The Life of David Belasco; Vol. 2
VOLUME TWO
NEW YORK MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY 1918
COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY JEFFERSON WINTER
_All Rights Reserved_
CONTENTS
THE LIFE OF DAVID BELASCO--VOLUME TWO
PAGE
“UNDER TWO FLAGS.”--BLANCHE BATES THE RISING STAR 1
BELASCO AND DAVID WARFIELD:--THEIR FIRST MEETING 6
WARFIELD AND “THE AUCTIONEER” 11
IN THE GRIP OF THE OCTOPUS.--ANCIENT METHODS IN MODERN BUSINESS 16
TESTIMONY UNDER OATH.--BELASCO _VERSUS_ ERLANGER 20
LAW _VERSUS_ JUSTICE 23
A FAITHFUL FRIEND:--WARFIELD FOR BELASCO.--THE END OF “THE AUCTIONEER” 24
TEMPERAMENTAL SYMPATHY.--EARLY READING: “THE LOW SUN MAKES THE COLOR” 28
GENESIS OF BELASCO’S _DU BARRY_.--CHARACTER OF THE HISTORIC ORIGINAL 31
A FANCIFUL FABRIC.--“DU BARRY” FIRST PRODUCED 34
RICHEPIN AND THE “DU BARRY” LAWSUIT 42
A GRACIOUS TRIBUTE.--“REMEMBER THAT WE LOVED YOU” 45
THE THEATRIC _RICHMOND_ “LOOKS PROUDLY O’ER THE CROWN” 47
A DANGEROUS ACCIDENT.--ALTERING THE REPUBLIC 52
THE FIRST BELASCO THEATRE 55
“AFTER THIRTY YEARS OF LABOR.”--BELASCO IN HIS OWN THEATRE:--THE OPENING NIGHT 60
THE FIRST PROGRAMME 62
A STUPID DISPARAGEMENT.--INCEPTION OF “THE DARLING OF THE GODS” 67
THE PLAY AND THE PERFORMANCE OF “THE DARLING OF THE GODS” 73
THE CREATION OF DRAMATIC EFFECTS.--DIFFICULTIES WITH THE RIVER OF SOULS 82
AN OPERATIC PROJECT.--PETTY PERSECUTIONS.--AN ARREST FOR LIBEL 85
SECOND SEASON AT THE BELASCO.--A CONTEMPTIBLE OUTRAGE 91
HENRIETTA CROSMAN AND “SWEET KITTY BELLAIRS” 94
SIDE-LIGHT AND COMMENTARY ON “SWEET KITTY” 103
A STRENUOUS YEAR 109
WARFIELD IN “THE MUSIC MASTER.”--AN ANIMATED SPEECH 111
CONCERNING WARFIELD, JEFFERSON, THE ELDER SOTHERN AND THE “ONE PART” CUSTOM.--AN AMAZING RECORD 120
A SHEAF OF OLD LETTERS: IN THE MATTER OF THE THEATRICAL SYNDICATE 126
METHODS OF COLLABORATION 132
MRS. CARTER AND THE TRAGEDY OF “ADREA” 136
BELASCO AND THE THEATRICAL SYNDICATE
JUSTICE AND THEATRICAL ACHIEVEMENT 150
BELASCO’S UNIQUE SERVICE TO THE THEATRE 151
WHAT ARE WE DISCUSSING? 153
THE SYNDICATE-INCUBUS DEFINED 154
SPECIOUS PRETENSIONS TO JUSTIFY THE INCUBUS 155
TENDENCY TO COMBINATION IN MODERN BUSINESS 157
CAUSES OF THEATRICAL PROGRESS 158
THE RIGHT PRINCIPLE 161
THE OBLIGATION OF INTELLECT 162
“THOSE SHALL TAKE WHO HAVE THE POWER” 167
DIVERGENT VIEWS OF THE SYNDICATE: GROUNDS FOR REASONABLE BELIEF 170
CONVERTING CONVENTION HALL:--“ADREA” IN WASHINGTON 177
EXIT MRS. CARTER 184
SIGNIFICANT MESSAGES 186
VARIOUS LETTERS AND INCIDENTS OF 1905 188
TRIBUTE TO IRVING 194
BLANCHE BATES AND “THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST” 195
A THRILLING STORY--AND A TRUE ONE 200
