f " : rt'lC T V v ill .-. 1 4" f AV M' ' Mi'A- "V??13- - ? , fe . pl.ywrlters for tb. lut half century BY LBONB CASS BAEK. nKTIIi David Warf ield comes for the week of December 28, in "The! ' Auctioneer," the H'eilig will con tinue to house the European war pic tures which have been showing there I for the past week. Tremendous inter est has been aroused In the showing f these first authentic motion pictures of incidents of the war. Until the hol idays the exhibition will run contin uously in the afternoons and evenings. I beginning- this afternoon and closing I ' December 27. Today at the Baker "Leah Kleshsa" opens, with Irene Oshier playing the role made famous by Mrs. Flake. This Invariably proves an excellent bill for stock, since its characters are all blar. I strong ones, and the story has a grip- I ping- plot and vivid action. With Miss! Oshier will be seen Robert Gleckler and William F. Powell as her leading eupporr. A family of nine brothers, the Bells, all musicians, heads the Orpheum bill; Walter K. Howe in a sketch called "In and Out," by Porter Emerson Brown, tops Pantages' bill, and at the Marcus Loew Empress there is E. E. Cllve In an English sketch entitled "One Good Turn." The Lyric musical stock offers "Mike and Izzy in Mexico" for its at traction. WAK FTLM HERE AIL VKEK Pictures Portray Action- From Bel gian Fields. The attraction at the Heilig .Theater, Broadway at Taylor street, this week, running continuously from 13 noon un r til 11 P. M., will be the famous first authentic motion pictures of the Eu ropean war. These wonderfully impres sive pictures were taken by Edwin F. Welgle, staff photographer of the Chi cago Tribune, on the battlefield. This paper secured the exclusive privilege to take these motion pictures on condition that &0 per -cent of its profits be given to -the Belgian Bed Cross. The burning of Antwerp, the battle of Aershot, the destruction of Termonde, the battle of Alost, the flood, ing of Llerre, the battle of Mallnes, together with the effect of the bom bardment on cities of 50,000 to 60,000 inhabitants, wrecked by shells, show ing soldiers and civilians as they fell, are pictured. Portland has seen in the different motion pictures and weekly specials. In the different vaudeville houses splen did "still views" of the war, but noth ing of the real action. The camera has caught some Interesting lews of the Belgians digging their . trenches and the Inhabitants fleeing from the bom barded cities with their children - and bundles. "iilOAH EXES UNA" AT BAKER Sirs. Fiske's Greatest Success Is Christmas Offering. Leah Kleshna. the remarkable story of a girl burglar. In which America's foremost actress, Mrs. Flake, achieved such wonderful success, will be the Christmas week offering of the Baker Players beginning this afternoon. It Is one of the few really great Ameri can plays and. besides the great act ing role, for the star, there are half a dozen others that require excep tional ability. This- make it especial ly strong for a first-class stock, com pany, Leah is the daughter of Kleshna, one of the most noted burglars of his time. He has taught his motherless girl the art of which he is master and of which he is proud. - - She - knows nothing else and glories in her . suc cess until the fatal night when they have planned to rob a house of a noted man. The plot leads up to this point with a succession of intensely inter esting events. Kchram is a young burglar who has long been associated with Kleshna and who poses as his servant. He watches over Leah with- -an affection' that amounts to worship This night of the TObbery she is discovered, but the tnari, who ' is' a member of the Chamber of Deputies, instead of handing her over to the police is struck by her appearance' and talks to her with a view of awaking in ner neart a sense 01 her degra dation. The role of Berton (played by George Arllss In the original produc tion) is a young degenerate who shadows Leah, and this is an un usual acting role. The third act shows the home of Kleshna, where he entl Schram have been - waiting long lor the return of Leah, her coming and toe terrinc scenes that follow. Her final decision to return to the lettuce fields where her mother lived, determined to renounce her old life to find love and happiness in the end. Be- . sides all the regular Baker perform ances during the week, there will