The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-09
D'ENNERY'S GOOD LUCK
STRANGE LIFE AND DEATH OF AU-
THOR OF "TAE TWO ORPHANS,
Wrote Over a Hundred Plays without
Failure, and Was sixty Before
First Work Was Turned Out.
San Francisco Chronicle.

That is probably true 1t is always diff
cult to be exact in such matters. OF its
kind and period there are two other plays
which may dispute first place with It. These
are. Uncle Toms Cabin" and East
Lynne" 1t might also be necessary to take
Camille into consideration. These three
plays were acted here before THE Two
Orphans" was ever seen, but ii Is doubtful
II they ever remained in such continuous
use. On Dec. q, 1874, A. NJ. Palmer, then
manager OF the Union-square Theater. gave
the play for the first time in the United
States. 1t was acted continually until the
middle Of the following June. 1t was re-
vived three years later for a few weeks.
During the quarter of a century that has
followed 1.-THE Two Orphans" has been
acted almost without interruption. The ca
reer Of one popular American actress. Kate
Claxton, is identified with the popularity Of
this melodrarna- Its representation, how
ever, has not always enlisted her services.
Stock companies all over the country have
acted the play frequently during the exist
ence, which began about three years ago.
and now give signs OF drawing to a close.
The piece made fortune for Miss Claxton.
and, compared with plays produced since
in times that are much more profitable to
theatrical enterprise, ii doubtless deserves
to be counted among what are called in
theatrical language the great money-mak-
ers. Probably few other plays are so well
known by name to persons who are not
generally familiar with the theater.
Adolph d'Ennery. who wrote this play
and several others that were successful
here. died recently in Paris. according to
the New York Sun. He was the greatest
author os old-fashioned French melodrama.
He was lightweight years old when he died,
and the struggling dramatist ought to find
consolation in the fact that he was more
than sixty when his most successful work
was produced. He was born at Paris in
1911, and his real name was Jacob. His
mothers name was Dennery. He was a
'Malvina." His family name satisfied him
until his literary career began.
CHANGED HIS NAME.
When a patron interested in his talents
took him out Of the shop and made q. jour-
nalist Of him the Hebraic patronym was
no longer impressive enough. The young
writer changed his mothers maiden name
by putting an apostrophe after the first
letter, and the most prolific and versatile
dramatic writer Of his age in France was
known to the world as D'Ennery. He wrote,
with as many as sixty collaborators,
dramas. reviews, librettos for grand and
form Of dramatic representation known to
the stage. He was the first to make q play
for France out OF Mrs. Harriet Beecher
Stoves Uncle Toms Cabin" he wrote
Huso's poetry. and he put into dramatic
form from novel the play which furnished
DUNK" He had a hand in making the IL
bretto Of Gounod's Faust" wrote comic
libretto for Massenet more than once. He
play. prepared one of Balzac's works for
the arabian Nights" Sometimes he
fictitious name to give the impression tina t
his productivity was not in reality without
Its limits. Such a career naturally gained
airy life of France. But ne left behind him
a fortune of $2,500,OO0, and that was prob
ably compensation for any limitations that
his reputation had to suffer.
He died in a great house in Paris filled
with a collection of porcelain and Chinese
curios, which he has left to the French
government. The French public is just now
awaiting the result of the legal proceedings
that are intended to break the will and that
may affect the gift Of his collections to
willing to accept them only If it can take
the valuable objects and refuse the worth
less ones; the latter are said TO form q con-
siderable part of the museum 1t is the sen
timental side of the proposed litigation in
which the public is most interested. Two
years before his death the dramatist had a
the power Of speech: He wrote on a piece
of paper a list of the words likely to be
most useful to him, and by diligent .prac-
ouent lucid periods although his mind nd grad.
ually failed and in these he thought Of the
struggles over his fortune that would GER
tainly arise after his death. His wife died
during this period.
HOW HE WROTE HIS WILL.
In order that there might be no dispute
about his ability to make a will he went
| through most elaborate form to establish
| his sanity. Shortly before his wife's death
| be called one day four doctors to his bed
| side. Two of these had been attending him
The two others were brain specialists. He
also had a notary ready to make his will
The doctors were first admitted to him
Then he told them of the way in which he
| wanted to dispose of his property. Then
| they were told to ask him as many question:
| as possible to prove his mental ability tc
dispose OF his property. He was questioned
as to the history Of all his plays, then con.
| them, and about his friends and enemies
| His reply to the last question was made
| public.
Every author who was proud of his Lit
| erary STYLE" he answered, was my enern,
| except three or four men. One OF these wa
| Victor Hugo. another Paul Meurice. and TIT
third and fourth were Alexander Dumas
| father and son. But / always hated tn.
| problem pieces which the son used to write.
| The doctors decided that his mind ha,
| not been SO affected by the stroke of paraly
| sis that he could not make valid will. Al
| signed a certificate to that effect. Thel
| he asked them to remember that he had no
seen his daughter and that her influence
| could not have affected him. To her wen
| tho bulk of his estate. She was his nature
daughter, and he had not seen her for years
4 xfx. Aaw be-
marriage to a distinguished Frenchman. 1
| is this will which will be contested by tn
| other heirs The chief of these Is Pierr
| Decourcelle, a well-known dramatist, VIII
| says that he can establish his uncles In
| which he was able to catch some Of hi
| wandering conversation. D Errery neve
| lima sined a more dramatic situation in al
| his plays.
| Of the author since his death, which ar
| enough to make 1t plain that he must hav
| been loved by his relatives more for hi
| fortune than for his personal qualities. II
| was terror to his coliaborators. The
| usually had 10 write the dialogue, as tina
| hesitated to swear at them when their word
| did not fit the scene he had written or wer
| not in accordance with his ideas. The
| were usually much less eminent than ht
| and had TO put up with his conduct for tn
| sake of the reputation that might come I
| them from such an association One OF hi
| cola borators was acquired in an unusua
| way One OF the actors at a rehearsal o
| Jeanne Hachette" was not satisfactory
| He was known however. as the author G
several one-act plays that had proved popu
| lar.
You seem to be a pretty bad actor
| ,.o,,oo v,op d'r.onerv said sapd. 4 thin