True to the Last

"On Aug. 6 a summer season opened under the management of Theo. Moss with the ghost illusion brought to this country several years before by Harry Watkins, who introduced it in 'The Bride of an Evening' at Barnum's Museum. At Wallack's the title of the play was changed to 'True to the Last.'"

Cast.  “This elegant and popular establishment will reopen on THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, THANKSGIVINIG NIGHT.”

 “Tonight ‘The Ghost’ imported from London will make its appearance here. The company who sponsors ‘The Ghost,’ born Mr. Frohs [?], Mr. and Mrs. Watkins (the former Mrs. Howard), has just arrived from London. The performance features a separate piece titled ‘True to the Last.’”

     "Wallack's theatre was overcrowded last evening. Every foot of available space was occupied by people anxious to see ghosts. The play was a production of Mr. Watkins, called 'True to the Last.' It is an adaptation and abbreviation of a piece called 'The Bride of an Evening,' brought out at the Museum some time ago. This piece was, in its turn, an adaptation and dramatization of a Ledger novel. It make an odd sort of play, which has this curious characteristic, in that when it is not stupid it is indelicate, and vice versa.

     The audience very soon and very plainly manifested that they came to see a curiosity, not to hear a bad melodrama. Consequently the actors did not receive much encouragement in their uphill labors.  Mrs. H. Watkins (Mrs. Charles Howard) proved to be an excellent actress and a good singer, and was considerably applauded. Mrs. John Sefton's pleasant rendering of the part of an old colonial dame was kindly appreciated. For the rest, nobody did anything worth mentioning, except Mr. Charles Parsloe, Jr., who made all the fun in the drama, and Mr. H. Watkins, who delivered his interminable sermons in a style which would have done credit to a country parson, but which was exceedingly disagreeable on the stage of a theatre, especially during an August evening.

     For the benefit of those of our readers who do not care to take the story papers, and would like to be relieved from listening to the first two acts of 'True to the Last,' we shall condense the play in order to show how the ghost comes in. There is an old miser. He has a nurse named Agnes Darke. Also a wicked nephew named Dr. Henry Haws. Also a grandson named (Watkins) Dulanie. The wicked nephew murders the old miser and frightens Agnes Darke to swear that the grandson is the murderer. Dulanie is accordingly arrested just after his marriage. His wife wants to go to jail with him, and the playbill calls him 'a victim of circumstantial evidence,' and refers to the 'devotion of the wife,' whose 'true nobility of soul spurns the trammels of a false society.' This ends the second act in Watkins' best style.

Then the orchestra, led by Mr. Noll, plays long and well.  The audience, impatient, calls for the ghost.  By and by the lights are turned down, and the ladies tremble.  Up goes the curtain.  A smell of brimstone, faint but distinct, pervades the house. The wicked nephew is dreaming in his room. He says he has been visited by spirits, but does not believe in them. Just at this moment a skeleton forms itself out of air and stands by the wicked nephew's elbow. The wicked nephew and the audience are equally astonished. Then the skeleton flourishes his dart, and the wicked nephew begs for a little longer life. His request is considerately granted, in order not to stop the piece, and a perfect storm of approbation succeeds from all parts of the theatre. This furor of applause stamped the ghost as a great success, and when it had subsided people settled themselves comfortably to see what was coming next.

The wicked nephew now recovers from his fright and dares the whole spirit world to come on. He says he is no coward, and laughs--ha, ha. The ghost of Agnes Darke responds to this challenge. The wicked nephew and the audience shiver as this strange, indescribable phantom passes before them. The wicked nephew plucks up courage, makes a rush at the figure, clutches it and finds mere air. Another tremendous outburst of applause ensues, and the wicked nephew is again encouraged to defy the apparition. This time the ghost of the murdered miser appears, its throat bleeding with a ghastly would, and sits down in a chair. This dreadful sight appalls the audience and goads the wicked nephew to desperation. He draws a sword and stabs the phantom, but it is invulnerable. He seizes a pistol and fires it at the ghost of Agnes Darke; but the apparition will not 'down at his bidding.' Then the wicked nephew and the curtain fall at the same time, and the audience again applaud and cheer in the most enthusiastic manner.

This ends the play as far as ghosts are concerned; but Watkins sermonizes through another long act. It is not necessary to criticise either the drama or the acting. The former might be profitably shortened still more, and the latter is as well as could be expected under the circumstances. The ghosts did wonderfully well for a first night, and will improve at every repetition. The machinery needs to be a little better arranged; but Moss and Watkins will attend to all that. We can assure those who assist at these special orgies, during the next month or so, that they will be greatly surprised, somewhat terrified and altogether pleased. As nothing more could be expected or desired at a theatrical performance, the speculation will doubtless prove very remunerative, and the ghosts will be the sensation of the day. ”

"The Ghost walks. It also talks, It is a flesh and blood ghost, a most spectral and wierd [sic] spirit, which lays off the human form and takes upon itself a dim and shadowy aspect that is at once curious, attractive, odd, philosophical and appalling. Wallack’s gem of a theatre was crammed last night to its furthermost cranny by an audience who bought very little of a stupid play but a great deal of an excellent ghost. . . . The burden of the first two acts falls upon Mrs. Watkins (formerly Mrs. Charles Howard), who acts and sings with considerable force and receives warm plaudits."

 

List of cast.