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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 1918)
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: FEBRUARY 10, 1918. 0 B Week at the Omaha Effect of War on Theater Otis Skinner Sees Only Good to. Come to Stage from World Upheaval By OTIS SKINNER. HAVE been asked what effect the war is having on on the theatere. Its effect is the same as on ourselves on each community on the nation. Minv have asked why the useless sacrifice of it all why all this horror? What good is to come out of it all? Wherein have our corns been trodden upon? At first these questions seemed un answerable to some pf us, but slowly, surely, we have become certain of one thing, and. that is thei elevation of humanity. Unselfishness is com ing out of the war, if nothing else does. The effect of the war on the human mindon the human character has been wonderful. The human grouch has opened his heart, has opened his arms, has opened his pocketbook to the cause. The man who was sup posed to be inhuman and without a heart, has developed one. There has been an awakening and men who have been incased in a shell for years, have shown themselves really human. ; That which is affecting our com munity, our American character to day, is reflected in the attitude of the war upon the theater. When the war first started, strict economy was preached, and it is rightly being preached today. There is a limit, however, to economy, and war or no war, the world's industries the world's amusements . and re creations must be kept moving. The merchant must be patronized, or the mills will stop running. Closing the theaters and places of' amusement would not help .the war. Amusement is always essential to right living, and now in times of war, it is more essential than ever. Dis- couragfement and hopelessness are to be avoided, and how better can these busbcars be driven away than by amusement and recreation? With the paper printing war news all -over the front page with the bands playing-the soldiers marching and with the sad parting of loved ones, healthful, amusement of the right sort is needed more, than. ever. It is, right here that the theaters olay an important part .in the) world war. It is as important to spend wise ly as to economize. The chasing away of despair, to be replaced by something beautiful, is well worth while. ' ' , ' - Thp elevation of humanity brought about by the war iy reflected' in the elevation'of the stage.-.'Possibly the theatrical ' managers are "becoming more human the plays at least are. The badly constructed 'plays the tawdry melodramas and cheap, indeli cate musical shows,, .are not meeting witjh the success accorded 'the1 play' of; genuine heart interest.' -. ' " " What., .the- people 'wrmttoday'-fe. idealism' beauty sweetness, gentle ness.' This is wherein such' plays as "Mister Antonio" ha found such a welcome. This play Jias a sweet mes sage and its beauty of character makes a strong tppeal. To bring cheerful ness into the lives of others has been the mission of Booth Tarkington in writing "Mister Antonio," and it is my present mission on the stage, particu larly in these times of war. Here is the philosophy of Tony the hurdy gurdy man in "Mister Antonio," and it is mine as well: Says Tony: "W'en I was leetla boy in Sorrent' I get in trouble sometime. make to cry. Well, wat you tink tlat ola pries' 'e say to me? 'E say 'You Tonio, don' you know you can maka jus' de same noise as loud if you maka to laugh instead you maka to - cry, an' dat noise she's nicer noise, an' do you twice .as more, good, in your gizzard.' i "Dat ole pries' 'e right Dees worl', she can do wat she like to me I am s?oin' to laugh. If a man 'e do me some ugly trick, I am goin' to laugh in 'is face. I laugh w'en I wan' t laugh an' I laugh w'en I wan' to cry." It. is this philosophy of Tony's ivhich I have come to believe in so thoroughK It is the joy of life I like, to sec and portray in character. Close ly as some of you are connected with the War, it is often better for you to shut the door in the face of war by fa-king amusement of the right sort, ind laugh. when you want to cry. The theatrical profession is closely 2:15 5:15 7:15 9:15 FOUR SHOWS 1 ENTIRE NEW SHOW Novelty Offering ill I UlldV MS Tuesday W3JfT. ratilMlfl -ONLY- 6 " 6 g MAY -FOSTER a QSkbJ i fYmilv .inorincr m Talkln T&'Sk Danrinor SIDNEY DREW COMEDY, . "Why Henry Left Home" DAILY MATINEES 2:1S P. M. 15C & 25fi SnSi5rMrtMe2a , . 