| The Omaha Sunday Bee 1 ■
VOL tt~NO. a PART KOUH_OMAHA, RUHOAY MORNINU, APRIL go, l»g|,_1—0___ HV* * KKTW-..
* Mi M*« e**» a half <*»lwi *1*
A there wet* *1111 t*«I ptcnceting
* A cppnrt unities In euv gtewt
•• rat, This fa.d I* c*i lifted 1* hr *»*
lo** • |et*'M|( lh*tt Torn WI*o, lilt
-.chltU. uartlMM and rotund come*
• inn who ta about to ahew ua that
aimitral of t*>e*l coined y hit*. "Th*
I»ld Hoak." And Torn* Wlae trilly(
•pooka a* on# having authority.”
I or ho w»a hlmaolf • pton**r At
iho rip* ago of I year* h* rod* on
th* hurricane deck of a veritable
nralrle *chooner from tAranil* to
Sen Krancliro, HI* mother wn* th*
captain and he the mld*htpmlte.
Mr. Wie# grew up in Ban Franclaeo
and hi* first Inclination* toward th*
Mage were evidenced by hi* aetlvl*
tie* In th# production* m»d* by th*
famous Amateur club of Ban Fran
cisco. In those he had a* youthful
iiMoclatea, David Warfield, William
A. Brady and David Belaaco. Wl*e
was the first to become an out and
out professional on the coaat, and h#
waa alao the first to secur* an
eastern hearing. This latter came
about because William Gillette took
*** a fancy to him and gave him a part
In the first Gillette hit, "The Private
Secretary.”
Today Mr. Wi*e rank* ae a great
character-comedian. In hie 40 years
of service he has been In 60 plays
Importantly, he haa repeatedly
starred In noteworthy auccesaea. and
he haa written auch excellent things
na "A Gentleman from Mississippi,”
"An Old New Yorker," and "Mr. Bar
num”—these In collaboration with
Harrlaon Rhodes. In this new play
by Don Marquis, Mr. Wise has quite
th* finest role of all and that he
makes the best of his great oppor
tunity Is evidenced by the praise
rendered him by the critics snd by
the remarkable run of over five
months the play haa just had In Chi
cago. And now Mr. Wise la going
back over the old trail, for he Is on
his way to ahow “th* coast" the moat
lovable of footllght reprobates, Clem
Hawley, hero of “The Old Soak."
Tom Wise will appear at the Bran
dels In "The Old Soak” for four
nights starting tonight, with a mat
inee on Wednesday.
f Moll ip Williams Show to
* Close the Gayety Season ^
Burlesque up to the minute, staffed
with care, and presented by an all
round capable company. Is a way of
describing "Moltie Williams and Her
Own Show" at the Gayety theater
this week, the season'# final week.
*• Miss Williams Is at the head of the
aggregation of talent ami has se
lected both the principals end the
chorus with care. Among her as
sistants will he Jack Walsh and Phil
Adams. Belie Almond, Frank Fan
ning, Klara Hendricks. Wally Jack
son, Pllnty Rutledge, Al Lewis and
KHa Corbett. It la in two acta and
IH scenes and, as usual, is staged un
iter her personal guidance. Wil
liam K. Wells and Clarence Marks
have supplied the hook and lyrics,
while the music hns been composed
by Mnlvin Frunklln. Walter Brooks,
who staged the numbers of "Shuffle
Along." "Lira," and "(Jo Go" has put
/ "n the songs end dances. Frank
Fanning wrote the sensational dra
matic sketch, "Fate's Fire,” In which
he supports Miss Williams. Ladles'
matinee st 2:15 dally alt week start
Ing tomorrow. Today's matinee la
at J.
Irving's Imperial Midgets are the
headline feature at the World theater
this week. That playhouse Is cele
brating Its "second anniversary" and
the bill provided Is In keeping with
the Importance of the occasion. The
Midgets, 25 of the smallest folks In
the world, are talented artists and
making their first American tour.
