‘ A r /D BC

K 75/ 5/a.

11714 Home;

B y

G u s t a v K o b b é

“ A u tho i no ra a C h ild o f t h e e a- Horis e r S g , O p r “ e ra in e rs e t c . O p S g ,

Wit/J Nu m eraus Illu stra tiam from Pbotagrapb:

T o ré mto

C on t e n ts

J O HN D RE W

WI LLI A M G I LLETTE

RI C HA RD M A NS F I E LD

' ' H. SO I HE IIN A ND HIS V RG N A HA IINIG I) E . I I I

FRA NC IS WI LS ON

“ THE LA M B S

Illu s t ra t ion s

Richa rd Ma nsfie ld

O n th e Piaz z a Ea am o , sth pt n

J oh n Dre w in h is Libra ry

J oh n Dre w a n d h is Da ught e r re ady fo r a Rid e

J o e w h is a u e an d e i Pe hn Dr , D ght r, th r ts

J ohn Dre w in h is Stu dy

J ohn Dre w

Th e i e e o e e a a o G ll tt H m st d , H rtf rd

Will iam Gill e tt e

Th e D e n at th e H om e st e ad

D e ck V ie w of th e A unt Polly

Th e Sal on on th e A unt Polly

Th e Engin e built by Gill e tte wh e n a B oy

’ i ia i e e o u e oa th e A unt Poll W ll m G ll tt s H s b t, y

Rich a rd Ma nsfie ld an d h is Wife a n d S on

Te aching Ge orgie to Rid e

A ! u ie t C u p of Te a

Richa rd Ma nsfie ld a n d h is Wife in th e ir Ne w Lo ndon

Gard e n

A Fa vorite Spot on a Summ e r D ay [ iX ] I L L U S T R A T I O N S

E . o e in h i i H . S th rn s L bra ry

E . H . S oth e rn a n d h is Fox Te rrie r

Mr E . o e V i i ia a e s . . H S th rn ! rg n H rn d)

Sta rting for a Wa lk

E o a n d h i i in h Ma i a f i . H . S th e rn s W fe t e n H ll o th e r

H om e

Fra ncis Wilson a t H o me

Fra ncis Wilso n in h is Libra ry

Fra ncis Wilso n a t H om e

A ! u ie t Ga m e with h is Da u ght e r

H a rry Montag u e “ R e ading Ro om o f Th e La m bs

Th e D u tch Grill o f Th e La mbs

L e st e r VV alla ck

’ Th e La mbs A ss e mbly R oom

Edwin B ooth

S e cond Fl oor H all o f Th e Pl ay e rs

J o s e ph J e ffe rso n “ R e a ding Room o f Th e Pl ay e rs “ Grill Room of Th e Play e rs

[ X ]

F A M O ! S A C T O RS

£5 T H E I R H O M E S

JOHN DREW

ORE than any other actor on

the A m e r i c a n s t a g e , John Drew occupies what gener ally is understood under the

” term a social position . He

” moves in society whenever he h as time to — and is welcome there .

One of the most frequently quoted passages from Emerson is that in which he tells of the

Boston woman who said that the sense of being well dressed gave her a feeling of deeper im tranquillity even than religion . Somewhat s il ar is an exclamation I once heard from a New York woman What would we do Without the

’ Bible and the Social Regi ster The S o cial Register is a book in which is given a list [ 3 ] F A M O U S A C T O R S

of New York society people . It is impossible

’ to buy one s way into it . There are million

’ aires wives who for years have been gnashing

their teeth because they do not s e e their names

in print in it . Now if John Drew had a fixed

n s o residence in New York , his ack owledged

cial position undoubtedly would entitle him to a place in what aptly has been called the

” Society Bible . Drew is what is known as a society actor and his personal knowledge of society and its ways has aided him greatly in acting and

‘ dressing society rOle s . Just as women look up to certain actresses as models in the

or art of costuming themselves , and copy try

o wn s o to copy them in their attire , to a host of men Drew is a glass of fashion and a mould of s t so form , though men do not e much

store by these things as women . However, a conversation I overheard between two swell ” youths shows that they are not wholly indif 4 l 85 T H E I R H O M E S

f ferent to m atters o this kind . They were

talking about theatricals .

Have you been to s e e John Drew ! asked

one of them .

No . Why He wears the longest tails to his dress coat

that have ever been seen here. “ Then they must be the latest ‘ swagger ’

’ s e e - thing out. I ll go to them to night .

’ I do n ot consider Mr. Drew s social position

a matter of such importance that it need be

cried from the housetops . But it is interest

in g in his case because , while most people hunt

’ for it and harp on it when they ve attained to

it , his real pride lies in his profession . Never

has he turned his back on that or on its mem

of bers . Never has he , for the sake social

o wn connections , given up his friends in his calling. That he has been entertained by

S o - and - S O in Newport or had this and that or the other socially well - known person at his [ 5 ] F A M O U S A C T O R S

’ “ ” i ou t e daughter s com ng rec ption , does not mean nearly as much to him as the fact that he represents the third generation of Drews on the stage and his daughter the fourth . For after Miss Louise had been presented to s o ciet sh e y in due form , followed the traditions

on b e com of the family and went the stage ,

’ ing a member of her father s company. Miss

Ethel Barrymore , who also is a great social o pet , is an ther representative of the latest gen cration of Drews on the stage . She has Drew blood in her veins , her mother , the charm ing comedienne , Georgie Drew Barrymore ,

’ having been John Drew s sister . Thus Louise

Drew and Ethel Barrym ore are first cousins .

M e n d u m Another clever young actress , Miss ,

’ also is Mr. Drew s niece .

It is his devotion to his profession which , i together w th his agreeable personality , makes

John Drew on e of its most popular members d within its own circle . People hear a goo [ 6 ]

F A M O U S A C T O R S

“ ate choice . She is going to play with me

’ on . when I go out the road , said Mr Drew b e to me in speaking of her. She will the

of on fourth generation Drews the stage ,

which is ver nice. of y A friend mine , an

wh o o architect , has a son wants to g down to Pierpont Morgan ’ s office and become rich

’ it. soon , and my friend does n t like He wants

s on l . his to become an architect , like himse f But you cannot compel a man to follow a l cal ing which he does not like The stage ,

however, seems to have a certain hereditary

— s o fascination , rather more than any other profession , I should say .

h as Although John Drew is an actor , he

been singularly fort unate in having been able to gratify his taste for domesticity because his long connection with the late Augustin Daly ’s company kept him much in New York and

enabled him to have a home there . Mrs .

Drew was a Miss Josephine Baker. One of [ 10 ] 35 T H E I R H O M E S

her grandfathers was Mayor of Philadelphia.

e e Her immediate antecedents , how v r, were

on theatrical . Her parents were the stage s h e

one rOle s herself was an actress , and a clever , in

S h au h ran sh e like Moya in The g , when married John Drew . Her brother , Lewis

’ is of . Baker , a member her husband s company

When Miss Baker became Mrs . John Drew ,

s h e ft For or soon afterwards , le the stage . a considerable time while Mr. Drew was able to

“ ” in occu lead a fixed life New York , they

ft - fifth w pied an apartment in Fi y Street. It as small , but they made it very artistic , attrae tive , and comfortable . Its furnishing was quiet

— of - and refined , the good old fashioned kind .

” s o t Cozy , a word of en misused , applied to it

of with more than the usual degree actuality.

There they lived with their daughter , then a mere child , who went , as she still does , with

e ri her par nts and among her intimate f ends , by the nickname Bee . If it is asked [ H I F A M O U S A C T O R S

the name Louise ever was converted

“ ” “ is is Bee , the answer that Bee a contrae

tion of the F r e n B é b é ”

“ our Baby . o i h 1902 J . ro C pyr g t , , by By n i only ch ld , no J ohn D r ew in his Library matter h ow Old s h e t o grows , always is apt remain the Baby of the family and of her own and the fam ily friends . But that the Drews derived m l. l as T H E I R H O M E S their pet name for their daughter from the

French has a certain significance , because

French is a language almost as familiar in the Drew family circle as English . Mr.

Drew is a very good French scholar. He n ot only reads French , but speaks it with

one ease . I remember evening , during his

V ’ engagement at V allack s in One Sum

’ mer s Day , hearing him carry on a conver sation in that language with a member of a well - known New York French - American family who had called on him in his d re s sm g

- room . When during the last Coquelin Bern

c M r hardt tour in this ountry . Drew gave a dinner to Coquelin the host conversed as fl u ently in the guest ’s native tongue as the guest w himself. It was Monsieur Dre entertaining

Monsieur Coquelin .

Mr. Drew acquired this accomplishment without a university education . He was not prepared for a university course . Mother, [ 13 ] F A M O U S A C T O R S

“ of he said in speaking this , did not think a university course stood much for individual w development . I do not kno that it would

‘ have assisted me in playing The Second in

’ for . Command , instance Perhaps there is

something in the feeling of being a university

’ of man . Yet we know many dunces who

” come out of universities . His most advanced regular schooling was at the Protestant Epis

t copal Academy in Philadelphia , and af er that

n he took o some tutors and that sort of thing.

He learned languages , got some taste of general

literature , and even studied Socrates , but he

went on the stage when he was nineteen .

' During th e y e ars the Drews were regularly settled in New York they led a very agreeable ’ l life there . While Mr. Drew s professiona

work prevented him from entertainin g much

at the hours customary for social entertain

s u ments , he always made a point of having p

t per af er the play in his own home , instead of [ 14 ] s, T H E I R H O M E S at any one of the restaurants frequented by fashionable theatre parties , and often he brought home one or two intimate personal friends with him . They were very pleasant little supper parties , informal but served in perfect taste .

is . h as Mr. Drew a good talker He ideas

of and a clever way expressing them . The meal and the talk afterwards generally were

s u m the substance and the of these suppers .

! Cards NO . Mr. Drew never learned to o play them . Memorizing a r le is easy for him . He is what is known in the profession as a

quick study. He remembers quotations and generally can place them ; and things he .

read many years ago , if he read them carefully , he still retains . In fact , he is retentive at any i th ng but cards . Thus he knows the rules of l whist , but cannot remember how the suits fa l

as they are played . Nevertheless these supper

s essions were not brief. For there is s ome 15 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

of the night owl in Drew ; but he knows how

too. to rest During the daytime , for instance , he cares little for entertaining or being enter

t ain e d s u . Once some one said to him , I p pose you never get to bed much before twelve

’ ” o clock . !This was putti ng it very mildly.)

” s of No , answered Drew , with j ust a su picion

“ h is on sarcasm in the tone of voice , but the other hand I don’ t get up much before

- half past s ix.

About the only day the Drews had for

dining out was Sunday. On other days Mr.

’ Drew s professional engagements forbade that. They had frequent invitations during the week

which for this reason they were obliged to

decline. But Sunday dinner found them

either hosts in their apartments or guests at

- some well known house . Possibly it is not

amiss to state that among the well - known New York families with Whom the Drews are intimate are the Hewitts and the B rockh olst I 16

F A M O U S A C T O R S

on e that , in him , an actor to the core , of the third generation of a family of actors , and Of proud it , has been made most welcome

i “ ” in society .

Mr. Drew always has been fond of exercise and has kept himself in the best physical trim for his work . He belongs to the Riding Club , a rather exclusive organization in New York , and when he lived in the city , could be seen almost every day on the bridle - path in Central

Park . When his daughter was old enough and had learned to ride sufficiently well to

sh e leave the ring, usually accompanied her

M rs h as father. Her teacher was . Beach , who had most of the Newport women as pupils in riding. No parents could have been more careful in the bringing up of a child than have been

w h as the Dre s with their daughter. Nothing been omitted in her education . Part of the time her parents were living In New York [ 18 ] i h 1902 . ro Copyr g t, , by J By n

d or a Ri e J ohn D rew and his D aughter rea y f d

a, T H E I R H O M E S

they had her placed at an excellent private

school and then at a convent in Philadelphia .

When Mr. Drew was obliged to go abroad

with the Daly Company , she went with her parents and they utilized the opportunity to

place her at a convent school in Boulogne . She quickly became proficient in French and

won a prize for an article in the convent paper.

In order to give double pleasure to her parents , s h e told them nothing about it until sh e su r l prised them with the prize itse f.

’ a Since his appearance as star , Mr. Drew s domestic life has been more or less broken

h as up , although with every opportunity that presented its elf he has clung to it as tena ciou sly as possible ; at the same time not allowing his having become somewhat of a rover to interfere in the least with the careful h i education of s daughter. She was sent to

“ ' the noted fin ishing school of the Marquise

San Carlos de Pedroso in Paris , a very high [ 21 ] F A M O U S A C T O R S

class school , to which many fine families of

various countries send their daughters , and

where Miss Drew made many charming friends . Having perfected herself in French at the De

P e d ro s o s c h o o l ,

s h e was placed for nearly a year in

D r e S d e n w h e r e s h e s t u d i ed Ger

man and music .

W he n s h e

r e t u r n e d t 0 New York in

o i ht 19 02 J . C pyr g , , by Byron t i ln e fo r t h e

o J o D rew h is D u e d ei hn , a ght r , an th r 1ets season Of 18 9 9 19 00 ’ , Mr. Drew s popularity as a star had e u

abled him to prolong his seasons in the city ; and he had rented a furnished house in West

- first Twenty Street . Here the Drews began

entertaining again , their social circle growing 9 9 l s, T H E I R H O M E S

of wider. One guest their former New York home was , however , missed here . For Mr. ’ M rs . Drew s distinguished mother , the elder

wh o John Drew , always had been made wel

come at the Fifty - fifth Stre et apartment and was a not infrequent guest there , had since died .

It was at the Twenty - first Street house Miss “ Bee was introduced to society at a tea h given in her honor. Shortly afterwards s e

on made a tentative appearance the stage .

