Have the Daily and Sunday Call Follow You on Your Summer Vacation—Phone Kearny 86 PART TWO VOLUME 113.—N0. 177. HITCHCOCK MAKES 'RED WIDOW' ONE LONG, LOUD LAUGH ■ He Is a Comedian With Wit (and That's Saying Some- - thing) and Brings Down, House at Columbia TICKLED SPECTATOR ' IS LED FROM SEAT Music, Though Not New, Gets New Life From Good Orchestra WALTER ANTHONY It will be nothing , new to tell you that Raymond Hitchcock is a whim sical-comedian with an "ad, lib" style that collects all of the laughs ■ the book inspires and double that number from extempore humor. Tic is a comedian with wit, and they are distressfully rare. He would be funny in any comedy, regardless of the plot, because if it weren't* funny he'd fix it. Hitchcock would make even a critic with a grouch laugh, provided there was any such thing. : In fact last night* at the Columbia he affected the risibilities of a solemn looking peraom to the extent that necessitated the said solemn looking person's removal, lie was breaking up the meeting, and got to laughing at the wrong place, so that Edgar Mizner. whose fraternal relationship with Wilson makes him tender toward plays and player folk, turned 'round and remonstrated to the great relief of the solemn looking gent's neigh bors who were also annoyed. WARNING to . seism FOLK ' I relate the episode as a warning. 1 ><•> not go to the Columbia to hear liaymond Hitchcock in ■ "The Red Widow"' it' you feel pretcrnaturally solemn and dignified, because the sud 'len bath of humor into which you will bo plunged by this irresponsible funny person will shock you from your staid equilibrium, and who knows if you es (V-PC ivith the hysterics? ; Anyhow, tliej-.led the solemn looking norson out wiping. his eyes and breath nis: hard, and then the show proceeded merrily. There is a good- deal of plot mixed with "The Red Widow," but not so much as to interfere with the purpose of : musical comedies, which are, if I linderstand anything, about'- it. to : ex-j »JJ o**- ?owns, girls and a comedian, not 4* forget the dancers., - * The. gowns in the case of 'The Red Widow" . are ■ extravagant- even : : for musical.comedy made on Broadway, and the girls that animate them are mainly pretty, though as to this there are some " exceptions taken -in favor of singing. But musical comedy is, like , nature, compensating, and those who are not I pretty can sing. There must be sing ins: in a musical comedy, and in 'this the singing of the chorus is way above the average, and even applies to the male chorus. flora; zadeli.g effective Of the principals, besides Raymond Hitchcock, Flora Zabelle, who is the "Red Widow" herself, is the most im portant and effective. She has a foreign j manner with a suggestion of the orient j in her eyes and voice, thus fitting ] nicely Into her role of the lady who j would kill the czar on general prin- j ciples, but doesn't because she falls in love with the tenor, ■who, in the per-j son of Theodore Martin, is handsome j and agreeably, vocal. i Minerva Coverdale is ■ dancer in lie plot and in truth. She and George White, who is the son of the million aire in trouble with the nihilists,' com-' prise "-• of the most agile and grace ful dancers seen in this city. Of course they do, among other things, a version of the "rag Turkey Trot, but it ,has Russian trimmings, and is an exhibition of grace in Its frontier of propriety. ' "THE BED WIDOW" HAS CL.ASS The music of the piece is by ; Charles Gebest, but the mechanical pianos and mechanical players of all kinds have introduced most of it to our ears Jong Bfbce. It takes on new effectiveness, however, through the excellence of the orchestra that plays the instrumental score and the choristers who warble 1 it with vim and enthusiasm. In all respects of staging and pres entation, "class , . , -;is; stamped on the "luction of "The Red Widow." while .. m-ond Hitchcock j alone would suffice to entertain hilariously for an even ing. .