  is  represented  of 
course,  by  a  half  dozen  or  more  of 
the  latest  dance  hits,  played  by  fa- 
mous dance  music  makers. 


VICTOR   RECORDS 

LIEUTENANT  JOHN   PHILIP 
SOUSA,  U.  S.   N.  R.  F.,  is  a 
busy   man   these    days,    and    we   are 
fortunate   that    a    happy    opportunity 
arrived  which  enabled  him  to  bring 
his    band    to   the    Victor    factory   to 
record    some    of    the    latest    march 
tunes    of    the     invincible     American 
Army     and      Navy.       "Sabre      and 
Spurs"  pictures   a  patrol   of  Ameri- 
can Cavalry,  and  "Solid  Men  to  the 
Front"     is     a     remarkably     spirited 
march,    which    suggests   that    ''Solid 
Men,"  contrary  to  the  habit  of  solid 
bodies    mgve    quickly.      Hear    these 
marches  once  and   there  is  no  need 
to    ask    the    composer.      "Mate    o' 
Mine"  is  a  tender  song  offered  this 
month   by    Clarence    Whitehill.      His 
palpable   sincerity   and   the   exquisite 
tenderness   of    feeling   to    which    his 
voice  lends  itself  so  sympathetically 
make  this  record  one  of  exceptional 
interest.     "The  Golden  Cockerel,"  a 
new    Victor   record    sung  by    Mabel 
Garrison    will    not    fail    to    interest 
lovers    of    musk.      "N'Everything," 
by  De  Sylvia,  Kahn  and  Jolson  is  as 
American  as  its  name,  full  of  energy 
and  "pep"  and  "1  Want  You  to  Want 
Me"  are  two  splendid  fox  trots  for 
November. 


FT%\ 


El-Rado 

The 

Womanly"  Way 
To  Remove  Hair 


From  the  underarms,  face,  neck  or 
limbs.  El-Rado  is  a  sanitary  lotion 
that  simply  washes  the  hair  off  by  dis- 
solving it.  You  can  wear  chiffon 
sleeves  without  any  dress  shields  after 
removing  the  hair  with  El-Rado.  En- 
tirely harmless.  Ask  for  "El-Rado" 
hair  remover  at  any  toilet  goods 
counter.  Two  sizes,  50c  and  $1.00. 
Money-back  guarantee. 

Orders  filled  direct  on  receipt  of  stamps 
or  coin  If  dea! :T  cannot  supply  you. 

PILGRIM  MFG.  CO.  t<«  f  112  E.  194  St.,  N.Y. 


CHAMBERLAIN  BROWN 

(AGENCY) 

1482  BROADWAY     9130  BRYANT 

Exclusive  Manager  for 

BLANCHE  RING 
GRACE  LA  RUE 
FRITZ1  SCHEFF 
ZOE  BARXETT 
EMILY  ANN  \YELLMAX 
JULIA  KELETY 
MARIE  CARROLL 
MARTHA  MAYO 
CONRAD  NAGEL 
LEON  GORDON 
MARION  COAKLEY 
MIRIAM  COLLINS 
ARTHUR  C.  HOWARD 
FRANK  MAYO 
CHRISTINE  NORMAN 
NENA  BLAKE 
ELISE  BARTLETT 
GEORGE  KINNEAR 
\DA  MEADE 
ALFRED  GERRARD 
LOUISE  DRESSER 
FRANCES  CARSON 
EMMA  CARUS 
ARTHUR  ASHLEY 
BETH  FRANKLYN 
HARRY  FOX 
CLARA  JOEL 
EARL  BENHAM 
SYDNEY  SHIELDS 
REGINE  WALLACE 
NORVAL  KEEDWELL 
WALTER  LEWIS 
HELEN  LOWELL 
GILDA  LEARY 
MABEL  WITHEE 


STATEMENT  OF  THE  OWNERSHIP, 
MANAGEMENT,    CIRCULATION,    ETC., 
required  by  the  Act  of  Congress  of  Augtut 
24,  1912,  of  THEATRE  MAGAZINE,  pub- 
lished  monthly    at   New    York,    N.    Y.,    for 
October     1,     1918,     State     of     New     York, 
County    of    New    York.      Before   me,   a   No- 
tary    Public     in     and     for     the     State    and 
County  aforesaid,  personally  appeared  Louil 
Meyer,    who,    having    been    duly    sworn    ac- 
cording to  law,  deposes  and  says  that  he  It 
the  business  manager  of  the  Theatre  Maga- 
zine,    and     that     the     following     is    to    tl 
best    of    his    knowledge    and    belief,    a    true 
statement    of    the    ownership,    management, 
etc  ,    of    the    aforesaid    publication    for    tl 
date  shown   in  the  above  caption,  required 
by  the  Act  of  August  24,  1912,  embodied  in 
section   443,    Postal   Laws  and   Regulation!, 
printed  on  the  reverse  of  this  form,  to  wit: 
That   the   names  and  addresses  of   the  pull 
lisher,    editor,    managing    eaitor,    and    butt 
ness  managers  are.    Publisher,  The  Theatre 
Magazine  Co.,  6  East  39th  St,  New  York, 
Editor,  Arthur   Hornblow  6   East  39th  St., 
New  York.     Managing  Editor,  none,    t 
ness    Managers,    Paul    and    Louis    Meyer,  « 
East  39th   St.,   New  York.     That  the  own' 
ers  are:   The  Theatre   Magazine  Company 
6    East    39th    St.,    New    York,    Mr.    Henrj 
Stern,    838    West    End    Ave.,     New    \ork 
Mr.    Louis    Meyer,    6    East    39th    St.,    NtJ 
York,    Mr.    Paul    Meyer,    6    East   39th    S 
New    York.      That   the   known   bondnolde 
mortgagees,     and     other     security     holder 
owning  or   holding   1   per  cent,   or  more  o: 
total  amount  of  bonds,  mortgages,  or  othi 
securities   are:    None.      That   the   two   part 
graphs    next    above,    giving    the    names    o 
the      owners,      stockholders      and      secunt; 
holders,    if    any,    contain    not    only    tl 
of    stockholders    and    security    holders,    1 
they    appear   upon    the   books    of   the   c 
pany,    but    also    in    cases    where    the    stoc 
holders    or    security     holder    appears    upo. 
the  books  of  the  coinpany  as  trustee  or  I 
any    other    fiduciary    relation,    the   name  < 
the    person    or   corporation    for    whom 
trustee    is    acting,    is    given;    also    that   1 
said  two  paragraphs  contain  statements 
bracing   affiant's    full    knowledge   and   I 
as  to  the  circumstances  and  conditions it 
der    which    stockholders   and    security    hole 
ers  who  do   not  appear   upon   the  boon 
the    company    as    trustees,    hold    stock 
securities   in  .a   capacity   other  than   that  t 
a  bona  fide  owner;  and  this  affiant  has  a 
reason    to    believe    that    any    other    pen 
association,   or  corporation  has  any  in 
direct   or  indirect   in   the   said   stock,   b( 
or    other    securities    than    as    so    stated 
him     Signed  by  LOUIS  MEYER,  Busing 
Manager.       Sworn     to    and    subscribed    b 
fore  me  this   18th   day  of   September    IS) 
[SEAL]    GEORGE    H.    BROOKE     Notw 
Public,  Bronx  Co.     No.  41.     New  York  C 
Clerk's  No.  200.     New  York  Co.  Regist 
No.    102*3.      (My    term    expires    Marcl 
1920.) 


[314] 


m 

I/ 


35C«nte 


m 


\ 


\ 


¥ 


m 


EGYPTIAN 

DEITIES 

The  Utmost  in  Cigarettes" 

PJain  End  orCorkTip 


'  Makers  of  the  Highest  GradeTurhish 
and  Egyptian  Ciqarettes  in  the  World. 


ACONDCLASS 


3,    1817,  AT  THE   POST   o.,,r 


3P? 


INI 


"Or 


THEATRE  MAGAZINE 


'  I  *HE   war  is  over! 


We  can  forget  the  horrors  of  the 
battlefield,  and  once  more  turn  our  atten- 
tion to  the  gentle  pursuits  of  peace — and 
art. 

The  new  year  will  be  a  bright  one  for 
the  American  drama. 
^  ith  audiences  eager  to 
forget  the  horrors  of 
strife,  with  authors  and 
players  freshly  stimu- 
lated for  a  ntw  outlook 
on  life,  we  may  look 
forward  to  some  rare 
treats  in  1919. 

Get  in  the  swing' 
Keep  up  with  the  times ! 
Join  our  merry  throng 
of  playgoers  by  readin ;v 
the  THEATRE  MAGAZINE. 


DECEMBER,      1918 


L_I  OW  far  is  a  playwright  justified  in 
•*•  -I  deceiving  his  audience  to  the  plot  of 
the  play? 

Should  the  auditor  be  let  into  a  stage 
situation  not  yet  perceived  by  the  dramatis 
personae? 


Wl  I  Y  are  they  act- 
ors? 

They  could  just  as 
well  have  been  anything 
else.  So  Zoe  Beckley 
says  in  her  article  in  the 
January  issue. 

She  will  tell  you  about 
stage  people  who  can  do 
other  things  than  act. 
Some  can  write  or  sculp 
or  paint  or  sing  or  dance 
or  sew  or  "do"  in- 
teriors. 

Learn  just  what  your 
favorite  player's  ac- 
complishments in  other 
fields  of  endeavor  are, 
by  reading  the  next 
issue. 


romances 
are    more 


THE  real 
of  life 
thrilling  than  those  of 
fiction.  The  stage  is 
full  of  real  romance — 
affairs  the  outer  world 
seldom  hears  of. 

Not  so  long  ago  a 
beautiful  young  girl  took 
Broadway  by  storm.  She 
was  the  favorite  actressi 
of  the  hour.  Men  and 
women  raved  about  her. 

Suddenly  she  disap- 
peared without  any  ap- 
parent reason.  And  a 
few  days  later —  But  it 
is  too  interesting  to  tell 
here. 

Read  this  remarkable 
episode  of  stage  life  in 
the  January  THEATRE 
MAGAZINE. 


This  is  an  interesting  question  which 
the  most  famous  dramatic  critics  have 
often  discussed.  A  new  angle  is  given  to 
the  controversy  by  Richard  P.urton,  tin- 
well-known  president  of  the  Drama 
League. 

His    article    is    in    tin- 
next  number! 


IN  THIS  ISSUE 


LILLIAN  WALKER  Cover 

ROBERT  B    MANTELL  AS   RICHELIEU  Frontispiece 

THANK  GOD  FOR  THE  PLAYER-FOLK  Lewis  Allen  Browne  331 
STAGE  WORKERS  IN  LIBERTY  LOAN  DRIVE— 

Full   page   of  pictures  335 

BACK  FROM  THE  TRENCHES                                 Irene  Franklin  33(i 

KAY  LAUREL— Full  page  portrait  33  r 

WHEN  FROHMAN  DID  WILDCATTING        Edward  E.  Kidder  338 

PLAYS  TO  SUIT  ALL  TASTES— Full  page  of  scenes  339 
THE  MOST  STRIKING  EPISODE  IN  MY  LIFE, 

Mitsi,   Donald  Brian,   Emmett   Corri^an,  IJavid    Warfield  340 

GABRIELLE  GILLS — Full  page  portrait  341 

MY  HERO                                                                                Vera.  Bloom  342 

CHRISTMAS    PRESENTS                                               Harold   geton  342 

PLAYERS   DO  THEIR  BIT — Full  page  of  pictures  343 

COMEDIES  THAT  HOLD  THE  BOARDS— Full  page  of  scenes  344 

AIR.  HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY  345 

•'Tne     Uetter     'Ole,"     "Three     Wise     Fools,"     "Freedom," 

''Perkins,"  "The  Kiddle:  Woman,"  "Some  'lime,"  ''Nothing 

But  Lies,"    "Le   Marriage  de   Figaro, "    "Little    Simplicity,' 

"Sleeping   Partners,"    --The   Matinee   Hero,"    "A    butch    in 

Time,'     '  Peter's  Mother,"   '  I.   O.   U..,"    "The  Long   Dash," 

•  Gioriamia,"     "Ladies    l-'irst,  '     "Not     Witn     My     Money," 

'  1  lie    Canary,"    "Be    Calm,    Camilla,"    "'1  he    Big   Chance," 

"Home  Again." 

RUNNING  '1HE  DRAMATIC   GAMUT— Full   page  of   scenes  349 

CHILDREN'S  YEAR  ON  THE  STAGE                     Ada  Patterson  350 

CHILD  PLAYEKS— Full  page  of  pictures  351 

THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  GOES  TO  WAR                      Lisle  Bell  3M 

SOME    FAVORITE    SONGBIRDS— Full   page    of    pictures  303 

ETHEL   BARRYMORE   AS   AMERICA— Full   page  picture  3J4 

MAXINE  ELLIOTT  AS  BRITANNIA— Full  page  picture  350 

IRENE  CASTLE  AS    FRANCE — Full   page  picture  35G 

BILLIE  BURKE  AS  THE  RED  CROSS— Full  page  picture  357 

TOLSTOI  DRAMA  A  SENSATION  868 

"REDEMPTION"  TOLD  IN  PICTURES  359 

THE  THEATRICAL   MARRIAGE                                     Zoe  Beckley  360 

WITH  THE  YOUNGER  PLAYER  FOLK— Full  page  of  pictures  361 

DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT?  362 

PLAYWRIGHTS  OF  THE  NEW  SEASON— Full  page  of  pictures  363 

A  CHAT    WITH    CYRIL  MAUDE  364 

AMATEUR  THEATRICALS  365 

FOOTLIGHT  FASHIONS                                                 Anne  Archbald  370 

MOTION  PICTURE  SECTION      .                           Edited  by  Mirilo  385 

LOUIS  MEYER,  PAUL   MEYER 

Publishers 
ARTHUR  HORNBLOW 

Editor 

THE  THEATRE  IS  PUBLISHED  MONTHLY  BY  THE  THEATRE 
MAGAZINE  COMPANY,  6  EAST  39TH  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 
HENRY  STERN,  PRESIDENT;  LOUIS  MEYER,  TREASURER; 
PAUL  MEYER,  SECRETARY.  SINGLE  COPIES  ARE  THIRTY- 
FIVE  CENTS;  FOUR  DOLLARS  BY  THE  YEAR.  FOREIGN 
COUNTRIES,  ADD  $1.00  FOR  MAIL;  CANADA,  ADD  85c. 


IMPORTANT  NOTICE 
TO  SUBSCRIBERS 


It  you  change  your  address,  we  must  ask  thai  you  notify  us  not  later  than 
the  tenth  of  the  month,  otherwise  the  next  issue  will  go  to  you  old 
address  and  we  cannot  replace  it. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


WOULD  you  like  to 
have  a  "person:il- 
ity  picture"  of  your 
favorite  player? 

We  don't  guarantee 
that  it  will  always  be  a 
flattering  one — but  it 
will  be  true. 

In  the  next  issue  we 
shall  give  you  an  inti- 
mate interview  of  Tavie 
Beige,  the  first  of  a 
series  giving  color  pic- 
tures of  personality. 


\\711O  is  Farfariello? 
You  never  heard 
of  him,  did  you?  We 
never  did  until  we  went 
down  to  the  Bowery  and 
saw  audiences  in  the 
Italian  quarter  go  wild 
over  their  famous  com- 
patriot. 

Carl  Van  Vechten,  in 
the  next  number  of  the 
THEATRE  MAGAZINE,  tells 
all  about  this  remarkable 
artist  who  like  a  novel- 
ist goes  to  the  people 
himself  for  his  inspira- 
tion. 

His  characters  are  all 
typical  Italian  figures  of 
America,  not  the  Italians 
of  Naples,  Venice  or 
Rome. 

Read  about  Farfariel- 
lo and  see  his  pictures 
in  the  January  number. 


THE  opera  and  music 
season  is  .launched. 

The  expensive  song- 
birds have  begun  to  war- 
ble. 

If  you  want  to  keep 
posted  on  the  events  of 
the  musical  world,  fol- 
low Pierre  V.  R.  Key's 
article  each  month  in 
the  THEATRE  MAGAZINE, 
beginning  with  the  Jan- 
uary issue. 


COPYRIGHT   1918   BY   THE   THEATRE    MAGAZINE   CO.       TRADE    HARK    REGISTERED   U.    S.    PATENT   OFFICE. 


Jheu/earjOnw 

became 
Vnyx'TPeans- 


Onyx  Hosiery  for 


ranee 


The  intrinsic  merit  of 


"Onyx  "  if  Hosiery 

reveals  itself  quickly;  there  is  a  definite  and  appreciable 
quality  appeal  which  enlists  the  wearer's  approval  and 
"Onyx"  becomes  a  daily  habit. 

Sold   by  Prominent  Dealers  and  identified   by  the  Trade  Mark 

'  Emery  &  Beers  Company  Inc. 


wtiolesale  Distributors 


1  neat  re    AI  agagint.   December, 


Onyx 


Hosiery 


Black  and  White  Silk,  Embroidered 
and  Clocked,  in  Self  and  Contra  colors. 
Lace  ankle  Black,  White  and  all  colors. 
Also  plain  Black,  White  and  lead- 
ing shades  for  Men  and  Women. 


[331] 


Quelques 
Violettes 


This  exquisite,  shy  odor  of  the  modest  woodland 
violet  appeals  through  its  delicacy  and  simplicity 

Perfume  samples  350  each 
Address  PARK  &  TILFORD,  Sole  Agents,  510  West  4znd  St.,  New  York 


[38Z] 


THEAT: 


VOL.  XXVIII.     No.  214. 


DECEMBER,  1918 


From   a  portrait  bv   Baker  Art  Gallery 


ROBERT  B.   MANTELL  AS  RICHELIEU 

One    of   the    few    survivors     of    the    classic    actors,    Mr.    Mantell     Is 
appearing  in  Shakespeare  and  other  plays  at  the  44th  Street  Theatre 


Tktftre  Magazine,  December,  1918 


THANK  GOD  FOR  THE 


GREAT  Economist  looked  up  from  his  dry  tomes 
to  remark  thai  all  people  could  not  share  in  the 
burden  of  the  war.  "Take,  for  example,"  he  said,  "the 
Player- Folk,  they  of  the  mummer's  mask;  from  the  very 
nature  of  their  light  calling  they  can  have  no  part  in 
helping  in  the  Titank-  struggle  for  World  Liberty." 

ET,  as  the  wc~ds  rolled  redundantly  from  his 
tongue,  a  soldier,  who  but  a  short  time  before  had 
been  one  of  our  F  '~yer- Folk,  was  carrying  the  great 
Economist's  wounded  ^n  from  the  "battlefield  amid  a 
murderous  hail  of  bullet!. 

fTILL  another  son  of  this  uook-wise  man,  just  back 
from  the  grim  struggle  in  the  muddy  shambles  of 
\o-Man's-Land  for  a  brief  and  -earned  respite,  was 
indulging  in  his  first  relaxed  s-.fjft^  his  first  care-free 
laugh  in  many  days,  as  he  sat  \v  Jqis  comrades  at  an 
entertainment  in  a  shell-demolisiwHlfcvn,  within  enemy 


artillery  fire,  given  by  one  o 
of  our  Player-Folk. 


he  many  volunteer  bands 


fHE    great    Economist    cor1  '•f/lot    see    beyond    the 
Books     from    which    he    gay^red    Theories;    the 
Player-Folk  who  deal  in  i  acts  gj^jierfld  from  Life  have 
a  clear  vision  enabling  them1  to  "Carry  On  to  Victory. 

-*k 

SK  of     ar  two.  million  men   Over  There  what  of 
•'•-tht,v.of  the  ...Summer's  Mask"  and  the  response 
will  come  in  mighty  chorus : 

'HANK  God  for  the  Player-Folk !" 

HUNDREDS  of  our  Player-Folk  who  performed 
for  our  amusement  nightly  before  the  footlights, 
to  the  sweet  music  of  great  applause,  have  played  their 
last  part  for  Freedom  out  in  the  dim,  gas-choked,  smoke- 
clouded  stage 'of  war,  unsung  and  unapplauded.  These 
Player-Folk  who  put  aside  their  gaudy  panoply  of  a 
Mimic  World  for  the  dull  panoply  of  a  World  at  War, 
now  sleep  beneath  the  snows  of  France. 

J3THOUSANDS  of  our  Player-Folk,  accustomed  to 
every  luxury,  have  been  tirelessly  journeying  up 
and  down  those  Sad-lands  of  tortured  France  to  bring 
cheer  to  the  hearts  of  our  boys;  have  been  undergoing 
hardships,  weariness,  exposure  and  discomforts  that,  in 
peace  times,  no  money  could  tempt  them  to  risk,  that 
some  of  the  homesickness,  sordidness  and  grimness  of 
war  that  is  the  soldiers'  burden,  might  be  lightened. 


|HAT  of  the  Player-Folk  over  there?  They  have 
emptied  their  purses,  aye,  and  pledged  their 
jewels,  for  Liberty  Bonds  ;  they  have  worked  ceaselessly 
throughout  each  issue  in  organizing  drives  that  have 
netted  greater  sales  for  them,  pro  rata,  than  any  other 
group  or  body.  Day  after  day  and  night  after  night 
they  have  given  their  talents  and  then  their  services  as 
salesmen  and  saleswomen  until  they  have  inspired  mil- 
lions to  purchase.  And  these  same  Player-Folk  serve  in 
every  other  possible  way.  with  the  Red  Cross,  with  all 
the  great  and  helpful  branches  where  it  has  been  possi- 
ble for  them  to  help. 

PAILY  do  we  scan  our  Nation's  Roll  of  Honor  and 
find  thereon  the  name  of  this  man  or  that  who  has 
made  the  Supreme  Sacrifice,  and  we  exclaim  :  "He's  the 
Actor  !     Don't   you   remember  ?     We    saw   him    not    so 
long  ago  in  that  new  production." 


work  and  sacrifice  of  the  Player-Folk,  they 
who  trod  the  boards  and  they  of  the  theatre- 
owners  and  producers,  has  been  of  value  beyond  com- 
puting. From  money,  personal  services,  use  of  theatres 
to  a  part  in  the  actual  combat,  they  served  from  the 
beginning. 

T  Cantigny,  Bois  de  Belleau,  Chateau  Thierry,  St. 
Mihiel  and  wherever  the  Stars  and  Stripes  have 
gone  on  and  on,  now  stand  wooden  crosses  that  mark 
the  resting  place  of  they  who,  from  the  American  Stage 
not  so  long  ago,  commanded  our  tears  and  our  smiles — 
the  Player-Folk. 

'*\  T  this  Christmastide — this  Season  of  Giving — it  is 

good  to  bring  to  mind  that  our  Player-Folk  have 

been  giving  from  the  beginning ;  giving  of  their  leisure, 

their  comforts,  their  services,  their  money,  their  lives! 

fEN  and  women  alike  of  the  Great  Craft  have 
been  giving  such  as  it  was  given  to  them  to 
give,  without  stint  and  with  gladness  in  their  great 
hearts,  that  this  Natal  Day  of  Him  who  made  the  Su- 
preme Sacrifice  for  the  Brotherhood  of  Man  should  not 
lose  its  meaning,  should  not  be  crushed  into  oblivion 
beneath  the  spurred  and  crimsoned  heel  of  despotism, 
but  should  prevail  always  for  mankind. 


God  for  the  Player-Folk. 

LEWIS  ALLEN  BROWNE. 


Irving   Berlin    singing   "Oh, 

How  I  Hate  to  Oet   Up  in 

the  Morning" 


Underwood   &   Underwood 
Geraldine  Farrar  (on  the  left)  opened  the  Liberty  Bond  campaign  on  the  steps 
of  the  Treasury  in  Washington.     President  Wilson's  daughter  has  just  pur- 
chased a  bond  from  her.    Mr.  McAdoo  is  turning  his  back  from  sheer  modesty 


Underwood 

Julia  Marlowe  reciting  "The 
Road  to  France"  in  front  of 
.  /,  j.f(  the  Public  Library 


Thompson 
Alice 


Fischer  and  Grace 
George  selling  bonds  in  the 
Liberty  Theatre,  at  the 

Public  Library 


The  Littlest  Theatre  in  the  world,  conducted  by 

the  Stage  Women's  War  Relief.     It  travels  on  a 

motor   truck,    and    raised    nearly    $100,000    every 

week  of  the  Liberty  Loan  Drive 


r'«!"  Ferguson,  wK     aised 
&  >,WK)    witbj-    liftecii   min- 
utes,      Howard       Chandler 
Christy  and  Jane  Cowl 


Thompson 

Harrison  Fisher,  the  artist, 
and  Ray  Cox,  the  untiring 
Chairman  of  the  Liberty 
Theatre,  and  to  whom  much 
of  the  success  of  the  work 
is  due 


Thompson 

E.  H.  Sothern  tell- 
ing the  crowds  of 
his  overseas  experi- 
ences in  front  of 
the  Liberty  Theatre 


J.  T.   POWERS 

This  is  the  Powers 
smile  after  he  had 
totaled  up  his  Lib- 
erty Bond  sales 


LEON  ROTHIER 

Of  the  Metropolitan  Opera, 
singing  the  Alarteillaite  on 
the  steps  of  the  Sub  Treas- 
ury, New  York,  in  the  cos- 
tume of  Rouget  de  Lisle 


NOTABLE    STAGE    WORKERS    IN    THE    RECENT    GREAT    LIBERTY    LOAN    DRIVE 


BACK  FROM  THE  TRENCHES 

A  popular  actress   sent  "over  there"  tells 
interesting  stories  direct  from  the  firing  line 

By  IRENE   FRANKLIN 


T 

THERE    is    one    thing    we    must    give    this 
great    war   credit    for.  j   Not   only   has    it 
brought  the  Church  am    Stage  together— 
*ut  the  Church  is  paying  the  Stage  two  dollars 
a  day   to  work  for   it.     That^  noble   salary  and 
your  expenses  are  paid  by  the  Over  There  Thea- 
tre League  and  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.4o  a"        .-Haulers 
who   will   go   to  France  and  J  .:   boys   by 

bringing  a  breath  of  home  to       k  .reaches. 

I  went  "over  there"  fully*re»izing  the  hard- 
ships to  be  endured.  There  art  plenty  of  them. 
One  needs  more  than  one's  nojr13'  strength  to 
cope  with  it  all.  You  are  alroys  cold,  usually 
hungry,  invariably  dirty,  very^  .tijfd,  mostly 
voiceless,  but  by  gosh  you're  happyT 

the  hardest  thing  on  the  jdtfrney  was  laving 
to  carry  everything  for  one's  self,  for  th^re  are 
no  porters  or  bell  boys  in  France.  Whf.i  fully 
equipped  for  the  road  I  carried  one  suit  case,  one 
roll-up  containing  bedding  and  blankets,  one 
canteen,  one  raincoat,  one  heavy  overcoii,  one 
tin  helmet  and  one  gas  mask.  Mr.  Gret.i  wore 
the  same  costume  with  the  addition  of  a  music 
case. 

On  our  way  over,  all  the  men  passengers  kept 
watch  eight  hours  in  every  twenty-four,  doing 
double  duty  in  the  danger  zone.  My  hur'iand 
(Burton  Green)  was  on  extra  watch  from 
twelve  to  four  for  three  nights,  and.Vas  looking 
forward  to  a  real  night's  sleep  with"*"riis  clothes 
off  and  everything — but  the  Cap ''^.;- ordered  all 
passengers  to  sleep  fully  dresssd,  and  on  deck  if 
possible,  whereupon  Bertie"  riz  up*  and  said  that 
he  for  one  would  sleep  in  his  bunk  and  his 
paj.-nn.-i-.  "'•  was  •>  tired  man. 


WATCHING  for  U-boats  is  a  very  strenu- 
ous duty  and  involves  a  great  sense  of 
responsibility.  The  nights  are  pitch  black,  there 
are  no  lights,  and  no  smoking  is  allowed.  Keep- 
ing close  watch  is  a  matter  of  life  and  death. 
And  with  that  Bertie  gently  but  firmly  retired. 
I  pleaded  with  him,  warned  him  of  our  danger, 
reminded  him  tearfully  that  we  had  children, 
but  to  no  purpose.  He  turned  in.  I  retired  to 
the  upper  deck  with  a  life  preserver  and  it  rained 
on  me  from  eleven  P.  M.  till  three  A.  M. — the 
wettest  rain.  At  three  I  decided  that  I  would 
rather  be  torpedoed  downstairs  than  soaked  to  a 
pulp  on  deck.  I  went  downstairs  at  three-thirty 
and  found  Burton  snoring  peacefully  in  the 
lower  berth.  I  climbed  into  the  upper  berth  and 
fell  asleep.  The  next  thing  I  remember  was 
"Bang!''  I  was  sure  our  boat  had  been  tor- 
pedoed. 

I  made  the  upper  deck  in  one  leap,  and  left 
poor  Bertie  struggling  in  the  dark  trying  to  get 
into  lace  boots,  puttees  and  his  uniform.  Up  011 
deck  the  sight  was  awful.  They  had  sunk  one 
sister  ship  three  hundred  yards  on  our  right. 
The  destroyers  were  racing  to  get  the  U-boat, 
dropping  depth  bombs  as  they  fairly  flew  over 
the  water.  They  claimed  we  got  the  U-boat.  But 
I'm  sure  it  must  have  been  Burton's  language 
that  scared  it  away. 

We  saw  the  big  ship  sink  at  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  The  rain  was  beating  down,  and  it 
was  a  terrible  sight.  Isn't  it  just  like  the  Hun 
to  pick  out  a  rainy  night  to  attack  people?  Dur- 


ing the  rest  of  the  trip  we  slept  on  deck  with 
our  clothes  on,  until  we  arrived  at  Liverpool. 
When  we  got  to  the  hotel  we  discovered  that 
Bertie  had  brought  but  one  suit  case— that  one 
his  own,  a  pleasant  prospect  for  a  woman  who 
had  slept  for  three  nights  in  a  tailored  suit, 
refused  firmly  to  go  to  bed  and  demanded 
the  pair  of  pajamas  and  Bertie  made  a  neat 
speech  and  presented  them  to  me.  Once  a  gentle- 
man always  a  gentleman.  On  disrobing,  Bertie 
found  he  had  a  pair  of  pajamas,  too.  The  pair 
he  had  on  the  night  of  the  torpedoing— the 


©  Ira  L.  Hill 

IRENE    FRANKLIN 

In  the  costume  she  wore  "over  there" 

poor  boy  hadn't  had  his  clothes  off  since.  In 
his  haste,  he  had  put  his  other  clothes  on  top  of 
them  and  had  been  wearing  them  for  five  days. 

"Didn't  you  feel   stuffy?"  I   asked. 

"No,"  he  chuckled,  "I  thought  I  was  getting 
fat." 


AT  last  we  got  to  France.     I  sang  wherever 
there  was   a  piano,  and   anywhere   from  a 
cathedral  to  a  roadside. 

One  day  we  suddenly  came  upon  hundreds  of 
soldiers  enjoying  that  rare  treat — a  swim  in  the 
river.  Naturally,  bathing  suits  were  conspicu- 
ous by  their  absence.  From  the  point  of  view  of 
the  proprieties,  it  was  a  critical  moment,  but  we 
saved  the  situation  by  turning  our  backs  to  the 
river,  and  I  started  singing  a  comic  song.  Im- 
mediately, the  boys  scrambled  out  of  the  water, 
donned  their  uniforms,  and  gathered  around.  I 


sang  to  them  for  about  an  hour  and  when  I 
finished,  the  cook,  who  was  preparing  lunch, 
came  up  to  me  and  said:  "I'm  sorry  we  haven't 
any  flowers  to  present  to  you,  but  take  this  in- 
stead." He  held  out  a  can  of  peaches! 

And  the  cheers  and  applause  that  greet  every 
song  and  dance!  The  reception  I  received  was 
certainly  the  most  wonderful  in  my  life.  The 
tumultuous  applause  that  greets  the  stage  fav- 
orite on  Broadway  the  night  of  a  successful 
premiere  is  nothing  compared  to  the  reception 
given  to  the  strolling  player  who  goes  "Over 
there."  Three  thousand  miles  from  home,  caked 
with  the  mud  of  No  Man's  Land,  the  boys  are 
ravenous  for  entertainment.  A  soldier,  on  see- 
ing a  woman  from  his  own  country,  is  satisfied 
merely  to  look  at  her.  One  came  up  to  me  one 
day  and  said:  "Are  you  an  American?"  When 
I  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  said:  "My 
God!  Lady,  can  I  talk  to  you?'" 


OFTEN  when  I  was  singing  a  comic  song,  I 
would  see  tears  welling  up  in  the  eyes  of 
some  boy.  No  doubt  he  was  recalling  the  time 
when  he  took  his  girl  or  mother  to  see  my  act 
in  the  U.  S.  A.  Then  the  boys  around  him, 
catching  his  emotion,  would  look  sad  and 
thoughtful.  That  was  the  time  I  tried  hardest 
to  make  them  laugh.  The  boys  do  not  want  to 
be  "entertained."  They  do  not  want  the  passe 
lady  with  three  chins  who  tremelos  "My  Little 
Grey  Home  in  the  West"  and  "Mother  I've  Come 
Home  to  Die"  at  them.  They  want  a  real 
show,  with  costumes,  wigs  and  grease-paint.  I 
always  wore  my  "Red  Head"  romper,  no  matter 
how  deep  the  mud  was,  or  how  my  bare  knees 
shivered  in  the  cold.  Then,  too,  it  is  a  severe 
tax  on  the  voice  singing  in  all  kinds  of  weather 
out-of-doors. 

Ours  was  not  a  de  luxe  tour.  We  had  no 
motor  cars  and  had  to  travel  in  the  overcrowded, 
badly  ventilated  French  trains.  It  is  nothing  to 
stand  five  or  six  hours  in  a  train  before  reach- 
ing a  destination.  We  gave  the  seats  to  the 
soldiers.  They  needed  the  rest  more  than  we 
did. 

It  is  hard  to  be  a  charmer  by  day  and  a  laun- 
dress by  night.  But  I  had  to  do  all  my  own  wash- 
ing— and  in  cold  water,  too.  There  is  no 
laundry  soap,  either.  In  France  I  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  there  may  be  worst  laundresses 
in  the  world  than  I,  but  I  don't  know  of  any. 

Our  menus,  too,  were  not  very  comforting. 
For  breakfast  there  was  a  bowl  of  black  coffee, 
no  milk  or  sugar.  There  was  war  bread,  but  no 
butter.  Sometimes  an  egg.  To  show  the  prog- 
ress some  of  our  American  boys  are  making  with 
the  French  language,  I  asked  one  of  them  what 
he  says  when  he  wants  to  order  an  egg? 

"Euf,  for  one  egg,"  he  replied. 

"And  when  you  want  two  eggs?" 

"Euf,  euf,"  he  barked. 

The  good  food  is  all  at  the  first  line  trenches — 
which  is  as  it  should  be.  That's  where  you  can 
trace  all  the  steaks  and  other  goodies  we  have 
missed  since  the  war  began.  Everything  is  for 
the  soldiers  and  the  children.  After  breakfast 
we  usually  gave  a  performance,  and  after  lunch 
another  performance.  Dinner  we  mostly  missed. 


[  336] 


theatre  Magazine,  December,  if  it 


KAY      LAURELL 

This  attractive  young  actress,  whose 
beauty  and  dignity  of  bearing  fits 
well  into  patriotic  scenes  has  im- 
personated in  turn  at  the  "Follies'" 
and  "Midnight  Frolic,"— "France," 
"Italy,"  and  the  "United  States." 
Her  poses  are  always  inspiring  and 
artistic.  She  has  been  a  most  ardent 
and  successful  worker  for  the 
Fourth  Liberty  Loan  and  will  be 
seen  shortly  on  the  legitimate  stage 


From  a  portrait  by  Edward  Thayer  Monro* 


Dinner  in  France  is  at  seven  and  we  were 
usually  an  hour's  ride  from  the  hotel  in 
some  camp  giving  a  show  at  that  time.  If  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut  held  but  one  thousand  men, 
and  there  were  three  thousand  men  in  the  camp, 
we  gave  the  show  three  times.  This  was  our 
program:  Mr.  Green  presided  at  the  piano.  He 
would  make  a  short  speech  telling  the  boys  who 
we  were  and  what  we  were  going  to  do  for  their 
ervtii  '  --•..  Then  he  would  play  an  over- 
tin*.  Corinne  Francisvwd  Tony  Hunting  would 
play  a  comedy  sketch  witjj?sotjgs.  Miss  Francis 
has  a  very  lovely  voice  and  was  a  great  favorite. 
-i*hen  I  sang  as  many  songs  Is  the  boys  called 
{or — wearing  my  prettiest ,  frock.  Miss  Francis 
and  Mr.  Hunting  would  tnen  'appear  in  another 
sketch,  Miss  Francis  singing,  playing  the  banjo, 
and  Mr.  Hunting  dancing.  Ai«,  oh,  how  those 
boys  loved  that  dancing.  Meari.vhile  I  had  made 
a  change  of  costume  to  my  ronp>tfs  and  sandals 
and  sang  "Red  Head"  and  a-'v .  n  of  my  baby 
songs.  That  concluded  our  performance  of  one 
hour  and  a  half.  If  a  show  was^scheduled  for 
7.30  you  could  be  sure  that  tne^W^would  be 
there  at  five.  Such  eagerness,  such  e,.Jhusiasm ! 
It  was  a  joy  just  to  see  their  faces.  >  . 

We  could  have  gone  to  Fir!  Jgjrf*  ^£pter- 
tained  royally.  But  we  were  there  to  at^%i  the 
boys  who  were  at  the  front  or  were  soc^.-.'jo  be 
there.  That  is  what  we  did. 

Probably  I  am  the  only  woman  who  ha  been 
in  the  trenches  at  St.  Mihiel  and  Verdu'1 

In  France  every  time  you  turn  ar< '  f,  vou 
have  to  give  your  name  and  age  to  son..  I 

believe  everyone  on  the  other  side  kno;A_  -iy 
name  and  age.  As  you  get  up  "front,"  there  is 
less  and  less  demand  to  see  your  papers,  the 
theory  being  that  if  you  have  succeeded  in  get- 
ting that  far,  you  must  be  all  right. 


We  went  to  Verdun — that  beautiful  town  that 
was  once  so  lovely — and  now  there  isn't  one 
house  with  four  walls. 

On  top  of  the  hill  is  the  Cathedral. 

We  went  up  to  the  high  altar.  The  keeper, 
keenly  interested  in  us,  asked  us  who  we  were. 
In  my  best  Mt.  Vernon  French  I  told  him  that 
we  were  artists  from  America  and  had  come  to 
entertain  the  boys. 

He  was  enchanted.  He,  too,  was  an  artist. 
Before  the  war  he  had  sung  comic  songs: 
Would  not  Madame  sing  for  him.  So  at  the 
High  Altar,  in  the  cathedral  at  Verdun,  I  sang 
"Red  Head." 

"Would  it  be  possible  for  Madame  to  dance, 
too  ?" 

Tony  Hunting  had  that  honor,  and  he  exe- 
cuted a  buck  dance  much  to  the  delight  of  the 
Frenchman.  How  could  the  keeper  show  his 
appreciation?  What  souvenirs  would  we  have? 

Having  gone  over  as  an  entertainer  and  not 
as  a  souvenir  hunter,  I  told  him  that  we  would 
not  take  anything.  Surely  he  took  us  for 
Huns.  But  he  was  insistent.  We  must  have 
the  hat  of  the  beadle  of  the  village  with  all  the 
splendor  of  its  gold  braid,  and  his  stole  must 
go  with  it.  Nothing  else  would  do. 

So  back  in  Mt.  Vernon  is  the  beadle's  hat. 
Looking  at  it,  I  firmly  believe  that  it  must  have 
been  worn  by  the  last  fifty  beadles  of  Verdun 

and  never  cleaned  by  one. 

*        *        * 

In  a  train  one  day  a  soldier  in  the  uniform 
of  the  Lafayette  Escadrille  invited  me  to  take 
his  seat.  In  my  best  French  I  refused.  But  he 
showed  by  his  gestures  that  he  was  insistent. 
Not  a  word  did  he  speak — only  the  most  elo- 
quent and  graceful  movements  of  shoulders  and 
hands.  The  original  Monsieur  Alphonse!  I 


thought  to  myself.  Still  in  my  best  French,  I 
repeated  that  I  preferred  him  to  remain  seated. 
But  my  pleadings  were  in  vain.  I  capitulated, 
and  he  paced  up  and  down  the  corridor  on  the 
train.  After  riding  a  couple  of  hours  I  got  out, 
and  he,  courteously,  assisted  me  in  alighting, 
removing  my  baggage  and  all.  I  was  astounded. 
Never  had  I  seen  anyone  so  courteous — not  even 
a  Frenchman — to  one  not  an  acquaintance. 

"Merci,  monsieur,"  I  said  with  my  most  fetch- 
ing smile. 

"You're  welcome,"  said  he  in  perfect  Yankee. 
"I'm  delighted  to  be  of  service  to  you,  Miss 
Franklin.  I'm  one  of  your  admirers  from 
Waterbury,  Conn." 

Some  three  years  ago  a  German  Artillery 
officer  ordered  his  men  to  shell  a  French  town 
at  four-thirty  and  forgot  to  tell  them  to  stop, 
and  "Jerry,"  as  the  Americans  call  him,  in  his 
methodical  way,  continues  to  shell  it  every  day 
at  that  time.  This  makes  it  very  simple  for  the 
inhabitants  who  go  some  place  else  at  tea  time. 

