The Washington times., 1915-09-12

become SUBSTANTIAL business man and
q very highly respected citizen.
Because Of his interest and helpful
| ness to italians in this country and his
many charities in Italy, the King OF
Italy had contemplated comforting the
title Of chevalier on Mr.. Poll last win
, ter. but me european war upset the
plans that had been made. 1t Is under
stood that the decree is now IN prep
aration, and that Mr.. Poll will shortly
receive what is virtually a patent of
/ nobility.
Hazard and risk, the verbal straight
lines equalng each other that Fate uses
to survey the misty plain of endeavor,
which has attainment at one end and
oblivion at the other, enter as every day
terms into but two forms of life's ac-
tivities-insurance and musical comedy.
1t is PROBABLY for this reason that lien
ry Blossom. author of the book OF The
Only GIRL at the Belasco this week,
stepped SO naturally from the insur-
ance business into his present occupa-
ton of writing successful musical
comedies. 1t will be observed that the
term successful musical comedies Is
used. If 1t seems to convey the idea
that Henry Blossom has been unusually J
successful in his writings 1t has served
Its puIpose-for Blossom has been just
that.
Being a native Of the State of Mis-
souri,. 1t Is easily understood how Mr..
Blossom acquired a general air OF IN
quisltiveneSs to human nature in the
raw when he learned that the world
owed him q living. Likewise. he be-
came acquisitive. He wanted to acquire
that living in the shortest space OF time.
His father was an insurance agent. and
Henry was given a job in his father s
office when he quit school. lnsuring
occupation a person would pick as a life
work. 1t is too much routine. A Mis-
sourian doesn't have to be shown how
to collect on his Insurance policy. no
Is perfectly willing to let somebody else
do that tor him and to save the col
lector the trouble for a long time. Hav
ing been partly raised in Missouri by a
relative IN the insurance business,
know!
Henry started to write stories while
an insurance clerk. That is another
Missouri trait. His stories sold surpris-
ingly weli-that is. surprisingly well TO
sold SO we'll that he was able to forget
there was such a thing as the insur-
ance business and work at writing reg
uariy. He determined to become a
dramatist. and. becoming acquainted
, with a very human character known
as Checkers, race track tout. about
whom he had written a story, he de
termined to dramatize the humanity OF
Checkers with just the flavor of his
race track propensities to give him local
result Of that determination.
In 1904 Blossom wrote his first musical
comedy libretto in conjunction with AL
fred G. Roby.n. and called it The Yam.
The Red MIL Mile. Modiste,' The
from George Ade's story; "Al for the
Ladies'" for Sam Bernard, and finally
working on another piece. for which
Victor Herbert Is writing the music.
Joe Weber, the producer of The Only
Girl" has already signitied his inten-
ton OF producing 1t.
Short cutting tempus no matter how
fast 1t might fly Is the way the prac-
tice of theatrical managers of sending
out several companies IN the same play
| might be accurately described. 1t re-
| and RIP Van Winkle' and The Old
Homestead" to get around the coun-
| try SO that everybody could see it. But
1t isn't going to take years for every
| bod. to see the fifty-seven varieties Of
| Peg O. MY Heart" that oliver Morosco
has invented.
If Peg" were to follow the rip Van
| Winkle" method 1t would require SONS
eighteen or nineteen years for 1t to get
| as far as 1t will be when 1t Is produced
| for the third time at the Belasco next
| Monday night with Florence Martin in
the name part. On that occasion it will
| have reached Its 7,6o4th performances! A
statistical person with time hanging
| figuring the average theatrical season
| to be forty weeks. 1t would require
almost nineteen years to give 1904 per-
formances with one company
Mr.: Morosco has done it. by multiply
ing his companies. Il three years! At
companies playing Peg" within the
geographical confines of the city of New
York alone! There were six companies
| on the road the first season. eight COM
| pnnies out last season. and there will be
four playing 1t this season!
Mabel Kip. the Washington girl who
made q hit with Maude Adams produc-
! tier of Peter Pan" and other Maude
adams plays some years ago and then
| retired from the stage to return again
last spring with the Poll Players. has
Barry to play an important part in
! Tho Home Breaker" vaudeville
sketch.
Cyril Maude, arrived in New York
! Thursday with his English company to
begin another season in Grumpy" He
starts the season at the Empire Thea
| ter. This will be the first time the
Empire has opened without John Drew
| as the attraction for number Of years.
! Drew will follow Grumpy" it is un-
| derstood in new play.
Edna Buckler, the young Washington
girl who has acquired the reputation OF
| being a most finished ingenue in other
! sections of the country. will show the
] home folks what she can do In "EX-
/ cuse Me-" with the Poll players this
week. where she is to play the part OF
| a giddy divorcee.