Differing from many midget acts
Irving's performers ofTer a widely
diversified program of novelties. Their
repertoire ranges from musical,
comedy specialties to comedy wrest
ling, boxing, gymnastics, military,
lancing, singing and. almost ovary
thing that goes to make up a vaude
villa performanea.
s... The supporting bill runa almost *n
11 rely to comedy. Diehl Sister* as
isted by D. L. McDonald In "Taka it
Dr Leave It” have a musical comedy
n’t that Is snappy, and out of the
ordinary. Harry Garland, blm'kface
comedian, offers his collection of mod
ern humor and dialect songs. In their
own Idea, A Doorstep Romeo," Carle
.-.ltd Ines Introduce lively dialogue
and original song number*. Russo.
European Juggler, Introduce# his
"Wonderphone" something new In
vaudeville. Arthur Hays offers a ape
dally wrlttan topical organ number
'laptloned "Anniversary Antic*” as his
contribution tor the anniversary pro
gram.
1
DeWolf Hopper in Kempy’
Coming to the Brandeix
_____
I>* Wolf Hopper will he at the
llrandele theater for three daye, start
ing Sunday, May IS, in "Kempy,"
the comedy written by 3. C. Nugent
and Elliott Nugent, which played a
very successful‘engagement of over
one year at the Belmont theater In
New York. With the exception of
Mr. Hopper the original oast and pro
duction will be seen here, Mr. Hop
per having been especially engaged
for the present tour to appear In the
^ 3 leading comedy role. Mr. Hopper for
several season* past has been appear
ing - in comic opera, but la now re
turning to comedy roles In «h# lighter
comedies In which h# originally was
very successful.
Doug and Mary, who are now In
Europe, aru talking of continuing
their trip alear around the world.
AT THF
RIA LTO
jCilhan. Gish, ano Gotta1JL
ColtffStt. AT THE SUN,
_ ^A
3*e<l Thomson amo jy/»/«/»
Kit($ AT TMF aaoon
-r
Thomas
. ^igk ate
At THE STRAND
E Jackie Coogatc I
A1
%m Wise
AT THE BR AND6I 5
~ - *
. IIJ -———
Weffittfiiott Cross at thw orpheum
^)rmhl
fosters at mi vvo«ld
UcUtf Cuj-tl* AT The
EMPHE SS
'Jfolhe UJiJIiattts at
THE GAVSTy
_——___ ' ■ ... -..
/---'
•No Hope for Anybody
Theater Guild Puts on Play That Leaves
Nothing Undemolished and Yet Puts
Nothing in Place of What Is Smashed
_z_- J
By PERCY HAMMOND
n.Vew York, April 19.
lESF, are lugubrious evenlnjs at
the Garrick, where the Theatre
Guild has entered upon a period
of disconsolate reflection. A little dis
solute, perhaps. In the sexly "Fata
Morgana," It now turns to the sack
cloth and ashes of "Man and the
Masses" as a measure of atonement.
The repentance seems to have been
too severe even for the conscientious
Guild audience, since on the opening
night there were Indications of pa
tient reprobation.
“Man and the Masses’’ ia undoubt
edly the most solemn drama of the
season. Through seven acts of la
mentation and breast beating It com
plains about the planet's wefl known
Imperfections, and at the end leaves
things Just as they were. It Is the
work of Ernest Toller, a discouraged
German communist, snd Its transla
tion is by I,oul* Untermeyer, the
American poet. The best of Us fea
tures is the fantastic manner of Us
production by I,ea Simonson, the
Guild's principal scene painter. Mr.
Simonson, unleashed among Die ab
normal spotlights, backgrounds and
curtains, goes on sn exciting spree of
expressionism and has the time of
hla picture-making life. It was Mr.
Simonson who, fired by the play's
presentation in Germany, persuaded
the Theatre Guild that It ought to be
performed In the U. H. A.
