k. rWr AMUSEMENT SECTION rcimtinii sSSBat mtoner PHILADELPHIA, SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 18, 191& photoplay theaTrbs- DANCING MUSIC THREE SCENIC WONDERLANDS IN ARTIST GORDON'S TRIP "THROUGH THE AGES" At the left the conflict of the French Revolution is suggested by the rugged violent llnC3 of the barricade and the aristocratic mansion behind, in the middle appears nn ornate Italian hall, at the right is a medieval convent in masses of gray. iWalter Prichard Eaton Sums Up the Broadway Season r tA Year of Prosperity and Success And Also of Good Plays and Good Acting By WALTER PRICHARD EATON Rozsika Dolly-AUTOBIOGRAPHIES OF FAMOUS TWINS-Yansci Dolly IrpHE season ot 1015-18 In tho New York I'.Ltheatre has been, In tho whole, not only rn of; the most prontablo financially, but Com of the most encouraging artistically fla'many years. Not only have the movloa failed to "kill" tho spoken drama, so far fti New York city Is concerned, but they f (dually seem to have benefited It In cer- ptaln ways. They have reduced tho num , lar of theatres, and so Increased tho rela- P$tlT number of good plays, for It Is easier ft.i find irnnrl ntnvH fnr 3fl thnntrpM. riiv. K&s- than for 50. And It seems to be the fact thit the great exodus, of stngo stars of Loi'Aneelcs has actually resulted not so K-VBujch In a dearth of actors as a survival K'ilT. ll. nnk.lAH .. . n .. nt Ilia nrttnHH ...ttl. luj ma Dimncn ninfiu ul wio iiuiut a hvikii we Keenest aovouon 10 incir act, ji any ftt ecttner down thrmnrh the. cants from I'htM to butler this winter than at any time 'In i decade this Is especially true of tho nueullne side of tho casts. The women's nlea havo not always fared so well. Wo Sfio not Intend to push speculation too far i-thr-i this line I - ipArtUtlcally, tho outstanding features of b ieason were the excellent production f-dfL6uls Anflnnchnr's nlav. "The IJn- tK'. chastened Woman," which carries on the jUtrwitlon ttfi Clyde Fitch;' tho establishment llr Grace George ot a repertory theatre where high c6medy Is acted (unfortunate Iljr, only such comedy as contains a leading Stole-adapted to Miss ueorge's somewhat (limited1 rango) ; the successful establlsh- jpment on a paying professional basis of the jiwunington square Players experimental jnind judical theatre (our vers Ubre of tho Jttafce): and, finally, the unpredictable and great popular success of Oalaworthy's ifowerful and searching modern realistic Jtragedy, "Justice," ' recently produced by 5 John D. Williams with John Barrymore and Eieplendld cast. It Is a fact that seven dif ferent, theatres refused to book this play, sredlctlng onlv failure for It. and the loke fl,'now certainly on them. Under the t clrcurristahces. It would bo difficult to over- -estimate Mr. Williams" courago-and faith. yiia is just starting out as a manager, .'and he might so easily and Excusably j hive given up the fight for this play. But 'he.. didn't. He stuck to his guns till he finally Becured the Candler Theatre and f now ho sits back and watches tho line at , the box office, and believes the nubile 5. aren't such fools nB they are painted. , , in aaawon to the production of 'The Un UUUtened Woman.' several cood nroduc. rLtlons were made this winter of Interesting Lwiye piayB, though none of the plays f was, on the wholo, quite so good as Mr. , Anspacher's. The most successful, from the flnnnlal kdinnnli., ....... ... tl.fr.wii. l SJ?ehe11 Smllh ftnd Victor Mapoa' comedy, e--.n boomerang," produced by Mr. Bel- ', "J- nnH run all the season, and Is Swc,eeM .difficult to understand. This little !iTV,ay ls br'eht, entertaining, clean as a rjiW&ljtle. sufficiently sentimental,, and, r 39CV0 All. ant,, With Anmnltta -t?Ana. II. RJU'H'n reality.' If Is worth, doing, and 5-IK la dOna'HUnrpiniaW wall R"'A.n'9tJler excellent native comedy 1b "Tho ,- vw jver, in wmcli Leo Dltrlchsteln iir"s,r1? part ot a popular and amorous Mwrtrtlo-bero. This, too, ls capitally acted, IMl (leierVeB ttm nil,.ftnfta Uhm fI,A-.aot of tho Cohan -aiul Harris forces, stiged it! Kh&s demonstrated how much success de- SrfunAa .n .... Bffili. u uooa 8lB9 airecung, "jus- ?SJL."'lB Blaeea ty b. idyn Payne; "The omeranr,'' by- Belasco; "The dreat m, by Bam Forrest. And these three j J?