The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-12-14
BY JULIA CHANDLER MANI.

At last we are to see Bayard Veiller's
''VIthin the Law" the crook play which
We are told has as many thrills as any
three chapters of a Gaborian detective
story, and bigger idea back of 1t than
% per cent of the plays produced in eth
sr New York or Chicago during the past
Two years.
Up to the time that Paid in FulI' was
produced at the Astor Theater, New
York, Eugene Walter was more or less
an abscure dramatist. Today he is re-
garded as one of our great American
playmakers, a fact mentioned in con-
nection with the coming of Veiller's po-
lice drama to the Belasco this week, be-
cause his case is parallel with that of
Walter. Until he wrote within the
Law Mr.. WELLER, who was a police re-
porter in New York, had done nothing to
attract particular attention to himself,
although he had written several plays,
the worst of which the Liebler Company
had the i'll fortune to produce.
Connected with the authorship and
production of within the Law there
is a most interesting story. While Mr..
WELLER is the author of the piece, George
Broadhurst is drawing down $1,000 week
through his peculiar interest in the pro-
duction.
When Mr.. Vellier, who is the husband
of Margaret Wycherly, succeeded in
within the Law" Mr.. Brady insisted
that the drama needed it's rough edges
whacked off by the artistic pen Of an ex-
pert, and suggested that Mr. Broad
hurst be consulted Mr.. WELLER con-
scented, under the condition that Brady
give his wife, Miss Wycherly, the leading
role in Bought and Paid For" or some
other important Brady production, to
which the producer consented. Mr..
Broadhurst had a look at within the
Law" and retouched it slightly before
its first presentation in Chicago. When
WELLER arrived on the scene, just before
the Chicago premiere, he heard that
Brady had failed to make good his prom
Use concerning Miss Wycherly, whereupon
the playwrite made no effort to curb his
angry passions. Whether this breach OF
faith on the part Of the New York pro-
Queer was responsible for his withdrawal
from the management of the play IN
question is not definitely known, but the
fact remains that the premiere in chi
cagO was a dismal failure, and that MI
Brady sold out his interest for $500 TO
the Americn Play Company, which is I'M
derstood to consist of Edgar Selwyn, his
wife, Margaret Mayo, and his brother
Archie, which company is said to have
sold % per cent of their interests to A.
II. Woods and % per cent to Lee Shu-
bert When Mr.. Woods went to Chicago
Immersed with within the Law in
spite of its failure to attract the patron
.sRe of the Windy City, that he agreed
Atn have it open his new Eltinge Theater
II Jew York to which house it was
brought sixty-five weeks ago, achieving
a success so great that nine companies
were later organized for this country,
while one is presenting the piece in Lon
don, one in Vienna, one in Australia, one
in Germany, and one in France.
And Mr.. Broadhurst has remained
factor in this triumph. He had a con-
tract giving him a . per cent interest
in the piece for his collaboration, and
when asked to sell out he declined. Mr..
WELLER who was suffering the hurt
Rrady's apparent slight of his wife had
caused him, determined to break off with
Broadhurst-whom he had neither wanted
nor needed in the beginning of the anair
so he insisted that every word emanat-
ing from the Broadhurst pen be elm
mated from within the Law" so that
when the piece reached New York it was
in exactly the same form it had first left
VeiIler's studio. But even this fact did
NOT dispose of Mr. Broadhurst's interest.
While he could not lay claim to the title
of co-author he could enforce his con-
tract and although he had not been IN
strumental in the not infrequent rumor
that some of the success of the piece
he has stood pat concerning his holdings,
and continues to share in the royalties
70 the tune of a cool 5000 a week, much
to the chagrin of Mr.. Brady, who SOLD
his entire interest in the play for a sum
little more than covering the cost OF its
original Chicago production.
As for Mr.. VeilIer-well, it's said there
is no avowed hostility between the two
pIavwrites. each of whom claims great
faith in the others craftsmanship.
The profits of within the Law" reach
S1S O0O weekly Three of the best-known
stars of the theatrical profession head
the three leading companies. Jane cow
is playing to capacity audiences at the
F,ltinea Theater, in New York; Helen |
ware heads the company which will be
seen here at the Belasco Theater this
week. and Margaret Ellington is star OF
the organization now playing on the
Coast
William Golfers Washington engage |
rnent is always a pleasant feature OF the
season. 1t becomes doubly so this week
in that it ecsualizes a week otherwise too
tense and serious. When the bunch of
crooks at the Belasco have thrilled us
with their cleverness; when we have had
our emotions stirred to their foundation !
through sympathy with Mary Turner, the |
girl who, despite her innocence, serves a |
term in prison. we can let down the ten |
sion by going to the National Theater |
and seeing Mr.. Collier in the new comedy |
with the most suggestive title of "a Lit
tie Water on the Side"
No; the title doesn't mean what you
think at all. 1t refers to a strip of val |
liable land near the water in the town of
Platt's Cove. Having collaborated with |
Grant Stewart in writing the new vehi- |
Gle for the exploitation of his peculiar i
gift Of comedy. Mr.. Collier is said to have |
tailored the piece to exactly fit himself. !
"A Little Water on the Side had its |
premiere last week at Ford's Theater, |
in Baltimore, under the dictatorship of |
Charles Frohman, who, with his man |
ager. All Hayman. sat in one of the |
boxes for the first performance.
That the photodrama is taking its |