1, " ,Sm. aa Nights. allied .to this world conflict The art of the theater is like its sister arts a part of the peace of our nation. A bankrupt, overwhelmed, defeated na tion would exhibit no theatrical art. and little art of any kind. If we are to keep our theater living, vital things, we of the stage must realize that in these times of sacrifice we are called upon to make ours. The stage is prospering the busi ness of the player is prospering mor than ever. To many actors has come prosperity quite unparalleled in their experience. We, therefore, aside from our love of country, our patriotism, our love of humanity, must do our share. Many of our fellow tctors are in the trenches, many are wearing the khaki and those of us who cannot actively participate in the war itself should give the best we can. . Our plays should be better, they should appeal to our better nature, they need gentleness, sympathy, heart interest, cheerfulness, and above all else, they must ring true. When it comes that an atheist, H. G. Wells, writes about pod, then sure ly something has happened in the lives of men. There has been an awakening and people are growing more and more human, more and more tender, and more and more unselfish. Study .Screen (Continued From Page Elf hi. held together by a badly woven thread of coincidence. If the free-lance writer of today will take his stories from the every day life about him, not trying to make them wildly sensational, but merely a story of human people doing human things, I do not think he will have any trouble in disposing of his work, granted the writer has a certain gift for depicting the phases of life in an interesting manner. He must realize that the screen, above all other fields of literary endeavor, has a technique particularly exacting, and the only way this can be learned is by prac tice and by studying the screen itself. By studying the screen, I do not mean copying the ideas set forth thereon, as some writers have a par ticular weakness for doing, but rather profiting by the finished work, which, in nine cases out of ten, represents the result of hard ra'rfn1 ttuAx, Tl, idea must not necessarily be new, but its treatment' should be pew, and it should above all seek- tn hrintr nnf some phase of life in which we are all interested Vint arliirli nortiana may not have noticed until brought a- - a. l ... i . i to our aiicnxion oy a Keener, student or.numanity. Siimminff itrv f wrtiiM saw trouble with the outside writer is that be Joe's not -take the screen: seriously, anfl in many cases, I believe, having failed, in other lines of literary en deavor, he turns to the motion pic ture not only as a last resort, but with a Reeling of contemptuous superior ity; that anything will do for pictures. Until he learns that the screen de mands the highest that he is able to give and' will accept nothing else, no writer, will atttain even the slight est success in this field of work. Oak Street M. E. Church To Observe Boy Scout Day Sunday will be observed at Oak Street Methodist Episcopal church as Boy Scout day. Every scout is pledged to invite a boy friend to the Sunday school and the morning serv ice. Rev, Mr. Waitt will preach on a subject of special interest to Boy Scouts, "The Man of Tomorrow." The junior choir will furnish appropriate music. Scoutmaster Paul T. Hill will have general supervision over the pro gram of reception by Troop No. 21 to visiting scouts throughout the day. Good Memory. Another thing that will puzzle our sol diers Is English money. One time an Amer ican who was the worse for drink was trav. elinsr In a railway carriage when the guard askod (or hla ticket. "Got none! Lemme lone!" maundered the Yank. The guard .took out hla ticket schedule. "Five and six, please," he said tersely. "WhazatT" queried the tipsy one. "Five and six, please," repeated the guard. "Eleven," said the Tank. "Now move 0"S to ze next boy." Boston Transcript. THE HOME TODAY DflftAltlE I.IVVI1B. Four Shows m Wednesday v s ' - sssai rAirv ar s tc MOT innov L- ' Kltl nIM M .4 Tr: j Today Go Any Time & SEE A FULL SHOW WILSON & LARSEN In An Up-to-Date Novelty BITS OF ODDITIES Extra SwR Tonight 5:15 P.M. Theaters-Music and Drama Few Clothes in "Flo-Flo" When John Cort presented "Mother Carey' Chickens" early in the season, Broadway conceded that he had pro duced "a sweet and wholesome play." When he did "Flo-Flo," the corset comedy act at the Cort, the great dark wav hailed it as the big, bright spot on the black Thursday thoroughfare. but affixed adjectives decidedly anti theatricaU "Flo-Flo," a chicken of quite another breed, cackles garru lously as becomes the hen capable of laying eggs in a season of stage sterility. Not that it isn t a good show, says Mr. Cort, "for I think it a splendid entertainment one of the finest things it has been my privilege to do but, because of public preferences, there will be no more Mother Carey Chickens for me, at least not this season. I am going to ratse chickens on another complexion, this time the kind that Broadway fancies or thinks it fancies, which is the same thing Certain it is they are entirely different from those preferred by Mother Carey, simple and kindly soul though she be. Seen through the spectro scope they may appear of a tarnished tint and the feathers may look dyed and even double-dyed, but still Broad way broilers of the Flo-Mo type look better to me than the country frys as a business proposition in these troub lous times. "'Flo-Flo' is the first fruit of my new policy of co-ordinating with pub lic preferences. She's very light and frothy; some of the critics have said she is, really audacious, and others have expressed the fear I might properly say hope that