Herr Toller In "Man and the Mass
ca" la a. Bad rather rtlBn a queru
lous objector. Looking over the
"sorry scheme of things entire," he
suspects wistfully that It Is not worth
shattering to bits and putting together
again. Though an ardent disciple of
change, lie double even the advisa
bility of Revolution as an Instrument
of reform. War is an error, Peace
an impossibility, the State a smug
cadaver, the Church Is a aynlr, built
on the evil that men do. The Stock
Exchange Is hell, with the devils all
present. Hard work, like the multi
plication tablea. la vsxatlous, and
Starvation la still worse. Strikes are
futile, and the Individual and the
Mass get along together vylth nil the
smlaAblllty of a couple of worried
panthers. ... At the end of
“Man and the Masses'' Hope entirely
disappear^.
In the role of The Woman Miss
Blanche Yurkn, symbolizing Tender
ness and Understanding and Pity and
Sacrifice and many of the other
unselfishnesses, reaches a sorry finish.
! Repudiated for h»r nobilities by
Marriage, Religion, Government, Re
volt, Capital and Igbor, she finds
herself In dire circumstances. . , .
They shoot her as the eurtaln falls.
I tmtr that Harr Tollar and Mr.
Slmonaon ara a Mt unjust In thalr
cruel exposure of tho Stork Ex
changes. Even tha hankers and brok
ers must have a few human attri
butes.. "Money.” aa severs) *sge«
have aaJd, "doean't care who owna It."
Tet riches, though Inglorious, cannot
lie altogether destitute of merit. The
Toller Simonson representation of a
bourse Is hard of heart If not mall
eloua—full of bitter anathema and Im
precation. Satanic financiers In hid
sous fatso faces, swing "the scaly
horrors of thslr folded tails" In bane
ful Jigs around a war market, ticker.
They are made up as ghouls, vul
tures. hyanas, gila monsters, gorillas,
bumards and other predatory adver
saries of tho human rare. The favor
ite noises sre battle hymns, the can
non's roar, the death rattle of dying
soldlore, the Jazz of the machine guns,
the *oba and the dirges. I may he
wrong In my belief that the Market
la not so hed ss It Is painted by'the
honest Messrs. Toller and Blmonaon
In their cruel protest sgalnst the
stocks and bonds. T myself have suf
fered. Tet la a Sermon from tbs
Mount one expects a squarer deal for
even the moat Industrious If (he
sinners. . . . Mr. Jacob Ben Ami.
by the way, la picturesquely I. W. W.
when ss ths spirit of red and angry
Revolution'he flaunts,his vivid, scar
let acarf against the sable background
of "Man and the Masses.’’ Debs.
Foster, Bill Heymers and other com
plainants against so-called civilization
might be more effective If they were
dressed up In pretty clothing by Mr.
Simonson and the Theatre Guild.
—t*-/
laud week, however, was not with
out Us restful trivialities. Wood
house, Bolton and Kern got together
again In an amusing toy called
■’Sitting Pretty,” one of those snappy
Cinderella fables, saved from sheer
Imbecility by the tinkle of Ita tunes,
Hie superiority of Ita verse and an
occasional Joke or two. Mlaa Queenie
Smith Is In It rather successfully,
and an, indeed. Is Frank McIntyre,
one of the moat proficient of the ab
dominal comedians.
I Orpheum Has Program of
Unusual Promise This Week I
v ■*
Two outstanding headline sets and
five featured attractions haws been
booked at the Orpheum theater for
the current week In celebration of
national observance of national vau
deville artists' week.
Wellington Cross, star of several
musical comedy productions, presents
"Anything Might Happen.” a further
departure frony his musics! comedy
days. lie shares headline honors
with Clyde Poerr and lila orchestra,
which has just finished two seasons
nt tho Congress hotel at Chicago.
Clyde Poerr Is known as the great
est saxophonist In the countfy anil
hi* orchestra guides Jar./, muaic Into
the realm of vulture and yet la as
entertaining as any of the more "aen
aational" organisations.