-wnonB our best directors. -AOOther Pleasant fpntnra nt th mumnti IS" 'haretum of Mrs. Fleke In a rollick K 'M1"?1'0 comedy role, In "Erstwhile ;-, me sort of roltf only she can play nnd make It seem something higher than farce. Mr. Williams was also re sponsible for bringing her back, nd ho wns for "Justice." Of our more serious dramatists with established names, only Kugcno Walter and Ous Thomas gave us plays this win tor. Walter's play, "Just a AVoman," was not up to his standard. Tho first net, showing a humblo worker In tho Pitts burgh Btcol mills nnd his wife, was ex cellent, but thereafter, when his man grow prosperous nnd abandoned the wife (a true and vital Mme, n3 tho newspapers have proved to us), tho dramatist could not qulto keep from tho taint of artificial domestic melodrama. Mr. Thomas linn Just contributed a play called "nlo Grande," u talo of life In an army post on tho Moxlcun border. ThlB play ls u curious mixture Tho story of It Is violent and Bordld and theatrical. Tho stylo In which the story ls told Is almost beyond reproach as an example of fluid, natural technique, lifelike dialogue, quiet, un strained progression, atmosphorlc sugges tion. Unfortunately, tho more you ad mire tho technlquo tho moro you regret tho unlmportanco of the story, And those who go looking for a melodrama -with tho theatrical excitement of "Arizona" are Ilkoly to bo balked of their pleasuro by the very repression and nnturallsm of the stylo. Mr. Thomas seemB to havo fallen between two Btools. Tho play, however, Is acted with unusual skill, especially by Richard Bennett, as a grizzled old army colonol. And the first act, which creates with marvelous skill the atmosphere of a Texas army post on a hot August day, tho dust, tho heat, the borodom, the nerves taut with tho strain of prolonged humid ity and torrid weather. Is a supromo ex ample of technical dexterity In tho writ ing and histrionic dexterity In tho acting and staging. To balance tho stark realism ol "Justice," wo have tho sugar-coated ro mance of "The CIndcrolla Man" (by the Thlladelphlan, Edwin Chllds Carpenter), well acted, especially by Shetloy Hull In tho tltlo part, and very popular. We had this winter a fine production of "Tho Weavers," Hauptmann'a great naturalistic masterpiece, and to balancp that, we had Hackett'a production ot "The Merry Wives of Windsor"" vilth Tom Wise nB Falstaff, staged In the new manner, and still selling out when, unfortunately, Mr. Wlso had to go to nnother play and nobody could bo found capable of taking his place. Men tion nf four such nlays In a paragraph, all of them popular, should certalnlv show that wo have not suffered for want of variety, nor failed in catholic apprecia tion. As I only natural, considering tho state of Europe, thero havo been few Importa tions thlB season. The best, excepting the Shaw plays revived by Miss George, was "Hobson'a Choice," that merry folk comedy of Lancashire life brought from Miss Hornlmann'B Manchester Thoatre. On tho whole, however, we have been thrown back very largely on our native resourcea for our dramatic faro, and It la highly significant that we have made out so well. We haven't produced a "Justice" of our own. Neither' have we produced a "Major Barbara" of our own. But "The Great Lover," "The Unchastened Woman," "The Boomerang,'1 "The Cin derella Man," the Washington Square Plays, together with the witty and amus ing burlesque of the Cohan review nnd the splendid, vivid acting of Mrs. Flske, the Shakespearian productions by Tree nnd Hackett, and similar products of our native stage, have given us a season thnt we need not be greatly ashamed' of; at any rate, one that proves our stage is full of life, and moving on all the while. THE GATHERING AVALANCHE ' cs &sssiisssrTr u Picuu I was born In Budapest 21 yenrs ngo, tho elder ot twin sisters, My mother wns nn art ist at the National Thentrb, Budapest. My father was also nn nctor, except