Her father was playing Richard Carvel , and

’ s h e took her debut as the pretty Maryland

n ot girl , Betty Taylor. It was , however, until the following season that s h e regu larly

’ on com went the stage , j oining her father s

an d pany when it left New York , in the rOle of Nora Vining in The Second in C om mand . Mrs . Drew also travels with her

“ s o on husband and daughter , that , although the road , the family keeps together . In fact , with Mr. and Mrs . Drew , Miss Drew and 23 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

’ rs . M Drew s brother, there is quite a family party.

' is For a man of fifty Mr. Drew very young

on looking, not only the stage , where disguise

Off In is possible , but also it the garish and

- li of . tattle tale ght day He is quick , mobile ,

i n l s o of and agile , fact , sti l very much the young man that there would be no occasion fib for the professional about age , even if he cared to take refuge behin d it . The public makes little inquiry into a stage favorite ’s age until it becomes noticeable , and , like the famous Roman who would rather people ex pressed surprise that no statues were erected in h is honor than because there were , it is better for an actor to have the public marvel that one of his age should look so young than that one s o young should look s o old .

Mr. Drew is not a strong man in the pro

“ fe s s ion al sense in which the term strong

3, w t man n o is employed . He does not lif [ 2M

F A M O U S A C T O R S week and the insistence of the public of to - day that an actor, no matter how popular,

l so always shal be at the top notch , that he always must key himself to give ou t the best

- of that is in him , but because he is fond it. On this point he said playfully, If I had to exercise to keep myself in condition I would Shirk it. But I am fond of it , and I

con keep in pretty good shape anyhow . The dition of the stage is such that the men and women on it must keep in good physical trim

the to stand strain . But I do not think they have such a hard time of it .

s When he is in New York , be ides riding in

- Central Park , he goes to the Racket Club , where he plays court tennis . This is a rattling

in good game and a hard game , as any one not good condition who tries it soon finds ou t . ’ i But it is on e of Mr. Drew s favor te forms of exercise in winter , when there is not much

r doing outdoors , and he is accounted a ha d 96 l s, T H E I R H O M E S

man to beat . He is a capital fencer , and when the club had a fencin g master often played with the foils .

- - is Summer is his time ou t Of doors . He in

His the open air as much as possible . cottage ,

I. which is quite new , is at Easthampton , L . , and in this spot where lived John Howard

of Payne , the author the immortal lyric ,

Home , Sweet Home , the Drews have their ingleneuk . Unlike Southampton , one of its neighbors , and next to Newport and Bar

- n Harbor , probably the best k own summer

of e resort society p ople in the United States ,

Easthampton is rather an unpretentious place .

There are superb cottages at Southampton ;

Easthampton is more quiet in character. It l was discovered by artists , and artists sti l frequent it and love it for its quaint and pictu resque characteristics . At the same time there is enough society there to keep things going, and a run over to Southampton for 27 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

a Saturday evening dance at the Meadow

Club is quite feasible . Moreover, it has a charming social centre in its own pretty Maid

stone Club , with golf links sloping down from

the outskirts of the village to the s e a. — In fact , when all its aspects picturesque , — social , and artistic are considered , East

hampton is j ust the sort of place a man of

’ Mr. Drew s quiet and refined tastes would

select for a residence which , perforce of cir

cu m stan ce s on e . , can be only a summer It

“ is enough out of the world for him to lay

” off and find total relaxation in the absence of all formality , yet enough in the world for him to be of it when he wants to . r Outdoor exe cise , however , is his chief summer devotion and outdoor exercise of the more exacting kind . The beautiful golf links of the Maidstone Club see comparatively little of Mr . Drew. Some years ago he took a lot Of lessons in golf from a professional [ 928 1 s, T H E I R H O M E S

in Chicago , and was a fairly good golfer.

n ot of But he is much a golfer now . His

, b interest in the game is waning “ ecause unlike other men of fifty he does not

o ) i h t . o C py g , by J Byr n

J ohn D rew consider it strenuous enough . He shows his

’ physical fitness in his preference for tennis , l which he plays fast and we l . Tennis is his

e xer game afoot , but riding is his favorite m cise . For erly he rode to hounds a good [ 99 ] F A M O U S ‘ A C T O R S

deal , but now he feels he cannot risk a rib

as or shoulder out, he may not always have f the part of a wounded o ficer to play , as in

“ ” The Second in Command . Accordingly

of - i he has rather dropped out fox hunt ng, and does not ride to hounds more than per

haps once of a summer, if there happens to be a pack at Shinnecock Hills near South

old ampton . But when he does , the spirit revives in him , and he is as clean over his fences as any one in the field .

All the roads around Easthampton , how

l or ever , know him wel . He keeps three four w ponies do n there , and constantly indulges his

h is passion for riding, which daughter Shares with him ; and it is the usual thing to s e e them ou t together . He also is a good t swimmer , and can plunge hrough the surf and swim out with the youngest.

The Drew Cottage is quite unpretentious , a gray shingled house in Colonial style with

30 s, T H E I R H O M E S

a large porch on one side and a commod ious i entrance hall , which also is the liv ng room .

I presume y ou have a den he was asked

by some on e who could not imagine any on e

of distinction getting along without something going by that much misused term . I have

’ a library in my cottage , was Mr. Drew s

simple answer. He has , however , no fixed line ofreading. He himself calls his reading

“ desultory. That is the kind of reading for

“ an actor , he says , desultory getting hold of everything on e can fin d .

Mr. Drew treasures several relics which he keeps in his home . They include two large and beautiful silver cups which were presented to his mother and father many years ago ; a silver ewer and two cups given to them by people of Philadelphia ; and a portrait of h is mother by Sully. He also values highly a

nd silver s et presented in California to Mr. a

’ Mrs . Baker , his wife s father and mother . [ 31 ] F A M O U S A C T O R S

’ A glimpse into Mr. and Mrs . Drew s refined home , a knowledge of their charming family life with their daughter, between whom and themselves there is the deepest devotion , goes far to explain why the occupation of the paragrapher who used to earn a living writing jokes about actors walking home on railroad ties , gone .

[ 32 ]

WILL IAM GILLETTE

IL L IA M G I L L E T T E , by

reason of his distinguished an

ce str y , the standing of his fam

ily , and his bringing up , was in a position to fit himself for any career. He deliberately chose the stage .

He was born in Hartford , Connecticut , July

24 18 55 e , , in the old Gillette place , now oc n

. W pied by his sister , Mrs George arner , a sister - in - law of the late Charles Dudley War

” ner. There Mr. Gillette still reserves a den .

This he occupies O II his occasional visits to

“ “ ” s o Hartford . His den is his home , that he still has an abiding - place among his own people and in the house of his birth . 35 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

The roomy Old house stands in among glori

ous old trees , far back from the street , and in

the best - known part of Hartford usually re

” f t erred to as Nook Farm , af er the residence

made noted by Mrs . Harriet Beecher Stowe. Next door to the Gillette place is the Charles

“ Dudley Warner residence ; near by , Mark

’ ” Twain s former house ; while just over the

way is the Isabella Beecher Hooker place. It

“ was amid such surroundings Will , as all

his Old Hartford friends call Mr. Gillette ,

spent his youth .

His father, Francis Gillette , was a remark

a of able character , stern man few words ,

on who seldom said anything any subject , but

. when he did , meant business His boys would no more have ventured to argue with him , if he requested them to do something which they did not very well like , than they would have

- argued with a thunder storm. A lifelong

’ friend of William Gillette s has related to [ 36 ] e, T H E I R H O M E S me h ow William once attempted to tell his father a lie in order to avert severe corporeal

n w punishme t , which he felt sure ould follow a statement of the truth regarding a certain episode of his conduct , but found when his

' C o. Ph otographe d by th e Warne r l h ato.

The G i e e Hom e e d H o d ll tt st a , artf r

father looked at him that he could not do s o .

of The consequence was , that in spite himself

he told the truth and got the thrashing. Fran

cis Gillette was educated at Yale , and after

to wards studied law , but before he practised any extent was mixed up in politics and inter 37 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

e ste d m re in refor s of various kinds , with the sult that he did not continue his professional

on e of of career. He was the first the anti slavery men in the North and an associate of

V V ilIiam Wendell Phillips , Lloyd Garrison , and others . His house was several times stoned by mobs in those exciting times , and he himself narrowly escaped personal attack there on various occasions . But it made no difference with him or his behavior.

He was sent to the U . S . Senate and was in Washington at the most disturbed period f of the antislavery discussions . One af air

ou t there , growing of the Fugitive Slave Law , nearly cost him his life . Three escaped me groes were being pursued through the streets of Washington , and were hidden in houses by their few sympathizers . But the mob and the f o ficers were on their track , and it was evident that their pursuers soon would be able to fin d

of them , as several blocks houses where they I 38 l s, T H EI R H O M E S

were supposed to be concealed had been

surrounded . Francis Gillette was going through the

streets an d was an indignant spectator of this

man hunt , when he received word through a trusted messenger that if the mob could be diverted for a few moments , they would be able to get the negroes out of the city . He immediately j umped on to the porch of a house , and began a most violent harangue in

of favor antislavery , rebuking in the most scathing terms the men who were in pursuit

of of the negroes . The result it was that a crowd soon began to gather round and , as they became more and more excited , they got ropes an d on determined to hang him the spot . In five minutes he had drawn the entire m ob around him and they had become s o violent that the fe w police who had assembled were unable to handle them . The mob leaders put

’ a rope around the senator s neck and started 39 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

to drag him to a lamp - post in order to string

him up . In the mean time the hunted negroes

had been gotten out of the way successfully ,

and were hustled over the line ou t of the City

’ in on of V V ash gt . The only thing that saved

Francis Gillette from an abrupt ending to h is career was the arrival of a squad of police just

as the order was given to string him up . The Gillettes have been of stern stuff even

’ from before Francis Gillette s time . Two of

them , ancestors of William Gillette in direct

of line , served in the Revolutionary War, one

them being killed in the battle of Trenton . William Gillette ’ s own brother Robert was killed at the storming of Fort Fisher in th e

of terrific charge over half a mile level sand .

’ Among the articles found on Robert s body

was a shattered watch . Many years later William Gillette had the fragments of this

timepiece put together ; and if you ask the

hour , the watch he draws out is the very one 40 l

a T H E I R H O M E S his brother wore when he led his command across the shot and shell swept plain in front of Fort Fisher. Another brother died in the

' army , and when William s father drove him to the station on his first leaving home to try a theatrical career , he said , Well , William , I

have taken two sons to this station , and they never have returned ; I trust you will prove an exception to the rule . That was all he said when William left home to go to St.

f r Louis , where he made his first ef o t to get o n the stage .

Yet eve n that much was considerable for a

’ man ofFrancis Gillette s temperamental reserve to s ay . The son appreciated it and remembers it to this day whenever he wishes to give a

an characterization of his father. He had other reason to feel kindly toward him . The elder Gillette wished the young man to b e

as come a lawyer. Yet , Mr. Gillette has told

a friend , his father was the one member of the 43 J F A M O U S A C T O R S

family who did not raise a strong objection

s on d on when his decide to go the stage .

With his usual reserve he said nothing at all

on on the subject , but the young man felt

starting out that he had his father with him .

Later , when he found himself stranded in

h is New Orleans , it was father , though he ill ff could a ord it , who sent him the money

to get back to Hartford , and when he reached

home , while no fatted calves were slaughtered ,

his reception was all right .

The characteristics o f the father are well

s on worth bearing in mind in considering the , for Francis Gillette ’ s personality has left its

mark u pon William . Not only has the lat ter shown true New England grit and tenacity

b u t of purpose throughout his career , none , save his most intimate friends , have been able to penetrate the reserve which , like a veil , hides the real gentleness and humanity of his f nature rom a mere casual acquaintance . It 44 l e, T H E I R H O M E S will be remembered that in his best - known

” stage creations , notably Secret Service and ” m Sherlock Holmes , a certain austerity of ien and action hides the deep love that shines forth in the end .

Doubtless , some of the gentler aspects of

H r his nature come to him from his mother. e maiden name was Elizabeth Daggett Hooker.

Like Francis Gillette , she was a descendant

of of the earliest white settlers Massachusetts . i Thomas Hooker , who drew up the first civ l constitution for the Commonwealth , which afterward was taken as a model for the Con s titu tio n of the United States , was her direct ancestor four or five generations back . He par tici ate d o f p in the early settlement Hartford . In whatever affectionate remembrance Wil

liam Gillette holds his father , his mother h always came first wit him . She was a tiny , delicate little creature , and he always had such an air of care and love and devotion toward 45 l F A M O U S A C T O R S her that it was very beautiful to see them together. That William Gillette ’s adoption of the stage was the resu lt of natural impulse is the

A S opinion of those who knew him as a boy . one of the most widely known New England

D .D divines , Rev . Joseph H . Twichell , ., puts it Will Gillette was a born actor. The first time I ever s aw him in that character was in a play he , with other lads , performed in his

’ father s house , when he was no more than

’ old twelve years , before a Ladies Benevolent

Society of the church of which I am pastor.