-; ' ;■ ; '-■; ,:; : ;\ -.;/.,;. Outside .of the merit of the piece itself, which I think I have intimated ia considerable, and aside from Hitch cock's participation in ' the comedy of the plot, his speech after the { second act was worth the price of admission. I If the solemn looking gent had re- j mained till then, they wouldn't have been able to lead him out. They would ] have had to carry; him. '■,,'.,', j TWO AMBIDEXTROUS 1 STARS AT ORPHEUM .General Pisano isn't the only man at the Orpheum who can work with both hands. Gus wards is j. another ambidextrous i person. ■ .^Ji^«^BE^cT^i3' The general blazes away at targets with a rifle in , each hand and makes hits with nearly every shot Gus Edwards tears off popular songs with a pen in each hand and makes a hit almost every time. Of course I don't j really know whether " Gus writes; two 'songs ,at once, but only under that supposition could the most industrious writer of popular songs turn out the music "copy" that enters.into; the lively pro duction called "Song Revue of 1912." * r By the time of the fair, Gus ; should have written enough songs fto *i paper, a music hall withal. :, 'As.for the words to < Gus , sonffS: they must be easier to write,' }s as witness this sample of lyricism: . , . I'll S"t Ton. , 1*1! got you, , . I'll try on»». , two. , tlire<» time?.'four ~. And afterthat I'll try tome mor*-. - /.'■ i;ut I'll pet yon. ; I v.ij i>*.«cb-fl-roo: • • . : - .jA I'll shake the tre* till you fell for mm, 1 Tben I'll gel I l IT EXPECTATIONS^ However,'* one . mustn't suppose^ that Gus writes.>bi.s- v words: to be divorced from his music,any more than Wagner ' .■■..■• STAGE FOLK OF THE WEEK Star Players at Local Theaters did: and anyway, the ■ point is, < that Ed ward's songs arc popular and in con-"j nection * with • "The - Fountain of Youth I in r Six? Spouts," ? which t is -. the r. subtitle I of the "Son)? Revue of 1312," they v fit the • expectations of the audience and | the;. capacity- of the performers with I most agreeable nicety. . . / * j ; This -.''Song'; Revue" 'is ? a very elab- ! orately staged/affair; with spring' and ' youth in obvious effervescence. •'<'*"; ,v ! ;.;*; There is the most adorable cluster : of kiddies 1 have seen since Foy took his supporting: i army : away. ; ; ! - One ? little girl, whose stage name is Jennie, is a dream child, with her won derful hair tinted; with a , glinti of gold and * her . great, eyes.. And there is I an other who, j.ings once from a * stage box, who is no less ; adorable because littler. .< ';'; \-. -~ .';:.-,. ~.,'' '•' . AS TO THE BIG GIRLS -" . ".''"' As to the 'big girls, they are , regu lation "Broadway ladies with gifts a little above average in looks and vocal ability. v . *'T -;v.::'././ /'•!■--■-■•.-/;.,,' , "Little Georgie," as he is called, sug gests Gub , Edward with such r a similar ity of visage and versatility that I be lieve what I heard somebody say about "Little Georgie being Gus' young hope ful. ■ :■":■ J-:.