Rights for this book: Public domain in the USA. This edition is published by Project Gutenberg. Originally issued by Project Gutenberg on 2020-11-04. To support the work of Project Gutenberg, visit their Donation Page. This free ebook has been produced by GITenberg, a program of the Free Ebook Foundation. If you have corrections or improvements to make to this ebook, or you want to use the source files for this ebook, visit the book's github repository. You can support the work of the Free Ebook Foundation at their Contributors Page. The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Life of David Belasco; vol 2, by William Winter This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. Title: The Life of David Belasco; vol 2 Author: William Winter Release Date: November 04, 2020 [EBook #63624] Language: English Produced by: Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images available at The Internet Archive) *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE OF DAVID BELASCO; VOL 2 *** Contents. Index To Volume Two List of Illustrations (etext transcriber's note) THE LIFE OF DAVID BELASCO VOLUME TWO “ I will not be slack to play my part in Fortune’s pageant! ” —Shakespeare DAVID BELASCO “ The natural successor of Lester Wallack, Edwin Booth and Augustin Daly, as the leading theatrical manager of America. ”—W. W. From a portrait made for this Memoir by Arnold Genthe, New York. THE LIFE OF DAVID BELASCO BY WILLIAM WINTER (1836-1917) “He, being dead, yet speaketh.” 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 211 Acknowledgment 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. Volume One. In Photogravure. David Belasco Frontispiece PAGE David Belasco, About 1885 16 David Warfield 26 Mrs. Leslie Carter as Du Barry 42 David Belasco 60 Blanche Bates as Yo-San , in “The Darling of the Gods” 76 David Belasco, About 1889-’90 90 David Belasco 136 Frances Starr 224 Augusta Belasco, Mrs. William Elliott 298 Reina Belasco, Mrs. Morris Gest 300 David Belasco 320 David Belasco 336 David Belasco 418 In Halftone. Blanche Bates as Cigarette , in “Under Two Flags” 2 A Scene from Belasco’s “Under Two Flags” 6 David Warfield as Simon Levi , in “The Auctioneer” 12 Mrs. Leslie Carter as Du Barry 34 Charles A. Stevenson as King Louis the Fifteenth , in Belasco’s “Du Barry” 40 Belasco, About 1902 46 Belasco’s “Studio” in the First Belasco Theatre 54 Belasco in His Studio at the First Belasco Theatre 58 A Scene from “The Darling of the Gods” 72 George Arliss as Zakkuri, the Minister of War , in “The Darling of the Gods” 82 Henrietta Crosman as Mistress Kitty Bellairs , in “Sweet Kitty Bellairs” 100 David Warfield as Herr Anton von Barwig , in “The Music Master” 114 Scene in Front of the Belasco Theatre, Pittsburgh, Pa. 126 Belasco’s “Adrea” Curtains 150 The Members of the Theatrical Syndicate 168 The Crowning Room,—Belasco’s Production of “Adrea” 178 Mrs. Leslie Carter as Adrea , in the Tragedy of that Name 186 Henry Irving in the Last Year of His Life—1904-’05 194 Blanche Bates as The Girl , in “The Girl of the Golden West” 198 To David Belasco 212 In Remembrance 214 The Opera of “The Girl of the Golden West”—A Souvenir, to Belasco 218 Frances Starr as Jaunita , in “The Rose of the Rancho” 232 Belasco in His Workshop 238 Switchboard of the Second Belasco Theatre, New York 246 David Warfield as Wes’ Bigelow , in “A Grand Army Man” 254 Charlotte Walker as Agatha Warren , in “The Warrens of Virginia” 264 David Belasco and His Father, Humphrey Abraham Belasco, in San Francisco, February, 1909—Their Last Meeting 272 Nance O’Neil as Odette De Maigny and Julia Dean (the Younger) as Christine De Maigny , in “The Lily” 282 Belasco, About 1911 286 Leo Ditrichstein as Gabor Arany and Janet Beecher as Helen, Mrs. Arany , in “The Concert” 290 “Oft in the Still Night” 294 David Warfield as Peter Grimm , in “The Return of Peter Grimm” 304 “The Student”—David Belasco 312 David Belasco 328 Frances Starr as Becky , in “The Case of Becky” 344 Belasco, About 1914 352 Frances Starr as Marie-Odile 360 Lenore Ulric as Wetona , in “The Heart of Wetona” 372 Belasco at Orienta Point—Summer Home of His Daughter, Mrs. Gest 428 Benjamin F. Roeder, Belasco’s General Business Manager 438 Sarah Bernhardt 450 David Warfield as Van Der Decken 456 Ina Claire as Polly Shannon , in “Polly With a Past” 460 Lenore Ulric as Rose , in “Tiger Rose” 466 David Belasco—His Latest Portrait, 1918 470 Belasco Leading the Parade of “The Lambs” up Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D. C. 476 “ To him the laurels and the lyre belong: He won them well, and may he wear them long! ” THE LIFE OF DAVID BELASCO “UNDER TWO FLAGS.”