One of the Orpheum circuit’s most
artistic offerings Is presented hy
Maryon Vadle, American premier
danseuse, and Ota Oygl, former violin
ist to ths court of Spain', assisted by
Mary Isanfc concert pianist, and four
California dancers, ths Misses Flavla
Waters, Maxine Zlemer, Elisabeth
Collins and Gladys Patterson. Basil
I.ynn and William Howland offsr a
new version of their skit, ‘‘A Racy
Conversation," a humorous concoction
of son* and patter. Harry Holmes
and Florida !,« Vera offer a comedy
singing skit, ‘’Themselves.’’ Monroe
Tabor and Fred Greene, “Two Park
Knights," offer enough nonsense to
please yet not bore. W. H. Oroh and
Michael Adonis appear In a vehicle
labeled “Novelty Pe I,uxe"
r
| Snappy Musical Comedy
by Bert Smith Players
'r -
"Trifling Polly” la tha Baxter week
inimical comedy attraction at 111* Km
fir*** theater. It I* a swiftly moving
comedy of a fnclnatlng flapper who
simply could not helmve. VI Shaffer
play* the tltlaavnl* while Joe Marion
la ra*t In the part of her hUahand, a
handy valet. Billy Van Allen la
"Uncle John" a rich old codger who
oxpecte a family. Helen Curtle doe*
an old maid who can talk longer,
faater and louder than a phonograph.
VI Hlmffer offer* a apeclal veralon of
"Old (Jang of Mine" and "Tha Bow
Wow Blue*," while Billy Van Allen
offer* a bunch of parodies. Arlene
Melvin and Helen Curtis, will, of
course, do several number* as their
portion of ihc culeilalnment.
starting next Saturday the licit
Smith Player* offer n musical comedy
oddity entitled, "The Muttering
Shlek," the comedy hern being a cow
boy who not alone has an Impediment
In hi* apeech but la the world'* moat
bashful lever a* wall.
f- — \
Thomas Meighan Had
Lots of Real Money I
. ■ —-J
Thera Is always a high spot In
the production of a motion picture
a thrill or aomethlng that atanda out.
Beene after scene la ground out day
after day and then aomethlng hap
pens to give everyone connected with
the picture a shiver of excitement
The property department furnished
the thrill for Thomas Melghan and
his company recently when $20,000 In
real money was scattered on the set
for a scene In "The Confidence Man."
Melghan. who "plays the sharper In
the story and his confederate. Insur
ance Wheat, had the 20.000 In yellow
backs to carry on their confidence
game. They seemed perfectly at
home handling the money, hut the
electricians w-ho hung over^the spot
lights around the set ]uai stared and
stared. All the windows and doors
were closed hy the ever-cautloue
cashier who loaned the money, to
prevent any possibility of a bill
blowing out of the set. It was a dsy
of thrills and nobody breathed easy
until the 20,000 was back In the safe.
"The Confidence Man," with Vir
ginia Vslll playing opposite the star,
comes to the Strand today.
Victor Jleertnan directed the pro
duction, which Is an adaptation by
Paul Mloana of a story by I^iurle
York Kraklne and Robert II. Davis.
I<arry Wheat, who played with
Melghan In "The Raohclor Daddy,"
"Rack Home and Rroke." and others,
is also In the cast.
T I N
New Cowboy Star
in “North of Nevadtf *
L_ ,
Fred Thomson, a now stir in the
field of #hard riding, artlvo motion
picture row boys. Is at tho Moon this
week In hla^seeond thriller, "North of
Nevada.''
Thomson's display of horsemanship
!(. remarkable and displays tha versa
ttlltv of the man to a greater extent
than heretofore. The reams of the
girl from the hack of her runaway
steed, tho changing of htmaelf and the
g'rl from hto horse to tho wild ant
mal that plungeo headlong Into mem
tng destruction, la a real thrill of
a lifetime, and rsmarkahlo photog
raphy shows It to tho flnoot degree.
r
Mail Order Sale for
Ethel Barrymore Opent
Ethel Iterrymore Is coming to the
rtrandels theater under the direction
of Arthur Hopkins, May It and 17,
In her comedy. "The tonight's iouty,”
written by Alfred ftutro. Manager
■toy Rutphen has decided to Immedi
ately commence the mail order sale
of seats for her performance. All
who do not cere to take the chance
of being unable to eecure easts
through last minute application at
the bog office may avail themselves
of the opportunity of securing their
seals well In advance of the star’s
play date here.
