The New York herald., 1921-09-11
BY LAWRENCE REAMER.

AOSIEhlI4 is going TO De much more
fortunate than its predecessors ever
were. BY the aid of science it is
going to have degree of hindsight almost
equal to it's crowded present Everything
that has been will evidently be accessible to
future generations. Nobody to-day knows
how Mario sang. But in three-quarters of
a century from date it will be quite possible
to listen to Caruso. Just how Malibran
sang una voce POGO ia" nobody alive in
the world to-day can tell But every cadenza
uttered in the aria by her great successor
Sembrich is preserved for all time.
Not only is the ear indulged in this
fashion. There are as interesting survivals
fOi the eye. Fifty years from date there
will probably be no living person who can
truthfully boast of having seen The TWO
Orphans" unless that drama develops still
greater vitality and is again put before the
public just it was the other day by the
impresario of the Porte st. Martin Theatre,
at which the piece first performed nearly
half century ago. Such an opportunity to
hear the play is only long chance.> But 1t
can most certainly and vividy be seen.
Work of the Movies IN Part
One of Preserving Masterpieces
For this is one Of the artistic purposes
that the movies are performing. Through
this medium the famous old plays of the
past will be visible for long time to come.
The public may see them on the screen
until the interest in them passes Scientists
may see them for many years to come. The
scenes and characters of these old plays
constantly revived for a generation which
might never have the opportunity to make
the acquaintance Of their characters and
their scenes. or course their dialogue is
lost to the world. But that privation will
be slight Nobody went to those old
plays when they We're in their first fresh
ness for the sake of the words that were
going to fall their ears. 1t was to be
lost in their rapid action that spectators for
years f1ocked to these pieces. The move
ment Of their principal scenes may well be
reproduced on the screen.
After he had selected the American by
gosh classic "Way Down East" to inlmor
talze on the screen d. w. Griffith chose
D'Ennory's "The Two Orphans one of the
most famous plays in the world, to rescue
from the oblivion into which it was rapidly
falling. 1t has been estimated roughly that
Kate Claxton alone played the blind heroine
in this country 1000 times If the question
is put to the actress she quite frankly adj
mits that she hasn't the faintest idea. The
record shows that she has played the drama
lot nearly thirty years. SHt Soulu hCNci
escape from it. The powerful scenes com
bined with her own famous performance
made it necessary for her to return again
and again to the drama in order to satisfy
the public curiosity to see it. Maybe Uncle
Toms Cabin" has been as frequently acted.
1t is an interesting fact that PHILIPPE DEn-
nery who wrote with Robert Cormon ''The
Two Orphans" made the French version of
the book La Case d'Oncle Tom" for the
cts uh SlIhsaunept1y served the
foundation for the drama in other European
countries. DEnnery had the habit OF sue
cess as few of his colleagues ever pos
sessed it.
In looking over the list of his plays one
is astonshed to the extent to which
successes-great successes that were played
hundreds and hundreds of times-bristle
among them. Any dramatist who could put
10 his credit "A Celebrated Case" "Belphegor
the Mountebank." Don Cesar de Bazan,
"Fanchon," played for years by Maggie
Mitchell and half a dozen others only
little less known would be an astonishing
figure to-day. There are literally hundred
or more compositions attributed to him,
which include books for operas. farces.
spectacular pieces and fairy plays. After he
had apparently reached an age at which he
did not need to trouble himself about such
things he went TO see Jules Verne and pro-
posed to make plays out of the books that
were the best sellers after the Franco
Prussian war Thus began a new series Of
triumphs for playwright and novelist. which
included Around the World in Eighty
Days" Twenty Thousand Leagues Under
the Sea" and other Verne romances
D'Ennery Made Popular Successes
From First Play TO Last
D'Ennerys real name was PHILIPPE. Adolphe
PHILIPPE. His mothers name was Dennery.
So when the young man had conquered in
the struggle with his father, who wished his
to become a shopkeeper like him. he de-
cided to use his mothers name. As Dennery
therefore he signed his first play When he
had become famcus-and that happened very
soon--he got permission from the Govern
ment of France to sign himself "DEnnery"
although in spite Of the apostrophe, the "a"
always continued large. He was born on
June II, 1911. He died in 1899. Since THE
Two Orphans" was acted at the Porte ST.
Martin Theatre in 1876. he was only about
65 at the time and not 80 SO many reports
have it,
D'Ennery was at once successful Natur-
ally anybody so popular with the Parisans
had to be attacked by the critics They
called poor old D'Ennery all sorts Of names.
Becaise the public loved his plays and
nocked to hear them he was said to be de-
bauching public taste. He asked Victor
Hugo to give him Don Cesar out Of "Ruy
~ a, De-