Show I I How Belasco and l d Leslie Carter First Met ilet SHE II TopE TOOK SIS illS W WATCH AND KEPT IT FOR FORA A YEAR I It was as while he was wa the fase tago manager and house dramatist o of the Lyceum theatre the time atre atle that Mr Belasco first met Mrs Leslie Leslie Loslie Les Los lie Carter Mrs Carter had tried in vain for nearly six months to get an int Interview with him Finally one day he lie received a note from froni his hili old friend E. E G. G Gilmore manager of the tho Academy of Music 1 which ran as follows D Dear ar Da Dave e Please como Lomo do down n to to tomy my office at 7 o'clock tonight I want to introduce you to somebody Its It's worth i your while Belasco went and in that famous old theatre office one of the most historic historic- histrionically histrionicallY- speaking at at at- any rate rate- rooms in New York Air Mr Gilmore introduced introduced introduced intro intro- him to the woman he het afterwards made so 50 famous At that time Mrs Carter Carter Carter Car Car- ter knew absolutely nothing about the time thesta sta stage e. e The Tho first w words she said to him proved this Mr 11 1 nela Belasco co she said I want nt to be become become he- he come an actress I I. I think you can make me one I 1 want you to write me a play immediately I Ive I've got a a. splendid Ide idea This Is it You know I ma may not 1 able to act but I am a splendid horsewoman and I have got a beautiful horse a perfect perfect perfect per per- dear I dont don't care what the rest of the play is about hut but there Is one scene that I must insist upon The rhe big scene must be this There is to be a fence across the tile back of the stage and I waitto wait to jump over this fence on my horse and land right down at tho the footlights It Its It's s never teen done before and Im I'm sure it will make a hit Never mind about F 4 y P I 4 4 f r 3 k i. i i J k 1 Sv S.- S. v 3 31 1 q T T t Z 1 VIOLA GILLETTE I Salt Lake girl with Jefferson Do De DeAngelis Angelis in The Beauty Spot the horse I horse I Ican can manage manage- hUn him you Just manage me Ine Belasco leaned back in his chair and roared but white he laughed he was makIng mak mak- Ing lug a careful study of fhe the woman Now I want this rig right 11 away away continued contin contin- ned ud Mrs Carter I dont don't want any dilly dillydallying dillydallying dallying How soon can you hand me the manuscript At the very latest I want It Ita ita a week from next Saturday Whereupon Belasco looked at her quizzically and said What do you think you rou are ordering my dear dear a a a dress They talked for tor sonic some time Finally pulled Belasco-pulled pulled out his watch Let me see now Mrs Carter he said MI q I will vm give gi you your first lesson at 3 tomorrow afternoon She snatched the watch out of his handI hand hanel I wonder I if it you are fooling me she said Im going to find out out- You men menard I are ard all alike and I never know quite when to believe you I see that you ou value this watch and now merely as an In evi evidence ev- ev dence deuce of good faith Im I'm going to keep it Im I'm not going to give gi-e it back to you ou until you have shown me that you are really going to make me an actress It was nearly a year eal later that Mrs 1 I Carter put pilL the tho watch back into Belasco's h hands Jt was sta of the Broadway Broadway Broadway Broad Broad- I way theatre after she sh had hail made her pp I appearance ar in hi The rh Ugly Duckling This t I initial B lasco l Leslie Carter lion tion wa was wag an instantaneous failure T critics the next morning were strong an unanimous in saying That Mrs Lesli J Carter could not act Belasco said now rioth nOth nOthing ing He knew she couldn't act buti also knew as subsequent events proved that he could make mako her act From act From David liDs Da Da David vid id B Belasco lasco in the December Stran Magazine 1 J I U S 4 b s T S S S S. S f S 'S s' s S. S S S S 4 S i S f 4 r w. w 1 t I S SS S f r I A 4 A S p 1 s S. S i S I. I l h w r oc S Sj j H HI I. I 1 I f e 4 f 1 s k S r r c a t im a n s'S sS v s I v I S 'S ci R j r. r 11 V lA 5 if 1 A s L. L x 8 fr N 1 t i.- i. i S t s 's S S She he will contribute her as a part of the now Orpheum bill till b thug w afternoon I |