—BLANCHE BATES THE RISING STAR. The London engagement of “Zaza” ended, Belasco, Mrs. Carter, and the members of the “Zaza” company returned to America, sailing from Southampton, on board the steamship New York, August 18, 1900. Mrs. Carter’s tour in that play began at the Criterion Theatre, New York, on October 1, and Belasco turned his attention to launching Blanche Bates as a star. The histrionic vehicle which he selected for this purpose was a revamped dramatization of Ouida’s “Under Two Flags.” He had hoped to obtain a drama on a fresh subject for her use and he had asked Charles Frohman to assist in finding such a one. But, after waiting a considerable time without any suitable play coming to light and it being essential to bring her forward in something, Belasco determined to turn to an old subject and revivify it. “I decided, in desperation,” he writes, “to revive ‘Under Two Flags,’ which I had long been familiar with, of which I had made at least two versions, and which, in the old days, I had directed for Lotta. Her version of it, however, seemed very old-fashioned, and I employed Mr. Paul M. Potter to make a new adaptation of the book. I introduced a novel effect in that production in the sand-storm in the Fourth Act; it was simple in its mechanism, but it required much work to perfect it: it has since come into general use.” Ouida’s novel is so well known to the public of the Library and, in one form or another, histrionic adaptations of it are so well known to the public of the Theatre, that the subject is, in every point of view, familiar, and minutely detailed consideration of it in this place would, therefore, be superfluous. The new theatrical epitome of that novel was made known, for the first time, at the Garden Theatre, New York, February 5, 1901. It was, in every detail, supervised and made practical by Belasco, and it owed its success to his ingenious and expert manipulation and to the embodiment of Cigarette given in it under his direction by Miss Bates. The story of that ardent, picturesque, adventurous girl is a story of amatory infatuation, brave exploits, and pathetic self-sacrifice, under romantic circumstances. The representative of Cigarette must be handsome, passionate, expeditious, magnanimous, resolute, full of resource, sparkling with energy, Photograph by Sarony. Collection of Jefferson Winter. BLANCHE BATES AS CIGARETTE , IN “UNDER TWO FLAGS” potent in fiery conflicts of feeling, and, above all, capable of covering grief with a smile. That is the essence of her character. Blanche Bates, possessing rare personal distinction and a temperament equally attuned to the extreme moods of mirth and grief, was easily proficient in the assumption of that personality and in the pictorial and effective exposition of it. Without the presence of that actress the play (if it had ever been produced at all) would have passed as a populous, tumultuous stage pageant,—a spectacle of Moorish scenery and military bustle. Animated by her power, sensibility, and spirited, various, incessant action, it was lifted to dramatic importance and Belasco’s “desperate” venture—as he calls it —proved brilliantly successful. The employment of Cigarette is the salvation from various dangers of Bertie Cecil , a man whom she loves and whose love is bestowed on another woman, and her diligence in that employment is attended by risk and rewarded by ruin. Many persons appear to think that it is beatific to be loved by other persons and grievous not to be loved, and, accordingly, love-tales exemplary of the joy, on the one hand, and the sorrow, on the other, that are sequent from those antipodal conditions of experience are perennially popular. Pygmalion