New-York tribune., 1883-11-04
HENRY JAMES AND "EsMERALDA."
HIS CRITICISM on THE PLAY AND THE REJECTION
OF DAISY MILLER"

OF DAISY MILLER
A London dispatch few days ago stated
that Henry James had written to TIE Pal Nal Gaset'e
a. follows in regard to Mrs Bumetts play "Esmeralda
The new play would be nfantne, If infants ever ex
pressed themselves in fascto. Her story Is mawkish
and unreal" Such opinion Of Esmeralda" would not
perhaps have excited much comment, Notwithstanding
the prominence of the author OF and the pcturesquey
vigorous way in which he expresses had not these
words followed the quotation from Mr. Jamess citque:
Mr. Jamess play Daisy Miller, rejected by the
management which accepted Esmorada'" Tins the
reader was left infer that Mr. James may have been
influenced in forming hs opinion by the fact that his own
play had rejected. No who is At all familiar
with Mr. Janess works who IS acquainted with the
man himself would be likely draw such inference;
and vet as Mr. James in his analyses OF character has
so often pointed out human nature has its weaknesses
and ones Judgment is not always unnhucnced by per
sona feelings II is vouchsaed only TO few critics to
perch In safety by the side at the feet OF Matthew
Arnold on the icy heights Of lucidy.
In order 10 learn something about the relations be-
tween Mr. James and the Madison Square Theatre man
agemeut TRIBUNE reporter Daniel Frohman,
and showed him the dispatch referred TO In the
foregoing. "Ycs" said Mr. FrOhman with a SMILE II
have seen Mr. Jamess criticism and the remark about
Daisy Miller accompanying it, but connect
the two think Mr.. James submitted the dramatzed
version of his little story to us, and found that
could not use It. The play too long containing
eight or ten thousand words than Hazel kirke,
and we wanted to make changes In II besides cut
ting Il down But Mr.. James would not submit tO these
changes and would not alter the play himself So we
had no alternative but to refuse 10 take t. If we had
put the play Ou the stage as we received H. failure
would have been the result The trouble was, Mr. James
looked al Daisy Miller from the literary and from
the dramatic point Of view. Real dramatic authors like
Bronson Howard, sCke at such point, but are
always ready adopt suggestions cOndense, cut and
change characters In order to bring out the dramatic
element in the strongest possible way. Why, there
an Illustration recently. When received from Bret
Hare his dranatzcd version of The Luck OF Roaring
camp VIC found that certain changes necessary
I'm the last act and that the play would have to De cut
So we sent word to him what wished do, and
he tclcgraphed back All right Not + with Mr..
James Tie determined that his play should he
produced lust he H. and satisfied that
could not make success OF 1t in that form Daisy
Miller found its place In a magazine and justified
our refusal OF II. In all dealings however there
wasn't particle OF personal feclmg IL was solely
business luatter and regarded it. have no idea
that Mr. James at all Influenced I'm his opinion Of
'Fsmcralda by the fact that could accept his
play. We look upon Esmeralda our best literary
pay its beauty being its simplicity Of construction and
The cearuess Of the dialogue We objected by the way
TO tbc name Esmeralla not meaning anything, but
Mira Burnett insisted upon retaining It. The name under
which the play running at the St. James's Theatre In
London, Young Folks Ways,' Is much better, because
il conveys an idea We furnish the models for the
scenery and SO forth, and receive a royalty"