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I
GEORGE AEVINE
Heading the New Arvine Stock
Company at the American
Theatre
"AND THE LAST
SHALL BE FIRST"
The Idea of Turning a. Play
Backward Caused Cohan
& Harris Thought
"In wrlUmr 'On Trial I came on the
Idea of writing a. play backward." Bays
Mr. Relzensteln, author of the play
coralnc to the Gorrick. 'What I wanted
to do, not only lor the novelty or
the thine, but as training in the tech
nique of playwrlUng, was to make the
last act the further off than the first, and
so reverse the usual process by which a
play is written. I did that. The result,
however, was not satisfactory.
"It was then that the idea of the trial
appealed to me as a sort of a frame for
the scenes, a link, as it were, to connect
those scenes which were so separated in
point of time. My scheme had been to
show the. courtroom only in the first
scene and the last. I meant to have a
dark stage witli the voices of the law
yers and witnesses. My reason for not
visualizing the courtroom was the diffi
culty of making the quick chances. Ar
thur Hopkins, who had read the play and
had confidence in it, Invented the me
chanical process of which the quick
changes are made.
"When the play had been submitted to
Cohan and Harris and Mr. Hopkins, there
seemed to be no objection to the Idea of
the play beginning with what would or
dinarily have been the last act and mov
ing along to the first act. which was in
the place that the first act should have
been with the separating scenes in the
courtroom. But I had written this play
with an altogether different plot from
that which is now used. There was a
murder, and a trial, of course, was shown.
But the scene was In tlifKcntucky moun
tains, and there wai a feud. But the
brother who was not Involved In the feud
was killed, and it was a mystery of ex
plaining this that made the play.
"But my managers did not think that
there was any 'punch' in that story. They
wanted another murder and another trial.
So in six days I wrote 'On Trial' as it is
being played now. Of course that allowed
me a very little chance for characteriza
tion. I do object to the charge that the
language Is ignorant I did not try to
write fine language, but to make it col
loquial and characteristic of the speakers."'
national fame. It was In 1SSS that he
leaped into celebrity by bis portrayal of
Her von Moser. In "The Strange Adven
tures of Miss Brown." On the heels of
that big success he simply took the
country by storm with the grotesque ac
centricltlcs of his Hans von Spoofen
burgh, in "The Girl From Paris." Then
came Nix, the Inspector of "Vires," in
"The Telephone Girl." Hans' saying
"It's to laugh" became the motto of
Louis Mann, and it was to laugh with
"laughter holding both Its sides," when
ever -Mr. Mann appeared In a "broken
German" dialect twisting role, or in a
French role, such as Lcbardi, in "The
Girl in the Barracks," or Jean Poujol,
in "Julia Bonbon."
As one reviews these characters one
sees how remarkably different they all
were. Von Moser, the meek, much suf
fering music teacher; Hans, the stolid,
stupid spa innkeeper; Nix, the conceited,
rumtious telephone inspector; Hochstuhl,
the explosive, impusive, but lovable old
school director in "All on Account of
Eliza." Lcbardi was the suave-fashioned
chocolate millionaire, while Poujol was
the gay. brutal type of boulevardler. Mr.
Mann has since these days given us
such other allied roles as his Heinsle
Blindier In "The White Hen," and his
lioch dcr Counaul in the Nirdlineer
comedy. But he has achieved, as well,
such deeply humanized roles as his Goot
Xned PHttersdorf In "The Cheater" and
bis John Krauss in 'The Man Who Stood
Still" (the New Generation). A youthful
and romantic rolo was that of von Wal
den In "The Second Fiddle," and he
played a deeply pathetic part in "Mas
ter and PupIL" The Boer dialect and
character was mastered by him in hi3
part of Oom Pcit Prinsloo In Paul Pot
ter's South African war play, "The Red
Kloof." Mr. Mann even astonished anew
those many admirers of his who thought
they had come to realize his gamut by
appearing in "Elevating a Husband" in
Uie character of a young New York
"hick," Charles Sample, a five-cent store
merchant, with a warm heart but after
cold cash.
Mr. Mann began his dramatic career at
the age of 3 in the new Stadt Theatre,
New York city, his birthplace. The new
Stadt is opposite the Old Bowery. There
the little Louis began in German drama.
Going to the Pacific coast, he appeared
in Juvenile roles In the Barrctt-McCul-lough
company, in San Francisco. He
played in "Othello" and "The Gladiator"
with Salvini, Louis Morrison and Marie
Prcscott. He was la original cast of
Oscar Wilde's first play, "Vera, the Nihi
list," when it was given its first Amer
ican production at the Union Square The
atre, New vorK, away DacK in August.
1883. With Daniel Bandman, he acted in
"Doctor Jckyll and Mr. Hyde." He was
In the famous "Incog" cast, in 1S32, along
with Robert Edeson. Harry Davenport,
Charles Dickson and Ellen Bur. Clara
Lipmann was also in that cast and be
came his wife. Mr. Mann's picturesquely
variegated career has even included bur
lesque. In 1S95 he convulsed all New York
city by his burlesque Svengal, in "The
Merry Whirl," at the New York Casino,
and he was one of the noted members of
old Weber-Fields aggregation.
