The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 12, 1897, Page 25

I A0s s VBB we BOEED \ THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 18 T 2 25 Do80AnceNass A8 E3000W800 000000 oonsOeroDeSeDes «O® o °® he play’s the thing to cateh the con- says Shakespeare, and when mortal William y of the gentlemen who are nightly catching our consciences with their plays are themselves laboring under the acensa- n of g thieves, pirates—of habitu- and systematically trampling on the th commsndment, in fact. “Martha ton’s ‘steal’ from the Henry Arthur Jones' ‘robbery’ from the an,” are expressions in common use. e great Pinero passes for one of the most iight-fingered members of the cralt, and our own ‘‘Dave” Belasco, if all his enemies say about him be true, must be e most hardened kleptomaniac of them a M 1 I met a dramatic author the other day who made his little plaint on the subject almost with tears in his eves. Universal is not exactly his yet, but he sations of dishonesty he made against fellow autbors and against man- r were something awful. Tue most iking part of it was that be supporteaa good many of his statements by docu- mentary evidence which he carried about in his pocket—or rather in the seventeen pockets which are the full complement of receptacles that beiong to masculine attire. “‘Robbery !"”” he said in tones of mourn- ful indignation. *Call it sailing under the black flag and have done with it. Here’s a play,” and he dived intoone of his seventeen pockets, “‘that I copyrighted over ayear ago. Yes, thisisit,” handing me a certificate of copyright from the Librarian of Congress at Washingion. “Why! it has the same title as —— " [ exclaimed, noticing that his certifi- cale, da'ed many moons back, was for a new play bearing a rather peculiar title that has just made a hit in New York. “Exactly! They took my title for her play,’’ be remarked, with rising indigna- tion. *Isent it to X—" naming a big manager. *He kept it several mcnths and returned 1t, saying be regretted his inability to use it on account of tbe lead- ing character not exactly suiting any of Lis comedians—and in a day or two a play was advertised under the title that I had copyrighted, with the exception of one name being chanzed.” “Why don’t you fieht?” Iasked, and he answered sadly: ¢Fighticg takes money, and does not do any good if you are not famous. OL! that steal is nothing com- pared to the whole scenes I Lave had pilfered out of my plays by readers and managers. I copyright every situation now, but even that has not the effect of ‘bands off.” Of course it's stealing, just as much as hizchway robbery, but how are you going to prevent i1 2" There is nothing like getting at both sides of a story. *“Are popular dramatists given to piracy?’ I asked Au:ustus Thomas yesterday. It wasrather a nervy question, seeing that he is a popular . £ ‘e A Foor oF FamTuNe: AT THE BDALDWIN. over those words of the im- | it isawful to think that German”; | Qe5+Q8035DAR00MNNRE SeseBodse S asa | | | | | dramatist himself, and might object to | the indirect accusation of burgling other | people’s brains. It isonly the truth that | | wounds, however, and Thomas' conscience (1s evidently serene, for he replied with { unruffied amiability that as far as thel observance of the eighth commancdment | went, dramatists could challenge com- pearison with any otherclass of men. “You | bave never been accused of stealing,” 1 i _remzrked with an accent on the you, to | intimate that there were others. *I beg your pardon,” replied the author of “‘Ala- bama,” *a woman living in Leadville once came forward and said that she wrote ‘In Mizzoura,’ and I'stole it from her. 1 had never seen the lady, and she had never seen ‘In Mizzoura.” It turned out afterward that she was mad. PerbapsI ought not to mention the story, lier in- | sanity must have been a great calamity to ber iamily. Really, I only cite thein- | cident now, to shcw that it is a mistake to imagine I have never been accused of stealing my own plays. ““I can enter into the feelings of an amateur who thinks his ideas have been pirated,” continued Thomas, benignly. | **A beginner who has written a play is apt | to think there’s about all there is in human experience in it—1I did. An | amateur will write a play in which a father does not agree with his daughter. Soon after a man with a name may happez to bring outa play in which | a A} does notagree with her father. 