| Show 9 David Belasco Adventurer AS RELATED TO JOHN J. J VALLACE WALLACE V MEMORIES AND ANO THE VIOLET BOOK In a secret drawer of the great desk of David Belasco's studio is isa isa is isa a tatter I yellowed book Between its pages are violets Each is identified on its pages with a name a date or a cryptic word They represent steps in m the career of David Belasco and throw a hitherto unknown light on his personality Violets symbols of love mysticism mysticism cism and poesy have ruled the life Of f David Belasco foremost of the thew thew w v 0 o r I 1 I ds d's theatrical producers throughout his changing day and I age Violets were his mothers mother's favorite flowers as well as the secret love symbol between mother and genius son o They formed tho the romantic accompaniment to his courtship of the tho beautiful Cecelia Cecella I Loverich in San Francisco In 2 1871 A violet blanket for the grave was the last silent grief message from David Belasco to his mother and and today when he seeks to show appreciation for some courtesy or loyalty a single violet always ac accompanIes accompanies accompanies ac- ac companies his gift And secret And secret from all except his dearest friends friends Is Is the the Belasco Violet Book worn and tattered from much handling which holds within its pages pressed violets each breathing a memory dearer by far to the producer than wealth fame or success A name a date date date- sometimes merely it a word serve word serve as identification The Violet Book lies in the secret drawer in the great desk in David Belasco's studio studio- most precious of ot curios and dart d'art valued at atmore atmore atmore more than than- with which the producer has has' surrounded himself Th The book is removed from its resting place only during the concentration concentration con con hour In lat late afternoon when Mr Belasco turns fr from m the tasks of the day to con consideration of ot othIs his plans plan for tor the future From early morning until late at night he drives drives' drives drives' drives steadily wearing down one l II b y one his associates asso asso- elates authors authors' and players la ers At 4 4 everything everythIng- halts nd nd for an hour David Belasco Is Is' with his memories They spur spur him to new triumphs hep him t td forget torget Ingratitude in ingratitude ingratitude In- In gratitude and aid in building that philosophy which makes th Producer Producer producer pro Pro- ducer one of the best loved men In In America toda today toda There Mr l says sas Belasco lies Hes Inspiration for me the me-the the same Inspiration in inspIration inspiration in- in that came to me In the hot surging days of youth routh when these violet messages came to me Each bore its new thrill of love lo encouragement and belief in those these se days and the sweet messages ae nt-e undimmed today as I turn the tho pages of my book To others they would be merely pressed and dried flowers To me they are living symbols of the love which kept my feet on the rungs of the ladder leading into the clouds Each represents a living breathing personality and at the same same time a stage In mv my career I. I They give to me mo the breath of life lite for they inspire me to continue I I. I will be bo dust only when those violets are dust For violets of or regal purple are to David Belasco the outward symbols symbols symbols sym sym- bols of love and in In his lexicon success Is but another word for appreciation and affection He tries so very hard to present to the world an armor of ot shock-proof shock hardness hardness but but there Is t a greater power to move him In the sight or odor of ot a violet than all aU the threats all the intrigue the world can evoke David Belasco's love for violets dates back to that far-distant far day in the California a gold fields when HeIno Martin Belasco first gazed on the face of her first The father Humphrey Abraham Belasco Co harlequin and adventurer Just landed in the city on the day dayot of ot hl his sons son's birth had been able to find in the crowded city only a- a sin a sIngle sIn sIn- gle gie basement room In which his wife girl-wife was to face her ordeal ordeal- but from somewhere he lie had procured procured procured pro pro- cured a cluster of ot her favorite violets vio yb- ylo- ylo lets They brought the Infant DavId to his mothers mother's side on a pillow pillow- and mother-hands mother strayed to the flo lowers flowers vers and sprinkled them thorn over the tiny form in a maternal love bap on which was WI based the tho violet understanding of the future years mists Memory always always' veil vell the In Inscrutable Inscrutable inscrutable In- In Belas Bela Belasco co o eyes as he tells teUs how how violets bec became me the the understood meRsa message e of ot love between himself and his mother And hero here Js is the tale from his own lips Mother rother was very poetic imaginative imag imag- and romantic My father f y r too had those qualities in great measure as witness his wondrous devotion to my mother throughout their long years together But somehow I cannot but feel that any good r I may have done I owe to her I 1 cannot tell you rou how close we were were how how she seemed al always always always al- al ways to understand me without words and often otten seemed to be near me when I was in trouble and needed needed needed need need- ed help Very often otten we exchanged messages just by sending flowers flowers- only a single violet I believe believe believe be be- lieve such feelings are inspired by something real the realities of me he spirit are more real than anything else Flowers always have been a a. passion me Ever since I was wasa a little boy after our removal to British Columbia and my mother used to come como and find me dreaming among them on the hillside I 1 1 have loved them allBut allBut allBut all But like mys myself lt violets always we wee e her favorites She alwa always s 's had them about her from childhood childhood- Indeed she told me that my father wooed her with them All of my garments when I was wasa a bab baby had a tI violet embroidered on them somewhere And I still have the last gift gIrt I ever received from her her her-a a beautiful silken scarf with violets embroidered on it And long long hours of loving toll toil It must have taken her to do It for at that time she hardly could hold a needle A At last when last when she went away for the tho last long sleep sleeP- an and I could not be there I sent violets to cover her grave and to say my goodbye I feel that uh-e uh knew and understood under under- stood Violets too were a tI factor in the courtship of or my wife During those early days I was a budding playwright playwright play play- wright an adapter of manuscripts a mummer appearing l here ere there ther and elsewhere elsewhere anywhere anywhere that I might add to my slim hoard of ot gold This was in 1871 Entertainment Entertain Entertain- ment was not as varied as it Is to today today to- to day and In place of the motion pie pic tures fures we ve had concerts recitals by accomplished readers church socials so daIs daIs' and numberless public gatherIngs gatherings gath gath- to make life more Interest Interest- ing Here was a profitable field for me and I arranged an ambitious program suitable f for fer r various types of gatherings as well as a a. complete affair for tor a full tull evenings evening's recital This included Bernardo del CarpIo r The hf D Dream eam of Eugene Aram Th Little H Hero ro The Maniac H Ham Hani lets let's Soliloquy trial scene tf fron rt The rhe Merchant of Venice O OBrIen Brien and others During one of my recitals recitals' i Platts Plaits hall ball I noticed an beautiful girl occupying chair in one of ot the front rows rowa She seemed particularly moved bj my rendition of The Maniac am and Hamlets Hamlet's soliloquy and I fe r must confess after I had attention that I played to he her A Until that time my mother had provided the only feminine influence ence in m my life but from that mo ment my my Interest in the pre pretty stranger er increased with each of appe appearances rances at my mv recitals S Soon on i I found myself self watching watchIng- for her herIa jal each audience gathered and Y she would appear I would draw In Inspiration from her JB Unquestionably a bond of 8 sym m pathy athy was springing up between ul uland and my curiosity as to her identity grew with each appearance f To ro Be Continued Tomorrow |
