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diff --git a/old/62448-0.txt b/old/62448-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 20da5c5..0000000 --- a/old/62448-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,16782 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Life of David Belasco, by William Winter - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Life of David Belasco; Vol. 1 - -Author: William Winter - -Release Date: June 22, 2020 [EBook #62448] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE OF DAVID BELASCO *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - THE LIFE OF - DAVID BELASCO - - VOLUME ONE - - - - - THE RECENT - - WORKS OF WILLIAM WINTER - - - OTHER DAYS., Being Chronicles and Memories of The Stage (1908). - - OLD FRIENDS., Being Literary Recollections of Other Days (1909). - - POEMS (Definitive Edition--1909). - - LIFE AND ART OF RICHARD MANSFIELD (Two Volumes--1910). - - SHAKESPEARE’S ENGLAND (Revised and Augmented--1910). - - GRAY DAYS AND GOLD (Revised and Augmented--1911). - - OVER THE BORDER (Scotch Companion to Above--1911). - - SHAKESPEARE ON THE STAGE,--_First Series_: 1911. I. “Shakespeare - Spells Ruin.” II. King Richard III. III. The Merchant of Venice. - IV. Othello. V. Hamlet. VI. Macbeth. VII. King Henry VIII. - - SHAKESPEARE ON THE STAGE,--_Second Series_: 1915. I. Twelfth Night. - II. Romeo and Juliet. III. As You Like It. IV. King Lear. V. The - Taming of the Shrew. VI. Julius Cæsar. - - SHAKESPEARE ON THE STAGE,--_Third Series_: 1916. I. Cymbeline. II. - Love’s Labor’s Lost. III. Coriolanus. IV. A Midsummer Night’s - Dream. V. King Henry IV.,--First and Second Parts. VI. The Merry - Wives of Windsor. VII. Antony and Cleopatra. VIII. King John. - - LIVES OF THE PLAYERS:--I. Tyrone Power (1912). - - THE WALLET OF TIME, Containing Personal, Biographical, and Critical - Reminiscence of the American Theatre (Two Volumes--1913). - - VAGRANT MEMORIES, Being Further Recollections of Other Days (1915). - - THE LIFE OF DAVID BELASCO (Two Volumes--1918). - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration: DAVID BELASCO - - “_If he come not, then the play is marred!_” - --Shakespeare - - From a portrait by the Misses Selby, New York. - - Author’s Collection.] - - - - - THE LIFE - - OF - - DAVID BELASCO - - - BY - - WILLIAM WINTER - - (1836-1917) - - “He, being dead, yet speaketh.” - - - VOLUME ONE - - - NEW YORK - MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY - 1918 - - - COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY - JEFFERSON WINTER - - _All Rights Reserved_ - - - - - TO - - THE MEMORY OF - REINA MARTIN BELASCO - - This Memoir of Her Son - - DAVID BELASCO - - Actor, Dramatist, and Manager, - Whom She Dearly Loved - And by Whom She Was Idolized, - Is Reverently Dedicated - By the Stranger Who Has Written It, - Hoping Thereby to Honor and Commemorate - Genius, Courage, Industry, Enterprise, and Energy, - Exemplified in a Useful and Beneficent Life, - In the Service of - The Theatre - - * * * * * - - _If Heaven to souls that dwell in bliss can show_ - _The fate of those they love and leave behind,_ - _She, in that Heaven, may be glad to know_ - _Her son was honored with his human kind._ - - “_Each petty hand_ - _Can steer a ship becalm’d, but he that will_ - _Govern and carry her to her ends must know_ - _His tides, his currents, how to shift his sails,_ - _What she will bear in foul, what in fair, weathers,_ - _What her springs are, her leaks and how to stop ’em,_ - _What strands, what shelves, what rocks, do threaten her,_ - _The forces and the nature of all winds,_ - _Gusts, storms, and tempests, when her keel ploughs hell_ - _And deck knocks heaven_, THEN _to manage her_ - _Becomes the name and office of a Pilot!_” - --BEN JONSON, IN “CATILINE.” - - - - -CONTENTS - -THE LIFE OF DAVID BELASCO--VOLUME ONE - - -THE LIFE OF DAVID BELASCO PAGE - -ANCESTRY AND BIRTH 1 - -BOYHOOD IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 2 - -EARLY PROCLIVITY FOR THE THEATRE 6 - -MEMORIES OF JULIA DEAN 7 - -REMOVAL TO SAN FRANCISCO 10 - -GLIMPSES OF BOYHOOD 12 - -SCHOOL DAYS IN SAN FRANCISCO 14 - -HARD TIMES IN EARLY DAYS 15 - -THE SENTIMENTAL STOWAWAY 17 - -A BOHEMIAN INTERLUDE 19 - -BELASCO’S EARLIEST ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE -THEATRE IN SAN FRANCISCO 22 - -AN EARLY FRIEND,--W. H. SEDLEY-SMITH 28 - -ADOPTION OF THE STAGE 34 - -BELASCO’S THEATRICAL NOVITIATE 35 - -A THEATRICAL VAGABOND 39 - -EMULATION OF WALTER MONTGOMERY 42 - -A ROMANTIC COURTSHIP.--MARRIAGE 44 - -THEATRICAL LIFE IN VIRGINIA CITY 50 - -DION BOUCICAULT AND KATHARINE RODGERS 52 - -CONFLICTIVE TESTIMONY 53 - -VARIEGATED EXPERIENCES 61 - -RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS.--1875 73 - -BALDWIN’S ACADEMY AND BARRY SULLIVAN 86 - -WITH BOOTH AT THE CALIFORNIA 93 - -BELASCO AND “THE EGYPTIAN MYSTERY” 97 - -A REMINISCENCE OF HELENA MODJESKA 100 - -STROLLING _ad interim_.--BELASCO AS “THE FIRST -OLD WOMAN” 103 - -A SUBSTANTIAL TRIBUTE 104 - -“OLIVIA” AND “PROOF POSITIVE” 106 - -BELASCO’S VERSION OF “NOT GUILTY” 108 - -WITHDRAWAL FROM THE BALDWIN.--“THE LONE -PINE” AND DENMAN THOMPSON 110 - -“WITHIN AN INCH OF HIS LIFE” 113 - -SALMI MORSE’S “PASSION PLAY” 114 - -NOT THE OBERAMMERGAU DRAMA 116 - -CONSTITUENTS OF MORSE’S PLAY 118 - -AS TO PROPRIETY 120 - -“THE PASSION PLAY” IN NEW YORK 121 - -BELASCO’S SERVICES TO MORSE’S ENTERPRISE 123 - -“THE MILLIONAIRE’S DAUGHTER” 125 - -DETRACTION OF BELASCO.--EARLY CALIFORNIA -INFLUENCES 129 - -BELASCO’S REPERTORY AS AN ACTOR 140 - -BELASCO’S “THE STORY OF MY LIFE” 148 - -THE EVIL OF INCOMPETENT CRITICISM 155 - -THE NATURE OF BELASCO’S TALENTS AND -SERVICES 159 - -CONCERNING MATTERS OF FACT 163 - -THE FACTS ABOUT JEFFERSON’S _Rip_ 172 - -A LEADING LADY IN A PET 176 - -ROSE COGHLAN AND “THE MOONLIGHT MARRIAGE” 179 - -“L’ASSOMMOIR” AND A DOUBLE-BARRELLED BENEFIT 183 - -A HOT WATER REHEARSAL 187 - -THE PLAY OF “CHUMS” 188 - -FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO CHICAGO 191 - -“HEARTS OF OAK” 193 - -FIRST VENTURE IN NEW YORK 196 - -JAMES ALFRED HERNE 197 - -ANALYSIS OF “HEARTS OF OAK” 201 - -FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES 205 - -SAN FRANCISCO AGAIN 208 - -BELASCO’S RECOLLECTIONS OF ADELAIDE NEILSON 209 - -THE BLACK PEARL 211 - -MISS NEILSON’S GOOD INFLUENCE 213 - -“PAUL ARNIFF” 214 - -WANING FORTUNES AT THE BALDWIN 216 - -AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE,--JOHN T. MALONE 218 - -“TRUE TO THE CORE” 220 - -A STERLING ACTOR AND AN INTERESTING ESTIMATE:--WILLIAM -E. SHERIDAN 221 - -LAURA DON.--AN UNFULFILLED AMBITION 225 - -“LA BELLE RUSSE” 230 - -“THE STRANGLERS OF PARIS” 237 - -NEW YORK AGAIN.--“LA BELLE RUSSE” AT WALLACK’S 241 - -AN OPINION BY BRONSON HOWARD.--WALLACK IN -THE THIRTIETH STREET HOUSE 244 - -BELASCO AND HIS “THE CURSE OF CAIN” 248 - -THE PASSING OF MAGUIRE 252 - -BELASCO AND GUSTAVE FROHMAN.--THEY REVIVE -“THE OCTOROON” 254 - -“AMERICAN BORN” 257 - -FIRST MEETING WITH CHARLES FROHMAN 259 - -EASTWARD, HO! 260 - -A RETROSPECT 263 - -A SECOND VENTURE IN CHICAGO.--THE LAST OF -“AMERICAN BORN” 269 - -THE MADISON SQUARE THEATRE 271 - -BELASCO AT THE MADISON SQUARE 275 - -“MAY BLOSSOM” 280 - -FIRST VISIT TO ENGLAND.--“CALLED BACK” 290 - -CHANGES AT THE MADISON SQUARE 292 - -A LABORIOUS INTERLUDE.--LYCEUM THEATRE 294 - -“VALERIE” AT WALLACK’S 298 - -MORE ERRORS CORRECTED 306 - -AN EXTRAORDINARY COMPANY AND A SUMMER SEASON -IN SAN FRANCISCO 307 - -AFFAIRS OF THE LYCEUM 311 - -“THE HIGHEST BIDDER” 314 - -“PAWN TICKET 210” 317 - -“BARON RUDOLPH” AND GEORGE S. KNIGHT 321 - -“THE WIFE” 326 - -“A COMMON-SENSE HUSBAND” 327 - -REVISION OF “SHE” 337 - -“LORD CHUMLEY” AND E. H. SOTHERN 340 - -“THE KAFFIR DIAMOND” 345 - - LOUIS ALDRICH 347 - -THE SCHOOL OF ACTING 348 - - THE TRUE SCHOOL IS THE STAGE 351 - -A REVIVAL OF “ELECTRA” 353 - -MANY NEW TASKS 355 - -“THE CHARITY BALL” 357 - -MRS. LESLIE CARTER 361 - -EPISODE OF “THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER” 365 - -RETIREMENT FROM THE LYCEUM THEATRE 367 - -A LONG, LONG ROAD 370 - -CONFEDERATION WITH CHARLES FROHMAN 373 - -PROCTOR’S TWENTY-THIRD STREET THEATRE 374 - -THE PLAY OF “MEN AND WOMEN” 377 - -HATCHING “THE UGLY DUCKLING” 383 - -“THE UGLY DUCKLING.”--MRS. CARTER’S DEBUT 385 - -MORE FAILURE, AND A LAWSUIT 388 - -A POVERTY-STRICKEN STRUGGLE 392 - -“MISS HELYETT” AND MRS. CARTER 396 - -ORIGIN OF THE EMPIRE THEATRE 400 - -“THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME” 403 - - EXCELLENCE OF THAT INDIAN DRAMA 406 - - THE VALUE OF SUGGESTION IN ART 417 - - A SUGGESTIVE REMINISCENCE OF FRONTIER DAYS 420 - -BELASCO AND CHARLES FROHMAN 421 - -A CHARLES FROHMAN LETTER 422 - -A BAFFLED ENTERPRISE IN CHICAGO 424 - -“THE YOUNGER SON” 428 - -FIGHTING FOR A CHANCE 431 - -STORY AND PRODUCTION OF “THE HEART OF MARYLAND.”--ITS -GREAT SUCCESS 438 - -“THE FIRST BORN.”--A SUCCESS AND A FAILURE 447 - -BELASCO’S SECOND ENGLISH VENTURE.--“THE -HEART OF MARYLAND” IN LONDON 451 - -“ZAZA,” AND THE ETHICAL QUESTION 456 - -PRODUCTION, AND CONTENTS, OF “ZAZA” 461 - - MRS. CARTER’S IMPERSONATION OF ZAZA 464 - -DEATH OF BELASCO’S MOTHER.--“CAN THE DEAD -COME BACK?”--A STRANGE EXPERIENCE 466 - -BLANCHE BATES AND “NAUGHTY ANTHONY” 469 - -“MADAME BUTTERFLY” 476 - -“ZAZA” ABROAD 484 - -VIEWS OF THE FRENCH DRAMATISTS 485 - -“WITH SPEED FOR ENGLAND.”--ANOTHER SUCCESS -IN LONDON 486 - -PUCCINI AND BELASCO 488 - -“MADAME BUTTERFLY” AS AN OPERA.--A PROPOSAL -BY LADY VALERIE MEUX 489 - -INDEX 497 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS. - -VOLUME ONE. - - -_In Photogravure._ - -David Belasco Frontispiece - - TO FACE - PAGE - -William Winter xxvi - -John McCullough 18 - -Cecilia Loverich, Mrs. David Belasco 44 - -David Belasco as _Robert Macaire_ 80 - -Edwin Booth as _Hamlet_ 94 - -David Belasco as _Marc Antony_, in “Julius Cæsar” 136 - -David Belasco as _Fagin_, in “Oliver Twist” 146 - -Lawrence Barrett as _Caius Cassius_, in “Julius Cæsar” 166 - -Joseph Jefferson as _Rip Van Winkle_ 176 - -Adelaide Neilson 214 - -David Belasco as _King Louis the Eleventh_ 226 - -David Belasco as _Uncle Tom_, in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” 258 - -David Belasco as _Hamlet_ 294 - - -_In Halftone._ - -The Infant Belasco and His Parents 2 - -Julia Dean (Hayne) 6 - - { Charles John Kean, } -“The Keans” { Ellen Tree, Mrs. Kean } 10 - -Belasco’s Parents, Humphrey Abraham, and Reina -Martin, Belasco, About 1865 22 - -William Henry Sedley-Smith 28 - -Mrs. Frank Mark Bates } -Sallie Hinckley } 32 - - { Ella Chapman } -The Chapman Sisters { Blanche Chapman } 36 - -Belasco, About 1873-’75 40 - -Joseph Murphy } 48 -John Piper } - -Mrs. D. P. Bowers 52 - -Dion Boucicault 56 - -Katharine Rodgers 60 - -John T. Raymond 66 - -Gertrude Granville } -Annie Pixley as _M’liss_ } 74 - -Playbill of “The Egyptian Mystery,” at Egyptian -Hall, San Francisco, 1877 98 - -Helena Modjeska 104 - -Belasco as _Armand Duval_, in “Camille” 130 - -Belasco, About 1880 140 - -Henry J. Montague 150 - -Augustin Daly, About 1870-’75 160 - -Rose Coghlan } 178 -Nina Varian } - -Lewis Morrison } 188 -James O’Neill } - -James A. Herne 200 - -Mary Jeffreys-Lewis } 230 -Osmond Tearle } - -Thomas Maguire 252 - -F. F. Mackaye } 262 -Gustave Frohman } - -Georgia Cayvan 286 - -Charles Frohman } 292 -Daniel Frohman } - -Steele Mackaye, About 1886 298 - -Annie Robe } -Kyrle Bellew } 304 - -Lester Wallack 306 - -Albert M. Palmer 310 - -Edward H. Sothern, About 1888 314 - -Lotta (Charlotte Crabtree), About the time of “Pawn -Ticket 210” 320 - -David Belasco and Clay M. Greene in 1887 330 - -A Scene from the “Electra” of Sophocles, as Produced -by Belasco, at the old Lyceum Theatre, New York 354 - -Elsie Leslie as the _Pauper-Prince_, in “The Prince and -the Pauper” 366 - -Henry C. De Mille 374 - -Mrs. Leslie Carter, About the time of “The Ugly -Duckling” 386 - -Mrs. Leslie Carter as _Miss Helyett_ 400 - -Belasco, About 1893 430 - -Mrs. Leslie Carter, About 1895 438 - -Mrs. Leslie Carter as _Maryland Calvert_, in “The -Heart of Maryland” 446 - -Mrs. Leslie Carter as _Zaza_ 464 - -Belasco, About 1899-1900 472 - -The Death Scene, Belasco’s “Madame Butterfly” 480 - -Giacomo Puccini 484 - -Geraldine Farrar as _Madama Butterfly_ 490 - - - - -PREFACE - - -_My father’s plan of_ THE LIFE OF DAVID BELASCO _was communicated, in -detail, by him to me. He realized that whenever he might die he was -certain to leave much work undone. He hoped and expected, however, to -live long enough to complete this book. It was in his mind to the very -end. The last entry in his “Journal” refers to it: “June. Saturday, 2. -Cloudy and gloomy. Worked all day on the Memoir.” He spoke of it often -during his agonized final illness. The last words he ever wrote are a -part of it. I have, as well as I could, finished it for him, according -to his plan, because I know that he wished me to do so._ - -_This book was planned by Mr. Winter in 1913, as part of a comprehensive -record of the American Stage which he purposed to write. Other kindred -projects which he then had in view and on which he labored much include -revised and augmented editions of his_ LIFE AND ART OF EDWIN BOOTH _and_ -LIFE AND ART OF JOSEPH JEFFERSON; _joint biographies of_ HENRY IRVING -_and_ ELLEN TERRY, _and an encyclopedical work to be called_ ALMS FOR -OBLIVION, _in which he intended to gather a vast mass of miscellaneous -material relative to the Theatre. He also had in contemplation a_ LIFE -OF AUGUSTIN DALY, _but he abandoned it because his friend the late -Joseph Francis Daly (Augustin’s brother) had undertaken and in large -part written a biography of that great theatrical manager and -extraordinary man. All those projects languished because of lack of -money: such books as those by William Winter issued since 1908 are, in -every way, so costly to make that little commercial profit can be -derived from them._ - -_David Belasco, however, is the most conspicuous figure in the -contemporary Theatre: his career has been long, picturesque, -adventurous, and brilliant: “the present eye praises the present -object,” and it was deemed certain that an authentic_ LIFE _of that -singular, romantic person would prove remunerative as well as -interesting, instructive, and valuable. In September, 1913, -accordingly,--soon after Mr. Winter’s_ THE WALLET OF TIME _had been -brought out,--I was, as his agent, easily able to make for him very -advantageous arrangements for the publication of such a work,--first to -be passed through a prominent magazine, as a serial, and then to be -issued in book form. Mr. Winter was much pleased and encouraged by this -arrangement, and he had begun to gather and shape material for_ THE -LIFE OF DAVID BELASCO _when announcement was made that Mr. Belasco was -writing and would presently publish, in_ HEARST’S MAGAZINE, _an_ -AUTOBIOGRAPHY. _My father had met with a similar experience in 1893, -when Jefferson’s_ AUTOBIOGRAPHY, _published as a serial in_ THE CENTURY, -_forestalled his authoritative LIFE of that great actor, rendering it, -monetarily, almost profitless, and, therefore, he deemed it wise to lay -aside this book._ - -_Belasco’s_ THE STORY OF MY LIFE _was published_ _in_ HEARST’S MAGAZINE, -_March, 1914, to December, 1915,--but, though it preëmpted the magazine -field and made a work therein by my father impossible, it proved wholly -inadequate and unreliable as a biography. In September, 1916, -however,--soon after_ SHAKESPEARE ON THE STAGE--THIRD SERIES _had been -published,--Mr. Winter decided that the time was propitious for him to -take up again the present Memoir, and, his publishers agreeing with him, -he engaged to do so. He was then ill and weak; but he earnestly desired -to work till the last, to be always doing, to overcome every obstacle by -the force of his indomitable will, and, whatever he might suffer, never -to yield or break under the pressure of adverse circumstance or the -burden of age._ - -_About the end of October, 1916, accordingly, he began the actual -writing of this Memoir, and, although repeatedly urged by me to desist, -he continued in it almost to the last day of his life. “I might better -be dead,” he once exclaimed, “than to sit idle! I must go on: I must -work at something: if it were not at this, it would be at something -else. Moreover, I will not be beaten by anything: I will make this book -the best thing of the kind I have ever yet done.”_ - -_If he had lived he would have done so; but his spirit was greater than -his strength. When death came to him unconnected sections of this book, -amounting to about three-fifths of the matter contained in Volume One -and about one-third of that contained in Volume Two, were in type, -awaiting his revision. Much of the remainder was in manuscript--some -parts of it practically completed, some of it more or less roughly -drafted. My task has been, substantially, to supply some dates, to fill -some blanks, and to edit, coördinate, and join the material left by my -father. That task I have performed with reverence and care, and if the -errors and defects in this work--which I hope are few--be recognized as -mine, and the merits and beauties in it--which I know to be many--be -recognized as his, then the responsibility of authorship will be rightly -divided._ - -_Mr. Winter was of many moods,--and, when possible, he wrought at his -writing as he felt inclined. That is the reason why some passages in -this book which stand near to its close were finished and polished by -him, while others, much earlier, were left incomplete or isolated. The -subject of The Theatrical Syndicate, for example, was thoroughly -familiar to him, and he wrote the section devoted to that subject in -intervals of his restudy of “The Return of Peter Grimm,” a play about -which he had written, for this book, little but rough notes when the end -came (I have, herein, reprinted his criticism of that play previously -recorded in another place). The last passage in the text on which he -worked is that treating of “The Girl I Left Behind Me.” He brought the -revised manuscript of that passage to me on the afternoon of June 2 and -asked me to type it for him, saying: “I like the earnestness of it, and -if you will make a fair copy for me I will go over it once more in the -morning and dismiss it: I am too tired to go on to-day.” On June 3, 4, -and 5, although suffering acutely, he insisted on rising, each day, and -attempted to work, but was unable to do so. On the morning of June 5 he -was forced to take to his bed. That was the beginning of the end._ - -_My father died on June 30, 1917. The direct cause of his death was -uræmic poisoning, sequent on angina pectoris. His personal reticence was -extreme; he disliked strangers about him and depended on me; it was, -therefore, my very great privilege to wait on and nurse him in his -final sickness. His suffering was indescribable and was exceeded only -by his invariable patience and gentleness. The last thing he ever wrote -was the Dedication of this book. At about eleven o’clock on the night of -June 9 he endeavored to compose himself to sleep. I sat at the door of -his bedroom until about midnight, when, as it was obvious that he could -not sleep and that he was in terrible distress, I went to him. The next -two hours were specially hard: there is little that can be done in such -circumstances but to hope for the release of death. Anybody who has seen -and heard the piteous restlessness and the dreadful, strangulated -breathing characteristic of such a condition as my father’s then was is -not likely to forget them. At about two o’clock in the morning, his -breathing and his pulse both being so bad that I believed he was then to -die, he asked to be helped out of bed into a chair. I lifted him into -one, and, after a little while, he asked, with much difficulty, “Is -there paper--pencil, here?” Supposing that he wished to write some -request or message that he was not able to speak, I immediately gave him -a pad of paper and a pencil. He sat for a few minutes with them in his -lap, gathering his strength. Then he took them up and slowly, painfully, -wrote the Dedication of this book, all except the four lines of verse -with which it ends. He made a mark beneath the text and wrote there -“Four lines of verse--not finished yet.” A while later he seemed to -grow easier and presently asked to be got back to bed. The next day, -June 10, in the forenoon, he asked me to help him to dress, which I did: -it was the last time he ever had his clothes on. He read for a little -while in one of his favorite books, Boswell’s “Life of Johnson,”--the -passage relative to the execution of Dr. Dodd. He presently spoke to me, -in his old, gentle, whimsical way, of “the touching resignation shown in -Johnson’s letter to the fact that Dodd was going to be hanged.” Then, -after an interval of acute and dreadful distress, he spoke of his -illness. He said: “It is my principle_ to go on. _I felt that I was -going to die last night,--that’s why I wrote the Dedication to the -’Belasco.’ I feared I should die before I could complete that work and -the three other books I have undertaken. But my principle is to go on: -to hold on, till the end--and then_, still hold on! _I do not mean to -break. But I am very sick.” Soon afterward he became so weak that it was -necessary to get his clothes off and lift him back to bed. In the -afternoon he roused himself again,--rising above the tide of poison -which was slowly submerging him, as visibly as a drowning man rises in -water,--and asked for the Dedication, which I had typewritten. He sat up -in bed and revised it, as it now stands, and then added the four lines -of verse. Although he had been suffering horribly for days he made but -one mistake in writing the Dedication: he wrote “use_less_” instead of -“use_ful_“--and was much vexed with himself for doing so. In the last -line of the verse he first wrote “boy”; in the evening he changed that -word to “son.”_ - -_Among the manuscript notes left by my father I have found the beginning -of a_ PREFACE _to this book, which I think it desirable to print here -because it gives in his words some intimation of his purpose and feeling -in undertaking the writing of it_: - - * * * * * - - David Belasco is the leading theatrical manager in the United - States; the manager from whom it is reasonable to expect that the - most of achievement can proceed that will be advantageous to the - Stage, as an institution, and to the welfare of the Public to which - that institution is essential and precious. I have long believed - that a truthful, comprehensive, minute narrative of his - career,--which has been one of much vicissitude and - interest,--ought to be written now, while he is still living and - working, when perhaps it may augment his prosperity, cheer his - mind, and stimulate his ambition to undertake new tasks and gain - new honors. In that belief I have written this book, not as a - panegyric, but as a Memoir. - -[Illustration: IN MEMORIAM - - “_Earthly Fame_ - _Is fortune’s frail dependent; yet there lives_ - _A Judge, who, as man claims by merit, gives:_ - _To whose all-pondering mind a noble aim,_ - _Faithfully kept, is as a noble deed;_ - _In whose pure sight all virtue doth succeed._” - --Wordsworth - - photograph by I. Almstaedt, Staten Island. son of Jefferson Winter.] - -[Illustration: William Winter] - -_David Belasco and William Winter were friends for thirty-odd years. -They did not always agree as to the course which should be followed in -theatrical management; but their disagreements on that subject, such as -they were, never estranged them nor lessened their mutual sympathetic -understanding, respect, and regard. Belasco, undoubtedly, is what my -father called him, “the last of the real managers,” the heir of all the -theatric ages in America that have been led by Dunlap, Caldwell, -Gilfert, Wood, the Wallacks, Booth, McCullough, Ford, Palmer, and Daly, -and it is fitting that his_ LIFE _should have been written by the one -man in all the world best qualified to perform the task. Belasco’s -feeling about the matter, at once modest and appreciative, is shown in a -letter from which I quote the following_: - - -(David Belasco to William Winter.) - -October 18, 1916. - -MY DEAR WILLIAM WINTER:-- - - I am greatly honored to know that you are really going to write the - history of my life! I will not say “It is an honor that I dreamed - not of,” because I _have_ dreamed of it. But I never thought you - would really undertake it. Of course I will, as you ask, very - gladly do _anything_ and _everything_ I can to assist you. - - But though my life has not been altogether an easy or uneventful - one, in all sincerity I can hardly think of it as worthy of your - brilliant pen. Yet you know how I have always looked up to you, and - so you will know how much this means to me and how much I - appreciate it. And because “I hold every man a debtor to his - profession” I am more than delighted that you think the public will - be interested in the life of a theatrical manager,--and that - manager me. If only I had been able to do all that I wanted to, - then there would have been a career worthy even of your pen. - - It pleases me so much whenever there comes a real, worthwhile - tribute to the profession I adore--the Stage! It is great and - wonderful to think that my name is to be written in the records of - the American Theatre by you: that hereafter the name of Belasco - (just a stroller from California in the dear old days of the - pioneers) will be found written by you along with the names of - those who made our Theatre _possible_ as well as great. I mean the - men and women who gave my profession of their best--long, arduous, - weary years of hard, hard work, at the sacrifice of personal - comfort; who studied and toiled and played their parts - uncomplainingly night after night in the changing bills; the - friends who were never too tired to learn something; who lived - simply and poorly and yet had the courage to marry and bring up - their children and give the Stage a new generation; the friends who - found joy in the few hours they held sacred in the home--often a - barren room or two. Beautiful! Those are the boys and girls I - love--our pioneers. What pathetic figures--what noble examples many - of them were! Such men and women I reverence--I salute them! And I - thank you for the compliment you pay me, as a humble follower of - the Theatre, when you write my name with theirs.... We must meet - soon and have good, long talks about the golden days in - California,--_my_ California. _Facts_ I can give you: exact _dates_ - I will not promise. I have never kept a “Diary.”... As far as I - possibly can I will make my convenience to suit yours.... - -Faithfully, - -DAVID BELASCO. - - - -_Many readers may suppose, because Belasco is still living and at the -zenith of his career, that it was an easy task to compile and arrange a -complete record of his life. The truth is far otherwise. There was once -a vast amount of invaluable material for such a record,--comprising a -copy of every programme in which his name appeared from 1871 to the end -of the theatrical season of 1897-’98, together with every important -article about him or his work in the same period, several scores of -photographs of him in dramatic characters and many hundreds of -interesting letters. But that unique collection, the property and pride -of his mother, was destroyed in the great San Francisco earthquake-fire, -April 18, 1906; and his dubiosity about exact dates proved to be more -than justified. The comprehensive and authoritative Chronology of -Belasco’s life which is included in this Memoir is, therefore, chiefly -the product of Mr. Winter’s indefatigable, patient original research and -labor: such parts of it as were not made by him were made entirely -according to his plan and by his direction, specifying the sources of -information to be consulted. And I would specially emphasize the fact -that wherever this Memoir may be found to differ from, or conflict -with, other accounts of Belasco’s career those other accounts are -erroneous._ - -_The letters which appear in this Memoir were all selected by my -father,--excepting a few of his, toward the end, which I have inserted. -Mr. Winter requested Belasco to chose from his collection such letters -as he would permit to be used, but received from him a reply in which he -writes_: - -... I would be glad to go through my letters for you, as you - requested, if I could; but the fact is I am so over-worked just now - that I simply can’t take the time to do it. I am, therefore, - sending over to you eight or nine old letter-books of mine and two - boxes of old letters. I really don’t know _what_ is in them (for I - haven’t looked at them for years), but I hope you will be able to - find something useful and such as you want among them. If not, let - me know and I will send over some more. All the other material you - ask for in the list which Jefferson left at the theatre last week - was destroyed in the [San Francisco] fire.... I don’t believe there - are twelve pictures of me “in character” in existence. I had dozens - made when I was young, but I don’t know of anybody who has any - to-day, except my wife. She has a set of, I think, six, which I - will ask her to lend us.... - -_In assembling originals for pictorial illustration of this work I have -been specially aided by Mr. Belasco, who has not only loaned me -everything in his own collection for which I have asked but has also -obtained for my use many photographs in the Albert Davis Collection, as -well as the six very interesting and now, I believe, unique pictures of -him, preserved by Mrs. Belasco, in the characters of_ Hamlet, Marc -Antony, King Louis the Eleventh, Uncle Tom, Fagin, _and_ Robert Macaire. -_For photographs of members of the Theatrical Syndicate I am indebted to -my father’s friend and mine, Louis V. De Foe, Esq., of New York. My -father was not altogether satisfied with the illustrations of his other -books: every effort has been made to embellish this one as nearly as -possible in the manner in which he would have had it done._ - -_On behalf of my father and in accordance with a written note found -among his papers I would here make grateful acknowledgment of the -courtesy of Mr. Belasco’s sister, Mrs. Sarah Mayer; his brother, Mr. -Frederick Belasco, and his nephew, Mr. E. B. Mayer, all of San -Francisco, who endeavored to answer many inquiries by Mr. Winter and who -were able to provide some necessary corroboration of details. Also, I -would make acknowledgment of the obliging kindness shown him by the late -James Louis Gillis (1857-1917), Librarian of the California State -Library at Sacramento, and by his assistants, unknown, who searched for -Mr. Winter various old California newspaper files which, otherwise, -might have remained inaccessible._ - -_For myself, I owe thanks to Mr. Gillis’ successor as State Librarian of -California, Milton J. Ferguson, Esq.; to William Seymour, Esq., to James -A. Madison, Esq., and to the several members of Mr. Belasco’s personal -staff,--all of whom have assisted me in verifying for my father casts of -plays long ago forgotten and in supplying or verifying dates. I wish, -also, to thank Captain Joseph H. Coit, formerly Vice-President and -manager of Moffat, Yard & Company,--now, I believe, on service somewhere -in France,--without whose coöperation this work, perhaps, might not have -been undertaken._ - -_To Mr. Belasco I owe a debt of lasting gratitude--not only for his -unquestioning, instant compliance with every request I have ventured to -make of him, but far more for his simple, hearty sympathy in affliction -and his great personal kindness, which is not less valued because I know -that, primarily, it has been inspired by his reverence and affection for -my father._ - -_The Indices to this work I am chiefly responsible for. They have been -prepared on the model of others made under my father’s direction and in -large part by him: many of the biographical facts given in them were set -down for the purpose by him. I trust that they will be found accurate -and useful._ - -_The delay in publishing this work has been due in part to ill-health -which compelled me long to neglect it; in part to technical and -mechanical difficulties and mischances in its manufacture. I surmise -that notwithstanding the great care which has been exercised some minor -errors and slips will be found to have crept into this edition:[A] if -any are observed I shall be glad to have them brought to my attention in -order that they may be corrected in future issues._ - - JEFFERSON WINTER. - -46 Winter Avenue, New Brighton, - -Staten Island, New York. - -June 30, 1918. - - - - -THE LIFE OF DAVID BELASCO. - - - - -ANCESTRY AND BIRTH. - - -David Belasco, one of the most singular, characteristic, picturesque, -and influential persons who have participated in the theatrical movement -in America, is descended from an old Portuguese Hebrew family (the name -of which was originally pronounced “Valasco”), members of which -emigrated from Portugal to England in the reign of the Portuguese King -Emanuel the First (1495-1521), at one time in which reign the Jews in -Portugal were cruelly persecuted, so that all of them who could do so -fled from that country. His father, Humphrey Abraham Belasco, was a -native of England, born in London, December 26, 1830. His mother, whose -maiden name was Reina Martin, was also of English nativity, born in -London, April 24, 1830. Both were Jews. They were poor and their social -position was humble. The father’s occupation was that of a harlequin. He -was proficient in his calling and he pursued it successfully at various -London theatres, but he did not find it remunerative. He wished to -improve his condition, and affected, as many others were, by the “gold -fever,”--which broke out and soon became epidemic after the discoveries -of gold in California (1842-1848), and was almost everywhere acute -during 1849 and the early fifties,--he determined to seek his fortune in -that apparent Eldorado. This determination was approved by his wife, -who, like himself, was a person of strong character and adventurous -spirit, and, accordingly, in 1852-’53, they voyaged, in a sailing -vessel, to Aspinwall (now Colon), crossed the isthmus to Panama, and -went thence, by another sailing vessel, to San Francisco, California, -arriving there almost destitute. Their first lodging was in a house, -long ago destroyed, in Howard Street, where, in a room in a cellar, July -25, 1853, occurred the birth of their first child, David Belasco, the -subject of this Memoir. - - - - -BOYHOOD IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. - - -The residence of those adventurers in San Francisco continued for -several years, Humphrey Belasco keeping a general shop and moderately -prospering as a tradesman, but about the beginning of 1858 they migrated -(travelling by sailing vessel) to the coast town of Victoria, then a -trading post of the Hudson’s Bay Company,--later (1862) - -[Illustration: - -From an old photograph. Belasco’s Collection. - -THE INFANT BELASCO AND HIS PARENTS, 1854 - - INSCRIPTION: - - “Father and Mother and _Me_--during my _first starring_ - engagement.--D. B.”] - -incorporated a city. There Humphrey Belasco continued in business, as a -dealer in tobacco, fur, and other commodities, trading with miners and -Indian hunters and trappers, and also he dabbled in real estate -speculation and took part in mining operations, joining a party that -explored the Cariboo Mines region. He was not fortunate in his real -estate and mining ventures, nor did he specially prosper in -trade,--though, as Macaulay says of Richardson, the novelist, “he kept -his shop and his shop kept him.[B]” Humphrey Belasco is mentioned, in a -record of that place, as keeping a tobacco shop there, in Yates Street, -in 1862. He remained in Victoria for about seven years, and there three -of his children were born: Israel, July 25, 1861; Frederick, June 25, -1862, and Walter, January 1, 1864. The elder Belasco was a social -favorite, and so considerable was his popularity that he was more than -once asked to accept public office,--a distinction which he declined. He -is remembered as a modest, lovable person, genial in feeling and manner, -a pleasant companion and a clever entertainer in the privacy of his -home, and as having been specially fond of quietude. - -In Victoria much of David’s childhood was passed. From his mother, who -was intellectual, imaginative, romantic, and of a peculiarly amiable -disposition, he received the rudiments of education: she taught him -neatness, self-respect, industry, and the importance of acquiring -knowledge. I have heard him speak of her, with deep emotion, as the -friend from whom he had derived those lessons of courage, energy, -perseverance, and arduous labor that have guided him through life. He -was early sent to a school called the Colonial, in Victoria, conducted -by an Irishman named Burr, remembered as a person whose temper was -violent and whose discipline was harsh. Later, he attended a school -called the Collegiate, conducted by T. C. Woods, a clergyman. When about -seven years old he attracted the attention of a kindly Roman Catholic -priest, Father ---- McGuire, then aged eighty-six, who perceived in him -uncommon intelligence and precocious talent, and who presently proposed -to his parents that the boy should dwell under his care in a monastery -and be educated. Strenuous objection to that arrangement was at first -made by David’s father, sturdily Jewish and strictly orthodox in his -religious views; but the mother, more liberal in opinion and more -sagaciously provident of the future, assented, and her persuasions, -coincident with the wish of the lad himself, eventually prevailed -against the paternal scruples. In the monastery David remained about two -and a half years, supervised by Father McGuire, and he made good -progress in various studies. The effect of the training to which he was -there subjected was exceedingly beneficial: ecclesiastics of the Roman -Catholic Church have long been eminent for scholarship and for -efficiency in the education of youth: their influence endured, and it is -visible in David Belasco’s habits of thought, use of mental powers, -tireless labor, persistent purpose to excel, and likewise in his -unconscious demeanor, and even in his attire. It would have been better -for the boy if he had remained longer in the monastic cell and under the -guidance of his benevolent protector, but he had inherited a gypsy -temperament and a roving propensity, he became discontented with -seclusion, and suddenly, without special cause and without explanation, -he fled from the monastery and joined a wandering circus, with which he -travelled. In that association he was taught to ride horses “bareback” -and to perform as a miniature clown. A serious illness presently befell -him and, being disabled, he was left in a country town, where he would -have died but for the benevolent care of a clown, Walter Kingsley by -name, who remained with him,--obtaining a scanty subsistence by -clowning and singing in the streets, for whatever charity might -bestow,--and nursed him through a malignant fever, only himself to be -stricken with it, and to die, just as the boy became convalescent. -Meantime Humphrey Belasco, having contrived to trace his fugitive son, -came to his rescue and carried him back to Victoria, to a loving -mother’s care and to his life at school. - - - - -EARLY PROCLIVITY FOR THE THEATRE. - - -It was about this time, 1862-’63, that David’s strong inclination for -theatrical pursuits became specially manifest. His mother was fond of -poetry, and she, and also his school teachers, had taught him to -memorize and recite verses. His parents, the father having been a -professional harlequin (one of David’s uncles, his namesake, it should -be mentioned, was the admired English actor David James [1839-1893], and -the whole family was histrionical), naturally sought the Theatre and -affiliated as much as they could with whatever players came to Victoria -or were resident there as members of the local stock company. David had -been “carried on,” at the Victoria Theatre Royal, as _Cora’s Child_, in -“Pizarro,”--that once famous play, - -[Illustration: - -From an old photograph. The Albert Davis Collection. - -JULIA DEAN (HAYNE)] - -adapted from Augustus Frederick Ferdinand von Kotzebue’s “Die Spanier in -Peru,” and rewritten by Sheridan. That incident probably occurred when -the talented and beautiful Julia Dean (1830-1868), in the season of -1857-’58, first acted in Victoria,--“Pizarro” having been in her -repertory and _Cora_ one of the parts in which she was distinguished. In -June, 1856, Julia Dean was lessee of the American Theatre, San -Francisco; she made several tours in Pacific Coast towns. Belasco -remembers having played the boy, _William_, in “East Lynne,” with her, -but that appearance must have occurred later, because “East Lynne,” as a -novel, was not published till 1861, and it was not launched earlier as a -play. Julia Dean returned to the East in 1858, but made at least one -subsequent tour of the Western States. - - - - -MEMORIES OF JULIA DEAN. - - -Belasco’s random recollections of the actors with whom he was brought in -contact while in California and other parts of the West are those of a -youthful enthusiast, generally injudicious, frequently incorrect, -sometimes informative, always indicative of amiability. Julia Dean, who -held little David in her arms when he was a child, and with whom he -appeared in boyhood, remains to this day an object of his homage. She -was one of the best actresses of her time. I saw her first at the Boston -Museum, in 1854, as _Julia_, in “The Hunchback,” later in other -characters, and was charmed by her exquisite beauty and her winning -personality. I saw her for the last time, in New York, in July, 1867, at -the Broadway Theatre (the house which had been Wallack’s Lyceum), where -she was playing,--with peculiar skill and fine effect,--_Laura Fairlie_ -and _Anne Catherick_, in “The Woman in White.” She was a scion of a -theatrical family. Her maternal grandfather, Samuel Drake (1772-1847), -an English actor, was highly esteemed on our Stage a hundred years ago. -Her mother, Julia Drake (first Mrs. Thomas Fosdick, later Mrs. Edmund -Dean), was a favorite in the theatres of the West and was accounted -exceptionally brilliant. Julia Dean went on the stage (1845) at -Louisville, Kentucky, made her first appearance in New York in 1846, at -the old Bowery Theatre, and continued in practice of her art till the -end of her life. She was lovely in person and not less lovely in -character. Her figure was tall and slender, her complexion fair, her -hair chestnut-brown, her voice sweet, her movement graceful, and she had -sparkling hazel eyes. The existing portraits of her give no adequate -reflection of her beauty. In acting, her intelligence was faultless, -her demeanor natural, her feeling intense. Her every action seemed -spontaneous. Her imagination was quick, she possessed power and -authority, and she could thrill her audience with fine bursts of -passion,--as notably she did in the Fifth Act of “The Hunchback”; but, -as I recall her, she enticed chiefly by her intrinsic loveliness. Her -performance of Knowles’s _Julia_ was perfection. She played many -exacting parts,--such as _Bianca_, in “Fazio”; _Mrs. Haller_, in “The -Stranger”; _Margaret Elmore_, in “Love’s Sacrifice”; _Griseldis_, and -_Adrienne Lecouvreur_. She was the primary _Norma_, in Epes Sargent’s -“Priestess,” which was first acted in Boston, and she was the primary -_Leonor_, in George Henry Boker’s tragedy of “Leonor de Guzman,” first -produced at the original Broadway Theatre, New York, April 25, 1854. -Whatever she did was earnestly done. Her soul was in her art, and she -never permitted anything to degrade it. A marriage contracted (1855) -with Dr. Arthur Hayne,--son of Robert Young Hayne, United States Senator -from South Carolina, whose semi-seditious advocacy of “State Rights” -prompted Daniel Webster’s great oration in the Senate (1830),--resulted -unhappily, somewhat embittering her mind and impairing the bloom of her -artistic style. She obtained a divorce and (1866) became the wife of -James Cooper. She died suddenly, in childbirth, March 6, 1868. At her -funeral, two days later, at Christ Church, Fifth Avenue and Thirty-first -Street, New York, the service was performed by Rev. Ferdinand Cartwright -Ewer (1826-1883), a noted Episcopalian ritualist, who in early life had -been a dramatic critic,--one of competent intelligence, good judgment, -and considerate candor,--associated with the newspaper press of San -Francisco, had known her in the season of her California triumphs, and -well knew her worth both as actress and woman. - - - - -REMOVAL TO SAN FRANCISCO. - - -Young David Belasco was frequently utilized for infantile and juvenile -parts at the Victoria Theatre. In 1864, when Charles Kean, in his -farewell “tour round the world,” filled a short engagement there, the -lad appeared as the little _Duke of York_, in “King Richard III.” His -age was then eleven, but he was diminutive and therefore he suited that -part. During Kean’s engagement he also appeared as a super in “Pauline.” -About 1865 Humphrey Belasco, his fortunes not improving as he had hoped, -removed his family from Victoria and established residence in San -Francisco, where he opened a fruit - -[Illustration: - -From photographs by Brady. The Albert Davis Collection. - -“THE KEANS” - -CHARLES JOHN KEAN ELLEN TREE, MRS. KEAN -(1811-1868) (1805-1880) - -Taken during their last American tour, 1864-’65, soon after Belasco -appeared with them in “King Richard III”] - -shop, fraternized with players at the theatres, gaining friends and -popularity, and where he spent the rest of his life. David was sent to -the Lincoln Grammar School, which for some time he continued to attend. -There he was studious, and there, in particular, he was trained in -elocution,--that art having been specially esteemed by his teachers. -Among the persons who, at various times, instructed him in elocution -were Dr. Ira G. Hoitt, Miss---- James, Professor Ebenezer Knowlton, and -Miss “Nelly” Holbrook, once an actress of distinction (she figures among -the oldtime female players of _Hamlet_ and _Romeo_), mother of the -contemporary actor (1917) Holbrook Blinn. The boy’s talent for -declamation had been quickly perceived, and a judicious endeavor was -made to foster and develop it. Among the poems he was taught to recite, -and which, in the esteem of his teachers, he recited well, were “The -Vagabonds,” by John Townsend Trowbridge; “The Maniac,” by Matthew -Gregory Lewis; “Curfew Must Not Ring To-night,” by Rosa Hartwick Thorpe, -and “Bernardo del Carpio,” by Felicia Hemans. Those poems were well -chosen for the purpose in view, because each of them contains a dramatic -element propitious to a declaimer. - - - - -GLIMPSES OF BOYHOOD. - - -At one time, in his boyhood, at Victoria, Belasco was adopted by the -local Fire Department as “a mascot,” and when parades of the firemen -occurred,--the hook and ladder vehicle being drawn with ropes by the -men,--the little lad either walked at the head of the line or rode, -perched high upon the wagon, arrayed in a red shirt, black trousers and -boots, and a fire-helmet. After removing, with his parents, from -Victoria to San Francisco, he was sent to a school called the Fourth -Street, and it was from there that he went to the Lincoln. He took the -honors for penmanship, being assigned to keep the school “rolls,” and -sometimes his “compositions” were framed and hung in the halls, for the -edification of other pupils. There, also, he was awarded a gold medal, -as being the best reader and performer of Tragedy,--a prize which he -pawned for the benefit of the family,--while his chum, James O. Barrows, -obtained a silver medal for special cleverness in Comedy. As a schoolboy -he was particularly fond of reading “dime novels,” which, for -convenience of surreptitious perusal, he customarily concealed in his -boots. For some time after their return to San Francisco the Belascos -dwelt in a house in Harrison Street; later, they resided in Louisa -Street. - -The first play, apparently, that David wrote was concocted later, after -the family had removed to No. 174 Clara Street, and was entitled “Jim -Black; or, The Regulator’s Revenge!” Another of his early pieces of -dramatic writing (and, perhaps, it may have been the first) was called -“The Roll of the Drum.” Belasco is very positive that he wrote this soon -after the death of Abraham Lincoln (April 15, 1865),--at which time he -was less than twelve years old. His recollection regarding this may be -correct; there is no doubt that he was an extraordinarily precocious -child, and such children do, sometimes, write astonishing compositions -even at an earlier age than twelve. Belasco is equally positive that his -play, while it was, at various times, acted outside of San Francisco, -was never played in that city. A play of the same name was performed, by -Mme. Methua-Scheller and associates, at Maguire’s Opera House, for the -benefit of “Sue” Robinson, on November 26, 1869, announced as “The new -military drama”; this was not Belasco’s play, but one wholly different -from it. Belasco’s custom, as a lad, was to keep a table by his bedside, -with writing materials, candle and matches upon it, in order to note at -once any idea that might occur to him as likely to be of service in his -theatrical work, and he was often rewarded for this precaution. In all -my study of theatrical history I have not encountered a person more -downright daft, more completely saturated in every fibre of his being, -with passion for the Stage and things dramatical than was young David -Belasco. - - - - -SCHOOL DAYS IN SAN FRANCISCO. - - -The following extract from a letter dated December 25, 1916, addressed -to Belasco by one of his schoolmates, E. F. Lennon, Esqr., now (1917) -City Clerk of Red Bluff, Tehama County, California, provides a glimpse -of him as a schoolboy in San Francisco: - - “ ... We drifted away from each other in old ’Frisco, in the early - seventies, and chance has kept us distant from each other.... You - and I lived near each other, in the old days,--you in Louisa - Street, I, a block away, in Shipley. We went to the old Lincoln - School and travelled through the same grades ... and in them all we - were together. Do you remember when you and I started a Circulating - Library, in your home? You had quite a collection of books and I - had a number also, and we put them on shelves in your house. Not - long after a fire came along and destroyed our good intentions.... - We also had our theatrical performances, in the basement of my - home, when the price of admission was a gunny-sack or a beer - bottle. You were the star actor and our presentations were often - attended by the grown-ups.... I remember when Queen Emma, of the - Hawaiian Islands, visited our school, and the entire body of - students were marched upstairs to the big hall to see and entertain - her. You recited your famous selection, “The Madman” [Lewis’s “The - Maniac”]. Another pupil and myself did a little better than the - bunch: I think the other boy’s name was Moore. He and I kissed the - Queen, and it was the talk of the school for some time. She took - the kisses all right, and we got a lecture for our audacity, and - perhaps a licking....” - - - - -HARD TIMES IN EARLY DAYS. - - -The removal of the Belasco family from Victoria to San Francisco was not -attended by material prosperity, and for several years the family -suffered the pinch of poverty. Young David keenly felt the necessity of -helping his parents, and by every means in his power he tried to do so. -His conduct, in those troublous years, as it has been made known to me, -not only in conversations with himself, but in communications by his -surviving relatives, provides a remarkable example of filial devotion. -As a lad, in Victoria, he had shown surprising facility in learning the -Indian language and frequently had acted as interpreter for Indians who -traded with his father; also, he had manifested that lively and shrewd -propensity for trading which is peculiar to the Jew. As a lad, in San -Francisco, while attending school as often as possible, he regularly -remained at home, after the morning session, every Friday, in order to -assist his mother in washing clothes for the family, a labor which, -being then of low stature, he could perform only by standing on a large -box, thus being enabled to reach into the washtub. He would also help -his mother in the drudgery of the kitchen, and then often do for her the -necessary household marketing for the coming week; and he would make up, -every week, the records and accounts of his father’s business in the -shop. When neither at school nor occupied at home he would seek and -perform any odd piece of work by which a trifle might be earned. He was -by nature a book-lover and acquisitive of information: he had access to -several public libraries, but he craved ownership of books, and from -time to time he earned a little money for the purchase of them by -recitations, sometimes given in the homes of his friends, sometimes at -church entertainments, sometimes at Irish-American Hall and other -similar places. For each of such recitations he received two dollars, -and on some nights he recited two, three, or four times. As he grew -older, especially after 1868, his efforts to obtain employment at -theatres grew more and more constant, and, as already said, they were -occasionally successful. His activities, indeed, were such that it is a -wonder his health was not permanently impaired,--but he was possessed -of exceptional vitality, which happily has endured. Once he worked for a -while as a chore-boy in a cigar store and factory, where he washed -windows, scrubbed floors, and rendered whatever menial service was -required, opening the place at morning and closing it at evening. That -was a hard experience, but it led to something better, because the -keeper of the cigar-shop, taking note of him and his ways, procured for -him a better situation, which for some time he held, in a bookstore. -There he had access to many books, and he eagerly improved every -opportunity of reading. A chief recreation of his consisted in haunting -the wharves, gazing at the ships, and musing and wondering about the -strange tropical lands from which they came and to which presently they -would sail away. - - - - -THE SENTIMENTAL STOWAWAY. - - -There was one singular consequence of Belasco’s interest in ships and -his somewhat extravagant and sentimental fancy which is worth special -record. The tragedian John McCullough used frequently to recite, with -pathetic effect, a ballad, once widely known, by Arthur Matthison -(1826-1883), called “The Little Hero,”--originally named “The -Stowaway,” and first published in “Watson’s Art Journal,” New York. The -earliest record I have been able to find of McCullough’s delivery of -this ballad in San Francisco states that he recited it on the occasion -of a performance given for the benefit of Lorraine Rogers, director of -the California Theatre, on November 30, 1869. Then or, perhaps, earlier -(since McCullough was in San Francisco as early as 1866) Belasco heard -him, and his febrile fancy, already superheated by excessive reading of -morbid sensation stories, was so fired by the recitation that he felt -impelled to submit himself to a similar experience. In his “Story” he -gives the following account of his adventure as a Stowaway: - - “The story of ’The Little Hero’ related the adventures of a - stowaway who was discovered in his hiding-place by the sailors when - they were in mid-ocean, and the lad was forced to work, and was - beaten and starved into the bargain. As a boy I had read a like - tale, which had so stirred my imagination that I used to dream of - it by night, and in my spare time by day I would wander along the - wharves to gaze at the shipping. How it happened I don’t quite - know, but my feet led me on board a boat and, simply as an - experiment, I hid myself. Then a rash notion came into my head! - Suppose I stayed where I was and put into practice what the poem - had so graphically described! For thirty hours I crouched behind my - sable bulwark, and after interminable sailing it seemed to me about - time that I was discovered, so I made myself visible. I was dragged - up on - -[Illustration: JOHN MC CULLOUGH - - “_This was the noblest Roman of them all!_” - --Julius Caesar - - Photograph by Sarony. - - Author’s Collection.] - - deck with no tender touch, and there the analogy between the little - hero and myself vanished. The captain of the schooner was a friend - of my father’s. ’Aren’t you Humphrey’s boy?’ he asked, and I was - obliged to confess to my identity. ’Take him downstairs and wash - him,’ the captain ordered, for contact with the coal had made me - look like a blackamoor; despite my protestations that this was not - the correct treatment for a stowaway, I was taken below. ’Give him - something to eat,’ he called after us, but I was as obdurate as a - militant suffragette in the matter of food. Later on, when I was - ’swabbed down,’ I was taken on deck again, where I was obliged to - tell the captain my story, and the reasons for my escapade. ’I’ll - be blazed if I lick you as you seem to want!’ said he. I was - reciting the story to the queer group gathered about me, when I - suddenly realized that my old enemy seasickness was creeping over - me. ’Let me scrub the floor,’ I pleaded. ’They always do.’ At first - they laughingly refused, but presently, to humor me, I was put to - work on a brass rail that needed shining. However, the smell of the - oil polish hastened my catastrophe. I was put to bed and very glad - to be there. From Vancouver I was shipped home, where I found my - mother rejoiced to get me back. She was not so perturbed as she - might have been, because the poor lady was used to my - ’disappearances’ in search of adventure and the romantic. She - always knew that I was doing something or other to gain new - impressions, and her heart was wonderfully attuned to mine.” - - - - -A BOHEMIAN INTERLUDE. - - -Belasco left school in June, 1871. In August, 1878, he married. It has -been impossible to fix precise dates for some of his proceedings within -that period of about two years and three months. Though he steadily, if -at first slowly, progressed, and though specific records of his doings -become more and more frequent as the years pass in review, it is not -until about 1876-’79 that they are numerous. During all, or almost all, -of the period indicated (1871-1879),--more so in the earlier part than -in the later,--he was a nomadic bohemian. At first he often roamed the -streets at night and would visit the saloons and low “dives” which -abounded in San Francisco, and recite before the rough frequenters of -those resorts,--sometimes giving “The Maniac,” sometimes “Bernardo del -Carpio,” sometimes “shockers” of his own composition (things which he -wrote with facility, on any current topic that attracted his attention), -and gather whatever money might be thrown to him by those unruly but -often liberal auditors. On a Sunday he was sometimes fortunate enough to -earn as much as ten or twelve dollars by his recitals. Another means of -gain that he employed was the expedient of volunteer press reporting. He -would visit every gambling “den,” opium “joint,” hospital, and -police-station to which he could obtain access (the morgue was one of -his familiar resorts), and write brief stories of whatever scenes and -occurrences he might observe, to be sold to any newspaper that would -pay for them,--when he was lucky enough to make a sale. In talking to me -about his youthful days, as he has done in the course of a friendly -acquaintance extending over many years, he has particularly dwelt on the -intense, often morbid, and quite irresistible interest which, in early -life, he felt in everything extraordinary, emotional, sensational, -dramatic,--everything that might be called phenomenal. “As a young -fellow,” he once said to me, “I visited the scene of every murder that I -heard of--and they were many. I knew every infamous and dangerous place -in San Francisco. Once I tried to interfere between a blackguard and his -woman, whom he was abusing, and I got a bullet along the forehead for my -trouble: I have the scar of it to this day. It was freely predicted that -I would end in state’s prison, probably on the gallows. Only my dear -mother seemed to understand me. My adventures and wanderings (’Wandering -Feet,’ she used to call me) worried her, which I grieve to think of now, -but she always took my part. ’Davy is all right,’ she used to say; -’leave him alone; he’s only curious about life, and wants to see -everything with those big, dark eyes of his.’ She was right; and, if I -didn’t see everything, I saw a good deal.” - -The miscellaneous knowledge that young Belasco accumulated in -observation of “the seamy side” of life by night, in one of the most -vicious, turbulent, and perilous cities in the world,--which San -Francisco certainly was, in his juvenile time,--was of much use to him -when, later, he became employed as a hack-writer of sensation -melodramas, in the theatres of that city and other cities of the West. - - - - -BELASCO’S EARLIEST ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE THEATRE IN SAN FRANCISCO - - -It is not possible to furnish an entirely full, clear, chronological -account of Belasco’s earliest relations with the Theatre in San -Francisco. Various current sketches of his career which I have examined -either give no details as to this part of it, or make assertions about -it which I have ascertained to be incorrect. The subject is not -explicitly treated in his autobiographical fragment, “The Story of My -Life,” a formless, rambling narrative, obviously, to a discerning -reader, evolved from discursive memory, without consultation of records -or necessary specification of dates or verification of statements, and -which I have found to be, in many essential particulars, inaccurate. Few -persons possess an absolutely trustworthy memory of dates, - -[Illustration: - -From an old photograph. Belasco’s Collection. - -BELASCO’S PARENTS - -HUMPHREY ABRAHAM, AND REINA MARTIN, BELASCO, ABOUT 1865] - -and Belasco is not one of them. His recollections of his boyhood and -specially of his early association with the Theatre in San Francisco are -sometimes interesting and in a general way authentic, and certainly they -are believed by him to be invariably correct; but careful research of -San Francisco newspapers of the period implicated, and of other records, -discovers that frequently they are hazy, confused, and erroneous. “He -who has not made the experiment,” says Dr. Johnson, “or is not -accustomed to require _rigorous accuracy_ from himself, will scarcely -believe how much a few hours take from certainty of knowledge and -distinctness of imagery.” How much more must the lapse of many years -take from memory! According to Belasco’s recollection, his first formal -appearance on the San Francisco Stage was made while he was yet a pupil -at the Lincoln Grammar School in that city, when Mary Wells (Mrs. -Richard Stœples, 1829-1878) was (as he alleges) filling an engagement at -the Metropolitan Theatre, in a play called “The Lioness of Nubia.” Mary -Wells was an English actress, well known and much respected on the New -York Stage about fifty years ago. She made her first appearance in this -country at Albany, in 1850, and in 1856 she appeared at Laura Keene’s -Theatre, New York, as _Mme. Deschapelles_, in “The Lady of Lyons.” She -did not figure as a star: her “line” was old women: there is no record -of her appearance at the Metropolitan Theatre, nor of her appearance -anywhere in San Francisco, until April 4, 1874, when she acted with “The -Lingard Combination,” at the Opera House (opened as Shiels’ Opera -House), playing _Mme. Dumesnil_, in an English translation of Octave -Feuillet’s “La Tentation.” There is, moreover, no play entitled “The -Lioness of Nubia.” There is, however, a play called “The Lion of Nubia,” -and there was an actress, of the soubrette order, named Minnie Wells, -who appeared in that play at the Metropolitan Theatre, December 16, -1872, acting the central part, _Harry Trueheart_. The play was billed as -“The Great Eastern Sensational Military Drama, ’The Lion of Nubia,’ -introducing Banjo Solos, Banjo Duets,” etc. This play was thus -advertised in San Francisco newspapers, December 16 to 22, 1872. John R. -Woodard and Frank Rea, both of whom Belasco specifies as having been in -the performance he supposes to have been given by “Mary Wells,” were -members of the company supporting Minnie Wells at the Metropolitan in -December, 1872, and it was with the latter and in “The Lion of Nubia” -that Belasco made the appearance which he has misremembered and -inadvertently misstated in his published “Story.” The part that he -played, _Lieutenant Victor_, was practically that of a super. He was -billed on that occasion as “Walter Kingsley,” the name of the circus -clown who had befriended him in his childhood. It was a common expedient -of the time for actors to adopt names not theirs when embarking on a -theatrical career, and it pleased Belasco, for no special reason beyond -a boyish whim, to do likewise. He used the name of Walter Kingsley for a -little while, but his doing so distressed his mother and therefore he -presently dropped it and wisely reverted to his own. In the early -records that I have found it generally appears as “D. Belasco,” and -often various superfluous initials are inserted through compositors’ -errors. Belasco’s account of the appearance with Miss Wells, as given to -me, specifies that he had one line to speak, which was “Perhaps the -stress of the weather has driven them further up the coast”; that his -schoolmates, in large number, were in the gallery; that his appearance -was hailed by them with applause; that they clamorously demanded he -should recite “The Maniac”; that their boisterous behavior interrupted -the performance and annoyed the actress, and that she caused Woodard to -discharge him. - -It _certainly_ is true that Belasco was carried on the stage, in -childhood, at Victoria, that later he there “went on” for the little -_Duke of York_, in “King Richard III.,” with Charles Kean,--as -previously mentioned,--and that he made informal appearances, as -declaimer and as super, in the theatres of San Francisco, while yet a -schoolboy,--all those juvenile essays being cumulative toward his final -embarkation on the career of actor, dramatist, and theatrical manager: -thus, on December 20, 1868, he participated in a public entertainment, -given at Lincoln Hall, by pupils of the Lincoln Grammar School, reciting -“The Banishment of Catiline” and “The Maniac” (the latter a recitation -he was often called on to make and with which, at one time or another, -he won several prizes); in the “Catiline” recital he appeared in a -costume comprising his father’s underdrawers and undershirt and a toga -of cheap cloth. On November 24, 1869, he appeared, for a night or two, -with Mme. Marie Methua-Scheller (18---1878), at Maguire’s Opera House, -as one of the newsboys, in Augustin Daly’s “Under the Gas-Light,” and in -the course of that performance he played on a banjo and danced: on -November 27 he “went on,” at the same theatre, as an _Indian Brave_, in -a presentment by Joseph Proctor (1816-1897) of “The Jibbenainosay.” “I -was much too small,” he told me, “but Proctor kept me because I gave -such fine warwhoops.” On March 17, 1871, at the Metropolitan Theatre, -he assumed the character of an _Indian Chieftain_, in “Professor Hager’s -Great Historical Allegory and Tableaux, ’The Great Republic,’” which -prodigy was performed by a company of “more than 400 young ladies and -gentlemen” of various schools in the city, and for the benefit of those -schools: it was several times exhibited: in the Second Part thereof he -personated _War_. On June 2, following, he figured prominently in -“competitive declamations” given at Platt’s Hall, by pupils of the -Lincoln School, and also in an amateur theatrical performance, on the -same occasion, appearing as _High-flyer Nightshade_, in “The Freedom of -the Press.” Hager’s “The Great Republic” was a pleasing entertainment of -its kind, and, after the close of the Lincoln School, Hager arranged to -give it in Sacramento, and obtained permission to take with him to that -city young Belasco and his friend, James O. Barrows, who were considered -the bright particular stars of the performance. They appeared there, in -the “Allegory,” April 15, 1871, “for the benefit of the Howard -Association.” “I consider Professor Hager to have been my first -manager,” says Belasco,--why, I do not know. - -On August 23, 1869, Lotta (Charlotte Crabtree, whom John Brougham -described as “the dramatic cocktail”) acted, for the first time in San -Francisco, _Fire-Fly_, in a play of the same name by Edmund Falconer, -based on Ouida’s novel of “Under Two Flags.” She was, then and later, -exceedingly popular in it. Belasco and other stage-smitten youths -organized an amateur theatrical association, called, in honor of the -elfin Lotta, “The Fire-Fly Social and Dramatic Club.” As a member of -that association Belasco played several parts. On June 22, 1871, he -appeared with other fire-flies, at Turnverein Hall (Bush Street, near -Powell), in---- Sutter’s drama of “A Life’s Revenge; or, Two Loves for -One Heart,”--acting _Fournechet, Minister of Finance_. “The San -Francisco Figaro,” noting this entertainment (the fifth given by the -“Fire-Flies”), remarked, “Among those who will take part in its -representation is David Belasco, his first appearance in leading -business”; and in a review of the performance a critical writer in the -same paper recorded that “David Belasco displayed much power.” - - - - -AN EARLY FRIEND.--W. H. SEDLEY-SMITH. - - -Soon after the opening of the California Theatre (1869) Belasco, who -attended every theatrical performance to which he could gain admission, -had the good fortune to meet John McCullough, and, pleasing - -[Illustration: - -From an old photograph. Author’s Collection. - -WILLIAM HENRY SEDLEY-SMITH] - -that genial actor, he was from time to time employed to hear him say the -words of parts which he was committing to memory. In this way, by -McCullough’s favor, he was enabled to see many performances at the -California, sometimes from a gallery seat, sometimes from the stage, and -in this way, also, he chanced to make another auspicious acquaintance, -that of the sterling old actor William Henry Sedley-Smith, who took a -strong fancy to Belasco, perceiving his native ability, talked with him, -became genuinely interested in the romantic, enthusiastic lad, and gave -him valuable advice, encouragement, and assistance. - -To the present generation of playgoers that veteran actor has ceased to -be even a name (the present generation of playgoers being, according to -my observation of it, specially remarkable for its vast and -comprehensive ignorance of theatrical history), but in other years his -name was one to conjure with, and to the few persons extant who cherish -memories of our Stage in the eighteen-fifties it recalls a delightful -reality. There are players whose individuality is so vital, so redolent -of strength and joy, that the idea of death is never associated with -them. Like great poetic thoughts, they enjoy an immortal youth in the -imagination, and to hear that they are dead is to suffer the shock of -something seeming strange and unnatural as well as grimly sad. Such an -actor was Sedley-Smith. Robust, rosy, stately, with a rich, ringing -voice, a merry laugh, and a free and noble courtesy of demeanor, he -lives in my remembrance as a perfect incarnation of generous life,--glad -in its strength and diffusive of gladness and strength all around him. -His talents were versatile. He played all parts well and in some he was -superlatively excellent. There has been no _Sir Oliver Surface_ on the -modern Stage to be compared with his. It came upon the duplicity and -foul sentimentalism of the scheming _Joseph_ like a burst of sunshine on -a dirty fog, and the gladness that it inspired in the breast of the -sympathetic spectator was of the kind that brings tears into the eyes. -The man who inspired the personation was felt to be genuine--a type of -nature’s nobility. His _Old Dornton_, in “The Road to Ruin,” was a -stately, pathetic type of character, animated by what seems, after all, -the best of human emotions,--paternal love. He could impart an -impressive dignity even to the fur-trimmed anguish of the sequestered -_Stranger_. - -Sedley-Smith’s professional career covered a period of more than fifty -years. He began at the foot of the ladder and he mounted to a pinnacle -of solid excellence and sound repute. He was born, December 4, 1806, -near Montgomery, in Wales. His father was an officer in the British -Army and was killed in battle in one of the engagements, under -Wellington, of the Peninsular War. His father’s brother, also a soldier, -fought at Waterloo, was twice wounded there, and became a Knight -Commander of the Bath. It will be seen that this actor had an ancestry -of courage and breeding. He was a posthumous child, and the widowed -mother married again,--thus, unwittingly, imposing on her boy the -misfortune of an unhappy home. The stepfather and the child were soon at -variance. One day, the lad being only fourteen years old, a contention -occurred between them, which ended in his being locked into his chamber. -At night he got out of a window and escaped, leaving home forever. To -earn his living he joined a company of strolling players, and to avoid -detection and recapture he adopted the name of Smith, by which name he -was ever after professionally known, though in private affairs he used -his true name, Sedley. - -The early part of his career was full of vicissitude and trouble. He was -not one of those dreamers who think themselves commissioned to clutch at -a grasp that proficiency in a most difficult art which scarcely rewards -even the faithful and loving labor of a lifetime. He chose to learn his -profession by study and work--and he did so. His first appearance on -the stage was made at Shrewsbury, and some of his earlier successes were -gained at Glasgow. He came to America in 1827 and appeared at the Walnut -Street Theatre, Philadelphia, as _Jeremy Diddler_, in “Raising the -Wind.” His most valuable repute was won in Boston, where he first -appeared in 1828, at the Tremont Theatre, as _Rolando_, in “The -Honeymoon.” In 1836 he managed Pelby’s National Theatre in that city, -and from 1843 to 1860 he was stage manager of the Boston Museum. He -married, shortly after his arrival in America, Miss Eliza Riddle -(1808?-1861), in her time one of the most sparkling, bewitching, and -popular performers of Comedy that our Stage has known. His first -performance in New York occurred at the Chatham Street Theatre, November -3, 1840, when he acted _Edgar_ to the _King Lear_ of Junius Brutus -Booth. The public also saw him at that time as _Laertes_, _Gratiano_, -and _Marc Antony_. His last professional appearance in New York was made -at the Winter Garden, May 6, 1865, for the benefit of his daughter, Mary -Sedley, known to contemporary playgoers as Mrs. Sol. Smith. Later, he -went to San Francisco, where he immediately became a favorite--and he -deserved his favor and his fame, because his art was intellectual, -truthful, conscientious, significant with thought and purpose, and warm -with emotion. He - -[Illustration: - -Courtesy Miss Blanche Bates. The Albert Davis Collection. - -MRS. FRANK MARK BATES SALLIE HINCKLEY - -_From old photographs_] - -died, in San Francisco, January 17, 1872, in the sixty-sixth year of his -age, leaving no work undone that he could do and therefore ending in the -fulness of time. He was acquainted with grief, but there was one sorrow -he escaped,--he never knew “how dull it is to pause.” - -It is obvious that no influence could have been more helpful to the -eager, ingenuous, stage-struck Belasco than that of this sturdy, -experienced, grand old actor and director, attracted and pleased by the -fervor of a schoolboy seeking ingress to the Theatre. Belasco’s -assurance that he wrote a good hand when he was a boy, however difficult -that may be to believe now, is correct (I have independently ascertained -that he took a prize for penmanship at the Lincoln School), and -Smith,--who was stage manager of the California Theatre,--gave him odd -pieces of work to do making fair copies of prompt-books of plays -produced at the California, and also, from time to time, employed him to -“go on” in the mobs, crowds, etc. To him Belasco confided his ambition -to act _Hamlet_, _Iago_, and romantic characters, and by him he was -advised to throw away ambition of that kind, physical exility making his -success improbable (“you would need to be a head taller,” the veteran -assured him), and to devote himself to what are termed “character parts” -(miscalled by that designation, every part being a _character_ part: -“eccentric” is the quality really meant) and the study of stage -management. If Smith had lived a little longer Belasco probably would -have had better opportunity at the California Theatre, but the old man -died before the youth had been more than about six months embarked on -his professional theatrical career. Nevertheless, he owes much to the -instruction and advice of that wise and kind friend. - - - - -ADOPTION OF THE STAGE. - - -Belasco’s actual adoption of the dramatic calling as a means of -livelihood, as nearly as the fact can be determined, occurred on July -10, 1871, near the close of his eighteenth year, when he acted a minor -part in a play called “Help,” by Frederick G---- Marsden, which was -presented with Joseph Murphy (1832-1915) in its central part. This actor -had been for some time a favorite minstrel and variety performer in San -Francisco, generally billed as “Joe” Murphy (his real name was -Donnelly), and had made his first appearance in this play of “Help,” May -8, 1871, at Wood’s Museum, New York, acting _Ned Daly_, an Irish comedy -character, shown under several aliases and in various amusing and -otherwise effective situations. Murphy’s professional associates at the -Metropolitan, among whom Belasco was thus launched upon actual -theatrical employment, were John R. Woodard, J. H. Hardie, J. C. -McGuire, W. C. Dudley, Frank Rea, H. Swift, George Hinckley, R. A. -Wilson, J. H. Vinson, Mrs. F. M. Bates (mother of that fine actress -Blanche Bates, so widely and rightly popular in our time), Mrs. Frank -Rea, Sallie A. Hinckley, Carrie Lipsis, Jennie Mandeville, Susie Soulé, -and Ada Shattuck. Belasco, at first, was a super, but later he was -provided with a few words. His school days had now come to an end, and -from the time of his appearance in “Help” he continued, irregularly but -persistently, and at last successfully, in the service of the Theatre. - - - - -BELASCO’S THEATRICAL NOVITIATE. - - -Belasco believes that soon after his appearance with Murphy, in “Help,” -he was associated with the Chapman Sisters, but he is again mistaken. -Murphy was at the Metropolitan in July, 1872. There is no record of an -appearance of the Chapman Sisters there between that time and March 5, -1873, on which latter date a “Grand Re-Opening of the Metropolitan -Theatre” occurred, under the direction of John Woodard. That -“re-opening” was announced thus: - - “The want of a People’s Theatre having long been felt in this - community, the management has determined to present their patrons a - First Class Theatre with First Class Stars and a First Class - Company, with prices of admission placed within the reach of all. - - - PRICES: - -Dress Circle 75 cents. -Orchestra 50 cents. -Gallery 25 cents. - - “The Talented and Beautiful Chapman Sisters will appear in [H. J.] - Byron’s splendid burlesque, ’Little Don Giovanni; or, Leperello and - the Stone Statue.’ Performance to begin with ’Ici on Parle - Français.’” - -Belasco was a member of the Metropolitan Company at that time, having -appeared five days earlier, in a performance by way of “A Grand -Complimentary Benefit to Marian Mordaunt,” with, among others, Alice -Harrison, D. C. Anderson, Owen Marlowe, James C. Williamson, Henry -Edwards, Henry Courtaine, John Woodard, and Charles E. Allen,--those -players having been assembled from several companies. The bill included -“A Morning Call,” “The Colleen Bawn,” and the First and Second acts of -“Darling.” Belasco, on the occasion - -[Illustration: - -From old photographs. Belasco’s Collection. - -THE CHAPMAN SISTERS - -ELLA CHAPMAN BLANCHE CHAPMAN] - -of that benefit, played _Peter Bowbells_, in “The Illustrious Stranger.” -In the opening bill of the Chapman Sisters, “Little Don Giovanni,” -Belasco acted the _First Policeman_. Other plays in which the Chapmans -appeared during that engagement were “Checkmate,” March 21; -“Schermerhorn’s Boy,” April 2; “The Wonderful Scamp; or, Aladdin No. 2,” -and “The Statue Lover,” April 3; “Pluto,” April 15; and “The Beauty and -the Brigands.” In those plays Belasco acted, respectively, _Strale_, -_Reuben_, the _Genius of the Ring_, _Peter True_, the _First Fury_, and -_Mateo, the Landlord_. “A Kiss in the Dark” and “A Happy Pair” were also -played at the Metropolitan at this time, and probably he appeared in -them, but I have not found specification of his doing so. The Chapman -Sisters, Blanche and Ella, were daughters of an English actor, Henry -Chapman (1822-1865), and were handsome and proficient players of -burlesque. One of their most successful vehicles was “The Gold Demon.” -Belasco appeared in it with them (March 18, 1873), as _Prince -Saucilita_, and made up and played in imitation of a local eccentricity, -known as “Emperor” Norton. His performance, practically a caricature, -was considered clever and it elicited considerable commendation. “The -Figaro” critic wrote of him: “D. Belasco took the house by storm with -his make-up for ’Emperor’ Norton, which was quite a feature of the -piece.” Actors have often exhibited theatrical travesties of anomalous -individuals: Samuel Foote (1720-1777), on the old English Stage, -frequently did so: sometimes such exhibitions have proved attractive to -the public and largely remunerative: generally they are trivial and -contemptible. Thomas D. Rice (1808-1860), the actor who carried Joseph -Jefferson, as a child, upon the stage, in 1833,--the first time he was -ever seen there,--gained wealth and popularity by copying the grotesque -behavior of an old negro named “Jim” Crow, who had been a slave and who -was well known to residents of Louisville, Kentucky, about 1828-’29. -Edwin Booth, in his novitiate, made a “hit” in San Francisco, about -1852-’53, by imitating a local notoriety named Plume. It did not, -however, in his case, lead on to fortune,--nor did it in that of young -Belasco as “Emperor” Norton. His remuneration was, for a long time, -extremely small. While employed at the Metropolitan Theatre he earned -six dollars a week, extra, by copying sets of the “parts” of plays, for -the use of actors,--work done after the performance at night. “I wrote a -beautiful hand in those days,” he told me; “almost like engraved -script,--though perhaps you won’t believe it now.” - - - - -A THEATRICAL VAGABOND. - - -Belasco was fortunate in his early days in an acquaintance with an actor -and theatrical agent, James H. McCabe, who loaned him many old plays, -which he studied, and also with R. M. Edwards, a representative in San -Francisco of Samuel French, the New York publisher of French’s Standard -Drama, etc., who provided him with opportunity to augment his knowledge -of theatrical publications and of plays in manuscript. McCabe sometimes -procured professional employment for him, but his occupation was -consistently desultory. He traversed the Pacific Coast, to and fro, -during several years, with various bands of vagabond players, gleaning a -precarious subsistence in a wild and often dangerous country, going -south into Lower California and into Mexico, and going north to Seattle -and to the home of his childhood, Victoria. Sometimes he ventured into -the mountain settlements and mining camps of the inland country, -travelling by stage when it was possible to do so, by wagon when he and -his associates were lucky enough to have one, often on horseback or -muleback, oftener on foot, performing in all sorts of places and glad -and grateful for anything he could earn. His account of that period, as -he has related it to me, is quite as replete with vicissitude, -hardship, squalor, toil, romance, and misery as are the narratives over -which the theatrical student muses, marvels, and saddens when reading -the “Memoirs of Tate Wilkinson,” Ryley’s “Itinerant,” Charlotte Charke’s -miserable narrative, or the story of Edmund Kean. “Many a time,” Belasco -has told me, “I’ve marched into town, banging a big drum or tooting a -cornet. We used to play in any place we could hire or get into,--a hall, -a big dining room, an empty barn; anywhere! I spent much of my second -season on the stage (if it can be called ’on the stage’) roaming the -country, and in that way got my first experience as a stage -manager,--which meant being responsible for everything; and in the years -that followed I had many another such engagement. I’ve interviewed an -angry sheriff ’many a time and oft’ (the sheriffs generally owned the -places we played in), or an angrier hotel-keeper, when we couldn’t pay -our board. I’ve been locked up because I couldn’t pay a dollar or two -for food and a bed; I’ve washed dishes and served as a waiter; I’ve done -pretty much everything, working off such debts; and sometimes I’ve had -the exciting pleasure of running away, sometimes alone, sometimes with -others, before the hotel-keeper got ’on’ that we hadn’t money enough to - -[Illustration: - -From an old photograph. Belasco’s Collection. - -DAVID BELASCO - -About 1873-’75] - -pay. I acted many parts in my first seasons ’on the road’--among them -_Raphael_, in ’The Marble Heart’; _Mr. Toodle_, in the farce of ’The -Toodles’; _Robert Macaire_; _Hamlet_; _Uncle Tom_; _Modus_, in ’The -Hunchback’; _Marc Antony_, in ’Julius Cæsar’; _Dolly Spanker_, in -’London Assurance’; _Mercutio_, and scores of others I can’t instantly -call to mind.” - -After considerable of the nomadic experience thus indicated, Belasco, -returning to San Francisco, obtained, through his friend McCabe, an -engagement in the company of Annie Pixley (Mrs. Robert Fulford, -1858-1893), remembered for her performance of _M’liss_, in a rough -melodrama, by Clay M. Greene, remotely based on Bret Harte’s tenderly -human and touching story bearing that name. For Annie Pixley he made a -serviceable domestic drama on the basis of Tennyson’s “Enoch Arden” -(which poem had been published in 1864), and he acted in it, with her, -as _Philip Ray_. That subject had been brought on the stage in a play by -Mme. Julie de Marguerittes (1814-1866), in which Edwin Adams gained -renown as the unhappy, heroic _Enoch_. For his play on the subject -Belasco received from Fulford $25. Later, he figured as an itinerant -peddler, frequenting fairs at various towns in the neighborhood of San -Francisco. In this character his attire comprised a black coat and -trousers, a “stovepipe” hat, and a wig and whiskers. “I used to buy -goods on credit,” he told me, “and take them along; then I would get a -soap-box or a barrel on the lot, or perhaps on a corner, and recite -until I had a crowd, and then work attention ’round to my goods, which I -generally managed to sell out.” - - - - -EMULATION OF WALTER MONTGOMERY. - - -Belasco, in his youth, entertained an admiration that was almost -idolatrous for Walter Montgomery, an American actor who, coming from -Australia, played in California when the boy was about seventeen years -old. His spirit of emulation was fired by the extraordinary efforts -which were put forth by that fine player to signalize the close of his -engagement in San Francisco. On the night of June 17, 1870, supported by -Barrett, McCullough, and the California Theatre stock company, -Montgomery acted _Shylock_, _Romeo_, _King John_, _Hotspur_, _Hamlet_, -_Benedick_ and _King Louis the Eleventh_, in selected scenes from seven -plays. On the next night he acted _Marc Antony_, in a revival of “Julius -Cæsar,”--that being his last appearance in California as an actor. On -June 20 and 21 the California Theatre was devoted to “Walter Montgomery -in His Celebrated Royal Recitals.” This was his programme on the first -night: - -Seven Ages “As You Like It.” -Soliloquy on Death “Hamlet.” -_Hubert_ and _Arthur_ “King John.” -Churchyard Scene “Hamlet.” -“The Bridge of Sighs” Hood. -“The Bells” Poe. -“The Vulgar Boy” Ingoldsby. -“The Bruce” John Brougham. - (Written expressly for Mr. Montgomery.) -“Charge of the Light Brigade” Tennyson. - -On the second night he gave: - -_Polonius_ to his Son “Hamlet.” -_Wolsey’s_ Farewell “King Henry VIII.” -Dream of _Clarence_ “King Richard III.” -_Benedick’s_ Conversion “Much Ado About Nothing.” -_Brutus’_ Oration “Julius Cæsar.” -_Antony’s_ Oration “Julius Cæsar.” -“The Raven” Poe. -“Ben Battle” Hood. -“The Bloomsbury Christening” Dickens. - -As soon as possible after seeing Montgomery’s remarkable display of -talent and versatility Belasco began to give public recitals, arranged -in general upon the model of Montgomery’s, though varied to suit his own -requirements. Chief among his selections were “The Vagabonds,” “The -Maniac,” “Curfew Must Not Ring To-night,” “Bernardo del Carpio,” -_Hubert’s_ scene with _Prince Arthur_, from “King John”; _Marc Antony’s_ -Oration, and _Hamlet’s_ Soliloquy on Death. He also gave imitations of -various actors well known to the California public. - - - - -A ROMANTIC COURTSHIP.--MARRIAGE. - - -In the latter part of 1870 or early in 1871, while giving recitations at -Platt’s Hall and elsewhere in San Francisco, his attention was attracted -by an exceptionally handsome girl,--whom he has described as one “all -compact of sweetness,”--who occupied a front seat on every occasion of -his appearance. This young lady (she was little more than a child, being -then only fifteen years old) was Miss Cecilia Loverich. After some time -he was fortunate enough to obtain an introduction to her, at a private -house where he had been engaged to give some recitations, and the -acquaintance thus formed, and earnestly pursued by the romantic youth, -soon ripened into a serious attachment. “I was nobody,” said Belasco to -me, “and she was a beauty, of wealthy family, and,--young as she -was,--already much followed. I did not have much hope at first; but I -didn’t despair altogether, either. If I was only a struggling - -[Illustration: CECILIA LOVERICH. MRS. DAVID BELASCO - - From a photograph. - - Belasco’s Collection.] - -beginner on the stage, a sort of strolling spouter, still _she_ found my -performances worth coming to see, over and over again!” The lover’s suit -was not impaired by the fact that presently he suffered a serious -physical injury, the rupture of a vein in one of his feet, which took a -course so unfavorable there was danger that amputation would be -necessary: a dark-haired, pale, dreamy-eyed, romantic youth sometimes -becomes more than usually interesting to a gentle, compassionate young -woman when he is hurt and suffering. Although incapacitated for several -weeks, during which time Miss Loverich paid him many delicate -attentions, Belasco finally recovered, after a minor operation,--though, -from his account of this episode, I surmise he came near dying under an -anæsthetic. For a while he was compelled to use crutches, but ultimately -he resumed his professional labor. The marriage of David Belasco and -Cecilia Loverich was solemnized, August 26, 1873, at the home of his -parents, No. 174 Clara Street, San Francisco,--Rabbi Neustader -performing the ceremony. At that time the actor was employed at Shiels’ -Opera House: during about a year after their marriage his wife travelled -with him on some of his various barnstorming expeditions--and that was -the happiest experience of his life. - -The engagement of the Chapman Sisters at the Metropolitan Theatre was -ended on April 27, 1873, with a representation of “Cinderella” (produced -there April 23),--in which Belasco probably participated,--that being -the last regular theatrical performance given there. During several -weeks immediately sequent to that event Belasco travelled with the -Chapman Sisters, under the management of Woodard, playing in Sacramento -(May 3) and in many other California and Pacific Coast cities and towns. -By about the middle of June, however, he had returned to San Francisco; -and, not being able to obtain immediate employment in the theatres, he -worked for about two months as amanuensis for an old actor, James H. Le -Roy, who had turned his attention to playwrighting. On June 30 Belasco -was present at the opening of Shiels’ Opera House (afterward the Opera -House, Gray’s Opera House, etc.), when Bella Pateman (1844-1908) made -her first appearance in San Francisco,--acting _Mariana_, in “The Wife,” -with Frank Roche as _Julian St. Pierre_ and A. D. Billings as _Antonio_. -“They did three or four more plays at Shiels’,--‘The Marble Heart,’ ’The -Lady of Lyons,’ and other well-worn old pieces,”--so Belasco has said to -me; “but the business was light and they needed a novelty. I had -mentioned Wilkie Collins’ ’The New Magdalen’ [published that year] to Le -Roy as containing good material for a play and he had bought a copy of -the book and begun to make a dramatization. He told Miss Pateman about -it and when she agreed that it would make a fine play for her he -hastened his work, dictating to me, and it was brought out soon -afterward.” Le Roy’s “dramatization” of Collins’ novel was produced at -Shiels’ Opera House on July 14, 1873, and it was the first, or one of -the first, stage adaptations of the story to be acted in America: -piratical versions of it eventually became so numerous that, at one -time, they could be bought for $10! Collins, in the disgraceful state of -American copyright law at that time, was helpless to prevent what he -designated, in writing to me, as the “larcenous appropriation of my poor -’Magdalen.’” As illustrating the practical value of priority in such -matters and an injury often inflicted on authorship, it is significant -to recall that Le Roy’s scissored version of the novel and Miss -Pateman’s performance in it were much preferred, in San Francisco, to -the drama made by Collins, as it was acted there, at the California -Theatre, by Carlotta Leclercq (1838-1893), September 22, 1873.--This was -the cast of the principal parts at Shiels’: - -_Rev. Julian Gray_ Frank Roche. -_Horace Holmcroft_ Charles Edmonds. -_Surgeon Ignatius Wetze_ A. D. Billings. -_Lady Janet Roy_ Mrs. Charles Edmonds. -_Grace Roseberry_ Jean Clara Walters. -_Mercy Merrick_ Bella Pateman. - -Writing about the production of Le Roy’s “larcenous appropriation,” -Belasco has said: “When it was ready it represented a week of pasting, -cutting, and putting together.... It proved to be one of the greatest -successes San Francisco ever had.... As for the actress, Bella Pateman, -she was a wonderful woman of tears, always emotionally true, and she -became the idol of the hour, for her _Mercy Merrick_ showed her to be an -artist of great worth.” Miss Pateman was an accomplished actress (her -professional merit was much extolled in conversation with me by both -Edwin Booth and Lawrence Barrett), and she became an exceptional public -favorite in San Francisco. Her first engagement in that city continued -until August 16, and, after July 14, it was devoted on all but four -nights to repetitions of “The New Magdalen.” - -Belasco’s association with Le Roy brought him into contact with persons -influential in management of Shiels’ Opera House and he was fortunate -enough to be engaged as a member of a stock company which was organized -to succeed Miss Pateman there. The first star to appear with that -company was Joseph Murphy, in a revival, made August 18, of - -[Illustration: - - From an old photograph. The Albert Davis Collection. - -JOSEPH MURPHY] - -[Illustration: - - From an old photograph. Courtesy of Mrs. Lou. Devney. - -JOHN PIPER] - -“Maum Cre,” which held the stage for one week and in which Belasco acted -the small part of _Bloater_. On August 25, the night before his wedding, -he played with Murphy as _Bob Rackett_, in “Help,” and on September 1 as -_Baldwin_, in “Ireland and America.” Murphy’s engagement ended September -7. The next night Frederick Lyster made his first appearance at Shiels’ -(of which A. M. Gray had become “sole proprietor”) in “The Rising Moon,” -and I believe that Belasco played in it, though I have not found a -record of his doing so. On September 10 Laura Alberta was the star, in -“Out at Sea,” Belasco playing with her as _Harvey_. During the next six -weeks he acted at Shiels’--personating _Sambo_, in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” -and _Major Hershner_, in “Twice Saved; or, Bertha the Midget,” with Miss -Alberta; _Spada_, in “The Woman in Red,” with Fanny Cathcart, and -_Darley_, in “Dark Deeds,” with Miss Cathcart and George Darrell. Other -plays presented at Shiels’ during the period indicated include “More -Blunders Than One,” “Little Katy; or, The Hot Corn Girl,” “The Stage -Struck Chamber-Maid,” “Man and Wife” (Darrell’s version), “The Mexican -Tigress,” and “Evenings at Home.” It is probable that Belasco appeared -in all or most of those plays, but I have not been able to find -programmes or other records showing that he did so. On October 18 he -participated in a benefit for James Dunbar at Gray’s Opera House (that -name was first used on October 3), playing _Mons. Voyage_, in the Third -Act of “Ireland As It Was.” - - - - -THEATRICAL LIFE IN VIRGINIA CITY. - - -After his employment at Gray’s Opera House Belasco obtained an -engagement with John Piper and joined the theatrical company maintained -by that manager at Piper’s Opera House, Virginia City, Nevada, at that -time one of the most disorderly, dissolute, and disreputable towns in -the United States. This “Opera House” was built by Maguire, in 1863, and -did not become known as “Piper’s” till several years later. It was -utilized for all kinds of public meetings, social and political, as well -as for theatrical performances, and, judging from the history of Nevada, -was, in early days, most noted as the scene of prize pugilistic combats. -Piper, who was not only a speculative manager, but also a hotel-keeper, -seems likewise to have been a shrewd, hard, unscrupulous person, not, -however, devoid of rough kindness. By way of keeping his theatrical -company well in hand he pursued the ingenious method of permitting its -members to run into debt to him, to the amount of $1,500, and then -withholding their salaries, thus, practically, making them prisoners -till they had worked off the debt. Charges for everything were -extortionate in Virginia City in that period, and Piper readily -succeeded in entangling his actors, and he made it exceedingly difficult -for them to extricate themselves. “I tried to run away from him,” said -Belasco, telling me this story, “but got no further than Reno, where the -sheriff, a ’pal’ of his, took me in charge and ’returned’ me for the -debt!” In Virginia City he saw much more of that lawlessness, -recklessness, and savagery which had already colored his thoughts and -served to direct his mind into the lurid realm of sensation melodrama. -There, also, he renewed acquaintance with various actors of prominence -whom he had previously met in the course of his wanderings, and there he -became associated with other performers, then or afterward -distinguished. He acted many parts under Piper’s management, among them -_Buddicombe_, in “Our American Cousin,” when Edward A. Sothern, as _Lord -Dundreary_, was the star, and _Don Cæsar_, in John Westland Marston’s -“Donna Diana” (published 1863), a drama based on a Spanish original by -Augustin Moreto (1618-1661), which was presented by the once famous -Mrs. David P---- Bowers (1830-1895), an actress of great ability and -charm, whom persons who saw her in her best days do not forget. Belasco -remembers having acted with her, either at Virginia City or elsewhere in -the West, as _Maffeo Orsini_, in “Lucretia Borgia”; _Charles Oakley_, in -“The Jealous Wife”; _Richard Hare_, in “East Lynne,” and a _Page_, in -“Mary Stuart,” and I have heard him speak of her with an ardor of -admiration which I can well understand, and with deep gratitude for -kindness shown him in the time of his necessitous youth. - - - - -DION BOUCICAULT AND KATHARINE RODGERS. - - -Another eminent actor whom he met for the first time at Piper’s Opera -House,--according to his recollection, in the Winter of 1873,--was Dion -Boucicault (1822?