Paul Armstrongs four-act melodrama based on O. Henry's story "A Retrieved Reformation," opened on 21 January 1910 at Wallack's Theatre for 155 performances. Legend has it that Armstrong wrote the play at the behest of producer Theodore A. Liebler, completing the script in a single weekend. The fast-paced play was aided by the performances of rising stars Laurette Faylor and H. B. Warner. Three motion picture versions (1915, 1920, and 1928) were made of Armstrong's play.
The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater. James Fisher.