New-York tribune., 1890-03-28
THE ORIGIN OF IDEAS.
HOW THE WIFE WAS WRITTEN
Mr.. BELAsCc, THE PLAYWRIGHT, ENTERTAlNS
THE COURT WITH SELECTIONS.


THE COURT WITH SELECTIONS
Part II Of the Supreme Court, over which Judge
Beach presided yesterday. crowded with inucl
more intelligent audience than usually gathers thee'
and the theme which they heard discussed was the
"Orgin OF Ideas Not ideas In general but inc
particular ones contained in the play "The Wife, and
whether or not they were similar to the ones in
play written by Miss Fannie A. Mathews. called wash
ington Life" Miss Mathews gave her play to Danlei
Frolman TO read and she alleges that Inc
Wife, contains many Of her ideas as expressed IN
Washington Life and she has sued Mr.. Frohman
and David Bclasco and Henry c. De Mile, the authors
Of the play, for the alleged surrcpous use OF her
ideas Mr. Dc Mile finished his testimony during the
morning session Of the court and then Mr.. Belasco
was called to the witness stand.
In answer to the questions Of his counsel Mr. Bcasco
gave an interesting description Of the methods used
I'm writing the play "The Wife, lie also read parts
Of other plays the effect the audience being such that
His Honor had to rap several times for order. MI
Bcasco said that the main idea OF the play, that Of
having two men In love with woman and having
n second woman for Villain had suggested Itself
to him from reading story In weekly paper some
years ago lie wrote the first act Of play in which
there such situation and took it to Mr.. De Mile,
suggesting to the latter that they might write a play
with that idea tho central one. Mr. De Mile went
away with company which he managing and he
saw him again in Philadelphia nearly year aftcrward.
Then the subject resumed and few weeks after
that Mr. De Miles company was In Williamsburg
and he used go there at 10 80 each evening
and after the play over he and Mr.. DE Mile
would work on their idea from II p. m. until
a. m. All this work came to naught however, and
no real progress made with 1t until they went to
Mr. Dc Miles home at Echo Lake. and there they
STAYED until the play was finished in July or August
Of 1897.
Every actn he said "vas rewritten or
eight times. The work Of the day was read 10 Mr..
De Mile each evening. Sometimes she would say It
VIZ very very good. and at other times She would
say IT was very. very bad. II she said It very,
very good we Jet II remain It was and II she said
il was vcry very bad. considered her suggestions
Mr.. Bclasco said that after the play was produced
they felt blue as II seemed 10 drag. Bronson Howard
had suggested that the plot too long In unfolding.
and they then condensed the first two acts into one
lie remembered several plays IN which there were
sentences and situations similar to portions Of the play
which rad hy Mr.. Townsend from Mis- Matthew's
play.
ono was the following: When she little
oh.ld and came 20 me with freshly gathered flowers
This va, from a play called The Old Love and the
New which was produced. Mr.. Dclasco said at the
Madison square Theatre with Mrs. Jane, Brown Pot
tcf I'm the leading role lie declared the direct and
cross examinations that he lad never heard Of MIS-
Mathcws's play nor Of MIS- Mathews until TINS suit
Nr i"vnscnd- II Mr. d, Mile told MIS- Mathew,
that you read her play and had ,nsseie .cVei,
changes In II. hc was mistaken. then N-No' A.r'
De told au uniruih
Nr Townsend Oh no. no. be was mistaken
SO. .lr. ,Wcrd Nr BcIt-co, h' t"lH an n'l
truth ,, .,.
I'll. scene where the senator declared that n" "'nH
.t,ud nv Ms wife II -hc worthy notwithstanding
the fact that She loved another man wa e"'i'9
original. -, ..,,.,. .,
Was not that according 70 the "aShlnss oi
Christ,nifvi Was II not naturali" asked Mr Towns
end A-Wcl ycs. usually. but not on the stage
daughter -, 80. ,o.,
Tbe witness was then asked II ne had not tcer
charged several times with Incorporating ldcaA froh
other plays into those alleged {" ho his own pro'u'
lions lie denied these allegations.
Mrs sarah T.. Mathews then took the wines % stana
and testified 20 having sccn her danghi"r the pi"h'"
"a rlic The play Washington Li'".'
Mrs y" Mile neat t"stihed about tAe "orA o, @ nrr
husband and Nr ncla.cD on the play while ileN ",f'
80 Pho I,ko -hc declared TINT much ~ tho play
va- founded on conversation ~ the dnn'F.Nn a,n
,h. ,,lk If the children. Nh" assorted uai t' pHN
7. Wa.htr.f1n Life had never been mentioned 'hcl'
T. closed tho case far The testimony went M.
hr counsel have uut April - - hanH in bH'iS ana
rrDuo.cd findings.