-1890), who appears to have noticed him as a youth of -talent and promise and to have treated him with favor. Boucicault could -ingratiate himself with almost any person, when he chose to do so, -and,--whenever they may have met,--he readily won the admiration of -young Belasco, who closely studied his acting and the mechanism of his -plays, and whose work, as a dramatist and a manager, has been, in a -great degree, moulded by his abiding influence. Boucicault, - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -MRS. D. P. BOWERS] - -while in Virginia City, employed Belasco as an amanuensis, and -(according to Belasco’s recollection) incidentally dictated to him a -part of the drama of “Led Astray,” a fabric which he was then -“conveying” from a French original, “La Tentation,” by Octave Feuillet -(1821-1890). That play was first presented in New York, at the Union -Square Theatre, December 6, 1873, with Rose Eytinge and Charles Robert -Thorne, Jr., in the leading parts. Another important player with whom -Belasco became professionally associated in Virginia City was Katharine -Rodgers, a remarkably clever actress and fascinating as a woman, who had -gained reputation on the English Stage and who came to America with -Boucicault and for some time acted under his direction, in “Mimi,”--a -play that he made for her use, out of “La Vie de Bohème,”--and in other -plays, winning much popularity. This performer had been the wife of -James Rodgers (1826-1890), a genial, respected English actor, long -associated with the theatres of Manchester and Birmingham. - - - - -CONFLICTIVE TESTIMONY. - - -I have made scrupulous inquiry relative to Belasco’s first meeting with -Boucicault (an event the exact date of which, since it profoundly -influenced his career, ought to be established), and, although the -former is positive that his memory of the occurrence is correct, I have -become convinced that he has much confused the time and circumstances. -The process of such misremembrances as this of Belasco’s is neither -unusual nor difficult to understand. From 1873 to 1883 his life was -feverish with activity. During that period he certainly met Boucicault, -in Virginia City, and was there associated with him, as amanuensis. When -“La Tentation” and Boucicault’s version of that play, called “Led -Astray,” were acted in San Francisco (April, 1874), Belasco saw them, -and, like many other persons associated with the Theatre, he heard much -of the disputation which eddied round them. Years later, remembering his -association with Boucicault, in Virginia City, the mistaken impression -found lodgment in his mind that it was “Led Astray” on which the elder -playwright was at work when they became acquainted, and, by repetition -and elaboration, that erroneous belief has become fixed. To my objection -that it is _absolutely impossible_ that Boucicault could have dictated -to him “Led Astray” Belasco’s reply, several times iterated, is, in -effect, that Boucicault was working on the play “long before” it was -produced in New York and that, whether possible or not, he is “very -positive” Boucicault _did_ dictate it to him, in Virginia City, during a -blizzard. It would not be just to Belasco, he being sure that his -recollection of this affair is absolutely accurate, to assert that it is -wholly incorrect without giving his explicit statement of the incidents. -Therefore, I quote it here, from his “Story”: - - “When Boucicault reached Virginia City, he was under contract to - deliver a play to A. M. Palmer, of New York. ’Led Astray’ was its - title. But his writing hand was so knotted with gout that he could - scarcely hold a pen. Boucicault was noted for being a very - secretive man. He would never have a secretary because he feared - such a man might learn too much of his methods of work. He was in - the habit of saying: ’I can’t write a line when I dictate. I think - better when I have a pen in my hand.’ - - “But now he had to have assistance to finish ’Led Astray.’ At this - time I had some slight reputation as a stage manager and author. In - those days everything was cut and dried, and the actor’s positions - were as determined as those of the pawns on a chess-board. But - whenever an opportunity offered itself, I would introduce something - less rigorous in the way of action, much to the disgust of the - older players. Boucicault must have heard of my revolutionary - methods, for he sent me a message to come and see him and have a - chat with him. With much perturbation, I went to his hotel and - knocked on his door. - - “‘They tell me you write plays,’ he began. Then followed question - after question. He tested my handwriting, he commented on certain - stage business he had heard me suggest the day before; then he said - abruptly: - - “‘I want you to take dictation for me,--I’m writing a play for the - Union Square Theatre,--you have probably heard of the manager, A. - M. Palmer,--at one time a librarian, but now giving Lester Wallack - and Augustin Daly a race for their lives. I hope, young man, you - can keep a secret; you strike me as being “still water.” Whatever - you see, I want you to forget.’ - - “So I sat at a table, took my coat off and began Act One of ’Led - Astray.’ Boucicault lay propped up with pillows, before a blazing - fire, a glass of hot whisky beside him. It was not long before I - found out that he was the terror of the whole house. If there was - the slightest noise below stairs or in the street, he would raise - such a hubbub until it stopped that I had never heard the like of - before. - - “Whenever he came to a part of the dialogue requiring Irish, I - noticed how easily his dictation flowed. When he reached a dramatic - situation, he acted it out as well as his crippled condition would - allow. One thing I noticed particularly: he always held a newspaper - in his hand and gave furtive glances at something behind it I was - not supposed to see. I was determined, however, to know just what - he was concealing from me. - - “The opportunity came one morning when he was called out of the - room. Before he went, I noted how careful he was to place a - newspaper so that it completely hid the thing under it. I went - quickly to the table, and, turning over the pages, I found a French - book, ’La Tentation,’ from which the entire plot of ’Led Astray’ - was taken. In those days, authors did not credit the original - source from which they adapted. But Boucicault was more than an - adapter--he was a brilliant and indefatigable slave, resting - neither night - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -DION BOUCICAULT - -“THE MASTER OF THE REVELS”] - - nor day. There is no doubt that even though he adapted,--in - accordance with the custom of the time,--he added to the original - source, making everything he touched distinctly his own. He left - everything better than he found it; his pen was often inspired, and - in spite of his many traducers, he was the greatest genius of our - Theatre at that time. Boucicault was a master craftsman....” - -I am inclined to the opinion that the play of which Boucicault actually -_did_ dictate a part to Belasco, during the early days of their -acquaintance, in Virginia City, is, perhaps, “Forbidden Fruit,”--which -was derived from a French original, and which was first produced at -Wallack’s Theatre, October 3, 1876: it is, however, to be remembered -that there _is_ an Irish character,--a kind of _Sir Lucius -O’Trigger_-turned-blackguard, who is designated _Major O’Hara_,--in “Led -Astray.” Nevertheless, as to Belasco’s reminiscence of the writing of -that play, I am convinced that, though interesting, it is wholly -apocryphal; the following is a summary of my reasons for so believing: - -Belasco did not make his first appearance with Minnie Wells, at the -Metropolitan Theatre, San Francisco, until December 16, 1872, and, of -course, his meeting with Boucicault could not have preceded that date. -Boucicault, moreover, and his wife, the beautiful Agnes Robertson, were -absent from this country, according to my records, for about twelve -years preceding 1872. In the Fall of that year they returned to America, -and, on September 23, they reappeared together, at Booth’s Theatre, New -York, in “Arrah-na-Pogue.” They acted there until November 16, and then -made a tour through various cities of the country, but, as far as I have -been able to ascertain, they did not go west of St. Louis, Missouri. -Boucicault reappeared in New York, at Booth’s Theatre, March 17, 1873, -acting, for the first time anywhere, _Daddy O’Dowd_, of which part he -gave truly a great impersonation and on which he had been at work during -all his tour. His engagement at Booth’s lasted until May 10. From that -date to the latter part of August Boucicault was in New York,--except -when he visited the ingratiating but false-hearted William Stuart -(Edmund C. O’Flaherty, 1821-1886), at New London, Connecticut. During -that period he was actively engaged on many projects,--the completion, -rehearsal, and presentment of “Mora,” which was brought out at Wallack’s -Theatre, June 3, and of “Mimi,” produced there on July 1; the writing of -other plays, and business negotiations relative to the building and -opening of Stuart’s Park Theatre, which, originally, was intended for -his use. (Stuart, after many postponements, opened it, April 15, 1874, -presenting Charles Fechter in “Love’s Penance.”) On August 28, 1873, -Boucicault began an engagement at Wallack’s Theatre, acting in “Kerry” -and “Used Up.” A few days later he broke down and went to New London to -rest. On September 16, that year, in company with me, among others, he -attended the first performance in America given by Tommaso Salvini: I -talked with him there--at the Academy of Music. On December 6, 1873, his -“Led Astray” was produced, for the first time anywhere, at the Union -Square Theatre, New York. I was present, and I saw and heard Boucicault, -when he was called before the curtain, and, writing in “The New York -Tribune,” in the course of a review of the performance, I recorded the -following comment: - -... The drama comes from the French of Octave Feuillet, _and it was - translated by Mr. Boucicault_. Whoever wishes to see with what an - assured step clever authorship can walk on ticklish ground may - behold the imposing spectacle at the Union Square Theatre. Mr. - Boucicault was called before the curtain on Saturday night by - vociferous applause, both at the end of the Third Act and at the - end of the play, and in the speech which finally he made he told - his auditors to give at least two-thirds of the credit for whatever - pleasure they had received to his friend Octave Feuillet. Mr. - Boucicault was also understood to say something about a projected - revival of Legitimate Drama. We were not aware of its demise. And, - even if it were dead, we fail to perceive how Mr. Boucicault could - manage to effect its resuscitation by the translating of French - plays of very doubtful propriety. It is to be remembered, though, - that Mr. Boucicault is an Irish gentleman and loves his joke.... In - this we perceive Mr. Boucicault’s preëminent skill. Nevertheless, - the appearance of Octave Feuillet’s name upon the playbill would be - noted with satisfaction. Mr. Boucicault should be aware that, by - lapses of this kind, he arms his detractors and is unjust to - himself.... - -Boucicault made his first appearance in San Francisco, at the California -Theatre, on January 19, 1874 (the bill was “Boucicault in -California,”--a weak sketch written for the occasion,--“Kerry,” and -“Jones’s Baby”), and he arrived in that city, a few days earlier, not -from Virginia City, but from Canada. - -Belasco, meantime, was not established in Virginia City between -December, 1872, and October, 1873: on the contrary, during most, if not -all, of that time he was actively engaged in San Francisco (see my -Chronology of his life). He disappears, however, from all the San -Francisco records which I have been able to unearth after October 18, -1873, and I am satisfied that he then went to Virginia City, and there, -several months later, met both Boucicault and Katharine Rodgers, when -they were journeying eastward: Miss Rodgers first acted in - -[Illustration: - -From an old photograph. Belasco’s Collection. - -KATHARINE RODGERS] - -San Francisco on February 3, 1874, at the California Theatre, in “Mimi.” -It seems obvious that Boucicault could not have dictated “Led Astray” to -Belasco, in Virginia City, at a time when neither of them was there, and -after that play had been acted in New York. If any other theatrical -antiquary, more fortunate than I, chances to possess authentic records -that show Boucicault and Belasco in conjunction, in Virginia City, prior -to about November 1, 1873, I should be glad to learn of them. - - - - -VARIEGATED EXPERIENCES. - - -It has not been possible to elicit an entirely satisfactory account of -Belasco’s career in the period extending from October 18, 1873, to about -the end of February, 1876. In particular, it has been impossible, -notwithstanding most earnest efforts, to establish the sequence of -incidents of his experience in Virginia City. Nevertheless, much that -occurred during the period indicated, nearly two and one-half years, has -been ascertained beyond question, and such gaps as occur in the records -have been supplied by reasonable surmise. He fulfilled, in all, five -engagements in Virginia City, and three, if not four, of them were -antecedent to “the fire” which, in 1875, devastated that mountain resort -of licence and crime. Among the actors with whom he was most closely -associated in Piper’s stock company were A. D. Billings, George Giddens, -Sydney Cowell (Mrs. Giddens), George Hinckley (uncle of Blanche Bates), -and Annie Adams (Mrs. Kiskaden, 1849-1916), mother of Miss Maude Adams. -The period of his first employment there was a trying one and during it -he broke down, became seriously ill, and was lodged for a time in the -home of Piper, where his illness was augmented by a distressing -experience with an unfortunate demented woman, the wife of Piper. -Recalling that ordeal, he has said: “Her husband, naturally, felt loath -to send his wife to the Insane Asylum in Stockton, so he had some rooms -padded and arranged as comfortably as possible for her in his own house. -I was ill there for three weeks, and my room, unhappily, was within -calling distance of Mrs. Piper’s. During the long nights I could hear -her groaning and crying out,--not a very encouraging atmosphere for one -who was himself suffering, and more from ’nerves’ than anything else. -Then one gray dawn I awoke to find Mrs. Piper standing at the foot of my -bed. Apparently she was as sane as any one, and she expressed great -solicitude as to my condition. It seemed to me an eternity as she stood -there, though in reality it was only about five minutes. Suddenly her -mood changed. ’I’m going to kill some one,’ she screamed, and made a -lunge for me. But, luckily, her keeper, who had heard her, came in and -restrained her, and we calmed her down and got her back to her own -rooms.” - -Belasco’s financial debt to Piper must have been paid or compounded on -or about March 1, 1874, and his engagement in Virginia City terminated. -On March 10, that year, he certainly was employed as a super, at the -California Theatre, on the occasion of Adelaide Neilson’s first -appearance in San Francisco. The play was “Romeo and Juliet”: Lewis -Morrison acted _Romeo_ and Barton Hill _Mercutio_. Miss Neilson’s -engagement (during which she played _Rosalind_, _Lady Teazle_, _Julia_, -in “The Hunchback,” and _Pauline_, in “The Lady of Lyons,” as well as -_Juliet_) ended on March 30: Belasco, whose admiration for that great -actress was extreme, contrived to be employed at the California Theatre -during the whole of it. On April 4, following, “the Entire Lingard -Combination” appeared at the Opera House (so designated) in an English -version of Feuillet’s “La Tentation,” and on April 6 John T. Raymond -acted at the California Theatre as _Hector Placide_, in Boucicault’s -version of the same play, called “Led Astray.” Both those -representations were seen by Belasco. - -On April 23 Raymond, at the California, produced, for the first time, a -stage synopsis made by Gilbert S. Densmore, of “The Gilded Age,” by -Samuel L. Clemens and Charles Dudley Warner. Writing of it, Belasco -says: “While that play was building Densmore talked it all over with me. -As it was originally written it was in five long acts and had in it a -curious medley of melodrama.... When the script was eventually read to -him [Raymond], all the comment he made, with a few of those choice -expletives which he knew so well how to choose, was that he hated all -courtroom scenes, except those in ’The Merchant of Venice’ and in -Boucicault’s ’The Heart of Midlothian.’... It was in this frame of mind -that he was finally persuaded to try ’The Gilded Age.’ Of course, the -play needed a lot of re-writing, and I don’t believe any one really -thought it would be successful. It was put on as a try-out because the -man was in such sore need of a vehicle, and, like so many other plays -which are produced as makeshifts, it soared its way into instant -popularity. It was not by any means a wonderful play in itself, it was -merely another instance of the personality of the player being fitted to -the part, and in the _rôle_ [_sic_] of _Colonel Mulberry Sellers_ John -T. Raymond found himself and, incidentally, fame and fortune.” - -That is not altogether an accurate account of the dramatic genesis of -“The Gilded Age.” Densmore’s adaptation of the book was piratical, and -Clemens, hearing of it, protested vigorously, by telegraph, against -continuance of its presentment. It was acted _only once_ in San -Francisco, in 1874. Densmore finally arranged to sell his stage version -to Clemens, and that author himself made a dramatization of the novel. -Writing about it, to William Dean Howells, he says: - - “I worked a month on my play, and launched it in New York last - Wednesday. I believe it will go. The newspapers have been - complimentary. It is simply a _setting_ for one character, _Colonel - Sellers_. As a play I guess it will not bear critical assault in - force.” In another letter Clemens says: “I entirely rewrote the - play _three separate and distinct times_. I had expected to use - little of his [Densmore’s] language and but little of his plot. I - do not think there are now twenty sentences of Mr. Densmore’s in - the play, but I used so much of his plot that I wrote and told him - I should pay him about as much more as I had already paid him in - case the play proved a success....”--Albert Bigelow Paine’s “Mark - Twain, a Biography.” Volume I., pp. 517-18. - -On November 3, 1874, Raymond published the following letter: - -(_From John T. Raymond to_ “_The New York Sun_.”) - - -“The Park Theatre, [New York]. -“November 2, 1874. - -“_To The Editor of ’The Sun’_: -“_Sir_:-- - - “An article headed ’The Story of “The Gilded Age”’ in ’The Sun’ of - this morning calls for a statement from me. The facts in the case - are simply these: In April last I commenced an engagement in San - Francisco. A few days after my arrival the manager of the theatre - mentioned that Mr. Densmore, the dramatic critic of ’The Golden - Era,’ had dramatized Mark Twain’s and Charles Warner’s novel of - ’The Gilded Age,’ and would like to submit it to me. I read the - play, and the character of _Colonel Sellers_ impressed me so - favorably that I consented to produce the piece the last week of my - engagement. I did so, the play making a most pronounced hit. I then - arranged with Mr. Densmore for the right to perform the play - throughout the country. Upon my arrival in New York I heard that - Mr. Clemens had telegraphed to San Francisco protesting against the - play being performed, as he had reserved all rights in his - copyright of ’The Gilded Age.’ I at once recognized Mr. Clemens’ - claim, and wrote to Mr. Densmore to that effect. I then - communicated with Clemens, with a view of having him write a play - with _Colonel Sellers_ as the chief character. While the - negotiation was pending I received a letter from Mr. Densmore, - requesting me to send the manuscript of his dramatization to - Clemens, as he had purchased it, and that he (Clemens) had acted in - a most liberal manner toward - -[Illustration: - -From a photograph by Mora. Belasco’s Collection. - -JOHN T. RAYMOND - -(1836-1887)] - - him. I sent the manuscript to Mr. Clemens, but not until after he - had finished his play and read it to me, not one line of Mr. - Densmore’s dramatization being used in the present play, except - that which was taken bodily from the novel of ’The Gilded Age.’ - These are the facts in the premises. Mr. Densmore’s play was a most - excellent one; the impression it made in San Francisco was of a - most pronounced character, but in no way [?] does it resemble the - present production, which is entirely the work of Mr. Samuel L. - Clemens (Mark Twain). - -“Yours, &c., -“John T. Raymond.” - - - -Clemens’ “guess” as to the worth of his work as a play was short of the -truth: it was of no consequence, possessed practically no merit -whatever, except as a vehicle for the actor. [The character of _Colonel -Sellers_ is presented by the dramatist in only a few of the aspects -available for its exposition and is attached to the play by only a -slender thread. Raymond, nevertheless, by means of thorough -personification, made the character so conspicuous that it dominated the -whole action of the play. The common notion that words are indispensable -to the expression of character is unfounded. Character shows itself in -personality, which is the emanation of it, and which finds expression in -countless ways with which words are not associated. Personality was the -potent charm of Raymond’s embodiment of _Colonel Sellers_,--a -personality compounded of vigorous animal spirits, quaintness, rich -humor, amiability, recklessness, a chronic propensity for sport, a -sensitive temperament, and an ingenuous mind. The actor made the -character lovable not less than amusing, by the spontaneous suggestion -of innate goodness and by various scarcely definable sweetly winning -traits and ways. His grave inquiry as to the raw turnips, “Do you _like_ -the fruit?” was irresistibly droll. His buoyant, confident -ejaculation,--closing each discourse on some visionary scheme of -profit,--“There’s _millions_ in it!” (which Raymond’s utterance made a -byword throughout America) completely expressed the spirit of the -sanguine speculator and was not less potently humorous because of a -certain vague ruefulness in the tone of it. In acting _Colonel Sellers_ -Raymond did something that was new, did it in an individual way, was -original without being bizarre, and, possessing the humor which is akin -to pathos, he could cause the laugh that is close to the tear.--W.W. in -“The Wallet of Time.”] “The Gilded Age” was first acted in New York, -September 16, 1874, at the Park Theatre. - -At about the time of the first San Francisco production of “The Gilded -Age” Belasco appears to have been employed by William Horace Lingard, -and it is practically certain that he was a member of Lingard’s -company,--though I have not ascertained in what capacity,--on the -occasion of “the grand opening of Maguire’s New Theatre” (which was the -old Alhambra Theatre, rebuilt and altered), on May 4, when “Creatures of -Impulse,” “Mr. and Mrs. Peter White,” and a miscellaneous entertainment -were presented there. - -During the summer of 1874 Belasco worked as a secretary and copyist for -Barton Hill, at the California Theatre, and also he performed, in a -minor position, as an actor, at Maguire’s New Theatre. He was thus -associated with, among others, Sallie Hinckley, in a revival of “The New -Magdalen”; Charles Fechter and Lizzie V. Price in a repertory which -comprehended “Ruy Blas,” “Don Cæsar de Bazan,” “The Lady of Lyons,” -“Hamlet,” and “Love’s Penance”; Miss Jeffreys-Lewis and Charles Edwards -in “School,” Boucicault’s “The Willow Copse” and “The Unequal Match”; -William J. Coggswell in “Nick o’ the Woods”; Samuel W. Piercy in -“Hamlet,” and Charles Wheatleigh in a dramatization of “Notre Dame” and -in other plays. For Piercy Belasco has ever cherished extreme admiration -and a pitiful memory of his untimely death, which,--caused by -smallpox,--befell, in Boston, in 1882. During the summer of 1874 -Belasco also made various brief and unimportant “barnstorming” ventures -in small towns and camps of California, Oregon, and Washington; -likewise, he was associated, as stage director, with several groups of -amateur actors in San Francisco. On August 31 a revival of Augustin -Daly’s play of “Divorce” was effected at Maguire’s,--James A. Herne (his -name billed without the “A.”) and Miss Jeffreys-Lewis playing the -principal parts in it. Whether or not Belasco was then in the company at -Maguire’s is uncertain, but I believe that he was. At any rate, when -Mlle. Marie Zoe,--designated as “The Cuban Sylph,”--began an engagement -there, September 14, in the course of which she appeared in “The French -Spy,” “The Pretty Housebreaker,” “Nita; or, Woman’s Constancy” (and -“Mazeppa”?), Belasco was employed to co-operate with her in sword -combats on the stage: he also served Mlle. Zoe, during her stay in San -Francisco, as a sort of secretary. - -From October 1 to the latter part of December, 1874, Belasco continued -in employment at Maguire’s New Theatre, officiating not only as an actor -of small parts but as stage manager, as a hack playwright, and as -secretary for Maguire. On October 12 he played the _Dwarf_ (one of the -_Phantom Crew_ of _Hendrick Hudson_), in “Rip Van Winkle,” Herne -personating _Rip_ and Alice Vane appearing as _Gertrude_. On October 21 -he participated in a representation of “The People’s Lawyer” (playing -_Lawyer Tripper_?), in which Herne acted as _Solon Shingle_. On the next -night “Alphonse” was acted at Maguire’s, but Belasco seems not to have -been in the bill, because he is positive that he attended the first -production in San Francisco, made that night at the California Theatre, -of Frank Mayo’s dramatization of Charles Reade’s powerful and painful -novel of “Griffith Gaunt.” “I made a version of that book,” Belasco has -told me, “and it was a good one, as I remember it; but it passed out of -my control soon after it was written: I sold it--to James McCabe, I -think,--for a few dollars. I know it was much played in the interior -[meaning the small towns of California, Nevada, etc.]. About the same -time that I made my version of ’Griffith Gaunt,’--which, of course, was -prompted by seeing Mayo’s,--we brought out a new play at Maguire’s, -called ’Lady Madge,’ by J. H. Le Roy. I don’t recall what it was about. -I remember that it was written expressly for Adele Leighton, a rich -novice, and that I did some work on it for Le Roy and made him a clean -script and set of the parts. Herne, Sydney Cowell, and Thomas Whiffen -were in the cast.” “Lady Madge” was acted at Maguire’s November 3, and -did not hold the stage for more than a week. On the 11th of that month a -dramatization of Lever’s “Charles O’Malley,” made by Herne, was brought -out, Herne appearing in it as _Mickey Free_ and Sydney Cowell as _Mary -Brady_. On November 16 Annette Ince and Ella Kemble acted at Maguire’s, -supported by Herne and Whiffen, in “The Sphinx,” and on the 26th a -notably successful revival was made of “Oliver Twist,”--a more or less -rehashed version of the dramatic epitome of the novel which had been -made known throughout our country by E. L. Davenport and James W. -Wallack, the Younger, being used. Herne played _Sikes_; Annette Ince, -_Nancy_; Ella Kemble, _Rosa Maylie_, and---- Lindsay, _Fagin_. On -December 1 “Carlotta! Queen of the Arena” was brought out, with Miss -Ince as _Carlotta_ and Herne as _Bambuno_. I have been able to find only -one other definite record of a performance at Maguire’s, prior to March -1, 1875; that record is of a presentment there of the old musical play -of “The Enchantress,” on December 24, with Amy Bennett in the principal -female part: Belasco directed the production (ostensibly under the stage -management of Herne) and appeared in the prologue as _Pietro_ and in the -drama as _Galeas_. “I did a lot of hard work on ’The Enchantress’ for -Miss Bennett’s appearance in it,--in fact, I rewrote most of the -dialogue,” Belasco has declared to me. - - - - -RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS.--1875. - - -In Pinero’s capital farce of “The Magistrate” _Mrs. Posket_, solicitous -to conceal her age, addresses to her friend _Colonel Lukyn_ an earnest -adjuration relative to an impending interview with her husband: “Don’t -give him _dates_; keep anything like _dates_ away from him!” Belasco’s -aversion to fixed facts fully equals that of the distressed lady, -though, in his case, it is temperamental instead of secretive. “The -vagabond,” he writes, “always says ’at this time,’ whether it be to-day -or to-morrow, and, like Omar, he ’lets the credit go.’ The incidents -that now come to mind are a little confused as to their chronological -order, but what does it matter, if the _impression_ is true!” It -“matters,” unfortunately, much,--because confusion and apparent -contradiction which result from lack of accuracy and order sometimes -tend to create an unjust belief that related incidents, actually -authentic, are untrue. It has, moreover, rendered protracted and tedious -almost beyond patience the work of compiling and arranging a clear, -sequent, authoritative account of Belasco’s long and extraordinary -career. I have ascertained divers particulars of his early experiences -and alliances (verifying them as _facts_ by diligent search and inquiry -in many directions), which, however, I have not invariably been able to -place in exact chronological order and which may conveniently be -summarized here. - -Perhaps the most important single event of the first decade of Belasco’s -theatrical life was his employment in a responsible position at -Baldwin’s Academy of Music. But during about a year and a half prior to -his first engagement there, and also during about the same length of -time subsequent to it, he gained much valuable knowledge, in association -with various players, acting in “the lumber districts” of Oregon and -Washington; in Victoria and Nevada, and in many California towns, -including Oakland, Sacramento, Petaluma, Stockton, Marysville, San José, -etc. Wandering stars, of varying magnitude, with whom he thus appeared -include Sallie Hinckley and Mrs. Frank Mark Bates (respectively, aunt -and mother of Blanche Bates), Amy Stone, Ellie Wilton, Charles R. -Thorne, Sr., Mary Watson, Annie Pixley, Fanny Morgan Phelps, Frank I. -Fayne, Gertrude Granville, Laura Alberta, Katie Pell, and the old -California minstrel, “Jake” Wallace. With Miss Pell and Wallace he -appeared in the smaller towns of California - -[Illustration: - - From a rare old photograph. The Albert Davis Collection. - -GERTRUDE GRANVILLE] - -[Illustration: - - From a photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -ANNIE PIXLEY AS _M’LISS_] - -and Nevada, and he has afforded me the following interesting bit of -random recollection. “Wallace was held dear in every Western mining -camp. He was a banjoist, and when the miners heard him coming down the -road, singing the old ’49 songs, there used to be a general cry of ’Here -comes Wallace!’ and work would stop for the day. In ’The Girl of the -Golden West’ [1905] I introduced a character in memory of the ’Jake’ -Wallace of long ago; I gave him the same name, made him sing the same -songs, and enter the poker-saloon to be greeted in the same old hearty -manner. When negotiations were under way between the great composer -Puccini and myself for ’The Girl of the Golden West’ to be set to music, -I took him to see a performance of the play. As we sat there, I could -feel no perceptible enthusiasm from him until _Jake Wallace_ came in, -singing his ’49 songs. ’Ah!’ exclaimed Puccini, ’_there_ is my theme at -last!’” - -Of Mrs. Bates and her ill-fated husband he gives this reminiscence: -“Both Mrs. Bates and her husband were sterling actors [they were players -of respectable talent, well trained in the Old School--W.W.]. Mrs. Bates -was a slight little woman, full of romance and for the greater part of -our acquaintance much given to melancholy. I look back on her prime, and -I know of no actress who gave a more satisfactory interpretation of -_Camille_ than she did. Her _Marie Antoinette_ was also very impressive. -Mr. and Mrs. Bates soon left for Australia, but before they went, as a -token of friendship, I was given many manuscript plays and costumes -which the two would not need. Soon after Mr. Bates was mysteriously -murdered. Many months passed, and I heard that Mrs. Bates was again in -San Francisco, staying at the Occidental Hotel. So I called upon her. ’I -only have Blanche to live for now,’ she said, and while we sat there she -called for her little daughter to come to her. That was my first meeting -with my future star. Thereafter little Blanche was put to school, and I -went on the road with Mrs. Bates, playing _Armand Duval_ to her -_Camille_. Then I lost sight of her for some time until at last one day -I was walking with ’Jimmie’ Barrows, when he began to tell me of a -famous actress who was boarding at his house. ’Her name is Mrs. Bates,’ -declared ’Jimmie,’ and when I went home with him I found my old friend -again. Blanche had pulled out, like a fast growing flower, blithesome -and gay; but her mother seemed to have parted with the last drop in the -cup of her happiness, and during our entire tour showed the nervous -strain she had experienced during the awful times in Australia. ’It is -so difficult for me to go back to the different theatres and tread the -stages we played on so often together,’ she would say. ’I seem to see -Frank’s face everywhere, in the shadows of the wings and out in the cold -empty spaces of the auditorium when we are rehearsing. I wonder who -struck him down.’ - -“I felt a great sympathy for her, and she and I became almost like -brother and sister. Never shall I forget those days and the long walks -we used to take under skies that held all the warmth and splendor of -southern Europe, along roads that wound their tree-embowered way through -the hills to the little monastery nestling above. At night we could hear -the ringing of far-away bells, and sometimes through the stilly air the -sound of voices was wafted to us across the silence. In this atmosphere -Mrs. Bates would sit and talk to me of the East, and I would dream -dreams of things to be. There was a popular song of the time in San -Francisco called ’Castles in the Air,’ and invariably our talks would -end with a laugh and by my humming that tune. - -“It was Mrs. Bates’ ambition to see Blanche doing literary work; for she -did not want her to enter the theatrical profession, but later she said: -’I fear the child will go on the stage after all, and what is more, I -feel that she is going to have a future. Perhaps, who knows, some day -you may be able to do something for her,’ and I promised her that I -would, if luck ever came my way.” - -Writing to me about other actors of that far-off time, Belasco has -mentioned: “I remember, with special pleasure and admiration, John E. -Owens, though I don’t remember that I ever acted with him. He produced a -play at the Bush Street Theatre [error: more probably at the -California?], the name of which I have forgotten, but it was all about -’a barrel o’ apple sass’ [strange that Belasco should have forgotten the -title,--“The People’s Lawyer,” sometimes billed as “Solon -Shingle,”--because he several times acted in it, with Herne and others], -and I was so impressed that I wrote a play for him, called ’The Yankee.’ -Owens very kindly listened to my reading of it, but told me he had no -intention of putting aside a long tried success. However, he liked some -of the speeches in my piece and paid me $25 for them.” - -“One of my most valued teachers,” he also writes, “was ’old man Thorne’ -[Charles R. Thorne, Sr.]. I did much work for him as copyist, prompter, -etc., and attended to all sorts of details,--hiring of wigs, arms, -costumes, etc., for the minor parts and for supers in productions which -he put on,--so that often he used to say to me, ’My dear Davie, I don’t -know what I should do without you!’ Once, when Thorne produced ’King -Richard III.,’ in a tent, in Howard Street, I took part and fought a -sword combat with him on horseback. He was always very kind to me, -taught me much and gave me pieces of wardrobe, feathers, belts, swords, -&c. Another early favorite of mine was Mary Gladstane. I copied parts -and scripts for her, at the Metropolitan and elsewhere, and whenever she -played _Mary Warner_ in San Francisco I cried over her performance so -much that she was delighted and gave me a copy of the prompt book. There -were no streetcars in those days, and often I walked with her to and -from the theatre.” - -Belasco was absent from San Francisco from about the middle of January, -1875, until the following May. A Miss Rogers, who had been a school -teacher, who is described as having been “very beautiful,” and who -became infected with ambition to shine as a dramatic luminary, obtained -sufficient financial support to undertake a starring tour and Belasco -was employed by her as an agent, stage manager, and actor. The tour -appears to have begun, auspiciously, in (Portland?), Oregon, and to have -been continued, with declining prosperity, in small towns along the Big -Bear and Little Bear rivers. The repertory presented comprised “East -Lynne,” “Camille,” “Frou-Frou,” etc., and “Robert Macaire.” “I always -liked to play _Macaire_,” Belasco has told me, “and whenever I got a -chance to make up a repertory I included that piece in it.” The tour -lasted as long as the financial support was continued: then the company -was ignominiously disbanded. Belasco and Miss Rogers, however, continued -to act together for several weeks, presenting a number of one-act -plays--such as “A Conjugal Lesson,” “A Happy Pair,” “Mr. and Mrs. Peter -White,” etc.,--which require only two performers. Belasco also gave -recitations. “One of my ’specialties,’” he has told me, “was ’The Antics -of a Clown,’ in which I gave imitations of opera singers and ballet -dancers--using a slack rope instead of a taut wire. I also gave -imitations of all the well-known actors, and I had a ’ventriloquist -act,’ with dummies. I made my own wigs and costumes and, altogether, I -worked pretty hard for a living!” - -On February 15, 1875, Augustin Daly produced his authorized adaptation -of Gustav von Moser’s “Ultimo,” at the second Fifth Avenue Theatre, New -York, under the name--once known throughout our country--of “The Big -Bonanza.” Its success was instant and extraordinary. R. H. Hooley, of -Chicago, presently employed Bartley Campbell (1844-1888) to make another -version of that play, - -[Illustration: DAVID BELASCO AS _ROBERT MACAIRE_ - -_Strop._ Suppose he should _wake_? -_Macaire_. He _won’t_ wake! - - Photograph by Bradley & Rulofson, San Francisco. - - Original loaned by Mrs. David Belasco.] - -“specially localized and adapted for San Francisco.” Campbell fulfilled -his commission, passing several weeks in the Western metropolis in order -to provide “local atmosphere.” Belasco was still “barnstorming” when he -learned of the appearance of Hooley’s Comedy Company in San -Francisco,--May 10, at the Opera House, in Campbell’s “Peril; or, Love -at Long Branch,”--and he immediately ended his uncertain connection with -Miss Rogers in order to return home, so that he might witness the -performances of Hooley’s company and, if possible, become a member of -it. “I was much impressed by the reputation of ’Hooley’s Combination,’” -he writes in a note to me; “and I wanted particularly to see William H. -Crane and M. A. Kennedy. Crane’s big, wholesome method made a great -success, and the whole company was popular.” Belasco seems not to have -reached home until about the end of the second week of the Hooley -engagement: soon after that he contrived to obtain employment at the -Opera House as assistant prompter and to play what used to be styled -“small utility business.” His note to me continues: “Because I had -played many big parts, out of town, some of my theatrical friends -thought my willingness to do _any work_ that would give me valuable -experience was beneath my ’dignity’ and that I was thereby losing -’caste.’ I never saw it that way. ’Haven’t you any pride?’ they used to -say; and I used to answer ’No, I expect to be obliged to spend a certain -amount of time in the cellar before I’m allowed to walk into the -parlor!’” And in conversation with me on this subject he has said, “Why, -I would do _anything_ in those days, to learn or get a chance: I once -worked as a dresser for J. K. Emmet, because I couldn’t get into his -company any other way,--but it wasn’t long before I was playing parts -with him.” - -In his “Story” Belasco mentions that Daly came to San Francisco at about -the same time as Hooley and that when the latter brought out “Ultimo,” -and Daly produced “The Big Bonanza,” “strange as it is to relate, the -productions were almost equally successful.” That is an error: Hooley’s -production was made on June 7 and, though distinctly inferior to -Daly’s,--made on July 19,--priority had its usual effect and the wind -was completely taken out of Daly’s sails: “The Big Bonanza” was acted in -San Francisco by Daly’s company less than half-a-dozen times, while -“Ultimo” was played for several weeks and also was several times -revived. - -Belasco’s relation with the Hooley company lasted until July (11?), on -which date its season was ended at the Opera House,--a tour of Pacific -Slope towns beginning the next week. Belasco, remaining in San -Francisco, endeavored to attach himself to Daly’s company, but failed to -do so,--partly, it is probable, because of his intimate connection with -Maguire, who was both friendly to Hooley and inimical to Daly, whom he -had striven to exclude from San Francisco by refusing to rent him a -theatre. Daly, however, hired Platt’s Hall and, July 13, presented his -company there, in “London Assurance,” so successfully that Maguire -decided to withdraw his opposition and share the profits of success. -Daly’s company, accordingly, was transferred to the Opera House on July -15, making its first appearance there in “Divorce,” with Belasco as one -of the auditors. - -During the remainder of 1875 Belasco labored in much the same desultory -and precarious way. When no other employment could be procured by him he -worked as a salesman in an outfitting shop. “One thing I did,” he -gleefully relates, “for which I was much looked down upon--whenever I -went into the country towns I peddled a ’patent medicine,’ as I called -it; a gargle made from a receipt of my mother’s, and it was a good one, -too; I know because I not only sold it but I _used_ it! And I coaxed all -my theatrical friends to use it and write testimonials for me.” His -chief business, However, when not regularly engaged in the theatres, was -the collection and compilation of a library of plays. Between 1875 and -1880 he prepared prompt books of almost every play that was successfully -produced in San Francisco--altering and rearranging many of them,--and -in frequent instances supplying them to travelling companies or stars. -His friend Mrs. Bates, speaking to me (1903) about him and about the -facility he developed as an adapter and playwright, said: “He was a -marvel! In ’the old days’ I have known a star to give Belasco an -_outline_ of a plot, with three or four situations, on a Thursday -night--and we _acted the play_ on the next Monday!” - -Among dramatizations that he made in this year, or the next, are “Bleak -House,”--prompted by the success of Mme. Janauschek, who had presented a -version at the California Theatre, June 7,--“David Copperfield,” “Dombey -& Son,” “Struck Blind,” and “The New Magdalen.” The latter was a variant -of Le Roy’s version, which he made for his friend Ellie Wilton, and -which was first acted at the California on August 7, 1875. On the 27th -of that month “Lost in London” was acted at Maguire’s New Theatre, -according to a prompt book made by Belasco, and on the 30th Reade’s -“Dora” was brought out there,--“under my stage direction,” says Belasco, -and adds: “I also did some work on the [prompt] book, so as to make the -part of _Farmer Allen_ more suitable for James O’Neill.” On November 1 -J. A. Sawtell made his first appearance in San Francisco, in one of -Murphy’s many revivals of “Maum Cre.” “I recall _that_ night, -perfectly,” writes Belasco, “because I then first met Sawtell, with whom -I afterward travelled in many capacities. When I produced ’The Girl of -the Golden West’ (1905), Sawtell asked me for an engagement--just so he -’could be doing something,’ as he put it--and I remember that he came up -to me on the stage one night and said: ‘“Davy,” I was a big star in -California and you were my boy assistant; now here you are with your own -theatre and I’m playing a small part in it! How did you do it?’” - -About the end of November Belasco left Maguire’s employment and took a -place as assistant stage manager, prompter, and general helper under -Charles R. Thorne, Sr., who, on December 13, opened Thorne’s Palace -Theatre (it had previously been Wilson’s Amphitheatre), at the corner of -Montgomery and Market Streets, San Francisco. That engagement lasted for -about three weeks--Thorne closing his theatre on December 31, without -warning. Belasco’s delight in acquiring experience was gratified in this -venture, but it was not otherwise profitable to him, as Thorne was -unable to pay more than a small part of his salary. Besides discharging -his other duties Belasco acted, in this engagement, _Santo_, in -“Gaspardo; or, The Three Banished Men of Milan”; _Signor Meteo_, in “The -Miser’s Daughter,” and _Gilbert Gates_, in “The Dawn of Freedom.” “The -Fool’s Revenge,”--Thorne as _Bertuccio_ and Kate Denin as -_Fiordelisa_,--“The Forty Thieves,” “Who Killed Cock Robin?” and -“Faustus, a Romantic Spectacle,” were also produced, and, in one -capacity or another, Belasco took part in all those productions; but I -have not been able to find programmes. On January 7, 1876, the house was -reopened, as the Palace Theatre, under the management of Col. J. H. -Wood, presenting Frank Jones, in “The Black Hand; or, The Lost Will,” in -which Belasco performed as _Bob, a Policeman_. Jones’ engagement lasted -for about three weeks: thereafter Belasco drifted back into the -employment of Maguire. - - - - -BALDWIN’S ACADEMY AND BARRY SULLIVAN. - - -In 1876 Edward J. Baldwin, locally known as “Lucky Baldwin,” in a -business association with Thomas Maguire built a theatre in San -Francisco which was named Baldwin’s Academy of Music. Baldwin had been -an hostler, Maguire a cab-driver; both had prospered and become -wealthy--Baldwin to an astonishing degree. The theatre, which was -incorporated with an hotel, called the Baldwin, was built on land owned -by Maguire, at the corner of Market and Powell streets, and it was an -uncommonly spacious and commodious edifice. Baldwin and Maguire, -although associated in this enterprise, were not friends, and Belasco -has assured me that most of their business transactions were carried on -through him, as an intermediary. Baldwin’s Academy of Music was opened -March 6, 1876. Maguire was announced as “proprietor,” James A. Herne as -stage manager: Belasco, although not advertised as such, officiated as -assistant stage manager and prompter. The opening bill was “King Richard -III.,”--Cibber’s perversion of Shakespeare’s tragedy,--with the Irish -tragedian Barry Sullivan in the central character, supported by the -stock company from Maguire’s New Theatre. That company included, among -others, James A. Herne, Arthur D---- Billings, Louis James, Edward J---- -Buckley, William Henry Crane, Michael A. Kennedy, Katie Mayhew, Emily -Baker, Louise Hawthorne, and Mrs. Belle Douglass. James F---- Cathcart -was specially engaged, to play _Richmond_, which part he acted till -March 10, when he was superseded by James O’Neill; he played various -other parts, however, during the engagement. Belasco played _Sir Richard -Ratcliff_. The engagement of Barry Sullivan lasted till April 16, the -plays presented, after “King Richard III.,” being “The Wonder,” -“Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” “The Gamester,” “King Lear,” “Othello,” “The -Merchant of Venice,” a version of “Don Cæsar de Bazan” called “A Match -for a King,” “A New Way to Pay Old Debts,” and “The Wife.” In all of -those plays Belasco participated, acting small parts, which are named in -the schedule of his repertory given later in this work. On April 18 Mrs. -James A---- Oates and her “Grand Opera Company” succeeded Sullivan, at -Baldwin’s Academy, in “Mme. l’Archiduc,” while Maguire’s stock company -returned to Maguire’s New Theatre, where some of its members, including -Belasco, appeared, in support of Messrs. Baker and Farron, in a trivial -play called “Heinrich and Hettie.” Belasco, who had profited by his -association with Barry Sullivan,--an actor of exceptional ability and -wide experience, and, though rough in method and sometimes violently -vehement in delivery, a master of his vocation,--and had been so -fortunate as to please that austere martinet, provides, in his “Story,” -this interesting glimpse of him: - - “To my mind the most difficult rôles (_sic!_) were the officers and - flying messengers in the Shakespearean plays, when cast with some - famous tragedian. All young actors appreciated this, and, knowing - Sullivan’s temperament, were very loath to subject themselves to - his rough handling. It so happened that I was selected to play - these flying messengers and recite the tricky speeches, but no more - than the others did I escape. One day I suddenly found myself held - high in air, and my descent was equally rapid. I was laid up for - several nights. As a reward he cast me to play _Francis_, in ’The - Stranger,’ but because of the objections of James and Buckley, each - of whom claimed the part, it was never played. I had the advantage - of private rehearsals, however, with this great tragedian in his - room at the Baldwin Hotel.... The reason why he liked me, he said, - was that, with my pale face and blue-black hair, I reminded him of - a little priest who had been a chum of his in Ireland. When he - left, he gave me a much-prized feather, such as actors usually wore - when they played _Malcolm_ or _Macbeth_. ’I shall probably never - see you again,’ he said, ’and it may help you to remember me with - kindly feelings. It belonged to the girl I loved best in the - world.’” - -After his engagement with Baker and Farron Belasco went “barnstorming” -in various California and Nevada towns and camps, but returned to San -Francisco at intervals, sometimes remaining there a few days, while -seeking employment,--working, meanwhile, on dramatic versions of various -books or stories or on the revision and alteration of old -plays,--sometimes acting small parts at any of the theatres or serving -as a super when no better occupation was obtainable. On May 4, in that -city, he participated in a performance at Maguire’s New Theatre for the -benefit of M. A. Kennedy, when the bill included “One Thousand -Milliners,” “Robert Macaire,” and the burlesque of “Kenilworth,”--in -which latter play he had often acted _Queen Elizabeth_, as I have reason -to think he did on this occasion. He seems, also, to have taken part, in -a minor capacity, in at least one of the performances given in May, -1876, at the California Theatre, by Edwin Adams, who played _Rover_, in -“Wild Oats,” and he saw that fine actor as _Enoch Arden_, if he did not -act with him in the play about that character. He also saw, May 29, -1876, at Wade’s Opera House, San Francisco, George Rignold’s first -performance in San Francisco of _King Henry the Fifth_,--a remarkably -pictorial, spirited, fervent, and stirring impersonation. - -Rignold had been brought to America by Jarrett & Palmer, under an -arrangement with Charles Calvert, of Manchester, England, and he made -his first appearance in this country, February 6, 1875, at Booth’s -Theatre,--then under the direction of those managers,--acting _King -Henry the Fifth_. Shakespeare’s play, which was withdrawn at Booth’s -April 24, 1875, was revived there, April 10, 1876, and ran for five -weeks. Some dissension arose between Rignold and Jarrett & Palmer, and -those managers arranged for the presentment of the Shakespearean -historical drama and pageant (Calvert’s setting) in San Francisco, at -the California Theatre, where, on June 5, it was brought out, with -Lawrence Barrett as _King Henry_. Jarrett & Palmer conveyed their -production and members of the theatrical company across the continent on -board a special train, which left Jersey City at 1.30 A. M., June 1, and -arrived at the mole, Oakland, California, at 9.22 A. M., June 4,--having -made the journey in eighty-three hours, thirty-nine minutes, sixteen -seconds. Rignold, when acting in the Western metropolis, preparatory to -returning to England by way of Australia, was under the management of -Frederick W. Bert. Belasco closely studied both those Shakespeare -productions and the acting with which they were illustrated, thereby -adding materially to his knowledge of the good traditions of -Shakespearean interpretation. No more scrupulous and competent stage -director than Lawrence Barrett ever lived, while Rignold had been -carefully trained by Calvert, one of the best of stage managers and -Shakespearean actors,--and had enjoyed the advantage of seeing Calvert -play the part when first he revived the history, at Manchester. Belasco -himself never set a finer spectacle on the stage than Calvert’s -presentment of “King Henry V.” - -During June, like Asmodeus, he flamed in many places, generally -appearing for only a single performance. By July 15, 1876, he was at -home again, and as prompter and stage manager, and sometimes as super or -actor of small parts, was employed at Baldwin’s Academy of Music during -an engagement there of George Fawcett Rowe, who, on that date, began, as -_Waifton Stray_, in his play of “Brass,” and acted, in succession, -_Micawber_, in “Little Em’ly,” and _Hawkeye_, in “Leatherstocking,” also -one of his dramas. On July 23, Sunday night, Belasco appeared, as -_DeWilt_, in a performance, for the benefit of E. J. Buckley, given “by -John McCullough and members of the Dramatic Profession,” at the -California Theatre. The play was Augustin Daly’s “Under the Gas-Light.” -McCullough and Barton Hill recited, and McCullough performed as _Julian -St. Pierre_, in the Dagger Scene, from “The Wife.” On August 14 Eleanor -Carey made her first appearance in San Francisco, acting _Miss Gwilt_, -in a dramatization of Wilkie Collins’ “Armadale,” and Belasco, then -meeting her, formed an acquaintance which, eventually, was valuable to -him: he made a play for Miss Carey, on the basis of “Article 47,” -calling it “The Creole,” which was acted at the Union Square Theatre, -New York, January 17, 1881, and in which she was seen in many cities. - - - - -WITH BOOTH AT THE CALIFORNIA. - - -The period of about two and a half years, from August, 1876, to -February, 1879, was one of incessant activity for Belasco: in it he -underwent much toil and acquired much knowledge which served to develop -his faculties and tended to equip him for the many-sided labor of his -later life. At first, his progress in that period was slow; but it is -not daily exercise, it is the total effect of long persistence in it, -that develops, and scrutiny of the register of Belasco’s experience in -those years exhibits various events of signal significance and many -incidents of interest which require mention and comment. One of the -latter, which he recalls with special pleasure, was his meeting with -Edwin Booth. That great actor, whose professional novitiate was served -in San Francisco,--chiefly at the old Metropolitan Theatre,--from 1852 -to 1856, left there in September, 1856, and did not again visit the West -for exactly twenty years. On September 4, 1876, at the California -Theatre, acting _Hamlet_, he began an engagement which lasted for eight -weeks, in the course of which he was seen, in succession, as -_Richelieu_, _Iago_, _Othello_, _King Richard the Second_, _King Lear_, -_Bertuccio_, in “The Fool’s Revenge”; _Shylock_, _Pescara_, in “The -Apostate”; _Marc Antony_, _Cassius_, and _Brutus_, in “Julius Cæsar”; -_King Richard the Third_, _Mr. Haller_, in “The Stranger”; _Lucius -Brutus_, in “The Fall of Tarquin,” and _Claude Melnotte_. Belasco was -intensely eager to see and study the acting of Booth--surely the -greatest tragic genius that has graced our Stage and a consummate -executant in art--and he sought to obtain an engagement at the -California Theatre to play the same “line of parts” (as the phrase goes -among old stock company actors) which he had performed in the preceding -Spring with Barry Sullivan. Though he failed in that effort--and was -keenly disappointed thereby--he was not to be balked in his purpose, and -got himself employed, during the Booth engagement, as a super. “I could -not give _every_ night to such work,” he has told me; “but I ’walked on’ -with him, at least once, in every play he did,--and in ’Hamlet,’ -’Richelieu,’ and ’Julius Cæsar’ I think I went on at every performance. -In ’Cæsar’ when Booth played _Cassius_ McCullough was the _Brutus_ and -Thomas W. Keene the - -[Illustration: - -EDWIN BOOTH AS _HAMLET_ - - “_There’s something in his soul_ - _O’er which his melancholy sits on brood._” - --Act III, sc. 1 - -Photograph by Sarony. Authors’s Collection.] - -_Antony_; when Booth played _Brutus_ McCullough was _Cassius_; when -Booth was _Antony_ Keene was _Cassius_ and McCullough went back to -_Brutus_. We used to wish we had Lawrence Barrett there for -_Cassius_--but ’Tom’ Keene was a fine actor in his way, and I shall -never forget those performances of ’Cæesar,’ nor those of ’Othello,’ in -which Booth and McCullough alternated as _Othello_ and _Iago_. Booth was -my _great_ idol; the one actor who, for me, could surpass McCullough, -Barrett, and Montgomery. I found him very uneven--that is, his -performances were not always up to his own standard. But, when he was -really ’in the vein,’ there was _nobody_ like him; there never has been, -and there never will be! I never heard such a voice,--so full of fire, -feeling, and power,--and I never saw such eyes as Booth’s, when he -played _King Richard the Third_, _Richelieu_, or _Iago_. At first I used -to go to the California to watch his rehearsals, but I soon found out it -was little use. The plays were all an old story to him and he wouldn’t -rehearse. McCullough had Booth’s prompt books, and Booth left the -company pretty much to him and just ’ran through’ the big scenes with -the principals. He was very gentle, considerate, and kind to everybody, -but he seldom said much unless spoken to. I valued my acquaintance with -him greatly; I never missed an opportunity to see him, and I cherish -his memory as that of one of the best of men and greatest of actors.” - -Belasco’s enthusiasm for Booth has led him, in recent years, to make an -extensive collection of precious stage relics associated with that -sombre genius: visitors to the reception room on the stage of the -Belasco Theatre will find the “star’s” dressing room, which opens off -it, indicated by a star of brilliants which was worn, first, by William -Charles Macready as _Hamlet_, and, afterward, by Booth, in the same -part. There, also, are displayed Booth’s _Brutus_ sandals and sword, his -_Macbeth_ spear, his _Bertuccio_ bauble, the mace carried by him when -acting _King Richard the Third_, the sceptre he used as _King Lear_, the -hat he wore as _Petruchio_, his _Shylock_ knife and scales, and his -make-up box. - -During October of 1876 Belasco worked for a short while with James W. -Ward and Winnetta Montague (he appeared with them at the Grand Opera -House, October 16, in “The Willing Hand”), as stage manager and as -adapter and rectifier of several plays. On Sunday, October 22, he -participated in a benefit for Katie Mayhew given at Baldwin’s Theatre, -appearing as _Doctor of the Hospital_, in “The Two Orphans.” Soon after -that, declining a minor position in a new company, headed by Eleanor -Carey and organized for “a grand re-opening of the Grand Opera House” -(effected November 13, with “Wanted, a Divorce”), he joined a travelling -company, at Olympia, Washington, headed by Fanny Morgan Phelps, and for -about three months resumed the precarious life of a strolling player. - - - - -BELASCO AND “THE EGYPTIAN MYSTERY.” - - -By about the beginning of February, 1877, Belasco was once more in San -Francisco, and immediately allied himself, as playwright, stage manager, -and actor, with Frank Gardner and his wife, Caroline Swain. -Gardner,--who afterward turned his attention to gold mining in Australia -and acquired great wealth,--had associated with himself a person -familiar with the famous “Pepper’s Ghost” illusion, and together they -had devised a variant of that contrivance which was utilized in giving -theatrical performances. Belasco, describing it, writes: “There was a -stage, covered with black velvet, and a sheet of glass, placed obliquely -over a space beneath the stage,--which was called the ’oven.’ Gas lamps -were ingeniously concealed so as to give the impression of a -phosphorescent light from ghostlike bodies. The characters in the play -were obliged to enter the ’oven’ under the black velvet, and to lie on -their backs, while their misty shadows were thrown like watery -impressions upon the glass plate. As these shadows floated across the -surface of the glass, the people in the ’oven’ could easily shake tables -and move chairs to the hair-raising satisfaction of the audience.” - -Belasco appeared with the Gardners, at Egyptian Hall (No. 22 Geary -Street, near Kearny), on February 16, as _The Destroyer_, in “The -Haunted House”; _Valentine_, in an epitome of the “Faust” story -(introducing the Duel Scene between _Faust_ and _Valentine_), and _Mr. -Trimeo_, in “The Mysterious Inn.” On the next night he performed as -_Avica, Spirit of Avarice_, in “A Storm of Thoughts,” and _Phil -Bouncer_, in “The Persecuted Traveller,” as well as in “The Haunted -House.” On February 20 he personated _Our Guest_, in “Our Mysterious -Boarding House,” and on April 2, _Mark_, in “The Prodigal’s Return.” -Belasco wrote all those plays, specially for use in Gardner’s “Egyptian -Mystery,”--as the entertainment was called,--and at least two -others,--“Wine, Women, and Cards,” and “The Christmas Night; or, The -Convict’s Return.” I have not found casts of the last named two, or -record of the dates on which they were first produced. Belasco, besides -playing the parts as above enumerated, - -[Illustration: - - From the Albert Davis Collection. - -A playbill of “The Egyptian Mystery,” at Egyptian Hall, San Francisco, -1877. Belasco wrote all the plays named and recited “Little Jim.” He -was, also, actually the stage manager.] - -also gave various recitations at Egyptian Hall, with musical -accompaniments,--among them his favorite “The Maniac,” “The Maiden’s -Prayer,” and “Little Jim, the Collier’s Lad.” Recalling his alliance -with Gardner, he writes the following bit of informative reminiscence: -“Our ’Mystery’ attracted much attention. ’Egyptian Hall,’ if I remember -correctly, had been a shop and was fitted up for our ’show’ by Gardner. -I remember that the _Faust_ and _Valentine_ Duel Scene made a great -sensation, because my sword seemed to go _right through_ the body of -_Faust_. And the recitations were very effective, too. When I gave -’Little Jim’ spirits seemed to float here and there, illustrating the -sentiments of the lines. Our little theatre was packed night after -night, and before the end of the engagement I was obliged to write about -eight pieces for Gardner. I have often been asked if this was my first -endeavor to experiment with stage lights. It was not. Some time before I -had been working with locomotive headlights, and I had discovered the -ease with which I could get certain effects by placing tin pans before -oil lamps. Then it occurred to me that by means of colored silks,--my -own forerunner of gelatine slides,--I could add further variations to -colored lights, and it was after this experience that I began to pay -particular attention to the charm of stage lighting and to the -inventions which, since then, have been so wonderfully developed.” - - - - -A REMINISCENCE OF HELENA MODJESKA. - - -The engagement at Egyptian Hall lasted until the middle of April; then -Belasco travelled with the Gardners and their “Mystery,” presenting the -entertainments above mentioned and variations of them, until the end of -July. From August to about October he appears to have been connected -with the California Theatre: on August 18 he appeared there, in a -performance given for the benefit of A. D. Billings, as _John O’Bibs_, -in Boucicault’s “The Long Strike” (billed on that occasion as “The Great -Strike”), and as the _Earl of Oxford_, in the Fifth Act of “King Richard -III.” At this time, also, he witnessed the first appearance (August 20, -1877) on the American Stage of that lovely actress and still more lovely -woman,--the gentle, beautiful, and ever lamented Helena Modjeska. She -had gone to California, 1876, as one of a party of eight persons, Polish -emigrants, who attempted to form a colony there, somewhat on the model -of the Brook Farm movement. That attempt failing, Modjeska was compelled -to turn again to the Stage,--in Poland she had been among the leaders -of the dramatic profession,--and after much difficulty she finally -obtained, through the interest of Governor Salomon of California, a -trial hearing by Barton Hill, stage manager for McCullough, at the -California Theatre. - - * * * * * - - [The following brief but interesting account of Modjeska’s trial - has been published, elsewhere, by my father.--J. W.] - -Hill had little if any knowledge of the foreign Stage, and he knew -nothing of Modjeska’s ability and reputation. Her rare personal beauty, -distinction, self-confidence, and persistence finally won from him a -reluctant promise of a private hearing. That promise, after interposing -several delays, he fulfilled, and Modjeska’s story, as she told it to -me, of her first rehearsal at the California Theatre was piquant and -comic. Hill was a worthy man and a good actor. It was, no doubt, natural -and right that, in dealing with a stranger applicant for theatrical -employment, he should have exercised the functions of his position, but -there will always be something ludicrous in the thought of Barton Hill -sitting in judgment on Helena Modjeska. “He was very kind--Meester -Hill,” said the actress; “but he was ne-ervous and fussy, and he -patronized me as though I were a leetle child. ’Now,’ he said, ’I shall -be very criti-cal--ve-ery _severe_.’ I could be patient no longer: ’Be -as criti-cal and severe as you like,’ I burst out, ’only do, please, _be -quiet_, and let us begin!’ He was so surprised he could not speak, and I -began at once a scene from ’Adrienne.’ I played it through and then -turned to him. He had his handkerchief in his hand and was crying. He -came and shook hands with me and tried to seem quite calm. ’Well,’ I -asked, ’may I have the evening that I want?’ ’I’ll give you a week, and -more, if I can,’ he answered.” - - * * * * * - -Before Hill’s approval of Modjeska was ratified she was required to give -another “trial rehearsal,” at which McCullough and various other persons -were present, and it was Belasco’s privilege to be among them. “I don’t -believe she was called Modjeska in those days,” he writes [her name was -Modrzejewska--she shortened it to Modjeska at the suggestion of -McCullough]; “but she had within her all the charm and power that -afterward became associated with her name. I was in the auditorium the -day she gave her first rehearsal [error--the second], and scattered here -and there were a few critics. A mere handful came, for there was no -general interest in one who was expected to have a gawky manner and a -baffling accent. The unexpected happened; those of us who heard her -were literally stunned by the power and pathos of this woman. McCullough -promised her a production and not long afterward she played ’Adrienne -Lecouvreur.’ When the performance was over, Mr. Barnes, of ’The San -Francisco Call,’ the other critics, and all of us knew that we had been -listening to one of the world’s great artists. ’It is the greatest piece -of work in our day!’ was the general verdict. McCullough was wild with -enthusiasm. She played her repertory in San Francisco, and society took -her into its arms.” - - - - -STROLLING _AD INTERIM_.--BELASCO AS “THE FIRST OLD WOMAN.” - - -In September, 1877, during “Fair Week,”--24th to 29th,--Belasco was -stage manager of a company from the California Theatre, headed by Thomas -W. Keene, which performed at the Petaluma Theatre, in the California -town of the same name, in “The Lady of Lyons,” “The Young Widow,” “The -Hidden Hand” (Belasco’s version), “Robert Macaire,” “The Wife,” “My Turn -Next,” “The Streets of New York,” “The Rough Diamond,” “Deborah,” and -“The People’s Lawyer.” Belasco, besides directing the stage, acted in -those plays, respectively, as _Monsieur Deschapelles_, _Mandeville_, -_Craven Lenoir_, _Pierre_, _Lorenzo_, _Tom Bolus_, _Dan_, _Captain -Blenham_, _Peter_, and _Lawyer Tripper_. - -Soon after that he joined a company, under the management of Frank I. -Frayne, known as the “Frayne Troupe,” of which M. B. Curtis, “Harry” M. -Brown, E. N. Thayer, Mrs. “Harry” Courtaine, Gertrude Granville, and -Miss Fletcher were also members. He joined that company at Humboldt, -Oregon, where the opening bill was “The Ticket-of-Leave Man.” Belasco -was to play _Melter Moss_, but the actress who was cast for _Mrs. -Willoughby_ becoming ill, Belasco (who knew all the other parts as well -as his own) volunteered to take her place in that character and did so -with such success that Frayne kept him in it: “I was scheduled to play -all the first ’old women’ that season,” he writes to me, “and I found it -for some time difficult to escape my new ’specialty.’” - - - - -A SUBSTANTIAL TRIBUTE. - - -Belasco left the “Frayne Troupe” about the end of January, 1878, and -returned to San Francisco. There I trace him first at the Bush Street -Theatre,--where he performed as _James Callin_ and as _Pablo_, in the -prologue and drama of “Across the Continent,” then first presented, by - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Author’s Collection. - -HELENA MODJESKA - -Soon after her first appearance in New York, 1877] - -Oliver Doud Byron, in San Francisco,--and, a little later, back again at -the Baldwin Theatre. He labored there, with short intermissions, as -actor and stage manager, from March 26, 1878, to the latter part of -September, 1879. On the former date the New York Union Square Theatre -Company emerged at the Baldwin in “Agnes,” in which Belasco played -_Rudolphe_. During the engagement of the Union Square Company “One -Hundred Years Old,” “Saratoga,” “A Celebrated Case,” and Joaquin -Miller’s “The Danites” were presented under Belasco’s direction, and, in -each of them, he acted a subsidiary part. His services as director -proved so valuable that when the engagement was ended and the company -made a tour of Pacific Slope towns an arrangement was effected with -Maguire whereby Belasco accompanied it. The tour lasted until the end of -May, and it was followed by a brief return season in San Francisco. At -its close the company, which included O’Neill, Charles B. Bishop, Rose -Wood, and F. F. Mackay, presented to Belasco a purse of $200 in gold “as -an expression of appreciation of his services and esteem for himself.” -The presentation was made, in presence of the assembled company, on the -stage of the Baldwin Theatre, by F. F. Mackay, who, in making it, read -the following letter: - -(_F. F. Mackay, for the New York Union Square Theatrical -Company, to David Belasco._) - -“DEAR MR. DAVID BELASCO:-- - - “In behalf of the members of the Union Square Company, I extend - sincere thanks for your unvarying courtesy and for your able - direction of our efforts. With our thanks are mingled a large - measure of congratulations for your ability. Your quick - apprehension and remarkable analytical ability in discovering and - describing the mental intentions of an author are so superior to - anything we have heretofore experienced that we feel sure that the - position of master dramatic director of the American Stage must - finally fall on you. Personally, I take great pleasure in thus - expressing the feelings and the wishes of the company, and have the - honor to subscribe myself, - -“Yours truly, -“F. F. MACKAY.” - - - - - - -“OLIVIA” AND “PROOF POSITIVE.” - - -On July 8 a revival was effected at the Baldwin of Boucicault’s “The -Octoroon,” “re-touched and re-arranged” by Belasco. This, and a double -bill, comprising Byron’s “Dearer Than Life” and “The Post of -Honor,”--brought out on August 5,--filled the summer season, and on -September 2 Belasco’s play in five acts entitled “Olivia,”--the first -dramatization of Goldsmith’s “The Vicar of Wakefield” to be acted in -California,--was produced with the following notable cast: - -_Dr. Primrose_ A. D. Bradley. -_Squire Thornhill_ Lewis Morrison. -_Mr. Burchell_ James O’Neill. -_Moses_ William Seymour. -_George_ Forrest Robinson. -_Jenkinson_ C. B. Bishop. -_Olivia_ Rose Wood. -_Sophia_ Jean Burnside. -_Mrs. Primrose_ Mrs. Farren. -_Arabella Wilmot_ Belle Chapman. - -Belasco’s dramatic epitome adhered to Goldsmith’s story as closely as is -feasible for stage purposes; it was an effective play, it was admirably -set upon the stage and acted, and it gained substantial success. “Those -were strenuous times for me,” he writes; “every one was thrusting duties -on me then which, as I was always a glutton for work, I grasped as -opportunities. One lesson I learned at the Baldwin which I have never -forgotten--that one of the greatest mistakes a man can make is the -mistake of permitting anybody else to do his work for him. I wrote -’Olivia’ between times, as it were, and I was genuinely surprised by its -success.” - -After the run of “Olivia” J. C. Williamson and his wife, “Maggie” Moore, -came to the Baldwin,--opening in “Struck Oil,”--and Belasco, while -directing the stage for them, completed an alteration of Wills’ “A Woman -of the People,”--which was brought forth October 14,--and a play, made -at the request of Rose Wood, which he called “Proof Positive,” based on -an old melodrama. This was produced on October 28, and in it James -O’Neill gained a notable success in the character of an eccentric, -semi-comic _Jew_. - - - - -BELASCO’S VERSION OF “NOT GUILTY.” - - -Clara Morris made her first appearance in San Francisco at the Baldwin, -November 4, as _Miss Multon_, and continued to act there for about eight -weeks. During that time Belasco was able to bestow some attention and -labor on an original play of his called “The Lone Pine,” in which he had -acted at Sacramento and a few other “interior places” during a brief -starring venture, and which he desired entirely to rewrite. In December, -however, he was compelled to lay aside that work and turn again to hack -playwrighting for the Baldwin company. His election fell on Watts -Phillips’ old spectacle play of “Not Guilty,” which he altered and -adapted in less than one week. It was announced as “The Grand Production -of the Magnificent Musical, Military, Dramatic, and Spectacular (_sic_) -Christmas Piece, which has been given for eight successive Christmas -seasons in Philadelphia,” and it was produced for the first time at the -Baldwin on December 24, 1878. This was the cast: - -_Robert Arnold_ James O’Neill. -_Silas Jarrett_ Lewis Morrison. -_Jack Snipe_ C. B. Bishop. -_Isaac Vider_ J. W. Jennings. -_Joe Triggs_ James A. Herne. -_Trumble_ A. D. Bradley. -_St. Clair_ Forrest Robinson. -_Lal Singh_ William Seymour. -_Sergeant Wattles_ John N. Long. -_Polecat_ King Hedley. -_Alice Armitage_ Rose Wood. -_Polly Dobbs_ May Hart. - -All the work of adaptation and stage management was done by Belasco--and -for it he received the munificent payment of $12.50 a performance. -Recalling the production, he writes: “A ’stock dramatist’ at that time -was obliged to do his work on short notice, and it was taken as a matter -of course that I should get a play ready for rehearsal in less than a -week, and put it on in less than another week. ’Not Guilty’ was very -spectacular (_sic_), and with my customary leaning to warfare I -introduced a Battle Scene, with several hundred people in an -embarkation, as well as horses and cannon. This embarkation alone used -to take ten minutes. It has all been done in many plays since--the -booming of guns, the padding of the horses’ hoofs on earth and stone, -the moving crowds in sight and larger ones suggested, beyond the range -of vision,--but this was the original, and it was wonderfully effective, -if I do say it myself.” Belasco’s view agrees with that recorded by all -competent observers of the time--one of the most conservative of whom -wrote, in “The San Francisco Evening Bulletin,” that “the Battle Scene, -in the Fourth Act, was about the most realistic ever produced on the -stage.” An operatic chorus of more than eighty voices was employed and -“The Cameron Cadets”--a local military organization--participated “in -full Highland costume.” - - - - -WITHDRAWAL FROM THE BALDWIN.--“THE LONE PINE” AND DENMAN THOMPSON. - - -Belasco withdrew from the Baldwin Theatre company immediately after the -“run” of “Not Guilty.” He was in danger of becoming exhausted by -over-work and he was resentful of mean treatment to which he had been -subjected. Lewis Morrison, who had suggested Phillips’ old spectacle for -alteration, and Frederick Lyster, who had caused the introduction in it -of music selected from the opera of “Carmen,” by connivance with -Maguire, charged a “royalty” of twelve per cent. against the gross -receipts from representations of that play, although Belasco was paid -for his service only about one per cent. This injustice, coming to the -knowledge of Baldwin, greatly incensed him, and in order to remedy it he -gave to Belasco $1,000. With that sum added to his savings he felt at -liberty to desist for a time from the exacting requirements of -employment under Maguire, but in about two months he had resumed his old -position, going back at the earnest request of Herne. In his “Story” he -gives the following account of his experience in the interim: - - “J. M. Hill, the pioneer of page advertising, brought Denman - Thompson to the Bush Street Theatre in ’Joshua Whitcomb,’ startling - San Francisco by a lavish press work, which had never been heard of - before. ’Young man,’ Hill said to me, ’I want you to see Thompson, - and to study him. If you find him a play, there may be a fortune in - it for you.’ When I met Thompson afterwards and he suggested that - we collaborate, I told him that such a proposition was quite - impossible, but that I had been working on a play not yet finished, - [“The Lone Pine”] and that I would send it to him. I told him and - Hill the gist of the story, and then and there the latter drew up a - contract, giving me a retainer of $1,000 and tempting me with the - proposition that were the piece a success I might get eight hundred - a week out of it. In due course of time I completed two acts and - sent them on to him in New York. Soon I received a message: ’We - like your manuscript. Bring acts three and four yourself. Railroad - fares arranged.’ When I reached New York I went to the Union Square - Hotel and there met Hill and Thompson again. It was like giving a - part of myself when I handed over the Third Act of ’The Lone Pine.’ - To my dismay, Thompson began to give suggestions, explaining what - he intended to do, making of his part a youthful _Joshua Whitcomb_, - with a fine sprinkling of slang and curses, and although I knew - that if I could give this man a successful play I could make a - fortune--thirty-two hundred a month, perhaps more!--I could not - bring myself to do it. I went to my hotel and wrote Hill a letter, - explaining the conclusion I had come to, and returning the thousand - dollars retaining fee. But Hill would hear none of this and grew - very angry trying to make me see Thompson’s point of view and - sending back the retainer. To avoid any further discussion, I - boarded a train and left New York, having seen very little of the - city. Hill’s parting message was: ’If I don’t produce that play, no - one shall.’ They never returned my manuscript, and years after, - when I was stage-manager at the Madison Square, I thought that it - would be a fitting successor to my ’May Blossom,’ which I had just - produced. So I went to Dr. Mallory and told him of the - Thompson-Hill episode. He had a streak of the fighter in him, and - suggested that I sue Hill for the recovery of the manuscript. After - some preliminary proceedings we were persuaded that Hill had - actually lost the manuscript, even though he still refused to - release me from my contract. So the suit was withdrawn, for there - was nothing to go upon. - - “During the days when Hill was manager of the New York Standard - Theatre we met again, and I did some work for him. It was then that - he returned me my contract. Then, a miracle of miracles happened, - at the time of the razing of the Union Square Hotel. The clerk sent - for Mr. Ryan (who afterwards played in ’Naughty Anthony’), and told - him that in one of the back rooms he had found a bundle of papers - behind some old books. My lost manuscript was at last found! Some - day I may finish it for David Warfield.” - - - - -“WITHIN AN INCH OF HIS LIFE.” - - -Belasco was re-employed by Maguire during the first days of February, -1879, and he at once resumed his multiform labor as stage manager, -prompter, and playwright. The Baldwin Theatre was profitably occupied by -the Wilson, Primrose & West Minstrel Company and his first work was done -at the Grand Opera House, which Maguire had leased, and where, February -17, “the legitimate company from Baldwin’s” appeared in Belasco’s -dramatization of Gaboriau’s story of “Within an Inch of His Life.” This -melodrama, advertised as “the most powerful play ever acted,” was the -product of “a week of strenuous days and sleepless nights,” it was -produced as a stopgap, and--so Belasco writes--“the makeshift, like so -many accidental productions, was an instant success.” That success was, -in large part, due to a striking mechanical effect, devised and -introduced by Belasco, representative of a conflagration, described in -the newspapers of the day as “the terrific fire spectacle,” about which -its inventor has given me this information: “The fire was in the First -Act. I did away with the lycopodium boxes and made my ’flames’ by a -series of red and yellow strips of silk, fanned from beneath by bellows -and lit by colored lights. Some complaint was made of danger to the -theatre and the authorities came upon the stage to investigate: they -were a good deal nonplussed at finding the ’fire’ nothing but pieces of -silk!” - -“Within an Inch of His Life” was acted at the Grand Opera House until -March 1, when it was withdrawn to make way for “The Passion.” This was -the cast of its original production: - -_Jules de Dardeville_ James O’Neill. -_Dr. Seignebos_ J. W. Jennings. -_Count de Clairnot_ James A. Herne. -_Falpin_ A. D. Bradley. -_Reibolt_ William Seymour. -_Gauchey_ John N. Long. -_Cocolean_ Lewis Morrison. -_Countess de Clairnot_ Rose Wood. -_Dionysia Chandore_ Katherine Corcoran. - - - - -SALMI MORSE’S “PASSION PLAY.” - - -At about the beginning of February, 1879, the popular and distinguished -actor James O’Neill, now long famous for his performance of _Monte -Cristo_, became enthusiastically interested in a spectacle drama by -Salmi Morse (1826-1884), called “The Passion Play,” the presentment of -which that author had long been earnestly but vainly endeavoring to -effect, in San Francisco. O’Neill was desirous of impersonating _Jesus -Christ_, a part to which he considered himself peculiarly fitted, and he -presently succeeded in persuading Maguire, the manager, to produce -Morse’s drama. Baldwin was induced to provide financial support for the -enterprise. Belasco was engaged as stage manager, after the preliminary -rehearsals had been conducted under direction of Henry Brown, who -officiated as prompter. Elaborate and handsome scenery was built and -painted. Henry Widmer (1845-1895), in after years long associated with -Daly’s Theatre in New York, was employed as leader of the orchestra, and -illustrative incidental music for the play was composed by him. Belasco -rehearsed the company and superintended the stage. The first -representation occurred on March 3, 1879, at the Grand Opera House, and -it caused much public interest and controversy. O’Neill’s impersonation -of _Jesus_ was fervently admired. Belasco, commenting on it and on its -effect on “the poor people” whom he “saw on their knees, praying and -sobbing,” wrote that the actor, “with his delicacy, refinement, and -grandeur, typified the real Prophet, and, I believe, to himself he _was_ -the Prophet.” - - -NOT THE OBERAMMERGAU DRAMA. - -Morse’s play was not the fabric customarily offered at Oberammergau, nor -was it in any particular an imitation. In the declared opinion of Morse, -an apostate Hebrew, that concoction had been devised and performed for -the purpose of arousing and stimulating hostility against the Jews, and -he profoundly disapproved of it. His purpose, he avowed, was simply to -present an epitome of the life of Jesus, as described in the gospels. He -had taken the thrifty precaution to read his play before an assemblage -of the Roman Catholic clergy of San Francisco (the Protestant -ecclesiastics not accepting his liberal invitation to enjoy that -luxury), and it had received their approbation. Several of the holy -fathers, indeed, had evinced their approval of it by kissing him on both -his cheeks, and Archbishop Allemany, of San Francisco, had not only -sanctioned the precious composition but had inserted several passages -into the text with his own sacerdotal hand. The play was comprised in -ten acts (at least, that was its form when, in 1880, in the vestibule of -the Park Theatre, Broadway and Twenty-second Street, New York, I heard -half of it read by the author and was permitted to inspect the whole -manuscript), and it consisted of a long series of dialogues accompanied -by pictures and tableaux. I know not whether the whole ten acts were -vouchsafed to the San Francisco audience, but, according to -contemporaneous records, the play gave much offence to many persons and -was incentive to some public disturbances and breaches of the peace: -ignorant Irish who witnessed it were so distempered that, on going -forth, some of them, from time to time, assaulted peaceable Jews in the -public streets--much in the spirit of the irate mariner who chanced to -hear first of the Crucifixion nearly 2,000 years after it occurred. -Belasco records that a committee of citizens called on Maguire and -“worked upon his credulous nature until he believed that he was marked -by the devil for sacrifice and would meet with instant death if he did -not withdraw the play,” and that “in a fever of fear he closed the -theatre,”--March 11. A little later, however, Maguire’s torrid -temperature appears to have abated, and the play was again brought -forward, April 15, at the Grand Opera House, but this time it was met by -an injunction, issued from the Fourth (Municipal) District Court, Judge -Robert Francis Morrison presiding, which, being disregarded, was -followed by the arrest of O’Neill (who was imprisoned), April 21, and -of his professional associates, all of them, subsequently, being -convicted of contempt of court and fined for that offence,--O’Neill $50 -and each of the other players $5. Belasco escaped arrest through the -kindly interference of the local Sheriff, a friend of his, who forcibly -kept him away from the theatre when the other participants in the -representation were being taken into police custody. The following -notice appeared in “The Alta California,” April 22, 1879: - - “GRAND OPERA HOUSE.--The management has the honor to announce that - in deference to public opinion ’The Passion’ will no longer be - presented.” - - -CONSTITUENTS OF MORSE’S PLAY. - -There is nothing in Morse’s play that could exert an immoral influence. -There is no irreverence in either its spirit or its incidents. It is -merely a goody-goody, tiresome composition, full of moral twaddle, and -consisting in about equal degree of platitude and bombast. It purports -to be written in blank verse, but it is, in fact, written in nondescript -lines of unequal length, halting, irregular, formless, weak, and -diffuse. Choruses of rhymed doggerel occur in it, at intervals, -sometimes uttered by women, sometimes,--on the contrary,--by angels. -Stress is laid on the efforts of _Pontius Pilate_ to save _Jesus_ from -the fury of the mob. There is a succession of pictures. In the Temple of -Jerusalem many females appear, carrying babes, and a ferocious _Jew_, -essaying to kill the infant _Jesus_, falls back astounded and -overwhelmed by the aspect of the sacred infant. Later, _Joseph_, _Mary_, -and the _Holy Child_ are shown environed and protected by a branching -sycamore tree, while, in the mountains all around them, many shrieking -women and children are slaughtered by ruffianly soldiers. In a sequent -picture _King Herod_, uttering a multiplicity of aphorisms, wrangles -with his wife, _Herodias_, and the seductive _Salomé_ dances before them -and wins for her mother the head of her enemy, _John the Baptist_, which -pleasing trophy, wrapped in a napkin, is brought in on a tray. _Jesus_ -and his disciples are then shown at the brook of Kedron. The agony of -_Jesus_ in the Garden of Gethsemane is depicted and the betrayal by -_Judas_, the latter scene being double, to show, on one side, a lighted -room in which is reproduced a semblance of “The Last Supper” according -to the admired picture by Leonardo da Vinci, and on the other a gloomy -range of plains and hills dimly lighted by the stars. In this scene -passages from the New Testament are incorporated into Morse’s play, in -the part of _Jesus_. The arraignment of _Jesus_ before _Pilate_ -follows, including the wrangle between the furious people and that -clement magistrate, and ending with the investiture of _Jesus_ with the -Crown of Thorns. The final picture shows Golgotha, under a midnight sky, -and the removal of the dead body from the Cross. - - -AS TO PROPRIETY. - -Salmi Morse, in conversation with me and my old comrade Dr. Charles -Phelps, at the time of the reading in the vestibule of the Park Theatre, -said that he began “The Passion Play” with the intention of writing a -poem like Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” but soon discovered that the Byronic -style, as evinced in “Cain,” was more consonant than the Miltonic style -with his subject and his genius, and accordingly determined to write not -like Milton but like Byron; and he added that his drama was really not, -at first, intended for the Stage, but for publication in a book. That -was a discreet judgment, from which it is a pity that he ever departed. -I have not, however, been able at any time to perceive what decisive -_moral_ reason there is why “The Passion Play” should not be presented -on the stage. Reasons other than moral can readily be assigned: it is a -matter of _Taste_, in which it is a gross injustice to employ the -police power as a corrective, and a matter of _Public Policy_, in -which, with due consideration, the police power can properly be invoked. -Familiar treatment of things widely considered sacred is, perhaps, -likely to lower them, except with very ignorant persons, in sanctity and -dignity, and certainly it does lower them with many persons of fine -intelligence and taste. In the end of a church in Heidelberg there is, -or was, visible, through a long window, a full-length effigy of Christ -on the Cross, which swings to and fro as a pendulum to the clock, and in -a church at Mayence there is a life-size figure of the Virgin Mary, -seated, with the body of the dead Christ, also life-size, lying across -her knees. I remember looking on those objects with aversion. To _see_, -in a theatre, a man, impersonating the _Christ_, washing the feet of -another man will, generally, give offence. Religious bigotry is a curse -to civilization, and nothing should be conceded to it, but certainly the -scruples of religious persons should receive reasonable respect. - - -“THE PASSION PLAY” IN NEW YORK. - -After the suppression of his “Passion Play” in California Morse brought -it to New York and offered it to Henry E. Abbey, then a prominent -speculative manager, who, for a time, entertained the purpose of -producing it at Booth’s Theatre. A drop curtain was painted, showing a -flight of angels toward Heaven on Easter morning, and the purpose of -Morse was made known to remove the statue of Shakespeare from the top of -the proscenium arch and to substitute a large cross in its place. -Obstacles intervened,--disapproval, voiced in the newspaper press, being -one of them, and the destruction of Abbey’s New Park Theatre by fire -(October 30, 1882), in which conflagration all the costumes were -destroyed, being another,--and that project was abandoned. Prior to that -mishap Morse gave a reading of the play, December 3, 1880, at the Cooper -Institute; and later, February-April, 1883, ineffectual efforts were -made by the author (which brought him before Judge George C. Barrett, of -the New York Supreme Court) to present it in a house which he rented and -called Salmi Morse’s Temple (afterward known as Proctor’s Twenty-third -Street Theatre). His endeavors were finally blocked by an injunction, -and the venture was heard of no more. Belasco was in New York at the -time of Morse’s attempt to have his “Passion Play” represented there, -and Morse wished him to undertake the stage direction of it, but being -otherwise employed, and also clearly perceiving the public antipathy to -the project, he discreetly declined to participate in the enterprise. -On February 22, 1884, the unfortunate Morse met death by drowning, in -the Hudson River, near Harlem, and he was thought to have committed -suicide. - - -BELASCO’S SERVICES TO MORSE’S ENTERPRISE. - -The successful presentment of Morse’s play in California was due to the -sincerity and ability of O’Neill and to the ardent enthusiasm of -Belasco, who revelled in the opportunities which he discovered for -pictorial display: he explored every accessible source for paintings to -be copied and for suggestions as to costume, color, and “atmosphere,” -and, particularly, he made use of every expedient of “realistic” effect. -Belasco writes of this: “I had seen ’The Passion Play’ in Europe, but, -without prejudice, our little far-western town held the honors.” That -statement involves a slip of memory. He had, in March, 1879, been as far -east as New York, but his first visit to Europe did not occur till 1884. -His view of the Oberammergau performance was obtained long after the -presentment of Morse’s play in San Francisco. The following reminiscence -by Belasco of the California representation of “The Passion Play” is -instructive: - - “How we scoured San Francisco,--school, church, and theatre,--for - people to put in our cast! Every actor who was out of employment - was sure of finding something to do in our mob scenes. I cannot - conceive, in the history of the Theatre, a more complete or a more - perfect cast. - - “We engaged 200 singers; we marshalled 400 men, women, children, - and infants in our _ensembles_. And in the preparation every one - seemed to be inspired.... O’Neill, as the preparations progressed, - grew more and more obsessed. He gave up smoking; all the little - pleasures of life he denied himself. Any man who used a coarse word - during rehearsals was dismissed. He walked the streets of the city - with the expression of a holy man on his face. Whenever he drew - near a hush prevailed such as one does not often find outside a - church. The boards of the stage became Holy Land. - - “I also became a veritable monomaniac on the subject; I was never - without a Bible under my arm. I went to the Mercantile Library and - there studied the color effects in the two memorable canvases there - hung, depicting the dance of Salomé and the Lord’s Supper. My life - seemed changed as never before, and once more my thoughts began to - play with monastery life, and I thought of the days spent in - Vancouver with my priest friend. - - “The play traced the whole sequence of historical events leading to - the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, and I remember how many - effects we had to evolve for ourselves. In the Massacre of the - Innocents we had a hundred mothers on the stage, with their babes - in their arms. In the scene where _Joseph_ and _Mary_ came down the - mountain side we had a flock of real sheep following in their wake. - The entire performance was given with a simplicity that amounted to - grandeur. All was accomplished by fabrics and stage lighting, and - when O’Neill came up from his dressing room and appeared on the - stage with a halo about him women sank on their knees and prayed, - and when he was stripped and dragged before _Pontius Pilate_, - crowned with a crown of thorns, many fainted. - - “I have produced many plays in many parts of the world, but never - have I seen an audience awed as by ’The Passion Play.’ The greatest - performance of a generation was the _Christus_ of James O’Neill.” - -“The Passion Play” was succeeded at the Grand Opera House by a melodrama -entitled “The New Babylon,” produced under the stage management of -Belasco; and, on May 5, at the Baldwin, an adaptation by him of Sardou’s -“La Famille Benoiton!” was brought out under the name of “A Fast -Family.” This was performed for a fortnight, during which Belasco wrote -a play which he called “The Millionaire’s Daughter,” and contrived for -its presentment a remarkably handsome and effective scenic investiture. - - - - -“THE MILLIONAIRE’S DAUGHTER.” - - -Bronson Howard’s play of “The Banker’s Daughter” (one act of which was -written by A. R. Cazauran) was produced, for the first time, November -30, 1878, at the Union Square Theatre, New York, where it held the stage -till April 16, 1879, receiving 137 performances. It was regarded as one -of the “sensations” of the time, and Maguire, desiring to secure its -presentment at the Baldwin Theatre, began negotiations to that end with -Palmer early in 1879. Palmer named terms that Maguire would not, or -could not, meet and they were rejected. But a new play was urgently -required for the Baldwin, and Maguire turned to Belasco, asking, “Can’t -you make something for us on similar lines?” Belasco readily agreed to -do this, but presently expressed doubt as to Baldwin’s consent to pay -the heavy price of certain novel expedients of stage-setting which he -wished to use. - -“In my principal scene,” he said to me, “I wanted a striking, new -effect,--walls of a delicate pink, hung with rich lace, and I knew it -would cost a lot. I went to Baldwin about it, after talking to Maguire, -who thought it impossible, and told him the story of my play, and what I -wanted to do in the way of settings, and my fear about expenses. Baldwin -said, ’I understand Palmer’s coming out here, to the California, with -“The Banker’s Daughter.” I think he tried to stick us up on that piece, -and I’d like to beat him. We don’t need to go to so much expense as you -think, Davy. You say you want laces: well, I’ll let you have some lace, -such as nobody has ever seen on a stage!’ And he did. It was real -antique stuff, belonging to his daughter and himself, from their home. -I designed the scene as I wanted it, had plain set pieces painted (they -cost us only a few dollars) in delicate shades of pink, and draped -Baldwin’s lace over them. The effect was beautiful,--I’ve never seen -anything of the kind as good,--and it _looked_ like the room of ’a -millionaire’s daughter.’ But I was glad when the run was over and the -stuff safely back in Baldwin’s home: there was over $30,000 worth of it -used in that set, and it kept me anxious all the time.” - -Belasco’s play of “The Millionaire’s Daughter” was produced at the -Baldwin Theatre on May 19, 1879, and it was received with much favor. It -tells the story of a woman who marries one man while believing herself -to be in love with another, but who comes, through an ordeal of sorrow -and suffering, to know the value of her husband and to love him. It is -not important, though creditable as a melodramatic specimen of what -Augustin Daly used to describe as “plays of contemporaneous human -interest.” The chief parts in it were cast as follows: - -_Mortimer Rushton_ James O’Neill. -_Richard Trevellian_ Lewis Morrison. -_Adam Trueman_ A. D. Bradley. -_Stephen Snarley_ J. W. Jennings. -_Ulysses S. Danripple, N. Y., U. S. A._ James A. Herne. -_Timothy Tubbs_ David Belasco. -_Ethel Trueman_ Rose Wood. -_Mabel St. Everard_ Katherine Corcoran. -_Aunt Sophie_ Kate Denin. - -Belasco was at once accused of having stolen his play from “The Banker’s -Daughter,” but on investigation by Palmer’s representative it promptly -appeared that the charge was unwarranted. “The chief real resemblances,” -said Belasco, “are the title and the Duel Scene. We did call my play -’The Millionaire’s Daughter’ because of the success of Howard’s piece: -the Duel Scene, however, I took from ’The Corsican Brothers.’ Howard, -probably, took his from the same source; nobody acquainted with the -theatre could very well help knowing that scene!” - -The situation alluded to is an old one and it has been often used. The -scene is a glade in the woods. The duellists, attended by their seconds, -are confronted, each intent on homicide. The time is nightfall. The -ground is thinly covered with snow. Each of the combatants is attired in -a white shirt, open at the neck, without collar; black trousers and -shoes. A faint twilight is diffused over the picture, and the ominous, -grisly effect of it is enhanced by low, minor music. Gleaming rapiers -are engaged and the combat proceeds to its fatal close: few other -situations have been made the occasion of as much ridicule; yet, -fashioned with care and treated with sincerity, this one never fails to -thrill the spectators,--and probably it never will. - -Palmer’s production of “The Banker’s Daughter” was announced for -presentment at the California Theatre on June 9, 1879; but the success -of Belasco’s play, at the Baldwin, led to the cancellation by Palmer of -his engagement in San Francisco, and Howard’s play, in its definitive -form, was not acted there until long afterward: it had, however, -previously been performed there under the name of “Lillian’s Lost Love.” - - - - -DETRACTION OF BELASCO.--EARLY CALIFORNIA INFLUENCES. - - -Those persons who intellectually and influentially rise above the level -of mediocrity almost invariably find their attainments denied, their -achievements belittled, their motives impugned, and their characters -besmirched. Belasco has had a liberal experience of detraction. One of -the most insistent disparagements that have followed him is the charge -that, in the course of his long career as a manager in New York, he has -never produced any of the plays of Shakespeare, for the reason that he -does not possess either the knowledge, taste, training, or ability -requisite for their suitable presentment. It is true that Belasco, since -becoming a theatrical manager in New York, has not, as yet, produced any -play of Shakespeare’s or any of the standard old legitimate dramas. -That, doubtless, has been a loss to the public; but deferring, for the -moment, scrutiny of reasons that have restrained him from such ventures, -it will be pertinent and instructive here to consider the question of -his competence to make such revivals,--because such consideration -necessarily concerns itself with the theatrical environment in which he -grew up and in which he received his early training. As bearing on such -an examination a glance at the antecedents of the San Francisco Stage -will be helpful. The Circus preceded the Theatre in California, but only -by a few weeks. Two circus companies were performing in San Francisco -early in 1849. The first dramatic performance given in that city -occurred in the same year, in a building called Washington Hall. In the -same year, also, the first regular theatre built in the State was -opened, in Sacramento: it cost $80,000 and it was called the Eagle. -James H. McCabe,--a good friend to Belasco in later years,--was a member -of its first company. Other theatres built subsequently in Sacramento -were the Tehama, the Pacific, the American, and - -[Illustration: - -From an old photograph. Belasco’s Collection. - -BELASCO AS _ARMAND DUVAL_, IN “CAMILLE”] - -the Edwin Forrest. The dramatic movement, once started, became vigorous -and swift. In 1851, in San Francisco, the Jenny Lind and the American -theatres were built, and in 1853 a spacious and handsome playhouse was -erected, called the Metropolitan, and also a theatre called the Adelphi -was opened, in which performances were given in French. Among the -managers who were active and prominent in early California days were -Wesley Venua, John S. Potter, Joseph Rowe, Charles Robert Thorne (the -Elder), Daniel Wilmarth Waller, George Ryer, Charles A. King, McKean -Buchanan, J. B. Booth, Jr., and Samuel Colville,--the latter -subsequently so widely known and so popular in New York. Among actors of -the period who were local favorites were James Stark, James H. Warwick, -William Barry, “Dan” Virgil Gates, John Woodard, Edward N. Thayer, Frank -Lawlor, John Dunn (often jocosely styled “Rascal Jack”), Elizabeth -Jefferson (Mrs. Thoman, afterwards Mrs. Saunders), Mrs. Emanuel Judah -(Marietta Starfield Torrence), Mary Woodard, and Marie Duret,--“the -limpet,” once for some time associated with Gustavus Vaughan Brooke (and -so called because she “stuck to him” till she had accumulated -considerable money and jewelry, and then left him; she seems to have -been a great annoyance). Before Belasco’s birth (1853) the Drama had -become well established in California, and during his boyhood there and -his early professional association with it,--that is, from about 1865 to -1882,--its condition was generally prosperous, often brilliant. Within -that period the San Francisco Stage was illumined by actors of every -description, some of them being of the highest order as well as of the -brightest renown. Belasco’s personal association with the Theatre, as -has been shown, began in infancy; his earliest impressions were imbued -with histrionic and dramatic influence. Charles Kean, Edwin Forrest, and -Julia Dean were figures in his childish mind that he never could forget. -Among the notable actors whom he saw, with many of whom at one time or -another he was actively associated, and among whom are numbered some men -and women whose histrionic genius has not been surpassed, were Catharine -Sinclair, Matilda Heron, James E. Murdoch, James William Wallack, the -Younger; Charles Wheatleigh, William A. Mestayer, John Wilson, Mrs. -Saunders, Kate Denin, John Collins, Mrs. Poole, John E. Owens, Edwin -Adams, Walter Montgomery, James Stark, Edward A. Sothern, Frank Mayo, -Barry Sullivan, Edwin Booth, James O’Neill, Lewis Morrison, Eben -Plympton, John Brougham, James A. Herne, Frank S. Chanfrau, James F. -Cathcart, William H. Crane, (Charles) Barton Hill, W. J. Florence and -Mrs. Florence, Barney Williams and Mrs. Williams, Benedict De Bar, -George Rignold, George Fawcett Rowe, Charles F. Coghlan, W. E. Sheridan, -Mrs. D. P. Bowers, Adelaide Neilson, William Horace Lingard and Mrs. -Lingard (Alice Dunning), Lotta (Charlotte Crabtree), Charlotte Thompson, -Carlotta Leclercq, Neil Warner, Daniel E. Bandmann, Minnie Palmer, Jean -Davenport Lander, Mrs. F. M. Bates, Sallie A. Hinckley, Dion Boucicault, -Katharine Rodgers, Helena Modjeska, and Rose Coghlan. Those, and many -more, were not mere _names_ to Belasco: they were the vital, active -personification of all that he most loved and desired--the Stage. The -environment of his youth, allowing for all the trials and hardships to -which incidentally he was subjected, must, obviously, have been -conducive to the opening and enlightenment of his mind, the direction of -his efforts into the theatrical field, the development of his latent -powers, his education as actor, dramatist, and stage manager, and the -building of his character. He was a sensitive, highly impressionable -youth, possessed of an artistic temperament, romantic disposition, -innate histrionic and dramatic faculties, ardent ambition to excel, -eager interest in life, abundant capability of enjoyment, an almost -abnormal power of observation,--that “clutching eye” which has been well -ascribed to Dickens,--and a kindness of heart that made him instantly -and eagerly sympathetic with every form of human trial and suffering. -Such a youth could not fail to respond to some, at least, of the -improving influences to which he was exposed. In the ministrations of -such men and women as I have named he saw the rapid and splendid growth -of the Theatre in California, the swift accession to the number of fine -playhouses,--the building of Maguire’s Opera House (afterward the Bush -Street Theatre), the California Theatre, Shiels’ Opera House, Maguire’s -New Theatre, and Baldwin’s Academy of Music,--and with all of them, and -with others, he became, at one time or another and in one way or -another, connected. He was given exceptional and invaluable -opportunities of studying the respective styles and learning the -divergent methods of every class of actor and stage manager. He saw the -thorough devotion, the patient endeavor, the astonishing variety, and -the first splendid successes of John McCullough, who went to San -Francisco with Edwin Forrest, in 1866, and there laid the foundation of -his renown. He saw the intensely earnest, highly intellectual, -incessantly laborious, passionately devoted and indomitable Lawrence -Barrett, who made his first appearance in San Francisco, February 13, -1868, at Maguire’s Opera House, as _Hamlet_, and he saw many of the -great plays, finely produced and nobly acted, which were given at the -California Theatre, in the season when it was opened, January 11, 1869, -under the joint management of Barrett and McCullough. Observance of such -a dramatic company as those managers then assembled was in itself an -education for any young enthusiast and student of the art of acting, and -it is reasonable to believe that this youth profited by it. The company, -certainly, was such a one as could not anywhere be assembled now, -because most of the actors of that strain have passed away. Barrett held -the first position, dividing some of the leading business with -McCullough. William H. Sedley-Smith was the stage manager. Other members -of the company were Henry Edwards, John T. Raymond, “Willie” Edouin, -Claude Burroughs, John Torrence, J. E. Marble, John Wilson, Edward J. -Buckley, W. Caldwell, Frederick Franks, W. F. Burroughs, H. King, Henry -Atkinson, E. B. Holmes, Emilie Melville, Annette Ince, Marie Gordon, -Mrs. E. J. Buckley, Mrs. F. Franks, Mrs. Charles R. Saunders, and Mrs. -Judah. The plays presented were of all kinds and generally of the -highest order. Belasco was fortunate in possessing the special favor of -the stage manager, and he was permitted many chances of seeing those -players. The special idols of his boyish admiration were John -McCullough, Walter Montgomery, and Mrs. Bowers. As to Shakespeare--his -mother was a lover of the dramatist and a careful student of him, and -she early began to instruct her boy in the study of his characters and -in the acting of scenes from the plays: one of the first books he ever -owned was a large single volume edition of Shakespeare, which, to -gratify his childish longing, was sent to him, “from New York,” because -he believed nothing could be as fine as what came from that place. “I -read it,” he told me, “from the title-page to the last word, with a -dictionary and a glossary.” He saw many of the plays of Shakespeare set -upon the stage, by some of the most accomplished, conscientious, and -scholarly actors and stage managers that have served the art--men and -women the capabilities and achievements of any one of whom, in the stage -production of Shakespeare, would shame the abilities of all Belasco’s -detractors combined,--and he participated, not only as actor but as -stage manager, in the representation of those plays. The works of -Shakespeare which were thus made - -[Illustration: DAVID BELASCO AS _MARK ANTONY_. - -IN “JULIUS CAESAR” - - “_I will not do them wrong; I rather choose_ - _To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,_ - _Than I will wrong such honorable men!_” - --Act III, sc. 2 - - Photograph by Bradley, San Francisco. - - Original loaned by Mrs. David Belasco.] - -familiar to him, in their technical aspect, are “King Richard III.” -(Cibber’s version), “Hamlet,” “Othello,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Julius -Cæsar,” “Macbeth,” “King John,” “King Lear,” “Coriolanus,” “Cymbeline,” -“Measure for Measure,” “The Comedy of Errors,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” -“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “The Merchant of Venice,” “Katharine and -Petruchio” (Garrick’s version), “Twelfth Night,” and “As You Like It.” -He played all sorts of parts in Shakespeare, from the slightest to some -of the greatest: in San Francisco he would play anything,--the -_Salanios_, _Guildensterns_, _First Messengers_, _Citizens_, etc., and -frequently go on as a super,--merely to gain opportunity to be on the -stage with the leaders of his profession, in order that he might observe -them. Fired with emulous ambition, he would then obtain employment in -any travelling or barnstorming company in which he could play some of -the greater parts, and in that way,--acting, of course, at first in -imitation of various distinguished players whose performances he had -witnessed, but also, more and more as his experience grew, along -experimental lines of his own contrivance,--he played, among other -parts, _Mercutio_, _Marc Antony_, _Friar Lawrence_ and _Hamlet_. He also -sometimes acted women;--in Shakespeare, notably, the _Nurse_, in “Romeo -and Juliet,” and _Queen Gertrude_, in “Hamlet.” In short, the truth, -respecting Belasco and his qualification for producing Shakespeare’s -dramas, is that he is better qualified to present them than any other -stage manager in America. His abstention from that field has been due to -a variety of causes, chief among them being that, at first, while he was -fighting his way to a position in which he could produce _anything_, and -immediately after his achievement of that independence, the field of -Shakespearean acting was almost exclusively occupied by famous, popular, -and prosperous stars, who did not need his services, having their own, -and with whom he must have vainly contended in an unequal rivalry; and, -later, that there was an almost complete dearth of qualified -Shakespearean performers. That dearth might not be so nearly complete -now if Belasco had earlier turned his attention to the production of -Shakespeare: on the other hand, he had to _win_ his place before he -could fill it,--and the carpers who censure him for what he has not done -would, in most instances, have been as vigorous in censure if he had -brought out plays of Shakespeare as they have been because he has not: -what they actually seek for is any ground for fault-finding. Belasco’s -sound sense and good judgment were well shown in a recent conversation -with me, relative to David Warfield’s ambition to play _Shylock_: -“Warfield,” he said, “is wild to play _Shylock_, and is at me every -little while to bring out ’The Merchant.’ I’d like to do it, but it -isn’t practical just now, and so I tell him, ’Wait, wait,’--though he -doesn’t want to _wait_! But it would be foolish at present: to-day -’Dave’ Warfield is one of the most prosperous of actors: he can play -’The Music Master,’ and ’The Auctioneer,’ and make a fortune--just as -Jefferson did with ’Rip’ and ’The Rivals.’ But what will happen if I -bring him out as _Shylock_, at once, in New York, or close to it? A lot -of the paltry scribblers who don’t know anything about ’The Merchant’ -will have their knives into him up to the hilt--and the next morning, -whether he’s good, bad, or indifferent, he’ll be the best ’roasted’ -actor on the stage--the venture will be no good, and when he goes back -to ’The Music Master’ his standing will have been hurt. _Nobody_ can -give a great performance of _Shylock_ the first time. When we are ready, -I’ll take a modest little company out into the backwoods somewhere, so -far away from New York that nobody here knows there are such places, and -let Warfield play _Shylock_ for three months or so. Then, when he’s -found himself and can show what he can really do, if it’s no good we’ll -drop it, and if (as I expect) it turns out great, I’ll bring him into -New York and give them such a production as they haven’t seen since -Irving played the piece.” That is the clear, right, prescient insight of -an authentic theatrical manager, who understands that a vital part of -the management of the Theatre consists in management of the People. - - - - -BELASCO’S REPERTORY AS AN ACTOR. - - -A complete list of the characters that Belasco assumed, while he -remained an actor, is not obtainable, but the subjoined partial list, -which I have carefully made by consulting newspaper advertisements and -other sources of authentic information, is sufficiently suggestive of -his ample experience in the vocation of acting. The student of his -career should needfully bear in mind, moreover, that he has, first and -last, set on the stage every one of the plays here named (and many -others), besides acting in them: - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Falk. The Albert Davis Collection. - -BELASCO, ABOUT 1880] - - PART. PLAY. - - -(A) - -_Alfred Evelyn_ “Money.” -_Antonio_ “The Merchant of Venice.” -_Apothecary_ “Romeo and Juliet.” -_Archibald Carlyle_ “East Lynne.” -_Armand Duval_ “Camille.” -_Avica, the Spirit of Avarice_ “A Storm of Thoughts.” - - -(B) - -_Baldwin_ “Ireland and America.” -_Benvolio_ “Romeo and Juliet.” -_Bernardo_ “Hamlet.” -_Biondello_ “Katharine and Petruchio.” -_Black Donald_ “The Hidden Hand.” -_Bleeding Sergeant_ “Macbeth.” -_Bloater_ “Maum Cre.” -_Bob_ “The Black Hand.” -_Bob Brierly_ “The Ticket-of-Leave Man.” -_Bob Rackett_ “Help.” -_Box_ “Box and Cox.” -_Buddicombe_ “Our American Cousin.” -_Butler_ “Man and Wife.” - - -(C) - -_Captain Blenham_ “The Rough Diamond.” -_Captain Crosstree_ “Black-Ey’d Susan.” -_Charles Oakley_ “The Jealous Wife.” -_Château-Renaud_ “The Corsican Brothers.” -_Claude Melnotte_ “The Lady of Lyons.” -_Clifford_ “The Hunchback.” -_Colonel Dent_ “The Governess.” -_Conner O’Kennedy_ “Green Bushes.” -_Cool_ “London Assurance.” -_Cox_ “Box and Cox.” -_Craven Lenoir_ “The Hidden Hand.” - - -(D) - -_Dan_ “The Streets of New York.” -_Danny Mann_ “The Colleen Bawn.” -_Darley_ “Dark Deeds.” -_Dauphin_ “King Louis XI.” -_De Mauprat_ “Richelieu.” -_DeWilt_ “Under the Gas-Light.” -_Dickory_ “The Spectre Bridegroom.” -_Doctor of Hospital_ “The Two Orphans.” -_Dolly Spanker_ “London Assurance.” -_Don Cæsar_ “Donna Diana.” -_Duke of Burgundy_ “King Lear.” - - -(E) - -_Earl of Oxford_ “King Richard III.” - - -(F) - -_Fagin_ “Oliver Twist.” -_First Citizen_ “Julius Cæsar.” -_First Dwarf_ “Rip Van Winkle.” -_First Fury_ “Pluto.” -_First Grave-Digger_ “Hamlet.” -_First Officer_ “Macbeth.” -_First Policeman_ “Little Don Giovanni.” -_Fournechet, Minister of Finance_ “A Life’s Revenge.” -_Francesco_ “Hamlet.” -_Frank Breezly_ “Katy.” -_Friar Lawrence_ “Romeo and Juliet.” -_Furnace, the Cook_ “A New Way to Pay Old Debts.” - - -(G) - -_Galeas_ “The Enchantress.” -_Gaspard_ “The Lady of Lyons.” -_Gaston_ “Camille.” -_Genius of the Ring_ “The Wonderful Scamp, or Aladdin No. 2.” -_George Sheldon_ “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” -_Gilbert Gates_ “The Dawn of Freedom.” -_Gringoire_ “The Ballad Monger.” -_Guildenstern_ “Hamlet.” -_Gyp_ “Saratoga.” - - -(H) - -_Hamlet_ “Hamlet.” -_Harvey_ “Out at Sea.” -_Heinrich Vedder_ “Rip Van Winkle.” -_Hon. Bob Penley_ “Fritz in a Madhouse.” - - -(I) - -_Idiot, the_ “The Idiot of the Mountain.” - - -(J) - -_James Callin_ “Across the Continent.” (Prologue.) -_Jasper Pidgeon_ “Meg’s Diversion.” -_Job Armroyd_ “Lost in London.” -_John O’Bibs_ “The Long Strike.” -_Johnson_ “The Lancashire Lass.” -_Joseph Surface_ “The School for Scandal.” - - -(K) - -_King Louis the Eleventh_ “King Louis XI.” - - -(L) - -_Laertes_ “Hamlet.” -_Lawyer Marks_ “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” -_Lawyer Tripper_ “Solon Shingle” (“The People’s Lawyer.”) -_Lieutenant_ “Don Cæsar de Bazan.” -_Lieutenant Victor_ “The Lion of Nubia.” -_Le Beau_ “As You Like It.” -_Lorenzo_ “The Wife.” -_Louis_ “One Hundred Years Old.” - - -(M) - -_Maffeo Orsini_ “Lucretia Borgia.” -_Major Hershner_ “Twice Saved.” -_Malcolm_ “Macbeth.” -_Mandeville_ “The Young Widow.” -_Marc Antony_ “Julius Cæsar.” -_Marco_ “The Wife.” -_Mark_ “The Prodigal’s Return.” -_Mark Meddle_ “London Assurance.” -_Marquis_ “The Pearl of Savoy.” -_Master Walter_ “The Hunchback.” -_Mateo, the Landlord_ “The Beauty and the Brigands.” -_Melter Moss_ “The Ticket-of-Leave Man.” -_Mercutio_ “Romeo and Juliet.” -_Mr. Ellingham_ “Hearts of Oak.” -_Mr. Honeyton_ “A Happy Pair.” -_Mr. Trimeo_ “The Mysterious Inn.” -_Mr. Toodle_ “The Toodles.” -_Mrs. Cornelia_ “East Lynne.” -_Mrs. Willoughby_ “The Ticket-of-Leave Man.” -_Modus_ “The Hunchback.” -_Mons. Deschapelles_ “The Lady of Lyons.” -_Moses_ “The School for Scandal.” -_Mother Frochard_ “The Two Orphans.” - - -(N) - -_Nathan_ “Leah the Forsaken.” -_Nick o’ the Woods_ - (_the Jibbenainosay_, - _The Avenger_, - _Reginald Ashburn_, - _Bloody Nathan_, - and _The Spirit of The Water_) “The Jibbenainosay.” -_Nick Vedder_ “Rip Van Winkle.” -_Nurse_ “Romeo and Juliet.” - - -(O) - -_Our Guest_ “Our Mysterious Boarding House.” - - -(P) - -_Pablo, the Harpist_ “Across the Continent.” -_Page_ “Mary Stuart.” -_Paris_ “Romeo and Juliet.” -_Pedro_ “A Yankee in Cuba.” -_Peter_ “Deborah.” -_Peter Bowbells_ “The Illustrious Stranger.” -_Peter True_ “The Statue Lover.” -_Peter White_ “Mr. and Mrs. Peter White.” -_Phil Bouncer_ “The Persecuted Traveller.” -_Philip Ray_ “Enoch Arden.” -_Pierre_ “Robert Macaire.” -_Pietre_ “The Enchantress.” (Prologue.) -_Player Queen_ “Hamlet.” -_Polonius_ “Hamlet.” -_Polydor_ “Ingomar.” -_Prince Saucilita_ “The Gold Demon.” -_Pumpernickel_ “The Child of the Regiment.” - - -(Q) - -_Queen Gertrude_ “Hamlet.” - - -(R) - -_Ralph_ “The Lighthouse Cliff.” -_Raphael_ (and _Phidias_) “The Marble Heart.” -_Ratcliff_ “King Richard III.” -_Reuben_ “Schermerhorn’s Boy.” -_Richard Hare_ “East Lynne.” -_Richmond_ “King Richard III.” -_Robert Landry_ “The Dead Heart.” -_Robert Macaire_ “Robert Macaire.” -_Rory O’More_ “Rory O’More.” -_Rosencrantz_ “Hamlet.” -_Ruby Darrell_ “Hearts of Oak.” -_Rudolph_ “Leah the Forsaken.” -_Rudolphe_ “Agnes.” - - -(S) - -_Salanio_ “The Merchant of Venice.” -_Sambo_ “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” -_Santo_ “Gaspardo.” -_Secretary_ “Richelieu.” -_Second Player_ “Hamlet.” -_Selim_ “The Forty Thieves.” -_Signor Mateo_ “The Miser’s Daughter.” -_Simon Lullaby_ “A Conjugal Lesson.” -_Simon Legree_ “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” -_Simon, the Cobbler_ “Marie Antoinette.” -_Sir Francis Leveson_ “East Lynne.” -_Slave_ “Pygmalion and Galatea.” -_Spada_ “The Woman in Red.” -_Stuttering Tailor_ “Katharine and Petruchio.” -_Strale_ “Checkmate.” -_Sylvius_ “As You Like It.” - - -(T) - -_Terry Dennison_ “Hearts of Oak.” -_The Destroyer_ “The Haunted Man.” -_Tim Bolus_ “My Turn Next.” -_Timothy Tubbs_ “The Millionaire’s Daughter.” -_Tony Lumpkin_ “She Stoops to Conquer.” -_Topsy_ “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” -_Trip_ “The School for Scandal.” -_Tubal_ “The Merchant of Venice.” - -[Illustration: DAVID BELASCO AS _FAGIN_, IN “OLIVER TWIST” - - Photograph by Bradley & Rulofson, San Francisco. - - Original loaned by Mrs. David Belasco.] - - - -(U) - -_Uncle Tom_ “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” - - -(V) - -_Valentine_ “Faust.” (Abridgment of). -_Vasquez_ “The Wonder.” - - -(W) - -_Waiter_ “The Gamester.” -_Waiter_ (_Negro_) “Fritz in a Madhouse.” - - -(Y) - -_Young Marlowe_ “She Stoops to Conquer.” - - - Other plays in which Belasco has performed,--as I have ascertained - from newspaper advertisements or notices and from miscellaneous - records, without, however, finding specification of the parts in - them which he acted,--include “A Bull in a China Shop,” “Damon and - Pythias,” “The French Spy,” “A Hard Struggle,” “The Lone Pine,” - “Mazeppa,” “Medea,” “Mimi,” “Nobody’s Child,” “Pizarro,” and “The - Red Pocketbook.” I have no doubt that he made unrecorded and now - unremembered appearances in many other plays besides these. - - To the catalogue previously given of readings and recitations - frequently employed by Belasco should be added “Tell Me Not in - Mournful Numbers,” “The Maiden’s Prayer,” “Little Jim, the - Collier’s Lad,” “Scenes from ’King Louis XI.,’” “Shamus O’Brien,” - “The Little Hero,” “No One to Love Him,” “The Trial Scene, from - ’The Merchant of Venice,’” “Selections from ’Oliver Twist’” (the - scene on London Bridge, scene wherein _Fagin_ causes _Sikes_ to - murder _Nancy_, and _Fagin_ awaiting execution), “The Country - Bumpkin’s Courtship,” “Eliza,” “The Dream of Eugene Aram,” and “Jim - Bludso.” - - - - -BELASCO’S “THE STORY OF MY LIFE.” - - -In making a critical examination of Belasco’s “The Story of My Life,”--a -document which, of course, it has been necessary for me to consult in -writing this Memoir,--I have observed many misstatements of fact in it, -due to defective memory or to haste and heedlessness in composition, and -also the assertion of various erroneous notions and mistaken doctrines -as to the art of acting, and as to the difference in the practice of -that art between the customs of the present and the past. Turning to -that “Story” in the expectation that it would prove helpful, I found -only another specimen of the irresponsible writing which is deemed -permissible relative to the Theatre, and viewing its formidable array of -misstatements I have ruefully recalled the remark of Artemus Ward that -“it is better not to know so many things than to know so many things -that ain’t so.” Some of its errors I have specified and rectified, in -other places, in the course of this narrative. Others of its errors and -some of its errant notions and doctrines require passing reference here. - -Belasco records that he early observed and condemned “the incongruity -between the stage way of doing things and the way of life itself,”--the -implication being that, in acting, actual life should be literally -copied. That is an error. There always is, and from the nature of things -always will be, a certain incongruity between actual life and an -artistic transcript of it. A literal copy of actual life shown on the -stage does not usually cause the effect of actual life: it causes the -effect of prolixity and tediousness. Belasco lays much stress on his -early and sedulous practice of making himself acquainted, by -observation, with all sorts of grewsome facts, assuring his readers that -he visited lunatic asylums in order to study madness; talked with -condemned murderers immediately prior to their execution and later -witnessed the hanging of them; observed the effects of surgical -operations performed in hospitals; contemplated deaths occurring there -as the result of violence elsewhere; obtained from a friendly, -communicative physician knowledge of the manner of death which ensues -from the action of several sorts of poison, and was favored, in a -dissecting room, with a view of a human heart which had just been -extracted from a corpse,--his purpose in this line of inquiry having -been to ascertain the multifarious manners in which persons suffer and -die, and thus to qualify himself, as actor and stage manager, to imitate -them himself or instruct others in the imitation of them. His notion, -obviously, is that the actor ought to be acquainted with these things, -and, when depicting death, should correctly and literally simulate the -particular variety of the throes of dissolution which is appropriate as -a climax to the mortal ailment or lethal stroke that destroys him. - -All this is well enough in its way, but it is only a little part of the -knowledge required by the actor, and a special objection to Belasco’s -way of introducing it is the implication that such minute preparation -was peculiar and original with him. The doctrine of “realism” is often -oppugnant to dramatic art, and an extreme adherence to it has been a -primary cause of whatever is defective in Belasco’s dramatic work. -“Surely,” he exclaims, “people do not die as quietly as they do upon the -stage.” It all depends on the “people” and the circumstances, whether on -the stage or off. Death, in fact, sometimes comes so gently that its -coming is not perceived. On the other hand, “people” do not always die -quietly on the stage. Edwin Forrest, as the dying _Hamlet_, made a -prodigious pother in his expiration and was a long time about it, and he -maintained that a man of his size and massive physique could not die -from poison without manifestation of extreme agony. I many times saw -that muscular _Hamlet_ die, and the spectacle, while - -[Illustration: - -From an old photograph. Author’s Collection. - -HENRY J. MONTAGUE - -(1844-1878)] - -it might have been correct (since the nature of the poison which kills -_Hamlet_ is unknown the question is wholly assumptive), was never -affecting. I recollect the death of _Camille_, when that pulmonary -courtesan was impersonated by Matilda Heron: it was protracted, vulgar, -obnoxious, merely distressful, not the least pathetic, whereas the death -of _Camille_ when Modjeska played the part or when Sarah Bernhardt -played it was attended by no spasms, no convulsions, no gurgitations, -was almost instantaneous, and was inexpressibly touching. - -Belasco is not the only actor, by many, who has studied madness in -lunatic asylums, or observed the phenomena of death in hospitals, or -sounded the depths of human depravity in slums and bagnios, or looked at -human nature and human life through a microscope. The biographies of -Garrick, Kemble, Cooke, Kean, Macready, Forrest, and Booth, for example, -teem with evidence to the contrary. It is indisputably necessary that -the authentic actor should _know_, but it is equally essential that when -he comes to practise his art he should possess the _judgment to select_ -and the skill to use his selected knowledge in such a way as to -accomplish his purpose--not mar or defeat it. - -Another of Belasco’s completely mistaken and indeed comically errant -notions is set forth in the following paragraph from his “Story”: - - “Coming to New York as a stranger, I knew I had a task before me - _to introduce_ the _new style_ of acting which I felt was destined - to take the place of the melodramatic method.... For a long time I - had promised myself to give the public _a new style of acting and - playwriting, all my own_.... New York audiences had been trained in - _a school of exaggerated stage declamation, accompanied by a stage - strut, and large, classic, sweeping gestures_, so, when _I - introduced_ the _quiet acting_, we were laughed to scorn, and the - papers criticised our ’milk and water’ methods. _It was all new_, - and those who saw went away stunned and puzzled. We were considered - extremists at the Madison Square Theatre, but we persisted, with - the result that _our method_ prevails to-day.” [The italics are - mine.--W. W.] - -It is difficult to understand how such emanations of error could have -proceeded from the pen of such an experienced actor, manager, dramatist, -and observer as David Belasco, and it is even more difficult to be -patient with them. New York audiences before his time had never been -“trained in a school of exaggeration,” and there was nothing in the -least new,--unless, perhaps, it were Sunday-school tameness,--in the -style of acting that was exhibited in the Madison Square Theatre. Long -before Belasco’s advent the New York audience had seen, enjoyed, -admired, and accepted Edwin Booth as _Hamlet_ and _Richelieu_, Lester -Wallack as _de Vigny_ and as _Don Felix_, Gilbert as _Old Dornton_, -Blake as _Jesse Rural_, Chippindale as _Grandfather Whitehead_, Henry -Placide as _Lord Ogleby_, Couldock as _Luke Fielding_, Jefferson as _Rip -Van Winkle_, Salvini as _Conrad_ and _Sullivan_, Owens as _Caleb -Plummer_, Walcot as _Touchstone_, Emery as _Bob Tyke_, Davenport as _St. -Marc_, Elizabeth Jefferson (Mrs. Richardson) as _Pauline_, Agnes -Robertson as _Jeanie Deans_, Mrs. Hoey as _Lady Teazle_, Laura Keene as -_Marco_ and as _Peg Woffington_, Julia Bennett (Mrs. Barrow) as -_Hypolita_ and _Cicely Homespun_, Mrs. Vernon as _Lady Franklin_, Mary -Carr as _Temperance_, and Mary Gannon as _Prue_,--all of whom (and many -more might be mentioned) were conspicuously representative of the most -refined, delicate, “natural,” “quiet” style of acting that has been -known anywhere. That the New York audience had seen “barnstormers” and -“soapchewers” is true--but the educated, intelligent part of it had -laughed at them before Belasco’s time just as heartily as it has since. -I recollect evenings of frolic, many years ago, when I repaired, with -gay comrades, to the old Bowery Theatre, with no other intent than to be -merry over the proceedings of posers and spouters, of the _Crummles_ and -_Bingley_ variety, who were sometimes to be found there. That tribe has -always existed. Cicero derided it, in old Rome. In Shakespeare’s -“Hamlet,” written more than three hundred years ago, the _Prince_ -condemns the “robustious, periwig-pated fellow,” who tears “a passion to -tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings,” and utters -his well-known, wise counsel to actors that they should “acquire and -beget a temperance” that may give “smoothness” to their expression of -even the most tempestuous passion. The movement toward artistic acting -has always, apparently, been going on. Every student of theatrical -history has read about the elocutionary improvement effected by David -Garrick, in 1741. It is a matter of common knowledge that Macready was -famous for the great excellence of his “quiet acting,” his wonderful use -of facial expression, while never speaking a word. Edmund Kean, it has -been authentically recorded, moved his audience to tears, merely by his -_aspect_, while, as the _Stranger_, he sat gazing into vacancy, -listening to the song,--sung for him, when he acted in this country, by -Jefferson’s mother: - - “I have a silent sorrow here, - A grief I’ll ne’er impart, - It breathes no sigh, it sheds no tear, - But it consumes my heart.” - -I have seen many an audience in tears when the elder Hackett acted -_Monsieur Mallet_ and when Jefferson, as poor old _Rip_, murmured the -forlorn question, “Are we so soon forgot when we are gone?” No modern -manager has invented “natural,”--by which I mean _artistic_,--acting. -Belasco did not invent it, nor did he introduce it at the Madison Square -Theatre. He was affected by what he saw around him in acting, precisely -as he was affected by what he saw around him in playwriting: like other -workers in the Theatre, he sought to better his instruction, and he has -contributed to the development of changes (not all of them beneficial) -in the Theatre. At the Madison Square, both as stage manager and -dramatist, he dissipated the insipidity with which a deference to -clerical management was blighting the prospects of a capital company at -that house, so that from the moment he joined it its fortunes began to -improve. - - -THE EVIL OF INCOMPETENT CRITICISM. - -It is one of the hardships under which actors are compelled to pursue -their vocation that the Theatre and its votaries are continually subject -to the idle comment, indiscriminate praise, and capricious censure of -many incompetent writers in the press. A few capable, well-equipped, -earnest, and thoughtful critics unquestionably there are, in various -parts of the Republic, but every little publication in the country -parades its dramatic “critic,” and most of those scribblers show -themselves ignorant alike of dramatic literature, dramatic art, the -history of the Stage, human nature, and human life. That statement is -proved every day of the year, and it is folly to ascribe it to the -discontent of age or to lack of sympathy with contemporary life. Any -intelligent, educated person can put it to the test as often as desired. -The newspapers, as a rule, do not wish dramatic criticism: theatrical -managers, almost without exception, resent it and oppose it: the -newspapers receive paid advertisements and the theatrical advertisers -assume to be entitled to forbearance and to puffery in the “critical” -columns. This is not true of all newspapers, but it is generally true, -and the writers, whether competent or not, can bear testimony to its -truth. I know of nothing more dreary than the pages of drivel about the -drama which periodically make their appearance in many newspapers and -magazines. A favorite topic of those commentators is the immense -superiority of the plays and the acting of To-day over the plays and the -acting that pleased our forefathers. There was, it appears, nothing -good in the Past: there is nothing but good in the Present. The old -actors were artificial “pumps,” stagey, declamatory, “spouters.” -Shakespeare is archaic. Old Comedy is a bore. The plays of Molière and -Sheridan creak on their hinges. The plays of twenty, fifteen, ten years -ago have “aged”! “Progress” has become of such celerity that the dramas -of yesterday are “out of date”--before the second season begins! The -principles of art have altered, and they alter afresh with the startling -discoveries of each new batch of collegiate criticasters. Human nature -has changed. The forces of the universe are different. The sun rises in -the west and water runs uphill. Acting now is smooth, flexible, natural, -fluent. Behold, we have made a new theatrical Heaven and Earth wherein -dwelleth a NEW STYLE! It is lamentable that these ignorant, frivolous -babblers of folly should be able to cite even one word from such an -authority as David Belasco in support of their ridiculous pretensions: -it is the more deplorable since, if he were brought to a serious -consideration of his heedless assertions, he would certainly recant -them. I am not able to believe, for example, that he would stigmatize -Edwin Booth as a strutting exponent of exaggerated declamation,--an -actor who could speak blank verse as if it were the language of nature, -and always did so: an actor and manager, moreover, who did more than -any other one person of the Theatre to make possible the career of many -who followed him, including David Belasco. Nor can I believe that he -would call Florence a spouter,--Florence, who was one of the most adroit -and delicate of artists,--or deride such performances as John -Nickinson’s _Haversack_, Blake’s _Geoffrey Dale_, and Burton’s _Cap’n -Cuttle_ as specimens of flannel-mouthed melodramatic rant. Yet such were -the actors to whose style the New York audience had been accustomed long -before the time when Belasco declares that he brought an entirely new -and improved style of acting to the Madison Square Theatre and thus,--by -implication at least,--asserts that he reformed the Stage. - -Augustin Daly, who began theatrical management in New York, in 1869, -when Belasco was a schoolboy of sixteen, in San Francisco, constrained -the actors whom he employed to respect and emulate the best traditions -of acting, and, while he never sought to establish a school of acting, -insisted on _Hamlet’s_ right doctrine of “temperance” and “smoothness”; -and when he carried his dramatic company to San Francisco, in 1875, at -which time Belasco saw and studied performances that were there given by -it, “The Evening Bulletin,” of that city, displeased by the delicate, -refined, “_quiet_” acting which had charmed New York, thus testified: - - “The Fifth Avenue Theatre Company have a style of their own. It is - emasculated of vigor, force in action, and anything like - declamation in reading. It is _quiet_, _elegant_, _languid_; making - its points with a French shrug of the shoulders, little graceful - gestures, and rapid play of features. The voice is soft, the tone - low, and the manner at once subdued and expressive. It pleases a - certain set of fashionables, but to the general public it is acting - with the art of acting left out.” - - -THE NATURE OF BELASCO’S TALENTS AND SERVICES. - -There has always been a desire and endeavor to act truly, and, side by -side with that desire and endeavor, there has always been abuse of the -art by incompetents and vulgarians. If you were to attend rehearsals at -some of our theatres now, you would behold coarse and blatant bullies, -of the _Mr. Dolphin_ order, blaring at the actors “More ginger!” It is -the way of that tribe and the custom in those temples of intellect. But -while Belasco has not invented any new style of acting he has done great -service to the Stage, and his name is written imperishably on the scroll -of theatrical achievement in America. As an actor his experience has -been ample and widely diversified. He possesses a complete mastery of -the technicalities of histrionic art. As a stage manager he is competent -in every particular and has no equal in this country to-day. His -judgment, taste, and expert skill in creating appropriate environment, -background, and atmosphere for a play and the actors in it are -marvellous. His attention to detail is scrupulous; and his decision is -prompt and usually unerring. No theatrical director within my -observation,--which has been vigilant and has extended over many -years,--has surpassed him in the exercise of that genius which consists -in the resolute, tireless capability of taking infinite pains. Many of -the performances which have been given under his direction are worthy to -be remembered as examples of almost perfect histrionic art. As a -dramatist he is essentially the product of that old style of writing -which produced “Venice Preserved,” “Fazio,” “The Apostate,” “The -Clandestine Marriage,” “The Jealous Wife,” etc.,--a style with which his -mind was early and completely saturated,--and of the example and -influence of Dion Boucicault, whose expertness in construction, felicity -in fashioning crisp dialogue, and exceptional skill in creating vivid -dramatic effect he has always much and rightly admired. He has written -many - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Author’s Collection. - -AUGUSTIN DALY, ABOUT 1870-’75] - -plays and he has co-labored with other authors in the writing of many -more. He has exerted a powerful influence upon the Stage in every part -of our country. He has battled successfully against the iniquitous -Theatrical Trust and in a great measure contributed to the curtailment -of its oppressive power. He has developed and made efficient several -stars who, without his assistance, would never have gained the -prominence which, with it, they have attained. He has established and -now (1917) maintains one of the finest theatres in the world. To have -done all this,--to have raised himself from indigence and obscurity to -honorable distinction and actual leadership in an intellectual calling, -to have made his way by force of character, native talent, indomitable -resolution, patient, continuous, indefatigable labor; to have borne, -with unshaken fortitude, hardships, trials, disappointment, enmity, and -calumny, and to have risen above all the vicissitudes of fortune,--this -surely is to have shown the steadfast man of the old Roman poet and to -have merited the reward of prosperity and the laurel of fame. His -eminence in his vocation, accordingly, and the obligation to him of the -Theatre and the Public do not require the claim of imaginary -achievements to enhance his reputation. There never was any need that he -should have claimed that he had introduced a new style of acting. I do -not doubt, judging from what I have read of his many impersonations, -that Betterton, who performed on the London stage more than two hundred -years ago, could and did exemplify “quiet acting” as thoroughly as John -Mason does, performing on the New York stage to-day. Changes, -modifications of all kinds, have occurred, many varieties of personality -have been exhibited, in many varieties of speech and bearing, but the -radical, structural change in method that has been effected, the change -from extravagance and elaborate artifice to refined simplicity, has not -been wrought by any one person but by many persons, actuated by the same -influences that have changed the physical investiture of the Theatre, -and by the advance of intelligence, sense, and taste. It is peculiarly -deplorable that the authority of Belasco should even _seem_ to sustain -such carping criticasters as I have indicated (writers who, ignorant of -theatrical history and, apparently, of much else, seek to exalt the -Present by impudent disparagement of the Past), because many of that -tribe have, recently, taken to publishing idle and stupid detraction of -Belasco himself, on the ground that he is “unprogressive” and belongs to -“the old fashion.” He has done more by a single production such as “The -Darling of the Gods” than the whole swarm of his detractors has ever -done, or ever will do, in a lifetime of scribbling, and his name will -live as a beacon of achievement, in life as well as in the Theatre, -generations after they are all vanished and forgotten, like wind-blown -dust. - - -CONCERNING MATTERS OF FACT. - -Genest, in his exceedingly valuable “Account” of the Theatre in Great -Britain,--a work to which every later writer on the subject finds -himself more or less indebted and which ought to be reprinted,--sagely -remarks that “In giving an account of the Stage a good story may -sometimes be admitted on slender authority, but where mere matters of -fact are concerned the history of the Stage ought to be written with the -same accuracy as the history of England.” The attainment of accuracy, -however, exacts scrupulous attention, ceaseless vigilance, patient -inquiry, and hard work, and only a few writers about the Stage have ever -taken the trouble to be thorough and exact. I had expected that -Belasco’s “Story” could be depended upon in every particular and that it -would prove of invaluable aid in writing this Memoir. I do not doubt -that he designed it to be literally true, but, as a conscientious -biographer, I am compelled to mention its errors of fact, and I deem it -my duty to specify and correct some of them, as an act of justice alike -to him and to his, and my, readers. - -Belasco, as I have ascertained and stated, was born not in 1858 or 1859, -as various accounts of him have declared, but in 1853. He has himself -affirmed that in 1865, in San Francisco, he walked in a funeral -procession expressive of the public grief for the death of Abraham -Lincoln and at that time wrote a play, on the tragic and pathetic fate -of that illustrious American, expositive of his views of the motives of -Lincoln’s murderer. If we were to accredit the dates which are given as -authentic in various published sketches of his life,--which appear to -have been formally sanctioned,--we should find him to have reached only -to the age of five years and nine months when he walked in that -procession and wrote that play; we should find him,--according to such -wild statements,--when he acted, in Victoria, with Julia Dean and -Charles Kean, performing with those distinguished players about three -years after both of them had died; we should admire him when, before the -age of eleven, he was critically estimating the histrionic style of -Walter Montgomery; and when, between the ages of thirteen and fourteen, -he was giving counsel, which Raymond the comedian had solicited, -relative to the play of “The Gilded Age,” and also as acting as -amanuensis to Dion Boucicault. He states that Lawrence Barrett loved -John McCullough “like his son.” Barrett, born in 1838, was six years -younger than McCullough, born in 1832, and he could not have viewed that -stalwart comrade with anything like a paternal--or a filial--feeling. In -fact, though they dwelt in amicable association as managers and actors -(it would have been hard for anybody to dwell in association with -McCullough in any other way), there was no special affection between -them, as I personally know. Belasco’s statement that McCullough was at -one time Forrest’s dresser is incorrect. He admired Forrest and he -imitated him (until the veteran gruffly told him to leave off “making a -damned fool” of himself by so doing), but he never was Forrest’s servant -or lackey. Belasco says that Barrett’s first appearance as _Cassius_, in -“Julius Cæsar,” was made in 1870, in San Francisco, and that he “hated” -the part and wished to play _Antony_, but could not because it was -Walter Montgomery’s part,--the fact being that he played _Cassius_ for -the first time about 1855, when he was about seventeen years old, at the -Metropolitan Theatre, Detroit; that he _loved_ the part; that his -affinity with it was very strong, and that he esteemed it, as what -indeed it is, the moving impulse of the whole tragedy. Barrett first -played _Cassius_ in San Francisco March 9, 1869, at the California -Theatre, Edwards acting _Antony_; that is, about one year before -Montgomery visited San Francisco. I have talked with Barrett for hours -and hours about acting, and especially about the play of “Julius Cæsar,” -but I never heard him speak with enthusiasm about the part of _Marc -Antony_, or express any desire to act that part, though he thoroughly -understood it and knew its value. Another of Belasco’s mistaken -assertions is the assurance that Walter Montgomery,--who acted _Antony_ -with Barrett as _Cassius_ and McCullough as _Brutus_,--was enamoured of -an actress named Rose Massey; that he (Belasco) witnessed their first -encounter, on the stage of the California Theatre, when Montgomery was -smitten speechless at the sight of the young woman; that he soon married -her; and that, after a quarrel with her, he committed suicide, aboard a -ship bound for England. Inquiry would have corrected his memory. Poor -Montgomery (a genial fellow and a fine actor) was easily and often -enamoured: as was said of the poet Heine, “His heart was a good deal -broken in the course of his life.” Rose Massey was an ordinarily pretty -woman, one of the many devotees of the Blonde Troupe - -[Illustration: LAWRENCE BARRETT AS _CAIUS CASSIUS_. - -IN “JULIUS CAESAR” - - “_If we do meet again, we’ll smile indeed;_ - _If not, ’tis true this parting was well made!_” - --Act V. sc. 1 - - From a steel engraving. - - Author’s Collection.] - -manager, Alexander Henderson, and I remember her as a female at whom it -was easily possible to gaze without blinking. Montgomery never married -her. Walter Montgomery (Richard Tomlinson, 1827-1871: Montgomery was his -mother’s name) married an actress called Winnetta Montague. Her real -name was Laleah Burpré Bigelow. She had been the wife of a Boston -gentleman, Arnold W. Taylor. Montgomery met her on the stage at the -Boston Theatre. She was attracted by him, followed him to England, and -captured him. Their marriage occurred on August 30, 1871, and on -September 2, in a lodging in Stafford Street, Bond Street, London, he -committed suicide, by shooting, and he was buried in Brompton Cemetery. -Winnetta Montague returned to America, resumed acting, allied herself -with an Irish comedian named James M. Ward, died in New York, in abject -poverty, in 1877, and was buried by charitable members of the dramatic -profession. - -The excellent and famous personation of _Fagin_ which was shown -throughout our country by J. W. Wallack, the Younger, is ascribed by -Belasco to “Lester’s father,” J. W. Wallack, the Elder, who was “Jim” -Wallack’s uncle, and by whom the part was never played. The movable -stage introduced at the Madison Square Theatre in 1879 is designated -“an innovation” invented by Steele Mackaye, whereas, in fact, it was a -variant of the movable stage scheme introduced at Booth’s Theatre, in -1869, by Edwin Booth. - - “Looking over theatrical history,” Belasco exclaims, “has it ever - occurred to you how many players have based their fame _on just one - rôle_?--Salvini as _Othello_, Irving as _Mathias_, in “The Bells”; - Booth as _Hamlet_, Raymond as _Mulberry Sellers_, Sothern as - _Dundreary_, Emmet as _Fritz_, Jefferson as _Rip_, Mayo as _Davy - Crockett_, Chanfrau as _Kit_?... Most of these men struggled a - lifetime and gained recognition as creditable actors. Then, - suddenly, they struck a particular part, a sort of entertainment, a - combination of all the excellent things they had done throughout - their lives but never before had concentrated on one rôle. And - there you are! _Any other actor might have become just as famous if - Fate had thrown the part first in his way._ I have seen three - _Rips_,--that of Jefferson, that of Robert McWade, and finally that - of James A. Herne. This last was a wonderful characterization, with - all the softness and pathos of the part. I was a _Dwarf_, to - Herne’s _Rip_, in the Maguire’s Opera House days. But _Fate_ chose - to thrust forward Jefferson as the only _Rip_ that ever was or ever - could be. _I happen to know better._ Jefferson was never the - Dutchman; he was the Yankee personating the Dutchman. But James A. - Herne’s _Rip_ was the real thing.... These actors of one part are - like the favored children of heaven; they are handed something on a - golden platter, _already created by the author_. It is _to the - author_, _the director_, _the stage manager_, that the true credit - of the creation belongs. Jefferson did not really create _Rip_; - through a certain undeniable art of his _he_ simply put into - visible form what _Washington Irving_ in the story suggested and - Dion Boucicault so cleverly fitted to his personality for the - stage; _he utilized every bit of the descriptive business of the - tale_.” - -Seldom has so much error and injustice been packed into so small a -space! It is true that, in many instances, individual actors have -abundantly prospered by the long-continued repetition of a single -performance: this fact, I remember, was impatiently noticed many years -ago by Don Piatt, who testily expressed in a Washington newspaper an -ardent wish that old _Rip Van Winkle_ and old _Fanchon_ would get -married and both retire. It is not because the individual actor _finds_ -“a particular part, a sort of entertainment, a combination of all the -excellent things” he has done throughout his life, that he often becomes -most famous in one part; it is because, in every art, the artist’s range -of _supreme_ merit is, comparatively, narrow; no matter how well he can -do fifty things, he can, as a rule, do one thing best of all,--that -thing being always one for which, whether he happens to like it or not, -he possesses a peculiar capacity, one with which he possesses a close -artistic and physical affinity, so that, in the doing of it, he can -make an ampler and more effective display of his talents than he can -make in any other way; and also because the public (with a generally -sound instinctive preference for seeing an actor in the thing which he -can do best) insists on seeing him in it and will not go in large -numbers to see him in anything else. - -How much judgment is there in a statement which classifies performances -of _Othello_, _Mathias_, and _Hamlet_ among “entertainments”? Salvini -had played _nothing_ like _Othello_, Irving _nothing_ like _Mathias_, -Booth _nothing_ like _Hamlet_ before, respectively, they played those -parts. (Such performances as _Sellers_, _Fritz_, _Crockett_, and _Kit_, -well enough in their way, do not deserve thoughtful consideration as the -basis of histrionic “fame.”) “_Any other_ actor might have become _just -as famous_ if Fate had thrown the part first in _his way_!” That is, -according to this careless commentator, although a “one-part actor” -achieves his greatest success in a part which happens to combine “all -the excellent things,” the peculiar, individual merits, of _that special -actor_, nevertheless _any other_ actor could have achieved the same -success if he had been fortunate enough to receive the golden -opportunity first. Charles Harcourt played _Mathias_, under the name of -_Paul Zegers_, at the Alfred Theatre (the old Marylebone), London, in a -version of “The Polish Jew” by Frank Burnand, several months before -Irving ever played it--and Harcourt utterly failed in it. _Othello_ and -_Hamlet_ had been played by scores of contemporary actors before Salvini -and Booth, respectively, played those parts,--yet the effect produced by -those actors in those parts was not the less unique and extraordinary. -Irving’s _fame_ as an actor, moreover, rested and rests at least as much -on his _Hamlet_, _Shylock_, _King Louis_, _Mephistopheles_, and -_Benedick_ as on his _Mathias_. _Hamlet_ certainly was Booth’s most -typical performance, but also certainly he was more _popular_ as -_Richelieu_ than as _Hamlet_, and his _fame_ rests on that part and on -his _Brutus_, _Shylock_, _King Richard the Third_, and _Iago_ as much as -on his _Hamlet_. Salvini’s _fame_ rests as much on his _Corado_, -_Niger_, _King Saul_, and _Orosmane_ as on his _Othello_--and in all of -those parts he was finer than he was in _Othello_. Salvini, Irving, and -Booth were not “one-part actors,” nor does their fame rest on any one -performance, nor should the credit for their achievement be given to any -author, director, or stage manager--or to anybody but themselves. Booth, -Irving, and Salvini were stage directors and managers, and though they -did not write the parts which they acted, they certainly arranged them, -and as to some of them they supplied vital suggestions. The character -of _Mathias_, in “The Bells,” for instance, was completely reconstructed -by Leopold Lewis, _at Irving’s suggestion_, to adapt it to his -mysterious personality and peculiarities of style. _Lord Dundreary_, -when first given to Sothern by Laura Keene, was a wretched part, about -seventeen lines in length,--“a dyed-up old man” she called it, asking -him to accept it,--but the comedian eventually expanded it till it -dominated the play, and it is fair to say that, _literally_, he -“created” it. - - -THE FACTS ABOUT JEFFERSON’S _RIP_. - -Jefferson was a youth when he was first attracted to the part of _Rip -Van Winkle_. He had seen it played by his half-brother, Charles St. -Thomas Burke, who was esteemed by his contemporaries a great comedian, -and had acted in the play with him, as _Seth_. He has himself told me -that long before he attained a position in which he could publicly -assume it he frequently made up for it and rehearsed it in private. The -play that he at first used was one Burke had made, which Jefferson -tinkered and improved. There were at least ten plays on the subject in -existence _before_ Jefferson ever appeared as _Rip_, and eight recorded -performers of that part. The first _Rip_ was Thomas Flynn, the second -was Charles B. Parsons; both of them acted it in 1828,--a year before -Jefferson was born. Their successors were William B. Chapman, 1829; -James Henry Hackett, 1830; Frederick Henry Yates, 1831; William -Isherwood, 1833-’34; Joseph Jefferson, the second (our Jefferson’s -father), about 183(8?), and Charles Burke, 1849-’50, or earlier. -Jefferson first acted _Rip_ at Caruso’s Hall, in Washington, in 1859, -and he continued to act it for forty-five years. I first saw him in it, -in the season of 1859-’60, at the Winter Garden Theatre, New York, and -was deeply impressed by his performance, which almost ever since I have -extolled in the press as one of the greatest pieces of acting that have -been seen in our time. Down to 1865, Hackett, by birth a Hollander, was -highly esteemed as _Rip_, but neither he nor either of the actors above -mentioned was ever “just as famous” in it as Jefferson became, though -“Fate” had thrown it in their way long before that deity had thrown it -in his. His achievement has been more or less disparaged ever since he -first won the public suffrage in it. His success has been ascribed to -almost anything except the real cause,--for example, to Chance, to -“Fate,” to Dion Boucicault, and to me,--which is mere nonsense. -Jefferson’s wonderful artistic triumph as _Rip Van Winkle_ was due to -just one person--_himself_. He would have gained it if all the persons -who have been credited with “making him” had never lived. His -impersonation was entirely his own conception and construction--a work -of pure genius. The play that Boucicault, in 1865, in London, made for -him, on the basis of the old version which he had used for more than six -years, was largely fashioned after suggestions _made by Jefferson -himself_, the most important of which being that in the mysterious, -supernatural midnight scene on the lonely mountain top the ghosts should -remain silent and only the man should speak. Jefferson had the soul of a -poet, the mind of a dreamer, the eye of a painter, the imagination and -heart of a genius, and he was a consummate actor. As an executant in -acting he operated with exquisite precision, and his art was infiltrated -with light, geniality, and humor. “It is to the author, the director, -the stage manager that the true credit of the creation belongs,” writes -Belasco, himself an author, a director, and a stage manager, and -therefore not an altogether impartial witness; forgetful, also, that -Jefferson was experienced in all those callings. The author of a play -provides _the soul_ of a part, the actor provides _the body_ and -vitalizes it with all his being, and shapes and adorns it, _revealing_ -the soul, with all his art: - - “But by the mighty _actor_ brought, - Illusion’s _perfect_ triumphs come,-- - Verse ceases to be airy thought, - And Sculpture to be dumb!” - -Jefferson used only the skeleton of the story of _Rip Van Winkle_ as -told by Washington Irving, in “The Sketch Book” (1819): the character, -as he portrayed it, is quite different from the commonplace sot -designated by Irving. As to Boucicault’s version of the play--that -dramatist disparaged it, did not believe in it, and actually assured -Jefferson, just before the curtain rose on its first performance -(September 4, 1865, at the Adelphi Theatre, London), that it would -_fail_; and after he had seen Jefferson’s performance he said to that -comedian, “You are shooting over their heads,” to which Jefferson -answered, “I am not even shooting _at_ their heads--I am shooting _at -their hearts_.” He hit them. Later, Boucicault discovered what Jefferson -meant (he could see a church by daylight as well as another!), and paid -him the compliment of devising for himself an Irish _Rip Van Winkle_, -under the name of _Conn, the Shaughraun_, which he admirably acted, as -nearly as he could, in Jefferson’s spirit and manner. “Jefferson,” -writes Belasco, “was the _Yankee_ personating the Dutchman.” Another -mistake. “Yankee” is an epithet of disparagement which the British -contemptuously applied to the rural inhabitants of New England in the -time of the American Revolutionary War. Jefferson did not possess _any_ -of either the physical or mental qualities of a New Englander. He was of -English, Scotch, and French lineage. His grandfather was a Yorkshire -man; his father a Pennsylvanian; his mother a French lady (born in the -Island of San Domingo); himself a native of Philadelphia--and no more a -“Yankee” than J. A. Herne was, whose lineage was Irish, who was born at -Cohoes, New York, and whose performance of _Rip_ (a respectable one) was -based in part on Jefferson and in part on Hackett. It is idle to -disparage Jefferson as _Rip Van Winkle_. That impersonation will live in -theatrical history when all the Hernes, McWades, etc., are lost in -oblivion! - - - - -A LEADING LADY IN A PET. - - -Prior to presentment of “The Millionaire’s Daughter” (May 19, 1879) at -the Baldwin Theatre Maguire had made a contract requiring production -there, on May 24 and 25, of a play entitled “Cupid’s Lawsuit”: the -prosperous though not protracted career of Belasco’s melodrama was, -accordingly, interrupted on those dates and resumed on the 26th; it -ended on June 1. June 2 was signalized by the - -[Illustration: JOSEPH JEFFERSON AS _RIP VAN WINKLE_ - - “Und see, I come back, und my vife is gon’ und my home is gon’. My - home is gon’, und my chil’--my chil’ look in my face und don’ know - who I am!” - ---Act V. - - - - Photograph by Sarony. - - Author’s Collection.] - -primary appearance in San Francisco, made at the Baldwin, of the -dashing, sparkling actress Rose Coghlan, then in the flush of opulent -beauty and the pride of bounteous success. Miss Coghlan came to the -American Stage when she was a girl of twenty, performing at Wallack’s -Theatre, New York (the Thirteenth Street House), September 2, 1872, as -_Mrs. Honeyton_, in “A Happy Pair,” and in association with the Lydia -Thompson Troupe, as _Jupiter_, in a revival of “Ixion; or, The Man at -the Wheel.” She played many parts during the ensuing seven -years,--gaining a memorable triumph at Wallack’s, September 21, 1878, as -_Lady Teazle_, when “The School for Scandal” was revived there with a -cast including John Gilbert as _Sir Peter_, John Brougham as _Sir -Oliver_, Mme. Ponisi as _Mrs. Candor_, and Charles F. Coghlan as -_Charles Surface_. Miss Coghlan’s emergence on the California Stage was -an event which inspired eager public interest. She had been engaged by -Maguire (who paid her $500 a week for her services, a large salary at -any time and an immense one in those days) in compliance with the -fervent importunity of Belasco, and the latter was somewhat disconcerted -at finding her attitude toward him that of arrogant disdain. “Maguire -brought her to the stage, for the first rehearsal,” Belasco has said, -describing to me their meeting: “and she took her stand near the stage -manager’s table, where I sat. I rose to greet her, but she looked _over_ -me, _past_ me, and _through_ me; then she turned to Maguire and asked if -she might meet the stage manager. I was introduced to her, and at last -she condescended to _see_ me. ’What!’ she exclaimed: ’this _boy_ to be -my director, after I have come from Wallack’s! Never!’ It was rather an -embarrassing situation for me, but I had had too much experience of the -ways of leading ladies to take offence. ’Is it possible,’ she continued, -’that men like James O’Neill and Lewis Morrison act under the direction -of a _boy_! For my part, I won’t do it!’--and she turned toward where -Maguire had been standing, only to find that he had slipped -away,--delighted with my predicament,--leaving me to deal as best I -could with the celebrated actress _I_ had induced him to engage! ’Miss -Coghlan,’ I said, ’I trust you will find our stage competently managed; -at any rate, we’ll try to please you: for my part, I shall be most -thankful for any suggestions you may be kind enough to favor me with, -and you will not, I assure you, find me anxious to impose upon you any -business that might conflict with your own conceptions.’ With that, -O’Neill and Morrison came in, together, and I introduced them and called -the First Act. Before the rehearsal - -[Illustration: - - Photograph by Sarony. - - Belasco’s Collection. - -ROSE COGHLAN - - From an old photograph. - - The Albert Davis Collection. - -NINA VARIAN - -About 1879, when they first acted in San Francisco, under Belasco’s -direction] - -was over Miss Coghlan realized that, if I did look like a boy, I was not -quite the tyro she had supposed me to be; we were soon good friends, and -have always remained so.” - - - - -ROSE COGHLAN AND “THE MOONLIGHT MARRIAGE.” - - -Rose Coghlan began her season at the Baldwin as _Lady Gay Spanker_, in -“London Assurance,” with Nina Varian,--who, also, then made her first -appearance in San Francisco,--as _Grace Harkaway_, O’Neill as _Dazzle_, -and Morrison as _Charles Courtly_. During the four weeks that followed -Miss Coghlan was also seen in “The School for Scandal,” “A Sheep in -Wolf’s Clothing” and “A Scrap of Paper” (a double bill), a revival of -“The Danicheffs,” and “Seraphine; or, The Mother’s Secret.” On June 30 -occurred the “first production of the powerful romantic play in five -tableaux, by D. Belasco and James A. Herne,” entitled “The Marriage by -Moonlight”: the performance on the opening night was given for the -benefit of Company B, First Infantry, N. G. C. This play was specially -prepared for Miss Coghlan: it was based on Watts Phillips’ “Camilla’s -Husband,”--which was originally acted at the Royal Olympic Theatre, -London, November 10, 1862. The Belasco and Herne alteration of it was -thus cast at the Baldwin: - -_Lorraine_ James O’Neill. -_Felix_ Forrest M. Robinson. -_Harold_ Lewis Morrison. -_Lord Pippin_ John N. Long. -_Peeping Tom_ James A. Herne. -_Clarisse_ Rose Coghlan. -_Hazel_ Katherine Corcoran. -_Lady Challoner_ Kate Denin. -_Lady Aurelia_ Blanche Thorne. -_Elise_ Mollie Revel. - -On June 16 Lester Wallack, acting _Hugh Chalcotte_, in “Ours,” began, at -the California Theatre, his only engagement in San Francisco. Miss -Coghlan (who was to appear as a member of his theatrical company during -the season of 1879-1880) apprised him of the merits of “The Marriage by -Moonlight” (or “The Moonlight Marriage,” as, finally, it was -denominated), and, after witnessing a performance of that play, Wallack -expressed a desire to purchase it for representation at his New York -theatre, with Miss Coghlan in the central character. Herne, however, had -conceived a tentative plan of making this play the vehicle for a -co-starring venture, in the East, by his wife and himself, and Wallack’s -proposal was declined. Herne entertained an overweening, if natural, -estimate of his wife’s histrionic abilities. Belasco, in his “Story,” -referring to Augustin Daly’s well-known play of “Divorce,” gives this -sketch of their early acquaintance: - - “The manuscript arrived, but we had no one to play the woman’s - part, when a young girl came into the theatre and asked to see Mr. - Herne. Her name was Katherine Corcoran. When she was ushered in we - saw at a glance that we had found the heroine of ’Divorce.’ It - required a _petite_ woman, full of fascination, charm, intensity, - and with the power to weep. Of course, we did not know her - capacities, but she seemed full of promise. She was engaged at - once. When the time came for rehearsals she went quietly through - them,--an alien not particularly welcome to the company. ’Who is - she?’ they all asked, and the leading man came to Herne and myself, - and laid before us the numerous complaints he was receiving. As it - was very obvious that Herne was in love with her, and so likely to - be prejudiced, Maguire turned to me. ’She is going to make a - sensation,’ I said; ’I’ll stake my life on it.’ And she did, - becoming one of the big elements in our support and quite winning - the players. It was not long before she and Herne were married.... - No one ever owed more to a woman than he to little ’K. C.’” - -This recollection must refer not to the first San Francisco production -of “Divorce” (as Belasco says it does) but to a revival of that play. -Miss Corcoran was a pupil of Miss Julia Melville as late as 1877; she -gained her first experience as an actress in a stock company at -Portland, Oregon, and she joined the company at the Baldwin Theatre, -about September-October, 1877. She was married to Herne in April, 1878. -The first presentment of “Divorce” in San Francisco occurred at -Maguire’s New Theatre, August 31, 1874. The purpose of attempting to -make Miss Corcoran a star in Miss Coghlan’s part in “The Moonlight -Marriage” and the consequent rejection of Wallack’s offer were -injudicious in themselves and certainly disadvantageous to Belasco: had -that offer been accepted, he might have been established in New York -much sooner than he was.--The manuscript of “The Moonlight Marriage” was -ultimately consumed in a fire which destroyed the Herne home, called -Herne Oaks, at Southampton, Long Island, New York, December 11, 1909. - -After four performances of “The Moonlight Marriage” had been given at -the Baldwin it was suspended, in order to permit J. C. Williamson and -his wife, “Maggie” Moore, to fulfil an engagement there,--which they -did, presenting “Struck Oil” and “The Chinese Question” July 4 and -(afternoon as well as night) 5. The Belasco and Herne drama was restored -to the stage July 6 and ran till the 12th. On Sunday night, the 13th, a -performance was given at the Baldwin, “for the benefit of Belasco and -Herne,”--both “The Moonlight Marriage” and “Rip Van Winkle” being -compressed into the entertainment. - - - - -“L’ASSOMMOIR” AND A DOUBLE-BARRELLED BENEFIT. - - -The state of theatrical affairs in San Francisco had been for a -considerable time prior to midsummer, 1879, steadily declining, and -conditions at the Baldwin had become equivocal and perplexing. E. J. -Baldwin was actively at variance with Maguire, whose formal lease of the -theatre had expired on the preceding July 1, and the house was being -conducted, in “a hand to mouth” way, under some dubious arrangement of -expediency between Maguire and Charles L. Gardner. Heavy debts had been -contracted and credit had been exhausted. “That ’benefit,’” Belasco has -declared to me, “was urgently needed! Maguire was, among other things, -an inveterate gambler and would often stake every dollar the treasury -contained. Then, if luck went against him, he’d come and tell us -salaries could not be paid, because he had lost! The salaries _were_ -paid,--out of ’Lucky’ Baldwin’s pocket. But he had grown tired of -backing a losing game and, besides, he and Maguire had had some special -row,--I don’t now remember what it was about,--and Baldwin had withdrawn -his support. Expenses were very high: Miss Coghlan’s engagement had ’run -on’ and her $500 a week was a heavy drag: Herne and I had an interest, -and we simply had to have some ready money to keep us going,--so I -suggested a double-barrelled ’benefit’ as a way of getting it.” - -A particular reason for solicitude when this Belasco-Herne “benefit” was -projected was urgent desire to insure Rose Coghlan’s appearance--which -had been advertised--as _Gervaise_, in a play called “L’Assommoir.” -Émile Zola’s noxious novel of that name was published, in Paris, in -1878, and a stage synopsis of it, made by W. Bushnach and---- Gastineau, -was produced, January 18, 1879, at the Théâtre Ambigu-Comique. It is -interesting to note that Augustin Daly, who chanced to be in the French -capital soon afterward, witnessed a performance of it and, in a letter -written to his brother, the late Joseph Francis Daly, under date of -January 30, described it in these words: - - “‘L’Assommoir’ is a disgusting piece,--one prolonged sigh, from - first to last, over the miseries of the poor, with a dialogue - culled from the lowest slang and tritest claptrap. It gave me no - points that I could use, and the only novelty in it was in the - _lavoir_ scene, where two washwomen (the heroine and her rival) - throw pails of warm water (actually) over each other and stand - dripping before the audience.” - -Notwithstanding his correctly adverse opinion of “L’Assommoir” Daly was -induced, in deference to the wish of his father-in-law, John Duff, to -buy the American copyright of the work (for which he paid £200, -furnished by Duff), and to make a version of it, considerably -denaturized,--in five acts, containing twelve tableaux,--which he -produced at the Olympic Theatre, New York, April 30, 1879. It was a -complete failure. (The only memorable incident associated with that -production is that in it, as _Big Clémence_, Ada Rehan, the supreme -comedy actress of her day, made her first appearance under the -management of Daly.) On June 2 an adaptation of the French play, made by -Charles Reade, was brought out at the Princess’ Theatre, London,--which, -because of the extraordinarily effective acting in it of Charles Warner -(1847-1909), as _Coupeau_, achieved immediate and, unhappily, enduring -success. Maguire, reading in a newspaper dispatch of that London -success, undeterred by Daly’s New York failure (perhaps stimulated by -it), had at once asked Belasco to make a play on the subject for the -Baldwin Theatre. This, as soon as “The Moonlight Marriage” was launched, -Belasco had done,--basing his drama on an English translation of Zola’s -book and completing his work within one week. All concerned were hopeful -that this new drama of violent sensation would please the popular taste -and serve to set the Baldwin once more in the path of prosperity. It was -presented at that theatre July 15, 1879, and it was sufficiently -successful to gain and hold public interest for two weeks,--a result due -in part to the excellent acting with which it was illustrated, in part -to the dexterity of Belasco’s exacting stage management. A single -comparative incident is significantly suggestive: in Daly’s New York -production the fall of _Coupeau_ from a ladder was, palpably, made by -substituting a dummy figure for the actor who played the part: in -Belasco’s San Francisco presentment the fall of _Coupeau_ was so -skilfully managed that, on the opening night, it was for several moments -supposed by the audience that an actual accident had occurred. This was -the cast: - -_Coupeau_ James O’Neill. -_Lantier_ Lewis Morrison. -_Mes Bottes_ C. B. Bishop. -_Bibi-La-Grillade_ James A. Herne. -_Bec-Sali_ John N. Long. -_Pere Bazonge_ John W. Jennings. -_Goujet_ Forrest Robinson. -_Gervaise_ Rose Coghlan. -_Big Virginie_ Lillian Andrews. -_Mme. Boche_ Jean Clara Walters. -_Mme. Lorieleaux_ Mollie Revel. -_Nana_ Katherine Corcoran. -_Clémence_ Blanche Thorn. - - - - -A HOT WATER REHEARSAL. - - -Talking with me about this play, Belasco remarked: “We had a lively time -getting that piece licked into shape and produced. The cast was, -practically, an ’all star’ one (far finer, I know, than I could get -together to-day), several of the members having been specially engaged, -and it took a good deal of diplomacy to keep things tranquil and -everybody contented. I remember I had an even more disagreeable passage -with Lillian Andrews (who had been brought in to play _Big Virginie_) -than that at my first meeting with Miss Coghlan. The Washhouse Scene was -a hard one--you couldn’t fool with it; the only way to make it go was to -_do_ it!--and at the dress rehearsal Miss Andrews refused point-blank to -go through it as it was to be done at night. Both she and Miss Coghlan -were under dressed with close-fitting rubber suits to keep them dry; -but, even so, it was no fun to be drenched with hot soapy water, and I -was sorry for them. But, of course, the scene had to be properly and -fully rehearsed, and the upshot was I had to tell Miss Andrews she must -do her business as directed or leave the company. And, after a grand -row, we had the scene as it was to be at night. She and Coghlan and -everybody concerned were in such tempers by the time I finished reading -the riot act that everything was marvellously realistic; I doubt whether -it was ever quite so well done at a public performance!” - -Belasco’s “L’Assommoir” ran until July 30, when Miss Coghlan ended her -season in San Francisco. On the 31st Steele Mackaye’s “Won at Last” was -first performed at the Baldwin; and, on August 11, came little Lotta, in -“Musette,” “La Cigale,” and other plays, her engagement extending to -September 6. - - - - -THE PLAY OF “CHUMS.” - - -While thus employed at the Baldwin Theatre,--that is, at some time -between May and August, 1879,--Belasco was asked by James O’Neill to -write a play for his use and that of Lewis Morrison (1844-1906), his -intimate friend, and he had begun the adaptation of an old drama, which -he purposed to entitle “Chums.” His original intention was that this -should be produced with O’Neill and Morrison in the chief parts (those -actors being desirous of leaving the Baldwin Theatre stock company and -establishing themselves, under a joint business management, as -co-stars); but he had made no contract nor even mentioned his project, -and when, later, his adapted play, then incomplete, by chance became - -[Illustration: - - Photograph by Taber, San Francisco. - - Courtesy Mrs. Morrison. - -LEWIS MORRISON - - Photograph by Sarony. - - Belasco’s Collection. - -JAMES O’NEILL - -About 1880] - -known to Mr. and Mrs. Herne, with whom he was closely associated, he -acceded to a proposal which they made to form a partnership with them -for its production. Herne, who had first appeared in California in 1868, -was then well established in popular favor; moreover,--notwithstanding -that most of the actual labor of stage management devolved on -Belasco,--authoritative control of the Baldwin stage and, to a great -extent, selection of the plays to be represented at that theatre were -vested in Herne. His coöperation, therefore, was desirable, if, indeed, -it was not essential; he became a co-worker with Belasco, and between -them the play was finished. During the engagement of Lotta Herne -arranged for a tour of Pacific Slope towns by O’Neill and Morrison, -leading the Baldwin Dramatic Company, beginning at Sacramento, Sunday, -September 7, in a repertory which comprised “Diplomacy,” “A Woman of the -People,” “Pink Dominos,” “Won at Last,” “L’Assommoir,” and “Within an -Inch of His Life,” thus leaving the way clear for rehearsal and -production of “Chums.” Belasco and the Hernes were expectant of great -success for this play. Handsome scenery had been painted for it, and -ample provision had been made for the display of those accessories which -please the public taste for what is known as “realism.” The prospect -seemed bright. The first performance occurred on September 9, 1879, at -the Baldwin Theatre, Katharine Corcoran (Mrs. Herne) taking a benefit. -The result was a bitter disappointment. The receipts were extremely -small (“I remember,” writes Belasco, “that, one night, they were only -$17.50!”), and after a disheartening run of two weeks “Chums” was -withdrawn,--being succeeded by O’Neill and Morrison, in a revival of -“Won at Last.” This was the San Francisco cast of “Chums”: - -_Terry Dennison_} The Chums { James A. Herne. -_Ruby Darrell_ } { W. H. Haverstraw. -_Uncle Davy_ J. W. Jennings. -_Owen Garroway_ Charles B. Bishop. -_Mr. Ellingham_ A. D. Bradley. -_Foreman of the Mill_ H. Thompson. -_Clerk of the Mill_ Mr. Pierce. -_Mr. Parker_ E. Ambrose. -_Tom_ J. W. Thompson. -_Sleuth_ L. Paul. -_Chrystal_ Katherine Corcoran. -_Aunt Betsy_ Annie A. Adams. -_Little Chrystal_ Maude Adams. -_The Baby_ Herself. - -By this decisive failure Herne was much discouraged. Not so either -Belasco or Mrs. Herne, and on a suggestion made by the latter it was -determined to take the play on a tour into the East. “I took a benefit -at the Baldwin,” Belasco told me, “and it _was_ a benefit! Everybody -volunteered; Maguire [the manager of the Baldwin] gave us the use of the -theatre; the actors gave their services; the orchestra gave theirs; the -newspapers gave the ’ads.’ All that came in was clear gain, and I got a -little more than $3,000. That was our working capital.” - - - - -FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO CHICAGO. - - -With money thus raised on Belasco’s behalf, and with a play projected by -him, the business alliance was arranged,--the Hernes to have one-half -interest and Belasco the other. A company was engaged and the expedition -was undertaken,--the design being to act “Chums” in various cities on -the way to the Atlantic Seaboard, with hope of securing an opening in -New York and making a fortune. Ill luck, however, attended it. “Chums” -was played in Salt Lake City and other places, but everywhere in vain. -At last, the scenery having been seized for debt, the company was -disbanded and the partners, almost penniless, made their way to Chicago. -The chief managers in that city then were James Horace McVicker -(1822-1896) and Richard Martin Hooley (1822-1893). Both were besought -to produce “Chums” and both declined. “We were in a dreadful way,” said -Belasco, in telling me this story; “we had gone to the old Sherman House -and taken the smallest, cheapest rooms we could get, and Alvin Hurlbert, -the proprietor, had let our bills run. But at last they had run so long -we had to make an explanation,--and I did the explaining. It wasn’t an -easy thing to do,--though I’d done it before, in the early, wild days in -the West. But Hurlbert was very kind: ’I believe in you, my boy,’ he -said, ’and it’s all right,’--so we had a little more time to hustle in. -And we _hustled_! By chance Herne and I went into a kind of beer-garden, -called the Coliseum, kept by John Hamlin. There was a stage, and “Fred” -Wren, in “On Time,” was giving impersonations of German character,--sort -of imitation of J. K. Emmet in ’Fritz.’ The ’business’ was bad; there -weren’t thirty people in the house when Herne and I chanced in. I -immediately proposed to Hamlin that we bring out ’Chums,’ which we had -renamed ’Hearts of Oak.’ He agreed to let us have the theatre, but -Hamlin had no money to invest, so we had to get a production and -assemble a company, all without a cent of capital! However, we got -credit in one place or another, and did it,--a production costing -thousands, on credit, and without a dollar of our own in it! We had a -big success, although Hamlin’s Coliseum wasn’t much of a place.” - - - - -“HEARTS OF OAK.” - - -“Hearts of Oak” (“Chums”) is based on a melodrama called “The Mariner’s -Compass,” by an English dramatist, Henry Leslie (1829-1881), which was -first produced at Astley’s Theatre, London, in 1865, under the -management of that wonderfully enterprising person Edward Tyrrell Smith -(1804-1877), and was first acted in America, at the New Bowery Theatre, -New York, May 22, that year,--with Edward Eddy as _Silas Engleheart_, -the prototype of _Terry Dennison_, and Mrs. W. G. Jones as _Hetty -Arnold_, the prototype of _Chrystal_. It was announced in Chicago as -“Herne’s and Belasco’s American Play, in Five Acts and Six Tableaux,” -and it was first produced there on November 17, 1879, at Hamlin’s -Theatre,--I find no authority for calling it the Coliseum, but my -records of Chicago theatres in that period are meagre,--with this -cast,--Mrs. Herne (Katherine Corcoran) then making her first appearance -in that city: - -_Terry Dennison_ James A. Herne. -_Ruby Darrell_ Harry Mainhall. -_Uncle Davy_ William H. Crompton. -_Mr. Ellingham_ David Belasco. -_Owen Garroway_ Frank K. Pierce. -_Foreman of the Mill_ William A. Lavalle. -_Clerk of the Mill_ William Lawrence. -_Will Barton_ Lillie Hamilton. -_Chrystal_ Katherine Corcoran. -_Aunt Betsy_ Rose Watson. -_Little Chrystal_ Alice Hamilton. -_Tawdrey_ Dollie Hamilton. -_Mr. Parker_ J. A. Andrews. -_Tom_ J. Sherman. -_Sleuth_ T. Gossman. -_The Baby_ Herself - -After its production at Hamlin’s Theatre,--designated by Belasco as “a -big success,”--“Hearts of Oak” was taken on a tour, but was presently -brought back to Chicago, and on March 15, 1880, it was presented at -Hooley’s Theatre, where it was again received with public favor. In the -meantime the fact that it was in a considerable degree a variant of an -English play of earlier date had been perceived and made known, and -Hamlin, offended and resentful because Herne and Belasco, returning to -Chicago, had chosen to appear at Hooley’s instead of coming back to him, -announced a revival of the earlier play,--Leslie’s “The Mariner’s -Compass,”--with the title of “Hearts of Oak.” A suit at law followed, -the ultimate decision being that “The Mariner’s Compass,” unprotected by -American copyright, was free to any person in the United States who -might choose to use it, irrespective of its author’s moral rights, but -that the title of “Hearts of Oak” was owned by Herne and Belasco, in -association with their play, and could not lawfully be associated with -another. The inimical purpose of Hamlin was thus, in a measure, -defeated, but Belasco’s troubles did not stop there. Herne evinced much -displeasure on learning that Belasco’s play, on which he had co-labored, -was not strictly original. An alleged ground of Herne’s displeasure was -the lawsuit. “Why didn’t you tell me about “The Mariner’s Compass’?” he -said, reproaching Belasco: “_now_ I’ve a damned lawsuit on my hands!” -“Well,” Belasco rejoined, “I don’t see why I should have told you -anything about the old play; and, anyway, I don’t see what you have to -complain about. You ought to be mighty glad you’ve got a half-interest -in something worth a lawsuit to protect,--and you haven’t got the suit -on _your_ hands any more than I have on _mine_!” The actual ground of -Herne’s dissatisfaction, judging by his subsequent treatment of Belasco, -probably was his realization that, if he had, in the first place, been -made acquainted with “The Mariner’s Compass,” he could himself have -adapted that play to his own use without forming a partnership with -anybody. - - - - -FIRST VENTURE IN NEW YORK. - - -The success gained in Chicago and other cities relieved the -Belasco-Herne triumvirate from immediate pecuniary embarrassment, and -notwithstanding the existence of a latent and growing antagonism the -path to fortune seemed to have opened for them. From Chicago, after two -weeks at Hooley’s Theatre, those managers carried their play to New -York, an opening having been obtained through the agency of Brooks & -Dickson (Joseph Brooks [1849-1916] and James B---- Dickson, now [1917] -business manager for Robert B. Mantell), and “Hearts of Oak” was -presented, for the first time in the metropolis, March 29, 1880, at the -New Fifth Avenue Theatre, then opened under the management of Edward E. -Rice and Jacob Nunnemacher. This was the cast: - -_Terry Dennison_ James A. Herne. -_Ruby Darrell_ Harry Mainhall. -_Uncle Davy_ William H. Crompton. -_Mr. Ellingham_ J. W. Dean. -_Owen Garroway_ H. M. Brown. -_Foreman of the Mill_ J. S. Andrews. -_Clerk of the Mill_ William Lawrence. -_Will Barton_ Lillie Hamilton. -_Chrystal_ Katherine Corcoran. -_Aunt Betsy_ Henrietta Bert Osborne. -_Little Chrystal_ Alice Hamilton. -_Tawdrey_ Dollie Hamilton. -_Mr. Parker_ Mr. Harvey. -_Tom_ J. Sherman. -_Sleuth_ T. Gossman. -_The Baby_ Herself. - - - - -JAMES ALFRED HERNE. - - -James Alfred Herne (1839-1901) has been incorrectly and injudiciously -vaunted as a great, original, representative American dramatist. The -claim is preposterous. Herne was not a dramatist, he was a playwright -(that is, a mechanic, a _maker_ of plays, mechanically, from stock -material, precisely as a wheelwright is a maker of wheels), and as a -playwright he was less distinctive than as an actor. He adopted the -latter vocation in youth, first as an amateur, then as a member of a -stock company, making his first professional appearance at a theatre in -Troy, New York. He obtained good training. He participated in -performances of standard plays with some of the best actors who have -graced the American Stage,--among them James Booth Roberts (1818-1901), -Edward Loomis Davenport (1815-1877), and the younger James William -Wallack (1818-1873). He did not possess a tithe of the power and -versatility of Davenport, but he was deeply affected by the influence -of that noble actor, and he played several parts in close imitation of -him,--notably _Sikes_, in “Oliver Twist.” His dramatic instinct was -keen, but his mind was not imaginative and the natural bent of it was -toward prosy literalism. He was early, strongly, and continuously -dominated by the literal methods and the humanitarian and reformatory -spirit of the novels of Dickens. He liked the utilitarian and -matter-of-fact embellishments with which some of those novels abound, -and he was attracted by such characters as _Peggotty_, a part which he -acted and of which his performance was creditable. As an actor he aimed -to be photographic, he copied actual life in commonplace aspects as -closely as he could, and often he was slow, dull, and tedious. As a -playwright he was deficient in the faculty of invention and in the -originality of characterization. He tinkered the plays of other writers, -always with a view to the enhancement or introduction of graphic -situations. The principal plays with which his name is associated are -“Hearts of Oak,” “Drifting Apart,” “Sag Harbor,” “Margaret Fleming,” -“Shore Acres,” and “The Rev. Griffith Davenport.” “Hearts of Oak” is -Belasco’s revamp of “The Mariner’s Compass,” modified and expanded. The -characters in it are not American: they are transformed English -characters. It was not Herne’s plan, it was Belasco’s, to rehabilitate -the earlier play by Leslie, shift the places of the action, shuffle the -scenes, change the names of the persons, introduce incidents from other -plays, add unusual “stage effects,” and so manufacture something that -might pass for a novelty. In reply to a question of mine as to Herne’s -share in the making of “Hearts of Oak,” Belasco said “he did _a lot of -good work_ on it,” and when I asked for specification of that work I was -told “he introduced a lot of _Rip Van Winkle_ stuff.” “Drifting Apart” -is based on an earlier play, called “Mary, the Fisherman’s Daughter.” -“Sag Harbor” is a variant of “Hearts of Oak.” “Margaret Fleming” is -mainly the work of Mrs. Herne, and is one of those crude and completely -ineffectual pieces of hysterical didacticism which are from time to time -produced on the stage with a view to the dismay of libertines by an -exhibition of some of the evil consequences of licentious conduct. In -that play a righteously offended wife bares her bosom to the public gaze -in order to suckle a famished infant, of which her dissolute husband is -the father by a young woman whom he has seduced, betrayed, and abandoned -to want and misery: libertines, of course, are always reformed by -spectacles of that kind! (This incident, by the way, occurs, under other -circumstances, in the fourth chapter of “Hide and Seek,” by Wilkie -Collins, published in 1854.) “The Rev. Griffith Davenport” was deduced -from a novel called “The Unofficial Patriot,” by Helen H. Gardner. -“Shore Acres” is, in its one vital dramatic ingredient, derived from a -play by Frank Murdoch, called “The Keepers of Lighthouse Cliff,”--in -which Herne had acted years before “Shore Acres” was written. It -incorporates, also, many of the real stage properties and much of the -stage business,--the real supper, etc.,--used in “Hearts of Oak.” Its -climax is the quarrel of the brothers _Martin_ and _Nathan’l Berry_, the -suddenly illumined beacon, kindled by _Uncle Nat_, and the hairbreadth -escape of the imperilled ship,--taken, without credit, from Murdoch’s -drama. Herne localized his plays in America and, to a certain extent, -treated American subjects, but he made no addition to American Drama, -and his treatment of the material that he “borrowed” or adapted never -rose above respectable mediocrity. It was as an actor that he gained -repute and merited commemoration. He was early impressed by the example -of Joseph Jefferson and was emulative of him: he appeared in Jefferson’s -most famous character, _Rip Van Winkle_, but he did not evince a -particle of that innate charm, that imaginative, spiritual quality, -which irradiated Jefferson’s impersonation of the pictorial vagabond -and exalted it into the realm of the poetic ideal. Herne earnestly -wished for a part in which he might win a popularity and opulence in -some degree commensurate with those obtained by Jefferson as _Rip Van -Winkle_: he eventually found it, or something like it, in _Terry -Dennison_, in “Hearts of Oak,” which he acted, far and wide, for many -years, and by which he accumulated a fortune of about $250,000. The -influence of his acting, at its best, was humanitarian and in that -respect highly commendable.