Before that , when he was about eleven , he had astonished his family by rigging up a miniature theatre . It was made of a large box with the front cut out and the top taken

Off. In the front he built a proscenium about

of three feet high and much the same width ,

. with drop curtain , borders , etc He had foot

on lights , which were small candles arranged 46 l e; T H E I R H O M E S

t underneath s o that they could be

u or p down , and thus he got the effec ts which he had seen in real

The scenes slid in from the top ,

The D en at th e Hbmes tea ol and he had a great deal o f real enjoyment in painting these scenes himself and arranging everything to work properly. The various

h e characters in the plays , or whatever else

n of . produced , were worked in a umber ways Some were suspended by very fine black 47 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

or thread wire , and others , when the nature of t h e scene would allow it , were worked from below. The first thing he gave in this theatre was a minstrel performance . The curtain rang u p on what is known as the first part ; that is , the entire company seated in a semi circle with various instruments . These min s trels in this particular scene were worked both ways . Some fine wires from above would work the arms and hands , in order to give them the appearance of playing their various instruments , and then he gave them various motions from below and behind as well . In this instance all the wires and threads above were attached to a single piece , s o that he could work them in unison , as he did not have enough hands to work each char acter an d manage the other business required in the scene . He imitated various instruments with his

mouth , and also worked bells and imitations 48 l

F A M O U S A C T O R S

more than boyish diversions and attempts , their bearing upon the career of the future actor and dramatic author must be considered as highly important. During the younger years mind and feelings are more plastic than during later periods of life , and in a crude way William Gillette was as a “ kid ” gaining a technical facility in expression and writing which must not be undervalued . A young fellow who exercises any talent of this kind at all goes at the thing in a very straight and

direct way , by the shortest cut, and this may be the reason a Gillette play has about

the least possible amount of dialogue , the author realizing that “ situation ” counts for

more than the spoken word . Young Gillette d id not go directly on the

r stage after his school years . He fi st tried the

entertainment platform . He gave public read

n ings and re citatio s , including costume imita

tions of various actors , among them Booth , the I 50 l T H E I R H O M E S

e ffe r elder Sothern , John T . Raymond , and J

s on . wh o in From his father , the Senate had

’ VV e b ste r s heard reply to Hayne , and who

was highly adept in reproducing the voice ,

t e a r er . Ph otographed by h W n Ph oto. C o

D eck V iew of th e A u nt P o lly

m on e gesture , and manneris of any by whom he had been impressed , William had picked up some capital imitations of some of the

of great statesmen the day , and these he also introduced in his programs . [ 51 ] F A M O U S . A C T O R S

on After several seasons the platform , Gil lette finally determined to get away somewhere and go on the stage . He had money enough to take him to St . Louis , where he tackled

Ben de Bar, who was the manager of a theatre

Ne w there and of another in Orleans . De Bar would not have anything to do with h im at first ; but Gillette was desperate , and , when h im the manager turned away , hung on to and

e x ostu lat actually turned him around again , p ing that he simply must be allowed to join the company , and that he did not want any salary “ W whatever. This was a hopper, but it did

in the business , for the pecuniary part of it

t ere s te d . the manager As a result , Gillette was engaged for small parts at the old St .

Ne w Charles Theatre , Orleans , and it was there he made his actual stage début.

th e Next season , through influence of Mark

b e . Twain , secured a minor position in John T

’ Raym ond s company for the New York sea I 52 l es T HE I R H O M E S

s on , and , during that time , he attended lec

18 4 tures at the New York University . In 7 , as a member of the Globe Theatre Company , Boston the illness of Harry Murdoch se cured him a chance to play Prince Florian in

” - Broken Hearts . An eye witness , and a crit

on e ical , of that performance , tells me that while it was awkward , it was curiously inter esting. At all events , it made an impression and gave Gillette some standing. When the play was put on again , later in the season , he

rOle was allowed to retain the , although Mur doch was perfectly well . The management explained that it was traditional , when an

o n understudy went and played a part , to let him have it at a later production . This was one of the few stage traditions that ap pealed to Gillette at that time as the proper thing. During this engagement , the daytime s aw him at Boston University and the Insti

' tute of Technology . F A M O U S A C T O R S

F or two ft b e seasons therea er , acted with

n the Macaulay Stock Company in Cinci nati , o ccas IO nally going over to Lou isville for a

e n d of week . N ear the the second season , Kate Claxton came to Cincinnati with “ The

Two Orphans . He played the comedy part s o acceptably that sh e offered him an engage

for ment a travelling season , and as Macaulay

” was not paying salaries at that time , Gillette accepted . It was during his connection with the Ma cau lay company he wrote his first play for the

” professional stage , The Professor. He was several years getting it produced , until Mark

’ old Twain , for acquaintance sake , again came to his aid . I was present at the first perform

“ h ad ance of The Professor , which also the added importance of presenting Gillette for the first time in a leading rOle in a metro politan theatre .

It was at the Madison Square in 18 8 1. l 54 l e, T HE I R H O M E S

Gillette was capi tal in his droll personation of

- the whimsical , near sighted professor who , after

of all , wins the love the heroine , charmingly

C a v n n o played by poor Georgia y a . It was t

of F or long before Gillette was heard again . at the same house I attended , in the following

of . October , Esmeralda , the joint work Mrs

Frances Hodgson Burnett and himself. f Here I Simply would give a list o Mr. Gil

’ lette s principal plays , were it not for an inci dent showing how the can ny New Englander

t now and then crops o u in him . Under

’ the title of Digby s Secretary , he made an

’ adaptation of You Moser s Bibliothekar.

e Charles Hawtr y , the English actor , made

” another version , The Private Secretary , to l\I which A . . Palmer secured the American rights . In 18 8 4 both versions had their first per form an ce on the same night in New York ,

’ Mr. Palmer s at the Madison Square , Mr. 55 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

rOle Gillette , with himself in the leading , at the Comedy . Mr. Gillette rang up his cur

8 P M NH P tain at . . ; . Palmer at . M

Mr. Gillette , it will be observed , a quarter of an hour earlier than Mr. Palmer. Both ver

" u sions were successf l . One afternoon , a year and a half later , Mr. Gillette walked into Mr.

’ Palmer s office and anno u nced that Mr. Palmer owed him a year and a half royalties on The

! ’ Private Secretary . The ground Gillette s

riorit — of p y of production , that ringing up the

o f curtain a quarter an hour earlier. You may be sure an astute manager like Mr. Palmer would n ot have yielded an inch had Gillette

“ simply been putting up a bluff. But the final result was that a new version was made of the best portions of both plays , and , with

“ V V illiam rOle Gillette in the leading , The Private Secretary ” successfully toured the country .

’ Among Gillette s best - known plays are 56 l

F A M O U S A C T O R S to give me some glimpses Of the pleasure his occasional homecomings give to his relations

n ot t and friends there . It is true he does of en

find Opportunity to revisit the home of his boyhood but that he still has a warm spot in

fo r h wa his heart a home , is s own by the y he

arranges his rooms in hotels , and even his dress

- a ing rooms at the the tres . He always carries with him reminders of his home frien ds and his home life and his valet quickly learns that good places for these reminders , whatever his l quarters , are deemed by Mr . Gil ette as of as m uch impo rtance as good places for his utilitarian belongings .

or of Then , between the acts , while others the company are hurrying away for a little

re recreation , he will sit down among these minders and write one of his inimitable letters

” to the folks at home , to whom they come like rays of sunshine If he has time for but

h e w or a word , ill enclose some clever amusing 58 l 85 T H E I R H O M E S

newspaper clipping , occasionally with humor ou s side notes .

His sister and her family at the old home

in stead Hartford are ever in his mind . There W are daily tokens of this . hen he is across

Ph otogr aph ed by Warne r Ph oto. C o

The S alon on th e A n n t Polly

the water , these tokens Often take the shape

' of long cablegrams . Incidentally , Gillette never did seem to have any appreciation of the cost of telegraphing ; oftentimes he will wire a fairly long letter when a few words or 59 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

ffi the post might have su ced . He does every thing on a generous scale .

Then what joy there is at the beautiful Old ! homestead when he returns He walks in ,

on the same Will Gillette he is the stage , dis

n of sipati g all humors mind and body , and carrying every soul along with him for a round of pleasure and happiness while he is in the house . During these brief vacations he likes best to give himself u p entirely to the family .

He sees so much of the world the rest of the twelve m onths that he counts these few hours precious in the society of those dearest to him . If at times he has to resort to cunning to de fend the hours from the hosts of friends and adm irers and stage aspirants who try to seek

ou t m him in his home , he is to be co mended

for it . He loves company and always is genial ; but there are moments which he feels he has a

right to dispose of as he will . Gillette does n’ t throw away restraint when 60 l e, T H E I R H O M E S

he enters his home ; for he never appears to

! have any , in the cold sense . He is free and

- of light hearted as a schoolboy , full quips and

V V ith al pranks and funny anecdotes . he is

courtly , in the good old meaning of the days f o chivalry . The tender side of his nature has

full sway . He adores his sister as a young

man adores his sweetheart , and to her children

- he ever has stood as the fairy tale prince , only

’ real . He s all realism . Realism with him is

one nature , and what glimpses of this nature obtains before the footlights are genuine , as is apparent where he gives himself up absolutely

V own . V ith al to his nature , in his home , how

’ ’ s ever , there one thing he can t be induced to

or do , and that is to talk about himself his

- ff . a airs He is as close shelled as an oyster , a - mighty good natured oyster. No , what he wants when he gets home is to learn what the others have been doing, and how they have been faring, and he is so busy asking ques [ 6 1] F A M O U S A C T O R S

’ t s for tions about that , that here no time

him to talk about his own experiences , save ,

of course , an occasional droll incident , told merely to keep up the general merriment. Let a home friend come to the table preoccupied ,

of ou t his mind full of the cares life , and put l by petty annoyances , and the moment Gi lette

’ appears it s all laughter and sunshine . He is a tonic . If he had nothing else to win the

of l love people , that alone wou d be enough .

’ a t 6 \ He can t sit still long a time , en when he is at work . If he goes up to his den on

’ for the top floor a few hours writing , he soon

can be heard moving about and singing , and the family know that he is looking over some of the idols of his boyhood . His den is fu ll

’ of of specimens his skill with carpenter s tools , from the table and its quaint chair to the novel

- window seats . And on a stand near by is a

h e b o complete engine made when a y , along

- O f all with knick knacks sorts . His brain is [ 62 ]

F A M O U S A C T O R S

By his spirits y ou would think that he e n

joyed the best of health , yet , since his severe illness a few years ago , he has been heir to

of many of the ills the flesh . Your only path to that conclusion , however , is through his diet and his general habits , for outwardly he is all good feeling. He comes home to rest ; the

o family kn w that , as a matter of course , but

s a n on never from anything he may y . If a y e

or o u t remarks he looks tired , must be worn , he laughs at them .

He is quick at repartee , and appreciates a jest . Sometimes he may be teasing toward

’ of his intimates , but it s teasing a kind that causes a bubbling laughter . There are no

on . barbs his arrows And when all is said , the most impressive thing about his home

o f life , the one phase his character which you will Observe when he least thinks that

he . is being studied , is his thoughtfulness

for others , especially the aged and all those I 66 e, T H E I R H O M E S

of whom the rest of the world is likely to be

forgetful . w Mr. Gillette is a wido er. He was devoted

to his wife , and is devoted to her memory .

h C . The illness whic took him to Tryon , N . , is believed to have been largely due to his grief over her loss . He buried himself in the

s aw o f pine woods , and all the natives him was the figure of a gaunt , silent man passing along the road from his cabin to the village and back . One day , however , he fell in a faint by the roadside and was taken into one of the

I cabins . This incident broke the ce between him and the natives , with many of whom he

soon became good friends . His houseboat , “ ” ft the Aunt Polly , is named a er one of the

“ ” characters at Tryon . This houseboat is a great source of recrea tion to the actor whenever he spends a s u m mer in this country . He had another before this . She steered badly , and nearly falling I 67 F A M O U S A C T O R S

foul of some canal boats in the Hudson , one

of the canallers yelled ou t that the craft was

a holy terror. Mr. Gillette promptly named

- her the Holy Terror. She was a queer look

' ’ Wi i m G i e e Hou ebo the A u P o ll a ll tt s s at , nt lly

ff on ing a air. On e occasion when approach ing a drawbridge in the Connecticut River, the

o keeper f the bridge hailed her. Where from [ 68 ] e, T H E I R H O M E S

New York . When

“ July fourth . What century

The Aunt Polly , however , is a staunch , sea going hull , with powerful engines and capable of high speed . She is a houseboat only in the sense that slender lines have been sacrificed to d roomy , sensible , comfortable cabin accommo a tions . Only a few very intimate friends ao

M r company . Gillette on his cruises . Once

s he put in at Provincetown , Mas , and went ashore . He met two boys who were going

In fishing. He began talking with them .

of on stead continuing their way to the shore , they followed him about . Other boys joined

ft of them , and a er a while a troop youngsters were in his wake .

“ I thought you were going fishing, said

’ one of Gillette s friends to one of the first two boys . I 69 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

’ an He s better than any fishing, they swe re d , pointing to the actor. Then the friend told them who Gillette was . We

’ ” “ don t care who he is , they exclaimed . All

’ ” the . we know is , that he s j ust thing

Many people consider Gillette a cynic ; but his relations and his intimate friends know him in a wholly different light To them he is one of the most lovable of men .

F A M O U S A C T O R S but the hall of the Mansfield residence on

Riverside Drive , New York . The actor had seen nurse enter with baby in her arms , and had rushed forward with a paternal “ Ah !

Was it my dear little Then the indign ant

“ ” hist from nurse and the utter rout of the impersonator of a long line of heroes . For

or the nonce nurse ruled supreme , was it

King Baby , even though asleep and gently breathing beneath his veil of fine white tulle !

George Gibbs Mansfield , with his round baby face and dimpled hands , is a mighty personage in the Mansfield household . At a the age of three , he alre dy has mastered on e rOle , that of miniature tyrant ; and the

” person he most lords it over is Papa. For

“ h is instance , Papa is at his table in study deeply immersed in the manuscript of Beau

caire . One of the pages he has read becomes

is loose and flutters to the floor . He only I 7 4 l e, T H E I R H O M E S

l of ha f conscious its flight , and he is too absorbed in the new play to put down the manuscript , lean over , and pick up the stray

n leaf. He goes o reading. k Suddenly there is a crisp , crin ly sound on the floor. The actor pauses a moment w and looks do n . There is a figure on its

on e o f hands and knees , and the hands is just closing on the edge Of the leaf.

“ ” No ! NO ! Georgie ! w The little hand dra s back . In a moment Papa once more is absorbed in the manu script . That crisp , crinkly sound again .

