Life — December 14, 1911 — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

voices. Mr. Otis Harlan is a comedian who is funny and yet discreet in his methods. Maude Odell is picturesque in a Katisha role, Mr. John Dunsmore is a braw and voiceful Hicland chieftain and Mr, Charles Meakins a good-looking French marquis. The principal honors, however, go to Ger- trude Bryan, an extremely pretty and piquant young woman who somehow scems to have escaped the notice of the mu- sical show scouts, but of whose unusual charm in person and manner there is no doubt whatever. “Little Boy Blue” is well calculated to drive away the other blues, @ G2xA ZTY THEL BARRYMORE'S vehicle for this season's engage ment is an Anglo-Indian drama by Mr. A. E. W. Mason entitled “The Witness for the Defense.” It is a mystery play in which suspense and talk largely take the place of dramatic action. As it is done at the Empire Theatre the whole tempo is very slow and the movement subdued as though the intention was to tantalize the audience by hold- ing back the solution of the crime on which the plot hinges This extreme deliberation rather got on the nerves, especially in the star’s “ big” emotional scene, and there was a feeling of relief when the secret was finally out for good and all. In the support are such competent actors as Messrs. A. E. Anson, W. L. Abingdon, Ernest Stallard, Leslie Faber, and Lumsden Hare, all representing Englishmen of conventional stage type for which work they were entirely sufficient. The central figure of the piece, a widow resting under the suspi- hel cion of her husband's murder, seems to have given Barrymore a new inspiration with not entirely happy results. She has abandoned some of her old vocal mannerisms and speaks the lines throughout cither in rather shouting tones or in a_high- pitched and metallic tremolo, These, lg Rather gloomy but Broadway—" The she has the musical show. Casino— Pegg: score by Mr. spectacle of life in dramatization of Cohan family. very well acted, Cri featuring delir London low life. Notice later. Mason. See above. Gaiety—Elsi Garrick—Mr. Wi MAUDE ODELL AND MR. OTIS HARLAN See. above. Globe—"* The IN “LITTLE BOY BLUE ‘LIFE: ea Astor—" The Red Widow. with a plot and real ¢ of Mr. Raymond Hitchcock. Belasco—* The Return of Peter Grimm" Stahl in the title part, : interesting and well acted play with Mr. David Warfield as the star. store Never Homes.” The Suffragette and what she is go hance turned into an amusing median in the person Hichen's novel Cohan’s—* The Little Millionaire.” including, Mr. George \ Pulls the Strings.” Very laughable and rion—" Passers-By. acted and fairly intere gations of characters from Laly’s—Margaret Ilington in “ Kindl Empire—Fthel Barrymore in “The Wit ness fer the Defence,” Fulton.—Mr,_ William Collier in “ Take My_ Advice.” ‘See above. Ferguson in Lady of the Land,” by Mr. linger. Notice later. Senator Keeps House,” by Martha Morton. ing Three GERTRUDE BRYAN IN “ " LITTLE BOY BLUE with her almost unvarying deliberation, made the impersona- tion a rather monotonous one, conveying very little idea of light and shade, It marks no pronounced advance in the ar- tistic career of the star. As plays go in the course of a season, “The Witness for the Defense” is fairly interesting, but it needs the stimula- tion of a little stage ginger. Metcalfe oS CONFIDENTIAL 2 GUIDE Musical show good comedians and Georgia Caine in a musical sh with considerable fun. Harris—" Maggie Pepper,” with Rose Interesting melo- dramatic exposition of life in a department Herald Square—" Betsy,” with Grace La Rue as the star, Notice iater. Hippodrome—Ballet. spectacle and “Around the World."” All big and gorgeous. Hudson—Helen Ware starring in“ The g to do if Musical. show with — pyees? carving ta tb 5s gas nia ee ice,” a not great, but reasonably interest Century—"The Garden of Allah.” Dig ing sex dra Knickerbocker—Last_ week of “The ren.” Viennese musical show featuring the waltz dancing of Mr. Donald Brian. Lyceum—Mme. Nazimova in “The Mari- oneites,” by M. Pierre Wolff. Notice later. hara, founded on that ilk fairly amusing but n Lyric tie Boy Blue." See above. musical shot Marine El x 1 Irish Players in romedy—-Sco y entitled “Bunty "ePEttory,, See above. Comed, itch comedy entitled * Bunt: Bork’ The Quaker. Girl’ Charming done and pretty musical show from London, Playhouse—* Bought and Paid _ For." Well acted and thoroughly enjoyable play of The taged and acted f corrupt W cians. rt Million.” Rough house but very funny farce from the French, Wallack's—Mr. George Arliss and good company in pleasant light drama with Dis- racli, The Victorian prime minister, as the leading character. Weber's—" The Wife Decides.” Cru problem play crudely done. Winter Garden—" Vera Violetta Deslys, and “ Undine. Annette Kellerman, the lady sw above. Fairly _ well gg English drama "ods. s: a by Mr. AL E,W. H. Crane in “ The display: displaying st. See Romeos.” Three comicbooks.com