Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, November 28, 1909, Page 39

f o —— MIMIG ART COINS Stars of the Stl;!_nnv and Control Streams of Gold MONEY BIG SUMS THE PLAYERS EARN Art for the Dollar's Sake Makes Mil- liomaire Actors—Popuiarity Plays Mempured by Returns. Certain critics of the dr sdly aga so generally way to time fulminate lc system that American stage they dec is exploits personaifty a domir the expense of art 2 5 Sues the ¢ a glorified dime mu- reduces the vocal wtage to m and encourges a chear d surface smartr n place of re aram w aceomp Jegrades the leve perficiality dra ma literature and genuine histr skin The star system Is from the what these critics say savage attacks quarter. But perhaps have developed it are m " Perhaps it will be fougd that the of public the ,L culprit, hat the star system is merely a re- of that taste. ““The theatrical managers are = ot e buis of the fe fiber open to ne mi n critics who have verte- enough to say anything but tfer the| are commer mmercial age or less to make wouldn't all of us collect it be com- the us—are public stars are taste ar the money take stage exhibits of our The star « what today track followers say Why does it “get the Keeping in the Spotlight. Well, this is an age of advertising. There’s no denying that as a people we like a bit of noise—we iike & brass band. There are a lot of things that can't be done with- out & brass band and some of them ar worth doing. Theodore Roosevelt under- stood that. Theatrical managers under- stand it, 100. Their brass bands are the newspapers, which will the trombone and bang the front page drum for a per- sonality a hundred times where they will do it once for an Most of us are prone to take people at their own valu tions. The sta: ! manager, values himself tells you through the newspape slated by the busy press agent, early and often, and again, and repeatediy, and on other occa- sions also. And the first thing you know you begin to think that maybe this fellow is right about himself. And when he comes to your town you pay $L3 or 8 to find out. And half the time you don't kngw then. It is not an easy thing to make a theat- rical star of the first magnitude. It some- times, costs a good deal of money; but, once made, a star is the most dependable and prelific money-maker in that precari- ous business, theatrical management. Stars cannot be made without the ald of popular plays, but, once made, they will often run profitably from their own mo- mentum for some time, even though their Plays be bad. Theatrical goods, like some of our most famous products, are seid by the label on the can quite as much as by the contents. It is just another case of the trade-mark. Art for the Dollar's Sake. But, you ask, is the drama then no longer to be included In the field of art? Perhaps, but it's largely art for the dol- lar's sake. And it is all in your hands. The kind of art that you will pay to see the other side of the footlights is ihe kind of art that you will get there—that and no other. TO an extent true of no other of ‘the arts, dramatic art is in your hands. While it is well known that the star sys- tem is profitable, comparatively few per- sons have any clear idea of bow profitable it is when developed o its utmost. It is proposed 1o give here a few figures which will show with a clearness possible in no ther way the quality of the commercial- ‘sm to which our theatrical managers, tempted by the complaisant public, have #0 generally succumbed. In a few cases It is possible to describe these figures as ex- act, but abseiute precision is not claimed for the rest. But for all of the figures given here it can be said that, while no acoess has been had to managerial balan sheets, they represent in round numbers the careful estimates of men who bhave been for years closely associated with the business side of the American stage., some of them as business assoclates of the stars mentiohed. In the last few years of his life Richard Mansfield was the most profitable star in this country, as he was the greatest acto He was his own manager and mest of his profits he took himself feature of the star system .xhibited great acting on the part of a single individual but In several of his most profitable plays Mr. Mansfield was bat indifferently sup- ported and the plays themselves were but backgrounds for his genius. “Beau Brum. mell” and “Dr. Jekyli and Mr. Hyde" be- longed in this class, the former being wn especially thinly furnished skeich vitalised by the acting of the great virtuoso. Bu this is ne place to analyze the sources Mr. Manifield's succ It i& a conserva tive estimate to say that during the last years of his lfe Mr. Muansteld's profits were never than 51000 a vear and sometimes excceded $30.000 and this est mate takes account of certain extraordi nery expenses such as the private car in which he traveled all about the country On one of his last visits to San ¥ his receipts for twu weeks exceeded $5 000, of which % per ecnt. or #2400, went (o the actor himself of his life it made It played. All that was necessary was to ex hibit his name In front of a theater and the house