When  we  reached  the  place  we  took  a  piano 
on  a  truck  and  made  our  way  to  a  nearby  hill. 
The  Hippodrome  will  never  thrill  me  again  after 
what  I  saw  there — three  thousand  boys  march- 
ing in  from  the  trenches,  with  full  equipment 
on  their  backs.  How  eager  I  was  to  sing  for 
those  brave  lads  So  I  put  on  a  bright  blue  stage 
dress — they  are  tired  of  seeing  uniforms,  and 
love  nothing  so  much  as  to  see  fluffy,  feminine 
costumes — and  the  entertainment  started.  Imme- 
diately the  "whirr,  whirr"  of  a  German  airplane. 
Fritz  had  started  his  favorite  afternoon  sport. 
He  was  flying  at  a  high  altitude,  and  no  doubt 
could  not  distinguish  the  khaki  of  the  boys  amid 
the  landscape,  but  that  bright  colored  dress  of 
mine  must  have  attracted  him,  for  he  kept  us 
company  during  the  (Concluded  on  page  382) 


w 


- 


W  FROHMAN 

li 

An  interesting  reminiscence  of  the  fa- 
mous manager  s  early  stage  beginnings 


WILDCATTING 


By  EDWARD    E.  KIDDER 


SOME  years  ago — oh,  yes,  quite  some — I  was 
managing  Lotta,  the  best  character  com- 
edienne we  ever  had,  the  most  pleasant 
"star"  that  one  could  be  associated  with,  and 
the  then  richest  actress  in  the  world.  At 
Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul  we  were  playing — as 
usual — to  "standing  room  only"  and  I  made  for 
Milwaukee  to  stir  things  up  a  little.  En  route, 
we  stopped  at  a  small  Wisconsin  town,  where  a 
stoutish  young  man  with  a  pleasant  face  and  a 
heavy  bundle  of  theatrical'  printing  entered  the 
car.  He  dropped  his  burden,  with  a  gasp  of  re- 
lief, on  the  seat  opposite  mine  and  sank  wearily 
beside  it. 

Then  he  beamed  at  me. 

"Hello  Ed." 

I  shook  hands,  knew  the  face,  but  couldn't  re- 
call the  name. 

He   said: 

"My  brother  Dan  introduced  us  in  New  York 
last  summer.  I'm  Charley  Frohman." 

Of  course! 

We  shook  hands  again  and  chatted  as  the 
train  bumped  on.  He  knew  what  "star"  I  repre- 
sented— I  wonder  what  he  didn't  know,  even  in 
those  early  days? — and  said: 

"A  fine  artiste  and  a  fine  lady!  How  I'd  like 
to  manage  some  one  of  that  calibre!" 


Oh  if  his  keen  but  kindly  eyes  could  have 
pierced  the  future  and  viewed  himself  the  reign- 
ing monarch  in  the  Kingdom  of  Thespis!  • 

"I'm  with  the  Georgia  Minstrels,"  he  said. 
"Dan,  Gus  and  I  are  all  interested  and  doing 
pretty  well." 

I  asked  about  his  route. 

"No  route  this  week,"  he  replied  with  a  grin. 
"A  'week  stand'  went  back  on  us  and  I've  got 
to  fill  it  in — 'hurry  call' — I'm  wildcatting." 

"Wildcatting?" 

"Yes,  I'm  a  few  days  ahead  of  the  show  and 
picking  out  towns  as  I  go  along.  My  bill  trunk 
is  in  the  baggage  car  but" — pointing  to  his 
bundle — "I  keep  enough  paper  out  for  emer- 
•gencies." 

We  stopped  at  a  small  town  and  "ten  minutes 
for  luncheon"  emptied  the  car. 

"Come  on,  Charley,"  I  said  and  led  the  way 
to  the  refreshment  room. 

But  while  I  was  endeavoring  to  masticate  the 
concrete  biscuits  and  leather-cased  pie,  I  could 
see  no  sign  of  my  friend. 

Hastening  back  to  the  train  with  my  eye  on  the 
conductor — you'll  never  be  left  if  you  do  that — 
Frohman  dashed  past  me — dashed  into  the  car, 
seized  his  bundle  of  printing  and  leaped  out, 
all  excitement. 


"I  stop  over  here,  Ed,"  he  exclaimed.  "This1 
town  hasn't  had  a  show  for  three  months  and 
they're  all  minstrel  mad.  I  interviewed  twenty 
leading  merchants  in  ten  minutes  and  they're  all 
ready  to  fall  on  my  neck." 

I  congratulated  him. 

He  shouldered  the  bundle  and  said : 

"I'll  advertise  to-day  and  show  night  after  to- 
morrow. I  bet  we'll  play  to  four  hundred  dol- 
lars. There's  no  bill-poster,  but  I  can  do  it  all 
myself." 

I  saw  him  again  years  after  at  his  Empire 
Theatre  here,  where  he  accepted  a  play  of  mine, 
while  a  dozen  theatrical  magnates  waited  his 
pleasure  in  the  ante-room.  A  speculator?  An 
accident?  Absurd!  He  knew  his  business 
thoroughly  and  though  afterward  occupying  the 
"state  room  de  luxe"  he  "came  up  from  the 
forecastle"  as  the  sailors  say,  "and  didn't  climb 
in  the  cabin  windows !" 

It  is  over  three  years  since  he  met  his  tragic 
death  and  it  will  be  hard  to  find  his  equal  in 
kindliness,  generosity  and  ability. 

Boom  on,  oh  cruel,  foaming  sea, 
Shriek  hideous  missle  crashing  through, 
With  all  your  power  you  cannot  kill 
Our  memories  of  the  man  we  knew! 


[338] 


Theatre  Magazine,  December,  ifit 


Charles  Webster         E.  Lyall  Swete 

Thomas  a  Becket  discusses  with  Henry  II  the  institution  of 
Trial     by    Jury     and     brings     the     monarch     to     his     knees 


AT  THE  CENTURY 


SCENE  IN  THE  PATRIOTIC  PAGEANT 


Eleanor    Painter   and    Joseph   Lertora    in 

the    musical    comedy    success    "Glorianna" 

at    the    Liberty 


Mary  Nash  and  Willard  Mack  in  an  exciting  moment 
in    "The    Big    Chance"    at    the    48th    Street    Theatre 


BROADWAY  OFFERS  PLAYS  TO  SUIT  ALL  TASTES 


THE  MOST  STRIKING  EPISODE  IN  MY  LIFE 


tag' 


cm"d"' 


ext""m"S 


KY  WIDOW"  WALTZ 

Brian 


DONALD    BRIAN 


N  we  began  to  re- 
rse  "The  Merry 
Widowno  one  thought 
very  ir.  ch  of  the  famous 
waltz.  They  thought  it 
would  belgood,  but  nothing 
extraordinary.  After  we 
had  rehear--'1  -  while  I  be- 
gan to  ••*!£;•.„:•  that  that 
waltz  wasSfny  big  chance 
—the  chance  I  had  been 
praying  for.-  •-  I  -djdn't  say 
anything  about  j£  I  was 
afraid  I  might  1*  wrong  or 
Jiap- 
Bhat. 


,,sraid 


that   somethrng-'niigfc 
pen  —  I    didn't    knoj 
I  just  kept  quiet  and  danced  my  very 

At    last    the   big    night    came—  the  •< 
produced  the  piece  at  the  New  Amsterda 
tre  in  New  York.     I  was  sure  then    ' 
right—  that  that  waltz  was  going  to  give^i 
chance.     Maybe  the  others  knew  it,  too. 
know.    They  didn't  say  anything  to  me*. 
of    making    me    nervous,    perhaps. 

I  don't  know  how  I  played  the  early  scenes. 
I  was  thinking  about  the  waltz  all  tb^jme. 
"Steady,  now,"  I'd  whisper  to  myself.  TWn  I'd 
go  on.  I  was  just  waiting—  waiting,  to.  near  the 
waltz  music.  Two  or  three  yearsTifter  the  per- 
formance began  it  came. 

The  next  thing  I  heard  wr-   the   applause. 

That  was  my  big  moment 


WHEN  I   WAS  BROKE  AND  HUNGRY 
By  Mitzi 

THE  day  I  landed  in 
New  York  piled  epi- 
sodes one  upon  another  and 
all  of  them  seemed  to  be 
striking  hammer  blows  at 
my  conceit  and  comfort. 

After  my  contract  to 
come  to  this  country  had 
been  made  I  had  grown  to 
believe  that  America  was 
awaiting  me  eagerly.  There 
would  have  been  no  sur- 
prise on  my  part,  after  what 
I  had  been  told,  if  the 
Mayor  in  official  regalia  and 
his  committee  had  met  me 
at  the  wharf.  Instead  of  ceremony,  however, 
only  an  office  clerk  met  me  and  rushed  me  to  an 
enormous  hotel  in  a  cab  that  pinched  my  fin- 
ger in  its  haste  to  get  me  inside,  explaining 
that  my  new  manager  had  been  called  from 
town  and  would  see  me  on  his  return  in  several 
days. 

For  three  days  I  stayed  in  my  suite  on  the 
fourteenth  floor  of  the  hotel,  almost  fearing  to 
look  out  lest  I  be  dizzy  and  always  afraid  a 
storm  might  blow  the  building  over.  I  did  not 
dare  to  go  out  or  even  down  to  the.  hotel  res- 
taurant lest  my  management  should  call  and  not 
find  me. 

And,  worst  of  all,  I  went  hungry.  I  had 
plunged  into  every  betting  pool  there  was  on 
board  ship,  as  has  many  a  youngster  traveling 


alone  for  the  first  time,  and  when  1  walked  down 
the  gang-plank  to  my  expected  reception  I  had 
but  two  little  dollars  left.  So  at  the  hotel 
picked  out  the  cheapest  thing  I  could  buy  and 
yet  give  my  necessary  "little  present"  to  the 
waiter,  so  I  had  just  three  meals  in  those  three 
days,  not  knowing  I  might  have  charged  my 
meals  on  rny  hotel  bill,  and  each  meal  was  made 
up  entirely  of  eggs  and  bread  and  butter— there 
was  no  charge  for  bread  in  those  days.  I  did 
not  "care  for  coffee  thank  you." 

Then  the  "striking"  ended  and  the  kindly  pats 
commenced.  The  manager  came  and  I  have 
since  been  enabled  to  learn  that  America  has 
many  things  to  eat  besides  eggs. 


"AND  THE  BLIND  SHALL  SEE" 
By  David  Warfield 


MITZI 


o 


DAVID    WARFIELD 


INE  night  a  few  years 
ago  the  most  wonder- 
ful girl  in  the  world  sat  in 
a  box  in  the  Belasco  Thea- 
tre and  witnessed  my  per- 
formance in  "The  Auc- 
tioneer." At  first  glance, 
she  did  not  look  different 
from  any  other  well-bred, 
modishly  gowned  young 
woman  whom,  convention- 
ally chaperoned,  one  may 
count  by  the  score  in  the 
fashionable  metropolitan 
theatre  audiences.  Appar- 
ently no  one  recognized 
her,  nor  realized  that  she  who  responded  so 
readily  both  to  the  comedy  and  pathos  saw  and 
heard  it  all,  not  through  the  avenue  of  normal 
sense,  of  physical  sight  and  sound,  but  by  those 
spiritual  antennae  the  development  of  which  has 
made  Helen  Keller,  deaf,  dumb  and  blind,  the 
marvel  of  the  Age. 

Later,  in  the  Belasco  Green  Room,  Miss  Kel- 
ler displayed  her  greatest  virtuosity.  When  she 
grasped  my  outstretched  hand,  in  her  dear  treble 
voice  she  said : 

"Oh,  Mr.  Warfield,  this  is  certainly  shaking 
hands  with  a  ghost.  Ah,  how  I  did  love  you  in 
The  Return  of  Peter  Grimm.'  I  wish  that  I 
might  see  you  in  that  play  once  again.  You 
don't  know,  you  cannot  know,  what  Peter  Grimm 
meant  to  me  who  have  all  my  life  striven  to  hear 
and  be  heard  out  of  the  darkness  just  as  your 
spirit  did  when  it  came  back  to  earth.  Ah,  I 
can  hear  you  yet,  crying:  'Hear  me!  Hear  me! 
Hear  me!"  How  often  I  have  cried  that  same 
cry,  through  how  many  weary  years,  and  then 
God  did  hear  me  at  last,  and  now  you  see  I 
can  speak.  I  can  speak  before  a  great  audience, 
and  they  can  hear  me  speak.  That  seems  to  me 
the  most  marvelous  thing  in  the  world — that  I 
can  frame  a  thought  into  words,  utter  those 
words  and  have  another  human  being  hear  them. 
You  as  Peter  Grimm  broke  the  very  bonds  of 
Death,  or  that  thing  which  mortal  man  calls 
death,  in  order  that  those  you  loved  might  hear 
you.  I  have  broken  the  bonds  of  something 
quite  as  inexorable  as  death  in  order  that  I 
might  speak  to  those  I  love.  So  when  I  sat 
watching  that  great  play,  watching  and  praying 
that  you  might  at  last  be  heard,  it  was  with  a 


EMMETT    CORRIGAN 


sympathy  which  I  believe  I  was  able  to  give  you 
as  no  one  else  could." 

I  was  now  inarticulate.  My  eyes,  were 
now  misty  with  tears  as  I  looked  at  the  happy 
radiant  face  beside  me.  I  now  was  blind  and 
the  deaf  girl  saw  and  felt  those  tears  and 
quickly  changed  the  subject  by  asking  another 
question  which  sent  me  first  into  a  fit  of  con- 
sternation, then  laughter: 

"Oh,  Mr.  Warfield,  won't  you  please  say  it 
again:  That  'What's  the  matter  mil  you?  Are 
you  sitting  on  something?'  I  want  to  laugh  all 
over  again.  It  was  so  funny."  And  once  more 
the  finger  tips  were  lifted  to  my  lips. 


TOO   MUCH   REALISM 
By   Emmett  Corrigan 

THE  most  striking  epi- 
sode in  my  life  was  in 
vaudeville,  several  years 
ago,  when  I  put  on-  a  con- 
densed version  of  "Dr.  Jek- 
yll  and  Mr.  Hyde." 

Just  before  the  climax,  if 
you  remember  the  plot,  the 
villain  swallows  a  glass  of 
poison  which  kills  him.  -The 
stage  properties  were  al- 
ways arranged  so  that  the 
poison  glass,  which  shed 
liquid  fire,  was  replaced  at 
the  psychological  moment 
by  a  dummy  glass  of  plain 
water. 

One  night  when  I  reached  this  scene,  I  dis- 
covered that  the  dummy  glass  had  been  for- 
gotten. It  happened  that  I  had  myself  bought 
the  contents  of  the  poison  glass,  and  the  chemist 
had  told  me  the  mixture  was  deadly.  But  the 
whole  point  of  the  play  would  have  been  lost  if 
I  hadn't  swallowed  something;  so,  mechanically 
I  drained  the  glass. 

There  were  still  three  minutes  to  be  played 
before  the  curtain  and  I  began  to  wonder  if  my 
stage  death  at  the  end  might  not  be  an  actual 
double  event.  I  managed  to  get  near  the  wings 
and  whisper  to  a  stage  hand,  "Call  a  doctor, 
quick"— then  I  went  on  with  the  play.  I  was  in 
the  most  intense  pain;  it  seemed  that  my  very 
eyes  were  popping  out  of  my  head. 

Now  I  have  faced  death  before  and  since; 
but  never  has  the  Great  Adventure  seemed  so 
agonizing  or  so  ghastly  as  during  those  three 
minutes.  My  soul  and  body  seemed  to  disin- 
tegrate with  horrifying  results.  I  felt  all  the 
pangs  of  the  self-murderer — only  I  seemed  to 
suffer  doubly,  for  a  voluntary  as  well  as  an 
involuntary  deed. 

By  the  time  the  curtain  fell,  a  doctor  was  at 
my  side,  and  eventually  I  came  to  consciousness. 
The  manager  of  the  theatre,  much  concerned, 
asked  me  why  I  had  been  so  absurd.  "But  the 
play!"  I  reminded  him.  "Drat  the  play!" 
scoffed  the  manager.  "Well,  the  audience!"  said 
I.  "Hang  the  audience!"  he  shouted.  "No  play 
and  no  audience  in  the  world  are  worth  a  man's 
facing  death." 

But  every  day  of  the  calendar,  some  actor — 
oftener  in  motion  pictures,  perhaps,  than  on  the 
stage — deliberately  faces  death  for  his  play  and 
his  audience.  Is  it  foolish?  Ah,  well!  At  least 
it  proves  the  actor's  love  of  his  Art. 


[340] 


Theatre  Magazine,  December, 


From  a  photograph  by  George  R.  King 


GABRIELLE 


GILLS 


This  distinguished  French  lyric  soprano,  of  the  Paris  Opera  House, 
came  to  the  United  States  recently  to  further  the  propaganda  of  French 
music.  Noted  for  her  interpretations  of  the  classic  and  modern 
composers,  Mme.  Gills  sang  the  Marseillaise  during  the  recent  Lib- 
erty Loan  drive  and  has  also  been  heard  at  her  own  recitals 


MY  HERO 

By  VERA   BLOOM 


JUST  as  successive  stages  of  fireman,  police- 
man, and  detective  worship  give  a  healthy 
hov  more  grit.and  determination  than  any- 
thing Use  in  his  nfe,  «o  the  normal  girl  need.3 
"-_,_s  of  Donald-B)  :"  .1,  Warwick-trouble, 
Fairbanks-fever,  and  ?.  .ey-Hullitis. 

Tht  crst  sends  her  to  dancing  school,  the  sec- 
ond to  romantic  literature,  the  third  to  a  vigor- 
ous outdoor  life,  while  a  \nv  doses  of  Shelley 
Hull  usually  develop  a  swyt,  unselfish  roman- 
ticism. A  course  in  hero-worship  offers  as  good 
an  all-around  equipment  as 'half  the  finishing 
schools  promise  in  their  C;L  1-irs- 

For  the  matinee-girl's  ad**oM  is  never  a 
grande  pawion,  even  if  shV^nks  it  is.  With 
a  slight  qualm  of  conscience  .  •«•  will  transfer 
her  superlatives  and  theatre-mo;  from  one 
leading  man  to  another,  with  enthusiasm 

that  never  even  gets  rough  at  the  e^jes  from  so 
much  wear.  She  absolutely  refuses  to  be  dis- 
illusioned. She  sees  only  the  heroic  glamour 
around  Prince  Charming,  and  pr  viding  his 
boots  are  good-looking,  nothing  will  make  her 
admit  the  feet  inside  are  plain  b"-;  clay.  She 
refuses  to  accept  romance  as  a  business,  to  be 
put  on  with  his  make-up  and  forgotten  with  the 
fall  of  the  curtain.  She  likes  to  tn..  _f  every 
love-scene  as  palpitating  and  real.  One  of  the 
most  poignant  possible  tragedies  would  be  to 
take  a  matinee  girl  to  a  rehearsal  an  '  let  her 
see  romance  evolve  from  the  sweat  .  ..ie  brow 
'  and  not  from  the  call  of  the  heart. 

There  is  the  greatest,  difference  in  the  same 
play  seen  at  an  evening"  performance  and  then 
at  a  matinee.  At  the  C  YOU  get  the  real 
j/oint  of  the  play  itself;  ;  „  matinee  you  only 
see  the  story  as  it  affec^jfithe  hero,  unless  you 
ca.i  withstand  th  driv'ng  psychological  power 
i  all  those  worshipping  minds.  The  two  audi- 
ences rise  to  entirely  different  situations,  they 
see  absolutely  different  points  to  every  speech. 
The  unromantkally  humorous  passes  unheeded 
in  the  afternoon,  but  the  hero's  every  gallant 
action  is  greeted  with  murmurs  of  approval. 
There  is  such  a  response  of  sighs  and  exclama- 
tions from  a  Chauncey  Olcott  audience,  that  it's 
actually  hard  to  concentrate  on  what's  hap- 
pening on  the  stage.  Every  play  has  a  Jekyll 


and  Hyde,  or  matinee  and  evening  existence, 
and  one  is  hardly  recognizable  from  the  other. 
So  the  leading  man  not  the  male  star — whom 
the  matinee-perspective  makes  the  most  import- 
ant object  on  the  stage,  is  often  only  an  annoy- 
ing necessity  to  the  evening  audience.  The  anti- 


I  Underwood  &•  Underwood 

Captain  Robert  Warwick,  U.  S.  A.,  a 
matinee  idol,  now  a  hero  in  real  life 

hero  worshipers  are  as  prejudiced  against  him 
as  his  followers  are  for  him,  but  both  try  to 
keep  the  poor  man  from  being  a  human  being 
off  the  stage.  One  would  be  heartbroken  if  he 
were,  the  others  don't  believe  he  could  be!  As 
fate  will  have  it,  he  usually  is.  For  romance 
is  his  profession.  The  sternest  man  knows  how 
to  relax — toward  matinee-idolism,  when  the 
matinee  idol  relaxes  he  becomes,  by  way  of  con- 
trast, quiet  and  business-like. 

It  is  only  the  poor  actor  who  looks  "theatrical" 
on  the  street,  just  as  it  is  only  the  poor  artist 
who  looks  "artistic."  If  they  can't  attract  at- 
tention in  an  honest  way  through  their  work, 
they  naturally  turn  to  the  next  means  of 


grotesque  clothes  and  gestures  to  let  the  public 
know  while  they're  not  working  what  kind  of 
work  they  do!  But  the  famous  actor  is  glad 
to  pass  unheeded  through  his  inconspicuous  ap- 
pearance. 

Htro-worship  is  ninety  per  cent,  glamour  and 
one-tenth  enthusiasm.  That  is  why  even  a  cas- 
ual, well-meant  introduction  will  usually  take 
the  scales  of  adoration  from  a  matinee  girl's 
eyes  forever.  It  is  like  a  little  girl  finding  her 
doll  is  made  of  saw-dust,  for  a  bigger  girl  to 
find  her  hero  is  less  romantic  than  the  boy  next 
door.  So  perhaps  it  is  in  unconscious  defence 
of  her  illusions  that  she  avoids  any  personal 
contact,  for  her  imagination,  being  young  and 
unexhausted,  can  give  him  every  attribute  her 
ideal  hero  would  possess. 

But  the  more  courageous  of  the  matinee 
maidens  will  write — after  a  hundred  secret  dis- 
cussions and  corrections — for  the  boon  of  "hav- 
ing one  of  your  photographs  for  my  very,  very 
own !"  The  others  wait,  until  their  favorite  con- 
sents to  autograph  pictures  for  anyone  who 
pays.  The  girl  always  pays ! 

The  average  young  girl  wants  a  picture  of 
Shelley  Hull  or  WiHiam  Courtenay.  The  type  of 
woman  to  whom  theatre-going  is  a  serious, 
once-a-year  affair  is  still  true  to  Sothern,  and 
the  intellectual  type  will  admit  to  a  longing  for 
a  picture  of  Arnold  Daly.  The  frivolous  type 
always  wants  the  popular  dancer  of  the  moment. 
But  I  have  yet  to  see  a  woman  who  has  ever 
been  to  a  theatre  whom  you  can't  probe  to  a 
secret  fondness  for  some  actor.  And  the  mati- 
nee girl  somehow  feels  that  her  interest  in  him 
alone  gives  her  the  right  to  be  either  personally 
pleased  or  displeased  at  whatever  details  of  his 
private  life  she  discovers  in  her  tireless  search 
of  the  dramatic  columns. 

If  he  is  married,  she  hunts  as  eagerly  for 
stray  scraps  of  information  about  his  wife.  "Do 

you  mean  you've  seen  Mrs.  ?"  is  one  of 

the  most  awestruck  questions  a  hero-worshiper 
can  ask  you.  And — but  this  is  entre-nous — I've 
even  known  some  of  them  to  tear  up  a  bachelor- 
hero's  picture  on  his  wedding  day! 

So  every  season  there  is  a  toast  of  the  teacups, 
just  as  there  is  a  toast  of  the  cocktails. 


CHRISTMAS  PRESENTS 

By  HAROLD  SETON 


For  Elsie  Janis: — A  chameleon. 

For  Eddie  Foy: — A  rabbit. 

For  Julia  Sanderson : — A  dove. 

For  Billie  Burke: — A  kitten. 

For  John  Drew: — A  tailor's  dummy. 

For   Kitty  Gordon: — A  chest-protector. 

For  John   Mason : — An  alarm-clock. 

For   Eva  Tanguay:— A   straight-jacket. 

For  the  Dolly  Sisters : — Two  waltzing-mice. 

For  Houdini : — An  eel. 

For   Theda   Bara:— A    fox. 

For  Annette  Kellermann : — A  gold-fish. 

For  Galli-Curci: — A  nightingale. 

For  Al  Jolson  : — A  crow. 

For  Valeska  Suratt:— A  bat. 

For  Charlie  Chaplin : — A  goat. 


For   Mary    Pickford : — A   cash-register. 

For   Douglas    Fairbanks: — A    jumping-jack. 

For  Gaby  Deslys: — A   jewel-casket. 

For  David   Belasco: — A  clerical   collar. 

For   Henrietta   Crosmari : — A   pot   of   forget-me- 

knots. 

For  Leon  Errol: — A  bottle  of  hair-restorer. 
For  Ruth   St.  Denis : — Three  new  spangles. 
For  Emma  Dunn : — A  sachet  of  sweet  lavender. 
For  Lenore   Ulric: — A   magnet. 
For  Ina  Claire: — A  bit  of  Dresden  china. 
For    George    Arliss: — A    dry-point    etching. 
For      Leo      Ditrichstein : — Richard      Mansfield's 

shoes. 

For  Stuart  Walker: — A  new  portmanteau. 
For  Willie   Collier:— A  jester's   bauble. 


For    Otis    Skinner : — A   bust   of   David    Garrick. 

For  Mrs.  Fiske: — A  bust  of  Sarah  Siddons. 

For  E.  H.  Sothern:— A  bust  of  William  Shake- 
speare. 

For   Ethel  Barrymore:— A  box  of  cough-drops. 

For  Margaret  Anglin: — A  Graecian  vase. 

For  Nat  Goodwin : — A  copy  of  the  marriage 
service  inscribed  on  parchment. 

For  Lillian  Russell: — The  presidency  of  the 
Ponce  de  Leon  Society.  ' 

For    David    Warfield: — A    gold    loving-cup. 

For  Irene  Bordoni: — A  French  flag. 

For  Enrico  Caruso: — An  Italian  flag. 

For  George  M.  Cohan: — An  American  flag. 

For  the  General  Public : — A  year's  subscription 
to  THE  THEATRE  MAGAZINE. 


[342] 


Theatre  Magazine,  December,  ifll 


A   PuiKAM    PI.AV  BV    ' 
THOMAS  WOOD  STEVK.NS 

Produced  at  Domremy 

1'iulcr  the  auspices  cf  the 

Young   Men's  Christian   Association 

By  John  Craig,  Mary  Voting,  the  CraigPlayers  and 

Men  of  the  American 

Expeditionary  pcrce 


FRANCE 
\l\    rlnl.lren,  wli.'ii  \>"i  IKMI-  tlr,;  s.uin.f  of  ^inis, 

\M<[     8&     1-T.I  —   lit-'    ll'.t-lllL-nl    -kv     111 
All'l    kllo\\    lll.lt    rr.incr"-   f[leilli<>    ll;i\r    stl-U.'k 

On-:-  IIL-HV  l.t  .(lien.;)!  [In1  spirit: Unit  liki;  ilnim-, 

Hums  it|iw.ipl  fi-ijn --jil  I'niTver.  iliiuk 

I'lioii  i.lu- lulv  I  I'-ll  \i,n,  rnillirnlly, 

vtuit  l-'lil  iii  u»nK  -if  iii,-iny  nu'ti 
\\  ho  -\'.Mi-e  U|M>I!  lli'-ir  -'iiils  In  uUi;r  truth 
Think  MII  Hi.-  -t"i".  ..I  llu-  Miiid.  uli.j  >,.vi- 
"!'-.    U.-7   ;in.i    to    lli«  .;lilli]|-t-n    ul    tlit?  "\xi.riil 
Tli-  !.i-iKlire<l  s«.>nJ  in  tin-  I. .UK  mil  f.t  war, 
Tliu  1-rave^l  v. .n:r  n-"in  lln;iii'>st  Liitti'l- >.-.ti'. 
Tilt.-  tl-u.:M   \'i>i'.|i   -.1  !'[••.'«;  lnUil.s  i.n.l  liCQI'ls 
Tlii«t  >injMlii;ir|.ii:iltie-<  --  tin.'  Mi.i.l  -  Jr.-iiine  H'Ai 

September  lyiK. 


A  performance  of  "Joan  of 
Arc"  was  given  by  the  Craig 
Players  at  Joan's  birthplace, 
Domremy,  France,  recently. 
This  is  part  of  the  programme 


RUTH  ST.  DENIS  AND  TED  SHAWK 

Miss  St.  Denis'  dancer-husband  lias 
given  up  his  tcrpsichorean  activities 
at  Denishawn  to  serve  the  U.  S.  A. 


ROMAINE  BOUQUET 
Who  was  one  of  the  famous 
Blue  Devils,  and  also  a 
member  of  M.  Copeau's 
original  Paris  company,  has 
rejoined  the  Theatre  du 
Vieux  Colombier  here 


CLARKE  SILVERNAIL 
With  Mile.  Pallet,  a  French 
violiniste  and  her  mother, 
somewhere  in  France.  Mr. 
Silvernail,  who  went  over  as  a 
volunteer  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
war,  is  doing  great  work  as  a 
hospital  aide  and  also  getting 
up  shows  for  the  boys.  Re- 
cently this  comedian  produced 
"Officer  666"  with  great  success 


Maurice,  the  well-known  dancer,  who  is 
now  serving  with  the  Red  Cross,  feeding 
Belgian  refugees  at  the  Gare  du  Nord,  Paris 


PLAYERS 


CONTINUE    TO    DO    THEIR   BIT 


HENRY  MILLER;     .<TD  RUTH  CHATTER- 

TON  IN  THE  r -I./  COMEDY  "PERKINS" 


SELENE  JOHNSON  AND  LUMSDEN  HARE  I 
"PETER'S    MOTHER"    AT    THE    PLAYHOUSE 


Old  Bill,  Bert  and  Alf,  the  three  modern  musketeers,  find  a  bit  of 
diversion  in  "The  Gaff,"  an  old  schoolroom  near  the  front  in  France 

MR.  AND  MRS.  COBURN  IN  "THE  BETTER  'OLE"  A  HIT  AT  THE   GREENWICH  VILLAGE 

NEW   COMEDIES   THAT   HOLD   THE   BOARDS 


Theatre  Magazine,  December,  1918 


MR.  HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY 


GREENWICH  VILLAGE.    "THE 
BETTER      'OLE."        Fragment      from 
France,     in     two    explosions,     seven 
splinters,  and  a  short  gas  attack,  by 
Captain  Bruce  Bairnsfather  and  Cap- 
tain Arthur  Elliot ;  music  by  Herman 
Darewski  and  Percival  Knight.  Pro- 
duced on  October  19  with  this  cast : 
The    Sergeant-M*ajor          Edwin    Taylor 
Angele  Gwen   Lewis 

Bert  Charles  McNaughton 

Alf  Colin    Campbell 

Old   Bill  Charles   Coburn 

Rachel  Eugenie    Young 

The    Colonel  Henry    Warwick 

A  Spy  Lark  Taylor 

Suzette  Mona    Desmond 

A   Tommy  Albert   Kenway 

Victoire  Mrs.   Coburn 

Captain  of  Women          Lillian    Spencer 
Captain  Milne  Lark  Taylor 

Berthe  Helen   Tilden 

A  French  Officer  Howard  Taylor 

A    French    Porter  Eugene    Borden 

Maggie  Kenyon    Bishop 

Kate  Ruth    Vivian 

The    Vicar  George    Logan 

An  Old  Villager  Nevin  Clark 

AS  pure  convincing  propaganda, 
"The  Better  'Ole"  at  the  Green- 
wich Village  Theatre,  is  worth  a  score 
of  those  so-called  spy  plays  that  have 
cluttered  our  metropolitan  stage  this 
season.  It  is  instinct  with  truth,  and 
if  the  lighter  phases  of  the  war  make 
up  its  subject  matter,  it  retails  with 
charm  and  humor  much  that  our  boys 
endure  overseas. 

It  is  unusually  well  produced,  the 
details  are  most  lifelike,  while  an  at- 
mosphere of  Northern  France  is 
beautifully  suggested  in  the  several 
scenes  designed  and  painted  by  Er- 
nest Albert.  Yet,  diverting  and  amus- 
ing as  it  is,  it  is  quite  seldom  that 
anything  so  ingenuously  naive  finds 
a  lasting  place  on  our  boards.  Still, 
it  is  provocative  of  much  healthy  fun 
and  laughter  and  as  such  is  genuine- 
ly welcome. 

Written  by  Captain  Bruce  Bairns- 
father  and  Captain  Arthur  Elliot,  it 
has  for  its  protagonists  the  three  fa- 
miliar figures  of  the  former's  well- 
known  war  cartoons.  Old  Bill,  with 
his  walrus  moustache  and  his  rau- 
cous voice  is  a  real  creation  at  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Coburn. 

Colin  Campbell  is  capital  as  Alf, 
and  the  third  of  the  three  Muskrats, 
the  impressionable  Bert,  who  falls  a 
victim  to  the  charms  of  every  new 
female  who  comes  within  his  ken, 
is  excellently  acted  and  sung  by 
Charles  McNaughton. 


CRITERION.     "THREE   WISE 
FOOLS."     Play  in  three  acts  by  Aus- 


tin Strong.    Produced  on  October  31 
with  this  cast : 

Mr.    Findley  Claude    Gillingwater 

Dr.   Richard  Gaunt       Harry  Davenport 
Hon.  James  Trumbull  William  Ingersoll 

Miss  Fairchild  Helen  Menken 

M*rs.  Saunders  Phyllis  Rankin 

Gordon  Schuyler  Charles  Laite 

Benjamin  Suratt  Stephen  Colby 

John  Crawshay  Charles  B.  Wells 

Poole  Hayward  G'inn 

Gray  Harry  H.  Forsman 

Clancy  Levitt  James 

Douglas  J.  Moy  Bennett 

Policeman  George  Spelvin 

AS  manager,  producer,  collabora- 
tor or  playwright,  Winchell 
Smith  seems  to  know  what  a  very 
large  portion  of  the  public  wants. 
He  has  no  high-brow  vision  of  its 
mental  altitude.  He  selects  for  the 
average  man  in  the  street  simple 
homely  fare.  Of  his  latest  offering, 
no  one's  brain  will  have  to  work 
overtime  in  grasping  either  its  story 
or  its  literary  subtleties. 

Three  middle-aged  bachelors  have 
thrust  upon  them  the  bringing  up  of 
a  girl,  the  daughter  of  a  woman  to 
whom  each  was  willing  to  pay  out  a 
life  of  devotion.  Of  course,  she 
metamorphoses  them  out  of  their 
"ruts,"  and  is  a  perfect  ray  of  sun- 
shine. But  she  had  a  supposed  jail- 
bird of  a  father,  and  to  protect  him 
she  is  misunderstood  by  all,  except 
the  rich  nephew  of  one  of  the  three 
musketeers.  Father's  innocence  es- 
tablished— he  was  no  forger,  the  con- 
vict with  whom  he  broke  jail  was  the 
true  villain — our  heroine  faces  a  mar- 
ried life  of  beautiful  ease. 

Mr.  Strong's  dialogue  is  bright,  ap- 
posite and  sparkling.  His  frame  work 
is  nicely  balanced  for  theatrical  ef- 
fect,- but  I  do  think  that  he  uses  more 
sugar  than  the  Hoover  edict  allows. 
It  is  all  fearfully  sentimental.  Gaude 
Gillingwater  as  the  grouchy  one  of 
the  trio,  presents  a  strikingly  well 
composed  picture  of  the  kind  heart 
that  beats  beneath  a  fearsome  front. 
His  associates  are  played  by  Harry 
Davenport  and  William  Ingersoll. 
Helen  Menken  is  pleasing  as  the  hero- 
ine, and  gives  her  outburst  of  indig- 
nation with  fine  fire.  Charles  Laite 
is  the  juvenile  lover,  while  Stephen 
Colby,  as  the  avenging  forger,  is  ex- 
pertly dramatic. 

CENTURY.  "FREEDOM."  Play  in 
three  acts  and  twenty-five  scenes,  by 
C.  Lewis  Hind  and  E.  Lyall  Swete ; 
music  by  Norman  O'Neill.  Produced 
on  October  19  with  this  cast : 


Mrs.  Archer  Mrs.  Hudson  Liston 

Henry  Archer  William    Battista 

Richard  Freeman  James  Eagles 

Freedom  Marcia  'van  Dresser 

The  Oldest  Freeman  Henry  Herbert 
The  Messenger  H.  jt.  Irving 

Swineherd's  Wife  Eva  Randolph 

King  Alfred  Edward   .  .artindcl 

Thomas  a  Becket  E.  Lyall  Swete 

Herbert  of  Bosham  Noel  Tearle 

Henry  II  l_..ar!es  Web-'-r 

Dick's  Ancestor  Edward  Hayden 

Maid  Marian  Caroline    Duffy 

Robin  Hood  Robef.  E.  Lee  Hill 

Earl  of  Nottingham-  „,  Eric  Snowden 
His  Little  Daugh»-  Marion  Battista 
Matron's  Help"  Clara  Eames 

A  Reporter          .  Howard  Brooks 

An  Interpreter  Glen  Hartman 

Mr.  Patrick  I.,...  Walter  G'eer 

"The  Lady  \.  '"i  •         amp" 

Arleen  Hackett 

Caldron  Man  .  Ralph  Symington 

Edmund  Burke  .  Harry  Irvine 

Joan  of  Arc  31oise  Bordage 

Another  Knight-  Arthur  Row 

King  Richard  Ji.  -     -  .    May  Crumpton 


'  I  'O  glorir, 


f  ogress  of  Free- 
ages  with  a  pag- 
the  pictures  and 

colors  and  -"otiirnes  obtainable,  is  an 
enterprise  pi  inent  to  the  moment, 
and  when  the  pi,'-tJ'-al  purpose  of  the 
Association  producing  it  at  the  Cen- 
tury Theatre  is  to  proj,^*  funds  for 
the  care  of  disabled  /al  and  mil- 
tary  officers  of  thf  ''ish-spp-'  ..ig 
peoples,  nothing  but  1.0,  ..idation  is 
possible. 

Its  description  as  a  play  is  not  ac- 
curate. The  subject  is  too  big,  the 
material  too  vast  to  make  a  play  of. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  give  Unity  to 
this  encyclopedia  of  Freedom,  but  it 
is  easy  to  overload  and  weaken  with 
the  introduction  of  too  much  episode. 
The  definite  turns  in  the  progress  of 
humanity  toward  Freedom  were  not 
episodes,  and  these  turns,  for  the  most 
part,  are  given  in  splendid,  spirited, 
effective  pictures. 

This  is  said  by  way  of  suggestion, 
for  with  the  eliminations  of  a  few 
superfluous  pictures  and  the  substi- 
tution of  other  essential  ones,  "Free- 
dom" should  be  and  could  be  made  a 
permanent  achievement  of  the  stage, 
sustaining  conviction  and  heartening 
the  people  to  as  effective  a  purpose  in 
the  coming  times  of  peace  as  in  these 
times  of  war. 


HENRY  MILLER'S.  "PERKINS." 
Comedy  in  three  acts  by  Douglas 
Murray.  Produced  on  October  22 
with  this  cast : 

Mr.    Priestly        Frank    Kemblu    Cooper 
Bobby  G'ilmour  .    Frederick   Lloyd 

Fergus  Wimbush  Henry   Miller 

Ruth  Wimbush  Florence  Wollerson 


[345] 


Ada  Wimbush     Lillian  Kemblc  Cooper 
Mrs.   Hubbard  Tempe   Pigott 

Minnie   Hubbard  Marjorie   Hast 

Dressmaker  Margery  Card 

Martha  Frances  Goodrich  Ames 

Mrs.  Calthorpe  Ruth  Chatterton 

BECAUSE  Ruth  Chatterton  once 
made  a  great  success  as  a 
young  society  woman  masquerading 
as  a  cook  and  because  Henry  Miller 
was  equally  successful  in  portraying 
the  unt  -nmeled  spirit  of  the  open, 
must  have  oeen  the  reasons  for  their 
production  of  "Perkins." 

Miss  ';  '  itterton  again  masquer- 
ades, '.  time  as  a  "skivvy,"  or  par- 
.or  .  'vhile  Mr.  Miller  personates 
a  Can;  ah  rancher.  Douglas  Mur- 
ray's c"1"  edy  is  a  far  from  ingenious 
blend  ot  .he  oH  mid-Victorian  come- 
dietta, "My  Uncle's  Will"  and  Kate 
Harder^'*1?  manoeuvre  in  "She 
Stoopc  .quer." 

It  is  ""  childish,  perfectly  ob- 

> '  essingly  free  from 

anyth...  approaching  wit,  cleverness 
of  ob^  fvation  or  literary  distinction. 
In  order  to  in!"_-rit  under  an  eccentric 
will,  Miss  Chdrtterton  must  marry  Mr. 
Miller.  'They've  never  seen  each 
other,  so  Mic-s  Chatterton  pretends 
she's  PerkinS,1'  'ie  maid,  instead  of 
her  true  self,  the  widow,  Mrs.  Cal- 
thorpe. 

