The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-21
A PLEA ron AMERIcAx AcroRs.
Edward Harriean's Views on the Eject OF
Foreign" Stars."

interest the currespondencs between Charles
Frohnisn and William J. Gilmore relative to
the engagement OF Albert Oh, Waller at the
Auditorium. as published IN your paper last
Sunday, and am constrained 10 trespass upon
your valuable srace to the extent Of airing my
views upon matter which threatens O menace
to tho American stage. l am sufficiently bold
10 state at the outset. should you deem my COZ
respondence OF sufficient interest to publish.
that Ahierica and American actors have suf-
cred mora than the public can possibly imagine
through the importation OF foreign stars"
whose only qualification is too often an appeal
either to sensationaiism duo to INSCRIPTIONS
advance work. or IN downright sent ualism.
This late OF affairs. however. 10 forum ately
confined largely to New York city. where there
seems TO be an unhealthy appetite on the part
Of the theatre-going public which Graves any
thing unnatural. I do not wish TO be misun-
derstood in chasing Mr.. Chovallcr In this cate
CORY. for regard him as an artist-as n man
whose work Is destined TO live. His coming
enRagemant Is merely apropos OF q line OF
thought which has for some time past occupied
my mind, and which cannot loi. ger refrain
cay also wish To preface with The statement
that am not personally disgruntIed, nor do I
wish to lobe be m,sundsr.tood rs having any grev.
,tor or playwright must feel under the existing
and actresses ont OF employment In this conn
Try at the present time than ever before; and
yet an inferior person from abroad can come
70 America, command an enormous salary. Rr d
20 back homo with . barrel Of money and q
smoker IN tho sleeve; why should this be1
II Isn't that they provide an exceptional enter
Barnum's famou. motto, "Ths American
public iove, 70 he humbugsed.
Mr.. Chevalter-and again wish TO assert nv
admire ion for him as an Hrti-t and as a man
Who. while presenting an opportunity for :. Ito
nate rule-Mr. Chevalier viii probably take
the snug i.s sum q $4,000 cSafiss FROM iSr
hours work a day. Anna Held gets 81 900 q
week: May yohe. who was put into David Hen
who never earned more than $50 a week in This
country: went to London and became Lady
hope; What Is the copseauenceS She returns
at q larry OF Sl.750 week. with her three
notes tshe never could slng more than thrcel,
She went to Paris became La Lo,e. COMES back
70 America, and people tay their money 10
see her execute few simple steps. and do not
realize that her electrician 10 really tho star
performer In the show. | might cite Instances
Of similar nature. but To what endl
On the other hand. take the American artist
who atte npts To gain n foothold in England. 1
mean the artist OF recognized ability and repute.
How many O. them are there who are accorded
fingers Of one hand. Such PLAYERS as Joseph
Jcnerson;. Richard Mansfield. Nat Goodwin,
William u. Crane. julie Marlowe and a scor. Of
others whom night mention. and who repre-
sent all that Is chara strristic Of the American
crnms. have had neither announcement nor
Henry irving. Becrbohm Tree, John flare. +.
=. Willard. the kendals. Olga Nethersolc,
sarah sarah Bernhardt, Dus.. Coausl'n. Mounet
Sully. all come 20 America. receive enormous
guarantees TO protect them against any o,sible
failure. and because hey are not American
snobbishness. This IL part iculariv true OF those
who speak foreign tongue. The nasty songs
Of Anna Held. Yyette Guilbert. and other- OF
their ilk are raved over by people who couldn't
order dinner In Partisan cafe. BUT Bug
ginspays his money. goes 10 the theatre. laughs
in,moderately, at the wrong time. punche,
Muggins In tho ribs. and not 70 be outione,
Muggins laughs. too. And tbere VOC are!
! do not pretend to suggest n remedy. I
merely visa to call ntteDti TO depiornblo
state OF affairs. which must already have been
apparent to the more intelligent class OF Amer
apologize tn Mr.. Chevaiier for having used his
coming engagement at the Auditorium as an
Incident u,on Shich to base my remarks.
rBE OTHER SIDE.
To the Editor Of the Ttm.s: In commu.
nicaton from Edward Harrigan published
In your paper this morning. headed. "a Plea
for American Actors" Mr.. Harrlgan signs
himself. Yours for fair play" and while
attacking In n general way the Importation OF
foreign artists TO this country. uses the coming
engagement OF Albert Chevalier at the Audi
forum rs q basis for his letter Now. turn
about Is fair play. and inasmuch ms Mr.. Che
waller Is not here 10 take up the cudgels in his
own behalf, | must crave your Indulgence in
granting mo little space In which TO take ex-
ception to Mr.. Harrig.n ms STRUCTURES.
] wilinot deny that there Is great tendency
Ire foreign artists. but ! 10 not think with Mr.
Hartman that this Is an Injustice TO- American
actors or the American drama. While there
may be- some slight foundation for the line of
Thought which he has taken up. no has xag-
TO tie extent OF becoming an alarmist, Amer,
lean life and customs demand tho survival OF
the httest This Is one OF the Fundamental
Only the pesrimi.t will tell you that success
or failure II not dependent upon Individual
ms. na's s,1 M ss
growing interest in foreign artists Why
should these pe ,ple not take advantage Of es-
listing circumstances and make hay while tho
sun shines! few years, at least, will witness
Mr. Harrignn claims that foreign artist,
come over her. and make money. while Amer
leon actors who Attempt to gain foothold on
foreign soil seldom meet with success While
dion which he makes. OF course I recognize that
IN sense there IL an element Of olausibility
- II all b., there :, LOGICAL explanation Of
"Chimmie Fadden." He was told that Chin.
responds to the c ,ster OF London. MIR. Che
waller sat through the performauos without
n smile. He couldn't see tho humor OF IT, He
didn't understand the dialect. and he was allied
with dismay. He argued with himself that II
Mr.. Hopper's performance did not appeal 10
him. Why should his performance appeal to .ho
Americana
But there Is where he didn't stop IN think.
and Mr.. Harrigan hns fallen into the same error
There Is q large class Of Americans, Mr.. Hsrri-
gan to the contrary Notwithstanding, who
know their London and their Paris as thew
know New York. Where one English or
French tourist comes TO America, America
sends a hundred abroad. They 40 to the III a.
tres, tho music halls. and the cafe chantants.
They Tee this artist or that artist. who may DO
on tho top wave Of popularity They come
home and they talk about II, After a while
an American manager brings over ono OF these
celebrities. Tom Jones meets Jack Robinson,
and he says; II see Soandso Is coming To this
country. I Jaw him In London lasf summer
and he's great" You see. we know all about
them before tncy come.
On the other hand. American PLAYERS go
Abroad an comparative strangers. But they do
not always meet with the dire failures so
gloomiy pictured By Mr.. Harrigan. There 10
no actress In London received with more favor
than Ada Rehan. Mrs. James Brown Potter
has never been regarded seriously In her ma
tive country. but sre can go TO Australia or
South Africa and do q fabulous business. The
Girl Left Behind Me-" Distinctive American