she will con tract pneumonia in the draughty stage and pass into a land where rai ment is a matter of no consequence. One of them even tried to picture the catastrophe that would ensue if (she were seized with a fit of sneezing, the inference being that such bodily ex ertion might sadly disarrange her at tire. Still another suggested that the entire wardrobe of the company was kept in a knitting bag over night, but still the tired business man and his wife with their friends from both home and abroad hit the trail to the Cort with unfaltering footsteps. While they marvel at the figures of the footlights I manifest equally as much interest in those of the nightly statement. And all the time I can't help thinking how scrawny were the curves of the box office figures when 'Mother Carey's Chickens', one of the finest shows I have ever produced, were. holding forth at the same thea ter. "I know all this sounds sordid and commercial, but, nonestly, there is something much more gratifying about a financial success than an ar? tistic failure. The trouble about the latter is that you feel selfish in your enjoyment 01 it you miss the com panionship of the audience ever pres ent at a commercial success and real ly get so lonesome that you become moody and depressed. You positively detest the sight of the inaef've ushers and theater attaches and long for the homeless, stranger who never reaches your door because there's a burlesque theater on the corner. "It may be that public taste has de generated as a reaction of the war, and peace will restore it to a more intellectual plane, in which case I personally shall be most happy, but in the interim I am going to discharge my obligation to the public as an amusement purveyor by giving it what its heart desires. Since it's 'Flo-Flo' they want, I am going to look around and see if there are any more at home like her and trot 'em out. One good thing about girls like 'Flo-Flo in these days of baggage car shortage and congested railroads is that her wardrobe can be routed by parcel post or carried in the property-man's vest pocket, which you must admit is a war-time disideratum." Brightening Clocks Id the Dark Small flat disks treated with a radium compound are now being glued on the dials of clocks at the five-minute points and also to the hands -so that the clock can be read In the dark. A complete set of eltven disks and a pair ot hands can be affixed to a clock in a few minutes The glow Is practically everlasting and the disks, according to the manu facturer, will, outlast the mechanism of the clock Itself. The disk is omitted from the S of the clock so that the dial may be read instantly. For automoblllsts, campers, hunters doctors, nurses and " soldiers, this clock is a great convenience. Popular Science. OF MAMMOTH ENTERTAINMENT ft. BACIC Clean, Clever 1U r.VOG. Classv Comics I Originators of 1 1 Sensational B V Leaps and a Dives dBo. Reserved All Per. lormances Phone Douglas 600 MUSIC By HENRIETTA M. REES. HOMAS W. SURETTE. who recently appeared J I under the auspices of the rine ri iouciy,.ni nis enjoyable lecture, "How to Listen to Music," is one of ?Y3 the principals in a controversy which has been racking the public school system of Boston. The trouble is between the supervising torce ot tne Boston schools, comprising accredited salaried officials, and the advisory committee, made up for the most part of university educators, working voluntarily, with Archibald T. David- sou and Thomas V. burette as tneir leading representatives. The Christian Science Monitor, in discussing the situation, says that the advisory committee is fighting for an idea, while the other side is righting for a system, and for an ancient and discredited one at that The question is formulated by this paper as "whether the music in the public schools of Boston shall be based on the authority of the scale or on the appeal of great melody? Or, in other words, shall music teaching rest upon technique chiefly or shall it stand fundamentally upon appreciation. Or, to look at it irom anovner angle, snan the musical attainments of the school boys and school girls be measured by their ability to solve problems in theory, or by their capacity to enjoy the masterworks of tone?' Two and a halt years ago tne advisory com mittee introduced rote singing into the public schools of Boston in the first four grades with gratifying re sults. , Now they wish to introduce other- reforms in, the higher grades and they find themselves cutting off a source of income to several in fluential school book companies, also, "it will mean a loss of prestige to all those music supervisors who have put their pedagogic variations on the scale and the tonic sol-fa system into print." But the advisory committee contends" that this" loss to book sellers and editors is compensated for, according to the advisory com mittee's arguments, by incalculable gain to the boys and girls of the schools. After all, for whose benefit is the music put in the public schools any way? For whose benefit is all music teaching supposed to be done? We had always