--On April 3, 1878, Herne and Katherine -Corcoran were wedded, in San Francisco,--that being Herne’s second -marriage. His first wife was Helen Western. He was a native of Cohoes, -New York. The true name of this actor was James Ahearn, which, when he -adopted the profession of the Stage, he changed to James A. Herne. It is -given in the great register of San Francisco as James Alfred Herne. His -death occurred, June 2, 1901, at No. 79 Convent Avenue, near 145th -Street, New York. - - - - -ANALYSIS OF “HEARTS OF OAK.” - - -I remember the first performance of “Hearts of Oak” in New York. The -play was a patchwork of hackneyed situations and incidents, culled and -refurbished from such earlier plays as “Little Em’ly,” “Rip Van Winkle,” -“Leah the Forsaken,” and “Enoch Arden.” Some of those situations were -theatrically effective, and the quality of the fabric was instinct with -tender feeling. The articulation of the parts, meaning the mechanism, -indicated, to some extent, an expert hand,--which unquestionably its -chief manipulator, Belasco, possessed, and which he has since more amply -shown. The element of picture, however, exceeded that of action, and the -element of commonplace realism, manifested partly in the drawing of -character, partly in the dialogue, and largely in the accessories and -stage business, was so excessive as to be tiresome. Real water, real -beans, real boiled potatoes, and various other ingredients of a real -supper, together with a real cat and a real (and much discontented) -baby, were among the real objects employed in the representation. Such -things, particularly when profusely used in a play, are injurious to -dramatic effect, because they concentrate attention on themselves and -distract it from the subject and the action to be considered. -Accessories should blend into the investiture of a play and not be -excrescences upon it. There is, however, a large public that likes to -see on the stage such real objects as it customarily sees in the -dwelling or the street,--a real fireplace, - -[Illustration: - -From a photograph by (Stevens?). The Albert Davis Collection. - -JAMES A. HERNE] - -a real washtub, a real dog, a real horse, all the usual trappings of -actual life: that is the public which finds its chief artistic pleasure -in _recognition_. It was present on many occasions during the career of -“Hearts of Oak,” and with this plethora of real and commonplace objects -it was much pleased. - -In the story of “Hearts of Oak” a young man, _Ruby Darrell_, and a young -woman, _Chrystal_ (_Dennison?_), who love each other and wish to wed, -privately agree to abnegate themselves in order that the young woman may -marry their guardian and benefactor, _Terry Dennison_, out of gratitude -to him. This immoral marriage is accomplished and in time the wife -becomes a mother. In time, also, the injured guardian discovers,--what, -if he had possessed even ordinary discernment, he would have discovered -in the beginning,--that his wife’s affections are fixed on _Darrell_. -The miserable _Dennison_ then goes away, after privately arranging that -if he does not return within five years _Darrell_ shall wed with -_Chrystal_. Six years pass; _Dennison_ is reported to have perished at -sea in the wreck of a Massachusetts ship, and _Chrystal_ and _Ruby_ -erect a churchyard monument to his memory. Then _Chrystal_, believing -herself to be a widow, marries her lover. But the desolate husband is -not dead; he reappears, blind, destitute and wretched, on the wedding -day, and in a colloquy with his child, outside of the church within -which the marriage is being solemnized and seated on the base of his -memorial among the graves, he ascertains the existent circumstances and -presently expires, while his wife and little daughter pitifully minister -to him as to a stranger. The misery and pathos of the experience and -situation are obvious. It is also obvious that, in the fulfilment of a -central purpose to create a situation and depict a character instinct -with misery and pathos, the element of probability was disregarded. The -chief part is that of the injured, afflicted, suffering guardian, who, -as a dramatic character, is a variant of _Enoch Arden_ and _Harebell_. - -In acting _Dennison_, Herne, while often heavy and monotonous, gained -sympathy and favor by the simplicity of his demeanor, his facile -assumption of manliness, and his expert simulation of deep feeling; but -he did nothing that had not been done before, and much better done, by -other actors,--in particular, by Edwin Adams in _Enoch Arden_, and by -William Rufus Blake and Charles Fisher in _Peggotty_ and kindred parts, -of which the fibre is rugged manliness and magnanimity. Katherine -Corcoran, playing _Chrystal_, gave a performance that was interesting -more by personality than by art. She had not then been long on the -Stage. She was handsome, graceful, and winning, of slender figure, with -an animated, eagerly expressive face, blue-gray eyes, silky brown hair, -and a sweet voice. In calm moments and level speaking she was efficient. -In excitement her vocalism became shrill and her action spasmodic. -Scenery of more than common merit, painted by William Voegtlin, was -provided to embellish the play, at the Fifth Avenue Theatre. One -picture, in particular, representing a prospect of a tranquil seacoast, -was excellent in composition, true and fine in color, and poetic in -quality; another effectively portrayed a broad expanse of troubled sea, -darkening ominously under a sombre sky tumultuous with flying scud. -Herne somewhat improved the play in the course of his protracted -repetitions of it, after he parted from Belasco, but he always retained -in it the “real” trappings which Belasco had introduced. Both those -actors, as playwrights, were conjunctive in favor of “limbs and outward -flourishes,”--the “real tubs” of _Mr. Crummles_. - - - - -FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. - - -The play, which without Belasco’s consent or knowledge was announced in -New York as “by James A. Herne” (mention being made, in the programme, -that it was remotely based on “The Mariner’s Compass,” but, practically, -was Herne’s original composition!), failed there. Belasco states, in his -“Story,” that it was produced in “the summer time,” and adds that -“notwithstanding the play’s success, we could not combat the intense -humidity.” That statement is incorrect. March is not summer, and it was -not “intense _humidity_” but intense _frost_ that could not be combated. -The business was further injured by the fact that Herne was on several -occasions incapacitated to appear, and Belasco replaced him as _Terry -Dennison_. The initial expenses had been heavy, the profit was soon -almost dissipated, the engagement was ended April 16, and, on going to -Philadelphia, to fulfil an engagement at Mrs. Drew’s Arch Street -Theatre, the partners quarrelled. Herne there expressed to Belasco his -opinion that the play was rubbish, that he was wasting his time by -acting in it, and proposed that Belasco should buy his half interest, -for $1,500, or that he should buy Belasco’s for the same -amount,--“knowing,” Belasco has told me, “that I had not drawn any of my -share of the profits, while there were any; that I had been living and -keeping my family, in San Francisco, on $50 a week (I was allowed that -and talked to all the time about ’the barrels of money “Dave” would have -at the end of the season’!), and also knowing that I didn’t have -fifteen hundred cents!” Herne, after profuse condemnation of the play -and harsh censure of Belasco, in which he was sustained by his business -associate, Frederick W. Burt, finally obtained Belasco’s signature to an -agreement to sell to Herne, for $1,500, all his half-interest in “Hearts -of Oak,” and so that play became Herne’s exclusive property. The -purchase money was not paid, but Herne gave a promissory note for it. -Later, realizing that he had acted imprudently, Belasco called on his -friend Mrs. John Drew, informed her of the business, and asked her -advice. That eminently practical lady was both sympathetic and -indignant. She commended him to her attorneys, Messrs. Shakespeare and -Devlin, and desired that they should see what could be done “for this -boy.” There was, however, little to do. “You are of age,” said Devlin, -“you’ve signed an agreement; you’ll have to stand by it,--but I’ll get -you the $1,500. The first thing is to find where Herne banks.” That -information was easily obtained, and Belasco and Devlin repaired to the -bank,--where they met Herne coming out, and where, a few moments later, -they were told that he had withdrawn his money and closed his account. -The $1,500 was not paid until several years later, when Belasco, then -employed at the Madison Square Theatre, New York, stated the facts to -Marshall H. Mallory, one of the managers of that house, and, with -assistance of his lawyers, obtained from Herne payment of the debt, with -interest. - - - - -SAN FRANCISCO AGAIN. - - -Meantime, Belasco had been left in a painful predicament. “I had,” he -told me, “quite honestly, but very extravagantly, painted our success in -brilliant colors when writing to my dear wife,--and there I was, in -Philadelphia, without enough money to pay my fare back to San Francisco, -and nobody to borrow from. I went, first, to New York, hoping to get -employment, but luck was against me--I could get nothing, and I spent -three nights on the benches in Union Square Park. I met Marcus Mayer, a -friend of mine, in the Park one morning, and he got part of my story -from me, lent me some money, and promised to try to help me further. But -I had to get to San Francisco, and as soon as he lent me a little money -I made up my mind to _start_. It took me eighteen days to make the trip, -but I did it,--paying what I could, persuading conductors and brakemen -to let me ride free, if only for a few miles, and, when I was put off, -stealing rides on anything that was going. I got there, but it was a -pretty wretched homecoming. I had to swallow any pride I had left and -go to work again at the Baldwin,--where I’d been stage manager and -playwright and amounted to something,--and where now I played -anything,--‘bits,’ mostly,--given me: I got only $25 a week.” - -The story of Belasco’s venture with “Hearts of Oak” has been told -minutely for the reason that it involves his first determined effort to -break away from what he viewed as thraldom in the Theatre of San -Francisco, and make for himself a position in the metropolis of the -country. The failure of that effort was a bitter humiliation and -disappointment to him. It did not, however, weaken his purpose. After he -rejoined the Baldwin he was not long constrained to occupy a subservient -position. - - - - -BELASCO’S RECOLLECTIONS OF ADELAIDE NEILSON. - - -One of the associations of Belasco’s professional life much prized by -him is that with the lovely woman and great actress Adelaide Neilson. -Miss Neilson first appeared in San Francisco, March 10, 1874, at the -California Theatre, acting _Juliet_,--of which part she was the best -representative who has been seen within the last sixty years. During her -engagement at the California, which lasted till March 30, and in the -course of which she acted _Rosalind_, _Lady Teazle_, _Julia_, in “The -Hunchback,” and _Pauline_, in “The Lady of Lyons,” as well as _Juliet_, -Belasco was employed in the theatre, acting as an assistant to the -prompter, and participating as a super in all the plays that were -presented. “Little a thing as it is,” he has said to me, “I have always -been proud to remember that I danced with her, in the minuet, in ’Romeo -and Juliet,’ the first night she ever played in our city. I never saw -such wonderful eyes, or heard a voice so silver-toned, so full of -pathos, so rich and thrilling. I shall never forget how deeply affected -I was when, in the dance, for the first time I touched her hand and she -turned those wonderful eyes on _me_.” - -When Belasco was re-employed at the Baldwin Miss Neilson was acting -there, in the second week of her farewell engagement, which began on -June 8. On July 17 that engagement closed, and one of the brightest yet -saddest of theatrical careers came to an end. Belasco, always closely -attentive to his stage duties, never depended on anybody but himself to -give the signals for raising and lowering the curtain, and, on that -night, he “rang down” on the last performance Adelaide Neilson ever -gave. The bill was the Balcony Scene, from “Romeo and Juliet,” and the -play of “Amy Robsart.” In the course of the performance Belasco, after -the Balcony Scene, went to assist her in descending from the elevated -platform and, as she came down, she laid a hand on his shoulder and -sprang to the stage,--losing a slipper as she did so. Belasco took it -up. “You may keep it,” she said, “for Rosemary,”--and, says Belasco, -“having thanked her I nailed it, then and there, to the wall by the -prompter’s stand and there it stayed, as a mascot, for years.” Referring -to that last night of her stage career, Belasco has written the -following reminiscence: - - -THE BLACK PEARL. - - - “Like other stars of the day, Miss Neilson expressed a desire to - give every member of her company a memento. I was waiting at the - green-room door to escort her to the hotel, when she called me into - her dressing-room. ’You are so weird and mysterious, and perhaps I - may never see you again. Look over those things and choose - something for yourself.’ On her dressing-room table she had piled - all her wonderful jewels, a fortune of immense value. I remember - that her maid, a little deformed woman, stood by me as I hesitated. - ’Yes, to bring you luck,’ she replied and there was a faint chuckle - in her throat. Rubies, diamonds, emeralds--they dazzled my eyes. I - finally reached forward and picked a black pearl. I said, ’I’ll - take this.’ Miss Neilson’s face turned white, and she closed her - eyes. ’Oh, David, why do you ask for that?’ she cried, and I - dropped it as though I had done an evil thing. ’I’m superstitious,’ - she confessed. ’My trunk is full of nails, horseshoes, and the - luckiest thing of all is that little black pearl. I dislike to - refuse you anything, but I know you will understand.’ I hastily - selected a small emerald, and with a feeling almost of temerity I - left the room. All during the farewell supper that followed she - would bring the conversation back to the strangeness of my choice, - until I thought she would never cease, and just on my account. ’If - I gave up that pearl, I shouldn’t live a month. Some one told me - that, and I believe it,’ she said. - - “When she left on the morrow she made me promise that if I ever - visited London I would seek her out, but that was the last I saw of - Adelaide Neilson. She had gone no farther than Reno when she wrote - me, sending me a little package in which was buried the black - pearl. ’I cannot get your voice out of my mind,’ she wrote. Six - months afterwards she died in a little French village. She had - returned tired and dusty to the inn from a ramble in the leafy - lanes of Normandy, and, drinking a glass of ice-cold milk, was - suddenly dead in an hour. [She died in less than _one_ - month--August 15, 1880, at a châlet, in the Bois de Boulogne, - Paris, becoming ill while driving.--W. W.] - - “Of course I had told my family the incident, and one afternoon, - while I was out, my mother went to my room, and, for fear of - ill-luck pursuing me, destroyed the black pearl. Such incidents - have been put into plays and audiences have laughed over the - improbability, but here’s an indisputable fact. Charge it to the - long arm of coincidence, if you will, but in my own career I have - met so many occurrences that are stranger than fiction that I - cannot doubt the workings of coincidence any longer. - - “Often during this engagement she had spoken of Mr. William Winter - in terms of gratitude and respect, and that the sentiment must have - been mutual we have ample verification in his many valuable books. - From these pages we of to-day are able to recreate once more the - golden art of the greatest _Juliet_ of all times. ’Dear William - Winter,’ I remember hearing her say, ’how much I have to thank him - for help and advice!’” - - -MISS NEILSON’S GOOD INFLUENCE. - -Adelaide Neilson, whatever may have been the errors of her early life, -was intrinsically a noble woman, and any man might well be proud to have -gained her kindly interest. In the often abused art of acting, to pass, -as she did, from the girlish glee and artless merriment of _Viola_ to -the romantic, passion-touched, tremulous entrancement of _Juliet_, -thence to the ripe womanhood of _Imogen_, and finally to the grandeur of -_Isabella_, is to fill the imagination with an ideal of all that is -excellent in woman and all that makes her the angel of man’s existence -and the chief grace and glory of the world. All acting is illusion: “the -best in this kind are but shadows.” Yet she who could thus fill up the -measure of ideal beauty surely possessed glorious elements. Much for her -own sake is this actress remembered--much, also, for the ever “bright -imaginings” she prompted and the high thoughts that her influence -inspired and justified as to woman’s nature. As the poet bore in his -heart the distant, dying song of the reaper, “long after it was heard -no more,” so and with such feeling is her acting treasured in memory. -Woman, for her sake and the sake of what she interpreted, has ever been, -by those who saw and knew her, more highly prized and reverenced,--a -beneficent result the value of which cannot be overstated. As Byron -wrote: - - “The very first - Of human life must spring from woman’s breast; - Your first small words are taught you from her lips; - Your first tears quenched by her, and your last sighs - Breathed out in woman’s hearing.” - - - - -“PAUL ARNIFF.” - - -During Miss Neilson’s engagement at the Baldwin Belasco’s indefatigible -industry had been bestowed on a play, modelled on “The Danicheffs,”--a -drama on a Russian subject which had been produced at the Union Square -Theatre, New York, February 5, 1877. His play, named “Paul Arniff; or, -The Love of a Serf,” was derived in part from “The Black Doctor,” and -was announced as “founded on one of the very best pieces ever produced -at the Porte St. Martin Theatre, Paris.” It was not remarkable, being a -loosely constructed melodrama,--some portions of which were well devised -and - -[Illustration: ADELAIDE NEILSON - - “_And O, to think the sun can shine,_ - _The birds can sing, the flowers can bloom,_ - _And she, whose soul was all divine,_ - _Be darkly mouldering in the tomb_!” - --W. W. - - From a miniature on porcelain. - - Author’s Collection.] - -cleverly written, while other portions were clumsy and turgid. It -depicted the experience of a Russian serf, _Paul Arniff_, who, loving an -imperious woman of exalted social station, _Marianna Droganoff_, and -finding his passion played with, first forced that disdainful female -into marriage with him (as an alternative to drowning with him, on a -remote tidal island to which he had lured her), and subsequently, -raising himself to distinction by development of his natural talents, -gained her genuine affection, and made her happy. Recalling the -production of that play, Belasco writes: “At the time ’Paul Arniff’ was -put into rehearsal there was in the Baldwin company a tall, slender -young woman of singular complexion and striking appearance, whose stage -name was Adelaide Stanhope. She came from Australia, where she had -gained some reputation, but she had had no good opportunity at the -Baldwin and was discouraged and dissatisfied. She and I had become -friends, she was cast for the heroine of my play and, knowing the cause -of her discontent and wishing to help her, I built up her character all -I could during rehearsals,--O’Neill, ever chivalrous, generous and -sympathetic, acquiescing, though it encroached a good deal on his own -part: but the success she made and her consequent happiness more than -repaid us both. She afterward became the wife of Nelson Wheatcroft, -with whom I was associated at the Lyceum and the Empire, in New -York.”--The Baldwin stock company, succeeding Miss Neilson, presented -“Paul Arniff” on July 19, 1880, and acted in that play for one week. -This was the cast: - -_Paul Arniff_ James O’Neill. -_Count Andrea Droganoff_ James O. Barrows. -_Baron Woronoff_ John Wilson. -_M. de Verville_ ---- Doud. -_Father Eliavna_ ---- Nowlin. -_Marianna_ Adelaide Stanhope. -_Princess Anna Orloff_ Jean Clara Walters. -_Countess Droganoff_ Kate Denin. -_Wanda_ Blanche Thorne. -_Tforza_ Nellie Wetherill. - - - - -WANING FORTUNES AT THE BALDWIN. - - -Adelaide Neilson’s farewell season at the Baldwin Theatre (during which -it was guaranteed that she should receive not less than $500 a -performance) was almost the last notably remunerative engagement filled -there during Maguire’s tenancy of that house. Indeed, theatrically, “the -most high and palmy state” of San Francisco was passed, and the history -of the Baldwin, and of the stock company at that theatre, for the two -years which followed (July, 1880, to July, 1882), is one of anxious -striving, strenuous endeavor, often brilliant achievement, public -indifference, defeated hopes, declining fortunes, fitful renewals of -prosperity quickly followed by periods in which bad business grew always -a little worse, and ultimate failure and disintegration. When Belasco -began his effort to rehabilitate and reëstablish himself there, “playing -mostly bits,” as he expressed it to me, James H. Vinson and Robert -Eberle were, officially, in charge of the stage and, though he did much, -if not most, of the actual labor of stage management, his services were -not publicly acknowledged. For reasons of business expediency, -therefore, he, for a time, reverted to use of the name of Walter -Kingsley, which appears in various programmes. After a few weeks, -however, Eberle withdrew from the stage, devoting himself to business -affairs of the theatre, and Belasco soon worked back into his former -place as director and playwright. His “Paul Arniff” was followed, July -26, by the first presentment of a drama, taken from the French, entitled -“Deception,” by Samuel W. Piercy, who personated the chief character in -it, _Raoul de Ligniers_. Later, that play, renamed “The Legion of -Honor,” was presented by Piercy in many cities of our country: it was -brought out at the Park Theatre, New York, on November 9, 1880. That -capital actor Frederic de Belleville, coming from Australia, made his -first appearance in America when it was acted at the Baldwin. -“Deception” was followed, August 9, by “An Orphan of the State” (known -to our Eastern Stage as “A Child of the State”), and, on August 16, by -the first appearance of John T. Malone, who performed as -_Richelieu_,--Barton Hill playing _De Mauprat_. Belasco greatly liked -Malone and, in his “Story,” gives this glimpse of him: - - - - -AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE,--JOHN T. MALONE. - - - “An oldtime companion of mine at this period was John T. Malone, - studying for the Catholic priesthood. But beneath the cassock my - friend harbored a great love for the Stage, and among his intimate - circle had won quite a reputation as a Shakespearean scholar. I - remember the morning he came to the Baldwin Theatre and told me the - story of his ambition. I engaged him at once, struck by his - personality! ’I’ve been waiting many years,’ said he, and now the - time has come.’... Later, he supported Booth and Barrett and his - name will ever be associated with that splendid gentleman who - founded The Players. As the years passed he became a victim of - Time’s revenges; nurtured in the blank verse school, his - engagements became fewer and fewer until they utterly dwindled - away. Often I picture him as an actor of exceedingly great talent, - but it had no outlet for its practical use. His is one of the many - sad cases in the theatrical world of ’exits’ marked by poverty and - loneliness.” - -I know not whether Malone ever studied for the priesthood: I know, -however, that he was educated for the profession of law, and that in his -young manhood he practised law in San Francisco. He was born in 1854, I -believe in that city, and he died in New York, January 15, 1906: he -richly merited commemoration. He was a good man and a talented, zealous, -reverent servant of the Stage. No actor of our time more dearly loved -his profession or more devoutly and unselfishly labored in its support, -though his career was not attended with any specially brilliant -achievements or extraordinary incidents. He was a careful and thoughtful -student of Shakespeare, and his acquaintance with the works of the great -dramatist was intricate, extensive, and minute. He wrote much upon that -subject, and his contributions to contemporary magazines, in the vein of -Shakespearean criticism, are of peculiar interest. In his domestic life -he was unfortunate and unhappy, but to the last he retained a -philosophical spirit and a genial mind. As a comrade, among intellectual -men, he was both loved and admired,--because his nature was noble, his -heart was kind, his taste was pure, his mind was rich, and his manners -were gentle. It was a pleasure to know him, and the remembrance of him -lingers sweetly in the recollection of a few old friends. - - - - -“TRUE TO THE CORE.” - - -On August 18 H. J. Byron’s comedy of “The Upper Crust” was played at the -Baldwin, in conjunction with the burlesque opera of “Little Amy -Robsart,” and that double bill held the stage for a fortnight. During -that time Belasco completed an adaptation of the “prize drama” by T. P. -Cooke, entitled “True to the Core,”--first acted at the Bowery Theatre, -New York, December 17, 1866. It had been seen in San Francisco twelve -years earlier, in its original form. I have been able to find only a -mutilated programme of the performance of Belasco’s version, August 30, -1880, which gives part of the cast as follows: - -_Truegold_ James O’Neill. -_Geoffrey Dangerfield_ Frederic de Belleville. -_Lord High Admiral of England_ A. D. Bradley. -_Marah_ Adelaide Stanhope. -_Mabel Truegold_ Lillian Andrews. -_Queen Elizabeth_ Eva West. - -“True to the Core” is an old-fashioned melodrama, of which the hero, -_Truegold_, is an English pilot who passes through many “moving -accidents by flood and field,” being seized by treasonous conspirators, -placed on board a vessel of the Spanish Armada, which he pilots upon a -rock, instead of into Portsmouth Harbor, and who is in danger, -subsequently, of losing his head on the block rather than break his -word, but who is followed, served, and ultimately saved by a gypsy -woman, _Marah_, whom he has befriended. It was played for one week to -audiences of fair size and was succeeded, in order, by William G. Wills’ -“Ninon,”--acted September 6, for the first time in America,--“Aladdin -Number Two; or, The Wonderful Scamp,” “Forget Me Not,” Bartley -Campbell’s “The Galley Slave,” the same author’s “Fairfax,” and “Golden -Game,”--all produced under Belasco’s care, and all, unhappily, performed -to lessening receipts. - -The next incident of note at the Baldwin was the coming of William E. -Sheridan, who opened there November 15, playing _King Louis the -Eleventh_, and whose advent brought back a measure of prosperity to the -theatre. Belasco, in his “Story,” records this remembrance and estimate -of Sheridan: - - - - -A STERLING ACTOR AND AN INTERESTING ESTIMATE:--WILLIAM E. SHERIDAN. - - -“We were sadly in need of an attraction at this time, and so, when W. E. -Sheridan arrived, from Philadelphia, which city pointed to him with much -just pride, we engaged him at a nominal salary, and immediately he -soared into popularity, being acclaimed one of the most versatile actors -who had ever visited the Coast. Three times his engagement was extended, -for the people of San Francisco were loath to let him depart. His -_Othello_ was a scholarly performance; ’A New Way to Pay Old Debts’ -increased his popularity, as did also ’The Fool’s Revenge,’ ’The Lyons -Mail,’ and _Shylock_. He was essentially a virile actor, forceful and -with a magnetic voice that was music in the ear. And I have seen many a -_Louis the Eleventh_, but he was the greatest of them all, not even -excepting that wonderful genius, Sir Henry Irving. Success found him -greatly astonished, for when he left Philadelphia he was practically -unknown to any but his townspeople, and now when his name was heralded -abroad, the East listened with a certain curiosity. As we played to -crowded houses and the applause floated to his dressing-room, he could -scarcely credit this sudden fame which had fallen upon him. More than -once Sheridan turned to me and said: ’I’ve found it all out now when it -is too late.’” - - * * * * * - -Belasco’s estimate of Sheridan is interesting and it should be -preserved--because it _is_ Belasco’s: the opinion of the foremost stage -manager of his time, about any actor, should be of interest. It would, -however, be far more instructive and valuable if the _reasons_ for it -were also given: but in a long experience I have found few commentators -on acting who give reasons for their declared opinions. _Why_ Sheridan -should have felt that he had “found it all out when it was too late” -passes my understanding,--because, in 1880, he was in the very prime of -life, forty years of age; contrary to Belasco’s impression, he was well -known throughout our country, and, moreover, he continued to be -abundantly successful for more than six years after his initial -appearance in San Francisco. He was a sterling actor and richly deserved -success. I knew him and liked him much. He took up “King Louis XI.” -because of the immense impression created by Irving’s revival of that -play at the London Lyceum, March 9, 1878, and he gave an effective and -admirable performance in it. Nevertheless, he was not, in my judgment, -even for a moment rightly comparable in the part with Irving,--because -nowhere in his embodiment of _Louis_ did he reveal even an approximate -of the wonderful personality, the indomitable intellect, the inerrant -apprehension of subtle traits of complex character, or the faculty of -identification, the grim menace, the baleful power, the grisly humor, or -the exquisite felicity of expressive art with which Irving displayed his -ideal of that human monster of cruelty and guile. Such acting as that -of Henry Irving in the scene of _King Louis’_ confessional, the scene of -his paroxysm of maniacal wrath, the scene of his supplication for life, -and the scene of his august and awful death, opens the depths of the -human heart, lays bare the possible depravity of human nature, depicts a -great character in such a way as to illumine the historic page, and -conveys a most solemn monition on the conduct of life. - -During his first engagement in San Francisco Sheridan acted _Rover_, in -“Wild Oats”; _Lesurques_ and _Dubosc_, in “The Lyons Mail”; _Claude -Melnotte_, _Shylock_, _Richelieu_, _Othello_, _Hamlet_, and _Sir Giles -Overreach_, in “A New Way to Pay Old Debts.” Laura Don, making her first -appearance in San Francisco, November 24, played _Lady Amaranth_ to his -_Rover_, and _Julie_ to his _Lesurques_: Lillie Eddington played -_Pauline_, _Portia_, and other leading female parts with him. He was -supported by “the new Baldwin Company,” which had been organized just -prior to his coming to San Francisco, and which included Joseph R. -Grismer and “Harry” Colton. All the plays were produced under Belasco’s -stage management, and his familiarity with them and his indefatigable -zeal in rehearsals made his assistance invaluable to Sheridan. That -actor filled several subsequent engagements in San Francisco, and his -acting so vividly impressed Belasco that he gave public imitations of -him in _King Louis_ and in other parts. Sheridan served in the Union -Army during the Civil War and attained to the rank of captain. He -married the actress Louise Davenport (his first wife, Sarah Hayes, died -in 1872), went with her to Australia in 1886, and died there, in Sydney, -May 15, 1887. He was the impersonator of _Beamish McCoul_, in -“Arrah-na-Pogue,” when that play was originally performed in America, at -Niblo’s Garden, New York, July 12, 1865,--an occasion I have particular -reason to remember because that was the first theatrical performance -reviewed by me for “The New York Tribune.” - -Of Laura Don, with whom Belasco became acquainted at the time of -Sheridan’s first San Francisco engagement, he gives this recollection: - - - - -LAURA DON.--AN UNFULFILLED AMBITION. - - - “Laura Don was a painter whose landscapes and portraits had won her - distinction in the art world. Indeed, she was quite a spoilt child - of the Muses, for the gods had dowered her with many gifts. Nature - had been kind to her in every way, mentally and physically, for she - had a face and figure of great attractiveness; her every movement - was serpentine and voluptuous. This was further heightened by an - excitable temperament, keyed to the highest pitch, and I never saw - anyone who had a more insatiable thirst for fame; so much so, - indeed, that her health was on the verge of being undermined. I - saw in this woman every possibility of making a wonderful - _Cleopatra_, and when she had joined the Baldwin Theatre I spent - many hours after performances training her in the rôle (_sic_). - Then one Sunday afternoon, when we had reached the Death Scene, - Laura Don fell in a faint, and I looked down to find drops of blood - coming from her mouth. So this was the reason for the hectic flush, - for the irresponsible moods and eccentricities! When she came to, - we had removed every outward sign of her fatal malady. But Laura - Don was not to be deceived. Many times when we had been working - together she would exclaim, ’Why is it I am so weak? Why is it I do - not gain strength?’ For two days she remained in her room, and then - she sent for me and confessed that she had known all along of her - consumptive tendencies. ’I shall never play _Cleopatra_,’ she said; - ’you must find someone else to take my place. I suppose we cannot - escape the fate imposed upon us. I was born a butterfly and I shall - die one. I’ve fought the idea for years, and I have been conquered. - So I shall go East and pass the time as well as I may until the - end. If you are anywhere near when “it” occurs, send me a few - violets in memory of those you have always kept on the rehearsal - table.’ Soon after her arrival in the East came her tragic death, - so that it was not very long before I had to send the flowers.” - -Laura Don’s true name was Anna Laura Fish. She was the first wife of the -theatrical agent and manager Thomas B. McDonough. She afterward married -a photographer, resident in Troy, New York, whose name I have forgotten. -She lived for - -[Illustration: DAVID BELASCO AS _KING LOUIS THE ELEVENTH_ - - Photograph by Houseworth, San Francisco. - - Original loaned by Mrs. David Belasco.] - -[Illustration] - -about six years after Belasco met her. On September 6, 1882, at the -Standard Theatre, New York, she produced a play called “A Daughter of -the Nile,” written by herself, and appeared in it as a star. The -principal person in it, a female named _Egypt_, is supposed to be of -Egyptian origin: the subject, however, is American and modern. Miss Don -never acted _Cleopatra_. She died, suddenly, at Greenwich, New York, -February 10, 1886. - -Sheridan’s engagement at the Baldwin terminated December 28, and the -next night the well-known English melodrama of “The World,” by Paul -Merritt, Henry Pettitt, and Augustus Harris, was performed there, for -the first time in America. (Several years later, after Belasco had -become established in New York, he was employed by Charles Frohman to -make a revival of this play, which had been introduced to our Stage -under his direction, in New Orleans.) On January 10, 1881, a drama -called “The Eviction,” depicting some aspects of the landlord and tenant -disturbances then rife in Ireland, was brought out and filled one week. -On January 17 it was succeeded by a play called “Wedded by Fate,” the -joint work of Edward Captain Field and Henry B. McDowell, son of General -Irvin McDowell. The younger McDowell, possessed of wealth, proposed, -through Belasco, to subsidize a production of their play in order to -get it before the public, and Maguire, pressed for money, eagerly -assented to that arrangement. Belasco, recalling the incident of -bringing forth “Wedded by Fate” and the peculiarities of its principal -author, writes thus: - - “An instance of the casual devotee of the Theatre was young - McDowell, son of the famous Union general. Our first interview was - most amusing. I remember how he stutterred: ’I s-s-should l-l-like - to b-be an a-a-a-actor,’ he said, with difficulty. He also, in - common with many others, believed that he could write a successful - play and agreed that if I produced something of his very own he - would finance it and would guarantee a certain bonus. His first - effort--I forget the name of it--cost him a trifle of a fortune, - but inasmuch as it was a local play by a local author people - flocked to see it. When I met him years afterwards in New York he - was still obsessed by the theatrical bee, from which he never - recovered. With Franklin Sargent he opened The Theatre of Arts and - Letters and lost a fortune. If I had not been, at the time, under - contract to the Lyceum Theatre I should have joined McDowell in - that undertaking.” - -The period from January to July, 1881, exhibits nothing of particular -moment concerning Belasco, though, as usual, he was hard at work -throughout it. “Wedded by Fate” gave place to a revival, February 1, of -Daly’s version of “Leah the Forsaken,” made to introduce to the Stage a -novice, Miss Clara Stuart, who paid for the privilege of appearing and -whose money, like that of the extravagant McDowell, was welcome to the -distressed Maguire. Beginning on February 9, George Darrell, an actor -from Australia,--with whom Belasco had been associated in conjunction -with Laura Alberta, at Grey’s Opera House, in 1873,--acted at the -Baldwin for several weeks. During McDowell’s season and for several -weeks subsequent thereto part of the Baldwin stock company performed in -towns of the interior,--Belasco dividing his time between San Francisco, -where he assisted Darrell, and the Baldwin company, “on the road.” -Darrell opened in “Back from the Grave,” a play dealing with the -important, neglected, and often misrepresented subject of spiritualism -(that actor was, or, at least, bore the reputation of being, a hypnotist -and a student of occult matters). This was followed on the 21st by “Four -Fates,” and, on the 25th, by “Transported for Life.” John P. Smith and -William A. Mestayer played at the Baldwin for three weeks, beginning -April 11, in “The Tourists in a Pullman Palace Car”; Kate Claxton, -supported by Charles Stevenson and making her first appearance in San -Francisco, presented “The Two Orphans” there for two weeks, opening on -May 9; and the company of Jarrett & Rice, in “Fun on the Bristol,” -played there from May 30 to June 9, after which date the theatre was -closed until July 4. It was then reopened, under the temporary -management of J. H. Young, with A. D. Bradley as stage manager, and a -few performances of “Emancipation” were given by The Pierreponts. -Belasco, however, appears to have been occupied chiefly with his own -affairs from April to July. - - - - -“LA BELLE RUSSE.” - - -Even before Belasco had been reinstalled as stage manager at the Baldwin -Theatre he had resumed planning another campaign of adventure to gain -acceptance and position in New York, and that purpose was ever present -in his mind during the year that followed his return from the Eastern -venture with the Hernes in “Hearts of Oak.” He had set his heart on a -success in the leading theatre of the country, Wallack’s, and he -resolutely addressed himself to its achievement. Maguire had come to -depend more and more on Belasco, in the labor of keeping the Baldwin -Theatre open and solvent, and to him the ambitious dramatist presently -turned with his plans for a play to be called “La Belle Russe.” “I felt -that I had a play which would suit Wallack’s company,” he said, “and -that, if I could get some of his actors to appear in it, Wallack would -soon hear of it, and the task of getting a New York hearing would be -much simplified. Jeffreys-Lewis - -[Illustration: - - Photographs by Sarony. - -MARY JEFFREYS-LEWIS - - Belasco’s Collection. - -OSMOND TEARLE - -About 1881, when they acted in Belasco’s “La Belle Russe”] - -was then in San Francisco, and I stipulated with Maguire that he should -engage her for me, and also Osmond Tearle and Gerald Eyre, from -Wallack’s; John Jennings, from the Union Square, and Clara Walters, who -was then acting in Salt Lake City.” Maguire agreed to do this, the -engagements were made, and Belasco earnestly addressed himself to the -completion of his play, which was accomplished in six weeks. Meantime -Tearle ended his engagement in New York (at Wallack’s Theatre, July 2) -and, with other members of the Wallack company, went at once to San -Francisco, where rehearsals of the new play were immediately begun. - -Belasco’s “La Belle Russe” was originally entitled “Violette.” He -chanced to read the phrase “la belle Russe” on a wind-blown fragment of -newspaper, was pleased by it, and adopted it as a better title. The play -is a fabric of theatrically effective but incredible situations, and it -is founded on two other plays, well known to him,--both of them having -been acted in San Francisco, under his management,--namely, “Forget Me -Not,” by Herman Merivale and Charles Groves, and “The New Magdalen,” by -Wilkie Collins: the version produced under Belasco’s direction was a -piratical one made by James H. LeRoy. _La belle Russe_ is a beautiful -but vicious Englishwoman, named _Beatrice Glandore_, daughter of a -clergyman. She has sunk, by a facile process of social decline, until -she has become a decoy for a gambling house, where, pretending to be a -Russian, she is known to its frequenters by the sobriquet which gives -the play its name. She has a virtuous twin sister, _Geraldine_, so like -her in appearance that they are, practically, indistinguishable. _La -belle Russe_ has infatuated a young Englishman, _Captain Brand_ (known -at the time by the name of _Captain Jules Clopin_), with whom she has -lived, whom she has robbed, abandoned, and finally shot, believing -herself to have killed him. _Geraldine_, meantime, has married a young -Englishman of great expectations, _Sir Philip Calthorpe_, who is -repudiated by his mother and other relatives because of his marriage, -whereupon, in financial straits, though represented as loving his wife, -_Calthorpe_ deserts her, enlists in the Army, and disappears. - -After the lapse of a considerable period, _Calthorpe_ being reported as -dead, _Lady Elizabeth Calthorpe_, his mother, experiences a change of -heart, and advertises for information about his widow. _Beatrice, la -belle Russe_, poor and resident in Italy, hears of this inquiry and, -believing her twin sister to be dead, determines to present herself in -the assumed person of _Geraldine_, as the widow of _Calthorpe_, and thus -to obtain for herself and her young daughter (of whom _Brand_ is the -father) a luxurious home and an enviable social station. In this fraud -she partially succeeds, being accepted as _Calthorpe’s_ widow by both -_Lady Elizabeth_ and her family lawyer, _Monroe Quilton_, who evince a -confiding acquiescence singularly characteristic of proud old English -aristocrats and their astute legal advisers. Almost in the moment of her -success, however, _Sir Philip_ having come from Australia, she finds -herself installed not as his widow but as his wife,--and also she finds -that _Sir Philip_ is accompanied by her former companion, _Captain -Brand_, those wanderers having met in Australian wilds and become close -friends. _Philip_ is sure she is his wife and gladly accepts her as -such. _Brand_, on the contrary, promptly identifies the spurious -_Geraldine_ as _Beatrice_, and, privately, demands that she abandon her -fraudulent position. This she refuses to do, defying _Brand_ to oust her -from the newly acquired affections of _Calthorpe_ and his mother,--and -thus, practically, the situation is created wherein _Stéphanie de -Mohrivart_ defies _Sir Horace Welby_, in the play of “Forget Me Not.” -_Beatrice_, having made an unsuccessful attempt to poison _Brand_, in -order to remove all obstacles and maintain her place, is finally -defeated and driven to confession and surrender when that inexorable -antagonist reveals to her not an avenging Corsican (the dread -apparition which overwhelms _Stéphanie_), but the approaching figure of -her twin sister, the true _Geraldine_ and the actual wife of -_Calthorpe_,--who, also, is conveniently resurrected for the family -reunion. - -Aside from the impossibility of most of these occurrences,--a defect -which is measurably lessened by Belasco’s deft treatment of them,--and -also from the blemish of intricacy in the substructure of the plot, “La -Belle Russe” is an effective play, of the society-melodrama order,--the -action of it being free and cumulative, the characters well drawn, and -the interest sustained. It contains an interesting exposition of -monstrous feminine wickedness, and stimulates thought upon the -infatuation that can be caused by seductive physical beauty, and it -suggests the singular spectacle of baffled depravity stumbling among its -attempted self-justifications,--_Beatrice_, of course, entering various -verbal pleas in extenuation which, accepted, would establish her as a -victim of ruthless society instead of her own unbridled tendencies. The -play possesses, likewise, the practical advantages of a small cast, -implicating only nine persons and requiring for its display only three -simple sets of scenery. The San Francisco production of it was -abundantly successful, Miss Jeffreys-Lewis, who had previously won high -praise by performances of _Stéphanie de Mohrivart_, and also of the -_Countess Zicka_, in “Diplomacy,” being specially commended, one -observer declaring that, though her performances of those parts were -good examples of the acting required in the tense dramatic situations of -a duel of keen wits, “her _Geraldine_ [_Beatrice_] _Glandore_ is more -varied, more vivid, more intense, and generally powerful. Her mobile -face took on every shade of expression that the human face can wear, and -perhaps not the least natural was the open, artless, sunny countenance -which quickly won _Sir Philip’s_ love.” Tearle as _Captain Brand_ and -Gerald Eyre as _Calthorpe_ were almost equally admired, and the play had -a prosperous career of two weeks,--which, in San Francisco at that time, -was substantial testimony to its popularity. Belasco writes this account -of the production: - - “San Francisco, like all other cities, was not over-anxious to - welcome the product of one of her sons. There was much more drawing - power in something of foreign authorship.... Knowing that the - critics would welcome anything from France, and knowing how - hypercritical some of the writers of the press were becoming of my - own efforts, ’La Belle Russe’ was announced as being by a French - author. The programme for the opening announced that the drama was - from the French. However, Maguire had posters ready to placard the - town, were ’La Belle Russe’ a success. This time the name of David - Belasco was blazoned forth in the blackest type. And it all worked - as I had devised. The play met with instant success, and on the - morning after, when the critics had come out in columns of praise - for such technique as the French usually showed, on their downward - travel to the offices they were faced with the startling - announcement that the anonymous author was none other than David - Belasco.” - -The first presentment of “La Belle Russe” was made at the Baldwin -Theatre, to mark “the inauguration of the regular dramatic season” -there, on July 18, 1881. During the rehearsals of it Tearle had several -times spoken to Belasco, signifying doubt about the “French origin” of -the play and, finally, remarking that Belasco showed an astonishing -familiarity with every word and detail of the drama. “Well, whatever you -may think,” Belasco assured him, “please believe _you are mistaken_ and -say nothing about it--just now.” His wishes were observed: one -contemporary comment on the day before its production remarks that “of -the play little seems to be known. It is said to resemble ’Forget Me -Not.’ The actors say it is strong.” The first announcement I have been -able to find of the actual authorship is in a newspaper of July 26, -1881, where it is advertised as “The strongest play of modern times, ’La -Belle Russe,’ by D. Belasco, author of ’Hearts of Oak.’” After all -question of the acceptance of his play was ended and his authorship -acknowledged Belasco asked Tearle to inform Lester Wallack about it, “if -he thought well enough of the play to feel justified in doing so.” “Oh,” -answered Tearle, “I’ve done that long ago; I telegraphed to him after -the first performance: it will be just the thing for Rose Coghlan.” Thus -Belasco felt he was in a fair way to accomplish his purpose of securing -a New York opening. This was the original cast of “La Belle Russe”: - -_Captain Dudley Brand_ Osmond Tearle. -_Sir Philip Calthorpe_ Gerald Eyre. -_Monroe Quilton, Esq._ John W. Jennings. -_Rignold Henderson_ (Supt. of Police) E. H. Holden. -_Roberts_ J. McCormack. -_Barton_ Edgar Wilton. -_Beatrice Glandore_ (_Geraldine_) Jeffreys-Lewis. -_Lady Elizabeth Calthorpe_ Jean Clara Walters. -_Elise_ Edith Livingston. -_Little Beatrice_ Maude Adams. - - - - -“THE STRANGLERS OF PARIS.” - - -“La Belle Russe” received its final performance at the Baldwin Theatre -on Saturday evening, July 30. On August 1 “Adolph Challet” was produced -there, under Belasco’s direction, and on August 8 a revival of -“Diplomacy” was effected, Tearle acting _Henry Beauclerc_, Gerald Eyre -_Julian_, and Miss Jeffreys-Lewis the _Countess Zicka_. It had been -intended to divide the week between “Diplomacy” and “Camille,” but “to -my delight,” Belasco said, “the former was strong enough to fill the -whole week and I could give all the time to final preparation of my new -play.” That new play was a dramatic epitome of “The Stranglers of Paris” -(“Les Étrangleurs de Paris”), by Adolphe Belot, for the production of -which much effort had already been made. It was modestly announced by -Maguire (who, I surmise, did not thereby greatly distress Belasco) as -“The great dramatic event of the nineteenth century,” and it was brought -out on August 15. Belasco’s name was not made known as that of the -adapter. This play is, in fact, an extravagant and, in some respects, a -repulsive sensation melodrama. The story relates some of the experiences -of an intellectual pervert named _Jagon_, a huge hunchback, of -remarkable muscular strength, especially in the digits, resident in -Paris, and gaining a livelihood for himself and a cherished daughter -(whom he keeps in ignorance of her actual relationship to himself) by -the gentle art of strangling persons in order to rob them. A specially -barbarous murder is committed by _Jagon_ and an accomplice named -_Lorenz_,--an ex-convict who has ingratiated himself with the daughter, -_Mathilde_, and who marries her. _Jagon_ and an innocent man, -_Blanchard_, are arrested, tried for this crime, and sentenced to -transportation to New Caledonia. The convict-ship bearing them to that -destination is wrecked and they escape together upon a raft and return -to Paris. _Mathilde_, having discovered the criminality of her husband, -frees her mind on that subject with such pungency that _Lorenz_ is moved -to practise upon her the professional dexterity learned from her revered -father and promptly chokes her to death. _Jagon_ arrives at this -juncture, attended by police officers, denounces _Lorenz_ to them as his -actual accomplice in the crime for which _Blanchard_ has been convicted -with him, and then, in the manner of _Robert Macaire_ in somewhat -similar circumstances, being determined to escape the guillotine, leaps -through a convenient window, thus giving the police an opportunity, -which they improve, of shooting him to death. The play is immensely -inferior to the story upon parts of which it is based, but it serves its -purpose as a “shocker.” The escape of the two convicts on the raft at -sea provides an effective scene, not the less so because of its -resemblance to a similar scene in the earlier melodrama of “The World”: -the expedient, however, was an old one long before “The World” was -produced: it is employed with great skill and effect in Reade’s fine -novel of “The Simpleton.” Belasco’s mature opinion of this play of his -has been recorded in four words which cover the case: “What buncombe it -was!” A notably good performance was given in it by Osmond Tearle as -_Jagon_--a part which he expressed himself to the dramatist as delighted -to undertake as a relief from acting the repressed “leads” to which he -had for some time been restricted. It ran for two weeks. This was the -original cast: - -_Jagon_ Osmond Tearle. -_Joseph Blanchard_ Gerald Eyre. -_Robert de Meillant_ Joseph R. Grismer. -_Lorenz_ Max Freeman. -_Captain Jules Guérin_ Walter Leman. -_Mons. Claude_ A. D. Bradley. -_Bontout_ John W. Jennings. -_Papin_ Charles Norris. -_Dr. Fordien_ J. P. Wade. -_Mons. Vitel_ George McCormack. -_Mons. Xavier_ E. N. Thayer. -_Governor of Prison_ George Galloway. -_Longstalot_ } { R. G. Marsh. -_Grégoire_ } { Logan Paul. -_Jacquot_ } { G. L. May. -_Cabassa_ } { John Torrence. -_Pierre_ } Convicts { G. McCord. -_Zalabut_ } { J. Higgins. -_Lamazon_ } { Charles Robertson. -_Zorges_ } { G. Holden. -_Jacques_ } { S. Chapman. -_Commander of Prison Ship_ W. T. Day. -_First Lieutenant_ E. N. Neuman. -_Second Lieutenant_ E. Webster. -_First Marine_ J. Sherwood. -_Mathilde_ Jeffreys Lewis. -_Jeanne Guerin_ Ethel Arden. -_Sophie Blanchard_ Jean Clara Walters. -_Zoé Lacassade_ Mrs. Elizabeth Saunders. -_La Grande Florine_ Eva West. - -“The Stranglers” was superbly mounted, it delighted the public for which -it was intended, and was played for two weeks, attracting large and -enthusiastically demonstrative audiences. - - - - -NEW YORK AGAIN.--“LA BELLE RUSSE” AT WALLACK’S. - - -Maguire, because he had produced Belasco’s play of “La Belle Russe” at -the Baldwin and had thereby profited, appears to have considered that -also he had thereby acquired a property in it. To this claim the -necessitous dramatist assented (making, I suppose, a virtue of -necessity), giving Maguire a half-interest. Maguire then decreed that -they should go to New York together, in order to place the play with -Wallack, if that should prove the most expedient arrangement, or to -place it with any other manager from whom it might be possible to exact -higher payment. Belasco consented to negotiate with other managers and -ascertain what terms might be offered, “even though,” he said, “I had -determined that none but Wallack should produce it.” On September 25, -1881, they left San Francisco together and came to New York. - -According to Belasco’s statement to me, Augustin Daly wanted the play of -“La Belle Russe” for Ada Rehan (to whom the central part would have been -peculiarly unfitted), while A. M. Palmer wanted it for Miss -Jeffreys-Lewis, at the Union Square, and John Stetson wanted it for -Marie Prescott. Belasco had interviews with all of them, and with -Wallack. His determination that Wallack should produce his play, if he -possibly could arrange to have him do so, was intensified by the -kindness of Wallack’s manner toward the young author and by the strong -impression made upon him by that actor’s pictorial and winning -personality. Maguire, meantime, consorted with Stetson, a person -naturally congenial to him, and presently became insistent that the play -should be intrusted to that manager. “After I had read the play to -Stetson in his office (which I did very unwillingly),” Belasco told me, -“the two of them threatened me with all sorts of consequences if I did -not turn the manuscript over to Stetson, and I really believe they would -have taken it from me by force if I had not buttoned it under my coat -and bolted out of the office!” This pair of pilgrims had then been for -some time in New York, and Maguire, by agreement, had been paying -Belasco’s living expenses; now, by way of practical intimation that his -will must prevail and the play be relinquished to Stetson, he stopped -doing so. This left Belasco in a familiar but not the less painful -plight--stranded--and it also incensed him against Maguire. - -At this juncture, when unfortunately he was impecunious, indignant, and -excited, he received a visit from Maguire’s nephew, Mr. Frank L. -Goodwin, with whom he had already negotiated relative to “La Belle -Russe,” and whom he now supposed to have come to him as Wallack’s -representative. To this person he imprudently made known his quarrel -with Maguire, and hastily inquired, “What will you give me for the -play?” “Fifteen hundred dollars, cash,” Goodwin answered, and then, -observing that he hesitated, “and a return ticket to San Francisco, and -$100 more for your expenses.” “How soon can I have the money?” Belasco -rejoined. “In half an hour.” “Then I’ll take it”--and he did, selling -his play, outright, not, as he supposed, to Wallack, but to Goodwin, for -$1,600 cash and a railroad ticket home! He received the money the same -afternoon and left that night for San Francisco. When the play was -produced at Wallack’s it was announced as “By arrangement with Mr. F. L. -Goodwin, the production of a new and powerful drama by David Belasco, -Esq.” Wallack paid Goodwin a high price for the play, which, since then, -has been successfully acted throughout the English-speaking world, and, -later, when told of the facts of the sale, expressed his profound regret -and dissatisfaction that Belasco had not dealt directly with him. Fifty -times the amount of money that Belasco received for “La Belle Russe” -would have been more like a fair payment for it than the sum he actually -received. “I did not particularly care what Maguire might do,” Belasco -told me, “when he heard about the matter. I felt that I could get along -much better without him than he could without me (I always did for -Maguire far more than ever I got paid for!), but he cooled off after he -got home, and I resumed work, for a little while, at the Baldwin.” - - - - -AN OPINION BY BRONSON HOWARD.--WALLACK IN THE THIRTIETH STREET HOUSE. - - -Belasco’s published recollections of the circumstances of Wallack’s -removal from the Thirteenth Street house and of the importance to that -manager of his presentation of “La Belle Russe” require revision to make -them accurate. He says: - - “The stage history of ’La Belle Russe’ is interesting. Wallack had - opened his theatre with ’Money,’ which had been followed by a play - by Pinero. He had met with failure all along the road, and his - heart began to question whether he was right in forsaking his old - ground on Thirteenth Street and in moving so far up-town. ’La Belle - Russe,’ put on hurriedly, as a last forlorn hope, retrieved his - fortunes. It called a spade a spade and did not show any reticence, - the papers declared, and they flayed it as hard as ever they could. - There was one exception, and that was Edward A. Dithmar, of ’The - New York Times.’ He said it was a new era among plays, and, - although he was not a prophet, he put his finger on the elements - that achieved success, and this was long before the day of ’The - Second Mrs. Tanqueray.’ Bronson Howard, at the height of his - success, declared, in a public lecture, that it was a model of - construction, and confessed that he had already seen it seventeen - times, each evening discovering some new technical excellence in - it. I do not want to appear boastful; the facts of the theatre are - no longer personal after they have been made known to the public.” - -Bronson Howard was a man of talent, though his plays conclusively show -that it was not of a high order and that his command of technical -resource in dramatic construction was not remarkable: he may have -required seventeen inspections of the drama in order to perceive its -many practical merits as an histrionic vehicle: most experienced -observers could, and did, discern them at one view. Belasco’s statements -with regard to Wallack, above quoted, are not correct. Wallack did not -open his Thirtieth Street theatre with “Money”: he opened it, January -4, 1882, with “The School for Scandal”: “Money” was not acted at that -theatre till March 23, 1888,--though a play by A. W. Pinero, entitled -“The Money Spinner,” was the second acted there, January 21, 1882. -Wallack had not “met with failure all along the road.” He closed his -theatre at Thirteenth Street with a presentation, under the management -of Samuel Colville, of the English melodrama of “The World,” which ran -there from April 11 to July 2, 1881, receiving eighty-four performances, -and which gained gross receipts to the extent of about $65,000 (at the -time, when prices were about half what they are now, an extraordinary -profit): he produced another English melodrama, called “Youth,” at his -new theatre, February 20, 1882, and this play ran till May 6: “La Belle -Russe” was produced by Wallack on May 8, and it ran till the close of -the season, June 28. The presentment of it there was a notably handsome -one and was distinctly successful. Rose Coghlan was specially excellent -in her evincement of agonizing apprehension beneath a forced assumption -of calm, and by the denoted prevalence of an indomitable will over -mental terror. This was the cast at Wallack’s: - -_Captain Dudley Brand_ Osmond Tearle. -_Sir Philip Calthorpe_ Gerald Eyre. -_Monroe Quilton, Esq._ John Gilbert. -_Roberts_ C. E. Edwin. -_Barton_ H. Holliday. -_Beatrice_ (_Geraldine_) Rose Coghlan. -_Lady Elizabeth Calthorpe_ Mme. Ponisi. -_Little Beatrice_ Mabel Stephenson. -_Agnes_ Celia Edgerton. - -Belasco left New York in the latter part of December, 1881, and he -arrived in San Francisco on Christmas Day. “Chispa,” by Clay M. Greene -and Slason Thompson, was produced at the Baldwin Theatre on December 26 -and it ran there for two weeks,--in the course of which Maguire returned -home; the differences between him and Belasco were composed, and the -latter was presently reinstalled in his familiar place at the Baldwin. -On January 16, 1882, acting _Matthias_, in “The Bells,” W. E. Sheridan -began a season there which lasted for seven weeks, during which he -revived “Richelieu,” “Othello,” “Hamlet,” and other plays of the -legitimate repertory which he had previously presented in San Francisco -(November-December, 1800), and also “King John” and “The Fool’s -Revenge.” The last-named tragedy was brought out on March 3, the first -performance of it being given for the benefit of Belasco’s old friend -and teacher, Mrs. “Nelly” Holbrook. - - - - -BELASCO AND HIS “THE CURSE OF CAIN.” - - -Sheridan’s season terminated on March 5, and, on the 7th, occurred the -first performance of a new play constructed, while that season lasted, -by Belasco in collaboration with the excellent and much respected Peter -Robertson (1847-1911), long dramatic critic of “The San Francisco -Chronicle.” It was called “The Curse of Cain,” and its more active -author has written of it as follows: - - “Strange as it may appear, _Cain_ was my hero. _Abel_ had never - appealed to me, any more than his forebears, in the garden of the - bright flaming sword, whence the apple-eating Eve had been so - forcibly, ejected. ’The Curse of Cain’ in embryo was a simple - trifle of an allegory, which afterwards developed into a four-act - drama with prologue and epilogue. And now that I look back upon it - I think it was somewhat remarkable for strange innovations to the - stage of that day. For the first time realistic thunderstorms and - lightning effects were introduced, more naturally than anything - that had gone before. I do not wish to pooh-pooh modern inventions, - double stages, and all the paraphernalia of the latter-day drama, - but I do contend that we could not have been outdone.” - -It will not, I think, appear “strange” to most persons that to Belasco, -as a dramatist, the character of Cain should be more attractive than -that of Abel. It is, I know, sometimes asserted that evil is merely the -absence of good and a passive state. But that assertion is untrue. -_Why_ evil should exist at all is a mystery. But that it does exist and -that, existing, it is a positive, active force which supplies the -propulsive dramatic movement of most great representative plays,--of -“Othello,” “Hamlet,” “King Richard III.,” and “Macbeth,” for -example,--is obvious. Many of the great poets have felt this and -exhibited it in their poetry. _Mephistopheles_ is the dominant figure -and the animating impulse of Goethe’s “Faust” and of Bailey’s “Festus,” -and that is true, likewise, of _Satan_, in Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” -Cain is the exponent of evil in the Bible narrative, the active, -dramatic figure--and Cain, not Abel, accordingly engaged the attention -of Byron, in one of his greatest poems, and of Coleridge, in a fragment -on the same subject. Belasco’s declared preference, as a dramatist, -seems to me to be an inevitable one. There is not, however, much -relevancy in the expression of it as regards his play of “The Curse of -Cain.” That fabric does not relate to the Bible narrative: it is a -melodrama, of the period in which it was written, which tells, in an -artificial but momentarily effective and diverting manner, a -conventional tale of good and evil in conflict,--of crime long -unpunished and honor much abused; of prosperous villainy and persecuted -innocence borne down under a false accusation of murder; of harsh -suffering in gypsy camps and prison cells, and, finally, of the -vindication of virtue and retributive justice overtaking the -transgressor. It was avowedly fashioned on the model of such earlier -plays as “The World” (which Belasco had successfully set upon the stage -fourteen months before), “The Lights o’ London,” “Mankind” and “Youth,” -and it was devised for the purpose of making lavish scenic display and -startling theatrical effects, in the hope of winning back public support -for the Baldwin. That purpose though not that hope was fulfilled, all -contemporary commentators, in effect, agreeing with the published -declaration that “never before in San Francisco has there been such a -liberal and beautiful display of scenery as that provided for this -play.” “The Curse of Cain” was divided into seven acts, all of which -were richly framed, and four of which,--Waterloo Bridge, London, during -a snowstorm; a Gypsy Camp, in rural England; a Ruined Abbey, and “the -Whirlpool Lighthouse,”--were affirmed “marvels of stage painting and -effect.” In the scene of the Gypsy Camp Belasco indulged to the full his -liking for literalism,--providing for the public edification a braying -donkey, neighing horses, cackling hens, crowing cocks, quacking ducks, -and a rooting, grunting pig. In the Lighthouse Scene, as one account -relates, having assembled his _dramatis personæ_ for the final curtain -by the novel yet simple expedient of “washing them all up from the -ocean,” after a shipwreck, like flotsam, he introduced a frantic -struggle between the villain and the hero, beginning on the wave-beaten -rocks, conducted up a spiral stairway within the lighthouse and -intermittently visible through the windows thereof, and terminating in -the fall of the villain from the pinnacle of that edifice to a watery -grave,--with which fitting demise, and the union of lovers, the -spectacle drew sweetly to a close. “The critics,” writes Belasco, “had -plenty of fun with the absurdities of the piece (which hardly needed to -be pointed out), and I had many a good laugh at it myself; but, for all -that, it was the most elaborate scenic production of the kind ever made -in the West, and the people who came to see it went wild over it. The -only trouble was not enough of ’em could be induced to come!” - -“The Curse of Cain” was acted from March 7 to 18, except on the evenings -of the 8th and 15th, when Frederick Haase acted at the Baldwin. J. B. -Dickson, of Brooks & Dickson, who saw the play there, purchased the -right to produce it in the East, in English, and Gustav Amberg (then in -San Francisco as manager of the Geistinger Opera Company) arranged to -bring out a German version of it at the Thalia Theater, New York,--but -I have not found that either of those managers ever presented it. A -fragmentary record of the original cast, which is all that diligent -research has discovered, shows Mrs. Saunders and Ada D’Aves as members -of the company and signifies that the chief characters were allotted -thus: - -_Sir Rupert Treloar_ Joseph R. Grismer. -_Ashcroft_ Harry Colton. -_Tom Gray_, “_The Idiot_” George Osborne. -_Joan Gray_ Jean Clara Walters. -_Alice Gray_ Phœbe Davis. - -On March 15 Osborne superseded Colton as _Ashcroft_,--his place, as _Tom -Gray_, being taken by Joseph W. Francœur. - - - - -THE PASSING OF MAGUIRE. - - -Maguire’s control of the Baldwin Theatre and Belasco’s career in San -Francisco were now drawing toward an end. The Geistinger Opera Company -came to the Baldwin for a few days, when “The Curse of Cain” was -withdrawn: “The Great Divorce Case” was acted there March 30: then came -Haase, in “Hamlet,” “The Gamester,” and other old plays, which were -performed by him “to a beggarly array of empty benches”: and, on April -11, the Italian tragedian Ernesto Rossi (1829-1896) - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by (Houseman?). Belasco’s Collection. - -THOMAS MAGUIRE] - -emerged in his supremely repulsive perversion of Shakespeare’s -_Othello_: Rossi acted in association with Louise Muldener and he played -at the Baldwin for one week,--closing with “Edmund Kean.” Attendance -throughout his engagement was paltry--the treasury was empty--neither -Baldwin nor anybody else would advance more money to Maguire--and the -end had come. To Belasco it came as a relief. “The last year or so at -the Baldwin,” he has declared to me, “was a good deal of a nightmare. -Although Maguire and I had our differences, I liked him, I pitied him, -and I stuck to him till the end. But my salary and my royalties were -often unpaid: we had much trouble with our actors, so that sometimes I -had to bring in amateurs who wanted experience and would play for -nothing, or, sometimes, even pay for an opportunity to go on! I not only -was stage manager, but I painted scenery, played parts when we were left -in the lurch, helped in the front of the house, attended to the -advertising, and even borrowed money for Maguire, whenever I could. But -the Rossi engagement was the last straw. Baldwin’s lawyer notified -Maguire that the theatre was up for lease--and I was glad when it was -all over.” - - - - -BELASCO AND GUSTAVE FROHMAN.--THEY REVIVE “THE OCTOROON.” - - -Nobody, however, seems to have been eager to rush in where so many -others had recently failed, and the Baldwin, except for a couple of -benefits (the first, a performance of “Chispa,” May 18, given for Phœbe -Davis, under direction of J. R. Grismer; the second, given May 27, a -revival of “The New Magdalen,” for the public favorite Mrs. Judah), -remained closed for about two months. During that period Gustave -Frohman, the eldest of three brothers influentially associated with the -American Stage, came to San Francisco, as representative of the -proprietors of the New York Madison Square Theatre, in charge of a -company headed by Charles Walter Couldock and Effie Ellsler, presenting -“Hazel Kirke.” With Gustave Frohman Belasco immediately formed a -friendly acquaintance which vitally affected his subsequent career. -“Hazel Kirke” was brought forward at the California Theatre on May -30--and even before that presentment had been made Belasco had suggested -to Frohman another venture. This was a “sensation revival” of the old -play of “The Octoroon.” Calender’s Colored Minstrels had just concluded -an engagement at Emerson’s Standard Theatre, and it was part of -Belasco’s scheme to employ that negro company and make use of it as -auxiliary to performance of Boucicault’s play. Gustave Frohman acceded -to Belasco’s suggestion, arranged for the proposed appearance of -Callender’s Minstrels, leased the Baldwin Theatre, and there revived -“The Octoroon,” on June 12, at low prices,--twenty-five to seventy-five -cents. This shrewdly conceived enterprise was, because of Belasco’s -felicitous treatment of old material and his skilful direction of the -players, an instant popular success. A contemporaneous commentator -writes about it as follows: - - “The present management has engaged the best professional talent - the city affords, and has put it under the direction of a stage - manager who can make the most of it.... Without a single strong - feature in the cast, with possibly the exception of the - _Wah-no-tee_ of George Osborne, there were effects introduced which - give more than their ordinary interest to the performance. The - clever pen of Mr. Belasco had evidently elaborated the auction - scenes, and the scene in which _Salem Scudder_ saves the _Indian_ - from the mob....” - -This was the cast: - -_Jacob McCloskey_ Harry Colton. -_Salem Scudder_ Edward Marble. -_Wah-no-tee_ George Osborne. -_George Peyton_ W. T. Doyle. -“_Uncle_” _Pete_ Edward Barrett. -_Mr. Sunnyside_ R. G. Marsh. -_Lafouche_ Mr. Foster. -_Paul_ Kitty Belmour. -_Ratts_ Joseph W. Francœur. -_Colonel Poindexter_ Thomas Gossman. -_Julius Thibodeaux_ Logan Paul. -_Judge Caillou_ George Galloway. -_Jackson_ George Stevens. -_Solon_ Mr. McIntosh. -_Zoe_, _the Octoroon_ Mrs. F. M. Bates. -_Dora Sunnyside_ Abbie Pierce. -_Mrs. Peyton_ Jean Clara Walters. -_Grace_ Lillie Owen. -_Dido_ Mrs. Weston. -_Minnie_ Kate Foust. - -In making this revival of “The Octoroon” Belasco employed the “altered -and retouched” version of it, prepared by him, which had been acted -under his direction at the Baldwin July 8, 1878,--still further varying -and expanding several scenes of the original. The most popular variety -features, dances, “specialties,” and songs of the minstrel show were -deftly interwoven with the fabric of the drama, being utilized with -pleasing effect in an elaborate representation of the slave quarters by -moonlight, and in the first and fourth scenes of the Last Act: in the -latter the slaves were shown, slowly making their way homeward, at -evening, through the cotton fields, singing as they went, and the result -was extraordinarily picturesque and impressive. More than 150 persons, -besides the actors of the chief characters, participated in the -performance, and the slave sale and the burning of the river steamboat -Magnolia were portrayed with notable semblance of actuality. Writing to -me, Belasco says: “I used a panorama, painted on several hundred yards -of canvas, and I introduced drops, changing scenes in the twinkling of -an eye, showing, alternately and in quick succession, pursued and -pursuer,--_Jacob McCloskey_ and the _Indian_,--making their way through -the canebrake and swamp, and ending with the life and death struggle and -the killing of _McCloskey_. I must say the people were wildly -enthusiastic and I was proud of the whole production. _I_ thought the -acting very good.” - - - - -“AMERICAN BORN.” - - -“The Octoroon” was played for two weeks and then, June 26, gave place to -“Caryswold,” an inconsequential play which Belasco -tinkered,--introducing into it a “Fire Scene, showing the destruction of -a Mad-House,” suggested by the terrible passage in Reade’s “Hard Cash,” -descriptive of the burning of an asylum for the insane and the escape of -_Alfred Hardy_. Ada Ward, an English actress, who came from Australia, -acted the principal part in it. - -Gustave Frohman’s lease of the Baldwin Theatre expired on July 1, and on -the 3rd Jay Rial, having hired the house for a week, presented “Uncle -Tom’s Cabin” there. On July 10 occurred the last event of the first -period of Belasco’s theatrical life,--the presentment at the Baldwin of -“American Born.” Edward Marble, an actor who had come to San Francisco -as a member of the “Hazel Kirke” company, was advertised as lessee of -the theatre and the play was brought out under the auspices of Gustave -Frohman. It was a free adaptation by Belasco of “British Born,” by Paul -Merritt and Henry Pettitt, and was a wild and whirling, spread-eagle, -bugle-blowing melodrama, in which the heroine, at a climax of desperate -adventure, saves her lover from being shot to death by Bolivian soldiers -by wrapping him in a flag of the United States. Its production was -chiefly remarkable for handsome scenic investiture and a really -impressive portrayal of a volcano in furious eruption. This was the cast -of “American Born”: - - -_IN THE PROLOGUE._ - -_Laban Brood_ John W. Jennings. -_George Seymour_ Joseph R. Grismer. -_Fred Faggles_ John Dillon. -_John Hope_ A. D. Bradley. -_Captain Jabez Dolman_ M. A. Kennedy. -_Constable_ George H. McCormack. -_Messenger_ Edgar Wilton. - - -[Illustration: DAVID BELASCO AS _UNCLE TOM_, IN “UNCLE TOM’S CABIN” - - Photograph by Houseworth, San Francisco. - - Original loaned by Mrs. David Belasco.] - -_Mary Hope_ Ada Ward. -_Nancy Treat_ Ada Gilman. - -_IN THE DRAMA._ - -_Don Andre de Calderone_ George Osborne. -_John Hope_ A. D. Bradley. -_George Seymour_ Joseph R. Grismer. -_Fred Faggles_ John Dillon. -_Sylvester (alias Laban Brood)_ John W. Jennings. -_Juddle (alias Captain Dolman)_ M. A. Kennedy. -_Tom Morris_ Joseph W. Francœur. -_Jumbo_ George H. McCormack. -_Landro_ Edgar Wilton. -_Mary Hope_ Ada Ward. -_Nancy Treat_ Ada Gilman. - - - - -FIRST MEETING WITH CHARLES FROHMAN. - - -Belasco was, during one period of his life, closely allied to Charles -Frohman. Later, after Frohman had, with others, formed the iniquitous -Theatrical Syndicate, he was, for many years, resolutely and rightly, -antagonistic to him. Age and change, however, sometimes wear out -antagonisms, and those estranged friends were reconciled not long before -Frohman’s death in the Lusitania murder: the last production made by -Frohman was a revival, at the Empire Theatre, New York, April 7, 1915, -in association with Belasco, of “A Celebrated Case.” The first meeting -of those managers occurred in San Francisco, while Belasco was -rehearsing “American Born.” He has made this record of that significant -incident: - - “Charles Frohman came to San Francisco at the head of the Haverley - Minstrels. Gustave Frohman told me he thought his brother and I - should meet. The artists of the town had a rendezvous at a - Rathskeller at the corner of Kearny and Sutter streets, where we - were in the habit of gathering after the theatre. Gustave Frohman - and I were at a table, when he exclaimed: ’There’s my brother - Charlie!’ I looked at Charles, our eyes met. We bowed. That was our - introduction. We never had a formal one, Charles Frohman and I; we - just knew each other.... He came to see ’American Born,’ was - favorably impressed by it, and conceived the idea of forming a - company and taking the play East. We selected Chicago as the best - starting point for an Eastern tour and set busily to work to - organize our company and arrange details of the business.” - - - - -EASTWARD, HO! - - -While Belasco was thus busily engaged with preparation for the -presentment in Chicago of his drama of “American Born,” a proposal was -made to him by Daniel Frohman, business manager of the Madison Square -Theatre, New York, through his brother, Gustave Frohman, that he should -undertake, on trial, the stage management of that theatre. The -opportunity thus offered was alluring, and, having ascertained that he -might improve it without detriment to his purposed venture in Chicago, -Belasco determined to seek once more for the success in the metropolis -of the country which had long been the chief object of his ambition. He -accepted the proposal, and likewise he accepted an invitation to work -his way eastward as stage manager of the [Gustave] Frohman Dramatic -Company. That company, organized in San Francisco, included Ada Ward, -“Virgie” Emily, Abbie Pierce, “Rellie” Davis, “Jennie” Lamont, Charles -Wheatleigh, M. A. Kennedy, John Dillon, George Osborne, “Harry” Colton, -W. F. Doyle, Joseph W. Francœur, Logan Paul, and Hawley Chapman. It left -San Francisco, on or about July 18, 1882, to perform in towns and cities -of Colorado, and on July 31 began an engagement at Denver, where it -played for two weeks during the Industrial and Mining Exposition held in -that city. The repertory comprised “The Octoroon,” “East Lynne,” “Mary -Warner,” “Our Boys,” “Leah the Forsaken,” “The Woman in Red,” -“Arrah-na-Pogue,” and “American Born.” - -At, apparently, about the time when Maguire ceased to be potent in San -Francisco theatrical affairs Belasco received a personal letter from F. -F. Mackaye (himself an excellent stage manager and a severe judge of -achievement in that vocation), which,--because it is representative of -the advice of several friendly admirers in the same period, and because -it had some influence on his decision to accept the Frohman -proposals,--may appropriately be printed here: - -(_F. F. Mackaye to David Belasco._) - -“Hotel, Pike’s Peak, -“Colorado (date? 1881-82?). - -“My dear Belasco:-- - - “I fear that I hardly appreciated you fully while under your - direction in San Francisco: but I think I have done so since we - have been here, and my daily toil has placed me under the direction - of Mr. S----. He seems a very clever man. Yet his lack of form, of - constructive direction, is very much felt by one who has had the - pleasure of being under your direction at the Baldwin. I sometimes - wonder _why_ you have stayed so long in the West. I know some - people who have been there all their lives think it the greatest - place in the world, but I am sure that if you were to go to New - York, which is really the centre of art in the United States, your - work would be more fully recognized and appreciated. I feel that a - man of your progressive mood should not be content to remain on the - outside of the world when you could just as well be in the middle - of it. I am sure that your final efforts, or, rather, that your - continuous efforts should be made in the city of New York, where - you would be rightly appreciated. - - “I wouldn’t say one word in disparagement of the people of San - Francisco: they have treated me splendidly. But I tell you New York - is the place, and I have had long experience. I began this - profession in 1851, and you are the first director that I have met - in that time and felt that he really loved the work he was - doing--and we know very well that, however much a man may know - about any art, - -[Illustration: - - Photograph by Sarony. - - Belasco’s Collection. - -F. F. MACKAYE] - -[Illustration: - - Photograph by Bradley & Rulofson, S. F. - - Courtesy of Mrs. Frohman Davidson. - -GUSTAVE FROHMAN] - - unless he loves the work he is doing there is always a lack of - interest which the public is sure to detect. Don’t for one moment - think that I try to flatter you by these remarks. I say these - things because I love the Art of Acting very much, and I have found - your love and sympathy for it so great that I dearly and sincerely - admire your work. Long may you live to continue in the labor which - is always good for the art and instructive for the public! - - “With very sincere regards, and hoping to see you again, I am, - -“Yours very sincerely, - -“F. F. Mackaye.” - - - - * * * * * - - - - -A RETROSPECT. - - -Belasco was only twenty-nine years old when he brought his career in San -Francisco to an end and embarked on the venture which was at last to -establish him in the Theatre of New York. He had been eleven years on -the stage. A brief retrospect and summary of his early achievement will -be useful here. Throughout his life he had enjoyed the blessing of -family affection, admiration, and sympathy, and he had received -respectable schooling. Otherwise, his experience had been one of -unremitting, strenuous, often anxious, toil; frequent hardship, -injustice, disappointment,--in short, a painfully laborious struggle. He -had been, in childhood, a circus rider, a newsboy, a messenger, a -willing, helpful drudge, a shopboy in a cigar factory and in a -bookstore; then, as he grew older, a scribbler for the newspapers, a -salesman of haberdashery, an itinerant peddler, a strolling player, a -reader and reciter, a mimic, a theatrical manager, an agent “in advance” -of theatrical companies, a teacher of acting, a scene painter, a stage -manager, and a playwright. He had seen much of the best acting of his -period and had been intimately associated with many leaders of the -Stage,--sometimes as student and assistant, sometimes as adviser and -director. He had acted, in all sorts of circumstances and in all sorts -of places, more than 170 parts,--ranging from mere bits to characters of -the highest and most exacting order. He had altered, adapted, rewritten, -or written more than 100 plays and he had been the responsible director -in the production of more than three times that number. A catalogue is -seldom interesting reading; nevertheless, students of the Theatre and of -Belasco’s extraordinary career will do well to ponder the following -significant though incomplete schedule of the plays set upon the stage -under his direction prior to midsummer, 1882: - -“Agnes.” -“Aladdin No. 2; or, The Wonderful Scamp.” -“Alixe.” -“Alphonse.” -“American Born.” -“Amy Robsart.” -Apostate,” “The. -“Arrah-na-Pogue.” -“Article 47.” -Assommoir,” “L’. -“As You Like It.” -“Aurora Floyd.” -Ballad Monger,” “The. -Belle Russe,” “La. -Bells,” “The. -“Belphegor.” -“Bianca.” -“Black-Ey’d Susan.” -“Bleak House.” -“Blow for Blow.” -Bold Stroke for a Husband,” “A. -Bull in a China Shop,” “A. -“Camille.” -“Caste.” -Celebrated Case,” “A. -“Checkmate.” -“Cherry and Fair Star.” -Child of the Regiment,” “The. -“Clouds and Sunshine.” -“Colleen Bawn.” -Corsican Brothers,” “The. -“Court and Stage.” -Cricket on the Hearth,” “The. -Curse of Cain,” “The. -“Damon and Pythias.” -“David Copperfield.” -Dead Heart,” “The. -“Dearer than Life.” -“Diplomacy.” -“Divorce.” -Doll Master,” “The. -“Dombey & Son.” -“Don Cæsar de Bazan.” -“Donna Diana.” -“Dora.” -Duke’s Motto,” “The. -“East Lynne.” -“Edmund Kean.” -“Elizabeth, Queen of England.” -Enchantress,” “The. -“Enoch Arden.” -Eviction,” “The. -“False Shame.” -“Fanchette.” -Fast Family,” “A. -“Fire-Fly.” -Fool of the Family,” “The. -Fool’s Revenge,” “The. -“Forget Me Not.” -Forty Thieves,” “The. -French Spy,” “The. -“Frou-Frou.” -Gamester,” “The. -“Green Bushes.” -Green Lanes of England,” “The. -“Guy Mannering.” -“Hamlet.” -Happy Pair,” “A. -“Hearts of Oak.” -Heir-at-Law,” “The. -“Henry Dunbar.” -“He Would and He Would Not!” -Hidden Hand,” “The. -“His Last Legs.” -“Home.” -Honeymoon,” “The. -“How She Loves Him.” -Hunchback,” “The. -“Hunted Down.” -Idiot of the Mountains,” “The. -“Ingomar.” -“Ireland and America.” -“Ireland as It Was.” -“Jack Sheppard.” -“Jane Eyre.” -“Jane Shore.” -Jealous Wife,” “The. -“Jessie Brown; or, The Relief of Lucknow.” -Jibbenainosay,” “The. -“Jones’ Baby.” -“Julius Cæsar.” -“King John.” -“King Louis XI.” -“King Richard III.” -“Lady Audley’s Secret.” -“Lady Madge.” -Lady of Lyons,” “The. -“Leah the Forsaken.” -Little Detective,” “The. -“Little Katy.” -“Loan of a Lover.” -“London Assurance.” -Lone Pine,” “The. -“Lost in London.” -“Love.” -Love Chase,” “The. -“Love’s Sacrifice.” -“Loyal Till Death.” -“Lucretia Borgia.” -“Macbeth.” -Marble Heart,” “The. -“Marie Antoinette.” -“Mary Stuart.” -“Masks and Faces.” -Merchant of Venice,” “The. -Millionaire’s Daughter,” “The. -“Miss Multon.” -“Mr. and Mrs. Peter White.” -“Money.” -Moonlight Marriage,” “The. -“Nan, the Good-for-Nothing.” -New Babylon,” “The. -New Magdalen,” “The. -“Nicholas Nickleby.” -“Nita; or, Woman’s Constancy.” -“Not Guilty.” -“Notre Dame.” -Octoroon,” “The. -“Oliver Twist.” -“Olivia.” - -“One Hundred Years Old.” -“Othello.” -“Ours.” -“Out at Sea.” -Passion Play,” “The. -“Paul Arniff.” -Pearl of Savoy,” “The. -People’s Lawyer,” “The. -Pet of the Petticoats,” “The. -“Pique.” -“Proof Positive.” -“Pygmalion and Galatea.” -Regular Fix,” “A. -“Richelieu.” -“Robert Macaire.” -“Romeo and Juliet.” -“Rule a Wife and Have a Wife.” -“Ruy Blas.” -“Sarah’s Young Man.” -“School.” -School for Scandal,” “The. -Scottish Chiefs,” “The. -Scrap of Paper,” “A. -“Seraphine.” -Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing,” “A. -“She Stoops to Conquer.” -Spectre Bridegroom,” “The. -Stranger,” “The. -Stranglers of Paris,” “The. -Streets of New York,” “The. -“Struck Blind.” -“Sylvia’s Lovers.” -Ticket-of-Leave Man,” “The. -Toodles,” “The. -“True to the Core.” -Two Orphans,” “The. -“Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” -“Under the Gas-Light.” -Unequal Match,” “The. -Uppercrust,” “The. -“Venice Preserved.” -Wandering Heir,” “The. -“War to the Knife.” -Wicked World,” “The. -“Wild Oats.” -Willing Hand,” “The. -Within an Inch of His Life.” -Woman in Red,” “The. -Woman of the People,” “A. -“Won at Last.” -Wonder,” “The. - -Minute exposition of all the early dramatic works of Belasco is not -practicable; a succinct estimate of their quality will suffice here. -Crudity is often obvious in them--as it is in the early works of almost -all writers--and it sometimes is notably visible in the sentiment and -the style. Nevertheless, they display the operation of a mind naturally -prone to the dramatic form of expression, frequently animated by the -vitality of its own experience, steadily if slowly growing in -self-mastery of its faculties, and at once keenly observant of, and -quickly sympathetic with, contrasted aspects of life. Along with -defects,--namely, perverse preoccupation with non-essential details, -occasional verbosity, extravagant premises, and involved -construction,--they exhibit expert inventive ability, perspicacious -sense of character, acute perception of strong dramatic climax, the -faculty of humor, much tenderness of heart, wide knowledge of human -misery and human joy, special sympathy with woman, and the skill to tell -a story in action. Belasco’s dramatic works, before he left San -Francisco, exceed not only in number but in merit and practical utility -those of many other writers produced as the whole labor of a long -lifetime, and the basis of reputation and respect: at least two of his -early plays--“Hearts of Oak” and “La Belle Russe”--were, even before he -came to the East, gaining fortunes--for other persons. And for a long, -long while afterward other persons were to enjoy the chief profit of his -labor: it was not until more than thirteen years later that he was able -to launch a successful play,--“The Heart of Maryland,”--and retain -personal control of it. - - * * * * * - - - - -A SECOND VENTURE IN CHICAGO.--THE LAST OF “AMERICAN BORN.” - - -Gustave Frohman (who left San Francisco on August 8, 1882, to join his -brother Charles, in Chicago, relative to a consolidation of Callender’s -and Haverley’s minstrel shows) appears to have disbanded his dramatic -company in Denver. At any rate, I have found no further record of it, -and Belasco’s play of “American Born” was successfully produced at the -Grand Opera House, Chicago, apparently under the joint management of -Gustave and Charles Frohman, on August 16. - -I have not been able to ascertain, independently, whether or not Charles -Frohman travelled to the East with his brother’s dramatic company. -According to the “Life of Charles Frohman,” that manager left San -Francisco as agent for Haverley’s Mastodon Minstrels and relinquished -his position in Indianapolis. According to Belasco’s memory, he and -Charles Frohman travelled together coming East from San Francisco, in -which case the latter, probably, was business agent of his brother’s -company. In this biography I have seldom placed reliance on Belasco’s -memory, except when I have verified his recollections by records -contemporary with the incidents discussed,--because I have found that -(as he has several times testified in court) he has “no head for dates.” -In this matter, however, I believe that his remembrance is accurate. -This is his statement of the facts as he recalls them: - - “During the trip to Chicago, where I was to halt for the first - performance of ’American Born’ at Hamlin’s Opera House, Charles - Frohman and I became fast friends. We instinctively understood each - other as though we had been acquainted for years. When we reached - Chicago we found that Samuel Colville was about to produce Henry - Pettitt’s ’Taken from Life,’ at McVicker’s, and Charles Frohman was - quick to see that there would be great rivalry between Colville’s - production and ours. A point in our favor was that the people at - McVicker’s were no more ready than we. The rival play was to - exploit scenery made from English models, and the advertising - announced from fifteen to twenty big scenes. We saw that our - comparatively modest production would not do, and decided to - improve it, working night and day. We strengthened our company by - engaging George Clarke, who was at odds with Daly; ’Harry’ - Courtaine, who was passing through the West, and Ada Warde, who had - just returned from Australia. The race to see which would open - first was closely contested. By a shrewd move on the part of ’C. - F.’ our play was announced for a certain evening; then we worked - like demons to give it three nights sooner. In this way we were - ready first. Though we went through the first night without any - serious mishaps, ’Harry’ Courtaine was taken ill in the Second Act, - and I had to step into his part myself. But we had a great success - and astonished our audience with twenty-one scenes, each a - sensation! - - “After our engagement was finished inducements came to me from all - quarters to give up my New York opportunity and continue with - ’American Born.’ I knew there was a fortune in the play, but I was - loath to come East with the reputation of a writer and producer of - highly sensational melodrama. I had an uneasy feeling that it would - hurt me with the powers at the Madison Square. Of course I could - have kept my interest in ’American Born’ without letting my name - appear, but I was going to a new land, practically to begin all - over again, and I wanted to enter it free of any possible handicap. - So I took the claptrap manuscript and burned it.” - -Soon after making that fiery purgation Belasco left Chicago and came to -New York to confront Daniel Frohman and negotiate concerning employment -under that manager. - - - - -THE MADISON SQUARE THEATRE. - - -The Madison Square Theatre, situated on the south side of Twenty-fourth -Street, a little way westward from Madison Square and adjacent to the -old Fifth Avenue Hotel, stood on the site of what had been Daly’s first -Fifth Avenue Theatre, opened August 17, 1869, and burnt down January 1, -1873. That site had, previous to 1869, been for several years occupied -by a building, erected in the Civil War time, by Amos R. Eno, and -devoted to public amusements. I remember it as once the professional -abode of negro minstrels, and again as a sort of vaudeville theatre -conducted by a journalist, then well-known, Thaddeus W. Meighan -(1821-18--). In 1868 the notorious James Fisk, Jr., acquired control of -it, and, in a much improved condition, it was opened, January 25, 1869, -as Brougham’s Theatre, and such it continued to be until the following -April 3, when Fisk summarily ousted Brougham and presently installed a -company of French performers in opera bouffe, headed by Mlle. Irma. A -few weeks later Augustin Daly obtained a lease of the building from -Fisk, made extensive alterations in it, and opened it as the Fifth -Avenue Theatre. Some time after its destruction by fire, in 1873, it was -rebuilt, and presently it was leased by James Steele Mackaye -(1842-1894), an actor and manager of rare talent and eccentric -character, who named it the Madison Square Theatre, and opened it, April -23, 1879, with a revival (as “Aftermath; or, Won at Last”) of his play -which had originally and successfully been produced, as “Won at Last,” -December 10, 1877, at Wallack’s Theatre. Later, Mackaye formed an -association with the Mallory brothers,--the Rev. Dr. George Mallory, -editor of an ecclesiastical newspaper called “The Churchman,” and -Marshall H. Mallory, a highly energetic and enterprising man of -business,--the Mallorys becoming the proprietors of the theatre and -Mackaye the manager. Under this new control great changes were made in -the building; the auditorium was newly and richly decorated, a double -stage, which could be raised and lowered, thus facilitating changes of -scene, was introduced (the device of Mackaye), on a plan somewhat -similar to that which had been successfully adopted ten years earlier by -Edwin Booth, at Booth’s Theatre; a strong dramatic company was -organized, and on February 4, 1880, the house was opened, with a drama -by Mackaye, called “Hazel Kirke,” a rehash of an earlier play by him, -called “An Iron Will,” which, in turn, had been adapted from a French -drama. - -“Hazel Kirke” met with extraordinary success, chiefly because of the -superb impersonation of its central character, _Dunstan Kirke_, by -Charles Walter Couldock (1815-1898). It was acted 486 consecutive times, -at the Madison Square, and subsequently it was performed all over the -country. Couldock withdrew from the cast, temporarily, after the 200th -performance in New York, and Mackaye succeeded him. The run of “Hazel -Kirke” at the Madison Square terminated on May 31, 1881, and on June 1 -it was succeeded by William Gillette’s farce of “The Professor,” which -held the stage till October 29, following, when it gave place to a play -called “Esmeralda,” by Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett, which had 350 -performances. Meanwhile Mackaye had become dissatisfied with his -position and had determined to withdraw from it. His contract with the -Mallorys, as he told me at that time (for I knew him well and he often -talked with me about his affairs), had been heedlessly made and largely -to his disadvantage. Contract or no contract, Mackaye and the Mallorys -could not have long remained in association on amicable terms, because -they were as antagonistic as fire and water. Mackaye was a wayward -genius, of poetic temperament, wildly enthusiastic, impetuous, -capricious, volatile, prone to extravagant fancies and bold experiments, -and completely unsympathetic with regulative, Sunday-school morality. -The Mallorys, on the contrary, were shrewd, practical business men, in -no way visionary, thoroughly conventional in character,--in fact, moral -missionaries, intent on making the Theatre a sort of auxiliary to the -Church, their whole scheme of theatrical management being, originally, -to profit by the patronage of the Christian public. Some persons, like -some things, are incompatible. Mackaye resigned and withdrew while -“Esmeralda” was still current, and thus the office was left vacant to -which David Belasco succeeded. - - - - -BELASCO AT THE MADISON SQUARE. - - -On reaching New York and presenting himself at the Madison Square -Theatre as a candidate for the office of stage manager,--or, as it is -now often and incorrectly designated, “producer,”--Belasco was subjected -to minute interrogation, first by Daniel Frohman, the business manager, -and then by both the Mallorys. This ordeal appears to have been -rigorous, but it was satisfactorily ended and the appointment was duly -made. Belasco remembers that, after a long conversation, the Rev. Dr. -Mallory remarked, “I’m glad you have laid such small stress on the -melodramatic emotions of life, for here we are trying to uphold those -emotions which are common to us in our daily existence.” By what means -the candidate contrived to convey that impression to his clerical -inquisitor must remain a mystery, because in all Belasco’s views of -dramatic composition, and in all his contributions to it, the most -prominent and obvious fact is his propensity to melodrama,--meaning the -drama of startling situation and striking stage effect. Dion Boucicault -was the originator and the denominator of “the sensation drama,” and -David Belasco has been, from the first, and is now, a conspicuously -representative exponent of it. He was approved, however, he entered at -once on the performance of his duties, and thus began his permanent -connection with the New York Stage. - -It is doubtful whether Belasco decided wisely when he accepted the -office of stage manager of the Madison Square Theatre, under the Mallory -management. His play of “American Born” having succeeded in Chicago, he -might have accumulated capital from its success and from other -resources, and so happily escaped from an association which imposed on -him a heavy burden of exacting labor, without advantage of public -recognition, and without adequate monetary recompense. He believes, -however, that his acceptance of that office laid the cornerstone of his -success. Conjecture now is useless. He did accept the office, and he -held it, industriously and honorably, for about three years. The terms -of his contract with the Mallorys, as he has stated them to me (the -original document, I understand, perished in the San Francisco -earthquake fire), were, in my judgment, iniquitously unjust to him. As -stage manager he was obligated to render all his services to the Madison -Square Theatre management,--that is, to the Mallorys. His salary was $35 -a week for the first season, $45 a week for the second season, and -thereafter to be increased in the same proportion the third, fourth, and -fifth seasons. The contract was to continue in force for five years, -unless the Mallorys should become dissatisfied. The Mallorys further -acquired, by the terms of the agreement, a first option on any play he -might write during the period of his employment by them. If a play of -his were accepted and produced by them he was to be paid $10 a night, -and $5 for each matinée, during its representation,--a possible $70 a -week. Furthermore, if a play, or plays, of his which had been rejected -by the Mallorys should be accepted and produced by another management, -Belasco was to pay to the Mallorys one-half of all royalties he might -receive from such play or plays. In Charles Reade’s powerful novel “It’s -Never Too Late to Mend” one of the persons, expostulating with the -honest old Jew, _Isaac Levi_, who has declared his intention to leave -the Australian goldfields, exclaims: “But, if _you_ go, who is to buy -our gold-dust?” To this inquiry _Levi_ replies, “There are the -_Christian_ merchants”; whereupon the other earnestly rejoins, “Oh, but -they are such damned _Jews_!” Perhaps some such thought as this passed -through the mind of the Jew Belasco as he signed his bond with his -Christian employers. He has been successful and has risen in eminence, -but his experience has been far from tranquil,--has been, on the -contrary, one of much painful vicissitude and many hardships. At the -Madison Square and at several other theatres with which, later, he -became associated his labors were, for a long time, as far as the public -was concerned, conducted almost entirely under the surface. He worked -hard, his industry being incessant, and it was useful to many persons, -but his name was seldom or never mentioned in public or in print. The -managers by whom he was employed, while utilizing his talent, may almost -be said to have been intent on hindering his advancement,--that is, -David Belasco, as stage manager, hack dramatist, and general factotum, -would be far more useful to those persons than David Belasco, -independent and recognized dramatist and theatrical manager, could ever -be, and therefore he was repressed: the terms, above stated, of his -first Madison Square Theatre contract and the conditions of all his -labor during the thirteen years or so succeeding 1882 disclose his -situation. He, nevertheless, made his way, slowly but surely, by -patient, persistent effort, by the repeated manifestation of special -skill in stage management, by felicity as a mender of plays, and by good -judgment in the assembling of companies and the casting of parts. At the -Madison Square Theatre he was materially benefited by Bronson Howard’s -public recognition of his service in having, with the sanction and -approval of that author, made minor emendations of the play of “Young -Mrs. Winthrop,”--the first play presented there under his -direction,--and in having placed it on the stage in a correct, tasteful, -and effective manner,--recognition expressed in terms of cordial -compliment, on the night of its first performance, October 9, 1882. - -Among the plays which were produced at the Madison Square Theatre, under -Belasco’s efficient and admirable supervision, subsequent to the -presentment of “Young Mrs. Winthrop,” were Mrs. Burton N. Harrison’s “A -Russian Honeymoon,” April 9, 1883; William Young’s “The Rajah; or, -Wyndcot’s Ward,” June 5, 1883; Henry C. De Mille’s “Delmar’s -Daughter,”--which failed,--December 10, 1883; and Hjalmar Hjorth -Boyesen’s “Alpine Roses,” January 31, 1884. Mrs. Harrison’s “A Russian -Honeymoon,” one of those exotics that bloom in select society, had been -acted, in private, December, 1882, by amateurs, prior to its exposure to -the profane gaze,--the amateur company including Mrs. Bradley Martin, -Mrs. William C. Whitney, Mrs. August Belmont, and Mrs. Cora Urquhart -Potter,--and thus had obtained social patronage which was specially -advantageous to it when shown in the theatre. A revival of “The Rajah” -occurred on December 17, 1883. Boyesen’s “Alpine Roses” ran till April -10, 1884. Belasco’s treatment of all those plays redounded to his -credit, but his first signal personal victory ensued on the production -of his play called “May Blossom,” effected April 12, 1884. - - - - -“MAY BLOSSOM.” - - -The Mallorys, he has told me, did not like this play, because of the -character of its chief male part, did not wish to present it, and did -so, finally, with reluctance, after strong opposition, and only because -another play which they were preparing to produce was not ready. “May -Blossom” pleased the public and kept its place on the Madison Square -stage for nearly five months. The 100th performance of it occurred on -July 21, the 150th on September 9, and, on September 27, 1884, its first -run was ended: it is included in French’s Miscellaneous Drama, being No. -59,--but the version of it there published is not the authentic text of -Belasco’s prompt book as used at the Madison Square Theatre: it is -printed from a manuscript furnished by Gustave Frohman. - -That play, which marks the beginning of Belasco’s lasting achievement as -a dramatist, claims particular consideration as representative of the -character of his mind, the peculiarity of his method of dramatic -mechanism, and the quality of his style. He has written better plays -than “May Blossom,”--plays which are more symmetrical because more -deftly constructed and more fluent and rapid in movement, plays which -contain more substantial and interesting character, more knowledge of -human nature, and more stress of feeling,--but he has written no play -that more distinctly manifests his strength and his weakness, his scope -and his limitations,--what, intrinsically, he is as a dramatist. - -_May Blossom_ is the daughter of an old fisherman, resident in a village -on the coast of Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, in and some time after the -period of the American Civil War. She is beloved by two young men, -_Richard Ashcroft_ and _Steve Harland_, both estimable and both by her -esteemed. Each of those lovers, on the same day, asks her to become his -wife. She accepts the proposal of _Ashcroft_, whom she loves, and in -rejecting that of _Harland_ apprises him of her betrothal to his rival, -who is also one of his friends. _Harland_, though bitterly wounded, -accepts her decision in a right and manly spirit. Later, _Ashcroft_, who -is sympathetic with the Confederate cause and who has been secretly in -communication with the Confederate Army, is suddenly and privately -arrested, at night, by Federal military authorities, as a Rebel spy. The -arrest is witnessed by _Harland_, whom _Ashcroft_ beseeches to inform -_May Blossom_ of his capture and who solemnly promises to do so. -_Harland_, however, believing, or persuading himself to believe, that -_Ashcroft_ will inevitably be shot as a spy, and being infatuated by -passion, breaks his promise and permits the girl to believe that her -affianced lover has perished in a storm on Chesapeake Bay. After the -lapse of a year _Harland_, still persistent as a lover, persuades _May -Blossom_ to marry him, and for a time they dwell happily together and a -child is born to them. On the second anniversary of their wedding, just -before the occurrence of a domestic festival which their friends have -arranged in their honor, _Ashcroft_, having escaped from prison, arrives -at their home, and, in an interview with _May_, tells her of his arrest -and imprisonment, and of _Harland’s_ promise, and so reveals her -husband’s treachery. _Harland_ is confronted by them and a scene of -painful crimination ensues. _Ashcroft_, maddened by jealousy, declares -his purpose of forcible abduction of _May_, who, thereupon, speaking as -a wife and mother, repels him. _Ashcroft_ departs. _Harland_ can plead -no defence for his perfidy in breaking his promise to _Ashcroft_ except -the overwhelming strength of his great love, and his wife is agonized -and horrified. The domestic festival, nevertheless, is permitted to -proceed. The guests arrive. The miserable husband and wife, masking -their wretchedness in smiles, are constrained to participate in -merrymaking, and finally are caused by the village pastor to kneel -before him, receive his blessing, and embrace and kiss each other, after -which ceremonial their guests depart and they are left alone. Then -_Harland_, condemning himself and feeling that his wife can no longer -love him, leaves her, purposing to join the Rebel Army. Their separation -lasts six years. _Ashcroft_ is heard of no more. _Harland_ survives and -ultimately returns to his Virginia home, where a reconciliation is -effected between him and his wife, partly by the benevolent offices of -the village pastor, but more because _May_ has realized that she truly -loves him, and because the inevitable action of time has dissipated her -resentment of a wrong. - -The analyzer of the drama that tells this story perceives in it a -constructive mind that is imaginative, romantic, and eccentric, an -ardently vehement faculty of expression, and a nimble fancy intent on -devising pictorial and pathetic situations, while often heedless of -probability--sometimes even of possibility. Things happen not because -they would, in actual life, so happen, under the pressure of -circumstances, but because the dramatist ordains them to occur, to suit -his necessity. Experience has taught the indiscretion of declaring that -_anything_ is _impossible_, but it is at least highly improbable that a -good man would, in any circumstances, break a promise solemnly made to a -friend whom he believed was about to die. _Harland_ is depicted as a -gentleman and one of deep feeling. _Ashcroft’s_ death, if _Harland_ -considers it to be inevitable, would at once relieve him of any need to -break his promise, even if he had been ever so strongly tempted to do -so: doubt of _Ashcroft’s_ death would inspire far more poignant remorse -and fear than _Harland_ actually denotes. _May Blossom_, furthermore, -would not have omitted to inquire, with far more insistence than she is -represented to have shown, into the disappearance of the lover to whom -she is betrothed. _Ashcroft_, though a prisoner, would have been -permitted to communicate with his friends, since at his trial nothing -was proved against him,--yet he was still held in captivity. It is -questionable whether the manly _Harland_, a thoroughly good fellow, -would have married _May Blossom_, however much he might have loved her, -knowing that she loved another man. It is more than questionable whether -_May_, having married _Harland_ and borne a child to him, would have -repudiated her husband, would have acquiesced in his parting from her -and their child, because of the particular wrong that he had done in -breaking his promise to _Ashcroft_. The sin that a man commits out of -the uncontrollable love that he feels for a woman is, of all sins, the -one that she is readiest to forgive. The likelihood that _May Blossom_, -loving _Ashcroft_, betrothed to him and mourning for him, would, after -the lapse of so short a time as one year, have married anybody is, -likewise, open to doubt. Belasco, however, was bent on devising -situations, and he accomplished his purpose: grant his premises (as a -theatrical audience, in the presence of a competent performance of this -play, almost invariably will do), and his dramatic fabric captivates -entire sympathy. - -I saw and recorded the first performance of “May Blossom.” The play was -then exceedingly well acted. Georgia Cayvan (1858-1906), personating the -heroine, gained the first decisive success of her career. That actress, -a handsome brunette, was fortunate in person and in temperament. Her -figure was lithe, her face was brilliantly expressive, her voice was -rich and sweet, she possessed uncommon sensibility, and she could be, at -will, ingenuously demure, artlessly girlish, authoritatively stern, or -fervently passionate. She attained distinction among American actresses -of “emotional” drama and was long and rightly a favorite on our Stage. -As _May Blossom_ she was first the lovely, simple, charming girl, and -later the grave, tranquil wife and mother. In the expression of mental -conflict she was, for a time, artificial in method, using the well-worn, -commonplace expedients of reeling, staggering, and clutching at -furniture; but she reformed that altogether, and her capability of -intense passion in repose was clearly indicated: the character was -developed and truly impersonated. Among her associates in the -representation were Joseph Wheelock, Sr. (183[8?]-1908), and William J. -LeMoyne (1831-1905), both actors of signal ability, now forgotten or -only dimly remembered. Wheelock, in his early day, was a favorite -_Romeo_. LeMoyne was an actor of rare talent and remarkable versatility. -His impersonations of eccentric, humorous, peppery old gentlemen were -among the finest and most amusing that our Stage has known. In this play -he personated _Unca Bartlett_, a benevolent, affectionate, whimsical -rural clergyman. I - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -GEORGIA CAYVAN - -About 1884, when she acted in “May Blossom”] recall a somewhat painful -incident of the first night of “May Blossom,” which should be recorded -as indicative of its author’s peculiar constitution. Belasco had made -arduous efforts in preparing the play for the stage and also during the -performance of it, and when, after the last curtain, he was called and -constrained to thank his enthusiastic audience, he could hardly speak, -and after saying a few words he fainted. This collapse, genuine and, to -a hypersensitive person, natural, was, by some observers, cruelly -derided as affectation. Many persons, fortunately for themselves -superior to trepidation, seem incapable of understanding as genuine the -“fears and scruples” which sometimes overwhelm others: I remember once, -at a banquet, in Boston, to Dr. Holmes, noting with surprise the -impatience with which my table neighbor, Colonel Higginson, gazing at -Holmes,--who was trembling with excitement in view of what he had to -do,--said to me: “What’s he worried about! He has only to read some -verses!” Many years after the first presentment of “May Blossom,” which -it was my privilege to hail, the next morning, in “The New York -Tribune,” as the best new play which had, up to that time, been produced -at the Madison Square Theatre, Belasco said to me: “Your verdict meant -everything to me,--more, during the first week or two, than the public -approval. Bronson Howard’s recognition of my work in improving ’Young -Mrs. Winthrop’ and your support of my ’May Blossom’ did more to help me -break the iron ring I was shut up in in New York than everything else -put together!” - -The prosperity of “May Blossom” much facilitated the progress of Belasco -toward the attainment of his ambitious object, which was the control of -a high-class theatre in New York; but he was yet to meet with -disappointments and hardships and to undergo many trials. The venomous -practice of stigmatizing him as a plagiarist, which has long prevailed, -began almost coincidentally with the success of “May Blossom.” It should -here be mentioned again that this play was transformed by him from an -earlier play of his, called “Sylvia’s Lovers,” written about 187(5?), -and first produced, in that year, at Piper’s Opera House, in Virginia -City. When he had prepared it in a new and definitive form for -presentment at the Madison Square Theatre he showed the manuscript to -Howard P. Taylor, a writer for “The New York Dramatic Mirror,” at that -time edited by Harrison Grey Fiske, and consulted him as a reputed -expert relative to historical details of the Civil War. That person had -offered to the managers of the Madison Square Theatre a play called -“Caprice” (produced August 11, 1884, at the New Park Theatre, New York, -by John A. Stevens and the author, in partnership--Minnie Maddern, now -Mrs. Fiske, being the star), which those managers rejected. After “May -Blossom” had been successfully presented, Taylor accused Belasco of -having caused the Mallory brothers to reject “Caprice,” and also with -having stolen ideas from that play,--which, as stage manager and adviser -of the Madison Square Theatre, he had seen,--and used them in “May -Blossom.” Belasco urgently requested him to make the accusation in -court, but Taylor, though he long and maliciously persisted in -publishing his defamatory charge, would never bring the matter to a -legal test. On the occasion of the 1000th performance of “May Blossom,” -at a dinner given by Daniel Frohman and “Harry” Miner, in celebration of -the event, Harrison Grey Fiske, who, at his own request, had been -included among the speakers, stated that he felt he had a duty to -perform in tendering an apology for the unfounded accusations repeatedly -made by Taylor, in “The Dramatic Mirror,” impugning the integrity of -Belasco as an author and a man. - -This was the original cast of “May Blossom,” at the Madison Square: - -_May Blossom_ Georgia Cayvan. -_Tom Blossom_ Benjamin Maginley. -_Steve Harland_ Joseph Wheelock, Sr. -_Richard Ashcroft_ Walden Ramsay. -_Unca Bartlett_ William J. LeMoyne. -_Owen Hathaway_ Thomas Whiffen. -_Captain Drummond_ Henry Talbot. -_Yank_ Master Tommy Russell. -_Lulu_ Little Belle. -_Deborah_ Mrs. Thomas Whiffen. -_Hank Bluster_ King Hedley. -_Hiram Sloane_ Joseph Frankau. -_Epe_ I. N. Long. -_Millie_ Etta Hawkins. -_Little May_ Carrie Elbert. - -Whiffen was succeeded, as _Hathaway_, in this company, by De Wolf -Hopper,--one of the few genuine and intrinsically humorous comedians on -our Stage to-day. - - - - -FIRST VISIT TO ENGLAND.--“CALLED BACK.” - - -In the summer of 1884 Belasco was sent to London by his employers in -order that he might see a performance of a play entitled “Called -Back,”--founded on the novel of that name by Hugh Conway,--which those -managers had bought for representation in America. He sailed aboard the -Alaska, on July 5, making his first voyage across the Atlantic, and it -was then our personal acquaintance began,--as I chanced to be a -passenger aboard the same ship. He was not, I remember, a good sailor, -and for several days he remained in seclusion, but before the end of the -voyage we met and had a pleasant conversation, and I found him then, as -I have found him since, a singularly original and interesting character -and a genial companion. He said that his stay in England would be brief, -as indeed it was, for having, on arrival in London, witnessed a -representation of “Called Back,” then being acted at the Haymarket -Theatre by Beerbohm-Tree and his dramatic company, he came back to New -York on the return voyage of the same ship that had carried him over. -His task,--which was duly performed,--was to prepare “Called Back” for -presentment at the Madison Square, but as “May Blossom” continued to be -prosperous there it was decided not to interrupt its successful run, but -to produce the new play at another theatre, and that play, accordingly, -was brought out, September 1, 1884, under Belasco’s direction, at the -Fifth Avenue Theatre, then managed by John Stetson,--the leading parts -in it being acted by Robert B. Mantell and Jessie Millward. The work -done by Belasco in connection with “Called Back” was, practically, the -last that he ever did for the Mallorys. In London the play had been so -fashioned that _Paolo Macari_ was the star part, acted by -Beerbohm-Tree. Belasco’s task, as adapter, was that of devising minor -modifications rendering the play better suited to presentment before -American audiences: it was desired that the part of _Gilbert Vaughan_ -should be made as conspicuous as possible,--the Mallorys being intent to -make the most of the popularity of Mantell, who had been brilliantly -successful in “The Romany Rye” and “Fedora” and had become a favorite -with the public. _Macari_, however, remained the principal character in -the drama, and William J. Ferguson, by whom it was exceedingly well -played, maintained it in its natural place. - - - - -CHANGES AT THE MADISON SQUARE. - - -Material changes, meanwhile, had occurred or were then in progress in -the management of the Madison Square. Soon after Steele Mackaye left -that house Belasco’s friend Gustave Frohman, one of its attaches, had -followed him, to join in management of the new Lyceum. Charles Frohman, -who had been employed, at a salary of $100 a week, as a booking agent, -to send on tours of the country all plays that the Mallorys had -successfully produced, had withdrawn, or was about to do so, to devote -himself to ventures of his own. Daniel - -[Illustration: - - Photograph by Underwood & Underwood. Copyright. - - Author’s Collection. - -CHARLES FROHMAN] - -[Illustration: - - Photograph by Moffet. - - Belasco’s Collection. - -DANIEL FROHMAN] - -Frohman, the business manager, was dissatisfied with his situation and -prospects, and his retirement soon occurred. The Mallorys were forming a -business alliance with Albert Marshall Palmer (1838-1905), when Belasco -returned from his trip to England in their interests, and on August 29, -1884, public announcement was made that Palmer had become a partner in -their enterprise. Palmer was a dictatorial person, and Belasco, much -more experienced in technical aspects of theatrical matters and far -abler as a stage director, came almost immediately into conflict with -him. The particular incident which precipitated the rupture was trivial. -At a rehearsal of “Called Back” which Belasco was conducting Palmer made -his appearance, accompanied by Boucicault. Their presence disconcerted -the actors and Belasco (as he told me) requested them to retire, -explaining the reason for that request. Boucicault, appreciating the -situation, politely said, “All right, my boy, I’ll go.” Palmer, on the -contrary, brusquely exclaimed, “I’ll be damned if you will,” and added -the assurance that he was a partner in the business and intended to be -present at all rehearsals. To this Belasco replied, “Mr. Palmer, the -actors can’t rehearse with you and Mr. Boucicault here, and if you don’t -go I shall dismiss the rehearsal,”--whereupon Palmer went. This -encounter and Palmer’s general manner satisfied Belasco that he could -not long retain his office, and although Palmer subsequently requested -him to remain at the Madison Square (after “Called Back” was safely -launched at the Fifth Avenue) and continue to rehearse the company -there, benevolently proposing that he would himself, in each case, -supervise the last two or three full rehearsals (an old theatrical -practice, whereby one man does all the work and another comes in at the -last moment to take all the credit for it, while actually doing almost -nothing), he insisted on obtaining, and did obtain, acceptance of his -resignation. The Mallorys themselves were the next to leave the Madison -Square, and on March 13, 1885, Palmer became sole manager of that -theatre. - - - - -A LABORIOUS INTERLUDE.--LYCEUM THEATRE. - - -After leaving that house Belasco for about two years worked as a -free-lance in the theatrical arena. One plan which he seriously -entertained and strove to accomplish in that interval was the formation -of a theatrical company, headed by himself as a star, to traverse the -country, presenting “Hamlet,” or a new, sympathetic, popular drama of -his own fabrication,--possibly to present both those plays,--in which he -might, perhaps, make a personal hit - -[Illustration: DAVID BELASCO AS _HAMLET_ - -“_Since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is ’t to leave -betimes?_” - ---Act V. sc. 2 - - Photograph by Houseworth, San Francisco. - - Original loaned by Mrs. David Belasco.] - -and become as prosperous as certain other actors then were,--notably -Jefferson, as _Rip Van Winkle_, and John S. Clarke, as _Major de Boots_. -“I was keen to _act_ then,” he said to me, “and sometimes now I wish I -had stuck to it.” With him as with most other persons, however, the path -that he should tread was ordained by the iron force of circumstance. He -did whatever work he could find to do, and his occupations were various. -He trained members of an amateur society, in Brooklyn, called “The -Amaranth.” He revised a play called “Caught in a Corner” (it had -previously been tinkered by Clay M. Greene, and it was produced in New -York, Belasco’s arrangement, November 1, 1887, at the Fourteenth Street -Theatre) for Maurice Bertram Curtis, an actor now dimly remembered for -his performance in “Sam’l of Posen,” with whom he had, in 1878, been -affiliated as a member of the “Frayne Troupe,” travelling in California. -More particularly he became associated with Steele Mackaye, in the -Lyceum. That theatre was situated in Fourth Avenue, next to the old -Academy of Design, which stood on the northwest corner of Twenty-third -Street and Fourth Avenue. It was built, on ground leased from William Y. -Mortimer, by Philip G. Hubert, Charles W. Clinton, and Michael Brennan, -and it was opened by Mackaye on April 6, 1885, with a play called -“Dakolar,” which he had “conveyed” from “Le Maître de Forges,” by -Georges Ohnet. The chief parts were played by Robert B. Mantell, John -Mason, Viola Allen, and Sadie Martinot. Belasco’s position at the Lyceum -was that of assistant stage manager and general helper for Mackaye, -whose signal ability he appreciated and admired. He was engaged at a -salary of $150 a week,--which, however, he never received,--was -installed in a private office, and, for a short time, was happy because -deluded as to what he was about to accomplish. In his “Story,” referring -to the play of “Dakolar,” he relates that, prior to its production, -Mackaye read it, at his home, to a group of critical persons, of whom I -was one, in order to obtain their opinions of it. As to one point his -memory is at fault: I was not present. Mackaye (who was a friend of -mine) did read “Dakolar” to me, but that reading occurred privately, in -his office. We sat, I remember, at a large table, he at an end of it and -I at the right-hand side. He was a highly excitable person, and as his -reading progressed he became wildly enthusiastic, hitching his chair -nearer and nearer to me, with much extravagant gesticulation, so that I -was impelled to hitch my chair further and further away from him, till -the two of us actually made an almost complete circuit of the table -before the reading was finished! It was a tiresome experience. At the -critical symposium which Belasco recalls various opinions were expressed -by Mackaye’s auditors, that of Belasco being withheld until Mackaye -insisted on its expression, when it was made known as strongly adverse -to the play. Thereafter a coolness ensued between the manager and his -assistant. Other causes of friction occurred, and presently Mackaye -remarked to him, “There is room for only _one_ genius in this theatre, -and _one_ of us ought to resign.” This intimation caused Belasco to -retire, and so ended that episode. - -Mackaye, who, in his youth, had studied in Paris, under the direction of -François Delsarte (1811-1871),--an eccentric person, of whom and his -peculiar character, ways, and notions the reader can pleasantly obtain -an instructive glimpse from that delightful book, by Mme. -Hagermann-Lindencrone, “In the Courts of Memory,”--had, from the time of -his advent in New York theatrical life (1872), sedulously striven to -promote the tuition of histrionic aspirants according to the tenets of -that instructor; and in opening the Lyceum Theatre he started, in -connection with it, a School of Acting. In this Franklin Sargent at -first co-labored with him, but after a short time withdrew, to carry on -a school of his own. When Belasco left Mackaye and the Lyceum he joined -Sargent, and as his extraordinary talent for stage direction had made -him popular with Mackaye’s pupils, the larger part of them followed him -to Sargent’s school,--to the lively disgust of Mackaye. - - - - -“VALERIE” AT WALLACK’S. - - -An important incident of this fluctuant period was Belasco’s employment -by Lester Wallack (1820-1888), with whom he had become so pleasantly -acquainted in 1882, at the time of the New York production of his “La -Belle Russe.” Wallack, one of the best actors who have adorned our Stage -and for about thirty years the leading theatrical manager in America, -was then drawing toward the close of his career and the end of his life. -His strength was failing, his audience dropping away. He thought he -might perhaps reanimate public interest in his theatre,--where he still -maintained a fine company,--if he should appear in a new character. “I -think I have one more ’study’ in me,” he told Belasco, “and I should -like you to try to make for me a play with good parts for Mr. Bellew and -Miss Robe [Kyrle Bellew, Annie Robe, John Gilbert, Mme. Ponisi, Sophie -Eyre, and Henry Edwards were among the members of his - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Courtesy of Percy Mackaye, Esq. - -JAMES STEELE MACKAYE - -About 1886] - -company at the time], and with a character for me similar to _Henry -Beauclerc_, in ’Diplomacy.’ Another ’Diplomacy’ would carry us over.” -Belasco had no original play in mind at that time and Wallack had no -definite suggestion to make, beyond his wish for something similar to -“Diplomacy,”--which he had produced, for the first time in America and -with great success, at Wallack’s Theatre (the Thirteenth Street house), -April 1, 1878. The result of several long conferences between manager -and playwright was, accordingly, that a new version of Sardou’s -“Fernande” (which had been first produced in America, at the Dalys’ -Fifth Avenue Theatre, June 7, 1870, with Daniel H. Harkins, George -Clarke, and Agnes Ethel in the chief parts) would be the most auspicious -venture. On this play, accordingly, Belasco began to work. “I had no -home in those days,” he told me, “except a small hall bedroom at No. 43 -West Twenty-fourth Street, and no proper place in which to write. I used -to do much of my work in the public writing-room of the old Fifth Avenue -Hotel [which stood at the northwest corner of Twenty-third Street and -Broadway], but I wanted to be near Wallack, because frequent -consultations were necessary, in order that I might meet his -requirements and fit his company, and so I asked him if he couldn’t -give me some place in his theatre where I might work conveniently. He -very courteously and greatly to my delight opened his own library to me, -in his house ’round the corner [Wallack dwelt in a house on the north -side of West Thirtieth Street, No. 13, adjoining his theatre], and there -I made my version of ’Fernande’ and, practically, lived till it was -done.” - -That version, called “Valerie,” was completed within four weeks, and it -was produced at Wallack’s Theatre on February 15, 1886. Wallack, instead -of buying the refashioned play outright from Belasco, as was the usual -custom of the time, agreed to pay him the handsome royalty of $250 a -week, as long as it held his stage,--the adapter, moreover, being -privileged to present it outside of New York. “Valerie,” while -serviceable in a theatrical way, is not a thoroughly good play, and it -is distinctly inferior to the earlier version, by Hart Jackson,--as, -indeed, could scarcely be otherwise, since Belasco had worked under the -disadvantage of being required to make a new play on the basis of an old -one, then still current, in which the best possible use of the material -implicated had already been made. In the building of “Valerie,” which is -comprised in three acts, reliance was placed in whatever of freshness -could be imparted to the method of treatment,--and that was not much. -The scene of the action was shifted from France to England. The -foreground of the life of _Fernande_, appearing under the name of -_Valerie_, was omitted. The names of the other characters were also -changed. The First Act deals largely with preparation and is devoted -mainly to a somewhat preposterous scene in which the evil agent of the -drama, _Helena_, allures her lover, _Sir Everard Challoner_, by a false -confession that she is tired of him, to make a true confession not only -that he is tired of her but that he loves another woman. _Challoner_ is -represented as of a noble English family and of a singularly ingenuous -mind. He states that the woman whom he loves is a young stranger whom he -has casually encountered, leaning against a post, in the street, in a -condition of faintness, and the deceptive _Helena_ thereupon proffers -her services to discover the unknown object of his sudden affection. She -has rescued a vagrant female from the streets, and it turns out that -this waif is the interesting stranger for whom they are to seek. In the -Second Act the malignant _Helena_ exults in the marriage of her former -lover to a woman whom she believes to be a demirep. That is to -consummate her revenge for having been discarded by _Challoner_, but -when she is about to overwhelm him with the declaration that he has -wedded an outcast, _Walter_, the good genius of the story, forcibly -compels her sudden retirement behind a velvet curtain. This is the -“strong situation” of the drama. In the Third Act this evil woman’s -scheme of vengeance, which she endeavors to push to a completion, is -finally discomfited by the vindication of the girl, _Valerie_, and a -happy climax crowns an incredible fiction. - -The play is long and portions of it are tedious. The dialogue is -generally commonplace. Two strikingly original lines, however, attracted -my attention: “Love at first sight, you know,” and “this is the happiest -day of my life!” The postulate illustrated is kindred with that of -Congreve’s well-known (and almost invariably misquoted) couplet, - - “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, - Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.” - -That theme may, perhaps, be interesting. It seemed to interest auditors -at Wallack’s, but the manifestations of approval were probably due to -the manner in which the play was acted rather than to its intrinsic -appeal. Annie Robe appeared as _Valerie_. There was in the personality -of that actress a certain muscular vigor incompatible with the ideal of -a sweet, fragile girl, intended in the original scheme of Sardou and -suggested in its paraphrase, but Miss Robe’s performance evinced a fine, -woman-like intuition and it was suffused with touching sincerity. -Wallack, as _Walter_, had to personate a character which, for him, was -of trifling moment,--the poised, self-possessed man of the world, at -home amid difficulties and always master of the situation. The kindness -of his nature shone through his embodiment and the grace of his action -made it delightful. In Wallack’s acting there was that delicate -suggestion of great knowledge of human nature and of the world which can -be expressed only by those who have had ample experience of life, and -also there was the denotement of a nature which had been sweetened, not -embittered, by the trials through which it had passed. Kyrle Bellew -acted with simple dignity in situations which sometimes were of such an -irrational character as might well perplex or baffle the art of the most -accomplished comedian. His performance was much and justly admired. -Sophie Eyre, who assumed the affronted female, pursued her baleful -purpose with surpassing energy, much breadth of treatment, and -frequently fine theatrical effect: but her performance excelled in force -rather than in refinement. - -This is the complete cast of the play as acted at Wallack’s Theatre: - -_Sir Everard Challoner_ Kyrle Bellew. -_Mons. Xavier_ Henry Edwards. -_Hon. George Alfred Bettly_ Ivan Shirley. -_Dr. Rushton_ Daniel Leeson. -_Roberts_ John Germon. -_Jameson_ S. Du Bois. -_Helena Malcom_ Sophie Eyre. -_Valerie de Brian_ Annie Robe. -_Lady Bettly_ Mme. Ponisi. -_Julia Trevillian_ Helen Russell. -_Agnes_ Kate Bartlett. -_Walter Trevillian_ Lester Wallack. - -Such merit as “Valerie” contains was derived from the French original. -It is a piece of journeyman work, undertaken as such, and as such well -enough done. Wallack seems to have been conscious of its defects: in a -letter of his to Belasco, which the latter has carefully preserved, he -says: - -(_Lester Wallack to David Belasco._) - -“13, West Thirtieth Street, -“[New York] December 31, [1885.] - -“Dear Mr. Belasco:-- - - “We must, have another ’go’ at the last act. - - “The dialogues are infinitely too long, and we have missed the - opportunity for a strong scene for Mr. Bellew and Miss Robe. - - “I rehearsed the two first acts yesterday. - -“Yours always, -“LESTER WALLACK.” - - - -[Illustration: - - From an old photograph. - - The Albert Davis Collection. - -ANNIE ROBE - - Photograph by Sarony. - - Belasco’s Collection. - -KYRLE BELLEW - -About 1886, when they acted in Belasco’s “Valerie”] - -Handsome scenes were provided for the play at Wallack’s and it received -some measure of public support, holding the stage till March 14. -Wallack’s first appearance in it was his first appearance in the season -of 1885-’86, and _Walter_ was the last new part that he ever acted. -Belasco had great respect for Wallack, recognizing and appreciating his -wonderful powers as an actor and his extraordinary achievements as a -manager. Wallack, while Belasco was writing “Valerie,” offered him -employment, as stage manager, to produce it, but Belasco wisely -declined. “I knew,” he said, “that Wallack would not be able to sit by -and let me direct his company--much less himself--and so I thanked him -but declined, telling him, ’Mr. Wallack, I should be afraid of Mr. -Bellew and Miss Robe, and of _you_!’ When he asked me to ’come in from -time to time and watch the rehearsals,’ of course I agreed, and I did go -in and made a few suggestions to him. I could have remained at -Wallack’s, in charge of the stage, but I saw my doing so would lead to -nothing, so I refused an offer he made me and kept myself free. I -treasure the memory of Wallack and my association with him. He was one -of the big figures of our Stage, very pathetic, to me, in his last -efforts to stem the tide running against him, and he was the most -courteous gentleman I ever met in the Theatre.” - - - - -MORE ERRORS CORRECTED. - - -Belasco’s carelessness of statement is again illustrated in a remark -made in his “Story” regarding contemporary conditions when Wallack’s -career was ending: “New men,” he writes, “were on the horizon, public -taste was changing, and lighter forms of entertainment were coming into -vogue. Even Daly was meeting reverses and the Madison Square was going -downhill.” It is regrettable that such an influential manager should -fall into such errors and unintentionally contribute to the generally -prevailing ignorance of theatrical history. I am again prompted to quote -the old sage, Dr. Johnson, who remarks that “To be ignorant is painful, -but it is dangerous to quiet our uneasiness by the delusive opiate of -hasty persuasion.” At the time of which Belasco speaks (1886-’87) Daly -was, in fact, on the crest of the wave of success, with “A Night Off,” -“Nancy & Co.,” and revivals of the Old Comedies. In May, 1886, he took -his company on a notably successful tour which, after nine weeks in -London, embraced Paris, Hamburg, Berlin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, -and Dublin, and soon after his return to America he produced, in New - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Falk. Courtesy of Arthur Wallack, Esq. - -LESTER WALLACK - -Taken at about the time he produced Belasco’s “Valerie,”--1886 - -(The last picture ever made of Wallack)] - -York, for the first time in our country, “The Taming of the Shrew,” in -which Ada Rehan gave her matchless personation of _Katharine_ and which -was the most successful of all his ventures in the second half of his -great career, ending in 1899. The Madison Square, so far from “going -downhill,” was just entering on a period of notable prosperity and -influence, with Jones’s “Saints and Sinners,” Mansfield’s presentment of -“Prince Karl,” which ran from May 3 to August 14, 1886; “Jim the -Penman,” “Heart of Hearts,” etc. Palmer remained in management of the -Madison Square till September, 1891. - - - - -AN EXTRAORDINARY COMPANY AND A SUMMER SEASON IN SAN FRANCISCO. - - -Soon after “Valerie” was withdrawn at Wallack’s,--that is, March-April, -1886,--Belasco received and accepted an invitation to return to the city -of his birth, and the scene of much of his vicissitudinous early career, -as stage manager of what was fairly denominated “a stock company of -stars” and was, without question, one of the strongest theatrical -companies ever assembled in America. That company was organized by Al. -Hayman to fill a summer season at the Baldwin Theatre (of which he had -obtained control in 1883) and it comprised the following players: - -Robert B. Mantell. -Joseph Haworth. -William J. Ferguson. -Charles Vandenhoff. -Rowland Buckstone. -Henry Miller. -Owen Fawcett. -W. H. Crompton. -Maurice Barrymore. -L. J. Henderson. -Alfred Fisher. -Errol Dunbar. -George H. Cohill. -Sophie Eyre. -Florence Gerard. -Mary Shaw. -Louise Dillon. -Kate Denin. -Kitty Wilson. -Ada Dyer. -Mrs. Alfred Fisher. -Agnes Thomas. -Mrs. C. R. Saunders. - -Hayman’s company began its engagement under Belasco’s direction, at the -Baldwin, May 31, in a dramatized synopsis of Ouida’s novel of “Moths,” -which was cast thus: - -_Lord Jura_ Joseph Haworth. -_Prince Zouroff_ Charles Vandenhoff. -_Raphael de Correze_ Henry Miller. -_Duke of Mull and Cantyre_ Rowland Buckstone. -_Joan_ E. J. Holden. -_Fuchsia Leach_ Louise Dillon. -_Duchess de Sonnah_ Agnes Thomas. -_Lady Dolly Vanderdecken_ Kate Denin. -_Princess Nadine Helegrine_ Sydney Cowell. -_Vera Herbert_ Sophie Eyre. - -On June 7 Belasco’s “Valerie” was presented, the parts being distributed -as follows: - -_Sir Everard Challoner_ Joseph Haworth. -_Walter Trevillian_ W. J. Ferguson. -_Mons. Xavier_ Charles Vandenhoff. -_Hon. George Alfred Bettly_ Rowland Buckstone. -_Dr. Rushton_ W. H. Crompton. -_Roberts_ E. J. Holden. -_Helena Malcom_ Sophie Eyre. -_Valerie de Brian_ Louise Dillon. -_Lady Bettly_ Kate Denin. -_Julia Trevillian_ Sydney Cowell. -_Agnes_ Trella Foltz. - -“Valerie” was received with favor and played for one week. It was -succeeded, June 14, by a revival of “The Marble Heart,”--in which -Mantell played _Phidias_ and _Raphael_, Ferguson _Volage_, and Miss Eyre -_Marco_. “Anselma” was acted on the 21st; “The Lady of Lyons” on the -24th, and “Alone in London” on the 28th. A particularly rich setting was -provided for the last named presentment, which was warmly commended for -the perfection of Belasco’s stage management, the excellence of the -acting and “beautiful and bewitching scenery and stage effects.” Mme. -Modjeska appeared on July 12, supported by members of the Hayman -company, in Maurice Barrymore’s nasty play of “Nadjezda”: this, however, -appears to have been brought forth under the stage management of its -author and without any assistance from Belasco. On July 18 the latter -took a benefit at the Baldwin, at which the theatre was densely crowded -by a wildly enthusiastic audience. The occasion was made a general -testimonial of the cordial admiration and high personal esteem in which -Belasco had come to be held in his native city, by the public as well as -by fellow-members of his profession. It was directed by a committee of -which Charles Bozenta (Modjeska’s husband and manager) was the President -and Clay M. Greene and Maurice Barrymore the Vice-Presidents, many -distinguished men and women of the Theatre and of public life in -California being members. The programme included the names of more than -sixty-five players and the principal features of it were as follows: - -“Clothilde,” One Act of, by Jeffreys-Lewis and Company. -M. B. Curtis Recitations. -McKee Rankin Recitations. - -“The Private Secretary,” One act of, with John N. Long -as the _Rev. Spaulding_, and the original cast. -Helene Dingeon Songs. -Maurice Barrymore Recitations. -“Carrie” Swan “Specialties.” -Edwin Foy Imitations. - -“Called Back,” One Act of, - _Macari_ Joseph R. Grismer. - _Gilbert Vaughan_ Maurice Barrymore. - _Pauline_ Phœbe Davies. - _Mary_ Louise Dillon. - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -ALBERT M. PALMER] - -E. J. Buckley “‘Ostler Joe.” - -“Shadows of a Great City,” Last Act of, by the original cast. - -On July 26 Belasco left San Francisco for New York,--where immediately -after his arrival he did some unacknowledged tinkering and readjusting -of a play by Archibald Clavering Gunter, called “A Wall Street Bandit,” -which was produced, September 20, at the Standard Theatre, under the -management of Charles Frohman. Belasco’s next employment was at the -Lyceum Theatre. - - - - -AFFAIRS OF THE LYCEUM. - - -Wallack’s company did not last much more than a year after the time when -Belasco was offered an opportunity to join it as stage manager: it was -disbanded on May 30, 1887, after giving a final performance, at Daly’s -Theatre, in “The Romance of a Poor Young Man.” Thus Belasco’s decision -not to ally himself in any permanent capacity with that organization -proved fortunate for him. Meantime Mackaye’s administration of the -Lyceum Theatre was not successful. “Dakolar” ran there from April 6 to -May 23 (1885), when the house was closed. On September 15, following, a -re-opening was effected, with a new version, by Mackaye, of Victorien -Sardou’s “Andrea,” presented under the name of “In Spite of All,”--the -chief parts of it being acted by Minnie Maddern (now Mrs. Fiske), Eben -Plympton, Richard Mansfield, and Selina Dolaro. That play held the stage -till November 7, when Mackaye relinquished his lease of the Lyceum and -control of that theatre was obtained by Daniel Frohman. “In Spite of -All” was taken to Boston by Charles Frohman, Belasco going with it as -stage-manager. After the presentment of it in Boston Belasco returned to -New York, and soon entered into the engagement with Wallack which has -been described. Having finished “Valerie,” he renewed his association -with Sargent, in the School of Acting, thus coming into indirect -connection with the Lyceum Theatre. On November 10, 1885, that house had -been opened under the direction of Helen Dauvray (“Little Nell, the -California Diamond”), Daniel Frohman being the lessee, in a play written -specially for her by Bronson Howard, called “One of Our Girls,” in which -she made a success as _Kate Shipley_. That play was acted for 200 -nights, the run closing on May 22, 1886, when Miss Dauvray retired from -the direction of the Lyceum. Daniel Frohman then announced himself as -the manager of that theatre, opening it, on May 24, with Frank Mayo, in -the play of “Nordeck,” which ran for two weeks, when the season ended. -It was reopened on September 18, following, with Henry C. De Mille’s -play of “The Main Line; or, Rawson’s Y.” Belasco, through his indirect -connection with the Lyceum, came into employment in rehearsal of various -plays for the English actress May Fortesque (Finney), who, on October -18, 1886, began a brief engagement at the Lyceum, appearing in W. S. -Gilbert’s “Faust,” acting _Gretchen_, and later, November 8, played -_Frou-Frou_, and, November 29, _Iolanthe_, in “King Rene’s Daughter,” -and _Jenny Northcott_, in “Sweethearts.” Miss Fortesque was not -successful in America and on March 23, 1887, she sailed for England. -While Belasco was rehearsing her company Daniel Frohman engaged him at -the Lyceum, at a salary of $35 a week, as stage manager, adviser, and -general assistant, and that position he held till early in the year -1890. Meanwhile Belasco, besides his activities as a teacher in the -Lyceum School of Acting (the pupils of that school, under his direction, -gave a creditable performance of a translation of Molière’s “Les -Précieuses Ridicules,” March 23, 1887, at the Lyceum), was at work on -the revision of a play by John Maddison Morton (1811-1891) and Robert -Reece, called “Trade,” which was written for Edward A. Sothern and had -been inherited by his son, Edward Hugh Sothern, whose contract with Miss -Dauvray had been assumed by Daniel Frohman, and who was soon to figure -at the Lyceum as leading man and, practically, as star. The play of -“Trade,” in its original form, was defective. The elder Sothern, an -intimate friend of mine, consulted me about it, I remember, and at his -request, and as a friendly act, I suggested some changes and wrote into -it one scene. My work, however, was not important. Belasco practically -rewrote the play, and, under the name of “The Highest Bidder,” his -version of it was produced at the Lyceum, May 3, 1887, with E. H. -Sothern as _Jack Hammerton_, the leading part. - - - - -“THE HIGHEST BIDDER.” - - -“The Highest Bidder” is one of the many plays which are correctly -designated as “tailor-made.” Such things do not spring from an original -dramatic impulse. Morton and Reece aimed to fit the elder Sothern with a -part that would suit him, and they did not accomplish the purpose, nor -did that accomplished comedian, who did much work on their play. -Belasco, revising it for the younger Sothern, considerably improved it, -telling the story more fluently and making the central character more -piquant and flexible. _Jack Hammerton_ is an amiable young man, of -abundant wealth, by profession an auctioneer, by nature diffident in -general - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -EDWARD H. SOTHERN - -About 1888] - -society, impulsive in temperament and prone to entangle himself in -foolish embarrassments, but capable of calm, decisive action in -situations of danger. An old friend of his, resident in the country, has -become involved in financial difficulties and a valuable estate is to be -sold to relieve him. The young auctioneer is employed to conduct the -sale, and he finds that his old friend has a charming young daughter, -supposed to be an heiress, who is being courted by a specious baronet -who is a dishonest gambler and a forger. In trying to unmask this rascal -the amiable auctioneer involves himself in a distressing tangle of -misapprehension, but eventually he discomfits the wily schemer (who -incidentally makes an abortive attempt to murder him), frees himself -from suspicion, and proves at once the rectitude of his intentions and -the ardor of his devotion to the lady whom he loves and whom he wishes -to rescue from the toils of a villain. At the climax of the auction -scene he “knocks down” his friend’s estate to himself, in the capacity -of “the highest bidder,” and then lays it, with his heart, at the feet -of the object of his adoration,--who, after an excess of hesitancy, -accepts him and his property. - -“The Highest Bidder” was set in handsome scenery and the parts in it -were judiciously cast: - -_Lawrence Thornhill_ J. W. Piggott. -_Bonham Cheviot_ William J. LeMoyne. -_Jack Hammerton_ Edward H. Sothern. -_Muffin Struggles_ Rowland Buckstone. -_Evelyn Graine_ Herbert Archer. -_Joseph_ Walter Clark Bellows. -_Parkyn_ William A. Faversham. -_Rose Thornhill_ Belle Archer. -_Mrs. Honiton Lacy_ Alice Crowther. -_Louise Lacy_ Vida Croly. - -LeMoyne and Miss Archer, on this occasion, made their first appearance -at the Lyceum. The play was well acted, Sothern animating the -serio-comic part of _Hammerton_ with earnest feeling and sustained and -winning vivacity. The success had not been expected. Dismal -forebodements had preceded its production. “We had a small private -audience at a dress rehearsal,” said Belasco, “and it was ghastly; -everybody was unresponsive and chilly, they pretty well took the starch -out of all the actors, and made us all nervous, despondent, and -miserable. We had another ’go’ at the piece, with nobody in front, and -it seemed a little better; but we were all stale on it; we couldn’t tell -what would happen. What a difference when we had a friendly audience, -fresh to the piece and willing to be pleased!” “The Highest Bidder” held -the stage from May 3 to July 16, when the Lyceum was closed for the -season, but it was revived on August 29, and it ran till September 17. -Then, on September 20, under Belasco’s stage direction, Cecil Raleigh’s -neat farce of “The Great Pink Pearl” was brought out, together with the -drama in one act called “Editha’s Burglar.” The latter is an adaptation -of a story by Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett, and its production is -specially notable as being that of the first play by the brilliant and -representative American dramatist Augustus Thomas, and because of the -instant success achieved in its central character by Elsie -Leslie,--certainly the most remarkable child actor of the last sixty -years and one of the loveliest and most enchanting children ever seen -anywhere. To her captivating personality, and to her instinctive -histrionic talent, judiciously fostered and elicited by Belasco, was due -the success of the “double bill”: it held the Lyceum stage until October -30, and thereafter was acted in many other cities. In New York the -principal adult part, that of the _Burglar_, was assumed by E. H. -Sothern: “on the road” it was played by William Gillette. - - - - -“PAWN TICKET 210.” - - -Another venture, made in 1887, that was important to Belasco, was the -production, by his friend of early days, the fay-like little Lotta, of a -play which he wrote for her in collaboration with Clay M. Greene, -entitled “Pawn Ticket 210.” In the summer of that year, after those -authors had submitted their play to her, Lotta expressed herself as -favorably impressed by it but as being doubtful as to whether the public -would care for her in its central character, which contains some touches -of serious feeling. “I play and dance and sing,” she said, “and that -seems to be about all my audience expects of me.” Her interest in the -piece, however, finally overcame her hesitation; she agreed to buy it -outright, for $5,000, and produce it, provided that Belasco would direct -the rehearsals. To that stipulation he readily consented; a first -payment of $2,500 was made, and the play was prepared for public -representation on the stage of the Lyceum, immediately prior to the -rehearsals there of “The Great Pink Pearl” and “Editha’s Burglar”: it -was first acted at McVicker’s Theatre, Chicago, September 12, 1887. - -“Pawn Ticket 210” is a melodrama, in four acts, based in part on an idea -in the novel of “Court Royal,” by Baring-Gould, and containing two -characters derived therefrom. The story is extravagant to the point of -absurdity. The mother of an infant girl, being in desperate need of -money, leaves her babe with a Jewish pawnbroker, as security for a loan -of $30, and then disappears. The child, _Mag_, attains to young -womanhood and is about to be, practically, forced into marriage with the -old pawnbroker, _Uncle Harris_, who holds her as “collateral,” when her -mother returns and, with the assistance of a youth named _Saxe_, redeems -the girl and provides for her happiness. Spectators of this amazing -medley might well have been puzzled to divine its purpose, since they -were at one moment required to contemplate scenes of violence and -bloodshed and the next were regaled with the capers of -burlesque,--Lotta, abandoning all endeavor at serious portrayal of -character, skipping over barrels, frisking upon tables, kicking off her -slippers, grimacing, dancing, and singing as only Lotta could. - -That play was greeted by the writers for the Chicago newspapers with -extreme and derisive censure. Belasco and Greene, reading the adverse -reviews, were much disheartened and expected that Lotta would withdraw -their play and revive one of her early and successful vehicles. “I had -been in Chicago, for the dress rehearsal,” writes Belasco, in a -memorandum, “but my duties as stage manager at the Lyceum required me to -return to New York before the first performance. The rehearsals hadn’t -been satisfactory to me. And when, on top of the scathing notices, I -received a wire from Lotta [after “The Pearl” and “Editha’s Burglar” -had been produced] asking us to come out to Chicago again, I felt sure -it meant that our play was to be dropped.” When, however, in company -with Greene, he called on the actress, his dismal forebodings were -happily dispersed. “Don’t pay any attention to the criticisms,” -admonished the sensible little Lotta; “I have just had word from my -manager saying there is a line that extends around the block, trying to -get to the box office. The house has been packed to the roof, at every -performance. None of my plays has ever received good notices--but the -public comes. We have a great big success in this piece!” Lotta’s -mother, who was present, by way of confirming this auspicious view, -said, “We’ll show you what _we_ think of it,” and forthwith handed to -the delighted authors a check for the second payment of -$2,500,--although, writes Belasco, “it was a month ahead of the -stipulated time.” “Pawn Ticket 210” was the chief reliance of Lotta -during the season of 1887-’88, and thereafter it was utilized by several -of the various performers who sought to emulate her,--conspicuous among -them Amy Lee. This is the cast of the original production at McVicker’s: - -_Mag_ Lotta. -_Uncle Harris_ John Howson. - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -LOTTA (CHARLOTTE CRABTREE) - -About the time of “Pawn Ticket No. 210”] - -_John Sternhold_ Charles L. Harris. -_Montague Flash_ G. C. Boniface. -_Charles Saxe_ Cyril Scott. -_Osiah Gregg_ J. W. Hague. -_Postman_ F. Waldo Parker. -_Ruth_ Augusta Raymond. -_Alice Sternhold_ Lilian Richardson. -_Aunt Dorothy_ Ernestine Floyd. - - - - -“BARON RUDOLPH” AND GEORGE S. KNIGHT. - - -The continuous, energetic, productive industry of Belasco is further -signified by the fact that during the interval between “The Highest -Bidder” and “The Wife” (May to November, 1887) he found time to do an -important piece of work in association with Bronson Howard. That author -had, several years earlier, written a play for Mr. and Mrs. William J. -Florence, called “Only a Tramp.” Mrs. Florence was not satisfied with -the part, _Nellie Dashwood_, designed for her, and the Florences, -accordingly, rejected the play. In 1886 it was bought from Howard by -George S. Knight (George Washington Sloan,--1850-1892), who chanced to -meet Howard in London and to whom it was offered. - -The play of “Baron Rudolph” (or “Rudolph,” as, finally, it was -denominated) is not a distinctive or important one, but it contains, -chiefly as the result of Belasco’s revision (it was earlier acted in -New York, as Howard left it, so this statement rests on direct -comparison), effective elements of comedy and some amusing incidents and -fluent dialogue. Knight was a competent comedian,--nothing more: he -lacked personal magnetism, delicacy, and the rare and precious faculty -of taste. - -The story of the play is trite and it is artificial; it belongs to the -category typified by “Struck Oil,” in which James C. Williamson and his -wife, “Maggie” Moore, were widely successful, many years ago, gaining a -fortune with it. It depicts the vicissitudes and sufferings of a kind -and loving, though weak and imprudent man, _Rudolph_, and of his wife -and child. _Rudolph_, who has been prosperous, is pitifully poor, and -his wife and their child are on the verge of starvation. The husband -returns, slightly intoxicated, to their squalid abode, and the wife, -stung to bitter resentment, leaves him, taking their child, and intent -to earn a living by her own labor. In this purpose she succeeds, and -after an interval of about two years she obtains a divorce from -_Rudolph_,--who, meantime, has become a gin-sodden “tramp,” abject and -wretched,--and she weds a swindling scoundrel, the secret agent of -_Rudolph’s_ ruin. That specious villain is detected, apprehended, and -exposed as a forger, in the moment of the wretched _Rudolph’s_ accession -to a fortune and a baronetcy, in Germany, and then a scene of -recognition and reconciliation ensues,--containing possibilities of -pathetic effect,--between the wretched father, “only a tramp,” and his -daughter. This story is jumbled with the wooing of a sprightly widow, -named _Nellie Dashwood_, a sort of _Mrs. General Gilflory_ (in “The -Mighty Dollar”); an attempted burglary; a secondary story about two very -young lovers, and a tedious tangle of literal detail and “outward -flourishes.” - -Persons who care to observe how disruption wrought by poverty, -suffering, and weakness, in the home of an affectionate husband, wife -and child, can be treated with poignant dramatic effect should study the -old play of “Belphegor; or, The Mountebank,”--in which, as _Belphegor_, -Charles Dillon gave one of the most beautiful and touching performances -it has ever been my fortune to see. The triumphant use of such material -can also be studied in the late Charles Klein’s “The Music Master,” as -augmented, rectified, and produced by Belasco, with David Warfield in -its central part, _Herr von Barwig_. When revived, as altered and -amended by Belasco, “Rudolph” was handsomely set on the stage, but -Knight’s method of dressing and acting the principal part ruined any -chance of success which it might have had. - -Knight became infatuated with the part of the _Tramp_, and he produced -“Rudolph,” for the first time, in the Fall of 1886, at the Academy of -Music, Cleveland. In 1887 Howard rewrote the play--receiving, as I -understood, $3,000 for doing so,--and it was then produced at Hull, -England, with Knight and his wife as stars, supported by members of -Wilson Barrett’s company, from the Princess’ Theatre, London. In its -revised form it was called “Baron Rudolph.” Knight was still -dissatisfied with the structure of it, and, returning to America, -desired that Howard should again revise it, but this Howard was unable -to do, being preoccupied with labor on “The Henrietta,” for Robson and -Crane (that play was produced for the first time at the Union Square -Theatre, September 26, 1887), but, at his request, Belasco undertook a -second revision. “My object,” he said, “was to do the work as nearly as -possible in Howard’s way, and I must have succeeded pretty well, because -when I took the script to him he said: ’You’ve caught my style, -exactly!’ And he would not allow the piece to be produced as ’By Bronson -Howard’; he insisted that I should have public credit as a co-author.” -In its final form it bore Howard’s second title, “Baron Rudolph,” and, -under the direction of Charles Frohman, representing Knight, and the -stage management of Belasco, it was produced at the Fourteenth Street -Theatre, New York, on October 24, 1887. “There was the chance for an -immense popular success and a fortune in the piece,” Belasco said to me, -“but Knight threw it all away. He insisted on making-up’ _Rudolph_, the -tramp, in such a literal, dirty, repulsive manner that, in the -recognition scene where the girl learns he is her father and has to -embrace and kiss him, the audience, instead of being sympathetic, was -disgusted. We argued and entreated with Knight: I told him, over and -over and over, what would happen. But he couldn’t, or he wouldn’t, see -it--and it happened!” The play failed, utterly; it was kept on the stage -for four weeks and then withdrawn. Knight, first and last, lost a modest -fortune on that play, and its ultimate failure broke him down. He and -his wife went on a tour, after ending their engagement at the Fourteenth -Street Theatre, in an early success of theirs, a farce called “Over the -Garden Wall,” but Knight’s brain was affected; within a few months he -suffered a shock of paralysis, and, on July 14, 1892, after much -suffering, he died, in Philadelphia. During his illness he was -maintained and cared for, with exemplary devotion, by his wife. - -This was the cast of “Baron Rudolph,” at the Fourteenth Street Theatre: - -_Rudolph_ George S. Knight. -_Whetworth_ Frank Carlyle. -_Rhoda_ Carrie Turner. -_Owen_ Lin Hurst. -_Sheriff_ Frank Colfax. -_Ernestine_ Jane Stuart. -_General Metcalf_ Charles Bowser. -_Judge Merrybone_ M. A. Kennedy. -_Geoffrey Brown_ Henry Woodruff. -_Allen_ George D. Fawcett. -_Nellie Dashwood_ Mrs. George S. Knight. - - - - -“THE WIFE.” - - -When, in the preceding May, “The Highest Bidder” had been successfully -launched, Daniel Frohman, intending the establishment of a permanent -stock company at the Lyceum Theatre, began, with Belasco, consideration -of plays that might be suitable for production, in the next season, and -of actors whom it might prove expedient and feasible to engage for the -projected company. No play that seemed to them suitable was found, and -Mr. Frohman presently suggested that Belasco should write one. Belasco, -somewhat unwillingly,--because of the responsibility involved,--agreed -to do so; but while in conference with Mr. Frohman Henry De Mille -chanced to enter the office where they were, and the manager, conscious -of Belasco’s hesitancy, suggested that he should undertake the new play -in collaboration with De Mille. To this Belasco eagerly agreed, and that -was the beginning of a long and agreeable association. The co-workers -soon repaired to De Mille’s summer home, at Echo Lake, and began work on -a play which at first they called “The Marriage Tie,” but which -eventually was named “The Wife,”--not a felicitous choice of title, -because it had been several times previously used, and, in particular, -has long been identified with the excellent comedy of that name by James -Sheridan Knowles (1784-1862), first produced in 1833, at Covent Garden, -London, and throughout many years by various stars or stock companies in -our Theatre. Belasco has written the following account of the manner in -which their play of “The Wife” was constructed by De Mille and himself: - - - - -“A COMMON-SENSE HUSBAND.” - - “At last, after many plots were cast aside, I hit upon an idea. In - my varied experience as dramatist and stage manager I had produced - many so-called society plays in which the wife was either guilty of - unfaithfulness or had committed an indiscretion. In the ’big’ scene - it was the conventional thing for the husband to enter the room - at midnight, and say to the woman: ’Of course, after all that has - happened, I must get a divorce.’ Then he threw legal documents on - the desk, and said: ’Here are the deeds to the house. All necessary - provisions have been made for you and the child. But for the sake - of society, etc., etc., we will continue to dwell under the same - roof for a while.’ - - “‘Let us have a common-sense husband,’ I proposed to De Mille. - ’After the husband’s discovery, let him treat his wife in a - perfectly sane, human way. Let him say: “You need me. Turn to - me, for your protection!”’ I had treated a similar situation in - a play which ran in opposition to Bronson Howard’s ’The Banker’s - Daughter’ at Baldwin’s Theatre in San Francisco. [The play was “The - Millionaire’s Daughter.”] - - “Mr. De Mille agreed with me that we should use the idea of this - husband as the basis of our Lyceum drama. I knew my ground, for I - had gained my knowledge through experience. And, as we were to see, - that incident saved ’The Wife’ in its hour of need. It has kept - the play alive all these years and made it one of our most popular - stock pieces. Before De Mille and I began the play we had virtually - written our Third Act, jotting down notes and flashes of dialogue. - Then we went to Mr. Frohman with our idea, and in that conference - the Lyceum Theatre Company was born. In fact, it came into being - before the play, and De Mille and I found ourselves obliged to - create characters to fit the personalities of the players Mr. - Frohman had engaged. We could not say: ’Here is our heroine. Find - an actress to suit her’--for Georgia Cayvan was to be the leading - lady, whatever the play might be, and it was for us to see that she - had a womanly woman’s part.... - - “In the early part of May we began our race against time; night - and day found us turning out experimental pages of dialogue. Every - week we came to the city for a few hours, to see how the scenes of - the play were progressing--for that was another condition imposed - upon us--to decide upon the location of our acts before they were - written. In those days audiences would not have been content with - repetitions of scenes such as we now employ. - - “With what eagerness did Mr. Frohman wait our visits to the city - and listen to the new scenes! Towards the latter part of August - we had completed a five-act drama, which we handed in with the - understanding that it might be cut, revised and rewritten. We told - Mr. Frohman that if it did not come up to expectations there was - time for him to look elsewhere for a play. - - “It must have been after the reading of the Third Act that Mr. - Frohman’s office door opened and he rushed out crying: ’By Jove, - it’s fine, it’s splendid!’ De Mille and I didn’t stop. We hurried - to the station and were off to Echo Lake for our vacation....” - -The play of “The Wife” is in five acts and it involves fourteen -persons. Its scenes are laid in Newport, New York, and Washington, -D. C., about 1887. Its dialogue is written in that strain of -commonplace colloquy which is assumed, with justice, to be generally -characteristic of “fashionable society” in its superficial mood and -ordinary habit. The influence of Bronson Howard’s example is obvious -in it,--that writer’s plan, which had been successful, of catching and -reflecting the general tone and manner of “everyday life” and often -of distressingly “everyday persons”; persons who, nevertheless, are -at times constrained to behave in a manner not easily credible, if, -indeed, possible, whether in everyday or any other kind of life. To -copy commonplaces in a commonplace manner is by some judges deemed -the right and sure way to please the public. That method does often -succeed, since, generally, people like to see themselves. This, -however, was not the method of the great masters of comedy, such as -Molière, Congreve, and Sheridan, who taught, by example and with -results of great value, that a comedy, while it should be a true -reflection of life and a faithful picture of manners, should also be -made potent over the mind, the heart, and the imagination, by delicate, -judicious exaggeration, should be made entertaining by equivoque, -and should be made impressive by the fibre of strong thought, and -sympathetic by trenchant, sparkling dialogue. That old method of -writing comedy, although it has been exemplified by the best writers -and is still attempted, has, to a great extent, been superseded by the -far inferior and much easier method of conventional colloquialism and -chatter. - -The ground plan of “The Wife,” though Belasco may have thought it a -novelty, was, even in 1887, mossy with antiquity. A girl, _Helen -Freeman_, parts from her lover, _Robert Grey_, in a moment of pique, and -weds with another man, to whom she gives her hand, but not at first her -heart; she subsequently meets her old flame and finds that she is still -fond of him; causes social tattle by being seen - -[Illustration: - -From an old photograph. Belasco’s Collection. - -DAVID BELASCO CLAY M. GREENE - -In 1887, when, in collaboration, they wrote “Pawn Ticket 210” for -Lotta] - -too much in his company; admits to her husband that her juvenile -partiality for this early suitor still lingers in her feelings, and so -causes that worthy man some uneasiness; but she ends by casting her -girlish fancy to the winds and avowing herself a fond as well as a -faithful wife. “The guests think they have seen him before.” They have! -And also they have heard, rather more than twice before, two of the -speeches which are uttered: “As a soldier it is my business to make -widows,” and “Hell has no fury like a woman scorned.” - -This is the story: _Helen Freeman_ loved _Robert Grey_ and by him was -beloved. _Robert Grey_ had jilted _Lucile Ferrant_, of New Orleans. -_Lucile_ informed _Helen_ of this fact, and _Helen_ therefore repudiated -_Robert Grey_ and wedded with _John Rutherford_, of the United States -Senate. _Matthew Culver_, a politician, hostile to _Robert Grey_ in -politics and at the bar, and wishful to defeat _Robert’s_ attempt to -obtain an office, persuaded _Lucile_ to apprise _Rutherford_ that -_Robert_ and _Helen_ had been lovers, and by many persons were thought -to be so still. _Rutherford_, investigating this tale, discovered that -_Culver_ had maliciously and meanly schemed to make mischief and that -the attachment of _Robert_ and _Helen_ was probably one of the -sentimental “flames” which are customary in youth; whereupon he rebuked -_Culver_, talked frankly with _Robert Grey_, advising him to stick to -his legal business, and presently procured his appointment to a -lucrative office, at the same time assuring _Helen_ of his delicate -consideration for her feelings and his intention to take good care of -her. _Culver_ then went to South America and stayed there, while _Miss -Ferrant_ repaired to the South of France, and _Robert Grey_ greatly -distinguished himself by laborious diligence in the public service. This -adjustment might have been expected to content all parties concerned, -but it did not content _Rutherford_. His wife actually had “loved -another” before she loved him, and on that fact he brooded, stating that -his heart contained nothing but “bloodless ashes.” Perhaps _Helen’s_ -sentimental fancy had lasted. Juvenile flame was only a phrase. As -sagaciously remarked by _Emilia_ in “Othello,” - - “ ... jealous souls will not be answered so; - They are not ever jealous for the cause, - But jealous for they’re jealous.” - -The distressed _Senator_, therefore, sat up till a late hour every -night, grieving for his wife’s “lost love,” until at last _Helen_, -observing his dejection, was moved to discover and avouch that her -juvenile fancy for _Robert Grey_ had been a girlish infatuation and to -declare her “calm, peaceful, and eternal love” for her husband. _Mr._ -and _Mrs. Rutherford_ then sailed, aboard the Alaska, for Europe. It -appeared, incidentally, that _Jack Dexter_ and _Kitty Ives_, giddy -things, though bright and good, hovering about the story, were lovers, -but that _Kitty’s_ mother did not approve of their engagement till after -_Jack_ had smirched his face with a bit of smoked glass, and also that -all the persons concerned in these momentous affairs once saw an eclipse -of the sun, which was visible in Washington. - -Almost every person in this play is colorless and insignificant. The -proceedings of the characters evince no natural sequence between motive -and conduct. Given two young persons who love each other, they could not -possibly be alienated by conjuring up the bugbear of a previous -attachment. Nothing is so dead as the love that has died, and every -lover instinctively knows it. Moreover, the ladies, practically without -exception, are more pleased than disquieted by discovering that their -lovers have found they could live without others but not without them. -The fabric, in short, is one of elaborate trifling with serious things, -for the sake of situations and effects. The play should have been called -“The Husband” rather than “The Wife,” because it is _Rutherford_ in whom -the interest centres. The best scene in it is the one of explanation -and reconcilement between the husband and wife, and this was the -invention of Belasco, around which and for the sake of which the play -was written. It contains a strain of rational, fine manliness that wins -and holds attentive sympathy. - -In studying the plays written by Belasco and De Mille in collaboration -it is essential to bear in mind the apportionment of the labor, in order -correctly to estimate Belasco’s share in them. The writing in that -co-partnership was largely done by De Mille: the dramatic machinery, the -story in action, was supplied almost entirely by Belasco, who acted the -scenes, when the plays were in process of construction, the dialogue -being beaten out between the co-workers. - -This was the original cast of “The Wife”,--November 1, 1887: - -_Hon. John Rutherford_ Herbert Kelcey. -_Robert Grey_ Henry Miller. -_Matthew Culver_ Nelson Wheatcroft. -_Silas Truman_ Charles Walcot. -_Major Homer_ William J. LeMoyne. -_Jack Dexter_ Charles S. Dickson. -_Helen Truman_, _Mrs. Rutherford_ Georgia Cayvan. -_Lucile Ferrant_ Grace Henderson. -_Mrs. Bellamy Ives_ Mrs. Charles Walcot. -_Mrs. Amory_ Mrs. Thomas Whiffen. -_Agnes_ Vida Croly. -_Mr. Randolph_ W. Clark Bellows. -_Kitty Ives_ Louise Dillon. - -“The Wife” was so beautifully set, so perfectly directed, and so well -acted that, though at first the dead weight of the play oppressed its -representation, the public press, even at the first, inclined to accord -it an importance which it did not deserve. Georgia Cayvan’s -impersonation of the wife revealed anew the deep feeling and the -graceful art that had won her recognition as a favorite actress. Grace -Henderson (she was the wife of David Henderson, critical writer and -producer of musical extravaganza), who acted the mischief making, jilted -woman, _Lucile_, played with discretion and sincerity,--but it was -difficult for the spectator to believe that a woman with a face so -beautiful and a voice so delicious would ever have been jilted by any -man not blind and deaf. Henry Miller was loud and extravagant as _Grey_; -Herbert Kelcey was dignified, manly, and fine in feeling and elegant in -manner and movement as _Rutherford_, and LeMoyne was delightfully -humorous as _Major Homer_. - -“The Wife” received 239 consecutive performances. Yet the fate of that -play hung, for some time, in the balance. “I knew, even before the -production,” said Belasco to me, “that it was too long and too loosely -jointed, but I felt it could make good; and Mr. Frohman had faith. De -Mille was pretty well discouraged after a week or ten days, and he told -me he expected he’d have to go back to school-teaching [De Mille had -been a school-teacher before he joined the Madison Square Theatre, -where, in 1884, Belasco first met him]. Brent Good, proprietor of -Carter’s Little Liver Pills, and also Stickney protested, in a -directors’ meeting, that the play was a failure and was losing money and -ordered it withdrawn.” The next morning Daniel Frohman instructed -Belasco to put the play of “Featherbrain,” by James Albery, into -rehearsal and prepare it for production as rapidly as possible. “I felt -certain,” Belasco has told me, “that ’The Wife’ could be made a great -money-getter, and I resolved it should have a fair trial: I held back on -the preparations of ’Featherbrain’ all I could,--and, meantime, De Mille -and I altered and cut, day after day, on our play. This procedure was -justified by the result. Writing on this subject, Belasco declares: “It -seemed to us that for every word we cut from ’The Wife’ we gained a -person in the orchestra.” What a pity the necessary pruning and -adjustment could not have been done before the production! Then the -prosperity of a theatre and of many persons would not have been -endangered. The sum of more than $50,000, owed to the Tiffany Studios, -was paid in full, out of the profits of “The Wife,” and the directors of -the corporation, as also Daniel Frohman, were so well satisfied with the -ultimate result that Belasco and De Mille were commissioned to write the -next new play required, for the following season, which was to be one -constructed as a starring vehicle for Edward H. Sothern, who had been -“inherited” by the Lyceum management under a contract with Helen -Dauvray. - - - - -REVISION OF “SHE.” - - -The first dramatic work done by Belasco, after he had dismissed “The -Wife,” was a revision of a drama called “She,” made by William H. -Gillette on the basis of Rider Haggard’s novel of that name. This was -produced, November 29, 1887, at Niblo’s Garden, New York, by Isaac B. -Rich and Al. Hayman. - -The signal talent of Haggard is not well displayed in “She,”--in which -the tone is sensual and the literary art inferior, and in which, indeed, -it can fairly be said that the author has collected materials and -outlined a plan for a work of fiction, rather than that he has -adequately utilized his materials and plan. There is in it little -indication of distinctive intellectual character or of scrutinizing -artistic revision, and, although contemporary with both Worcester’s and -Webster’s “Unabridged,” the writer frequently informs his readers that -words are wanting to describe the objects he has undertaken to portray. -“She,” therefore, notwithstanding that it contains attributes of merit, -is, as Haggard left it, a verbose and chaotic narrative, presenting the -apotheosis of woman as a handsome animal. The story, however, presents -melodramatic points tributary to situation and several of those points -were utilized for stage presentment and invested with picturesque -scenery. The play begins with a shipwreck on the coast of Africa. “Set -waves” swung on obvious cordage. A “profile” boat went to pieces on a -rock. Lightnings flashed. A quantity of real water was projected into -the air. And a band of adventurous seekers after the inscrutable and -awful female personality known as _She_ were rescued, to pass through -manifold adventures, including encounters with African cannibals and -terminating with a quest for the Fire of Life, in which, when found, the -mystical _Princess_ was destroyed. Particular recital of the incidents -of the stage adaptation is not requisite here: the novel, -extraordinarily popular in its day, is still accessible to the curious. -The form adopted by Gillette in framing his histrionic synopsis of the -book is that of genuine, old-fashioned melodrama,--the form of -theatrical spectacle interblended with music that was in fashion a -century ago. There is an opening chorus. African savages, auxiliary to -the proceedings, chant. The heroine woos her favorite in a melodious -adjuration, and bursts into song on her lover’s breast. Music is -introduced in the most unlikely places. Even the cannibals utter their -stomachs in harmonious howls, preparatory to a feast on the flesh of -man. “She,” as adapted by Gillette, was in part reconstructed and -improved by Belasco, to whom such curious fabrics of more or less -ridiculous spectacle had been familiar in his early days and who readily -rectified its technical defects. “It was simply a matter of curtailing -and readjusting,” he afterward wrote; “when the scenes and situations -were rehearsed again it was found that we had a very good play”: the -accuracy of the latter statement, of course, depends on the standard of -merit applied in determining what constitutes a “good play.” Belasco did -not revise “She” until near the end of the New York engagement, that is, -about the middle of December, 1887. The play was transferred from New -York to the Hollis Street Theatre, Boston, and there, and elsewhere in -the country, it was prosperously presented. - - - - -“LORD CHUMLEY” AND E. H. SOTHERN. - - -During the early part of 1888 Belasco did some work as a teacher of -acting, bestowing, at the request of Daniel Frohman, special attention -on instruction of Mrs. James G. Blaine, Jr. (Mary Nevin), a person of -social influence--and therefore potentially valuable to the management -of the Lyceum Theatre--whose aspirations for a theatrical career were -terminated by serious illness. Toward Spring the necessity of executing -the commission to write a new play for the use of Sothern, at the -Lyceum, compelled Belasco to lay aside all other labor, and, about -March-April, in company with De Mille, he repaired to Echo Lake, and -there, after trying and rejecting many dramatic schemes, the co-mates in -authorship finally hit upon one to their liking. By about July 1 (1888) -they had practically completed a new play, entitled “Lord Chumley,” and -they returned to New York in order that Belasco might put it into -rehearsal. In doing this he had to confront an unexpected difficulty: -Sothern, who had expressed himself as satisfied on reading the scenario -of the play, did not like the part of _Chumley_ in the finished work -and, as Mr. Frohman informed the disgruntled authors, was averse to -undertaking it. Belasco writes of this: “‘But the character’s Sothern,’ -I said; ’every look, gesture, and exclamation fits him like a glove!’... -Of course, it was the old story all over again; an actor never knows -what is best suited to him.” The latter notion is, I think, extravagant: -for every instance wherein an actor has made a notable success in -playing a part against his judgment and will a dozen could be cited -wherein the actor has known his powers and made his distinctive success -by following his own judgment in selection of the part to be played. -“You are mistaken,” Charles Burke told a friend, who had exclaimed to -him, in a burst of admiration, “You don’t know what a good actor you -are!”, “I know _exactly_ what a good actor I am, and _exactly_ what I -can do on the stage.” Sothern, as his later career has shown, cherished -ambition to act parts of a very different character from _Chumley_, but, -fortunately for all concerned, he consented to undertake that part, -after Belasco had expounded it to him; the rehearsals were carried on -with diligence and, on August 21, 1888, “Lord Chumley” was produced, for -the first time anywhere, at the Lyceum Theatre. - -The play of “Lord Chumley” is a mosaic of many old dramatic situations, -culled from various earlier plays, revamped and intercalated so as to -make a sequent story, and it can rightly be designated a comedy, tinged -with melodrama and farce. _Chumley_ is a young English lord, a gentleman -by nature as well as birth; simple, generous, sincere, intrepid, and -acute, but hampered by shyness, an impediment in his speech, and a -superficial aspect of inanity. He impoverishes himself in order to serve -a friend, _Hugh Butterworth_, an imprudent young fellow, an officer in -the British Army, who is being victimized by a specious French rascal. -This malignant person wishes to wed the officer’s sister, _Miranda_, and -by threatening to ruin that young man’s reputation has extorted from her -a promise of marriage. The lady is beloved by _Chumley_, who intervenes -and prevents the marriage, incidentally vindicating himself in her -opinion: she has at first believed him to be a fool and later a -blackguard, but she ends by perceiving his intrinsically fine character -and reciprocating his love. In the course of his variegated experience -he contrives to make himself misunderstood in attempting to tell his -troubles to a sympathetic spinster; he dwells without repining in the -squalor of a miserable lodging, to which his generous -self-impoverishment has reduced him; he confronts a desperate burglar -in the dark and, armed only with a cigarette-holder shaped like a -pistol, he fools, cows, and overcomes him; he exhibits astounding -physical prowess in conflict with a burly antagonist, and he displays -amazing mental acuteness in penetrating and defeating the malevolent -purposes of a villain. - -Belasco, writing of himself and his co-worker De Mille, says: “For a -month we talked over Sothern’s play without a single idea. At this time -[1887-’88] pistol cigarette-holders came into fashion. I bought one in -the village [near Echo Lake] to amuse the De Mille children, but forgot -to take it out of my hip pocket. The next day as De Mille and I were out -walking in the snow I leaned against a tree, drew the toy pistol from my -pocket, and called out: ’Stand and deliver,’ and in a flash the foolish -situation gave us the first idea for what was afterward called -’Chumley.’ We used this serio-comic situation in our Second Act, where -_Chumley_ holds a real thief at bay with his cigarette-case.” That, no -doubt, is a correct account of the “first idea”; others came from -Belasco’s ample store of recollections. _Chumley_, as a character, is a -remote variant of the elder Sothern’s _Dundreary_, superimposed on H. J. -Byron’s _Sir Simon Simple_, in “Not Such a Fool as He Looks,”--which -was written for Charles Mathews. In the development of the plot in -which he is implicated and the treatment of the character there is much -reminiscence--touches of _John Mildmay_, in his scene with _Captain -Hawksley_, in “Still Waters Run Deep”; of _Harry Jasper_, in “A Bachelor -of Arts”; of _Sir Bashful Constant_, _Arthur Chilton_, _Mr. Toots_, and, -in particular, _Eliott Gray_, in his scene with _Myles McKenna_, in -“Rosedale.” All the situations indicated have long been used as common -property. The merit of the play consists in the effectiveness with which -those situations are employed and in the bright, fluent, and generally -telling dialogue with which they are interfused. _Chumley_ is an -extremely long part. Sothern’s performance was exceptionally good, and -it was received by public and press with copious approbation. The -success of the play was unequivocal: it held the stage till November 11. -On November 13 Pinero’s “Sweet Lavender” succeeded it, but with the -production of that excellent drama at the Lyceum Belasco had, -practically, nothing to do: “Sweet Lavender” was sent to New York from -London and was “put on” in exact accordance with the prompt-copy as -prepared by the author when making Edward Terry’s presentment of it. - -This was the original cast of “Lord Chumley,” at the Lyceum: - -_Adam Butterworth_ C. B. Bishop. -_Lieut. Hugh Butterworth_ Frank Carlyle. -_Gasper Le Sage_ Herbert Archer. -_Tommy Tucker_ Rowland Buckstone. -_Blink Bank_ George Backus. -_Winterbottom_ A. W. Gregory. -_Eleanor_ Belle Archer. -_Jessie Deane_ Dora Leslie. -_Lady Alexander Barker_ Fannie Addison. -_Meg_ Etta Hawkins. -_Miranda_ Rosa Stark. -_Lord George Cholmondeley_ (_known as “Chumley”_) E. H. Sothern. - - - - -“THE KAFFIR DIAMOND.” - - -In the period from August 21, 1888, to November 19, 1889, Belasco’s -labors were many and various. As soon as “Lord Chumley” had been -produced, and while yet he was engaged, as customary with him, in -smoothing and improving that new venture, he began work, for Louis -Aldrich, on revision of a play by Edward J. Swartz, called “The Kaffir -Diamond,” which had been written for Aldrich, as a starring vehicle. -That play is a wild and whirling kaleidoscopic melodrama, devised for -the pleasure of those theatre-goers who seek entertainment in -extravagant situations and violent, tumultuous actions,--a play of the -class typified by “The Gambler’s Fate; or, The Doomed House,” “The -Lonely Man of the Ocean,” “The King of the Opium Ring,” etc.,--and -Belasco’s work on it must have caused him to remember, perhaps with -amusement, his fabrication of many similar “shockers,” in his early San -Francisco and Virginia City days. The central character of “The Kaffir -Diamond,” a person named _Shoulders_, is a misanthropical drunkard, made -so by suffering, who inhabits a miasmatic swamp, in Africa, subsisting -largely on liquor and the hope of revenge. This person believes himself -to have been robbed, in days of prosperity, of wife and daughter, by a -_Colonel_ in the British Army, and, in seeking for revenge, he nearly -effects the ruin of a woman who proves to be his long-lost daughter, and -he succeeds in confining the detested _Colonel_ in the poisonous swamp, -where he intends that he shall miserably perish, only to discover that, -instead of being his wronger, that gallant soldier is his best friend. -Blended with this plot, or, rather, tangled into it, is a -double-barrelled love story, the theft of a diamond of priceless worth, -and a medley of incidents incorporative of brawling, lynching, and -miscellaneous riot. Aldrich, as _Shoulders_, personated in a -surprisingly simple manner the wretched victim of weak character, strong -drink, misfortune, and mistaken enmity, giving a performance which, -while devoid of imaginative quality, was nevertheless effective, because -of the innate sturdy manliness of the actor and of his artistically -rough evincement of strong emotion blended with human weakness. This was -the cast: - -_Shoulders_ Louis Aldrich. -_Robert Douglas_ M. J. Jordan. -_Downey Dick_ Joseph A. Wilkes. -_Bye-Bye_ Johnny Booker. -_Col. Richard Grantley_ Fraser Coulter. -_Walter Douglas_ Charles Mackay. -_Sergt. Tim Meehan_ Charles Bowser. -_Millicent Douglas_ Dora Goldthwaite. -_Alice Rodney_ Isabelle Evesson. -_Sanderson_ J. H. Hutchinson. -_Orderly_ William McCloy. -_Courier_ M. C. Williams. -_Mme. Biff_ Adele Palma. - -Belasco participated in the work of placing “The Kaffir Diamond” on the -stage, receiving a payment of $300, and on September 11, 1888, it was -acted, in a handsome setting, at the Broadway Theatre, New York, but it -was unsuccessful and it lasted only till October 13. - - -LOUIS ALDRICH. - -Louis Aldrich (1843-1901) was a good actor. He was a Hebrew, a native of -Ohio, and his true name was Lyon. In childhood he was known on the -stage as Master Moses, and also as Master McCarthy. His first appearance -was made, September, 1855, at Cleveland, Ohio, as _Glo’ster_, in scenes -from “King Richard III.” He performed with the Marsh Juvenile Comedians, -beginning in 1858, for about five years. His last professional -appearance occurred, March 25, 1899, at the New York Academy of Music, -as _Colonel Swift_, in Anson Pond’s play of “Her Atonement.” His most -striking performance was that of _Joe Saunders_, in Bartley Campbell’s -“My Partner,” first produced at the Union Square Theatre, New York, -September 16, 1879. Belasco, long afterward (1900-’01), arranged to have -Aldrich star in that play, under his management, but the ill-health of -the actor compelled abandonment of the plan. The death of Aldrich, -caused by apoplexy, occurred at Kennebunkport, Maine, June 17, 1901. - - - - -THE SCHOOL OF ACTING. - - -During most of the time of his association with the Lyceum Theatre -(1886-1890) Belasco incidentally labored as an instructor in the School -of Acting, founded by Steele Mackaye, and conducted in connection with -that theatre, and he achieved some excellent results. Being a teacher, -his view of the importance of the school is, I believe, somewhat -exaggerated, and also he mistakenly supposes, or seems to suppose, that -all instructors can be as successful in their histrionic tuition as he -has frequently been. His recollections of this part of his activity, -when associated with the Lyceum Theatre School, have been interestingly -written by himself, as follows: - - “During the early days of my association with Mr. Frohman at the - Lyceum Theatre much of my time was occupied with my duties in - connection with Franklin Sargent’s Dramatic School. Mr. Sargent had - leased the classroom, hall and stage, which Steele Mackaye had - designed when the Lyceum Theatre was built. I am very proud to give - the names of some of the pupils who made up my classes: Alice - Fischer, Blanche Walsh, Charles Bellows, Maude Banks, George - Fawcett, Harriet Ford, Emma Sheridan, Dorothy Dorr, Wilfred - Buckland, George Foster Platt, Jennie Eustace, Grace Kimball, Cora - Maynard, William Ordway Partridge, Robert Taber, Lincoln Wagnalls, - E. Wales Winter, White Whittlesey, and Edith Chapman. _This list - stands as a refutation of the statement that the school of acting - is not of benefit in preparing for the stage_.... - - “A graphic picture of Robert Taber’s successful and almost - superhuman effort to overcome his physical disadvantages will - remain with me always. One day, as I sat in my studio, he limped - in--pale, delicate--almost an invalid in appearance. An illness in - childhood had left him with a shortened leg, so that he was - obliged to wear a shoe with a sole at least two inches thick. After - introducing himself, he told me of his ambition. ’Do you think I - can possibly become an actor with these?’ he asked, pointing to his - bent knee and drooping shoulder. The tragic pathos in his face - aroused my sympathy and I asked him to read to me. All his - selections were from the old classics, which he loved,--like many - another youth I have met, with the spell of the stage upon him. So - he read to me scenes from ’King Richard III,’ ’Julius Cæsar,’ and - ’Romeo and Juliet.’ His reading was distinct, his interpretations - spirited. A flash of genius ran through the fibre of the boy; there - was strength and impressiveness in his delivery. He was thoroughly - exhausted when he had finished, and I was in a quandary. ’Surely I - can’t lengthen his leg,’ I thought; ’yet he wants to play juvenile - leads; he wants to play _Romeo_!’ I saw at once that Robert Taber - was not fitted to be a pantaloon actor, a parlor figure, for there - was a flourish and breadth to his style of delivery that dedicated - him to the costume play. - - “He must have seen the perplexity in my face, for he said: ’Mr. - Belasco, I can raise $20,000, which you can have if you will help - me. You have assisted stammerers!’ I couldn’t tell him that a limp - was a different matter. Nevertheless, I resolved to see what I - could do for him. ’I’ll not take a cent of your money,’ I said, - ’but if you will do as I tell you, we’ll see what can be done.’ He - agreed and there followed a regular campaign against a limp. It was - my idea to eliminate the defect through exercises. He worked - faithfully. He walked, he lay on his back, practising stretching - exercises; he studied the balancing of his body, throwing the - weight so that his short leg could be brought down slowly to the - floor, without any perceptible stooping of the shoulders. I had a - shoe made, with a deep inner sole, to take the place of the - unsightly shoe he wore when he first called upon me. After a year - of daily work, when he was ready to enter the school of acting, his - limp was so slight that it was barely perceptible! When he became - leading man for Julia Marlowe, whom he afterwards married, who - could have detected his deformity? His is a most remarkable - instance, and I have often recalled it. For it is an example of - what ambition and perseverance can accomplish, but few artists - would be willing to practise the self-denial and go through such - rigorous training.” [Robert Taber was born in Staten Island, New - York, in 1865, and he died, of consumption, in the Adirondacks, in - 1904.--W. W.] - - -THE TRUE SCHOOL IS THE STAGE. - -Observation has convinced me that, while the accomplishments of -elocution, dancing, fencing, deportment, and the art of making up the -face (all of which are highly useful on the stage) can be, and are, well -taught in some Schools of Acting, the one true, thoroughly efficient -school, the _only_ one in which the art actually can be acquired, is the -Stage itself. A master of stage direction, as Belasco is, can direct -novices in rehearsals, and, _if they possess natural histrionic -capability_, can, in that way, materially help to prepare them for the -Stage; but they cannot, in that way, be taught to act. An indispensable -part of any dramatic performance is an audience: without it, a novice -cannot learn to act, nor will it suffice to have an occasional audience. -The decisive ground for objection to the Schools of Acting, moreover, is -that, practically without exception, they are merely commercial -enterprises: they accept, regardless of aptitude, every student who -applies, because they want the fees. Belasco names nineteen pupils who -studied under him, some of whom have become proficient actors. No doubt -others could be named. What then? Belasco is a highly exceptional -instance of an accomplished, enthusiastic, practical instructor, -possessing the exceedingly rare faculty of communicating knowledge. -“I’ll not take a cent of your money,” he told Taber. How many other -instructors in acting are as scrupulous? Belasco applied the method of -actual stage management to the instruction of the stage beginners, and, -in some instances, with good effect; but it is to be remembered that -every one of his pupils who has since succeeded as an actor (and not by -any means all of them have) would have succeeded as well, or better, if -employed in the first place in minor capacities in actual companies; and -that against the number of graduates from Schools of Acting who have -been successful in the Theatre should be set the much larger number of -graduates--never mentioned--who, having studied in those schools, paid -for tuition and expended time, have never been able to act or even to -earn a dollar in the Theatre. - - - - -A REVIVAL OF “ELECTRA.” - - -After producing “The Kaffir Diamond,” and during the run of “Sweet -Lavender,” Belasco devoted himself assiduously to The Academy of -Dramatic Art (that being the correct name of the institution, which, -earlier, had been called The New York School of Acting), where, in -association with Franklin H. Sargent, who was the official head of the -school, and De Mille, he prepared an English version of the “Electra” of -Sophocles. This was presented at the Lyceum Theatre, on March 11, 1889, -by students of the Academy, and it was received with favor. - -Writing about this production, Belasco says: - - “The pupils of the Sargent School entered with great enthusiasm - into the preparations for our school productions, and we have had - many notable successes. I believe I am safe in saying that one of - these, the ’Electra’ of Sophocles, was the most remarkable - exhibition of amateur art ever seen in this country. It was so - accurate, so scholarly, so classical in every respect, that we were - invited to present it before the students of Harvard University, as - an illustration of the beauty and strength of ancient dramatic - literature. The faculty and students were enthusiastic in its - praise, and we felt highly honored that such distinction had been - conferred upon us. I understood then that it was the first time in - the history of Harvard that an amateur company had been transferred - from another city.” - -On the occasion of that amateurs’ performance of “Electra” at the Lyceum -the stage was divided into two sections, the rear portion being higher -than that in front, and the latter being built out into the auditorium -in somewhat the manner of the “apron” of the old-time theatres. This -lower platform, in the centre of which stood an altar with a fire on it, -was reserved for the _Chorus_. The persons represented in the tragedy -stood or moved upon the elevated rear portion of the stage, which showed -the entrance to a Grecian house, with a view of countryside visible to -the left and to the right. Footlights were not employed, the higher -level of the stage being suffused with strong, white light which clearly -revealed the characters thereon depicted, while the _Chorus_ was kept in -Rembrandt-like shadow. That _Chorus_ comprised nine young women, in -classic Grecian array, who declaimed and sang commentary upon, and -advice to, the persons of the play proper. It should be noted in passing -that,--without extravagance and affectation,--all - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Byron. Belasco’s Collection. - -A scene from the “Electra” of Sophocles, as produced by Belasco, at the -old Lyceum Theatre, New York] - -the much admired and highly extolled “modern novelties” of simplicity in -stage settings and lighting displayed by Mr. Granville Barker, at -Wallack’s Theatre, in 1915, were used by Belasco, in presenting -“Electra,”--twenty-eight years earlier! The principal parts in the Greek -tragedy were thus cast: - -_Electra_ Grace Hamilton. -_Clytemnestra_ Edith A. Chapman. -_Ægisthus_ Percy West. -_Orestes_ White Whittlesey. - - - - -MANY NEW TASKS. - - -Concurrent with his work in connection with the amateur presentment of -the Greek tragedy Belasco had also prepared for Daniel Frohman’s stage a -revival of Sardou’s “Ferréol,” produced at the Union Square Theatre, -March 21, 1876. Under the name of “The Marquis,” and under Belasco’s -stage direction, it was acted at the Lyceum Theatre, by the stock -company of that house, on March 18, 1889, but it proved a failure. It -was withdrawn after one week, and on March 29 a revival was effected -there of “The Wife,”--with the original cast, except that Louise Dillon -succeeded Vida Croly as _Agnes_. “The Wife” ran till May 18, when the -Lyceum closed for the season. Belasco, however, did not finish his work -with the revival of that play. Mr. Gillette had made a drama of the -novel of “Robert Elsmere,” by Mrs. Humphry Ward, and, gratified by the -assistance Belasco had rendered in the vivification of “She,” he secured -his services, with consent of the Lyceum management, as stage manager, -to set that drama on the stage. This was accomplished, April 29, at the -Union Square Theatre. - -With the close of the season of 1888-’89 at the Lyceum, in May, Belasco -found himself once more commissioned, in association with De Mille, to -write a new play with which to open that theatre, the following season, -and thus again under the painful necessity of producing a work of -dramatic art not as a matter of artistic expression but under compulsion -of necessity. This task seemed very formidable. He had worked hard. His -health was impaired. His spirits were low. His physician had ordered -that he should take a long rest. It is a good prescription, and -doubtless, in most cases, it is the best that can be given; but few of -the weary workers of the world can take advantage of it, and no workers -are more strictly bound to incessant routine duty than those who wield -the pen in service of the Theatre. In these unfavorable circumstances -Belasco again repaired to the peaceful seclusion of De Mille’s home at -Echo Lake, and there the two dramatists once more sought to strike a -spark of inspiration into the tinder of dramatic material. The result of -this confabulation was, eventually, the comedy of “The Charity Ball.” - - - - -“THE CHARITY BALL.” - - -With regard to the question as to what subjects are best suited for -treatment in the Drama, Belasco, writing (February 9, 1909) to Mr. -William Bullock, relative to the plays of the late J. M. Synge, made -this significant statement: “I think that _domestic life_ offers more -possibilities to the playwright than any other theme.” - -Those possibilities (as he understands them), which he has utilized in -several plays, are specially exemplified in “The Charity Ball,”--so -named because its purpose is to inculcate the virtue of taking a -charitable view of human infirmity, and also because one important scene -of it occurs at a ball given for charity, in the New York Metropolitan -Opera House. It rightfully ranks among the best existent dramas of its -didactic and benevolent class. - -The principal characters in “The Charity Ball” are the _Rev. John van -Buren_, his brother, _Dick van Buren_, _Ann Cruger_, and _Phyllis Lee_. -The _Rev. John_ is Rector of a fashionable church, in New York, while -_Dick_ is a Wall Street stock gambler, a person of exceptional ability, -naturally amiable, but weak in character, self-indulgent, and wild; he -is harassed by business cares and is breaking under the strain of his -speculative pursuits. _Dick_ has seduced _Phyllis Lee_, an orphan, and, -though he is represented as being truly fond of her, has discarded her, -with the purpose of marrying _Ann Cruger_, who is an heiress. _Ann -Cruger_, secretly, is enamoured of the _Rev. John_. The _Rector_ -befriends _Phyllis_, not, however, being aware of her misfortune and -miserable plight as the victim of his brother’s duplicity, and the -parson soon succumbs to her charms, fancies himself in love with her, -and becomes a wooer. His method of courtship is indirect. Being -inscrutably,--and impossibly,--blind to the amorous attachment of _Ann -Cruger_, he seeks the aid of that lady to win for him the love of -_Phyllis_. Then occurs the gay scene of the Charity Ball, in the course -of which a painful interview happens between _Phyllis_ and _Dick van -Buren_, supplemented by _Phyllis’s_ revelation to _Ann Cruger_ of her -relation to _Dick_, his admission to _Ann_ of his misconduct, and her -offer to _Phyllis_ of an asylum in her own home. - -The wretched _Phyllis_, immediately after the ball, distracted by her -sense of shame and degradation, speeds through night and storm to her -benefactor, the compassionate clergyman, finds him in his study, and, -appealing to him as a Christian minister, tells him her sad story and -supplicates for any word of comfort. The arrival of _Ann Cruger_, who -has followed her, prevents the disclosure of her seducer’s name. The -clergyman, however, surmises the truth, and when his brother _Dick_ -returns home denounces his iniquity, implores him to make the only -possible reparation, and finally induces that selfish sinner,--whose -conduct has been that of a blackguard, soften it how you may,--to wed -the girl whom he has wronged. A midnight marriage then ensues, the _Rev. -John_ uniting in holy matrimony his dissolute brother and the woman -whom, in his blindness, he has himself wished to wed. This scene is -crowded with interest, incident, character, feeling, suspense, and -dramatic effect. Later, _Dick van Buren_ has died, the _Rector_ has -discovered that he loves _Ann Cruger_ and that she loves him (and not -another, as for a time he feared), and general felicity prevails. - -The surge of deep feeling in this play is sometimes effectively -commingled with playful levity: its pivotal scene contains a strong, -vital, emotional appeal. Under Belasco’s expert direction it was richly -set on the Lyceum stage and it was acted with exceptional felicity and -force. Nelson Wheatcroft played the libertine, _Dick van Buren_, in a -way to make him credible and somewhat to redeem the cruel turpitude of -his conduct. Herbert Kelcey was duly grave, gentle, manly, and eloquent -as the _Rector_. Effie Shannon, as _Bess_, the clergyman’s sister, with -her sweet face and agile figure, enlivened the representation by her -effervescence of girlish frolic. Grace Henderson,--much commended as the -_Effie Deans_ of this play,--gave an admirable personation of weak, -bewitching womanhood. The persistent choice of a singularly beautiful -and engaging woman for assumption of persons to be abandoned was again -mysteriously exemplified in the casting of this actress for _Phyllis_. -“The Charity Ball” was first produced at the Lyceum, before a -representative and cordial audience, on November 19, 1888, and it had -200 consecutive performances there. As originally produced the play was -thus cast: - -_Rev. John van Buren_ Herbert Kelcey. -_Dick van Buren_ Nelson Wheatcroft. -_Judge Peter_ William J. LeMoyne. -_Franklin Cruger_ Charles Walcot. -_Mr. Creighton_ Harry Allen. -_Alec Robinson_ Fritz Williams. -_Mr. Betts_ R. J. Dustan. -_Paxton_ Walter Clark Bellows. -_Cain_ Ada Terry Madison. -_Jasper_ Percy West. -_Ann Cruger_ Georgia Cayvan. -_Phyllis Lee_ Grace Henderson. -_Bess van Buren_ Effie Shannon. -_Mrs. Camilla de Peyster_ Mrs. Charles Walcot. -_Mrs. van Buren_ Mrs. Thomas Whiffen. -_Sophie_ Millie Dowling. - - - - -MRS. LESLIE CARTER. - - -Belasco’s association with Mrs. Leslie Carter began in 1889 and -continued till 1906. In some ways it proved advantageous, but -considerably more so to her than to him. The maiden name of that -singularly eccentric woman,--a compound of many opposed qualities, sense -and folly, sensibility and hardness, intelligence and dulness, an -affectionate disposition and an imperious temper,--was Caroline Louise -Dudley. She is, I understood from herself, of Scotch descent. She was -born in Louisville, Kentucky, June 10, 186(4?). In youth she was deemed -remarkable for something bizarre and alluring in her appearance, one -special feature of which was her copious, resplendent hair, of the color -that is called Titian red. When very young she became the wife (May 26, -1880) of Mr. Leslie Carter, of Chicago. The marriage proved unhappy, -and in 1889 her husband obtained a divorce from her in that city. -Comment on this case of domestic infelicity is not essential here. Mr. -Carter was legally adjudged to be in the right and Mrs. Carter to be in -the wrong. Society, knowing them both, sided with him and was bitterly -condemnatory of her. She had few friends and very slight pecuniary -resources. She was confronted with the necessity of earning a living, -and she determined to adopt the vocation of the Stage. She had -participated in private theatricals, as so many other young women in -kindred circumstances have done before emerging in the Theatre, but she -possessed no training for it. She had heard of Belasco’s repute as an -histrionic instructor, and proceeding with better (or perhaps only more -fortunate) judgment than she had ever before or has ever since -displayed, she sought an introduction to him for the purpose of -obtaining his assistance as a teacher. That introduction she procured -through Edward G. Gillmore (18---1905), then manager of the New York -Academy of Music, and to Belasco she made known her position and her -aspirations. How crude those aspirations were, and how indefinite her -plans as to a stage career, can be conjectured from her response to the -first inquiry he made,--whether she wished to act in tragedy or comedy. -“I am a horsewoman,” she replied, “and I wish to make my first entrance -on a horse, leaping over a hurdle.” No practical result attended that -interview. Belasco, of course, observed the peculiarities of the -impracticable novice and, perhaps, some glimmering indication of a -talent in her which might be developed; but he was at that time -preoccupied in collaboration with De Mille on “The Charity Ball,” and -Mrs. Carter’s application was put aside and, by him, forgotten. She -returned to Chicago, but she did not falter in her purpose. A little -later, learning that Belasco had again secluded himself at Echo Lake -(where, indeed, with De Mille, he had sought a secluded refuge in which -to finish “The Charity Ball”), she again presented herself before him -and besought him to become her teacher and to embark her on a dramatic -career. - -“Mrs. Carter came to me,” he said, “while De Mille and I were at work on -’The Charity Ball.’ I was almost worn out the afternoon she arrived--not -having had any sleep to speak of in two days--and she was almost -hysterical and frantic with fatigue, trouble, and anxiety. She told me -much of the story of her domestic tragedy,--and a heart-breaking story -it is,--and, as she told it and I listened, I began to see the -possibilities in her,--if _only_ she could act, on the stage, with the -same force and pathos she used in telling her story. I think a real -manager and dramatist is, in a way, like a physician: a physician gets -so that he never looks at a human face without noting whether it shows -signs of disease or not: I never look at a face or listen to a voice -without noting whether they show signs of fitness for the stage. Mrs. -Carter showed it, in every word she spoke, in every move she made: if -only she could _act_ like that on the stage, I caught myself thinking. -The upshot of the matter was that I promised to give her a trial, to see -whether she could _act_ as well as she could _talk_, and that, if she -stood the test, I’d help her if I could. After I returned to New York I -rehearsed her in several parts I had given her; I became convinced that -she had the makings of a great actress in her, and I determined that, as -soon as I could, I would take up her training and, if she proved as -talented as I thought her, would try to strike out for myself and -establish her as a star.” - - - - -EPISODE OF “THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER.” - - -After having safely launched “The Charity Ball” Belasco turned to the -task of making Mrs. Carter an actress. It seems almost incredible, but -such was the existing animosity toward her that,--notwithstanding his -theatrical connections and although he had performed many friendly -services for persons of authority in the Theatre, and was, moreover, the -stage manager and dramatist of the Lyceum,--Belasco was unable to secure -the use of a stage on which to conduct her rehearsals. To hire one, at a -high rental, might have been practicable, but neither he nor his pupil -possessed money enough to pay the rent of a stage. From this dilemma an -apparent means of exit presented itself. The beautiful and popular child -actress, Elsie Leslie, who had played at the Lyceum in “Editha’s -Burglar” and also, with phenomenal success, in “Little Lord Fauntleroy,” -had suggested to Samuel L. Clemens, “Mark Twain,” who was always -friendly toward her, a dramatization of his story of “The Prince and the -Pauper,” in which she should appear, playing both _Tom Canty_ and -_Prince Edward of Wales_. The plan suggested by that clever child had -been adopted; Mrs. Abby Sage Richardson had prepared an acting version -of Twain’s book, and it had been produced, December 24, 1889, at the -Park Theatre, Philadelphia, under the management of Daniel Frohman. The -venture was seen to be auspicious, but the play was found to be -inchoate, and the performances, aside from that of the little star, were -rough and unsatisfactory. Belasco’s need of the use of a stage for -rehearsals of Mrs. Carter was known to Daniel Frohman, who proposed to -him that he should revise and reconstruct Mrs. Richardson’s version of -“The Prince and the Pauper,” and also rehearse the company, so that a -production might be safely attempted in New York, in return for which -services he was promised the use of the stage of the Lyceum (when it was -not required for the Lyceum stock company), as often as he desired, for -rehearsals of Mrs. Carter. To that arrangement Belasco agreed. “I was -getting only $35 a week for my services at the Lyceum,” he told me, -“aside from royalties on my plays, and I knew the work on Mrs. -Richardson’s play and the rehearsals of the company would be heavy. But -what could I do? I have often been beaten--but I never give in. I knew -there was the real stuff in Mrs. Carter, but I simply had to have a -stage; I could make no progress with her till I got one. So I accepted -’Dan’s’ offer.” His - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -ELSIE LESLIE AS THE _PAUPER-PRINCE_, IN “THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER”] - -expectation that the labor would prove onerous was amply justified. He -finally beat the play into an acceptable shape, but his trials with the -company were exasperating. Belasco, naturally amiable and ordinarily -both diffident and shy, can be, and when fully roused often is, -unpleasant on the stage. There came a time when he lost all patience -with “The Prince and the Pauper” company, and, at a dress rehearsal, -about three o’clock in the morning, called the company on the stage and, -singly and collectively, “in good set terms” and with expletive sarcasm, -gave assurance to everybody present that “except the little girl there -is not one, no, _not one_ of the lot of you that knows how to act--or -anything else!” This comprehensive denunciation did not redound to his -advantage or endear him to the management of the Lyceum. However, he -finally got the company drilled into respectable shape and the play was -successfully produced in New York, January 20, 1890, at the Broadway -Theatre, where it ran till March 1. - - - - -RETIREMENT FROM THE LYCEUM THEATRE. - - -Belasco, relieved of responsibility as to “The Prince and the Pauper,” -turned at once to the instruction of his pupil, Mrs. Carter, and for a -short time rehearsed her on the Lyceum stage. He had, however, hardly -begun the rehearsals, for the holding of which he had, in equity, given -so much more than it was worth, when the bargain was, in a singularly -disgraceful manner, repudiated,--Belasco receiving from the manager of -the theatre the following terse communication: - -(_Daniel Frohman to David Belasco._) - - -“The Lyceum Theatre, New York, -“February 26, [1890] - -“Dear David:-- - - “The Stockholders request me not to have Mrs. Carter rehearse on - our stage any more. - -“Yours, -“DAN’L FROHMAN.” - - - - -Belasco’s resentment was, naturally and properly, very bitter. He had -been for some time conscious that he was effectively “cabined, cribbed, -confined” at the Lyceum. He had also been for some time in negotiation -with A. M. Palmer, looking to a presentation of the play which he had in -mind as a starring vehicle for Mrs. Carter. He wrote immediately, in -response to Mr. Frohman: - -(_David Belasco to Daniel Frohman._) - - -“New York, February 27, [1890] - -“My dear D. F.:-- - - “Your note in reference to Mrs. Carter received. When Mr. Palmer - was informed that the stockholders objected to Mrs. Carter’s use of - the Lyceum stage, he placed both his theatres at my disposal. - Therefore, she will trouble their over-sensitive natures no more. - As far as I myself am concerned, rest assured I shall not forget - their petty treatment of me. - -“Sincerely, -“DAVE.” - - - -It is probable that, without the sting of this contemptible conduct on -the part of the stockholders of the Lyceum (instigated, as I understand, -by complaints from Miss Georgia Cayvan), Belasco would, for some time -longer, have continued to toil in his treadmill at that temple of -liberal virtue. As the ultimate event has proved, it was fortunate that -he was thus annoyed. He had resolved to retire before he had finished -writing his acknowledgment of Mr. Frohman’s note; he sent in his -resignation soon afterward, and, on March 27, 1890, his association with -the Lyceum was ended. - - - - -A LONG, LONG ROAD. - - -One of my earliest and best friends, the loved and honored poet -Longfellow, sometimes cited to me a maxim (which, alas, I have all my -life neglected to heed!) that “he who carries his bricks to the building -of every one’s house will never build one for himself.” When Belasco -withdrew from the Lyceum Theatre (March 27, 1890) he had been for twenty -years,--notwithstanding his efforts toward independence,--carrying -bricks to build houses for other persons. He was conscious of this -mistake and dissatisfied with himself for having made it, and he now -resolutely determined to build for himself. During the five and one-half -years, March, 1890, to October, 1895, he worked with persistent -diligence, often in the face of seemingly insurmountable difficulties, -to train and establish the woman of whose histrionic destiny he had -assumed the direction and to achieve for himself position and power as a -theatrical manager. He had in mind for his embryonic star, Mrs. Leslie -Carter, a play which, ultimately, was written and successfully produced, -under the name of “The Heart of Maryland”; but when first he seriously -began the task of training that beginner for the stage even the plan of -that play was rudimentary, and it became imperative that he should at -once secure a practical vehicle for her use and should get her launched -as an actress. There could be no question of her beginning in a minor -capacity in some obscure company and working her way up: she had no -thought of enduring any such novitiate, though she was willing, in fact -eager, to perform any amount of arduous labor. But, with her, it was a -case of beginning at the top--or not at all. In general, that is a -mistaken plan; it results in utter failure a hundred times for once that -it succeeds; yet, sometimes, where backed by genuine ability and -indomitable courage, the course that seems rash proves really the most -judicious, and for those with the heart to endure to lose it proves the -way to win. The famous soldier Montrose wrote truly: - - “He either fears his fate too much - Or his deserts are small, - That puts it not unto the touch - To win or lose it all.” - -To that touch Belasco and Mrs. Carter determined to put her fate at the -earliest possible moment, yet not altogether without preparation for the -ordeal through which she was to pass. Belasco’s method of instructing -her was the only practical one: he treated her as if she had been the -leading woman in a stock company, under his direction, in circumstances -which made it peremptory that she, and only she, should act certain -parts, and with whom, accordingly, he must do the best he could. His -experience as a teacher was onerous and often discouraging, but he and -his pupil persevered. “Mrs. Carter,” he writes, “had no idea of the -rudiments of acting. In Chicago she had been a brilliant drawing-room -figure. Very graceful in private life, she became awkward and -self-conscious on the stage. Our first lessons included a series of -physical exercises, to secure a certain grace and ease of motion.” -During the period from April, 1890, to about June, 1891, according to -Belasco’s statement to me, Mrs. Carter, under his direction, memorized -and rehearsed (sometimes on the stage of Palmer’s Theatre, sometimes in -private rooms) more than thirty different parts, in representative -drama, ranging from _Nancy Sikes_, in “Oliver Twist,” to _Parthenia_, in -“Ingomar”; from _Camille_ to _Lady Macbeth_; from _Julia_, in “The -Hunchback,” to _Mrs. Bouncer_, in “Box and Cox,” and from _Leah the -Forsaken_ to _Frou-Frou_. Meantime, however, Belasco had a wife and -children to support, as well as himself; his resources were little and -day by day were growing less; Mrs. Carter and her devoted mother were no -better off, and it was essential that the hopeful but harassed -adventurer should add to his income, derived from miscellaneous private -teaching and coaching for the stage, to which precarious expedient he -was, at this period, compelled to revert, to eke out his slender -revenue. At this juncture his friend Charles Frohman, who had bought -Bronson Howard’s war melodrama of “Shenandoah” and had prospered with -it, and who had undertaken to provide dramatic entertainments for -Proctor’s Twenty-third Street Theatre, applied to him for a new play. - - - - -CONFEDERATION WITH CHARLES FROHMAN. - - - “There was an old building on Twenty-third Street. Proctor now - [1890] turned this building into a theatre, and ’C. F.’ asked me to - write a play _for the opening_.... Frohman,” writes Belasco, “had - persuaded F. F. Proctor to turn an old church ... into a theatre. - ’C. F.’ was to supply the company and a new play. Proctor, a - pioneer with a tremendous amount of ambition, had been making money - in vaudeville and wanted to enter the theatrical field. ’Dave,’ ’C. - F.’ said, ’I shall depend upon you for the play.’... I advised him - not to wait an instant, lest Proctor’s enthusiasm die out. _The - following week_ the old church began dropping its ecclesiastical - aspect as fast as the wreckers could do away with it. - - “I was strongly tempted to write the opening play alone, but when I - saw how much depended upon it I had a touch of stage fright. - Naturally, my thoughts turned to Henry De Mille.... We had always - been successful because our way of thought was similar and we were - frank in our criticism of each other’s work. He excelled in - narrative and had a quick wit. The emotional or dramatic scenes - were more to my liking. I acted while he took down my speeches. - When a play was finished, it was impossible to say where his work - left off and my work began [???--W. W.]. This is what collaboration - should be. - - “It was five o’clock in the morning when I was seized with the idea - of asking De Mille to assist me and I hastened at once to his - house. I knocked on his door with the vigor of a watchman sounding - a fire alarm, and when De Mille at last appeared he was armed with - a cane, ready to defend his hearth and home. I told him of the - necessity for a play for ’C. F.’s’ opening and he agreed to work - with me. In the profession De Mille and I were thought to be very - lucky as ’theatre openers.’ Looking back, I see how many, many - times it has been my fate to break the bottle over the prows of - theatrical ships. Here we were again,--De Mille and I,--talking - over the birth and baptism of yet another New York manager!” - - - - -PROCTOR’S TWENTY-THIRD STREET THEATRE. - - -This recollection is not accurate relative to details concerning the -opening of Proctor’s Twenty-third Street Theatre. The site of that -theatre was, at one time, occupied by a church. Later it was occupied by -an armory for the Seventy-ninth Regiment, N. G. S. N. Y. Then it was -converted into “Salmi Morse’s Temple Theatre,” but Morse was denied a -license and could not open it. Under management - -[Illustration: - -From an old photograph. Belasco’s Collection. - -HENRY C. DE MILLE] - -of Converse L. Graves, who took over Morse’s interest, it was opened, -May 21, 1883, as the Temple Theatre, with a play called “A Bustle Among -the Petticoats.” Max Strakosch succeeded Graves as manager of the house, -and in turn sold his interest to Albert G. Eaves, a New York theatrical -costumer, who, in association with Edward Stone, conducted the theatre -for a short time. Thereafter, about 1885, it was restored to -ecclesiastical service as the Twenty-third Street Tabernacle. F. F. -Proctor leased the property in 1888, tore down the old building and -erected a new one, which, as Proctor’s Twenty-third Street Theatre, was -opened, May 5, 1889, with a performance, by Neil Burgess and his -company, of “The County Fair.” Dockstader’s Minstrels succeeded Burgess, -and on August 31 “The Great Metropolis” was there first acted. -“Shenandoah,” transferred from the Star Theatre, where it was produced -for the first time in New York on September 9, 1889, was presented there -on October 21, that year, and it ran till April 19, 1890,--receiving, in -all, 250 performances. Stuart Robson played there, in “The Henrietta,” -from April 21 to May 31, when the theatre was closed. It was reopened on -September 8, 1890, with a farce by William Gillette, called “All the -Comforts of Home,”--adapted from “Ein Toller Einfall,”--which held the -stage till October 18, and, on October 21, for the first time anywhere, -“Men and Women” was there produced. That event occurred _a year and a -half after_ the theatre was first opened. Descanting on the inception of -the play of “Men and Women,” Belasco writes: - - “About this time the newspapers were full of a bank scandal. A - young man employed in a bank had speculated with funds and found - himself in a very dangerous position. His father, a fine man of - business, and a stockholder, had the sympathy of the entire public - in his misfortune. Owing to the young man’s speculations, the bank - was on the verge of closing, and the newspapers were full of - harrowing details. As I read the accounts I came to this sentence - in a statement made by the father: ’I’ll save the bank if it costs - me a million a day!’ ’Henry,’ I said, ’there’s our play. We must - deal with a father’s pride and love for his only son, no matter - what deed the son may commit.’ To me the father’s statement meant: - ’I’ll save my boy, though I am left without a penny and have to beg - on the streets.’... - - “Next to inventing a plot and story, our greatest difficulty was to - find a title. Our play was to have a universal appeal. One of our - characters was a liberal _Jew_. Because of the broadness of the - theme, we selected the name of ’Men and Women.’ It was an accepted - rule at this time to have two sets of lovers, but we broke all - traditions by introducing three sets of heroes and heroines in ’Men - and Women,’ for we attempted to depict the frailties and weaknesses - of many men and women. The Third Act represented a directors’ - meeting on the night before the closing of the bank, with a number - of Federal government officials present. In order to be accurate it - was necessary to get information from some one who had been through - this scene in real life. I went to a bank cashier whom I knew, and - explained our dilemma. ’I’ll give you all the details of such a - night,’ he agreed, ’but you must be very careful. You understand - that I must compromise no one, or my own position will be in - jeopardy.’ Then he gave me much information, describing the - feelings of the financiers who walked under the shadow of arrest. - When I left him I had all the facts necessary to create a rousing - climax. I felt like a reporter who has gone after the news of an - event and come away with a photograph of each moment of a tragedy.” - - - - -THE PLAY OF “MEN AND WOMEN.” - - -This play would have been called by Boucicault a “comedy-drama”: he was -fond of classifying plays and he invented that designation (as well as -various others) meaning thereby to denote a “sensation drama,” -illustrated with comedy. The pervasive defect of the play, like that -which mars some other plays written by Belasco, in association with De -Mille, is an excess of extraneous details. Nevertheless it tells an -interesting story, well devised to absorb attention, and it possesses -vital dramatic movement. The comedy element in it is trivial. The story, -though somewhat confused, is stronger than that in any other of the -several plays written by Belasco and De Mille. - -The main theme is the desperate situation of a man named _William -Prescott_, cashier of a bank, who is guilty of peculation and who is -striving to escape the consequences of his crime. An accomplice in the -robbery is a broker, who has committed suicide. The assistant cashier of -the bank, _Edwin Seabury_ by name, _Prescott’s_ close friend and the -betrothed lover of his sister, is suspected of the theft. At first, -perceiving that for his personal security he need only remain silent and -permit his innocent comrade to be ruined, _Prescott_, though drawn as a -man essentially virtuous, yields to the temptation to hold his peace and -let _Seabury_ be condemned; but on discovering that his sweetheart, -_Agnes Rodman_, is aware of his guilt and, out of devotion to him, is -willing to condone his crime and his additional iniquity, _Prescott_ is -shocked into remorse and repentance and he determines that _Seabury_ -shall be saved, at whatever sacrifice of himself. The portrayal of the -strife in the minds of _Prescott_ and of _Agnes Rodman_ is remarkably -expert, vivid, and effective, the element of suspense being most -adroitly sustained. - -_Seabury’s_ peril is heightened by the implacable enmity of the attorney -for the bank, _Calvin Stedman_, who is _Seabury’s_ unsuccessful rival -in love, and who, honestly believing the young man guilty, exults in the -opportunity to ruin him, and opposes every effort made by the president -of the bank, _Israel Cohen_, to weather the storm and save the -institution from ruin. The vital scene of the play occurs in the Third -Act, when, late at night, in the library of the president’s home, the -directors of the bank assemble to consult with a National Bank Examiner -and seek to contrive means to avert publicity, forestall a destructive -“run,” and restore the stolen funds. One of those directors, _Stephen -Rodman_, father of the girl to whom _Prescott_ is betrothed, opposes the -purpose of _Stedman_ to force public avowal of the situation, regardless -of consequences to the institution, and is suddenly denounced by -_Stedman_ as being himself a former peculator whom he, _Stedman_, years -earlier, has prosecuted, who was convicted, and has served a term in -prison, and therefore should be deemed an unfit person to suggest such a -composition of the trouble. The incidents and the language used in -depicting that meeting of the directors of the tottering bank are -skilfully and impressively used, and Belasco’s extraordinary facility of -dramatic expression, once his desired situation has been obtained, is -finely exemplified. At the last, _Prescott_ assuming his -responsibility, the way out of the dilemma is provided by _Mr. -Pendleton_, one of the directors, a half-deaf, crusty, apparently fussy, -muddled old man, who is, in fact, clear-headed and practical and who -provides the necessary money to save the bank. Condonement of a felony -is a dubious expedient, but in a fiction it is often convenient, -especially when, as in “Men and Women,” justice is seen to be done, all -round. - -One singular “effect” in the central scene of this play was caused by a -glimmer of simulated moonlight through a stained glass window, showing a -representation of the Christ (rather a surprising object of art to occur -in the private library of a Jew, however liberal), after a fervid -expression, by _Israel Cohen_, of the need of charity and forbearance. -The wise counsel of the old Oxford Professor (cited and approved by -Belasco’s mentor, Boucicault, and sometimes attributed to him), that -when you particularly admire any special passage in anything you have -written you had better cut it out, might well have been mentioned by -Belasco for the benefit of his collaborator. There are several passages -of “fine writing” in “Men and Women,” which show De Mille to -disadvantage. The play will not bear close analysis: it was artificially -constructed around the situation at the crisis of the bank’s affairs; -but it admirably answered the purpose for which it was written, and it -had 203 consecutive performances, at the Twenty-third Street Theatre. -This was the cast: - -_Israel Cohen_ Frederic de Belleville. -_William Prescott_ William Morris. -_Edwin Seabury_ Orrin Johnson. -_Mr. Pendleton_ Charles Leslie Allen. -_Mr. Reynolds_ W. H. Tilliard. -_Mr. Bergman_ Arthur Hayden. -_Mr. Wayne_ Edgar Mackey. -_Calvin Stedman_ R. A. Roberts. -_Lyman H. Webb_ Henry Talbot. -_Stephen Rodman_ Frank Mordaunt. -_Col. Zachary T. Kip_ M. A. Kennedy. -_Dr. “Dick” Armstrong_ T. C. Valentine. -_Sam Delafield_ J. C. Buckstone. -_Arnold Kirke_ Emmett Corrigan. -_Crawford_ E. J. McCullough. -_District Messenger No. 81_ Master Louis Haines. -_Roberts_ A. R. Newtown. -_John_ Richard Marlow. -_Agnes Rodman_ Sydney Armstrong. -_Dora_ Maude Adams. -_Mrs. Kate Delafield_ Odette Tyler. -_Margery Knox_ Etta Hawkins. -_Mrs. Jane Preston_ Annie Adams. -_Mrs. Kirke_ Lillian Chantore. -_Lucy_ Winona Shannon. -_Julia_ Gladys Eurelle. - -The stage setting of “Men and Women” was uncommonly fine and much of the -acting was excellent,--notably the performances of _Israel Cohen_ by -Frederic de Belleville, _William Prescott_ by William Morris, _Calvin -Stedman_ by R. A. Roberts, _Stephen Rodman_ by Frank Mordaunt, and _Mr. -Pendleton_ by Charles Leslie Allen. Roberts was specially admirable for -the manner with which he suffused his impersonation of the savagely -implacable attorney with an antipathetic but wholly veritable air of -saturated self-approbation in his cruel assumption of righteousness. - -The whole moral doctrine of Belasco, not only in this play but in -several others of the same class,--a doctrine upon which he dwells with -what, considering the existing way of the world, seems rather a -superfluous insistence,--is comprised in four well-known lines by Robert -Burns which, on the programme, were used as an epigraph for this play: - - “Then gently scan your brother man, - Still gentler sister woman, - Tho’ they may gang a kennin wrang, - To step aside is human.” - -It is. But many things that are human are reprehensible. “To step aside” -sometimes causes sins that can never be expiated, sorrows that can -never be assuaged, wrongs that never can be righted. The most terrible -of all words is the word CONSEQUENCES. - - - - -HATCHING “THE UGLY DUCKLING.” - - -Belasco, while colaboring with De Mille in the writing of “Men and -Women” and subsequently while rehearsing, for Frohman, the company which -acted in that play, concurrently continued his tuition of Mrs. Carter; -but it was beyond even his aspiring spirit and indefatigable industry to -undertake at the same time the additional task of writing a new play for -her use. In this dilemma he presently effected an arrangement with Mr. -Paul M. Potter whereby that playwright agreed to furnish him with “a -comedy drama” for Mrs. Carter’s use, so that he was left free to work at -his other tasks and to seek for capital with which to launch his star. -His next step was to arrange with Edward D. Price, a person widely -experienced in theatrical affairs, to act as business manager of Mrs. -Carter’s tour, Price accepting the office on condition that Belasco -would provide a capital of $10,000, to be placed on deposit in a bank -before beginning the season. This Belasco undertook to do,--not at that -moment knowing how he was to do it, but feeling confident, nevertheless, -that it could be done. On conferring with Mrs. Carter and her mother he -was apprised that the latter had contrived to obtain the sum of $1,500. -On learning that this would be wholly inadequate for the production of -the new play, Mrs. Carter suggested that application for assistance -should be made, on her behalf, to wealthy friends of hers, Mr. and Mrs. -N. K. Fairbank, of Chicago, who had been kind to her throughout the -distressing ordeal of her domestic troubles and who evidently believed -in her integrity and ability. This application was at once made, and it -was successful. “We will deposit $10,000 to your credit,” said Mr. -Fairbank (so Belasco has stated to me), “and it is to be used for -launching Mrs. Carter as a star. If you need more, you can get it by -applying to my legal representatives in Chicago.” “The only restriction -that Fairbank stipulated for,” added Belasco, “was the very reasonable -one that I should keep an account of the expenditures,--which I did, to -the last penny.” - -Having secured a competent business manager and, apparently, sufficient -financial support, it only remained to wait for the play and to improve -Mrs. Carter as much as possible as an actress. Mr. Potter soon forwarded -the manuscript of his play, which was called “The Ugly Duckling.” On -reading that fabrication Belasco,--who seems to have expected much from -Mr. Potter,--was chagrined to find it artificial, flimsy, and -insufficient. Instead of at once undertaking to rewrite it himself he -injudiciously employed for that purpose a person named Archibald C. -Gordon, who was commended to his favor as being qualified to perform the -required work. This Gordon, however, turned out to be not only a -blackguard who could not be tolerated but also to be wholly incompetent -as a playwright, and Belasco, in consequence, after much annoyance, was -ultimately compelled himself to rectify, as far as possible, the gross -inadequacies of the piece. Testifying on this subject, in court, in -1896, he said: “I cut out _everything_ that Mr. Gordon wrote.” -Notwithstanding all impediments, delays and vexations, a company was at -last engaged, a theatre was secured, rehearsals were effected, and, on -November 10, 1890, Mrs. Carter, acting _Kate Graydon_, made her first -appearance on the stage, at the Broadway Theatre, New York. - - - - -“THE UGLY DUCKLING.”--MRS. CARTER’S DÉBUT. - - -The play of “The Ugly Duckling” is founded, in part, on the idea of -Andersen’s fairy tale, from which its name is taken,--the idea, namely, -that the supposedly least promising and least esteemed member of a brood -may prove to be the finest and most worthy of admiration. The story -relates to domestic tribulations in a prominent New York family, named -_Graydon_. The youngest member of that family, _Kate Graydon_, returning -home from England, finds her more valued sister, _Hester_, engaged to be -married to an Englishman, _Viscount Huntington_, by whom she has herself -been courted, in London. She keeps her secret for her sister’s sake, and -_Hester_ becomes _Huntington’s_ wife. A vindictive Corsican, _Count -Malatesta_, believing that in _Huntington_ he has found the betrayer of -his wife, the _Countess Malatesta_, entices _Hester_ to his apartments, -and then causes _Huntington_ to be apprised of her presence there. -_Kate_, having followed her sister, liberates her from this scandalous -situation, at the cost of compromising herself. - -The play will not bear consideration. That Mrs. Carter should not have -been irrevocably damned as an actress by making her first appearance in -such a puerile composition speaks much for her natural talent and for -Belasco’s skilful tuition and management. That he should have risked her -advent in such a fabric of trash is astounding. Since, ultimately, he -established her as a highly successful star, I suppose he would maintain -that his judgment has been vindicated. I cannot but feel, however, - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -MRS. LESLIE CARTER - -About the time of “The Ugly Duckling”] - -that, had he embarked her with a good play, he would have brought her to -public acceptance much earlier than he did. In Mrs. Carter’s performance -of _Kate Graydon_ there were moments in which she escaped the thraldom -of solicitude and self-consciousness and clearly indicated possession of -the faculty of vigorous dramatic expression. This was the original cast -of “The Ugly Duckling”: - -_Douglas Oakley_ Arthur Dacre. -_Count Malatesta_ Edward J. Henley. -_Professor Graydon_ William H. Thompson. -_Viscount Huntington_ Ian [Forbes-] Robertson. -_Mr. Ernest Granly_ R. F. Cotton. -_Jack Farragut_ Raymond Holmes. -_Chevalier Raff_ Mervin Dallas. -_Randolph_ Thomas Oberle. -_Mrs. Graydon_ Ida Vernon. -_Hester Graydon_ Helen Bancroft. -_Kate Graydon_ Mrs. Leslie Carter. -_Mrs. Granly_ Helen Russell. -_Helen_ Ida Macdonald. -_Agnes_ Fannie Batchelder. - -“If it had not been for the interest of Isaac Rich, of Boston,” Belasco -told me, “whose friendship and good will I had gained through my work on -Gillette’s dramatization of ’She,’ and who was kind enough to help me -when it seemed as though most of the rest of the world was against me, I -don’t believe we could have got a tour booked anywhere. However, we -_did_ manage to get a route--and lost a fair-sized fortune playing it! -Mrs. Carter was made a target all along the line.” - - - - -MORE FAILURE, AND A LAWSUIT. - - -During this tour, though Mrs. Carter revealed fine talent and won some -commendation, the business was uniformly bad until she appeared in -Chicago; there, for the first time, the receipts exceeded the expenses, -and it began to seem as though the tide had turned toward prosperity. -But the venture had already cost more than $40,000, and Fairbank, -becoming dissatisfied, suddenly withdrew his support. “On the strength -of Mr. Fairbank’s promise,” Belasco declared, “I had given mine, to many -creditors, and now, when they pressed for payment (as they did very -quickly when it became known Fairbank had withdrawn), I was unable to -keep it. I had no recourse but to bring suit against him to make good -his promise and, most unwillingly, I prepared to do so.” Mrs. Carter’s -first tour under Belasco’s direction and the life of “The Ugly Duckling” -were both peremptorily brought to an end by Fairbank, acting through one -of his attorneys, R. W. Morrison, in Kansas City, on March 14, 1891; -the theatrical company which had been acting in association with Mrs. -Carter was disbanded, and the perplexed manager and his dejected pupil -returned to New York, where arrangements were presently made by Belasco -to institute a lawsuit against Fairbank. Writing on this subject he has -said: - - “The Fairbank lawyers came to New York to see what compromise I - would accept. I said: ’Here are all the bills. If you pay them, the - incident will be closed.’ But they refused. Mr. Fairbank had hoped - the tour would be a financial success, the lawyers said, and he - would never have entered into such a speculation if he had known - how much it involved. ’Certainly,’ I answered, ’he did not expect a - theatrical venture of this nature to cost nothing! I am sure of - Mrs. Carter’s ultimate success,’ I declared, ’and I am willing to - bind myself by a promise to pay everything back’; but the lawyers - refused. So I put my affairs in the hands of my friend, Judge - Dittenhoefer, and the suit began. The trial lasted for three - weeks.” - -Belasco’s suit against Fairbank,--which was to recover $65,000, as -reimbursement of losses incurred in presenting “The Ugly Duckling,” -payment for professional services as Mrs. Carter’s dramatic instructor -(for which services Fairbank had agreed to pay), and other -items,--remained in abeyance for several years. It was, however, finally -brought to trial on June 3, 1896, before Justice Leonard Giegerich and -a jury, in Part V. of the Supreme Court of New York. Belasco’s action -was met by denial and a counter suit for $53,000 by Fairbank. The issues -were acrimoniously contested at every point, but on June 23 the jury -returned a compromise verdict (as one juryman described it) in favor of -Belasco, awarding him $16,000 and 5 per cent. interest,--$20,000 in all. -During that trial certain newspapers, manifesting singular partisan -bias, went to scandalous extremes of exaggeration and ridicule in their -reports of the testimony in effort to disparage Belasco and make him -appear contemptible. One fiction then originated has persisted,--the -fiction, namely, that Belasco instructed Mrs. Carter by “pounding and -bumping” her and dragging her about a room by the hair. That tale was -based on an allusion to rehearsal of the shocking Murder Scene in the -revolting play of “Oliver Twist.” - -Mrs. Carter’s acknowledgment of her debt to Belasco and her appreciation -of his assistance and his forbearance toward her are significantly -denoted in a letter written by her, June 3, 1890, to Charles L. Allen, -one of Fairbank’s principal Chicago lawyers, from which the following -words are quoted: - - “He [Belasco] feels he cannot go on with me unless he is able to - make things creditable. He has stuck by me in my struggle against - prejudice; he has stood up for me, and given his personal written - assurance on every contract I have that things will be creditably - and properly done. It is owing to him and his personal influence - among theatrical managers that I have succeeded in getting the best - route and the best theatres--he has committed himself and will not - have failure meet him. - - “He has helped me without asking pay--he has given my play--his - name--his instruction--he has given up other things--to put me - through: he will produce my play--he will answer for my success--he - stands sponsor for my first night, and before the entire - public--and he does it all without asking pay--ready to wait until - I am started for his remuneration--and _he did all this on Mr. - Fairbank’s promise to see me through_....” - -In his “Story” Belasco makes this kindly allusion to Fairbank, which -indicates that the clash between them resulted from meddlesome -interference of persons inimical to him and to his star: - - “I never regretted anything more than being forced to bring suit - against Fairbank. He was courteous, kind-hearted, mellow, and - human. I am sure that when he and his wife started to aid Mrs. - Carter it was their intention to see her through. I met him in - after years, and in the course of conversation he admitted that all - I had done for Mrs. Carter was done wisely. ’It’s too horrible,’ he - said. ’I was badly advised by my friends. You should never have - been obliged to carry, the matter into the courts.’” - - - - -A POVERTY-STRICKEN STRUGGLE. - - -When Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Dudley, her mother, returned to New York after -the demise of “The Ugly Duckling,” in Kansas City (1891), they -established their residence at No. 63 Clinton Place. Belasco lodged at -No. 126 Waverley Place, and almost immediately he resumed his project of -writing, unaided, a new play specially designed for the use of Mrs. -Carter. Having no convenient place of his own in which to work, he -obtained the use of a room in Mrs. Dudley’s apartment, in which to write -his play, and there he completed the first draft of “The Heart of -Maryland,” and incidentally continued his tuition of Mrs. Carter. I -remember seeing them once at about that period at Delmonico’s old -restaurant, Twenty-sixth Street, where I chanced to be dining with -Augustin Daly and Ada Rehan, and years afterward, on one of the few -occasions when I have personally met Mrs. Carter, she mentioned -remembering the same incident, saying it was so unusual for them, in -those days of trouble, to visit that pleasant place. They were, she -added, celebrating some little favorable turn in their prospects; “I -looked at Mr. Daly and Miss Rehan,” said Mrs. Carter, “and whispered to -’Mr. Dave,’ ’Shall _we_ ever “get there” and be, like them, successful -and accepted?’” To which, she said, Belasco confidently answered, “Of -course we shall!” - -Speaking to me lightly of that period of ordeal, which was, in fact, a -bitterly afflicting one for him to endure, Belasco said: “But -Delmonico’s was not for us in those days: my family were, fortunately -for them, in San Francisco, and many a time,--habitually, in fact,--Mrs. -Carter and her mother and I ’dined’ at a twenty-five cent _table d’hôte_ -on Fourth Avenue--and were lucky to dine anywhere. We had put all we had -into launching and exploiting Mrs. Carter, and those two women were hard -put to it to keep their Clinton Place apartment. As for me,--well, I -had, of course, some income from my plays, and I gave private coaching -to beginners and professionals, anybody who would employ me (among -others, by the way, Georgia Cayvan, who always liked to have me rehearse -her, even after I left the Lyceum), and I kept going, after a fashion; -but I had expenses heavier than my resources would meet, and I was most -of the time poorer than I like to remember--and all the time I was -harassed with anxiety.” - -Writing of that same period, he gives this glimpse of a poverty-stricken -struggle: - - “It so happened that at this time the first of the ’beauty - doctors’ and the ’facial-massage’ school were making fortunes with - their lotions. It may be interesting to know that Mrs. Carter was - sorely tempted to enter this field and bring out a preparation for - the complexion. In fact, she negotiated with a well-known chemist, - who advised her to carry out her idea. Lack of necessary capital - prevented, however, and she kept to the stage instead of becoming a - business woman. The world may have lost a very good ’skin-food,’ - but it gained a fine actress. - - “When ’The Heart of Maryland’ was finished models of the scenes - were made and I found myself with a play and a star--but no - financial manager. Every one to whom I read the manuscript was - eager to accept it, but no one wanted Mrs. Carter, despite the - success she had made. Every manager had a leading woman far, far - better suited to the part of _Maryland_. I never heard of such - wonderful leading women! The town was alive with them! ’Mrs. Carter - is not a public favorite,’ I was told on all sides. ’However, the - play was written for her, and I’ve made up my mind not to take it - away from her,’ I answered. The Lord knows she had suffered enough - while waiting for it.” - -Mrs. Carter, beyond demonstrating her possession of genuine though -nascent histrionic ability, obviously had not made any -“success,”--except in her approving preceptor’s mind. Indeed, the -disastrous fate of “The Ugly Duckling,” impending legal contentions, and -the general social oppugnancy to Mrs. Carter were strong, in fact -seemingly insuperable, reasons for managerial hesitancy in making any -venture vitally dependent upon her for its success. Belasco, though he -adhered to his resolve that only Mrs. Carter should act the part of -_Maryland Calvert_, which he had devised for her, felt himself almost -nonplussed. He was heavily in debt; he had no employment; he felt -himself to be the object of active journalistic animosity; he possessed -no financial resources; he seemed, in short, to be on the verge of -defeat. Charles Frohman chanced to meet him at that time and, mentioning -to him “a play with music” which had then recently been presented in -Paris, made a suggestion that led to their first partnership in -theatrical management. “The piece seems to have made a sensation,” said -Frohman: “the American rights are owned by Charles Wyndham. The leading -characters are a Quaker father and his daughter. The daughter is _the_ -part. Can Mrs. Carter sing? Because, if she can and you want to produce -it with me, I’ll get an option from Wyndham: you and Mrs. Carter go to -Paris and see the piece--and, if you think she can play the part and -that it will be a go in this country, we’ll do it together.” Belasco, -although somewhat doubtful whether Mrs. Carter could successfully -sustain the requirements of a singing part, felt that the proffered -opportunity must not be neglected; after discussing the point with his -pupil a decision to essay the venture was quickly made, and, on April -15, 1891, laying aside for the moment all other plans, Belasco, Mrs. -Carter and her mother sailed for England on board the steamship City of -New York, and from Southampton proceeded at once to France. “When we -reached Paris,” writes Belasco, “we found the Bouffes Parisiennes -’selling out’ and ’Miss Helyett’ the talk of the town. It was so full of -possibilities that I cabled ’C. F.’ to secure the rights before I saw -the last act.” That recommendation was promptly heeded by Frohman. -Writing of an interview with Edmond Audran, author of the music, which -occurred soon after he had seen the play, Belasco records: - - “I asked him to give me a letter in praise of the singer who was to - play the part, but without mentioning her name, for not only did we - wish to create a surprise in America, but to avoid complications - with Wyndham in London. I knew he would want us to engage a singer - of established reputation, so I avoided mentioning the name of the - artist who was to have the title-part, Wyndham was quite insistent - when I met him in London, but I handed him Audran’s letter, which - proved to be the magic stroke. Before the day was over, all - arrangements were made by cable.” - - - - -“MISS HELYETT” AND MRS. CARTER. - - -The production of the mongrel play with music, called in our Theatre -“Miss Helyett,”--a fabric which commingles comic opera with the farrago -known as “farce-comedy,”--was a minor incident in Belasco’s struggle for -advancement. Audran’s music, though not in his best vein, is generally -tuneful, gay, and spirited. The text was “rewritten from the French of -Maxime Boucheron by David Belasco,” and the play was first produced in -America, November 3, 1891, at the Star Theatre, New York, Mrs. Carter -then making her only appearance in a musical composition, and that being -also Belasco’s only association with comic opera, after he left the -Theatre of San Francisco. The scene is laid at the Hotel del Norte, in -the Spanish Pyrenees Mountains. The story, which is indelicate, relates -to a ludicrous accident to a young Quakeress, of demure appearance and -frolicsome disposition, whose hypocritical father is conducting her -through Europe in search of an advantageous marriage. This female, known -as _Miss Helyett_, falls over a precipice and is caught, buttock-end -uppermost, in a convenient tree, from which predicament she is rescued -by a strolling painter. She manages to conceal her face from her -deliverer, and she parts from him without ascertaining his identity or -disclosing her own. Later she determines to discover and to marry the -man who is already so familiarly acquainted with her “secret symmetry” -(as Byron calls it), and that purpose she ultimately accomplishes. Her -search for the unknown and her discovery and conquest of him constitute -the substance of this operatic farce. - -Mrs. Carter’s personation of _Miss Helyett_, while not deficient of -piquancy, was insignificant. As a singer she was in no way unusual. -Belasco relates that, while in Paris with her, to see the French -original, he requested Audran to hear Mrs. Carter sing and, if he -thought well of her as a singer, to teach her the songs in “Miss -Helyett.” “Audran was charmed with her ability,” he says, “and gave her -a number of rehearsals. Then he recommended an instructor and even wrote -an extra musical number for her,”--which indicates that Audran, as a -musician, was easily pleased. His operetta was highly successful in -Paris, and hardly less so in London, where Charles Wyndham brought it -out, at the Criterion Theatre, under the name of “Miss Decima.” It was -generally, and justly, though without rancor, condemned by the press of -New York. Nevertheless it had a considerable though not very -remunerative career in the metropolis: it was acted at the Star Theatre -till January 10, 1892, and on January 11 was transferred to the Standard -Theatre, where it maintained itself till February 13,--the 100th -performance occurring there on January 29. Belasco seems to have set -some store by it at one time, but that was long ago. Wyndham’s London -presentation of the composition was made July 23, 1891. This was the -original cast of “Miss Helyett” in New York: - -_Paul Grahame_ Mark Smith (Jr.). -_Todder Bunnythorne_ M. A. Kennedy. -_Obadiah Smithson_ Harry Harwood. -_Terence O’Shaughnessy_ G. W. Travener. -_Jacques Baccarel_ J. W. Herbert. -_Max Culmbacher_ N. S. Burnham. -_MacGilly_ Edgar Ely. -_Prof. Bonnefoy_ Gilbert Sarony. -_Señora Carmen Ricomba della Torquemada_ Kate Davis. -_Marmela_ Laura Clement. -_Mrs. Max Culmbacher_ Adelaide Emerson. -_Mrs. MacGilly_ Lillian Elma. -_La Stella_ Henrietta Rich. -_Miss Helyett (Smithson)_ Mrs. Leslie Carter. - -After its New York engagement “Miss Helyett” was taken on a tour of -principal cities of the country and was performed until the close of the -theatrical season of 1891-’92. Notwithstanding its intrinsic paltriness -and vulgarity, that play was practically useful to Belasco and Mrs. -Carter, providing a temporary source of subsistence for both of them; -yielding the actress some useful experience of the stage; permitting the -dramatist some leisure for meditation and for rectification of his then -immatured Civil War play, and leading, indirectly, to the writing and -production of one of the best dramas with which his name is associated. - - - - -ORIGIN OF THE EMPIRE THEATRE. - - -About March-May, 1892, James M. Hill, who had been managing the Union -Square Theatre since September 7, 1885, being in financial -difficulties,--which soon caused his failure,--found it expedient to -dispose of his interest in that theatre, which he sold to his brother, -Richard Hill, who directed it for a short time, beginning June 6, 1892, -after which it was hired by A. Y. Pearson and Henry Greenwall. During -several months preceding Hill’s failure a lease of the Union Square -could have been obtained, and that fact was generally known in the -theatrical community. William Harris (1845-1916), desiring to obtain a -theatre in New York, and knowing that Charles Frohman cherished a like -ambition, proposed to the latter that they should coöperate and lease -one. Frohman agreed to this, specifying that the Union Square was -available. Harris immediately undertook to confer with the persons then -in control of that house, but, casually meeting Mr. Al. Hayman, he -mentioned the - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -MRS. LESLIE CARTER AS _MISS HELYETT_] - -project to that person. In a concoction of records, errors, and idle -praise which has been put forth as a “Life” of Charles Frohman the -following account is printed of the conversation which ensued between -them: - - “‘That’s foolish,’ said Hayman; ’Everything theatrical is going - uptown.’ - - “‘Well,’ answered Harris, ‘“C. F.” wants a theatre, and I am - determined that he shall have it, so I am going over to get the - Union Square.’ - - “‘If you and Frohman want a theatre that badly, I will build one - for you,’ he responded. - - “‘Where?’ asked Harris. - - “‘I’ve got some lots at Fortieth and Broadway, and it’s a good - site, even if it is away up-town.’ - - “They went back to Frohman’s office, and here was hatched the plan - for the Empire Theatre.” - -This theatre was built as an investment by Al. Hayman, William Harris, -and Frank Sanger. The corner-stone was laid in May, 1892, and the house, -leased by Charles Frohman and Messrs. Rich & Harris, was opened under -the direction of Frohman eight months later. That enterprising -speculator in public amusement, who had long been eager to establish -himself in the metropolis, in a fine theatre under his direct control, -keenly appreciated Belasco’s abilities, and at the time when the new -house was projected was associated with him in the presentment of Mrs. -Carter in “Miss Helyett.” Frohman’s main interest, however, was centred -in the Empire, and, though aware that Belasco was preoccupied with work -on “The Heart of Maryland,” he urgently requested him to write a new -play with which to open that theatre. At first Belasco demurred to the -undertaking, deeming it essential to restrict himself to the work he had -already begun, and to devote all his strength to the establishment of -Mrs. Carter. That actress, however, hearing of Frohman’s proposal and -appreciating the possible advantage that might accrue to Belasco from -his acceptance of it, insisted that he should provide the play for the -opening of the Empire, even at the sacrifice of an early appearance for -herself. The upshot of the negotiation was Belasco’s agreement to write -the desired play, in collaboration with his friend Franklyn Fyles -(1847-1911),--then dramatic reviewer for “The New York Sun.” “All -through the storm of malicious lies that Mrs. Carter and I had to -weather,” said Belasco, “Fyles had been sympathetic and kind to us; -writing under the pen-name of ’Clara Belle,’ he had given Mrs. Carter -many a lift and helped us a lot. I was grateful and I wanted to help -him, if I could; and he was an experienced, good writer, and I was glad -to have him to help me, for I wanted ’Charlie’s’ venture to succeed, -and I felt the responsibility.” - - - - -“THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME.” - - -The result of that collaboration was the widely known and admired drama -of “The Girl I Left Behind Me,”--the title of which was suggested by -Daniel Frohman. “We had much difficulty in choosing a title for this -play,” writes Belasco; “in fact, we had none as we neared the last -rehearsals. A Fourth of July celebration occurs in the First Act, during -which a band plays ’The Girl I Left Behind Me.’ Daniel Frohman was in -front, at one of the rehearsals, and sent me a slip of paper on which -was written ’The Girl I Left Behind Me,’ and that was how our play was -named.” Few persons, I believe, hear even the name of that stirring air -without a thrill: the associations with it that rise in any sensitive -mind,--the agony of solicitude, doubt, hope, grief, and joy,--are -irresistibly affecting; it singularly arouses apprehension and -exultation, and its association with this play is specially appropriate -because of its relevancy to the desperate military enterprise which -creates the splendid climax of the drama. - -“After I had agreed to write the opening play for Frohman,” Belasco has -told me, “I said nothing of my subject, because I had made up my mind -to try to bring on the American Stage a phase of American life, on our -Western frontiers, involving the American Indian, in a new way; I didn’t -want discussion and I dreaded discouragement.” That, surely, was -discreet, because it is immeasurably wiser, where works of art are -concerned, to execute them rather than to talk about them. Belasco’s -interest in the Indian and Indian affairs began in his childhood: one of -his stepping-stones into the Theatre was his performance of an _Indian -Chief_, in Hager’s “The Great Republic”: and his determination to -undertake depiction, at once dramatic and veritable, of an aspect of -actual yet romantic life on our frontiers displayed sound artistic taste -in selection of a theme and shrewd judgment in opening a fresh field, -thitherto practically untouched. - -At that time, early in 1892, the Indian troubles in the West were much -in the public mind. The fierce insurrections of 1876, under the -leadership of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Spotted Tail, and others, and -the lamentable slaughter of the gallant Custer and his intrepid -followers in the terrible battle at the Little Bighorn (June 25, that -year), had not been forgotten. Indeed, they could not be: the rising -under Sitting Bull, in 1890, after his return from Canada; the death of -that wily old Medicine Man, who was shot, December 15, that year, with -300 braves, when he sought to escape, during the fight at Wounded Knee; -the resistance to disarmament and the frightful massacre at the Pine -Ridge Agency, two weeks later; the vigilant and finally successful -movements of United States troops under General Nelson A. Miles, against -the Indians, especially the Sioux, incident to the “Ghost Dance” furor, -which was inspired by Sitting Bull and which extended through 1890-’91; -and the massacre at the Rosebud Agency,--all those events made the -subject unusually prominent in the public mind. Belasco and Fyles -labored zealously at their task and it was duly completed; Frohman -enthusiastically expressed himself satisfied; and, on January 25, 1893, -the Empire Theatre (thereafter, till the day of his death, that -manager’s headquarters) was auspiciously dedicated with a performance of -one of the most deservedly popular plays ever produced under his -management: it had been acted for a week, beginning January 16, at the -New National Theatre, Washington, D. C., in preparation for the New York -presentment. - - -EXCELLENCE OF THAT INDIAN DRAMA. - -The play of “The Girl I Left Behind Me” is among the best with which -Belasco has been concerned and likewise one of the best that have been -contributed to American dramatic literature. Its superiority to all the -problematic, polemic, didactic, sociologic disquisitions, pretending to -be plays, which have, of late years, so cluttered our Stage, is very -great. The story is clear, direct, animated, sympathetic, and thrilling. -The persons introduced are various, natural, interesting, discriminated, -and finely drawn. The greater part of the dialogue is terse and -characteristic. The scene is laid in the country of the Blackfoot Sioux, -in Montana, chiefly at a remote and lonely outlying United States Army -Post; otherwise at Fort Assiniboine. The chief characters are -_Scar-Brow_, an Indian Chief, who has been educated in civilization and -bears the name of _John Ledru_, but whom education has only made more -bitter and revengeful, and who has rejoined his malignant tribe; -_General Kennion_, a veteran of the United States Army, in command of -the district in which he is stationed; _Lieutenant Edgar Hawksworth_, -_Lieutenant Morton Parlow_, and _Kate Kennion_, the _General’s_ -daughter. _Hawksworth_ is a gentleman and a gallant soldier. _Parlow_ -is a specious rascal, as yet undetected. _Kate Kennion_, though she -loves _Hawksworth_, has promised to marry _Parlow_,--this being an -inscrutable incongruity of the plot. _Parlow_ has, much earlier, seduced -and abandoned the wife of a brother officer, _Major Burleigh_ by -name,--under whose command he is now enrolled,--but who has long vainly -sought to ascertain the identity of his wronger. - -The situation, at the opening of the play, is one of unrest, discontent, -and impending danger. The Indians, commanded by _Scar-Brow_, are sullen, -hostile, and on the verge of revolt, and they are about to participate -in one of their religious ceremonials called “The Sun Dance,”--of which -purpose the military authorities in Montana disapprove. A vague sense of -coming calamity broods over all the region and whispers of peril are -borne on every breeze. A formal conference is held, between _General -Kennion_ and his officers and _Scar-Brow_ and his savage warriors, at -which the _General_ commands that the “Sun Dance” shall not take place, -and from which the Indian _Chieftain_ then angrily and defiantly -withdraws. The time is the Fourth of July, and appropriate arrangement -has been made for a patriotic festival and ball, at the Post. _Kate -Kennion_ has come from the Fort and joined the ladies, to enjoy the -festival. There, in the lonely outpost of civilization in Montana, even -as in populous and brilliant Brussels, on the night before Waterloo, the -ball begins, even while the menace of danger and death draws ever -nearer. _Scar-Brow_ has desired, more than anything else, occasion for -an outbreak. After the angry parting from _General Kennion_ a small -detachment of troopers from the Post is treacherously and through the -cowardice of _Parlow_ overwhelmed in an ambuscade, and while the guests -of the Post are dancing and frolicking in one room _General Kennion_, in -another, is receiving dispatch after dispatch by telegraph from Fort -Assiniboine apprising him of a spreading insurrection among the Indians; -of messengers murdered, troops embattled against overwhelming odds, -intercepted appeals for help, and the swiftly approaching peril of an -Indian besiegement of the Post. Then, suddenly, telegraphic -communication ceases and the yells of the savages denote that the -investment of the stockade has begun. One hope--and but one--remains: -that of apprising the Fort, by messenger, of the desperate situation of -the Post. _Lieutenant Hawksworth_, every chance against him, undertakes -to attempt the passage of the cordon of Indians surrounding the -beleaguered garrison, and he goes forth, to almost certain death. The -poor remains of white men, with the women and children, are left to -face hundreds of savages, wrought to frenzy and capable of demoniac -cruelty almost equal to that of the educated, civilized Germans of the -present day. - -Then comes one of the most effective acts of the kind that I have ever -seen. The place is within the stockade of logs surrounding the Post. -There has been an all-night vigil, with fierce, intermittent fighting. -The time is just before daybreak. The first faint gray of light is -beginning to steal into the sky; there is a reflected glow of distant -fires, and, far off, yet clear and indescribably horrible, are heard the -“blip-blip” of the Indian war-drums and the shrill, hideous cries of the -savage warriors, working themselves to frenzy for the last murderous -rush to storm and overwhelm the defenders of the Post. A parley has been -sought with _Scar-Brow_, and he rides up, heard but unseen, in the -slowly growing light, contemptuously secure and safe under protection of -the white man’s flag of truce. At the same time his daughter, a gentle -girl, friendly to the whites, making her way into the fortress to bring -water for the garrison, has been mistaken for a foe, has been fired on -and hit by a sentry but has stoically persevered and made her way in. -_General Kennion_ speaks from the stockade to _Scar-Brow_, warns him of -the punishment sure to follow his rebellion, and appeals to him to -restrain and withdraw his rebellious warriors. The savage is bitterly -contemptuous in his answer; the men within the Post shall die,--those -that die fighting the fortunate ones; the women, in particular the -_General’s_ daughter, shall _not be killed_! _Kennion_ cries out to the -ruffian, warning him that _his_ daughter, little _Fawn Afraid_, is at -that moment in the Post and that she is hostage for the safety of the -women and the garrison. There is a pause: in the reptile nature of -_Scar-Brow_ there is a strong affection for his daughter; then he -speaks: “Show her to me--let me _see_ her,” he demands; and as, standing -unseen outside the stockade among the sage-brush, he makes this demand, -his daughter, within, reels and falls and the doctor, tending her, -whispers to the _General_ “She’s _dead_, sir!” It is a situation of -terrible significance. The Indian leader waits for a moment, then he -denounces the _General_ as a liar,--and the next instant the wild -hoof-beats of his horse are heard as he gallops away. - -A situation even more poignant ensues. There is a ripple of shots--then -a pause. _Kate Kennion_ steals from the shadow of the stockade: she has -heard the parley,--she knows her danger: on her knees she begs her -loving father, brave, noble old man, when the last terrible storm of -attack shall come, when there is no other alternative, that he will, -with his own hand, shoot her dead. This the agonized father promises to -do. Then, suddenly through the heavy silence, bursts the infernal din of -the Indian war-cries--the increasing crackle of rifle shots--the devoted -garrison answering, while ammunition lasts, shot for shot--and then the -poor old father takes his daughter in his arms, kisses her farewell, -causes her to kneel, bids her pray to God, and as, clasping his hand in -both hers, she sinks upon her knees and begins the Lord’s Prayer, he -slowly draws his revolver: “Our Father which art in heaven,” the poor -child’s lips murmur--and in the breathing pause is heard the single -sharp click of the pistol-hammer being raised--“hallowed be thy name: -thy kingdom come”--and slowly the weapon begins to turn toward her--“thy -will be done on earth”--and the barrel almost touches her temple--“as it -is in heaven”--“WAIT!“--and frantically she thrusts the pistol from her: -the father believes she is unnerved--wrenches his weapon free--is about -to do his deed of dreadful mercy--his child seizes the pistol -barrel--“WAIT--WAIT!” she cries--and, faint, far-off, yet clear, -unmistakable, thrilling, what she has heard before is now heard by the -audience--the cavalry-bugle blowing “Charge!” Then follows the rapidly -increasing beat of horses’ hoofs--the crackle of rifle fire, fiercer and -fiercer--the wild cries of the savages--the increasing tumult of -galloping steeds as, struck behind, they break and fly, and the -successful _Hawksworth_ and the relieving reinforcements sweep up, -driving the enemy before them to save the garrison and “The Girl I Left -Behind Me.” - -That the _situations_, with one exception, are not new is known to all -persons of experience, whether of life or art. The situation, invented -by Belasco, of the death of _Fawn Afraid_, in the moment when _General -Kennion_ warns her father, _Scar-Brow_, that her life and safety depend -upon those of the women and the garrison, is new; the others, in form, -are old: the ball on the eve of battle has never been more imaginatively -used than by Byron, in “Childe Harold”; the representation of the father -who is to kill his daughter to save her from outrage is, in substance, -_Virginius_ and _Virginia_; the rescue of the beleagured garrison is the -climax scene of Boucicault’s “Jessie Brown; or, The Relief of Lucknow” -over again, with a difference. But what of it? The dramatic situations -possible in human life are limited in number. In “The Girl I Left Behind -Me” the treatment of the situations is fresh, vivid, vital. I have read -that those situations are made to order and “merely theatrical.” That is -untrue. There is not an essential situation in this play that is -improbable, for there is not an essential situation or experience in it -that might not happen, nor one that has not happened in the region and -period designated. The play, of course, has faults, and they are as -obvious as need be, to please even the most captious disciple of -detraction. There is a story of a Mormon preacher who deemed it -desirable to convince his auditors that “the Lord was but a man, as -other men,” and who undertook to do so by citations from Holy Writ. “The -Lord _saw_” he quoted--therefore the Lord had eyes; “the Lord -_heard_“--therefore he had ears; “the Lord _spake_“--therefore he had a -mouth and vocal organs; “the Lord _sat_“--therefore the Lord had hinder -parts, and so following. That is very much the method of criticasters: -they clamber and crawl about upon a work of art with a foot-rule and a -plumb-bob of censure, and seem to find delight and to suppose they have -fulfilled the duty of criticism when they have ascertained and -enumerated the defects or faults of the work under consideration. The -impartial critic, on the other hand, who studies “The Girl I Left Behind -Me” will, I think, most strongly feel a mingled regret and wonder that, -when a play of such exceptional merit had been created, the -comparatively small and easy amount of additional labor required to -relieve it of every considerable defect should have been withheld. The -necessity of completing it in a definite time and Belasco’s anxious and -harassed situation may, no doubt, explain the lack of needfully -scrupulous revision, though they make it no less deplorable. The -“comedy” elements, the passages between young _Dr. Penwick_ and -_Wilber’s Ann_, are juvenile, thin, and weak, and (the most serious -fault in the play, which easily could have been obviated) there is no -adequate reason provided why _Kate Kennion_, loving _Lieutenant -Hawksworth_, to whom eventually she is united, _Parlow_ being slain, -should ever have engaged herself to wed that skulking traitor. But, set -against it every objection that can be raised, “The Girl I Left Behind -Me” remains a work of sterling merit and an honor to its authors. The -atmosphere is pure. The characters are veritable. The events are -credible. The sentiment is elemental and sincere. The action is definite -and fluent. The dramatic effect, to the end of the Third Act, is -cumulative and thrilling. The treatment of the different -persons,--especially of _Major Burleigh_, _General Kennion_, _Kate -Kennion_, and _Scar-Brow_,--is remarkably felicitous; and the influence -is stimulative of manliness, gallantry, and heroism. The play was -splendidly stage-managed and superbly acted,--the elements of illusion -and thrilling suspense, in the Second and Third acts, being perfectly -created and sustained. A remarkably artistic performance, instinct with -authority, power, bitter pride, malevolence and cruelty, was given by -Theodore Roberts, as _Scar-Brow_. The obnoxious character of _Lieutenant -Parlow_--an exceedingly well dramatized scoundrel--is one that requires -a fine order of histrionic talent for its adequate representation, and -that requirement was entirely fulfilled by Nelson Wheatcroft, who -personated him with minute precision, yet in such a way as to win pity -for his weakness and miserable failure and death, as well as to inspire -antipathy for his wickedness. Sydney Armstrong acted with inspiring -vigor and feeling as _Kate Kennion_, and Frank Mordaunt with force, -dignity, and reticence as the _General_. Not many persons, surely, could -have gazed on the climax of the Third Act of this play without -tear-dimmed eyes. W. H. Thompson, who played _Major Burleigh_, gave a -picture of sturdy, simple manhood, suffering with fortitude, such as has -seldom adorned our Stage. It has ever seemed to me that some of the -extreme enthusiasm generally bestowed on “natural method” and -“perfection of detail” as exemplified in the performances of foreign -actors on our Stage might, more justly, have been bestowed on the -original production of “The Girl I Left Behind Me.” There was, however, -no lack of general appreciation. The play ran at the Empire till June -24, 1893, receiving 288 consecutive performances. This was the original -cast: - -_General Kennion_ Frank Mordaunt. -_Major Burleigh_ Frank Thompson. -_Lieut. Edgar Hawksworth_ William Morris. -_Lieut. Morton Parlow_ Nelson Wheatcroft. -_Dicks_ Thomas Oberle. -_Orderly McGlynn_ James O. Barrows. -_Private Jones_ Orrin Johnson. -_Dr. Arthur Penwick_ Cyril Scott. -_Dick Burleigh_ Master “Wallie” Eddinger. -_Andy Jackson_ Joseph Adelman. -_John Ladru, or Scar-Brow_ Theodore Roberts. -_Fell-An-Ox_ Frank Lathrop. -_Silent Tongue_ Arthur Hayden. -_Kate Kennion_ Sydney Armstrong. -_Lucy Hawksworth_ Odette Tyler. -_Wilber’s Ann_ Edna Wallace. -_Fawn Afraid_ Katharine Florence. - -After the first week Stella Teuton replaced Odette Tyler as _Lucy -Hawksworth_; and on March 27, 28 and (matinée) 29 Emmett Corrigan -replaced Wheatcroft as _Lieutenant Parlow_. On March 29, at night, the -play was acted with the following cast: - -_General Kennion_ Maclyn Arbuckle. -_Major Burleigh_ Mart E. Heisey. -_Lieut. Edgar Hawksworth_ Harold Russell. -_Lieut. Morton Parlow_ Henry Herman. -_Dicks_ G. E. Bryant. -_Orderly McGlynn_ J. P. MacSweeney. -_Private Jones_ Frank Dayton. -_Dr. Arthur Penwick_ Harry Mills. -_Dick Burleigh_ Master George Enos. -_Andy Jackson_ T. S. Guise. -_John Ladru, or Scar-Brow_ Harry G. Carleton. -_Fell-An-Ox_ William Redstone. -_Silent Tongue_ Arthur Hayden. -_Kate Kennion_ Mrs. Berlan Gibbs. -_Lucy Hawksworth_ Irene Everell. -_Wilber’s Ann_ Lottie Altar. -_Fawn Afraid_ Bijou Fernandez. - -The original company was conveyed to Chicago, and there, during the -World’s Columbian Exposition in that city, it performed “The Girl I Left -Behind Me” at the Schiller, now (1917) the Garrick, Theatre, for many -weeks. - - -THE VALUE OF SUGGESTION IN ART. - -In the stage history of this play there is a significant and important -illustration of the vital principle in dramatic writing,--often -recognized and expounded by Belasco, yet sometimes by him ignored,--of -the value of _suggestion_ instead of _realism_ in creation of -effect,--the device, that is, so well expressed by Wordsworth in the -line “part _seen_, _imagined_ part.” Writing with regard to what he -learned from dramatization, at first literal, afterward suggestive, of -an incident witnessed by him during his wild Virginia City days,--the -funeral of a poor, misled girl who died in a vile resort,--Belasco says: - - “About this time [1874-’75?] I think it was that I completed my - play, ’The Doll Master,’ which served so many emotional actresses - on the road. It was founded on many incidents in my Virginia City - career, and I remember how much I made of the scene occurring in - the house of Annie Grier. I even went to the extreme of introducing - the casket of the dead girl, and her weeping companions around it. - Then it was that I learned my first big lesson in _suggestion_--a - lesson which has been one of the greatest that has ever been - brought home to me. As a dramatist it was not incumbent on me to - show everything to the audience--only enough to stimulate the - imagination. My task was to let the audience know that somewhere - near was the casket. How many times since then have I spent hours - and hours devising the best means of thus appealing to the - imagination. In the olden days when there was a battle scene a - scanty crowd of supers was marshalled upon the stage in farcical - fashion, and you could hear the tin armor rattle as the warriors - fought half-heartedly. This matter of suggestion being uppermost in - my mind, it occurred to me that much more effect could be gained, - as far as proportion and magnitude were concerned, by having those - fights off stage. I put this theory of mine into practice when the - time came for me to produce my ’The Girl I Left Behind Me.’ The - audience heard the Indians chanting, and heard the approach of the - United States soldiers off stage, and they did not know whether - there were ten or ten thousand men at hand. It is my impression - that this was the first instance of suggested warfare seen in the - East.” - -The principle here expounded is exactly right,--and, as used in the -original production of “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” it was splendidly -successful. Yet when that drama was revived, March 12, 1894, at the -Academy of Music, where it ran till June 2, Belasco, deferring to an -alleged or assumed requirement of popular taste, introduced, at the -climax of the Third Act, a troop of mounted cavalry, which dashed upon -the stage--and, though popular enough with the “groundlings,” spoiled -the artistic effect of the play. - -An interesting sidelight with regard to the writing of “The Girl I Left -Behind Me” is provided in the following fragment of reminiscence by -Belasco,--though, whether consciously or not, it is certain that the -influence of Boucicault’s “Jessie Brown” (which he had produced in San -Francisco in his stock company days) operated on his mind in writing his -Indian drama: - - -A SUGGESTIVE REMINISCENCE OF FRONTIER DAYS. - -Writing of the inception of this play, Belasco says: - - “During the ’Heart of Maryland’ days, when I was in the South, I - met Mrs. George Crook, widow of General George Crook, who fought in - the Civil War and afterwards gained fame as an Indian fighter. Mrs. - Crook delighted in relating her husband’s exploits and I delighted - in hearing them. Her tales were exciting, and the general’s - uniform, his sword and pistols, his boots and spurs, made the - scenes she was describing very convincing and in my mind I - dramatized everything she told me. - - “‘I always accompanied the general,’ said Mrs. Crook, ’and shared - many of his dangers.’ Immediately there came before me the - spectacle of a woman within easy reach of the firing-line, facing - the anguish and uncertainty of never seeing her husband alive - again, and her own terrible fate if the battle went against him. - One incident impressed me particularly. ’The general had rounded up - a band of Indians whom he had been pursuing for some time,’ said - Mrs. Crook, ’and the place where he was to give them battle was so - close to our camp that he was in great distress for my safety. He - condemned himself bitterly for having permitted me to come with - him. If the battle were lost, we in the camp would be at the mercy - of the Indians. An orderly was holding the general’s horse, but my - husband could not bear to leave our tent. Three times he started - and returned. He and I once made an agreement that were I in danger - of being captured I was to shoot myself. And now, under the stress - of great necessity, he reminded me of the compact, and saw that my - revolver was in good order. We read the Bible together, prayed, - kissed, and parted. All through the night I sat in the camp, - knowing if the battle were lost I must die before the savages could - surround us. I heard the sounds of firing, and knew the fighting - was desperate. After hours of waiting I heard hurried steps. Some - one was running towards my tent. I grasped my pistol, thinking my - time had come. “We’ve licked ’em,” I heard a soldier cry. He had - been sent by the general to tell me all was well. I sank to the - ground, overcome by the relief, after the suspense I had endured. - You can imagine my joy when the general came back to me!’ - - “I had always intended to dramatize this adventure of Mrs. Crook’s, - and decided to do it now. This was the inspiration for ’The Girl I - Left Behind Me.’” - - - - -BELASCO AND CHARLES FROHMAN. - - -Belasco and Charles Frohman were intimate friends during many years. -Their amicable relations continued until some time after the Theatrical -Syndicate became operative, and, although then temporarily interrupted, -were renewed before Frohman’s death. In the Spring of 1893 Belasco, -conscious of crippling restraint in his activities in theatrical -business life, became dissatisfied with Frohman, particularly as to his -managerial connection with the presentment of Mrs. Carter in “Miss -Helyett.” Some disquietude occurred, but no serious dissension arose, as -the following letter, showing Frohman in an amiable light, sufficiently -indicates. This epistle relates to negotiations concerning possible -productions in London of “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” “The Heart of -Maryland” (then unfinished), and “The Younger Son,”--the latter being -meant by “your new play that goes on here at the Empire.” - - - - -A CHARLES FROHMAN LETTER. - - -(_Charles Frohman to David Belasco._) - - -“Empire Theatre, New York, -“June 15, 1893. - -“MY DEAR DAVE:-- - - “I have not written you in reply to your second letter to me, - hoping that you might run in and see me. Roeder tells me that you - are very busy on your play and could not say when you could run - over to see me. - - “First: I wish to say that I have made no arrangements in London - for the production of ’The Girl I Left Behind Me,’ or the new play. - The points in this regard I prefer giving you personally. - - “Second: I extremely regret the several censures you have made in - respect to my end of the work in connection with ’Miss Helyett.’ I - do not think that you have given me credit for the absolute - personal interest in the matter that I have taken, as far as you - are concerned, and which went far beyond the business part of the - enterprise. I think, viewing the fact that the opera itself did not - make a sensation, that I stayed with you, in the matter, to the - last, and should have continued, no matter how long we were - together in the thing. Whether or not you have thought over these - facts, and my determination in the matter, when you see the thing - from the start, I don’t know. I felt that you did. - - “Now in regard to the new play--‘Maryland’--I want you to arrange - the thing in any way that you like. I prefer losing the play itself - to your friendship, which I was in hopes was strong and solid, in - spite of everything. I am perfectly willing to have you make any - arrangement that you may think best for the play. I would rather - withdraw than to have matters in a business way come up during the - season that would, in any way, annoy you, as far as I am concerned, - and which constantly seem to come up, when there are a number of - people concerned with an enterprise. I say to you again, don’t - consider me in any way; but, under any circumstances, I should like - to do the following for you, if you feel disposed to have me do it: - - “I will furnish you with theatres to play the piece in. I will - absolutely protect the route for you, and as you wish it, in any - way. I should like to protect the piece in England for you, for, if - it is very successful, it would do no harm to spend a little money - to have Mrs. Carter play the piece over there, three or four weeks - next Summer. The arrangement can easily be made, if the play turns - out what you think it will. I should like to furnish you with any - people that you care to have, that I may have. In fact, do anything - in my power for you, or continue my interest in any way that you - may suggest; but it is impossible to give the personal time and - attention over to the work that I feel you expect of me, and which - it is impossible to give; and that is the reason the handling of - plays comes so easy. When they are once started, I do not have to - give them attention. If they are successful [then], the season will - run [them] along in their own way. At any rate, I am entirely in - your hands in regard to the matter and hope the outcome may be that - it will not interfere with the friendship that I feel sure has - existed between us. - - “In regard to my announcement on my return here: you will notice - that I did not speak of your new play that goes on here at the - Empire. My intention was simply to give a list of the work I had - accomplished abroad, because the papers insisted upon having it. If - I could have had my own way I would not have spoken of any of the - plays I have secured, but it was necessary to do so, and as the - list looks very English and French I prefix my remarks by showing a - list of American authors that I have been making arrangements with, - previous to my sailing, so as to show that I was still doing - American work, and to save any comment on this point;--and, - naturally, [I] consider your piece to come under the head of plays - that I had already made arrangements for. - - “I should like very much, if possible, for you to give over a - little time to Unitt, in arranging the models of your new play. I - want to commence on same, just as soon as Unitt is through with his - present work, so as to have the production ready, when we open with - ’Liberty Hall’ here. - -“Yours truly, -“CHARLES FROHMAN.” - - - - - - -A BAFFLED ENTERPRISE IN CHICAGO. - - -Belasco, though his disagreements with Charles Frohman were, for the -time, amicably adjusted, was not acquiescent to remain in a position -which, continuously maintained, would have kept him still a carrier of -bricks to the theatrical buildings of other men. He was now forty years -old. For more than twenty years his lot had been chiefly toil and -hardship: experience had taught him that “living is striving”: abundant -opportunity had been provided for him to learn the truth so tersely -stated by Wendell Phillips that the world is made up of two kinds of -persons,--those who _do_ things, and those who stand by to tell others -how things should be done. Though not embittered, he was in danger of -becoming so, and he felt more than ever resolved to _make_ a place for -himself in the managerial field, if he could not _find_ one. “I, too,” -he has said, “as well as Charles Frohman, had my dreams of a theatre _of -my own_,--a place where I could do things in my own way,--and _I meant -to have it_!” - -Finding it impossible to obtain support such as he desired and a -satisfactory opening in New York (notwithstanding Charles Frohman’s -offer to furnish theatres for presentation of “The Heart of Maryland”), -Belasco now determined to try R. M. Hooley, of Chicago, who had -manifested interest and confidence in him, during the engagement in that -city of “The Ugly Duckling”; who, perhaps, remembered his early mistake -in refusing “Hearts of Oak,” and who certainly, like all other -theatrical workers of the time, had been favorably impressed by the -success of “The Girl I Left Behind Me.” Belasco at first wrote to Hooley -about Mrs. Carter, but, later, he visited Chicago, for the purpose of -stating his project in detail. There he found that Mr. “Harry” Powers, -Hooley’s agent and business manager of his theatre, was strongly opposed -to the idea of bringing out Mrs. Carter in that city. Powers frankly -said: “I have advised Mr. Hooley to have _nothing whatever_ to do with -your venture. This is the most fashionable theatre in Chicago: Mrs. -Carter is not wanted here, and we cannot afford to make enemies.” -Hooley, however, was in a more propitious mood, and expressed himself -willing to rely on Belasco’s judgment, if he really believed that in -Mrs. Carter he had a fine actress and also that he had a suitable new -play in which to present her. Belasco fervently extolled the ability of -Mrs. Carter, and read to him “The Heart of Maryland.” Hooley was -favorably impressed and agreed to produce the play, presenting Mrs. -Carter in the central part, provided that Belasco would agree to give -him an option on all plays which he might thereafter write. The -influences which, later, crystallized in the Theatrical Syndicate, were -already beginning to make themselves felt in the theatrical world, and -Hooley, like many other managers, perceived a danger and was wary of -it. “I purpose to produce my own ’attractions,’” he informed Belasco, -“and let the Eastern producers go hang!” - -Hooley offered fair terms, the agreement for the presentment of Mrs. -Carter as a “star” in “The Heart of Maryland” was formally made, and -thus cheered and encouraged Belasco returned to New York, to prepare his -play for production and engage a company to act in it. “As I was -leaving,” he said, “Hooley delighted me by asking me to send him a large -framed portrait of Mrs. Carter, to hang in the lobby of his theatre.” In -New York Belasco read his play to Maurice Barrymore (1848-1905) and E. -J. Henley (1862-1898) and engaged them for the company, and he was -engaging other members thereof when Hooley suddenly died,--September 10, -1893. Mr. Powers was placed in charge of the theatre which had been -Hooley’s, and, as he promptly notified Belasco, made a long-term -contract with Messrs. Klaw & Erlanger to furnish him with “attractions” -for that house, and repudiated the engagement which Hooley had made: “I -was politely kicked out,” said Belasco, “and that was the end of _that_! -It was too late in the year to make new arrangements for that season -about ’Maryland,’ and, besides, I didn’t know exactly what to do or -which way to turn. If ’The Younger Son,’--which came next and on which -I worked hard,--had proved successful, things might have turned out -differently; but that fizzled, and afterward I seemed to be just as far -as ever from being able to strike out for myself.” - - - - -“THE YOUNGER SON.” - - -The Empire closed for the season with the final performance there of -“The Girl I Left Behind Me,” and reopened on August 21, with a -performance of “Liberty Hall,” which ran till October 23. Meantime, -Belasco, having heard of the success of a German play entitled “Schlimme -Saat” (“Evil Seeds”), had bought the American rights and, on receiving -the manuscript,--knowing that Frohman’s establishment at the Empire -Theatre was not yet entirely secure, and being wishful still further to -help him,--had immediately laid aside “The Heart of Maryland” and -addressed himself to making an English version of the German drama. -“They proved evil, even fatal, seeds to _me_,” he said. “I know now that -six months’ time would have been little enough for so great a work, but -I made a version of it in four weeks, working night and day. When it was -completed, I took the play to ’C. F.’ and in response to his suggestion, -called it ’The Younger Son.’” Why Belasco should have deemed this -German play a “great work” I do not understand. It is, in fact, a -tediously prolix and sometimes morbid story dealing with the history of -two brothers, the elder a selfish, heartless profligate, the younger an -ambitious artist, both the idols of a foolishly fond mother. The artist -is delighted by the news that his favorite picture (a work of no special -merit) has been bought by a rich picture fancier, who is willing to send -him to Italy to study. This apparent benevolence is, in fact, a plot to -get him out of the way and rob him of the girl he loves, who has agreed -to sell herself in order to get for him this opportunity to study -abroad. In Belasco’s English version all the hydrostatic pressure that -the story could possibly be made to carry had been added, but, as the -performance of “Evil Seeds” was a complete failure, it would be -superfluous to dwell upon it. The play was produced at the Empire on -October 24 and withdrawn on October 27, after four performances. It has -never been revived. For the purpose of record the cast is appended: - -_Paul Kirkland_ Henry Miller. -_John Kirkland_ James E. Wilson. -_Simeon Brewster_ William Faversham. -_Clarkson MacVeigh_ W. H. Thompson. -_Peter Bogart_ W. H. Crompton. -_Dick Major_ Cyril Scott. -_Nell Armitage_ Viola Allen. -_Mrs. Kirkland_ Mrs. D. P. Bowers. -_Margaret_ Odette Tyler. -_Dolly Chester_ Edna Wallace Hopper. -_Agnes_ Edith Marion. -_Tommy_ Master John McKeever. -_Bess_ Little Percita West. - -Writing about this dismal failure, Belasco says: - - “I had no doubt about the merits of the First and Second acts, but - the Third Act needed slow and careful work in the writing. The fate - of the piece depended upon one situation in this Act,--a period of - about two minutes. With this situation made convincing, the play’s - success was assured. On the opening night, everything went well up - to this point. ‘“C. F.,” I whispered, ’if we pass this crisis we - are safe.’ But it was not long before I whispered disconsolately, - ‘“C. F.,” we have failed.’ And not waiting for the supper party I - slipped away in the darkness and walked the streets all night.” - -The next day Belasco earnestly advised Frohman to withdraw the play at -once, and, after brief hesitation, this was done--“Liberty Hall” being -revived at the Empire, and Belasco, presently, turning again to work on -“The Heart of Maryland.” - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -BELASCO, ABOUT 1893] - - - - -FIGHTING FOR A CHANCE. - - -There are, I believe, few instances in theatrical history of a more -protracted experience of the “hope deferred” which “maketh the heart -sick” than befell Belasco with this fine melodrama. The subject, and, -roughly, the story, of that play were in his mind when first he -undertook the training and direction of Mrs. Leslie Carter (1889): again -and again he endeavored to have his play brought on the stage,--but it -was not produced till more than six years after he had resolved to use -it as a vehicle for that actress, and within that period he altered and -reshaped it at least four times. After the death of Hooley and the -failure of “The Younger Son” he was for some time dejected and inert. -Then, reviewing the manuscript of his “Maryland,” he imbibed belief that -the play lacked sufficient verisimilitude to Southern life. “What I -needed most,” he said, “was atmosphere; so I decided to visit a Southern -town and meet some typical Southern families. Mrs. Carter, her mother, -and I went to Oakland, Maryland [1894?], where I added the finishing -touches to the play. When we reached a certain point I bade my -associates good-by and boarded a train for New York, to make another -attempt to find a manager.” Speaking of the experience immediately -preceding the actual accomplishment of his long obstructed purpose, -Belasco told me: “It has always seemed very strange that I should have -been rebuffed on almost every side with that play. If there did not -exist a strong opposition to my getting an independent foothold as a -manager, _why_ was my play of ’Maryland’ refused, over and over again? -Look at the list of successes which I had brought out, _for others_, in -the preceding ten years, including ’La Belle Russe,’ ’May Blossom,’ ’The -Highest Bidder,’ ’The Wife,’ ’Lord Chumley,’ ’The Charity Ball,’ ’Men -and Women,’ and ’The Girl I Left Behind Me.’ Good, bad, or -indifferent--whatever anybody thinks about them--there is no room for -argument as to the _business_ proposition. Those were _all_ great big -popular successes--_money-getters_. Why, when I was more than usually -hard-up, I had been able, often, to get money in advance on my royalties -on plays that had not even been begun. Yet, with a finished play, a -_good_ one, one I’d worked on for years, that I _knew_ was good and that -anybody could see was good; with an actress for whom the leading part -had been made as carefully as though it were a dress for her to wear, I -could not get a hearing. I think pretty nearly every producing manager -in New York refused that play. Why? I never _knew_--and I don’t _know_ -now: yet I believed then and I believe now that, underlying all my -difficulty, was far more than any antagonism to Mrs. Carter; that the -men whom afterward I fought for so many years were glad enough to have -me work _for them_ as a stage manager and stock playwright, but that -they were _not_ willing I should get established as an independent -manager.” - -This view of Belasco’s position has been stated before, and I have heard -it ridiculed. In my judgment the record of facts fully supports it. It -cannot be proved, but “if imputation and strong circumstances, which -lead directly to the door of truth, will give you satisfaction, you may -have’t.” There is the record--and readers must decide for themselves. -Writing of his dark days in 1894, Belasco has declared: - - “My private possessions, my library (containing some very valuable - historical books),--my few antiques,--everything--had been sold. As - a last economy, I decided to give up my little office at Carnegie - Hall. ’This breaks the camel’s back! This _is_ the last straw!’ - Mrs. Carter said. ’Mr. David, I’m in the way. They want your - manuscript, but the fact of the matter is, they won’t have me. - You’ve kept your promise and done all you could, but you can’t do - any more; let some one else have my part.’ It was a case of the - blind leading the blind, but I refused to give up. - - “I left her and walked down Broadway, where I came face to face - with Paul Potter. ’Dave,’ he exclaimed, ’I was looking for you. A. - M. Palmer has been very unfortunate of late and needs a play. Read - “The Heart of Maryland” to him.’ - - “In less than an hour Paul Potter and I were on our way to - Stamford. At last my luck had turned! Palmer accepted my play.” - -Negotiations with Palmer,--who at the time of Belasco’s withdrawal from -the Lyceum Theatre had been sympathetic with him, had placed the stages -of two theatres at his disposal for rehearsal of Mrs. Carter, and had -even then shown some interest in the projected play,--were brought to a -satisfactory issue, and, in August, 1894, a contract was formally made -whereby Palmer agreed to produce “The Heart of Maryland,” “with his own -stock company, known as ’A. M. Palmer’s Stock Company,’ at Palmer’s -Theatre, in the City of New York, not later than January 1, 1895,” and -also agreed that whether in New York or elsewhere Mrs. Carter should be -employed “to play the part entitled _Maryland Calvert_.” Active -preparations to produce “The Heart of Maryland” immediately were begun; -scenery was designed, built and painted, involving an investment of more -than $3,500; but Palmer was heavily involved, financially, and the -rehearsals, which Belasco was eager to begin, were postponed from week -to week. At last the date limit specified in the agreement passed, yet -Belasco continued to hope and to expect that Palmer would fulfil his -agreement. One day, however, happening to meet Charles Frohman, that -manager told him: “I am very sorry for you, but Palmer won’t be able to -produce ’The Heart of Maryland.’” Belasco at once went to Palmer and -asked him to state his purpose,--“Because,” he said, “I mean that play -_shall_ be produced! If you can’t do it--somebody else _can_.” Palmer, -foreseeing the success of the play, wished to hold it; if Belasco could -have been given any reasonable assurance that, eventually, the elder -manager would be able to bring it out, he would have been glad to wait; -but, after some hesitation, Palmer admitted that he could not set any -definite time, manifesting, at first, a disposition to prevent Belasco -from placing his drama elsewhere. Realizing, however, that the passage -of the date-limit within which he had agreed to produce the play had, in -fact, released Belasco from his contract with him, he finally -acquiesced, asking the latter to take and pay for the scenery which had -been made for it. This Belasco promised should be done, as soon as the -play was produced. - -Once more opportunity had seemed to be within his grasp: once more it -eluded him: yet he persevered and resolutely resumed his quest of a -producer. Writing of the manner in which, at last, some months after the -collapse of the arrangement with Palmer, he found one, Belasco has -recorded incidents of his search and the process of his ultimate -success: - - “One day I met Mr. Henry Butler in New York. He suggested that we - interest wealthy men and form a stock company. ’But let’s try - another plan first,’ he said. At this time three enterprising young - men were the lessees of the Herald Square Theatre. They were - ’Charlie’ Evans, who made a fortune with Hoyt’s ’A Parlor Match,’ - F. C. Whitney, and Max Blieman, a picture dealer. They opened the - house with a musical comedy, but wanted to produce a ’straight’ - drama. ’I’ll go down and see them myself,’ Butler volunteered, ’and - you wait here for me.’ He brought back good news. ’They have - confidence in you,’ was the cheerful message, ’and they are willing - to “gamble.”’ - - “Blieman called on Palmer and paid cash for the scenery made at the - time Palmer intended to produce the play. The play was to be the - opening attraction at the Herald Square, under joint management. - - “But early in the summer Blieman sent for me. ’Whitney has “cold - feet”,’ he remarked, ’and has dropped out.’ ’There are still two of - you left,’ I answered. Several weeks after this Blieman sent for me - again and this time he was in despair. ’Charlie’s dropped out now,’ - he said; ’but by---- I believe in the play and I’ll stick....’ - - “The opening took place in Washington; and as I could not get into - the theatre before Sunday we were not ready to open until the - middle of the week. We practically lived in the theatre. We made a - great sensation on the opening night, but Washington, - unfortunately, was in the grip of a financial panic, and the houses - in consequence were very poor,--so poor, indeed, that Blieman’s - pocket was empty. He was obliged to confess that he had not enough - money left to send the company back to New York. So here we - were,--stranded, billed to open in New York on Monday night and no - money to get there. - - “Blieman summoned courage and made a hasty trip to New York to try - to raise some money, and when I saw him in the evening he was all - smiles. ’What do you think,’ he confided to me, ’I’ve just borrowed - fifteen hundred dollars from “Al” Hayman on a picture worth thirty - thousand.’ Here was a boy after my own heart! The fifteen hundred - dollars enabled us to return to New York, and at last the poor old - storm-tossed ’Heart of Maryland’ had its metropolitan opening--on - the strength of a pawned painting!” - -“The Heart of Maryland” was acted for the first time anywhere at the -Grand Opera House, Washington, D. C., October 9, 1895; and the first -performance of it in New York occurred on October 22, that year, at the -Herald Square Theatre. It is a meritorious and highly effective -melodrama, and its New York production marks a vital point in the career -of its indefatigible and brilliantly accomplished author. When the -curtain rose on its first performance in the metropolis he had been for -nearly a quarter of a century toiling in the Theatre, working in every -capacity connected with the Stage; he had written and produced, for -others, plays which had received thousands of representations and to see -which several millions of dollars had been paid: yet he was,--through no -fault of his, no improvidence, dissipation, reckless neglect or abuse of -talent,--still a struggling author, without recognized position, without -place or influence in the field of theatrical management, and so poor -that, if the venture failed, he had no better prospect than renewed -drudgery in a subservient place, working for the profit and -aggrandizement of men vastly inferior to himself in every way. Perhaps -the best explanation of and commentary on this fact were supplied, -several years later, when, testifying in court during trial of a lawsuit -of his against the late Joseph Brooks, he said of himself: - - “I have long been connected with the theatrical business and know - its customs, but I know more about the stage part of it than I do - about the business side. I have been a manager for twenty-five - years, and have always managed to get the worst of my business - affairs.” - - - - -STORY AND PRODUCTION OF “THE HEART OF MARYLAND.”--ITS GREAT SUCCESS. - - -“The Heart of Maryland” belongs to the class of _post-bellum_ plays -represented in the years immediately - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -MRS. LESLIE CARTER, ABOUT 1895] - -following the close of the American civil conflict by Boucicault’s -“Belle Lemar” (which was first acted at Booth’s Theatre August 10, -1874), and, more recently, by Howard’s “Shenandoah” and Gillette’s “Held -by the Enemy,”--being much superior to both the latter dramas. The scene -of that play is in and near an old Colonial homestead, called “The -Lilacs,” inhabited by the _Calvert_ family, at Boonsboro, Maryland, in -the Spring of 1863. It is comprised in four acts and six scenes, -requiring five sets of scenery for their display. Its action passes -within about thirty-six hours and implicates about thirty persons, of -whom five are important,--namely _General Hugh Kendrick_, _Colonel Alan -Kendrick_, his son, _Colonel Fulton Thorpe_, _Lloyd Calvert_, and -_Maryland Calvert_. _Maryland_ and _Alan Kendrick_ are lovers and have -been betrothed, but she is passionately devoted to the Southern cause, -while he ardently supports that of the North,--holding rank as a colonel -in the Federal Army,--and their political difference has divided them, -though without lessening their love. In the First Act _Alan_, who has -been captured by the Rebels and imprisoned at Dansville, is exchanged -and, in passing through Boonsboro on the way to the Union lines, he -meets both his sweetheart, _Maryland_, and _Colonel Thorpe_. _Thorpe_, a -Northern spy and a double traitor, whom _Alan_ has publicly flogged for -blackguardly conduct and then caused to be drummed out of his regiment, -holds rank as a colonel in the Rebel Army. In revenge for the -humiliation to which he has been subjected _Thorpe_ expedites the -transport of _Alan_ and other exchanged Federal prisoners, so that they -shall be conveyed immediately to Charlesville,--his purpose being thus -to cause their death along with that of the entire garrison at that -place, which _General Kendrick_, in command of an overwhelming -Confederate army, purposes to surprise by night and utterly to destroy. -_Lloyd Calvert_, unknown to his family, is a Northern spy. He has -learned of _General Kendrick’s_ plan and seeks to warn the Federal -forces at Charlesville. Unable to do so, he informs _Maryland_ of the -projected assault and she, to save her lover, communicates knowledge of -the impending danger to him, thus causing the failure of the surprise -attack. - -In the Second Act _Alan_,--supposing that the Confederate Army has moved -away--rashly returns to Boonsboro, desiring to effect reconciliation -with his sweetheart. _Lloyd_, trying to bring about a meeting between -the lovers, speaks, ambiguously, to _Maryland_ about “a Northern friend” -whom he wishes her to meet for him and “detain.” Later, while trying to -make his way to the Union lines with important information, _Lloyd_ is -shot and, dying, is detected as a spy: _Alan_ is, meantime, recaptured, -wearing the hat and overcoat of a Confederate officer, and _Maryland_, -unaware of his identity and thinking to clear her brother’s reputation -as a loyal Southerner, denounces the prisoner to _General Kendrick_ as -the real spy. _Alan_, by order of his father, is then tried by -court-martial and condemned to death. - -In the Third Act _Maryland_ makes her way into the Union lines and -obtains from _General Hooker_, there commanding, a letter to _General -Kendrick_ certifying that the presence of his son, _Colonel Kendrick_, -within the Confederate lines, was due to a personal, not a military, -motive,--in short, that _Alan_ is not a spy. Returning with this letter -to her home, which has become Confederate Headquarters, _Maryland_ finds -that _General Kendrick_ has been killed in action and that _Colonel -Thorpe_ is in command. _Thorpe_, whom she visits in his quarters in the -old church of Boonsboro,--part of which is also used for confinement of -military prisoners,--and to whom she appeals for mercy, perceiving that -_Hooker’s_ letter, if it should reach any Confederate officer other than -himself, would imperil his own life, not only refuses a reprieve for -_Alan Kendrick_ but orders that execution of the death sentence be -hastened. Then, half drunken and wholly bestial, he insults the -unfortunate _Alan_, who, pinioned and helpless, is on his way to the -gallows and, in his presence, threatens his sweetheart with outrage. -_Maryland_, in desperation, defending herself, stabs _Thorpe_ with a -bayonet (a weapon ingeniously introduced for this purpose among the -articles accessory to the stage setting, being thrust into a table-top -and used as a candlestick), wounding and disabling him. She then -liberates _Alan_, who makes his escape. _Thorpe_, rallying, orders the -church-bell rung, a prearranged signal warning all sentries that a -prisoner has broken jail; but _Maryland_, making her way to the belfry, -seizes the clapper of the great bell and, thus enacting the devoted -expedient of _Bessie_, in “Curfew Must Not Ring To-night,” prevents the -alarm and enables her lover to make good his escape. - -In the Fourth Act _Thorpe’s_ double duplicity has been discovered in the -Rebel capital and he is ordered under arrest by _General Lee_; the -Confederate troops, defeated in a general engagement, are forced to -evacuate Boonsboro, and the play ends with a prospective reconciliation -of the lovers. - -“The Heart of Maryland,” though somewhat intricate in its story (only -the main thread of which has been followed in the above recital), is -compact in construction, fluent and cumulative in dramatic movement and -interest, written with profound sincerity and contains passages of -tender feeling and afflicting pathos. The “Curfew” expedient, if, in -cool retrospect, it seems a little artificial, is, in representation, a -thrillingly effective climax to an affecting portrayal of distress and -danger. The first picture, exhibiting the ancestral home of the -_Calvert_ family, an old Colonial mansion, deep-bowered among ancient, -blooming lilac bushes and bathed in the fading glow of late afternoon -and sunset light, was one of truly memorable loveliness. Indeed, the -scenery investment, throughout, was of exceptional beauty and dramatic -appropriateness, and the manifold accessories of military environment, -with all “the proud control of fierce and bloody war,”--the suggested -presence and movement of large bodies of infantry and cavalry; the -denoted passage of heavy artillery; the stirring sounds of martial music -and of desperate battle; the red glare and dun smoke-pall of -conflagration, and the various employment and manipulation of light and -darkness to illustrate and intensify the dramatic theme,--were -extraordinarily deft in devisement and felicitous in effect. Belasco was -also peculiarly fortunate in selection of the actors who performed the -principal parts in his play. The handsome person and picturesque, -romantic mien of Maurice Barrymore, who appeared as _Alan Kendrick_, -were perfectly consonant with that character; John E. Kellerd gave an -impersonation of remarkable artistic merit--true to life and true to the -part--as the despicable yet formidable scoundrel _Thorpe_, and Mrs. -Carter, profiting richly by the zealous schooling of her mentor, -embodied _Maryland Calvert_ at first in a mood of piquant playfulness, -veiling serious feeling, then with genuine, wild and intense passion. -This was the cast in full of the performance at the Herald Square -Theatre: - -_General Hugh Kendrick_ Frank Mordaunt. -_Colonel Alan Kendrick_ Maurice Barrymore. -_Colonel Fulton Thorpe_ John E. Kellerd. -_Lieutenant Robert Telfair_ Cyril Scott. -_Provost Sergeant Blount_ Odell Williams. -_Tom Boone_ Henry Weaver, Jr. -_Lloyd Calvert_ Edward J. Morgan. -_The Sexton_ John W. Jennings. -_Uncle Dan’l_ Scott Cooper -_Captain Leighton_ A. Pearson. -_Captain Blair_ A. C. Mora. -_Lieutenant Hayne_ W. H. Foy. - { Frank Stanwick. -_Aides-de-Camp to General Kendrick_ { Robert McIntyre. - { William Johnson. -_Corporal Day_ Edwin Meyer. -_Corporal_ H. E. Bostwick. -_Bludsoe_ Edwin F. Mayo. -_Little True Blue_ “Johnny” McKeever. -_O’Hara_ J. H. Hazelton. -_Ruggles_ Thomas Matlock. -_Forbes_ Joseph Maxwell. -_Phil_ Joseph A. Webber. -_Sentry_ E. J. Boyce. -_Scout_ C. H. Robertson. -_Mrs. Clairborne Gordon_ Helen Tracy. -_Maryland Calvert_ Mrs. Leslie Carter. -_Phœbe Yancey_ Georgie Busby. -_Nanny McNair_ Angela McCall. - -Popular approval of the representation was immediate and bounteous and -there was little critical cavilling in the press. On the first night in -New York, after the Third Act, the audience many times called the entire -company before the curtain and, at last, Belasco, in an obviously -painful state of nervous excitement, responding to vociferous demands, -made a brief and grateful speech, in the course of which he said: - - “It is very difficult for me to speak, to thank you. Your kind and - generous approval to-night means so very, very much to Mrs. Carter - and all the splendid company that has worked so loyally for the - success of this play. It means more to me than any words of mine - can say. This production to-night is the culmination of twenty-five - years of work; of hard, hard work and often bitter disappointment. - I have been a supernumerary, a call boy, an actor, a stage manager - for others, an adapter of plays: now I am encouraged to hope I have - proved myself a dramatist.... It is many long years since I first - dreamed of an independent success in New York--a success I might - keep in my own hands. If this is at last the turning of the tide - that leads on to fortune, I shall never forget my debt to you: I - shall strive, as long as I live, to give you, to give the people of - this great and wonderful city, not only the best there is in me but - the very best the Theatre can give. Thank you from my heart! I - thank you--I thank you!” - -It was, indeed, “the turning of the tide.” “The Heart of Maryland” was -played at the Herald Square Theatre for 229 consecutive performances, -and it occupied a large part of Belasco’s time and attention during the -period of about two years which followed its New York production. - -The season ended at the Herald Square on May 16, 1896. From about that -date until June 23 Mrs. Carter and Belasco underwent the painful ordeal -incident to trial of his lawsuit against N. K. Fairbank,--which, as -already recorded, terminated on the latter date with a verdict in favor -of the manager. In the course of the next six weeks Belasco made a -revision of Clay M. Greene’s “Under the Polar Star,” which was produced -by William A. Brady, August 20, at the New York Academy of Music. On -October 5, at the Broad Street, Philadelphia, the first tour of “The -Heart of Maryland” was begun, under the personal direction of its -author. That tour was everywhere amply successful and it - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -MRS. LESLIE CARTER AS _MARYLAND CALVERT_, IN “THE HEART OF MARYLAND”.] - -lasted without special incident,--except that toward its close Belasco -purchased (April, 1897) the interest of Mr. Max Bleiman in the -production,--until the following May 1. The season was ended on that -date at the Grand Opera House, New York, and Belasco soon afterward -visited San Francisco. The third season of “The Heart of Maryland” began -at the scene of so much of his early experience, the Baldwin Theatre, in -that city, August 17, and continued in unabated prosperity for about -seven months. - - - - -“THE FIRST BORN.”--A SUCCESS AND A FAILURE. - - -While Belasco was in San Francisco he witnessed several performances of -a play called “The First Born,” written by Francis Powers, which had -been produced, May 10, under the management of his brother, Frederick -Belasco, at the Alcazar Theatre, and he was so favorably impressed with -its merits that he arranged to present that drama,--which ran for ten -weeks in San Francisco,--in New York, in association with Charles -Frohman. That arrangement was successfully consummated, at the Manhattan -(previously the Standard) Theatre, October 5, 1897. “The First Born” is -a tragic sketch of character and life in the Chinese quarter of old San -Francisco,--a region with which the acquaintance of Belasco was -peculiarly intimate and exact and one of which the mingled squalor and -romance had always strongly attracted him. The posture of circumstances -and experience depicted in that play is simple and direct. _Man Low -Yek_, a rich Chinese merchant, has stolen _Chan Lee_, the wife of _Chan -Wang_, also a Chinese and a dweller in the Chinatown. That ravagement -_Wang_ has borne with equanimity; but when _Chan Lee_, returning to San -Francisco with her paramour, entices _Chan Toy_, their first born and -only son, from him and in her endeavor to steal the child accidentally -causes his death, the unfortunate _Wang_ becomes at first an image of -agonized paternal love and then an embodiment of implacable vengeance. -The play is in two acts. In the first, Chinatown is shown in the bright -light and bustle of a busy noonday and against that setting is displayed -the sudden bereavement and afflicting anguish of the father. In the -second, an alley-end in the same district is shown, with a glimpse of -contiguous gambling hells and opium dens, under the darkening shadows of -evening. There the inexorable avenger lounges, leaning against a door -post,--apparently an idler smoking his evening pipe and talking with a -Chinese girl, who leans from a window; in fact, vigilantly observant of -_Man Low Yek_, visible within a shop, and intent on slaying him. The -alley grows dark and becomes deserted. The neighboring houses are -illumined. The chink of money and the bickering chatter of unseen -gamblers are heard. A police officer saunters by and disappears. _Man -Low Yek_ comes forth from his shop, closing it after him. Then, -suddenly, as he passes, _Wang_, with fearful celerity, leaps upon him -wielding a hatchet, strikes him down, drags the dead body into -convenient concealment, and is back again at his former loitering place, -outwardly placid, before the fire in his pipe has had time to become -extinguished. - -Belasco’s presentment of this play in New York was a gem of histrionic -illustration,--the grouping and movement of the players and the many -super-numeraries, the employment of light and sound, every expedient -alike of action and repose, every detail of dress, every accessory of -scenic embellishment, all were so adroitly used and blended as to create -an impression of perfect verisimilitude, and the spectator seemed to -behold two veritable segments of Chinatown life. The acting, especially -that of Mr. Powers as _Chan Wang_ and of May Buckley as _Loey Tsing_, a -Chinese girl who loves him, was exceptionally earnest and effective. -This was the cast: - -_Loey Tsing_ May Buckley. -_Chow Pow_ Ellen Cummins. -_Chan Lee_ Carrie E. Powers. -_Dr. Pow Len_ George Osborne. -_Man Low Yek_ Charles Bryant. -_Chan Wang_ Francis Powers. -_Hop Kee_ J. H. Benrimo. -_Chum Woe_ Harry Spear. -_Kwakee_ John Armstrong. -_Duck Low_ George Fullerton. -_Sum Chow_ Harry Levain. -_A Chinese Ragpicker_ Walter Belasco. -_A Provision Dealer_ Fong Get. -_Chan Toy_ Venie Wells. -_Way Get_ Joseph Silverstone. - { Ysobel Haskins. -_Tourists_ { Florence Haverleigh. - { L. I. Fuller. - { Hugo Toland. - -“The First Born” was acted at the Manhattan Theatre in association with -“A Night Session,” a farce derived from the French: later, other farces -were performed with the Chinatown tragedy. Its success was decisive and -it was acted in New York until December 11;--at the Manhattan from -October 5 to November 6, and at the Garden Theatre (in association with -an English version, by Benjamin F. Roeder, of “L’Été de St. Martin,” by -Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy) from November 29 onward. Belasco and -Frohman, elated by their American victory with this play, were eager to -repeat it in London. A second company was, accordingly, at once engaged, -rehearsed, and brought forward at the Manhattan,--the original company -sailing for England October 23, and emerging at the Duke of York’s -Theatre, London, November 6. The enterprising manager William A. Brady -had, however, hastened to the British capital before them with another -and similar play, called “The Cat and the Cherub,” which he presented at -the Lyric Theatre, October 30, thus fore-stalling “The First Born” and -causing its flat failure in London. It was withdrawn after one week, -Belasco and Frohman losing about $20,000 on their undertaking. - - - - -BELASCO’S SECOND ENGLISH VENTURE.--“THE HEART OF MARYLAND” IN LONDON. - - -During the dramatic season of 1897-’98 Belasco and Charles Frohman -arranged with the Messrs. Gatti, managers of the Adelphi Theatre, -London, for the production of “The Heart of Maryland” in the British -capital. The expenses of presenting that play were large, but so, also, -was public attendance on its performance, the average gross receipts -amounting to about $11,000 a week: that is, in three seasons the public -had paid a total of about one million and fifty thousand dollars to see -it. Belasco’s share of the profits had set him well forward in the path -of prosperity and he was at last able to formulate definite plans for -ventures which finally enabled him to seize a conspicuous, independent, -and influential place among the foremost theatrical managers of the -world. His expedition into England with Mrs. Carter and “The Heart of -Maryland” was one of the first of those ventures. The utility of his -play as a starring vehicle for that actress in America was practically -exhausted, but he felt strongly assured of further prosperity with it -abroad. Moreover, he knew that Mrs. Carter would be, by an English -success, exalted in the esteem of the American public--which is in some -respects provincial and is always impressed by foreign approval. And, -finally, he hoped that, while in London, he would be able to obtain a -suitable new play for her use. The third season of “The Heart of -Maryland,” accordingly, was closed at Hartford, Conn., March 26, 1898; -on March 30 Mrs. Carter, the other members of the theatrical company -which had been acting in it, and Belasco sailed for England on board the -steamship St. Paul, and on April 8 that play was performed at the -Adelphi Theatre, London. It was, originally, “booked” for a season of -one month, but it was received with such abundant popular favor that it -was acted there, to crowded houses, for twelve weeks,--receiving about -eighty performances. There was some adversity of critical comment in the -press, but only one stricture then made disturbed Belasco’s equanimity -and has rankled in his recollection,--namely, the unwarranted and mean -intimation that he had copied the stirring “mechanical effects” (so -called) used in course of the performance of his play from William -Gillette’s “Secret Service,” which had been brought out in London, May -15, 1897, at the Adelphi. Such gratuitous disparagement is -characteristic of a patronizing and carping spirit frequently -encountered in British journalism. Inquiry as to the facts in this case -at once displays its injustice. Belasco’s “The Heart of Maryland” was -begun in 1890, and the “mechanical effects” employed in it were devised -by its author during the four years that followed; they were, -furthermore, an elaboration and improvement of various contrivances -first used by him in his variant of “Not Guilty,”--San Francisco, -December 24, 1878,--and some of them were used by him in “The Girl I -Left Behind Me,”--January, 1893. Gillette’s “Secret Service” was tried -at the Broad Street Theatre, Philadelphia, May 13, 1895, where it -failed and was at once withdrawn. After having been entirely rewritten -that play was successfully produced at the Garrick Theatre, New York, -October 5, 1896,--one year later than “The Heart of Maryland.” “Secret -Service,” though a useful melodrama, is a hodge-podge fabrication (one -of its most essential situations is conveyed, bodily, from “Don Cæsar de -Bazan”) and is in every way inferior to “The Heart of Maryland”: if the -production of either of those plays owed anything to that of the other, -it is manifest that Belasco’s could not have been the debtor. - -Belasco’s quest for a new drama for the use of Mrs. Carter seemed -destined to be a barren one, when, as the London career of “The Heart of -Maryland” was drawing toward its close, he chanced to read, in a -theatrical newspaper, an outline of the plot of a French play named -“Zaza,” which had been produced, May 12, 1898, at the Vaudeville -Theatre, Paris, and which he thought might be adapted to the use of his -star. On mentioning the play to Charles Frohman and inquiring whether he -knew anything about it Frohman informed him that he did not believe it -would prosper in America and that, therefore, he had permitted an option -on the American right of producing it to lapse. Belasco, nevertheless, -visited Paris, witnessed a performance of “Zaza,” as acted by Mme. -Gabrielle Réjane and her associates at the Vaudeville, and was so -impressed by it that he immediately cabled Frohman, urging him to -purchase the American rights of production,--which Frohman forthwith -did. On June 25 the London season of “The Heart of Maryland” ended, and -on September 1, on the steamship Majestic, Mrs. Carter, the “Maryland” -company, and Belasco sailed for home,--the latter having entered into an -engagement with Charles Frohman whereby that influential speculator in -theatrical wares agreed to produce “Zaza” in partnership with him and to -“present Mrs. Leslie Carter, by arrangement with David Belasco.” Belasco -was much elated at having made that contract. Writing about it, he says: -“Patience and perseverance had won! At last I had not only a star and a -play, but a partner with money, unlimited credit, and vast influence. As -soon as I returned to New York I began preparations for the next season, -and then I went cheerfully into exile to adapt ’Zaza.’” - - - - -“ZAZA,” AND THE ETHICAL QUESTION. - - -Two plays have been produced by Belasco the presentment of which, in my -judgment,--although both of them were received with extravagant favor by -numerous writers in the press and were acted profitably and with much -manifest public approbation for a long time,--should be recorded as a -grievous blot on the fair record of his professional career. One of -those plays is this notorious drama of “Zaza,” adapted and altered by -Belasco from the French original by MM. Pierre Berton (1840-1912) and -Charles Simon (1850-1910); the other is the vulgar and repulsive drama -called “The Easiest Way,” concocted by an American journalist, Mr. -Eugene Walter, containing a long-drawn portrayal expositive of the -immoral character, unchaste conduct, and necessarily wretched -retributive experience, of a courtesan. Both of those plays reflect the -gross aspect of what Carlyle happily designated Demirepdom,--a domain of -licentiousness and bestiality which should never be treated in Drama or -illustrated on the Stage. - -Opinion on this point is, I am aware, sharply divided. Shakespeare, we -are continually reminded, speaking for himself (most inappropriately, by -the way) in the character of _Hamlet_, and referring to “the purpose of -playing,” says that its “end both at the first and now was, and is, to -hold, as ’twere, the mirror up to _nature_; to show _virtue_, her own -feature, _scorn_ her own image, and the very age and body of the time -his form and pressure.” - -What does that mean? Does it mean that everything existent in Nature is -material suitable to be presented on the Stage? Does it mean that there -should be no restriction as to the choice of subjects, from “the age and -body of the time,” to be illustrated in public, before a mixed audience -of both sexes and of all ages and conditions? No sound, convincing -exposition of that view of the subject has ever been made, and I cannot -accept it. Shakespeare, in his plays, has depicted “people of all -sorts,” and among others he has depicted several sorts of depraved -women, one of them, _Cressida_, being a natural, typical, representative -harlot. It is, however, to be observed that he has not dilated on her -career, has not expatiated on her licentiousness, has not enumerated her -intrigues, has not analyzed her libidinous propensities, has not tinged -his portrayal of her misconduct with any sophistical coloring, has not -entered for her any plea in extenuation; has simply drawn her as a type -of rank carnality and so dismissed her. Such persons have always -existed, they exist now, and they always will exist. That it is -necessary, right, or defensible that they should be exploited in the -Theatre I have never been able to perceive,--whether they be depicted by -Shakespeare or by anybody else. From “Jane Shore” and “The Stranger” to -“Denise” and “Camille,” nothing has ever come of the long, dreary, -speciously sophistical exhibition of sexual vice and consequent misery -but corruption of the moral sense, loose, flabby thinking, cant, and -maudlin sentimentality. No good has come of it to anybody, least of all -to the victims of their evil passions. - -Altruism should prevail in the conduct of life, and with all fine -natures it does prevail. The instinctive desire, while not universal nor -perhaps general, is very considerable to help the weak, to shield the -innocent, to liberate the oppressed, to comfort the afflicted, to find -excuses for frailty, to take a charitable view of human infirmity; but -while lovely in itself and beneficent in some of its results, it is, in -vital particulars, ineffectual: it cannot eliminate depravity from a -nature that is innately wicked, and it cannot dispel remorse,--or even -mitigate that agony,--from a mind innately conscientious. - -Belasco, by obtruding harlots on the stage,--as he has not scrupled to -do, in presenting to public observance _Zaza_ and _Laura -Murdoch_,--follows many precedents and impliedly approves the -exploitation of such persons,--unfortunate, pitiable, deplorable, -sometimes amiable and gentle, more frequently hard, fierce, treacherous, -and wicked. His published writings avow his views on this subject, and I -have found his private assurances concurrent with his published -writings. Those views do more credit to the kindness of his disposition -than to the clarity of his thought. From his youth onward he has been -deeply interested in aberrant women, studious of their aberrancy, -solicitous for their rescue and reformation, charitable toward them, -wishful to befriend them, and strenuous, when writing about them, to -place them in the best possible light. “Whenever I rehearse a situation -of passion, of crime, of wrongdoing” (so he writes), “I remember _the -heart_. _I make an excuse_--seek out the _motive_, to put the actor in -touch with the culprit’s _point of view_. The _excuse is always there_.” -No form of reasoning could be more sophistical, more delusive, more -mischievous. The _reason_ for sin, for crime, for wrongdoing, _is_ -always there: but a broad distinction exists between the _reason_ and -the _excuse_. Some persons, naturally good, nevertheless do wrong, -commit crime, sin against themselves and against both moral law and -social order, because they cannot help it, because they are weak and -cannot resist temptation. Other persons commit crime knowingly, -deliberately, intentionally, because they wish to do so, because they -delight in doing so, and find their greatest possible gratification in -acts of wickedness. Selfishness and greed are, in a vast number of -cases, impervious to anything other than the operation of external -forces painful to themselves: there are persons who possess no moral -sense whatever. The notion that there is a substratum of goodness in -every human being is one of the most flagrant delusions that ever -entered the mind of sensible persons acquainted with the history of the -world and aware of what is passing around them every hour. “I remember -_the heart_” says Belasco: it would not be amiss to remember what was -long ago said of that interesting organ by one of the wise prophets of -his nation: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately -wicked.” It is in the highest degree creditable to Belasco as a man that -he possesses a tenderly compassionate, humane spirit and has always -practically acted on the impulse of it; neither wisdom nor justice is -discernible in the “moral teaching” that he has liberated by his -indiscriminate subservience to it in the instances I have named. - - - - -PRODUCTION, AND CONTENTS, OF “ZAZA.” - - -“Zaza” was first produced, December 25, 1898, at the Lafayette Opera -House (now, 1917, the Belasco Theatre), Washington, D. C. The first -presentment of it in New York occurred, January 9, 1899, at the Garrick -Theatre, where it was acted till June 17, receiving 164 performances. -“Zaza” is not so much a play as it is a series of loosely jointed, -sequent episodes. The story is simple and vulgar. _Zaza_ is a French -prostitute. She has passed from the streets to the stage of country -music halls and has become a singer. She is a common, shameless, -termagant wanton, possessed, however, of an animal allurement which -infatuates a man of respectable position and outwardly decent character. -His name is _Dufrène_. By him she is removed from a life of -miscellaneous degradation and,--“purified” by “love”!--she dwells with -him, in contentment, for six months,--remarking, as she pulls on her -stockings, “I do think it’s the most beautiful thing in the world when -two lovers come together.” At the end of that time she discovers that -her paramour is married, and that he maintains his wife and their child -in a respectable rural home and, at intervals, bestows upon them the -boon of his precious company. With the tigerish resentment often -characteristic of her class, she immediately repairs to that home, -intent to “revenge” herself upon _Dufrène’s_ wife by revealing the -husband’s infidelity. Her amiable purpose is diverted by an encounter -with his child, whose prattle so profoundly affects her supersensitive -“better feelings” that she quits the field, returns to her civic bower, -which has been provided by _Dufrène_, there provokes a violent quarrel -with that hypocritical libertine, so enrages him that he threatens to -strike her, and finally elicits from him the assurance that his wife is -much more precious to him than his harlot is. The separation of this -edifying couple ensues. Stimulated by this experience of “purification -by love,” _Zaza_ determines to achieve artistic greatness without -further delay, and this she incontinently does, becoming, within two -years,--“through much misery, much grief, much work, and a little luck,” -as she expresses it,--a great artist, wealthy and (general concomitant -of wealth!) respected, and, most delightful of all, a paragon of virtue, -gently dismissing her recalcitrant paramour, _Dufrène_ (who, unable to -forget the rapturous interlude of his amatory association with her, has -sought to renew it), in the peaceful seclusion of the Champs Elysees! - -The play of “Zaza,” in the French original, is even more offensive than -in Belasco’s adaptation, but it possesses more unity as a dramatic -fabric and more authenticity as a portrayal of a revolting phase of -life. Belasco’s version is much the superior as a commercial and -theatrically useful vehicle. His purpose in adapting the play for the -English-speaking Stage is thus stated by himself: “I wanted my audience -to find some _excuse_ for _Zaza’s_ past and to have less pity for the -wife. When the play was produced in America and _Zaza sacrificed her own -feelings for the sake of a child_ the audience was so entirely in her -favor that she won the tears of New York and, later on [_sic_], of -London.” “The tears” of New York, London, or any other residential -locality are not difficult to “win” when an experienced hand at the -theatrical fount pumps hard enough for them. Freed of flummery, what -does this play signify? A woman essentially vile in nature, degraded by -a career of vice, gross in her conduct, vitiated in her principles and -feelings, is sentimentally affected by the babble of a child, and her -holy “sacrifice of her own feelings” consists in abstention from -wrecking the happiness of an innocent and injured woman who has never -done her any harm. As a matter of fact, such a drab as _Zaza_ would not -have denied herself that gratification for the sake of a whole regiment -of children,--but truth was not the goal desired: that object was -profitable effect. Such dramas as “Zaza” defile the public mind and -degrade the Stage, and it would be propitious for the community if they -could be played on from a fire hose and washed into the sewer where they -belong. - - -MRS. CARTER’S IMPERSONATION OF _ZAZA_. - -Mrs. Carter’s performance of the patchouly-scented heroine of this -tainted trash was much admired and extravagantly commended. As a work of -dramatic art it was trivial: as a violent theatrical display of common -surface traits,--a demonstration, in “Ercles’ vein,” of ability to tear -a cat,--it was highly effective. The language of the gutter was spoken -in the tone and with the manner of the gutter. The method of the -execution was direct, broad, swift,--and coarse. The best technical -merit of it was clarity of utterance. In _Zaza’s_ scene with the child -Mrs. Carter was mechanical and monotonous. It was the utter, reckless -abandon, the uncontrolled physical and vocal vehemence, the virago-like -intensity of her abuse of her lover, which, communicating themselves to -the nerves of her auditors and overwhelming them by violence, gained the -actress her success in the part. If to “tear a passion to tatters, to -very rags,” to take up the carpet tacks - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -MRS. LESLIE CARTER AS _ZAZA_] - -and demolish the furniture, be to act greatly, then Mrs. Carter’s _Zaza_ -was a great piece of acting; not otherwise. Her popularity was -unequivocal, and it constituted a triumph for Belasco even more -remarkable than for her. - -This was the original cast of “Zaza,” at the Garrick Theatre, New York, -January 9, 1899: - -_Bernard Dufrène_ Charles A. Stevenson. -_Duc de Brissac_ Albert Bruning. -_Cascart_ Mark Smith (Jr.). -_Jacques Rigault_ Hugo Toland. -_Chamblay, Jr_ Gilmore Scott. -_Hector_ Lester Gruner. -_Blac_ Harold Howard. -_Brigard_ W. B. Murray. -_Mounet-Pombla_ Gerard Anderson. -_Joly_ Herbert Millward. -_Carvallo Bros._ (_acrobats_) Leona and Master Bimbi. -_Jabowski_ Walter Stuart. -_Adolphe_ Lawrence Reeves. -_Coachman_ Alfred Hollingsworth. -_Criquet_ Edgar Hart. -_Rosa Bonné_ Marie Bates. -_Madame Dufrène_ Mabel Howard. -_Divonne_ Lizzie DuRoy. -_Lizette_ Emma Chase. -_Toto_ Helen Thill. -_Florianne_ Anne Sutherland. -_Alice Morel_ Maude Winter. -_Lolotte_ Marie Thill. -_Juliette_ Eleanor Stuart. -_Niniche_ Elizabeth Belknap. -_Leonie_ Corah Adams. -_Clairette_ Helma Horneman. -_Adele_ Aurelia A. Granville. -_Flower Girl_ Louisa Burnham. -_Nathalie_ Helen Tracy. -_Zaza_ Mrs. Leslie Carter. - -(Mem. When “Zaza” was revived, in 1905, a minor character called -_Lisvon_ was added: it was played by Amelia G. Granville.) - - - - -DEATH OF BELASCO’S MOTHER.--“CAN THE DEAD COME BACK?”--A STRANGE -EXPERIENCE. - - -The instant and immense popular success of “Zaza” was embittered for -Belasco by close association with a loss and sorrow that time has not -lightened,--the death of his beloved mother, which befell on January 11, -1899, at No. 174 Clara Street, San Francisco. During rehearsals of his -play and its presentments in Washington Belasco, so he has told me, “had -_felt_ that she was ill,” but had no thought that her condition was -critical. Writing about her death, he gives the following interesting -account of a strange experience: - - “Ever since my boyhood I have been interested in the subject of - spiritualism. For many years I have asked myself the question: - ’_Can_ the dead come back?’... One morning, after a late - rehearsal, I reached home at three o’clock, completely fagged out. - No sooner had I fallen asleep than I seemed to waken, and there - stood my mother beside my bed. ’Davie, Davie, Davie,’ she said - three times, smiled, and bending over kissed me good-bye. She said - other things--told me she was happy--not to grieve. I could not - stir, but kept my eyes fixed upon her as she moved towards the door - and disappeared. How long I lay staring into the darkness I do not - know, but at last I managed to collect myself, put on my - dressing-gown, and, still dazed, went downstairs to a little - sitting-room. My family heard me. ’What are you doing downstairs?’ - my youngest child, Augusta, asked, and she tried to coax me back to - bed. I went to my room, but I could not sleep. When I told my - family of my vision, and that I believed my mother was dead, they - suggested that I was overwrought and tired and had seen my mother - in a dream. - - “I went to rehearsal the next morning, and during an interval had - luncheon at Churchill’s--then a small coffeehouse--with a member of - the theatre staff. I sat there, much troubled, thinking of the - figure of my mother as she appeared in the dawn. My companion - noticed my silence, and, when I told him of my experience, tried to - reassure me. As we rose to go he handed me some letters and - telegrams he had found in the box-office. Among the telegrams was - one telling me the sad news of my mother’s death. Later I found - that she died at the exact time she appeared at my bedside. At the - very moment I saw her she was passing out of the world. Several - years after, when I paid a visit to San Francisco, my brothers and - sisters told me my mother smiled and murmured my name three times - before she died.... I do not know that the dead _do_ come back. I - _do_ know that at the time of passing the spirit sends a thought - through space, and this thought is so powerful that the receiver - can see the sender. This was proved by my dear mother. She came to - me no more, however.” - -In speaking of his parents Belasco has deeply impressed me by the fervor -and sincerity of his filial affections. “My mother,” he has said, “was -the best loved woman in Victoria and in San Francisco,--and she was the -truest, best friend I ever had or shall have. She was called ’the Good -Angel’ of the poorer quarters. As she grew older, in the latter city, -when going about in streetcars, conductors would, when she wished to -leave, escort her to the sidewalk, or would bring her to the car, if she -wished to board it. When she died she had the greatest funeral a private -person ever had in San Francisco. My brother told me it seemed as though -every vehicle in town was in the line. She was very poetic, romantic, -and keenly imaginative and gentleness itself. Any good I have ever done -I owe to her.”--In a letter to a friend he writes thus about his mother: - - “ ... I cannot tell you how close we were--how she seemed always to - understand me without words and often [seemed] to be near me when I - was in trouble and needed help. You know, I believe such feelings - are inspired by something real: ’the realities of the spirit are - more real than anything else.’... Very often we exchanged - messages just by sending flowers, and it was the same way with my - little ’Gussie.’... Flowers have always been a passion with me. - Ever since I was a little boy, in Vancouver, and my mother used to - come and find me dreaming among them on the hillside, I have loved - them all.... But the violets were always my favorites, as they were - hers. She always had them about her, from girlhood, and, indeed, my - father wooed her with them. There was a bunch of them beside her in - the little cellar-room where I was born (so she used to tell me), - and when they brought me to her on a pillow she took some in her - hand and sprinkled them over me. All my clothes, when I was a baby, - had a violet embroidered on them, somewhere. The last gift I ever - received from my mother was a black silk scarf, with violets - embroidered on it,--and long, long hours it must have taken her to - do it, for she could hardly hold a needle. Once, when I was a boy, - I took $20 from a secret little hoard of hers, to pay for an - operation on my throat which I didn’t want her to know about. Of - course she missed it but she never said a word, and when I had - saved up the money I just put it in a bunch of violets and left it - for her. And when at last she went away and I could not be there I - sent violets to cover her grave and say my ’Good-bye.’” - - - - -BLANCHE BATES AND “NAUGHTY ANTHONY.” - - -Much the most interesting person and much the ablest performer who has -appeared under the management of Belasco is Blanche Bates. At the zenith -of her career she exhibited a combination of brilliant beauty, -inspiriting animation and impetuous vigor quite extraordinary and -irresistibly winning. Her lovely dark eyes sparkled with glee. Her -handsome countenance radiated gladness. She seemed incarnate joy. Her -voice was clear, liquid, sweet; her enunciation distinct, her bearing -distinguished, her action free and graceful. I have seldom seen an -actress whose mere presence conveyed such a delightful sense of -abounding vitality and happiness. In the last ten years no actress in -our country has equalled her in brilliancy and power. She might have -grasped the supremacy of the American Stage, alike in Comedy and -Tragedy, personating such representative parts as Shakespeare’s -_Beatrice_ and _Cleopatra_ and taking by right the place once occupied -by Ada Rehan and afterward by Julia Marlowe. While under Belasco’s -management she did give three performances which deservedly are -remembered among the best of her time,--namely, _Cigarette_, in “Under -Two Flags”; _Yo-San_, in “The Darling of the Gods,” and _The Girl_, in -“The Girl of the Golden West.” But, although incontestably she possesses -intellectual character, a strain of capricious levity is also among her -attributes; she has weakly acquiesced to the dictates of vacuous social -taste and sordid commercial spirit, paltered with her great talents, -thrown away high ambition and golden opportunity, and so came at last -to mere failure and obscurity. Her nature and her artistic style require -for their full and free arousal and exercise parts of romantic, -passionate, picturesque character, admitting of large, bold, sparkling -treatment. She acted under Belasco’s direction for about twelve years: -since leaving it, in 1912, she has done nothing in the Theatre of -importance. “The modern, ’drawing-room drama’ in which she aspired to -play,”--so Belasco once remarked to me,--“is not, to my mind, suited to -her, and so we parted.” - -Blanche Bates is a native of Portland, Oregon, born August 25, 1872; her -father was manager of the Oro Fino Theatre, Portland, at the time of her -birth. Her youth was passed in San Francisco, where she was well -educated. She went on the stage in 1894, appearing at Stockwell’s -Theatre (later called the Columbia), in that city, in a play called -“This Picture and That.” Her novitiate was served chiefly under the -management of T. Daniel Frawley. For several years she acted in cities -in the Far West, playing all sorts of parts. At one time, in California, -she was professionally associated with that fine comedian Frank Worthing -(Francis George Pentland, 1866-1910), who materially helped to develop -and train her histrionic talents. Belasco first became acquainted with -her while she was yet a child, at the time of his professional alliance -with her mother, Mrs. F. M. Bates. In 1896, during Mrs. Carter’s first -season in “The Heart of Maryland,” Blanche visited New York, witnessed -that performance, and applied to Belasco for employment. At the moment -it was not possible for him to engage her, but he was neither forgetful -of an old promise of his made to Mrs. Bates that he would assist her -daughter, if ever he should be able to do so, nor unmindful of the -beauty, talent, and charming personality of the applicant, and he -assured her that she “should have a chance” at the first opportunity. -That opportunity did not present itself for nearly three years. -Meanwhile, Miss Bates returned to California and acted there, for about -two years more, with the Frawley company. In the Spring of 1898 she was -engaged by Augustin Daly and for a short time she acted under his -management. On February 9, 1899, she made a single brilliantly -successful appearance, at Daly’s Theatre, as the _Countess Mirtza_, on -the occasion of the first presentment in this country of the popular -melodrama of “The Great Ruby.” She disagreed, however, with the -autocratic Daly and immediately retired from his company. On March 13, -1899, acting at the Broadway Theatre, New York, in association with -Belasco’s old friend and comrade - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Sarony. Belasco’s Collection. - -BELASCO, ABOUT 1899-1900] - -James O’Neill, she distinguished herself as _Milady_, in “The Three -Guardsmen,” and on October 19, that year, at the Herald Square Theatre, -she gave a notably fine performance,--splendidly effective in the -principal scene,--of _Hannah Jacobs_, in Israel Zangwill’s stage -synopsis of his novel of “The Children of the Ghetto.” A few weeks later -Belasco informed Miss Bates that if she were willing to begin in a farce -which he did not much esteem he was ready to undertake her management -preparatory to “giving her her chance.” “The Children of the Ghetto” had -proved a failure, and the actress joyfully accepted the manager’s -proposal. - -Blanche Bates first acted under Belasco’s management, December 25, 1899, -at the Columbia Theatre, Washington, D. C., appearing as _Cora_, the -principal person in Belasco’s “Naughty Anthony”: on January 8, 1900, she -appeared in it at the Herald Square Theatre, New York. The title of that -farce is not altogether felicitous, because possibly suggestive of -impropriety, but there is nothing mischievous in the fabric itself. The -piece is incorporative of one scene, varied and rewritten, from an -unremembered farce of other days, and, with its freightage of old but -always effective stage subterfuges and comic “business,” it reminded -experienced observers of such plays, far and forgot now, as “Flies in -the Web,” “My Neighbor’s Wife,” “Playing with Fire,” “To Oblige Benson,” -etc. In it Belasco made use of one of the oldest theatrical expedients -for creating comic confusion and mirthful effect,--the expedient of a -mistaken identity. The chief male in it is _Anthony Depew_, a moral -professor of the Chautauqua brotherhood, who becomes enamoured of a -coquettish girl, in the hosiery business, and whose exploits in -osculation lead him into a troublesome dilemma, from which he endeavors -to escape by pretending to be somebody else. This kind of perplexity has -been common on the stage since the distant days of “The Three Singles; -or, Two and the Deuce.” Such themes do not require much comment. The -chief fact to be recorded in this case is the uncommon felicity of the -cast and the excellence of the stage direction. But such an actor as -Frank Worthing (who was essentially a light comedian, and, as such, the -most conspicuous local performer of the day, in his particular line) and -such an actress as Miss Bates were practically wasted in so ephemeral a -trifle. This was the cast in full: - -_Cowley_ Albert Bruning. -_Adam Budd_ William J. LeMoyne. -_Zachary Chillinton_ William Elton. -_Jack Cheviot_ Charles Wyngate. -_Mr. Heusted_ Claude Gillingwater. -_Mr. Brigham_ E. P. Wilkes. -_Miss Rinkett_ Fanny Young. -_Cowley_ Albert Bruning. -_Knox_ Samuel Edwards. -_Ed_ Brandon Tynan. -_Mrs. Zachary Chillingham_ Maud Harrison. -_Rosy_ Mary Barker. -_Winnie_ Olive Redpath. -_Cora_ Blanche Bates. - -Belasco’s serious purpose, in this play, underlying the quest of -laughter, was to satirize moral humbug, and that good purpose he -accomplished. _Anthony Depew_ is an amiable impostor, established at -Chautauqua, New York, to give lessons in moral conduct to persons who -deem themselves tempted to go astray. He goes astray himself, as far as -compromising osculation, and he causes all manner of disturbance, in -several households, by fixing the guilt of a kiss upon an innocent -booby, who is his landlord. Worthing embodied that humbug in an -admirable manner. His plan was definite, his execution firm and true, -his satire cumulative; and from first to last he never swerved from that -demeanor of perfect gravity which makes absurd proceedings irresistibly -amusing. Miss Bates, even more than usually beautiful as _Cora_, made -the tempter of _Anthony_ a compound of demure simplicity and arch, -piquant glee, and, in her complete frustration of the _Professor’s_ -moral heroics, she was a delightful incarnation of honest, healthful, -triumphant woman nature. A colloquy of these two players, as preceptor -and pupil, has seldom been surpassed for pure fun. Specification of the -fantastic situations in which the _Professor_ involves himself and his -landlord, _Adam Budd_,--abundantly comical in the seemingly -unpremeditated humor, the soft, silky manner, and the grotesque -personality assumed by Le Moyne,--would be a tedious business. Good -acting, however, did not suffice to sustain the play in public favor. -Writing about this venture Belasco says: - - “At the time I wrote ’Naughty Anthony’ the country was farce - mad,--but the public will not accept me as a farce writer, and it - was a failure. I believed, at the time, that had somebody else - produced my play it might have succeeded, and this actually proved - to be the case; for when I sold the piece and it was taken on the - road, with my name omitted from the programme, it made money, - although it had cost me a pretty penny. I soon saw that ’Naughty - Anthony’ must be withdrawn or something added to the bill in order - to keep it going.” - - - - -“MADAME BUTTERFLY.” - - -Some little while before the production of “Naughty Anthony” Belasco had -received from a stranger a letter in which he was urged to read a -story, called “Madame Butterfly,” by John Luther Long, with a view to -making it into a play. When anxiously casting about for some means of -providing required reinforcement for his farce he chanced to recollect -that suggestion, procured a copy of Long’s book containing his tragic -tale, read it and was so much impressed by the possibilities which he -perceived of basing on it a striking theatrical novelty that he entered -into communication with Long and arranged with him for the use of his -story. This proved, in several ways, a most fortunate occurrence: it led -to a valued and lasting friendship and, ultimately, to the writing of -two other memorable dramas,--“The Darling of the Gods” and “Adrea,”--as -well as to the composition of a beautiful and extraordinarily popular -opera, and it resulted, directly, in the making and production, by -Belasco, of one of the most effective short plays of the last -twenty-five years,--the success of which did much to sustain him under -the disappointment of failure and the burden of heavy loss. - -Belasco’s tragedy of “Madame Butterfly” is comprised in one act, of two -scenes, which, connected by a pictorial intercalation, are presented -without a break, and it implicates eight persons, besides its heroine, -all of whom are merely incidental to depiction of her tragic fate. The -substance of its story is contained in Goldsmith’s familiar lines about -the sad consequences of lovely woman’s genuflexion to folly. A man -commits the worst and meanest of all acts, the wronging of an innocent -girl, and then deserts her. The case has often been stated--but it is -not less pathetic because it is familiar. In this instance the girl is a -Japanese, and in Japan, and thus the image of her joy, sorrow, -desolation, and death are investable with opulent color and quaint -accessories. Her name is _Cho-Cho-San_, and, by her lover, she is called -“_Madame Butterfly_.” Her family is one of good position, but her -father, a soldier of the emperor, having been defeated in battle, has -killed himself, and her relatives, being poor, have induced -_Cho-Cho-San_, in order that she may be able to provide maintenance for -them, to enter into the relation of housekeeping prostitute with an -officer of the United States Navy, _Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton_ by name, -who is stationed for a few months at Higashi, Japan, and who feels -himself to be in need of female companionship and that “comfort other -than pecuniary” specified by Patrick Henry. According to the enlightened -and advanced customs of Japan (which various English-speaking exponents -of progress and free-everything, including free-“love,” are laboring to -establish in our benighted country) this relationship is not degrading -and despicable but respectable and, in circumstances which are of -frequent occurrence, to be desired. As _Butterfly_ expresses it, though -the naval officer is described by the Japanese as “a barbarian and a -beast,” “Aevery one say: ’yaes, take him--take him beas’--he’s got -moaneys,’ so I say for jus’ liddle while, perhaps I can stan’.” -_Pinkerton_, however, proves to be a delightful companion who wins the -love of the Japanese girl and, with the crass cruelty common among -viciously self-indulgent men, he assures that forlorn waif that her -marriage to him is not merely a temporary arrangement of convenience, -terminable, according to Japanese law, by the mere act of desertion, but -is a binding, permanent one, according to American custom and law and -that she is, in fact, _Mrs. B. F. Pinkerton_. Having led her to believe -this, the amiable _Pinkerton_ presently departs upon his ship, after -making _Butterfly_ a present of money, informing her that he has “had a -very nice time” and assuring her that he will come back “when the robins -nest again.” The girl, confidently awaiting the return of her lover, -whom she declares and believes to be her lawful husband, after a little -time becomes a mother by him. Two years pass--during which she refuses -many suitors--and the money given her by _Pinkerton_ has been all but -exhausted: _Butterfly_ is confronted by the alternative of beggary or -starvation, yet she contemptuously rejects all proffers of rich -alliances, serenely trusting in the faith of _Pinkerton_. Then, at last, -he comes back, and she is apprised that though for two weeks after -leaving her he was “dotty in love with her” he recovered from his -sublime passion and that he has married another woman (who magnanimously -offers to take away her child and rear it!)--whereupon _Madame -Butterfly_ kills herself. - -The play is a situation, and, though some of its detail is trivial, it -reveals elemental extremes and contrasts of much human experience; in -its essential passages it possesses the cardinal merits of simplicity -and directness, and in representation its effect is tragic and -afflictingly pathetic. One feature of its performance, devised by -Belasco, was, in respect to execution, unique,--namely, the -intercalation whereby the two scenes of the tragedy are connected. When, -at evening, the forlorn _Butterfly_,--after two years “jus’ -waitin’--sometimes cry in’--sometimes watchin’--but always -waitin’!”--sees the warship to which _Pinkerton_ is attached entering -the harbor of Higashi she believes that her “husband” will immediately -repair to their abode and she becomes almost delirious with joy. She -prepares for his - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Byron. Belasco’s Collection. - -“Too bad--those robin--never nes’--again!” - -THE DEATH SCENE, BELASCO’S “MADAME BUTTERFLY” - -BLANCHE BATES AS _CHO-CHO-SAN_. FRANK WORTHING AS _LIEUTENANT B. F. -PINKERTON_] - -reception, attiring herself and their little child in fine array and -decking the house with flowers and lighted lanterns. Then, with the -child and a servant maid, she takes station at a window, to give him -welcome--and there she waits and watches through the night, until the -morning breaks. The lapse of time was, in the performance, skilfully and -impressively denoted,--the shades of evening darkening into night; stars -becoming visible, then brilliant, then fading from view; the lighted -lanterns one by one flickering out; the gray light of dawn revealing the -servant and the child prone upon the floor sunk in slumber, with the -deserted mother standing over them, pale and wan, still gazing fixedly -down the vacant road, while the rosy glow of sunrise grew into the full -light of day and the sweet sound of the waking songs of birds floated in -from a flowering grove of cherry trees. In the representation this -scene, during which no word was spoken and no motion made, occupied -_fourteen minutes_--and surely no tribute to Belasco’s resource and -skill in stage management and stage mechanics could be more significant -than the fact that during all that time never did the interest of his -audiences waver nor their attention flag. - -At the end, when _Butterfly_ knows her lover faithless and her life -ruined and desolate, she takes her father’s sword,--on which is graven -his dying monition, “To _die_ with honor, when we can no longer live -with honor,”--and with it deals herself a mortal stroke. This desperate -deed is done out of the audience’s sight and as, with ghastly face and a -scarf bound round her throat to hide the wound, she staggers forward to -clasp her child to her breast, _Pinkerton_ enters the room and -_Butterfly_, holding the child in her arms, sinks at his feet, turning -on him a look of anguish as she murmurs “Too bad--those robin’--never -nes’--again!”--and so dies. - -“Madame Butterfly” was first presented at the Herald Square Theatre, -March 5, 1900. The scenic habiliment in which Belasco attired that -tragedy was one of great beauty and perfect taste and it had never been -equalled by anything rightly comparable, excepting Augustin Daly’s -exquisite setting of “Heart of Ruby” (a play on a Japanese theme adapted -by Justin Huntly McCarthy from Mme. Judith Gautier’s “La Marchande de -Sourires”), produced at Daly’s Theatre, January 15, 1895,--which was a -complete failure: it cost Daly about $25,000 and it was withdrawn after -seven performances. Belasco’s Japanese venture, happily, was fortunate -from the first, creating a profound impression and achieving instant -success. A notably effective scenic innovation was the precedent use of -“picture drops,” delicately painted and very lovely pictures showing -various aspects of Japan,--a rice field, a flower garden, a distant -prospect of a snow-capped volcano in the light of the setting sun, and -other views,--by way of creating a Japanese atmosphere before the scene -of the drama was disclosed. Blanche Bates embodied the hapless -_Butterfly_ and animated the character with a winning show of woman’s -fidelity, with a lovely artlessness of manner and speech, and with -occasional flashes of that vivid emotional fire which was her supreme -attribute. Her personation at first caused laughter and at last touched -the source of tears,--but the predominant figure in the history of this -play, both at the first and now, was and is that of Belasco: more, -perhaps, in respect to “Madame Butterfly” than of any other of his -productions it may properly be said that his personality seemed to have -permeated every detail of this performance and its environment. This was -the original cast: - -_Cho-Cho-San_ (_Madame Butterfly_) Blanche Bates. -_Suzuki_, her servant Marie Bates. -_Mr. Sharpless_, American Consul Claude Gillingwater. -_Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton_ Frank Worthing. -_Yamadori_ Albert Bruning. -_Nakodo_ E. P. Wilks. -_Kate_, _Mrs. Pinkerton_ Katherine Black. -_Trouble_, the child Kittie ----. -_Attendant_ William Lamp. -_Attendant_ Westropp Saunders. - - - - -“ZAZA” ABROAD. - - -The Belasco season at the Herald Square Theatre was ended on March 24, -and on April 5, on board the steamship St. Paul, he sailed for England, -with Mrs. Leslie Carter and a numerous theatrical company, to present -that actress, in partnership with Charles Frohman, in “Zaza,” at the -Garrick Theatre, London. That project had been planned by the two -managers many months before and it was triumphantly fulfilled on April -16,--Belasco’s version of the French play and Mrs. Carter’s performance -in it being received in the British capital with rapturous applause and -remaining current there until July 28. The principal persons who seem to -have entertained seriously dissenting and dissatisfied views as to -Belasco’s treatment of the subject were the authors of the French -original, MM. Berton and Simon, whose conceit was great and whose -indignation was lively because their noxious drama had not been deemed -sacrosanct but had been freely altered. - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Dupont. Belasco’s Collection. - -GIACOMO PUCCINI - - INSCRIPTION: - - “_Al mio collaboratore e amico Sig. David Belasco: greato ricordo_ - -GIACOMO PUCCINI”] - - - - -VIEWS OF THE FRENCH DRAMATISTS. - - -Belasco, in his “Story,” gives some account of the attitude of the -French authors toward his adaptation of their play, to which, -undoubtedly, they were indebted for profit and reputation they would not -otherwise have obtained: - - “During the summer of 1900 we took ’Zaza’ to London. Before opening - there I went to Paris to visit the authors, Berton and Simon. They - had been paid large sums for the American rights of ’Zaza,’ and as - the success of ’Zaza’ in America led to its revival in Paris their - profits were enormous. Naturally, I was a welcome guest and my - weekend visit was very agreeable, as it was made to the - accompaniment of a song of praise--of superlative gratitude. What I - had accomplished was remarkable! Superb! There was no other man, - etc., etc. In the meanwhile I was wondering what they would say - when they saw the manuscript of ’Zaza.’ They came to London for the - first night, preceded by a huge hamper of flowers for Mrs. Carter. - The opening was a brilliant function. The late King Edward, then - Prince of Wales, was present; also King George, then Duke of York. - I remember the military bearing of Clement Scott in his - scarlet-lined coat, and the rough and ready appearance of Bernard - Shaw, in his soft shirt and crush hat. What the latter thought of - Mrs. Carter found its caustic way into the columns of ’The Saturday - Review’; what the audience thought was told by the growing - enthusiasm as the play progressed; what Berton and Simon thought - was shown by a certain coolness in their attitude toward me. Their - enthusiasm died a natural death after the Second Act, and the more - demonstrative the audience the less pleased were they. At the close - of the Third Act they left the house, telling me in heated terms - that I had ruined their climax and it was not their play at all. - Curiously enough, they did not see the humor of the situation. My - version made their fortune because it made the woman possible to an - English-speaking audience. The authors were in the odd position of - quarreling with their bread and butter (an unusual situation for - playwrights). They grew angrier and angrier as the play gained - favor with the public, and their royalties were increased week - after week. Those were strenuous days. However, they calmed down, - and in the course of time Monsieur Berton asked me to forget the - letter of denunciation he wrote to me from Paris.” - - - - -“WITH SPEED FOR ENGLAND.”--ANOTHER SUCCESS IN LONDON. - - -The success which Belasco had gained with “Madame Butterfly” in New York -was so great that, had he chosen to do so, he could have successfully -prolonged his season there, at the Herald Square Theatre, throughout the -summer of 1900. But his plans for producing “Zaza” in London were -complete and he was bound “with speed for England”; he determined, -therefore, to carry his little Japanese tragedy with him, having it in -mind to show theatre-goers in the British capital, simultaneously, two -vividly contrasted specimens of his theatrical resource and power. At -first, he was disposed to transport the company, headed by Blanche -Bates, as well as the production,--that is, the scenery, dresses, -“properties” and effects. But when he sought to do this it proved to be -impracticable: the only arrangement that he found it feasible to make -was one with his partner in the “Zaza” venture, Charles Frohman, who, at -the time, was successfully presenting, at the Duke of York’s Theatre, -London, Jerome K. Jerome’s comedy of “Miss Hobbs.” With Frohman, -accordingly, Belasco arranged to bring forward “Madame Butterfly” as an -“afterpiece” to “Miss Hobbs,”--and as it was manifestly injudicious -unnecessarily to maintain two stars at one and the same theatre, Belasco -decided (to the lively disgust of Miss Bates) to cast the player of -_Miss Hobbs_, Miss Evelyn Millard, at that time a popular favorite in -London, for _Madame Butterfly_, depending on himself to train and guide -her through the performance of that part. This self-confidence was fully -justified,--the little tragedy being received with profound admiration -both by the press and the public. It was acted at the Duke of York’s, -April 28, with this cast: - -_Cho-Cho-San_ (_Madame Butterfly_) Evelyn Millard. -_Mr. Sharpless_ Claude Gillingwater. -_Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton_ Allan Aynesworth. -_Yamadori_ William H. Day. -_Nakado_ J. C. Buckstone. -_Suzuki_ Susie Vaughan. -_Kate, Mrs. Pinkerton_ Janet Evelyn Sothern. - - - - -PUCCINI AND BELASCO. - - -Belasco, as he told me, declined to attend the first London performance -of his “Butterfly.” “I didn’t know how it might go,” he said, “--and I -didn’t intend to be called out and ’boo-ed.’ Frohman was very confident -and kept telling me it would be all right, but I didn’t go ’round (I was -busy, too, at the Garrick) till right at the end and then I only went -’in front.’” At the end, however, the enthusiasm of the audience was so -great and the calls for him were so long and urgent that he was at last -compelled to go upon the stage and make his grateful acknowledgments. “I -sometimes feel,” said Belasco, “that the tribute of that English -audience, at first sitting in absolute silence, except for the sound of -some women crying, then calling and calling for me and waiting and -waiting, while Frohman came ’round in front and found me and insisted -upon my going to the stage, was the most gratifying I ever received. -Giacomo Puccini, the Italian composer, was in front that night and -after the curtain fell he came behind the scenes to embrace me -enthusiastically and to beg me to let him use ’Madame Butterfly’ as an -opera libretto. I agreed at once and told him he could do anything he -liked with the play and make any sort of contract he liked--because it -is not possible to discuss business arrangements with an impulsive -Italian who has tears in his eyes and both his arms round your neck! I -never believed he did see ’Madame Butterfly’ that first night; he only -heard the music he was _going_ to write. Afterward I came to know him -well, and found him the most agreeable and simple-hearted fellow in the -world,--a great artist without the so-called ’temperament.’” - - - - -“MADAME BUTTERFLY” AS AN OPERA.--A PROPOSAL BY LADY VALERIE MEUX. - - -Puccini’s opera, entitled “Madama Butterfly,” was first performed in New -York, in an English version, under the management of Henry Savage, at -the Garden Theatre, November 12, 1906. Elza Szamosy, an Hungarian, sang -_Cio-Cio-San_; Harriet Behne _Suzuki_; Joseph F. Sheehan _Pinkerton_, -and Winifred Goff _Mr. Sharpless_. The first performance of it in -Italian occurred in New York, at the Metropolitan Opera House, February -11, 1907, when,--with its composer among the audience--it was sung by -the following cast: - -_Cio-Cio-San_ Geraldine Farrar. -_Suzuki_ Louise Homer. -_Kate, Mrs. Pinkerton_ Laura Mapleson. -_La Madre_ Josephine Jacoby. -_La Cugina_ ---- Shearman. -_La Zia_ ---- Moran. -_Lieutenant Pinkerton_ Enrico Caruso. -_Mr. Sharpless_ Antonio Scotti. -_Goro_ Albert Reiss. -_Yamadori_ ---- Paroli. -_Lo Zio Bonzo_ Adolf Mühlmann. -_Yakuside_ Giulio Rossi. -_Il Commissario Imperiale_ ---- Bégué. -_Un Ufficiale del Registro_ Francesco Navarini. - -Referring to the production of this opera at the Metropolitan, Belasco -writes: “I loaned my models [for the scenery] and sent over my -electricians.”--I have not heard Puccini’s music. My old friend and -colleague Henry Edward Krehbiel has written of it: - - “ ... Genuine Japanese tunes come to the surface of the - instrumental flood at intervals and tunes which copy their - characteristics of rhythm, melody, and color. As a rule this is a - dangerous proceeding except in comedy which aims to chastise the - foibles and follies of a people and a period. Nothing is more - admirable, however, than Signor - -[Illustration: - -Photograph by Aime Dupont. Belasco’s Collection. - -GERALDINE FARRAR AS _CHI-CHI-SAN_, IN PUCCINI’S OPERA, “MADAMA -BUTTERFLY,” BASED ON BELASCO’S TRAGEDY] - - Puccini’s use of it to heighten the dramatic climaxes; the merry - tune with which _Cio-Cio-San_ diverts her child in the Second Act - and the use of a bald native tune thundered out _fortissimo_ in - naked unison with the periodic punctuations of harmony at the close - are striking cases in point. Nor should the local color in the - delineation of the break of day in the beginning of the Third Act - and the charmingly felicitous use of mellifluous songs in the - Marriage Scene be overlooked. Always the effect is musical and - dramatically helpful. As for the rest there are many moments of a - strange charm in the score, music filled with a haunting tenderness - and poetic loveliness, music in which there is a beautiful meeting - of the external picture and the spiritual content of the scene. - Notable among these moments is the scene in which _Butterfly_ and - her attendant scatter flowers throughout the room in expectation of - _Pinkerton’s_ return. Here melodies and harmonies are exhaled like - the odors of the flowers.” - -And elsewhere Mr. Krehbiel remarks that - - “there is nothing more admirable in the score of ’Madama Butterfly’ - than the refined and ingenious skill with which the composer bent - the square-toed rhythms and monotonous tunes of Japanese music to - his purposes.” - -“Madame Butterfly” ran at the Duke of York’s Theatre until July 13. In -America it was presented, throughout the season of 1900-’01, beginning -at Elmira, New York, September 17, in association with “Naughty -Anthony,” by a company headed by Miss Valerie Bergere and Charles E. -Evans. On February 18, 1901, the tragedy was acted at Proctor’s Fifth -Avenue Theatre, New York, and ran till May 11. Miss Bergere performed as -_Cho-Cho-San_ until March 29, when she was succeeded by the French -actress Mlle. Pilar-Morin. Since then “Butterfly” has been acted -unnumbered times. - -During the summer season of “Zaza” in London (1900), Belasco was -approached by the eccentric Lady Valerie Meux, a person of great wealth -and peculiar antecedents, with a proposal that he give up the management -and direction of Mrs. Carter and assume that of Mrs. Cora Urquhart -Potter, in whom she was then much interested. Belasco was well -acquainted with Mrs. Potter, who, indeed, was one of the many amateur -players trained by him while at the Madison Square Theatre (1884, _et -seq._) and for whose professional appearance on the stage, under the -management of Daniel Frohman, he had arranged, in 1886,--an arrangement -which Mrs. Potter suddenly abrogated. Belasco esteemed her histrionic -abilities much higher than ever there was warrant for doing (he has -written about her: “If I could have succeeded in drawing her away from -society, from the host of admirers and over-zealous friends who fondled -and petted her and kept her from really working, and if she could have -appreciated the simplicity of life, she could have taken _front rank_ in -her profession”), but he would not give up the direction or Mrs. -Carter’s career and therefore he declined Lady Meux’s proposal. That -singular person then expressed a wish that he should transfer his -theatrical activities from America to England, offered to build for him -“the finest playhouse in the land” and to provide him with ample money -with which to conduct it, so that he “might be free and untrammelled by -financial cares” and fulfil all his ambitions. “Of course,” he has said, -in telling me of these incidents, “her offer had a tempting sound, but -nothing could have induced me to accept it. Not only would I not -consider deserting Mrs. Carter, but I knew that Mrs. Potter could never -give up the social world for the exclusive hard work of the Stage. And -also I knew that within a year, perhaps less, Lady Meux would have grown -tired of her fancy and my position would be intolerable. I wanted a -theatre in London--in fact, I want one now and, perhaps, in spite of the -war, I may have one yet--but not one tied up in apron-strings.” His -decision to reject the offers of Lady Meux certainly was wise. - -[Illustration] - - - - -INDEX TO VOLUME ONE - - - - -INDEX TO VOLUME ONE - -_B._=_David Belasco._ - - -A - -Abbey, Henry Eugene - (Am. th. man.: 1848-1896): plans - to produce S. Morse’s “Passion Play” in N. Y., 122. - -Abbey’s New Park Th., N. Y., burned, 122. - -Academy of Music, N. Y.: Salvini’s first Am. appearance at, 59. - -“Across the Continent” (play): B. acts in, 104. - -Acting: schools of and teaching of--the subject - critically considered, 348, _et seq._ - -Actors: early, in Calif., 131. - -Adams, Annie (Asenath Annie Adams--Mrs. James Kiskaden--Mrs. - Harvey K. Glidden: Am. actress: 1849-1916): 62. - -Adams, Edwin (Am. actor: 1834-1877): in S. F., 90; 204. - -Adams, John (actor): 132. - -Adams (Kiskaden), Maude (Am. actress: 1872-19--): 62. - -“Adolph Challet” (play): 237. - -“ADREA” (tragedy): 477. - -“Adrienne Lecouvreur” (play): 103. - -“Agnes” (play): 105. - -“Aladdin No. 2; or, The Wonderful Scamp” (burlesque): 37; 221. - -Alberta, Laura (Am. actress): B. acts with, in S. F., 49; 74; 229. - -Albery, James (Eng. dramatist: 1838-1889): 336. - -Aldrich, Louis (Moses Lyon: Am. actor: 1843-1901): 345; - good acting by, 346; - sketch of, 347, _et seq._ - -Allemany, Archbishop, of S. F.: approves “The Passion Play,” 116. - -Allen, Charles E. (actor): 36. - -Allen, Charles L. (lawyer): 390. - -Allen, Charles Leslie (Am. actor: 1830-1917): 382. - -“All the Comforts of Home” (farce): 375. - -“Alpine Roses” (play): 279; 280. - -Alta California,” “The (S. F. newspaper): notice in, - quoted _re_ “Passion Play,” 118. - -Amberg, Gustav (Ger.-Am. th. man.): 251. - -“AMERICAN BORN” (melod.): written--and produced--cast - of, 257, _et seq._; 260; 261; 269; 270; 276. - -American Theatre, S. F.: Julia Dean, lessee of, 7. - -“Amy Robsart” (play): 210. - -Anderson, David H. (Am. actor: 1814-1884): 36. - -“Andrea” (play): 311. - -Andrews, Lillian (Am. actress): 187. - -Apostate,” “The (tragedy): 94; 160. - -“Armadale” (Collins’ novel): dramatization of, 92. - -“Arrah-na-Pogue” (comedy): Boucicault and wife in, 58; 225; 261. - -Art, dramatic: suggestion in--instructive comment _re_, by B., 418. - -“Article 47” (play): B.’s version of, 93. - -ASSOMMOIR,” “L’ (novel): Daly’s view of Fr. dramatization of, 184; - same makes and produces Eng. version--which fails--B. - makes version--which succeeds, 185; - cast of B.’s version of, 186; - difficulties during rehearsals of, 187; - run of, 188; 189. - -“As You Like It”: 43; 137. - -Atkinson, Henry (actor): 135. - -Audran, Edmond (Fr. musician: 1840-1901): 396; - writes letter praising Mrs. Carter, 398. - -AUCTIONEER,” “THE (play): 139. - - -B - -Bachelor of Arts,” “A (farce): 344. - -Bailey, Philip James (the poet: 1820-1902): 249. - -Baker and Farron [theatrical] Company: 88; 89. - -Baker, Emily: 87. - -Baldwin, Edward J. (“Lucky Baldwin”): builds Baldwin’s A. of M., S. F., 86; - not friendly with T. Maguire, 87; - supports “The Passion Play” in S. F., 115; - withdraws support of Maguire, 183. - -Baldwin’s Academy of Music, S. F.: built, 86; - opened with “K. R. III.”