The Frankfort roundabout., 1904-11-19
"THE DARLING OF THE
GODS"

Fair at st. Louis has developed in
the remarkable run of Blanche
Bates in David Belasco's produc-
| ton of "The Darling of the Gods"
at the Imperial Theatre in that
city.
Shut out of st. Louis by the
Theatrical Syndicate, Belasco was
at loss to discover some means of
overcoming the Money Masters of
tile dramatic world. The two high
class theatres of st. Louis are cor
trolled by the Syndicate and, there =
fore, Belasco productions can not
play them. The other houses are
accustomed TO cheaper shows and
could not handle the immense
scenery and electrical apparatus of
1.-The Darling of the Gods 1t
seemed, under the circumstances
that Belasco would be effectually
barred out of ST. Louis.
Undaunted by these obstacles,
Belasco booked between four and
five months time for 1.-The Darling
of the Gods in st. Louis at the
Imperial Theatre, which had been
accustomed TO playing popular
priced melodrama and musical
farces.
A force of men was sent from the
Belasco Theatre in New York and
every stick of scenery, every bit of
paraphernalia belonging to the I'm
perial Theatre was stored and with
a cleared stage, they began to bring
in the production of 1.-The Darling
of the Gods"
After five hours of hauling it was
found that the stage could not ac-
commOdate the whole production
and in order to give complete
performance, it was necessary to
use all the scenery. To surmount
this difficulty, Mr.. Belasco leased
a vacant lot opposite the stage en-
trance of the theatre and erected
storehouse in which the overflow
of scenery was kept and for every
performance it is carried back and
forth by a force of stage hands en-
gagged for this purpose.
When the record engage
ment was originally announced the
Theatrical Syndicate had good
laugh. They claimed it was i'm
possible for any dramatic star,
even one who had achieved the
eminent position now occupied by
Miss Bates, to play approximately
100 consecutive performances i'm IA
city like St. Louis. They pointed
out that the longest st. Louis run
on record by a strictly high class
production had been limited to
three weeks. and they added that
it took Ben-Hur' to do this.
Ben-Hur,' replied Mr.. BelascO,
novel which people like to see once.
i have a legitimate dramatic pro-
duction and II company of finished
actors. | may be wrong in believ-
ing we can play l50 performances
in st. Louis, but ] am willing to
take a chance. Miss Bates is u
will go to see her several times. y
The event has proved that Belas-
co.'s judgment was correct. On
Wednesday evening, October 26,
Miss Bates played her Tooth con-
secutive st. Louis performance of
THE Darling of the Gods" and, in
cluding that performance the gross
receipts of the play, has totalized
over $l3S 600. On Saturday even
ing. November II, Miss Bates had
played, including matinees, l20
straight performances in st. Louis.
and 1.-The Darling of the Gods" is
still playing to undiminished
houses, while the other productions
which attempted long Worlds Fair
runs have either closed or are pre-
pairing to close in the near future.
This engagement is unprece-
dented in theatrical annals. Never
in the United States, outside of
New York. with it's 3, 600, 600 inhab-
itants and transient population of
800, 600, has single dramatic star
in one play attained consecutive
pYn of IN norfnppnnncac
1t is n striking proof of Belasco's
repeated contention that the Amer
lean public is fair-mindod and will