Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-07

was my thriller. 1t showed gallows, and
on it Jim was to suffer for his wrongdoing.
when the curtain went up, Jim was seen
mounting the steps leading to the platform
under the rope, and then the hangman was
seen adjusting the rope round the horsethief's
neck and placing the black cap over his head.
To heighten the thrill, l planned to have
the black cap fall off a moment before the
final curtain was to fall and thus allow the
just as the trap was about to be sprung l
had invented harness that fastened round
the waist inside the coat, with dummy
loop for the neck, and this would permit Jim
to be dropped through the trap and would
give the audience the impression that he had
been hanged. Of course the villain repented
of his sins and begged forgiveness before the
cap was put on his head"
When Belasco had finished writing this
drama he gathered ten of his schoolmates
about him and set to work casting the
piece. 1t is interesting to note that two of
the boys in the cast were James Barrows,
siderable reputation, and Charley C. F.)
Gall, who became manager of the Casino
Theater in New York and was associated
in the theatrical business with George Led
erer. Barrows was cast in Jim Black" for
the part of the ranchmans daughter.
After the cast had been rehearsed for a
month by Dave, tickets were printed and
performance of the play was advertised to
take place in Mozart Hall, building which
Mr.. Belasco describes as "a big German
beer and frankfurter establishment which
served further as place that could be rented
for funerals, weddings, amateur theatrical
performances, and other sad affairs
For the production, on which he worked
day and night both as stage manager and as
actor of the villain part, Dave had planned
in the seventh act. One of these was sum
rise scene, showing the morning sun coming
up over the mountains. The effect was
gained by means of red light fastened in a
big circular pasteboard hatbox which, when
pulled up by light wires, would, he believed.
look like the early morning sun. A second
effect was thunderstorm, which was pro-
duced with the aid of an old washboiler, a
hammer and garden hose the stream from
which was directed against the helpless back
wall of the hail. And third effect, planned
to be most realistic of all, was the mob
scene in the fourth act. For the mob,
young Belasco went to that tough section of
San Francisco known as Barbary Coast and
hired seven of the most eminent loafers to
act for twenty-five cents each.
WHEN the night of the play arrived,
w Mozart Hall was crowded with parents
and schoolmates of the performers. The
first and second acts passed off in fine shape,
when Dave was called before the curtain to
make his first stage speech. In those days
he did not tug at his gray forelock. ~ should
have done so, however, if had had one at
the time" he says. Il don't believe l have
ever been so nervous since. My knees shook
under me; but, by keeping my eyes fastened
on the ceiling, managed to keep my wits
about me and said something"
The third act began. This showed the
interior of Jail, and the curtain was to be
brought down on scene showing the Jail on
fire. The little producer had made the win
dow panes of white tissue paper and had
planned to have boys behind the scenes set
fire to the paper and thus give the audience
the idea of flames bursting in through win
dows from the outside. When the proper
moment came, the boys back of the stage
struck their matches, simultaneously set fire
to the strips of paper, and an hour later,
after the attendants had succeeded in extin-
gushing the flames, which had thrown the
audience into a panic and for time had
threatened to destroy Mozart Hall in its. en-
tirety, Act w. was allowed to proceed, with
g -,