- , -; <• ;-; : ; i ";.,V£ .;;•• - f r.;; This; "song: i. revue" shouldn't be missed, It will save time, for . one thing, at the music department of the big stores./ ' You t-' can take -fa % pick vof any quantity of „ latest hits ' for your piano or your pianola. . :/ : ■■■; Genera! Pisano'si apparatus is ex travagantly embroidered with the de vice "Pisana & Co." . "'/ - ; I have hinted L that the general is a sharp shooter. The company consist , * as far (as ■ I could ; see of '■ one individual who holds -}. glass balls - between fore finger ' and thumb >or :. presses vaj smaller ball : with the tip of his ( linger against his forehead.while Pisano takes a J shot at him and breaks the ball. X ; UNDERSTUDIES■ XKEDED '? ,; '■); That's why it is Pisano and company, I suppose. The youthful Tell must have a. couple of .-- understudies".- in case ' the general gets ~ nervous. .. ; i 7; .:V o4 'i-'J.'V : ■-' General Pisano does marvelous ; shoot ing, but ? I'd be just as satisfied if ■■ he employed no lad >to hold glass globes against his forehead, or if he'd let me pick Pisano's assistant. - ... - The i Edgaf/Atchlson-Ely■, company in "Bill's t Tombstones" :; have f a clever farce, from which the r< three, act < farce seen at the Alcazar was made—or per haps the vaudeville act was made by condensing\* the farce. '. ■''■\--.': .'"-'v '"'-'■' In any , case "Billy's ' Tombstones" is a -bright * little playlet, more likely to appeal to i those who never saw Bes sie Barriscale;l and r Evelyn Vaughn, Bertram Lytell, E. I*, Bennieon and Bart - V/esnef : in the ? play than to ■ those who did. ■■■'; ': .. - :. . ■ ",.-..;.,".. STVCaXESS OVERWHELMS VI V For the;- company interpreting ■ the vaudeville version is too strenuous In its comedy and vehement in its | farce, and ;there «is ; a .«taginess that overwhelms the fun which was not in evidence in the Alcazar's frequent presentations. ' Kramer and Morten, "two black dots," as '/, they are "called, , are , : black i. marks on the program."! Their ; act is tame when it isn't vulgar, though the danc ing is good. v".* fi . : ;';.'/":'t ''-'■"■'■■'■ : '■•'■■■ Laddie Cliff is worth seeing again. The Five Melody Maids and Will J. Ward have a new repertoire of rag ; time music this v week,;;; though the changes are not for the betterment of their act and ",their»'playing and that of the ? orchestra did not always ■ "syn chronize" yesterday afternoon. : '- >.■ : ,« Meehan's dogs and new talking mo tion pictures complete the ii program according, to this story, but begin it, according;' to the facts.; -,■ : ■: "•■'■■• ~'v :• r>v,./^..'."'v'-,. s LOS ALTOS HAS STATION IXDS AX.TO& "iray ; 25.—The historic old freight CV, -which served as a rail road station the early days of Palo Alto and more recently served a simi lar purpose here, : has been abandoned by the .Southern Pacific company. All b i ness;.; of : the electric ■ • and j steam roads -is being . conducted from the handsome new depot. • .' . - THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL SAN FBANCISCO) MONDAY, MAT 26, 1913. "«• LOVE DOCTOR WORKS ';.. ~y}, : MARVEL AT EMPRESS "Specialist" Skit Divide* ;,* Honor "for Headltner With Four '} Act» at ;■* ■•"-•-. -. • Playhouse ' -, ~ ■~ : Four numbers divide headline h"onor3 at ; the Empress " theater this week. In "The i Love ; Specialist," \in which Hay den Stevenson. v Louise iyalleritine| and Sylvia .Starr: appear, a wife, despairing over the apathy; of her / husband, I calls in a , love specialist, who flirts with hubby, thrills his admiration > and yso On, and then departs when her pro fessional 5; services * are .complete, while husband falls into wifey's arms. ' ■'__ .- .' > As the rustic boy of ; chores, Jer* Sahford^has * returned*/* , and his ".' yodel ing and humor were well received. XVaterbury brother.*, white, ...and Tenny, black faced, introduce if an ex traordinary number of musical instru ments, I including * wine ,', glasses. ; v : ■■-;.