1 Le get that idea? says the ' ine; hie hus stolen it \e rmteur e isright, «p who knew what he was talking about has said that there areonly thirty-seven situations :n the world, I think that genericuly they fall more nar- rowly n that of sacrifice, abnegation, revenge, etc., and any diversity comes chiefly from the acters of the people presentine the daunchter W « €| e¢motions. 1 have not seen ‘The Dandy Fiith,’ so I cannot give an opinion on the controversy before San Francisco puolic. As a general principle, however, I do not believe that men steal play before the San Fran- t shekels to the rec osco’s last week. not or wou!d not pay $150 to see “The Heart of Maryland’ at roversy A= AT S the Baldwin cheerfully planked down 50 cents to behold what they fondly bvelieved was the prototype of Belasco’s drama in #The Dandy Fifth.” The fact is that, apart from the sharpshooting episode, Belasco’s drama is about as un'ike Gassa- way’s as two war plays possibly could be. There is a generic resemblance between all plays that center round the boys in blue and the boys in gray, but the *Dandy Fifth” bears a greater zeneric resemblance to “For Fair Virginia” than it does to “The Heart of Maryland.” Gassaway displays considerable clever- ness in his play. He has smart dialogue and effective situations, but he has scarcely a peg of plot to hang them on. Such as it is, the story describes the un- reasonable conduct of a Southern aristo- crat—with an acgent on the ris—who comes home from a guerrilla expedition and sulks because his wife will not en- tirely forswear her Northern relations. His sullenress is turned to wrath wnen he finds that the lady’s parents are about to drop in, bag and baggage, on the sortof impromptu visit that mothers-in-law are wont to pay in comedy. The parents bring with them a Northern officer, *“Dandy’’ Dare of the Dandy Fifth, who EN Mo loves the wife’s sister. This lady flouts “Dandy” almost as unmercifully as the guerril a flouts his wife. | 1In the midst of these family jars the | Daindy Fiith appears on the scene, its men arrayed in a neat aud striking if not en- tirely appropriate uniform, that r. minds one equsl y of the zonaves of Algeria and the Turkish soldiers who commit atroci- ties in Armenis. These American war- riors in baggy bloomers and fezzes imme- | | diately seek out the aristocrat to slay him. As he flees inio perspect.ve over a | bit of hillside the commanding officer orders a sharpshooter to bring him down. The slaugiter is prevented by a bit of white trash, who has ypreviously had sun- | dry amoious scenes with thesharpshooter. | Sinking on her knees, the gitl cries, “Iti. my he:rt you are aiming st,”” and nothing daunted by this startling declaration, the magnanimous sharpshooter turns his r:fle upward and fires into the flies. Subse- quent developments never explain why the girl’s heart happens at that particular moment to be concealed somewhere about the person of the fleeinz aristocrat. Five minutes previously she did not seem to bave a speaking acguaintance with him, and her final destiny in the play s to pair off joyfully with the sharpshooter, The second act shows the aristocrat’s wife and child living in a sandbag fortress, i i i) ) Ponchielli is accused of being reminis- cent of music that was writtea ten or fif- teen years after he wrote his great work. It reminos one of the voung man from the country who was trken to see “Ham- let,” and who gave us bis opinion thag *“‘Hamlet” would have