Part 445: Thomas G. Moses and “By Right of Sword”
Thomas G. Moses recorded that he created the scenery for Ralph Stuart’s “The Holy Sword.” Moses was referring to the play “By Right of Sword.” It was described as “A Russian play with an American hero by an English Author” (Los Angeles Times, 17 June 1902, page 6). The novel by Arthur W. Marchmont was dramatized by Loenidas Westervelt in conjunction with Mrs. Charles Doremus and produced by Ralph Stuart and his company. The first presentation of the play on any stage took place in Seattle, Washington (The New York Times, 1 April 1902, page 9). In 1902, Moses wrote, “Many of these shows opened out of the city, and I was compelled to go with them. I never knew when I was going to be at home.” “The Washington Times” commented, “Mr. Stuart has given the play a costly production with new scenery and costumes.” (4 May 1902, page 20). The article continued, “The first act of the play is described as the strongest first acts ever shown on the American stage.”
Ralph Stuart played the leading role of Richard Hamilton in this four-act play. Elizabeth Stuart played the role Olga Lansing; Miss Rowan played the role of Paula, and Frank Sheridan played the role of Devinski.
By June 1902, the show traveled to Burbank, California. “The Los Angeles Times” reported, “Arthur W. Marchmont traveled over three thousand miles to see the first production at the Burbank Theatre by Ralph Stuart last night of the play dramatized from his novel, “By Right of Sword” (16 June 1902, page 6). Marchmont lived in Brighton, fifty miles from London. He was a journalist, who owned two newspapers, one in Bath and one in Brighton; and a barrister of Lincoln’s Inn, London. The article continued, “He is English, through and through – in accent, side whiskers, bow spectacles, burnished tie, and tweed clothes. Yet he has written with a stirring American dash. ‘We authors,’ he explained, ‘have to convey the impression that we know a good deal more than we do.”
The Fort Wayne Sentinel summarized the play: “It tells of the many adventures of a “devil-may-care American,” Richard Hamilton, who, through his resemblance to a cowardly Russian is mistaken for him. Alexis Petrovich, the Russian in question, has run away to avoid a duel. Alexis has been challenged to a duel owing to the fact that his love for his sister Olga has prompted him to oppose the intentions of Major Deviniski to marry her. Hamilton meets Olga and falls in love with her. Then he impersonates the missing Alexis to save the lives of himself and Olga and to bring the desperate Devinski to justice. Countess Tueski, the wife of the minister of police, is an admirer of Alexis, and in mistaking Hamilton for the Russian boy seeks to protect him. Then follows a series of thrilling adventures bubbling over with charming dialogue and an exquisitely told tale” (The Fort Wayne, Indiana, 12 Sept. 1908, page 10).
The novel starts with a letter that indicates the action and intrigue to will follow: “My Dear Rupert,
Don’t worry your head about me. I shall be all right. I did not see you before leaving because of the scene with your sister and Cargill, which they may perhaps tell you about. I have done with England: and as the auspices are all for war, I mean to have a shy in. I went to Vienna, thinking to offer myself to the Turks: but my sixteen years in Russia have made too much of a Russ of me to let me tolerate those lazy cruel beggars. So I turned this way. I’m going on to St Petersburg to-day, for I find all the people I knew here as a lad have gone north. I have made such a mess of things that I shall never set foot in England again. If Russia will have me, I shall volunteer, and I hope with all my soul that a Turkish bullet will find its billet in my body. It shan’t be my fault if it doesn’t. If I hadn’t been afraid of being thought afraid, I’d have taken a shorter way half a score of times. My life is an inexpressible burden, and I only wish to God someone would think it worth while to take it. I don’t want to be hard on your sister, but whatever was left in my heart or life, she has emptied, and I only wish she’d ended it at the same time. You’ll know I’m pretty bad when not even the thought of our old friendship gives me a moment’s pleasure. Good-bye. Don’t come out after me. You won’t find me if you do.
Your friend, Hamylton Tregethner”
Yes, this novel is now on my summer reading list and available as a free eBook. Here is the link: https://archive.org/details/byrightsword00marcgoog
“By Right of Sword” went through twenty-four editions by 1902, and had a circulation of 100,000 copies in England, and a like number in the United States. After the play’s tour of the west coast and across the country, the show was performed in New York at the American Theatre in 1904, opening January 18. It then returned to Seattle in October of that same year, at which time the Author once again visited the west coast.
Due to its continued popularity, it later became a silent film. Here’s a short film of the duel scene from “By Right of Sword”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa-fUM5O6K8
To be continued…