7 7 " A 0 ! ! Papa more severely : A 0 . Georgie

Again the manuscript ; again the sound .

ve r rOle Papa , trying to be v angry , a he can

r on act pe fectly the stage , but at which he

is an utter failure between the four walls of

“ ’ own : his home Georgie , did n t I tell you

not to touch that ! What do y ou mean by being so naughty ! I 7 5 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

n A little face looki g up , two lips parted in a roguish smile , and issuing from between

l : n ! those ips , two words Teasi g Papa

“ - Good bye , Beaucaire Who cares what becomes of y ou ! A small fortune already

“ ” is invested in scenery and properties , but what of that ! He who is to handle your sword and sport your cockade , is scampering about the room on hands and knees playing “ bow—wow ” with a baby boy !

V . Richard I II ., Henry , and Cyrano have done other curious things at the behest of

Georgie . History does not record that either

i of of the v llain the hump , the hero Har

or - fleur , the long nosed Gascony poet and campaigner was of a mechanical turn of mind .

Yet their impersonator , having removed the

on hump , put the crown a shelf, and the nose

in storage , has been known to repair suc

“ ce s sfu lly a broken - down choo - choo train

as of course for Georgie . Here is a scene I 7 6 l

e, T H E I R H O M E S enacted on Riverside Drive in front of the Mansfield house The park of which the drive is a feature falls rather abruptly to the Hudson , which is skirted by a railroad . The actor and his boy are strolling along the walk at the edge of the high bank , the actor accommodating his usually

’ brisk gait to the little fellow s short steps . A ff train pu s by below. An idea suddenly oc curs to Georgie. He withdraws his chubby

’s hand from his father hold , places his elbows to his sides and toddles ahead , working his little arms like piston rods and ejaculating

Choo - choo choo - choo

He comes to a sudden stop . His father catches up with him , expecting to take his hand and stroll along again . But no such

thing for the little fellow. Train broken , he says .

The actor takes a few steps , holding a hand back of him , waiting for a little hand to be I 7 9 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

placed in it . But a voice repeats more em

Train bro/cen ’ phatically, and then adds o “ ! ” imperi usly, Papa mend it Here is a

’ - nice situation , but the actor s stage training comes to his rescue . With a perfectly sober face he walks back to where Georgie stands immovable , takes his cane as if it were a

- screw driver , makes a few passes in which he goes through the movements of tightenin g up a few screws and adj usting a bolt or two .

“ “ ’ ” s Now , Georgie , he says , train mended ,

off - and starts Georgie , Choo choo , choo choo !”

’ The boy s mind seems to run to railroads .

“ ’ Papa, he said recently, you re a steam engine .

But my son the actor began protesting.

’ ”

! . Hush , papa Steam engines don t talk What I want to call attention to is the fact that in both little scenes the child displayed as pretty an imagination as the actor. He knew I 80 l

F A M O U S A C T O R S

for an apple , out of the order of the menu , it is only necessary to make believe take an apple

i from the dish and go through th e m otion of handing it to him , to have him perfectly satis d f fi e . If the wants o the average child could

s o in e x be easily supplied , what a simple and

’ a pensive matter family menage would be .

But George Gibbs IVIan sfi e ld is n ot even the exception that proves the rule . He has a i good healthy appet te , and soon would be heard from if an attempt were made to sat

“ isfy it too often with edibles of the make believe variety. The Mansfield baby is named after Georgia

G of . ibbs , a daughter the late Edwin S Gibbs , who w as p rominently connected with a large " n M r New York life insurance cOm p a y . s .

i e e d ‘ ‘ f m Mansfield is an ntimat fri n Of the a ily,

‘ and a . at R e round the Gibbs country seat y ,

‘ . Y . m ost rom an tic N , cluster some of the

’ of a memories the ctor s life . F or Beatrice I 8 9 l e, T H E I R H O M E S

Cameron was visiting here during the s u m

mer Mr. Mansfield was courting her. The a ctor lived at Portchester , and together they took long drives through the country with its

picturesque vistas of Long Island Sound and woodland roads —regular lovers ’ lanes in

the interior. M ’ Miss Cameron was Mr. an s fi e ld s leading woman for several seasons before he married

r sh e her. They fi st met when j oined his com pany and was cast for Florence in Prince

rOle . Karl , making a decided hit in the “ Mansfield is delighted with his new lead

h e ing woman . He thinks s has a great ” r future , is a sentence from a personal lette

’ written about this time by on e of the actor s M ’ f friends . Mr. an sfi e ld s high opinion o his

’ wife s ability as an actress has never changed .

sh e s He still thinks play Florence , Raina in

Arms and the Man , Lady Anne in Richard

’ Mrs . Anderson in The Devil s Disciple , [ 83 ] F A M O U S A C T O RS

’ “ ’ and Norah in Ibsen s Doll s House , better than any one else .

’ After Georgie s birth Mrs . Mansfield retired from the stage During the second Cyrano season many of her friends urged her to reap pear, but her reply was , No , my place is in ou r o u r home with child Finally , however, even Mr. Mansfield joined in the solicitations , and she yielded s o far as to consent to make a single appearance . As a tribute to her, her

” husband broke the run of Cyrano for a night , which , with the heavy scenery to be gotten ou t of the way and the disarrangement of the cast , means more than the uninitiated

“ might suppose , and revived Arms and the Man for one performance at the Herald

Square Theatre , Mrs . Mansfield playing Raina , one of her most notable roles . The house was — packed , and she received an ovation and no one was more tickled with her success than her husband . I S t es T HE I R H O M E S

But although Mrs . Mansfield has not been seen on the stage since that on e performance

’ s h e of George Bernard Shaw s play , is sure to

“ be present at the first night o f a new pro duction by her husband in New York . The

e n play over , a scene not on the program is

’ f M a acted . Usually some o the n sfield s inti mate friends are in the audience , and these are invited to wait after the performance and go back behind the scenes with Mrs . Mansfield . f “ ” Suppose it is the first night o Beaucaire. ft It is a er the final curtain . The star has made his little speech of thanks , and the audi — ence is filing out all save a favored few .

The actor retires to his dressing - room ; the ” X stage is struck. The Louis V . carpet us ed

of in a scene the play is spread over the floor,

and big candelabra are placed about . Some

fifteen or twenty friends are conducted b e

hind the scenes by Mrs . Mansfield , and soon

h a Mr. Mansfield appears . He s put on his I' 85 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

glasses , but is minus his peruke , though he still wears his Duke of Orleans costume . Mr. and Mrs . Mansfield then hold a reception on the stage , and it is some time before the lights are lowered and the actor and his ' wife are driven to their home on Riverside.

’ f M an sfi eld Some idea o Mr. s devotion to Beatrice and Georgie can be gathered from his maintaining this handsome house.

As he rarely passes more than eight or nine weeks of the year there , he keeps it up prae

s o tically for his wife and child , that they may enjoy its comforts while he is away on his professional tours . The Mansfield resi dence is a fine white stone structure about halfway between the beginning of the famous

Drive at West Seventy - second Street and

’ Grant s Tomb on the north . From the win

of dows his study the actor , when at home !by

r e no means a supe fluous limitation , sinc his profession takes him so much away from New I 8 6 l a T H E I R H O M E S

of York), commands a superb view the Hud

son . a n ot Though city house , and even very far uptown , as New York now goes , the out look is as extensive and beautiful as that from

of many the country seats further up the river. Only a few hundred yards away is the boat

of house Columbia University , and the pass ing craft range from the long tapering racing shells of the Columbia crews to the large river steamboats .

A large b all and reception - rooms are o n the

- ground floor. A S in the typical modern New

d o n ot im York dwelling, the stairs begin mediately opposite the front door . Such an arrangement would be considered a relic of the

- - C on hideous high stoop , brown stone era . sequently the hall has a spacious aspect which suggests the country home rather than the

w - - city h Ou s e . The dra ing room , dining room , and music - room are on the second floor.

Mrs . Mansfield has her suite , including her [ 8 7 1 F A M O U S A C T O R S

X IV boudoir in white , ecru , and gold , Louis .

on style , the third floor . The library and

‘ are on study the fourth , and above this is

’ Georgie s realm , the nursery.

The manuscript of the play under consid

e ration or on in rehearsal , books its historical

period , costume plates , pads scribbled over

with notes and memoranda , personal letters

and numerous requests for autographs , give

’ Mr M n fi ld s . a s e desk an appearance of p ie

tu re s qu e confusion . The disarrangement is

for ff real , not posed e ect .

Before he went on the stage Mr. Mansfield

of was a painter. A friend , hearing this only

recently , said to him , I understand you once

” made your living by your painting.

” ’ “ NO , was the actor s quick reply , in spite

” of it .

Nevertheless , among the pictures in the

house are several from his brush , allowed to

on hang the walls , however , only through the I 88 l

F A M O U S A C T O RS

! with me What have you been doing all this time

d . Painting that little scene for you , ear

During his season Mr. Mansfield finds little

’ opportunity for diversion . An actor s hours are late. Even after a play has been running

l i s . some time , a scene occasional y apt to sag

The best corrective is to rehearse it im m e di ately after the performance . An exacting star

M an sfi eld — like Mr. as exacting, however , with himself as with his company —rarely closes the stage door behind him until after

ft of m idnight . A er the work the evening

!for while the audience is enjoying itself, those on h the stage are ard at work), supper and some relaxation are necessary before retiring.

’ Two o clock in the morning, therefore , is not

“ an unusual hour for Mr. Mansfield to turn in . This will explain why he does not break fast until about noon . He is fond of horse

0 11 back riding for exercise , and a canter one of I 90 e, T HE I R H O M E S

- his favorite saddle horses , Liberty or King

. Cole , follows soon after breakfast On his return he goes to work in his study until four

o i h 19 02 . o C pyr g t, , by J Byr n

A ! u iet C up of Te a

’ b e O clock , when he dines . The interval tween dinner and the time for leaving fo r the theatre he divides between rest and mental concentration upon his rOle . During this I 91 l F A M O U S A C T O R S period of his d ay any interruption positively is prohibited . The public little appreciates the exactions of the stage . It thinks the actor simply walks on when the curtain rises and

off . when it falls Does it realize , for instance , that on m atinee days the actor hardly has

’ washed off his make up from the afternoon s

on n performance , before he has to put it agai

! for the evening When Mr. Mansfield was acting Cyrano at the Garden Theatre , New

York , the interval between matinées and even ings was so brief that he was obliged to take a room at the Holland House near by for a slight rest and a hasty bite between performances .

Mr . Mansfield usually is at the stage door before any member of his company. He is

s et thus early not only to an example , but also because he is very careful in making up his

le rO . Having been a painter before he became

of an actor , he looks upon this part his work

’ with the artist s eyes . I once watched him [ 92 1

F A M O U S . A C T O R S star ’ s favorite anecdotes relates to how he him self was made cognizant of its thoroughness .

” Every member of my company , he says ,

“ an in telling it , has identification card which must be presented at the stage door. One night we were playing in a new theatre in t h e

A S West . I was passing in the doorkeeper stopped me .

’ Card , please .

But I began .

’ ’ Y o u ve got to Show a card to get in .

’ ’ I have n t a card .

’ Have n t a card Do you belong to this Show

’ No . Then what are you doin ’ here ! ’

’ This Show belongs to me .

Then the doorkeeper looked up , recognized me , and probably would still be apologizing if

’ I had n t assured him that he had done exactly right . I 9A J e, T HE I R H O M E S

’ M an sfield s success came to him compar ativel y early in his career , yet he had his full share of hardships beforehand . He was a prankish boy but there was no on e to discern

his th e of in pranks overflow vitality which , when directed into proper channels , makes for

on of Heli o genius . He was born the island g land in 18 57 . He comes rightfully by his

for genius for the stage , his mother was the — Ru d e rs d orff. celebrated opera singer , Emma At ten years he was placed at a school in

Germany. His artistic tastes led him to paint

s o his classroom door a vivid green . He was proud of this achievement that he signed his

o f name to it , which , course , led to his dis

v r co e v and punishment .

His mother came to this country in 18 6 9 .

18 2 She sang at the Boston Peace Jubilee in 7 ,

sh e with such success that settled in Boston ,

Y ve r and Richard , who then was studying at

d for don , Switzerlan , was sent . He was I 95 l F A M O U S A C T O R S employed for a time in a large Boston dry i goods store , but his artistic asp rations were too

e . n strong to be ov rcome He could si g , play , mimic , and paint. The last seemed to him his

. aiii ted special bent He rented a studio , p

- s . water color , and sold them among his friends

In a comparatively brief time , however, all these were happy possessors of Mansfield

off n aquarelles , and the sales fell in brisk ess until he found himself in the not very cheer ful position of an artist who could paint much faster than he could sell . In this dilemma he decided to turn his talent for music and mimicry to account. He l hired a small ha l , had tickets and circulars printed , and , falling back upon his Dickens ,

’ announced Vin cent C ru m m el s Entertain

” ment. He played the piano and sang, and

“ gave imitations of performers on various instruments , very much as he did later in ” 18 5 Prince Karl. In 7 he went to England , I 96 l

e, T H E I R H O M E S

where he made a precarious living by painting. Often the only meals he had were those he secured at houses of friends who invited him to help make the evening pass by his clever l parlor entertainments . Final y he decided to give these professionally , but , at the very first one , excitement combined with exhaustion from hunger caused him to faint at the piano after striking on e chord . Shortly afterwards a chance meeting with

W . S . Gilbert , who had seen him entertain as a n rOle amateur , secured him the of Sir Joseph Porter at £ 3 a week in a Pinafore company which was to do the provinces . He remained three years with Gilbert , played an engage ment in comic Opera in London , and then ,

18 8 2 in , returned to the United States in a

’ comic opera company organized by D O y ly

Carte .

