A WELCOME TO SULLIVAN.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7949, 25 August 1891, Page 3

A WELCOME TO SULLIVAN.

THE PUGILIST-ACTOR AND THB

MELBOURNE GODS.

(FBOM OUK CO^aSSPOKDKNT.)

(By Telegraph—Prom the Bluff.)

MELBOURNE, August Iff.

The first appearance in this city of John L. Sullivan, the pugilist-actor, in the drama of "Willing Hands and Hones* Hearts," was a complete failure, and is thus described by the " Argus " critic:—" The galleries wexe crowded, and the other parte of the house were tolerably well filled. It w«a a night of Olympian revels. Their godabips enjoyed themselves to their hearts' content. Theirs was the comedy, and it was all impromptu. They addressed some of the ftotora and actresses by name, sometimes in terms of ironical endearment, and some*. times of mild remonstrance and sorrowful reproach. They called old General Dare ' Daddy, , and they exclaimed, with regard to the wicked young Irish gentleman, 'We don't want no more; give us the boxing boy.'' Al the afcme time they treated the pugilist with a degree of levity approaching irreverence. Tney were audaciously facetious on the subject of his invitation to his men to drink, and the/ were far from being euitably impressed by the solemn tones of his voice when he exclaimed to his brother, • Leave mc alone and let mc think.' Those ribald juveniles seemed to imagine that thinking was not much in his line. At length the person who attempted to play the part of the Blacksmith (this was the great J.L.) was so irritated by tfie bantering interruptions and ejaculations of the. boys upstairs that, advancing towards the footlights and looking down into the orchestra, ne huskily exclaimed, 'I'll put a tail upon some of you by-and-bye, and then yell respect those that are in the audience.' This alarming menaoo was received with shouts of ironical applause, and subsequently, as often as tn* fun grew boisterous, the boys in the gallery would cry out ' order' in the ton* of voice adopted by Mr Royce ia ' Jade Sheppard, , ' Do respect the audience,' and there was a fresh outburst of merriment. Altogether it was one of the most remarkable first nights ever witnessed la • Melbourne Theatre." ;