- Joe Fanton and i his aids do a series of • gymnastic feats lon ? the I flying \ rings, and Lester Leigh, assisted by La Grace, rush through': an ■; act of ; jugglery and acrobatics. ?i '; ':".", y. : x .['.\' : y ..-■ ■,'•/■-■ .-'>'> i ;--.: ".*;.-";■'-:: t Joseph B. : Carey, ~ "The ; Blind Music Master." 'assisted by Miss • Kstelle Roderick, are r heard "I in \ songs of \ their owing compos! "and Fred Griffith does some sleight of ? hand work. RAYMOND HITCHCOCK' . MAKES COMEDY f BOW Star Earns Hi« Ovation at Colombia by 'V-- Inimitable Humor in an In- ' v. genloUM riece : Raymond I Hitchcock in - ."The--' Red Widow" made his .." corned y,,,,b0w~. last night at the I Columbia ) theater?; before an audience that taxed the capacity of "the* playhouse. • ■ ■ . •' V : ..'.-,.' ' '' r; The star received an ;ovation on , his entrance.* , : He then t proceeded Hto>: earn It by his inimitable humor ,' in '. a very ingenious) piece. - l _ •- " \ The supporting , /company,'] headed by Flora •; Zabelle, who;" in private life -is Mrs. % Raymond Hitchcock, was excel lently cast and the »; feminine l ; portion was gorgeously gowned. ' * "The Red Widow" was written by Charming Pollock, Rennold Wolf i and Charles J. Gebest, and these three put into lit some of jj their,! smartest work. :■ '"; .,"i : Some \of those who participated ;? In the success '" of last night were Minerva Coverdale, "Marie . Richmond, Nan Brown, Gloria Gray, Theodore Martin, George E. Mack, George^White, Edward MetcaK, George Romain, Charles Prince and Stanley Fields. ;. *' "FOLLIES OF COONTOWiN" TOPS PANTAGES BILL .Skit of Plantation, Paatime* and I,op Eared S Mule Provide. Amntfincßt for Vaudeville -'.'-■' ■ ;. r J "Follies of Coontown," a skit of * pas times on an old plantation, leads the vaudeville i* numbers at %■. the *; Pantages this ; week, Punch Jones f and il2 come dians participating in v;* this'>! merry tabloid. Shaw's comedy circus, with a lop eared white mule as the t principal, has an assortment of frisky trained dogs and a pair of Shetland ponies, which i;do;'a^ series of difficult tricks ? with i snap and dash. : "Mercury," the mule, closes the act with a silent challenge to any A rider who can out- , last his bucking. . -~..>.. Popular selections are given by the Three Elliotts, operatic v? harpists, and June Roberts and company in "The Doll Maker's Dream," present a pretty playlet, la which two - little \ tykes > give clever impersonations'. ;; " ' v .'.: A bunch of new ballads is brought out by Reeves and Werner, and the Muellers do expert | oop | rolling , . Clara Howard tls!a v pleasing comedienne. The body of .an unidentified man about 40 years? of age with a bullet wound, in the head and "i a '-- revolver lying close to the body was found in the vicinity o_f'tStrawberrV;:hill Satur day night. ". -"-..- :'■■ > •'-. ■"- ■.. •.". . ■ 'HANKY PANKY'S' COMEDIAN SANS THAT MUSTACHE Nothing Hirsute to Deceive Worn by Florence Moore . in Rollicking Musical Production i- $ HER WORK WINS ' LAUGHS ALL TIME Christine Nielsen, Favorite of Old Days, Warmly m Welcomed Back ARTHUR L. PRICE :.'-■-•■ ■■,:-.> ■■■•:, ■-;» •■/■-':•- ■-,■.:■-■-,•■■'" >•-:= ■; :i-ij>; •-•■£-? Now, let 'it■ be ; understood that the chief comedian at the : Cor theater for the coming engrossing three weeks wears no mustache, to deceive you. It the chief comedian of ••"Hanky Panky" wore * a "''■"• mustache '.'■'..'