Before 1920 America had dramatists, but little of their work survives into modern times. The reason is the dollop of reality and grim truth that was called Eugene O'Neill, and which started coming to Broadway as the Roaring 1920s came in. But it is a little unfair. Certain pre-1920s works might be worth more than a little footnote in a study of the American stage. Perhaps George M. Cohan's musicals like "Little Johnny Jones" cannot be revived, but his dramatic works like SEVEN KEYS TO BALDPATE and THE TAVERN have been revived by amateur groups. In fact, SEVEN KEYS TO BALDPATE was made into a television drama on THE DUPONT SHOW OF THE WEEK with Fred Gwynne and Joe E. Ross back in the 1960s.
One forgotten early dramatist was Percy Mackaye. His father Steele MacKaye was a prominent actor-manager-producer of the 19th Century. Percy turned out to be talented in doing stage works like historical pageants, but he also turned out this play, THE SCARECROW, based on a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It takes place in New England in the 1690s, and it is in the shadows of the Salem Witch trials. The characters live in a small town, and one of them is Dickon, a malevolent little man who is actually the Devil. Dickon knows more of the weak side of several of the town leaders, and he decides to teach them a lesson by bringing to life a scarecrow as a visiting nobleman, Lord Ravensbane. The townspeople react to this "social lion" in different ways, not noticing that he only functions while he is smoking his pipe (when it is out of his mouth he loses his "life force"). But Dickon's plan has one flaw in it - Ravensbane turns out to be a nice individual, who even falls in love. And the crisis develops when he discovers how artificial is his being, and how he is determined to shake off the control of the devil who made him.
This televised dramatization appeared in 1972. It's supporting cast includes that tragic figure of Peter Duell, in one of his last performances before his suicide. Will Geer, Elisha Cook Jr. (in a bit part, unfortunately), Nina Foch, a young Blythe Danner (as the heroine), and even "VERTIGO"'s Tom Hellmore are in the cast - but the major acting honors go to Norman Lloyd as the amusingly devilish Dickon, and to Gene Wilder. It was only six years from his first major part in BONNIE AND CLYDE, and five since his star turn in THE PRODUCERS. Within another year he'd be in BLAZING SADDLES. But in none of these parts had Wilder played a romantic, and tragic figure. Watching his Ravensbane shows a side to his acting we rarely saw in his early career. And he carried it off very well indeed. It is good to see that it is on DVD now.
One forgotten early dramatist was Percy Mackaye. His father Steele MacKaye was a prominent actor-manager-producer of the 19th Century. Percy turned out to be talented in doing stage works like historical pageants, but he also turned out this play, THE SCARECROW, based on a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It takes place in New England in the 1690s, and it is in the shadows of the Salem Witch trials. The characters live in a small town, and one of them is Dickon, a malevolent little man who is actually the Devil. Dickon knows more of the weak side of several of the town leaders, and he decides to teach them a lesson by bringing to life a scarecrow as a visiting nobleman, Lord Ravensbane. The townspeople react to this "social lion" in different ways, not noticing that he only functions while he is smoking his pipe (when it is out of his mouth he loses his "life force"). But Dickon's plan has one flaw in it - Ravensbane turns out to be a nice individual, who even falls in love. And the crisis develops when he discovers how artificial is his being, and how he is determined to shake off the control of the devil who made him.
This televised dramatization appeared in 1972. It's supporting cast includes that tragic figure of Peter Duell, in one of his last performances before his suicide. Will Geer, Elisha Cook Jr. (in a bit part, unfortunately), Nina Foch, a young Blythe Danner (as the heroine), and even "VERTIGO"'s Tom Hellmore are in the cast - but the major acting honors go to Norman Lloyd as the amusingly devilish Dickon, and to Gene Wilder. It was only six years from his first major part in BONNIE AND CLYDE, and five since his star turn in THE PRODUCERS. Within another year he'd be in BLAZING SADDLES. But in none of these parts had Wilder played a romantic, and tragic figure. Watching his Ravensbane shows a side to his acting we rarely saw in his early career. And he carried it off very well indeed. It is good to see that it is on DVD now.