been @ very good play if Shakespeare had not put such a lot of old quotations in it. Tuoe *Music of the Future Dictionary” hits the same nail on the head when it says: “The Music of the future consists largely of mel- odies that Schubert and Schumann had the audacity to use several years before the great Wazner needed them for his Marie EVELYN. Baldwin Theater. William H. Crane begins his engage- ment at the Baldwin Theater to-morrow night in 2Mar.ba Morton’s play, “A Fool of Fortune,” he part that he is calied upon to depict is that of a broker who, in the eariier acts, is a man of weaith. In the last sct another pic ure of this man is sbown, wnere Lie is shabby and physi- cally a wrecz. Itisin tnis act that the comedian is said to show his ability to da something more than make the unthink- ing laugh. He sits down ata desk and apparently falis asleep, but it is a sleep that knows no awakening, fortune making him her 100l to 1he end. Crane's support wiil in- clude Miss Percy Haswell, M:iss Kate Los- ter, Miss Frances Stevens, Walter Hale, Boyd Putnzm, Percy Brooke, William Boag, George F. de Vere, Charles F. Gott- hold and Wilham k. Butteifield. “A Fool of Fortune” will ve continued througtout the first week of the engage- ment, and will be followed by a *‘Virginia Courtsuip.” Columbia Theater. | Charles H. Yale’s spectacle, “The Twelve Temptations,” was placed on view at the Columbis Theater last Mon- day evening. The Frawiey company 13 to return to | the Columtia on S:ptember 20 to play a supplementary sexson of three weeks prior to the r departure for the Esst. During | that ume thev will present “*One of Our | Girls,”” “Sue,” “The Wife,” and a new comedy by Augustus Tuon Thess will positizely be the last apye ces of the Frawley Company in San Francisco this seasou. Galifornia Theater. ‘When ““Men and Women” is produced at the California Theater to-morrow night and for the succeeding :ix evenings and two matinees, in aid of the police rebef fund, as fine a performance as has yet been credited to the Frawley Company will no doubt be given. Between the aci some numbers of the Pulice Glee Club will be rendered and_kinetogravhic views of the police drill on Van Ness avenue wiil be displayed. The members of the force have worked with might and main to make the affair a huge success, ana ai- ready 1he results in the way of ticket sales are most encouragine, Blcazar Theater. 8o many theater-goers have displayed their anxiety to see “The First Born” by ordering seats that the management has decided to continue the Chinese play for another week at least. Theater parties were quite the ruleat the Alcacar last week, and on Friday night 150 of the visiting letter-carriers went there in a body. The play has been greatly improved since it was produced tere, Dave Belasco bcing respousible for the changes. “The American Girl,’”’ by Grattan Don- nelly, wiil precede the Chinese play. Master Jimmy Horn, Miss Nina Cook and Litule Venie will v the children’s roles. Miss Gertrude former memter of Mme. Modjeska’s v, has been secured by the Alcazar. he will play Twister in “*An American Giri.”! Grand Opera-House. “The Engineer,”” to-morrow night's | play, belongs to the class of melodrama | that exactly suits Morosco’s audiences. The story centers round the nelarious do- ings of Ned Claybank, superintend-nt of the Plumbe: v lle O.e Mill, a vilizin of the ortiodox typa. He tries to kill the hero { by cesting him in front of a heavily laden car, kidnaps the heiress, and is foiled by the noble engineer, who finallv marrie« the beautiful heiress. John T. Nicholson, [ a recruit with a focal reputation, will | play tue villain’s part, and Maurice Stew- [ art. a new comedian, will introluce spec- ialties, as will also Mamie Holden, the | Iittle soubrette. Tivoli Opera-House. For the sixth week of the grand opera season, under the direction of Gustav Hinrichs, the favorite operas of Ambroise Thomas and Gounod respectively will be