Show World (September 1907)

The Show IiTorljD THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AMUSEMENT WEEKLY Published at 87 South Clark Street, Chicago, by The iShohjHIorld Publishing, Co. Entered as Second-Class Matter W A RREN A . PA TR/CK , GENERAL DIRECTOR, at the Post -Office at Chica^.llHnbis June 25,190r under the Act of Congress of March3,1879. Volume I—No. 14. CHICAGO September 28, 1907 AMERICAN ACTORS FAIL IN FRANCE F ^jRANCE wants nothing American, ('except the ' money. America rel- ^lishes a Parisian flavor to its en¬ tertainment. It is not a fair exchange. Not $ven courtesy. This is best account¬ ed for by the notorious fact that Paris ^^Kiifficient unto itself. America is con¬ stantly grasping further and further for what is best in the musical and dramatic world, irrespective of geographical pre¬ judices. Paris winks at Italian drama and dramatic artists, loathes the Ger¬ man, smiles at the English and laughs at the American. It is almost j^Rnprehensible to the typical Parisian that such a thing exists as American drama. If brought so forcibly to his Blind that his negative argument cannot hold, he lifts his shoulders, sneers, and says: “Very well, then, if there is an American drama and if there are Amer¬ ican actors, bring them to us if you in¬ sist. We don‘t care to see them and Will not promise to be courteous or even None Succeed Financially in Paris, While Scores of French Artists Have Enriched Themselves in This Country. BY ARCHIE BELL days. A few years ago Madam Sarah the tangled mess of their literary out¬ laid a trap for the Italian Duse. She re- bursts has served its purpose as a topic peated the trick last June with Olga for Max Nordau’s massive critical work, Nethersole. “Degenera tipn.” Dozens of the most All i; smoke until it c No American actor or actress has ever made money in Paris, excepting possibly SCfw vaudeville 6r variety sensations. E of French artists have made ids of dollars in America. Sarah _ rdt comes over here whenever she r es, to replenish her coffers, and _ back with a bulging purse. We rec¬ ognize the art of Rejane, Hading, Co- queiin, give them respectful hearing and send them home with a profitable bank account. No American actor hopes to get jeven a fair hearing in the French capital, and knows that anticipation of financial profit would be absurd. Bftmerica Welcomes Foreign Plays. America always has been eager to con¬ tribute to the box-office popularity of French authors from Dumas, fils, down¬ ward. We swelled old Sardou’s royal¬ ties fey thousands of dollars and are giv¬ ing Paul Herrieu, perhaps the greatest living French dramatist, more produc- S Bes Frohman expects congratulations laving “cornered” the output c" ~~ famous author for the next years and selects “I.es Bouffons,” a p< etical drama by a Paris newspaper ma as file leading feature of Maude Adam fimhcoming season. Rostand n atjesponse not less enthusiastic i_ lea than in France. We pay loyal trib- ffi'to Maeterlinck for his printed plays. We ihave afforded a sympathetic try-out to Alfred Capus, Catulle Mendes and practically all of the playwrights of con- fifcporary activity in Paris. What have we received from Paris is return? Rejane has promised to use an adaptation of Clyde Fitch’s “The Truth.” ^Woduction of the same author’s “Beau Brummel” is projected. There have been translations of a few American mel¬ odramas. Scarcely a representative bal¬ ance or fair offset for our patronage of K t t with Operatic Offerings. We snap at the operatic successes of Paris, one impresario announcing with particular and peculiar pride that he has arranged to present several new French nigrelties in New York this season. Does snap at the product of Victor Her¬ berts or Reginald De Koven’s pens? The country pricked up its ears and said: ■B dare you” when Oscar Hammerstein announced the production of a grand op¬ era :by America’s leading composer, in Bown country. We import French singers and instru- fflpt alists. Calve, for instance, has grown rich in American dollars. When American singers are permitted to sing ^■11 in Paris, which is unusual, unless 1 and social pressure is brought r, they are asked to do so for a 1 salary and sometimes are obliged , itribute services, personal expenses costumes for the privilege. Paris does not want anything per- American drama, except the ^risian artists are notoriously jealous Mr popularity and only encourage n artists to invade their field as a v bird to its grasp. Rachel to ruin Ristori in the old ARCHIE BELL. One of the most widely known dramatic critics in the country is Archie Bell, dramatic editor of the Cleveland News. He is thirty years old and a globe trotter, he having toured Great Britain, Holland, Denmark, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy and the West Indies on foot. He is author of four successful novels, and his acquaintance among professional people in this country and abroad is most exten¬ sive. His views upon the drama in France, published herewith, are those of an expert and their consideration will be of value. The dramatic world of “Stay away; but if you must teach you a lesson