The San Francisco call., 1909-02-13


edy. little love story. a climax and
an end to it. I'll take it. father, and
viii pay you 500 down for it, and
when 1 have occasion I'll fix it up and
produce it,"
The old man was overcome with
pride. The bargain was made and dur
ing the afternoon the 500 in fresh,
new money changed hands and David
Belasco appreciated that his genius as
a play maker was hereditary.
APPEARANCE Is CLERICAL
David Belasco would never do as the
model for a figure The Theater," par
ticularly if the idea were to suggest
the commercial success of dramatics.
He is more typical Of the church. His
hair is white and has the silvery con-
fusion of hayrick-if hayricks were
silvery and not golden. There is a
mop of it, unrly silver, and it has
the chronic effect of having had fingers
just run through it with poetic frenzy.
A few silver threads have leaped the
high cliff of dark forehead and lodged
conspicuously in the tangle of black
eyebrows. helping the contrast OF eyes
as glistenlng as dark agates. The face
is smooth, with few wrinkles. The
clerical effect is given largely by the
formidable rigid white collar and the
severe black ~neckcloth that is. as SOM
Der and al fiat as a coachfnans The
suit Belasco wore was black and of
soft. material. such as a curate might
wear. His shoes were black and lus-
terless.
Il have come out here to see my
father said Belasco, talking at the
Sutter street home. yesterday afternoon,
while his father, with admiring eyes
that, did not need glasses, followed the
motions of his son.
NEW YORK PLACE TO WIN
Il will stay two weeks and then 1
will return to New York. No, 1 shall
never make my home here again. l
was born here and made my. start here,
in the city and travelling about the
state. but III pass the balance of my
life in New York. New York is the
place in which to dive. San Francisco
and the, other cities OF the country
do well as fields in which experience
may be gathered-but New York is the
center of our life
"A young man who wishes to sue
ceed must go there and go before he
is too old. There he will encounter
jeaiousies and hardships and competi-
tors, but If he has the force he will
carry himself through. He must get
his name in New York and then he can
face the nation.
11t must nave the lnfee s -Iney
are the essentials.
AS he talked Belasco conquered his
hoarsehess to great extent. He
walked, about the ROOM backed the
interviewer into a piano and devel-
oped the principle Of the three P's-
the essential law Of life, as Belasco.
who lays down the law of the drama,
has it.
The three P's," resumed Belasco.
balancing on the edge Of chair, "the
three P's are Pluck. Perseverance and
Patience Patience, Perseverance, and
Pluck. Perseverance, Pluck and Pa
tience. The young man must have
these things.
PLENTY OF PLOTS IN LIFE
For. dramatic situations they can
be found in the newspapers. / read
the papers, and every day l will find
three or four plots that might be used.
Life is what must be put on the stage.
Life isn't all roses and rose gardens.
There are hard sides to it, and people
should see them. am always ready
TO read manuscripts that are sub
mitted to me- ! believe in Iencourag-
ing genius"
That is hopeful for the aspiring
dramatist
AS he talked of the stage and of
New York and of his life he would in
terrupt himself to address some re-
marks to his father or to members of
his family, his brothers and sisters
and relatives, who grouped in the rear
parler watching the genius of the
family and the stage posing affably for