Of  co"rse,  the  leading  characters 
are  conx  jr.ional  puppets.  In  addition 
to  the  co-stars,  Frank  Kemble  Cooper 
and  F!oK..Se  Wollerson,  strive  hard 
to  galvanize  two  shadowy  roles.  One 
charmingly  pretty  and  artistic  set  is 
the  high  water  mark  of  the  produc- 
tion. 


HARRIS.  "THE  RIDDLE:  WOMAN." 
Play  in  three  acts  by  Charlotte  E. 
Wells  and  Dorothy  Donnelly.  Pro- 
duced on  October  23  with  this  cast: 

Olga  Harboc  Petra  Weston 

Karen   de   Gravert  Frances   Carson 

Thora  Bertol  Beatrice  Miller 

Marie  Meyer  Beatrice  Allen 

Nils  Olrik  Herbert  Ransome 

Lilla  Olrik  Bertha   Kalich 

Kristine  Jespersen  Chrystal  Herne 

Otto  Meyer  Albert  Bruning 

Lars  Olrik  Robert  Edeson 
Count  Erik  Helsinger         A.   E.   Anson 

Butler  John   Black 

SUPPOSE  it  is  a  little  old-fash- 
ioned, once  in  a  while  it  is  rath- 
er refreshing  to  witness  a  play  of 
situations,  one  of  these  pieces  that 
has  its  big  dramatic  moments,  in 
which  the  players  dig  their  teeth  and 
act  the  grand  emotions  with  pleasur- 
able vigor.  Such  a  drama  is  "The 
Riddle :  Woman,"  a  play  in  three  acts 
by  Charlotte  E.  Wells  and  Dorothy 
Donnelly,  who  acknowledge  obliga- 
tions to  the  Danish  playwright,  C. 
Jacobi,  for  a  fundamental  idea. 

Count  Helsinger— the  scene  is  laid 
in  Copenhagen— is  a  polished  bad 


man,  a  gambler  and  debauchee.  Years 
before  he  had  had  a  secret  affair 
with  Lilla  de  Gravert,  now  the  happy 
wife  of  the  rich  Lars  Olrik.  Black- 
mail was  the  price  of  his  silence.  An- 
other blackmail  victim  was  Kristine 
Jespersen,  the  mother  of  his  child. 

As  the  play  opens,  he  is  pursuing 
the  young  daughter  of  a  rich  Jewish 
banker.  His  two  victims — how  they 
each  learn  that  the  other  has  suc- 
cumbed to  his  blandishments  results 
in  a  big  scene — join  hands  to  curb 
his  further  villainy.  Kristine  kills 
herself,  Lilla  almost  chokes  Helsing- 
er to  death,  and  recovers  her  incrimi- 
nating letters  which  her  magnani- 
mous husband  refuses  to  read.  Hel- 
singer is  revealed  the  scoundrel  he 
is,  and  the  little  Jewess  escapes. 
Plenty  of  opportunities  for  emo- 
tional display,  and  all  realized  for 
their  full  histrionic  worth. 

It  is  a  very  impressive  figure  which 
Bertha  Kalich  presents  as  the 
Sphinx-like  Lilla  with  her  under- 
current of  tigerish  ferocity.  Her 
technical  command  is  admirable  and 
her  hysterical  outbursts  convincingly 
real.  Her  gowns,  quite  marvelous, 
are  worn  with  fine  distinction.  Ele- 
gantly polished  and  dramatic  is  A. 
E.  Anson's  rendering  of  the  rout, 
while  the  unfortunate  Kristine  is 
acted  with  the  nicest  simplicity  and 
emotional  appeal  by  Chrystal  Herne. 
Robert  Edeson  is  the  husband,  while 
Albert  Bruning  presents  a  gentle 
gracious  sketch  of  the  banker  Meyer. 


SHUBERT.    "SOME  TIME."    Musi- 
cal play  in  two  acts  by  Rida  Johnson 
Young  and  Rudolf  Friml.    Produced 
on  October  4  with  this  cast : 
Mayne   Dean  Mae   West 

Phyllis  Beatrice   Summers 

Henry  Vaughn          Harrison  Brockbank 
Loney  Ed.   Wynn 

Enid  Vaughn  Francine  Larrimore 

Dressing    Room    Girls     /    B.e"y   St'y"S 
I     Virginia    Lee 

Joe  Allegretti  Charles  DeHaven 

Mike  Mazetti  Fred   Nice 

Richard    Carter  John    Merkyl 

Sylvia  De  Forest  Frances  Cameron 

Argentine    Dancer  Mildred    LeGue 

Argentine  Singer  William   Dorrian 

Apthorp  Albert  Sackett 

George  Gray  Harold  Williams 
Roof  Garden  Manager  Francis  Murphy 

Mr.  Jones  George  Gaston 

ED  WYNN  is  usually  funny,  but 
he  is  never  so  funny  as  when 
he  is  making  a  Liberty  Loan  speech. 
He  not  only  gets  dollars  to  lick  the 
Hun,  but  he  gets  laughs  to  run  the 
home. 

But  you  must  see  him  in  "Some 
Time"  if  you  want  to  realize  just  how 
funny  he  is.  It  is  the  custom  to  de- 
nounce every  Broadway  musical 
show  unreservedly,  and  some  of 


them  are  about  as  bad  as  musical 
shows  can  be — and  live;  but  Ed 
Wynn  harvests  the  laughs. 

"Some  Time"  is  the  sort  of  musical 
show  that  you  strive  hard  to  remem- 
ber after  the  third  day,  but  you  won't 
have  to  do  any  rubbing  up  of  your 
memory  to  remember  the  absurd  an- 
tics of  Ed  Wynn.  Which  is  to  say 
that  this  clever  comedian  is  not  only 
the  whole  show,  but  considerably 
more.  If  we  were  "so  dispoged,"  as 
Sairy  Gamp  would  say,  we  might  per- 
petrate a  bad  pun  by  saying  that  you 
watch  Ed  Wynn  while  the  chorus 
girls  lose,  but  this  would  be  stealing 
Mr.  Wynn's  own  thunder.  So  con- 
sider it  unsaid ! 

When  Mr.  Wynn  was  on  the  stage 
the  audience  forgot  "Some  Time." 
In  fact,  time  never  occurred  to  them. 
But  when  he  was  not  on  the  stage 
things  dragged  dreadfully.  For  in- 
stance, there  was  a  hectic,  pink 
young  thing.  She  was  supposed  to 
be  the  leading  lady — whatever  that 
means  nowadays — and  did  her  best 
to  make  one  forget  Mr.  Wynn,  but, 
thanks  to  Mr.  Wynn's  genuine  hu- 
mor, one  managed  to  live  through 
the  periods  when  the  pink  young 
thing  was  on  the  stage. 

"Some  Time"  is  one  of  those  hy- 
brid things,  sired  by  the  motion  pic- 
ture, which  has  frequent  "cut  ins," 
showing  the  past  events  in  the  life 
of  the  hero  and  heroine,  very  much 
like  "Forever  After,"  which,  in  turn 
is  like  "Chu  Chin  Chow,"  which,  in 
turn,  is  like — but,  great  heavens ! 
hasn't  "On  Trial"  a  lot  to  answer  for 
when  the  final  weighin-in  time  comes 
before  the  judgment  seat? 


LONGACRE.    "NOTHING  BUT 
LIES."     Play  in  three  acts  and  pro- 
logue, by  Aaron  Hoffman.    Produced 
on  October  8  with  this  cast: 
Jefferson  Nigh  Rapley  Holmes 

Lorna  Temple  Florence  Enright 

George    Washington    Cross 

William   Collier 

Molly   Connor  Jane   Blake 

Fred  Thomas  Robert  Strange 

Allen   Nigh  Clyde   North 

Hon.    Timothy    Connor 

William   Riley   Hatch 
Anna  Nigh  Olive  Wyndham 

Bryan  Frank  Monroe 

Foreman  Harry  Cowley 

Bill  Gordon  Burby 

Mike  Malcolm  Bradley 

Potter  James  Bryson 

Rufus  Newton  Pettingill  GVant  Stewart 

TF  you  are  looking  for  satisfac- 
•*•  tion  from  William  Collier  you 
will  find  it  in  "Nothing  But  Lies." 
The  piece  is  described  as  "A  Collier- 
ism  in  Three  Acts  and  a  Little  Bit 
More."  Artificial  it  is,  of  course,  but 
it  is  consistent,  full  of  character,  of 
action,  of  oddities,  of  doings  and  say- 
ings that  unceasingly  entertain. 


[346] 


Theatre  Magazine,  December,   1918 


All  the  commotion  is  caused  by  a 
detective  attempting  to  arrest  some- 
body for  the  publication  of  a  libel  in 
an  advertising  booklet.  The  solution 
is  that  the  detective  was  trying  to 
find  the  author  in  order  to  offer  him 
a  large  salary  as  publicity  agent.  The 
first  and  complete  touch  of  novelty 
is  in  the  prologue,  with  George 
Washington  (Grant  Stewart)  and 
Ananias  (Malcolm  Bradley)  seated 
(in  a  moving-picture  effect)  in  con- 
versation. George  Washington  is 
duly  dignified,  Ananias  is  aged,  with 
flowing  white  beard  and  slangy. 

In  the  play  Collier  is  at  his  best, 
and  his  characteristic  method  prevails 
throughout  the  play,  in  which  the 
characters  are  characters,  Collier 
contributing  only  his  proper  share  in 
the  performance. 


FRENCH  THEATRE.  "LE  MAR- 
RIAGE DE  FIGARO,"  by  Beaumar- 
chais.  Produced  on  October  21  with 
this  cast : 

Le   Comte  Almaviva       Robert   Bogaert 
La  Comtcsse  Lucienne   Bogaert 

Fijaro  Jacques  Copeau 


Suzanna 

Marceline 

Antonio 

Fanchette 

Cherubin 

Bartholo 

liasile 


Valentine   Tessier 
Jane  Lory 
Romain   Bouquet 
Renee  Bouquet 
Suzanne  Ring 
Robert  Casa 
Marcel  Millet 


Don  Gusman  Brid'oison       Louis  Jouvet 
Double-Main  Henri   Dhurtal 

L'Huissier  Henry  Bart 

Grippe  Soleil  Lucien  Weber 

Une  Jeune  Bergere  Simone  Revyl 

Pedrille  Jean   Sarment 

Une  Jeune  Fille  Jessmin 

Une  Jeune  Fille        Jeannine  Bresanges 
Une  Paysanne  Marcelle  France 

IT  may  be  too  early  to  decide  defi- 
nitely, but  a  snap  judgment  of 
the  work  of  the  French  company  at 
the  Vieux  Colombier  so  far  seen  in- 
dicates that  more  satisfaction  if  not 
more  enjoyment  is  to  be  obtained 
from  the  classical  plays  than  from 
the  modern  part  of  their  repertoire. 
Notice  a  distinction  is  raised  here  in 
the  use  of  the  words  satisfaction  and 
enjoyment,  and  yet  if  the  spectator 
really  likes  old  comedy  they  may  be- 
come synonymous.  Following  "Le 
Secret,"  Beaumarchais'  famous  "Le 
Marriage  de  Figaro"  shone  bril- 
liantly. 

This  piece  of  the  eccentric  Revo- 
lutionary figure  of  France's  dramatic 
history  is  still  vivacious,  witty  and 
cynical.  Coming  at  the  period  it  did, 
perhaps  more  meanings  have  been 
read  into  the  lines  than  the  author 
ever  dreamed  of  in  his  philosophy. 
He  has  been  credited  with  deftly 
inoculating  ideas  of  human  freedom 
and  brotherly  love  in  the  brains  of 
foppish  and  insolent  courtiers,  ideas 
which  later  bore  bloody  fruit.  In 
fact,  it  is  just  as  probable  that  Beau- 


marchais' one  thought  was  to  write 
a  successful  piece.  Its  history  proved 
its  wonderful  success.  But  if  he  had 
lived  in  the  days  of  Willard  Mack 
and  other  great  exemplars  of  the 
modern  school  he  might  have  arrived 
at  the  crux  of  his  plot  before  the 
beginning  of  the  fourth  act,  that  is, 
before  11  o'clock.  About  that  hour 
one  is  thinking  of  bed  or  supper,  ac- 
cording to  one's  years,  and  both  to 
young  and  old  the  remaining  acts  in- 
vited boredom. 

That  this  comment  will  stir  Bau- 
marchais'  old  bones  in  their  tomb  is 
scarcely  to  be  hoped,  and  it  does  not 
apply  to  the  actors  who  stirred  the 
bones  of  his  play.  They  never  tired, 
it  seemed,  but  "tackled"  the  last  act 
with  the  same  animation  which 
marked  the  first.  Beginning  with  M. 
Copeau  they  are  an  indefatigable  lot. 
They  are,  also,  an  excellent  lot  and 
appear  to  advantage  in  old  comedy. 
The  manager  has  done  nothing  bet- 
ter than  Figaro,  and  he  was  ably  sup- 
ported by  the  cast  down  to  the  least 
important  and  voiceless  "jeune  fille." 
The  stage  was  beautifully  and  appro- 
priately set,  and  the  period  costumes 
were  quaintly  interesting  to  see. 


ASTOR.  "LITTLE  SIMPLICITY."  A 
play  with  music  in  three  acts.  Book 
and  lyrics  by  Rida  Johnson  Young, 
music  by  Augustus  Barratt.  Pro- 
duced on  November  4  with  this  cast  : 


The  Sheik  of  Kudah         Ben  Hendricks 


Joseph 
Clavelin 
Lulu   Clavelin 
Prof.  Duckworth 
Pierre   Lefebre 
Jack  Sylvester 
Philip  Dorrington 
Alan  Van   Cleeve 
Irene 
Veronique 
Mr.  Van   Cleeve 
Messenger   Boy 
A  Young  Officer 
Maude   McCall 


Phil  Ryley 

Eugene    Redding 

Marjorie   Gateson 

Charles  Brown 

Paul   Porcasi 

Stewart  Baird 

Henry  Vincent 

Carl   Gantvoort 

Polly    Pryer 

Carolyn   Thomson 

Robert  Lee  Allen 

Allan    McDonald 

Samuel  Critcherson 

Florence    Beresford 


RIDA  JOHNSON  YOUNG'S 
acrobatic  libretto  for  "Little 
Simplicity"  leaps  from  a  Tunisian 
cafe  to  the  Latin  Quarter  of  Paris 
and  thence  to  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut 
somewhere  in  France.  Mrs.  Young 
cracks  the  whip  and  all  of  the  popu- 
lar musical  -comedy  situations  jump 
through  the  hoop.  Thanks  to  a  co- 
herent story,  the  characters  land  on 
their  feet  —  in  khaki,  of  course  —  at 
the.  finale. 

Paul  Porcasi  plays  a  French  stu- 
dent with  a  good  deal  of  spirit  and 
humor.  Marjorie  Gateson  is  a  vig- 
orous Mimi  of  the  Quarter  —  decided- 
ly the  life  of  the  party.  Carolyn 
Thomson  sings  the  title  role—  mostly 


off  the  key — while  comedy  is  left 
to  Charles  Brown,  who  is  a  blue- 
stocking professor  miraculously 
transformed  by  war  and  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  into  a  cigar  chewing  sport. 

The  score  is  melodious,  but  I  don't 
seem  to  remember  any  "whistling 
hits." 


BIJOU.  "SLEEPING  PARTNERS." 
Farce  comedy  from  the  F"'jUA;h  of 
Sacha  Guitry.  Produced  on  October 
5  with  this  cast : 

The  Husband  Guy          'eres 

She  Irene  .          mi 

He  H.  B,  ' 

The  Servant  Arthu  vis 

SLEEPING    PARTNERS'-   H    an 
adaptation  of  a  French,  vaude- 
ville by  Sacha  Guitry,  who  kn9ws  his 
boulevard    by    heart.     Tt    is    i 'stinct 
with  the  spirit  of  a  cert  lse  of 

Paris  life  and  is  nothing  t--  ank- 

ly   farcical  bit  of   foo/~ 
old  story  of  the  eterr^«i  triai... 

This  time  the  husband. is  a  )>.  'hin- 
dering fool  and  the  otr>er  two,  ap- 
parently compromised  by  a  sleeping 
draught  taken  in  mistake  fcr  aro- 
matic spirits  of  ammonia,  escape  the 
consequences  by  ingeniously  playing 
on  the  husband's  ferrs.-1  The  material 
is  good  for  an  hc-ir's  fun.  Dragged 
out  to  make  an  evening's  entertain- 
ment, it  has  many  an  arid  I,  not 
the  least  of  which  is  a  seventeen- 
minute  monologue  by  thf  Inglish 
hero,  played  by  H.  B.  Warnerr,..'th  a 
conscious  satisfaction. 

Irene  Bordoni  was  the  wife.  She 
had  little  to  do,  but  looked  pretty.  As 
her  bearded  husband  with  qualms  of 
conscience,  Guy  Favieres  was  mildly 
diverting. 


VANDERBILT.  "THE  MATINEE 
HERO."  Play  in  three  acts  by  Leo 
Ditrichstein  and  A.  E.  Thomas.  Pro- 
duced on  October  7  with  this  cast : 

Richard  Leroy  Leo  Ditrichstein 

Mrs.    Leroy  Catherine   Proctor 
Miss  Blanche  Langlais         Mary  Boland 

Miss  Hopkins  Cora  Witherspoon 

Miss  Davis  Jessie  Parnell 

Frances  Josephine  Hamner 

Frank  Fairchild  Brandon   Tynan 

Sam  McNaughton  Robert  McWade 

Giovanni  William  Ricciardi 

MR.  DITRICHSTEIN  saved 
himself  whole,  leaving  be- 
hind, however,  almost  his  entire  bag- 
gage, at  the  opening  of  the  Vander- 
bilt  Theatre  with  his  new  play,  "The 
Matinee  Hero."  An  admirable  actor ! 
else,  in  a  moment  when  the  play  was 
at  its  lowest  ebb  of  action  he  could 
not  have  slid  into  the  lap  of  his  fic- 
tional wife,  curled  himself  up  there 
like  an  affectionate  dependent,  all  in 
token  of  submission  to  her  will. 

It  was  acting  at  its  best  in  skill  and 
at  its  worst  in  effect.  Superficially, 


[»47] 


I 


the  play  was  in  its  production  and  its 
acting  brilliantly  professional;  in  its 
idea  and  unreasonable  construction 
quite  the  contrary.  A  matinee  hero 
is  an  idol  because  of  his  excellence 
in  popular  nambypamby  plays.  An 
adventuress,  a  beautiful  fortune  tell- 
er, urges  him  to  the  ideal  heights, 
the  playing  of  Shakespeare,  Hamlet 
to  begin  with.  The  wife  is  opposed 
to  this  change  which  may  affect  his 
popularity  and  his  purse.  The  char- 
acter and  the  attitude  of  the  two 
women  are  most  confusing.  The 
idealistic  adventuress  is  "thwarted," 
and  yet,  by  a  recitation  of  Hamlet's 
--iiy  he  convinces  his  wife  and 
Js  that  he  can  play  Hamlet. 
.-  ..I..  --udden  change  of  opinion 
does,  .,1  wholly  commend  itself  to 
an  aw/  nee.  How  is  it  possible  that 
an  actnr's  wife,  his  manager  and  his 
best  fr  ends  were  ignorant  of  his 
qualities  until  he  recited  a  "piece"? 
On  the  other  hand,  it  was  fairly  con- 
vincinc  that  Mr.  Ditrichstein,  who, 

prd Lly,   neither   denies   nor  affirms 

that  he   is  ,iS  matinee  hero,"   could 
and  c_,.,.pl,  /TIamlet. 

Th.MH&k>f  "The  Matinee  Hero" 
was  go'od,  arj>  could  supply  capable 
performers  for^the  projected  produc- 
tion of  "Hamlet?*  with  Robert  Mc- 
Wade,  Brandon  Tynan,  Catherine 
Proctor,  Cora  Witherspoon  and 
Jessie  P.arnell. 



FULTON.  "A  STITCH  IN  TIME." 
Comedy  drama  in  four  acts  by  Oli- 
ver D.  Bailey  and  Lottie  M.  Meaney. 
Produced  on  October  15  with  this 
cast: 

Gilbert  Hill  Earle  Mitchell 

Lawrence  Brockman  Charles  Hampden 
Worthington  Bryce  Ralph  Kellard 
Jenkins  David  Higgins 

Richard  Moreland  Robert  Cain 

Worthington  Bryce,  Sr.  H.  Gilmour 
Phoebe-Ann  Hubbard  Irene  Fenwick 
Lela  Trevor  Grace  Carlyle 

Mrs.  Trevor  Evelyn   Carter  Carrington 

T  may  be  difficult  for  a  manager  to 


I 


"What  the  Public  Wants."  Practi- 
cally, it  is  an  easy  matter — requiring 
only  the  elimination  from  one's  bank 
account  of  a  certain  sum  of  money 
for  a  production.  The  superstition 
that  no  human  being  can  foretell  any- 
thing of  the  success  or  failure  of  a 
play  is  one  of  the  most  amusing  of  all 
crochets  of  the  mind. 

It  may  be  assumed  that  Mr.  Bailey 
was  making  an  experiment  with  "A 
Stitch  in  Time"  by  way  of  tempting 
Providence  and  toying  with  Supersti- 
tion. Here  was  a  play  in  which  every- 
thing was  obvious  and  consequently 
undramatic.  But  is  not  everything 
that  is  going  to  happen  in  a  play  ob- 
vious to  this  wise  New  York  public? 
Not  unless  it  has  all  been  done  so 


often  in  times  past  that  it  is  a  twice 
and  many  times  over-told  story. 

"A  Stitch  in  Time"  has  its  variants  ' 
—a  struggling  artist,  refusing  to  re- 
linquish ideals  for  the  cash  of  his 
rich  father;  a  designing  girl,  in  love 
with  another  man,  engaged  to  him ; 
the  daughter  of  the  scrubwoman ; 
love  at  first  sight;  while  mopping 
around  she  discovers  manuscript  of 
story  written  by  the  idealist ;  sells  it 
for  five  hundred  dollars;  saves  her 
rival  from  running  away  with  her 
lover;  thus  inviting  a  scandal  upon 
her  own  head ;  the  scandal  cleared  up, 
and  so  through  a  series  of  non-se- 
quiturs  the  play  ends  happily,  and 
Mr.  Bailey  finds  out  "What  the  Pub- 
lic Does  Not  Want."  Of  course  the 
resourceful  and  intelligent  Mr. 
Bailey  will  find  out  what  is  wanted. 


Hare,  as  the  successor  of  Peter's  Fa- 
ther, was  capital. 


PLAYHOUSE.  "PETER'S  MOTH- 
ER." Romantic  comedy  in  three  acts 
by  Mrs.  Henry  de  la  Pasture.  Pro- 
duced on  October  29  with  this  cast : 

Sir    Timothy    Crewys 

Charles  A.  Stevenson 
Lady  Mary  Crewys  Selene  Johnson 
Peter  Philip  Tonge 

Lady  Belstone  Katharine   Stewart 

Miss  Georgina  Crewys  Lillian  Brennard 
John  Crewys,  K.  C.  Lumsden  Hare 
Canon  Birch  Walter  Howe 

Doctor  Blundell  Frederick  Truesdell 
Mrs.  Hewell  Kathrine  Lorimer 

Sarah  Gypsy   O'Brien 

Ash  Herbert   Belmore 

*  I  'HIS  highly  respectable  and  ex- 
•*•  ceedingly  English  play,  which 
did  not  last  long  on  Broadway,  is  a 
delightfully  peaceful  war  play,  with 
no  reverberations  of  firearms  in  it— 
only  rumors,  and  Peter's  Mother's 
Peter  coming  back  home  with  a 
sleeve  half  empty. 

Peter's  Father — seen  in  the  first 
act  only,  his  absence,  on  the  whole, 
being  better  than  his  company — was 
a  typical  Englishman,  ruling  his  house 
with  a  heavy  hand.  Peter  has  en- 
listed secretly;  his  Mother  may  over- 
take him  and  bid  him  good-by;  but 
the  Father  forbids  this ;  she  must  be 
at  hand  when  he  dies,  which  he  is 
likely  to  do  at  any  moment.  She  re- 
mains. A  terrible  conflict  between 
love  and  duty. 

The  play  was  slow  in  action  by 
reason  of  getting  down  to  busi- 
ness late,  but  its  characters  were 
well  drawn  and  well  acted,  and 
it  had  some  scenes  as  delight- 
fully and  artistically  written  and 
acted  as  you  would  find  in  a  day's 
journey.  Miss  Selene  Johnson,  Pe- 
ter's Mother,  with  her  silvery  laugh- 
ter, and  Miss  Gipsy  O'Brien,  as  the 
girl  Peter  loved,  and  Katherine  Stew- 
art and  Lillian  Brennard  as  Peter's 
old  Aunts,  were  entertaining  because 
not  altogether  placid.  Lumsden 


BELMONT.  ."I.  O.  U."     Play  in 

three   acts   by  Hector   Turnbull   and 

Willard  Mack,  based  on  the  motion 

picture,  "The  Cheat."     Produced  on 

October  5  with  this  cast : 

"Bobo"  Hardy  Mary  Nash 

Richard   Hardy         Frederick  Truesdell 

Ramdah   Sima  Jose  Ruben 

Kane  Cavendish  Kenneth  Hul 

Cecil  Thornby  Andrew  Higginson 

Mrs.  Amanda  Dodge  Emily  Fitzroy 

Lottie  Martha   M*cGraw 

Mrs.   Barrows  Helen  Pingree 

Ruggs  George  Riddell 

Mr.  Dorkins  James  Dolan 

Marie  Florence  Flynn 

Ganda  Lynn  B.  Hammond 

Boy  Nat  Johnson 

A  FLIGHTY  young  matron  plung- 
ed in  debt  has  converted  a  $10,- 
000  charity  fund  to  bolster  up  her  fly- 
er, needs  monetary  help.  An  East 
Indian  Prince  will  help  her,  but  at 
his  own  price,  her  honor.  She  con- 
sents, to  avoid  the  form  of  exposure, 
but  relents  at  the  critical  moment. 
Enraged  and  describing  her  as  a 
cheat,  the  Prince  binds  her  to  a  chair, 
brands  her  on  the  shoulder  with  a 
red-hot  iron.  The  part  of  the  wife 
was  played  by  Mary  Nash,  who  wore 
some  exquisite  gowns.  The  Prince 
was  smartly  acted  by  Jose  Ruben, 
who  evinced  genuine  power  in  the 
climax,  but  they  could  not  save  the 
piece  in  the  climax. 


39TH  STREET.  "THE  LONG 
DASH."  Play  in  three  acts  by  Rob- 
ert Mears  Mackay  and  Victor 
Mapes.  Produced  on  November  5 
with  this  cast : 

Alma  Millicent  Evans 

Arline  Violet  Kembie  Cooper 

Borrows  Harry   T.    Leeland 

Paul   Hazleton  Robert  Edeson 

MaraneiH  Burton    Churchill 

John  Hazleton  Robert  Edeson 

William  Timberly  Byron  Beasley 

Holmes  Winter  Malcolm  Duncan 

Bainbridge    Weston  John    Terry 

Sartoni  Henry   E.    Dixey 

Marie  Georgia  Lee 

Dr.  Bruce  Frank  Decamp 

Miss    Warrington  Helen    Hilton 

Senator   Weston  Burton    Churchill 

Singly  Harry    English 

Whitehouse  Walter  Colligan 

Derkin  J.   C.   Tremayne 

T  I  "*AKE  two  brothers,  exactly  alike 
•*•  in  physique  and  general  appear- 
ance— one,  evil,  strong  and  devilish 
and  the  other  almost  too  good  to  be 
true — and  throw  them  into  contact 
with  one  of  those  alleged  supermen 
of  a  German  spy,  then  mix  in  "them 
papers"  and  you  have  "The  Long 
Dash"  by  Victor  Mapes,  co-author 
of  "The  Boomerang,"  and  Robert 
Mears  Mackay.  We  must  let  a  long 
-  express  our  frank  opinion 
of  this  play,  which  is,  after  all,  not 

(Concluded   on   page    378) 


[348] 


7  heatre  Magazine,  December,  Iflt 


Margaret  Lawrence,  Arthur 
Byron  and  Frederick  Perry. 
The  wife,  the  friend,  and  the 
husband  meet  over  the  tea 
tahle  in  "Tea  for  Three."  a 
variation  of  the  triangle,  at 
the  Maxine  Elliott  Theatre 


(Right) 

Orme  Caldara  and  Jane  Cowl 
in  "Information,.  Please!"  the 
comedy  by  Miss  Cowl  and  Jane 
Murfin  which  opened  the  new 
Selwyn  Theatre 


(Left) 

Olive  Wyndham  and  William 
Collier  in  "Nothing  But  Lies," 
at  the  Longacre,  a  new  com- 
edy aptly  described  as  "a 
Collierism  in  three  acts  and  ,-i 
little  bit  more" 


Photos   White 


RUNNING    THE    DRAMATIC    GAMUT 


CHILDREN'S  YEAR  ON  THE  STAGE 

Lorna  Volare  and  other  infant  prodigies  important 
factors  in  the  success  of  recent  Broadway  productions 

By  ADA   PATTERSON 


THIS  is  children's  year  on  the  stage. 
Never  before  has  Broadway  spread  up- 
on its  amusement  menu  so  many  morsels 
of   humanity.     Five    plays    are   depending   upon 
their  children  in  nearly  the  same  degree  that  the 
temple  rested  upon  the  pillar  which  Samson  tore 
away  in  a  supreme  effort  of  his  ebbing  strength. 

Fancy  "Daddies"  without  its  quintette  of 
fascinating  minors!  "Penrod"  without  Penrod 
would  be  as  "Hamlet"  minus  Hamlet.  "The  Be- 
trothal" is  supported  by  infant  talent  as  surely 
as  was  the  Maeterlinckian  fantasy  of  which  it 
is  the  sequel.  The  -rsmmoth  spectacle  "Free- 
dom" has  a  poigna"  ch,id  element.  A  child  ac- 
companies Freedi^n  in  her  pilgrimage  through 
<he  i  The  children,  seeing  visions  in  the 

jx>ol,  provide  one  ot  .he  most  natural  scenes  in 
•"The  Awakening."  "Jonathan  Makes  a  Wish" 
•was  a  play  of  which  a  misunderstood  child  was 
the  pivot.  With  Robert  Hilliard  in  "A  Prince 
There  Was"  is 
of  Chauncey  OK. 

When  the  seas 


?  a  wee  maiden  marvel 
:overy. 

Jess  than  two  months' 
old,  an  array  of  six  BrcT*i(Jway  plays  attested  the 
importance  of  children *£»-  the  drama.  Others 
in.  -ir>.  '-''ion  inclurled  bright  h;il>y  players  "f 

^.-in      'inch       i>  expected. 

A  url  grin  ieil  that  the  hoard-,  were  "U-iiiK 
inund*«kd  with  'brats.' "  A  finer  spirit  said : 
"Let  them  come.  Maybe  they  will  teach  us  the 
art  of  natural,  acting."  But  whatever  the  atti- 
tude of  managers  and  fellow  actors  toward  chil- 
dren, the  audience  always  welcomes  the  dimin- 
utive player.  The  appearance  of  a  child  on  the 
stage  is  a  guarantee  of  a  general  smile. 


THE  greatest  juvenile  achievement  of  the 
children's  season  is  the  Penrod  of  Andrew 
Lawlor.  Master  Lawlor,  who  unconsciously 
foils  the  machinations  of  the  villain  in  Booth 
Tarkington's  play,  is  a  sturdy  lad  of  eleven.  The 
quality  of  naturalness  is  not  strained  in  Master 
Lawlor's  performance  of  the  boy  who  played. 
It  droppeth  as  the  gentle  dew  from  heaven  from 
the  limpid  heart  of  childhood.  Andrew  is  one 
of  the  good  things  that  came  out  of  the  early 
A.  H.  Woods'  productions  before  that  intrepid 
manager  invaded  Broadway.  Andrew's  mother 
played  oppressed  heroines  in  dramas  of  terror. 
Andrew  looked  on  but  clearly  did  not  absorb 
these  radical  portrayals. 

He  played  boy  parts  with  "The  Katzenjammer 
Kids"  and  other  comedies,  in  the  cheaper  thea- 
tres. With  these  companies  were  low  comedians 
of  ripe  experience.  Andrew  stood  in  the  wings, 
and  learned  of  them.  He  rose  to  a  more  refined 
sphere  when  he  joined  Laurette  Taylor's  com- 
pany last  season  in  "Happiness." 

Richard  Ross,  whose  scene,  when  suffer- 
ing the  third  degree  from  Penrod's  father,  is 
excruciatingly  funny,  is  Andrew's  friend  on  and 
off  the  stage.  No  professional  jealousy  has  ever 
marred  their  comradeship.  Helen  Chandler  is 
the  vain  and  romantic  little  Marjorie  Jones, 
with  heart  that  looked  East  and  West  in  the 
production. 

"Daddies"  might  fittingly  have  been  called 
"Babies"  or  "Adoptions."  Lorna  Volare,  lead- 


ing a  quintette  of  children  under  eight  years 
of  age,  captivates  the  hearts  and  stimulates  the 
imaginations  of  the  audiences  of  every  age  that 
flock  to  the  Belasco  Theatre.  Lorna,  who  plays 
a  French  refugee  adopted  by  a  reluctant  Amer- 
ican bachelor  whose  heart  she  captures  by  her 
infantile  charms,  is  a  super  little  actress  of  six 
years™  The  baby  player's  accent  betrays  no 
locale,  proving  that  her  diction  is  faultless.  Yet 
she  is  of  Melbourne,  Australia.  Her  debut  upon 
the  vocal  stage  occurred  in  the  play  "Barbara" 
with  Marie  Doro.  It  was  while  she  was  studying 
Barbara,  which  he  had  considered  and  declined 
for  Frances  Starr,  that  the  wizard's  eyes  fell 
upon  the  baby  Thespian.  "That  is  the  child  I 
want  for  'Daddies,'  "  he  noted  in  his  memory. 
At  "Daddies'  "  successful  New  York  premiere, 
the  baby  siren  was  one  of  the  largest  figures  in 
the  play's  success. 


MR.  BELASCO,  looking  at  me  with  his 
smile  of  a  Sphinx  and  his  dark  eyes  that 
blink  shortsightedly,  yet  see  farther  than  is 
allotted  to  most  mortal  vision,  said: 

"Lorna  is  a  marvelous  child.  I  have  only 
known  one  child  who  equalled  her.  That  was 
little  Maudie  Adams.  Maudie  had  the  same 
charm,  the  same  bright  mind,  the  same  odd  little 
ways,  that  were  all  her  own." 

"Do  you  predict  a  Maude  Adams'  success  for 
Lorna  Volare?" 

"It  will  depend  upon  the  manner  of  her  life," 
he  rejoined.  "If  her  home  environment  is  calm 
and  happy,  if  she  studies,  and  if  love  when  it 
comes  to  her  is  a  happy  one,  she  may  become 
another  Maude  Adams.  But  she  has  an  affec- 
tionate nature.  If  she  married,  and  unhappily, 
her  professional  career  will  be  blighted." 

"You  still  believe  in  the  unmarried  woman 
star?" 

"I  do.     You  cannot  serve  two  masters." 

The  rehearsal  room,  under  the  stage  of  the 
Belasco  Theatre,  looks  like  a  nursery.  With  the 
prodigality  of  the  artist,  David  Belasco  has 
lavished  a  heterogeneous  mass  of  toys  upon 
Lorna  and  her  four  little  associates,  Aida 
Armand,  the  robust  little  girl  who  plays  Sammy, 
and  the  twin  boys  and  the  little  girl  who  consti- 
tute the  surprising  triplets  allotted  to  a  bachelor 
as  his  part  of  war  relief  work,  and  who  are 
known  as  Francois  and  Co.  For  the  girls  there 
are  dolte  and  doll  houses,  for  the  boys  marbles 
and  automatic  trains,  a  hobby  horse  and  an  auto- 
mobile. The  strange  fact  that  one  of  the  stage 
triplets  dropped  a  toy  train  and  crossed  the 
room  to  coddle  a  doll  disclosed  the  supposed  boy 
as  a  girl. 


CHAUNCEY  OLCOTT  sang  to  seven-year-old 
Bonnie  Marie  in  "Once  Upon  a  Time"  last 
season.  Robert  Hilliard,  seeing  the  play,  be- 
thought him  of  one  of  his  own  plays  that  was  as 
a  peak  in  his  career,  Richard  Harding  Davis's 
"The  Littlest  Girl,"  and  appropriated  the  tiny 
mime.  While  Mr.  Olcott  hesitated,  uncertain  as  to 
whether  the  play  George  M.  Cohan  was  writing 
for  him,  "The  Voice  of  McConnell"  would  con- 
tain a  small  enchantress,  he  lost  Bonnie  Marie. 


REGINALD  SHEFFIELD,  the  boy  Adonis, 
plays  Tyltyl  in  "The  Betrothal."  The  fore- 
most child  player  of  the  Maeterlinckian  sequel 
to  "The  Blue  Bird,"  is  one  of  the  handsomest 
children  in  the  profession.  Often  he  has  been 
compared  with  the  creator  of  Adonis  and  the 
chief  male  conservator  of  perennial  pulchritude, 
Henry  E.  Dixey. 

Reggie's  most  recent  appearance  on  Broadway, 
antedating  his  characterization  of  Tyltyl,  was  in 
"The  Happy  Ending''  of  unhappily  speedy  ter- 
mination. But  the  brevity  of  its  life  was  not  due 
to  the  good  little  guide  who  led  mortals  wander- 
ing from  here  through  hereafter.  He  has  ab- 
sorbed the  inspiration  that  wells  from  the  great, 
for  he  was  the  Robin  in  "Merry  Wives  of  Wind- 
sor" with  James  K.  Hackett  and  the  late  Sir 
Herbert  Becrbohm  Tree. 

Reginald's  fellow  players,  who  have  reached- 
the  years  of  mimicry  though  not  of  discretion, 
are  Baby  Ivy  Ward,  three  and  a  half  years  old 
and  addicted  to  dolls ;  Helen  Rickla  Reinecke, 
the  infantile  toe  dancer  who  has  been  styled  the 
little  Genee;  Wanda  Valle,  of  roguish  eyes  and 
nimble  feet;  Vivienne  Dolissis  Gisson,  Jean 
Bailey  and  Dorothy  Strong. 

To  William  Battista,  of  the  pensive,  poet  eyes, 
has  come  an  inestimable  honor.  He  accompanies 
the  stately  prima  donna,  Marcia  Van  Dresser, 
the  Freedom  of  the  mammoth  patriotic  pageant, 
on  a  pilgrimage  of  the  ages.  As  Henry  Archer, 
he  remains  on  the  stage  throughout  the  long  per- 
formance, a  constant  satellite  of  the  star.  Pro- 
fessionally he  can  be  traced  to  the  great  Davids. 
He  is  Belasco-trained  and  Warfield-inspired. 


THE  Awakening's"  contribution  to  the  chil- 
dren's season  is  the  trio  comprising  Cornish 
Beck,  Charles  Eaton,  Jr.,  and  Josephine  Mastale. 
Master  Beck  made  his  debut  when  seven  years 
old  with  Nazimova,  and  was  one  of  the  chil- 
.dren  in  the  pioneer  war  play,  "Moloch."  Herbert 
Brennon,  seeing  picture  -.ossibilities  in  him,  made 
of  him  the  "little  lone  wolf,"  in  "The  Lone 
Wolf"  and  Julius  Steger  cast  him  for  the  child 
in  the  picture  version  of  "Just  a  Woman."  In 
motion  picturedom  he  is  known  as  an  emotional 
child-actor.  In  the  vernacular  he  is  engaged 
"to  do  the  weeps."  He  is  one  of  the  brightest 
children  of  the  Stage  Children's  School  at  the 
Rehearsal  Club.  His  ambition  is  not  to  be  an 
E.  H.  Sothern,  but  to  be  graduated  from  that 
school  in  June.  Josephine  Mastale  is  a  motion 
picture  product.  Ask  Charles  Eaton,  Jr.  what  is 
the  most  vivid  memory  of  his  career  and  he  will 
tell  you  it  was  his  fourth  birthday  when  the 
leading  lady  of  a  Washington  stock  company 
gave  him  a  natal  day  party  in  her  dressing  room. 
He  has  been  on  the  stage  more  than  half  his 
life,  for  he  made  his  debut,  which  he  cannot 
recall,  at  three  years  old,  and  he  is  now  seven 
and  "nearly  grownup."  The  seasons  since  the 
memorable  birthday  party  in  the  dressing  room 
were  filled  with  his  engagements  in  "The  Blue 
Bird"  and  as  Peter  in  "Mother  Carey's  Chick- 
ens." 

At  all  events  the  children  of  the  children's 
season,  1918-1919,  are  heartily  welcome  on  our 
boards. 


[  350] 


7  heatre  Magasine,  December,  191! 


White 

David  Belasco  telling  a  story  to  the 

children     appearing     in     "Daddies." 


I.orna   Volare,   who   scored    «.   hit   in 
the  play,  is  the  first  child  oh  the  left 


HELEN  CHANDLER 
The  adorable   Marjorie  Jones  in  "Penrod" 


REGGIE  SHEFFIELD 
Who   is   Tyltyl   in   Winthrop   Ames'    pro- 
duction of  Maeterlinck's  "The  Betrothal" 


RICHARD  ROSS 

Penrod's      accomplice      and      right- 
hand    man — Sam   Williams 


WILLIAM   BATTISTA 

In  the  mammoth  patriotic  pageant 

"Freedom"   at  the  Century 

CHILD      P  I,  A 


CORNISH  BECK 

Recently    in    "The    Awakening,"    made   his 
stage    debut    when    seven    with    Nazimova 

TO     MORROW 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  GOES  TO  WAR 

New  stage  movement  ceases  its  artis- 
tic activates  to  fight  for    Uncle    Sam 

By  LISLE   BELL 


*  •  "*HE  little  theatre  does  not  flourish  in  war 
gardens.  It  is  a  growth  which  demands 
watering,  and  war  is  a  drought.  A  year 
ago.  you  could  scarcely  stick  a  pin  into  the  map 
without  pricking  a  little  theatre  center,  for  they 
were  everywhere — tiny  free-agents  of  art,  dot- 
ting the  landscape  like  daisies. 

