New-York tribune., 1921-03-21
Belasco Filled
Every Post in
Field of Stage
Tells, at Dinner Given i'm
His Honor, How He Rose
From Supernumerary to
a Writer of Successes
Makes Plea for Harmony
Sir Philip Gibbs Declares
Gen. O'Ryan Is Hero of
Worlds Greatest Drama

-Four hundred persons attended din
ner given last night to David Belasco
at the Hotel Astor by the Society Of
American Dramatsts and Composers.
William Lyon Phelps presided, and
the speakers were Geraldine Farrar,
William Gillette, John Drew, Cosmo
Hamilton, Sir Philip Gibbs, Montrose
]. Moses, FranklinsSargent, Rose Cogh-
Ian, Daniel Frohman, Laurette Taylor,
Major General John F. O'Ryan, Arthur
Hobson Quinn, Charles II. Hitman,
George Pierce Baker, Roland Holt,
Frances Starr and William A. Brady.
Served in Every Branch
Mr.. Belasco, referring to his long
service in the theatrical profession,
said he hoped nobody would consider
it presumption if he talked little of
himself, and added:
There is no branch of the theater in
which | have not had a long and varied
e-supernumerary, actor, COM
pany manager, agent, publicity man,
hack playwright, stage manager, thea
ter manager, director, producer, dram
atist-I have been all of these.
"For eleven years / worked in the
theater of old San Francisco-the
dream city of theatrical romance. For
thlrty-nlne years next August have
worked without pause in the theater of
this great city of New York, and here
for nineteen years l have been manager
of my own theater.
"The first play that it was my privi-
lege to set before the New York public
was produced at the old Madison
Square Theater. 1t was called "Young
Mrs. Winthrop" and it was among the
most successful pieces Of my dear and
ever lamented friend, who thirty years
ago founded the Society of American
pramatists and Composers, Bronson
Howard
Plea for Harmony
"The theater may be likened to an
oasis--a green oasis in the desert of
life. 1t is planted there as it was in
the beginning, to make you cry, to
make you laugh, to make you feel, to
make you think. We are the ministers
of pleasure and of recreation With
out pleasure, without recreation men
and women cannot live and be happy.
This is the mission of the theater. The
chief lesson of the life l have lived
~! viz VHCdCCl CilluN, lue lIHpGTd-
tive need of harmony among all work
e4s of the stage"
Sir Philip Gibbs, who was next in
troduced, said in part:
There seems to be little excuse for
my speaking. There doesn't seem to
be even a Sim Fcircr in the house |
have been a critic and know something
of the work of the stage. I also have
seen one of the greatest dramas of the
world, and one of the greatest heroes
Of that drama was General O'Ryan,
who is sitting at my left He came to
France with the 9th Division and
helped to save the world. We saw the
curtain 60 down on that drama and we
never want to see it go up again.
II can tell you of many of the cruel
ties of the Old World. If we could help
them out there would be little better
that might be done. | believe that
the three greatest things in the world
are love and happiness-and laughter
With these we have no need for a
league of nations or an army, because
we could conquer anywhere if we could
depend on plenty of these three"
Tribute to Miss Taylor
Sir Philip paid neat compliment
to Miss Laurette Taylor in concluding