that you t yesterday in more than one sense. The world admits that it is the hub of cul¬ ture, but Parisians go further and do not hesitate to insinuate that beyond the walls of Paris lurk the barbarians. The native is sweetly satisfied. The French author often makes himself believe that even Paris is too large a world, so he identifies himself with one of the “groups” and is contented with their praise and appreciation. This city has alwar-R been prolific in "groupings” and widely heralded authors of France have drawn direct inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman, but they would be loath to admit it. The foremost dramatic authors of France are not con¬ versant with English, and furthermore, do not care to be. Since the plays of Paul Herrieu gained a success in Amer¬ ica, he has taken up the English gram¬ mar and dictionary for something like conscientious study; but ofte has not far to question him before realizing that he is thinking more of the American mar¬ ket for his wares than of the language that Shakespeare spoke and wrote. Here is an academician and typical Parisian man of letters. Compare him, for in¬ stance, to Gus Thomas or Clyde Fitch, both of whom speak French fluently and their native 1 Mendes and Howells. Compare Catulle Mendes, author of Ariane, a current success at the Opera and The Virgin of Attila, recently played by Madam Sarah, to William Dean How¬ ells. Mendes is also a dean of letters. He is a Parisian after their own heart, a leader of the decadent Parnassians, and a man of talent. Howells is keenly in touch with the current literary move¬ ments of Russia, Spain, France, Ger¬ many, Italy and England. Mendes knows Paris. His mental horizon lies not be¬ yond the rainbow of Parisian boulevards. Last spring I experienced a keen de¬ light in learning that Maurice Rostand, the young son of the author of Cyrano de Bergerac, has his eyes turned towards America. It is not for profit, for the Rostands are rich, immensely rich. Young Maurice loves the language of Shakespeare and speaks it almost per¬ fectly. He has a desire to follow in his father’s footsteps as an author. The al¬ luring example of Alexander Dumas, fils, inspires him. At the parental castle in the Pyrenees he is diligently working out English translations of his father’s dramas and arranging the scenes of a drama which he hopes soon to write. Rostand, pere, wlil probably do no more writing under his own name. His health is not so bad as cable rumors would in¬ dicate, but he is not strong and is un¬ willing to tax his strength, preferring to rest on the laurels that he has al¬ ready won. He shares the prejudices of his brother craftsmen about American art and letters; but shows lively inter¬ est in his son’s ambition to write for the American stage. Not Writing for Miss Robson. Rostand said last June that he had never even seen the American producer who announced that after a conference with the author at his home in the south of France he had secured the latter’s promise to write a drama expressly for the American creator of Merely Mary Ann. It is to be assumed that Rostand’s future literary labors will be merely as a tutor of his ambitious son, and Amer¬ ica is likely to see the next product of the Rostand pen, before Paris passes what is believed there to be the ver¬ dict from the art court of last resort. Just as the American returning from China or Siam endeavors to lift the yoke of prejudice and ignorance from his countrymen who have never visited those lands and have never had an opportunity of seeing the people for a judgment at first hand, so an occasional French act¬ or, author, or artist endeavors to tell his countrymen of America. But his preachment usually fails on deaf ears. One of these is De Max, the leading man in the company of Sarah Bernhardt. He has seen the American theater at close range. He has studied American drama, American actors and American audiences. He told me recently that the sorrow of his life was when he began his career he did not come to America instead of going to Paris. Lured by Parisian Glamour. Max is a Roumanian. The magnet of He became a French celebrity and Paris claimed him as her own. His acting, notably as Anthony in Julius Caesar, has been the sensation of recent dramatic seasons. The limelight is beating fierce¬ ly upon him. He is one of the favored few. Yet he runs the risk of incurring displeasure—for the Parisians are child¬ like in their wrath against those who utter “profane” remarks against Paris— by declaring that America is the best field on earth for the dramatist, the actor and the audience. He says that his green-eyed brother and sister artists in the Paris theaters realize this, but are not brave enough to admit it and for the present are retaining a kind of su¬ premacy by sneering at America and its product, the sneer being echoed by the Parisian authors and managers who re¬ joice in the confines of their limited cul¬ ture and are too lazy to get into the bandwagon of progress, learn the Eng¬ lish language and take a few tips in the play business from the dwellers in what they choose to call "the land of the