New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-08

public that knows her SO well both as Alice Argyle and
ms the cook lady, that she is "thc Princess P,aludr ot
the house Of York, whatever II Is, Of the novel
Also with the actor who takes the part Of the hero oi
the novel. Aside from the mpo-7ibiiy that me viii
duplicate the imagined picture Of the novel hero that
remains ndeblc IN that part Of the audience that has
read the novel. the drama5t has 20 fight against the
fact that the greater part Of the audience remembers
IN, actor as the totally different character in the last
play IN which n him. Or, II not remembered as the
character the personality oi the actor hlWsei viii Kill
the audiences imagination Of the novel role he IS play
inc. That is the actor John Smith widely advertised,
well known, often observed, remains 10 large extent
John Smith in the hcros role. And as a consequence
the audience 10 itself that is watching the advcn
lures not Of the hero Of the novel but Of John Smith in
the place Of the hero Of the novel. The whole case is
exactly the same in the instance Of the actress
II is an unfortunate thing, Of course. that all actors
DO not look like Charles Dana Gibson's drawings, and
that all actresses do not bear marked resemblance 10
the pictures Of Harrison Fisher. But alas such is
SUCH Thus has Nature put her foot down pretty hcav-
v on the chance Of the novel back Of the iooghts.
rs one expresses it, using soldiers Of Fortune
his basic Argument Another man than the reader mag
ncd is in Clly's place; another woman stands beside
him strainng the ships rail 10 see the harbor lights
Of BZcra and the terraces Of Agcrs shining ike a cafe
clantant in the highland the man doesn't look like
Clay at all Imagination hid the bald spot that now
also shines ike cafe chanant IN the night on thcac'ors
dome Imagination did not take into account the lusty
gold tooth that flashes like Scotland Light whenever the
actor opens his mouth to speak. Imagination certainly
didn't picture Hope Langham to be the dumpy brunette
with false puifs and squirt eye that The stage now
veas her 10 be-
From this viewpoint il may be said truthully that
dramaizcd novels often fail the very face Of things.
You answer and say that little things like this ought
not initiate against a work Of art, or at least good
piece Of dramatic craftsmanship, and agree with YOU
in way. But il remains fact as big as Gibraltar that
hlc things like these actually do ruin the dramatzcd
novels chance for success. You know probably that
Madame Smonc the French actress, while unqucston-
ably woman Of much talent IS not fairly to be called
a beauty. Although not directly relevant to the qucs-
ton OF the dramatizcd novel but all too relevant to
the question Of looks in the Of an imagination
invested novel heroine Of vast elegance of Countcnancc,
let me quote the apt way in which a playwright has
summed up the play in which this actress appeared:
Suppos YOU happy prince living luXuriously in
pleasant France. and that, through wandering pilgrims You
heard OF wondrous lady in whose rcsscs lay sunshine
and I'm whose eyes the dreaming Suppose you
abandoned home and friends. rented ship. hired
and sailed in search OF this paragon Then suppose that
pcrsisting through and famine and pstcnce ragged
and broken and dying you arrived finally at the habitat OF
the lady, and found
Madame Smone.
Wouldn't IL make you mad,
novel yill ou;cl,lv