during the Inter vals common In the lives of nil artists, when art ceased to pay. After this Buda pestiferous begin ning all went quiet ly until I was eight years old, when I made my debut as nn actress. Tho de but was puroly In formnl; the scene was our parlor, nnd tho audlcnco con sisted of three boys and two girls. Our play was nn Instantaneous suc cess. Tho cntlro audience said so. The only criticism was that the ballet coalutno which I wore had to bo doubled around the waist and pinned up, and my wig didn't fit. In Budapest It required long and patient preparation to get on the stage, I Just couldn't wait, so I camo to America, where my father hnd emigrat ed a few weeks bo fore. I was found to be too young for tho Now York stago, so X went to Cuba, whore I danced nnd acted all ovor tho profes sional district. After a while I ceased to bo an in fant In tho eyes of the law and return ed to New York, where I lnnded on Broadway and on the AVlnter Oarden payroll at the same time. I am too modest to go Into the de tails of my Amor lean career, be cause everybody knows, or ought to know, all about It. Suffice It that I have, so to Bpeak, touched musical comedy, vaudeville and midnight frolic lightly o with my toes nnd talent, and now hero I am mixed up In "His Bridal Night." My husband is sure I am going to be a great big success so there! Which is which? That is the problem that faces tho newly wed hus band in "His Wedding Night," tho, play that has its premiero at the Forrest Monday. Ho must find out which of tho Dolly sisters is Rozsika and which is Yansci. Can you? Tne Easy Job of Writing a Mere Novel By CYRIL Author of "A Pair THERE are many reasons why I would rather write a book than wrlto a play and tho principal reason, I think, ls consti tutional sloth. To wrlto at all is an evil thing; It ls probably a nuisance to tho community and It may cause oneself and other people much distress. Olio's health will almost be Jeopardized, If not utterly destroyed ; ono will become solf-conscloUB, elliptic, always on tl. lookout for an an. dlcnce and one's character will become un dermined generally. Vanity, of course. Is at the bottom of tho whole thing. Still one does It, and the explanation Is psychla and unnecessary. As a rule, one apolo gizes by calling oneself an artist. But this Is usually a He. Being- from the cradle a lover of truth, I cheerfully confess out right that writing books Is, to me, the easiest way of assuaging this absurd de siro to create something, however bad, and that ls why I do it. To wrlto booka rather than plays Is far less troublesome and it Is a pleasanter, more moral business altogether. There are no actors to bother one, no public whom one sees, no one to whom one Is responsible; nothing is in the way but one's conscience, and with praotlca that may be stilled. la making books one ls not tempted to go to the dreadful length of making a bow before an audience that probably has every right to hiss one oft tho stage. One does not sit In a box, tho observed of all observers, drinking In one's own eloquence. But with a play ono does these HARCOURT of Hllk stocking"," shameful things and one does more. One puts on airs. Ono poses as an authority before people who regard ono as a fool. And so one Is, ono Is n fool to do It, If thoy know their Job, or think they do, they, too, nro artists, you cannot teach them much. Thoy won't be taught. So you sit und listen to them while they loave out all your commas and Insert their own full stops. I do so frequently myself when I appear In other people's plays. I set my own back then. For then I am an actor on tho stage and not an authority merely. Theso are the reasons, or some of them, why my literary activities are preferably employed and preserved (I hope) be tween tho covers of a detent, sleep-producing novel, and chiefly perhaps because ono may therein be relatively and beautifully untrammeled. Ono may punctuate precise ly as one choses, there ate no maddening handicaps and restrictions placed upon ono In the matter of length a. few hun dred words more or less will