Tuesday, 30 October 2012

Doormats written by Hubert Henry Davies and produced at the Wyndham’s Theatre, London, in 1912 and 1913

Scenes from Doormats written by the British playwright Hubert Henry Davies (1869 – 1917) and produced at the Wyndham’s Theatre, London, from October 1912 to 1913.





1912 LONDON Doormats, Wyndhams, Milward Lohr du Maurier Bishop Boucicault



The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, October 19th, 1912, "Doormats," by Hubert Henry Davies, at Wyndham's Theatre."
   a- In the studio of the artist Noel (Mr. Gerald du Maurier) when he is painting the portrait of his friend, Capt. Harding (Mr. Dawson Milward).  Noel is made a doormat of by his wife Leila (Miss Marie Lohr), and the boot Leila is more or less in love with her second doormat the Captain.  The other characters are Mr. Alfred Bishop as Uncle Rufus (a boot) and Miss Nina Boucicault as Aunt Josephine (a doormat). These five people complete the cast.
   b- Noel has gone on business to America, and Leila has refused to accompany him.  She is, on the contrary, seen making love to the Captain in her husband's absence.
   c- A breakfast scene after Noel has returned fro America, has discovered the Captain's attentions to Leila, and is about to offer his wife her freedom at his expense. Leila is dispirited, and has just emough courage left to rout the "boot" Uncle Rufus, who in his turn has just tyrannised over the 'doormat" Aunt Josephine and eaten her breakfast.
   d- "The eternal triangle."- The Captain expllains his position to the husband.  The husband refuses to divorce his wife, and the wife refuses to allow him to appear as the guilty party. Neither has so far sinned, and neither will allow the other to be a martyr.  The deadlock is removed by the breaking out of a quarrel between the lovers, which gives the husband his chance of appearing to advantage over the Captain, who then disappears in high dudgeon from the scene of action.
   e- Noel and Leila about, as ordained by fete, to resume their boot and mat careers after the defeat and flight of the military doormat.




More Information about this Play

Monday, 29 October 2012

Officer 666 written by Augustin Machugh and produced at the Globe Theatre, London, in 1912 .

   Scenes from Officer 666 written by Augustin Machugh and produced at the Globe Theatre, London,  from 30th October 1912 to 1st February 1913.

   The original Broadway production of this play by George M. Cohan opened at the Gaiety Theater on January 29, 1912 and ran for 192 performances.





Officer 666 (1916)


The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, November 9th, 1912, "Officer 666," by Augustin Machugh, at the Globe Theatre.
    a- Gladwin, the owner of a New York mansion (Mr. Wallace Eddinger), while disguised as a policeman, witnesses a lovers' interview between the picture thief, Alfred Wilson (Mr. John Miltern) and Helen Burton (Miss Viva Birkett).  Wilson is in Gladwin's own house at the time, is posing as its master, and is about to steal its masterpieces of painting and elope with Helen.
    b- Whitney Barnes (Mr. Sam Sothern) gets handcuffed through a police error, and finds it rather difficult to get at his cigarette case.
    c- Officer 666 (Mr. Dan'l Moyles) arrests Gladwin for the supposed theft of his own pictures, as the word of Wilson, the thief, as to who is actually Gladwin is believed rather than that of Gladwin himself.
    d- Mrs. Burton (Miss Helen Ferrers) recognises Officer 666 (Mr. Dan'l Moyles) as the man whom she saw in his shirtsleeves, and whom she imagines is the thief the police are inquiring for.
    e- Travers Gladwin (Mr. Wallace Eddinger), disguised as Officer 666, discovers Wilson, the picture thief (Mr. John Miltern), at work on his art treasures in his own house. The "Officer" conceals his identity, and affects to assist the "expert."
    f- Wilson, the aesthetic picture thief, has now been exposed, and the police are after him.  He is seen dragging officer 666, with the aid of his servant, and soon after, helped by the very man whom he has personated, the sympathetic Gladwin, he escapes, leaving both the paintings and Helen behind him.

THEATRE Sketches from 'Officer 666' at the Globe, 1912

See the Cast.

Thursday, 25 October 2012

Ariadne auf Naxos (Ariadne on Naxos) by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, first performed at the Hoftheater Stuttgart, on 25 October 1912, directed by Max Reinhardt.