The  little  theatre  had  begun  to  develop  a  sur- 
prising hardihood.  At  first  a  fragile  and  exotic 
Moom,  requiring  assiduous  tending,  it  gradually 
.  -^an  to  take  root  in  all  kinds  of  soil.  The  pro- 
fuse Washington  Square  variety,  the  carefully 
nu  Mrev  Boston  hot-house  variety — these  found 
thems?lv;  rivaled  by  new  forms  which  sprang 
up  in  the  comparatively  uncultivated  soil  of  the 
micu  west.  No  one  had  a  monopoly  on  the 
movement. 

Then  came  the  war— and  the  little  theatre  has 
gone  down  fighting.  __  This  business  of  settling 
Germany  has  left'<T  ..t  a  handful  of  survivors, 
like  isolated  vetera  -v  When  we  come  to  com- 
pile the  dramatic  los-ses^of  the  war,  the  little 
'"•:  tre  \\  ill  ;ira,l  ilu  casual!)  list. 

i  ne  blc.,,  •'.•!!  just  when  the  movement  was 
ting  to  reap:  .iu  ir  had  sown.  People  no 
lonb  wjtfled  indulgently  at  it.  Commercial 
manage*?  were  finding  it  wise  to  reckon  with  it. 
Belasco  had  accorded  it  the  tribute  of  adverse 
attention. 


. 

p)  ERHAPS  you  chanced  to  be  attending  -a 
A  little  theatre  the  night  of  the  President's 
war  proclamation,  and  heard  it  read  from  the 
stage— an  episode  which  gave  to  the  entr'acte 
dramatic  values  eclipsing  any  play.  Probably 
it  did  not  occur  to  anyone  that  evening  that  the 
little  theatre  was  listening  to  its  own  fate. 
Nevertheless,  the  writing  was  on  the  wall,  an-' 
the  writing  which  was  on  the  wall  thf 
since  been  pared  down  to  one  word  anc 
cribed  to  the  door :  "Dark." 

So    while    the    commercial    theatre    ha 
wrestling  with  the  problems  of  how  to  co; 
war  tax,  and  how  to  pick  war-time  "hits 
how  to  replace  drafted  employees,  and   h 
assemble  exempt  male  choruses  that  wor' 
too  much  like  cartoons,  and  other  things 
momentous,   the   little   theatre   has   gone   q 
about  the  quite  vital  job  of  winding  up  its  a 
— and  going  to   war. 
For  that   is  what   the  little  theatre  has 
t  was,  in  fact,  the  natural  thing  to  expect, 
birth,    the    little    theatre    movement    has 
trained  to  fight,  so  that  the  transition  to  ai. 
sphere   of   action    may   not    be   such    a    wr 
after  all.     There  has  always  been  enough  ot 
ution  to  keep  the  movement  from  taking  on 
Inertia   and   commercialism    have   been    its   t 
kaisers,  and  the  little  theatre  has  had  to  gu 
its   frontier   from  the  start. 

Not  all  the  little  playhouses,  of  course,  hr 
ceased  to  function,  but  the  number  grows  1  . 
each  month.  The  Provincetown  Players  \\z 
bravely  launched  a  third  season  in  their  n, 
playhouse  in  Macdougal  Street.  This  group 
one  of  the  active  survivors. 


The  Washington  Square  players  wrote  "finis" 
as  long  ago  as  last  May.  Many  members  of  the 
organization  are  already  either  in  France  or  on 
their  way  there.  Edward  Goodman,  their  di- 
rector, found  a  new  field  for  his  activities  at 
General  Hospital  Number  5,  where  he  organized 
the  Fort  Ontario  Players.  Glenn  Hunter  and 
Jay  Strong,  former  members  of  the  organization, 
have  been  associated  with  him  in  putting  on  pro- 
grams of  one-act  plays.  So  the  Washington 
Square  germ,  one  of  the  most  active  and  ag- 
gressive in  the  whole  little  theatre  movement, 
has  not  really  been  eradicated,  after  all.  The 
war  has  just  spread  it  about  a  little. 


THE  Greenwich  Village.  New  York's  newer 
little  theatre,  has  been  handed  over  to  the 
Coburns,  and  several  of  its  members  are  now  in 
active  service.  When  the  Greenwich  Village 
theatre  was  first  opened,  its  purpose  was  set 
forth  as  "to  establish  a  home  for  the  art  of  the 
theatre,  and  to  gather  a  company  of  players  and 
craftsmen  who  recognize  the  theatre  as  an  art- 
medium."  "No  such  consummation  can  be 
achieved  in  a  day  or  a  year,"  said  Frank  Con- 
roy  at  that  time  And  what  was  true  then,  be- 
fore anyone  fully  realized  the  magnitude  of  our 
share1  in  the  war,  is  doubly  true  now.  The 
Greenwichers  have  relinquished  their  enterprise 
for  the  duration  of  the  war.  and  the  Coburns 
have  stepped  in. 

In  Philadelphia,  the  little  theatre  has  met  war 
conditions  by  changing  from  a  resident  company 
theatre  to  one  which  books  in  the  usual  way. 
The  Arts  pnH  ^->f,s  Theatre  of  Detroit,  former- 
ly ' 


are  now  in  abeyance.  None  has  been  immune 
from  the  interference  of  Mars.  A  mainstay  of 
quite  a  few  of  them  hasi  been  a  "supporting 
membership,"  and  "supporting  members"  quite 
properly  divert  their  philanthropic  contributions 
into  direct  war  channels  in  these  times.  The 
little  theatre  has  never  suffered  from  over- 
endowment  even  in  times  of  peace  and  it  has  been 
quick  to  feel  the  war-time  pinch.  Just  now, 
the  "angel"  is,  for  all  practical  purposes,  an 
extinct  bird. 

And  with  the  little  theatre  adjourned,  the  one- 
act  play  suffers.  The  curtain-raiser  of  the 
London  playhouse  is  an  idea  which  has  never  got 
much  of  a  footing  on  this  side,  so  that — with 
the  exception  of  the  strained  and  scattered  on&- 
acters  which  find  their  way  into  vaudeville— that 
form  of  drama  has  had  to  look  to  the  little 
theatre  for  its  major  outlet.  Of  course,  the  com- 
mercial manager  has  been  willing  to  try  bills  of 
Barrie  and  similar  ventures,  but  he  has  not  gone 
very  deeply  into  one-act  productions.  As  a 
stable  business  proposition,  he  cannot  "see"  them. 
They  look  to  him  too  much  like  needless  risks. 
And  needless  risks  are  not  in  his  line — war  or 
no  war. 

So  the  man  who  writes  one-act  plays  is  feeling 
the  pinch.  There  are  a  few  magazine  markets, 
and  a  few  vaudeville  possibilities— if  he  re- 
mains sufficiently  unsubtle,  but  the  zest  of  back- 
ing his  product  against  a  field  of  similar  output, 
and  testing  it  amid  its  fellows  in  a  bill  of  one- 
act  pieces,  must  remain  untasted  for  the  dura- 
tion of  the-  war.  The  little  theatre  has  been  the 
forum  of  the  one-acter.  The  forum  is  closed. 


4    FTER  the  war,  however,  one   feels  safe  in 
v  prophesying    a    revival    of    interest    in    the 
e   theatre    and    the   one-act    play    which    will 
pass   its  previous  gains  in  every   way.     Why 
?     The   little   theatre   is   essentially   a   demo- 
ic  product,  and  democratic  products   are  go- 
to come  into  their  own.     The  little  theatre 
laboratory  of  experiment,  and  the  world  is 
§  to  be   more   receptive  to  experiments, 
for  the  one-act  play,  it  should  be  the  dom- 
medium  for  the  expression  of  this  experi- 
.al  mood.    It  has  already  given  some  hint  of 
jossibilities  in  this  field.     Think  of  the  one- 
pieces    of    the    last    few    years    which    have 
ded     social     problems,     sex     problems     and 
omic   problems.     Weigh   the   merit   of   such 
ct  war  plays  as  those  of  Barrie,  for  exam- 
vith   the   merit   of   the   average    full-length 
lays  of  our  current  stage  carpenters,  turn- 
it  pieces  to   order,   full   of  spy,   spite   and 

'he  movement  is  only  suffering  a  hard 
after  all.  The  leaves  may  be  withered, 
•re  is  still  plenty  of  sap  in  the  roots. 
•acy's  summer  is  just  ahead,  when  the 
vill  send  up  fresh  shoots,  more  vigorous 
ie  old.  The  little  theatre  will  blossom 

jxuriantly  than  ever.  Even  Belasco, 
one  of  its  blooms  to  adorn  his  lapel, 

1  himself  marveling  why  he  ever  called 

•d. 


Theatre  Magazine,  December,  r)il 


CECIL  ARDEN 
gifted    contralto 


©  Strauss-Peyton 

DOROTHY  FOLLIS 
I.yric  soprano  with  the  Chi- 
cago Opera  Company  and  a 
concert     singer     of     charm 


The    gifted    contralto    who 

has    met    with    considerable 

success  at  the  Metropolitan 

Opera  House 


MARCIA  VAN  DRESSER 

The       well-known       concert 
singer   who  is   appearing  in 


the  title  role  of  "Freedom" 
at  the  Century.  This  photo- 
graph, showing  her  in  that 
character,  was  posed  by 
Livingston  Platt 


Johnston 


GANNA  WALSKA 

With  beauty,  and  a  voice  of  rare  quality,   it   is 

little    wonder    that    Mme.    Walska    is    a    favorite 

on  the  operatic  and  concert  stage 


Geisler   <5*    Andrews 
MARGUERITE   NAMARA 
Of  the  Chicago  Opera  Company,  who  has  ap- 
peared  at   concerts   with    Elman   and   Caruso. 
She    has    a    vivid    personality    and    is    known 
among    audiences    as     "the     intimate    concert 
singer."      In    private    life,    Mme.    Namara    is 
the     wife     of     Guy     Bolton,     the     playwright 


SOME 


FAVORITE    SONGBIRDS 


A   H. 


Photograph  Charlotte  Fa-irchilA 


ETHEL    BARRYMORE    AS    AMERICA 

"Unconditional  Surrender" 

FROM  A  NEW  SERIES  OF  PATRIOTIC  PICTURES  ARRANGED  BY  BEN  ALI  HAGGIN 


Theatre  Magazine,  December,  Jfll 


.A.H, 


MAXINE    ELLIOTT    AS    BRITANNIA 

"Britons  Never  Shall  be  Slaves" 


©  B.  A.  H. 


Photograph  Charlotte  Faircluia 


IRENE    CASTLE    AS    FRANCE 

"They  Shall  Not  Pass" 


Theatre  'Magtuine,  December,   1918 


.AH. 


Photograph  Charlotte  Fairchild 


BILLIE    BURKE    AS    THE    RED    GROSS 

"The  Greatest  Mother  on  Earth" 


TOLSTOI  DRAMA  A  BROADWAY  SENSATION 


In    an    acting   part   of  the  first    magnitude 
John  Earrymore  reveals  himself  a  true  artist 


.  gir 
> 


THE  recent  production  of  Tolstoi's  drama, 
"The    Living    Corpse,"    at    the    Plymouth 
Theatre,    under    the    less    grewsome    title 
"Redemption"  proved  one  of  the  sensational  suc- 
cesses   of    tne    new    season.      First    staged    in 
Europe,    a    year   after    the   great    Russian    phil- 
osopher's death,  the  play  was  viewed   as  being. 
'     in  part,  a  confession  of  his  own  life.     It  met 
with  great  success  in  European  theatres,  and  with 
John  Barrymore  in  the  exacting  role  of  Fedya 
Protosov,  and  atmospheric  scenery  designed  by 
Robert  Edmond  Jones,  it  is  likely  to  attract  a» 
much  attention  in  this  country. 

The  play  opens  in  tne  home  of  Fedya's  wife, 
where  she  has  just  established  her  home 
separately  from  her  husband.  She  has  left  him, 
taking  their  baby^  because  of  his  dissipations, 
hut  she  finds  that's.  :  loves  him  too  much  to  give 
*-'•»  u,>,  so  she  caW-.  on  an  old  admirer  of  hers 
to  ke  a  final  pic  i  to  Fedya,  offering  for- 
giveness and  suggesting  a  reconciliation.  Vic- 
tor, tl-e.  admirer,  finds  Fedya  in  the  gypsy  haunt 
to  which  the  poetic  but  irresolute  young  Russian 
had  turned  for  consolation,  listening  to  the  gypsy 
s'i-.ging,  and  beginning  a  love  affair  with  the 
girl,  Mash.->.  Victor  gives  Fedya  the  letter 
wife: 

FEDYA.  You  know  what's  in  this  letter,  Vic- 
tor? 

VICTOR:  Yes  —  your  wife  asked  me  to  find  you 
and  to  tell  you  she's  waiting  for  you.  She 
wants  you  to  forget  everything  and  come  back. 
Fedya  —  come  home. 

FEDYA  (smiling  rather  whimsically)  :  You're 
a  much  finer  person  than  I  am,  Victor.  Of 
course,  that's  not  saying  much.  I'm  not  very 
much  good,  am  I?  But  that's  exactly  why  I'm 
not  going  to  do  what  you  want  me  to  do.  It's 
not  the  only  reason,  though.  The  real  reason  is 
that  I  just  simply  can't.  How  could  I? 

VICTOR:  Come  along  to  my  rooms,  Fedya, 
and  I'll  tell  her  you'll  be  back  to-morrow. 

FEDYA:  To-morrow  can't  change  what  we 
are.  She'll  still  be  she,  and  I  will  still  be  I,  to- 
morrow. No,  it's  better  to  have  the  tooth  out 
in  one  pull.  Didn't  I  say  that  if  I  broke  my 
word  to  her  she  was  to  leave  me?  Well,  I've 
broken  it,  and  that's  enough. 

Fedya  then  turns  back  to  the  singing  gypsies, 
and  Victor  goes  away.  The  next  scene  shows 
Victor's  mother,  greatly  distressed  because,  after 
the  refusal  of  Fedya  to  return  to  his  wife,  Vic- 
tor had  confessed  his  great  love  for  her,  and 
Lisa  had  confessed  that  she  returned  it,  and 
they  wanted  to  be  married  if  a  divorce  could  be 
had,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  powerful  Rus- 
sian church,  of  which  Victor  was  an  orthodox 
member,  forbade  divorce  and  remarriage.  Lisa 
pays  a  visit  to  Victor's  mother,  at  Victor's  in- 
sistence, and  the  two  women,  touched  to  mutual 
devotion  by  the  love  each  has  for  Victor,  agree 
to  try  to  find  some  way  of  bringing  Lisa  and 
Victor  together.  They  decide  to  send  Prince 
Sergius,  an  old  friend  of  Victor's  mother,  to 
ask  Fedya  if  he  will  give  them  cause  for  a  di- 
vorce. Fedya  is  in  a  plainly  furnished  room, 
the  best  he  can  now  afford,  and  Masha,  his 
gypsy  singer,  comes  to  him. 

MASHA:     Why  didn't  you  come  over  to  us? 
FEDYA  :    I  didn't  come  because  I  had  no  money. 
MASHA:     Oh,  why  is  it  I  love  you  so? 
FEDYA  :     Masha  ! 

MASHA  (imitating  him):  Masha!  What's 
that  mean?  If  you  loved  me,  by  now  you'd 


have  your  divorce.  You  say  you  don't  love  your 

wife,  but  you  stick  to  her  like  grim  death 

it's  your  mind  that  you  never  can  make  up, 
causing  you  all  this  worry. 

FEDYA:  Well,  Masha,  after  all,  you've  got  all 
I  can  give,  the  best  I've  ever  had  to  give,  per- 
haps, because  you're  so  strong,  so  beautiful,  that 
sometimes  you've  made  me  know  how  to  make 
you  glad. 

Fedya  and  Masha  are  interrupted  by  Masha's 
parents,  who  accuse  her  of  having  thrown  her- 
self away.  This  Fedya  stoutly  denies,  declaring 
that  he  has  not  harmed  her,  but  the  gypsy 
parents,  drag  the  girl  away,  and  into  the  end  of 
the  uproar,  Prince  Sergius  announces  himself. 
Fedya  assures  Prince  Sergius  that  he  wishes  his 
wife  to  have  her  freedom,  that  he  will  not  stand 
in  her  way. 

FEDYA  :  Victor  is  splendid,  very  decent,  in 
fact,  the  opposite  of  myself,  and  he's  loved  her 
since  her  childhood,  and  maybe  she  loved  him, 
even  before  we  were  married.  After  all,  that 
happens,  and  the  strongest  love  is  perhaps  un- 
conscious love.  Yes,  I  think  she's  always  loved 
him,  far,  far  down,  beneath  what  she  would  ad- 
mit to  herself,  and  this  feeling  of  mine  has  been 
like  a  black  shadow  across  our  married  life.... 
No  brightness  could  suck  up  that  shadow.  And 
so  I  suppose  I  never  was  satisfied  with  what  my 
wife  gave  me,  and  I  looked  for  every  kind  of 
distraction,  sick  at  heart  because  I  did  so.  I 
see  it  more  and  more  clearly  since  we've  been 
apart.  Oh,  but  I  sound  as  if  I  were  defending 
myself.  God  knows  I  didn't  want  to  do  that.  No,  I 
was  a  shocking  bad  husband.  I  say  was,  be- 
cause now  I  don't  consider  myself  her  husband 
at  all.  She's  absolutely  free.  There,  does  that 
satisfy  you? 

PRINCE  SERGIUS:  Yes.  but  you  know  how 
strictly  orthodox  Victor  and  his  family  are.... 
they  consider  that  any  union  without  a  church 
marriage  is — well,  to  put  it  mildly — unthinkable. 

But  Fedya  refuses  to  give  grounds  for  the 
only  divorce  which  the  church  would  coun- 
tenance, even  by  dispensation.  However,  in  the 
end,  he  does  promise  Prince  Sergius,  in  a  pas- 
sage not  understood  by  the  Prince,  to  remove 
himself  as  an  obstacle.  In  the  following  scene, 
after  he  has  written  a  letter  to  Lisa  and  Victor, 
Fedya  tries  to  shoot  himself.  He  cannot  do  it. 
His  irresolution  pursues  him  even  there,  and 
his  pistol  falls  from  his  temple.  Then  Masha, 
escaped  from  her  parents,  comes  singing  into 
the  room.  She  sees  the  pistol,  upbraids  him 
savagely,  presses  her  own  claim  to  happiness  up- 
on him,  and  finally,  remembering  that  it  is  a 
notorious  fact  among  Fedya's  friends  that  he 
cannot  swim,  suggests  to  him  that  he  pretend  to 
drown  himself,  thus  leaving  Lisa  free,  and  him- 
self alive  with  Masha.  To  this,  Fedya  consents, 
and  in  the  final  scene  of  the  first  act,  Lisa  and 
Victor  receive  the  letter  telling  them  that  Fedya 
is  "no  longer  in  existence.'' 

The  second  act  opens  in  a  dirty,  underground 
dive,  where  Fedya  now  "The  Living  Corpse"  of 
the  play's  original  title,  is  drinking  with  a  poet 
vagabond  whose  sympathy  warms  him  to  tell  his 
own  amazing  story.  Fedya  tells  how  he  has  al- 
ways loved  Masha,  but  that  after  a  little  while 
together,  they  had  felt  that  no  happiness  could 
come  to  them,  so  they  had  parted.  Then  he 
tells  how  his  former  wife  and  Victor  have  mar- 
ried, and  that  he  sometimes  passes  their  house. 
This  conversation  is  intruded  upon  by  a  fre- 
quenter of  the  dive,  but  the  men  drive  him 
away,  unfortunately  not  far  enough,  for  he  stops 


and    listens    to    the    rest    of    Fedya's   confession. 
'Ihis  man,  Artimiev,  finally  interrupts. 

ARTIMIEV.  Excuse  me,  but  you  know  I've  been 
listening  to  that  story  of  yours.  It's  a  very 
good  story,  and  what's  more,  a  very  useful  one. 
You  say  you  don't  like  being  without  money, 
but  really  there  s  no  need  of  your  ever  finding 
yourself  in  that  position. 

FEDYA  (interrupting)  :  Look  here,  I  wasn't 
talking  to  you,  and  I  don't  need  your  advice. 

ARTIMIEV  :  But  I'm  going  to  give  it  to  you, 
just  the  same.  Now,  you're  a  corpse.  Well, 
suppose  you  come  to  life  again. 

FEDYA:     What? 

ARTIMIEV:  Then  your  wife  and  that  fellow 
she's  so  happy  with — they  would  be  arrested  for 
bigamy.  The  best  they'd  get  would  be  ten  years 
in  Siberia.  Now  you  see  where  you  have  a 
steady  income,  don't  you? 

FEDYA  (furiously)  :  Stop  talking  and  get  out 
of  here. 

ARTIMIEV:  The  best  way  is  to  write  him  a 
letter.  If  you  don't  know  how,  I'll  do  it  for 
you.  Just  give  me  their  address,  and  after- 
wards, when  the  ruble  notes  commence  to  drop 
in,  how  grateful  you'll  be ! 

FEDYA:  Get  out!  Get  out!  I  haven't  told 
you  anything ! 

Artimiev,  balked,  then  fights  and  downs 
Fedya,  and  turns  him  over  to  the  police. 

The  next  scene  shows  the  home  of  Lisa  and 
Victor,  where  for  years  they  have  been  happily 
married,  and  into  this,  comes  a  tetter  from  a 
magistrate,  summoning  Lisa  in  the  bigamy  case 
which  has  come  out  of  Fedya's  arrest.  Fedya, 
Lisa  and  Victor  meet  in  the  room  of  the  ex- 
amining magistrate.  Lisa  and  Victor  are  ex- 
amined first,  and  both  protest  their  good  faith. 
Fedya  is  called  in.  He  is  sodden,  and  fearfully 
shabby,  and  during  his  confinement  in  jail,  has 
grown  a  straggling  beard. 

FEDYA  :  There  were  three  human  being  alive, 
I,  he,  and  she.  We  all  bore  towards  one  an- 
other a  most  complex  relation.  We  were  all  en- 
gaged in  a  spiritual  struggle,  beyond  your  com- 
prehension :  the  struggle  between  anguish  and 
peace:  between  falsehood  and  truth. 

Suddenly  this  struggle  ended  in  a  way  that 
set  us  free.  Everybody  was  at  peace.  They 
loved  my  memory,  and  I  was  happy,  even  in  my 
degradation,  because  I'd  done  what  should  have 
been  done,  and  cleared  away  my  weak  life  from 
interfering  with  their  strong,  good  lives. 

And  yet,  we're  all  alive.  When  suddenly,  a 
bastard  adventurer  appears,  who  demands  that 
I  abet  this  filthy  scheme.  I  drive  him  off  as  I 
would  a  diseased  dog,  but  he  finds  you,  the 
defender  of  public  justice,  the  appointed  guardian 
of  morality,  to  listen  to  him.  And  you,  who 
receive  on  the  twentieth  of  each  month  a  few 
kopeks'  gratuity  for  your  wretched  business, 
you  get  into  your  uniform,  and  in  good  spirits 
proceed  to  torture  and  bully  people  whose 
threshold  you  are  not  clean  enough  to  cross. 
Then,  when  you've  had  your  fill  of  showing  off 
your  wretched  power,  you  sit  and  smile  there, 
in  your  damned  complacent  dignity — 

The  examining  magistrate  interrupts,  and  has 
Fedya  removed. 

In  the  final  scene,  outside  the  courtroom  where 
the  trial  is  going  on,  the  lawyer  and  Fedya  are 
seen  in  a  brief  conference,  in  which  Fedya 
learns  that  the  most  favorable  verdict  that  could 
possibly  be  returned  would  be  a  pardon,  and  a 
reuniting  of  himself  and  his -former  wife. 

The  most  favorable  verdict  is  repeated  to  him, 
at  his  request,  and  as  the  horror  of  this  is  made 
plain  to  him,  he  summons  the  courage  he  hacf 
lacked  earlier,  and  shoots  himself. 


358] 


Theatre  Magazine,  December,  191! 


Photos  White 


Thamara  Swirskaya  Mona  Hungerford 

Act  I.     Fedya  (Mr.  Barrymore) :     "He  came  to  take  me 
home  to  my  wife.     You  see  she  loves  even  a  fool  like  me." 


John  Barrymore 


E.   J.    Ballantine       John  Barrymore 


Thomas  Mitchell 


John  Barrymore  in  Act  I. 
Fedya,  having  promised  to  remove 
himself  as  an  obstacle  to  his  wife's 
marriage  with  another  man,  prefers 
suicide  to  the  degradation  of  the 
divorce  courts,  but  finds  that  he  has 
not  the  will  to  pull  the  trigger 


Act  II.  The  blackmailer,  who  has 
overheard  Fedya's  story,  tries  to 
force  him  to  "come  to  life"  in 
order  to  get  money  from  his  wife 
and  her  husband 


Act    II.      Fedya    has    just    shot    himself.      His    former   wife 
bends    over   him   while   he   calls    to    Masha,   the   gypsy    singer 


Charles  Kennedy  John  Barrymore 

Act  II.  Fedya,  after  cross  examination 
by  the  magistrate,  turns  on  him  and  de- 
nounces him  for  stupid  and  blind  inter- 
ference, in  the  name  of  Justice,  into  the 
deepest  places  in  the  hearts  of  three  peo- 
ple, all  of  whom  were  innocent  of 
any  wrong 


TOLSTOI'S     "REDEMPTION"     TOLD     IN     PICTURES 


THE  THEATRICAL  MARRIAGE 

"Heffo,  old  scout!     Say,  why  don V  you 
invite    me   to   one   of  your  weddings?' 
. '.Yillie   Collier  to   Nat   Goodwin 

By  ZOE   BECKLEY 


JUST  because  the  number  of  Nat  Goodwin's 
wives  is  steadily  climbing  up  towards  the 
number  of  his  automobile,  the  public's  lip 
has  got  the  habit  of  curling  at  theatrical 
marriages.  The  retort  courteous  is,  "Certainly 
theatrical  marriages  are  often  flivvers,  but  no 
oftener  than  other  marriages." 

Julie  Opp  Faversham  declares,  asserts,  alleges, 

..     and    maintains    that    there    are    .|uite    as 

..,.,,,      lK-.-cssfuIh    mated  actors  as  can  be  found 

i  the-*..  nee  side  of  the  footlights.  Frank 
'Vilstach.  wh  irom  his  44th  Street  publicity 

rie    gazes    out   over    the   theatre    zone   like   a 

-coyle  on  Notre  Dame  (only  handsomer),  and 
JTOws  everything'  about  similes  and  stagefolk, 
Insists  that  whoever  says  there  aren't  more  hap- 
py marriages  on  the  boards  than  off  is  as  wrong 
as  the  man  who  tries  to  get  to  Times  Square 
on  a  Brooklyn  sub  train. 

Pitting  the  popular  view  against  an  actual 
canvass,  let's  see  the  net  result.  Take  a  ran- 
dom list,  say  seventeen,  popular  players  and  see 
how  they  compare  with  an  equal  number  of  your 
own  private-life  friends. 

Otis  Skinner  and  his  wife,  Maud  Durbin,  ad- 
mit without  a  blush  that  they  are  the  Darby  and 
Joan  of  the  profession.  Married  twenty  years, 
neither  has  ever  signalled  the  conductor  of  the 
matrimonial  tram  to  stop,  nor  even  asked  for 
a  transfer.  Modest  and  wholesome  and  finely 
intelligent,  Mrs.  Skinner  has  a  charm  which 
seems  to  explain  her  talented  lord's  devotion. 


BUT  my  dear,  you  can't  go  a  bit  by  that," 
says  she  with  her  lovely  smile.  "Some  of 
the  charmingest  persons  on  earth  do  not  charm 
their  marriage  partners  long.  It  is  two  other 
things.  First,  luck  in  finding  a  mate  who  has 
fidelity  as  a  part  of  character.  Second,  that  you 
have  the  best  of  all  mutual  interests,  a  child. 

"We  have  our  daughter  who  throughout  her 
eighteen  years  has  been  our  strongest  bond. 
And  Mr.  Skinner  is  the  most  devoted  father  I 
have  ever  known.  But  to  those  who  have  no 
children  I  should  say,  "Do  not  be  competitive. 
Find  a  mutual  ground  on  which  you  can  both 
meet  and  cultivate  a  common  interest  if  it  is 
only  collecting  postage  stamps." 

The  Skinners  live  at  Bryn  Mawr,  Pa.,  near 
the  college  where  daughter  goes.  Daughter 
writes  and  acts,  inheriting  the  talent  of  her 
player  parents.  When  Dad  goes  away  on  his 
long  trips,  friend  wife  and  friend  daughter 
stay  at  home,  each  with  her  own  vivid  occu- 
pations, storing  up  fresh  interests  for  all  against 
his  return.  Find  a  happier  marriage  anywhere 
than  the  Skinners ! 

Laurette  Taylor  and  Hartley  Manners,  play- 
wright, have  only  six  years  to  offer  as  a  sample. 
But  Laurette  "adores"  htr  husband,  true  and 
honest.  Folks  in  the  adjoining  suites  of  the 
hotels  they  frequent  report  no  domestic  debacles. 
And  unless  someone  better  posted  than  the 
mighty  managers  of  Whitelight  Lane  knows 
aught  to  the  contrary,  the  Manners-Taylor  team 
must  be  listed  among  the  happies. 


To  unearth  John  Drew's  matrimonial  be- 
ginning we  must  go  back  into  the  past  some- 
can  it  be  possible?— thirty-odd  years.  He  and 
Josephine  Baker,  of  Philadelphia,  are  recorded 
as  wed  in  1880.  And  they  have  stayed  wed. 
It  is  possible  that  Josephine  and  John  have  had 
their  spats  and  clashes,  for  neither  is  weak- 
minded.  But  they  have  stuck,  and  no  envenomed 
situations  have  been  revealed  to  an  ever-inter- 
ested world. 


OF  Ethel  Barrymore  and  her  husband, 
Russell  G.  Colt,  we  may  have  heard  vague 
rumors.  But  we  also  hear  occasional  rumors 
about  our  own  Cousin  Cornelia  back  in  Sodus 
Center  who  married  that  young  feller  with  the 
curly  hair,  and  they  do  say  that  him  and  Cor- 
nelia sometimes  gives  each  other  a  piece  of 
their  mind,  and  Aunt  Matildy  says  her  sister- 
in-law's  aunt  heard — etc.  No  one  denies  that 
the  cares  of  a  big  business  man  sometimes  make 
him  peevish.  Or  that  Ethel  probably  has  a 
share  of  the  Barrymore  temperament  (which  in- 
cludes brains).  Or  that  riches,  beauty,  brains, 
babies  and  career  create  a  complex  situation  out 
of  which  a  ripple  or  two  might  reasonably  eman- 
ate. Cousin  Cornelia  and  her  man  think  Sodus 
Center  is  gossipy.  But  lands  sakes  alive,  com- 
pared with  them,  an  actress  has  no  more  seclu- 
sion than  a  goldfish  in  a  glass  bowl.  And  so 
maybe  we  occasionally  "hear  rumors."  Yet 
they  too  have  stuck  for  nine  years,  and  to  be- 
lievers in  the  theory  that  the  first  five  are  the 
most  difficult  in  married  life,  that  means  a  lot. 

John  Barrymore's  divorce  has  recently  been 
bruited  on  Broadway.  So  much  for  that. 

Nazimova  and  Charles  Bryant,  her  actor  hus- 
band, admit  they  are  a  harmonious  pair.  Any 
voices  to  the  contrary?  Mme.  Alia  once  told 
me  that  the  two  important  goals  on  earth  were 
success  and  motherhood.  And  that  she  would 
gladly  give  whatever  success  she  possessed  for 
a  baby  of  her  own  to  love.  "But  alas,"  she 
added,  "I  am  a  dead  tree.  I  will  content  myself 
with  work  and  comradeship." 

William  Hodge,  who  married  Helen  Hale,  the 
dancer,  is  notably  a  husband  without  a  grievance. 
The  froth  of  "Peggy  from  Paris"  has  obviously 
not  affected  Mrs.  Hodge's  substantial  qualities 
of  character  for  no  neighbors  can  be  found  who 
fail  to  vouch  for  her  as  an  ideal  wife,  mother 
and  friend.  Possibly  the  education  she  acquired 
at  Vassar  has  added  "that  bliss  which  only 
centers  in  the  mind." 


\  PPROACHING  the  case  of  Gertrude  Elli- 
•i*-  ott,  an  opportunity  is  afforded  to  slosh 
round  in  sentiment  ankle  deep.  Ha !  Here  is  a 
theatre  marriage  to  quell  the  carpers  with !  Miss 
Elliott  married  Johnston  Forbes-Robertson 
eighteen  years  ago  and  they  think  it  was  eight! 
Not  a  breath  of  question  as  to  their  happiness 
has  ever  stirred.  So  far  as  anybody  knows  that 
anybody  is  happy,  everybody  knows  the  Forbes- 
Robertsons  are  happy.  Maxine  Elliott,  said  by 


her  intimates  to  be  a  bit  of  a  skeptic  toward  men 
and  marriage,  gets  immense  pleasure  from  her 
sister's  children  and  her  sister's  delightful  home 
in  Bedford  Square,  London. 

Leo  Ditrichstein  and  Josephine  Wehrle,  have 
stayed  continuously  married  to  each  other  for 
twenty-two  years.  No  further  comment  needed. 

Geraldine  Farrar  gave  up  a  gloriously  roman- 
tic freedom  to  become  Mrs.  Lou-Tellegen  and  I 
have  it  from  her  own  lovely  lips  that  Lou  "is 
the  most  wonderful  husband  in  the  universe!" 
It  is  Gerry's  first  and,  she  insists,  will  be  her 
only  marriage,  whereas  Mr.  Tellegen  in  his 
blind  youth  had  a  preliminary  matrimonial  canter 
which  won  no  prize. 

Tully  Marshall  and  his  wife,  Marian  Fairfax, 
the  dramatist,  appear  to  hit  it  off  perfectly. 
They  became  yokemates  twenty  years  ago  and 
trouble  has  not  yet  been  trumpeted  upon  the 
Rialto  nor  along  the  shores  of  Shoreham  where 
is  their  home. 

Perhaps  it  is  too  soon  to  hold  up  Elsie  Fergu- 
son and  her  husband,  Thomas  Clarke,  as  ex- 
amples of  marital  stability  since  they  are  but 
little  past  the  newlywed  period.  Those  who 
know  the  cultured  intelligence  and  spiritual  fine- 
ness of  Miss  Ferguson,  however,  count  upon 
this  meeting  as  both  wise  and  lasting. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  Frank  Craven  and 
his  wife,  Mary  Blythe,  formerly  Mrs.  Arnold 
Daly.  Yet  their  friends  are  ready  to  gamble 
everything  from  Liberty  Bonds  to  last  year's 
birds-nests  that  the  Cravens  are  as  suited  to  each 
other  as  tea  and  toast.  Mary  is  the  tea — the 
stimulating  factor.  If  it  were  not  for  Mary, 
Frank  would  probably  never  collect  his  salary 
or  see  about  having  the  car  newly  upholstered 
or  the  lawn  barbered.  If  it  were  not  for  Frank 
there  would  not  be  the  beautiful  home  at  Great 
Neck  or — or  small  John,  aged  half  past  two. 
They  are  happy  and  busy  and  wholesome  and 
hospitable  and  perfect  complements  for  each 
other.  Q.E.D.,  they  are  a  successful  couple. 


IF  Jane  Cowl  has  ever  hurled  the  coffeepot  at 
Adolph  Klauber,  or  if  Adolph  has  ever  said 
damn  and  banged  the  door  as  he  went  off  to  the 
club,  no  one  seems  to  have  got  wind  of  it.  I 
met  Mr.  Klauber  once  in  Miss  Cowl's  dressing- 
room  and  carried  away  the  impression  that  there 
was  a  pair  who  had  kept  mutual  interest  well 
alive  and  were  threatened  with  a  long  term  of 
domestic  harmony. 

In  March,  1913  (or  was  it  September?)  Will- 
iam Courtenay  told  me  that  no  female  had  ever 
been  born  or  ever  would  be  who  could  rope-and- 
throw  him  into  matrimony.  The  next  day  he 
up  and  married  Virginia  Harned  (for  seventeen 
years  Mrs.  E.  H.  Sothern),  and  I  have  never 
been  able  to  learn  that  he  was;  punished  for 
ruining  my  story  by  being  unhappy  ever  after. 
On  the  contrary,  my  bloodthirsty  inquiries  have 
always  met  with  the  assurance  that  they  are  one 
of  the  most  flagrantly  congenial  of  couples, 
theatrical  or  otherwise. 

Margaret  Illington  (formerly  Mrs.  Daniel 
Frohman)  after  nine  years,  still  takes  tea  with 


f  300  ] 


Theatre  Magazine,  December,  1918 


V ay ana 


CARLOTTA   MONTEREY 

This    attractive    young    player 
achieved  considerable  success  : 
Bird   of   Paradise,"   on   tour, 
appearing  in  "Be  Calm,  Camilla 
comedy   by    Clare    Kummer    P 
Booth    Theatre.      Early    this   . 
she  wac  t*:en  in  ''Mr.  Barn»>!      ,,ti 
Monterey   is   under   the    mi». 
of  Chamberlain   Browr 


©  Moffett 


INA    CLAIRE 

"Polly  With  a  Past"  has 
brought  Miss  Claire  to  the 
front  as  one  of  the  most 
promising  of  our  younger 
actresses.  After  a  long  New 
York  run,  "Polly"  is  now  being 
presented  in  other  cities 


EVELYN  EGERTON 

Who  was  a  stately  and  beauti- 
ful figure  as  the  haughty 
daughter  of  the  governor  in 
the  English  operetta  recently 
presented  here,  ''The  Maid  of 
the  Mountains" 


Buihnell 


CLARA  MOORES 
Duplicating  the  hit  she  made  on  Broadway  as 
leading   lady    with   William    Hodge    on    tour 


WITH    THE    YOUNGER    PLAYER    FOLK 


her  second  husband,  Edward  J.  Bowes,  after  an 
arduous  day  buying  curtains  for  their  romantic 
country  place  in  the  Hastings  hills. 

The  Favershams,  of  all  stage  people,  are  per- 
haps the  most  validly  consorted  pair  to  be 
found.  They  have  been  married  seventeen  years 
and  one  has  only  to  step  into  the  library  of 
their  old  brick  house  on  East  17th  Street  to 
sense  the  atmosphere  of  adjustment  and  per- 
manence. The  chairs  are  fat  and  worn-looking, 
easy  to  body  and  mind,  like  everything  else  in 
the  room.  There  are  many  thumbed  books  and 
a  hard-working  desk,  and  friendly,  autographed 
pictures  of  celebrities  about.  Whether  the  two 
boys,  Will  and  Phil,  are  present  or  not,  the  true 
'*  of  familyship  is. 

iust     this     about     marriage,"     con- 

-rsham.    "It  is  as  much  a  pro- 

••eer.    You've  got  to  view 

*hings  to  make  your 

to    make   your 

M  place  as 

•nuch. 


aiigle- 
t  ner  marriage  to  Alex 


Moore,  with  whom  she  lives  in  a  sort  of  mirac- 
ulous blush-rose  serenity.  There  are  many 
crossed  and  tangled  wires  in  the  theatre's  matri- 
monial switchboard.  But  for  every  failure  I 
will  dig  you  up  a  pair  of  good  team-mates  like 
George  Cohan  and  Agnes  Nolan;  Fred  Stone 
and  Alcne  Crater;  Elsie  Leslie  and  William 
Jefferson  Winter;  Richard  Carle  and  Ella  Clif- 
ford; Wilton  Lackaye  and  Alice  Evans;  the 
W.  II.  Cranes;  Isabel  Irving  and  W.  H.  Thomp- 
son; the  Blinns,  Holbrook  and  Ruth;  Alice 
Fischer  and  William  Harcourt;  Margaret  Anglin 
and  Howard  Hull,  and  scores  of  others  from 
whose  divorce  fees  no  lawyer  has  ever  bought 
any  automobiles. 

You  may  also  point  triumphantly  to  the  stars 
of  the  profession  who  have  not  assumed  the 
yoke.  But  it  is  not  provable  that  they  have  been 
frightened  by  the  experiences  of  their  fellow 
artists.  Maude  Adams's  "love  of  solitude,  ani- 
mals and  nature  has  led  her  to  withdraw  from 
the  world,  being  happier  thus  than  she  would 
have  been  as  the  wife  of  any  man  and  the  mother 
of  children,"  as  David  Belasco  explains  it. 
"  ''"he  foremost  Belasco  actresses — Frances 
~  "a  Claire  and  Lenore  Ulric — are  also  un- 

II  consider  it  impossible,"  says 
p  divide  one's  serious  interest.  I 
lucky  too,  in  having  a  home.  My 
tih  me  and  make  an  environment 
y  work  in  the  theatre,  satisfies  me 
f  I  had  been  lonely  I  should  have 
be  yet  I  shall — when  my  stage  am- 
ne." 

