[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 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.
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!”