The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-26


Augustus Thomas seems to have puzzled
other managers besides A. NJ. Palmer.
ARIZONA was peddled from pillar 70 poet
and refused by every manager who saw Il.
until KirkeILa Shele produced II in Chi
cago with great success, Then Mr.. Froh-
man made a contract with Augustus Thomas
by which he was 10 have an option on every
play he wrote for the next Ave years. Nat
urally Mr. Thomas got a substantial sum
every year for allowing Mr.. .Frohman this
privilege
The successor 10 Alabama was Colo
rado, and It lasted for about two unhappy
weeks at Wallaok's Theatre. Not long
afterward Mr.. Thomas wrote THE Earl
/ Of Pawtuoket, with the idea Of utilizing
the droll British mannsrisms Of Lawrance
D'Orsay, who was at that time in Mr.. Froh-
mans employ.
But Mr.. Frohman saw no value in Mr..
D'Orsay as a star and passed up the piece,
I which IL the most successful farce produced
in this country Ia a decade. KirCe La
Shelle was again the lucky manager to profit
! by Mr.. Frohman's refusal Of play and Il
still oolning money with q Thomas farce.
When David Belasco came forward after
! several years Of retirement with The Heart
Of Maryland he made the condition that
! Mrs.. Leslis Carter should act the leading
role, whoever produced the play. he met
with rebuhs on every side. No manager
wanted his play, and for Mrs. Carriers
services there was no demand whatever.
Ultimately A. NJ. Palmer showed some
interest in the pleOs a. he was bard up for
q play, but he could guarantee bookings
for only part Of . season, and II the play
II. -.
manently jeoparded by such treatment.
Mr., Belasoo decided, therefore, 10 take
further nslcs and get bone hacker who
would enable him TO put on the drama in q
way that would give II q chance Of SUCCESS,
He ultimately found this person outside Of
the theatrical profeSioh. and The Heart
OF Maryland established both the author
and Mrs, Carter on their present level IN
American theAtrioals,
Another successful play had similar
difficulties. When Hail Game sent the
dramatiEation Of @The Christian over TO
this country no manager would touch 10,
They bad all kinds Of objections TO make
10 IL, II would shock religious people. II
was too pneachy and too undramatio. The
manuscript came back to Elizabeth Mar
bury's ofioe with such regularity that
Of an unfortunate play could seemingly
do nothing for this victim.
After q while 1t happened that Viola
Allen, who was about to become a star
wanted . play 10 which to make her first
appearance. She naturally found hersslf
ON the way to Miss Marbury's office.
'What you want, Miss Allen the play
broker said to her, lie something moro
than-a merely good play TO attract at.
tention during your frat year as a star.
You want something sensational that viii
be talked about on religious OF other !
grounds. just take this manuscript homa |
With you
So Miss Allen went homo with Tho !
Christian tucked under her arm. She was
rather an uncertain proposition as a star /,
in those early days, 30 che had made with !
her managers an arrangement which guar
anteed her q very small salary but q very
large percentage Of the profits. The |
Christian swept everything before 1t that
year, and after acting in IL for two seasons
Miss Allen was Tioh woman. Yet every !
New York manager had refused the play.
It often happens that the new dramAtist |
gets his opportunity through the star |
rather than the manager II be u Abls TO |
Offer a play containing an attractive part.
hupotE .OANlpl W. ~ uhknOHu QuAnIAly |
untn Elizabeth MAF6uy received some |
Of hia plays and was struck with their |
originality. She wanted one Of them for |
ElEie De Wolfe.
Among the plays that young Davies |
sent from San Francisco 10 her were cousin /
Kate Mrs. Goringes Necklace and /
Cynthia Miss De Wolfe read the three,
and selected Cynthia because she thought |
II best suited to her talents and because |
fhe preferred to play the part Of a very
young woman. 1t was a failure here and |
in London, whereas the two other playa /
succeeded in both countries. Miss De Wolfe |
made an error In her selection, but It IL |
TO her, nevertheless, that Mr.. Davies owes !
his discovery as a playwright.
Mrs. Fiske had the courage 10 take leah !
KleschnA" after 1t had been refused here
and in London by every manager to whom |
Il was submitted. Once it was success
fully acted, the scramble for the London
rights began and Is not yet settled
When Sir Charles Young wrote Jim
the Penman' he could persuade no London
manager to produce II, and finally tried
the play out at a matinee performance
for which he was compelled 10 supply the
money himself, Later the pieoe was a
historic success.
~My Friend From India, which was as
successful In its way as the Earl Of Paw
tuolIets has been later also found no APP
probation among the regular managers
and was finally produced under very modest
circumstances by managers who had dlfl-
Guilty IN raising the money TO do Il.