The New York herald., 1922-01-22
NEWS AND GOSSIP OF THE MOTION PICTURE WORLD---S1
Picking Plays a
Delightful Gamble,
Says S. H. Harris
Has Last Word and if He Wins
Feels on Good Terms With
Himself.

One OF Sam II. Harris's secrets of
successful play producing Is that he
relies on the judgment of his doorma I
at the Sam II. Harris Theater as to
whether a show ought to stay as she
lays or needs some more oxygen. Th =
ticket taker hears the comments of
patrons as they file out between the
acts or after the opening night per-
formance, and has keen ear for praise
or dispraise-in fact the doorman plays
all his dramatic criticism by ear. He
reports the findings of the jury to Mr..
Harris, and the manager says he'd
rather take the views of this man on
whether the play should be revamped
Immediately after the first showing
than that of any one else with his finger
on the pulse of the theater.
Usually 1 stand out in the lobby
myself after premiere" says the pro-
ducer and president of the Producing
Managers Association. "and catch pub
lie opinion on the fly. If they come
out during the intermissions talking
about the show, well and good-even IL
they argue about it. Let some of the
patrons roast it. If they must. but by
all means let them talk about it-then
the manager is happy. He knows he's
started something. And If they walk
up and down. gesticulating and spouting
lines from the play, the producer can
be sure the piece is far from breathing
its last.
But If the theatergoers don't say a
word about 1t, but ask each other what
train they'll catch going home. or
whether they'll have lobster or a cold
bird after the show, then it's high time
Tor the manager to begin tearing his
hair-supposing he has any left after
years in the show business.
Observer in Balcony Sent.
Generally on the opening night I
am to be found in the balcony. leaving
my seat number at the box office, like a
physician. There can always get the
best perspective on the show from the
persons around me-in fact, for the
moment l can almost forget I'm a man.
ager and become q simple spectator. I
can see the holes in the play better.
when the audience begins to sag. At
rehearsals you work hard over some
little detail, and think it makes a very
marked Improvement in the play, but
at the performance 1t slides right over
the audience like butter. Then other
parts that you thought were good turn
to thin air
When you're conducting rehearsals
you're too close to the works. You need
fresh viewpoint after fussing around
over small points, though it's the little
details that make a show big. Look at
Belasco! He tinkers over a play for
long time-and that's what | want
to do in the future, If the money comes
my way. He spends q lot of time and
money on q production, but the result
manager goes to one OF his shows he
learns something admit it freely. I'm
ready to take my hat off to Belasco any
hour In the day"
But these were the details concerning
the aftermath of production, and
whether 1t could be salvaged or not
What Mr.. Harris was to be put on the
grill over was the fact that he has pro-
duced as many successes in the past
couple OF years as any other manager
as any manager at all. in fact, could
reasonably hope for. The interviewer
wanted TO know how he got that way
Mr.. Harris chewed his cigar, grinned
and hazarded the guess that maybe
1t was because he took more chances
than other managers" The interviewer
mentioned that all his productions
seemed to have an original idea. and
Mr.. Harris said that he had made
original ideas In plays his pet hobby, be-
cuse he found 1t profitable.
while picking a play is generally a
he said. Il feel that If IL has
an unusual idea it's pretty likely to
go over and that it's my meat. That's
the first principle, and I always look
for original ideas in the manuscripts I
see, or In the synopSes that are pre-
sented to me by play readers. which may
load n a al xryff h vi,
read II. never take a play on the
of a play reader. but
simply read his synopsis for the story
value. for feel that II he knew good
play on sight he'd be a producer too.
Il don't consult a number of others
over the choice OF play, for that would
be confusing and lead you up in the
clouds. Sometimes Sam Forrest, my
stage director. will see play no thinks
good and we'll talk It over. but IL he
II highly and don't like
lt--well, It doesn't get produced, that's
all. Sam has good Judgment. but have
the last word. But I'd rather produce
n play that has n unique twist to Il,
even IL feel ii won't be a box office
success. because II IL goes over artistic
ally feel on good terms with myself.
"A play must have good, human char
and II it's melodramatic
above all. It has me won without q bat
tie. / figure that there are q lot of men
who came up from the East Side, as 1
did. and went ahead, but who love n
good. old-fashioned thriller in spite of
their diamond shirt studs. / used to see
them every chance / had when 1 was n
kid, and they get me yet. I'd rather
produce melodrama than any other
type of play, and you couldn't keep me
from seeing one-I've seen some of 'em
six times. Some scenes in other plays
I'll go TO see repeatedly, because 1 like
them and get real tingle out of them
In spite of being In the business. But a
good melodrama has me eating out of
It's hand all through.
Likes Mechanical Devices.
Novel mechanical devices, like the
breaking through the fence
In six Cylinder Love- are worth while
In a play, but only IL they help along the
action and aren't dragged in for their
own sweet sake. That's the kind of
American play l like TO produce, for IL
floats over It's own lesson, don't live be-
yond your means on n wave of laugh.
That's my underlying motive I'm present
ing a play, TO entertain persons Jaded
by everyday drudgery, and at the same
time send them away without thought
that they don't know how they got.
"I produced Welcome Stranger
which Aaron Hoffman brought TO me
himself, not for the sake OF any propa-
ganda, but because II had an idea which
/ thought could live on the stage. even
II II was new there I read The Ac-
quittal first in a story by Rita Weiman.
and had her dramatize It. but afterward
George NJ ,Cohan worked over Il and