“The Red Owl”

Location:

Theater:

Date:

Type:

William Gillette’s one-act melodrama. One of the best melodramatic sketches I ever saw. A little on the sensational Bowery type, but holds the audience. The company is excellent, – all except the Butler. He just about gets by. William Gillette’s name is worth a lot of money in advertising and we certainly took advantage of it here. The price seemed a little high. $600.00 would be about enough for it. The story of “The Red Owl” is that of a banker who by some chance is caught at his suburban home with a large bundle of valuable securities. He is exceedingly anxious for their safety, particularly as his wife’s degenerate brother is believed to be aware of the treasure. The image of a red owl which in better days had been presented to him by that brother, seems all at once charged with evil suggestions, and with nerves on edge the banker rapidly falls into a condition of almost abject hysteria. Here the wife intervenes with a sleeping potion, and when the lord and master has succumbed to the draft she remains on guard, only to be confronted by the renegade brother. The scene rapidly develops a lurid melodramatic atmosphere, with the brother decidedly ahead on all the points until a policeman appears just at the right time and helps to unravel the tangle, which becomes much tangled owing to his impression that the wife and brother are confederates in a poisoning plan. The banker wakes up in time to take a hand in the proceedings, and with the evil eye of the red owl still upon him seizes the figure and smashes it to pieces, thus disposing of the psychic influence that appeared to be accountable for the chain of difficulties and dangers that had held him prisoner. Finished to big applause with three curtain calls. 25 min. full stage.

Source: