The sun., 1910-05-28
BOOK PLAYS NOT 50 POPULAR
BEST SEILERN DO Nor ILU MS
AIiIL FOR THE STiGE.

hayr ha"u rut forward hv th" managers
a MARKED contrast 'u thu," iavs M which
every best .rIl.r found rf- wav to M" foot
light, with ~ much c"lsri'y - som" ANA
teur rnuld ur"~ % together with past"
and srrs,prs o. was ih' fai" oi many
nt thr-, book rlav- that lrd he Managers
after "a short tmr to regard them with
suspcton Ih" twn most important that
cane tn hrh' in the SEASON iust ended
werr Tho weakening ut Helena Richie
in which Nargarer Anglin opened h"r
season AZ tn" Savoy. and The White
Sister which WAS the Last plAv that
Marion Crawford arranged from one 0t
HE novels for Viola Allen Neither oi
these two dramas had sensational careers
hero. although they were counted among
the seasons sucCess"s
Managers came n learn Daniel
Frohnan told rHE SrN reporter ycster-
day. that there was very little financial
value in the fact that a book had been
widely read unless the result was a play
that could stand by itself Il i not 60 be
denied that the reputation of best seller
uaed 70 give a new play a certain impetus.
The value Of such a reputation will last
Tor about a week Then II tho play that
the adaptor made does not possess the
essential elements for suCC,'ss IN itself
The business soon falls "a. There has
% be all the qualities of good drama IN
The piece independent ~ what the book
may have had 20 recommend o.
sAl you need 70 prove this is tho fate
of some Of the hooks that developed into
American host sellers. Look for instance
at Mrs Humphry Wards The Marriage
civilian Ashe There was a hook that
soamed meant for the stage. The plot
Wna admirable and tho role Of the wilful,
defiant heroine was Just what any ono
tionAl actress would have loved to play.
because IL gave her opportunities n do
everything that the average emotional
actresa loves - do. She could be loving
brilliant. peryerse. fascinating and pa
thstic by turns Then there was the
immense popularity 81 the book 20 help
thase innate qualities. but the public
would not have the play
Take oven a more striking case Mrs.
Whartnn's hook The House Of Mirth'
had been widely read and discussed by the
public and especially here in New York
there was immense interest in II because
there was the rlmor that the characters
we're portraits and that all " them were
well known figures IN New York's smart
aqf. Then tho work 81 dramatizing the
novel was not left 10 an ordinary me
cliani-al hungler Tho most successful
dramatist of tho day, Clyde Fitch. was
selected % III tho story for M stage.
Everything pointed tn a. great a success
a. 'TriIhy After . few weeks I canno;
ranomhor iuss how many. hut it vas not
ulorp than two or three the play founded
on tho most successful book n tho year
and dramatized hy the most expert PLAY
wright - hi time had turTiad out only
q great financial loss The vogue ~ the
hook assured tho rlav ons weeks fair
houses after a big first night Then the
basf seller ~ the season flashed In the
pan ~ a play
The trouble was that Mr Fitch had not
succeeded m making out ot IL elements
the successful play Perhaps they were
not IN tho hook A. an events ths fate ~
Mr.. Wharton and Mrs Wards books
once they got on the stage was due 10
the same defect. They had not been made
plays Yet there are persons who think
that anv drama made cut - best seller
h certain Of a great vogue.
The greatest of recent Successes M the
line n the hook play 1as. of course
Paul Potter'z dramatl1ation ~ -Irilhy.
which made a phenomenal success not
only In the countries where understood
hut In the countries that were almost
ignorant of what Du Maurierz novel
meant The success of the play m all the
Continental countries. where AUDIENCES
had scarcely an idea ~ what the text
Of the work was. showed that the result
ing drama was strong enough m It=alf
b stand alone and interest any public
Mr. Potter realizing that the book itself
waR all atmosphere and mood, with
soarcely a dramatic element. 20 smpha
airad the hypnotic idea In the novel a. %
make IL give the drama real vitality
3 Another successful hook play was the
Sherlock Holmes drama that William
, Gillette that arrhmaster u construction
prepared for tho stage with tho same un-
falling sense Of dramtuc effect that
brought such success 10 -Tulby- How
much better he made his detective plav
than the author 81 -Arsens iupin. which
came here with the other hook plays az
tho beginning of the season. il shown by
the fate of Sherlock Holmes in Paris
and Germany, which are notoriously
opposed % offerings from England or
this side of the water. II Was greater than
the SUCCESS NJ "Araene Lupin- will ever
be here Judging by present indications.
Then the play that was made from
sRafiias' came IN for an uncommon share
Of aiicoess on the Continent because the
detective and tho thief chase had Just
begun 10 interest Continental audiences
II was this drama which - said 90 have
brought about the change In the sym
pathy ~ PARIS audiences that has ~
puzzled the critics Nowadays the public
u always half ANXIOUS that the thief shall
escape and untrue 10 every ideal ~
poetic justice a. it used a. exist on the
ataga the audiences now sympathiya
openly with rhe criminal, which they
never did before.
Another u-a ~ literature that has al
ready appeared a. the inspiration for
drama has arisen m tho last year or two
The Hair o. tho HOOrah- was founded
on a short story nv n. J Dam. and tho
decision - the extent 30 which hs was
entitled ~ the credit flr the drama estab-
liahed n precedent boz literary compost !
tion. william T Price. the play expert. .
vas CALLED in ~ determine tho extent
~ which Dams short story had been T.
used A. the fundamental idea ~ frhe play. I
and ou the strength 4 his testimony /.
Dam heirs recovered a large share I
~ the profits that accrued % kirk la F.
Sh"iI" from the play Paul Armstrong Z,
seems n have found pHrtIcular iusptra-
tion in the short story, 40 Alias Jimmy 4
Valentine which has proved 1ue ~ the .
met ,Irrassfu plays ~ the season. vaz
founded boy him on a short story. by o. .
Henry
Thesa short stories stand in an entirely
different DIaa- from m. book 49, tho .
drluarst who makes u-o ~ them ha-
UreafufuH % hffu rFnpffnsiiIv nile fDs