New-York tribune., 1918-09-15
"Soneone IN the House -


once remarked that "plays arc
not written---they are rewritten
George c. Tyler, who has produced as
many, If not more, plays than any Amer
lean producer now living. has good rea-
son to know this Some of the creates,
successes he ever produced were SO
completely altered after their frs.
"try-out" presentation that they would
finally have been absolutely unrecog-
nizable to the first audiences who wit
messed them. ain the Palace of the
King" for instance, rs eventually
produced in New York, did not contain
fifty words of the original version.
"The Squaw Man. when it finally
reached Wallack's, had only one act Of
the piece as originally written. 1t
was so with "The White Sister" and
countless others.
Mr.. Tyler is quite willing to admit,
however, that his newest production,
Someone in the House." the latest
polite thief comedy" to interest and
amuse Broadway, which opened on
Monday night at the Knickerbocker
Theatre, holds all records at all
weights. 1t has been unqucstionably
h. nj lcfn n
of the American theatre, ard that it
at last seems TO have found success
full anchorage on Broadway is a credit
to the persistence and abiding faith
of MIR. Tyler, who always insisted that
its central idea, if properly developed,
was what is technically known in the
atrical pariance as sure fire" The
inside story of the plays genesis and
evolution makes mighty interesting
reading.
There were those in the enthusiastic
first night audience at the Knicker-
booker who seemed surprised that the
programme contained the names OF
three authors as being responsible for
Larry Evans, Walter c. Percival and
George S. Kaufman. Plays by two au
thors are common enough, but play
credited to three-well, that seemed
unusual.
What the audience did not know
was that not threo but upward OF q
dozen persons had had q hand in the
writing and construction of this in
genous blend of melodranla and
satiric comedy, and that if all those
concerned had responded to the vocif-
erous calls for "Author! Author"
they would have formed line stretch
ing from one side OF the stage to the
other.
l. was back in 1916 that Mr Tyler
read two short stories in "The Metro
politan Magazine" written by Larry
Evans They dealt with the advent
ures OF young reincarnation of dear,
delightful RafIies Of immortal memory.
The central figure in them was Il
debonair thief, possessing love of
adventure for its own sake and the
social graces OF a Metropolitan Opera
House boxnolder. In one of the stories
the Dancer (that was his police tag)
played leading role in an amateur
play given for charity at fashionable
Long Island country home and used
the opportunity to purloin diamond
necklace.
Mr. Tyler, impressed with the dre-
matte possibilities of the stories, be-
gan TO negotiate for the dramatic
rights, and met Mr.. Evans in the course
o. 4 consultation with the latters
agent. He was drawn to The young
man by the latter's clcvcrncss and per
sonaity. and suggested that he him
self attempt the dramatization.
Il couldn't write a play" said Mr.
Evans. Il couldn't even write an in
terrnission-"
well, make the trial. replied Mr.
Tyler. MAKE the draft Cd "a scenario
at any rate"
s Mr.. Evans was living al Saranac
Lake for his health, and near him was
living an acquaintance, Walter c. Per
cival, a young actor who had written
a number of vaudeville playlets He
called Mr.. Percival to his assistance
and the two mapped out & scenario
which was submitted to Mr.. Tyler He
liked parts of it and he dislikcd other
parts The central idea of the gentle
man thief with flare for romance was
well preserved, but serious alteration
was demanded in certain scenes.
The scenario went back to the au-
rhors, was altered in line with Mr..
Tyler's suggestions and again sub
mitted. This time it was accepted and
The play began to assume shape. 1t
was written and rewritten many times
by the original authors, and finally
seemed ready for production early in
the fall of 1917 Shelley Hull was en-
gagged for the leading role, "a cast was
organized and rehearsals began AS
they progre ssed it was seen that there
was something radically wrong with
the construction of the early part of
the play. The establishment Of the
Dancers social position was not plaus-
ible enough, and there were other
structural defects. An entirely new in
troductory scene seemed TO be needed,