Show II P W as a a I I I I 1 hope says FrancIs Wilson about the play that he wrote put on and made mado go Uno no one will imagine that I dashed off this Baby play in an Idle evening last summer Iyo Ive been working on It for eight years Ive been trying to write all my life lite for tor that matter I wrote at least eleven plays before this one but let that pass The Bachelors Bab Baby idea started out to tobe tobe be a magazino story It was a serious affair and had a duel In the last act so to speak I took It to nearly every publisher I kneW Most of them even read It Mr Scribner laughed at It He Insisted that a duel In NeW York was a anachronism It w any use usa for tor me to tell him about the fencing school on Sixth aye ave avenue nue kept by a DaIle where I had ac actually actually seen little matters settled with swords Later I made a play of It Then a comedy Dont thInk I had easy sailing because this was a line of business In which I was known to have had some Not ot a bit of It I any success as a playwright I might walk Into any producers offIce as a come comedian comedian dian but as an author I get by the office boy They even look at that manuscript Frohman look at It Oh all right Frank my boy say patting me meon meon on the back No doubt ts a good lit little littie tie tle play and all that but youre no author you know It was maddening Finally I had to produce it on my myown myown own responsIbility and at my own ex expense expense pense I brought on a few people to flU fill out and rehearsed It last season with the company playing When Knights Were Bold From the first act of the first performance I 1 could feel it was a go Why t l I Id been feeling that or the other thing about other fellows pieces all my life Then this season we put It on at Atlantic At lantic City and th the New York bunch came over to see When It was over Gus Thomas put his arms around m my shoulders and said Frank Id be proud to have my name on this play hat sounded to me like first night gush Youve got human Interest said Paul Potter go as well In French and German as In English be get getting getting ting royalties from all over the world Im glad If people like It but dont think It carne came wIthout years or of hard work and nobody to lend a helping hand Now I may be getting the other eleven plays out or of my trunk |