worships a stone; Titania caresses the ears of an ass, and the populace is thrilled. Cigarette’s passion for Bertie Cecil is of the old, familiar kind, and, the scene being Algeria, her adventures are, theatrically, shown across a background of singular beauty, —because that country is remarkable for flowers, cedar forests, Oriental palms, Roman remains, stony deserts contrasted with smiling villages, and luxuriant gardens not distant from mountains covered with snow. Taste, thought, ingenuity, and sedulous care were expended on every feature of the pageant by Belasco, and the result was a magnificent spectacle,—one of the richest and most impressive ever seen on our Stage. Had it been brought here by Henry Irving or Herbert Beerbohm-Tree, it would have been hailed as a transcendent exploit in stagecraft. Every scene was a picture, every picture was harmonious with the phase of the story to be illustrated, and in the transitions from the luxurious villa, with its prospect of the tranquil ocean faintly rippling beneath the moon, to the desolate, rocky, weird, and ominous mountain gorge a climax of solemn grandeur seemed to take shape, color, and charm, slowly rising out of a dream of romantic beauty. The drift of whirling mist over the darkening waves of sand on the bleak seacoast would have seemed the most consummate of illusions had it not been excelled by the blinding terrors of a mountain tempest. Those effects were wrought by simple means, but they were not less splendid because of the simplicity of their management. The dramatic victory was not won, however, by either the pageantry or the play. Mr. Potter’s variant version of “Under Two Flags” is hackneyed in expedients, abrupt in movement, drastic in method, coarse in character, shady in morals, florid in style, and it was made silly, in some of the colloquies, by the infusion of contemporary slang and reference. The listener heard of “rot” and also of “the Klondike,”—unknown in the period of the story. But the old novel had been made to yield telling situations, and the strong and splendid acting of Miss Bates vitalized them, brilliantly animated the whole structure, and vindicated Belasco’s faith in the ability of the actress. The revelation of jealousy working in an unsophisticated, half-savage nature, the elemental passion expressed in the fantastic dance, the prayer of the breaking heart for her lover’s fidelity, the supplication for his pardon, the agony when repulsed, the ecstasy when triumphant, the tremendous conflict of emotions in the wild ride for rescue,— they were all displayed with more of human nature and more of a competent artist’s power to control feelings and to shape the effect of situation than had been seen on our Stage for many a long day.—This was the original cast of “Under Two Flags” at the Garden Theatre: Bertie Cecil Francis Carlyle. John Maclyn Arbuckle. Rake Edward S. Abeles. Countess of WestminsterRose Snyder. Venetia Lyonnesse Margaret Robinson. Marquis of Chateauroy Campbell Gollan. Lord Constantia Arthur Bruce. Pierre Baroni Albert Bruning. Renée Baroni Grace Elliston. General Lamoricière Matt. Snyder. Paul Lamoricière Madge West. Captain de Chanrellon Beresford Webb. En-ta-Maboull Frank Leyden. Beau Bruno Tefft Johnson. Amineh Mrs. F. M. Bates. Cigarette Blanche Bates. Cigarette Blanche Bates. BELASCO AND DAVID WARFIELD:—THEIR FIRST MEETING. “Under Two Flags” was acted at the Garden Theatre until June 3, 1901, when that house was closed for the season and Belasco turned his attention to preparations for the appearance of Mrs. Carter in a new play and for the bringing forward of David Warfield as a star in the legitimate Photograph by Byron. Author’s Collection. A SCENE IN BELASCO’S “UNDER TWO FLAGS” Theatre. That actor, then a popular variety hall performer and a member of the burlesque and travesty company maintained by Messrs. Weber & Fields at their theatre in New York,—in Broadway, between Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth streets,—had negotiated with Belasco, about August-September, 1900, relative to acting under his management and on November 2, that year, they entered into a formal agreement whereby Belasco