New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-05
". j. FLORENCE At HOME.

SOME LIVELY CHAT WITH TIE CoMEDIAN-HIS
EARLY SUCCESSES AND PLAYS.
A dimnutive Skye terrier barked rather
ambiguous welcome to visitor who entered William j.
Forences sitting at the Fifth Avenue Hotel yes
terday. "Quiet, GYPSY Quiet" said the comedian,
and Gypsy. am ashamed Of your echoed Mrs. Flor
ence who was also the SO many people know Mr.
Florence personally that description Of him when In
the quiet OF his own homo flor such his room at the
Fifth Avenue actually is) may seem trhe supsrfuons.
Clean shaycn. fulfgursd and fullfaced, his usual
preston OF frank cordialty and air of genial good
fellowship often to forget the grace Of
movement quckncss and aptness OF gesture and dign
lied carriage Of the head which bespeak him tho
romantic actor well the comedian
or the charm and grace Of Nc Florences when
entertaining his friends adequate description can DO
gwen but IL is clear that TO- In great measure akin to
that power OF "holdng aud getting In sympathy with
his audiences which goes to mako him the successful
actor he Is himself attributes his to other
sources.
81 fancy hard work." he says, he quietly puns his
cigar has had the most do with it.-that and set-
tied conviction that had TO get there. But an actor
must have something In him To back up his hard work
or he will never rise. OF the infinite mysteries
of tho universe how many OF the actors see In
my own companies well in Others have ever drifted
on TO tho stage What led them to think they had tue
makings OF actors in thom, what spoiled good hard
working clerks or shopmeD and made bad atrocous but
still hard working actors out OF themi ponder and
ponder but never reach solution OF the mystery.
don't know where our actors coming FROM" said
Florence gloomilv It's wrechedly trite observation
know. but it's devsh true one for all that These
combinations and travelling companies prevent the stage
being school any longer and thera is no other I'm as
much to blame as any one. suppose for used TO play
one piece through whole season, and how could lad
learn his business In that way. Perhaps some day my
dream may true aud shall have little theatre In
NewYork where have constant change Of bill and
run one comedy after another with little farces OF the Old
Madison Morton type"
Speaking of his past successes Mr.. Florence
sa,d: "My wife aud I have much
70 thank the public We have been wonderfully sue
cessu from start years and years ago. There was
the Yankee Housskeeper which. In 1856, was success
ful In London well Us here; then Handy Andy
Kathleen Mavourneep, and In 1868 our great hit IN
The Ticketof Leave Man. Then came our burssques,
.Laah Rnokh' The Lady of Lyons and SO on. After
ward Dombey and Son. The Mighty Dollar, and other
recent plays have all been kindly reSeyed ana st hero
crofts have retired with fortune only few months
AGO Talking OF the BapcrOfts reminds me OF our pro-
dnction OF Caste. happened to be In London when
Tom Roberson's first great hit was produced by Ban
CROW su AMI pod careful attention to IT, when gos
back TO New-iork found Barney Williams wondering
what he could put in the old Broadway Theatre which
he was then running. An idea struck me- wallack was
going TO produce Caste but was waiting until the tall
w ia aUT aR au Williams pu az Il on WITH Mrs. cSanrs
"a Esther Mrs Florence as Polly and my self d. lhoy
baS MN the an INJUNCTION removed Without much difficulty
have done the same thing with other plays, notably
long after played In it for poor Frank Chanfrsn.
Talking of Chanran, did you ever know that Kit was
written for originally by Batimoriani IL ala not
suit me. so / turned It over to Frank. who altered 1t
somewhat but played IL substantially as s stood
conversation around TO the Mikado" see, SAID
Florence. that reference was made In one OF the
papers whether not the opera was not
a slight a friendly power, and should not be sup
london some years ago. When the Shah Of Persia
visited England, Kingston Artemus Wards manager,
was was as rs nome Of Gilbert and savans operas
He put a burlesque In which an actor named
Paddy Shaw played the Shah or Padishah;
that worn by the monarch The night was there
Kingston the stage and read letter IRON tue
ance as the feelings OF the royal visitor had been hurt
Especial laid on the wearing OF copy OF the
hah ds % Se s IN aa"py psssn was
no white paper for mimic snow storm, said: Then
snow brown and said they would play the shah with
ont his hat and so snow brownH II was mnny mol
don't" A.
Scarborough. manager OF the strand Theatre. ME-
Malaprop one OF tnem was TO this eject He called TO
see her day and Mrs Scarborough, who lsps, said
latht week Mthter Clarke had a bcthpeak and We
had 10TH OF Amercanth hero. One Of them wath thueh
A mnisterf" queried Florence. mot Mr.. BeecheT
mo. nth name wath tho Reverend Mlthter John.
mystfed TO what celebrated clergyman the Rev Mr.:
Johnson might be- Florence asked j. B. Clarke the heAs
"The Rev Mr johnson q" queriod Clarke. ~ Oh tho
old lady means Reverdy Johnson-our Minister 70 Eng
speaking of the polishing plays by careful re-
hcarsng Mr. Florence said that when congrasuianS