I was present at his first appearance on the stage in this country. It was at the Standard , I 99 l F A M O U S A C T O R S

n ow in the Manhattan Theatre , New York ,

“ ” 18 8 2 r . September , , in Les Manteaux Noi s

rOle D rom e z was His , , the stupid miller , a

on e minor , but it was the Single success of hi the evening. So was s Nick Vedder in

’ ” Planqu ette s Rip V an Winkle The public did not care for either piece , but it was very plain that individually Mansfield had made a hit . Soon afterwards he became a member of

’ A . M . Palmer s company at the Union Square

s aw Theatre , where I him , unknown here save o for a few comic opera r les , fairly burst upon the

C h e vrial o f audience as Baron , the first night

A Parisian Romance . No such sensational

event in theatricals has occurred since , yet his securing the rOle which made him famous in a night was through the merest accident.

l rOle He original y was cast for a minor , Tirin

of dal , the blasé youth the piece . But during

of the last week rehearsal J . H . Stoddart gave

Ioo

F A M O U S A C T O R S

star. But he was a star without a play. C ou sequently he was loaned around by Mr.

for rOle of Palmer but , except the the amusing

French tenor in French Flats , which he played in San Francisco , and in which he made a hit , none of the characters suited him . He was playing Koko in The Mikado in Boston

“ when he received the manuscript of Prince

” ' b Karl . This e brought out at the Boston

18 8 6 Museum in April , , and from this produc tion his career as a star may be said to have begun . He alternated the new play with A

” Parisian Romance , and later added his power

r . ful inte pretation of Dr Jekyll and Mr.

” Hyde . His wonderful versatility was Shown in his ability to combine a light piece like

” Prince Karl with the two others mentioned , and he soon gave further evidence of it by

” producing Monsieur , a charming little piece of his own writing.

In 18 8 9 the actor who a fe w years ago had

102 e, T H E I R H O M E S fainted from sheer hunger at his first attempt to give a drawing- room entertainment in Lon don , and had afterwards knocked around the

in r provinces comic opera , received an in i tation from Henry Irving to occupy the Ly

C o ri h t 1903 J . o m/ g , , by Byr n

A Fa vo rite Sp ot on a S um m e r D ay ceum Theatre . The most important addition to his repertoire during this engagement was

“ of m a n ifi Richard I I I ., which he made a g cent production . In the autumn he brought

was s o this over to America , but it staged elaborately that in order to be financially su c 103 F A M O U S A C T O R S ces s fu l a continuous succession of crowded

e houses was necessary , and , thes failing, the

w . l piece was withdra n Beau Brumme l ,

” 0 a Don Juan , Nero , Ten Thousand

” “ ” Year , The Scarlet Letter , Merchant of

“ ” th el\Ian Venice , Arms and , Napoleon ,

“ of u King Per , Rodion the Student ,

“ ’ Castle Sombras , The Devil s Disciple ,

” “ The First Violin , Cyrano de Bergerac

” r Hen y Beaucaire , and Julius Caesar have followed . An interesting anecdote is connected with h is r Shylock . Although his fi st Shakespearian

on e . production the stag was Richard I I I ,

Shylock was his first Shakespearian rOle . For he had appeared in it at an amateur perform ance when he was a pupil at the Derby School ,

England . His acting attracted the attention

w of Lit ch field of Dr. Sel yn , then Bishop , who , congratulating him , said , I have no desire to encourage any one to become an actor, but

104

F A M O U S A C T O R S true actor should be able to assimilate all

rOle s . kinds of , comedy as well as tragedy

In his own career he has illustrated the correctness of this theory , when applied by actors as great as Garrick and Richard

Mansfield . His Prince Karl and Beaucaire

’ are delightful examples of the comedian s art .

Nothing in the line of eccentric character act ing, touched with tragedy , can surpass his

Cyrano ; and for eloquent declamation his

of Henry V . is unrivalled . In spite the gorgeous spectacular mounting which he gave

” to that Shakespearian historie , the dramatic force of his own acting stood ou t 111 bold relief from the glittering backgr ound of costumes

t and scenery . There are a hos of admirers who consider Mansfield the gr eatest actor of

- of - the English speaking stage to day , and not so very few who rank him as the gr eatest living actor. Yet those who kn ow him best may be 106 a T H E I R H O M E S pardoned if they rank him even higher in a rOle k in which the public nows him not ,

as in his own home , with Mrs . Mansfield leading woman and Georgie ” as leading j uvenile.

. . E H SOTHERN AND H I S W IFE , VIRGINIA HARNED

D E E m H , exclai ed Mrs .

Sothern , with great emphasis and in a voice that sounded

as if she were very angry , though there was a twinkle in her eyes quite at variance with her tone of

h e f voice . At the same time s reached out or

of a piece bread , and made a gesture as if to throw it the whole length of the table at Mr .

Sothern . Then she gazed helplessly at the

- high centre piece of flowers , and with a de

“ ’ s airin p g look which said , I can t throw it

s h e over that and hit him too , put down the bread and ended the little b y -p lay of comedy with a pretty laugh . 111 F A M O U S A C T O R S

” ’ i on e Dee s Mr. S oth ern s nickname. No knows what it means or whence it is derived . l His father, whose memory he worships , cal ed him Dee ; his intimate friends , who worship him , call him Dee ; and his wife calls him

sh e of Dee , except that , when is speaking him

sh e s u m to mere acquaintances , refers to him

’ marily as E . H . You know E . H . has

” “ r ff or a g eat eye for light e ects , Of course , no one on the stage has a voice like E .

’ Has any on e ever heard Dee s wife call him

Mr. Sothern

Mrs . Sothern has among her friends three young women who with herself and Mr.

Sothern made a tour through Scotland .

Whenever s h e is with them they refer to Mr.

“ fe t h er. Sothern in broad Scotch as y He ,

vi ha ng been the only man in the touring party ,

n was invested with that dig ified title , and ever

M n since has gone by it with them . rs . Sother

n enjoys telli g how , when they would come to 112

F A M O U S A C T O R S

m banter. He looked appealingly at the co

” pany about the table . Before I was married , he said , I ran my house and ordered the meals .

W sh e hen I married that woman over there ,

‘ ’ said to me , Now , Dee , you won t have to ’ll ’ keep house again , I do all that. Of course

I was only too glad to hand it over to her.

. When we s at down at table the fi rst night in

o u r own . home , I was all expectant It would be delightful to eat a dinner with the ordering of which I had had nothing to do . Every

a r . s u r thing would be su prise Well , it was a

s h e prise. What do you think had for that first dinner ! A ham ! Absolutely nothing ! but a ham Yes , indeed , it was a surprise

but I at once resumed charge of the

” housekeeping myself. Remember , he added

“ ‘ ’ was pathetically , it , Now Dee , you won t have to keep house again . I never have

e dared , since that one trial , to let the hous

” keeping go out of my hands . 114 85 T H E I R H O M E S

is M rs . The fact , said Sothern , after She had put down the bread sh e had intended as

’ “ a missile for her husband s head , we had a

D e full course dinner. But e dotes 0 11 having

ri t 1 02 o o h 9 . S C py g , , by J ar ny

H. S i h Libr E . othe rn n is ary

’ cold chicken with his ham , which I did n t

’ —so ft ou t know I le the cold chicken , that s all .

But I am still keeping house , and you will observe that we have at present on the table

115 F A M O U S A C T O R S

not only a fine ham , but also a delicious cold

’ . S oth e rn s . chicken , was Mr peroration Then

on e s o every one laughed , and no more than

“ ” as . l . Virgie , Mr Sothern cal s his wife Both are strongly developed artistic person

alities and naturally their views sometimes ff h di er. Mrs . Sot ern enjoys telling how at dinner one time they got into an argument

which waxed s o fierce that sh e left the table

to and went upstairs her room . A professional

friend , a woman , was dining with them , and ,

of to relieve the awkwardness the situation ,

“ s h e . : said to Mr Sothern Never mind ,

” Virgie will soon be all right again .

a ain ! All right g calmly said Mr.

“ ’ ’ Sothern . She s all right now. I would n t live with a woman who had n ’t mind enough

wn of her o to disagree with me . The friend slipped upstairs and repeated this to Mrs .

“ Sothern , who at once melted and came downstairs and the rest of the evening passed n o

F A M O U S A C T O R S

m u rr d e . I myself hardly believed the play

” would run profitably for three weeks , said Mr.

Sothern , but I told my manager to chance it ,

” and I would pocket the loss . And loss it was . The meeting cost Mr. Sothern exactly on e thousand dollars But it was worth it to

s e e . my wife , he laughingly added The two never had seen each other in their

s o i plays , Miss Harned arranged to g ve a Wednesday matinée that week in order that

s e e her husband could her, and the husband ,

- who never plays a mid week matinée , gave a

Thursday m atin ee so that his wife could s e e him in his play. This incident very aptly illustrates the

’

of. itinerancy an actor s life ; but , for the more

of special purpose this article , it shows the happy relations that exist between Mr. and

Mrs . Edward H . Sothern .

“ ’ S oth ern s I think , said Rowland Buckstone ,

“ lifelong friend , that Dee owns a few neck 118 e, T H E I R H O M E S

ties . Everything else he has given to his wife . Sothern and Buckstone inherited their

r friendship from thei fathers . The elder Buck

s o stone , who acted here many years ago , many that he was obliged to travel from New York to

Philadelphia by stagecoach , the coach breaking

of down at night in the middle a forest , gave the elder Sothern his first engagement at the

Haymarket , London . The two boys first met i as ch ldren , about four years Old , when the

S oth n s B u ckston s e r were visiting the e . They

is were put to bed together , and the tradition

” - that Sothern stage managed the bed . Buck stone recalls on e occasion when there was com pany at the house , and the boys were to be admitted to the parlor to be on view at a certain time . Just as they were about to be

” a called in , the grown ups in the parlor he rd

“ ” “ Tu m an Eddy protesting to the nurse , p y

’ tu m an or no p y , I won t have my face cleaned 119 F A M O U S A C T O R S wi th pit It was s o evident to the company

what the nurse was attempting to do , and the

situation was so familiar to them from their

o wn c . hildhood , that they were convulsed

on e Sothern was rather a silent boy. Some

“ ! ” would ask , Where is Eddy and when they looked about he would be sitting by

No w on himself in a corner. , occasion , he is a splendid talker.

’ . . S oth e rn s Another intimate friend of E H , on e who knew his father intimately , and has

" known E . H . since his youth , is Dr. Francis

’ of l\Ir. S oth ern s A . Harris , Boston . loyalty to his father ’s memory also finds expression in

’ his loyalty to his father s friends . Dr. Harris is enthusiastic about him , and says the charm of his friendship lies in everything that makes

human friendship desirable , modesty , gener osit of y , patience with the shortcomings

i u others , forg veness and forgetf lness of injury ,

of se x a re courtesy to all , either . a keen pp

F A M O U S A C T O R S

George Holland , Mr . Henry M . Rogers , a dis

tin u ish e d S oth ern s g lawyer of Boston , the , and

’ S oth e rn s Dr. Harris . On this trip young

whole personality was

of a constant , source pleasure to his father ’s especially his r e s p e c t a n d l o v e fo r h i s

father, and his

s f- e l restraint,

s o m u c h i n contrast with th e a v e r ag e A m e r i c a n

E . H. S o r d his F ox T i the n an e rr e r youth .

This filial regard is on e of the V ery strong points in his character . Although during the

’ last part of the elder S oth ern s life Dee was separated from his father through circum

stances which he could not control , his loyalty

122 a T H E I R H O M E S

ff never wavered . His strong a ection endured

s on to the very end , and no man ever had a

who carried the fond memory ofhis governor

t in more cherished remembrance . He h as of en

been begged and advised to assume some of o the r les which made his father famous , but he

of has steadfastly refused , not from distrust

his ability to portray adequately the characters ,

but because he feared lest the public , especially

old of the friends his father , should disapprove

and charge him with presumption .

’ S oth e rn s generosity has been manifested in many ways aside from temporary financial help to those of his profession in straitened

. h as circumstances It -been shown in advice ,

encouragement , the frequent and generally

of successful attempt , in the language Dun

“ ” dreary, to help a lame dog over a stile . This generosity often has been repaid with the rankest ingratitude , but this has had no

influence in shadowing his sunny nature, or 123 F A M O U S A C T O R S

prevented his again trying to help those in

need .

A man whom Sothern h ad befriended in every way took offence at what he considered

’ f of rOle ft S oth e rn s the insu ficiency his , and le

ff. V V h e n . company in a hu , a little later , Dr Harris happened to mention some little cour

’ t e s ie s he h ad extended to S oth e rn s former

n ot of e friend , knowing the strangement , and

r an d even then getting but the meag est details , added that had he known the situation his ff action might have been di erent , Sothern re

w ou plied , It was a fully sweet of y , dear old

D oc I would not have had it otherwise for the w world . At another time hen a friend both

of himself and his father was in prospective

u n ob financial straits , Sothern , in the most

tru s ive way , handed him a check in four

figures and said , Call again , and though after

that he himself was hard pushed by the com

arative l of p fai ure of a play , he would not hear 124

F A M O U S A C T O R S

A s a boy Sothern had s hown a fondness for

h is drawing, and father had wanted him to

’ become an artist. But , much to the father s disappointment, he failed to pass for the Royal

Academy schools , although old Frith had assured the elder Sothern that his boy would “ get in . It was then he came to America to

h is join father , having been here only once 18 5 before , in 7 , for the trip recalled by Dr .

Harris . In England he had been to school at Dun church , in Warwickshire. He remembers that one of his schoolmasters was passionately fond of riding to hounds , sometimes spending from e ight to ten hours a day at it, and that the boys would be obliged to have their lessons early s o that their sporty instructor could get away to the meets .

A curiously amusing reminiscence of h is s chool - days is of a time when there was mumps

s at the chool , and he , and some of the other 126 85 T H E I R H O M E S

boys who had escaped it , managed , after much

oe man uvring, to enter the sick ward and rub

so faces with the sick boys , that they too might get mumps —and delighted they were when it

for developed , they thought it more fun to have mumps than to study.