A, N. Smallwood, who Is taking up
a csmpnlgn to revamp the business
of the distribution of pictures, pro
poses to spend (lie little,sum of $30,
000,000 a year In iimIIuiimI advertising
of pictures, or shout 14 per rent of
tha amount of money spent In pro
duntlon Hinatlwnod points out that
today lees than I per cent la spent.
r.
Rialto Presents
Woman’s Picture
-!
•*Thl» la rightly railed tha aga of
woman. To the girl of today life
offers bewildering opportunities-a
career, marriage and motherhood, or
the life of the Illy who tolls and spins
not. Hera Ilia chotre.
"But the choosing to only the over
ture to the eonfllet which spell*
drama. For. whtla youth and beauty
•re hers, a woman must eontend
with fsts—and otreumstancss—and
ths age old story of ths way ef a
man with a maid."
This la the theme of "Miles of the
Feld,” at the niatto today. It was
directed hy John Francis Dillon, whtl
made "Flaming Youth," nnd co fea
ture! Forlnns tlilflllli and Conway
Tearle. who are supported by Sylvia
Dreamer, Myrtle Stedman, Alma Deu
nett, Craufurd Kent, Charles Murray,
Phyllis Haver, Ciaay Fitzgerald.
Kdlth Ransom and Charles Oerrard.
Mias Griffith has the greatest role
of her remarkable career—that of
a young wife who discovers that
marriage to not tha gateway to ever
lasting happiness. Heroically ahould
erlng tha disappointments and trage
dies df life, her resistance slowly
gives way and she Is about to seek
forgetfulness In n life of rsae and
gnyety when real love enters her life
"Mllea of the Field" Is a picture
wlv a plognnnt apiieal that has mail*
It one of the outstanding attoceaaea
of the year.
Beeeue Hayakawa to to appear lu
iwe Oermaa mads Stag.
-;
Herbert Raul insert
in Detective Role
__ ../
It * an old adage that the surest
way to beat a crook 1a to adopt hla
method* and beat him at hla own
■am*. A eleven demonstration of
the worth of auch a thought la pre
agntad In Harbert Rawlinaon'*
"Stolen Secrete,*' on the World
sore**.
Rawlinaon play* a ertmlnologtst
who “cleaaa out" a gang ef crook*
by working on the "Inald#."
The story Involves the exploits ef
a notorious free lane* erook known
aa th* ,,E*I,'* wlioaa adventure* prove
a punle to th* pollr*. and the gang
which rule* th* underworld.
In th* caat are Kathleen Myers,
Kdwnid* Davis, Arthur Htuart Hill,
Alfred Allen. Edwin .1, Brady, George
Heigmann and other player*.
Jackie Coogan I* apeclal at
traction featured In th* Muse pro
gram thle week In hla Mary Roberta
Rinehart atory. "Dong I.lv* th*
King," which played th* Bun a few
wrek* ago. It Is hooked for the last
two da vs of tiro week
"North of Nevada," Mailing !• iod
Thomaon l« offered today, play lug
day and date vvltti the Moon. "Kaali
loimtd* Kakrrs" n comedy drama of
antique shop prarllcea opens Monitay
for a two day run and on Wednesday
and Thursday there ta offered Jack
Host* la "Phantom Horeeman.^'
i
Lillian Gish in
“The IT hite Sister" |
—i-—--'
•Th* White Sister." » new triumph
for Lillian Gl*h. will he at th* Sun
for th* next two week*.
"Th* Whit# Sister" lias been ac
claimed one of th* most significant
film* ever made. Th# »t«oy w is
token from th# famous novel t>y K.
Marlon Crawford and screened en
tirely In Italy and northern Africa
Home, Naples. Sorrento, Ttvoll. and
*v*n Mt. Veativlua w#r# aims of th*
"locations" uaed, and th* result, ac
cording to critic* In th* larger cities
wher* th* plctur* ha* played a* a 10
attraction, la th* most beautiful r>rt»
dtictlon yet mad*.
