The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-12
DRAMATISTS USING
STEVENSON NOVELS
Granville Barker Now Work.
ing on "The Wrecker"-No
Copyright Protection.
GOSSIP OF THE A

Granville Barker IL working ,ndustr,.
ously on . dramatic version Of THE
Wrecker." although the success Of
Treasure Island" has Just proved tina.
there can he no means Of controlling
the rights TO these plays. The copyrights
on the novels Of Stevenson have expired
and there In no way Of preventing any
playwright who desires from making
adaptations Of the novels. II 10 Of
course the great success Of jules Eckers
ooodman's adaptation Of Treasure
ISLAND" which has turned the thoughts
Of the dramatists Just now 10 the works
OF Stevenson as dramatic material.
or course Mr.. Hopkins can protect the
drama which he uses. but there must In
evitably be close resemblances between
all versions Of the story. II was NOT
until Mr.. Goodman and Mr.. Hopkins had
succeeded In arranging q successful YER
sion OF the piece that the thoughts Of
MANAGERS turned toward a book that had
yielded but one moderately successful
play. though II had been thought Of for
years Elmer Vance used to act a YER
sion Of Treasure Island" In the cheaper
theatres and the piece has been produced
az a picture play.
"h' tpViN ~ biua nIlC
and money on Treasure Island" is hav-
ing the experience Of others who before
his time tried to mak the Stevenson
plays their exclusive property. Richard
Mansfield was never able TO protect THE
Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll and Mr..
Hyde" A version of the novel was put
OF IN London when II was heard tina he
irtended TO act in II there. There Ia no
protection. according to the authorities.
fnr 80 tkA plax,a ~.aIN 49,. A..
novels Of Stevenson. So II is probable
that by the time the next theatre season
opens there will be numerous versions Of
the play floating about the stock thea
tres in addition 10 travelling companies
other than those Mr.. hopkins may send
out.
An example Of the way in which
actors may carry things too far unless
they have a stage manage or some
authority over them was shown on
Saturday night AT the Hippodrome. Will
lam Collier. after he and George Conan
had delighted the audience with an old
fashioned Sidewalk conversation" came
on the stage alone to auction off n signed
programme. He said Daniel Frohman
had requested him to do 40 for the
Actors Fund. for which the benent was
given.
Very amusinEly Mr., Collier brought
the bids up To $500. and to the applause
II the audience retired. Chauncey OIL
colt was The successful bidder and
through his generosity the Actors Fund
benefited to the extent Of his bid. Up
TO that point the auction had passed on
successfully and there was every sign
~ satisfaction on the part Of the audi
cree. which had been amused by Mr..
Collier and had seen a generous act
performed
No. that was not enough. Immediately
after he retired Mr.. Collier appeared
again before the curtain bearing another
programme which he said also had been
signed by the members OF the company.
with difficulty ne succeeded in getting
SO for the second programme. Mr.. col
lier wisely abandoned the attempt to raise
! any more. since the audience had lost all
! interest in him and what he was doing
and the whole effort TO sell the second
programme went cold. And one Of the
amusing incidents NJ the evening had
been turned into a fiasco.
Al Jolson closed his LONG and success
ful engagement At the Winter Garden
on Saturday night and yesterday started
| for the West. lie will take n vacation,
although his friends are trying to per
suade him to devote a little time II
learning a few new tricks in order that
they may welcome him back with greater
cordiality than ever in he autumn
Robinson Crusoe. Jr," will he played al
next season IN the road.
Theatres outside OF this city will pre-
cent a novelty next season in the res
toration Of the so-called popular price
rlays which have been out of the field
now for several years. II was In these
theatres over tho country that the melo'
dramas fourished until the advent nj
the cinemas proved how much easier II
was 10 show a thriller IN the ecreef
than II was to attempt anything OF the
Kind by means of the spoken dra ma. Sc
these theatres At which melodramas and
New York successes NJ several years
standing were presented NJ cheap prices
gradually surrendered 10 the moving pic
lures,
Rut arrangements have been made &c
send a number OF these companies
through the country on a route of forty
weeks Such a long season has made
ia possible 10 get some good plays anc
popular actors and there is every lndi'
cation of success for tho new attempt r.
revive an old policy of theatricals which
had been driven out of existence by ths
moving pictures, IL is not without rs
eloouence that these theatres are thi'
wear available because there is less in
terest In the moving pictures than there
was when they were strong enough e
put the cheaper compa MES into a sec
ondary place.
Ignace Jan Padcrcwski has changed
his MIND about returning to Swltzer
land for The summer and will star
with Nine. Paderewski for California OF
Wednesday.
Frieda Hempel, who has made he
plans to spend the summer in Germany
expected to sail next week by way o
Sweden. She will remain in this coun
try, however, and take a house in thu
Adirondacks,
Tasauale Amato, who will pass tn
summer at Lake Placid, having re
lected the Adirondacks instead Of Loni
Island. where he passed last summer
will have the opportunity this year q
come into comparison with Maurice Re
maud in one OF his famous character
izations. This Is the monk Athaniei II
That's which he will sing when Ger
aldine Farrar sings In Massenet's opera
Virginia Hammond, who acted witt
r.. II. sothcrn in his performances o
IF ] Were King has abandoned tn
.-i.. a,.,aa for Aha n,ara md uil