not matter. In a book they can alwpys be "skipped," and no doubt they often are, because life ls short, but superfluous words will kill a play and to wrlto them ls so easy ; not to write them bo damnably difficult. For tho devil, purring phrasea, slta perpetually upon your shoulder and you hato to thrust him behind you. But unless you do, your sentences and hla will be relentlessly re- Continued qu, 1'ues Three I t was born In Budapest 21 yearn ago, tho younger ot twin sisters. My mother was an art ist at tho National Theatre, Budnpcst. My father w.ih also an nctor, oxcopt during tho Inter vals common In tho lives of all artists, when art ceased to pay. After this Buda pestiferous begin ning all went quiet ly until I vns eight yenrs old, when I mado my debut na fin actross. Tho do but waa puroly In formal; the sccno was our parlor, and tho nudlenco con Blstod of three boya and two girls. Our play was an Instantaneous suc cess. Tho cntlro nudlenco said so. Tho only criticism was that tho ballet costume which I wore hnd to bo doubled around tho waist nnd pinned up, and my wig didn't fit. In Budapest It required long nnd patient preparation to got on the Btnge. I Just couldn't wait, bo I camo to America, where my father had emigrat ed a fow weeka bo fore. I was found to bo too young for tho Now York stage, bo I went to Cuba, where I danced and actod all over tho profes sional district After a while ceased to be an In fant In tho eyes of the law and return ed to New York, where I lauded on Broadway and on the Winter Garden payroll at the same time. I am too modest to go Into the de tails of my Amer ican career, be cause everybody knows, or ought to know, all about It. Suffice It that I have, so to Bpeak, touched musical comedy, vaudeville and midnight frolic lightly with jny toes and talent, and now here I am mixed up In "His Bridal Night" My husband Is sure I am going to be a great big success so there! A am, Joe Braadfc and Gerald 0. Puffy, editor of tho ,-m. Hf.n.a:nn .m,i tKa flrvul nf mamiMfrrinta which reached ftem two days after the announcement of the Universal competition iox a Mary Fuller scenario. PHILADELPHIA'S THEATRICAL RECORD 1915-16 Date. . FOItBEST OARBICK- IIROAD ADKW1II I.YIU0 September 6 Qlrth of a Nation ZIIIIZZZZZZZ1 ZZZZZZZZZZI Brother Maone Prlncw Pat September laT Birth ot a Nation Brother Maeona I'rlnct" Pt September 20. Illrth ot a Nation 1'otaah and PerlmutteT What Happened Then Prlncea Pat September ST. Birth of a Nation Potaeh and Perlmutttr Lllaa Domino October 4 Birth of a Nation Poteen and Perlmutter Daddy Long Let Lllao Domino October 11,... Birth of a Nation Under Cover Daddy Long Lore Boad to Happiness Hande Up October 18.,,, Birth ot a Nation " Under Cover Daddy Long Lege (lloveij to Lyric) Handa Up October SB.... Birth ot a Nation " Under Cover Daddy Long Lew A Fuji Home Road to Happlneea November V.. Birth ot a Nation " Under Cover Daddy Long Lege A Full Houia Boad to Happlneee November 8.. Birth of a Nation " The Show Shop Daddy Long' Lt A Full Houae Boad to Happlneee November IB, Birth of a Nation " Ttia Show Shop Daddy Long Lege A Full Home Boad to Happlneee November 33. (Moved to darrlck) The Show Shop Daddy Long Lee A Full House Boad to Happlneee November SD, Btopl Look 1 1 LUtenlll Birth ot a Nation Outcaet A Full Houae. Bugglee ot Bed Qap December 0,., 'atopl Lookll LletenllF Birth ot a Nation Outcaet A Full Ho" Bugglee ot Bed Qap 'December 18., Btopl Look 1 1 Llteai Birth ot a Nation Outcaet A Full Homo The Bubble December SO., atopl Look 1 1 Lletenlll Birth ot a Nation Her Price A Full Home The Bubble December SI,. Watch Your Htep On Trial Becret Service Land of tna. Free The Bubble January a,.,, Watch Your Step On Trial Sherlook Holmes Androclea and the Lion Maid la America January 10.,,- Watch Your Step On Trial The Chief Androclee and the Lion Maid la America, January 17... Coueln Lucy On Trial The Chlet Sinners Paeelng Show ot 1018 January 21.,. Coueln Lucy On Trial Pollyanna, Sinner Paeelng Show of HUB January 81., . Around the Map " On Trial Follyanna Marie Odlle Paeelng Show ot 