. she J; would '-r be y, a bearded lady, and that would never do. So So J there 'is no - deceit connected with the ehow —the chorus girls don't even wear necklaces^« it is just a show, with out nor anything else to take your mind off the stage. It is a L*w Fields' 'show, and lis 'guaranteed to be an all star production. For « the most part, it Is j an ; all star production. ! May be it is a full star production, only one or two of the I people aren't yet to be found on the astronomical charts. Maybe they are the lost i stars or the strayed stars; but they can be passed by—there is enough i stellar] talent vto hold | the tele scopes '{ of (the l audience ? for nearly ' three comic ; hours.' ' - - ' STARRIEST OF STARS , And the most starry star of .the con stellation is r a woman comedienne. Miss Florence " Moore, who 'j: plays the eccen tric part of ■ Clorinda Scrfbble. a sten ographer, later an actress. To be the funniest •> person in . the j show that in cludes * Bobby North and Max Rogers,; who was one of the Rogers brothers,J and Harry Cooper and William Mont gomery, 'is•< an achievement; ':■ to >be the j funniest person and to be a woman j is wonderful. Miss Moore goes into the j class which is least congested of j , all! stage divisions—the class of the comic j I actress. , ■-'• ~ .:/ : .. :' . :•■',..■:' :.,:■■; i vj To s mention Miss Moore first is j not entirely fair to our • San"' Francisco girl. Miss Christine Nielsen, who returned to us last i night, and ] about whose success most San Franciscans will be curious to learn. But the show "Hanky Panky" is a comic shovr. and the come dians demand, if th SEDATE Miss Nielsens recognition comes more sedately, * but f not enthusiastically. ■" f Miss Nielsen made her debut, if mem ory '-■ is accurate, at j? Idora ?■ park "after the fc fire." Then she appeared at the Princess theater Jlril the merry days of : comic opera, and she graciously sang at frequent Press club jinks and other wise became a feature of San Francisco . life lin the '■'■ days when Market street was more or lees of a dusty brick pile. Now that i> Market street '. has been spruced up. Miss Nielsen returns to El lis street, to the Cort theater, and de lights us with her voice I that has im proved, 4 but not at the expense f th« girlish lilt which was our delight in 1906-1907. - ?■ ■'•'."■ f Of her beauty, now perhaps more am ple than before, Miss Nielsen has re tained her original allotment and added to her heritage. She has a num ber of good songs which she trills in her fascinating way. One in particu lar, —about *H California —has a ;; ;'. good tune, though , * the words are the same old tokens that decorate the California development board's literature—moun tains ; and sea and climate and poppies. Miss Nielsen is described in the play as a "California poppy," and the words fit as snugly and * f more completely 5 than her sumptuous gown. ;V.-If this were the place *to make nominations j Miss Niel sen might be suggested as ' the ; Portola carnival . queen. " '' .':_ " / ■> •; NAME DOE S3 MATTER " . The h name ; of ;' the* ■ piece, as before stated, ;: is : "Hanky Panky." There is no reason why it should or should not be "Hanky Panky" or "Panky Hajiky." It has no plot which requires valu able space to elucidate.' -"- . • ., It -'is-, juet a show —a merry, laugh ing, robust, show —with an amazingly active \ chorus; and •: a : corps of ''- come dians with their reckless disregard for the English ?; language and " ? somewhat more regard for the musical score. The music is lively and, as the show ran 150 nights in Broadway, the live liest tunes, for instance "Oh, You Cir cus Day" and "The Lyre -i Bird and the l Jay," >• have proceeded it to the cabaret programs and the family ragtime music rack. , ' "" It is one k- of those excellently ;^ put on ; shows where there is real distinc tion, taste, ingenuity and art displayed in lighting effects and ensembles. ' If the comedians are y "roughhouse," the .electrician iis an esthetic chap and an i artist to the ends of his incandescent finger tips. '•{.