Malcolm Lear

Malcolm Lear is a theatrical performer and longtime rival of Edwin Blackgaard. He offers Bart Rathbone a free Shakespeare festival at the Electric Palace, then takes over Edwin's theater while Edwin is away. When Edwin returns, the two actors compete for authority, bark conflicting orders, and insist on performing Hamlet's famous speech. Neither can tolerate sharing the spotlight. Their rivalry becomes so ridiculous that they deliver the same monologue at once and lose the festival prize to two boys whose act succeeds through cooperation. Grand, commanding, and proud of his artistry, Malcolm treats every stage as a contest for control. His feud with Edwin shows that talent cannot create a good performance when partners are more interested in winning than listening.