The billboard (Mar 1918)

MARCH 16, 1918 The Billboard 21 | THELEGITIMATE pote], js. Slomy 10-2 Gags ime)ele}10 Waal 4-;8-4-0 George M. Coban recently went to Washington, where be saw 8 performance of what appetrs to be the most important of the American war plays produced to dite, tho Sbipman-Hottman Our Friendly Enemies. have been accused of waving the American amateur, a baby at the game.” ‘Which is not only praise from Sir Hubert, but 1s confession that the much exploited fagwaving dexterity of our favorite Yankee-Doodler bas fallen down in the pinch. ‘There are fve big roadway successes bearing tho Cohan & Harris tmprint today, yet not ove of them bas sent in ‘2 single recruit to the canse. We rejoice that a play written to inspire patriotic enthusiasm, to bring understanding of conditions end to beat down misunderstandings ‘and prejudices bes apparently met with the ‘great success it deserves, and we bope that every possible means will be employed to bring ie te the attention of those who will benefit most thra its performance. In the corrent ‘fasue of Munsey’s Msgazine David Belasco again breaks out in print—rather ‘2 diferent Belasco from the Belasco whoas magarise articles of the past bare onsheatbed unfriendly pens and roused a storm of criticism methods. ‘The new “any play worth producing at all is entitled to the most perfect Saterpretation that can be secured for it.” ‘a elaborating on this theme Mr. Belasco adds that: “Asy means thit aldg the andlence’s srusp 204 understanding of it * * * is useful god legitimate in the theater. provided the stage directot never loses sight of the fact that, Belasco.zhowever, merely relterates the premises ‘The simplicity of the matter with which Belasco has interested bimself In-the part few has resulted in the adaptation of treat as been all too apparest. Yet this fa a fault that is more often recognizable tn Tbe work of the Belasco imitators then 12 the ‘tronted with plays? Wilt they steal ideas from mavoseripte? If they purchase plays and alter them will they deprive the original author of credit for bis ideas and work? Are they to be trusted in the matter of royalties? All theve thlogs seem to worry so many folk that ove fs inclined to advire the suspicious natures to give up writing plays and to utilize the form of Action thet can be marketed on the hasis of so much « word. Very few lines of rt or business in which accountings are made oa a rayalty basis do not open up & posetbility for the trimming of the reciplent of the royalty. But in few cases is the check so exceliont ox It in In the theater. ‘Tee check is sufficient for the Gorernment in the collection of the war tex, snd. the author 4s really ta a mach safer position than Is the Government in the matter of box-ofice state meath. ‘The author's box-ofice statement fe at {erted to by an employee of the producer and am employge of the theater in which the play ‘s beldg"preseated, and In most cases tho thesfer ta $m no way’ Interested In the stmonnt of the royalties. Tt would be Dard to devise ‘more effective simple check as to the correctsets of gures than the attestation of @ dls: taterested party. Nothing nearly as satisfactory can be bad from 2 publisher of books or of muse, for example, As to the safety of an idea that is bundled ‘vp ta play form and sent the rounds it is more Gigicalt to avswer. An idea: shot into the alr necessarily travels at its own risk. No ove can guarantee that it will not be subconscloasty | absorbed'1a some quarter and at some subsequent time reprojected and utilized as an origina! thought in all-bonesty. -There have doubtlens been thousands of cases of this sort. ‘The Federal laws give the best protection that lawgivers dave been able to devise against couscloos thievery. That managers deliberately appropriate {dess, as so many writers of popular fiction would bave us believe, Js largely merely popular fiction. It stands to reason that it fen't good business. Good ideas that come from unknown playwrights are so rare in the frst place that the hunting for them would scarcely repsy the search. The appropriation would necessitate thelr reworking by a skilled playwright, and a skilled playwright in search of ideas God material is glad enough to divide up fq Daving his material exploited one can only. ‘say that tho very essence of ‘the royalty 1s that when a play brings prodts to those gamble on their falth in tt its creator form of royalty contract provides for a five per cent royalty on a weekly business up to that polnt, with a slight increase