was packed. Big Momey Of the Nving stars it 15 pe vidious to single out seme above and it is not pretended that all of the big money-makers are mentioned here some of them are so Juminously ab lie eye that no discussion of this subjeet would be complete that excluded their names. Two such are Maude Adame and David Warfield In recent years Miss Adams particularly fortunate in her plays Of the last four seasons she has occupled two ex clusively with the adorable “Peter Pan nd_ one with “What Every Womas Knows." and the latter Barrie play will employ her at least all of the present sea son, “The Jesters, which she ap- Peared two years ago. was far less popular Mt a reasonable. estimale of the profits from her performances for the last four rears would place the average at 517500 She Bas betn & sar sines W7 ((welve CAr%) and a8 & star of ber caliber s cer that get mo: n 1 is becaus ,as the geth the oin > coin on This particuiar Makers. aps n- thers. has been | | most successful seasoms wes tain to recetve not thar of the profita, Miss Adams is by | more than & minion ved unostentatio y David Warfield's caree sent tons sesson B in peared in o The Man as been nly three plays. Music Master For the la With the exception of & comparativel performances of “A Grand Army Man is the most profitable st N | the present time. The the American public Music Master” alone is kn persons, himself. D vid Belisco and Charles Kiein, but seems years the Army seen He the d a stal amount paid The roe by see him certain total receipts mi This is & Record. The Music Ma. after two years & New Y Y wgeks in ' and $21.00 respectively made up of three nights stands gland cities netted & tota the amazing thing w came for the first time to the music New York. . Here ayed t weeks to only an an $200.00 $5.000 weekly. This stitute a record. At |in 188 Booth and r tarewell ¢ The first year the ro | Jou thea played $15,000 week k. Warfield w Prov n sma 't $21.000 done when the aca Mr. Warfl . few @& average 8 belleved weeks. n dle and n thwes . sre been seen. Incredibie to the uninstructed, if his sonal share of the prof does not ameunt to & collars wil be pained and grieved in short, | raee | Warfleld's It oug e ng melancholy in the spectacie |of an artist of his ability putting :nf the best years of his lif part—no matter what part be filling his gallery with | Moreover, he can afford it | almost trugaily and is by tainly a millionaire a st | Costly Excursion Into Cla | B. H. Sothern has made some | cureions into the classic | doesn’t regret it. That man he is. He made m | mantie costume plays | King” than he ever did with “Hamlet” or his “Richelieu matter of record tha he shelved “Lord Dundreary,” ing money. in order to put on “Don Quix ate” which he must b would | never prove anything more than a sucoess | of esteem. Mr. Sothern has known several | seasons when his profits exceeded $100.000 |and his poorest season In fifteen yea i not fallen below $40.600. Miss Marlowe's @evotion to tragedy and he heroic drama has also been expe: | With plays like “Barbara Frietchie | “When. Knighthond was in Flower." | profits have averaged from 350000 o 9. {000 yearly. In other years they sank as low | 8% 50,000 to 340.00. From fime to time she | has jolned forces wilh Mr. Sothern for a season in the classic drama and their com- bined receipts repregented Svémge of | mot much less than $108,600. | John Drew, who has been a star for sev | enteen years, has been eme of the most | consistent successes of them all. ANl the way from “The Masked Ball" of 192 1o "lmsonslln\ George™ of 1908, he has had | few poor plays with now and then a re [big one ana never-to-be-torgotten, tender Rosemary” of Louis N. Parker, or that most brilliant of all modern light comedies. Henry Arthur Jone's ‘“Thé Li Popu- |larity, wide and steady, has been his and | he represented an average vearfy profit of something like $50.00. The vear he playe: My Wife,” with Biilie Burke as his lead ‘In‘ woman, the high water mark was reached ‘with from $80,000 to 890,00 in profits, | of which he got 8 per cent. A Drawing Pair. A most profitable conjunction of stars {was in operation when Nat Goodwin and Maxine Elliott appeared together. They |had several seasons when they cleared a 800d deal more than $100,000 in profit. Since their separation, what with poor plays and | devotion to mining intérests, Mr. Goodwin's | theatrical fortunes have deciined, but Miss | Biliott has continued to make large st In her best years and a very respectable income in her poorest seasonsa. ¢ ix He has th ved ex but he probabl the kind of a re mo ° We: It 1 his beautifu and it is a temporarily which was coin- ve known t any doubt that Miss Ethel Barrymore to roll t profits up to somewhere between nd STEOM. Indeed, even as her Uncle John is one of the most consistent of the elder stars, so i Mise Barrymore |perhaps the most dependabie of ¢ | vounger set. She hasn't always had best plays, either, What pa ‘dobl she retain? Well, # per cent i?llu and her salary Bl | of the latest additions to t | “Love Watches” w it helps per s ope e stellar r | her play last year and {1ts profits were perhaps $:6.000 i Viola Allen, from the commercial of view., has had a varied caree |several scasons she appeared Christian™ to emormous profits, exceed! $100.000 annually. Otis Skinner. among our very best actors, is one of the comers. He began to return good profiis about the time he produced “The Harvester.” The prof of “The Honor of the Family |he appeared the last |over $0.000 annually It has been uphill work making some of our successful siars. Often the trouble h as been with the plays. It took money S§ood deal of It, to make Eleanor Robsc & profitable star, but the thing has been Accomplished. It took a ong fight to placc I George in the successful each years it cost and a st of sever 000 But she wo vastly Last year she got & good play and = 2 lance sheet showed & profit of $2a- | In the Millionaire Class. Andther very wealthy theatrical star who | has made all S maney out of the theater |1 Willlam G tte. Acting and play |ing have combined to piace him surely the millionaire class. for in addition to his InGLme as & succesetul star he has reeeived maLy thousands of doMars’'in royaities on such plays as “Sheriock Houlmes. | Serviee,” “The Private Secretary Held {5 the Enemy” and “Too Muech Johnaun | all of them most successful with the public | Willam H. Crane, now nearing the end of & long and honorable cureer as & star, is |8is0 & milonaire, for he has made great |sums for years and has led a thrifty private life Mr. Crane. like {Adams, Joho Drew and Mr. Giliette | large Investments in real estate of New York City Mrs. Plske has had her But the downs have not been ver while the ups have been distinctly |1t is safe 10 say that K Recre quiet and Miss nas in and out The Barrymore name is a pretty valuable | the | , t of the profits For | vked hard and steadily and improved | ups and dowas | ¥ downy | neckiace s net uppiss | SO The swner went the other day inte | THE Salva ighout Fiske a single and pla yver $20.000 thro Al at Ma despised classics are not a L B u star mber of for T .00 ann ight Road Profitable Acrobats another fleld, M the players are bee ng bet the four years s The very atest addition t e the Fergus: the ast hers pay to make If you don you have only to much you and ruccess hauve he sy If you do I may the that you seen ke stop paying e it bably do. n paying and the carping critics all they please. for star system wil American Magazine AT THE OMSHA THEATERS whis »u pr g0 two seasons was His age direc table w of the & beer next especially week only w! n the Bu Lane,” is also w Opening this afternoon with Facing the Music sent until Thursday The Man On the Box the balance of the week engaged by Simplicity Lovers comedy will pre- when for the comps put on | Another wen diversifiea bil {for this week {dobn Hy is scheduled the Orpheum theater, with Mclntyre, musical comedy stars featured as the headline at- traetion, “The Quake: said t s comedy of cleverness. T zon sisters, suspended in the air, perform evolution first as butterflies and later as filmy- |#owned fairies. Hanging by their teeth they do a skirt dance In the air and offer Other features equally amazing. “Wanted —a Sister,” is the name of the one-act col- lege play to be offered James Young assisted by Miss Lorayne Osborne and Robert Strauss. Mr. Young has supported Viola Allen and other wel Song, travesty and dancing w {sented by John World and Mindeil - ston. Mr. World is a singing and dancing comedian and Miss Kingston her title, “‘the tte This w w a Omaha of the famous flute virtuoso, Mme. Panita of Cologne. She is said be absolute mistress of the ingirument she plays. The Arlington four is ?qu:rul of singing and dancing messenger boys who provide a number of popular songs, clever comedy and dancing. Douglas and Douglas comedy s whose work, in addition 10 striking skill, produce many a hear:y laugh. The kinodrome, as usual project the newest of motion picturs the Orpheum orchestra of fifteen musi; will offer several high class selections VALUABLES IN HOTEL SAFES | Guests I be the firs nee acrol Often Leave Perse: Prop- erty with Clerks for Years at & T | A woman walked up 10 the counter of a fashionable hotel and asked f | of valuables which was in 1 not |thing 1 & | packacge where she said to & package safe partic pose sald after had really bee: Why. we have al jewelry and even money to our keeping fo seem prefer a question eft. “that packet n our safe for three yea:s sorts of valuable papers, that are entrustsd years at a t to hotel safe r3ason rother pe ng amoun Jeweiry that people keep in hotel safes course the owners have originail but they go and 1 t ot stopped in the hotel leaving their valuables, be gone as persons to nuel and property in To sh have In never make an hat t nquiry and at t ple might e o mentic e and put n ca n ope env asked me i sgo anoth thing with sever | The clerks na suggesti wrote his name put it i act $10.000 bills of several ¢ ‘ stra bave handied £ Jewel you was taine Up at ployes freedom w a few of what saly e safe a big hotel are greatly ¢ ear the park neerned about which a wealthy foreiga re @isplays he: wears a rope once around her neck knecs which is he he man who is stopping {h Jewel Vel . ning of pearis that goes and then fa o her atlached a lorgmette Everybody the jewels & exclaimed at their size sud perfact maten- ing and wealthy patrons of the house who | have soid as well 25 bought Jewels say the worth a cent less than she who has reen She averages pro- |one of the big Jeweiry houses and business | fits of SO0, and 'y alf | in the tamily, as et husband is ber manager. Perhaps her * whea ashe was inmediately suspended while every- | body crowded aboui lo sdmire and est)- | mate the necklace | OMAHA SUN N DAY BEE: OVEMBER PIANOS-PIANOS Christmas piano selling planned on a gigantic scale most impressive low priced campaign in local history inaugurating Bennett Piano Clubs The Bennett Company announces today the most attractive piano proposition ever presented to the people of Omaha and Nebraska. First Cash Payment FREE and then $6.00 Per Month JOIN Read the liberal inducements of this remarkable everybody. a for a first month c A piano club idea that is unique in conception, broad in its scepe and liberal in character. : particularly timed to attract every Christmas piano buyer. An extraordinary occassion A CLUB NOW that t any of the foilowing clubs you pre to Enroll your name event 18 now open a club member and at once have the piano delivered to your home. Every one joining the clubs r eives a credit voucher absolutely free Deferred payments will be $6.00 per Yo cash payment. until full amount is paid in. have choice of Fifteen of the Best Known Makes of Pianos in Seventy Distinct Styles. The best of it is, however, that every single one of these superb instruments is offered you at from $50.00 to $125.00 under established prices. M novel « anufacturers are working hand in hand with us in this ‘lub plan, enabling us to make the elub prices liberal beyond | precedent. Through the club plan you are given an high grade Piano, such as only The Bennett Co. <ell, at a great reduction in before. Just Think of It! price First Cash Payment FREE then Per Month pportunity to procure a strictly and on terms unheard of Could anything be more simple? Did you ever hear of a proposition so eminently at- tractive! You have been thinking of a piano for a Christmas gift perhaps. The club plan is dignified and easy. The very piano you like best on the most reasonable terms in the world, and the piano delivered to vou immediately. The p produced. Our December sale last year was a phenomenal success. anos are oid time standard makes, favorably known in America for years as the highest instruments More pianos were sold in two weeks than was ever re- corded before or since in all the west. This vear the powerful purchasing influence of the Bennett organization has been brought to bear with more telling effect to eclipse the wonderful rec ord. This year we give you four weeks of more liberal in- ducements than we ever made. Besides our annual special terms of $6.00 monthly payments on world renowned pianos. Any of the Following Clubs Are Open to You: Brings you choice of $450.00, $475.00 and $500.80 Pianos Packard, Ivers & Pond, Kurtzs- In this club you don't have to pay the first cash payment of $25— This Club Includes $375,00, $350.00 in any wood you might choose, from such lines as Hy. G. Lindeman. for $382.00. Select any wood you prefer from 12 styles. Included in Club A are the following makes: mann, Kroeger, Sterling; includ- ing Everett, Mehlin & Vough, not of our regular line By our club plan it is rescinded. CLUB C and $325.00 Pianos e e—— 0T 529500, Assortment in this Club embraces 18 distinet styles Harvard, Huntington, Kohler & Campbell, Brock- mier, Marshall & Wendal, In this club you don't have to pay the first cash payment of $15— By our club plan it is rescinded. Chickering @ Sons Packard Kurfzmann Huntington Ivers @ Pond Kohler @ Campbell Sterling H. @ S. G.Lindeman Some of the best known makers interested =y 0 Suffale Nov e carefu »ur proposi- neartily meet esponse nts for special for the Bennett ubs, C Kurtsmann Pilano tor & Co. Campbel! Offers you a sélection from $425.00, $400.00 CLUB B and $376 00 Pianos for Choice of twenty-one different styles in any wood, Kurtzmann, Huntington, from the following well-known makes: and Walworth. $348 Harvard, Sterling, Kohler & Campbell, In this club you don't have to pay the first cash payment of $20— By our club plan it is reseinded, Buys choice of $300.00, $275.00 and $250.00 Pianos a selection from any wood from 19 different styles, all promin Mendelssohn, Arlington, Cramer & Sons, Chase, Richmond, Haynes, Sherwood. t makes, such as 3178 In this club you don’t have to pay the first cash payment of $10— By our club plan it is rescinded. i $6 AND PIFTEEN OTHER MAXES PER MONTH in our club plan. Read what they say Harvard Walworth Mendelssohn Bennett proposed by be a you pronouneed will ship- orders prompt wit from asers ent f r piano sucoess helieve give pecial clubs filling an . rders Cor the ait Bennett ubs. onal promise 10 me for your attention Huatingion Compa r ; Pla Au Piano Ce. PIANOS SELECTED NOW WILL BE HELD FOR CHRISTMAS DELIVERY IF DESIRED BENNETT CO. Largest Dealers of High Grade Pianos in the West