With Louis Mann, in "The Bubble."
which is his latest and greatest success,
will be found the original cast, which
comprises Laura Walker, Auguste Ber
mester. George Wellington and Ivan Mil
ler, all of whom have been associated
with Mr. Mann In bis previous successes
of the past.
the popular actress was told that If she
dared to bestow of her art for the
screen her contract with the Frohman
syndicate would be automatically an
nulled. But Billle Burke was not to be stayed
by such threats. Had Charles Frohman
lived she would have not only consulted
him, but would have abided by his de
cision. Charles Frohman did not have
contracts with his stars, but when Miss
Burke became Mrs. Zlegfield a contract
was deemed a necessity.
Miss Burke argued that If her hus
band and future manager believed that
the Ince offer of $10,000 for about a
month's work before the camera should
be accepted, there was no reason why
the Frohman Intcreits should object.
Zicgfleld gave his consent only when he
was assured that the film entourage
would add Immeasurably to Miss Burke's
vogue, on stage and screen alike, and,
as he is to direct her future stage career,
he is expecting that a new public created
from the millions who will sec his wife
on the screen, will later flock to the
box office of the 'Playhouses when she
resumes her conquest of the speaking
stage.
A MANN OF MANY
PARTS, COMIC OR SERIOUS
Continued from rare On
tle spear up." In fact, Mr. Mann has
many delightful memories of Booth and
Barrett and Salvini, which he loves to
relate to newspaper and clubmen In some
of his happy dramatic talks before them.
Deep down In his heart he even now
nurses the fond.ambltlon one day to play
Shylock. Of course, the first thing that
occurs to one's mind in connection with
this actor's achievements is to consider
his inimitable "broken-German" comedy
roles, which gave him bis first great
INCE, MOVIE MAGICIAN,
BY ONE WHO KNOWS
Continued from Pace One
did at the outset. The same is true of
George Beban, and you could not entice
Bcban away from Inceville. Both Hart
and Bcban have scored sensationally
under Ince.
If anything is needed to typify the Ince
policy It is the care with which he selects
his artistic colleagues. Frank Kcenan.
perhaps the best character actor on the
stage today, is the latest arrival at Incc
ville not merely making an excursion
from stage to screen. Ince has Kcenan
signed for a season.
There Is no purchasing of fame In the
Ince policy. When he induces an actor to
change his environment from the stage
to the screen. It is the merit of that
actor which counts. This Is true even in
the extraordinary engagement of Billle
Burke to secure whom Ince began to plot
and plan a year ahead of her final
capitulation. Miss Burke was paid, it Is
Btatcd, no less than $40,000 for a few
weeks In the idle season but so certain
Is he that this stage idol will register on
the screen, that Ince would Increase her
honorarium it ho could prolong her stay
at Inceville Indefinitely.
It will be recalled that when the inter
ests, who will perpetuate the name of
Charles Frohman heard of Miss Burke's
threatened excursion Into filmdom, they
immediately issued an embargo wherein
Where Ince will stop In his resolution
to gather at Inceville the world's best
known players may not be predicted,
but it is certain ttiat his ultimate aim
Is to possess a permanent organization
which shall be worthy of comparison to
that never-surpassed roster which the
late Augustin Daly had at his command
in an era of the theatre when his model
stock company Included Ada Itehan,
John Drew, James Lewis, Fanny Daven
port, Charles Fisher, and as many more
names which today grace the annals of
a glorious stage era.
Ince can afford to wait a year or two
before he attains his final aim In this re
spect, for besides Miss Burke and the
star previously named he has at Ince
ville a score or more of the erstwhile
Broadway stage favorites, not one of
whom could have been Induced to make
snch a change as recently as two years
ago. Among these are Dustln Farnum,
II. B. Warner. Willard Mack, George
Beban. Os.si.in Johnson, Julia Dean. Jane
Grey and Katherine Kaclred, while the
number of real products of the new art
without stage achievement to their credit
is even larger.
Hill fiARRICK
V- SAHOa F. NIXON, JJEES'
C. C. WANAMAIiEK, Butuieu Mcr.
Evjs. & Sat. Mat 25c, 50c. 7Sc. $!, SI .53, $2
Other Matinees, 25c, 50c, 75c and SI. 09
NEXT WEEK
TWICE I
DAILY
Z.15.S.15 j
. " - ' -.- Ju-y
i i ?53 'V'ifiww.
v4 YlPtrlf' llT W
Mir of 30
rs&&i"
D.W.
Griffith's
Massive
Spectacle
Sym
phony
Orchestra
Engagement Positively Ends
IIIHIXMAS NIGHT Hlill
COHAN HAKIMS frtent
ON TRIAL
LIMITED
EXBAr.KMKST
UKCINKINQ
Monday,
December
?7f h I Original Cast and Production Direct from a Solid Tear at the
Scat Mon. for All l'f rfonnaprrs Week lite. S7, Includlnc New Year's l'.vc.,3Iut NiKht
CHESTNUT ST.
OPERA HOUSE
CHESTNUT AND 11TH STS.
Continuous Performance Noon Till 11 P. M.
THRILLING! AUTHENTIC!! VIVID!!!
THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT'S OFFICIAL MOTION
PICTURES OF
FIGHTING in FRANC
Management of MORRIS GEST
Loaned to the Public Ledger Through E. Alexander Powell
"The Grim Realism of War in Any Country"
10c, 15c, 25c Symphony Orchestra
THE MOVIE NUT !
rsntinurd on nrxt pace
V
s
ROUND BOTToriTop
3AUER.NOATS
(Fuller, guile,
AMUSICIAtf
of'dub lows'
TALENT,
COUP-TS
WHO SECRETUfl
LOVES MARIE.
wmwmmi
INDUCES SAIO
G98YR,
TO SERENADE
SVJEET MARIO
THE LADY.
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