This escapade , and several others in which young Sothern was engaged , had an amazing

one sequel , and probably impossible in any country but England . A couple of years ago — many years after he had left school h e v old isited Dunchurch and his principal , who ,

of was s o after all that lapse time , perceptibly Shocked by the various bits of school mischief which Sothern laughingly began to recall , that the visit was almost spoiled . The elder Sothern had a tender regard for

s on h as so his , who Since become eminent an actor. A year before his death he wrote to

his friend , Miss Lucy Derby , now Mrs . Fuller ,

“ s on of Boston , Eddy , my second , is at the 127 F A M O U S A C T O R S

Boston Museum , playing very small parts by

’ my advice He s a dear , clever lad , and w for my sake treat him as a brother. He ill

call . upon you He is as nervous as I am , so assume that y ou know him as well as y ou know me at once The letter is quoted

’ “ from Mrs . Fuller s article , The Humor of the M Elder Sothern in the C entu ry ag az ine.

’ h r h E . H . S ot e n s Boston engagement was is deb second . His u t had been an absolute

’ failure. It occurred in 187 9 at Abbey s Park

Theatre , New York , as the cabman in Sam ’ l in his father s company. He had only the ine

“ Half a crown , your Honor. I think you

’ s o won t object , but even these few words rattled him that he forgot the second seri tence ; and though his father , with whom he

wh is had the scene , kept prompting him and

” n ot on pering go on , he did go , but went

” off. The elder Sothern wrote to his friend ,

of Mrs . Vincent , the Boston Museum com

12s

F A M O U S A C T O R S

up the army , and , to make matters worse ,

identified the second instalment . However,

18 86 in , his talent asserted itself in his per

form an ce of Captain Gregory in One of

in Our Girls , with Helen Dauvray. This

d u ced Daniel Frohman , in the Spring of 18 8 7 , to cast him as Jack Hammerton in

“ ” The Highest Bidder , a play which , under “ ” M the title Trade , by John Madison orton ,

“ ” of the author Box and Cox , Sothern had

’ ’ ff A found among his father s e ects . hit in this led to his being starred by Daniel

l . Frohman , who sti l is his manager

at And right at this point , the very outset of as a his career star , Virginia Harned came

into his life. Mr. Frohman had seen her at the Fo u rteenth Street Theatre in a play

“ l for cal ed The Long Lane , and had sent

s e e A S sh e her to come to him . tells it , I sailed into his Office next day and there

was Sothern . Shortly before he had met 130 Photographed by S arony

r E V i i i H rne d H. S o e n M s . . th r ! rg n a a )

F A M O U S A C T O R S

’ have had to reply , Nothing. Miss Harned had indeed been on the stage but a very

’ short time before sh e became S oth e rn s lead ing woman . She herself was aware that her engagement

h e was a very rapid advancement. But s never referred to that fact until five years

' later , when Mr . Frohman wanted her and

Mr. Sothern , to whom She meanwhile had been married , to part company professionally, and , for business reasons , to star alone. The

S oth e rn s were anxious to remain together,

s o . , partly to bring home to Mr Frohman the fact that he was responsible for their

Mrs . first meeting, Sothern asked , Why

’ Mr did you engage me to be . S oth ern s lead ing woman after hearing me only once !

s aw Because , Mr. Frohman answered , I

” that you were born to be a leading woman .

’ Mr th r s . S o e n s birthplace was Boston . Her family name was Hicks , her father being a 134 J e, T H E I R H O M E S

Virginian and her mother from New England . h She was brought up in the South . When s e — — was very small about s ix years old her

- am ambition was to be a circus rider, an

’ u bitio with which many children , who don t

r . know anything about it , have been fi ed At

fifteen s h e went abroad and spent two years

F or sh in England . the stage e studied with

e . Emma Waller , chiefly Shakesp arian heroines

Going on th e stage s h e assumed the name

’ Virginia Harned , Virginia from her father s

’ native State ; Harned from her mother s family name .

’ s r After her engagement a Mr. S oth e n s

s h e leading woman , remained with him three

’ : years She then acted under A . M . Palmer s

sh e management , during which made her great success as Trilby. About three seasons after

’ sh e left S oth e rn s company he was preparing

“ ” to produce An Enemy to the King, and sh e was to tour with Henry Miller as joint

135 F A M O U S A C T O R S

m star . At a critical mo ent in the prepara tions for the production of “ An Enemy to the King, only three days before the first

’ S oth ern s performance , Mr. leading woman was taken ill . In this dire emergency he h turned to Miss Harned . Could s e make ready in three days to play the rOle It involved

o u t learning the lines , working the business , and rehearsing, doing in three days something f to which weeks o preparation should be gi ven . — It was a terrible ordeal , but for his sake s h e went through it. The performance o c

at curred the Criterion Theatre , New York . h At dress rehearsal s e fainted . She was in

such a wrought - u p state the night of the pro

of s h e duction that , when the stage , had to

of - have applications ice bags to her head ,

on e s at while , in addition , some by and fanned

off her . But everything passed all right.

She had saved the play for the man sh e

F or loved and who loved her. a few 136

F A M O U S A C T O R S

n a duri g a brief rest abro d , and discerning Opportunities both for her husband and her

in o self the principal r les , besides recognizing the poetic depth of the play itself, was anxious to add it to their repertoire . Mr . Sothern ,

t however , af er reading the play , did not have

of quite the same high estimate it , and nothing further was done about it at that time .

During the following summer the S oth ern s were in Vienna . One day Mr. Sothern , pass

’ l s aw ing a j ewel er s , a very beautiful j ewelled

in necklace the Show window. He went in . priced it , and examined it. It could be worn as a necklace , or taken apart and turned into bracelets , earrings , brooches , and other per sonal adornments . “ The mechanism of it appealed to Dee about as strongly as the beauty of the j ewels

e . and th ir setting, says Mrs Sothern , with a

“ l . laugh , in tel ing the story Dee came back and told me about it, and asked me to go

138 s; T H E I R H O M E S

around with him and look at it , and , if I liked it , he would buy it for me . Certainly

! it was exquisite . But the price It was j ust about as much as it would cost to p r o d u c e ‘ T h e

’ Sunken Bell .

’ r Well , Vi gie ,

Dee said to me , when we had re t u r n e d t o O u r

‘ rooms , what about the necklace

I said ,

’ I m j ust as happy

h ad . as if I it Give B “ J, , me The Sunken S my rna, for a Walk

’ ’ . S o Bell instead I had The Sunken Bell , but not the necklace . But I am sure I never would have had as good a time wearing the neck

’ lace as I had in playing in The Sunken Bell . 139 F A M O U S A C T O R S

Mr. Sothern is one of the few theatrical stars of the day who is fostering the romantic drama, and who has demonstrated practically ” H that Shakespeare does not spell ruin . e is noted for his liberal dealings with play A wrights . little more than two years ago

of Ernest Lacy , the Central High School ,

. was Philadelphia, wrote to Mr Sothern , who

then playing in that city, that he had an

idea for a new play , but did not care to

trouble him unless he wished to hear it. The actor immediately sent a messenger boy to

’ Mr. Lacy s house with a letter saying that

he was most anxious to learn of any idea in

the play line that Mr . Lacy might have . That evening they met after the performance and

talked until the gray light of morning. Bear

“ in mind , Mr. Lacy said to me , that I had — not the shred of a plot only an undeveloped

— nu theme and that I was , as I still am , an

known adventurer in the realms of playwriting.

140

F A M O U S A C T O R S

l n ing and readi y explai ing, if further explana ff tion were needed , the a ectionate regard in

which both are held by many. Behind on e

of the principal counters at on e of the large

- New York dry goods stores is a small , hunch

- back , but patient and sweet tempered woman .

t s h e One evening, af er her day in the store ,

got into a crowded car. Straightway a strik

ingly handsome young woman rose and in

n sisted o giving the hunchback a seat . Later

she was able to find a seat beside her , fell into

conversation with her , and , before leaving the

car , gave her her visiting card and asked her

to come to s e e her. The deformed woman

s h e called in due time , and now has no kinder

friend than the handsome stranger .who gave

up her seat to her. Around her neck sh e wears a locket in which is a picture of the

n ow V V r woman whom she fairly adores . e e s h e of to open the locket for you , the face

Virginia Harned would look out at y ou . 142 e, T H E I R H O M E S

’ th rn s Some of Mr. S o e people are buried in

Brompton churchyard , London . Once he wit n e s s e d of there the funeral a child , over whose grave the grief- stricken parents placed some of

’ the little fellow s toys . When he went there later most of the toys had disappeared . On visiting the churchyard again he found that on the mound over the boy only a hobby - horse remained . Rain had caused the paint to run off of in streaks , and the coarse hair the mane and tail was tangled and matted . The grave looked lonely and forsaken . Still later the hobby - horse had fallen apart ; only the mound remained .

Moved by the pathos of such evidence of

s . forgetfulne s and neglect , Mr Sothern , who had brought with him some flowers for the

of kin on graves his own , dropped a rose the

’ - little chap s last resting place .

” “ There , little fellow , he said , have one

” with me . 143 F A M O U S A C T O R S

ft his Whenever , therea er, on trips to Eng l V r and , he isited Brompton chu chyard , he had

wh en . a s ea a flower for this grave ; and , few

' s on S a O Mrs . g , Sothern went abroad alone , almost his last inj unction to her was , not to

’ forget that boy s mound at Brompton .

\ all its Vith his tenderness , Sothern adds to f charm a delightful vein o humor. I have seen a photograph of him taken when he was

“ on a youngster, which he has written , This is a picture of myself in my celebrated charac

F or is ter of my own father. it not said that ‘ the child is father to the man ’ !

The S oth ern s have a handsome freestone

- house in West Sixty ninth Street , near Cen

W . . tral Park , , in New York City There is a handsome grilled entrance , and Venetian grill age guards the lower Windows . Any sombre aspect which might result from this is offset by the bright potted flowers behin d the grillage . The hall is roomy and arranged 144

85 T H E I R H O M E S

with for sitting. The walls are decorated

mounted heads of wild beasts ; near the broad

of on stairway is a jar full weird j avelins , and the stairway landing a tall clock . Noticeable

is a deerskin , head and all , thrown over the

n - banister. Back of the hall is the dini g room , where again there are heads o f wild ani mals

on the walls an especially fine on e of a boar

and a chest of silver , all tributes to E . A .

“ ” Sothern , E . H . Sothern , and Virgie. The room is furnished in heavy black oak. The hall of the second floor might be called

“ ” l of a Hal Fame , not of E . H . Sothern ,

of for oh but his father , its most conspicuous j e ct is a screen cabinet full of relics of the elder

- Sothern . The drawing room is in green and

of silver, and is done in the style the three

. Louis On the floor above are the library , where Mr. Sothern does much of h is work and some of the bedrooms . Mr. Sothern tells me that he can best study a role lying flat on 147 F A M O ! S A C T O R S his back in bed and staring at the blank ceil ing ; then there is nothing to interfere with his V ision o f the stage in his imagin ation . The blank ceiling becomes the space behin d the footlights ; he sees the setting of the scene as it should be ; the other characters come

of and go ; and , as he goes over the lines

own o s e e his r le , he can himself on the stage

“ ” of and work out all the business the part , without his clear theatrical perception being interfered with by any of the furnishings of his own house . The wild animal heads which decorate the hall and dining - room of this house are not his trophies . He says himself that he could not persuade himself to kill a deer, adding that

one he shot , when he was young, and that he has felt like a murderer ever since.

S oth ern s At dinner one evening at the , a friend happened to mention the tragedy

M e rlin th at y e g. Mrs . Sothern expressed e 148

F A M O ! S A C T O R S his family and a party of friends had all they could do to make their way ou t of the theatre and with all speed reach the Grand Central Station with only a few moments ’ leeway to catch the train . But there on the platform

n was the home man waiti g for them . It is the same if he plays in Harlem , Brooklyn ,

: Jersey City , Williamsburg , or Newark every night finds him at home . And if he plays in

Philadelphia , Baltimore , or as far as Washing

on ton , each Sunday morning finds him the

f r train bound o home . A friend in Philadelphia tried to persuade the actor from his usual course one Sunday , holding ou t to him a most attractive Sunday amid books and paintings in his home .

“ “ ’ I know , smiled the actor ; I d love to

’ do it. Honestly , I would . But I ll tell you

- the truth . At half past one this afternoon the two t dearest li tle girls in the world , with their

mother , will be in a trap waiting for me at the 154 5, T H E I R H O M E S

’ d is a New Rochelle station , and I would n t p point them for anything. You can understand

’ it , old man , can t y ou ! I only see them once a week

” ou . now , y know ' A n d w i t h a

as s mi l e , on l y Francis W i l s o n can smile at a friend , he swung h i m s e l f o n th e car bound for that home where cen tres e v e r y t h i n g, outside of his art , that is precious to

o i h 1900 . one of the most C pyr g t , , by J

' domestic a c t o r s F ran ces Wilson at Il om e on 01 the American stage . I have known Fran s m Wilson to take this journey ho e from Boston , [ 155 ] F A M O U S A C T O R S

returning again early on Monday , and I have known him to travel fourteen hours to be at o home three h urs , and then turn around and travel fourteen hours back . And it is a most interesting home to which

—a t oo of the actor goes , home , , with a bit

“ ” b e a history . He calls it The Orchard , cause the ground was an apple orchard when

- he bought it , and apple trees still surround the

t house . He arranged o build a small home there in 18 9 1. About the time that he began

l\I a to build he produced The Merry on rch .

S uccess came , and before he had his cellar finished he decided that the profits from his

s o opera warranted a larger house , he told the

“ builder to wait for a few days until h e

wo . added a room or t . This was done

Meanwhile the opera grew more profitable .

He decided to add . another room . The opera

’ \ V ils on s progressed , and with its progress rose ideas . By this time the architect and builder

156

F A M O U S A C T O R S

But for some time past his original hobby for collecting rare editions has been superseded by a desire to get together a complete library of

English literature . He also has made a fine autograph collection , including a manuscript of Washington Irving, a most interesting let ter of Byron offering his yacht to join in the

’ search for Shelley s body , several Washington

of letters , and the autographs Napoleon , all the members of his family and his generals . His affection for Eugene Field gives peculiar value to the latter’ s autograph in his collee

“ Nad tion . When playing jy the comedian

of Wo e introduced a song entitled The Tale , n which he had heard sung in Engla d . At a performance in Chicago the poet recognized

of the words as some fugitive verses his own .

