EAST LYNNE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 101, 19 December 1931, Page 7

EAST LYNNE

ENTHRALLING DRAMA BASED II ON WORLD-FAMED J|! NOVEL | 70TH ANNIVERSARY B i ■ • II „ II The Fox Film Corporation should adapt "East Lynne" to the audible fscreen at this time is ^significantly in- { teresting for this year marks the 70th n"| i aimiversary of this stirring story. II i Certainly, Vice-President and General Manager, Winfield Sheehan, in makIII I iwg the lavish Movietone version of lii this moving drama has spared nothing to glorify it, for no more distinguished cast on stage or screen has ever . ][,. Pr°duced the ever popular story than ' the company of stars who enact this Frank Lloyd Fox Movietone production. "East Lynne" commences at the Majestic for a four-day season on December '21. Such screen personalities as Ann Harding, Clive Brook, Conrad Nagel; Cecilia Loftus, O. P. Heggie, Beryl Mercer and David Torrence have bee.n appropriated for this modern version of the story, under the direction of that screen genius, Frank Lloyd. The history of "East Lynne" is as stirring and dramatic as. the eventful life of its main character, Isabel. It was written by Mrs. Henry Wood, and published in England during January, ■» 1861. It was translated into practically every language, and a careful survey recently showed that more than 15,000,000 copies of the novel have since heen sold, while as a play it was witnessed by many more millions. Notwithstanding the great popularity of "East Lynne" in the United States and other countries, Mrs. Wood did not receive a penny from the publishers who issued the novel outside of England. It is extremely interesting to note that adapters and publishers abused publication and adaptation to such an extent that a movement was started, shortly before Mrs. Wood's death, in 1887, to devise some means of mutual protection of literary work in this eountry and British possessions, and as a. result in 1890 an international law between England and this eountry was passed. First Adaptation The first' dramatic adaptation of "East Lynne" is probably that of Clifton W. Tayleure, a Brooklyn playwright. Lucille Western, a popu-

lar American star was the first Isabel. The first performance was given " at a forgotten New York theatre, "Tripler's Hall," on Broadway, near Bond Street, on March 23, 1863. Following this came presentations at the Boston, Mass., Museum with Kate Denin as Isabel, in 1865 and in 1869 at the Bostori'Theatre, Boston, Mass., with Mrs. D. P. Bowers featured. The Tayleure version seems to have been first used all over the United Stat'es by various travelling and repertoire companies for many years. The first English version was played in Birmingham on September 16, 1869. During the past 60 years many stage versions have been written, published and produced in this eountry, in England and Australia. Lawrence Marston's version of "East Lynne" was used for many seasons by Sanger and Jordan, pro-

ducers of piays in 1912 and was played in stock by Ameiia Bingliam and Frances Starr. McKee Rankin during his many tours with Nance O'Neill, used a version claimed as his own. As previously noted, the first English version played was that of September 16, 1869, in Birmingham. A London production from the novel by Alfred Kempo, was at Holborn, January 16, 1873. Rose Coghlan played "East Lynne" in London on June 8, 1874, and other London productions of record include, Olympic, 1879; Standard, 1879; Asteley's, 1879; Olympic, 1888 and 1889; Royalty's, 1891; Princess, 1896; Opera Comique, 1897; Elepharit and Castle., 1901. , Widely ' Produced Not only has "East Lynne" been widely published and produced in various versions, but it has been tremendously imitatedj during the past 50 years. In this conjunction it is interesting to observe- that the late Clara Morris in her books on the stage directs attention. to the fact that her outstandirig starring vehicle, "Miss Moulton," was not only inspired by, but taken from "East Lynne."

| This play first was produced in Paris in 1869, Eugene Nus and Adolphe Belot being the accredited authors. It was first produced in English at the Union Square Theatre in New York on November 20, 1876, A. M. Palmer having produced it, while the adaptation is credited A. * R. Cazauran. "Miss Moulton" itself became so popular in this eountry that no less than three versions of it were written. , , Tom Barry, well-known Broadway playwright, who wrote "Dawn" and "The Immortal Thief" for Walter Hampden and "Courage," and" Miss Bradley King, wire engaged by Mr. Sheehan to write a new, and modern screen play of "East Lynne" for Movietone. After severai months of research, the two settled down to the task of actual writing, The screen play was eompleted.two months later. That the latest adaptation will be

reflected on the audible screen is in itself particularly interesting on th'e occasion of -the 70th anniversary of the novel of "East Lynne," but more important is the fact that Fox Film is giving it a presehtation involving a greater investment than is represented by all the "stage versions utilised during its 67 years of stage interpretation.