performed. Ambroise Thomas’ *“Mignon’’ will be sung ¢n Monday, Wednesday, Fri- day and Sunday evenings, and Gounod’s w«faust’’ will be given on the alternate nights. Katherine Fleming Hinrichs will the Mignon, Elyia Crox the Filina, Rernice Holmes the stripling Frederic. Signor Miche'ena, who made a success Jast season as Wilhelm Meister, will repeat the part, and Signor Abramoff will sing Lothario. The cast_of “Faust” will include Rhys Thomas, William Mertens and Si T Ludivoco Viviani as Mephisto, a role in which he has made a success both in Europe and New York. The favorite prima donna, Miss Tiilie Salinger, wiil reappear after an absence of two years and will play Marguerite. This was one of Miss Salinger's most successful roles during ber previous lengthy engagement at this house. New scenery, cosiumes and accessories have been prepared for GINEER ROSCOoy where the members of the gorgeously eos. tumed Dandy Fifth are be-ieged. The aristocrat is discovered to be a yrisoner in the same fortress, and a number of in- cigents occur of a striking and interesting nature, but they partake entirely of the nature of “turns,” since they are irrcle- vant to the development of the plot. When the curtein falis the action is just about where it was at the beginningof the second act. The drama concludes with the approved reconciliation, wherein the unreasonable husband takes back to bis arms the wife who never pave him any just cause for an estrangement. War dramas always end with a reconciliation— dramatists never accuse one another of stealing that. Audiences have become so used to them that if the regulation “making-up'’ all around were not forth- coming people would fold their hands and say, *No, this is noi the last act. Give us our reconciliation or we sha/l demand our money back at the box-office.” The olive branch at the end of an American war drama is as inevitable as the high note at the end of a concert song. Aprovos of the piracy question, some of the criticisms passed on Ponchielli's “‘La [Giocondn" have been very entertaining. both operas. For the seventh week in the grand opera season, which is neanng its end, Wagner’s “The Flying Dutch- man’’ will be presented. At the Orpheum. This week El Zobedie, direct from the Arcade Theater, St. Petersburg, Russia, an equilibrist, will appear for ibe first time i America. Adrienne Ancion, an aerial artist, who is caid to have made a gensation last season in Paris, will also be new, and George Evans, who pow calls himself “The Honey Boy,” will drop into town for the first time in four years and t=i] new stories and sing new songs, Evans will be well remembered as the creator of *Standing on the Corner.” John Fox and Katie Allen will be bronght back from Los Angeles, where they have made a hit, and will repeat their lively sketch “The Flat Next Door.” The Hun- garian boys' band will give eniirely new numbers from their repertoire, and Leola Mitebell, “The L-ving Doil,” and_Stanley W hiting will appear for the last week. At the Ghutes. At the Chutes Free Theater there will be a specialty company every aftsrnoon and evening during the week. Among the attractions are Professor Martin and bis dog circus, Mlle. Fiorinein her exhibition of “Oriental Black Art’’ Murphy and Raymond, sketch artists, Dan Meaders’ Royal Marionettes and a number of other “turns.” H This afternoon and evening George Dixon, the little colored champion, ana Joe Walcott, the dusky pugilist, who re- cently defeated George Green, will spar four rounds on the cpsn-air stage at the foot of the lake. The Oberon. To-night ihe International Ladies’ Or- chestra will close a profitable season at the Oberon and will be succeeded to-mor- row evening by Herr Ferdinand Stark’s famous Vienna Orchestra, Herr Stark is krown as a high!y pooular interpreter of music of ine Jouann Strauss variety, wallzes being his specialty. W herever he has anpeared lovers of this kind of mus.c bave flocked to hear him and his accom- plished band. 