supposed that it was that others might have the opportunity of learning something about it, and that all energies should be bent to that end regardless of personal interests in the matter. But how often, even in private teaching, we hear of the teacher adapting the pupil to his knowledge and musical ideas rather than adapting these to the different pupils. There are some teachers who do not seem to take into considera tion the fact that it is for the pupil's benefit at all. but merely for their own. It is often this losing sight of the main issue that not only causes trouble like that m Boston, but which makes the individual pupil who has shown a musical aptitude in the be ginning lose his interest and claim to "hate" music. Mr. Surette says: "The ideal of attainment with school music supervisors for the most part is proficiency in sight singing. But this should be only the means to an end. The chief aim should be to make children like music." This could be applied as -well to all music teach ing. The ideal should be not to make proficient performers, so much as to make the students like music and an xious to learn what they can about it for that reason. That Galli-Curci's operatic debut in New York was a sensational triumph will be welcome news to her many Omaha admirers. She appeared in Meyerbeer's "Dinorah," and after the "Shadow Song" awoke an enthusiasm which lasted for at least 20 minutes. It was more than handclapping. Yell ing, stamping, handkerchief waving and a veritable pandemonium of cheering made up the babel of sound, finally she signalled the conductoi and before the curtain repeated the closing portion, of the song, and even then the audience was reluctant to let her go. One paper announces that some of the most seasoned musicians were prominent among those who lost their heads. The audience was made up in large part of professional musicians, and was as discriminating and exacting as could be found, which rr Continuous , Performance TODAY Beginning at 2:15 N MONARCH DANCING FOUR SINGING AND DANCING HIPPODROME VAUDEVILLE LAYS OFF During MR. SKINNER'S En gagement, Feb. 14, 15, 16. makes her success even more of a triumph for that reason. The Chicago Opera company haj been winning wide notice and many coveted latrrels for itself in its met ropolitan engagement. Muratore triumphed the first night, receiving such an ovation as has not been ac corded since the days ot Jean dc Resrke. Mary Garden, Rosa Raisa, Anna Fitziu, Rimini and several other of its stars have made for them selves distinct places in the affections of the New York public. With two opera companies New York is re minded of the days when the Man hattan and Metropolitan were in full force, especially as some few of the stars, including Mary Garden and Lucien Muratore, were in the cast of the Manhattan company and Cam panini the conductor. This really happened to the musi cal editor shortly after taking up the work on The Bee, and now that the friend hu moved away, and time ha probably effaced it from her memory, it will stand being printed: The musical editor had been one about six weeks when we met a frien.1 on the street, a friend of high school days who had married and settled down to as much domestic tranquil lity as a husband and two children would permit She greeted us effu sively and remarked about the musi cal work. "I think you are the smart est thing I ever knew," she said. "To play the piano and the pipe organ, and then to be able to write, too. And you know, just to talk to you, nobody could ever tell that you knew any thing," S Certain of the musical fraternity are taking malevolent delight from the announcement that the two-piano recital planned by the Tuesday Mu sical club has been changeJ and that Harold Bauer will instead come in recital alone at the Boyd theater on the evening of Wednesday, February 27. Not that they did not want to hear Mr. Gabrilowitsch, but because they would rather hear one piano than two, tven when the two are played by such celebrities. They seem to have an arithmetical con viction that two-piano music doubles the responsibilities, halves the free dom of interpretation, is twice as stiff to listen to and divides the pleas ure for all concerned unless not only one but two are ithoroughly mindful of each other as well as the music. And even then a perfect ensemble is so difficult to maintain the musically inclined folks would rather hear a soloist. So the announcement of Mr. Bauer alone is especially pleasing to them, and they are rejoiced that they do not have to listen to two pianists at once. There is much two-piano music which is lovely, however, arid for those taking part it is a stimula tion and delight to play it, and no sat isfaction more genuine than' that whidh is theirs when they feel that they have done it well. But even those who may be disappointed will enjoy Mr. Bauer, for he is a pianist of deserved distinction. The poor abused ukulele! When Sousa planned to send as many as he lllllll'llllllllllllllltllllllllll-'lllllllllltlSlllilliillllMXIIIIIIIIllll Our Customers Are Always Protected When you make a purchase in our store you pay the lowest price that it is possible to quote. Take care of your skin Your , skin, particularly at this season, should receive as much attention as your hair and nails. Our line of Cold Creams, etc., was never more complete than this Spring. J. HARVEY GREEN, Prop. ONE GOOD DRUG STORE 16th and Howard. Douglas S46. 