The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-12
Plays That Wade Money.
From I'd Chleago News.


A short time ago A. NJ. Palmer sold the
rights to a summer production Of "Trilby"
in Boston to Mr.. Brady for $4,000. That
is one Of the biggest prices ever paid.
The most profitable play ever given IN
this country was Lights O. London" It
is stated on good authority that within a
period Of four years this play cleared q
net profit of $l.50O,0OO. being played by from
one TO four companies. Another singular
thing about this play is that it went beg
ging for awhile. Mr. William Mcconnell
came on from the west, representing his
brother to invest $4,000 In New York in
some theatrical enterprise. The first
thing he struck was the manuscript of
THE Lights o. London" He was offer
ed it outright. with the entire American
rights Of production, for $4,000 he wired
to his brother tho offer. MIR brother"
said Mr.. Mcconnell, wired me back that
l was an imbecile. He said that there
was no manuscript in the world that was
worth $1,000, unless it was written on
plates of solid gold We didn't take it,
We did invest that $4,000 and $4,000 more
in a Brooklyn theater. It's there yet. We
never got any of it back"
Plays that have made the most money
have not been plays that have been most
on the public's tongue. The big, artistic
and pleasing successes have not, as a rule
been the plays most beneficial to the pro-
ducers. OF course, there are exceptions to
this. Perhaps the most marked is that
of America" In the six months that
America was played in Chicago during
the worlds fair it cleared 81, 10000 In one
week alone the receipts amounted to $685.
0O0 Rhat is the biggest business ever
done by any theatrical production in this
country. Now, however. the public gener-
There isn't one man In ten who can tell
you whether it was a drama, comedy or
a burlesque.
Charles Frohman llesltated when "Shen7
andoah" was offered him. Take IT," said
the proprietor, and I'll throw the scenery
in. Just take it off my hands. That's all
/ want" The price that is said to have
been paid for it was 5000 Now for the
sequel. 1t was pretty hard work for the
new managers to raise the money to pro-
duce Shenandoah" at ne Star theater
when it was brought TO New York. There
were several postponements in the date
of production and Mr. Frohman was busy
giving out stories of lost parts and mis-
placed scenery to account for these delays
Meanwhile all hands were hustling to raise
the necessary funds to bring the play out
Finally they were secured by selling a part
interest in 1t. Then Shenandoah" was
produced The audience went crazy over
it. Gen. Sherman got up in his box and
made a speech indorsing it, Shenandoah"
was an assured success from that moment
on. Within one year from that night 1t
cleared for the management $l50,000 Mr..
Bronson Howard, who wrote the play, re-
ceived something like $4,000 besides.
The biggest bonus ever paid to an author
for a play was given to Miss Fanny Daven-
port to Sardou for the right to produce
"Gismonda" in America. Miss Davenport
Saydou on the f,hraiuf
of the manuscript. The payment was en-
tirely bonus. OF course the regular roy
atty she had to pay weekly In addition.
And even with this big preliminary handi-
cap on the box office Mss Davenport has
made a great deal Of money out of "Gis-
monda" this season. Jim the Penman"
was another play that was persistently
was even offered at one time for $500 and
found no takers. The manuscript was
knocking about from one managers Of
fee 20 another, with IN. c." marked all
over it, Finally it fell into Mr.. Palmers
hands and doubtless Mr.. Palmer is very
glad that it did, because IL was one of the
big successes. THE Silver King is an
other very profitable and long-lived play
that had q hard struggle TO see the light
of day Mr.. John Warner had the refusal
Of it for $1,000 He tried for six months TO
get manager to advance that money 10
him for the production, but without sue
cess, although Mr. Warmers reputation in
the profession has always been one of the
best.
1.-THE Mikado" made the most money of
any comic opera Sol Smith Russell makes
an enormous income The Old Home
stead" has cleared s25O00O for Denman
Thompson. Next to America" THE
Black Crook" has made more money than
any other production.