The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-10
OF CLYDE FITCH, THE MAN

~IE sudden and untimely death of
 (CD Clyde Fitch has evoked, during
 the past few months, a great deal of obituary comment and personal "reminiscences. but the peculiar person ality of the man has been scarcely touched upon. And yet. to one who knew Clyde Fitch his peculiar personality was perhaps much more interesting than the vast majority of his plays. First, and foremost of all, was a decided enemlnacy of manner that made a rather disagree able impression on many people, and that shows itself in his plays in certain of their weakest attributes. This enemi- macy of Fitch was, however, superb cial trait that eventually transformed it. self in the later Fitch of fame and for tune. who had become Europeanized and cosmopolitanized, into a sort of easy, blase cvnicism as to the taking, of anything too seriously-even his own art as a dramatist Owing to this he probably devoted himself a little too frivolously to plays of the moment, tailor-made plays cut to the pattern of particular players, and pIays built more upon special 'ef- ects" and "fads' than upon broad, uni- versal ideas.
 To begin with, he was embittered at the outset by the dispute with the late Rich ard Mansfield over the authorship of Beau Brummell." His earliest days had known some sharp necessities and suffer- ings. An old-time Boston newspaper man once told me that he and Titch had many a time wondered where their next break fast was coming from. After Fitch had sstruck 1t rich" he was often heard to exclaim: "If 1t had only come little sooner" But with the influx of wealth to this too prolific playwright he started to enjoy life. His many lips to Europe combined both business and pleasure, for he studied all the playhouses of the conti- nent for their latest novelties. But he built himself a beautiful villa and gar den with Italian statuary just outside New York-"a princely residence" as Otis skinner called it after visiting him there before his revival of His Grace de Cram mont.'' And Fitch revclled in artistic lux uries. such as pigeon-blood rubies and priceless articles of connoisseurship and de luxe character.
 To the end, however, he was the straightforward business dramatist all ways priding himself on his mastery in fitting players with special roles-even incidental roles, such as those which he wrote for Mathilda Cottrelly. Zelda Sears and others-and always insisting on pr sonalIy rehearsing all his own plays. On this last point he was "stfckler' and never but once--to our knowledge waived this prerogative: and that was Otis skin- ner's "Gramn ont" revival, for which he had selected the leading lady agreeable to MT. Ekinner's approvel.
 "So-and-So," he once said, naming an actress of inferior ability, but superior self-pushing quality. Keeps wgiting me that she says her prayers every night to the effect that Clyde Fitch will write her a play. I am thus making few pray i era at least ascend to heaven and there is no present prospect of their ceasing. which reminds me that a certain actor once asked zangwlll to write him the play of his tthe actor's) life zanswill replied that he was trying to write the 1 play of his (Zangwill's) life"
 Fitch was extremely kind hearted in .n,te of this anecdote. Hanging in Charles rrohman's private office in the Empire 1 Theatre building-that carefully guarded
 sa nctum sanctorum outside which so many actors have patiently waited--is a ,,,,toernph of Clyde Fitch on which the 1 gracious playwright had gracefully in- rcribed the tribute; From the little C' s'