8 -FEATURES -8 w ' llll!l!lllllllllllllllllll!llllllIIISIIfllSnil!illlMIIIIIIIIIIIII!ISI!lllS W J.L. Brandeis & Sons Present fk NEW YORK k FASHION SHOW ider the Personal Direction of f9 TV AMU MADTIV LATEST SPRING CREATIONS, A? LIVING MODELS. Nordin's AS"'"',d Orchestra EVERY EVENING 7:15 9:15 15c 25c 35c could get to the trenches, somebody in the east wrote two columns about it, telling how it would conquer the Germans without the use of guns, and how Hawaii through the ukulele had been revenged upon the United States for dissolving its monarchy. Other aesthetic souls say they would just as soon listen to a tin pan pounded, and others just say, "The ukulele I Horrors I" and with a wave of the hand consign the instrument to the nethermost depths, and far beneath any serious discussion. And yet the ukulele has its place. What other instrument is there of con venient sire which can be carried around by an amateur singer, for in stance, which can be used for a sim ple accompaniment, anywhere one might be inspired to sing? Its use in the trenches might help to brighten many a dreary moment, and to its soft twang voices could often be raised in snatches of song. It is not an instrument which has a great in tellectual appeal, upon whicti a highly trained talent can pour forth his very soul, but just as there is a place for the simple song there is also a place for a simple instrument, and when well played it steadies the voices and adds a dash and verve to the rhythm in the accompaniment which makes the singing of parlor crowd or a picnic crowd who are singing for the j tun of it all the more enjoyable. Be- j sides, think of the other instruments I which are very much worse. i i v i Musical Notes, Miss Balls Robinson will entertain the I "Bella Robinson Musi Study elub" on Mon- day availing, February 11, at t o'clock. j Those taking part In the program will he: ! Misses Martha Murphy. Nina Garret and Edith M. Miller, assisted by Mrs. Leldy- 1 Berfer, violinist. i The weekly program of Christman'e or- j chettra for this evening will Include the 1 ovortnra, "Phedra," by Massenet, operatic selections by Mascagni, Ttchaikowsky ballet music, and many shorter numbers, including a request songs, "Deep River," by Burleigh, and "I Hear you Calling Me," Marshall. t A recital will be given by Herbert Mc- Ahan of St. Joseph, Mo pupil of Mlas Bella Robinson, Thursday morning at 10 o'clock at 190T Famam street Mrs. Mary Rogena Eggleaton preiented her pupils in a piano recital Thursday eve ning at the home of Mrs. Harry- M. Binder, Forty-eighth and Farnam street. Those -See Our Charming Little St. Valentine's Day Novelties Corsage Bouquets for personal use. . Decorative arrangements of flowers. Flower decorations for the table. Hangers of growing flowers that last indefinitely. Dainty plants in full blossom. Let us offer you original suggestions at prices exceed-. tngly moderate. Telegraph orders delivered everywhere, express charges prepaid. ALFRED DONAGHUE .FLORIST... Established 1866. 622 Harney Street Omaha 3DAYScrFeb Charles Frohman Presents &INNER1 In the Comedy of Cheerfulness "Mister Antonio" aawsssaasasasaaaaajessaaasasaai SBsaaaBBB(BBSsaaBBBBBsaBJSBBBeBBBaBBasBnssBBae - By BOOTH TARKINGTON Seats Now On Sale. Prices 50c, 75c, $1.00, $1.50, $2.00 . . . ' Owing to the enormous demand, reservation will be placed on ale if uncalled for within 24 hours. HIPPODROME VAUDEVILLE LAYS OFF ON ABOVE DATES, RESUMES SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15. taking part were: Joseph Lawrence, Viola MeEatherne. Jessie Farley, Kathern Kimball, Harriet Binder, Dorothy Cobley, Wylic Thompson, Jannett Weare, Margaret Price and Irene Vandahl. On account of bad weather the piano re cital by pupils of Cecil Berryman had to be postponed. The program as announced will be given Thursday evening, February 14, at the Schmoller k Mueller piano rooms. The public la cordially Invited. .' Eat Egyptian Chocolates On Your War Bread A well known Omaha . s woman, connoisseur of fine candies, told me that she had -spread an rJ Egyptian Chocolate on a ; slice of bread. . ., ' ? :- "Could you believe," said she, "it was so good that 1 made a meal of chocolate-spread bread?" t Indeed I could believe it. I myself often have Egyptian Chocolate sandwiches for my lunch. Egyptian Chocolates are so rich and pure, so de licious, so nourishing, that with bread they make a most sustaining and satisfying meal. Try them on your war bread. It will delight you. It will help you "Hooverize." Egyptian Chocolates may be ordered from most good shops in Greater Omaha. If none at your dealer's, write me. I will send them" postpaid to any address in the United States for $1.25 pound box. Baldujf Omaha. 1 A M&tinee XT' Saturday nts