of the business dope “in excess of the figure. mentioned, and 2 abstantial increase when the business is suffictently large to insure a bealthy profit on the ‘week's business. No playwright ‘6 entitled to more than this, uoless the demand for his work 1s 90 great that be is able to demand it. There are few playwrights who ave any great drawing power in themselves, whose work is patronized no matter what the popular opinion of its merit THE BILLBOARD. RECORD OF RUNS : IN NEW YORK By the Dramatic and Musical Plays ‘Mamber of consecutive performances up to and incloding Saturday, Merch 9, ‘Cort T4dth SE Hoot Tatar. Magnatian ...22 Ee. i Slam 3 BRR RRR EN RSSBR os rBia ta Res 8 to supply bim witb such. (‘The manager woulg have to pay the skilled Playwright for bis labor and would save Uttle jor nothing compared to the risk he would undergo in tho disposition of stolen property. In [Men of any less convincing argument the playwright might assame managerial honesty for the reason that disbonesty is scarcely profitable. But 4m all cases where a playwright 1s Inclined to be doubtful and susplcious we advise the employment of a play broker of recognized probity, ‘who will be glad to do the playwright's worryfog for blm—on a percentage basis. One play“If managers are where smoke 1s more or less independent of fre. Many a writer bas reduced the number of ‘themes and situations possible in drama to a very few. The combinations and permutations Possible ‘with this United nomber of themes and situations are not so many that the when #0 more or less prodtlessly in striving for the same ends, and accidental simllarities are sure to ‘occur on countless occasions every time new Dlay ts staged. As to the oftpropounded query.as to what is 4 fair remuneration for the playwright successful individual abilities because of the following and thelr personal popalarity. MRS. FISKE CHANGES BILL Boston, March 11.—Sirs. Flake, who has been :ppearing in Madame Sand at the Tremont Thea Robert Vivian, Tracey Barrow, Gerald Pring and Rene de le Chapelle have been added to Mrs. ‘Fiske's company to present the new bill, ‘TWIN BEDS IN LONDON ‘New York, March Q—After a long delay, that the play will be title. Helen Raymond will be can in the cast, NEW PLAYS. FOLLOW THE GIRL FOLLOW THE GIRL—A musical comedy in three acts by Henry Blossom and Zoel Parentean. Staged by J. C, Huffmann. Presented by Raymond Hitchcock apd EZ. Bay Goetz Saturday, March 2, at the Forty‘fourth Street Roof Theater, New York, | TRE cast: ‘T, Lyman Niles, banker and broker. . ona Willian Mrs. i Gada ile, bie danger. idee are "hile “ale Ane Bees Stour Guiierns” onsbeesiay aa Atgentioe Hite WStanoe Rev. Jonas Tod,’ D. Ralph Ns Wiliiam Tell, Proprietor of “Come on Inn" ‘1. Bickel ‘music and pretty girls, all of which is apparently ‘bela together by the fine comedy furnished by Walter Catlett, as “Bock” Sweeney. Mr. Cat Jett, who was seen bere in So Long, Letty, ‘made good his opportunities and scored many well-deserved laughs. ‘The best of the musical numbers were There's Always One You Can't Forget and Swing Honeymeontand. ‘The book concerns a young man who is mistaken for a millionaire cousin. ‘The heroine whom he wishes to marry is also penofless. ‘Mercenary relatives wake objections. It de were too much restrained. Dorothy Godfrey, ‘the chorus, whose name was not Program, completely captured the her gracefal dancing. Miss Godfrey, once the Winter Garden chorus, ts.21 pretty, judging from the little ‘vealed of her face under a sheltering net and a sbock of, blonde curla—M. F. Excerpts from the New York dailies Evening San—Except for George Bickel Follow the § THE BOOK OF JOB ‘THE BOOK OF JOB—Produced under the per sonal direction of Stuart Walker at the ‘Booth Theater, New York, March 7. ‘the Bible has been literally presented on the stage. Devoid of all theatrical and stagy effects the sublime story of Job, as read at the Booth ‘Theater by x company of distinguisbed actors, ‘while monotonous at times, owing to the long ‘speeches, held the large audience breathless with its poetic appeal and religious fervor. ‘The scene is outside 2 village in the Land of Uz, the therter being almost contioualiy shrouded in inky darkness, with the exception of a weird, almost ‘supernatural, ght on the stage hovering around ‘The actors were superb. George Dore the brunt of the entire presentation. His marvelous memory and flawless diction of Bibile al phraseology was magnificent. His every utter ance was as distinct and clear as a silver bell, (Continued on pare TO