He met Wilson , and a warm friendship sprang up between poet and comedian .

Every moment of leisure Wilson has when at home is spent in his library . Nearly the 158

F A M O U S A C T O R S

at thoroughness . Many a friend has s there with him and talked until he could not keep

his eyes open . But when the friend retired the actor settled down and read a couple of

hours longer. His friends , like his books , are such as can help him along in what he missed

of in early life . In addition to a wide range

purely literary works , he reads political econ

om y and history j ust as part of a general men

tal drill . His books are n ot for show. They

nd ers corin s are riddled with u g . The time he does not spend with his books

is spent with his pictures , for whatever wall

space in the Wilson home is not taken up

with books is taken up with paintings . And

Re m the paintings are paintings . There is a

s ix brandt , a Corot , a Rosa Bonheur, or seven

a .Iac u e Ne u h u s M uves , a Cazin , a q , three by y ,

B lom m e rs several , two or three Jules Bretons ,

‘ Th au lows ! M on several , a Schreyer , a iem , a

’ ch ab lon of D etaille s , one the best of water 162 a, T H E I R H O M E S

s o n i colors , and on , each pai t ng the careful choice and the loving pride of the comedian and his wife .

It is upon books and paintings that the ao

’ tor s large income is mainly spent . He has no expensive personal habits to gratify . He is absolutely prohibition in principles , never touching a drop of liquor n or taking a stim

lant n of any sort . He never smokes . He dresses neatly but inexpensively. In all his

is habits he essentially frugal . He never ff touches co ee nor tea , and he also is a light eater. He rarely takes more than two meals

of a day , and one these is so light that it hardly would count with a person not accustomed to f a rugal life. In season a slice Of watermelon often serves for the crackers and milk on his at arrival home from the theatre . No won

’ ” s l der the rascal always wel , said a noted phy

’ sician ilson s to W friend Leon H . Vincent , the

“ ” author and lecturer ; he never eats anything ! 163 F A M O U S A C T O R S

Aside from his books and pictures he lavishes

V on il the best his wife and family . Francis V s on - was married twenty three years ago , when

w s - ix he a twenty s years of age . It may su r prise some who s ee the agile comedian on the

- stage to know that he is forty nine years old .

18 5 4 He was born in Philadelphia , February 7 , . His wife was a Miss Mira Barrie and was act ing in the company with him when he fell in love with her.

s ix He has two children , Frances , who is

of teen years age , and Adelaide , who is four teen . They are charming girls and devoted to their father and mother . Both are now in

Paris at school and studying music for a year , when they will return to prepare for college .

With these two the father is a merry , youth

of ful companion . He is the life the house , and as young as the youngest boy and girl in

’ his children s circle of friends . Laughter and bright Spirits pervade the Wilson home , and 164

F A M O U S A C T O R S been not to have bought a dozen of those

’ - chairs for o u r dining room . I could n t wait

n s o s at for the next morni g to come , I up all night and read ; and bright and early at 8

A M . ., I was at that shop . Afraid somebody would get there ahead of me , you know. I

’ — ’ got em thirteen of em . I knew that when they arrived at home Mrs . Wilson would feel like kicking me until s h e knew what they

’ ” were , then she d feel like kissing me .

And now around the Wilson dining- table stand the fine Old chairs with the Prince of

Wales plume on the top !they can be seen in the photograph of the family at dinner on the

opposite page), and host and hostess and their daughters and friends each s it in a Shake speare chair , while the actor smiles at the way he s at up all night in Boston waiting for the

n little shop to ope . But all this is Francis

’ Wilson s delight . Wilson ’ s accomplishments are chiefly liter

[ 166 ]

F A M O U S A C T O R S

He has also been successful as a lecturer, and two summers ago lectured before the great

Chautauqua Assembly at Chautauqua, New

York .

The most remarkable phase of Francis Wil son ’ s life is that all th eknowledge which he

- on e possesses is self attained . He is of the most striking examples of what a man can do for himself. His youthful education was sadly

r of neglected . The ci cumstances his parents did not permit much in the way of education i for their children , and what they could g ve to Francis was pushed aside by him in h is

, desire to act and study for the stage . No

h ad sooner he reached the stage , however, than he realized that to be an actor in the truest sense of the word meant reading and knowledge . So he started to dig o u t for him self what he had not allowed others to do for

' h e was him . Even in the days when a min s trel o , n his railroad journeys throughout the 17 0 85 T H E I R H O M E S

s country , while other member of the company were sleeping , cracking jokes , or passing their

in l time idleness , Wilson cou d always be found in the quietest and most secluded corner of the car absorbed in some book . In this way and in these odd moments he dug ou t for himself

of not only a knowledge English literature , but also completely mastered the French language and read the best French bo oks in the original

one editions . He would inveigle of the mem bers of the company to hold the book while he recited passage after passage in French to s e e if he knew it. He never allowed a moment to be wasted . A leisure minute meant to him

- s o . a sentence in some book . And it is to day

Between a m atinee and a night performance he employs every moment in reading or writ

of ing. His most treasured piece baggage is not the trunk which contains his costumes , but one which he had especially built to hold fifty books . This trunk goes wherever he goes , and 17 1 F A M O U S A C T O R S when he has finished the fifty books with him

s u b s ti the trunk is sent home , a new fifty are

‘ t u ted , and the trunk catches him at the next city where he plays .

- Thus , self educated himself, he believes in the same method for others . He is probably the only American actor who has a C h au tau qua circle in his company . This circle has

m or stated eetings once a week fortnight , and over these Francis Wilson presides with an enthusiasm that communicates itself to all its members .

Nor does his interest in education stop with himself a rid those immediately about him . A m ing anecdote of his eagerness to help rs along on the road of knowledge was told me by Kemble , the artist . One night last winter on his way to the theatre in

New York he noticed a boy , an Italian fruit

vender , crouched near a gasoline torch , writ ing. Stopping and asking the boy what he 17 2

F A M O U S A C T O R S

lesson for the boy , obtained his written answers

on the following day , and the third handed

them back to him corrected . In his recreative moods he is as versatile as

he is in his bookish moods He is con s id

ered on e of the most expert fencers in the

is n - country , and a lo g distance swimmer of

repute . He loves the water , and in summer

swims every morning with his family off the

beach at New Rochelle . He delights and ex

in cels at golf, is an expert at chess , plays an

m of - on vincible ga e ping pong, and at tennis his own place is the j oy and life of a game with his two girls .

His wife and children are always present on the first night of a new opera , and when he

comes to Philadelphia the right - hand box on his opening night is reserved for his mother and

of his sisters , all whom reside in Philadelphia ,

’ ’ for Wilson s ancestors o n his father s side were

’ ! uakers his mother s people were Virginians . [ 17 4 ] 6, T H E I R H O M E S

Sending grapes to an admirer smilingly asked a friend of the actor once , finding him

- in a fruit store .

“ ’ That s right ; an admirer who has admired

” me for nearly fifty years , replied the actor , as

’ he gave his mother s address to the fruiterer.

Thus , surrounded by his family and books

of when at home , and always in the company his books when he is travelling from city to

city , Francis Wilson leads a happy , studious

“ life . The days are never long to him . They

’ s o have n t hours enough to suit me , and I borrow a few from the night , he once said to his intimate friend , Edward Bok . And when those who have been in his audience at the theatre are soundly sleeping from the

’ evening s pleasure he has given them , Francis

- Wilson is sitting deep down in an easy chair , either in the library of his o wn home or in his

room at the hotel absorbed in a book , oblivious of time or place . 17 5

THE LAMBS

’ W HE Lambs Club , on est

- Thirty sixth Street, New York , is the most popular actors ’ club

in the world . Its doors never

are closed . A few seasons ago

. . P re s b re E W y , the playwright , and a Lamb ,

o u t who lived near the club , was burned at five

’ o clock in the morning , and narrowly escaped with his life . In his pajamas and bare feet he ran around the corner and through the open

’ doors of the Lambs Club . Practically he was at home . That word home conveys one

s o reason why the club is popular. It is the one retreat from the furnished room and board ing - house open to many members of the pro

“ ” the fession. It is home club of many 17 9 F A M O U S A C T O R S

players . No wonder it has a large member

ship and a large waiting list. As a club it enjoys the unique distinction of

containing both actors and an audience , and a

too highly select audience , . For there is a

l n lay membership as wel as a histrionic o e .

- of t wo The non histrionic members are classes , those who , although not actors , follow some

artistic pursuit , like painters , sculptors , archi te cts or , some occupation allied to the stage ,

like playwrights ; and ou t - and - ou t lay mem

- n on . bers , classed as professional Usually the

f or - latter are men o leisure semi leisure . A splendid audience both classes of lay

members form when there is an exchange of

wit , a suddenly improvised dialogue or bur

le squ e !often j u st a spark of wit will fire a

o o r of wh le train), one the regular monthly gam

bols . Once an actor always an actor , and

actors make proverbially bad audiences . That

’ is just where the importance of the Lambs

180

85 T H E I R H O M E S

lay membership comes in . The professional members always have an audience to whom fthey can act . Sometimes a group of actors may be dining at one table and a lay member or two at the

’ adjoining table . The actors talk will be the

’ more brilliant for the lay auditors proximity.

The actors have an audience , that is enough to set their wits going. Maurice Barrymore was one of the best beloved as well as one of the most brilliant “T members o f the club . hen he was at his best his speech was so salted with epigrams

he never failed to have an admiring audience . His friends always tried to give the conversa tion a turn which would enable him to cap it

“ “ ” with a clever line . They fed him , as the term is in theatricals . I remember once dining at the Lambs ’ at a table near that at which “ Barry ” sat with three other actors . They were talking about

18 8 F A M O U S ' A C T O R S

of adaptations Of French farces , and how much the French originals lost in the English ver

n r sions . It was fascinati g fo me to watch the men with Barrymore lead the talk step by step and with the greatest skill up to the point , when it became possible for on e of them to turn to Barrymore with the direct question ’ ff Well , anyhow , Barry , what is the di er ence between a French farce and an American adaptation ff ’ The same di erence , was Barrymore s w ft s ift reply , that there is between Fi h

Avenue and South Fifth Avenue .

Any on e familiar with New York will ap

of p re ciate the aptness the distinction . Some how Barry ’ s table companions had divined the point to which he wanted the talk led . If the lines had been written d ialogue and care e fully rehears d , the episode could not have gone O ff better .

When Barry broke down mentally , and it

18 1

F A M O U S A C T O R S

i W time are W lton Lackaye , illie Collier, and

’ L k s and Henry E . Dixey . ac ay e wit is subtle satirical . One day , as he was going down t im stairs , an actor whose special y is female personations was coming up . Lackaye stepped to one side and removed his hat , and allowed the female impersonator to pass as if he were making way for a lady .

’ A story illustrating L ackay e s wit is told on

- ff Joseph Je erson . Lackaye at the time was a ff ’ member of Je erson s company , and one day he had a dispute with him on a question of expenses , which he thought should come out

’ of ff Je erson s pocket. The latter demurred , and finally Lackaye yielded the point.

’ of That s very nice you , Lackaye , said ff Je erson , and to show my appreciation of your courtesy I ’d like to give you one of my landscapes . ’d ff I be glad to accept one , Mr. Je erson , replied Lackaye , but only on one condition . 186 85 T H E I R H O M E S

! ” What is that queried Jefferson . rather

’ surprised at the other s emphasis .

” - Water mills are barred .

” The old man s aw the point and smiled and Lackaye n ow is the possessor o f what he ff calls a unique work of art , a Je erson land

- scape without a water mill . The other day ‘Villie Collier came into the

was clubhouse . He immaculately attired in

n e w w a gray alking suit. The first man who

“ spied him was an actor wh o h as been rest

” ing the entire season .

Ah ! he exclaimed on seeing Collier here comes the matinée idol actor ! And how is the idle matinée actor 7 was

’ Collier s quick retort . A rapid exchange of wit like that is the

o f delight the lay members . Herbert Spencer ,

I think , says it requires two people to establish

and . happiness , the exhibitor the Spectator At the Lambs ’ the professional element is the 18 7 F A M O U S A C T O R S

B e exhibitor , the lay element the spectator. tween them they establish happiness . Is there

e wonder that all memb rs , professional and lay , love the club Recently it became necessary to raise for club purposes . It . was decided to issue bonds . The actors in the club asked to have the first chance to subscribe . Reluctantly the lay members , who were equally anxious , con sented to the arrangement , hoping , however , that part of the amount would remain to be m l taken up by them . But the actors S l p y fell over themselves in their eagerness to help the club which means s o m uch to them ; and s o far as subscribing to these bonds is

t ou t concerned , the lay members were lef in the cold .

This bond issue was toward the fund for

so a new clubhouse , the club being flour ishing that it has outgrown its present quar

u ters , tho gh the building was especially built

188

85 T H E I R H O M E S

for f the club . Stam ord White , who is a

Lamb , will prepare the plans for the new structure .

’ The Lambs Club , now so flourishing , is an

’ offshoot of the some - time defunct Lambs of

London . Its beginnings were very modest. It had its inception mainly through members of the famous old Wallack stock company ,

’ when Wallack s Theatre was at the corner o f

Broadway and Thirteenth Street , j ust below

Union Square This old - time theatrical land mark has disappeared , and a clothing store

’ stands on the site but the Lambs never so prosperous as now .

Some verses by Edward E . Kidder, the

“ ” r playw ight , entitled The Lambs , well ex press the genius O f the club

Oh i ia o e oo of ai , br ll nt br th rh d br ns,

Oh i e for wit a n d wo , club un qu rth ,

e e Mo we an d e iu e i Wh r mus d lls G n s r gns ,

In o wi all th e e of e a t uch th b st rth , [ 191 ] F A M O U S A C T O R S

To th os e of us wh o l o v e y ou we ll

You r qu a litie s n e e d n o t b e told

We kn ow th e ma ny j oys tha t dwe ll

‘ Within th e fold

Not o s a o e to i k t h e a ur l n cl n gl ss,

O r e o e P e a e in h e r o w lc m l sur r und ,

To e a th e e e a a h r m rry j sts th t p ss,

To fill th e a ir with j oy ou s sou nd

A wo ie u o e o e on rth r p rp s m v s us ,

A i o o is in o u r e e m n r ch rd gl ,

O u r h e a rts are wh e re ou r La mbs h a ve gon e

a n O n l nd a d s e a .

