Judge — September 24, 1921 — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Drawn by A. B.. WALKER. WHat WILLIE SAW WHEN HE PEEKED THROUGH THE SPACE UNDER THE LIVING-ROOM DOOR AT 8 P. M. AT 10 P. M. The Play-House of David By Georce MitcHeLy WEEN, in the month of July, 1859, little David Belasco was born, a pair of shivvers ran up and down the spiritual spines of Messrs. Shake- spear and Moliere. Hitching their asbestos chairs a little nearer to the fire and knocking the ashes from their exposed shoulders, they uttered in their mother tongues a joint ex- clamation of regret: Pshaw! They had been born an era or two too soon. Meanwhile, quite unmindful of their chagrin, owing no doubt to the magnitude of his important entre, Belasco serenely set about the accom- plishment of his earthly mission and ever since that auspicious day David’s life has been the slaying cf just one Goliath after another. The tenderer years of his youth were spent, quite naturally, in schocl and college, where we can easily imagine the lad diligently applying himself to this arithmetic in the full appreciation of its value in the box- office of his future activities. For Literature, we assume, he had little or no use, having, even at that early date, quite made up his mind to write, if at all, for the Stage. But for Geography, we are more than cer- tain, he fostered an absorbing devo- tion, realizing with managerial fore- sightedness that booking-routes, long and short jumps, were to be later mapped.out and, if he were to make friends with the itinerent mummer, comfortable walking tours must be no small consideration. Having thus acquired all the learn- ing needful for his career, he cast education and discretion to the wind and embraced the artificial art of the Theater. Like most of his contemptuaries, he entered the Theater by way of the stage-door. He became an actor, but finding his willingness to bow to the direction of others less potent than his desire to order others about, he washed the grease-paint from his face, shook the motley from his shoulders and donned the Roman col- lar that was to distinguish him from all other producers. We are told that ke got his start as a producer in the Baldwin Grand Opera House in San Francisco. That was in the days when the Drama stood upon its own two legs and not upon the tripod of the camera; when New York was on the level, not un- derground. But New York, the play-bored of the Western World, was his goal and with the faith in himself that has never left him, he came, he saw and he conquered. BAskenvitte, Jt. AVE IT. Drawn by CHARtE THE His stage management of the Madi- son Square Theater is but a matter of histrionic hysteria. For eight years, in the early eighties, he served those who peacefully lived upon the island of Manhattan before its Euro- pean Invasion. His next success was achieved in the old Lyceum Theater on Fourth Avenue at Twenty-fourth — street. Here, under the wizardry of his the- atric intuition and the inspiration of his magnetic forelock, he developed a school of astrology that was to turn the very firmament green with envy. Promiscuously hitching his wagon to whomsoever drove his way, he forth- with made of him a star. But few prominent actors of the American Stage have achieved thei* greatness without it having been thrust upon them by this little big man of the Theater. A program of Belasco’s stellar system includes more stars than have ever appeared on any first night in the heavens. So much for his side of the foot- lights, the only side of the footlights tc which one might suppose he turned his attention. But not so with little David, for he does nothing by halves. In addition—and perhaps this marks his greatest success—he has made a star of his audience, for he has so developed it, so educated it in the importance of the part it plays in the Theater that he has compelled it to believe that whatever is Belasco is right. And in that, not even Lenine has anything on him. His Pull “Why does Dobson pay his cook such high wages; is she an excep- tional culinary expert?” “No; her chief value lies in the police protection she affords his house!” comicbooks.com,