A MASTERPIECE OF STAGECRAFT: THE STORM IN “THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST” 203
THE PARTING OF BLANCHE BATES AND BELASCO.--“THE FIGHTING HOPE” AND “NOBODY’S WIDOW” 206
A GREAT NIGHT.--BELASCO AT THE METROPOLITAN.--A GENEROUS ACKNOWLEDGMENT 211
BELASCO AND THE MESSRS. SHUBERT 216
THE ADVENT OF FRANCES STARR.--BELASCO’S “THE ROSE OF THE RANCHO” 219
A NEW PROJECT:--THE SECOND BELASCO THEATRE 232
IN THE MATTER OF STAGE LIGHTING 242
OPENING OF BELASCO’S STUYVESANT THEATRE:--“A GRAND ARMY MAN” 247
A DEFEATED PLAN: “THE PASSING OF THE THIRD FLOOR BACK” 255
“THE WARRENS OF VIRGINIA” 258
“THE EASIEST WAY” 265
“WESTWARD, HO!”--THE SYNDICATE SURRENDERS.--INCIDENTS OF 1909 269
THE SEASON OF 1909-’10: “IS MATRIMONY A FAILURE?”--“THE LILY”--AND “JUST A WIFE” 279
A CHANGE OF NAMES.--THE FARCE OF “THE CONCERT” 287
LOSS AND GRIEF.--“NO MAN BEARS SORROW BETTER” 293
A DRAMA OF SPIRITUALISM 298
BELASCO’S “THE RETURN OF PETER GRIMM” 299
CONCERNING THE EUNUCHS OF CRITICASTERISM 304
“THE WOMAN”--AND MR. ABRAHAM GOLDKNOPF 306
BELASCO AND PLAGIARISM
“FOLLY LOVES THE MARTYRDOM OF FAME” 310
“THE TRICK APPLIED” 312
AN ANCIENT USAGE 313
CHARLES READE ON PLAGIARISM 315
“FOR THE DEFENDANT” 318
CONCERNING BENEFITS--REMEMBERED AND FORGOT 324
THE DRAMATIC WORKS OF DAVID BELASCO
JUVENILE EFFORTS 327
WRITTEN BEFORE 1882-’83 (BELASCO’S NEW YORK CAREER BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER, 1882) 328
WRITTEN SUBSEQUENT TO 1882-’83 329
PLAYS AS YET UNACTED 332
BELASCO AS A DRAMATIST:--A FRAGMENT 332
THE GOLDKNOPF TRIAL--A UNIQUE DEMONSTRATION 336
A DRAMA OF PSYCHOLOGY:--“THE CASE OF BECKY” 343
“A GOOD LITTLE DEVIL” 348
“THE SECRET” 350
“MARIE-ODILE” 356
RECONCILIATION WITH CHARLES FROHMAN--AND JOINT PRESENTMENT OF “A CELEBRATED CASE” 361
LENORE ULRIC.--AND “THE HEART OF WETONA” 366
VARIOUS PRODUCTIONS--MISCELLANEOUS RECORD:
“WHAT’S WRONG.”--“THE VANISHING BRIDE.”--“THE LOVE THOUGHT.”--“ALIAS.” 373
“THE GOVERNOR’S LADY” 377
“YEARS OF DISCRETION” 381
“THE TEMPERAMENTAL JOURNEY” 386
A REVIVAL OF THE “AUCTIONEER” 386
A MANIAC’S PLAY--“THE MAN INSIDE” 387
BELASCO IN CHINATOWN 394
AN ADMONITION TO STAGE ASPIRANTS 398
“THE PHANTOM RIVAL” 402
“THE BOOMERANG” 406
“SEVEN CHANCES” 411
“THE LITTLE LADY IN BLUE.”--THE LAST PLAY EVER SEEN BY WILLIAM WINTER 413
“THE VERY MINUTE”--A MEMORANDUM 416
SUMMARY 418
A GREAT SHAKESPEAREAN PROJECT 441
CONCERNING SARAH BERNHARDT 448
BRIEF EXTRACTS FROM MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE 452
APPENDIX (BY J. W.)
“VAN DER DECKEN” 459
“POLLY WITH A PAST” 462
“TIGER ROSE” 465
CHRONOLOGY OF THE LIFE OF DAVID BELASCO (W. W.) 473
INDEX 543
ILLUSTRATIONS.