St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-22
Actors Who Own Their Villas and Keep
Bank Accounts Greatly in the
Minority.
Generous Living, Love of Dress and
COnvivial Habits of the Profession
Beget ImprOvidence.
The Early Promise of James O'Neill, Of
"MOnte CristO" Fame-a Promise Not
Entirely Fulfilled.
Roland Reed in His New Play "Humbug"-
AS Mirthful OF the Stage as on-Theat-
rical Gossip.


half dozen newspaper men and as many
others, members of theatrical companies then
playing at the different Thespian temples of
the city, we're gathered in wine room in
one of the night restaurants, enjoying
midnight lunch and quiet glass Of 'some-
thing hot'' or beer or ale, as individual
taste might dictate. Conversation was gen
eral and finally turned on theatrical people
and customs. Jimmy" O'Neill, who is known
from one end of the country to the other as
the Edmond Dantes in the play of "Monte
Cristo,' got the floor, and the chat turning
on the earnings of stars, he opened what af-
erwards proved an interesting discussion on
the improvidence of actors. l shall not at
tempt to quote verbatim, but present as
briefly as possible some interesting state
ments that were there made. The princely
revenues of Booth, Barrett, Mccullough, Joe
jefferson, Fanny Davenport, Mary Anderson
and other equally fortunate stars
were all commented on, and the var
Gus degrees of "closeness," ''stingi-
ness" etc., which enabled these persons
to hold on to what they received commented
on in all possible shades of criticism. The
general tone of the discussion led me to in
fer that actors in general are as improvident
as their fellow Bohemians, the newspaper
men. then asked one of the company if
actors were i'm provident. The answer was
prompt and decisive, You bet! But there
are many good reasons for their being so.
Their surroundings, nomadic life, lack of
home influence, the comparative uncertainty
of their salaries and above all easily earned,
easily spent all com bine to make the actor
reckless as to money matters. He is contin-
ually meeting friends, the cultivation of Ger
tain social relations which must stand him
in the stead of home surroundings, the con-
slant renewal of old friendships. generally
cemented by frequent libations, are all in
fluences against the laying away Of some
thing for rainy day. But the main cause
which is generally overlooked-is that
those who drift into the theatrical
profession are already improvident before
they get into it. The women are ambitious
and thev want to shine. The largest demand
upon them is the matter of dress. Elegant
wardrobes, they fancy, will enable them to
retain their hold on the public, and their
inery must outshne that of all their rivals.
This eats up even large salaries. The rest
goes to the maid and the many little Injuries
fcaton. But, strange as it may appear, those
of the profession best known to the public
own fine villas, bank stocks, railroad secur
ties, elegant cottages at watering places and
summer resorts and can withdraw from the
stage at any time aud live at ease the rest of
their days. But there are not many such.
Indeed / think there are fewer well-to-do
persons on the stage in proportion than in
auy other professionn
*#w
1t is now at least ten years-perhaps
dozen-since James O'Neill was the subject
Of much theatrical gossip and fattering no
tice in this city. He was then a bright,
handsome, promising young man, and a
member of McVicker's Stock company. He
a lion, too, among impressionable young
ladies who attended theaters good deal, and
was the recipient of as many handsome bou
quets and tender missives as the famous
Montague used to receive. The dear, infatu
ated creatures bought seats in the front row
and carried powerful lorgnettes that they might
feast their eyes on his handsome features
and Apollo-like form. Since then his ex-
periences have been extensive and varied;
and besides he's married and rather fuller in
habit, and a certain amount of his old at
Effectiveness is lost. But his great promise
as an actor has never been realized. Per-
haps after all too much was expected of him.
At least it does not seem much like a
triumph to see him doing his best in a
play like ''Monte Cristo,n When it is re-
mem bered that the beautiful and be-
loved Adelaide Nelson once complimented
him by saying that she had never
&c I,,1gn
perfect Romeo than Mr.. O'Neill. In those
early days he performed Iago to Booths |
Othello with an aptness and cearness of
conception that all but eclipsed the star him
self, and again he assumed Shakespearian |
characters with such force, energy and power |
that critics everywhere predicted all sorts of
extravagant things for BIN. And yet, in
spite of all his successes in the |
Legitimate" he forsook the higher walks of
the drama, adopting melo-dramatic roles
which are ephemeral as the day when COM
pared with the true art in which he had given
such promise. True, he achieved a certain |
kind of success in the celebrated Case"
''Corsican Brothers." ''The Danicheffs, -
Monte Cristo." and other like productions.
But that larger prize of recognition among
great artists be has hopelessly lost There is
no denying that his Edmond Dantes is
wonderfully realistic and an artistic sue
cess, and that he has improved in
the parts in which he has exercised
his powers. But where is the James
O'Neil that was to be- Perhaps it
may be said of him as a certain ancient per-
sonage said of himself on hearing his best
friend was dead: ''The theater of all my
action is fallenr' Do you not remember the
tragic end of Miss Hawthorne, leading lady
in Hooley's Stock company, at the time Of
the rage about handsome O'Neills And such
terrible affair it was, when she took that
awful leap in the dark which all men haye
feared since the world began. Young. hand
some, talented, with figure like Juno and
face as beautiful and perfect as But LET
that pass. She was worthy Of love, and it
was said that young OiNeill loved her, and Of
all her many admirers and suitors he was the
favored one. He called on her one day at
the old fremont, where she was living. That
interview must have been a stormy, crush
ing. heart-breakine affair-but what its
nature only one living person can tell, for
five minutes after O'Neill babe Miss Haw-
thorne adieu, she sprang from the fifth-story
window and fell to the stone pavement be-
low. When picked up the candle OF life
was extin guished, and But, pshaw there
are some events that murder a mans ambi-
ton. and that terrible tragedy may have
altered the whole course of O'NeiIi's life. He
alone can tell
#x#
Roland Reed, who recently produced his
new play, "Hunbug," at the Grand was
member of that quiet company, only he was
not quiet himself The fellow is as full of
fun of the stage as when in the midst Of one
Of his most humorous scenes en- costume. /
have formed higher opinion Of his acting
since met him the other night. for I'm