,t  you,"    said    David   Belasco,   with 
oa-like  smile  of  his,  "and  you  will 
really    superb    players    ;*re    unmar- 
pf    the    girls    who    act    under    my 
^re  bound  to  singleness.     They  are 
way   at  any  moment.     I   hate   con- 
Jmarriage   and   stage   work   will   not 
ully.     A   jealous   wife   or   an   intcr- 
nd    ruins    any    young   career.      Let 
(o  marries   late  choose  a  wife  out- 
(fession,   who   will   make  a   separate 
iir  home.     And  let  the  actress  who 
•cady  to  leave  the  stage  and  devote 
/  and   soul   to  domestic   things." 
responsibility,    on    the    other    hand, 
lovely    Jane    Grey    upon    the    stage, 
^married    at   the    age   of   Juliet    and 
\seventeen,   with   a  girl   and   boy   to 
pe    for    and    educate,    surveyed    her 
•  >c    iviiddlebury,   Vt.    with    an    eye    to   possi- 
bilities.    There  weren't  any.     So  with  a  convent 
education    and    the    face    of    a    church-window 


angel,  Miss  Grey  fared  forth  to  earn.  She 
learned  to  act  because  it  paid  nine  times  better 
than  stenogging  in  an  office.  Success  has  never 
elaborated  her  quiet  tastes. 

"What  success  I  have,"  says  Jane,  "is  solely 
because  of  my  children.  I  had  to  make  good  for 
their  sakes.  I  owe  them  everything." 

Children  have  a  stronger  influence  on  actor- 
folk  than  the  layman  knows.  Blanche  Bates  and 
her  husband,  George  Creel,  behave  as  if  there 
were  nothing  really  important  in  the  universe 
except  their  two  babies.  Eddie  Foy  has  for 
years  cheerfully  taken  eighth  place  behind  his 
regiment  of  little  Foys.  Ed  Wynn,  who  mar- 
ried Hilda,  daughter  of  Frank  Keenan,  would 
rather  talk  kids  than  contracts.  Pauline  Hall 
keeps  house  with  her  daughter  in  Yonkers  and 
can  rarely  be  dragged  from  her  puddings  and 
preserve-making  except  to  replenish  Pauline 
Junior's  party  dresses  or  arrange  for  a  new 
course  of  Pauline  Junior's  music  studies. 

When  old  friends  say  "Oh,  Polly,  go  back  to 
the  stage ;  you're  as  handsome  as  ever,  don't 
bury  yourself  up  here !"  she  answers,  "Shush — 
don't  bother  me.  I'm  happier  here  with  the 
youngster." 

Louise  Drew,  "that  little  divvle  Bee  Drew," 
has  gone  and  married  wild  Jack  Devereux,  and 
now  the  baby  son  threatens  to  sober  down  the 
entire  family,  and  anchor  it  in  the  Long  Island 
wilderness. 

By  these  tokens  it  looks  as  though  the  stage 
were  not  so  much  a  realm  of  soapbubble  mar- 
riages as  it  has  been  painted.  Even  as  a  matri- 
monial bureau  for  the  aristocracy  of  Wall  Street, 
Pittsburg  and  Great  Britain,  it  makes  not  so  bad 
a  showing. 

August  Belmont  and  Eleanor  Robson  have 
lived  as  placidly  as  your  Uncle  Abner  and  Aunt 
Susan  up  in  Scamcat  County.  William  E.  Corey 
and  his  Mabelle  have  not  been  heard  calling  for 
help.  Edna  May,  who  wedded  a  millionaire 
Lewisohn,  has  many  years  of  happy  English  life 
to  look  back  upon.  There  is  the  classic,  long- 
term  marriage  of  Mary  Anderson  and  Antonio 
F.  de  Navarro  which  has  been  without  rift  or 
flurry  for  twenty-nine  years.  And  are  we  not 
always  hearing  of  London's  former  Gayety  girls 
who  have  stepped  gracefully  into  the  peerage 
and  gracefully  and  graciously  remain  there, 
doing  war  work? 

Taking  it  by  and  large,  then,  we  insist  that 
theatrical  marriages  are  as  lasting  as  most. 
And  that  it's  no  fair  taking  Nat  for  a  standard. 
P.S. :  Despite  rumors  about  No.  Six,  up  to  the 
time  of  going  to  press,  Mr.  Goodwin  has  only 
been  married  five  times. 


DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT  — 


Trixie  Friganza's  real  name  is  Delia  O'Calla- 
han  and  that  before  she  received  parental  con- 
sent to  go  on  the  stage,  she  ran  away  and 
joined  a  repertoire  company,  for  which  her 
father  had  her  arrested  by  a  policeman? 

Billie  Burke  was  named  "Billie"  because  her 
father  was  certain  that  "it"  would  be  a  boy 
and  named  her  before  her  birth? 

Avery  Hopwood,  author  of  "Fair  and  Warm- 
er" and  other  successful  farces,  merely  con- 
siders them  "pot-boilers"  and  hopes  sometime 
in  future  to  succeed  as  a  novelist? 

Olga  Nethersole  has  nursed  two  thousand 
soldiers  in  her  garden  at  Hampstead  Heath,  just 
outside  of  London,  since  the  beginning  of  the 
war,  after  having  been  rejected  as  a  Red  Cross 
nurse  on  account  of  a  weak  heart? 


President  Wilson  and  John  D.  Rockefeller 
play  the  violin? 

Julia  Marlowe's  name  was   Sarah   Frost? 

Jascha  Heifetz  was  held  up  and  robbed  of  a 
decoration  given  him  by  the  late  Czar,  during 
a  Petrograd  riot  before  he  came  to  this  coun- 
try? 

Percy  Haswell  never  appears  on  the  stage 
without  an  elephant  in  bronze,  gold,  ivory  or 
wood  attached  to  a  bracelet,  necklace  or  ring? 

Madam  Schumann-Heink  began  her  operatic 
studies  after  she  had  been  dismissed  from  a 
choir  in  Dresden,  because  she  forgot  to  sing 
when  the  King  of  Saxony  entered  the  church 
and  attracted  her  attention  from  the  conductor's 
baton,  which  came  down  sharply  over  her 
knuckles  ?  • 


Harry  Williams  received  a  fortune  from  the 
sales  of  "The  Shade  of  the  Old  Apple  Tree," 
which  he  wrote  on  a  street-car  late  one  night? 

David  Belasco  tried  "over-head  lighting" 
effects  on  the  stage  when  he  was  so  short  of 
funds  that  he  was  obliged  to  employ  a  bull's- 
eye  lantern  ? 

Frank  Tinney  is  a  licensed  embalmer  and  that 
Tully  Marshall  once  worked  for  an  undertaker, 
before  he  became  an  actor  and  actually  wore  the 
fringe  from  a  hearse  on  his  costume  (as  a 
prince)  when  he  made  his  first  stage  appearance? 

Nazimova  once  pushed  a  wheel-cart  holding 
her  costumes  and  baggage  through  the  streets 
of  London — when  she  was  too  poor  to  pay  the 
cartage  from  the  railway  station  to  the  theatre 
at  which  she  was  to  appear? 


[  362 


7 heatre  Magazine,  December.  79;} 


NATALIE  MANNING 
Supporting  her  uncle,  Louis  Mann,  in 
"Friendly  Enemies"  at  the  Hudson. 
Although  successful  in  amateur  the- 
atricals, this  is  Miss  Manning's  first 
appearance  on  the  professional  stage 


Mishkin 


BETH  MARTIN* 
Who  is  in  the  cast  of  "Lightnin" " 
hopes  one  day  to  be  as  popular  on 
the  legitimate  stage  as  her  father, 
Riccardo  Martin,  has  been  on  the 
operatic  stage 


BLYTHE  DALY 
Arnold  Daly's  daughter  made  her 
d6but  this  season  as  Miss  Fletcher, 
a  Red  Cross  Nurse,  in  the  patriotic 
play  "Getting  Together" — and  a 
charming  nurse  she  was,  too 


White 


FOLLOWING   THE   FOOTSTEPS   OF   THEIR   ELDERS 


Brunei 


ROLAND  WEST 
Whose  initial  output,  "The  Unknown 
Purple,"  now  at  the  Lyric  Theatre, 
augurs  well  for  his  future  as  a  pro- 
ducer and  playwright.  Mr.  West 
not  only  presented  the  piece,  but  is 
mainly  responsible  for  its  authorship 


©  Hixon-Connelly 


tlly 
LEON  GORDON 

Who  made  a  successful  American 
d£but  both  as  actor  and  playwright 
in  "Watch  Your  Neighbor."  As  the 
"silly  ass"  Englishman  he  proved 
himself  a  capable  actor,  and  as  co- 
.•uitlior,  a  promising  playwright 


ANTHONY  PAUL  KELLY 
The  author  of  "Three  Faces  East" 
is  only  twenty-two  years  old,  and  is 
now  a  U.  S.  sailor.  Two  years  ago 
he  won  quick  fame  as  a  motion  pic- 
ture scenario  writer.  "Three  Faces 
East"  is  Mr.  Kelly's  first  play 


THREE     PLAYWRIGHTS     WHO     HAVE     PLEASED     BROADWAY 


A  CHAT  WITH  CYRIL  MAUDE 


The  popular  English  star  soon  to 
retire  permanently  from  the  stage 


CYRIL  MAUDE  is  very  English  and  partic- 
ularly typical  of  a  certain  class  of  Briton. 
His   speech   is  delightful  to  the  ear,   the 
speech  of  a  well-bred  man,  distinct,  musical,  with 
the  true  appreciation  of  the  value  of  vowels  and 
consonants  always  considered. 

Rather  shorter  in  height  than  the  average,  he 
is  well  set  up,  bearing  with  a  nice  alert  dignity 
the  fifty-six  years  to  which  he  con- 
fesses, for  it  was  on  the  24th  of  April, 
1862  that  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born  in  London,  son  of  Captain  Charles 
H.  Maude  and  his  wife,  the  Hon.  Mrs. 
Maude. 

Charterhouse,  the  fount  of  Thack- 
eray's learning,  was  where  Mr.  Maude 
r-ceived  his  education.  Lurking  with- 
in, was  that  call  for  the  stage — a  real 
vocation  as  his  artistic  worth  has  since 
demonstrated— so  Mr.  Maude  began  to 
study  under  the  Ur'ion  of  that  sterling 
actor,  Charles  Caitwright.  But  his 
health  was  not  ,.iat  it  should  be  and 
so  he  c,.-.ne  to  Canada,  later  drifting  to 
Denver,  Colorajj.  The  rarefied  air  of 
that  glorious  .  jntry  worked  its  won- 
ders jnd'in  October,  1884,  he  made  his 
stage  debut  in  "East  Lynne"  as  a  serv- 
ant. Daniel  Bandmann  was  the  star 
of  the  company  and  Louise  Beaudet  the 
lachrymose  Mme.  Vine.  Later,  in  1884, 
he  returned  to  England  and  as  Mr. 
Pilkie  in  "The  Great  Divorce  Case," 
at  the  Criterion,  began  the  active .  and 
artistic  career  that  was  to  prominently 
identify  him  with  the  London  stage  for 
the  next  thirty  years. 


HERE  in  New  York  we  have  more 
than  an  abundance  of  first-class 
theatres.  The  great  difficulty  has  been 
to  find  players  capable  in  intelligence 
and  technique  to  properly  hold  down 
their  stages.  When  a  distinguished 
actor — in  the  full  plenitude  of  his 
powers  announces  that  he  is  disposed 
to  retire  from  active  work,  a  uni- 
versal sigh  of  regret  can  be  the  only 
rejoinder  to  the  announcement. 

Mr.  Maude  says  he  is  going  to  retire ;  that 
this  season  will  probably  end  his  career  on  the 
metropolitan  boards  and  that  a-fter  some  few 
performances  in  London — they  will  not  be  called 
farewells,  Mr.  Maude  doesn't  believe  in  that — 
he  will  just  slide  gracefully  and  unostentatiously 
into  private  life,  Otiuin  cum  dignitate  is  what 
he  hopes  for,  the  something  to  which  he  feels 
entitled  after  his  many  years  of  strenuous  work 
upon  the  stage. 

"I  love  my  profession,"  said  Mr.  Maude :  and 
shall  retire  with  genuine  regret  but  I  feel  that 
a  man  owes  something  to  himself.  If  at  the  age 
of  fifty-six  he  feels  able  to  retire,  and  my  stage 
exertions  have  netted  me  a  competency,  not  a 
great  one — to  retire  on  I  feel  I  should  be  un- 
just to  myself  if  I  didn't  take  the  opportunity 
to  read  and  enjoy  those  sports,  to  which  I  am 
passionately  fond,  but  the  exacting  conditions  of 
my  profession  have  never  given  me  an  opportu- 


nity to  engage  in.  I  don't  intend,  by  any  means  to 
remain  permanently  idle.  I  have  distinct  am- 
bitions which  I  hope  later  to  realize— but  of 
tliat  more  anon.  Some  people  regard  the  actor's 
life  as  a  sinecure;  just  a  few  hours  of  acting 
every  day  and  then  nothing  to  do  until  to- 
morrow. Those  who  are  in  the  know  appreciate 
that  this 'rosy  picture  by  no  means  measures  up 


©  Charles  Frohman,  Inc. 

Cyril    Maude   and    Laura   Hope   Crews 
in  "The  Saving  Grace"  at  the   Empire 


to  the  fact — especially  if  he  happens  to  be  that 
much  criticized  personage — an  actor-manager  and 
a  very  considerable  part  of  my  London  career 
was  spent  in  that  dual  capacity.  You  remember 
the  story  of  the  titled  Englishman  who  went  on 
the  stage. 

"'How  do  you  like  your  new  calling?'  he  was 
asked. 

"  'Acting  is  all  right,'  he  replied,  'but  the  great 
drawback  is,  it  cuts  so  horribly  into  one's  social 
engagements.' 

"A  good  deal  of  truth  is  contained  in  that 
aphorism  if  you"  stop  to  consider. 

"Six  years  after  my  London  debut,  I  was  at 
Wyndhams.  It  was  there  that  I  acted  Cool  in 
"London  Assurance''  and  Sir  Benjamin  Backbite 
in  "The  School  for  Scandal."  Later,  as  I  grew 
in  artistic  stature,  I  added  Sir  Peter,  in  Sheri- 
dan's sparkling  comedy,  to  my  repertoire.  I 
tried  to  give  you  a  taste  of  my  quality  in  old 


comedy  by  presenting  some  years  since  at  a  bene- 
fit, the  Screen  Scene  in  which  I  appeared  as 
Lady  Teazle's  somewhat  distracted  husband.  I 
had  hoped  also  to  give  you  a  revival  of  The 
Clandestine  Marriage';  but  plays  of  this  char- 
acter are  so  expensive  to  produce  these  days  and 
under  the  new  stage  conditions  prevailing  it  is 
really  so  difficult  to  properly  cast  them,  that  I 
had  to  abandon  the  project.  I  am  really 
of  a  distinctly  shy  disposition  and  I 
don't  like  to  talk  too  much  about  my- 
self, but  I  think  Lord  Ogleby  is  one  of 
my  best  creations  and  though  I  have  no 
histrionic  preferences  it  is  a  profession- 
al joy  to  give  life  and  speed  to  the  dear 
old  beau. 

"For  three  years,  1893  to  1896,  I  was 
with  Comyns  Carr  at  the  Comedy  where 
'Sowing  the  Wind,'  'Frou-Frou'  and 
'The  Benefit  of  the  Doubt'  were  some  of 
the  big  successes  in  which  I  appeared. 
As  you  know,  'character'  is  the  line  of 
work  to  which  I  have  largely  adhered. 


I 


N  October,  1896,  I  entered  into  part- 
nership with  Frederic  Harrison  in 
the  management  of  the  Haymarket,  a 
combination  which  lasted  just  about  ten 
years.  As  I  before  remarked,  when  you 
manage  and  act  too,  you  have  your  work 
cut  out  for  you.  But  strenuous  as  those 
days  were  we  had,  I  might  say,  our  full 
quota  of  success,  for  among  the  pro- 
ductions made  during  that  regime  were 
'Under  the  Red  Robe,'  'A  Marriage  of 
Convenience,'  The  Little  Minister,'  the 
title  role  of  which  fell  to  my  lot,  The 
Manoeuvers  of  Jane,'  and  revivals  of 
'She  Stoops  to  Conquer,'  The  Clandes- 
tine Marriage,  The  Rivals'  and  The 
School  for  Scandal,'  in  which  I  severally 
appeared  as  Old  Hardcastle,  Lord 
Ogleby,  Bob  Acres  and  Sir  Peter  Teazle. 
During  this  period  I  also  acted  Eccles 
in  'Caste,'  Heath  Desmond,  in  'Cousin 
Kate,'  Major  Christopher  Bingham.  in 
The  Second  in  Command'  and  Captain 
Barley,  in  'Beauty  and  the  Barge.'  The 
last  two  plays  you  may  remember  I  ap- 
peared in  during  my  first  American  season  as  a 
star  at  Wallacks. 

"While  the  Playhouse  in  London  was  building 
for  me,  by  arrangement,  I  appeared  under  the 
direction  of  Charles  Frohman,  in  Toddles.'  It 
was  a  sad  day  for  the  profession  when  the  in- 
satiate Hun  sent  that  charming  man  and  most 
liberal-minded  manager  to  his  watery  grave. 

"At  the  Playhouse,  under  my  sole  direction, 
I  produced  The  Earl  of  Pawtucket,'  'The  Flag 
Lieutenant'  and  'Pomander  Walk.'  Shortly  after- 
wards, I  came  to  America  and  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Canadian  and  Australian  tours  I  have 
remained  here  ever  since  'Grumpy'  brought  me 
that  American  recognition  which  it  shall  ever  be 
my  privilege  to  gratefully  recollect.  I  only  hope 
that  my  present  offering  will  have  a  pleasant 
thought  of  me  when  I  shall  have  exchanged  the 
exactions  of  grease-paint,  scenery  and  plays  for 
the  fishing  rod,  the  gun  nnd  the  bicycle." 


[364] 


I < I i H""""' '"I" Miimiimiiiiniiiiii i ii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii i i iiiiiini iiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiuinuiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiint 

AMATEUR  THEATRICALS 


i 
I 

I 
i 


In  this  department,  will  be  shown  each  month,  the  work  that   is   being  done  by  clever  Amateurs  in 
the  small  town,  the  big  city — in  the  universities,  schools  and  clubs  throughout  the  country. 

I  shall   be   glad   to    consider  for  publication  any  photographs  or  other  matter,  concerning   plays    and 
masques  done  by  amateurs  and  to  give  suggestions  and  advice  wherever  I  can.   Write  me.         The  Editor 


^m< "Hi miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin i i i i iiiiiiiniiiiii i NiiiiiiiiHimiiiiiiiimiimimi mum urn iimiiiiniiiiiii nun iiiiiiiiiiiini i i mmm IB 


HTM1E  first  important  question  which  arises 
A  after  the  decision  to  give  a  play,  is  "What 
play?"  Only  too  often  is  this  question  answered 
in  a  haphazard  way.  Of  recent  years  a  large 
number  of  guides  to  selecting  plays  have  made 
their  appearance,  but  many  of  them  are  incom- 
plete and  otherwise  unsatisfactory.  The  large 
lists  issued  by  play  publishers  are  bewildering. 
Each  play  considered  by  any  organization 
should  be  read  by  the  director  or  even  the  whole 
club  or  cast,  after  the  requisite  conditions  have 
been  considered.  These  conditions  usually  are: 

Size  and  Ability  of  Cast 

THIS  is  obviously  a  simple  matter:  a  cast  of 
ten  cannot  play  Shakespeare. 
This  is  a  little  more  difficult.  While  it  is  a 
laudable  ambition  to  produce  Ibsen,  let  us  say, 
no  high-school  students  are  sufficiently  mature 
or  skilled  to  produce  "A  Doll's  House."  As  a 
rule,  the  well-known  classics — Shakespeare, 
Moliere,  Goldoni,  Sheridan,  Goldsmith— suffer 
much  less  from  inadequate  acting  and  produc- 
tion than  do  modern  dramatists.  The  opinion  of 
an  expert,  or  at  least  of  some  one  who  has  had 
experience  in  coaching  amateur  plays,  should  be 
sought  and  acted  upon. 
If,  for  example,  "As 
You  Like  It"  is  under 
consideration,  it  must 
be  borne  in  mind  that 
the  role  of  Rosalind 
requires  delicate  and 
subtle  acting,  and  if 
no  suitable  woman  can 
be  found  for  that  part, 
a  simpler  play,  like 
"The  Comedy  of  Er- 
rors," had  much  better 
be  substituted.  Mod- 
ern plays  are  on  the 
whole  more  difficult; 
the  portrayal  of  a  mod- 
ern character  calls  for 
greater  variety,  ma- 
turity, and  skill  than 
the  average  amateur 
possesses.  The  char- 
acters in  Moliere's 
"Le  Bourgeois  Gentil- 
homme"  ("The  Mer- 
chant  Gentleman"), 
Shakespeare's  "The 
Comedy  of  Errors," 
Sheridan's  "The  Ri- 
vals," are  more  or  less 

well-known  types,  and  acting  of  a  conventional 
and  imitative  kind  is  better  suited  to  them.  On 
the  other  hand,  only  the  best-trained  amateurs 
are  able  to  impart  the  needful  appearance  of 
life  and  actuality  to  a  play  like  Henry  Arthur 
Jones's  "The  Liars."  Still,  there  are  many 
modern  plays — among  them,  Shaw's  "You  Never 
Can  Tell"  and  Wilde's  "The  Importance  of 
Being  Earnest" — in  which  no  great  subtlety  of 
characterization  is  called  for.  These  can  be 
produced  as  easily  by  amateurs  as  can  Shake- 
speare and  Sheridan. 


CHOOSING 
THE     P  I,- A  Y 


The  Kind  of  Play 

to  be  presented  usually  raises  many  questions 
which  are  entirely  without  the  scope  of  purely 
dramatic  considerations.  In  this  country  es- 
pecially, there  is  a  studied  avoidance  among 
schools  and  often  among  colleges  and  univer- 
sities, of  so-called  "unpleasant  plays."  With- 
out entering  into  the  reasons  for  this  aversion, 
it  is  rather  fortunate,  because  as  a  general  rule, 
"thesis,"  "sex,"  and  "problem"  plays  are  full  of 
pitfalls  for  amateur  actors  and  producers. 

While  it  is  a  splendid  thing  to  believe  no 
play  too  good  for  amateurs,  some  moderation 
is  necessary  where  a  play  under  consideration 
is  obviously  beyond  the  ability  of  a  cast:  "Ham- 
let" ought  never  to  be  attempted  by  amateurs, 
nor  such  subtle  and  otherwise  difficult  plays  as 


that  all  farces  and  comedies  should  be  left  out 
of  the  repertory:  "The  Magistrate"  and  "The 
Importance  of  Being  Earnest"  are  among  the 
finest  farces  in  the  language.  The  point  to  be 
impressed  is  that  it  is  better  to  attempt  a  play 
which  may  be  more  difficult  to  perform  than 
"Charley's  Aunt,"  than  to  give  a  good  perform- 
ance of  that  oft-acted  and  decidedly  hackneyed 
piece.  It  is  much  more  meritorious  to  produce 
a  good  play  poorly,  if  need  be,  than  a  poor  play 
well. 

If,  after  having  consulted  the  lists  which  are 
gotten  out  by  various  play-brokers,  the  club  is 
still  unable  to  decide  on  a  suitable  modern  play, 
the  best  course  is  to  return  to  the  classics.  It  is 
likely  that  the  plays  that  have  pleased  audiences 
for  centuries  will  please  us.  Aristophanes' 
"The  Clouds"  and  "Lysistrata,"  with  a  few 
necessary  "cuts";  Plautus'  "T-h,e  Twins,"  and 
Terence's  "Pharmio" ;  Goldoni -o//  "The  Fan" ; 
Shakespeare's  "Comedy  of  Errors '  and  '  tlf  a 
dozen  other  comedies ;  Moliere;,  "Merchant 
Gentleman"  and  "Doctor  in  Spite  <•,  1  HimseK"j 
Sheridan's  "The  Rivals"  and  Goldsmith's  >  "2he 
Stoops  to  Conquer" ;  Lessing's  "Minna  von 


Barnhelm" — almost   any 


An  interesting  Elizabethan  fating,   arranged   by  "The  Amards,"  a 
Dramatic  Society  at  the  Ithaca  Conservatory  of  'Music,  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 


"Man  and  Superman."  Plays  of  the  highest 
merit  can  be  found  which  are  not  so  taxing  as 
these.  There  is  no  reason  why  Sophocles' 
"Electra,"  Euripides'  "Akestis/'  or  the  com- 
edies of  Lope  de  Vega,  Goldoni,  Moliere,  Kotze- 
bue,  Lessing,  not  to  mention  the  better-known 
English  classics,  should  not  be  performed  by 
amateurs. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  facile,  trashy, 
"popular  comedies  of  the  past  two  or  three 
generations  are  to  be  avoided  by  amateurs  who 
take  their  work  seriously.  Nor  does  this  mean 


challenge  comparison 
ductions  by  choosing 
professional  runs  of  late. 


one  of  these  is  "safe." 
A  classic  can  never  be 
seen  too  often  and, 
since  true  amateurs  are 
those  who  play  for  the 
joy  of  playing,  they 
will  receive  ample  rec- 
ompense for  their  ef- 
forts in  the  thought 
that  they  have  at  least 
added  their  mite  to 
the  sum  total  of  true 
enjoyment  in  the  thea- 
tre. Another  argument 
in  favor  of  the  per- 
formance of  the  clas- 
sics is  that  they  are 
rarely  produced  by 
professionals.  If  an 
amateur  club  revives  a 
classic,  especially  one 
which  is  not  often 
seen  nowadays,  it  may 
well  be  proud  of  its 
efforts. 

If,  however,  the  club 
insists  on  giving  a 
modern  play,  it  will 
have  little  difficulty  in 
finding  suitable  mate- 
rial. It  is  well  not  to 
with  professional  pro- 
plays  which  have  had 


The  material  for  this  article  was  taken  from  Barrett  H. 
Clark's  book  "How  to  Produce  Amateur  Plays,"  published 
by  Little,  Brown  &  Company. 


.365] 


THE  far-western  city  of  Vancouver,  British 
Columbia,  is  not  without  its  college   dra- 
matic society.    With  a  population  of  about 
r.5000    Vancouver  is  the  seat  of  the  provincial 
university,  with  an  enrollment  of  over  six  Hun- 
dred   students,    though    many    others    are    away 
the  front.     In  1915,  the  first  year  of  the  col- 
lege  a  group  of  students  interested  in  dramatics 
came   together   through    the    initiative    of    Prof. 
Frederic  G    C.  Wood,  a  graduate  of  McGill  an,, 
Harvard,  and  a  member  of  the  English  depart- 
ment     Under  his  guidance  as  Honorary  Presi- 
dent and  Director,  the  Players'  Club  came  into 
being. 

With   a  limited   membership   of   forty,   a  cast 

was  selected  for  the  initial  venture,  the  four-act 

comedy,'  "Fanny  and  the   Servant  Problem,"  by 

Jerome  K.  Jerome.    There  were  many  difficulties 

in  the  way:     the  club  was  young,  the  majority 

of  the  actors  inexperienced,  and   the  temporary 

college  buildings,— due  to  war-time  conditions,— 

-  minus  an  auditorium.    But  working  with  a 

th<-   club   staged  their   performance  in  the 

•  n>         in  at  a  c.     theatre,  and  awoke  the  next 

-,.s    to    find    '  .emselves    famous.      It    was 


DRAMATICS  AT 
THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  BRITISH  COLUMBIA 

By 
CONSTANCE    HIGHMOOR 


and   two   in   the  capital   city   of   Victoria,   under 
the  patronage  of  the  Lieutenant-Governor. 

The  following  year  saw  four  other  playlets 
given  in  the  first  half  of  the  session.  These 
were  Shaw's  "How  He  Lied  to  Her  Husband" 
"Lonesome-Like,"  by  Brighouse,  "The  Land 
of  Heart's  Desire,"  of  Yeats,  and  Lord  Dun- 


A  scene  from  a  recent  production  of  "Merely  Mary  Ann,"  with 
Viva  Martin,   Nora   Coy,'  Russell   Hunter  and   Helena   Bodie 


termed  the  best  amateur  production  ever  seen 
in  Vancouver.  The  handsome  returns  were 
donated  to  the  Red  Cross  Society.  At  this  time 
a  company  was  being  formed  in  the  college  a? 
a  part  of  the  196th  Western  Universities  Battal- 
ion, and  by  request,  the  play  was  repeated  in 
three  of  the  Coast  cities  for  its  benefit.  The 
leading  role  in  these  performances  was  taken  by 
Jessie  Todhunter,  a  sophomore  student  of  un- 
doubted talent,  who  is  now  pursuing  her  art  as 
a  professional  in  New  York  City.  During  the 
same  year,  Barrie's  "Twelve  Pound  Look"  was 
given  privately,  and  Lily  Tinsley's  pathetic  little 
playlet,  "Cinders"  was  used  as  a  curtain  raiser. 
The  second  year  in  the  club's  history  saw 
progressive  studies.  It  was  decided  to  give 
four  one-act  plays  at  Christmas,  the  casts  of 
which  would  be  chosen  from  the  new  members 
so  as  to  give  them  an  opportunity  to  show  their 
real  worth.  These  were  given  privately  before 
the  club  and  its  invited  friends.  Those  pre- 
sented were  "Rosalie,"  by  Max  Mauray;  "Mod- 
esty," by  Paul  Ilervieu;  "Op-o'-me-Thumb,"  by 
Feon  and  Pryce,  and  Lady  Gregory's  "Spreading 
the  News."  The  second  annual  spring  play  was 
Zangwill's  fascinating  "Merely  Mary  Ann." 
Two  performances  were  given  in  Vancouver 


sany's  "Lost  Silk  Hat."  This  time  two  evenings 
were  set  apart  for  these  private  performances. 
The  selection  for  the  spring  public  performance 
was  more  ambitious  than  in  the  previous  two 
years,  but  it  met  with  great  success.  It  was 
Barrie's  "Alice  Sit-by-the-Fire,"  which  proved  a 
fitting  artistic  climax  to  the  three  years'  work. 
Given  as  were  the  other  performances,  for 
patriotic  purposes,  no  less  than  $831  was  realized 
as  the  net  profit  of  these  two  Vancouver  per- 
formances of  the  Barrie  play. 

Although  less  than  half  of   the  members  may 
be  fortunate  enough  to  be  given  an  acting  part, 
the    entire   club    shares    in   the    responsibility    of 
production.     The  executive  of  eight  is  kept  busy 
with   the  business  affairs  of  the  club,  while  the 
details   of   staging   are   in   the   hands   of   various 
committees.     As  the   plays  are   give  entirely  for 
patriotic  purpose,   or   in   the  case  of  the  private 
performances    with    no    money    involved    at    all, 
the  club  has  to  procure  its  many  stage  properties 
and  .costumes   with   very   little   expenditure.     An 
adequate  auditorium   with   a   stage   was   supplied 
by    the    college    authorities    after    the   first    year, 
and  on  tins  are  staged  the  programmes  of  short 
plays.     The    Property    Committee   depends    upon 
the  good-will   of  its  many   friends  to   supply  its 
needs,    while   those    in   charge   of   the    costmm-s 
manage  to  clothe  the  cast,  with  great  ingenuity 
in   procuring   suitable   attire   at  little    cost.     1  he- 
scenery  and  lighting  are  in  the  hands  of  the  men 
members,   and    as   a   result    of   careful    planning, 
the     "tout     ensemble"     has     always     been     most 
pleasing. 

THE  Players'  Club  has  proven  of  great  value 
not  only  to  the  students  themselves,  but  to 
the  general  public  who  have  given  most  hearty 
endorsement  to  the  efforts.  In  these-  days  of 
war-time  conservation,  that  have  characterized 
the  last  four  years  in  Canada,  there  are  few 
modern  plays  of  worth  presented  by  traveling 
companies  on  the  Coast  during  a  season.  As  a 
consequence,  these  well-staged  performances  of 
the  college  amateurs  have  won  a  wide,  popular 
favor. 

While  proud  of  their  artistic  success,  and 
reminiscent  of  the  added  pleasure  that  these  pro- 
ductions have  given  to  memories  of  college  days, 
the  members  of  the  Players'  Club  are  most 
happy  over  the  splendid  financial  results  of  their 
efforts.  In  the  three  years  of  their  activities, 
this  energetic  group  of  amateurs  has  cleared  over 
$2,100  for  war-time  purposes. 


"Alice  Sit-by-the- 
Firc,"  with  Jessie 
Adam,  W.  C.  Aga- 
bob,  Fred  Law  and 
Viva  Martin,  a 
Barrie  play  which 
lends  itself  very 
successfully  to  am- 
ateur production 


[366] 


IN  WHICH  THE  RVER  TRUTH- 


FUL    CAMERA     POINTS    THE 


WAY    TO    THE     PERFECTION 


ATTAINED      BY     AMATEURS, 


FROM     NEW     ENGLAND     TO 


THE    WESTERN    COAST 


A  clever  amateur  danseuse,  Miss  Ruth  N.  Straus,  of  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  who  twice  each  year  appears  at  the  French  Lick 
Springs  Hotel,  in  a  series  of  classic  dances,  for  charity 


Maxwell  Erbaugh  and  Hazel  Thornton,  as  they  appeared 
dancing  the  Minuet,  in  the  play  "The  Traitor,"  given  by  the 
graduating  class  of  the  Denver  North  Side  High  School.  The 
play  made  a  decided  hit  and  brought  to  the  fore  the  exceptional 
talent  of  the  amateurs  who  took  part.  We  advocate  a  dra- 
matic club  in  every  high  school  in  the  country 


A  really  charming  "Tosca"  convincingly  impersonated  by 
Demetrius  S.  Zades,  one  of  a  clever  group  of  young  Greeks, 
who  make  up  the  membership  of  the  Apollo  Dramatic  Club 
of  Springfield,  Miiss.  The  club  has  successfully  produced  a 
number  of  amateur  plays  for  charity,  and  more  recently  "La 
Tosca,"  with  a  cast  composed  entirely  of  men 


THE  STROLLERS'  DRAMATIC 


CLUB  OF    OHIO   STATE   UNI- 


VERSITY, BY  CHARME  SEEDS 


FIRST    in    dramatic    achievement,    first    in 
business   management   and   first   in   social 
attainment  is  the  claim  the  Strollers  Dra- 
atic  Club  of  Ohio  State  University  is  making 
>r  itself.    This  society  boasts  an  alumni  group 
hich   is  closely  allied  with   and  just  as   active 
the  student  group. 

Organization   has  been   the  key   word   of   the 
•=s  of  Strollers  for  the  twenty-five  years  of 

And  he-  -riTu*ese  years  !t  has  evolved 
own  personal  u1 
with   her   t'-"«-. 


drama  in  the  university.  As  a  rule  nearly  a 
hundred  students  appear  at  the  try-outs  and 
about  a  dozen  are  chosen  to  supplement  the 
active  members  in  their  work  for  the  year. 
Those  who  have  passed  the  preliminary  try-outs 
are  then  on  a  competitive  basis  with  the  old 
members  for  the  cast  of  the  spring  play.  The 
Christmas  casts  are  made  up  from  material  at 
hand  within  the  organization  and  alumni  mem- 
bers, i  !  I 
The  business  and  advertising  positions  are 
open  for  competition.  The  managers  of  these 
departments  for  the  ensuing  year  are  selectel 
from  among  those  who  have  worked  success- 
fully under  the  foregoing  management. 

ADVERTISING  is  one  of  the,  prides  of  the 
Strollers  both  from  an  artistic  and  from  a 
financial  standpoint.  The  credit  of  the  business 
success  of  the  organization  goes  to  the  live,  up- 
to-the-minute,  effectively  resourceful  advertising 
department.  An  effort  is  made  to  incorporate 
the  best  advertising  ideas  in  the  country  into  the 


OFFER 

THE 


Elisabeth  Lyons  and  Nnveli'Dobson  in  an  exquisite  scene 
from   "Shades   of  Night,"  as  produced  by   The   Strollers 


an  organization  which  is  co-operated  under  a 
board  of  directors  in  which  the  student  group, 
the  alumni  group  and  the  university  faculty 
are  represented.  Operating  under  this  board, 
which  is  made  up  of  two  faculty  members,  two 
student  members  and  two  alumni,  the  Strollers 
yearly  present  two  sets  of  plays.  At  Christmas 
time  a  group  of  one-act  plays  is  presented  in 
the  college  chapel  and  in  the  spring  a  longer 
play  is  given  in  one  of  the  town  theatres.  The 
annual  spring  play  is  the  big  piece  of  work  of 
the  student  group  and  is  rehearsed  under  the 
hand  of  a  professional  director  for  seven  or 
eight  weeks  preceding  its  public  appearance. 
The  casts  of  the  Christmas  plays  are  made  up 
of  both  the  alumni  and  the  students  and  the 
plays  in  these  groups  are  coached  by  alumni 
members. 

COMPETITION  is  the  basis  on  which 
Strollers  is  operated.  By  this  method  new 
material  is  selected,  plays  are  cast,  business  and 
advertising  managers  are  chosen.  The  acting 
material  is  selected  through  a  "try-out"  in  the 
fall  of  each  year,  open  to  any  upper  class  man. 
The  judges,  who  make  the  selections  at  the  "try- 
outs,"  are  called  in  from  among  the  dramatic 


critics  of  the  city  newspapers  and  professors  of 
advertising  for  these  plays.  Many  times  Stroller 
advertising  is  done  on  a  larger  scale  than  isi 
used  for  the  season's  most  spectacular  successes. 
Bill-boards,  half  sheets,  cards,  hotel  menu,  news- 
papers and  cast  photographs  are  used  in  the 
publicity  campaigns. 

Besides  the  regular  campus  and  city  produc- 
tions Strollers  appear  at  various  State  institu- 
tions and  in  different  Ohio  towns  using  dra- 
matics as  educational  propaganda  for  the  uni- 
versity. 

To  professional  coaching,  the  selection  of 
plays,  business  opportunities  and  the  social  life 
of  the  organization  is  attributed  the  drawing 
success  of  Strollers.  Carl  Burton  Robbins,  a 
former  Stroller,  now  professional  actor  and  di- 
rector has  coached  the  spring  productions  a  half 
dozen  times  and  has  also  designed  many  of  the 
sets  used  in  Stroller  productions.  Ernest  Elton, 
for  many  years  in  support  of  Otis  Skinner,  has 
also  coached  Stroller  productions. 

"I  OUIS  A.  COOPER,  professor  of  dramatics 
-•— '  in  Ohio  State  University,  guided  Strollers 
through  its  upward  climb.  In  1909  his  own  play, 
"Bluff,"  presented  by  Strollers,  scored  such  a 


/OUT HE 
THEA 


One  of  the  striking  posters  es- 
pecially designed  for  The  Stroll- 
ers. These  clever  amateurs  believe 
that  "It  Pays  to  Advertise" 

success  that  it  proved  one  of  the  landmarks  fn 
the  climb  toward  the  ideals  the  society  has  set 
for  itself.  Mr.  Cooper,  with  William  Lucius 
Graves,  professor  in  the  English  department  of 
the  university,  and  for  many  years  actively  in- 
terested in  the  life  and  progress  of  the  organi- 
zation, are  the  faculty  representatives  on  the 
board  of  directors. 

For  the  past  six  years  the  interests  of  the 
organization  have  been  closely  wrapped  about 
the  shoulders  of  Ray  Lee  Jackson,  at  present 
alumni  representative  on  the  board  of  directors. 
Within  this  time  Mr.  Jackson  has  coached  a 
half-dozen  Stroller  plays,  acted  on  the  board, 
and  in  general  has  been  the  moving  spirit  of  the 
organization. 

In  the  selection  of  plays,  which  is  made  by  the 
board,  an  effort  is  made  to  ferret  out  the  best 
things  among  English  and  American  drama  to 
which  Stroller  material  is  adaptable.  It  is  often 
a  difficulty  to  find  a  play  which  is  a  good  vehicle 
for  the  best  talent  in  the  group.  And  often  a 
play  which  might  be  otherwise  admirably  suited 
to  Strollers  cannot  find  its  particular  lead  among 
the  members.  Two  notable  examples,  in  this 
organization,  of  successfully  cast  plays  were 
Clyde  Fitch's  "The  Truth"  and  Rupert  Henry 
Davies'  "Mrs.  Gorringe's  Necklace." 

AMONG  the  shorter  plays  in  which  Strollers 
have  appeared  are:  "Playgoers,"  by 
Pinero;  "The  Bracelet,"  by  Sutro;  "The  Dear 
Departed,"  by  Houghton  ;  "The  Fifth  Command- 
ment," by  the  same  author;  Maeterlinck's  "The 
Miracle  of  St.  Anthony,"  Arnold  Bennett's  "A 
Question  of  Sex,"  Sudermann's  "Far-away 
Princess"  and  "Shades  of  Night."  by  R. 
Marshall.. 

"The  Schoolmistress,"  by  Pinero;  "The 
Magistrate,"  by  the  same  author,  and  "The 
Manceuvers  of  Jane,"  by  Henry  Arthur  Jones. 
Two  original  comedies,  "The  Clean-up"  and  "So 
Help  Me,"  by  Carl  Burton  Robbins.  "She  Stoops 
To  Conquer"  and  "The  Rivals"  are  numbered 
among  the  longer  performances  given  in  recent 
years  by  Strollers. 

