The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-24

or Mr.: Belasco. Always this was my
dream 1t wasn't long before l met Mr..
Herne, and he offered me position in
his company but the competence was so
small that I couldn't see my way clear
to accept It. Later / met Mr. Belasco,
and under rather unusual circumstances.
He was about to produce the play,
Naughty Anthony, and several years be-
fore he had seen me in something that
had impressed him and he said he was
going to write play around me and find
me later and put me on in It, / was play
ing New York when the word came to me
that Mr.. Belasco's representative wanted
to see me. I didn't know who the man
was and didn't really pay any attention
to 1t until one of the members of my
company said that the man in question
was Mr.. Belasco's right hand man. OF
course, I then made an engagement with
him and In due time was presented to
MIR. Belasco. He offered me the part in
Naughty Anthony and for two seasons
I starred with Blanche Bates in that play
Later Marie Doro played 1t. In the mean
time Mr. Belasco produced Madame But
terhy, with Miss Bates again as the
star, and 7 played in the company with
her. Mr.. Belasco then sent us to London
with the production. which was presented
at the Duke of York's theatre"
What a lucky thing for any actor to
have Mr.. Belascos influence In his be-
half" ] suggested
Yes" said Mr.. Gilingwater my nine
wears experience as a member of Mr.
Belesco's companies was the finest train
ing I ever had. 7 began about this time
to write plays-the first three of which
| believe we're the rottenest that ever
We're manufF ctured. You know, a play
in order to be a success must have what
we call the punch You've got to be able
IN mt -
me of little parody on plays and play
writing which is very clever:
"It%goes like this:
Mary wrote q little play.
She thought 1t was all right:
She sent 1t off to old Broadway,
Where all the lights are white.
The weeks passed on and then the play
Returned just after lunch:
I'VE read your play; regret to say,
1t hasn't got the punch"
rs writing for vaudeville more difficult
than writing the legitimate drama?" I
asked.
Yes; because the playwright must con-
dense so much. Twenty or thirty MIN
utes to present a serious dramatic work
is very short time. OF course, come
dams on the vaudevill estage have the
advantage in that respect. My first vau-
deville sketch, The Strenuous Rehearsal
was one of the most successful things I've
ever produced l wrote it for Isabel
Urquehart. The Man From Klondyke
was another. In fact. I've no complaint
to make about my work, especially for
vaudeville. The present sketch that I'm
doing, The Wives of the Rich was prac-
tically written in an hour and 40 minutes
and has scarcely had line changed since.
The plot and idea came to me when l was
out on my farm with my little son one
morning. 1t was so insistent and so
strong that 1 could hardly wait to get
home to my type machine to put my
thoughts on paper. After my luncheon
that day I sat down to work and when
got up some two hours afterward, as
said, the play was complete. 1t teaches
a lesson. 1t has a moral and strikes a
chord that many busy business man re-
spends to vibrant and strong, and 1t is
wholesome and clean, besides.
I'm conclusion, I'd like to say" Mr..
Gillingwater continued that vaudeville
audiences demand as high class of dra-
matte art as any other audience. They
want finesse, artistic effect and something
to take home with them. In other words
they like to leave the theatre with good
taste in their mouth, so to speak. and the
playwright has a big field there. as he
has In the legitimate drama or the opera"