Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-27

II is a good deal Of surprise to out
siders to learn how many successful
plays have first lain idle IN managers
deslCs. The Lion and the Mouse Is one
OF the best known examples IL was re-
fused by two of the most prominent
managers In New York. one of whom
pronounced II amateurlsh ana eN-
pressed his surprise that Mr. Klein
should offer him SO poor play. Yet
everybody knows what THE Lion and
the Mouse has meant 10 the author ana
manager
"oh! tell you there's hope for us
all" the playwright continued. cheer
fully. "Take Miss Crothers' charming
play. The Three Of Us for another eS-
ample. ] know Miss Crothers and
know Il took nearly year to sell that
play. Some 1S or 20 managers and stars
refused II, and yet when the play was
produced 1t was not only great suc-
cess critically but ran all season in
New York. And the play as It was per-
formed differed only In minor details
from the manuscript as # was orlginal-
ly written. 1t isn't a very encouraging
thought for young dramatists that II
took year to sell The Three OF U.s.
And Miss Crothers had not only her
own initiative but the influence ana
enthusiasm of the best known play
placing office in the world behind her.
Maybe YOU don't think | know what
I'm talking about" the playwright
continued earnestly as we sat silent,
but I do. | know these authors, and
whatever you may have heard to the
contrary, you can bet your last dollar
I'm telling you the facts--and you can
count me in on half the bet. with
managers as they are a little extra
money won't be unwelcome.' he con-
Guided nournfully.
"Oh, We're not doubling" we pro-
, tested; only 1t seems odd. Plays
like Man and superman' don't so beg
ging2"
"EIa,' he exclaimed "They don't.
Man and Superman lay around in book
form for months and months before
Robert Lorraine came across it and had
the sense to keep the cables hot in his
efforts to acquire 1t. Then when 1t was
q success everyone parNeled at his as
tuteness IN beng able to buy 1t. Yet
his brilliancy was in discovering 1t, for
there Is no doubt that half dozen
managers could have bought ii from
Shaw if they had had the sense to want
it.
THE Rose of the Rancho under its
original title of 'Juanita, went beg
giug till David Belasco got hold of it
and turned II into a success of the
New York season.
Clothes was tried on various
agents and managers till Wagenhals
and Kcmper and Villain A. Brady
saw that 1t ought to be piece of goods
that would please the pubiic's fancy
and it was. The Road to Yesterday
under its original title Of Midsummer
Eve could not find manager who did
not think 1t silly uuti It reached the
shrewd j. NJ, Allison of the Shubert
company. The Shuberts then bought
it, and it ran six months in New York.
Nfsy,- - Asl
Humphrey Wards great novel, had been
published for months without finding
possible purchaser until William a.
Bradley bought the dramatic rights for
his wife.
And 1t isn't only straight plays
either" the playwright FASTENED on,
"but you find this same lack of judg-
ment even in musical comedy Take
The Earl and the Girl and The Or
child for example. Both Of these plays
were tremendous successes in London,
where each OF them ran for nearly two
years Though they were purchasable.
nobody took them until the Shuberts
came along and imported them to this
country and made a good many thou
sands Of dollars out of each OF them.
Perhaps you think that all this bad
managerial Judgment has been exer-
cised only the last season or so, but
you can go back for years and find
exactly the same thing. Did you know
for example, that The Climbers. Clyde
Fitchs most successful play, was re-
fused by many managers, partly be-
| cause they thought the public would
| have no interest in love story between
| man and wife and partly because 1t
| was thought that the scene in the first
act in which the women inst home
| from the funeral of one of the family
sell their dresses 20 some friends who
drop In on visit Of consolation would
not be agreeable to the public. But