Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-06-16
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Will BelascO Add One TO the
Metropolitan PlayhOuscs?
He's an Interesting Chap, at All
Events-IIns Produced ut Least One
Hundred Dramatic Pieces, BESIDES
Training Mrs. Carter.

Training Mrs. Carter.
New YORK, June l5.-[Special. /
There are two stories going the rounds
bout David Bclascu. the brilliant gen
us whose training as Il dramatic teach
tr has been SO marvelously successful
the case of Mrs. Leslie "Zaza" Carter.
According to one of these stories, he is
going to add another to the theatcrs of
this town; according to the other nothing
is further from his intentions than the
building of a playhouse. In any event,
Mr. Belasco is one of the most interest
ing chaps now walking about in this
town.
Though David Belasco has been a New
Yorker for number of years, he is a
native of the metropolis of the Pacific
and not the Atlantic coast. His father
and mother went from England to San
Francisco more than 40 years ago, and
be was born there in 1860 He is a
tousin of that David James who as a
London comedian and manager became
famous years ago in connection with
The drama Our Boys"
Always Fond of the Theater.
From boyhood David Belasco was fond
Of the theater, though he probably had
little chance to crafty this fondness in
his youth, since it was passed under the
care of a Catholic priest away up north,
In British Columbia, at Vancouver.
David's later school training was receiv-
ed at Lincoln college, n California insti-
tuition. from which he graduated at II or
Is. Immediately after leaving school he
went into theatricals and certainly as
early as 1879. probably the year before,
was engaged for the place of stage mana
ger in the theater owned 10y and named
after +. J. c'Lucky'J Baldwin in San
Francisco. Before ever he came east
he held a similar place in at least three
other piayhouscs in the same city-the
Metropolitan thcatcr, the Bush Street
theater and the Grand Opera House. II
was while he was serving in these thea
tiers that he became acquainted with d
| host of young stock actors and actresses
who were aftcrward to be stars, James
a. Hcrnc. James O'Ncill and NJ. b
tSam'l of Posenl Curtis being among the
number.
The golden age for everything dra
matte in San Francisco was then on
Men were making millions rapidly there
and they capitalized their thcatcrS :,
! well that it didn't matter much whether
they were profitable or not. Companies
| composed of excellent performers were
maintained. all hands and the cook, in
| Guiding BclaScn, got good salaries, anl
! there were weekly changes of bill. Al
these things gave the young stage mana
| ger Just the experience he needed to pre-
pare himself for the work he has since
| accomplished. Even then he was cOnsid
cred the ablcst stage manager in tn
| country, as he was one of the youngc>
| and surely one of the busiest. Beside
acting as stage manager Mr.. BelaSc
was assiduouSly studying the art of play
writing. and he prepared many produC
tionS for the stage before he ever cam
east. some Of them were original plays
crude perhaps, but possessing good draw
ing power; some were TRANSACTIONS, som
were adaptations, some were dramatiza
tionS of popular novels. and nearly al
were fairly successful, though none o
them was Of such quality as the dramat
ic work he has since achieved.
Removing to New York.
So accomplished an all round theatrica
genius could by no means be allowed I
remain on the sunset coast, and in 1SSl
when he was 20 and the Mallory broth
ers gained control of the Madison Squar
theater in this city, he was induced t
come here and take personal charge G
their productions. 1t was leading MOTTO
of the Mallorys that all the production
put on the stage of their playhous
should be perfectly unobjectionable i
character and at the same time shoul
possess a certain piquancy and daintineS
which would appeal with special force
large and desirable class.
Bclasco helped the Mallorys to realiz
this desire to the letter. As at San Fral
cisco. he wrote plays. edited plays, reca'
plays, doctorcd plays. All told they sa
he had written and shaped for the stal
at least 100 dramatic pieces full fly
years ago. His first noteworthy succe'
as a dramatic author was won in 1SS
the play being May Blossoms"
1885 he left the Mallorys and went ov'
to Daniel Frohman. A little later
formed a writing copartnership wit
Henry c. De Mile, and their first VOL
of collaboration, named His LordshiI
and unsuccessful at the start, became
little later a great hit under the tit
"Lord Chumley," the leading role beiI
taken by Mr.. Sothern. This play, o
theater goers will tell you, was the CO
nerstone OF the Lyceum theatel
earlier success. 1t was followed by 'Tl
Charity Ball' and "A1en and Women
the latter being written for Charl
Frohman. This was the last piece p
together by Belasco and De Mile. Aft
it Belasco formed partnership wi
Franklin Fyles, who used to spell /
name File and is chief writer on dramat
topics in The Sun.
BeIasco and Mrs. Carter.
Mr.. Belasco took up Mrs. Garter
training Immediately after that extraC
binary Chicago woman decided
! make star Of herself. The task W
difficult one, and he was as hearti
ieered as she by the press at the begi
ming of her career. OF course he had
be paid for his services while traini
her, and the responsibility for his pc
nent was assumed by one n. *. Fa
bank, who at the start off had as mu
faith in Mrs. Carter as Belasco hi
self.
Later, however, Fairbanks fai
wayered so much that he cut loose FRI
the combination and declined to pay
bills. This didn't go down with Bela'
at all. He promptly sued Fairbank, a
the case was tried in this city thu
wears ago 1t was through the te'
mony brought out on that trial that
public got some notion of the sever
of the training to which Mrs. Car
was subjected. There are those W
believe that great dramatic success
only be achieved by those who begin
the bottom of the ladder and encoun