Part 569: Thomas G. Moses and “Lucky Jim”
In 1907, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “I made a big mountain set for Charles Forrester for “Lucky Jim.” It was a very effective set. Stage settings produced by Moses for the production included “a picturesque mountain scenery with Jim’s lovely cabin on the side of a ravine” (The Winnipeg Tribune, 3 1907, page 7). The description reminded my of the Hermitage composition that he painted for Masonic degree work produced at Sosman & Landis. I have attached some images of this York Rite setting.
“Lucky Jim” was a tabloid melodrama in two acts. Set in the Sierra Nevadas, Charles Forrester played the lead role of Jim Hamilton. Hamilton was featured in the production with his wife, Jane Courthope.
Of “Lucky Jim,” the “Winnipeg Tribune” described the show: “The locale is in the Sierra Nevadas and the opening scene shows Jim Hamilton and his dog Christmas Eve seated in his mountain cabin. Hamilton is about to put an end to his own and his dog’s existence, when a young boy comes in, starving and nearly frozen to death. Hamilton feeds the boy and in attempting to put him to bed, a neat line of comedy occurs. Finally the youngster tells of brutal treatment he received in a former camp, and they enter into a partnership to search for gold during the ensuing year.
“The second scene, a year later, shows a path leading to Jim’s camp, where Alice Staffard appears, telling a tale of her former marriage, of her husband stealing the child and leaving for parts unknown. Arriving at Hamilton’s camp, she discovers her boy, and during the talk between mother and son, Jim appears and in Jim she discovered an old lover whom she jilted years before. Old love is rekindled and a pretty comedy finish is made. Fifty pieces of special scenery are used in this act, and the electrical effects are said to be perfect” (30 Nov. 1907, page 14)
The “Morning Oregonian” reported, “The scenic effects are particularly worthy of mention” (15 Sept. 1908, page 9). Until 1900, it was common for the production reviews to list an artist by name, or even a specific studio. About 1905, there is a distinct shift where the scenery might receive mention in the newspaper, but detailed descriptions and the artists who created the scenery begin to diminish. As with “Lucky Jim,” the scenery is mentioned, but not Thomas G. Moses or Sosman & Landis. My stance is that this is point in time where the perception of scenery begins to be identified as simply “backings.” Of course there are exceptions, but there is a notable shift in public perception of stage scenery. The appreciation for scenic illusion and the reverence the public held for the scenic artist starts to fade; scenic artists begin their gradual disappearance behind the scenes.
To be continued…
