Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-02-10
ABOUT THE YRlLBY CRAZE.
II Has Affected Even Manufacturers
of Taffy.
SOME GIRLS WITH TRILBY FEET
There Is Even TO no rrsiby Play.
Other Examples of
rrilbyann

D
Craze" are common expressions In print
and out. that all so to show that the
country has gone "Trilby" mad. on
every side the book Ia being read and
discussed. II Is the most-called-for book
at the libraries, the understanding book
at the stalls. the Observation-Disclosures
| book In the home. Now a parody, "'rril-
! by Reversed" is announced from tho
press OF one of the leading publishera,
and In few weeks "Trllby" Will DO
seen on the stage. In the meantime the
| shopkeepers are doing what they can 10
help on the craze and aid the further
| mllllncr displays a "1rilby" hat as the
hea,d gs, .,,I,, CHEESE eoptse!onsr 4
manufacturer Is producing ",rrllby
Handkerchief, while a Boston man
shrewd Yankee that he Isis going 70 ap
peal to inc vanlics OF women with a
"rrilby shoe TO ~ Trllby foot"
The Baltimore girls announce, too, that
they Will battle barefooted next summer.
| and all because Trilby's feet were bare,
| But. as there are few Trilhy feet in real
| life, since tight lacing and small shoes
have inflicted many an injury upon pedal
| perfection, the pedlcurists are In for
prosperous season. only the other night,
| at the Century Clubs entertainment, that
| great disciple Of Wagner. Herr DamroBch,
appeared In II Trilby costume and sang
| Sweet Alice, Ben Bolt" while Constant
Mayors ideallsed painting OF Du Maui
rier's heroine is daily attracting crowds
Of people to Knoedler's art rooms, on
Fifth avenue,
"And, while all this sTrilby' craze
gees on, Paul NJ Potter IL dramat5ng
the novel, said Manager A. NJ. Palmer.
| m, Du Maurler was agreeable. NJ, Du
| Mauriers publishers were agreeable, SO
the volume Of "rrilby which Hes on the
plano In Mr. Pottor's apartment Is Just
now the most important copy OF the book
In existence. The deal Is between Du
Maurier and Mr. Potter and not between
Mr.. Potter and myself. Author and
dramatist will share the royalties, The
publishers who bought 'Trlby' for a
lump sum--about one nth OF what he
would have received at the rate of 10 per
cent royalty--wlll not profit directly at all
by tho drama"
II Is not generally known that NJ. Du
Meurier himself made u play out OF
'Trilby." II was a very bad play. THAT
might have been expected. Thousands OF
bad plays have been written by great
novelists long before NJ, Du Mauricr en-
tered the Held Of iotlon, Play writing
and novel writing are not even distant
relatives, say the stage experts. Proba-
bly, novel by Mr., Potter would be quite
as bad as NJ Du Maurior's play.
Mr., Potter, the man who IL writing the
play Ia about 70 years old. He would
look much younger but for his silvored
hair, which was acquired through WELD
ing blue pencil IN a newspaper Office for
fifteen years Hc is smooth-shaven thick
set. ruddy-facod, genial, animated and
forciblc, probably the most popular OF all
playwrights among theatrical men, and
a great deal nuch n man as Tany would
have been, had Tamy been an American.
A bohemian himself, he understands the
sort OF life with which NJ. Du Mhurlur
has dealt IN his delightful tale.
''Thp opinion has been expressed, ] uu-
derHtnnd," iaid Mr., Potter that there
Is nothing In 'Trlby' to dramatize. Tint
Is wrong. as any practical playwright
viii toll you The critics Will not Ike
'rrllby' as a play, but l think the public
viii go TO sec 1t. My reasons are that
the critics will, OF course, have read the
book md formed their own conception
OF the characters. To them the dramatic
production " sure TO be dlsanpolnt-
mcnt TO the grcnt mass OF people rend-
ing such book II furnishes no food for
thought they skip over H. and make a
pretenso Of reading 1t, only that they
may be able 20 talk about II In "A general
way. They too, VIII want TO see 'rrilby
on tho stage, ond then the vast throng
I who have no time, and, perhaps no IN
cinaton TO read tho book. viii go 10
the play Just to sec what all tho talk "
about, and there you have the element
that makes a box oiiico succesa, and that
is what think wo viii have"
Mr. Potter then skotohcd three Or four
possible synopses TO prove the truth Of
, his assertion that "rrilby" could be
dramatzed. What the real synnpsls was
he refused to say, as It's publication
? would mean that Il would be p.ratcd II
will be, anyway, but Mr. Palmer End
, Mr.. Potter trust that tho thieves VIII at
least walt until the original play has
r been produced.
, you have the QUARTER Latin, hich
is alwayB interesting" he went on. "Yuu
, have n woman loved by fve men, She
/ chooses one, but his mother lpterferes,
: and she sacrifices her love for her loYcr'a
sake. She passes under the influence OF
the villain. very remarkable and pc
turesque villain, who leads her 10 her
, death. What more should dramatist
want2"
It has besn suggested that "Trllby"
I, dramauzed xlll too closely resemble Ca
. mile" to be a success But the play
, which will come from Mr., Potters pen
: viii dlspel this Illusion. others say that
I, novels are never successfully dramatlzed,
| "rhe IronmaHtcr" Camille" and THE
Count Of Monte Crsto," three OF the most
successful plays OF the century. II must
be remembered. were ali taken from now
els. SIN many great novels have been
| ridiculous failures when dramatlEod.
Robert Elsmere." for Instance. Other
famous individuals of fiction have shared
, the same fate. Perhaps Trilby o'Ferrall
will have some OF the attractions before
the foOtlightg that she has on a page OF
book paper. She would not have had, had
NJ. pu Maurler'B play been used, but Mr..
Potter Is too smart playwright
Mr.. Palmer has drawer fun Of letters
from ambitious women, each one OF
whom is absolutely sure she IN the exact
: counterpart Of Trliby o'Forrall In face
J and figure. Most Of these letters do not
: make any reference TO acting. One
: actress who Is quite prominent says she
knows thar uhe Ii the ideal Trilby. all OF
, her friends say that she looks and acts
like 'rrllby. and she Will make any sacrl-
lice TO play The part In reality the
I actress may be MS much like Triiby nn
she 10 like Fougere-what Mr.. Palmer
. wants 10 woman who can act Triiby
the rest viii be easy enough. Who the
woman will be, as well as the tale OF
the production OF the play. Is a. yet IN
decided.
II you wonder how the playing Of
svengall and the singing Of Trilby Will
: be accomplished. an educated automaton
E plano and professional singer IN the
Q wings who Will really DO tho singing,
q while Trilby only goes through the mo-
, items with her lips, will show how easy
: It is to overcome such little Obstacles In
! stageland.