The San Francisco call., 1909-02-14


theatricals has returned to
> the land that gave him birth.
Tlre unfrightened trust teaser
from New York is once more
y. the city that saw his beginnings.
-. All OF US have preconceived notions
a0out the way great men should look.
behave and talk. We picture them in
I a. frame illumined by the glare of
their own achievements We read Of
:fne accomplishments Of musicians. the
= genius Of writer's. the victories of he
.rQes. and we linger over accounts Of the
qolngs Of the great. We are pleased
10. think that, in some way or other.
: iney are quite apart from us and diff
IerenL SO I, being something of a
= hero worshiper myself. had pictured
David Belasco Vividly 10 myself. He
: should be extraordinary and mystical
lie should be unique. eccentric and
(: UNUSUAL The evidences of his genius.
(which are accepted now throughout the
b: nation as final should exhibit them
selres. j thought, in q manner com
Raub1e with the traditions OF those
Who dwell on the rare heights Of
F. l2afnassus.
But David Belasco. believe me, is
?: different. He resembles now. after an
absence Of Is years-which have been
: lscky for him-his brother Walter Be
-lt1scO. at the Alcazar theater. more than
81
Ire family or Belasco. and he is genial
p and. sweet souled. communicative and
lqoqesi- lie is only a remarkable man
l!l The things which he has done since
= he left here 20 odd years ago.
- He was awake when the train pulled
- nto Sacramento at q. midnight last
Thursday 10 let some~misguided pas
.slsengers of and a few stray passen gers
1.n In tie swamDed capital. The train
= was hours and hours behind time but
..e expected 20 meet his brother Fred
:f1.ist-a least, and so. with Acton DaV-
: les. critic of New York. who chal-
2 iefees western admiration of the
,>-.ucc-'tl OF Belasco- and who is on a
-f!l 2s-ro iaunt himself. he rested in
; Tie observation car Of the belated
:'Ieriand limited and waited for the
allaci1 on his energy and time which
: - aS about 20 5e made by intervieWers
&tDd reviewers of things theatrical. and
St.s fVaternal greetings which I found
slyc coveted most.
-. .lIc told me Jhat lie had come TO San
= rarciseo onl,- 20 see his father. Thir-
aeen wears ago be came for the same
season. though at that time he was
Norne along on the successful tide OF
- rs play. The Heart Of Maryland, p
. which was starring Mrs Leslie Carter
and Incidentally making David Be
lasco's first fame as producer and
Z manager
Ny reason for this visit is nothing
less than my desire to see my father
said he. ut has been a long time since
= .leoked into his eyes. and so, when
lteard he was ill., I came. Frederic
"rgid me he thought a visit from me
::H'6uld please my father, and so here
n :am."
Besides David Belasco Is tired. He
Is alone. one might say. in New York
Single handed. almost, he draws the
Sword Of independence against the
trust and declares himself free from
@sYp6lcated interests.
- II have not rested a day since I went
70 New York 20 years agO," he said. i
stand ia that city solitary and lone
some. The attitude tires and dis
D.. tresses ones soul. However, they
;. Cmeaning the syndicate Owners) leave
me alone now They 90 their ways
and I so mine. ] suppose as we all
.grow older we become more tolerant
=. and so there is no animOsity now 10 eX-
spress itself in petty things-simply q
. complete separation.
= 'sThis has been the finest season ]
.Iave ever experienced" he went or
, iavhile the train rumbled along over
? .rain washed ties and stopped every
now and then in the darkness
..-I'inancially 7 have prospered and
=: .Leel I have earned the right to 2 briei
~gest."
= Miss Bates in ''The Fighting Hope
. George Arliss in The DeviI' at the
i. Iselasco theater in New York, David
: ITarfcld in his wonderful characteri-
Z cations. and now Frances Starr it
>-Icugene Walters much discussed and
: :spnsationally successful play "Th'
zzasiest Way" lare some OF the stars
s5,5d orbits which reflect tangible yel-
.<..s,sH in David Belasco's Golfers.
5 On the way to the city he talked
:aalout "The Easiest Way" Moralists
< rad declared, according to press ac-
!: ,1srts, that Walters play was i'm
..il efaI and should be Withdrawn from
= pulsic gaze The piece was wicked
y as what they said; but David Belasct
puts up a fine defense, and believe
: lie rs right.
:. =. ..g5erhaps the clergy" said he. "ar,
.:zl;slous in finding that the stage usurps
:l:Fheir province OF moral suasion. THE
p. @5sa.siest Way teaches a great lessor
. zlncidentally, and is a thrilling play
in. The first place Instead Of protest
& ing against the performance Of a play
of this kind the church should vel
Come 81: applaud il, and approve. II
is play which ] would take a sor
10 see and which would have q
mother take her daughters to witness
;. There is no cheap appeal 10 passion
i.tiaere are no vicious lines; there Is
ONLY truth Ny little heroine suffers
fs wronged and her life is ruined"
i wish 7 had time and space TO tel
:1-ou Of the story Of The Easiest Way
IL is just such a story as is picked
nm in the rounds Of newspaper rou
:. sire many times during a year. There
=. nothing in it particularly new and
~orning but what is easily recognized
az the truth. IL is sordid, it is gay, Il
e- tragic. it is I think, truth. Blu
anyway. it has served to introduce Il
New York a subject for new con
troversy and to give jaded theate
eoers a new topic for discussion.
s.Ibsen" said BelascO. lis no Longer
q vital influence in the making of ;
new drama. ] think that Presiden
Roosevelt is far more potent IN
Guonce in the molding OF present
fheater thought than Ibsen is. Th'
financial disturbances Of the last two
years. the strenuous life Of our pres
ident and the attacks on graft arc un
yielding forces in the shaping Of tn
view drama, which has become an in