Books: The Pot Boiler

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_Dad._ What have you gained?

_Jack._ In the first place wisdom! In the second a wife--a
noble-hearted and faithful and loving woman, who will stand by me
through all the trials of my life! Isn't that worth more than a
quarter of a million dollars? Answer me, Dad--_(Stretches out his
arms to him.)_ Oh, Dad, isn't it so?

_Dad (gruffly)._ Well, young fellow, I'm glad to hear you've learned
a little sense, at least! _(He embraces Jack.)_

_Peggy (leaping to her feet and pointing to the Play-play scene)._
There! There! There's your happy ending! There's your Pot-boiler!

CURTAIN.

POSTSCRIPT

In connection with this play there is a story which should be told,
for reasons which will be revealed in the telling.

"The Pot-boiler" was written in 1912, and entered for copyright in
February, 1913. I took the manuscript to a friend, Edwin Bjorkman,
editor of the "Modern Drama Series," and the most widely read
student of dramatic literature known to me; also to Edgar Selwyn and
Margaret Mayo, who knew thoroughly the contemporary stage. These
friends confirmed me in my belief that I had hit upon that rare
phenomenon--an entirely new idea to the stage. There are many
examples of the "play within a play," but up to that time there had
never been a play which showed the WRITING of a play: the processes
which go on in the mind of a playwright, and how he uses his
personal experiences in his work.

"The Pot-boiler" was accepted for production by William Harris, Jr.,
at the Hudson Theatre, New York. After many delays, Mr. Harris came
to the conclusion that the play needed some rewriting to give it
that "punch" which is essential to production in the neighborhood of
Broadway. He sought to interest a certain well-known playwright, who
will be here designated as Mr. X, in the idea of collaborating with
me on the play. Mr. X read the manuscript and offered to collaborate
on condition that two changes should be made: first, the play should
be changed from a "shirt-sleeve play" to a "dress-suit play"--that
is, the characters should be rich people; and second, the last act
should be located in a manager's office, and show the acceptance of
the play. As I did not care for these suggestions, Mr. X dropped the
matter, and Mr. Harris allowed his rights in the play to lapse.

A year or so later, happening into Mr. Harris' office in the Hudson
Theatre, he asked me with a smile, "Have you seen your play?" And
when I asked what he meant, he added. "They have put it on
downstairs." Needless to say, I purchased a ticket for the
performance, and saw a play which differed from my play in two
essentials--these being precisely the modifications which Mr. X had
tried to persuade me to make!

The new play was announced as the work of two playrights, whom I
will indicate as Smith and Brown; it was produced by a firm of
managers, whom I will indicate as Jones and Robinson. I went to see
Messrs. Jones and Robinson, who assured me they had never even heard
of my play. While I was in the office, Mr. Smith, one of the
playwrights, sought an interview with me, and assured me that he
also had never heard of my play, his work was absolutely original. I
gave him the names of various persons who had read my play,
including Mr. X; and Mr. Smith assured me earnestly that he was a
stranger to all of them. I accepted his statement; but as I was on
my way out of the office of Messrs. Jones and Robinson, I beheld the
name of Mr. X printed upon one of the doors of their private rooms,
and upon inquiry I learned that Mr. X was employed on a regular
salary as a play-reviser for this firm!

I went away pondering the situation. What I was asked to believe was
as follows: Mr. Smith had composed a play having all the essential
features of my new and original play, and differing only in the two
modifications--these being the very same two modifications which
Mr. X had urged me to make in my play. Mr. Smith had taken this play
to the firm which employed Mr. X, and this firm had accepted the
play and produced it, without Mr. X, their chief play-reviser,
ever seeing it--or else without his mentioning that it was my play,
with the two modifications in my play which he had recommended. The
play had been taken to the Hudson Theatre, owned by William Harris,
Jr., who had accepted my play and submitted it to Mr. X, and the
play had actually been produced at this theatre for nearly a week
without either authors or managers ever hearing of my play!

I may be unduly suspicious, but I could not credit this peculiar
chain of coincidences. I took the matter to the Author's League,
whose executive committee read my play, saw the other play, and
agreed that I had cause for inquiry. Mr. Louis Joseph Vance,
representing the league, undertook to interview Mr. X, who was an
intimate friend of his, and sent Mr. X a telegram asking for an
appointment. Mr. X did not answer. Mr. Vance assured me that this
was the first time the gentleman had ever failed to reply to such a
request from him. Subsequently, Mr. Vance made an appointment to
meet Mr. X at luncheon, and hear his explanation of the matter; but
Mr. X failed to keep the appointment. I went ahead with plans for a
law-suit, whereupon Messrs. Jones and Robinson withdrew their play.

My reasons for telling the story are two. First, I think it well
that would-be playwrights should have some idea what they may
encounter when they venture into the jungles of Broadway; and
second, because critics and play-goers who saw the play of Smith and
Brown will wish to know which play was written first.

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