The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-13
Controversy Between RObinsen-Oe-
lyme and Phelan Stock Co.
Former Forbidden to
Produce the Play.
IL Was Given However Last
Night at Portland Theatre.

TIE Robinson DeVyne Stock company
opened an engagement at the Portland
theatre last night with ''Tne Fata
Card; Il was Advertised some days ago
that this would be the opening produo-
ton OF this company at the Portland
theatre, Some time before the hour ar
rived Tor thu commencing OF the perform
ance ag the Portland theatre last night
the manager of the Robinson-DeVyne
company received telegram from julius
Calm the New York representative oil
Charles Erohman, forbldding the man
ager Of this company to produce the Fatal
Card on the ground that Mr.. Frohman
controlled the copyright Of this play
which he had purchased from its authors
b. q. Stephenson and Had1on Cham
bers, The manager Of the Robinson
DeVyne company WINS on the point OF an
nouncing to the large audience which
had assem- ied at the Portland theatre
that "East Lynn" would be given In
stead OF ''The Fatal Card" when Man
ager E. E. Rounds appeared on the scene.
1t is stated thai he told the manager OF
the Robinson DeVyne company that they
had advertised to produce "The Fatal
Card IN his house for the opening night
and shey would produce that piece or not
produce any. After some delay, perhaps
twenty minutes, the manager OF the Rob-
inson-DeVyne company decided 90 pro-
duce '.The Fatal Gard, and It was given.
Ii seems that yesterday the advance
NJ
pany, which opens weeks engagement
at the Jefferson tn satrs next week, ar
rived In Portland and found out that the
Robinson eVyne company was to give
''The Fatal Card at the Portland
theatre. Mr.. Phelan, SO 1t Is claimed by
his advance agent Ralph A. Ward, pur-
chased the rights to produce "The Fatal
Card'' from Charles Frohman the New
York theatrical magnate. Not only was
a good price payed for the Frohman pro-
duction, but q royalty is paid as well. Ii
will be remembered that 1.-The Fatal
Card which was seen here in City hall
some years ago was one of MIR. Frohman's
best productions. When Mr.. Ward found
that another company was to produce
''The Fatal Card In Portland he wired
MIR. Frohman OF the fact and the tele-
gram from Julius Calm. MIR. Frohman's
representative was the result.
MIR. Waite OF the Waite Stock company,
Is said 60 have produced 1.-The Fatal
Card at Brockton last week and was to
have given 1t again In Salem this week.
but 1t is said that the managers or the
theatre there refused 20 allow him to give
this play. MIR. Waite Is said TO have told
MIR. Ward that he purchased his right 20
produce the "Fatal Card from Ferris
and Wildman OF Chicago who claim to
have made another dramatization Of the
piece. 1t viii be remembered that 1.-THE
Fatal Card" was written as a play and
that afterwards the play was put In the
form of a novel. 1t is understood that
the version OF the play as given by the
Ferris and Wildman productions is based
on dramatization OF this novel. The
only difference between the two versions,
so 1t is said, is that one has the opening
scene In tho West where the fatal card
first appears and the Succeeding scenes in
or about London, while the other version
has the opening scene In the West and
the succeeding scenes in Boston. The
characters ara about the same and the
stage settings are said TO be almost idsn-
tical.
1t was stated last night that the case
had been placed In the hands OF MIR.
Frohman attorneys, Howe and Hum
mel of New York, and that it would be
taken to the courts. The copyright laws
penalty Tor infringement of them Is i'm
prisonment and a heavy tine The out |
come of this controversy will be awaited
with much interest by the theatre going |
pablo.