be a special Christmas day matinee Frl day at regular matinee prices. MUSICIANS FEATURE ORPHEUM Good Bill New to City With Excep tion of Avon Comedy Four. Lacking a personal acquaintance with Vaudeville acts, the public must maka up its mind by what other cities seem to think of a bill. Viewed from that angle; the attractions which open at the Orpheum this afternoon are sure to make a. splendid impression. Trac Ins their! route back as far as Omaha F " , ', , . I iom day revive a better and greater! "5:?5::asafe'- vTv ' ' ""H I and Kansas City reveals nothing but' praise. With one exception, the bill is new to this city. It is headed by the Bell Family of musicians, an organization that is a worthy successor to the White Hussars of last week. The Bells are Mexicans of the highest social promin ence, and who had the nerve to go to work at the thing they knew best after tneir estates naa Deen coniiscatea. The Avon Comedy Four are the only old friends, but a season without the Avons would compare with an oasisless desert. . Georgo McKay and Ottle Ardine will presefft a pattering songfest of the kind that Is so popular these days. while Florence Kolb and Adelaide Har land have something entirely new in Evolution" 1863 to 1820. Alexander Brothers are the greatest ball bouncers in the world and furnish a real novelty, while the Zarrell Trio have long been known as one of Eu rope's greatest. The orchestral concerts begin at z P. M. and S P. M., the curtain rising one-half hour later. E. E. . CMVE AT EMPRESS London Favorite Opens Tomorrow in English Sketch. A London sketch, with English tal ent in the star role, will be the top-line attraction on the bill that opens to morrow atternoon at Marcus Loew's Empress. E. E. Cllve, the London fa vorite, who was brought to this country by Charles Frohman and who played with Billie Burke in "The Sunshine Girl," will s present "One Good Turn," a new sketch with a strong British at mosphere. Leonard Booker, who was the original "Tammas" in "Bunty Pulls the Strings," will assist Cllve and the act is said to be a decided novelty in its line. Ed Ford's Dance Review, with Ford himself, who is a remarkable dancer, and four pretty girls in the act, is an attraction that will be popular. Be sides offering a number of dancing novelties. Ford has arranged some startling scenic effects, and the act is one of the big hits of the season all along the Loew circuit. Charles Delmore and Ben Light, both well known and popular on the Fa- clfic Coast, will be back again wltu a repertoire of new songs, clever comedy tricks and a pianologue. Claude and Marion Cleveland, another pair of Coast favorites, will reappear with a new act, in which their peculiar tal ents are given effective scope. Rouble Sims, the eccentrio cartoon ist, and Landry brothers, aerial acro bats, will add variety to the bill, and there will be a selection of rlrst-run photoplays for those who like the "movies." ' MIRTHFUL- PIjAY IS FEATURE Arab Troupe Coming to Pantages Is Praised Highly. Love plays hide and seek with ad venture in the delightful comedy, "In and Out," in which Walter S. Howe will star with his company as the ban nered feature at Pantages for the week commencing with the matinee tomor row. The inside and the out of a fashion able New York residence is the setting for the action of the plot, the two set tings beins changed with . lightning. TTTT5 KTWDAT OHEOOXTATT. PORTLAND, DFCEMBER 20. 1914. : i...2Tr like rapidity as they are needed. The plot has to do with a young man who starts to call on his fiancee, the fiancee's brother, a society burglar and a policeman, in which Mr. Howe plays the principal role with excellent grace. The action is fast and the . incidental courtship is hilariously mixed up with the adventures of the .burglar and the' other characters. Direct from a most successful East ern tour, where they were the special feature of the Eva Tanguay road show. the ten Bon Amor Arabs will be seen for the first time in Portland as the special feature on the programme. The feats accomplished by the members or this remarkable troupe are nothing short of marvelous. Their human pyramid work, their wall scaling, their whirling dances and their juggling make up an act that has rightfully been called vaudeville's latest sensation. Larry Comer is vaudeville's Beau Brummel, and he will prove a most de lightful