The sun., 1918-09-22

Past which had n full season run
last year in the Belasco Theatre.
With the new dramatic year in the
Belasco Theatre with O new comedy
entitled "Daddies." by a new play
wright whose name Is John L. Hohble,
Mr.. Belasco once again justified his
faith in the charm of these young
actresses by presenting to the public
his fourth little girl" In the person Of
Jeanne Eagels.
Her portrayal Of the English war
orphan" in Mr.. Hobbies comedy repre-
Belasco management and marks o new
era In her professional career.
Miss Eagels began her stage life at
the age OF ten summers in amateur
performances. after which she became
the leading lady Of midwestern
repertoire company. with which COM
pany she remained until she was
10 years old. when she decided II
ever she was to make her way to the
New York stage the time for her COM
mencement was surely at hand. To
this end she used an opportunity to
ioin THE Pink Lady" company in
Chicago. from which engagement she
became the leading lady with Julian
Eltlnge In THE Crinoline Girl" which
brought her as near Broadway as the
subway circuit" Still lowering on
the outskirts OF her great ambition.
Miss Eagels had the opportunity to
succeed Elsie Ferguson in "Outcast."
Characterization marked with such
cNnsummate skill that II brought the
New York theatrical managers en-
'"mhle TO the feet OF the young player
Without an exception she was offered
contract with each OF the leading
',0a"e"s' Zach of WHOM came With
heir Inducements after Miss Eagels
had signed five year contract with
Joseph Brooks. under whose manage
ment she appeared in the all-star cast
" THE Great Pursuit" when the I'M
timely death OF Mr., Brooks released
her from her obligations to him.
whereupon she Immediately signed a
contract with George C. Tyler to an.
pear with George Arliss In a success
q!on of plays.
As at the time OF Miss Eagel's APP
pearance at the Standard Theatre as
Miss Ferguson's successor In "Outcast"
Mr. Belasco again sent for her when
the passing of Mr.. Brooks set her at
liberty. only to find that once again
some one had been before him. In this
latter instance he had the astuteness,
however, to engage the young player
beyond her term OF contract with Mr..
! Tyler As soon as Miss Eagels COM
pleted her last season as leading lady
with Mr.. Arliss In Hamilton" she
immediately fulfilled her own and Mr..
Belasco's desire in coming under his
management
The most interesting and the most
persistent OF literary games" Is to
search and find the photographed
In writer's work. Meredithians will
not believe that Euan Harrington, the
son OF the great Mel the superb
tailor, was not Meredith himself.
Meredith's grandfather had been a
tailor with tastes above trade" and
his father had been a failure in bust
ness. As the great Mel was both
superb tailor and superb debtor what
more proof was necessary than Epun
Harrington was no other than the
young Meredith?
Oscar Wide began his career with
pose for the unusual and the I'M
actual and with fine scorn for life"
IN its ordinary phases. He was a
lover of the elegant and an exquisite
idler and dilettante.
His one absorbing passion was to
appear as an iconoclast-to run
counter to every conventional opinion
on any subject. In drawing Lord
Gorin0. whether deliberately or not,
! Wilde did sketch very good, II
/ superficial. portrait of himself. Gorino
liz elegant, irresponsible and bored.
His existence is regulated by within
1 his contempt for the so-called solid
things of life-business and politics,
is amusingly phrased and constant.
| Still beneath this reluctance to partici-
! pate In the business OF life and the
! preference for idling Goring can, when
crisis demands become q man OF
act on. But action with him takes es-
I sentially an ntellectual--even an ar
tist!c--bent and in IAN Ideal Hus-
band" the man of fashion and Of the
drawing room more than successfully
mat, he's his wits against those OF an
| unscrupulous woman OF intrigue.
Wilde must have felt that Gorin0's
method and manner-most especially
the manner-of producing this crea.
lures discontinue would have been
just his own were he actually placed
in like position. Many vicarious tri-
| umphs must have been felt by Wilde In
| developing his butterfly Gorin0s mas
terly but always perfectly hammered
victory over malice and vulgarity.
The tragedy in Wilde's own life was
i that when his great catastrophe came
he could not assume like vigorous
attitude and fee the terrible fate In