, 1884-07-20
MANAGERS MONEY.
Why the Theatre Business Invites
Speculation.
some Exceptions TO the General Rule
The Good and the Had For
tune. OF Different Com
panies.


New York TimeSl
The eagerness of outsiders to invest in
theatrical ventures" said a brilliant young
manager in conversation with The Times
writer, lis not, as many people suppose, alto
grther II matter of romantic attachment for
the stage. 1t is quite true that there is tome
thing about theaters which attracts the attain
ton Of u good many men with money. Iaap-
pose they regard management as simple fun.
and do not understand the amount of solid
hard work there is to be done in connection
with any theatrical venture that hopes to be
successful, AT the same time, there is 30
much money made here and there in thea
tiers that 1t is not at all an occasion for
wonder that outside capitalists approach
now and then for PURPOSES of invest
ment. A man doing business on Wall street,
or, in fact, in any ordinary brunch of com
merce, thinks that an income of 81, 900 u
year upon an investment of 500, 600 is a lot
OF money. In theatrical affairs the invest
ment is almost always very small. Look at
Harrison e GOirIayis organization. which IA
few weeks of bad business would probably
have put out OF existence altogether. Neither
of the partners had any money to speak Of
when they began, but at the close of the sea-
son they were enabled, ON a venture that WINS
entirely new six months before, 70 divide b.-
tween $50, 900 and 10000. 'a
The first season the Tourist company
started out they cleared as 1000. The SECOND
year their earnings were go 900. and tho
third they felt rather hurt because they
earned only $4,000. Yet here was a com
pany which began its career with Il capital
Of 81, 800 and it would not have required
many poor houses to have eaten up that
amount. Look at Rankin and all the money
he made out of the "Danites.n He got J. &,
Duff TO produce it at the Broadway theatre.
Rankin receiving no share of the money
taken in until after the expenses were paid.
The consequence was that he did not get a
penny for his entire engagement at that
house. He was so poor that he could not pay
his board, and had to leave the hotel where
he was stopping. He hadn't even car fare.
and one day when somebody stole the big
jack boots he wore in the play he had TO fake
a pair of leggins in order TO get through the
performance. Few people know how near
he was to giving up the play. Just at
bat time he received an offer OF $3.50 a week
10 go to Chicago and play the leading busi-
ness at McVicker's theatre, and he would GER
tainly have accepted but for the intercession
Of a newspaper friend, who insisted that
there was money in the play, and urged him
to keep on with it. A salary like the one
offered Rankin looks the size of Mount Wash
ington to a man who can't nav car fares
But Rankin stuck To his play under the adj
vice of his friend, and after the piece was
taken OH at the theatre, he prO-
duced it for a week at the Grand opera bouse
where enough money WINS taken 10 nav the ex-
penses and leave rankin enough to furnish
the company with tickets to Boston. There
Rankin struck 1t rich for the first time In his
life, playing to 81, 900 in two weeks at the
Globe theatre. If il Ind not been for Ran
kin's newspaper friend, Joaquin Miller
who didn't write the play, by the way-
would have figured as a failure in theatrical
literature at the start, instead of putting his
unsuccessful day in that line off to another
time.
See the case of Frank Sanger, who made
more money last season with the Bunch of
Keys than was cleared by any other man
ager in America. -Four or five years ago
Sanger was a poor actor-poor In all senses
OF the term, He realized the fact. and
wanted TO 90 into management White
Edouin itched to become a star, and he tool
Sanger into partnership. They made n GOOD
deal of money together. and Edonin finnllv
went to Europe. Since then the niece in
which he used to play has made a good deal
more in the way of profit thanit did before
Sanger is a rich man nov. il he had re-
NAMED an actor for u thousand years be
would always have been in close circ,,m-
stances. l suppose there has been a heavier
cash investment connected with Mr., Dalv's
success than there has been in any other ceso
Mt nresant remembered Last sa,sor NJ ~