'The latter i< stronger than ever, as Herr 8 bas thorouzhly reor- ganized it, and th iembers are ali said to be tzlentel soloists and skilled en- scmble artists. 1. A. Fisher, proprietor of the Obero=, Lus made his resor: a fa- vorite place ol recreation. The musical programmes pr:sented have always many appreciative hearers. Sutro Baths. In the 100-yard obstacle race in the large tank this aiternoon the utmost ingenuity nas been emploved to make the course a “highway of difficut ' Three money prizes will be given those who manage 10 surmount the many hindrances and reach the winning line first. The novel contest of boys en:aged in a feei-to-feet race for | fifty vards will also be viewed. Monde-, international transformation d cers, direct from Koster & Bial's, New York, will appear, as w andos, acrovats; Antonio Perri, balancer and equilibrist, and the “Two U s” ina fistic travesty on the Walco! figut, Les MUSIGAL MENTION. Success of the Walther-Hext Re- citals in Golden Gate Hall. A great treat has been given tolocal lovers of the violin by the recitals of Carl Walther, tue Belgian virtuoso, in Golden Gate Hall. Mr, Walther is one of the a3 the three Le- | | most accomplished players that hasever | been heard in this Cuity, and audiences, | largely composed of musiciuns_and dilet- | tanti, have greeted his work with enthu- | sizsm. To remarkab'e brilliancy and fluency cf execution Mr. Waliher unites a | delicacy and artisiic_finish such as are | ratrely met with, and he plays with a | Enowiedga of bis insirument that places | him in tbe iront rank among the remark- |able contemporaneous violinists of the | Beleisn scbool, 10 which belong sach men | as Ysaya and Ce ar Thomson. | Ita fiult can be fouund, not with his | playing bur with his. jndgment, it may be pointed out that Mr. Waither indalgad in the tempo rubato a little more than San ‘Frnncisco deserved. An ariist of his cali- ber could only overdo this effect with his | eves op:n, and with the view of pleasinz | popular autiences, but the music lovers | who have anplauded Mr. Watherin Goiden | Gate Hall bslong to the distinctly eritical | class. Misy Effie Ewine Hext, readar and clo- cuotionis , who assisied Mr. Walther in | wiving a very delighiful evening’s enter- | tainment, 18 a beautilul and talented | youne woman, possessed of remarkabie elocut:onary power<« Her pictoresque posings in Greek costume, in which she expressed various emotions with great mobility of exvression, were received with great applause. Signor_Antonio Aramburo, the weil- known Spanish temer, sccompanied by Senorita Casals, a .alented soprano, are here on their way to fill an engagement in the City of Mexico. Signor Aramburoin- tends 10 come before the San Francisco public in concert, supported by Senor- ita Casala, Sir Arthur Sullivan lately expressed his ine | tention of givi prize for & libretto. Next | day 280 texts of operss and operetias op- | pressed s desk. | NEW TO-DAY—AMUSEMENTS. FRANCISCO. CAL. estas. 1287, [0S ANGELES CAL. esu. 12gs. GUSTAV WALTER, Director-Goneral. COVIIVE. Another § EL ZO FROM THE ARCADE. EINCIING VL Petersburg, Russia, ew and Powerful Colleeti n of* ONDAY. SEET. 13. Vaudeville Stars! BEDIE! X “oreign and American SES SURPRE NANTS A'EQUILIBRE." “The Honey Bby,” - GEO. EVANS ""SI'A\DINQ ON TH | CORNER DIDN'T MEAN NO HARM.” WK A INTC IO IN Zoe Accompusnea - Return of FOX AND ALLEN in “THE FLAT NEXT DOOR. Triple Horizntal Bar Performers. VAN AUKEN, M<PHEE AND HILL. BARTON AND ASHLEY | STANLEY WHITING. " Little LEOLA MITCHELL, the Living Doll. And Fourth Week and Overwhelming and Increasing Success of the KENABEN -KAPRKILILLE! <O Little Natural-Born Musicians—40 New Numbers From 1heir Immense Kepertoire. Parqu MATAEE T0-DAY (SUN 1Y) Balcony, any seat, 1503 ny seat, 10, ot, any < (AL MAYMAN DWIN 2 AL INCORP'D HEATRE PROPS. VU IVE. EX. AND HIS ADMIRABLE COMPANY, Under the Direction of JOSEPH BROOKS. ONLY MATINEE SATURDAY. C