entertainer with his latest songs and stories direct from Broad way. He is different from otner enter tainers and his wit and harmony will meet with full approval. It is a spectacular novelty entitled The Musical Dairy" which Beltrah and Beltrah present. The Beltrahs are ac complished musicians, who introduce their ability In a clever and pleasing manner. A dairy scene is before the audience and the many fittings of the ordinary dairy are employed as musi cal instruments. The Wayne Trio is composed of ex cellent singers, who have the latest son& hits on their programme. The act will be one of the hits of the bill. Interesting "movies" will complete the Dill. Miss Lottie Mayer and her dancing mermaids will close their engagement with the continuous performance today, commencing at 1:30 and closing at 11 o'clock. . W ARFIEID ' S RETURN IS NEAR Great Actor to Appear In Revival of c "The Auctioneer." David Warfield's appearance in this city is always one of the season's most important' events and this year his engagement at the Heilig Theater, "Broadway at Taylor, for six nights, be ginning Monday, December 28, with matinees Wednesday. Friday and Sat urday, is made significant because he returns with his brilliant revival of "The Auctioneer," the comedy In which he first revealed his remarkable powers for swaying an audience from laughter to tears. 'The Auctioneer is described as a oomedy of characterization in three acts, and was written 4y Lee Arthur and Charles Klein, but. Mr. Belasco has taken hold of it and made some changes which are said to add im measurably to its value as a means of displaying the art and finesse of Mr. Warfield's creation of the kindly old Hebrew merchant, Simon Devi, whose success and misfortunes alternately call forth smiles and tears as he moves throueh this Play. Mr. Warfield, by contributing a se ries of creations to the American stage, of which Simon Levi in "The Auc tioneer," Herr von Barwig in "The Music Master" and Peter Grimm in "The Return of Peter Grimm" are re garded as masterpieces of art, has at tained a position on the American stage that is unique, and now that Mr. Belasco has fulfilled a promise made years ago to the effect that ho would - & Ahr :-Ak A' some day 'revive a better and greater "Auctioneer," theater-goers are given the opportunity to see Mr. Warflld in this great character -study at a time when his art and powers are at their fullness. 1 In Mr. Warflelds support will be found all the living members, who shared in his triumph when this com edy was first brought out at the Bijou Theater, New York, 13 years ago, and of the 60 players included in the cast some of the most prominent names are Marie Bates, Lola Clifton, Harry Lew ellyn, Guy Milham, Louis Hendricks, Eva Randolph, Frank Nelson, Harry Rogers, Esther Sacheroff, Richard Lem beck, Alice Avery, Leonard Doyle, Giles Low and Tony Bevan. IiYRIO HAS BIG COMEDY "Mike and Izzy in Mexico" Is Sure . to Win Many Laughs. Starting with tomorrow's matinee, the Lyric will present one of- Its big shows of the year. It was written by Al Franks,- the Hebrew comedian, and will oe produced under his direction. "Mike and Izzy in Mexico" deals with 'ft 3- JEAANE MAI. PRIMA " 1 1 f- lu 1 ; 11 ' " "' 1 t ' r . - - jf, "i A'AS: ?' ' ? '' ' "' the troubles of two American tourists who have been kidnaped and held for ransom by bandits. Lew Dunbar and Ah Franks will be seen as the tourists and in their ever hard-working way will furnish the brunt of the comedy. Charming Jeanne Mai will be seen in a role suited to her talents and will render a number" of pleasing solos. Lillle Sutherland, the cyclone character soubrette of the company, will be to the front In her usual vivacious manner and will be in one the comedy situa tions. Jack Curtis and Joe Kemper have roles that will keep Franks and Dunbar busy to hold up their ends, and Marie Celestlne .the comedienne, will render one of her comedy character songs, assisted by the chorus. There will be many extra attractions during the week, the first being Santa Claus matinee, for the children, on Tuesday afternoon. Every child at tending the matinee oh that day will be presented with a Christmas present. Amateurs will be given a chance Tues-. day night. The chorus girls will hold x. - DONNA, AX THE LYRIC j IT J. . J A a contest after each performance Frl day night and- something extraordinary