191? February T,., ' Around the Map Twin Bede Pollyanna Marie Odlle Paeelng Show ot 1915 February 14,, Around the Map Twin Bed ' Pollyanna The Two virtue Harry Lauder February 21.. Around the Map . Twin Bed ., PJUyanna The Two Virtue The Only Olrt February 28,. Faille of 1915 : Twla Bed ' """ Pollyanna. Tba Two Vlrtuea ' The Only Olrl March a.,...' FolllM 9f 191S Two Bed "" Pollyanna New Henrietta The Only Olrl March IS.,,, Folllt of 191 B " It Pay to AdvertltT Pollyanna. New Henrietta The Only girl March SO.TTT Faille ot 1918 It' Pay to AdvertUe" Prince Tra La uT Nobody Horn The Only Olrl March 2T-... Folllea) of 1918 "it Pay to AdvertleT" The Little Mlnlter Nobody Horn World ct Plealur jApril 3., Come to Bohemia " It Pay to Advert!" Tb LUti Mlnbiter" Nobody Home WorM ot Phaeure " April 10 Com to Bohemia It Pays to AdvertU Wooln ot Kve Wttla Shepherd of Alon at Lat KtngdQsi Com ' April IT.. 777 Com ,ta Bohemia " It Pay to Advert!" Wooing ot Eve Alon at Lat April ii ,' Whoa Phoeba It Pay to AdvertU ' Qnimpy Pair ot SUk Stocking Alone it Lait May 1....T77 Under Fire ' It Pay ta XdvertU" Grumpy Par ot Silk Stocking Alan, at at May 8. ...,' tThe Spoiler """ Through,. tb Ag Th Dvtl' Iawntloa pair of EBte Stocking Alone at LmM May 15. . . . . .' ' lit Bridal Night Through th Age Town Topic "'"" ' "'"" ""'" ' 'V "' ' '"" ' ' t ' ' Pniladelphias Season of Prosperity ana Starvation "War Prosperity" Brought Money to the The atre and Good Plays to New York; but the Sum of Our Season Was Barrenness1 By K. M. THE season of 1D1C-16 In the Phila delphia theatre has been, on tho whole to parallel the remarks of Walter Prich ard Eaton on tho year In New York, which appear In an opposite column, If not tho most profitable financially In many years, at any rate ono of tho most discouraging. Not only havo the movies failed to "kill" the spoken drama, they havo let It como near to killing tho intelli gent playgoer. It has been a singular season both hero and In Now York. It began In gloom, but It ends In" gladness. Before Christ mas old wnrhorsos like William A. Brady and Abraham Krlangcr were next to cer tain that tho theatre whs dead. Brady Htopped productions and plunged Into tho movies. .Erlangor went doggedly ahead, but mado no bones ot his pessimism on Broadway. Both saw tho end of tho theatre they had built up and made the further blunder of Imagining that this meant the end of the drama. Then tho great war began to make Itsolf felt. Tho super-prosperity of tho movtca ended as soon as the withdrawal nf European film manufacturers launched dozens of American firms on a career of overproduction very much complicated by the absurd triumph of tho five-part fea ture. But this had. only a. negative efteat on tho theatre Tho positive force was "war prosperity." Gathering Its forco at Now Year's, It broko over tho thoatre golng classes. New York and Philadel phia In only slightly smaller measure woko up to tho fact that people wore eager for entertainment and had the money for drama and movies, too. As Broadway put It, "any show would go." Tho busy production of plays that fol lowed the awakening brought Now York a dozen interesting, worth-while new pieces. Philadelphia, too, felt the finan cial awakening. But as for the- plays well, Philadelphia must wait a year until New York relnys them over. Undoubtedly, Philadelphia's theatres havo done well this year, but what about Its playgoers? Just what have we seen? For ono thing, of course, wo havo seen our usual quota of stars. In spite of the seductions of California and Its movies. Not so many, perhaps, aa 10 ye-a ago, but enough. Mr. Eaton finds the acting level of New York plays Improved by tho competition of the movies, Hero, there has been no such result If there Is ono criticism to be mado of tho acting we have seen. It Is the poorer quality of the play ers In tho minor parts. Hither the movies have taken tho good ones or thoy are all In Now York. At a casual glance, the actors who most pleased, outside the ever-oxpert, popular and humdrum stars, were Georgo Sidney for his theatrical mannger In "The Show