undertook the direction of Warfield’s professional career. Their contract was made to cover a first period of three years: it provided that Warfield should be presented as a star, beginning about September or October, 1901, and that he should be paid a weekly salary of $300 and should receive, further, 20 per cent. of the net profits of his professional exploitation during the first year, 25 per cent. during the second year, 30 per cent. during the third year, and 50 per cent. thereafter, if the contract should be renewed. This engagement also expressly required Belasco “personally to supervise the performances to be given” by Warfield as well as to provide a play for him to act in. The professional alliance thus begun between Belasco and Warfield has proved, for both parties to it, one of the most fortunate ever made in the Theatre. The personal friendship between them began many years earlier: Belasco has given the following glimpse of its beginning: “There was an usher at the Bush Street Theatre—a bright little fellow with a most luminous smile. He is still small, and his smile is still luminous. I did not then know his name, but I had heard that among his family and friends he was quite an entertainer, being able to sing, to mimic and to recite. One day I was at home, in my front room on the top floor, when I heard a voice in the street below. I leaned out, and there on the corner, standing on a box which scarcely raised him above the gaping onlookers, was the little usher from the Bush Street Theatre, reciting to a curious crowd. I went down and stood near until he had finished. Then I went up to him and asked him his name. ‘Dave Warfield,’ said he, giving me the smile that lived long afterwards in Herr von Barwig , during all the rehearsals of ‘The Music Master,’ and that was our first meeting.” David Warfield was born in San Francisco on November 28, 1866. He began theatrical life as a programme boy, in the Standard Theatre of that city. Later he became an usher in the Bush Street Theatre there. His first professional appearance was made as a member of a travelling theatrical company at Napa, California, in 1888, as the specious, rascally Jew, Melter Moss , in “The Ticket- of-Leave Man.” That company was disbanded at the end of one week, and thereafter Warfield appeared at several San Francisco variety halls, and in a piece called “About Town,” and gave imitations of actors whom he had seen,— among them Tommaso Salvini and Sarah Bernhardt,—and of “types” that he had observed in the streets of his native city. In 1890 he removed to New York and obtained professional employment, for a short time, in Paine’s Concert Hall, in Eighth Avenue. His next engagement was to act Hiram Joskins , in a play called “The Inspector,” produced by Mr. William A. Brady: that employment lasted two months. In March, 1891, he performed as Honora , in “O’Dowd’s Neighbors,” in a company led by Mark Murphy. In the season of 1891-’92 he acted with Russell’s Comedians, under the management of John H. Russell, appearing as John Smith , in “The City Directory.” In 1892-’93 he was seen as Washington Littlehales , in “A Nutmeg Match.” In September, 1895, he became associated with the New York Casino Theatre, where he remained for three years, acting in “About Town,” “The Merry Whirl,” “In Gay New York,” and “The Belle of New York,”—pieces which are correctly described as medleys of tinkling music and nonsense. In those “entertainments,” frivolous and often vulgar, Warfield presented several variations of substantially the same identity, —an expert semblance of the New York East Side Jew. In 1898 he joined the company of Messrs. Weber & Fields, and at their theatre, where he remained for three seasons, he appeared in various rough and commonplace travesties of contemporary theatrical successes, generally presenting, in different lights, his photographic copy of the huckstering, acquisitive, pusillanimous Jew of low life. One notable variation of that type was his assumption of The Old Man , in a burlesque of the offensive play of “Catherine.” Among the salient characteristics of his acting, in whatever parts he played, were fidelity to minute detail of