Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-28
"FRLENDLY ENEMIES'' CONES TO LYRLC-"SQl
THE PLAYCOER'S.
WEEKLY TALK
Dissertations on Plays and
Photoplays Of Interest TO
Philadelphidns
ssTT HAS the Belasco touch. "

Il so that somehow II is Just bound TO
20 over" All Of which is just another
tribute to the uncanny something which
assures a glorious future for any pro-
duction which emerges with the Be
iasco tag Of approval, be II sentimental
drama or serious drama, farce or com
edy. musical comedy or what not, For
more than quarter OF n century )aNlu
Belasco has been writing. adapting ana
staging plays, discovering and deNcl-
oplng players. building and operating
theatres, And always with that same
success.
Now and then the Belasco tag Of ap-
proyal attaches to some player. perhaps
hitherto obscure, and just as night fo!-
lows day the public indorses the seie'-
tion and there Is a new rise to stardom.
Belasco tagged" David Warfeld when
he was q none too prominent comedian
with Weber and Fields. and thenccforth
warheld's obscurity was q thing OF the
mast Then one day Frances starr came
60 bask in the sunshine Of BclasCos
approval and history repeated Itself,
More recently, Il was Ina Claire who
fell under the Belasco spell. Sh" De
parted from musical comedy, and today
the bllboards Of our own GarriCk Ilie-
atre inform you OF the new star OF
"Polly With n Past.1
Little wonder, then. that David Be
of the American stage the master
technician of the drama" the Aladdin
of the playhouse" the master rratts-
man of stageland." and so on and on.
In appearance this remarkable man re
minds one Of a well-bred ana ranlabls
priest--the clerical collar, which Is part
Of him, emphasizes the likeness. lie
rarely smiles, though his eyes are NhuIE
and far from austerc.
Born on the Pacific coast he entered
as call boy the show business which
he was destined to adorn. Later he
was an actor and it Is stage history
that his first spoken line was ~ fly =
/ fly so high | hit the sky But' after
the usual struggle TO get on it was
as a stage manager that he first found
himself Coming East his initial offer
ing was La Belle Russo" produced In
1882 at wallacks. Theatregocrs Of the
late sos and early '90s recall The
Wife" Lord Chumley." "rhe Charity
Ball" Men and Women" The Girl !
Left Behind Ne" and at a later period
1.-THE Heart of Maryland" "Zaza "
Naughty Anthony" "Du Barry" The
Darling of the Gods" Sweet Kitty
Bellalrs," THE Girl of the Golden West
"The Rose of the Rancho" peter
Grim" The Easiest Way" Marie
Odile" and The Auctioneer" Among
the stars. featured" players and leading
artists he has exploited are David War
field, Mrs. Leslie Garter. Blanche Bates,
James A. Herne. Charles Il. Evans,
Robert Hilliard, Frank keenan,, cyril
Scott, Edna Wallace Hopper. Frank
Craven, Henry Miller John r. Kellerd.
Arnold Daily. Frances Starr Lenore
Ulrich, Arthur Byron, Martha Hedman,
Wallace Eddinger, Ruth Shepley. Jeanne
10
william Courtleigh, II. Reeves-Smirh
and Ina Claire.
The Belasco attractions ths season
are "The Music Master" "Daddies. Il"
Tiger Rose" Tiger Tiger" The
Boomerang" and the Polly with a
Past" OF our present acquaintance. Are
they popular successes? OF course. for
have they not experienced the BelascO
touch?"
CPEAKING OF the magic touch. there
- is George Lederer. who one suspects
with having had great deal to do with
infusinE the pep" into "The Velvet
Lady" which has caused that musical
play TO go along so nicely at the For
rest Theatre. Last year he did as much
and more for "The Land Of Joy" which
furnished US with something so delight
fully different from the usual run OF
musical plays. The writer found Lederer
in reminiscent mood. and made certain
not TO interrupt it.
ut was twenty years ago last
March" said Mr.. Lederer, that The
Belle OF New York company made the
big leap from Philadelphia to London
The closing performance on the Satur'
day night al the Walnut Street rheatr,
previous to sailing was a gala one. and
we'll remembered oy many who wcr,
present. There was speechmaking ga
lore, but the wiseacres shook their head
and said. Poor George Lederer. He anC
his company will have a swim back NJ,
friends said they would address the
letters to me in care OF a lunatic asylum
asserting that eventually | would ge
them. The great success of the piece II
England. II has often been said, was In
beginning OF that feeling OF entente cor
dale that has since so closely cementer
theatrical interests on both sides of tn
water.
THE wise ones spoke similarly of 'Th
Velvet Lady They predicted II straigh
farce could not be successfully musical
izedEYThey perhaps overlooked the fac
that many of our recent big sucCesse
had for their foundation tried and tru
plays. For instance, The Merry Widow
was adapted from an old French fare,
Ihe original OF 'Mhuame sherry ui
service for years under three dlstInc
titles. viz, Jane MY Uncle's WIN an
Roland Reeds great success Lend NJ
Your Wife Still the musical yerslo
made a million dollars. The Only Cir
was taken from our Wives" The Gil
Behind the Gun was originally a FrenC
farce and The Pink Lady was called
It's original form The Satyr.' Very Goo
Eddie was formerly over. Night 'OI
Look came from Ready Money an
Going Up was The Aviator IIea
over Heels was taken from The Bal
of the Family while "Toot-Toot " wa
made over from Excuse Me-. and 80 y
TlHE chief interest In The Sayr
i Grace" the G. Haddon Chambe
play, which is delightlng audiences ,
the Broad, lies in Cyril Maude's I,
freshing and delicate comedy character
zation OF Blinn Corbett, a cashiere
English army officer, In straitened eli
oumstances trying to keep up person;
and family appearances, and who
deeply unhappy over his vain efforts
become reinstated in the service.
30 far as Mr.. Chamberss work
concerned, the play could be, perhap
Aeservedly referred 70 as an exceet
ingly delightful comedy OF manners
English manners. because the piece
very, very English. The comedy is
light texture. with just an echo of Il
war In II, and contains trihing lo'
STORY OF scanty content, An analys
does not reveal any essentially new
particularly outstanding idea that III
n. ..NN.