   Scenes from Ariadne auf Naxos (Ariadne on Naxos, a 1912 opera) by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, first performed at the Hoftheater Stuttgart, Stuttgart, on 25 October 1912, directed by Max Reinhardt. 

   The combination of the play and opera proved to be unsatisfactory to the audience: those who had come to hear the opera resented having to wait until the play finished.







von Szkilndz, Ober, Engell
Adelaide von Skilondz & Birgit Engell & Margarethe Arndt-Ober (Ariadne Trio)




   In London the early version was given eight times at His Majesty's Theatre beginning on 27 May 1913. The Hofmannsthal adaptation of Molière's play was presented in an English translation by W. Somerset Maugham under the title The Perfect Gentleman. The opera was sung in German with Eva von der Osten, Hermine Bosetti and Otakar Marák, conducted by Thomas Beecham.

Friday, 19 October 2012

The Dancing Mistress produced by George Edwardes at the Royal Adelphi Theatre, London, on October 19, 1912

Scenes from The Dancing Mistress (musical comedy with music by Lionel Monckton, book by James T. Tanner and lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank) produced by George Edwardes (English theatre producer, 1855 - 1915) at the Royal Adelphi Theatre, London, from October 19, 1912 to June 21, 1913.





Coyne and chorus in Act III

Thursday, 18 October 2012

The Little Cafe (French: Le petit café, a French comedy play, first performed in 1911), written by Tristan Bernard and performed at the Playhouse Theatre, London, in October 1912.

Scenes from The Little Cafe (French: Le petit café, a French comedy play, first performed in 1911), written by Tristan Bernard and performed at the Playhouse Theatre, London, in October 1912.





The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, October 12th, 1912, "The Little Cafe," by Tristan Bernard, at the Playhouse.
   a & b- Albert (Mr. Cyril Maude), the waiter at the Little Cafe, coming up the trapdoor from the cellar.  He is merrily intoxicated, and hence is soon induced to sign the document shown in the next picture. This is a contract which binds him to stay for twenty years at the Little Cafe, or to pay his master 200,000 francs if he leaves.  His employer has heard that he has inherited a fortune, and hopes to secure part of it by this trick.
   c-  Albert, now rich, refuses to leave his cafe at such a cost, and so remains a waiter by day and becomes a bon viveur by night. He is shown supping at a fashionable restaurant with some new friends, while a musical Sicilian lady on the right, who claims to be his fiancee, watches him suspiciously, as she believes him to be only engaged here as a waiter, and cannot understand the amorous conduct of the lady customer who is embracing "her Albert."   d- How Albert, in his waiter capacity, shares pot-luck with his customers in a sort of modern screen scene.     e- The Sicilian lady (Miss Maidie Hope), when about to stab her rival for Albert's attentions (Miss Madeline Seymour), screams so loudly that she awakes a sleeping customer, in whom she recognises her husband. She then leaves ina hurry, leaving the field clear-     f- For Albert's engagement to hos master's long loved daughter, Yvonne (Miss Vera Coburn).




Thursday, 11 October 2012

Art and Opportunity (comedy) written by Harold Chaply (1886 - 1915) produced by Miss Marie Tempest at the Prince of Wales's Theatre from the autumn of 1912 to 1913

   Scenes from Art and Opportunity (comedy) written by the American playwright Harold Chaply (1886 - 1915) produced by Miss Marie Tempest at the Prince of Wales's Theatre, London, from Octobere 12, 1912 to 1913.

   This production made the writer known to a wider public and recognized by all the most considerable critics as one of the two most promising playwrights in Britain. 




Marie Tempest. Norman Trevor. Charles V France. Edmond Breon "Art And Opportunity"


Marie Tempest. Norman Trevor. Edmond Breon "Art And Opportunity"


Miss Sanderson, the popular American actress, who appeared in London in "The Hon'ble Phil" and "The Dashing Little Duke," is shown above in "The Siren," in which play she is appearing under Mr. Frohman's management in America.  Miss Tempest is represented as Pauline Cheverelle, the adventuress, fortune-teller, Duke-frightener, &c., at the Prince of Wales's Theatre.