Healdea Mi*a Gish to Interpret the
thrilling story, th# cast include*
Itonald Colnian, a newcomer to the
acreen who ha# acored a sensational
sucres*; J. Barney Sherry, a motion
piotur* pioneer; Gall Kane, heroine
of many Bmadaay auecea***, and a
thousand other# drawn from the
rank* of Kuropean player*.
‘Th* Whit* Slater" ha* been
called th* artistic triumph of the
pr***nt film ****on. Ml** Gish ha*
n*v*r appeared to belter advantage,
and h*r restrained conception ef the
difficult rot# of Sleter Angela stands
at th# top of her many famcii* »h*r
actertcatlona. Thoa# who recall her
In "The Birth of a Nation." "W*\
Down Bast," "Hearts of the World.'
and “Orphan* of the Storm." will. It
la promised, he delighted aim further
hy her veranilliiy and the depth of
her playing In her tatc«t effort.
Th# picture was directed hv Jlomv
King
At the Boulevard.
Booth Tarktngton'a "Hov of Mine"
with Ren Alexander In the leading
role open* the program here this
week. The' Mery ta one containing
heart Interest and a goodly amount
of comedy. Ilenry R, Walthall and
Irene Rich play the father and
mother, 1'oilerit Mi>mr, the g-til of
"Flaming Youth" I* hooked for Ttir*
da*. Werlneertay and Thui 'day in
"Painted People " a romance and tot
\enlure flint. The closing MU for the
week I* John M. Stale* "The
Wsttterx," a drama of desire* and
ambition*. Vaudeville la also offered
the final tw# tern
•' —-awe . « *»
r—-;-; " i
Irving's Midgets Have
Many Qualities That Art
Out of the Ordinary
v-,-/
A chapter from "Gulliver's Trar
' »la" comet to life at th# World the
ater thta week, where Irving's Mid
gets headline the second anniversary
program at the Pouglas afreet play
home.
The midgets are aatd to be the meet
talented lllllputlana on tonr. Tho X
little folks came to America lost Au
gust and are Juet beginning to apeak
land understand a little English. Bo
! enthusiastic are they over the good
old V. S. A. that It is tho aspiration
of the members of the company to
take out naturalisation papers and
I-rooms full-fledged cittern*.
The midgets boast of one of the
cleverest "sister teams" that have
ever appeared with an act of this
kind Numerous Broadway musical
comedies have nvade hig offers for
their services, but they are hound by
Iron-clad contract with Mr. Irving.
The oldest member of the troops Is
45, the youngest 17. The smartest, X
Inches In height, and the largest. 4*
Inches tall. So small are thess tiny
people that Ihey curry fhefr own
tailor and shoemaker lo assure them
proper biting clothing.
The trunks carried by these diminu
tive performers arc eo fitted up that
each trunk run t>e Used as a dressing
room by Its midget owner. The owi
pan y boosts of a married couple.
They were united In wedlock on tbs
stag* of the Vantages theater. Minne
apolis. several months ago, the cerw
mony attracting wide attention.
r~—;
Unique Picture
in “Night Meteap"
___
1'nhjuw in »h* field of motion pic
tures m the methods of production In
I story, en.l In system of presentation.
• 1 ho Night Moe-wse" comes to tha
| Kmpress this nock.
It «.u written end directed from
hie own story hy Per ley Poore She*
lien. Th» author chose his locntionn
his cast and arranged lit* scene*. M*
organired hie player* Ilka a Slag*
company arid start*}! work hv reading
them tha play and then rehearing
It as a whole.
Kach actor was naked to form hla
or her own conception of tha rola to
l>e played, they iledded on thalr ewn
Coetumes and gala Ihetr own Idea* of
the characters, after studying tha
play in detail.
The n suit I* a spoctacuUr tnaia
idnima, crammed with gripping dm
inatic situations and *n remarkably
played lli.it the character* seem to
irritably live.
tlladys llulette Kdgar Kennedy and
: M.vrgaret goddon am km nag th*
a
** * % « *
*> -nw».