Now that I am back to town I intended writing you about it. I a.s.sure you I had a jolly good time for the first two acts of that farce, and I can see Gerald Du Maurier all through it. The third act worries me for this country, as I wrote you. But the performance may change all this. It is so difficult to judge farcical work where it is so thoroughly English in its scene that I speak of to get any idea from the reading of it for this country.
Everything is going along splendidly.
_To Haddon Chambers, March, 1913:_
I propose, and the troupes dispose! We had a lot of floods and things here which keep us on the move, or keep our troupes moving so much that I am compelled to postpone my sailing until April 12th on the _Olympic_, which makes it just a little later when I have the joy of seeing you. My best regards.
_To Richard Harding Davis, July, 1913:_
All right, we"ll fix the t.i.tle. I am glad they are asking about it.
About people, they all seem to want Collier salaries. As you have chiefly character parts, and they are so good, I think it would be a good idea for us to create a few new stars through you, and
Yours truly,
CHARLES FROHMAN.
_To George Edwardes, July, 1913:_
First, I am glad to hear that you are away giving your heart a chance. I am back here trying to give my pocket-book a chance.
_To William Collier, September, 1913:_
All right, all arranged, Thursday night in New York; Monday and Tuesday in Springfield, Ma.s.sachusetts. I shall leave here Monday ready to meet the performance and anything else! I hope all is well.
_To Viola Allen, September, 1913:_
I was awfully glad to get your letter. First let me say you had better come to see "Much Ado About Nothing" this Sat.u.r.day, because it is the last week. We withdraw it to-morrow night and produce a new program at once. "Much Ado" wouldn"t do for more than two weeks. After that it fell. Of course I find on Broadway it is quite impossible to run Shakespeare to satisfying "star" receipts. So come along to-morrow if you can. It would be fine to have you, and fine to have some of the original members of the Empire company to play in this house, and I should like it beyond words. I don"t, however, believe in that s.e.x-against-s.e.x play. In these great days of the superiority of woman over mere man I don"t think it would do.
_Referring to a young actress he wished to secure, he writes to Col.
Henry W. Savage in January, 1913:_
My dear Colonel: I want to enter on your works in this way. You have a girl called----. I know she is very good, because I have never seen her act, but I understand she is not acting just as you want her to, and therefore not playing, either because she is laying off, or that you have stopped her from playing. I have a part for which I could use this girl. Will you let me have her, and in that way do another great wrong by doing me a favor? If she doesn"t, or you do not wish her to play, perhaps it would be as much satisfaction to you if you thought you were doing me a favor and let her play in my company as if she were not playing at all.
My best regards, and I hope this letter will not add much to the many pangs of the season to you.
_To Sir James M. Barrie, October, 1913:_
As I wrote you, I felt we had a good opportunity here under the conditions here, and I produced your "The Dramatists Get What They Want" last night. It went splendidly with the audiences, and has very good press. Of course the cla.s.s of first-night audience that we had last night understood it. The censor is a new thing over here. The general public don"t understand it, and it may on that account not make so strong an impression on further audiences.
However, that is all right. I am delighted with the way it went, and you would have been delighted had you been present. I think the press was very good when you consider the subject is so new to us.
The three plays have all, I a.s.sure you, been nicely done, well produced and cast, and you would be pleased with them as I am pleased in having had them to produce. It helped considerably with plays that would not have made much of an impression without them.
It has helped the general business of these plays, which, although it is not great, is good, and makes a fair average every week. It is chiefly what you would call "stall" business. "The Will" has been a fine thing for John Drew, and he is very happy in it. He has made a very deep impression indeed. I think the part with the changes of character as played by him has made it really a star part. If you have any more of them, send them along.
_To W. Somerset Maugham, October, 1913:_
Regarding the first act of "The Land of Promise," this is what I think, and maybe you will think the same, and, if you do, give me a good speech. Send it as soon as you can. I think that we should have a different ending to the first act, uplifting the ending.
After the girl tells about her brother being married, wouldn"t it be a good idea for her to say something like this, in your own language, of course: "Canada! Canada! You are right." (Turning to Miss Pringle), "England, why should I stay in England? I"m young, I want gaiety, new life. Then why not go to a young country where all is life and gaiety and sunshine and joy and youth--the land of promise, the land for me?" Remember, in the last act she speaks of all she expected to find and how different the realization. This new idea of the end of the first act will help this speech, I think. And besides uplifting the ending, gives the great contrast we want to show in the play and is driven into the minds of the audience at the end of the first act. Give the girl a good uplifting speech at the end of the first act, instead of a downward one. That is what I mean. Then after that we get the contrast of the countries. I hope this is clear and you will understand what I mean.
