Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-27
Runyon Mails
Critic DurIinq
For Misstep
Alias Jimmy Valentine
Blunder Corrected
BY DAMON RUNYON

MY .COLUMNlNG contempt
WI rary. Mr.. +. V. During. inks
me no little when. answering
customers query as 10 how he
would compare O. Henry and
Bret Harte, remarks glibly:
20. Henry Is not I'm the same
class as Bret Harte. o. Henry
wrote hundreds OF stories but
only two good ones. The Gift of
the Magi' and Alias Jimmy
Nalnetine'."
! will overlook Brother Dur
ling'S boot on the last title.
O. Henry did not write a story
called Alias Jimmy Valentine.
He wrote one called "A Re-
trieved r ( orma tion," from
which Paul Armstrong contrived
his most famous play, Alias
Jimmy Valentine" the title
being Paul'S.
Since the play became better
known than the original story,
the Durling error is pardonable.
But when he says o. Henry is
not in the same class as Bret
Harte. must advise Mr.. Dur
ling. clever fellow that he is,
TO examine his sconce piece, or
hat, and locate the aperture
through which his words seem
10 be leaking.
A s short story writer, Bret
"A Harte compares with o.
Henry in about the same terms
as AlSab TO a platter.
Maybe a better literary handi-
capper would bring them closer
together than that. but it is not
a contest on any track.
When Colonel During says o.
Henry wrote only two good short
stories, he lays himself open TO
the suspicion that he just sort o
skinned through the works of
the great Carolinan while exer-
cising greater avidity on Harte.
TX MAYBE he committed the
" additional error of getting
the two names twisted around
and really meant that Harte
wrote only two good stories.
Where is During going with
Harte after The Luck of Roar
ing Camp" and THE Outcasts
of Poker Flat"
Maybe "Tennessee's Partner"
Maybe m Liss.
But these scarcely class with
"a Chaparral Prince" The
Ethics of Pig" The Ransom
of Red Mack" or score of other
O. Henry tales that might
mention.
! will admit that Harte was
more graceful writer than o.
Henry-that he had finer lit
erary Style-but O. Henry was
far greater master OF plot and
invention.
That he was influenced TO
some extent by Harte there can
be no doubt.
The same thing can be said of
many other American short
story writer's who came after
Harte, though it is my opinion
that o. Henrys greatest influ-
ence was the Frenchman, Henri
Murger, who wrote the stories
on which the opera La b.
heme" was based.
NOV that 1 think Of it, I do
~ not know why l am arguing
with friend Durling.
Few read either Harte or O.
Henry nowadays.
Harte's work is more of a
classic than O. Henry's because
O. Henry was essentially topical.
especially in his famous stories
of New York.
But neither is exactly news.
though both created great
Jurors in their respective eras.
Harte was perhaps more of
sensation for a spell than o.
Henry later became.
Harte was first to reflect a
phase Of American pioneer life
that fascinated the reading pub
lie on both sides of the Atlantic.
He lived high when the going
was good, but he wrote himself
out comparatively early and
finally wound up in minor
post in the American diplomatic
service.
o. Henry died in the heyday
Of his fame before he had any
great opportunity TO cash in on
the big money offers that
magazine editors were dangling
in front of him.
He got small prices for his
best stories and always needed
little fresh dough
Probably his works produced
more revenue after his death
than he was able to make when
alive.
Ills memory survives 10 this
day IN Intermittent movies based
on ms various characters, and
there is talk Of a big picture on
his life.
1t would be belatcd Justice TO
a great man
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