Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-07-27
OUR GOLDEN STARs.
Friendly Rivalry Among Actor. "A, to
Who can Gain the Most Money.

Who can Gain the Most Money.
from the New York Morning Journal.l
There will he no great difference between
salaries for this season. There IL,
Of course, constant tendency to 90 higher
all the time. In ten years salaries have
pretty nigh trebled all round. Mr.. James
O'Ncil, who came to the Onion Square from
San Francisco in 1876, was then glad enough
to receive 1925 week. Now Mr.. Stctson
pays him to head the Monte Cristo company
S4OO week, and this salary may yet 30
higher.
There il pride among actors about their
salaries So far was this feeling carried that
Mr.. Harry Pit said some tine since that
there was u theatre in this city which made
double set Of contracts with its people, one
TO show aud the other TO work under, 50 that
men appeared to be getting $500 week who
in reality only received 500. But this was
no doubt, an exaggeration, and at any rate
actors are very proud of getting more than
their brethren in some other theatre aud
never cease to talk Of it. Mckee Rankin,
when he was wanted for the Union Square
company as leading man, asked the tremen-
lOus salary OF $500 week because Mr.,
Stetson paid O'Neil $500, and it was great
satisfaction to have the biggest salary in
America, which hitherto OF Neil had enjoyed.
Hitherto nothing like $500 or $500 had been
paid TO any but absolute stars.
While so much is sad about actors and
their earnings very little is known OF the
actual earnin-s of the stars. When they
come in after long season the principal
dramatic paper usually says something
about the vast sums they have made. But
beyond this one organ, nothing definite is
ever given, aud that is not even absolutely
,..tit ID tI.. Tor
are given to gross exaggeration about their
business. 1t may safely he said that there is
not IA dramatic agent in existence who tells
the truth about receipts. Miss Lotta's
brother, young dude-like person, who now
occasionally attends to her business, said at
the end Of her last season that her profits
were S95 during the season. This is, OF
course, absolutely impossible. 1t would
represent as a rule the entire capacity of
most Of the theatres she played in, and she
had naturally to give good portion OF the
receipts to the theatres in which she played,
and she had besides to pay her company-a
very inexpensive one. She acted Tor about
thirty weeks last season, and she made for
her own individual share some $4,000 for
the season. 1t is Il curious fact that The
longer Lolita acts the more money she is Gu
ablcd TO make III any given time. Seven or
eight yeats ago she thought SO, 600 or $40
900 formidable profit to make in II season.
Mr.. John Mccullough, despite the illness
and depression which took possessl1 of
him last season, and from which be now APP
pears to have fully recovered thought as
late rs five years ago that if lie could make
So, 900 III a season he would be Il fortunate
and contened man. | do not think that at
any time since have his profits in one season
been less than $4,000 and lie has caught
himself sometimes 81 Ching for more. lie ar
rived on Monday from the West and looked
the picture of bodily health. Ills manager,
| ii. VI. Conner, says that he confidently anti
clpates making for Mr.. Mccullough from
$4,000 to $50 700 this coming season.
| Barrett has had a harder time than any Of
them getting the pubic to acknowledge that
he is u good actor. For year after year he
barely made u living aud had to pinch and
scrape to get along. Managers often took him
through charity because they wanted to keep
HIM from breaking up. lie went ON push
| lug the assertion down the peoples threats
| that he was an actor, aud within the past
three years they came to believe it. There
is no doubt that Barrett has done good deal
more than Edwin Booth did in the whole
course of his life. He is ever willing to
bring out good play; ever ready to assist
| another who has brains. Barrett can now
make from So. 900 to $50, COO in a season
|
habit of demanding certainties Of $500.
Boucicault now plays on regular percentage,
and seems to have been somewhat uufOltu-
nate OF late In the city, Mr.. Wuack, where
| he is popular and well liked, may 20 over to
the Grand Opera or Mckee Rankin's new
theatre on his old terms. Wallack made
so, 900 by starting last season-Buucicault
only Sl1,00
The new stars do not seem to be those who
succeed best. Look at Maggie Mitchell,
perennial, fresh and fascinating. Her Fanchon
has the same old power in nearly every pnr-
ton of the county. Curious, these iluctua-
tons Of public taste. A few years since she
seemed to be on decline, and IL was report
ed that she was gong to lose all the money
she had so aborlously earned, as it was in
vested in Long Branch property. a piece
that cost her S3J, 900 did go and it was then
worth $4,000 But all the rest was saved
and that same year when She went out she
found the old popularity returned aud since
then has been making more money than
ever in her palmest days. Last season her
profits were trite less that $50, 900.
Oliver DOud Byron lives frugtlly and has
amassed block Of houses in Brooklyn, a lot
of land at Monmouth Beach, aud altogether,
is one OF the most fortunate SORT Byron can
make, and often does make S2j 900 year
Mary Anderson's receipts tor the first few
years she was on the stage doubled every
season. The first year she played she got
about S3,4O0 for her services-not bad con-
sidering that she was utterly unknown-and
last year she net,ed S43, 900 as her share Of
the business done.
There are numbers of other stars of not
quite 80 much prominence. Booth does not
count because he was not in the country last
season. Denman Thompson, who was one
# bun att,Ia Ia.i
of late owing to the fact that lie had no new
play. MIR. NJ. b. CARTS was sudden
growth lie had the conception of new
type of character in the drummer three years
ago, and now Lc can make his $50 900 a
year