The  compiling  of  a  history  of  the  club  is  one 
of  the  interesting  features  of  Strollers:.  This 
work  includes  the  history,  roster  of  members 
from  date  of  organiaztion  in  1893,  and  a  library 
of  'photographs  of  individual  members,  groups 
and  scenes  from  the  various  plays.  The  compi- 
lation is  the  work  of  Frank  A.  Hunter,  Ohio 
State  Legislator  (now  a  Captain  in  United 
States  Army  overseas)  and  Ray  Lee  Jackson. 


[368] 


Magazine,  December,  tail 


Columbia 

Grafonolc 


FORTUNATE   are   the  homes  the  Co! 
Grafonola  enters.     For  its  gift   of  be 
music  brings  a  new  and  different  pleasi'- 
member  of  the  household.     A- 
tainer,  this  big,  handsome  <"• 
of  all  home  folks,  b' 
its  cheery,  melodious^ 
its  promise  of  many  happy 

Columbia  Grafonolas,  Standard  Models  up  to  $300  - 

COLUMBIA  GRAPHOPHONE  COMPS&fr,  . 

" 
>  • 

Buy 


'This  Columbia  Grafonola  look 
nighty  good  to  me.  Let' 
go  do-wn  town  and  hear  it 


it  srundi  even  betle- 
then  it  loots.  Can  ynt> 
tend  it  home  toda\':  ' 


I 


[369] 


TYPES 


MISS  VIRGINIA  PEARSON 
AMERICAN  BEAUTY 

^         By 

ANNE  ARCHBALD 


AMERICAN  beauty!     Think  of  all  the  adjectives  that 
go  witli  the  American  beauty  rose  and  you  will  have 
Miss    Pearson's   type,   color    and    radiance,   brilliancy 
combined  with  sweetness,  dash  with  a  certain  stateliness.     In- 
cidentally,  Miss   Pearson   has   dark   grey   eyes— that   is   they 
are  dark  grey  when  they  aren't  busy  being  otherwise,  black 
with  hazel  lights,  say,  or  brown,  or  something  indescribable— 
>_.etal  skin  and  a  frame  of   soft,  dark  curly  hair. 

rul  and  extensive  wardrobe,  both  for  her 
j>.  id'  for  tin"  screen  is  entirely  in  harmony 
Jt...  A  real  American  bci'HJO^vianltpbf .'-  -Par- 
ticularly is  she  a  specialist  in  hats,  of  which  stie  possesses 
fifty^two  varieties,  collecting  them  as  other  people  collect 
antiques.  Marvellous  hats,  they  are  too,  I  can  vouch  for  it. 
Her  advice  is  to  buy  always  hats  that  are  individual,  that  are 
suited  to  your  type  and  only  sufficiently  in  the  mode  not  to 
make  them  conspicuous.  That  way  you  can  wear  them  sev- 
eral seasons  and  they  will  not  go  out  of  fashion.  That  way 
too  it  will  redeem  'or  you  any  seeming  extravagance  of 
numbers. 

"Never  wear  things  that  are  too  hard  to  get  on,"  is  an- 
other splendid  piece  of  advice  Miss  Pearson  gives.  "Clothes 
should  have  ns  few  hooks  as  possible,  and  a  careless,  easy 
look.  If  you  lose  your  temper  putting  them  on  you  lose 
your  charm  along  with  it." 

All  Miss  Pearson's  hats  and  frocks  come  from  Giddings, 
and  her  furs  from  A.  Jaeckel  &  Co.,  and  from  Shayne's. 


A  matinee  coatee  of  mink  cowing  just  to 
the  waist  line  in  front  and  a  little  below 
in  back,  that  is  to  be  worn  over  a  very 
dressy  afternoon  frock.  Everything  should 
be  dressy  to  be  in  keeping  -nith  such  a 
coat,  Miss  Pearson  says,  shoes,  accessories. 
hat.  The  latter  is  a  wonder — of  black 
Cliantilly  lace,  both  crown  and  brim,  -.nth 
double  birds  of  pale  yellow  Paradise  com- 
ing out  of  either  side 


"Hats  can  make  or  mar  you  in  the  da\- 
lime,  just  as  your  hair  or  a  headpiece  can 
do  in  .the  evening,"  Miss  Pearson  main- 
tains, and  is  absolutely  right.  Tins  hat 
for  evening  restaurant  wear  is  of  black 
velvet  faced  w.th  orchid,  its  trimming  a 
wreath  of  orchid  feathers  to  match  the 
facing,  the  long  flues  tinted  with  blue  and 
pastel  shades  and  caught  down  with  little 
French  roses.  The  coat  is  a  genuine  Rns 
sian  sable  for  very  formal  afternoon  or 
evening  wear 


Pfcotos   Ira   L.    Hill 


Tktatrt  Magazine,  December,  if  it 


Underwood  &  Underwood 


This  theatre  bodice  of  iridescent  beads  exempli,  es 
Miss  Pearson's  belief  that  clothes  should  be  made 
to  go  an  easily.  It  swathes  around  the  form, 
fastens  easily  on  the  side  under  a  gold  floiver, 
and  is  to  be  worn  with  a  black  velvet  shirt.  1  he 
hat  is  of  a  peculiar  purple  velvet  and  the  paradise 
plumes  are  in  gold  color  to  match  the  gold  flower 


A  gown  of  the  supplest  royal 
blue  velvet  with  large  American 
beauty  roses  printed  on  it  with 
bits  of  yellow  autumn  effects. 
Down  the  right  side  drip  iri 
descent  blue  beads.  The  slip- 
pers and  stockings  are  gold  col- 
or, the  fan  a  vivid  green — Miss 
Pearson,  you  see,  is  not  afraid 
of  color — and  the  headdress,  a 
"band  of  brilliants,  with 
birds  of  paradise 


"I  feel  the  same  way  about  my 
ha ts  and  frocks  and  friends" 
Miss  Pearson  told  us.  "One* 
they  have  weathered  a  storm  1 
am  that  much  more  attached  to 
them."  Here  are  two  of  her 
favorites,  a  moleskin  coat  with 
silver  fox  collar  and  another  of 
her  wonderful  hats,  of  French 
purple  velvet  with  purple  plumes, 
lavender  silver  around  the  brim 
and  the  top  wreathed  «ft  •! 


Photo  Ira  L.  Hill 


WITH  AN 
ENGLISH  OFFICER 

By  ANGELINA 


f-jRUNCH"  is  o£*«i  those  Humpty  Dumpty 
\  words  that  p^ck  two  meanings  away  in 
•  ^  one.  The.  Oxford  men  originated  it  for 
that  iybrid  repas  ^that  combines  something  of 
the  c.ii  "'ctgf  .andy'hour  of  breakfast  with  still 
more  of  the  character  and  hour  of  lunch.  I  had 
it  the  other  morning  with  an  English  officer 
and  he  told  me.  "Brunch,"  for  instance,  would 
be  what  Simple  Septimus  used  to  have  when  he 
went  to  the  Cafe  de  Paris  at  Monte  Carlo 
around  three  in  the  afternoon.  You  remember? 
An  absinthe  frappe,  a  poached  egg,  and  a  Peche 
Melba?  We  tried  hard  to  live  up  to  the  epic 
simplicity  of  that  standard,  but  the  best  we 
could  do  was :  oatmeal — pardon  me,  porridge — 

lobster    salad,   and    Biscuit   Tortonis After 

"brunch"  I  was  to  lead  my  officer  to  the  best 
shop  for  buying  a  smart  Christmas  present  or 
two.  "Giving  a  Christmas  box"  is  how  he  put  it: 


Our  conversation  was  most  interesting.  Eng- 
lishmen are  nice  to  talk  to.  I  hope  I'm  not 
committing  any  lese-majeste  by  saying  so — after 
all,  there's  nothing  like  our  own  American  men, 
is  there? — but  they  have  such  a  receptiveness  to 
and  entire  concentration  on  the  subject  in  hand 
and  such  a  pleasing  method  of  interrogation 
about  "you,  yourself,"  curious  and  interested  and 
yet  not  a  bit  impertinent. 

I  had  to  tell  just  what  it  was  I  did  and  how 
I  did  it  and  where  and  when.  Weren't  the  Amer- 
ican shops  wonderful?  And  the  theatres? 
Wasn't  it  splendid  for  me  to  have  my  work  lie 
in  and  around  them?  It  was  so  jolly  for  a  girl 
to  do  things.  Hadn't  this  war  proved  it?  And 
didn't  the  men  admire  them  for  it,  though?  His 

Mother  and  his  sisters  now What  they'd 

done !  He  couldn't  eocpress  his  admira- 
tion.. Speaking  of  home,  what  did  I  the 
specialist  in  such  matters  think  of  this  platinum 
watch  chain  that  he  was  sending  over  for 
Christmas?  He  had  gone  into  the  shop  imag- 
ining he  would  have  to  buy  white  gold  or  sil- 
ver, but  they  still  had  a  sufficient  supply  of 
platinum  on  hand,  and  now  that  the  war  is  over 
there  would  soon  be  more,  so  he  had  purchased 
the  platinum  instead.  It  really  was  so  much 
softer  and  richer  a  metal  in  tone  than  either  the 
silver  or  the  white  gold  that  there  was  no  com- 


parison.    It   wag   well    worth   the    difference    in 
price. 

Oh,  forgive  him  for  seeming  to  let  his  eyes 
wander,  but  really,  my  word,  would  I  please 
observe  those  two  "gerls"  just  coming  in,  the 
one  in  the  service  costume  and  the  other  behind 
her  with  the  wtet-d'ye-call-'em  hobble  skirt. 
What  a  contrast!  How  well  the  first  one  walked 
and  carried  herself.  And  how  perfectly  ridicu- 
lous the  other  one  looked,  mincing  and  hopping 
along.  Like  a  gymkhana  pillow  slip  race. 


Otherwise  quite  a  pretty  girl.  Why  did  women 
in  this  day  and  generation  do  such  silly,  anti- 
quated things  ? 

Because  they  thought  men  liked  them,  I  said. 

All  wrong.  Men  didn't.  Not  real  men,  any- 
way. The  feminine  lure  being  what  it  is  they 
tolerated  it  on  occasions,  that  was  all. 

Paris  thought,  I  added,  that  the  men  who  had 
been  at  the  front  had  seen  so  much  of  war  that 

[372] 


they  didn't  want  reminders  of  it  around,  service 
costumes  or  anything.  That  they  would  now 
prefer  to  see  all  the  paraphernalia  of  the  ultra^ 
feminine. 

Feminine,  yes,  my  dear  girl,  but  not  ultra, 
which  spells  idiocy !  And  a  service  costume  now 
might  be  entirely  feminine,  even  though  the  cos- 
tume was  based  on  the  English  soldier's  tunic. 
Had  I  noticed,  by  the  way,  how  well  the  jackets, 
of  the  women  of  the  Motor  Service  Corps 
looked?  That  was  because  his  friend,  Colonel 
Thorde-Grey,  now  on  his  way  to  command  a  di- 
vision in  Russia,  had,  when  the  Motor  Corps 
was  first  started,  lent  his  own  tunic  to  its  cap- 
tain to  be  copied. 

So  might  a  hat  be  feminine,  even  though  bor-- 
rowing  its  suggestion  from  the  masculine  coun- 
terpart. The  Blue  Devils'  tarns,  for  instance. 
It  was  so  jolly,  he  thought,  the  way  the  women 
had  taken  the  shape  up.  He  saw  tarn  o'  shant- 
ers  all  over  town  on  the  young  girls  and  women, 
in  lovely  colors.  ("He  certainly  shows  that  he 
has  been  well  trained  by  sisters,"  I  told  myself.) 
Not  so  many  Bersaglieri  hats.  They  weren't 
apt  to  be  generally  becoming.  It  took  a  cer- 
tain type  to  wear  them.  He  had  met  a  very 
beautiful  young  married  woman  at  tea  the  other 
afternoon  wearing  one. . .  .olive  skin  and  dark 
eyes,  like  an  Italian.  She  had  looked  perfectly 
ripping  with  the  green  cock's  plume  floating 
around  her  face. 

*        *        * 

We  finished  "brunch"  and  walked  up  the  Ave- 
nue to  Giddings,  where  I  knew  I  had  only  to 
show  my  officer  the  famous  half-moon  vitrine- 
that  faces  the  entrance,  overflowing  with  thf 
milk  and  honey  of  things  from  Paris,  to  have 
him  "go  over  the  top"  at  once.  He  did,  enthu- 
siastically, carrying  off  three  "Christmas  boxes" : 
One  of  the  new  canteen-shaped  leather  handbags 
in  taupe  color,  beautifully  lined  with  moire  and 


Theatre  Magazine,  Dtctmktr, 


1  VERYWHERt  that  well-dressed  women  congregate  — 
at  Sherry's,  the  Ritz,  for  luncheon,  tea  or  war-work,  it 
is  unmistakably  demonstrated  that  this  is  a  silk  season. 
There  is  the  all'day  dress  of  Pussy  Willow  Satin,  simply 
fashioned  in  accord  with  war-time  conservatism,  but  dis 
playing  the  exquisite  sheen  of  this  satin  and  its  subtle 
draping  possibilities.  Of  course  the  .fur  wrap  is  lined  in 

H.  R.  MALLINSON 

"The 

MADISON  AVENUE  -  sist  STREET 


Mallinson's  Pussy  Willow  Silk,  that  superior  quality  silk 
which  is  guaranteed  to  give  you  two  seasons'  wear.  You'll 
be  sure  of  the  genuine  Mallinson's  Pussy  Willow  if  you 
see  the  name  on  the  selvage.  Then  there's  the  suit  of  Satin 
Duvetyn,  the  clever,  new,  reversible  silk  with  the  rich  lustre 
of  satin  and  a  fuzzy  soft  duvetyn  on  the  reverse,  a  silk 
that  tailors  like  wool  and  has  warmth  without  weight. 

&  COMPANY,  INC. 


NEW  YORK  CITY 


[878] 


"THE    PARIS    SHOP    OF    AMERICA" 


• 


jnore.ttiati/ 
.ofJne  .day. 


SHORT  COATS 

LONG  COATS—  WRAPS 

MATCHED  SETS 


c^l.areat  snanu  dioice 
Jiave  beeiv  mao^e  .up  Into 
nanosome  J^irisJoLoueLy 
for  IMMEDIATE  SELECTION- 

/M&O 


<-/ 


varous 


vvi£/i  Cloth  — 
velvet  jztid 


-of 
with 


w 


NEW  YORK 

PHILADELPHIA 
CINCINNATI 


PARIS 

WASHINGTON 
PALM  BEACH 


'I  BRUNCH"  WITH  AN  ENGLISH  OFFICER 


fitted  with  every  entrancing  small 
property  for  the  toilet  one  could 
think  of.  A  long  chain  of  cut  beads 
of  Whitby  jet.  And  an  adorable 
silver  link  purse  in  whose  top  was 
set  for  utmost  convenience,  a  little 
round  powder-box.  As  all  these 
things  were  the  "very  latest" — jet 
especially  is  to  be  extremely  popular 
and  the  chains  can  be  matched  with 


than  one  of  these  big  fans.  And 
there  were  not  only  fans,  but  lovely 
little  wraps  of  feathers  to  match. 
One  woman,  all  in  black,  was  quite 
enveloped  in  a  floating,  fluffy  wrap 
of  the  feathers,  with  a  big  black 
feather  fan  mounted  on  amber  sticks. 
It's  all  part  of  the  revival  of  ostrich, 
I  suppose. 
Something  else  I  purchased  for 


Three  of   the  latest  things  from  the  famous   halfrmoon  vitrine  at  J.   M.   Gid- 

dings:  one  of  the  new  canteen  shaped  leather  hand-bags,  lined  with  moire  and 

fitted:  a  string  of  real  Whbby  jet  and  a  brilliantHstudded  locket:  and  a  silver 

mesh    bag   and   its  attendant   powder   box. 


beautiful  high  combs  for  the  hair — 
and  as  they  had  the  seal  of  approv- 
al of  such  a  connoisseur  I  had  my 
sketcher  go  and  wing  a  duplicate  of 
each,  as  you  may  see  on  this  page. 
Oh,  I  forgot.  We  purchased 
something  else.  A  huge  ostrich 
feather  fan  in  rose,  such  as  Miss 
Mary  Nash  carried  in  her  last  play. 


Christmas.  But  alone,  after  I  had 
parted  from  my  cavalier.  I  couldn't 
very  well  take  him  along,  because  it 
was  lingerie.  I've  made  about  half 
my  presents  lingerie  this  year.  You 
can't  have  too  much  of  it,  and  gen- 
erally you  haven't  half  enough.  It's 
one  of  the  most  satisfactory  presents 
there  is  to  give.  I  amend  that.  It's 


I  advised  that.  Feather  fans  haven't 
abated  a  bit  in  popularity.  At  the 
opera  they  are  in  evidence  in  all  the 
boxes,  bright  bits  of  color  in  the 
house.  Nothing  gives  more  effect 


one  of  the  most  satisfactory  presents 
there  is  to  give  if  the  lingerie  is  the 
Van  Raalte  Niagara  Maid— that 
Italian  silk  underwear  which  is 
made  up  in  such  enchanting  patterns. 


[374] 


Theatre   Magazine,   December,    ifll 


RAALTE 


cue 


SILK  UNDERWEAR 


•HHHHI 


Mommie,   its  so  pretty!" 


GROWN-UP  girls  like  Van  Raalte  "Niagara  Maid"  Silk  Underwear  for  the  same 
reason  —  its  dainty  loveliness  is  a  daily  pleasure  and  delight.     Its  fine,  firm 
material  far  outlasts  ordinary  silk  garments  and  holds  its  shapely  lines  through  many 
launderings.     Trimmings  and  ribbons  wash  perfectly  too,  and  the  soft,  lovely  pink 
never  needs  renewing.     For  sale  at  all  good  stores. 


Niagara  Silk  Mills,  Fifth  Avenue,  at  ibth  Street,  N.  Y.  C. 
Makers  of  Van  Raalte  "Niagara  Maid"  Silk  Gloves  and  Silk  Hosiery 


//  you  do  not  find  them  at  your 
dealer's,  send  us  his  name  and  we 
wi'l  see  that  you  are  supplied. 


"The  Fu«r»  That 
Heighten  Wonuun'*  Ch«rai 


A'0.  3 — Irene  Franklin 


unquestionably  lead  as  the  most  t.ighly  favored  item 
of  the  fashionable  wardrobe. 


Furs  are  the  most  acceptable  Holiday  Gift. 
Illustrated  Style  Book  Free. 


384  Fifth  Auame 

Between  35th  &  36th  Sts. 


ONE  of  the  things  "you  all"  readers  of  the  Vanity  Box  are  going 
to  do  during  the  next  month  is  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  new  establish- 
ment of  Madame  Helena  Rubinstein.  She  is  just  opening  it  in  that 
famous  block  on  Fifty-seventh  street,  lying  between  Fifth  and  Sixth, 
where  so  many  of  the  great  ones  of  the  earth,  who  minister  to  the  art 
of  being  beautiful,  are  already  congregated. 

You  can't  miss  the  place  if  you  pass  through  the  street.  Your  eye 
will  at  once  be  arrested  by  the  charming  fagade,  white  with  little  bright 
green  window  grills  and  l.'adame  Rubinstein's  name  lettered  in  the 
same  bright  green  across  the  front.  There  is  a  certain  air  of  French 
gaiety  about  it  and  a  distinct  promise  of  other  charming  things  offered 
inside,  a  promise  that  is  not  belied,  I  can  assure  you. 


One  goes  directly  off  the  street  into  what  is  called  the  "shop"  part. 
First,  a  smallish  entrance  room  with  gold  walls  and  ceiling  and  black 
painted  columns  at  the  four  corners,  later  to  be  replaced  by  black 
marble  ones  that  are  on  their  way  here  from  abroad.  At  the  back, 
set  into  the  wall,  two  glass  fronted  cases  containing  the  magic  Rubin- 
stein preparations.  Beyond  this  room  the  offices,  and  further  back  still 
a  splendid  scientifically  up-to-date  laboratory,  white-tiled  and  porcelain- 
equipped,  where  the  preparations  are  brought  into  being. 

On  the  second  floor  are  the  treatment  rooms,  one  front,  one  back. 
In  between,  a  reception  room  done  in  modern  art — deep  blue  walls  and 
painted  woodwork,  silver  ceiling,  -furniture  upholstered  in  futuristic 
velvets. 

Those  treatment  rooms Really  too  adorable.  They  did  take 

my  fancy.  You  feel  the  minute  you  cross  the  threshold  that  you  must 
be  participating  in  some  particularly  delicious  musical  comedy.  The  room 
proper  is  divided  up  into  four  or  five  cubbyholes — cabinets  particutiers 
if  you  like — whose  partitions  go  only  half  way  up,  are  painted  a  flesh 
pink  with  a  dash  of  mauve  in  it,  have  a  garland  of  flowers  across  their 
middles  and  dear  little  round  windows  curtained  closely  with  old  blue 
silk.  Old  blue  silk  curtains  hang  at  the  front  window.  A  curtain  of 
pink  wash  net  is  shirred  across  the  glass  entrance  door. 


I  can't  begin  to  tell  you  of  the  infinite  details  that  have  been  worked 
out  for  this  wonderful  place.  All  by  Madame  Rubinstein  herself.  For 
weeks  she  has  had  in  the  house — it  is  an  old  one  remodelled— a  retinue 
of  carpenters,  painters,  marble  polishers,  sewing  women,  whom  she  has 
overseen  and  directed  with  untiring  energy  If  she  had  not  been  the 
artist  in  the  particular  line  that  she  is  she  could  have  made  her  reputa- 
tion twice  over  as  an  interior  decorator.  Offers,  in  fact,  were  made 
her  in  Paris  to  embark  on  interior  decorating,  of  siuch  unusual  artistic 
dictinction  was  her  establishment  there,  with  its  collection  of  furniture 
and  pictures  and  statuary.  These,  by  the  way,  are  all  being  brought 
from  the  other  side,  to  take  their  place  in  the  big  reception  room  on  the 
third  floor  and  in  Madame  Rubinstein's  own  living  apartments. 

An  extremely  interesting  feature  of  the  house  will  be  the  decorations 
by  a  young  Polish  painter,  Witold  Gordon,  whom  Madame  Rubinstein 
knew  in  Paris  and  who  has  recently  come  to  America.  His  talent  lies 
in  several  directions.  As  you  go  up  the  stairs  from  the  first  floor  you 
will  see  his  work  in  two  large  and  interesting  wall  paintings :  and 
around  the  reception  room  in  a  series  of  unusual  and  charming  fan 
paintings.  All  the  finishing  touches,  the  gold  garlands  above  the  black 
pillars  in  the  "shop,"  the  decorations  of  the  treatment  booths,  are  of  his 
designing.  Incidentally  so  were  the  costumes  for  La  Forza  del  Destino, 
recently  produced  at  the  Metropolitan. 

Enfin  I  am  perfectly  safe  in  saying,  though  it  is  a  large  order,  that 
there  is  not  another  such  an  establishment  as  Madame  Rubinstein's  in 
the  world. 


376] 


'Ihtatn  Magazine,  Decembtr,  191! 


vanity^Jai 


ar 


It's  different  on  both  ends,  this 
Vanity  Fair  Plus-4-Inch  Vest. 

The  shoulder  straps  are  of  hem- 
stitched glove-silk  instead  of  ribbon 
and  they're  placed  at  an  angle  so  they 
can't  go  scampering  down  your  arm. 

Then  this  vest  is  four  precious 
inches  longer  than  the  ordinary  silk 
vest.  Think  of  it!  No  more^rfq|li|ng 
up  under  the  corset—  the  Phv»t4-Inch 
Vest  gives  a  clean-cut  silb0£jjw?e  from 
corset  end  to  stocking  topf 

Ask  for  Vanity  Fair  in  Kni3ft»rs, 
Union  Suits,  Envelope  Chemise  and 
the  famous  Pettibockers  as  well/ 

SCHUYLKILL  SILK  MILLS. 

Makers  of  Vanity  Fair  (Jndenilks  and 
<5>  200  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 

HICAGO  BOSTON 


CISCO 


THIS    year    loyal    men    will    es- 
pecially appreciate  useful  jifts  of 
moderate  cost.- 


Cutting  out  expensive  and  non-essential  ho.iday 
presents  will  appeal  to  every  true  American. 
The  gift  that  carries  the  spirit  of  this 
Christmas  Season  and  that  v  ill  be  welcomed 


Boston 


Garter 


At  men's  Wear  shops  and  leading  stores 
re. 


GEORGE    FROST  COMPANY,  'Makers.  BOSTON 


plUIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIimilllllllllllllllllllllllllUllllhllUlllllllllllllllllliiiilllllliniiiiiiiiiilliliiiiiiiiiii imliniiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimniuiiMi:!'. 

I  '^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^m 


i— 

or       \ 

sheen  \ 
and      \ 

softness  \ 


Shampooing  regularly  j 

with  PACKER'  s  TAR  SOAP  I 

protects  the  health  of  I 

the  scalp  and  brings  out  I 
the  beauty  of  the  hair. 

I 

I 


PACKER'S  TAR  SOAP 

Cake   and   Liquid 

ii i mmnm n i i iiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin Him minium '.1111111111 muii'iimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiir: 


AMATEUR  THEATRICALS 


The  only  Department  of  its  kind  in  any  magazine — devoted  solely 
to  amateurs  and  their  work. 

Every  month  in  the  Theatre  Magazine 


[377] 


Camisole    JatkumrJ 
Bert  Godfrey   made  eti- 
tir,lyof"J.C."  Troui- 
ttau    Ribbon    cleverly 
litmstitched. 


RIBBONS 


\\ 


—  make  of  your  camisoles 
3  of  charm  and  love- 
,  and  in  turn  add  to 

the  beai'  "  of  the  waists  you 

wear  with  them. 

There's   a   "J.C."  Ribbon 

for  every  under  and  outer 
garment  need  and  purpose. 

BUY  BY  NAME 

LADY   FAIR—  A   new  double-faced 

satin  ribbon. 
SATIN  DE  LUXE—  Best  satin  and 

taffeta  ribbon. 
VIOLET  —  Ideal    lingerie    ribbon    i:i 

.pink,  blue  and  white. 
VROUSSEAU—  Rosebud   and  polka 

dot  lingerie  ribbon. 
aANKANAC—  Popularly  priced  sati:i 

and  taffeta  ribbon. 
DEMOCRACY—  .4  grosgrain  ribbon 

"for  the  people." 

All  registered  trade-marks. 

Send    ten    cents    to    cover    postage 

for   "Ribbonology."   an    interesting 

booklet      illustrating      useful      and 

easily   made    Christmas  gifts 

JOHNSON,  COWDIN  &  COMPANY 
40  Eaa  30i  S:reet.  New  York 


MR.  HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY 

(Continued  from  page  348) 


destined  to  long  life  on  Broadway. 

It  is  a  typical  spy  melodrama,  built 
along  old-fashioned  conventional 
lines,  with  just  enough  garnishment 
of  war  to  make  it  appear  up-to-date. 
The  German  spy — and  how  ancient 
these  gentlemen  seem  now — bends 
every  Boche  energy  to  obtain  a  mar- 
vellous gun  invention. 

Robert  Edeson  has  a  part  similar 
to  that  of  Guy  Bates  Post  when  he 
played  in  "The  Masquerader."  It 
is  a  dual  role  and  Mr.  Edeson  does 
it  quite  well.  But  Henry  E.  Dixey 
as  the  aforesaid  German  spy,  Sar- 
toni,  is  alone  worth  the  price  of  ad- 
mission. Never  has  this  versatile 
and  finished  actor  done  a  better  bit 
of  characterization.  If  you  like  the 
best  there  is  in  contemporary  acting 
take  a  long  dash  to  the  Thirty-ninth 
Street  Theatre  and  see  him. 

Violet  Kemble  Cooper  and  Byron 
Beasley  are  also  in  the  cast  and  ac- 
quitted themselves  well  under  the 
circumstances. 

*        *         * 

LIBERTY.  "GLORIANNA."  Pla> 
with  music  in  three  acts.  Book  and 
lyrics  by  Catherine  Chisholm  Gush- 
ing; music  by  Rudolf  Friml.  Pro- 
duced on  October  28  with  this  cast: 

Glorianna    Grey  Eleanor    Painter 

Dolores   Pennington          Dorothy   South 
Therese,    Ltd.  Josephine    Whittell 

Tonio  Curtis    Karpe 

Mrs.    Saphronia    Pennington, 

Ursula    Ellsworth 
Miss    Angelica    Pennington, 

Rose    McEntlre 
Lieutenant    "Dick"    Pennington, 

Joseph    Lertora 

Jack   Pennington  Ralph   Whitehead 

Alexander    Galloway     Alexander    Clark 
Robbins  James  Joseph    Dunn 

Ergotti    Twins 

Emily  Lea 
f  Gilbert    Wells 

1    C.   Balfour  Lloyd 
(  Marguerite    St.    Clair 


Rintinin      ) 

JesS-ca 

Porters 

Maids 

Ring  Bearer 


Elsie  Lawson 
Vcra  Dunn 


is  a  "play  with 
music";  not  a  musical  comedy. 
The  real  comedy  moments  are  few 
and  far  between,  despite  the  efforts 
of  several  of  the  cast.  The  music 
is  pretty  and  exceptionally  well 
sung.  Eleanor  Painter  as  Glorianna 
Grey  sings  well  and  is  given  good 
vocal  support  by  Joseph  Lertora. 

The  play  tells  the  story  of  a  girl 
who  masquerades  as  a  widow,  and 
affords  the  star  ample  opportunity 
for  the '  rendition  of  several  pretty 
melodies.  The  dancing  is  above  the 
average.  Emily  Lea  scored  a  hit 
with  her  graceful  gyrations  as  did 
Gilbert  Wells  and  C.  Balfour  Lloyd. 

"Glorianna"    is    worth    while    for 
those  who  like  good  dancing,  pretty 
girls,  and  pleasing  melodies. 
*        *        * 

BROADHURST.  "LADIES  FIRST." 
Musical  play  in  three  acts  based  on 
"A  Contented  Woman."  Book  and 
lyrics  by  Harry  B.  Smith;  music 
by  A.  Baldwin  Sloane. 


Benny 
Uncle  Tody 
Aunt  Jim 
Brother    Larry 
Mr.    Betts 
Little   Jack 
McGurk 

D.    C.    Washingtoi 
A   Policeman 
Betty  Burt 


Irving  Fisher 

William   Kent 

Florence  Morrison 

Charles    Olcott 

Stanley    Forde 

Clarence    Nordstrom 

Paul    Burnes 

Lew   Cooper 

A.   Twitchell 

Nora  Bayes 


ADIES  FIRST,"  a  musical  ver- 
L'  sion  of  one  of  the  famous  Hoyt 
farces  brought  "up  to  the  minute" 
by  Harry  B.  Smith,  presents  Nora 


Bayes  as  a  sweet  young  suffragist 
who  finds  herself  an  opposition 
candidate  to  her  fiance  for  mayor 
of  the  village.  The  part  is  scarcely 
suited  to  this  popular  vaudevillian's 
talents  and  it  was  as  herself  that  she 
pleased  the  audience  most. 

Irving  Fisher,  as  the  fiance,  sang 
well.  But  the  hit  of  the  piece  was 
William  Kent  as  the  diminutive, 
brow-beaten  husband.  His  scenes 
with  Florence  Morrison,  his  loud- 
voiced  suffrage  leader  wife,  and 
particularly  the  final  scene  of  re- 
bellion, were  a  scream. 

*  *        * 

39TH  STREET.  "Nor  WITH  MY 
MONEY."  Comedy  in  four  acts  by 
Edward  Clark.  Produced  on  Octo- 
ber 25  with  this  cast : 

Graham  Basil  Weit 

Colored   Waiter  Dyke  Thomn 

"Dicky"  Foster,  alias  J.  Robert  Fulton, 

Lowell    Sherman 

"Penknife"  Clay,  alias  Rev.  Dr.  Crane, 
Walter  Wilson 

Amy    Legrande  Carroll    McComas 

Mrs.    Wheeler  Cecelia    Griffith 

Rosalie  Peggy  Coudray 

Angelica  Butterfield     Beverly  Westmore 
Henry    Porter  Carl    Gerard 

Mortimer  Gayling  William    Robyns 

Mr.   Cooley  Robert  W.    Smiley 

Mrs.  Cooley  Minnie  Milne 

THE  crooks  in  "Not  With  My 
Money"  only  had  a  short  so- 
journ on  Broadway,  for  the  piece 
was  quickly  withdrawn. 

A  young  heiress  advertises  in  the 
papers  for  an  agent  to  manage  a 
charity  fund  of  $7,000,000.  A  con- 
fidence man,  after  a  short  interview, 
gains  possession  of  the  money. 
When  the  heiress  learns  of  his  real 
character,  sure  of  his  final  reforma- 
tion, she  allows  him  to  continue  his 
position. 

Although  the  lines  were  clever  and 
bright,  the  piece  suffered  from  the 
absurdity  of  the  plot.  Lowell  Sher- 
man, Carroll  McComas,  and  Beverly 
Westmore — all  capable  players — 
struggled  valiantly  to  give  the  char- 
acters they  portrayed  some  sem- 
blance of  reality,  but  to  no  avail. 

*  *        * 

GLOBE.  "THE  CANARY."  Music- 
al comedy  in  three  acts  from  the 
French  of  Georges  Barr  and  Louis 
Verneuil;  music  by  Ivan  Caryll,  ad- 
ditional numbers  by  Irving  Berlin 
and  Harry  Tierney.  Produced  on 
November  4  with  this  cast : 


Eugenie 

Mrs.   Beasley 

Mr.  Trimmer 

Ned  Randolph 

Timothy 

Julie     ' 

Fleece 

Dodge 

Rico 

Dr.    Dippy 

Mary  Ellen 

Laurette 

A  Minister 


Doris    Faithful 

Edna   Bates 

George  Mack 

Sam  Hardy 

Joseph    Cawthorn 

Julia  Sanderson 

Harland    Dixon 

James  Doyle 

Wilmer  Bentley 

Louis    Harrison 

Maude  Eburne 

Corinth    Rice 

George  Egan 


the 


THE  CANARY"  may  fill 
Globe  for  weeks  to  come  al- 
though there  is  nothing  particularly 
to  recommend  it.  It  is  agreeable 
enough  to  the  eye,  but  the  music, 
supplied  by  a  well  known  trio  of 
musicians,  is  rather  commonplace. 

The  story  is  thin — very  thin.  It 
deals  with  the  canary  diamond  which 
is  lost  and  finally  recovered  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all  concerned  as  it 
enables  the  hero  and  heroine  to 
marry. 

Joseph  Cawthorn  without  his  Ger- 
man dialect  is  a  novelty,  but  rather 


A  delicate  French 

Hair  Tonic  and 

Dressing 


s  petroleum  composition 
renders  it  highly  beneficial 
to  the  hair,  bringing  out 
the  natural  lustre  and 
wave. 

Its  delightful  fragrance  and 
its  effectiveness  in  empha- 
sizing the  natural  color  of 
the  hair  make  it  indispen- 
sable to  a  careful  coiffure. 

F.   Vibert,   Lyons,    France 

Sold  by  stnart  shops 
Generous  sample  25c.    Address 
PARK  &  TILFORD,  Sole  Agenti 
529  W«t  42nd  St.,       New  York 


Evam's   Depilatory 

removes    hair 

quickly 

Get  Evans's  Depilatory  Outfit, 
mix  a  little  of  the  powder  with 
water  and  apply  the  paste  to  un- 
derarm, arms  or  face;  leave  on  ;i 
short  time,  then  wash  off  entirely, 
and  all  of  the  unnecessary  hair  will 
have  disappeared,  leaving  your 
skin  perfectly  smooth,  as  you 
want  it. 

Be  sure  to  insist  on  "Evans's" 
— any  drug  or  department-store 
has  or  can  get  it  for  you.  Or 
write  direct  to  address  below,  en- 
closing 75  cents  and  your  dealer's 
name,  and  we  will  serve  you  direct, 
and  pay  the  postage. 

GEORGE  B.  EVANS 

1103  Chestnut  £t.  Philadelphia 

A'.so  makers  of     Mttflx*' 

Evans 's 
-— - ^te,  Depilatory 

Outfit  75c 

^^B^PPM 

<Jn 


]378] 


A  MERRY  CHRIST. 
TO  MY  FRIENDS  ON 


AND  A  HAPPY  NEW  YEA&" 
SIDES  OF  THE  FOOTLIGHTS 


/i/2  ' 


^V«H5«vu»— _,, 


1 


Your  Skin  is  Individual. 

Consequently  it  requires  an  individual  diet,  individual  treatment 
and  individual  care.  Never,  never,  choose  your  crernes,  powders  or 
TotTon.  at  a  counter  unless  you  know  whether  they  f.t  your  case. 

You  would  not  think  of  saying,  give  me  a  dress,  and  closing 

;  or  hand  me  a  hat,  and  then  wearing  it  no  matte r 

,—     '  i»  the  most  fickle  mistress  in  the  world.     She 

nfinite  courtesy  and  care.     Even  if    you  are 

eature  in  the  world    you  must  cater  to  your 

.   t  bln-dly  put  your  hand  out    at  the    cosmetic 

.n/t.,i    3  which  is  within  your  reach. 

-    canab.i       "   deciding   what   your   needs    arc    in 

.   improve  it? 

lit  Mine.  Helena  Rubinstein,  who  has  ad- 
Duchesscs  and  the   foremost  personages 

.  ;. - 1  c  opinion  is  at  your  disposal  by  appointment  and 

Mme.  Rubinstein  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  tell  her 

M  ,,      :.F  vill  at  once  know  what  are  your  individual  needs. 

Or  if  you  nnot  come  personally,  the  mail  will  act  for  you 
and  M'i  Rubir^iein  will  be  able  to  communicate  to  you  her  sug- 
gestions for  the  care  of  your  beauty.  Madame  Rubinstein  whose 
reputation  is  international,  with  her  corps  of  trained  assistants, 
will  trei  -ou  and  bring  about  a  change  in  the  condition  of  your 
ream.,  which  will  amaze  you. 

So  successful  are  Mme.  Rubinstein's  treatments  that  she  has 
been  obliged  to  enlarge  her  New  York  headquarters,  and  her 
MAISOX  DE  BEAUTE  VALAZE  has  now  been  removed  to 
4b  West  57tn  Street.  , 

Here,  in  an  exquisite  setting,  Parisian  in  its  taste,  decoration 
and  display,  delightfully  restful  and  efficacious  treatments  may  be 
taken,  or  Mme.  Rubinstein  will  personally  advise  you  on  the  choice 
of  preparations  and  directions  for  their  home  use. 

EXTRAORDINARY  BEAUTY  OFFER 

Mme  Rubinitein  has  always  refrained  from  making  any  bid  for  business  on  other 
than  a  purely  qualit»  appeal.  But  in  view  of  the  times  and  the  wisdom  of 
economy,  ihe  is  offering  a  "Miniature  Set  of  Valaze  Preparations  de  Luxe"— 
namely,  five  of  her  most  important  products  suitable  for  dry,  creasy,  oily, 
wrinkled  or  shiny  ikin.  Complete  $5.00.  When  asking  for  the  Set"  advise  her 
clearly  as  possible  about  your  complexion  condition,  so  that  she  may  personally 
select  the  correct  combination  of  products. 

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  conditions  for  which  these 
preparations  are  so  famous : — 

FOR  THE  CARE  OF  NORMAL  SKIN 

Valaze  Beautifying  Skinfood 

Mme.  Rubinstein  feels  that  this  is  her  supreme  achievement,  because  women's 
faces  are  normal  and  merely  require  nourishment  and  cleansing  a'd  to  keep 
the  skin  in  the  pink  of  condition — free  from  freckles,  sallowness,  incipient 
\v;  :::klcs  and  passe  appearance..  Price  $1.25,  $2.25,  $G..50. 

Valaze  Skin  Toning  Lotion   used   in   conjunction   with   Valaze   Skinfood    is   in- 
'••ilile   as   ant  -wrinkle    lotion.      Price   $1  25,    $2.50    and    upwards.      For   very 
<  =.    the    '  Special"    Skin   Toning   Lotion    should    be   used.      Price    $2.20, 

?4.  '"wards. 

deep   lines,   lifeless   skin,    Eau   qui   Pique   is   infall  ble.      Price 


Fo; 


^CKHEADS  AND  GREASY,  COARSE  SKIN 

-d*  Open   Pore   Paste  refines  coarse   skin  texture,   removes 
is,    reduces  enlarged  pores.      Price   $1.10,   $2.20   and  $5.50. 


Valaze.   Blac..  . 
greatness,   bla 

Valaze  Liquidine  overcomes  oiliners  and  "shine"  of  the  skin  and  undue  flush- 
ii,K  of  nose  and  face.     Price  $1.75  and  $3.00. 


VALAZE  WINDPROOF  BALM 


FOR  BAGGY,  RELAXED  AND  FLABBY  5  KIN 


Mmc.  Rubinstein  has  found  among  all  the  preparations  that  she  has  been 
able  to  recommend  the  Roman  Jelly  (Price  $1.50  and  $3.00)  and  the  Georgine 
Lactee  (Price  $2.75  and  $6.00)  the  best  suited  for  this  condition.  Used  in 
time  it  will  prevent  such  a  condit'on  as  this. 

FOR  SUPERFLUOUS  HAIR 

Her    Valaze    Hair    Remover    is    the    only    reliable    and    effectual    remedy    to 
duickly   remove  the  growth  of  hair  from  the  face  as  well  as  the  arms.     Price 
and   $2.00. 