•.' ": The chorus girls can dance with the ■ ...■■■ .■ .. ~*-r * ■ . ■ ■■■ .■-■ ' ■. : ■ '--, >■■ ■ Notice to Depositors The Mission Branch of THE GERMAN SAVINGS AND LOAN SOCIETY (The German Bank) vis now located in ? its new building, corner Mission and 21st Sts. POPE BLESSES PILGRIMS Pontiff Appears In Excellent Health, j According: to Report* From i ßome- ■~' (Special Cable to.The. Call) '. . \ ' ... , ROME, May-23.—From Raphael's log- Sic, overlooking the court of San Da maso, in the Vatican .i palace. Pope Pius I today blessed 500 German pilgrims. .His \ holiness seemed in excellent health. s! costumes |a.rejdistractingwithout »being) 'ovefielaboratp.. ■ . ■ . : ."-.'i» j over elaborate. ; There Is some rougli and tumble di- I alect stuff in the show : between Bobby J North and Rogers to .tin effect that I clothing is unhealthy. On that hypoth- - esis, the chorus is _• the * most '■: prophylac tic in many a fine day. ■ But the honor -as the prime fun maker goes to Mies Moore. To hear her and Montgomery -; in : their debate over the i "/'Stockyard'- : College" -T yell wis worth the price of a steak. Can they come higher than that? "SOMETHING for (almost) nothing" By Merely Clipping This Certificate 1 KB3I THAT IS NOT VaKCN FROjM ONE Of THESE i V YQ f^i?-' >, U^St 0\F m /'ttr;\ lIMI aaaßaaaagaa " inejf And Five Others of Consecutive Dates Entitles bearer to this $5.00 Illustrated Bible ' If presented at ) the office of this newspaper, together with $1.20, • that covers ; the necessary .'; EX ' I PENSE items of this great distribution—including clerk hire, cost of packing, V : ! ■ -.:.•' '.■■: "" ' checking, express from factory, etc., etc. / . * .■•'■• ■•p ■" 5 '* ■*•' •■''' • "'*'*' ■* **■ ■" ■'■ '"■'■'- . ■ Jik r '■■"---• .-(.* **c* ; .' {'m p I :>-■,. ... 2j lIL f 1 fe NOTE.—Persons desiring Catholic Edition of "THE ILLUMINATED : HOLY BIBLE" camnow secure it—the third shipment having already arrived. AT THE CALL OFFICE, OAKLAND and SAN FRANCISCO HOUSTON PEPPER " . HIGHBALL FIZZLES Broadway Doesn't Think Much of Secretary's Hungarian ; i Concoction *.•■■• (Special UNpat.b to 'Jh» I'jin ■-XKW YORK, May 25.—Broadway does not take kindly to Secretary Houston's paprika highball, which it is , said will put John Barleycornv down or.-.> the 'coifnt.T:. I - ~--'^-'*V~-''-\-< : i ''■ The Longacre concensus: of opinion was summed up by a gentleman in a white , : apron along- the road of bright lights thusiy: .'"',- '. • "Those chaps down in Washington are paid Nto make laws and govern the country—not to invent new*drinjcs. The PAGES 9 TO 16 PRICE FIVE CENTS. MEATS WILL BE TESTED liimnK* of Hospitals to Be Pure Foo'ii --V "\ '."■' \ .:'' Sqiiad . _']■ ■■■■■/,■ .':' - ;V; - > Free beef ;: and V mutton { will * be ; sup plied to v the v relief home and - county hospital f for "tests before the supplies ) committee of " the ; supervisors accepts ; the bid of F. E. , Booth & Australian meat importers, JtoU furnish meat to this city '■ in the next fiscal year. The; board of > health has decided f that the inmates will 5 eat this meat Monday and Tuesday. If the verdict is favorable : the city will give' the importers a $100,000 contract. £« " 1 / .-" next thing we -know, some other one will be coining across with the tabasco lizz, the mustard sour, the onion riekey or the cabbage horse's f neck and get their names in • all the papers. : v ■i "Hungary is ) Hungary and 'Washing ton ?is Washington, but ■ New York is New York and when we want paprik" ! we'll use it as it was meant to ,be used and when we want a j drink v we will take it in the liquid form." ■' V