is to be expected. There will be a mat inee every day and two performances every night. ' BIG COMEDY DUE AT BAKER "The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary" Brim Full of Amusement. ' "The ' Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary," in which May Robson starred so long and so successfully, will be the New Year's week offering of the Baker Players, be ginning Sunday matinee. Aunt Mary is a star role and was chosen especially for Florence Roberts, the most popular character woman who has ever playea in stock here. In Miss Roberts' hands the role of the whimsical middle-aged woman, whose ideas of life are so entirely rejuvenated by a crowd of daredevil young people, will be a rare treat for Baker patrons. For Aunt Mary is a small town aunt, with narrow ideas of how people should stick to the conventionalities and how they should amuse themselves. She is rich and hence popular withal. Her nephew gets Into a scrape, harm less enough In itself, but becomes en tangled In a blackmailing plot, and Aunt Mary sends him away from her, believing him guilty. She later follows him to the-city to look after him and- it is here she falls in with a lot of his young friends, who proceed to make life merry for her, at first greatly against her will, but later gradually bringing her around to their ways of doing things, with a highly amusing trend of incidents. "The Re juvenation of Aunt Mary" Is a most charming comedy. There will be an extra matinee Friday, New Year's day. News Gossip fo Plays and ! and Players Edited by Lean Cass Baer. I N the Pacific Hospital. Los Angeles. Victor Moore, is recovering from a -serious operation performed upon him-three weeks ago. He has canceled his engagements on the Orpheum cir cuit and will remain on the Pacific Coast recuperating until April 1. - It will interest at least a dozen bud ding dramatists and almost-playwrights to learn that for the first time in the history of the American drama, so far as the records disclose, there has been established a professional play reading bureau. This department will be in full swing in Los Angeles on January 1 under the direction of Oliver Morosco. A regular staff will be employed, in charge of a leading playwright, to be announced later-. Assistant play read ers will handle the manuscripts as fast as they arrive. '. , While the plays submitted are In the hands of the department, Mr. Morosco reserves an option on their producing rights. - If he elects to, exercise that option he will give the author an ad vance royalty of 1500, and a contract stipulating to pay him a share of the gross receipts on a scale graded from 5 to 10 per cent. Some of the rules of the bureau are as follows: "All plays are to be addressed to the Burbank Theater, Los Angeles. CaL "All plays will receive attention, no matter whether the author Is experi enced or a novice. "Plays from New York will be read and returned within a period of three weeks. Every play that is returned will be accompanied by an honest criticism. There will be no perfunctory notes of regret. If accepted, the author will be notified at once." "By this arrangement I expect to get good plays first hand," says Mr. Moros co in explaining his scheme. "Many a promising author has lost his opportu nity by having his manuscript repose on a shelf for two or three years only to be returned subsequently. I expect to be deluged with new plays, but every one will receive Instant attention, and I believe my new department will solve & problem thai has ' teen harassing - Accompanied by her Maltese terrier," Cecelia Devia. a Spanish dancer in Ray mond Hitchcock's "Beauty Shop," under the name of JJevea Eva, is under arrest In Denver. Colo., on the charge of shop lifting. The girl is charged with bav. . ing "lifted" 20 worth of Italian silk lingerie from one department store Wednesday and a dress worth $125 Thursday. She was trailed for two days by three detectives before she was arrested. . The girl was visited in jail by Hitch cock and other members of the com pany, and the comedian said he would try to help her out of her trouble, "be cause she is a good girl and never had. done anything wrong before." The Devea girl says she does not know why she turned shoplifter, unless It is be cause she loves "pretty things." At last reports Devea and the terrier called "Fin" were still in custody. Both