_To J. E. Dodson, October, 1913:_
My greatest regret is that my profession takes me to Baltimore on the day that you are giving the dinner at the Lotus Club to my friend Cyril Maude. It would give me the greatest pleasure to eat his health with you. I rejoice that you are giving recognition on his first arrival here in New York to such a sincere actor and such a real man. He belongs to all countries.
_To Haddon Chambers, June, 1911:_
Had a fine trip over. Found it hot here. Started in building your scenery. Am only dropping you a line because I want to ask you, while I think of it, if you will get a copy of that special morning dress that Gerald wears at the beginning of the second act, for Richard Bennett. I think it would be a good idea to bring it over.
Bennett is not quite as tall as Du Maurier and just a bit thicker, and as it is a sort of loose dress there will be no difficulty in fitting it here.
Now our cast is in good shape for your play, and I am very pleased with it. We have an asylum full of children awaiting your selection on your arrival.
_To Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, August, 1911:_
The man I selected to produce your play is Charles Frohman. He is not only good at producing plays that have never been staged before, but he likes your play thoroughly. He has made such a careful study of it that he believes that he knows it in every detail. He feels confident of his ability to handle it and to make the changes you have made just as he thinks you and your public over here would like to have it done.
_To Sir James M. Barrie, London, September, 1911:_
This will be signed for me, as I am still confined to my bed--fighting rheumatism. I thought I would not write you until you return to London. All goes well here. So far my new productions have met with success. Miss Barrymore began in Mason"s play last night in Trenton, New Jersey. The play was well received before a large audience. Miss Adams begins the new season in Buffalo next Monday night. I am hoping within the next two weeks to be able to get out on crutches. I have been to many rehearsals. They carry me in a Bath chair to and from the theater.
_To Somerset Maugham, September, 1911:_
Thanks for yours. I am still down with rheumatism--partly on account of the weather, but more especially because you are not doing any work.
_To a New York critic, October, 1911:_
I hope in two or three weeks to be able to see myself as other good critics, like you, would see me--well and about again in my various theaters.
_To Sir James M. Barrie, November, 1911:_
Your letter was a delight, and it will be fine news for Miss Adams.
I hope you will send the material as soon as you can. Here I am dictating to you from bed; so I will be brief. My foot is now tied to a rope which is tied to the bed with weights. They are trying to stretch the leg. I am hoping that in three or four weeks I may be able to sit around. Five months on one"s back is not good for much more than watching aeroplanes.
_To Sir James M. Barrie, December, 1911:_
I was very glad to get your letter. I am still in bed, so that I am obliged to dictate this letter to you. The ma.n.u.script arrived, but found me out of condition to read it. I sent it on at once to Maude Adams. She telegraphed me how delighted she is with it, and I have had a letter from her telling me what a remarkable piece of work it is. When she gets back to town I shall read the ma.n.u.script. Any plan you work out for London will be fine. I should judge, without knowing, that your idea for matinees is the best.
I am hoping that in another month I will be out; I am living on that hope. Then I will commence to think about coming over to you.
I dare not think of it until I once more get out, I am afraid. All this has naturally disturbed my London season. I am happy in the thought that we will soon have "Peter" on again in London. What a difference your plays made to my London season!
I shall write you again soon. "Peter and Wendy" is fine. My most affectionate remembrances.
_To Sir James M. Barrie, January, 1912:_
I cabled you on receiving your letter because my voice was leaving me rapidly. It was a case of a bad throat, and I wanted to get some reply to you quickly. My throat is better now. I have had about everything, and I fear I shall have to keep to my rooms for some time to come. I hope to see you around the end of March.
I think your Shakespearian play is a most wonderful work. I quite appreciate all you say about its chances. I rather felt that a Shakespearian novelty of this kind would be most striking if produced by Tree on top of his newspaper claim of having lost over 40,000 pounds on Shakespeare.
I am all bungled up here. I don"t know quite what to do about London this season. As I understood what you wanted, I replied as I did. You know how I hate to lose any of your work for anybody or anywhere. Now you understand. That is splendid about the Phillpotts play, and I thank you. I am hoping about the Pinero play. I shall be glad to see you.
This is all the voice I have left for dictation; so I end with my best regards.
_To David Belasco, February, 1912:_