--and B. employed at, 87; - Sullivan’s repertory at--and Gates Opera Co. at, 88; - G. F. Rowe at, 92; - farewell engagement of A. Neilson at, 210; - Maguire loses, 253. - -Bandmann, Daniel Edward (German-Am. actor: 1840-1905): 133. - -Banishment of Catiline,” “The (poem): recited by B., 26. - -Banker’s Daughter,” “The (play): _re_ authorship of--and - first produced, 125; 126; - resemblance of “The Millionaire’s Daughter” to, 128; - engagement of, in S. F., cancelled, 129; 328. - -Banks, Maude: 349. - -Barker, H. Granville (Eng. actor, playwright and th. - man.: 1874-19--): and “modern” methods of, anticipated by B., 355. - -Barnes, George E. (dramatic reviewer in S. F.): 103. - -“BARON RUDOLPH” (melod.): production of--and story--failure - of, 321, _et seq._; - rewritten by Howard--and by B., 324; - cast of, 326. - -BARRETT, LAWRENCE P. (Am. actor and th. man.: 1838-1891): 42; - acts _King Henry the Fifth_ in S. F., 91; 95; - first appearance of, in S. F., 135; - feeling of, toward McCullough--and characters of _Cassius_, - and _Antony_, 165; - first plays _Cassius_--and same, in S. F., 166. - -Barrett, Hon. George C. (Judge--N. Y.): 122. - -Barrows, James O. (Am. actor): schoolboy companion of B.--wins - medal in Comedy, 12; - B.’s early friendship with, 27. - -Barry, William (actor): 131. - -Barrymore, Maurice (Eng.-Am. actor and dramatist: 1848-1905): 309; 427. - -BATES, BLANCHE (Mrs. Milton F. Davis--Mrs. George Creel: Am. - actress: 1872-19--): 35; 62; 74; - B.’s first meeting with, 77; - mother’s ambition for--and B.’s promise _re_, 78; - beauty--qualities--potentialities of, 469, _et seq._; - lapse of, into obscurity--and biographical particulars _re_, 471, _et seq._; - first acts under B.’s management in “Naughty Anthony,” 473, _et seq._; - as _Cora_, in same, 474; - same, 475; - her performance of _Madame Butterfly_, 483; 487. - -Bates, Frank Mark (Am. actor: 18---18--): 75; - murdered, 76. - -BATES, MRS. FRANK MARK (Frances Marion Hinckley--Mrs. Charles - L. Lord: Am. actress: 1848-1908): 35; 74; - B.’s recollection of, and of her husband, 75, _et seq._; - B. acts _Armand Duval_ with, 76; - B.’s promise to, _re_ daughter, 77; - on B.’s facility in adapting plays, 84; 133; 472. - -Beauty and the Brigands,” “The (burlesque): 37. - -Behne, Harriet (singer): 489. - -Belasco, Augusta (Mrs. William Elliott): 469. - -=BELASCO, DAVID= (American theatrical manager, playwright, - stage manager, actor, dramatist: 1853-19--): - qualities of--ancestry and parentage, 1; - parents go to Calif.--birth of--and removed to Victoria, B. C., 2; - early influences affecting--education of--early years in - Roman Catholic monastery, 4; - residence of, in monastery--abiding effect of R. C. - influence on--runs away--joins travelling circus--befriended - by a clown, 5; - reclaimed by father and taken home--theatrical proclivity of--and - “first appearance” of on stage, 6; - his memory of appearing with Julia Dean--his recollections of early - actors characterized, 7; - frequent juvenile employment of--appears in “K. R. III.,” with C. Kean - and E. Tree--removal of, to San Francisco, 10; - a pupil at the Lincoln Grammar School, S. F.--his teachers--his talent - for declamation--recitations by, 11; - “mascot” of the Victoria Fire Department--pupil at Fourth Street School, - S. F.--wins Gold Medal in Tragedy--early reading--first - places of residence in S. F., 12; - first play by, date of, question about, etc.--boyhood custom of, - as writer--recollection of, _re_ his play, “The Roll of the Drum,” 13; - passion of, for stage--letter to, from boyhood friend--recitations - of, in boyhood--also early performances participated in by, 14; - recitation by, before Queen Emma of the Hawaiian Islands--removed - with parents from Victoria--filial devotion of--and early - propensity of, 15; - industry of, in childhood--public recitations--assists parents, 16; - hard early experience of--advancement--reading and recreation - in boyhood, 17; - effect of McCullough’s recitation of “The Little Hero” on--becomes - a stowaway--his story of his adventures as, 17, _et seq._; - leaves school--marriage of, 19; - early record and experience of, as actor, reciter, etc.--payment - of (period 1871-1879), 20; - bohemian adventures of, related to author--his mother’s name for, - and opinion about, 21; - miscellaneous knowledge accumulated by--tangled chronology of his - early life--his “The Story of My Life” examined and estimated - by author, 22, _et seq._; - incorrect recollections by, rectified, 23; - time, place, etc., of his first formal appearance on stage established, 24; - his first part--billed as “Walter Kingsley” when making first - appearance--reason for taking, and for dropping, that name--form - of his name in early playbills--childhood appearances of, 25; - appears with C. Kean--early appearances as super, reciter, - etc.--appears with Mme. Methua-Scheller (1869) in “Under the - Gas-Light”--and with J. Proctor in - “The Jibbenainosay”--Proctor’s reason for employing him, 26; - appears in Prof. Hager’s “The Great Republic”--his parts - in--appears in amateur performances at Platt’s Hall, S. F.--early - association with J. O. Barrows, 27; - smitten with Lotta--appears with amateur actors’ association - in S. F. (1871) and is commended by local newspaper--meets J. - McCullough, 28; - advantage of McC.’s friendship--early friendship with W. H. - Sedley-Smith, 29; - Sedley-Smith’s influence on--same employs, at Calif. Th. and - advice of same to, 33; - his actual adoption of stage--acts with J. Murphy, in “Help,” 34; - actors with whom associated in “Help”--date of his association - with Chapman Sisters, 35; - at the Metropolitan Th. in ’73, 36; - his parts in various performances at the Metro.--makes “a hit” - as _Prince Saucilita_, in “The Gold Demon,” 37; - earning extra pay, 38; - early acquaintances of--theatrical vagabondage of--and describes -same, 39, _et seq._; - early parts played by, 41; - eking out a living--early admiration, etc., of Walter - Montgomery, 42, _et seq._; - chief recitations by--appearances of, at Platt’s Hall, - about 1870--first meeting with future wife--impression of, 44; - serious injury to--near death--marriage of, 45; - travels with Chapman Sisters--returns to S. F.--employed - by J. H. Le Roy--suggests “The New Magdalen” for B. Pateman, 46; - his recollections of first performance of that play--and - of Miss Pateman--engaged at Shiels’ O. H., 48; - another engagement with Murphy--acts with L. Alberta--with - F. Cathcart and G. Darrell--various parts played by, 49; - acts for bft. J. Dunbar--goes to Virginia City, Nev., under - management J. Piper, 50; - varied experience in Virginia City, 51; - associated there with Mrs. D. P. Bowers--and regard for - same--meeting with Dion Boucicault--confusion - about--and facts considered--profound influence - on, of Boucicault--B.’s reminiscence of same, 52, _et seq._; - author’s opinion _re_ Boucicault’s employment of, in - Virginia City--opinion of, about Boucicault--first - S. F. appearance of, again mentioned, 57; - not in Virginia City before 1873--disappears from - S. F. records--and goes to Virginia C., 60; - concerning, and Boucicault, in Virginia C.--number of - engagements there filled by--period of his career, 1873-1876, 61; - actors associated with, in Virginia C. enumerated--and - painful experience of, with demented woman, 62; - freed from control of Piper--returns to S. F.--appears - with A. Neilson during her first S. F. - engagement--sees the Lingards in “La Tentation,” 63; - sees Raymond in “Led Astray”--consulted _re_ “The Gilded - Age”--his recollection of same and J. T. Raymond, 64; - employed by Lingard--and by Barton Hill--plays and actors - associated with, summer of 1874, 68; - his admiration for S. W. Piercy, 69; - “barnstorming” ventures by--employed by Mile. Zoe--and - appears with--secretary to T. Maguire--appears - with J. A. Herne, etc., 70; - the same--and sees Mayo in “Griffith Gaunt”--makes - a version of same--again works with J. H. Le Roy, 71; - works with Herne, etc.--assists in revival of “Oliver Twist”--revives - and produces “The Enchantress” for A. Bennett--and - appears in, with same, 72; - temperamental heedlessness of, _re_ dates--author’s - consequent difficulty in making Chronology, 73; - most important event of early life--nature of his - experience--“stars” associated with, 74; - his reminiscences of the “minstrel” “Jake” - Wallace--and of Frank M., and Mrs. Bates, 75; - admiration of, for J. E. Owens--and writes play - for--kindness to, and instruction of, by C. R. Thorne, Sr., 78; - “barnstorming” with a “beautiful school teacher”--friendship - with Mary Gladstane--and admiration for “Mary Warner,” 79; - plays produced by, with Miss Rogers--liking of, for - “Robert Macaire”--“specialties” of B.--makes wigs, 80; - returns to S. F. to study Hooley Comedy Co., W. H. - Crane, etc.--employed by Hooley, 81; - willingness and simplicity of, _re_ labor--employed - by Emmet as dresser--and acts with, 82; - studies Daly’s productions--and refused engagement - by same--peddles “patent medicines,” 83; - prepares prompt books--marvellous resources of, 84; - first meeting of, with J. A. Sawtell--later association--joins Thorne, Sr., - at his Palace Th.--and not paid by, 85; - plays acted in with Thorne, Sr.--appears with F. Jones, 86; - prompter and assistant stage manager at Baldwin’s Academy of Music, S. - F.--associated with B. Sullivan--and others, 87; - plays acted in by, with Sullivan--he returns to Maguire’s New Th., 88; - views of, _re_ difficult parts--interesting reminiscence of Sullivan--goes - “barnstorming” again, 89; - acts in bfts.--sees E. Adams--sees G. Rignold in “King Henry V.,” 90; - and sees Barrett in same--diverse activities of--acts with - G. F. Rowe--appears - again in “Under the Gas-Light”--meets Eleanor Carey, 92; - makes play on “Article 47” for Miss Carey, 93; - period of his life, 1876-1879, _et seq._--sees and studies - E. Booth--and appears - with same at Calif. Th.--his Booth relics--works for - Ward and W. Montague, 96; - travels with F. M. Phelps--and joins F. Gardner in - “The Egyptian Mystery,” 97; - his appearance with same--and plays written by, for, enumerated, 99; - recitations by, in same association--and his reminiscence - of--experiments in stage - lighting, 99; - travels with “The Egyptian Mystery”--sees Modjeska’s - first Am. appearance, 100; - recollections of same, 102; - acting and stage managing with T. W. Keene, 103; - acting with the “Frayne Troupe”--plays old women--and - goes to Bush St. Th., S. F., 104; - at the Baldwin again--directs the N. Y. Union Square - Theatre Co. in S. F.--and travels - and acts with--tribute to, by that co., 105; - letter to, from F. F. Mackay on behalf of same--his - “Dearer than Life” and his “Olivia” - produced, 106; - his “Olivia”--and alters “A Woman of the People,” 107; - makes “Proof Positive” for R. Wood--directs C. Morris--and - adapts “Not Guilty,” 108; - his “Not Guilty” produced in S. F.--recollections of - that production--leaves the Baldwin, 110; - contemptible treatment of, _re_ “Not Guilty”--Baldwin - intervenes--and an experience with - D. Thompson and J. M. Hill, 111, _et seq._; - returns to S. F. and to the Baldwin--adapts and produces - “Within an Inch of His Life,” 113; - “fire effect” in same, 114; - S. Morse’s “Passion Play” produced by, etc., 115, _et seq._; - his opinion of O’Neill’s _Jesus Christ_--he adapts - “La Famille Benoiton!”--and writes - “The Millionaire’s Daughter,” 125; - his account of producing same, 126, _et seq._; - accused of plagiarism--and comment thereon, 128; - detraction of B.--reason for, and examined, 129, _et seq._; - nature of early influences affecting, 133; - characteristics of--and early influences on, again, 134; - sees opening of the California Theatre, S. F., 135; - special histrionic idols of--a Shakespearean student - and scholar--and nature of early training as such, 136; - plays of S. familiar to--parts in S. plays acted - by--and women of, acted by, 137; - pre-eminently qualified to produce Shakespeare--and - reasons why he has not yet done so in N. Y., 138; - on _Shylock_, D. Warfield as, etc., 139; - a prescient manager--his repertory as an actor--more - than 170 parts and plays enumerated, 140, _et seq._; - his “The Story of My Life” critically examined by author, 148, _et seq._; - author and, on stage deaths, etc., 150; - not the inventor of “natural” acting, 155; - not a disparager of the Past, 157; - in boyhood, sees and studies Daly’s Co., 158; - great service of, to Stage, 159; - and nature of--his qualities--and influences affecting, 161; - detraction of, by criticasters, 162; - enduring nature of his achievements, -163; - birth of--and misleading accounts of his early career, 164, _et seq._; - errors of, _re_ Barrett, McCullough, Montgomery, - etc., corrected, 165, _et seq._; - views of, _re_ “one-part actors,” Salvini, Irving, - Jefferson, etc., contravened, 168, _et seq._; - R. Coghlan engaged at his request, 177; - Miss Coghlan’s attitude toward, 178; - they become good friends--Miss C. appears under - his direction--he writes play for same, 179; - Wallack wishes to buy that play, 180; - B.’s recollection of Herne and K. Corcoran, 181; - bft. for B. and Herne, 182; - B. on same--and Maguire and Baldwin, 183; - he makes version of “L’Assommoir,” 185; - and same is produced by, 186; - friction at rehearsals of same, 187; - he projects play of “Chums” for O’Neill and Morrison, 188; - writes and produces same with Herne and his wife, 189; - failure thereof, 190; - leaves S. F. to venture in East, 191; - arranges to bring out “Chums” in Chicago as “Hearts of Oak,” 192; - success of venture in Chicago, 193; - dissension between, and Herne begins, 195; - B. and Herne come to N. Y., 196; - consequence to, of failure in N. Y., 206; - badly treated by Herne--and sells “Hearts of Oak” interest, 207; - account of his return to S. F., 208, _et seq._; - re-employed in minor capacity at the Baldwin--and - his recollections of Miss Neilson and her farewell, 209, _et seq._; - his “Paul Arniff,” 214; - produced, 215; - his version of “True to the Core,” 220; - various productions directed by--his recollections - and estimate of W. E. Sheridan, 221; - impression made on, by Sheridan--and gives imitations - of that actor--recollections of Laura Don, 225, _et seq._; - produces “Wedded by Fate”--and recollections of - H. B. McDowell, 227; - again associated with Geo. Darrell, 229; - his play of “La Belle Russe,” 230, _et seq._; - same produced--and success of, 236; - requests Tearle to inform Wallack concerning - same--his “The Stranglers of Paris,” 237; - same produced--story and quality of, 238; - takes “La Belle Russe” to N. Y., 241; - harsh treatment of, by Maguire, 242; - sells “La Belle Russe” outright, 243; - returns to S. F. and the Baldwin, 244; - errors of, _re_ Wallack, corrected, 245, _et seq._; - his “La Belle Russe” produced at Wallack’s, 246; - directing for Sheridan again, in S. F., 247; - his “The Curse of Cain”--recollections of--and - views of the character of Cain, 248, _et seq._; - fidelity of, to Maguire, 253; - associated with G. Frohman, 254; - and revives his alteration of “The Octoroon” with G. Frohman, 255; - description of “effects” in, 256; - writes “American Born,” 257; - produces same, 258; - first meeting of, and C. Frohman, 259, _et seq._; - accepts employment at Madison Square Theatre, - N. Y.--leaves S. F. with G. Frohman’s Co., 261; - letter to, from F. F. Mackaye, 262; - retrospect of his early career--and partial list of - plays produced by, prior to 1882, 263, _et seq._; - produces “American Born” in Chicago, 269; - recollections of same--and of journey East, 270, _et seq._; - interview with Dr. Mallory--engagement at - Mad. Sq. Th. confirmed--and comment on by author, - etc., 275, _et seq._; - hard terms of contract with, 277; - unrecognized labors of, 278; - plays produced by, at Mad. Sq. Th., prior to 1884, 279; - production--contents--significance of his “May Blossom,” 280, _et seq._; - faints at first performance of “May Blossom”--gratitude - of, to author, 287; - accused of plagiarism, 288; - and cleared of charge, 289; - goes to England for first time--author and, meet for - first time, 290, _et seq._; - adapts “Called Back,” 291; - friction with Palmer--interview with same and Boucicault, 293; - he leaves the Mad. Sq. Th.--project of starring as - _Hamlet_, etc., 294, _et seq._; - association with S. Mackaye, 296; - quarrel with, and same ended, 297; - writes “Valerie” for L. Wallack, 298; - particulars of that task, 299; - his “Valerie” considered, 300, _et seq._; - feeling of, toward Wallack, 305; - errors of, corrected, 306; - returns to S. F., 307; - his “Valerie” in S. F., 308; - cast of same--and other plays produced, 309; - extraordinary performance for bft. of--cast, etc., 310, _et seq._; - returns to N. Y., 311; - engaged at the Lyceum Theatre, 313; - makes “The Highest Bidder” for E. H. Sothern, 314, _et seq._; - produces “The Great Pink Pearl” and “Editha’s - Burglar”--develops Elsie Leslie, 317; - with Greene, writes “Pawn Ticket 210” for Lotta, 318, _et seq._; - productive industry of--produces “Baron Rudolph” - (rewritten in style of Howard)--and strives - to save Knight from failure in, 321, _et seq._; - his recollections of G. Knight and this play (“Only a Tramp”), 325; - commissioned to write second play for the Lyceum, 326; - takes Henry C. De Mille into collaboration--they write - “The Wife”--and B.’s recollections of, etc., 327, _et seq._; - success of “The Wife” due to scene invented by--method - of collaboration of, and De Mille, 334; - he forces “The Wife” into success, 336; - B. and De Mille commissioned to write play for younger - Sothern--and B. revises Gillette’s “She,” etc., 337, _et seq._; - his work as a teacher of acting--goes to Echo Lake and - writes “Lord Chumley” with De Mille, 340; - on actors and their choice of parts--persuades Sothern - to act _Chumley_, 341; - recollections of writing “Lord Chumley,” 343; - varied labors of--and revises “The Kaffir Diamond,” 345, _et seq._; - his view of schools of acting, 349; - a master--and wholly exceptional as a teacher of acting, - etc., 351, _et seq._; - “Electra” revived under his direction--his recollections of, 353; - anticipates G. Barker and “modern methods” by more than - a quarter-of-a-century--miscellaneous work of, at Lyceum, 355; - places “Robert Elsmere” on the stage for Gillette--commissioned - to write third play for Lyceum, 356, _et seq._; - on best subjects for the Drama--and writes “The Charity - Ball” with De Mille, 357, _et seq._; - association of, with Mrs. Leslie Carter, 361; - first meeting of, and same, 362; - Mrs. Carter seeks, at Echo Lake, 363; - impressed by latent talent of same--and determines to train her, 363; - unable to hold rehearsals for lack of a stage--undertakes - to revise and produce - “The Prince and the Pauper” in return for use of a - stage, 365, _et seq._; - quality of, when angered--opinion of Elsie Leslie--and - her supporting co., 367; - his bargain for stage of the Lyceum repudiated, 368; - his bitter resentment of--and retires from the Lyceum, 369; - his shackled situation, after twenty years of labor, 370; - desperate resolution of, 371; - training Mrs. Carter--and his situation grows worse, 372; - proposal to, by C. Frohman--and same accepted--“Men and Women” - written for C. Frohman, 382; - seeks play for Mrs. Carter--and employs P. M. Potter, 384; - arrangement of, with N. K. Fairbank, to “back” Mrs. - Carter--disappointed by Potter, 384; - employs Gordon--and throws out all his work--revises - “The Ugly Duckling”--and produces same, 385; - difficulties in starring Mrs. Carter, 387; - deserted by Fairbank, 388; - Fairbank repudiates obligations to--and B. sues him, 389; - B.’s suit against Fairbank--and origin of preposterous - story about B.’s methods of instruction, 390; - Mrs. Carter’s acknowledgment of debt to--and his view of Fairbank, 391; - writing “The Heart of Maryland”--and bitter struggle of, 392; - shifts to make a living, 393; - reminiscence of, about Mrs. Carter, 394; - proposal to, by C. Frohman, for managerial alliance, 395; - same accepted--and adapts “Miss Helyett” for American - stage--interviews of, with Audran and Wyndham, 396; - with C. Frohman he produces “Miss Helyett”--and his work on same, 397; - meets Audran and obtains letter of commendation from, 398; - lays aside “The Heart of Maryland” to assist C. - Frohman--takes F. Fyles into collaboration--and - appreciative remembrance of, 402; - writes “The Girl I Left Behind Me” with Fyles, 403; - shrewd judgment in selecting novel theme for, 404; - his play of “The Girl I Left Behind Me” critically - examined in detail, etc., 406, _et seq._; - instructive observations of, _re_ suggestion in art, 418; - disregards the principle, 419; - remarks of, _re_ origin of “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” 420, _et seq._; - relations of, with C. Frohman, 421; - important letter to, from C. Frohman, 422; - his “dreams”--seeks, and gains, the co-operation of R. M. Hooley, 425; - arrangement with Hooley to produce “The Heart of Maryland”--and that project - blocked by sudden death of Hooley--B. extruded - from Chicago in favor of Klaw & Erlanger, 427; - adapts “The Younger Son” to assist C. Frohman at the Empire, 428; - comment on failure of, 430; - again revises “The Heart of Maryland”--and interjects “local color,” 431; - significant comment by, _re_ difficulty in producing - “The Heart of Maryland,” 432, _et seq._; - author’s endorsement of his views thereon--and B.’s desperate straits, 433; - Palmer accepts “The Heart of Maryland,” 434; - same is unable to fulfil contract and produce--B. again defeated, 435; - reminiscence of final efforts to bring out “The Heart - of Maryland,” 436, _et seq._; - at last produces that play--the turning-point in his career, 437; - comment on his experience in business dealings, 438; - his “The Heart of Maryland” critically examined in detail, 438, _et seq._; - his speech on first night of that play in N. Y., 445; - success at last--trial of his suit against Fairbank--revises - “Under the Polar Star”--visits S. F.--and buys “The First Born,” 447; - his beautiful presentment of that play in N. Y., 449; 450; - with C. Frohman presents “The First Born” in London, 451; - sails for England--and with same presents “The Heart of - Maryland” in London, 452, _et seq._; - newspaper injustice to, _re_ that play of his and - “Secret Service,” 453, _et seq._; - quest of a new play--and reads about “Zaza,” 454; - sees that play--and arranges with C. Frohman to buy - and produce--returns to Am., 455; - author’s strictures on his play of “Zaza” and production of same by, 456; - compassionate nature of--and his moral attitude more - emotional than rational, 459, _et seq._; - first production of “Zaza”--and same in N. Y., 461; - success of Mrs. Carter is due to, 465; - death of his mother--strange experience of, at time--and views -of, on spiritualism, 466, _et seq._; - filial affections of--and reminiscence of his - mother--and significant letter from, 468, _et seq._; - serious purpose of, in “Naughty Anthony,” 475; - his comment on failure of same, and causes thereof, 476; - reads story of “Madame Butterfly”--and writes a tragedy - based on--same critically considered in detail, 477, _et seq._; - produces that tragedy--and success thereof, 482; - presents “Zaza” in London--and disgust of Fr. authors thereof, 484; - B.’s amusing reminiscence of same, 485, _et seq._; - takes “Madame Butterfly” to Eng., 486; - with C. Frohman presents same in London--and achieves - memorable success with, 487; - great tribute of audience to, at first Eng. presentation - of “Madame Butterfly,” 488, _et seq._; - gives operatic rights of, to Puccini, 489; - lends scene models for operatic production of, 490; - meets Lady V. S. Meux--and is invited to abandon Mrs. - Carter’s direction and assume that of Mrs. J. B. Potter, 492; - his desire to conduct a London theatre--Lady Meux offers - to build one for him--he declines both her proposals--and - comment thereon, 493. - -Belasco, Mrs. David (Cecilia Loverich): first meeting with B., 44; - marriage of, 45. - -Belasco, Frederick (1862-19--): birth of, 3; 447. - -BELASCO, HUMPHREY ABRAHAM (father of D. B.: 1830-1911): - nationality of--and birth, 1; - goes with wife to Calif.--thence to Victoria, 2; - traces runaway son--affiliations of, with actors, 6; - removes family from Victoria, 10; - removes family to S. F., 15. - -BELASCO, MRS. HUMPHREY ABRAHAM (Reina Martin, mother of - D. B.: 1830-1899): nativity of--and birth, 1; - goes with husband to S. F.--birth of first child--goes to Victoria, 2; - children of, born in Victoria, 3; - her early name for B.--and opinion about, 21; - death of--and B.’s strange experience at time of, 466, _et seq._ - -Belasco, Israel (1861----): birth, 3. - -Belasco, Walter (1864-19--): birth, 3. - -“Belle Lemar” (melod.): 439. - -BELLE RUSSE,” “LA (melod.): object of B. in writing, 230; - story of, 231, _et seq._; - produced--and success of, 236; - original cast of, 237; - B. takes to N. Y., 241; - desired by various managers, 241; - sold outright--and produced in N. Y., 243; - B. Howard’s opinion of, etc., 244; 246; 268; 298; 432. - -Bellew (Higgin), Harold Kyrle (Eng.-Am. actor: 1845-1911): 298; - admirable performance of, as _Challoner_, 303. - -Bellows, Charles: 349. - -Bells,” “The (melod.): 168; 170; 172; 247. - -Bells,” “The (poem): 43. - -Belot, Adolph (Fr. novelist and dramatist: 1829-1890): 238. - -“Ben Battle” (poem): 43. - -Bennett, Amy (Am. actress): B. revises and directs - revival of “The Enchantress” for, 72. - -Bennett, Julia (Mrs. Jacob Barrow: 1824-18--): 153. - -Bergere, Valerie (Am. actress): 491; 492. - -“Bernardino del Carpio” (poem): 11; 20; 44. - -Bert, Frederick W. (Am. th. agent and man.): 91. - -Berton, Pierre (Fr. journalist and playwright: 1840-1912): 456; 484; 485; 486. - -Bernhardt, Sarah (Sarah Frances--Mme. Jacques Damala: - Fr. actress, sculptor, and th. man.: 184[4?]-19--): 151. - -Big Bonanza,” “The (play): produced in N. Y., 80; 82. - -Billings, Arthur D. (Am. actor: 18----1882): 46; 47; 62; 87; - bft. to, 100. - -Bishop, Charles B. (Am. actor, and M.D.: 18---1889): 105. - -Black Hand; or, The Lost Will,” “The (melod.): B. acts in, 86. - -Blaine, Mrs. James G., Jr. (Mary Nevin): 340. - -Blake, William Rufus (Am. actor: 1805-1863): 157. - -“Bleak House” (dramatization of): Mme. Janauschek - in--and B. makes version of, 84. - -Bleiman, Max: 436; 437; 447. - -Blinn, Holbrook (Am. actor: 1872-19--): 11. - -Boker, George Henry (Am. poet and dramatist: 1823-1890): 9. - -BOOTH, EDWIN THOMAS (am. Actor and Th. Man.: 1833-1893): - early S. F. “hit” by, in mimicry, 38; - returns to S. F.--and B. meets, 93; - repertory of, at Calif. Th.--and B. appears with, 94; - B.’s recollections of--and relics of, 95, _et seq._; - 132; 151; 168; 170; 171; 273. - -Booth, Junius Brutus, Sr. (Eng.-Am. tragedian: 1796-1852): as _King Lear_, 32. - -Booth, Junius Brutus, Jr. (Am. actor and th. man.: 1821-1883): 131. - -Booth’s Theatre, N. Y.: “Daddy O’Dowd” first produced at, 58. - -Boston Museum: 8. - -Boucheron, Maxime (Fr. librettist): 397. - -BOUCICAULT, DION (Dionysius Lardner Boucicault - [originally Bourcicault]: Irish-Am. dramatist, - actor, and th. man.: 182[2?]-1890): - first meeting of, with B.--confusion regarding--profound - influence of, on B.--his “Led Astray”--B.’s - reminiscence of, etc., 52, _et seq._; 54; - and Mrs. (Agnes Robertson) return to Am. and appear - in “Arrah-na-Pogue”--tour by--many projects of--first - appearance of, as _Daddy O’Dowd_, 58; - at first Am. appearance of T. Salvini--author on - first production of his “Led Astray,” 59; - author on methods of--first appearance of, in S. F., 60; 69; 106; - effect of, on B., 160; 165; 169; 173; 174; - imitates Jefferson’s Rip, 175; 255; 276; 293; 294; - designations of dramatic forms by, 377; 412; 419; 439. - -“Boucicault in California” (entertainment): 60. - -Bowers, Mrs. David P. (Elizabeth Crocker--Mrs. ---- - Brown--Mrs. James C. McCollom: 1830-1895): 51; - B. acts with--and his regard for, 52; 133; 136. - -Bowery Theatre, N. Y. (old): Julia Dean makes first N. Y. appearance at, 8. - -“Box and Cox” (farce): 372. - -Boyesen, Hjalmar Hjorth: 279. - -Bozenta, Charles (Charles [Karol] Bozenta Chlapowski: - Polish-Am. journalist and th. man.: 1838-1914): 310. - -Bradley, A. D. (Am. stage man. and actor): 230. - -Brady, William A. (Am. th. man.: 1865-19--): 446; 451. - -“Brass” (play): 92. - -Bridge of Sighs,” “The (poem): 43. - -Broadway Theatre, N. Y. (old): Julia Dean at, 8; 9. - -Brooke, Gustavus Vaughan (Irish actor: 1819-1867): 131. - -Brooks, Joseph (Am. th. agent and man.: 1849-1916): 196; 251; 438. - -Brougham, John (Irish-Am. actor, dramatist, and - th. man.: 1810-1880): his designation of Lotta, 27; 43; 132; 177. - -Brown, Henry (Am. actor and stage man.): 104; 115. - -Bruce,” “The (poem): 43. - -Buchanan, McKean (Am. actor and th. man.: 1823-1872): 131. - -Buckland, Wilfred (Am. th. designer): 349. - -Buckley, Edward J. (Am. actor: 18---18--): 87; 89; bft., 92; 135. - -Buckley (Uhl), May (Am. actress: 1875-19--): 449. - -Buckley, Mrs. Edward J.: 135. - -Bulletin,” “The San Francisco Evening (newspaper): on B.’s -“Not Guilty,” 110; - on acting of Daly’s Co., 159. - -Bullock, William (Am. journalist): 357. - -Burgess, Neil (Am. actor: 1846-1910): 375. - -Burke, Charles St. Thomas (Am. actor: 1822-1854): 172; 173; 341. - -Burnett, Mrs. Frances Hodgson (Frances Eliza Hodgson) - (Am. novelist and playwright: 1849-19--): 317. - -Burr, ---- (school teacher): 4. - -Burroughs, Claude (Am. actor: 18---1876): --. - -Burroughs, W. F.: 135. - -Burt, Frederick W. (Am. th. agent and man.): 207. - -Burton, William Evans (Eng.-Am. actor and th. man.: 1804-1860): 158. - -Bush Street Theatre, S. F.: B. acts at, with O. D. Byron, 104. - -Bustle Among the Petticoats,” “A (farce): 375. - -Byron, George Gordon, sixth Lord (the poet: 1788-1824): 120; 412. - -Byron, Henry James (Eng. dramatist, actor, and th. man.: - 1835-1884): 36; 106; 220; 343. - -Byron, Oliver Doud (Am. actor: 1842-19--): B. acts with, in S. F., 105. - - -C - -“Cain” (poem--Byron’s): 120. - -Caldwell, W. (actor): 135. - -California (State of): “gold fever” in, 2. - -California Theatre, S. F.: Boucicault’s first Calif. appearance made at, 60; - A. Neilson’s first Calif. appearance made at, 63; - L. Barrett at, in “K. Henry V.,” 91; - opened--and dramatic co. there, 135; - eng. of L. Wallack at, 180. - -Call,” “The San Francisco (newspaper): 103. - -“Called Back” (melod.): 290; 291, _et seq._; 293; 294. - -Callender’s Negro Minstrels: 255. - -Calvert, Charles (Eng. actor and th. man.: 1828-1879): 90; - trains G. Rignold, 91; - his revival of “K. Henry V.,” 92. - -“Camilla’s Husband” (play): 179. - -“Camille” (play): 458. - -Campbell, Bartley (Am. dramatist: 1844-1888): 80; - version of “Ultimo” by, 81; 221; 348. - -Carey, Eleanor (Am. actress): first appearance of, in S. F.--and B. meets, 92; - reopens Grand O. H., S. F., 97; - B. makes play for, on “Article 47,” 93. - -“Carlotta! Queen of the Arena” (play): 72. - -Carlyle, Thomas (the historian: 1795-1881): 456. - -“Carmen” (opera): 111. - -Carr, Mary (actress): 153. - -CARTER, MRS. LESLIE (Caroline Louise Dudley--Mrs. William - Louis Payne: Am. actress: 186[4?]-19--): - association of, with B.--and biographical - particulars concerning, 361, _et seq._; - divorced, 362; - first meets B.--crude aspirations of, 362; - follows B. to Echo Lake--and impresses him with talent, 363; - B. determines to train, 364; 366; - antagonism toward, 368; 369; 370; 371; - B.’s training of, 372, _et seq._; - play for, sought by B., 383; - “backing” obtained for--and first appearance of, on stage, 385; 386; - comment on her performance of _Kate Graydon_--difficulties in managing, 387; - first tour of, ended, 388; 389; - fiction _re_ B.’s method of training--letter of, - acknowledging her debt to B., 390, _et seq._; - her recollection of a dark period, 392; - thinks of becoming a “beauty doctor”--managerial - antipathy toward, 393, _et seq._; 394; - goes to Paris to see farce, 396; 421; 422; 425; - B. arranges to bring her out in Chicago, 426; 427; 431; 433; 434; - as _Maryland Calvert_, 444; 446; - sails for Eng., 452; 454; - sails for Am., 455; 472; - acts _Zaza_ in London, 484; 485; - B. invited to -give up direction of, 492; - he refuses same, 493. - -“Caryswold” (melod.): 257. - -Cat and the Cherub,” “The (play): 451. - -Cathcart, Fanny (Mrs. Geo. Darrell: actress): B. - acts with, and G. Darrell, 49. - -Cathcart, James F. (Eng.-Aus’n. actor: 1829-1903): 87; 133. - -“Caught in a Corner” (play): rewritten by B., 295. - -Cayvan, Georgia (Am. actress: 1858-1906): first distinctive success of, 285; - as B.’s _May Blossom_, 328; - hostile to Mrs. L. Carter, 328; 369. - -Celebrated Case,” “A (play): 105. - -Chanfrau, Francis [usually Frank] S. (Am. actor - and th. man.: 1824-1884): 133; 168. - -Chapman, Edith: 349. - -Chapman, Logan (actor): 261. - -Chapman, William B. (actor): 173. - -Chapman Sisters, Ella and Blanche (Am. burlesque actresses): 35; 36; 37; - B. travels with, 46. - -Charge of the Light Brigade,” “The (poem): 43. - -CHARITY BALL,” “THE (domestic drama): high rank of, 357; - story of, 358, _et seq._; - production--performance--and cast of, 360; 432. - -Charke, Charlotte (Charlotte Cibber--Mrs. Richard - Charke: Eng. actress: died, 1760): 40. - -“Charles O’Malley” (dramatization of): S. Cowell acts in, 71; 72. - -“Childe Harold” (poem): 412. - -Children of the Ghetto,” “The (novel): stage synopsis of--a failure, 473. - -Chippendale, William H. (actor and th. man.: 1802-1888): 153. - -“Chispa” (play): 247; 254. - -CHRISTMAS NIGHT; OR, THE CONVICT’S RETURN,” “THE (play): 98. - -Chronicle,” “The San Francisco (newspaper): 248. - -“CHUMS” (play): 188--and see “Hearts of Oak.” - -Cibber, Colley (Eng. actor, dramatist, th. man., etc.: 1671-1757): 87; 137. - -“Cinderella” (burlesque): 46. - -Clandestine Marriage,” “The (comedy): 160. - -Clarke (O’Neill), George (Irish-Am. actor: 1840-1906): 299. - -Clarke, John Sleeper (Am.-Eng. actor and th. man.: 1833-1899): 295. - -Claxton, Kate (Mrs. Charles A. Stevenson) (Am. actress: 18---19--): 229. - -Clemens, Samuel Langhorne (Mark Twain: Am. author: 1835-1910): Densmore’s - ver. of his “The Gilded Age”--letter about same - from, to Howells, quoted, 65; - Raymond’s letter about his “The Golden Age,” 66; - play suggested to, by Elsie Leslie, 365; 366. - -Coggswell, William J. (actor): 69. - -Coghlan, Charles Francis (Eng.-Am. actor, th. man., - and dramatist: 1842-1899): 133; 177. - -Coghlan, Rose (Mrs. John A. Sullivan: Eng.-Am. actress: 1852-19--): 133; - comes to Am.--and first appearance there--engaged - by Maguire at B.’s request, 177; - attitude of, toward B., 178; - they become friends--first appearance of, in S. - F.--play written for, by B., 179; - she appears in same, 180; 183; 184; - experience of, in rehearsing “L’Assommoir,” 187; - ends S. F. engagement, 188; 237; 246. - -Colleen Bawn,” “The (drama): 36. - -Collins, John (actor): 132. - -Collins, William Wilkie (Eng. novelist and dramatist: 1824-1889): 46; - his “The New Magdalen” dramatized and produced--comment - thereon by, 47; 92; 231. - -Colton, “Harry” (actor): 261. - -Colville, Samuel (Am. th. man.: 1825-1886): 131; 246. - -Comedy of Error,” “The: 137. - -Congreve, William (Eng. dramatist: 1670-1729): 302; 330. - -Conjugal Lesson,” “A (farce): 80. - -Cooke, T. P.: 220. - -Cooper, James: marriage of, and J. Dean, 10. - -CORCORAN, KATHERINE (Mrs. James A. Herne: Am. actress: 185[8?]-19--): 180; - meeting of, and Herne, 181; - appears in “Chums,” 190; - advises B. and her husband to go East, 191; - first appearance in Chicago, 193; - performance of, in “Hearts of Oak,” 204. - -“Coriolanus”: 137. - -Corrigan, Emmett (Am. actor): 416. - -Corsican Brothers,” “The (melod.): scene in, estimated, 128. - -Couldock, Charles Walter (Eng.-Am. actor: 1815-1896): 254; 273. - -County Fair,” “The (melod.): 375. - -Courtaine, Henry (Am. actor): 36. - -Courtaine, Mrs. Henry (Am. actress): 104. - -Cowell, Sydney (Mrs. George Giddens: Eng.-Am. actress): 62. - -Crane, William Henry (Am. actor and th. man.: 1845-19--): 87; 133. - -Crazy Horse (Indian chief): 404. - -“Creatures of Impulse” (play): 69. - -Creole,” “The (B.’s version of “Article 47”): 93. - -Criticism, dramatic: incompetence, the evil of, 155, _et seq._; - folly of much of contemporaneous, 151. - -Croly, Vida (Am. actress): 355. - -Crook, General George, U. S. A., (1828-1890): 420. - -Crook, Mrs. George: relates interesting reminiscence to B., 420, _et seq._ - -Crow, “Jim” (negro slave): 38. - -“Cupid’s Lawsuit” (farce): 176. - -“Curfew Must Not Ring To-Night” (poem): 11; 44; 442. - -CURSE OF CAIN,” “THE (melod.): 248; - story, 249, _et seq._; - cast of, 252. - -Curtis, Maurice Bertram (Maurice Bertram Strelinger: - Am. actor: 18-- ----): 104; 295. - -Custer, General George Armstrong (1839-1876): 404. - -“Cymbeline”: 137. - - -D - -“Dakolar” (melod.): 296; 311. - -DALY, AUGUSTIN (Am. journalist, th. man., dramatist, - and stage man.: 1838-1899): 56; 70; - production of his “The Big Bonanza,” 80; - the same, forestalled in S. F., 82; - not to be excluded from S. F., 83; 92; 127; - begins management--his co. in S. F., 158; - acting of same described, 159; 180; - “Life” of, by his brother--and opinion of, _re_ “L’Assommoir,” 184; - produces revision of same, 185; 228; 306; 392; - fails with “Heart of Ruby,” 482. - -Daly, Hon. Joseph Francis (Judge--N. Y.: 1840-1916): 184. - -Danicheffs,” “The (melod.): 179. - -Danites,” “The (play): 105. - -“Dark Deeds” (melod.): 49. - -“Darling” (melod.): 36. - -DARLING OF THE GODS,” “THE (tragedy): 162; 470; 477. - -Darrell, George (Australian actor and th. man.): 49; 229. - -Daughter of the Nile,” “A (play): 227. - -Dauvray, Helen (Am. actress and th. man.): 312; 337. - -Davenport, Edward Loomis (Am. actor and th. man.: 1815-1877): 72; 153; 197. - -Davenport, Louise (Mrs. William E. Sheridan: actress): 225. - -“David Copperfield” (novel): B. makes dramatization of, 84. - -Davis, Phœbe (Mrs. Joseph R. Grismer: Am. actress: 1864- ----): 254. - -Davis, “Rellie” (actress): 261. - -Dawn of Freedom,” “The (melod.): B. in, 86. - -DEAN, JULIA (Hayne) (Mrs. Arthur Hayne--Mrs. James Cooper: Am. actress - and th. man.: 1830-1868): B. in - childhood, appears with--and sketch of, 7, _et seq._; 132; 164. - -“Dearer than Life” (melod.): 106. - -De Bar, Benedict (Eng.-Am. actor and th. man.: 1814-1877): 133. - -de Belleville, Frederic (Belgian-Am, actor: 1857-19--): 382. - -“Deborah” (melod.): 103. - -“Delmar’s Daughter” (play): 279. - -DE MILLE, HENRY CHURCHILL (Am. playwright: 1850-1893): 313; 326; - becomes collaborator with B., 327, _et seq._; - 336; 337; 340; 343; 356; 373; 377; 378; 380; 383. - -Denin, Kate (Mrs. John Wilson: Am. actress: 1837-1907): - acts with B. and Thorn, Sr., 86; 132. - -“Denise” (melod.): 458. - -Densmore, Gilbert S. (Am. journalist): - his version of “The Gilded Age”--and B.’s recollection of, 64; - Clemens on same, 65; - Raymond on, 66. - -Detraction: of eminent persons, author on, 129, _et seq._ - -Dickens, Charles, Sr. (the novelist and dramatist: 1812-1870): 43. - -Dickson, James B. (Am. th. man. and actor): 196; 251. - -Dillon, John (actor): 261. - -Dillon, Louise (actress): 355. - -“Diplomacy” (play): 189, 237; 299. - -Dithman, Edward Augustus (Am. journalist: 1854-1917): 245. - -Dittenhoefer, Hon. Abram Jesse (Am. lawyer: 1836-19--): 389. - -“Divorce” (play): revived in S. F., 70; - B. on same, 181. - -Dockstader’s Minstrels: 375. - -DOLL MASTER,” “THE (melod.): 418. - -“Dombey & Son” (novel): B. makes dramatization of, 84. - -“Don Cæsar de Bazan” (play): 69; 87. - -Don, Laura (Anna Laura Fish--Mrs. Thomas B. - McDonough--Mrs. George W. Fox: Am. actress: died, 1886): 224; - B.’s recollection of, 225, _et seq._ - -“Donna Diana; or, Love’s Masque” (play): 51. - -Donnelly, see Murphy, Joseph. - -“Dora” (play): adapted and directed by B., 84. - -Dorr, Dorothy (Mrs. H. J. W. Dam: Am. actress: 1867-19--): 349. - -Douglas, Mrs. Belle (actress): 87. - -Doyle, W. F. (actor): 261. - -Drake, Samuel (Eng. actor: 1872-1847): grandfather of Julia Dean, 8. - -Drake, Julia (Mrs. Thomas Fosdick--Mrs. Edmund - Dean--Mrs. Samuel Drake: Eng.-Am. actress): 8. - -Drew, Mrs. John (Louisa Lane--Mrs. Henry Hunt--Mrs. - George Mossop: Eng.-Am. actress and th. man.: 1820-1897): 206; 207. - -“Drifting Apart” (play): 198; 199. - -Dudley, Mrs. Caroline: 392. - -Dudley, W. C. (Am. actor): 35. - -Duff, John (Am. speculative th. man.: 18-- -1889): 184. - -Dunbar, James: 50. - -Dunn, John (Am. actor): 131. - -Dunning, Alice (Mrs. William Horace Lingard: - Eng.-Am. actress: 18-- -1897): 133. - -Duret, Marie (“The Limpet”--actress): 131. - - -E - -“Easiest Way,” “The (play): 456. - -“East Lynne” (play): 7; 52; 79; 261. - -Eaves, Albert G. (th. costumer): 375. - -Eberle, Robert (Am. actor and stage man.): 217. - -Eddy, Edward (Am. actor: 1822-1875): 193. - -“Editha’s Burglar” (play): 317; 318; 365. - -Edmonds, Charles (actor): 47. - -Edmonds, Mrs. Charles (actress): 48. - -Edouin, “Willie” (Eng. actor: 1845-1908): 135. - -Edwards, Charles (actor): 69. - -Edwards, Henry (Am. actor, stage man., and - naturalist: 1824-1891): 36; 135, _et seq._; - acts _Antony_, 166; 298. - -Edwards, R. M. (play agent): early friend of B., 39. - -Egyptian Hall, S. F.: 98; 99; 100. - -EGYPTIAN MYSTERY,” “THE (illusion, etc.): - B. associated with--and described by B., 97, _et seq._ - -“Electra” (tragedy--of Sophocles): revival - of, under B.’s direction, 353, _et seq._ - -Ellsler, Effie (Am. actress): 254. - -Emanuel the First, King of Portugal (1495-1521): 1. - -Emery, Samuel (Eng. actor: 1818-1881): 153. - -Emily, “Virgie” (actress): 261. - -Emmet, J. K. (Am. actor: 1841-1891): B. - works for--and acts with, 82; 168; 192. - -Emma, Queen of the Hawaiian Islands: recitation of B. and others before, 15. - -Empire Theatre, N. Y.: origin of, 400, _et seq._; - opened with “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” 405. - -Enchantress,” “The (musical play): revised and directed by B., 72. - -“Enoch Arden” (play--on the poem): 202. - -Été de St. Martin,” “L’ (comedy): 450. - -Ethel, Agnes (Mrs. Francis W. Tracy--Mrs. - ---- Rondebush: Am. actress: 1853-1908): 299. - -Eustace, “Jennie” (actress): 349. - -Evans, Charles (Am. th. man.): 436; 492. - -Eviction,” “The (melod.): 227. - -Ewer, Rev. Ferdinand Cartwright (1820-1883): - funeral sermon of Julia Dean preached by, etc., 10. - -Eytinge, Rose (Mrs. David Barnes--Mrs. George - H. Butler--Mrs. Cyril Searle: Am. actress: 1835-1911): 53. - -Eyre, Gerald (actor): 235; 237; 298. - - -F - -Fairbank, N. K. (capitalist): agrees to “back” B. and Mrs. Carter, 385; - withdraws support and repudiates obligations, - _re_ Mrs. Carter’s tour--sued by B., 389; - defeated by B., 390; - B.’s kindly feeling toward--and admits he was “badly advised,” 391; 446. - -“Fairfax” (play): 221. - -Falconer, Edmund (Eng. dram.: 1815-1879): 28. - -Fall of Tarquin,” “The (tragedy): 94. - -Famille Benoiton!” “La (farce): adapted by B., 125. - -Fast Family,” “A (farce--same as preceding): 125. - -“Faust” (play): 98; 249. - -“Faustus” (spectacle): B. in, 86. - -Fawcett, George (Am. actor: 1860-19--): 349. - -“Fazio” (tragedy): 9; 160. - -“Featherbrain” (play): 336. - -Fechter, Charles Albert: (French actor and - th. man.: 1824-1879): Stuart’s Park Th. opened - with performance by, 59; 69. - -“Fedora” (melod.): 292. - -“Fernande” (comedy): 299. - -“Ferréol” (play): 355. - -“Festus” (poem): 249. - -Feuillet, Octave (Fr. dramatist: 1821-1890): 24; 53; 59; 63. - -Field, Edward Captain: 227. - -Fifth Avenue Theatre, N. Y.: the second, “The Big Bonanza,” produced at, 80. - -Figaro,” “The San Francisco (th. news sheet): early notice of B. in, 28; - commendation of same in, 37. - -Fire-Fly Social and Dramatic Club,” “The, of S. F.: B.’s association with, 28. - -First Born,” “The (tragedy): - B. buys--and in association with C. Frohman, produces in N. Y., 447; - story of, 448, _et seq._; - cast, 450; - produced in London--forestalled there, and failure of, 451. - -Fischer, Alice (Mrs. William Harcourt [King]: Am. actress: 1869-19--): 349. - -Fisher, Charles (actor: 1816-1891): 204. - -Fisk, James, Jr. (capitalist, etc.): 272. - -Fiske, Harrison Grey (Am. journalist and th. man.: 1867-19--): 288; 289. - -“Flies in the Web” (farce): 474. - -Florence (Conlin), William James (Irish-Am, - actor and th. man.: 1831-1891): 133; - a delicate artist, etc., 158; 321. - -Florence (Conlin), Mrs. William James (Malvina - Pray--Mrs. Joseph Littell--Mrs. George - Howard Coveny: Am. actress: 1831-1906): 133. - -Flynn, Thomas (actor: 17-- -1849): the first _Rip Van Winkle_, 173. - -Fool’s Revenge,” “The (tragedy): 86; 94; 222; 247. - -Foote, Samuel (Eng. actor and mimic: 1720-1777): 38. - -“Forbidden Fruit” (play): 57. - -Ford, Harriet: 349. - -“Forget Me Not” (play): 221; 231. - -Forrest, Edwin (Am. actor: 1806-1872): 132; 134; - death of, as _Hamlet_, 150; 151. - -Fortesque (Finney), May (Eng. actress): 313. - -Forty Thieves,” “The (burlesque): 86. - -Francœur, Joseph W. (actor): 252; 261. - -Franks, Frederick (actor): 135. - -Franks, Mrs. Frederick (actress): 135. - -Frawley, Timothy Daniel (Am. actor and th. man.: 18-- -19--): 471; 472. - -Frayne, Frank I. (Am. actor and th. man.: 18-- -18--): 74; 104. - -Freedom of the Press,” “The (play): B. appears in, 27. - -French, Samuel (’s Standard Drama): 39. - -French Spy,” “The (play): 70. - -FROHMAN, CHARLES (Am. speculative th. man.: - 1860-1915): “Life” of--B. associated - with--and B.’s recollections of, 269, - _et seq._; 292; 311; - proposal of, to B.--same accepted--and “Men - and Women” written for, 373, _et seq._; 383; - suggests a venture with B., 395; - buys “Miss Helyett” on B.’s advice, 396; - “Life” of, 401; - relations of, with B., 421; - important letter from, to B., 422; 425; - B. adapts “The Younger Son” for, 428; 435; 447; - with B., presents “The First Born” in London, 451; - with same, presents “The Heart of Maryland” in London, 453; 454; - arranges with B. for Am. presentation of Mrs. Carter in “Zaza,” 455; - with B. presents “Zaza” in London, 484; 487. - -FROHMAN, DANIEL (Am. th. man. and moving picture operative: 1853-19--): 254; - engages B. as stage manager of Mad. Sq. Th., N. Y., 260; 271; 275; 312; - engages B. as stage manager, playwright, - etc., of the Lyceum Theatre, N. Y., 313; 328; 329; - commissions B. to write a second play for Lyceum, 312; 326; 336; 340; - B.’s bargain with, _re_ use of a stage and “The Prince and the Pauper,” 366; - same repudiated, 368; - B.’s resentment of unfair treatment by--and letter to, 369; - suggests name of “The Girl I Left Behind Me” for B.’s play, 403. - -FROHMAN, GUSTAVE (Am. speculative th. man. and agent: 185[1?]-19--): - associated with B., 254; 255; 260; - B. leaves S. F. in employment of, 261; 269; 281; 292. - -“Frou-Frou” (play): 80. - -Fyles, Franklyn (originally, Franklin Files) - (Am. journalist and playwright: 1847-1911): 401; -collaborates with B. in “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” 403; 405. - - -G - -Gaboriau, Émile (Fr. novelist: 1833-1873): 113. - -Galley Slave,” “The (melod.): 221. - -Gambler’s Fate,” “The (melod.): 346. - -Gamester,” “The (play): 88; 252. - -Gannon, Mary (Mrs. George Stevenson: 1829-1868): 153. - -Gardner, Frank (th. man, and capitalist): - B. associated with, in “The Egyptian Mystery,” etc., 97, _et seq._ - -Garrick, David (Eng. actor, th. man., - and dramatist: 1716-1779): 137; 151; 154. - -“Gaspardo; or, The Three Banished Men of Milan” (melod.): B. in, 86. - -Gates, Daniel Virgil (actor): 131. - -Gatti, Messrs. (Eng. th. man.): 451. - -Gautier, Mme. Judith (Fr. dramatist): 482. - -Genest, Rev. John (Eng. th. historian: 1764-1839): 163. - -Giddens, George (Eng. actor: 1845-19--): 62. - -Gilbert, John Gibbs (Am. actor: 1810-1889): 153; 177; 298. - -Gilbert, Sir William Schwenck, kt. (Eng. dramatist and poet: 1836-1911): 313. - -Gilded Age,” “The (story): Densmore’s - dramatization of, produced--and B. on, 64; - Clemens to Howells on, quoted, 65, _et seq._; - Raymond’s letter about--and Twain’s version of, 66, _et seq._; - author on worth of--and Raymond’s performance in, 67, _et seq._; - acted in N. Y., 68; 165. - -Gillette, William Hooker (Am. actor and playwright: - 1855-19--): 317; 337; 339; 356; 375; 387; 439; 453. - -GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME,” “THE (melod.): written, 403; - excellence of--story of--and critically considered - in detail, 406, _et seq._; - produced--and Empire Th., N. Y., opened with, 405; - success of, 415; - cast of, 416; 417; 418; 419; - origin of, 420, _et seq._; 421; 422; 426; 427; 428; 432; 453. - -GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST,” “THE (melod.): Puccini’s opera on B.’s play of, 75; - Sawtell engaged for, 85; 470. - -Gladstane, Mary (Am. actress: 1830-18--): B.’s - admiration of--and gives prompt book to B., 79. - -Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (Ger. poet: 1749-1832): 249. - -Gold Demon,” “The (burlesque): B. makes hit in, 37. - -Golden Era,” “The, San Francisco (newspaper): 66. - -“Golden Game” (melod.): 221. - -Goldsmith, Oliver (the poet, novelist, and dramatist: - 1728-1774): 106; 107; 478. - -Good, Brent: 336. - -Goodwin, Frank L. (th. agent and man.): 243. - -Gordon, Marie E. (Mrs. John T. Raymond: Am. actress): 135. - -Grand Opera House, S. F.: “The Passion Play,” produced at, 115. - -Granville, Gertrude (Am. actress): 74; - B. acts with, 104. - -Graves, Converse (stage man.): 375. - -Great Divorce Case,” “The (melod.): 252. - -Great Pink Pearl,” “The (farce): 317. - -Great Republic,” “The (allegory): 27; 404. - -Great Ruby,” “The (melod.): 472. - -Greene, Clay M. (Am. playwright: 1850-19--): 247; 295; 310; 318; 446. - -Greenwall, Henry: 400. - -“Griffith Gaunt” (novel): Mayo’s dramatization of--and - B. makes version of, 71. - -Grismer, Joseph Rhode (Am. actor, playwright, and th. man.: 1849-19--): 224. - -Grove, Florence Crawford (Eng. playwright): 231. - -Gunter, Archibald Clavering (Am. novelist and playwright: 1848-1907): 311. - - -H - -Haase, Frederick (Ger. actor: 1827-19--): 251; 252. - -Hackett, James Henry (Am. actor and th. man.: 1800-1871): - effect of his acting, 155; 173. - -Hager, Professor ----: B. appears in his “Allegory,” 27; 404. - -Haggard, Henry Rider (Eng. novelist: 1856-19--): 337. - -Halévy, Ludovic (Fr. dramatist: 1834-1908): 450. - -“Hamlet”: 43; 69; 88; 138; 154; 247; 249; 252; 294. - -Hamlin, John (Am. speculative th. man.): 192; 193; 194. - -Happy Pair,” “A (farce): 37; 80; 177. - -Harcourt, Charles (Eng. actor): acts _Paul Zegers_, 170; 171. - -“Hard Cash” (novel): 257. - -Hardie, J. H. (Am. actor): 35. - -Harkins, Major Daniel H. (Am. soldier, actor, and th. man.: 1835-1902): 299. - -Harris, Sir Augustus (Eng. actor, th. man., and playwright: 1842-1896): 227. - -Harris, William (Am. th. man.: 1845-1916): 400; 401. - -Harrison, Alice (Am. actress: 1852-1896): 36. - -Harrison, Mrs. Burton N., Sr.: 279. - -Haunted House,” “The (melod.): 98. - -Haverley’s Minstrels: 260. - -Hawthorne, Louise (actress): 87. - -Hayes, Sarah: 225. - -Hayman, Al. (Am. speculative th. man. and theatre - proprietor: 18[52?]-1917): 307; 337; 400; - loans $1,500 on $30,000 security, 437. - -Hayne, Arthur (M.D.): marriage of, to J. Dean, 9. - -Hayne, Robert Young (U. S. Senator: 1791-1839): 9. - -“Hazel Kirke” (melod.): 254; 258. - -HEART OF MARYLAND,” “THE (melod.): 370; - writing of, 392; - difficulty in getting it produced, 394; 401; 422; 423; - B. arranges to produce, in Chicago, 425; 426; - play “shelved” by death of R. M. Hooley, 427; - laid aside by B., 431; - comment by B. on experience with, 432; - accepted by Palmer, 433; - preparations to produce, 434; - Palmer forced to abandon--B.’s reminiscence of - final struggle to bring out, 436, _et seq._; - produced at last, 437; - story of--and critically considered in detail, 438, _et seq._; - cast of, 444; - first tour of, 446; - B. buys out partner’s interest in--and presents in S. F., 447; - B. and C. Frohman arrange to present, in London, 451; - profits from--and third season of, ended, 452; - presented in London--success of, there and long - run of--_re_ mechanical effects in, 453, _et seq._ - -Heart of Midlothian,” “The (novel): Boucicault’s dramatization of, 64. - -“Heart of Ruby” (tragedy): exquisite production of, - by Daly--and a failure, 482. - -“HEARTS OF OAK” (“Chums”--play): B. projects, 188; - writes, with Herne, 189; - produced--and fails, 190; - taken “on tour,” 191; 192; - produced in Chicago--and succeeds, 193; - suit about, 195; - brought to N. Y., 196; 198; - author at first N. Y. performance of--story of, - etc., critically considered in detail, 201, _et seq._; - B.’s interest in, bought, 206, _et seq._; 209; 236; 268. - -Heine, Heinrich (the poet: 1797-1856): 166. - -“Held by the Enemy” (melod.): 439. - -“Help” (melod.): B. acts in, 34; 35; 49. - -Hemans, Felicia Dorothea (Eng. poet: 1793-1835): 11. - -Henderson, Alexander (Eng. th. man.: 1829-1886): 167. - -Henderson, David (Am. journalist and th. man.): 335. - -Henderson, Grace (Mrs. David Henderson): beauty and talent of, 351; 360. - -Henley, Edward J. (Eng. actor: 1862-1898): 427. - -Henrietta,” “The (comedy): 375. - -“Her Atonement” (melod.): 348. - -HERNE, JAMES A[LFRED] (James Ahearn: Am. actor, - playwright, and stage manager: 1839-1902): 70; - acts _Rip Van Winkle_--and _Solon Shingle_, 71; - acts _Bambuno_--and -_Sikes_--version of “Charles O’Malley” by--and in “The Sphinx,” 72; - at Baldwin’s A. of M., 87; - B. on, as _Rip_, 168; - as _Rip_--and inferior to Jefferson, 176; - with B., writes play for R. Coghlan, 179; - plan of, to go East, 180; - meeting with future wife, 181; - bft. to, and B., 182; 183; - with B., writes “Chums,” 189; 191; - goes East with wife and B., 191, _et seq._; - unjust complaint of, to B., 195; - birth--and sketch of his life, 197, _et seq._; - principal plays of, 198; - share of, in making “Hearts of Oak,” 199; - death of, 201; 205; - unjust treatment of B. by, 207; 208. - -Heron, Matilda (Mrs. Henry Herbert Byrne--Mrs. - Robert Stoepel: Am. actress: 1830-1877): 132; 151. - -Hidden Hand,” “The (novel): B.’s dramatization of, 103. - -HIGHEST BIDDER,” “THE (farcical comedy): B. makes, 314, _et seq._; - cast of, 316; 321; 325; 432. - -Hill, Charles John Barton (Am. actor, playwright, - th. man. and stage man.: 1830-1911): acts _Mercutio_ with Neilson, 63; - employs B. at Calif. Th., 69; 92; - gives trial to Modjeska, 101, _et seq._; 133; 218. - -Hill, James M. (Am. th. man.): B. employed to - write play for, etc., 111, _et seq._; 400. - -Hill, Richard: 400. - -Hinckley, George (Am. actor): 35; 62. - -Hinckley, “Sallie” (Am. actress): 35; - in “The New Magdalen,” 69; 74; 133. - -Hoey, Mrs. John (Am. actress): 153. - -Hoitt, Dr. Ira G. (educator): 11. - -Holbrook, Mrs. “Nelly” (Am. actress and dram. teacher): 11. - -Holmes, E. B.: 135. - -Holmes, Dr. Oliver Wendell (the poet, etc.: 1809-1894): 287. - -Honeymoon,” “The (comedy): 32. - -Hood, Thomas (the poet: 1799-1845): 43. - -Hooley, Richard Martin (Am. th. man.: 1822-1898): 80; - his th. co. in S. F.--B.’s interest in, 81; - success of “Ultimo” produced by, 82; 191; - rejects “Chums,” 192; 425; - B. arranges with, for production of “The Heart of Maryland,” 426; - death of, 427. - -Hopper, De Wolf (Am. actor: 1858-19--): 290. - -Howells, William Dean (Am. novelist and playwright: - 1837-19--): letter to, by Clemens _re_ “The Gilded Age,” 65. - -Howard, Bronson (Am. dramatist: 1843-1908): 125; 244; - his opinion of “La Belle Russe,” etc., 245; - recognition of, helps B., 279; 328; - influence of his example, 329; 373; 439. - -Hunchback,” “The (comedy): Julia Dean remembered in, 8; - performance of same in, perfection, 9; 63; 372. - -Hurlburt, Alvin (hotel keeper): 192. - - -I - -“Ici on Parle Français” (farce): 36. - -Illustrious Stranger,” “The (play): B. in, 37. - -Ince, Annette (Am. actress): acts _Nancy_, in “Oliver Twist,” 72; 135. - -Ingoldsby, Thomas (Richard Harris Barham: Eng. poet: 1788-1845): 43. - -“Ingomar” (play): 372. - -“In Spite of All” (melod.): 311. - -“Ireland and America” (melod.): 49. - -“Ireland As It Was” (play): 50. - -Irving, Sir Henry, kt. (John Henry Brodribb: Eng. - actor, th. man., and stage man.: 1838-1905): 140; 168; 170; 171; 222; - his revival of “K. Louis XI.,” 223; - performance in, 224. - -Irving, Washington (Am. man. of letters: 1783-1859): 169; 175. - -Isherwood, William (actor): 173. - -“Itinerant,” Ryley’s (dram. biography): 40. - -“Ixion; or, The Man at the Wheel” (burlesque): 177. - - -J - -Jackson, Hart (Am. playwright: died, 1882): 300. - -James [Belasco], David (Eng. actor and th. man.: 1839-1893): uncle of B., 6. - -James, Louis (Am. actor: 1843-1910): 87; 89. - -James, Miss (school teacher): 11. - -“Jane Shore” (melod.): 458. - -Jarrett & Palmer (Am. th. managers): bring G. Rignold to Am., 90; - dissension between, and same--their transcontinental express train, 91. - -Jealous Wife,” “The (play): 52; 160. - -Jefferson, Elizabeth (Mrs. Samuel Chapman--Mrs. - Augustus Richardson--Mrs. Charles J. B. Fisher: - Am. actress: 1810-1890): 153. - -Jefferson, Mrs. Joseph (wife of the third J. J.--Cornelia Frances - Thomas--Mrs. Thomas Burke: Am. actress: - 1796-1849: mother of J. J., 1829-1905): 153. - -JEFFERSON, JOSEPH (the fourth: Am. actor, playwright, - and stage manager: 1829-1905): effect of, as _Rip_, 69; 155; - B. on his _Rip_, 168; - and as _Rip Van Winkle_, 172, _et seq._; - Herne impressed by, and emulative of, 200. - -Jeffreys-Lewis, Mary (Eng.-Am. actress: 18-- -19--): 70; 230; 238; 242. - -“Jesse Brown; or, The Relief of Lucknow” (melod.) : 412; 419. - -Jerome, Jerome Klapka (Eng. author and playwright: 1859-19--): - -Jibbenainosay,” “The (melod.): B. appears in, with J. Proctor, 26. - -“Jim Black; or, The Regulator’s Revenge”: first(?) play by B., 13. - -Johnson, Dr. Samuel (Eng. dramatist and man of - letters: 1709-1784): quoted, _re_ accuracy, 23; 306. - -“Jones’s Baby” (farce): 60. - -Jones, Frank (actor): B. acts with, 86. - -Judah, Mrs. Emanuel (Marietta Starfield--Mrs. - John Torrence: Am. actress: 1829-1883): 131; 135. - -“Julius Cæsar”: Montgomery, Barrett, McCullough, etc., in cast of, 42; 43; - Booth, McCullough, etc., in, at Calif. Th., 94. - - -K - -Kaffir Diamond,” “The (melod.): revised by - B.--contents and quality of, 345, _et seq._; - cast of, 347; 353. - -“Katharine and Petruchio”: 137. - -Kean, Charles John (Eng. actor, th. man., - and stage man.: 1811-1868): farewell tour - of--and B. appears with, in childhood, 10; - the same, 26; 132; 164. - -Kean, Edmund (Eng. actor: 1787-1833): 40; - “quiet acting” of, 154. - -Keene, Laura (Lee?--May Moss?--Mrs. John - Taylor--Mrs. John Lutz: Am. actress - and th. man.: 1820-1873): 153; 172. - -Keene, Thomas W. (Am. actor: 18-- -18--): 94, 95; - and B., acts in Petaluma, 103. - -Keepers of Lighthouse Cliff,” “The (“The Lighthouse Cliff”: melod.): 200. - -Kelcey (Lamb), Herbert (Eng.-Am. actor: 1856-1917): 335; - performance of, in “The Charity Ball,” 360. - -Kellerd, John (Am. actor: 1863-19--): 444. - -Kemble, Ella: acts _Rose Maylie_, 72. - -Kemble, John Philip (Eng. actor, th. man., and dramatist: 1757-1823): 151. - -“Kenilworth” (burlesque): 90. - -Kennedy, Michael A. (actor): 87; - B. acts in bft. for, 90; 261. - -“Kerry” (play): 59. - -Kimball, Grace: 349. - -King, Charles A. (th. man.): 131. - -King, H. (actor): 135. - -“King Henry V.”: Rignold in, 90; - Barrett in, 91; - Calvert’s presentment of, 92. - -“King Henry VIII.”: 43. - -“King John”: 43; 44; 137; 247. - -“King Lear”: 88; 137. - -“King Louis XI.” (tragedy): 222; 223. - -King of the Opium Ring,” “The (melod.): 346. - -“King Richard III.”: B., in childhood, appears in, with C. Kean, 10; - the same, 26; 43; - horseback combat in, 79; - Baldwin’s A. of M. opened with, 87; 88; 100; 137; 249; 348. - -Kingsley, Walter (circus clown): befriends B., 5; - dies; his name adopted by B., 25; - same, 217. - -Kingsley, Walter: adopted name of David Belasco, _q.v._ - -Kiss in the Dark,” “A (farce): 37. - -Klaw & Erlanger (th. booking agents and speculative th. managers): 427. - -Knight, George (George Washington Sloan: Am. - actor: 1850-1892): 321, _et seq._; - failure of, in “Baron Rudolph” (“Only a Tramp”)--and death of, 325. - -Knowles, James Sheridan (Eng. actor, dramatist, - and preacher: 1783-1862): 9; 327. - -Knowlton, Prof. Ebenezer (school teacher and public reader): 11. - -Kotzebue, Augustus Frederick Ferdinand von (German dramatist: 1762-1819): 7. - -Krehbiel, Henry Edward (Am. critic of music: 1854-19--): - quoted, _re_ “Madame Butterfly,” 490, _et seq._ - - -L - -“Lady Madge” (play): 71. - -Lady of Lyons,” “The (comedy): first Am. appearance of - Mary Wells made in, 23; 46; 63; 69; 103; 209; 309. - -Lamont, “Jennie” (actress): 261. - -Lander, Jean Davenport (Mrs. Frederick West Lander: - Eng.-Am. actress: 1829-1903): 133. - -Lawlor, Frank (actor): 131. - -“Leah the Forsaken” (melod.): 202; 228; 261. - -“Leatherstocking” (play): 92. - -Leclercq, Carlotta (Mrs. John Nelson: Eng. actress: 1838-1893): 133. - -“Led Astray” (play): first produced--B.’s reminiscence of, - etc., 53, _et seq._; 54; 55; 56; 57; - author on, when first produced, 59; 61; 63. - -Legion of Honor,” “The (play): 217. - -Leighton, Adele (histrionic novice): 71. - -Lemon, E. F. (boyhood friend of B.): letter from, 14. - -Le Moyne, William J. (Am. actor: 1831-1905): 286; 335; 476. - -“Leonor de Guzman” (play): 9. - -Le Roy, James H. (actor, stage man., and playwright): - employs B.--and makes dramatization - of “The New Magdalen” at suggestion of same, 46, _et seq._; 71; 231. - -Leslie (Lyde), Elsie (Mrs. [William] Jefferson Winter: - Am. actress: 1880-19--): developed by B.--eminence of, 317; - success of, in “Little Lord Fauntleroy”--and suggests - dual appearance in “The Prince and the - Pauper”--that suggestion adopted, 367; - B.’s opinion of, 367. - -Leslie, Henry (Eng. dramatist: 1829-1881): 193; 199. - -Lever, Charles James (Irish novelist: 1806-1872): 72. - -Lewis, Leopold (Eng. playwright): 172. - -Lewis, Matthew Gregory (poet: 1775-1818): 11; 15. - -“Liberty Hall” (play): 424; 428; 430. - -Lincoln, Abraham (President U. S. A.: 1809-1865): death of, m., 13; 164. - -Lincoln Grammar School, the, in S. F.: B. a pupil at, 11; 12; - B. at, 14; 23; 26; 27. - -Life’s Revenge; or, Two Loves for One Heart,” “A (melod.): B. acts in, 28. - -Lights o’ London,” “The (melod.): 250. - -“Lillian’s Lost Love” (play): 129. - -Lindsay, ---- (actor): acts _Fagin_, 72. - -Lingard Combination,” “The: 24; - acts “La Tentation” in S. F., 63. - -Lingard, William Horace (actor): employs B., 68; 133. - -Lion_ess_ of Nubia,” “The: no such play exists, 23. - -Lion of Nubia,” “The (play): B.’s first formal appearance - on stage made in, 24. - -Lipsis, “Carrie” (actress): 35. - -“Little Don Giovanni; or, Leperello and the Stone Statue” (burlesque): 36; 37. - -“Little Em’ly” (play): 92; 202. - -Little Hero,” “The (“The Stowaway”--poem): effect of - McCullough’s recitation of, on B., 17, _et seq._ - -“Little Jim, the Collier’s Lad” (poem): recital of, to music, by B., 99. - -“Little Katy; or, The Hot Corn Girl” (melod.): 49. - -“Little Lord Fauntleroy” (play): Elsie Leslie in, 365. - -Lone Pine,” “The (play): 108; B. rewrites for D. Thompson, - etc., 111, _et seq._ - -Lonely Man of the Ocean,” “The (melod.): 346. - -Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth (the poet: 1807-1882): - monition of, to author, 370. - -Long, John Luther (Am. novelist and playwright: 1861-19--): 477. - -Long Strike,” “The (melod.): 100. - -“LORD CHUMLEY” (comedy): 432; - written for Sothern, 340; - Sothern dissatisfied with--and production of, 341; - quality, and story of, 342; - B.’s recollections of its origin, 343; - performance and success of, 344; - cost of, 345. - -“Lost in London” (melod.): prompt book of, by B., 84. - -LOTTA (Charlotte Mignon Crabtree: Am. actress: 184[5?]-19--): as - _Fire-Fly_ in “Under Two Flags”--and - S. F. amateur’s society named for, 28; 133; 188; 189; - “Pawn Ticket 210” written for--and success of, in same, 317, _et seq._; - sensible view of “criticism,” 320. - -Loverich, Cecilia: see Belasco, Mrs. David. - -“Love’s Penance” (play): Stuart’s Park Th. opened with, 59; 69. - -“Love’s Sacrifice” (play): 9. - -“Lucretia Borgia” (play): 52. - -Lyons Mail,” “The (melod.): 222. - -Lyster, Frederick: B. acts with, at Shiels’ O. H., 49; 110. - - -Mc--M - -McCabe, James H. (old-time actor and th. agent): - early friendship of, with B., 39; 71; 130. - -McCarthy, Justin Huntly, Jr. (Irish-Eng. dramatist - and novelist: 1860-19--): 482. - -MCCULLOUGH, JOHN EDWARD (Irish-Am. actor and - th. man.: 1832-1885): his recitation of - “The Little Hero”--and effect of same on - B., 17, _et seq._; 42; 92; 95; - approves Modjeska and engages her, 102; - first appearance of, in S. F., 134; 136; - feeling between, and L. Barrett, 165; - acts in “J. C.” with Barrett and Montgomery, 167. - -McDonough, Thomas B. (th. agent and man.): 226. - -McDowell, Gen. Irwin: 227. - -McDowell, Henry B.: 227. - -McGuire, Father (Roman Catholic priest): - takes B., in childhood, to dwell with him, 4; 5. - -McGuire, J. C. (Am. actor): 35. - -McVicker, James Horace (Am. th. man.: 1822-1896): 191. - -McWade, Robert (actor): as _Rip_, 168; 176. - -Macaulay, Thomas Babington, first Lord (the historian, etc.: 1800-1859): 3. - -“Macbeth”: 88; 249. - -Mackaye, Frank F---- (Am. actor: 1832-19--): - letter from, on behalf N. Y. Union Square Th. Co., to B., 106; 261; - another letter from, to B., 262. - -MACKAYE, JAMES STEELE (Am. actor, th. man., - playwright, inventor, etc.: 1842-1894): 272; 273; 274; 292; 295; - a friend of author--and reads play to, etc., 296, _et seq._; 297; 311; 348. - -Macready, William Charles (Eng. actor, th. man., - and stage man.: 1793-1873): 96; 151; - “quiet acting” of, 154. - -“Mme. l’Archiduc” (opera): 88. - -“MADAME BUTTERFLY” (story): 476; - B. reads--and bases a dramatic tragedy on--the - same critically considered in detail, 477, _et seq._; - unique feature in performance of, 480; - B. produces--and success of, 482; - B. Bates’ performance in and original cast of, 483; - B. takes to London, 486; - with C. Frohman, produces it there--and profound - impression created--London cast of, 487; - great tribute to B. by audience at first London - performance of--and B.’s account of, 488; - B. gives operatic rights of to Puccini--and - Puccini’s opera of, commented on, 489, _et seq._; - cast of, as opera, 490; 491; 492. - -MADISON SQUARE THEATRE, N. Y.: 158; - account of, 271, _et seq._ - -Magistrate,” “The (farcical comedy): 73. - -Maguire, Thomas (Calif, th. man.: died, 1896): - built the O. H. in Virginia City, Nev. (Piper’s), 50; - B. employed by, as secretary, 70; - associated with E. J. Baldwin in building and - managing Baldwin’s A. of M., S. F., 87; 105; 113; - withdraws “The Passion Play”--and revives same, 117; 176; - engages R. Coghlan, 177; 178; - dissension between, and Baldwin, 183; 185; 191; 228; 241; - harsh treatment of B. by, 242; 243; 244; - loses Baldwin Theatre, S. F., 253. - -Maguire’s New Theatre, S. F. (previously the Alhambra): opened, 69. - -Maiden’s Prayer,” “The (poem): recital of, to music, by B., 99. - -Main Line; or, Rawson’s Y.,” “The (play): 313. - -Mallory, Dr. George (clergyman, editor, and th. - man.: 18-- -18--): 112; 273, _et seq._ - -Mallory, Marshall H. (Am. th. man.): 207. - -Malone, John T. (Am. actor: 1854-1906): 218, _et seq._; 273, _et seq._ - -“Man and Wife” (novel): play made on, 49. - -Mandeville, “Jennie” (actress): 35. - -Maniac,” “The (poem): 11; 15; 20; 25; 26; 44; - recited by B. to music, 99 - -“Mankind” (melod.): 250. - -Mansfield, Richard (Am. actor: 1854-1907): 312. - -Mantell, Robert Bruce (Scotch-Am, actor: 1853-19--): 196; 291; 292; 309. - -Marble Heart,” “The (play): 46; 309. - -Marble, John Edward (Am. actor and th. man.: 18-- -18--): 135. - -Marchande de Sourires,” “La (play): 482. - -“Margaret Fleming” (play): 198; - quality of--and incident in, 199. - -Mariner’s Compass,” “The (melod.): 193; 194; 195; 198; 205. - -Marlowe, Julia (Sarah Frances Frost--“Fanny Brough”--Mrs. - Robert Taber--Mrs. Edward Hugh Sothern: Am. actress: 1867-19--): 470. - -Marlowe, Owen (Eng. actor: 1830-1876): 36. - -Marquis,” “The (play): 355. - -Marsden, Frederick G. (Am. playwright): 34. - -Marston, John Westland (Eng. dramatist: 1820-1890): 51. - -“Mary Stuart” (play): 52. - -“Mary Warner” (play): 261. - -Mason, John Belcher (Am. actor: 1858-19--): 162. - -Massey, Rose (burlesque actress: died, 1883): 166. - -Match for a King,” “A (play): 87. - -Matthison, Arthur (Eng. journalist and dramatist: 1826-1883): 17. - -“Maum Cre” (melod.): B. acts in, with Murphy, 49. - -“May Blossom” (play): 112; production--account of--contents - and performance, 280, _et seq._; - cast, 290; 432. - -Mayer, Marcus (th. agent: 18-- -1918): 208. - -Mayhew, “Katie” (Mrs. Henry Widmer: Am. actress): 87; 96. - -Maynard, Cora: 349. - -Mayo, Frank (Am. actor and th. man.: 1840-1896): version - of “Griffith Gaunt” by, 71; 132; 168. - -Meilhac, Henri (Fr. dramatist: 1831-1897): 450. - -Melville, Emilie (Am. actress): 135. - -Melville, Julia (Am. actress and teacher): 181. - -“Memoirs of Tate Wilkinson”: 40. - -“MEN AND WOMEN” (melod.): written on order for C. - Frohman--and account of same, 373; - quality, and story, of, 377, _et seq._; - production and success of--cast of, 381; - moral doctrine of B. revealed in, 382; 383; 432. - -Merchant of Venice,” “The: 64; 137; 139. - -Merivale, Herman (Eng. dramatist: 1839-1906): 231. - -Merritt, Paul (Eng. playwright: died, 1895): 227; 258. - -Mestayer, William A. (Am. actor: 1844-1896): 132; 229. - -Methua-Scheller, Mme. Marie (Mrs. J. G. Methua: - Ger.-Am. actress: 18-- -1878): acts in S. F. in - “The Roll of the Drum,” 13; - B. appears in S. F. with, in “Under the Gas-Light,” 26. - -Metropolitan Th., S. F.: B.’s first appearance made at, 24; - reopened under management of Woodard, 35; - last regular performance at, 46. - -Meux, Lady Valerie Susie (Langdon): invites B. to - direct Mrs. C. U. Potter, 492; - offers to build theatre for B.--and both her - proposals declined by same, 493. - -Mexican Tigress,” “The (play): 49. - -“Mazeppa” (spectacle): 70. - -Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “A: 137. - -Miles, Lieut-General Nelson Appleton (1839-19--): 405. - -Millard, Evelyn (Mrs. Robert Porter Coulter: Eng. actress: 1873-19--): 487. - -Miller, Cincinnatus Heine (Joaquin Miller) (Am. poet, - playwright, etc.: 1841-1913): 105. - -Miller, Henry John (Am. actor, th. man.: 1860-19--): 335. - -MILLIONAIRE’S DAUGHTER,” “THE (play): inspiration - of--and setting for principal scene in, 125; - gist of--and cast, 127; - compared with “The Banker’s Daughter”--similar scene in, 128; 176; 328. - -Milton, John (the poet: 1609-1674): 120. - -Millward, “Jessie” (Eng. actress: 1861-19--): 291. - -“Mimi” (play): 53; - produced in S. F., 61. - -Miser’s Daughter,” “The (melod.): B. in, 86. - -“Miss Decima” (farce with music): 398. - See also “Miss Helyett.” - -“MISS HELYETT” (farce with music): rewritten - by B.--produced--story, and performance, of, 397, _et seq._; - cast of, 399; 421; 422. - -“Miss Hobbs” (comedy): 437. - -Modjeska, Mme. Helena (Helen Opid--Mrs. Gustave S. - Modrzejewska--Mrs. Charles [Karol] Bozenta Chlapowska: - Polish-Am. actress: 1840-1909): settles in - Calif.--forced to return to stage, 100; - obtains hearing by B. Hill--and author’s account of same, 101; - approved by McCullough, -102; - B. sees first Am. performance of, 103; 133; 151; 309. - -Molière, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin de (Fr. actor, th. - man., and dramatist: 1712-1763): 157; 330. - -Montague, Winnetta (Leleah Burphé Bigelow--Mrs. - Arnold W. Taylor: died, 1877): 96; - marriage of, and W. Montgomery--death of, 167. - -MONTGOMERY, WALTER (Richard Tomlinson: Am. actor: 1827-1871): - B.’s early admiration of--extraordinary performance of, - supported by Barrett, McCullough, etc.--and last - appearances in Calif., 42; - programmes of his “Royal Recitals,” 43; 95; 130; 132; 164; 165; - not enamoured of R. Massey, 166; - marriage and suicide of, 167. - -Montrose, James Graham, Marquess of (1612-1650): philosophy of, 371. - -MOONLIGHT MARRIAGE,” “THE (play): 179; - produced, and cast of, 180; 182; 185. - -Moore, “Maggie” (Mrs. James Cassius Williamson: - Am.-Australian actress): 107; 182. - -“Mora” (play): produced in N. Y., 58. - -“More Blunders than One” (farce): 49. - -Mordant, Frank (Am. actor: 1841-19--): 382; - fine performance by, 415. - -Mordaunt, Marian (Mrs. ---- Strickland: Am. actress): B. acts in bft. for, 36. - -Moreto, Augustin (Spanish dramatist: 1618-1661): 51. - -Morning Call,” “A (farce): 36. - -Morse, Salmi (Samuel Moss: Ger.-Am. playwright: - 1826-1883): his “Passion Play,” 114, _et seq._; - reads same to author and others, 117; - same--and on his purpose in writing, 120; - his “Temple Theatre,” 374; 375. - -Morris, Clara (Clara Morrison, Mrs. Frederick C. Harriott: Can.-Am. - actress and writer: 1848-19--): first appearance - of, in S. F., directed by B., 108. - -Morris, William (Am. actor: 1861-19--): 382. - -Morrison, Lewis (Am. actor and th. man.: 1845-1906): - acts _Romeo_ with A. Neilson, 63; 110; 132; 178; 179; 189. - -Morrison, Hon. Robert Francis (Judge--in S. F.): 117. - -Morrison, R. W. (lawyer): 388. - -Morton, John Maddison (Eng. dramatist: 1811-1891): 313. - -Moser, Gustav von (Ger. dramatist: 1825-1903): 80. - -“Moths” (novel): dramatization of, 30. - -“Mr. and Mrs. Peter White” (entertainment): 69; 80. - -“Much Ado About Nothing”: 137. - -Murdock, Frank (Am. actor and playwright): 200. - -Murdock, James Edward (Am. actor: 1813-1893): 132. - -Murphy (Donnelly), Joseph (Am. “negro minstrel” and - actor: 1832-1915): Belasco acts with, in “Help,” 34; 35; - B. acts with, at Shiels’ O. H., in various plays, 49. - -“Musette” (play): 188. - -MUSIC MASTER,” “THE (play): 139. - -“My Neighbor’s Wife” (farce): 474. - -“My Partner” (play): 348. - -MYSTERIOUS INN,” “THE (melod.): 98. - -“My Turn Next” (farce): 103. - - -N - -“Nancy & Co.” (farce): 306. - -“Natural” acting: early great exemplars of, 153. - -“NAUGHTY ANTHONY” (farce): 113; 469; - first production--and in N. Y.--contents and quality of, 473; 474; - serious purpose of B. in--and performances in, 475; - comment on, 476; 491. - -NEILSON, LILIAN ADELAIDE (Elizabeth Ann Bland--Mrs. - Philip Lee: Eng. actress: 184[6?]-1880): her - first S. F. engagement--B. -appears with, during, 63; 133; 209; - her farewell engagement, 210; - last appearance of--and B.’s reminiscence of, 211, _et seq._; 214. - -Newstader, Rabbi: marries B. and Cecilia Loverich: 45. - -New Babylon,” “The (melod.): 125. - -New Magdalen,” “The (novel): Le Roy’s version of, 46; - Collins’ characterization of dramatizations--Bella - Pateman acts in--Collins’ dramatization of, - produced, 47; 48; 84; 231; 254. - -New Way to Pay Old Debts,” “A (tragedy): 87; 222; 224. - -“Nick o’ the Woods” (“The Jibbenainosay,” _q.v._--melod.): 69. - -Nickenson, John (Can. actor): 157. - -Night Off,” “A (farce): 306. - -Night Session,” “A (farce): 450. - -“Ninon” (play): 221. - -“Nita; or, Woman’s Constancy” (melod.): 70. - -“Nordeck” (melod.): 312. - -Norton, “Emperor”: mimicry of, by B., 37; 38. - -“NOT GUILTY” (melod.): B.’s version of, produced in - S. F.--cast--success of--and B.’s reminiscences of, 109; 453. - -“Not Such a Fool as He Looks” (comedy): 343. - -“Notre Dame”: Wheatleigh’s dramatization of, 69. - -Nunnemacher, Jacob (th. man.): 196. - - -O - -Oates, Mrs. James A. (Alice Merritt: singer and th. - man.: 1849-1887): her opera co. at Baldwin’s A. of M., 88. - -Octoroon,” “The (play): B.’s alteration of, 106; 254; - revived by B. and G. Frohman--cast of, 255, _et seq._; 257; 261. - -Ohnet, Georges (French novelist and dramatist: 1848-19--): 296. - -“Olivia” (play): produced, 106; - cast of--and contents, 107. - -“Oliver Twist” (play): revival of, by Herne, etc., 72; 198; 372; 390. - -“One Hundred Years Old” (play): 105. - -“One of Our Girls” (comedy): 312. - -O’Neill, James (Irish-Am, actor: 1849-19--): 85; - succeeds Cathcart as _Richmond_, 88; 105; - success of, in “Proof Positive,” 108; 114; - impersonates _Jesus Christ_, in “Passion Play,” 115; - arrested and imprisoned, 117; - fined, 118; 123; - B.’s opinion of his _Jesus Christ_, 125; 132; - 178; 179; 180; 186; 188; 190; 473. - -“One Thousand Milliners” (farce): 90. - -“Only a Tramp” (melod.): 321; - failure of, 325; - cast of, 326. - See also “Baron Rudolph.” - -Osborne, George (actor): 261. - -“Othello”: 137; 247; 249; 332. - -“Ouida” (Mlle. Louise de la Ramée: Eng. novelist: - 1839-1908): her “Under Two Flags,” mentioned, 28; 308. - -“Our American Cousin” (play): 51. - -“Our Boys” (comedy): 261. - -“OUR MYSTERIOUS BOARDING HOUSE” (farce): 98. - -“Ours” (play): 180. - -“Out at Sea” (melod.): 49. - -Owens, John Edmond (Am. actor and th. man.: - 1823-1886): B.’s recollections of--and - same writes a play for, etc., 78; 132; 153. - - -P(Q) - -Paine, Albert Bigelow (Am. author and ed.: - 1861-19--): his “Mark Twain, a Biography,” quoted, 65. - -PALMER, ALBERT MARSHALL (Am. th. man.: 1839-1905): 55; 56; 126; 128; 129; - friction with B., 293; 294; - B. negotiates with, 368; - places theatres at disposal of B., for rehearsals, 369; - agrees to produce “The Heart of Maryland,” 432; - forced to abandon that project, 435. - -Palmer, “Minnie” (Mrs. Daniel Edward Bandmann: actress): 133. - -“Paradise Lost”: 120. - -Park Theatre, N. Y.: “The Gilded Age” at, 68. - -Parlor Match,” “A (farce): 436. - -Parts, dramatic: all sorts of, played by B., 137; - list of more than 170 of B.’s, 140, _et seq._ - -Partridge, William Ordway (Am. sculptor: 1861-19--): 349. - -PASSION PLAY,” “THE (Morse’s): produced in S. - F.--and examination and account of, 114, _et seq._ - -Pateman, Bella (Mrs. Robert Pateman: actress: - 1844-1908): first appearance of, in S. F., 46; - “The New Magdalen” dramatized for, at B.’s suggestion, 47; - estimates of, as actress, 48. - -“PAUL ARNIFF” (melod.): 214; 215; - cast of, 216. - -Paul, Logan (actor): 261. - -“Pauline” (play): B. appears in, with the Keans, 10. - -“PAWN TICKET 210” (melod.): written for Lotta--produced, etc., 317, _et seq._; - cast of, 320. - -Pearson, A. Y. (th. man.: 186[2?]-1903): 400. - -Pell, Katie (actress): 74. - -People’s Lawyer,” “The (play): 78; 103. - -“Peril; or, Love at Long Branch” (play): 81. - -PERSECUTED TRAVELLER,” “THE (farce): 98. - -Pettitt, Henry (Eng. playwright: 1848-1893): 227; 258. - -Phelps, Charles (M.D.: 18-- -19--): 120. - -Phelps, Fanny Morgan (actress): 74; 97. - -Phillips, Watts (Eng. dramatist: 1829-1874): 108; 110; 179. - -Piatt, Don (Am. writer): on _Rip_ and _Fanchon_, 169. - -Piercy, Samuel W. (Am. actor and playwright: - 18-- -1882): death of--and B.’s admiration for, 69; 217. - -Pilar-Morin, Mile. ---- (Fr. actress): 492. - -Pinero, Sir Arthur Wing (kt., cr., 1909: Eng. - actor and dramatist: 1855-19--): 73; 246; 344. - -“Pink Dominos” (farce): 189. - -Piper, John (Ger.-Am. th. man.: 1830-1897): engages B., 50; - B.’s experiences under management of, 51, _et seq._; - his stock co., 62; - B. freed from, 63. - -Piper, Mrs. John: B.’s painful experience with, 62. - -Piper’s Opera House, Virginia City: particulars about--and B. engaged at, 50. - -Pixley [Shea], Annie (Mrs. Robert Fulford: Am. actress: 1858-1893): 74. - -“Pizarro” (play): 6; - in J. Dean’s repertory, 7. - -Placide, Henry (Am. actor: 1800-1870): 153. - -Platt, George Foster: 349. - -“Playing with Fire” (farcical comedy): 474. - -Plays: altered and adopted by B.--and Mrs. - Bates on B.’s felicity in such work, 84; - acted in by B.--more than 170 enumerated, 141, _et seq._ - -“Pluto” (burlesque): 37. - -Plympton, Eben (Am. actor: 1853-1915): 132; 312. - -Poe, Edgar Allan (the poet, etc.: 1809-1849): 43. - -Polish Jew,” “The (play): 171. - -Pond, Anson (Am. playwright): 348. - -Ponisi, Mme. James (Elizabeth Hanson--Mrs. Samuel - Wallis: Eng.-Am. actress: 1818-1899): 177; 298. - -Poole, Mrs. ---- (actress): 132. - -“Poor Richard’s Almanac”: 4. - -Post of Honor,” “The (play): 106. - -Potter, Mrs. James Brown (Cora Urquhart: Am.-Eng. - actress and th. man.: 1859-19--); 492; 493. - -Potter, Paul Meredith (Am. journalist and playwright: 1853-19--): 383; 433. - -Potter, John S. (th. man.): 131. - -Powers, Francis (Am. actor and playwright): 447; 448. - -Powers, “Harry” (Am. th. business ag’t.): 426; 427. - -Prescott, Marie (Am. actress: died, 1893): 242. - -Pretty Housebreaker,” “The (play): 70. - -Price, Edward D. (Am. th. agent): 383. - -Price, “Lizzie” V. (Mrs. W. Wintle--Mrs. Charles - Albert Fechter: Am. actress: 18-- -18--): 69. - -“Priestess” (play): 9. - -Prince and the Pauper,” “The (novel): play on, suggested by Elsie Leslie, 365; - B. revises same, when made, 366; - B. rehearses--and is successfully produced, 367; 368. - -Proctor, F. F. (Am. man. of varieties theatres): 373; 375. - -Proctor, Joseph B. (Am. actor and th. man.: - 1816-1897): B. appears with, in “The Jibbenainosay,” 26. - -PRODIGAL’S RETURN,” “THE (play): 98. - -“PROOF POSITIVE” (play): B. makes, for R. Wood, 108. - -Puccini, Giacomo (Italian musical composer: 1858-19--): 75; 488; - B. gives him operatic rights of “Madame Butterfly,” 489; - his opera of “Madama Butterfly” considered, 490, _et seq._ - - -R - -“Raising the Wind” (farce): 32. - -Rajah; or, Wyndcot’s Ward,” “The (play): 279; 280. - -Raleigh, Cecil (Eng. playwright): 317. - -Raven,” “The (poem): 43. - -RAYMOND (O’Brien), JOHN T. (Irish-Am, - actor: 1836-1887): appears in S. F. in “Led Astray,” 63; - first produces Densmore’s version of - “The Gilded Age”--and B.’s recollections of, 64; - B.’s account of not accurate, 65; - his performance of _Colonel Sellers_, 68; 135; 168. - -Rea, Frank (actor): 24; 35. - -Rea, Mrs. Frank (actress): 35. - -Reade, Charles (Eng. novelist, dramatist, - and th. man.: 1815-1884): Mayo’s version of - his “Griffith Gaunt,” 71; 185; 257. - -Reece, Robert (Eng. dramatist: 1838-1891): 313. - -Rehan, Ada (Ada Crehan: Irish-Am. actress: - 1860-1916): first appearance of, under Daly, 185; 307; 392; 470. - -“Rev. Griffith Davenport” (melod.): derivation of, 199. - -Rice, Edward E. (Am. th. man.: 18---18--): 196. - -Rice, Thomas D. (Am. “negro minstrel”: 1808-1860): 38. - -Rice, Isaac B. (Am. th. man.: 1827-1908): 337; 387. - -Rich & Harris (th. man’s.): 401. - -Richardson, Samuel (Eng. novelist: 1689-1761): 3. - -“Richelieu” (play): 94; 247. - -Riddle, Eliza (Mrs. William Henry Sedley-Smith: 180[8?]-1861: actress): 32. - -Rignold, George (Eng. actor and th. man.: 1838-1912): - acts _King Henry the Fifth_ in S. F.--brought - to Am. by Jarrett & Palmer, 90; 91; 133. - -“Rip Van Winkle” (play): Herne’s version of, 70; - same, 182; 202. - -Rising Moon,” “The (melod.): 49. - -Road to Ruin,” “The (comedy): 29. - -Robe, Annie (Am. actress): 298; 302. - -“Robert Elsmere” (novel) Gillette’s dramatization of, revised by B., 356. - -“Robert Macaire” (melod.): B.’s liking for--and often acted by, 80; 90; 103. - -Roberts, Theodore (Am. actor: 1861-19--): fine - performance of, as _Scar-Brow_, 415. - -Roberts, R. A. (actor): fine performance by, 382. - -Robertson, Agnes Kelly (Mrs. Dion Boucicault: - Eng. actress: 1833-1916): 57; 153. - -Robertson, Peter (Am. journalist: 1847-1911): 247. - -Robertson, “Sue” (actress): bft. performance for, at Maguire’s O. H., 13. - -Robson, Stuart (Am. actor: 1836-1903): 375. - -Roche, Frank (actor): 46; 47. - -Rodgers, James (Eng. actor and th. man.: 1826-1890): 53. - -Rodgers, Katharine (actress): 53; - in Virginia City, 60; - her first appearance in S. F., 61; 133. - -Roeder, Benjamin Franklin (general business - manager for David Belasco): 422; 450. - -Rogers, Lorraine: 18. - -Rogers, Miss (“beautiful school teacher”): B. - “barnstorms” with, 79, _et seq._; 80; - B. leaves, 81. - -Roll of the Drum,” “The (play): by B.--another of same name, 13. - -Romance of a Poor Young Man,” “The (dramatization from novel): 311. - -“Romeo and Juliet”: A. Neilson in, 63; 137; 138; 209. - -“Rosedale; or, The Rifle Ball” (melod.): 344. - -Rossi, Ernesto (Italian actor and th. man.: 1829-1896): 252; 253. - -Rowe, George Fawcett (Eng.-Am. actor and dramatist: - 1834-1889): in S. F., 92; 133. - -Rowe, Joseph (th. man.): 131. - -Rough Diamond,” “The (play): 103. - -Russian Honeymoon,” “A (play): 279. - -“Ruy Blas” (play): 69. - -Ryer, George (th. man.): 131. - - -S - -“Sag Harbor” (melod.): 198; 199. - -Salamon, Hon. ---- (Governor of Calif.): helps Modjeska, 101. - -Salvini, Tommaso (It. actor and th. man.: 1829-1916): - first Am. appearance of, author present at, 59; 153; 168; 170; 171. - -“Sam’l of Posen” (melod.): 295. - -Sanger, Frank: 401. - -“Saratoga” (play): 105. - -Sardou, Victorien (Fr. dramatist: 1831-1908): 125; 311. - -Sargent, Epes (Am. dramatist, poet, etc.: 1812-1880): 9. - -Sargent, Franklin Haven (Am. teacher of acting: 1856-19--): 349; 353. - -Saunders, Mrs. C. R. (Elizabeth Jefferson--Mrs. Jacob - Wonderly Thoman: actress): 131; 132; 135. - -Saturday Review,” “The London (newspaper): 485. - -Sawtell, J. A. (Am. actor and th. man.): B.’s first - meeting with--later association with B., 85. - -“Schermerhorn’s Boy” (farce): 37. - -“School” (comedy): 69. - -School for Scandal,” “The (comedy): 177; 179. - -Scott, Clement (Eng. journalist and playwright: 1841-1904): 485. - -Scrap of Paper,” “A (comedy): 178. - -“Secret Service” (melod.): B.’s “The H. of Maryland” precedes, 453; - an effective hodge-podge, 454. - -Sedley-Smith, William Henry (Eng.-Am. actor, th. man., and - stage man.: 1806-1872): early friend of B.’s--and - sketch of life of, 28, _et seq._; - death of, 33; 135. - -Shakespeare, William, 87; 90; 91; 136; 138; 157; 456; 457; 458. - -Shannon, Effie (Mrs. Herbert Kelcey [Lamb]: Am. actress: - 1869-19--): performance of, in “The Charity Ball,” 360. - -Shattuck, Ada (actress): 35. - -Shaw, George Bernard (Eng. journalist, playwright, and - social agitator: 1856-19--): 485. - -“She” (novel): Gillette’s melodrama from, revised by B. - and made success of--production and story of same, 337, - _et seq._; 356; 387. - -Sheehan, Joseph F. (singer): 489. - -“Shenandoah” (melod.): C. Frohman prospers with, 373; 439. - -Sheridan, Emma: 349. - -Sheridan, Richard Brinsley (Irish-Eng. dramatist, th. man., - orator, etc.: 1751-1816): 7; 330. - -Sheridan, William E. (Am. actor: 1839-1887): 133; - first appearance in S. F., 221; - B.’s recollections -of, 222; - author on, 223; 224; 225. - -“Shore Acres” (melod.): 198; - derivation of, 200. - -Simon, Charles (Fr. journalist and playwright: 1850-1910): 456; 484; 485; 486. - -Simpleton,” “The (novel): 239. - -Sinclair, Catharine Norton (Mrs. Edwin Forrest: Scotch-Am. - actress: 18[06?]-1891): 132. - -Sitting Bull (Sioux Indian Medicine Man): 404; - death of, 405. - -Smith, Edward Tyrrell (Eng. th. man.: 1804-1877): 193. - -Smith, John P. (actor): 229. - -Smith, Mrs. Sol. (---- Sedley-Smith [real name, Sedley: - daughter of W. H. Sedley-Smith]--Mrs. Sedley Brown--Mrs. - Sol[omon] Smith, Jr.: Am. actress: 1830-1917): 32. - -“Solon Shingle” (play): 78. - -Sothern, Edward Askew (Eng. actor: 1826-1881): B. acts with, 51; 132; 343. - -Sothern, Edward Hugh (Am. actor: 1859-19--): 317; 337; - appears in “The Highest Bidder,” 316; - in “Editha’s Burglar,” 317; - B. and De Mille write “Lord Chumley” for, 340; - dissatisfied with that play--persuaded to appear in, 341; - his performance and success in, 344. - -Soulé, “Susie” (actress): 35. - -Spanier in Peru,” “Die (play): rewritten by Sheridan: 7. - -Sphinx,” “The (play): 72. - -Spotted Tail (Sioux Indian chief): 404. - -Stage, the: established in Calif., 130, _et seq._; - subjects suitable for exhibition on, author on, 457. - -Stage Struck Chamber-Maid,” “The (farce): 49. - -Stanhope, Adelaide (Mrs. Nelson Wheatcroft): 215. - -Statue Lover,” “The (farce): 37. - -Stark, James (actor): 131; 132. - -Stetson, John (Am. speculator in theatricals, etc.: died, 1895): 242; 243. - -“Still Waters Run Deep” (melod.): 344. - -Stone, Amy (actress): 74. - -Storm of Thoughts,” “A: 98. - -Story of My Life,” “The (autobiography): B.’s, examined - and estimated by author, 22, _et seq._; - B.’s, _re_ Boucicault and B., quoted, 55; - critically examined by author, 148. - -Strakosch, Max (Moravian-Am. opera man.: 1835-1892): 375. - -STRANGLERS OF PARIS,” “THE (novel): 237; - B.’s dramatization of, 238; - cast of, 240. - -Stranger,” “The (play): 9; 89; 94; 458. - -Streets of New York,” “The (melod.): 103. - -Stœples, Mrs. Richard: see Wells, Mary. - -“Struck Blind” (story): B.’s dramatization of, 84. - -“Struck Oil” (play): 107. - -Stuart’s Park Th., N. Y.: opened, 58. - -Stuart, William (Edmund C. O’Flaherty: Irish-Am. journalist - and th. man.: 1821-1886): Boucicault visits, 58. - -Sullivan, Barry (Irish actor and th. man.: 1823-1891): 132; - opens Baldwin’s A. of M., S. F., 87; - repertory of, at same, 88; - B.’s recollections of, 89. - -Sun,” “The New York (newspaper): letter of Raymond to, 66. - -Sutter, ---- (dramatist): 28. - -Swain, Caroline (Mrs. Frank Gardner: actress): 97. - -Swartz, Edward J. (Am. playwright): 345. - -“Sweethearts” (comedy): 312. - -“Sweet Lavender” (comedy): 344; 353. - -Swift, H. (actor): 35. - -Synge, J. M. (playwright): 357. - -Szamosy, Elza (Hungarian singer): 489. - - -T - -Taber, Robert (Am. actor: 1865-1904): 349; - B.’s instructive reminiscence -of, 352, _et seq._; - death of, 351. - -Taylor, Howard (Am. journalist and playwright): 288; 289. - -Tearle, (George) Osmond (Eng. actor and th. man.: 1852-1901): 237; 240. - -Tennyson, Alfred, first Lord (the poet: 1809-1892): 43. - -Tentation,” “La (play): see also “Led Astray”: 24; - acted in S. F., 63. - -Terry, Edward O’Connor (Eng. actor and th. man.: 1844-1912): 344. - -Teuton, Stella: 416. - -Thayer, Edward N. (actor: 1798-18--): 104; 131. - -Theatre Royal, Victoria: B. appears at, in childhood, 10. - -Theatres: in S. F.--and elsewhere in Calif., 130, et seq. - -Theatrical managers: early, in Calif., 131. - -Theatrical Syndicate (or Trust): 161. - -“This Picture and That” (play): 471. - -Thomas, Augustus (Am. dramatist: 1859-19--): 317. - -Thompson, Charlotte (Mrs. Lorraine Rogers: actress: 1843-18--): 133. - -Thompson, Denman (Am. actor, playwright, and th. - man.: 1834-1911): B. writes play for--and - attitude of, toward it, 111, _et seq._ - -Thompson, Slason (Am. playwright): 247. - -Thompson, William H. (Scotch-Am, actor: 184---19--): 415. - -THORNE, CHARLES ROBERT, Sr. (Eng.-Am. actor and th. man.: 1823-1893): 74; - early teacher of B.--and kindness of, to same, 78; - B. and, fight on horseback in “K. R. III.,” 79; - employs B.--and unable to pay, 85; 131. - -Thorne, Charles Robert, Jr. (Am. actor: 1841-1883): 53. - -Thorne’s Palace Th., S. F.: 85. - -Thorpe, Rose Hartwick (Am. poet: 1850-19--): 11. - -Three Guardsmen,” “The (play): 473. - -Three Singles; or, Two and the Deuce,” “The (farce): 474. - -Ticket-of-Leave Man,” “The (play): B. acts Mrs. Willoughby in, 104. - -“To Oblige Benson” (farce): 474. - -Torrence, John (actor): 135. - -“Trade” (play): 313. - See also “The Highest Bidder.” - -Tribune,” “The New York (newspaper): 59; 225. - -“TRUE TO THE CORE” (melod.): B.’s version of--and cast, 220. - -Trowbridge, John Townsend (poet: 1827-1916): 11. - -“Twelfth Night”: 137. - -Twenty-third Street Theatre (Proctor’s), N. Y.: - account of--and “Men and Women” acted at, 373, _et seq._ - -“Twice Saved; or, Bertha the Midget” (melod.): 49. - -Two Orphans,” “The (melod.): 96. - -Tyler (Kirkland), Odette (Mrs. Robert D. McLean - [Shepherd]: Am. actress: 1869-19--): 416. - - -U - -UGLY DUCKLING,” “THE (melod.): 383; 384; - revision of, by B.--and produced--story of, 385; - cast of, 387; - end of career of, 388; 389. - -“Ultimo” (play): 80; - run of, in S. F., 82. - -“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (melod.): L. Alberta and B. in, 49; 258. - -“Under the Gas-Light” (melod.): B. appears in, - with Mme. Methua-Scheller, 26; 92. - -“UNDER THE POLAR STAR” (melod.): revised by B., 446. - -“Under Two Flags” (novel): Falconer’s dramatization of, 28; 470. - -Unequal Match,” “The (comedy): 69. - -Union Square Th., N. Y.: first performance of “Led Astray” at, 39. - -Union Square Theatre Co. (of N. -Y.): directed in S. F. by B., 105; - tribute of, to B., 106. - -Unofficial Patriot,” “The (novel): 200. - -Upper Crust,” “The (comedy): 220. - -“Used Up” (farcical comedy): 59. - - -V - -Vagabonds,” “The (poem): 11; 44. - -Valasco: early form of name Belasco, 1. - -“VALERIE” (comedy): B. writes, for Wallack, 298, _et seq._; - cast of, 304. - -Vane, Alice (actress): in “Rip Van Winkle,” 71. - -Varian, Nina (Am. actress: died, 1880): 179. - -“Venice Preserved” (play): 160. - -Venua, Wesley (th. man.): 130. - -Vernon, Mrs. George (Jane Marchant Fisher: Am. actress: 1792-1869): 153. - -VICAR OF WAKEFIELD,” “THE: B.’s dramatization of, 106. - -Vie de Bohème,” “La: 53. - -Vinson, James H. (Am. actor and stage man.): 35; 217. - -Vulgar Boy,” “The (poem): 43. - - -W - -Wade’s Opera House, S. F.: Rignold in “K. Henry V.” at, 90. - -Wagnalls, Lincoln (th. man.): 349. - -Walcot, Charles Melton, Sr. (Eng.-Am. actor: 1816-1868): 153. - -Wallace, “Jake” (old-time Calif. “minstrel”): 74; - B.’s recollections of--dramatic character copied from, 75. - -Wallack, James William, the Elder (Eng.-Am. - actor and th. man.: 1795-1864): 167. - -Wallack, James William, the Younger (Eng.-Am. - actor and th. man.: 1818-1873): 72; 132; - his _Fagin_, 167; 197. - -WALLACK, LESTER (John Johnstone Wallack: Am. actor, - th. man., and dramatist: 1820-1888): 56; 153; - offer of, to buy play, rejected, 182; - wishes to employ B., 205, _et seq._; 237; 241; 242; 243; 244; 245; 246; - B. writes “Valerie” for, 298, _et seq._; - excellent quality of his acting, 303; - note of, to B., 304; - offers B. employment--and B.’s view of, 305. - -Wallack’s Lyceum, N. Y.: 8. - -Wallack’s Theatre, N. Y.: “Forbidden Fruit” at, 57; - “Mora”--and “Mimi,” produced at--Boucicault at, in - “Kerry” and “Used Up,” 58. - -Waller, Daniel Wilmarth (actor and th. man.): 131. - -Wallet of Time,” “The (dramatic history, etc.): 68. - -Wall Street Bandit,” “A (play): 311. - -Walsh, Blanche (Am. actress: 18---19--): 349. - -Walter, Eugene (Am. journalist and playwright: 1876-19--): 456. - -Walters, Clara Jean (Am. actress): 48. - -“Wanted, a Divorce” (play): 97. - -Ward, Artemus (Charles Farrar Browne: Am. humorist: 1835-1867): 148. - -Ward (Mary Augusta), Mrs. Humphry (Eng. novelist: 1851-19--): 356. - -Ward, James W. (actor): B. works for, 96. - -Warfield, David (Am. actor: 1866-19--): 113; - B. on ambition of, to act _Shylock_, 139. - -Warner, Charles (Eng. actor and th. man.: 1847-1909): 185. - -Warner, Charles Dudley (Am. man of letters: 1829-1900): 64; 66. - -Warner, Neil (actor: 1830-1901): 133. - -Warwick, James H. (actor): 131. - -“Watson’s Art Journal”: 18. - -Watson, Mary (Am. actress): 74. - -Webster, Daniel (the statesman: 1782-1852): 9. - -“Wedded by Fate” (melod.): 227; 228. - -Wellington, Duke of: 131. - -Wells, Mary (Mrs. Richard Stœples: Eng.-Am. actress: - 1829-1878): first appearance of, in Am., 23; - same, in S. F.--and B.’s first formal appearance on - stage _not_ made with, 24. - -Wells, Minnie (singing actress): B.’s first formal - appearance on stage made with, 24; 25. - -Wheatcroft, Nelson (Am. actor): 360; 415. - -Wheatleigh, Charles (Am. actor and th. man.: 18---18--): 69; 132; 261. - -Wheelock, Joseph, Sr. (Eng. actor: 183[8?]-1908): 286. - -Whiffen, Thomas (actor): 71; 72. - -Whitney, Fred. C. (Am. th. man.): 436 - -Whittlesey, White (Am. actor): 349. - -“Who Killed Cock Robin?” (burlesque): B. in, 86. - -Widmer, Henry (musician and orchestra conductor: - 1845-1895): music for “Passion Play” by, 115. - -Wife,” “The (drama--Knowles’): 46; 87; 92; 103. - -WIFE,” “THE (comedy--by B. and De M.): 321; - B.’s recollection of writing of, 327, _et seq._; - quality, and story, of, 329, _et seq._; - success of, due to B.’s invention--and cast of, 334; - ordered withdrawn--and forced by B. to success, 336; 337; 355; 432. - -“Wild Oats” (comedy): 90. - -Williams, Barney (Irish-Am, actor and th. man.: 1823-1876): 133. - -Williams, Mrs. Barney (Irish-Am. actress: 18---18--): 133. - -Williamson, James Cassius (Am.-Australian actor - and th. man.: 1846-1913): 36; 107. - -Willing Hand,” “The (melod.): 96. - -Willow Copse,” “The (melod.): 69. - -Wills, William Gorman (Irish-Eng. poet, dramatist, - and novelist: 1830-1891): 107. - -Wilson, John (actor): 132; 135. - -Wilson, Primrose & West Minstrel Co.: 113. - -Wilson, R. A. (Am. actor): 35. - -Wilton, Ellie (Am. actress): 74. - -“WINE, WOMAN, AND CARDS” (melod.): 98. - -Winter, E. Wales (th. agent): 349. - -“WITHIN AN INCH OF HIS LIFE” (story): B.’s - dramatization of--success of same--and “effects” in, 113; - cast of, 114; 189. - -Woman in Red,” “The (melod.): 49; 261. - -Woman in White,” “The (play): J. Dean in, 8. - -Woman of the People,” “A (melod.): adapted by B., 107. - -“Won at Last” (play): 189; 190; 272. - -Wonder,” “The (comedy): 88. - -Wonderful Scamp,” “The: see “Aladdin No. 2.” - -Wood, Col. J. H. (th. man.): 86. - -Wood Rose (actress): 105; - B. makes play for, 108. - -Woodard, John R. (Am. actor, stage man., and th. man.): 24; 25; 35; 36; 131. - -Woodard, Mary (actress): 131. - -Woods, Rev. T. C.: 4. - -World,” “The (melod.): 239; 250. - -Worthing, Frank (Francis George Pentland: Scotch-Am. - actor and playwright: 1866-1910): 471; - performance of, in “Naughty Anthony,” 474; - same, 475. - -Wren, “Fred” (Am. actor): 192. - -Wyndham, Sir Charles, kt. (1837-19--): 395; 396; 398; 399. - - -(X)Y - -Yankee,” “The (play): B. writes for Owens--and rejected, 78. - -Yates, Frederick Henry (actor): 173. - -Young Widow,” “The (play): 103. - -YOUNGER SON,” “THE (play): adopted by B., 428; - produced--story, and cast, of, 429; - failure of, 430. - -“Youth” (melod.): 246. - - -Z - -Zangwill, Israel (Eng. novelist: 1864-19--): 473. - -“ZAZA” (play): 454; - author’s strictures on, and on production of, by B., 456, _et seq._; - production--contents--and significance of, 461, _et seq._; - Mrs. Carter’s performance in, 464; - cast of, 465; 466; - B. and C. Frohman present, in London--disgust of the Fr. - authors thereof, 484; - and B.’s amusing account thereof, 485, _et seq._ - -Zoe, Mlle. Marie (Cuban dancer): B. engaged to assist, 70. - -Zola, Émile (Fr. playwright): 184. - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[A] As these pages go to press such an error is noted in matter already -printed. Volume One, page 231, _Charles Groves_ should be _F. C. Grove_. - -[B] The precept occurs in “Poor Richard’s Almanac,” “Keep your shop and -your shop will keep you.”--W. 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