the theatrical and newspaper worlds will be interested to learn that Mrs. Bud Fisher, wife of the cartoonist, . Is about to return to the stage, under the direction of Arthur Hammeretoin. Mrs. Fisher, who was known profes sionally as Pauline Welch, has not pre viously adorned the boards since he?, marriage, more than three years ago. '1 She began her stage career at the age of 4, appearing In "East Lynne." Af terward she appeared with Robert Man tel and Joseph Jefferson. Next Monday she will begin an en- gagement at Hammerstein's. Mrs. Fisher, accompanied by a pianist, will sing four songs, one of them based upon Mr. Fisher's "Mutt and Jeff" cre ation. -. De Wolf Hopper has Just been made the proud grandfather of a baby boy, the son of Hopper's son. Someone sug gests that the christening be a public one sothat the entire collection of the new baby's grandmothers may be among those present. Apropos of operatic stars who have had their voices canned for phonograph ic reproduction, Mrs.' Henry W. Metz ger is led to observe: "They who sob And sing away May get rich soon And retire to play." ' a Catherine Countiss Is on the commit tee of actresses who are devoting en ergy to giving the stage children In New York a Christmas festival. The children of the stage will be given a real Santa Claus party at the Hudson Theater next Sundav and all th nH children of the profession will receive snoes ana ciotnes as well as toys. The Festival Society for Stage Youngsters' Christmas was inaugurated in 1877 by AUnt LOUlse Eldrldae. TnnV Pistnr nnH Mrs. E L Fernandez, and continues each year now under the guidance of Will iam Harris, Miss Bijou Fernandez and Mrs. Arna V. Morrison. A notable cast has been assembled for the production of "Th sno- e Songs," with John Mason leading tha list. Dorothy Donnelly is the leading woman, Irene Fenwick has . an Impor tant role, so has Thomas A. Wise. Cyril Kelghtly. Forrest Winant and Ernest Glendenning. who is a product of the Alcazar stock. The New York premiere of the play will take place at the El tinge Theater some time this week. -In' David Warfield's supporting com pany when he comes to the Heilig ' shortly in David Belasco's revival of "The Auctioneer" will be found William ' Boag, Marie Bates, Marie Reichardt and Tony Bevan. These players have been associated with Mr. Warfield in "The Music Master,'1 "A Grand Army Man," "The Return of Peter Grimm," and now in "The Auctioneer." In fact, their association with this great artist threatens to-rival in point of perma nency and affection the memorable as sociation of Mrs. John Drew, Edwin Varrey and George Denham, who were always to be found in the company sup porting the late Joseph Jefferson. FURTH VERDICT QUASHED - Supreme Court Finds Late Banker Was Not Liable for Failure. OLYMPIA, Wash., Dec. 19. The State Supreme Court today set asidefthe con viction of the late Jacob Furth, chair man of the board of directors of the Seattle National Bank, in the Superior. Court - of Whatcom County, on the charge of aiding and abetting W. E. Schrlcker. a banker of La Conner, Wash., to receive deposits when the latter bank was about to fail. Furth was sentenced to pay a fine of $10,000 and costs. The Supreme Court held that the death of Furth in itself dismissed the case. The court reversed the verdict also on the ground that Furth was not owner, officer, agent or employe of the La Conner bank and, therefore, not liable. Today's decision quashes the indict ments against other officials of the Seattle National Bank. COIN MAKING CHARGE FAILS Joe Gould Back in Oregon City to Face Forgery Complaint. OREGON CITY, Or., Dec. 19. (Spe cial.) Joe Gould, arrested last Satur day by W. II. Glover, secret service operative; Constable Frost and Sheriff Mass on a charge of counterfeiting, was released by the Federal authorities in Portland Friday and returned to Ore gon City, where he will face a charge -of forgery in the Clackamas County courts. , Gould and his brother-in-law, Charles A. Rogers, are now in the County Jail, both held on a forgery charge. County officials say the two-passed a number of checks in Gladstone and Parkplace early in the Fall. The checks, they be lieve, were signed by Mrs. Rogers. Rogers is oaid to have told the offi cers of the alleged counterfeiting operations of his relative, but invest! gation tailed, to confirm the report ... ..... o