Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-06-02
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
GLIMPSES OF LIFE BEFORE AND
BEHIND THE CURTAIN.
Notes OF Events Transpiring in the
Mimic World-Geueral
Items.

| establishing the success of an attraction as
some of the actors who possessed the gifl
OF speech. A dog is usually very tract
| able actor. He isn't affected with stage
fright. He doesn't forget his lines. A
round of applause never increases the size
of his head. He doesn't break his con-
tract nor ask for an advance, nor strike for
| bigger salary, nor make trouble about
his berth in a sleeping-car, nor drink more
strange decoctions than is good for him.
He does none of the disagreeable things
which some actors who can talk are ac-
cused of doing on occasion. He is never
ungraceful, nor affected, nor unnatural.
And sometimes he strengthens the earning
power of company very materially.
Among the first canine actors 10 attract
the attention of play-goers were the blood
hounds of the Uncle Toms Cabin" COM
panies. They appeared as detectives in
the service of the slave owner, in tracking
his fugitive slaves and almost from the
first created a sensation among the lovers
of the realistic drama Then came The
Danites, f" in which the playwright arranged
to have two dogs appear. Two large
dogs were secured and they made a hit on
the opening night These dogs were
shaggy-haired animals, almost as large as
st. Bernards and in many respects resem-
bling them.
When farce comedies became the rage,
fine field for the canine actor was opened.
Handsome, the homely bulldog, whose ap-
pearance beIied his name, and who accom-
panied Old Sport through the funny
scenes of "A Rag Baby" assisted very ma
terially in making his masters efforts sue
cessful. Old Sport alone would have been
an amusing character, but OLD Sport and
Handsome together made a team that was
able to provoke hearty laugh the instant
they appeared on the stage. Frank
Daniels, the original Old Sport, is now IN
business for himself" in the presentation
of Little Puck" but Handsome is still
his partner, and although a silent one, he
does his share of the work of amusing an
audience.
When Charles H. Hoyt produced "A
Brass Monkey" at the Biiou Theater. the
appearance of the bulldog Mascot was one
of the hits of the piece. Without Mascot
the performace would have lost half its
fun. To be sure, his greatest effort that
Of tearing up the wild cowboy, who had
travelled all the way from Texas to admin
lister thrashing to his brother-in-law
Jonah for trying to get divorce from his
wife, was made ont of the sight of the au-
dlence; but the people had seen him and
knew his abilities in that line and when
the demoralized cowboy crawled back
upon the stage it was evident that Mascot
had played his part well.
Yet the poor dog repeated his perform
ance night after night without being
called before the curtain or even getting a
bouquet. In private life Mascot is one of
the gentlest and most inottensive dogs i'm
aglnabie. He gives his manager no
trouble whatever
1t was pug dog that made "Confusion"
a success. If the pug had not been on the
scene to be confounded with the baby in
the cradle, the whole trouble and con-
fusion on which the play is founded would
never have existed
One OF the best trainers of canine actors
is J. X. Emmett. Something like dozen
dogs have appeared in support of the cele-
brated Fritz" and the reputation made
by some Of them has been second only to
that of the actor himself. A famous dog
Is in Emmets company, now playing at
the Fourteenth-street Theater, New YORK.
He is huge St. Bernard, with fine
record as prize winner. He was born in
Leeds, England, and is therefore an i'm
ported English actor PIinlimmon is his
name. He was with his gifted owner
when he last appeared at the Metropolitan
Iheater in this city, and is now recognized
as the best canine actor on the stage. He
was great favorite with the public at
Leeds, and although he had not made his
debut, he was as well known as the Mayor
Of the city.
Plinlimmop is not only good actor, but
he is very careful to see that no misfortune
befalls any one to whom he is attached.
lie will guard an open trap on the stage
for hours at a time to see that no one falls
through, and one day last winter he saved
a little child from making headlong
plunge INTO the regions below
Plinlimmon's predecessor in Emmet's
support was a big St. Bernard called
Rector. He was known in every city in
America. Bayard, Jr., another St. Ber-
nard, has appeared with Emmett Bayard,
Jr., is still alive, although Rector was
killed by an accident over year ago. The
other dogs which have played with En-
met are Jura, female St. Bernard; Con-
queror, terrier; Victor, Blenheim
spaniel, and Topsy, black and tam Con-
queror is playing with the popular actor
during his present engagement. He only
weighs five pounds and has hair eighteen
inches long.
Every Sacramentan knows Grismer's
dog Sport, and has enjoyed his "acting" in
I" The World Against Her" and other
pieces presented by the Grismer- Davies
combination.
THE FORTUNES OF ACTORS
A great deal has been written about the
fortunes of actors, and most of it has been
incorrect. The following is careful esti-
mate of twenty-five of the richest of them.
made by well-known actor, rich man
himself, and one in a position to know
what he is talking about. Among the
actors are but two millionaires, Lotta
Crabtree and Edwin Booth, and both of
them are worth considerably more than a
million each. Then follows Joseph MUIR
ply with about $780, 900, and Joseph JEFF
ferson with S500,000 Maggie Mitchell he
rates at 100000 and over, while Mary
Anderson has from S250,000 to 100000
her foreign ventures making the estimate
uncertain. Oliver Doud Byron is put
down at 100000, Minnie Palmer at S275,-
600, J. X. Emmett at S275, 5,000 and Stuart
Robson and w. H. Crane at S25O000
apiece. Annie Pixley, 100000; Mrs.
Langtry, Sl50,000; James O'Neill, $780,
600; Denman Thompson, S150,0O0; Her
man, S125,000; old John Gilbert, Sl25.-
600; n. c. Goodwin, 100000; Louis Al
drich, 100000; Francis Wilson, 100000.
Emma Abbott has a fortune of S225, 1000,
and Charles Bernard, the ex-minstrel
over S500,000. Nate Salisbury has over
S175,000, Fanny Davenport 100000 and
Mrs. John Drew over 100000. Actors
have no rating in the commercial agencies
of the country, owing, perhaps, to the
great fluctuations of theatrical ventures,
but the fortunes above named are all
prudently invested and subject only to the
same risks as those of any well-to-do busi-
ness man.-Duntop's Stage Neus.
BEHIND THE FooTLIGHTs.
Boucicault, the gossips say, is to give up
his dramatic school. We hope that this is
mistake for the summer closing. But.
true or mistaken, the report reminds us
that it is quite time for the veteran to turn
over new leaf, like Obadiah Oldbuck,
and re-establish himself with a new Irish