The New York herald., 1921-11-13
Says Dranatizing a Nouel
Is Illusiue and Battling
On the Stage Everything Must Be Shown in Pace and
Action While in Book There
Is Unlimited Time.

II Is perfectly unified conception and is
almost like q Greek tragedy In It's note OF
resistless doom that IS sounded from the
moment when Gallardo is elevated to
prominence and tastes dis first great
head turning success. G1llardo has not
q chance He stands in way, for all
men who are developed physically but
are dwarfed and stunted mentally. When
vicissitude comes he has nothing TO fight
Il with. no philosophy, no poise. While
popularity is with him he Is Irresistible
once 1t leaves him he Is helpless. Gall
lardo Is one OF those unfortunate beg
cars on horseback who is bound TO
come a cropper In the end. He is never
anything but a moody, spoiled boy--the
victim Of the arena. The story as lbanoz
planned II Is utterly simple. Coincident
with his success-almost the personihca-
ton Of it---Dona Sol enters his life. BY
her he is swept off his feet While she
stays with him he Is triumphant; but
when success and Dona Sol leave him he
IS broken, and finally dies in "A vain effort
20 recover what he has lost.
In preparing the story for the stage
II seemed best 20 build on this simple,
fundamental idea n new play rather
than 30 dramatize what was in the novel.
In this way Il seemed greater jrstice
TO the original conception could be given.
The actual dialogue and scenes were SO
episode that merely lengthening them
out would not have been enough, and ia
the end the carpentry OF it would have
been too obvious.
Plot Tempered With Little.
With this purpose in mind the drama
was constructed. or course the actual
plot was tampered with as little a.
possible. But in the last act. for
Instance. where Galiardo dies, II seemed
advisable 20 have him In his half iir a
think that his wife was DoRd Sol who
had come back TO him, his wife being
party TO the deception in order that
GGlldrdo might die happy. Again in the
play GailGrdo has two children. instead
OF being chlldless as i'm tho book
A necessary but unfortunate omission
Is the elimination Of ~ PiU,nitas, the
bandit. who undoubtedly IS ,he most
picturesque and forcefu character IN the
work. Ills very strength Is his weak
ness for dramatic purposes here. In
this drama Of tho bull ring Ptumdtls
has no part. He Is so dominant a figure,
SO thoroughly tho master Of himself that
he consistently threw out OF gear every
scene tried him in and, what Is more,
made tho hero a mere puppet, too color
less In comparison. After all, the novel
is about bull lighters and not bandits
When onco II drnmatization Is com
pleted and the cutting and pairing down
process has been gone through with the
unhappy dramatist once more reads tho
novel and as he does SO his spirit ebbe.
Tho play seems so bald and stark. so
much that was strong and colorful haa
had to be omitted, so many Illuminating
scenes went by the board, so many pic
turesauo phrases and delightful obser-
vations we're out of place. Agaln tho
dramatist tries TO add various delightful
and poignant touches that were In the
original only TO have Ia remove thom
once more since they prove 10 DO orna-
mental dead wood on tho dramatic
structure.
At last, upon the production OF the
play the dramatist heaves q regrotful
sigh and observes: We'll. did my best
with Il, but may tie original author
never see what has been done With his
carefully nurtures brain cAiid."