NEXT WEEK—MR. CRAN A VIRGINIA Monday, Sept. 27. BEGINNING TO-MORROW; MONDAY, SEPT. 13, FOR A LIMITED SEASON, PRESENTING MARTHA MORTON'S Emphatically Successfal Play, A FOOL CRANE: o ARRIAGES EVENINGS AT 10:45. E as MAJOR FAIRFAX in COURTSEIP YTHT SENATOR. ALCAZ}\R THEATER. FKED BELASCO. ... g Manager TO-NIGET — Last Presentation of LOST FOR A DAY! THE FIRST BORN! Commencing To-Morrow (MONDAY) Night and for the Remvinder of the Week, With Saturday Ma inee. OVERWHELTING DETAND FOR SEATS. Another Week the Onlv Alternative. Public In- teres: Increasing to See THE FIRST BORN!! The Greatest Play of Its Kind iver Fresented Upon Any Stage. Preceded by that Pe- triotic Domestic Comedy Drama AN AMERICAN GIRL! See the Trio of Juvenile Actors. , 25¢ or 15¢. . ’Phone Black 1106. Alcazar Prices—50c. Have seats laid aside for y TIVOLI OPERA-HOUSE AURS. ERNESTINE KRELING, Proprietor & Manager THE GRAND UPERA SEASON Under «he direciion . Gustav Hinrichs. TO-NIGHT-LAST TIME! — SUPEEB DOUBLE BILL!— Leoncavallo’s 1razic Opera, PAGIL.IACTI * Preceded by Mascagni’s Melodrama, GAVALLERIA RUSTICANA. TO-MORROW EVENING Also Wednesday, Friday and Sunday Evenings, — MIGNON Tuesday, Thursday 2nd Saturdsy Evenlugs, FAUST Reaprearance of the Favorite Prima Donna, MiSS TLILLIE SALINGER. Popular Prices......25¢c and 50c. MOROSCO’S GRAND OPERA HOUSE. WALTER MOROSCO. .50 Lessee and Manacar HIS AFTERNOON AND TO-N ‘GHT LS A htnces of ¢ The Dandy Fifch :** Commenciug To-morrow, Sept. 13, the Great American Comedy I Tama ENGINEEOR. s i Startling Mechanical Effec s, Fun, Speclaltfes. See the Great Ore-)Mul Scene. Evening kr.ces—10¢, 25c and 50c. Matineos EvVery datuidiay i Sunday. THE CHUTES #h&ie2° BY PARTICULAR REQUEST. THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING, GEO. DIXON and i oeine: JOE WALCO'I"I" ring Exhibit.ons In Conjunction with A GREAT SPECIALTY COMPANY. NO EXT!’.A CHARGE. Admission, Including Performance, 10e. CHILDEEN, 5 CENTS. OBERON. GRAND CONCERT EVERY EVENING by THE INTERNATIONAL LADIEY' ORCHESTRA. ——— 5. LGOTTLOD A& Co* 15505 ATOMANAGERS +- THIS SUNDAY NIGHT, AND ALL NEXT WEEK, Les: Performances ot CHARLES H. YALE'S Superb Spectacle, THE TWELYE TENPTATIONS With Its Gorgeous Scenery, Excellent Dramatio Cast, Exquisite Ballet, Foreign Dancers, Startting Specialties. MONDAY, Sept. 20—Keturn of the Favorites, | THE FRAWLEY COMPANY, CALIFORNIA THEATER. Beginning TO-MORROW (Monday) Sent. 13, Seven Evening Performances. Matinees Wednesday and Saturday. BENEFIT OF I Widows’ and Orphans’ Aid Association S. F. POLICE DEPARTMENT. —THE.:. FRAWLEY .:. COMPANY— Jn De Mille and Belasco’s Famous Flay, “MEN AND WOMEN ! Also, Selections by Police noral Society. New Views by Edison Kinetograph, GOLDEN GATE HALL. MADAM MOUNTFORD. The Giitedl Woman from Jerusalem, in Costume Recitals of Bib.cal Orientalism. | Fridav Evening, Sept. 17, 80'c o k, “Villaze Lt Yalestire”: Saturday Matinee. Sept 18, }“\,’7 Village Life in Pu.estive’: Munday Iivening, Sept. 20, ¥ o clock, “City Life in Jeru. 7, duesday Even.ng, tept. 21, 8 o'clock, “1he EBedouins of the Des-ri”: Thursday Fkvens 1ng, ~ept. 23. 8 o'clock, “The True Life of Jacobe Fiiasy Evening, Sept. 24, 8 o'cluck, “ cce Home. or som Bethlehem to Calvary”: Saturday Mati: nee, Sopt. 25 2:30 o'clock, “Ecce Homo, or from Bethlehem to Caivary.” Tickets, 50¢: Course (5 Lecturex), $2. For Sale at SHERMAN, CIAY & L0.’S and at Hail, MECHANICS’ FAIR. Liast Weelk ! Grand Music, Choice Art Gallery, Attractive Exhibits, Machinery in Motion, Live Fish of California. MONDAY NIGHT Pioneer Night a y In —WAGNER NIGHT— German Choral Societles In ¢ onl-Stirring Chorals, Pr z:s by the Exh b tors for th 5-Cent Admissions, 5 SUTRO_ BATHS. This Afternoon (Sunday) = = = Sept. 12. 100-¥ A KD OBSTAC Lo RACE for MEN —3 prizes—$1.50, $.50, $1.50, 30-YARD FoE TO-¥EET RACE FOR BOYS—4 pnzes— wimming Suits, £1.50, $1.50, LOv, 0. LES REMONDES, Renowned Transior on A GREAT SPECIALTY NY, | ADMISSION, M0¢. - . . Children, 5,