The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-08-25
RICHEST WRITER LIVING.
Only Man Who Ever Fishod sl,-
100000 Out Of an Ink Pot.
tnterview with Sardou-whnt the Great
est of Modern Playwrights Has to
#N Shy About His Dramas aud
How He Writes Them.
lCorYRIeur, 1895. |

.
only man who ever tishcd million
dollars out of an ink pot with pen
but, besides being the richest writer in
the world, he is also the greatest
writer in his line. Certainly there is
no other playwright who can be classei
with him. And to be rich and TO bc
great are two widely differing things.
] am told that the richest writer in ali
America is II man who has devoted his
life to blood-und thunder novels, sold
in yellow covers for II dime each
An interview with Snrdou is AN
achievement. He is not inaccessible
TO anyone but newspaper men. The
public can get nj him with little
trouble. But for him to receive IA man
who wants to write about him il not
usual.
There Is proba bly, no character in his
dramas credited with life more dra-
matte than his has really been He
chose medicine for his profession at
first, and that greatly pleased his rela-
tiveS. But one day he was asked to
write something for reading at an en-
tertainmeDt, and he wrote II tragedy
which everyone who heard il applaud
cd. That ended his study OF medicine.
Instantly he became imbucd with the
idea that he must write plays His rel
atives were not pleased. So he did ns
he wanted to, and paid no attention to
the people who wanted him TO do other
wise. Then began a struggle full of
misery and poverty.
The tragedy which had been re-
ceivcd with so much delight by his
fria in Ill -,
south of France was not locked upon
with equal favor by the theatrical
managers of Paris. Indeed he could
tipd no one who would produce it on
the stage, md he was greatly disap-
pointed He tried to find out why il
was rejected, and suddenly realized
that he had no real practical lSnowl-
edge of play writing. lie ut once saw
that 1t was absurd for him to try to
make success of 4 profession Of which
he knew nothing, and SO he began To
study the art of preparing stories for
presentation on the stage rs carefully
rs he would have had To study medicine
i'll order to procure his diploma. Two
or three years he worked at it before
he thought he was far enough nd
vanced to write n play which would
do for submission to manager.
Than he wrote The Students
Tavern" and, wonder of won
doris! found n manager who accepted
It, and produced it! But the play was
dire failure. 1t seemed to the young
playwright that he had reached the
end of all things, aud must die In
decd, he was not without reason for
1p. no y. L. 4
half starved himself in order TO he able
to write the play. lie had spared
neither hunger nor cold in order to
make the manuscript.a possibility, and
for it to fail completely was horrible
He broodcd over the unexpectedly
tragic climax of his comedy. and fell
into serious Illness. he was only saved
from death 10y the unselfish and intel.
ligont nursing which nc received ut the
hands of "A young lady of his acouain,-
ancc upon whom he had no claim what
ever. BY and by, after he got well
again, he married her No prettier love
story is told in any of his plays
After he had received his strength
and courage he induced Paul Feval to
eo!laborate with him in writing lie
lioasu historical drama. which did
not create a sensation, although Fcval
made good novel out of the plot. For
some time after the second dsappoint-
ment, Sardou's poverty was as great as
before. But better times came anu when
they did come they came with n hearth
ness chat surprised the young author as
greatly as it pleased him. "Candidc"
and LES Premicrcs Arncs de Figaro"
were both produced at the Theater
Dejazet, and both succeeded. Their
production was brought about by the
little nurse whom the young author had
married She was the bosom friend of
lille. Dejazct. Quickly following these
two plays appeared the famous ''pattcs
dc Moucche, known in America as "A
Scrap OF Paper"-the play in which the
Kendals pleased the dear Yankee pub.
!. lie so we'll. l am told that Sardou had
made UP his mind to stand or fall bv
this play. Had it failed he would have
emigrated to America and have taken
up some other profession. But it sue
cecded. Thus America lost one of the
mcst brilliant men of the century. and
the world gained her greatest modern
playwright
To follow his career from the time
when the success of "a Scrap of Pa
per" determined it, would bc merely to
writo chronological list of successful
plays. For the present it may be more
interesting TO turn to the man himself
Sardou is short, with nerves super