POWDERS 

VaJaze  Complexion  Powder  for  normal  and  oily  skin;  Novena  Poudre,  for 
dry  skin.  Price  $1.00,  $1.50,  $3.00  and  up. 

FOR  DOUBLE  CHIN 

The  Valaze  Reducing  Jelly  (Price  $1.50  and  $3.00)  also  the  Valaze  Reducing 
Soap  (Price  $1.25  a  cake)  are  the  two  most  effective  preparations  to  remove 
a  double  chin  as  well  as  superfluous  fat. 


46  West  57th  St.,  New  York 


1427  Boardwalk,  Atlantic  City,  N.  J. 


Chicago:    Lola    Beekman,    30   No.    Michigan    Avenue. 
San    Francisco:    Miss  Ida   Martin,   177   Post    St.   and   Grant  Ave. 
New   Orleans:   Mrs.   C.   V     Butler,   8017   Zimple   Street. 
Melbourne.  Sidney. 


iA.LA4.Ai.A4i  AtklAt  it  At.  Ail  l^ivil*.  ^k  tA.LJAl  itLlil  4fcAi.l4k  It  L. 


MR.   HORNBLOW  GOES  TO  THE  PLAY 


a  strange  one.  Cawthorn,  however, 
is  always  comical.  Julia  Sanderson, 
as  pretty  as  ever,  dances  as  well  as 
ever.  Sam  Hardy,  Doyle  and  Dixon 
complete  a  satisfactory  cast. 

*        *        * 

BOOTH.  "BE  CALM,  CAMILLA." 
Comedy  in  two  acts  by  Clare  Kum- 
mer.  Produced  on  October  31  with 
this  cast : 


Junius   Patterson 
Baxter   Pell 
Gus   Beals 
McNeil   Brownlow, 

Jo  Gibbons 
Bill   Slattery 
Celia   Brooke 
Alma  Robins 
Camilla    Hathaway 


Walter   Hampden 

ug 
Arthur  Sh 


Rex   McDougall 
haw 
Mac," 


, 

William    Sampson 

Harold    Salter 

John  J.   Harris 

Carlotta    Monterey 

Hedda  Hopper 

Lola   Fisher 


BE  CALM,  CAMILLA,"  is  the 
latest  offering  of  the  prolific 
Clare  Kummer.  It  started  well — 
full  of  witticisms — what  the 
French  call  plein  d' esprit,  and  had 
the  last  act  kept  up  with  the  others 
it  would  have  been  an  unqualified 
success. 

Camilla,  alone  in  New  York, 
where  she  expects  to  attain  fame 
and  make  a  fortune  with  negligi- 
ble talent  as  a  pianiste,  finds  herself 
up  against  it.  Her  last  chance  is  to 
accept  the  position  as  accompanist 
in  a  moving  picture  house.  On  her 
way  to  obtain  the  position  she  ij 
run  over  by  an  automobile.  Picked 
up  by  the  rich  owner,  she  is  carried 
to  the  hospital — private  room,  nurse, 
flowers,  and  a  case  of  love  at  first 
sight.  He  is  married — but  unhap- 
pily, and  this  time  he  is  up  against 
it.  In  the  last  act,  Camilla  who 
spends  a  week-end  at  the  country 
home  of  the  millionaire,  learns  that 
he  is  married.  She  has  no  other  al- 
ternative but  to  disappear  and  to 
that  end  she  takes  a  plunge  in  the 
lake.  Pulled  out  shivering  but  liv- 
ing, her  lover  realizes  his  deep  affec- 
tion, obtains  a  divorce  and  marries 
Camilla. 

There  is  hardly  a  new  situation  in 
the  whole  play.  The  acting  is  above 
the  average,  Lola. Fisher  being  par- 
ticularly pleasing  as  the  demure 
Camilla.  Walter  Hampden  was 
somewhat  miscast  as  her  wealthy 
lover  as  the  role  demanded  a  very 
light  touch  and  Mr.  Hampden  is  bet- 
ter known  as  a  tragedian. 
*  *  * 

48TH  STREET.  "THE  BIG 
CHANCE."  Play  in  four  acts  by 
Grant  Morris  and  Willard  Mack. 
Produced  on  October  28  with  this 
cast : 


Practically  the  same  idea  as  that 
is  "Out  There"  and  "Getting  To- 
gether," it  is  a  typical  war  play. 
Mary  Nash  is  a  bit  melodramatic 
but  always  interesting.  Willard 
Mack  as  the  Irish  hero  worshipper 
did  ve'ry  well,  but  to  William  E. 
Meehan,  who  had  the  best  lines  and 
delivered  them  with  a  full  under- 
standing of  their  values,  came  the 

success  of  the  evening. 

*        *       * 

PLAYHOUSE.     "HOME   AGAIN." 

Comedy  in  four  acts  by  Robert  Mc- 
Laughlin,  written  from  the  folk 
poems  and  stories  of  James  Whit- 
comb  Riley.  Produced  on  Novem- 
ber 11  with  this  cast: 

Jap   Miller  Charles  Dow  Clark 


Willard   Mack 
Anna  Mack  Berlein 


Larry   Thorndyke 
Mrs.   Malloy 
Margaret    Malloy, 

Katherine  Harris    Barrymore 
Eddie  Crandall          William  E.   Meehan 

Charles  Hickson  Harry  Robert 

Mary    Delano  Mary   Nash 

"Pinkey    Granville"  Ramsey   Wallace 

Asa   Hickson  John   Mason 

Jack    Burns  John    Sharkey 

Sergeant  Todkins  T.    S.   James 

Fritz  Nathaniel  Sack 

AMONG  the  other  things  that 
the  war  brought  to  our  shores 
was  an  avalanche  of  plays  created 
to  arouse  patriotism.  Now  with  the 
armistice  signed  and  the  peace  treaty 
on  the  way,  what  is  to  become  of 
the  war  play?  "The  Big  Chance" 
missed  its  big  chance.  It  is  among 
the  best  of  its  kind,  but  comes  too 
late. 


Squire    Hawkins 
Jim  Johnson 
Jeff  Thompson 


Scott   Cooper 
Henry  Duffy 
Erville  Alderson 


Patience  Thompson    Antoinette  Walker 
The  Raggedy  Man 


"Doc"  Townsend 
Orphant  Annie 
Abner  Cover 
Violet  Thompson 
Bud  Thompson 
Philiper  Flash 
"Doc"    Sifers 
"Eck"  Skinner 
'Lizabeth  Ann 
Ma  Townsend 
"Aunt  Mary" 


Tim  Murphy 
Maclyn  Arbuckle 
Madeline  Delmar 
James   DonUn 
France!  Lapiley 
Geraldine  Herman 
Harry  Redding 
Forrest   Robinson 
James  Billing! 
Shirley  De  Me 
Helen  Pingree 
Marie  Taylor 


HOME  AGAIN"  is  a  "by  gosh" 
drama  based  on  the  poems  and 
writings  of  that  distinguished  and 
much  beloved  Hoosier  poet,  the  late 
James  Whitcomb  Riley.  Save  for 
the  interpolation  of  several  of  his 
poems,  this  hybrid,  fragmentary 
conglomeration  of  his  work  is 
nearly  criminal  in  its  assault  on 
his  memory. 

"The  Raggedy  Man,"  "Orphant 
Annie"  and  other  familiar  and  stock 
characters  are  combined  in  a  story 
that  has  occasionally  a  flash  of 
poetry,  sentiment  and  real  emotion. 
Most  of  it,  however,  is  trivial,  trite 
and  tedious. 

Tim  Murphy  was  amusing  as  the 
poetical  sporting  tramp.  No  one 
could  have  "put  over"  its  pathos. 
Very  true,  unctuous  and  real  was 
Maclyn  Arbuckle  as  the  peripatetic 
vendor  of  stomach  bitters.  Scott 
Cooper  and  Erville  Anderson  were 
excellent  in  conventional  types.  For- 
rest Robinson  was  artistically 
mushy  as  the  country  doctor  and 
there  was  spirited  picturesqueness 
in  Madeline  Delmar's  rendering  of 
"Orphant  Annie." 

ROSES  OF  PICARDY 

Chappell  and  Company,  Ltd.,  have 
published  a  new  song — "Roses  of 
Picardy."  The  setting  of  this  pop- 
ular English  ballad  is  laid  on  the 
plains  of  Picardy,  so  recently  the 
center  of  the  battle  between  Barbar- 
ism and  "Kultur."  The  song  which 
has  been  successfully  featured  by 
Reinald  Werrenrath,  Charles  Harri- 
son and  Lambert  Murphy  is  becom- 
ing popular  both  here  and  abroad, 
and  is  one  of  the  many  successes 
this  firm  is  bringing  out. 


"Keep  yo'ur  seats,  please,  ladie? 
and  gentlemen,"  said  the  manager 
of  the  barnstorming  opera  com- 
pany, "there  is  no  danger  what- 
ever, but  for  some  inexplicable 
reason  the  gas  has  gone  out." 

Then  a  boy  shouted  from  the 
gallery:  "Perhaps  it  didn't  like 
the  show." — Musical  America. 


[380] 


Theatre  Magagine,  Dce*nbe*,   1918 


"The  Steinway  pianos  are  living  beings  with 
hearts  and  souls.  Not  only  do  they  inspire  the 
world  by  their  glorious  tone,  but  they  share  the 
artist's  pleasures  and  sorrows.  How  often  did 
I  find  solace  and  renewed  courage  in  troubled 
hours  in  the  heavenly  'harmonies  of  my  Stein-way 
piano!  May  it  flourish  and  prosper,  an  everlasting 
joy  to  all  feeling  mankind!" 

ERNESTINE    SCHVMANN-HEINK, 

J^^^^H  wu^^^^r* 

MUSIC    is    an    essential  of:<lo"^y   well 
regulated  home.     It  is  a  factor  U  im- 

portance in  the  education  'of ]'$$t        drer\ 
an  unending  source  of  inspiration  ai 
creation   for   the   gro-  peneriAiion, 

refining,  cultivating  influence        -hing  '"""./'' 
member  of  the  family.     It 
speech    that  is   understood, 
appeals  to  everybody,  that  enlists  the  syrni 
thies  of  man,  woman  and  child,  of  hi.',b 
low,  of  young  and  old  in  every  wa'    of  life. 

The  PIANO  is  the  universal  musical  instrument  of  the  home,  the  instrument  that  should  be  in  even  Household. 
And  the  greatest  among  pianos  is  the  STEINWAY,  prized  and  cherished  throughout  the  wide  world  by  all  lover- 
of  good  music.  Or,  in  the  words  of  a  well-known  American  writer:  "Wherever  human  hearts  are  sad  or  glad,  ano 
songs  are  sung,  and  strings  vibrate,  and  keys  respond  to  love's  caress,  there  is  known,  respected,  revered — loved— 
the  name  and  fame  of  STEINWAY." 

Catalog  and  prices  on  application. 


r«b-r 


Sold  on  convenient  payments. 


Old  pianos  taken  in  exchange. 


Inspection  invited. 


STEINWAY     €r     SONS,     STEINWAY     HALL 


EAST    14th  STREET 


NEW  YORK  CITY 

Represented  by  the  Foremost 
Dealers  Everywhere 


" 


•I've 

of  giving. 


N 


urs 


PET' 


Fur  Capes 

For  Christmas  Gifts 


A  comprehensive  show- 
ing of  latest  fashionable  Fur 
Capes  developed  in  Hudson 
Seal,  Stone  Marten,  Skunk, 
Mole,  Nutria,  etc. 


Moderate  Prices 


G.  G.  GUNTHER'S  SONS 


391  Fifth  Avenue 


New  York 


[381] 


VA> 

Pack, 


.V.l.lf   in    ,".  -V  .-/.  .1  good  shops 

WHEREVER'  you  go>  far 
from  sho(>o  _.nd  cities, 
Van  Raalte  individual  package 
veils  are  always  at  your  serv- 
ice—fresh, convenient,  -.eco- 
nomical, and  sanitary. 

Each  in  it:  wn  package — 
25c, — 35c. — 5tc,  according  to 
mesh  and  quality. 

If    -ou  cannot  ge,.  them  from 
y     r  dealer,  send  us  your  ad- 
<       -  and  we  will  see  that  you 
nplied. 

"\N  RAALTE 
Fifti.  "St.,N.V.  C. 


^     - 
-A    %.  ' 


Oy- 

r/G  FACE  POWDER 

^  Preferred  by  women  with 

v/Som  personal  daintiness 
is  first  thought  end 
second  nature 


15  cents  brings  a  dainty 
BEAUTY  BOX  with  g.r,«rou. 
,0-pi«»  of  AZUREA  Foc«P0wd« 
S«n.t  Powder  and  FWum* 


PARIS  L.T.  PI 


CHAS.BAEZ 

'•t*  "S  f«!-4  Eo.t  22d  Stre.t    N.w  York  City 


Kill  The  Hair  Root 


My  method  is  the  only  way  to  prevent 
the  hair  from  growing  again.  Easy, 
painless,  harmless.  No  scars.  Booklet 
free.  Write  today  enclosing  2  stamps. 
We  teach  Keauty  Culture. 

D.  J.  MAHLER 
272-A  Mahler  P.rk  Providence,  R.  I. 


THE  EMPIRE  STATE 

ENGRAVING  COMPANY 

165  WILLIAM  STREET, 

NEW  YORK 
TELEPHONE  3880  BEEKMAN 


BACK    FROM    THE    TRENCHES. 

(Continued  from  page  338) 

entire  performance.  Happily  he  de- 
cided not  to  do  any  strafing.  All  he 
did  was  to  contribute  a  little  extra 
local  color.  Did  my  voice  wabble? 
—it  did. 

When  I  was  back  in  this  country 
a  few  days,  a  retired  Colonel  called 
me  up  on  the  telephone.  He  asked 
if  I  could  tell  him  where  I  was  on 
September  24th.  His  voice  was 
choked  with  emotion.  I  could  hear 
him  weeping  at  the  other  end  of  the 
wire.  His  boy  had  written  him  a 
letter  on  that  day  which  ran :  "Irene 
Franklin  dropped  down  from  Heav- 
en today,  and  sang  for  us.  She 
never  was  more  appreciated  than  she 
was  here."  Since  the  24th  that  boy 
has  been  missing,  and  every  effort 
to  trace  him  has  been  in  vain.  But 
I  was  able  to  tell  the  Colonel  just 
the  place  where  I  sang  on  that  day, 
and  now  he  has  hopes  of  tracing  his 
boy.  Could  any  fiction  writer  want 
anything  better — soldier,  the  battle- 
field, missing  in  action,  found 
through  a  singer  of  comic  songs? 

Won't  the  players  lend  their  aid? 
Even  if  the  war  is  over,  "the  boys" 
will  need  amusement  for  the  next 
two  years.  Some  of  the  Y.  M.  C. 
A.  huts  are  admirable  places  to  give 
pieces,  and  Toul  has  a  charming 
theatre  where  regular  attractions 
could  be  given.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
is  doing  everything  possible  for  the 
comfort  of  the  entertainer  as  well 
as  the  soldier,  but  with  all  its  hard- 
ships, if  you  want  my  opinion,  here 
it  is :  I've  come  home  to  fill  the  coal 
bin  and  I'm  going  right  back. 


FRANCE'S  NEW  WAR  SONG. 


during  the  Liberty 
Loan  Drive,  the  United  States 
was  visited  by  the  Blue  Devils  of 
France,  the  towns  that  heard  these 
brave  soldiers  sing  "Madelon"  were 
taken  by  storm. 

Now,  who  was  "  Madelon"  f  The 
song  is  the  war  song  of  France, 
which  brings  out  not  only  the  spirit 
of  this  wonderful  country,  but  the 
spirit  of  her  women  as  well.  Today 
it  is  almost  as  well  known  as  the 
Marseillaise,  and  the  story  about  it 
can  be  told  in  a  few  words. 

The  boys  coming  back  from  the 
trenches  enter  a  canteen  and  are 
waited  on  by  a  very  charming  ser- 
vant—young, pretty,  and  bright— 
whose  name  is  Madelon.  Everybody 
makes  love  to  her.  She  takes  it 
good  naturedly,  because,  as  she  says, 
"I  am  a  sister  to  you  all."  To  any- 
one who  asks  for  her  hand,  she  an- 
swers, "Not  now.  Why  should  I 
take  one  single  man  when  I  love 
the  entire  regiment,  and  I  need  my 
hand  to  pour  out  the  wine  when  the 
boys  come  back  tired  from  the 
trenches." 

This  song  has  just  been  published 
in  this  country  by  Jerome  H. 
Remick,  and  no  doubt  will  be  played 
on  every  piano,  talking  machine,  and 
musical  instrument,  and  heard  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific. 


The  Visitor — Hark!  some  one  is 
playing  a  delightful  bit  of  Wagner! 

The  Hpst-^Oh!  that's  the  jan- 
itor putting  coal  on  the  fire!— 
Pennsylvania  "Punch  Bowl." 


NEW    VICTOR    RECORDS. 

TPHE  approach  of  the  Christmas 
A  season  instinctively  awakens  in 
the  hearts  of  millions  a  keen  desire 
to  hear  those  time-honored  hymns 
and  carols  so  redolent  of  the  Day  of 
all  the  year  to  childhood. 

A  rehearing,  therefore,  of  that 
beautiful  "Cantique  de  Noel"  (Holy 
Night)  sung  by  Enrico  Caruso,  on  a 
Victrola  Record,  finds  it  as  fresh 
and  inspiring  as  the  day  it  was  first 
presented  to  the  world.  Of  itself, 
it  is  a  splendid,  gorgeously  harmo- 
nized piece  of  music,  picturesque  in 
character,  yet  deeply  reverent  in 
spirit 

Imagine,  if  you  can,  fifty  thousand 
people  assembled  in  one  place  at  one 
time  listening  to  one  person  sing, 
and  you  will  have  a  vision  of  that 
mighty  concourse — the  largest  audi- 
ence that  ever  gathered  in  Central 
Park — when  recently  Caruso  sang, 
"Over  There."  The  effect  was 
overwhelming,  for  there  were  doubt- 
less few  in  that  vast  assembly  that 
did  not  know  that  Caruso  had  im- 
mortalized that  song  on  a  Victrola 
Record. 

"Dixie,"  that  time-honored  tune, 
which  our  boys  are  singing  to-day 
on  the  battlefields  of  France  and 
Belgium,  we  always  love  to  hear. 
But  Mabel  Garrison  does  much 
more  than  merely  sing  on  her  Vic- 
trola Record  of  the  song.  She 
vividly  interprets  it. 

Akin  in  feeling  to  the  thrilling 
effect  produced  is  that  of  the  great 
war-song  of  France,  "La  Marseil- 
laise," presented  by  Frances  Alda  on 
a  Victrola  Record.  Aglow  with  the 
spirit  of  liberty  it  is  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  of  her  recordings  and  the 
interest  is  intensified  by  the  ac- 
companiment of  the  Metropolitan 
Opera  House  chorus  of  singers  in 
the  refrain. — Adv. 


NEW  COLUMBIA  RECORDS. 

DARRIENTOS  and  Lazaro,  two 
•*-*  of  the  most  famous  stars  in  the 
Mttropolitan  Opera's  great  galaxy, 
have  joined  voices  for  their  first  con- 
certed Columbia  number  this  month. 
They  have  selected  the  thrilling 
climax  of  Verdi's  "Traviata"— the 
brilliant  "Parigi  o  cara."  Here  is 
an  exquisite  record  of  a  great  and 
beautiful  aria  by  two  of  the  most 
famous  voices  in  the  world. 

The  sparkling  "Alia  Vita"  from 
the  famous  opera  "Ballo  in  Mas- 
chera"  might  have  been  written 
especially  for  Stracciari,  so  com- 
pletely does  it  lie  in  the  richest 
range  of  his  glorious  baritone  voice. 
Stracciari  has  made  the  most  of  his 
opportunity  in  a  glorious  record  of 
this  great  operatic  gem  which  is  now 
on  sale  among  the  December  Colum- 
bia Records. 

Barbara  Maurel,  the  dainty  Alsa- 
tian songstress  who  has  created  r 
veritable  sensation  here,  sings  two 
more  of  her  delightful  old  ballad; 
for  Columbia.  The  selections  art 
"Slumber  Boat"  and  "Song  of  tht 
Chimes^"  both  on  the  same  record 

"Carmen"  and  "II  Trovatore"  ar< 
undoubtedly  the  world's  two  most 
popular  operas.  It  is  fitting,  there- 
fore, that  the  great  orchestra  of  the 
Metropolitan  Opera  House,  which 
recently  signed  a  contract  to  make 
records  of  operatic  music  ex- 
clusively for  Columbia,  should  have 
taken  selections  from  these  two 
glorious  operas  for  their  December 
Columbia  Record.  Everyone  knows 
the  music,  but  to  hear  it  played  by 
this  famous  ensemble  of  musicians 
is  to  find  an  added  delight  in  the 
dramatic  strains. 

These  four  records  are  but  a  few 
of  the  December  Columbia  group 
which  includes  not  only  operatic 
arias,  but  dance  records,  popular 
songs,  instrumental,  Christmas 
novelty  records,  and  many  others 
too  numerous  to  mention  here.— 
Adv. 


$4OO  in  Prizes 

Last  call  for  the  big  J.ng'.e  Contest. 
l'\>r  the  best  short  jingles  featuring  4 
•liemeritsofZYMOLETROKEVS 
received  before  Dec.  15th,  1918,  we 
will  give  the  following  prizes :  first 
$150;  second  JlliO;  third  »75:  fourth 
*25;  and  five  $10  prizes.  ZYMOLE 
TROKEYS  are  not  cough  drops — 
but  mildly  antiseptic  throat  pastilles 
of  real  worth— which  keep  the  voice 
fit.  At  all  drugstores.  Send  rhymes 
to  our  Jingle  Department. 

Frederick  Stenrnt  A  Company 
1346  K.  Jefferion  Arc..  Detroit.  Hleh. 


t>^ti — 

nobody. 

frw»'  *v* 

>meses 


TKe  Arfitocut 


Theatre  Magazine,  Dtctmbtr, 


QOFT  water  cleanses 
much  better  than  hard. 
Nothing  softens  water  as 
well  as  Borax.  That's 
why  you  should  sprinkle 
a  little  20  Mule  Team 
Borax  in  the  water  before 
you  take  your  bath.  But 


MULE  TEAM  BORAX 

is  more  than  a  water  sof- 
tener. It  is  an  antiseptic, 
it  keeps  the  pores  free 
and  clean,  is  an  excellent 
deodorant,  refreshes  the 
skin  and  keeps  the  com- 
plexion clear. 

Always  use  this  Borax  in 
baby's  bath— it  is  very  soothing 
to  tender  skin. 

You  may  find  many  uses  for 
20  Mule  Team  Borax  in  the 
kitchen  and  laundry.  Be  sure 
to  see  the  picture  of  the  famous 
20  Mules  on  every  package. 

All  Dealers  sell 

20  MULE  TEAM  BORAX 


The    Pleasures of   Life 


Tea 

for  Three 


/"M-.EAN,    sound,    white  lr 
^     living.      Dr.  Sheffield*?" 
the    oldest   tooth   paste     rr^ 
brightened  the   smiles   of  mi 


jd  to  the  pleasure  of 

Me  Dentifrice,  made  by 

aur<.-r'      .    America,   has 

usands.          •  efficient  as  it  is 


pure.  Formulated  in  accordance  with  tin  latest  accepted 
theories  of  the  dental  profession. 

Leaves  the  mouth  clean  and  wholesome  with  a  pleasant 
aftertaste.  We  do  not  believe  a  better  dentifrice  possible 
at  any  price. 


DRSHEFFIFT  )'S 


.a end  K*c  in  stamp* 
fnr  a  nurd  turn  si/e 
tube,  or  25c  for  full 
size.  Note  how  pleas- 
antly and  thorough!) 
this  exquisite  denti- 
frice does  its  work. 
Sheffield  Dentifrice 
Company,  421  Canal 
Street,  New  YorkCitj 


Amateur 

Producers  and 

Players 

The  Editor  of  the  Amateur 
Theatricals  Department  will 
be  glad  to  receive  for  pos- 
sible publication  in  the 
Amateur  Department  of 
the  THEATRE  MAGAZINE, 
photographs  and  articles 
concerning  plays  and  pag- 
eants given  by  high  schools, 
clubs  or  dramatic  societies 
throughout  the  country. 

Address 

Editor,  Amateur  Theatricals 
Department 

Theatre  Magazine 


HYGIENOL 

OVTe   STERILIZED 

POWDER  PUFF 

The  Fine  ft  Quality  Lamb  t  Wool 

In  Individual   Erwelopa.  boarinq  Trad*  Mark 
showing  Limbs  Face  in  Circle — >. 

Six  Popular  Sizes 
lOc.  ISc,  ZOc,  25c.  3Sc.  50c 
At  All  Best  Dealers 

C  J."Pro).cic,^  of  All 

>>£?n  LWomen'»   Beauty" 

CD  CC  Illustrates  even)  detail 
rivLL.inn.okmqor  HYGIENOL  Powder  Puffs 

MAURICE  LEVY.  l5W.38lk-Str..l  .N.wYork  C.(w 

Importer  of  Famous  Crvmm  Simon  and 
Sociite  Hyyieniyue    Toilet  Product* 


gjiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiimiiiiMiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii  niiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiii 


i 


AMERICAN  ACADEMY 
OF  DRAMATIC  ARTS 

Franklin  H.  Sargent,  President 

IfThe  standard  institution  of  dramatic  V 
([education  for  thirty 'three  years/ 

Detailed  catalog  from  the  Secretary 
ROOM  172,  CARNEGIE  HALL,  NEW  YORK 
Connected  with  Charles  Frohman's  Empire  Theatre  and  Companies 


I  iiiiiiiiiniiimimiiiiiiiniiiuiiiiiMiiiiiiiuMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMii 
[383] 


.millllllllllllliiiiiiiiiii imnmiimm 


Establisi 


.....    1918 

Hatf    Century 


Furs  fc    ft*  Holidays 

_ 


. 

THIS   >;ear,  ~n   th.e  conservation  of  woolens  is 

e«r>e~:    '  perative,  and  in  view  of  the  marked 

preft.-j'  •-..  gifts   of   practical   utility,    furs  will  be 

more  appreci^  d  than  ever. 

»  .  e  invite  your  inspection  of  an 
•  nusually     fine     assortment    of 


\TS-CAPES 
<<FS—  MUFFS 

.-  all  desirable  furs 


Partvular  art  :       i  is  called  to  our  furs  for  men. 
Fur  and  Far  La.ed  Coats,  Hats  and  Gloves 


The 


Photographs  a 
Please  specify  u 
in  coats  c-.-  „ 


variety    offered    will 
urse  limitations  of  all. 

'ce  list  sent    on    request. 
r  particularly  interested 
itie  may  better  serve  you. 


C.  C.  5-    \YNE  &  Co. 

Manufacturers  of 

ST.       TLY  RELIABLE  FURS 
i2->    }VJ     42nd  Street,  ^ew  York  City 


13-in  iicm-iii.ni.  .    MltM-llfc"'  irfc.; 

Exquisite  Daintiness 

u  necessary  to  every  woman  who  wears  the  sheer 
georgette   and  organdie  blouses  or  the  sleeveless 
dancing    docks   decreed    by    Fashion.      Sh. 
must  remove  the  hair  from  her  arm-pits  to 
be  eithir  modest  or  well  groomed. 

X-Bazin  provides  the  simple,   comfortable, 
womanly  war  of  eliminating  hair  from  the 
lip.  arms,   or  arm-pits,  in   five  minutes— 
lust  as  soap  and  water  dissolve  and  re- 
">°ve  •<*».  leaving  the  skin  smooth,  soft 
and  white. 

50c  an  J  $1.00  at  drug  anj  depart- 
ment stores,  or  toe  will  mall  it  direct 
on  receipt  o/prfce. 

HALL  &  RUCKF.L,  Inc. 

224  Wuhintton  Street      New  York 

£%<?  Famous  French 
Depilatory  Powder 


XBazto 


False  Notions 
On  Teeth-Cleaning 

All  Statements  Approved  by  High  Dental  Authorities 


They  Ignore  the  Film 


The  old  idea  of  brushing  teeth 
was  to  remove  food  particles. 
Some  ways  also  aimed  to  polish 
teeth. 

But  time  soon  proved  those 
methods  insufficient.  Teeth  still 
discolored,  still  decayed.  Tartar 
formed,  and  pyorrhea  remained 
undiminished.  Statistics  show 
that  tooth  troubles  constantly  in- 
creased. 

Millions  of  users  have  discov- 
ered that  the  tooth  brush  fails 
to  save  their  teeth. 

Now  science  knows  the  reason. 
It  lies  in  a  film — a  slimy  film — 
which  dentists  call  bacterial 
plaque.  It  constantly  forms  on 
the  teeth,  and  it  clings.  It  gets 
into  crevices,  hardens  and  stays. 


Old-time   brushing   methods   could 
not  properly  combat   it. 

That  film  is  what  discolors,  not 
the  teeth.  It  hardens  into  tar- 
tar. It  holds  food  substance 
which  ferments  and  forms  acid. 
It  holds  the  acid  in  contact  with 
the  teeth  to  cause  decay. 

Millions  of  germs  breed  in  it. 
They,  with  tartar,  are  the  chief 
cause  of  pyorrhea.  Thus  tooth 
troubles  are  largely  traced  to  that 
film. 

Science  now  has  found  a  way 
to  combat  that  film.  It  has  proved 
itself  to  many  able  authorities  by 
four  years  cf  clinical  te?ts.  To- 
day it  is  embodied  in  a  dentifrice 
called  Pepscdent.  Ard  we  offer 
you  a  specisl  tube  to  let  you 
prove  it  out. 


The  Scientific  Way 


As  a  cleanser  and  polisher,  Pep- 
sqdent  holds  supreme  place  amon^ 
tocth  pastes.  But  it  also  gees 
further. 

It  is  based  on  pepsin,  the  di- 
gectant  of  albumin.  The  film  is 
albuminous  matter.  The  object 
of  Pepsodent  is  to  dissolve  it, 
then  to  constantly  prevent  its 
accumulation. 

But  pepsin  alone  won't  do.  It 
muct  be  activated,  and  the  usual 
activating  agent  is  an  acid,  harm- 
ful to  the  teeth.  So  pepsin  long 
seemed  forbidden. 

Now  science  has  found  an  ac- 
tivating method  harmless  to  the 
teeth.  Five  governments  have 
already  granted  patents.  That 
method,  used  in  Pepsodent,  makes 
the  use  of  active  pepsin  possible. 

Before   it   was   offered   to   users, 


able  dental  authorities  proved  its. 
value  ty  clinical  tests.  They 
placed  its  results,  beyond  ques- 
tion. Now  we  offer  the  proof 
to  you  in  the  shape  of  a  home 
test. 

Send  the  coupon  with  10  cents 
for  a  special  tube.  Use  it  like  any 
tooth  paste  and  watch  results, 
Note  hew  clean  the  teeth  feel 
after  using.  Mark  the  absence  of 
the  film.  See  how  teeth  whiten — . 
how  they  glisten — as  the  fixed 
film  disappears. 

A  few  days  will  convince  you 
that  Pepsodent  does  what  noth- 
ing else  has  done.  You  will  see 
that  your  teeth  are  protected  as 
they  never  were  before.  You  will 
not  return  after  that,  we  think,  to 
any  old-time  method. 

Cut  out  the  coupon  now. 


Return  your  empty  tooth  paste  tubes  to  the  nearest  Red  Cross  Station 


The  New-Day  Dentifrice 

A  Scientific  Product — Sold  by 
Druggists  Everywhere 


I  SPECIAL  10-CENT  TUBE  j 

A  size  not  sold  in  Drug  Store 

THE   PEPSODENT   CO., 
I       Dept.  302, 1104  S.  Wabash  Ave.  | 
|  Chicago,   111.  | 

Enclosed    find    10    cents    for 


|   Special    Tube    of    Pepsodent. 

I  Name    . 

I    , 

I   Address     


.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMimiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmm 


[384] 


Theatre  Magaiine,  December, 


TION    PICTURE    S: 


Edited  by  MIRILO 


i  **r 

,f 


Campbell 


PEARL      WHITE 

A  late  photograph  of  Pearl  White,  who  will  be 
shown  as  a  new,  daring  and  resourceful  character 
in  "The  Lightning  Raider,"  a  story  of  grim 
mystery  and  peril,  by  George  Brackett  Seitz 
and  Bertram  Millhauser,  released  by  Path£ 


r 
L 


•  Reprinted  from  letter  of  May  25  to  Committee  on  Public  Information,  and  incorporated  i 
War  Activities  Report  of  National  Association  of  Motion  Picture  Industry 


The  people  of  the  country  who  are  working  at  high  pressure  to  win 
the  war  need  some  form  of  recreation,  and  to  a  vast  number  of  our  people 
moving  pictures  are  the  only  form  of  recreation  within  their  means.  The 
majority  of  the  moving  picture  theatres  of  the  country  have  placed  them- 
selves unreservedly  at  the  disposal  of  the  Government  for  the  furtherance 
of  Liberty  Loans,  War  Savings,  and  other  Government  movements,  and 
deserve  the  thanks  of  the  country  for  their  patriotic  attitude." 

(Signed)  W.  G.  MCADOO.  Secretary  of  the  Treasury 


Crystal  of  Life 


HE  motion   ^ 
crystal.     You  ga',. 


*:ure  is  like  the   magician's 
ito  it  and  you  see  life. 


Life  alight  .\v:  i  gaiety  and  purple  with 
dreams,  life  astrk  ~  the  champing  steed  of  ad- 
venture, life  careless  of  death. 

By  what  test  h^'t  Paramount  and  Artcraft 
motion  pictures  emerged  crowned  monarchs 
in  this  art? 

Uy  the  test  of  the  faithfulness  and  clearness 
of  their  crystal-reflections  of  life! 


By  the  sheer  vitality  of  their  foremost 
stars — by  their  sheer  beauty — by  their  sheer 
charm—  of  ten  by  their  sheer  lovableness — by 
their  LIFE! 

• 

And  nowhere  else  is  there  such  directing  as  in 
Paramount  and  Artcraft,  such  gorgeous  presen- 
tation, such  superb  understanding  of  the  story's 
artistic  atmosphere,  such  closeness  to  life's  rich- 
est hues! 

In  deed  as  well  as  in  name  are  these  motion 
pictures — Paramount!  Artcraft! 


™*  Gricra/i 

* 


^Motion  (pictures 


These  two  trade-marks  are  the  sure  way  of  identifying  Paramount 
and     Artcraft    Pictures  —  and     the     theatres     that    show    them 


FAMOUS  PLAYERS -LA8KY  CORPORATION 


ADOI.PH  ZUKORPrrc  JESSE  L.LASKY  iVa-J'n-?  CECIL B.DEMIUE0ffKfcrO-«vK* 


FOREMOST  STARS.  SUPERBLY  DIRECTED,  IN  CLEAN   MOTION   PICTURES 


[386] 


Theatre  Magatine,  December,  i 


)  Hnorer  Art  Co. 


MARY  PICKFORD 

Who   it    is   said    has    formed   her   own   com- 
pany   to    produce    the    screen    version    of 
"Daddy  Long-Legs."     She  is  said   to  have 
paid    $4.0,000    for    the    screen    rights 


CHARLOTTE  WALKER 

Is  now  the  star  of  William  Fox's  drama  of 

democracy    entitled    "18   to   45," .  >tap ed    l>\ 

R.    A.    Walsh.      This    photo-play,   tells    the 

story  of   the   military  'draft 


PEGGY  SHANOR 

Who    will    shortly    be    featured    by    a    new- 
film  corporation 


CLARA    KIMBALL  YOUNG 


who  is  now  making  what  promises  10  be  one  of  her  most  pretentious  productions, 
"Cheating  Cheaters,"  which  was  such  a  success  as  a  play.  Harry  Carson  has  sur- 
rounded Miss  Young  with  a  remarkable  cast,  including  Anna  O.  Nillson,  Jack  Holt, 
Tully  Marshall,  Frank  Campeau,  Edwin  Stevens,  Frederick  Burton,  and  many  other 
screen  notables. 


Theatre  Magazine,  December,  1918 


FOUR    WONDERFUL    COMPOSITIONS 


•SMILES' 

The  Cyclonic  Song  and  Fox  Trot  Hit 

Music  bX  Lyric  by. 

Lee  S.  Roberts  J.  Will  Callahan 


"TILL  WE  MEET  AGAIN" 

SONG  WALTZ 

Lyric  by  Raymond  Egan  Melody  by  Richard  Whiting 

You'll  sing,  whistle,  play  and  dance  to  this  one  "  Till  We  Meet  Again  " 


"A  LITTLE  BIRCH  CANOE  AND  YOU" 

WALTZ  SONG 

Melody  by  Lee  S.  Roberts  Lyric  by  J.  Will  Callahan 

A  fitting  successor  to  "Smiles"  by  the  same  composers 
The  feature  Waltz  number  with  all  prominent  dance  orchestras 


and 


THE  DISTINCTIVE  NOVELTY  SONG  OF  THE  SEASON 

"MADELON" 

(The  French  Soldiers'  Song) 

SONG  ONE-STEP 


American  Lyric  by  Alfred  Bryan 


Melody  by  Camille  Robert 


TO  THE  PROFESSION:    Copies,  orchestrations,  special  versions  Now  Ready. 

Band  and  Orchestra  arrangements  READY.          For  Sale  Wherever  Music  is  Sold 

PUBLISHED  BY 

JEROME  H.  REMICK  &  COMPANY 


DETROIT 


CHICAGO 


NEW  YORK 


SAN  FRANCISCO 


SONGS  WE  ALL  APPLAUD 

GOOD-BYE  FRANCE 

OH!    HOW    I    WISH    I    COULD    SLEEP   UNTIL    MY 

DADDY  COMES  HOME 

OH !  HOW  I  HATE  TO  GET  UP  IN  THE   MORNING 
YOU  CAN  ALWAYS  FIND  A  LITTLE  SUNSHINE  IN 

THE  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

COME  ON  PAPA 

OH !   WHAT  A  TIME  FOR  THE  GIRLIES  WHEN  THE 
BOYS  COME  MARCHING  HOME 

THE  WORST  IS  YET  TO  COME 

THE  TALE  THE  CHURCH  BELL  TOLLED 

MY  BARNEY  LIES  OVER  THE  OCEAN 

ROCK-A-BYE  YOUR  BABY  WITH  A  DIXIE  MELODY 

DON'T  YOU  REMEMBER  THE  DAY 

TELL  THAT  TO  THE   MARINES 

AMERICAN  BEAUTY 

I  CANNOT  BEAR  TO  SAY  GOOD-BYE 

Waterson-Berlin  &  Snyder  Co. 

Music  Publishers 

Strand  Theatre  Building,  Broadway  at  47th  Street 

New  York 


FOR  REAL  HITS 
DQWf  FAIL  TO  SEE 

A.  F      feeds'  Attractions 


THEATRE 

Louisiv  iu  nn  &  Sam  Bernard 


IN 


"Friendly  Enemies" 


The  Sen*.«"£.-sftjie  Year 


EATRE 

•eewm."-N.    Y.   Time*. 


KEED 


"  Roads  fof  Destiny" 


HARRIS  THEATRE 

BERTHAX^CAL1CH 


IN 


The  Riddle: 


(Direction  George  Mooser,  by  arrangement  with 


Shobert) 


WOODS  THEATRE 

IN  CHICAGO 
SELWYN  &  CO.  Present 

"The  Crowded  Hour 


[397] 


HENRY  W.  SA  /AGE,  INC 

ANNOUNCES 

MITZI 

THE  SAUCY  STAR 
IN  THE  GAY  MUSIC  PLAY 

"HEAD   OVER   KEELS" 

Book  «,d  Lyric,  by  EDGAR  ALLAN  WOOLF ' Moric  by  JEROME  KERN 

TRANSCONTINENTAL  TOUR  OF    • 

"HAVE   A    HEART' 

The  Whimsical  Musical  Comedy 
Book  «,d  Lyric,  by  GUY  BOLTON  and  P.  C.  WODEHOUSE         Muiic  by  JEROME  KERN 

NINTH  TRIUMPHANT  SEASON  OF 
THE  STIRRING  MUSICAL   SPECTACLE 

"EVERYWOMAN" 

By  WALTER  BROWNE          ___^ Music  by  GEO.  W.  CHADWICK 

TWO  NEW  PLAYS 

WIDELY  DIFFERING  IN  THEME 

A  NEW  "FARCE  COMEDY 

BY  A  WELL  KNOWN  AMERICAN  AUTHOR 


A  NEW  MUSICAL  COMEDY 

OF  PEACE  AND  PLENTY     :-:      *  TH  UNUSUAL  CAST 

NDTF  • FROM  THE  STOCK   DEPARTMENT  CAN    BE    HAD    MUSICAL 

COMEDIES,  DRAMAS  AisT  CCMEDIES  FROM  THE   LONG  AND 
ATTRACTIVE  LIST  OF  HENRY  W.  SAVAGE  SUCCESSES. 

HENRY~W.  SAVAGE,  Inc. 

