The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-17

changed q bit for New York introduce
tiOns An actable version of Sarah Ellis
Pyan's novel got it's title for Chicago
production by prefxing as AS TO that
of the book. so making II AS Told In
the Hills" z. Now it is rechristened
'GeDesee <of the Hills" Between the
two namings of the play there has been
row The trouble. az | perhaps mis-
understand il. comes of too many play
wrights st on job. Edwin Arden, an
actor, who wrote ~Eag giles Nest" years
ago. and is the son of an author, Arden
Smith. perceived a role for himself in
Ger essee Jack. the cowboy and scout,
who, i'm Miss Ryan's story. was sized
up i'm Montana as bad man fit for
the lynehers' loop, but in whom a sweet
girl from the east discerBed so good d
fellow that she wanted 10 marry him.
and therefore undertook to develop him
from tough condition into one of ten
derness. Cienessee is the kind of a
hero that actors take kindly 10. that
audiences like usually. ana that are nu-
nerous in American fiction.
Arden led Mcpherson TurnbuiI to get
from Miss Ryan the theatrical right to
her story and the actor assisted-yay,
50 much rs cola bora ted-in the making
of a play, of which in Chicago he Was
for months the head centre. As / hear
II. Miss Ryan disliked some of the
:
TurnbHI was willing TO amend them,
but Arden was obdurate to keep them
In. The mana cement sided with Miss
Ryan struck out whatever Arden had
Put in. and gives TO New York Genes
see OF the Hills" by Marah Ellis Ryan
and Mcpherson Turnbull."
Miss Ryan's insistance that the pri-
mary author Of dramatic material
ought to have the say-so IN its stage
use makes il pertinent TO tell about u
controversy between Mrs. Leslie Carter
ard Edwin Milton Royle- IT is so. so.
so interesting TO New YOrk's theatrical
circles, vet the fact of a physical en-
counter hasn't appeared in print.
trust it was "a stage performance,
and therefore within the prescribed
scope of this correspondence. although
the public doors were not open to it. 1t
Wa5 at a rehearsal of Cleo" which
Royle had rewritten from Article IL
for Mrs. Garter to recall vet transcend
memories of Clara Morris. 1t is agreed
that Ms Carter made such alterations
as she chose In Royles work. and
against his protests, until he declared
himself a fighter for the clause in his
which forbade any change
without his consent. Mrs. Carriers hair
and temper have stayed red since her
severance from BelascO. She crossed
the stage to Royle. flung hand into
his face. and witnesses differ as toI
whether she snapped her fingers or gave
him a slap, but, anyway, there was 4
g ound like a Spat True. she had been
implicitly Obcdient TO Belasco with |
subtle femininity she now mentions
him as Father David') but take he d. |
rection CT Royle? not if he had written |
a dozen "Squaw Mans" instead of one, |
and had a score of handsome Selma /
Fetters for wives. Well a gentleman
can't knock lady down. Royle quit !
The theatre to go to court and get an
order forbidding the production OF the
PLAY except exactly as he had written |
It. That meant a triumph of dignity |
at probably heavy cash losses, for If
the play is dropped Royle will get no
more than the advance fee of a thou !
sand dollars. with no royalty; and no
matter how the row turns out, Mrs.
Carter loses a month or more at the1
best part Of the year in her return to
the stage. Couldn't a. benefit matinee
be arranged. with a repetition OF the I
Carter-Royle encounterTas q thrilling |
act. settling the question whether it
was q suaD of the actress fingers or 1
slap of her palm, that made the noise
like a spat in Royle's face? 1t would |
iH the biggest theatre at the highest
prices.