Shop"; Frederick Perry, for his study of the nerve-wracked hero of "On Trial"; Grant Mitchell, for his naive humor In "It Pays to, Advertlso" ; Patricia Collinge, for the charming Impersonation which saved "Pollyanna"; Laurette Taylor, for her accession to high comedy In "The Woo ing of Evo"; George Jlassell and Ralph Herz, for two delicious Englishmen in "Ituggles"; O. P. Ileggle, for hla Incom parably meek Androcles; and, among the people ot musical comedy, the eternal Tlnney, Williams and Lauder, tho new comer Grossmlth, of "Nobody Home," and that particularly talented and charming Else Alder, of "Around the Map." Hevlvals and now productions have both been relatively few. Glllotto brought "Sherlock Holmes' and "Secret Service"; Mlsa Adams, "The Little Minister" and "Poter Pan," while "Grumpy" and "The New Henrietta" may also, perhaps, bo classed ns. old 'uns. Of now plays whloh promised vell there wero oven fower. All told, the season brought us only 11 plays without the New York brand on them and four musical pieces. Of these "Pollyanna" will doubtless havo a long, however unde served, career. "Tho Wooing of Evo" may or may not succeed by vlrtuo of Miss Taylor's singularly good acting. "His Wedding Night" ls yet to bo Inspected. "Stop I Look 1 1 Listen 1 1 1" may not have made much money for Mr. Dillingham (thanks to Gaby Deslys), but Its musto and scenery and costumes pleased much. "Tho Princess Pat" wa8 well liked for Its singers and Its score. The rest of the new pieces suffered almost Invariable fail ure: "Her Prlco," "Buggies of Bed Gap," "Brothor MaBons," "What Happened Then," "The Land of tho Free," "The Lit tle Shepherd of Kingdom Comb," "Como to Bohemia"; while tho fates awaiting "Tho Dovil's Invention" and "Through tho Ages" are nono too" promising. Of drama straight drama as It Is called there was very little. "Outcast!' ana "Marle-Odllo" wero tho only ones pretend ing to worth or popularity; tho first was rather mftchlno-mnde, tho second was de-i cldedly too sentimental. Comedy brought us little but the best And that best waB Shaw's "Androcles and the Lion" and Anatolo France's "The Man; Who Married a Dumb Wife." Thero wcaj singularly fow pollto, drawing-room Imi portatlona from England this year. C7 these, "The Chief" wnB so slender as t fall even under Mr. Drew's expert wor and "A Pair of Silk Stockings" so slender na to glvo every chance for Its wit t shine by contrast with Its body. Anothey English comedy, "Tho Two Virtues,'1 was u;doubtedly the best of the lot barrlntf "Androcles" but It suffered grievously from Mr. Sothern'a vain attempt to rey vlve all his past Shakespearean lmpew. sonatlons In tho part of his hero. Melodrama was scarce Indeed. The beqfl was easily "On Trial" ; Its novel and grip ping method of telling Its story backward moro than compensated for the oommonj places of that story. "Under Cover" he Its novelty.but it was smothered under t second-rate cast. If melodrama was scarce, farce was not, and, a good deal of tho farce wojV distinguished 6y that stroak of novelta that Invaded the melodrama. "Tho Show Shop" and "It Paya to Advertise but dealt ingeniously and satirically -wrfk topics of tho day ; the first with the thenJ tro ItBelf, the second with the business og publicity, But easily tho most successful and hilarious pieces of the year were "A." Full House" nnd "Twin Beds." The tor-, mer amused more steadily; the latter put more merriment Into Its last act than any farce within the writer's memory; But when nil ls Bald and done, the only"" outstanding playa of the year supreme in general artistic and popular appeal wers "Androcles" nnd. "On Trial." The season brought ono thing more. Continued on Pag Three) v THE GLOBE THEATRE LONDON AND WEST PHILA. M Thla model of Shakespeare's fruntus old Globe Theatre, now in tha Shakespearcana Exhibition at te Academy of tha Fine- Arte, ydlj ba reproduced, to seat r thousand when the Philomathean Society of the university of Pennsylvania give3 the "Comedy o Errors' all next week at the Botanical Garden.
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