A band of sympath e tic l ove

! nit e s a s on e o u r h appy fe w

e e ca n th e i o a e h is o H r v ct r sh r j ys,

Th e a u i e fi n d e e e t oo v nq sh d n p nth ,

A trinity sha ll a id ou r ba nd

To h old its po we r fo re v e rm ore

Th e o p e n h e a rt th e o p e n h a nd

Th e o p e n d oor

The Lambs ’ enj oys what probably is the unique distinction of having crossed the l lantic and reproduced itse f here , and moreover

Of having survived the parent club , which Mr. 199

F A M O U S A C T O R S

London . At this first meeting there were

seven present. It was held in the blue room

’ of m o u r the uptown Del onico s , then at F h ft t e en t Street and Fi h Avenue .

F or several years the suppers continued to

t be held in various restaurants . Af er a while the membership had increased sufficiently to

warrant the hiring of clubrooms . The club — in 18 7 7 7 8 occupied the second floor of the

old 6 . Monument House , at No . Union Square 18 In May , 7 7 , it was incorporated . Montague was Shepherd and Beckett the Boy and among the members I find , besides these , Lester

C o h Wallack , Dion Boucicault , Charles F . g

“ ” lan , Billy Florence , E . M . Holland , John

M c C u llou h . g , Eben Plympton , John T Ray d mon , E . A . Sothern , and a number of lay

members .

The first great grief of the club came with the death of Harry Montague in San Fran

18 8 . cisco , in August , 7 Those who were at 194 Photographed by S arony

Leste r Wallack

F A M O U S A C T O R S

component parts of the billiard table , which

had been concealed about his person . The quarters in Sixteenth Street simply were

. 18 8 0 rooms In April , , the club at last found

itself under a roof controlled by itself alone .

34 — This was at No . West Twenty sixth Street . The event was celebrated by a supper and

entertainment . Among the notables present who since have passed away were Lester Wal

” lack , Harry Edwards , Billy Florence , Dion

. M oC u l Boucicault , Charles A Dana , John lough , and the elder Sothern . One of the guests was Gen . Horace Porter , now ambas sador to France . By an error his name re ce ntly was included in an account of this entertainment as among those who have since passed away . In a humorous apology

s u for the mistake , issued by the club , it was g gested that the error recalled the bon mot of the late Tom Appleton , that all good Ameri cans , when they die , go to Paris . 198 a T H E I R H O M E S

The idea Of the present clubhouse in West

Thirty - sixth Street was first broached by

. J r. on e o Thomas B Clarke , , of the most p p

’ The Lam bs A ssem bly Room

of — s o ular members the club , popular that ,

,

non - although a professional member , he has

been a Shepherd , the only member of his

class , save the late Judge Brady , to have

’ been thus honored . Besides being a shrewd 199 F A M O U S A C T O R S

“ adviser and one of the best fellows im ag a inable , Mr . Clarke has don ted to the club some valuable art objects and a fine col lection of more than three hundred drinking vessels , of all descriptions , and covering a period from the tenth century B . c . to the present time .

A list of club members includes practically every noted actor and playwright of America . Once a m onth the club gives in its own little

of theatre a gambol . This consists per form an ce s of skits written by members of the

of club , and , course , the performers also are club members . No outside talent is ever

n or called upon or allowed to intrude itself ; , with such a brilliant membership to draw upon , would this be necessary. The all star

” of 18 9 8 in gambol in the spring , when a

’ ’ week s tour a company of Lambs gave an e n te rt ain m en t t which lef the club debt free , is well remembered . All other gambols , with

900

F A M O U S A C T O R S club its doors never have been closed to its

’ - members . The fi rst house rule in the Lambs m book is believed to be unique in clu d .

’ It reads : The clubhouse of the Lambs shall never close . THE PLAYERS ’

T would be difficult to point out the differences between the Lambs ’ and the Players ’ with out quite unintentionally run

ning the risk of possibly hu rt ing

’ somebody s feelings . Perhaps the simplest method o f d ifferentiating them is to s ay that the Players ’ is purposely the more dignified of

’ the two , while the Lambs , equally with pur

“ ” of pose , is the good time club the dramatic profession . I think I also can s ay with safety that in some ways the Lambs ’ means more and comes closer home to the actor than does

’ the Players .

The latter is quite out of the theatrical d is trict u Old - . Its handsome ho se is in an fash

903 F A! M O U S A C T O R S ion ed neighborhood !and still an excellent 16 one), No . Gramercy Park . It is a fine

New York mansion done over ; the grounds run back to the next street , as do also those

ild e n of the house adjoining , where Samuel J . T

so on lived , that there is an outlook the park from the front and on a broad garden space from the rear , and the house was delivered to the club altered , decorated , furnished , and fully equipped by its founder , the late Edwin

- Booth , a much loved name within its walls .

th e re Though founded by an actor , club ceive d its apt name at the suggestion of an

was author, Thomas Bailey Aldrich . It in

” of 18 8 the summer 7 that on the Oneida , the

’ of . steam yacht Grover Cleveland s friend , E

C . Benedict, there were Edwin Booth , Law

n . re ce Barrett , Mr Aldrich , Laurence Hutton , and William Bispham . Mr. B ooth there for the first time intimated that he would like to

of found a club in memory his father , Junius 904 J

85 T H E I R H O M E S

‘ r of. Brutus Booth . In the cou se the ensuing \' talk over the p rop O Sal,l Ir.fAldrich suggested the felicitous n am e fwh ich the club now bears .

w ‘ 18 8 8 Early the follo ing. year !January , ) Augustin Daly gave a breakfast at which the

’ " ‘ w re s ent and yacht party ere p , among others

“ ” Samuel L . Clemens Mark Twain Joe

'

ff an d fG e n . Je erson , John Drew , William Te o cu m s e h Sherman . By the : foll wing month

’ e the club had been incorporat d , among the

r incorporators being Edwin Booth , Law ence ff Barrett , Augustin Daly, Joseph Je erson

Harry Edwards , James Lewis , John Drew

Samuel L . Clemens , and General Sherman .

The presence in this list of the names of

Sherman and Clemens showed that, in spite

’ of its name , the Players was not to be limited to actors . Under the constitution eligibility to membership embraces any one

" u ain tin s cu l who is engaged in literat re , p g, p

’ ture , architecture , or music, or who is a patron or 9207 ] F A M O U S A C T O R S

of connoisseur the arts . Thus amateu rs and

connoisseurs are included , despite the definition of an amateur as a person who loves nothing ” and of a connoisseur as a person who knows

” nothing.

on of 18 8 8 At midnight the last night , when i bells , whistles , and horns were usher ng in the

of new year , Edwin Booth , standing in front the fireplace in the great hall on which a log crackled and blazed , presented in the simplest

of manner possible to the members the club ,

100 of by that time already grown to , a deed

t . gif to the house From above the mantle , as he stood there , not as the actor , but as the

s on simple , lovable man and loyal , there looked w do n upon him the face of his father, Junius

o f . Brutus Booth , out the canvas , by Sully

It sometimes has been said in criticism of the Players ’ that the mixed membership has resulted in swallowing up the actor element , and that the last person y ou meet at the 908

F A MO U S A C T O R S

’ of of any the other actors clubs , save the

’ of for Lambs . Few the younger actors can , instance , gain admittance to the Garrick . But

’ with the Players the policy toward the p ro

l of t fe s s ion is most libera . In the deed gif f Mr. Booth stipulated that actor members o

as n on - the club should be classed residents ,

which , of course , greatly decreases their initia f tion fees and dues . Moreover , the pro ession is well represented in the management of the

club . John Drew is now the president , and

Daniel Frohman , who knows the p rofession

of com like a book , is chairman the house

’ m itt e e . In this way the actor s interests are

fully subserved .

It does n ot require many visits to the

’ on e Players for to discover that , while Booth intended the club to be a memorial to h is ff father , the a ection in which his own mem

or O y is held has defeated his bj ect . Junius Brutus Booth is too remote to inspire in the

910 85 T HE I R H O M E S members anything more than an interest as

on a historical personage . Edwin Booth , the

m . other hand , is a real memory to any members Most of them must have seen him act many of them knew him personally and have come under the influence of the diffident yet kindly welcome of the greatest figure on the Ameri

can stage during the last century . Indeed , the highest achievements o f the American stage are centred in his name . M ’ oreover , the acts of founding the Players and of presenting the house to the club were

done in such a simple , wholly unostentatious way as to show the lovable simplicity of the m a i n n his private relations . Furthermore , he had attained such dignity in his art that the club , while in no wise lacking in good fellow

of own ship , partakes in a large measure his dignity .

Small wonder that of the two annual fe s

’ ' ’ tivals ce le b rate d by the Players one is found

9 11 F A M O U S A C T O R S

’ ’ er s night , held every New Year s Eve , when ,

on the stroke of twelve , the loving cup is passed around and silently drunk to the memory of w ’ ” Ed in Booth . On the last founder s night of the nineteenth century the following des patch was received from Palm Beach , from the absent president of the club

To M B othe - Pla e : I o th ou th y r r y rs j in wi y in is , th e d e a t h o o f th e old e t kee n e e p r ing ur c n ury , in p i g gr n th e m e mo of ou r b e lo e d fo d e Ed B ooth and ry v un r, win ,

h ll a ha n e w ea I wis y ou a ppy v r .

J OS EPH J E FFE RSON.

’ Edwin Booth lived at the Players . As one of the club ’ s tributes to his memory the room

which he occupied , and in which he died , is

of kept just as it was . The monthly meetings

as the Directors are held in it , a matter of sentiment to symbolize that his still is the

’ guiding spirit of the Players .

In the rear of this room is the one which was occupied by Lawrence Barrett. This is 9 19

a T H E I R H O M E S now o ne of the rooms let to members for living purposes . It has been used by such

distinguished members as Samuel L . Clemens ,

’ E . S . Willard , and Barrett s friend , William

H . Crane . A short flight of steps from the entrance to

on e - the house brings to the reading room , from which twelve low steps lead to an alcove built over the entrance . Over the mantel in this

’ of w alcove is Sargent s portrait Ed in Booth .

It fills the entire space from mantel to ceiling ,

n ot and shows him , as the actor , but as he stood when he presented the club with its

— ’ abiding place on that New Year s Eve s o mem b l ora e in its annals . There are two other Sargent portraits in’ — on e ff . the club , of Je erson as Dr Pangloss

’ on e of M acre ad s and Barrett , and also y por

’ trait by Washington Allston ; Rachel s by

’ ’ G arrick s Gilbert Stuart s daughter , by Sir

’ S oth e rn s Joshua Reynolds , the elder by Frith ,

9 15 F A M O U S A C T O R S

of and a portrait of John Gilbert , the first the

’ Pla ers to . . y die , by J Alden Weir

’ In referring to . the Lambs I said that Maurice Barrymore had been one of the nu of ts that club , and that many of his brilliant sallies were remembered there . He

’ also belonged to the Players , and at least one of his bon mots uttered there has been preserved .

’ About the time the Players was founded , the

- Booth Barrett combination had been formed ,

3 and had raised the price of tickets to 8 , something quite remarkable for those days .

th e of Naturally , it was subject considerable

of conversation at the club . One the canvases

’ there is Collier s large portrait of Booth as e Richelieu , his right arm raised and thr e

of fingers extended , as he invokes the curse

’ Rome upon the heads of Julie de Mortimer s enemies .

l l on e He lo Barrymore exc aimed day , as

9 16

8, T H E I R H O M E S

c he came face to fa e with this portrait , j ust

’ of after a discussion the combination s policy ,

’ ‘ there 8 a picture of the old man raising the price to 83 !

Between the reading - room and the gr ill room is a hall with safes , which contain many dramatic relics . One of these is a sword used

’ by Frederic Lemaitre . Here also is the crooked staff on which Charlotte Cushman leaned in M i ’ her impersonation of Meg e rr lies . Fechter s wi blond g, which he wore in Hamlet , and

s o which occasioned much discussion , is also among the relics . It is amusing to note that while in the wordy warfare that raged about

” it , it always was referred to as blond , it here is seen to be distinctly red . Here are a ring which belonged to David

’ Garrick and a lock of Edmund Keams hair ;

’ Edwin Forrest s spring dagger, the blade of which obligingly slid back into the hilt every time he killed himself ; a salver and 9 19 F A M O U S A C T O R S

pitcher of Silver presented in 18 28 to Junius

Brutus Booth , and the loving cup presented

by Boston admirers to William Warren .

Photographed byByr on

“ ’ G rill Room of The P layers

- t e The grill room , wi h its oaken b ams , high

wainscot , framed playbills and portraits , runs

of one the full width the house , and is of the

most comfortable and homelike rooms of its

kind in town . Outside is a broad piazza over 990

F A M O U S A C T O R S

that it owns what is the best dramatic library

’ in this country. Here are Booth s own books , constituting the working library of a great

’ tragedian . Barrett s library also belongs to

’ the Players . Together the Booth and the

Barrett number about volumes . John Gilbert ’s widow made the addition of that

’ - much beloved player s library.

There are more than 100 volumes of the older dramatists and a collection ” of over

playbills . Above the shelves are death

masks of Garrick , Kean , Malibran , Goethe ,

D e vrient and , and portraits , all of actors , save

one of George Washington . But then he may

“ be classified as our leading man .

’ ” Besides Founder s Night, the only annual

’ ” celebration of the club is Ladies Day . It is

’ characteristic of the club s dignity th at this is '

’ on 23. held Shakespeare s birthday , April

THE E ND