226  We§'  4"  •-'  <=  -eel  NEW  YORK  CITY 


UNDER  THE  SOLE  MANAGEMENT  OF 

DAVID    BELASCO 

Season   1918-19 


DAVID  WARFIELD 

In  "The  Auctioneer" 


FRANCES  STARR 

In  "Tiger!    T;iger!" 
A  New  Play  By  lEdward  Knoblock 

"DADDfES*' 

A  New  Comedy  '^y  John  L.  Hobble 

"TIGER  ROSE" 

A  Melodrama  of  the  great  Northwest  by  Willard  Mack 
with  LENORE  ULRIC 


POLLY  WITH  A  PAST 

A  Comedy  by  George  Middleton  and  Guy  Bolton 
with  INA  CLAIRE 


THE  BOOMERANG" 

A    Comedy    by    Winchell    Smith    and    Victor    Mapes 


BELASCO  THEATRE 

CITY  OF  NEW  YORK 


s 

E 
L 
W 
Y 

N 

& 

C 
O 


JANE  COWL 

IN 

THE  CROWDED  HOUR 

A  NEW  American  Play 

By  Edgar  Selwyn  and  Charming  Pollock 
AT  THE 

SELWYN  THEATRE 


TEA  FOR  THREE' 

A  Sparkling,  Charming  Comedy  Success 
By  Roi  Cooper  Megrue 

AT 

MAXINE  ELLIOTT'S  THEATRE 


WHY  MARRY?' 

With  NAT  C.  GOODWIN 
ON  TOUR 


ROCK-A-BYE  BABY' 

A  Musical  Comedy  Triumph 
ON  TOUR 


it, 


FAIR  AND  WARMER 

Avery  Hopwood's  Big  Farce  Hit 
ON  TOUR 


MESSRS.  COHAN  &  HARRIS 

PRESENT 
The  Most  Fascinating  Mystery  Play  Ever  Written 

"THREE  FACES  EAST" 

By  Anthony  Paul  Kelly 

COHAN  &  HARRIS  THEATRE,  NEW  YORK 
OLYMPIC  THEATRE,  CHICAGO 

CHAUNCEY    OLCOTT 

IN 
George  M.  Cohan's  Latest  Play 

"  THE  VOICE  OF  McCONNELL  " 

GEO.  M.  COHAN'S  GRAND  OPERA  HOUSE,  CHICAGO 
The  Funniest  American  Comedy  Ever  Written 

"A   TAILOR-MADE   MAN" 

By    HARRY    JAMES    SMITH 
Eastern  and  Western  Company 

"GOING    UP" 

The  best  musical  play  in   the  world.     Book  and  lyrics  by  Otto 

Harbach    and    James    Montgomery.     Music    by  Louis  A.    Hirsch. 

Eastern,  Central  and  Western  Company 

"THE    LITTLE   TEACHER" 

With    MARY    RYAN 

GREATEST  COMEDY  DRAMA  SINCE  "THE  MUSIC  MASTER" 
By  Harry  James  Smith 


[  398] 


'i  Magatine,  December,  191! 


WINT: 


BUT  NOT  OF  DISCONTENT 


STERN     winter    loves     a  .dirge- 
like    sound,"    if    Poet    Words- 
worth    can    be    believed.      But 
how     can     an     almost     emancipated 
world    be    expected    to    oblige    with 
dirge-like    sounds    when    Te   Deums 
would   he  more   suited   to  its   mood? 


To  be  sure,  the  newspapers  have 
limited  Mary  Pickford's  income  for 
the  current  picture  year  to  two  mil- 
lion dollars ;  but  a  frugal  person 
should  be  able  to  pull  through  on 
two  millions  a  year  by  avoiding  res- 
taurants in  the  White  Li^ht  districc. 
Again,  the  epidemic  of  influenza  has 
been  a  dreadful  thing,  but  you  must 
admit  that  it  saved  us  from  a  lot  of 
campaign  oratory.  Every  cloud, 
you  see,  has  its  silver  lining. 

*  *         * 

In  fact,  from  every  point  of  view 
the  silver  lining  overlaps  the  cloud. 
Even  a  world  war  is  seen  to  have 
its  compensations  when  you  stop  to 
think  how  completely  it  has  sup- 
pressed Bill  Bryan,  and  remember 
that  nothing  else  ever  did  that. 
And  if  Hoover  has  eliminated  flour 
and  shortening  and  sugar  from  the 
pie  of  commerce  until  in  its  present 
form  it  is  more  suitable  for  car 
wheels  than  for  table  use  there  still 
remains  the  comforting  reflection 
that  at  present  prices  we  can't  afford 
pie,  any  way. 

*  *         ** 

The  farther  you  go  the  more  un- 
mitigated our  blessings  appear.  The- 
atre ticket  speculators  have  beaten 
the  Kaiser  into  oblivion  by  a  neck. 
Chermun  ersatz  opera  hass  been 
spurlos  versenkt  alretty.  Sex  prob- 
lem plays  have  been  decently  in- 
terred in  chloride  of  lime — or  most 
of  them  have,  at  least,  and  the  rest 
will  be  attended  to  as  soon  as  the 
overworked  garbage  man  can  get 
around  to  them.  Recognizing  the 
tendencies  of  the  times  the  Fa- 
mous Players-Lasky  Corporation  has 
handed  down  a  ukase  putting  the 
double  cross  on  war  themes  for 
photoplays,  the  great  national  pas- 
time of  plutocrat  and  proletariat, 
not  to  mention  the  bourgeoisie  ab- 
horred of  Trotzky,  and  nailing  to 
the  mast  of  the  most  important 
producer  of  motion  pictures  the 
motto,  "Let  joy  be  unconfined." 

*  *        *• 

Speaking  of  photoplays  in  particu- 
lar, a  lot  of  water  has  flowed  under 
the  bridge  since  Wild  Bill  Hohen- 
zollern  led  the  Potsdam  gang  out 
for  world  dominion  or  downfall  and 
got  it.  Not  a  branch  of  the  New 
Art  but  has  been  uplifted  and  en- 
nobled. 

*  *        * 

Take  its  optical  aspect,  for  in- 
stance. When  the  camera  man  went 
out  into  a  low  temperature  for  win- 
ter scenes  before  the  war  his  steady- 


grinding  at  the  crank  as  lie  wound 
the  celluloid  through  velvet-faced 
slots  generated  static  electricity 
within  the  camera.  The  electricity 
in  such  cases  was  quiet  and  unob- 
trusive, giving  no  sign  of  its  pres- 
ence until  the  film  was  developed, 
when  it  would  be  found  to  lie- 
streaked  and  spattered  as  if  it  had 
been  traversed  by  a  lightning  bug  in 
the  last  stages  of  delirium  tremens. 
It  was  such  things  as  these  that 
caused  the  camera  man  to  backslide 
and  his  boss  to  bite  tenpenny  nails. 


But  now  that  science  has  pro- 
vided a  non-conducting  film  the 
camera  man  has  so  far  lived  down 
his  past  that  his  name  now  appears 
on  the  program  and  the  star  is  not 
ashamed  to  be  seen  conversing  with 
him — until  said  star  gets  a  look  at 
his  picture  in  the  projection  room. 

*  .*         * 

Again,  there  is  the  literary  side 
of  the  photoplay.  Time  was,  and 
not  so  very  long  ago  at  that,  when 
the  chief  National  industry  was 
writing  scenarios  for  motion  pic- 
tures. Every  person  capable  of 
signing  his  name  without  resorting 
to  a  cross  wrote  photoplays — you 
could  tell  that  that  was  what  they 
were,  because  the  author  always 
enclosed  a  written  confession  with 
his  crime.  But  since  war  indus- 
tries have  been  progressively  ab- 
sorbing the  Nation's  labor  there  has 
been  a  corresponding  decrease  in 
the  writing  of  photoplays.  One 
result  has  been  that  the  world's 
stock  of  paper,  which  was  getting 
dangerously  low,  is  once  more  in- 
creasing. At  the  same  time  the 
money  formerly  spent  for  postage 
both  ways  on  scenarios  has  been 
saved  and  has  thus  made  possible 
the  floating  of  the  six  billion  dollar 
Fourth  Liberty  Loan,  the  greatest 
single  financial  transaction  in  his- 
tory. And  not  only  that,  but  Me- 
Adoo  has  been  able  to  utilize  the 
rolling  stock  formerly  employed  in 
the  transportation  of  manuscripts 
in  hauling  munitions  to  the  sea- 
board. When  you  trace  these  things 
right  down  to  fundamentals  you 
can  see  what  a  vital  part  the 
scenario  writers  are  playing  in  win- 
ning the  war. 

*  *         * 

Pursuing  the  subject  of  literature 
still  further,  there  is  the  immemorial 
grievance  of  the  author  because  the 
scenario  editor  performs  plastic 
surgery  upon  the  former's  effusions. 
It  is  customary  to  submit  the  pro- 
duction as  presented  to  the  public 
as  circumstantial  evidence  in  behalf 
of  the  plaintiff ;  but  Oh,  do  not  thou 
forget,  however  darkly  stained  by 
sins  of  omission  or  commission  the 
finished  product  may  be,  you  never 
saw  the  scenario  in  its  original 
form.  Who,  therefore,  shall  say 


how  many  authors  today  are  able  &. 
hold  up  their  heads  as  niore»'>r  k-ss 
respected  members  of  the  com- 
munity because  some  intrepid  sce- 
nario editor  has  stood  between 
their  atrocities  and  the  just  9nst- 
quences  thereof?  If  these,. things 
were  only  understood  in  their  true1 
light  there  should  be  no  (iiffitHslry  in 
negotiating  an  armistice  between 
authors  and  editors,  or  even  pCace 
without  annexations  or  indemnities. 

*  *        *• 

And  if  only  the  President  could 
find  time  to  tell  Congress  what  it 
thought  about  the  matter  we  might 
have  a  law  making  it  justifiable 
homicide  for  an  editor  to  put  out 
of  her  misery  the  author  who  breaks 
into  the  corral  and  insists  on  talk- 
ing about  her  "brain  child"— 
"brain  child,"  mark  you.  Then,  my 
friends,  the  last  touch  of  perfection 
would  be  added  to  the  whole  field  of 
photoplay  literature. 

*  *         *• 

In  their  triumphal  progress  mo- 
tion pictures  have  won  "Some 
measure  of  official  recognition"  from 
no  less  a  personage  than  the  Presi- 
dent himself.  He  says  motion  pic- 
tures are  "an  increasingly  important 
factor  in  the  development  of  our 
National  life."  And  they  are. 


The  publisher  who  once  frothed  at 
the  mouth  with  one  hand  when  the 
Dorcas  Society  asked  for  a  two  line 
free  announcement  of  its  next  meet- 
ing, and  with  the  other  hand 
extended  two  pages  of  free  space  to 
baseball,  a  purely  commercial  enter- 
prise, now  sells  the  two  pages  at 
regular  rates  to  motion  picture  pro- 
ducers and  exhibitors.  With  this 
addition  to  his  income  the  publisher 
has  been  able  to  buy  a  new  automo- 
bile. And  he  can  ring  for  full  spee'i 
ahead  in  passing  his  own  bulletin 
board,  because  the  fairway  is  no 
longer  clogged  with  patriots  who 
pause  in  their  mad  career  for  half 
an  afternoon  to  follow  the  fortunes 
of  the  Giants  and  the  Cubs  and  the 
rest  of  the  menagerie  as  reported 
by  wire  to  an  anxious  world. 

*  *         #' 

These  faithful  citizens — or  such 
of  them  as  may  be  able  to  obtain 
passes — can  sit  in  comfortable  mo- 
tion picture  theatres,  instead  of 
standing  in  hot  dusty  streets,  to 
obtain  the  recreation  which  Secre- 
tary McAdoo  says  is  so  essential  to 
those  who  are  working  at  high 
pressure  to  win  the  war. 

*  *        * 

Herein  lies  a  moral.  Observe  that 
baseball,  which  never  paid  an  adver- 
tising bill,  had  to  shut  up  shop  and 
go  to  work  or  fight;  while  motion 
pictures,,  which  squandered  most  of 
the  gross  receipts  on  advertising,  has 
been  declared  by  the  highest  Gov- 


ernment authority  to  l>e-  a  necessary 
nl  life.  Producers  of  motion  pic- 
tures not  only  have  not  been  asked 
to  close  down,  l;i:t,  o;i  the-  contrary, 
have  had  a  hand-picked  assortment 
of  actors  and  extras  set  aside  by 
the  Government  itself  in  order  thai 
they  might  continue  operations  un- 
hindered. 


It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  say  that 
the  Government's  sentiments  are 
reciprocated.  The  motion  picture 
industry  subscribed  for  approxi- 
mately twenty-five  million  dollars  in 
bojjds  of  the  first  three  loans  and 
through  the  ((Torts  of  motion  pic- 
ture artists,  who  toured  the  country 
tcj  make  adilr>  scs  and  of  local  ex- 
hibitors who  freely  lent  the  aid  of 
their  tli£atres,  added  another  hun- 
dred millions.  Besides  this  the  in- 
<l  stfy  raised  twenty-six  million 
dollars  for  the  Red  Cross  up  to  July 
Iqst;  it  exhibited  scores  of  thou- 
sands of  slides  'and  short  reels  for 
1'food  conservation,  for  recruiting 
"  labor  for  war  industries  and  various 
other  government  activities  and  pro- 
vided eighteen  thousand  forums 
from  wUich  the  Four  Minute  Men 
nightly  made  addresses  that  were  of 
•  .calculable  value  in  disseminating 
the  propaganda  th:u  ,  ..  <'  nited 
sentiment— '--Hind  tlie  Natiorrs  .  a> 
pose  to  cryy  the  war  on  to  com- 
plete victory". 


Such    an     important     factor     was 
•  the   motion   picture   industry    in   the 
first   three  loans   that   in   the   fourth 
it  was  called  upon  for  still  greater 
exertions.      For     example,     W.      S. 
Hart,  the  Artcraft  star,  who  is  bet- 
ter known  to  millions  of  his  fellow 
,.. 'citizens  than  General   Pershing,  was 
called  to  the  East,  where  he  labored 
-incessantly     throughout     the     drive. 
Douglas   Fairbanks   also   came   East, 
.and   by  flying   from    Washington   to 
New  York  and  back  again  raised  bc- 
twedn  six  and   seven  million  dollars 
for  th,i  loan. 


Doug.'s  press  agent  was  inspired 
by  this  achievement  to  announce 
that  his .  boss  was  getting  flighty. 
The  press  "-agent  thought  out  this 
bon  mot  all  by  himself.  The  key 
furnished  by  the  press  agent  ex- 
plains that  this  is  a  play  o->  words. 
The  adjective  "flighty"  as  ':c.-e 
used  by  the  press  agent  is  derived 
from  the  noun  "flight,"  the  name  of 
the  action  taken  by  Doug,  in  travel- 
ing by  aeroplane,  although  that  Is 
not  exactly  the  definition  usually  as- 
sociated with  the  adjective  "flighty" 
aforesaid.  But,  as  the  press  agent 
fully  explains,  elucidating  by  aid  of 
diagrams,  that's  juct  it.  The  mot 
becomes  bon  through  the  unexpected 
double  entendre — sort  of  sweeps  you 
off  your  feet,  as  it  were,  by  its 
reversible  cleverness,  so  to  speak. 


[380] 


LILLIAN  WALKER 

In  the  Second  of  the  Series 
of  Eight  "Happy"  Pictures 

An  adaptation  cf  the  widely  read  novel 

"FFkAN" 

By  John  Deckcmidge  Ellis 
Directed  ty  William  P.  S.  Earle 

A  sunny,  human  picture  of  a  little  girl 
who  had  a  great  longing  for  home  and 
love — a  heart  drama,  typical  in  the 
freshness  of  its  appeal  and  the  fascina-, 
tion  of  its  plot,  of  the  entire  series  of 
Lillian  Walker  productions. 

Released  thru  the  \V .  W.  Hodfcnson  Corp. 


I 


[300] 


Tliealrt  Magoiine,  December,  191! 


• 


Hetty  Bl)  the  of  the  Vita- 
graph  for  whom  many 
have  predicted  stardom 
will  i  in  the  next  year 


Viola    Dana,   film    favorite,   one    of    the 
shining  lights  of  the  Metro  programme 


Roxana    McGowan,   Mack    Scnnctt    star 


:RILO  GOES  TO  THE   MOVIES 


a  prologue  and  an  epilogue,  and 
starting  with  the  days  of  Adam  and 
"ve  goes  right  through  history 
showing  'ip  the  fairer  sex  in  a  start- 
ling and  most  unique  way.  The  fin- 
ish sort  of  atones  for  the  beginning 
of  woman's 


SIR  AX  1)  HIE.  E.  Edith 
Cavell  in  "Tun  \\ CMAN  THE  GER- 
MANS SHOT,"  with  Julia  '  rthi-r. 
Plunkitt  and  Carroll  present  the 
story  of  Edith  Cavell  the  woman  the 
Germans  shot  with  Julia  Arthur  as 

Miss  Cavell.  The  story  has  beffi*-*.'  making  the  best 
picturized  by  Anthony  Paul  Kerry  acrivity  in  war  work, 
and  directed  by  John  G.  Adolphi. 

The  soul-stirring  story  of  the  mur-  RIVOLI.  "SAFE  FOR  DEMOCRACY, 
der  of  Nurse  Edith  Cavell  by.0h.e-.  with  Mitcilel  Lewis.  J.  Stuart  Black- 
Huns  has  been  faithfully  and  force-" <"«h  presents  "Safe  for  Democracy," 
fully  depicted  with  an  excellent  cast  a  propaganda  picture  based  on  the 
and  with  more  than  the  usual  amount^ork  or  fight  order  of  General 
of  attention  paid  to  detail.  This  pic?*E*ewder.  There  is  nothing  partic- 
ture  brings  to  the  screen  for'^eAlarly  new  or  exciting 
first  time  Miss  Julia  Arthur,  wF  feature  and  Mitchel  Lewis, 


about    this 
really 


acquits  herself  creditably  although 
bit  camera  shy  in  the  early  part 
the  film.     The  finish  of  the  ; 
had   almost   everyone   in   tears,   arii 
leaves  one  filled   with   righteous   in- 
dignation   against    the    nation    that 
countenances  the  murder  of  wornot 
under  the  guise  of  Kultur. 
*        *        * 

RIVOLI.  "WOMAN,",  directed  by 
Maurice  Tourneur.  "Wtman"  has 
been  directed  and  produced  by 
Maurice  Tourneur  which  in  itself 
means  that  the  motion  picture  TSti 
will  at  least  see  a  well  produced 
picture.  "Woman'1  is  no  exception 
to  the  foregoing  and  from  the  artis-  ; 
tic  standpoint  is  all  that  can  be  asked. 
But  the  story,  which  by  the  way,  is 
by  Charles  Whittaker  makes  an  aw- 
ful mess  of  lovely  woman,  and  al- 
most leads  one  to  believe  that  di- 
rector Tourneur  has  little  or  no  use 
for  the  gentler  sex  and  t£ 
method  of  getting  it  c..l  oT  hi  .,.,- 
tern.  The  story  is  in  five  episodes. 


a  good  actor  who  is  best  remembered 
for  his  portrayal  of  the  half-treed 
type,  has  appeared  to  much  better 
advantage  due  perhaps  to  the  fact 
that  he  has  little  or  nothing  to  do. 
The  picture  is  a  bit  jumpy  at  times 
but  the  -continuity  improves  as  the 
'^picture  progresses.  There  is  con- 
siderable action  and  some  exceed- 
irtj^y  light  comedy,  but  as  a  whole 
''Safe  for  Democracy"  can  hardly 
be  called  good  entertainment. 
*  *  * 

BROADWAY  THEATRE.  "MAR- 
AGE,"      with      Catherine      Calvert. 
Marriage"  is  an  old  theme  rehashed 
>n  an  old  way  with  Catherine  Calvert 
as  the  sorely  tried  wife  of  an  easy 
living    husband    who    is!    financially 
ruined  and  as  a  climax  must  go  to 
Paris  to   save   his  eyesight.     Friend 
wife   in    the   meantime   tries   to    re- 
coup the  family  exchequer  by  cheat- 
:««•  ot  cards.     Piffle  and  more  of  it. 
-  ,sand  a  good  director  in 
on     of     James     Kirkwood 


wasted  on  the  trashiest  kind  of  a 
story.  There  are  good  possibilities 
in  Catherine  Calvert  but  Frank 
Keeney  should  be  politely  but  firmly 
told  that  in  producing  pictures  a 
good  story  is  the  first  essential. 

*  *        * 

STRAND  THEATRE.  "THE 
MASTER  MYSTERY,"  with  Houdini. 
The  first  four  episodes  of  "The 
.Master  '  Mystery,"  the  new  B.  S. 
Rolfe  serial  featuring  Houdini  were 
shown  to  an  especially  invittd  audi- 
ence at  the  Strand  Theatre  the  early 
part  of  the  month.  Like  all  serials 
there  are  thrills  galore  but  Houdini 
makes  thtm  even  thrillier  if  possible. 
Yet  one  cannot  help  but  think  that 
thanks  to  trick  photography  Hou- 
dini's  powers  are  discounted.  How- 
ever, there  is  no  doubt  that  the  box- 
office  value  of  Houdini's  name  will 
put  the  serial  over  financially.  The 
story  is  by  Arthur  B.  Reeve  and 
Charles  A.  Logue  and  is  just  the 
sort  of  story  one  would  expect  from 
two  such  capable  writers.  In  ad- 
dition to  Houdini  we  have  Mar- 
guerite Marsh,  Ruth  Stonehouse  and 
Floyd  Buckley  all  of  whom  are 
worthy  of  mention. 

*  *         * 

BROADWAY.  "SUSPICION,"  with 
Grace  Davison.  I  wonder  if  the 
audience  at  the  Broadway  had  any 
idea  of  what  they  were  letting  them- 
selves in  for  when  they  bought  their 
tickets.  "Suspicion"  is  so  poor  that 
I  refuse  to  waste  further  space  upon 
it.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  Grace 
Davison,  the  girl  that  plays  the  lead, 
comes  close  to  wrecking  what  other- 
wise might  have  been  the  stepping 


stone  to  a  promising  career  by  her 
appearance  in  such  truck  as  "Sus- 
picion." 

*  *        * 

RIVOLI.  "A  ROMANCE  OF  THE 
AIR,"  with  Lieut.  Bert  Hall  and 
Editli  Day.  "A  Romance  of  the 
Air,"  was  suggested  by  Lieut.  Hall's 
book,  En  I'Air.  The  Lieut,  and 
Edith  Day  are  featured  in  the  pic- 
ture which  tells  of  an  aviator's  ex- 
periences in  the  early  part  of  the 
war.  Lieut.  Hall  seems  a  born  actor, 
whereas  Edith  Day  who  should 
know  better,  overacts.  As  war  pic- 
tures go,  "A  Romance  of  the  Air," 
is  above  the  average.  It  neither 
bores  or  tires  one  which  is  due  to 
the  delicate  handling  of  the  produc- 
tion. 

*  *         * 

STRAND.  "LITTLE  WOMEN,"  di- 
rected by  Harley  Knowles.  William 
A.  Brady's  film  production  of  Louisa 
M.  Alcott's  world  renowned  story, 
"Little  Women,"  is  a  screen  classic. 
The  production  of  pictures  such  as 
"Little  Women"  do  much  to  uplift 
the  dignity  of  the  screen,  and  proves 
an  old  contention  of  mine  that  clean, 
wholesome  entertainmdnt  always: 
does  find  favor  wherever  right- 
minded  people  congregate.  The  Al- 
cott  Memorial  Committee  permitted 
most  of  the  scenes  of  the  picture 
to  be  made  in  and  around  the  home 
of  the  author,  thereby  imparting  a 
true  sense  of  New  England  atmos- 
phere. Little  or  no  fault  can  be 
found  with  the  acting,  and  with  the 
exception  of  several  unnecessary 
titles  this  picture  will  stand  the  test 
of  any  criticism. 


UNWINDING  THE  REEL 


William  J.  Shea,  56  years  old 
oldest  moving  picture  actor  in  (, 
country  in  years  of  service,  and  the 
first  comedian  of  the  Vitagraph 
Company,  died  suddenly  of  heart 

disease,  at  his  Brooklyn  resicJjlSg 

*  *        * 

,     ^ 
William  Duncan,  director  and  star 

of  Vitagraph  serials,  is  back  attlhe 
Hollywood  studio  after  a  short  trfp. 
to  New  York,  where  he  visited  rel- 
atives and  met  **  ;  officials  of  fhe 
Vitagraph  comp.T  "Rill,"  says 
New  York  is  E"  '  tght,  but  it  is  still 
far  from  finis'-.^cf. 

*  *        * 

The  -vw  laboratory  which  is  be- 
ing built  at  the  Vitagraph  studio  in 
Hollywood  is  now  almost  completed, 
and  it  will  be  one  of  the  finest  on 
the  coast.  It  will  be  fully  equipped 
for  printing  on  a  large  scale  and 
soon  will  be  in  operation. 

*  *        * 

Earle  Williams  is  back  at  the  Hol- 
lywood studio.  Mr.  Williams  went 
East  to  make  one  feature  and  was 
to  have  returned  here  upon  its  com- 
pletion, but  a  change  in  plans  re- 
sulted in  his  going  back  after  a 
few  weeks  spent  in  New  York  and 


is   now   preparing  to   start  work 
M  .tew    feature. 


fWhen  Bessie  Love's  first  Vita- 
graph  Blue  Ribbon  feature  "The 
Dawn  of  Understanding,"  is  re- 
leased, J.  Frank  Glendon  will  be 
seen  playing  opposite  to  her.  Mr. 
Glendon  was  one  of  the  featured 
stars  in  the  successful  Vitagraph 
serial,  "The  Woman  in  the  Web," 
Hedde  Nova  being  the  other  star. 
*  *  * 

The  National  Film  Corporation  of 
America  has  signed  a  contract  with 
Henry  B.  Walthall  for  the  exclusive 
services  of  the  star  for  an  extended 
period.  The  definite  signing  of  Mr. 
Walthall  follows  close  upon  the 
deal  by  which  the  Robertson-Cole 
Company  takes  over  the  National 
Film  Corporation  interests,  handling 
for  the  world  the  eight  Billie 
Rhodes  pictures,  as  also  the  forth- 
coming series  of  Walthall  dramas. 

According  to  present  plans  Walt- 
hall  will  make  eight  pictures  during 
the  next  twelve  months.  Williani 
Parsons,  general  manager  and 
treasurer  of  the  National  Film  Cor- 
poration, announces  that  Mr.  Walt- 


hall  will  receive  the  highest  salary 
of  any  individual  male  star  in  the 
motion  picture  worid.  Several  stars 
may  receive  greater  remuneration 
through  the  fact  that  they  own  their 
own  producing  organizations,  but 
Mr.  Wailthall  will  take  first  place 
among  salaried  stars,  declares  Mr. 
Parsons. 

The  star  has  just  scored  a  hit  in 
the  spoken  drama,  "The  Awaken- 
ing," at  the  Criterion  Theatre  in 
New  York.  Mr.  Walthall  will  return 
immediately  to  the  National  Coast 
studios  to  begin  work  on  his  first 
feature  of  the  series'. 

Few  stars  in  the  screen  world 
are  better  known  than  Walthall.  He 
came  to  the  front  in  the  famous  old 
Biograph  days,  when  David  Griffith 
was  laying  the  foundation  of  the 
modern  photoplay.  Back  in  those 
pioneer  and  developing  days  of  Mary 
Pickford,  Mae  Marsh,  the  Gishs, 
Blanche  Sweet  and  others,  Walthall 
was  one  of  the  biggest  Biograph 
favorites. 

Walthall  scored  one  of  his  first 
big  hits  in  "Judith  of  Bethulia,"  the 
first  American  feature  production, 
and  he  followed  it  with  his  famous 


[392] 


depiction  of  the  little  colonel  in  that 
screen  classic,  "The  Birth  of  a  Na- 
tion." 

After  leaving  Griffith,  Walthall 
joined  the  Essanay  forces  and  later 
starred  with  Paralta.  Only  recent- 
ly he  returned  temporarily  to  the 
Griffith  fold,  appearing  with  striking 
success  in  "The  Great  Love."  Then 
Walthall  came  East  to  rejoin  his 
first  love,  the  spoken  drama. 
*  *  * 

Marjorie  Rambeau,  the  theatrical 
star  at  present  appearing  in 
"Where  Poppies  Bloom,"  at  the  Re- 
public Theatre,  has  joined  the  list 
of  players  who  share  their  theatrical 
accomplishments  with  the  screen. 

Miss  Rambeau's  screen  work  will 
not  interfere  with  her  theatrical  en- 
gagement and  she  will  continue  to 
appear  at  the  Republic  Theatre.  She 
has  entered  upon  her  film  duties,  and 
her  initial  offering  is  a  story  by-  a 
famous  author. 

Miss  Rambeau  says  that  she  is 
more  than  eager  to  come  under  Mr. 
Revier's  film  direction,  as  it  will 
renew  a  professional  association  of 
more  than  half  a  dozen  years  ago 
on  the  Western  coast. 

(.Concluded  on  page  394) 


7  A.- 


t. Dicember, 


Gloria  Joy,  seven  years  old, 
heading  her  own  company  as 
star  of  Mission  Productions 


Campbell 

Bryant  Washburn  who  will  shortly 
appear   in    "Venus    in   the    East" 


Witttt 


Herbert  Heyes  now  appearing 
as  leading  man  for  Helen  Keller 


Evani 


Claire  Du  Brey  a  west  coast  favorite,  who  is  becoming  popular  in  the  east 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  IN  PICTURES 


THE    remarkable    sto.       "f    the 
Salvation  Army,  both  in  war 
and    peace,    is    about    to    be 
screened    for   the   further   enlighten- 
ment of  these  civilized  nations.     Al- 
though the  Salvation  Army  was  estab- 


©  Ira  L.  Hill 

COMMANDER  EVANGELINE  BOOTH 

lished  over  fifty  years  ago,  it  is  now 
flourishing  in  sixty-one  countries  on 
this  earth,  and  its  marvelous  story 
of  sacrifice  and  devotion  to  the 
cause  of  humanity  has  never  before 
been  screened.  Upon  this  occasion, 
the  tremendous  sentiment  which 
sprang  up  in  the  hearts  of  '  merican 
soldiers  and  sailors  "  itr.iii  the  last 


year  in  behalf  of  the  Salvation 
Army  for  its  practical  and  effective 
worl4taMI£he  fr,ont,  inspired  the 
Famous  Players^Fsky  Corporation 
to  investigafe-ariU  finally  to  order  a 
sto#Jj"^Iu«n7  which  has  been 
months  hWourse  of  preparation. 

The  storyWids  its  basis  in  histor- 
ical truth,  an«.5in  recently  developed 
facts. .jdkp1  reveal  the  Salvation 
Arrayaa^perhaps  the  most  popular 
war  work*organization  of  which  the 
Americaa^  troops  have  any  knowl- 
,•  '  ,  mnl  a-  a  ii"'K  'H*  sun-tilled  men 
ancfsyomen,  who  actually  serve  with- 
ouT*selfish  views  or  considerations, 
to  the  end  that  life  may  be  made 
hi  ppier  for  those  upon  this  earth,  and 
that  a  firm  hope  in  life  hereafter 
nay  he  cherished  and  depended 

<   'on   by    all. 

*  *         * 

''he  story  of  the  Salvation  Army 
i;.  >eace  is  scarcely  less  thrilling 
and  ispiring  than  the  story  of  the 
Salvati.  n  Army  in  war,  and  both 
of  thesV  phases  have  been  covered 
hy  the  Famous  Players-Lasky  Cor- 
pora.. <n,  now  about  to  make  the 
picture.  Every  word  of  the  script 
has  •b-'en  read  to  Commander  Evan- 
gelinj  Booth,  the  forceful,  intelli- 
gent woman  who  leads  this  greM 
army  for  peace  in  America,  and 
who'  shares  in  the  belief  that  the 
public  should  be  given  an  opportuni- 
ty fo  know  more  of  the  Salvation 
Army's  actual  operations  and  affairs. 

*  *         * 

The  Salvation  Army,  as  such,  will 


not  appear  in  this,  o.  any  other 
motion  picture  in  the  capacity  of 
actors  and  actresses,  but  will  be 
filmed  in  connection  with  the  story 
as  they  pursue  their  ordinary  daily 
functions,  both  at  the  front  in 
France,  in  their  scores  of  institu- 
tions for  mercy  in  the  United  States, 
in  the  slums,  the  tenements  and 
wherever  misery,  hardship  and  pri- 
vation, either  in  the  young  or  the 
old,  exist. 

It  has  not  been  generally  known 
that  the  Salvation  Army  was  the 
first  to  establish  war  work  huts, 
having  gone  through  this  entire  ex- 
perience in  the  Boer  War,  many 
years  ago.  When  Germany  made 
her  first  vicious  thrust  at  the  throat 
of  little  Belgium,  and  the  British 
troops  moved  in  within  twelve  days, 
to  fight  the  battles  of  righteousness 
and  justice,  the  Salvation  Army  of 
England  was  on  the  job  at  the  side 
of  the  troops.  From  that  day  to 
this  the  far-flung  battle  line  of  the 
Allies  has  known  the  uplifting  and 
useful  influence  and  exertions  of  the 
Salvation  Army.  When  the  United 
States  entered  the  struggle  a  year 
ago,  Commander  Evangeline  Booth 
had  workers  in  France  at  the  head 
of  the  American  troops,  and  their 
work  from  that  moment  until  the 
present  hour,  has  carved  a  niche 
for  them  in  the  heart  of  every  sol- 
dier and  sailor  in  the  American 
service.  Practically  without  funds, 
but  with  stout  hearts  and  a  will- 
ingness tn  give  up  life  itself,  if  nec- 


essary, to  help  the  troops  on  the 
common-sense  basis,  the  Salvation 
Army  has  been  serving  the  soldiers 
of  the  Allies  faithfully  and  efficient- 
ly, and  as  a  result  has  brought 
about  a  better  understanding  of  its 

work  with  the  world  at  large. 

*        *        * 

No  longer  will  the  little  band 
around  the  corner  be  scoffed  at,  or 
the  motives  of  this  great  organiza- 
tion, which  has  a  hard-working 
corps  in  eight  hundred  and  thirty 
cities  of  the  United  States,  be  ques- 
tioned. 

The  great  and  very  powerful 
force  at  the  head  of  all  this  useful 
work  in  America  is  Evangeline 
Booth,  daughter  of  the  distin- 
guished founder  of  the  Salvation 
Army,  who  died  some  years  ago. 
She  is  surrounded  by  a  staff  of 
capable  executives  and  the  work  of 
her  wonderful  organization  is  han- 
dled for  the  west  by  her  chief  as- 
sistant in  America,  Commissioner 
Thomas  Estill,  whose  headquarters 
are  in  Chicago.  Commander  Booth 
will  appear  in  this  film  as  she  dis- 
charges her  regular,  every  day 
duties  and  the  Famous  Players- 
Lasky  Corporation  will  film  this 
story  with  the  due  reverence  and 
profound  respect  the  subject  calls 
for.  It  is  said  the  story  is  of  tre- 
mendous force  and  is  bound  to  be  a 
potent  factor  in  helping  the  public 
to  think  better,  live  better,  hope 
better,  and,  therefore,  fare  better 
while  on  this  unhappy  earth. 


Mr.  Revier  heretofore  has  been 
associated,  as  director,  with  Cecil  De 
Mille,  Edmund  Breese,  Irene  Fen- 
wick,  Olga  Petrova  and  ^"Jiar 
Walker. 

*        *         * 

The    Affiliated    Film,  CorjugtT^ 
has  acquired  the  financial  and  i.. 
aging    control    of    the    Mutual    Fjjj. 
Corporation 

Announcem 
A.  Brink,  WiHggP'lilWlc"Jand  H. 
C.  Cornelius,,  £>  tlius  take  posses- 
sion fur  their  -ives  and  for  the  ex- 
hibit- JHTthey  represent  of  the 
twenty-nine  branch  offices  of  the 
principal  cities  of  the  United  States. 

Messrs.  Clark,  Brink  and  Corne- 
lius are  exhibitors  in  Grand  Rapids. 
Mich.,  which  city  is  the  headquarters 
of  the  Affiliated  Distributors'  Cor- 
poration. The  Affiliated  Distributors' 
Corporation  is  operated  upon  a  di- 
rect from  producer  to  exhibitor  co- 
operative plan,  the  distribution  be- 
ing made  through  five  unit  corpora- 
tions exclusively  owned  and  con- 
trolled by  exhibitors. 

James  M.  Sheldon,  president  of 
the  Mutual  Film  Company,  will  re- 


NWINDING  THE  REEL 


(Continued   from   page   393) 


-  position  as  chairman  of  tho 
«f  directors  and  act  in  an  ad- 
iscSy  capacity  to  the  Affiliated  Com- 
pany.     A.    S.    Kirkpatrick,    assistant 
•   general  manager,  will,  as  heretofore, 
"\  maintain     supervision     and     control 
,^pver  all  the  branches  of  the  Mutual. 
'3>be     present     organization     of     the 
Fjjuutual  will  be  retained  intact. 

The  officers  of  the  new  organiza- 
tion are:  President,  William  J. 
Clark;  vice-president  and  general 
manager,  H.  A.  Brink;  chairman  of 
the  board  of  directors,  James  M. 
Sheldon ;  secretary,  H.  C.  Cornelius ; 
treasurer,  Paul  H.  Davis;  assistant 
general  manager,  A.  S.  Kirkpatrick : 
auditor,  Hugh  Davis,  and  general 
counsel,  Charles  C.  Pettijohn.  In 
addition,  there  will  be  appointed  an 
advisory  board  of  exhibitors  from 
different  sections  of  the  country. 

The  first  film  to  be  handled  under 
the  new  organization  will  be  "La- 
fayette, We  Come." 

*        *        * 

The  K.  W.  S.  Distributing  Com- 
pany, Inc.,  of  New  York  City,  an- 
nounces that  it  is  producing  a  se- 
ries of  films  under  the  title  of 


"Ilealthograms,"  each  one  giving 
some  hygienic  advice  calculated  to 
benefit  humanity. 

It  is  stated  that  these  health  hints 
will  be  based  on  information  sup- 
plied by  prominent  physicians,  but 
that  the  health  aids  are  portrayed  in 
pictures  which  are  given  rather  a 
humorous  turn  so  that  they  may 
amuse  as  well  as  give  valuable  ad- 
vice. 

These  Healthograms  are  to  be  re- 
leased as  "four-minute  reels"  in  the 
very  near  future,  according  to  the 
K.  W.  S.  Company. 

*        *         * 

When  Broadway  Star  Features 
offer  their  new  releases  of  O.  Henry 
Stories  it  will  be  found  that  the 
subjects  ready  for  the  exhibitor  are 
well  ahead  of  schedule,  as  the  di- 
rectors had  been  gaining  at  the  time 
production  was  temporarily  sus- 
pended at  all  studios. 

Two  of  the  stories  that  may  be 
expected  are  "The  Ghost  of  a 
Chance"  and  "Buried  Treasure," 
with  Agnes  Ayres  and  Edward 
Earle  in  the  leading  roles,  direction 
by  Kenneth  Webb. 


"America's  Answer,"  the  U.  S. 
Official  War  Picture  issued  by  the 
Division  of  Films,  of  the  Committee 
on  Public  Information,  is  not  the 
ordinary  press-agented  film-play.  It 
is  a  chapter  of  the  great  drama  of 
the  war,  registered  by  U.  S.  Signal 
Corps  photographers,  by  direction 
of  General  John  J.  Pershing.  It  is 
partly  a  Government  enterprise.  No 
individual  has  any  profit  interest  in 
the  production. 

The  picture  has  been  made  and 
it  is  presented  for  public  consid- 
eration, not  to  make  money — al- 
though it  must  necessarily  pro- 
duce a  revenue  in  order  to  meet 
the  expenses  involved — but  in  order 
to  show  the  millions  of  contributors 
to  the  several  Liberty  Loans,  the 
purchasers  of  Thrift  and  War 
Stamps,  Taxpayers,  and  those  who 
have  so  generously  given  in  other 
ways  for  the  needs  of  the  war,  just 
how  the  great  sums  have  been  ex- 
pended and  what,  in  a  physical  way, 
has  been  accomplished  in  France 
during  the  first  year  of  America's 
participation  in  the  struggle  for 
Democracy. 


;394] 


MagaMine,  December, 


Irene  Castle  as  France, 
and  Effie  Shannon  as 
Belgium  in  the  allegor- 
ical prologue  of  the 
forthcoming  war  film, 
"The  Common  Cause" 


Frances    Burnham,    who    plays 
leads    opposite    George    Walsh 


Two  little  patriots,  Charles 
Stuart  and  Violet  Blackton, 
children  of  Commodore  and 
Mrs.  Stuart  Blackton,  film 
producers 


Madaline  Traverse,  whose  work  as  star 
in  "The  Caillaux  Case"  has  been  favor- 
ably  commented    upon 


iniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii 


uuiinu uuiiiiimiimiiumiiuuiiuu 


lulM,lllim,,,,,,i, nmmiinuummmiim.MmiHmiiiuuiimiiuuiuuiliilUlllWiiimilimiimillluillWllwiim IIIMMIIIIIIIII| 


The  Theatre 
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[396] 


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Theatre  Magazine,  December,  /?. 


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The  Greatest  Song  of  All- 


Roses  of  Picardy 

Word,  by  FRED.  E.  WEATHERLY  —  Music  by  HAYDN  WOOD 

Featured  by  Midi  eminent  artists  as  Re:  Vrrrenrath,  Charle« 

llarri  ,011  an  I 


A  Song  of  "Picardy"    '^,,  „.;.,•?' l^y^W^/-™*?, 

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W<Hd*  .  . 
R.WKATHEK- 


Mutk  l.r 
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lltit  there's  c        .AC  that  rife*  not  in  I'icarcljr! 
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[400] 

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RIVERSIDE    PRESS,    NEW    YORK 


BINDING  SECT.  OCT  24  1968 


PN 
2000 
T5 
v.28 


Theatre  magazine 


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