New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-15
4 THEATRICAL LIE FACTORY.
HOW THE THRILLING ADVENTURES OF
ACTORS ARE MADE AND CIRCULATED

ACTORS ARE MADE AND CIRCULATED
Readers of The Tribune have become familiar
long ere this with some of the wiles of the theat-
rical press agent. This paper has given him I'M
bounded credit for ingenuity. but next to none TOT
truth 1t may be that little too much credit mas
been accorded TO him at times. for it has VOW
been publicly disclosed that some of the stories
seeming to emanatc from him which the papers
have published as champion lies have not really
come from the press agents Of the theatres or
actors concerned at all. company has been sup
plyng them in assorted sizes and prices. Per-
haps /, isn't exactly company, but bureau, or
an association. whatever II calls itself
The existence Of such an affair has been known
for time to those who are intimate with the
methods OF producing news to order news
per of experience can almost always detect
n manufactured story intended to advertise some
body. from internal evidence. but the iars OF ire
bureau really rather clever at their business
and there often temptation to print their
inventions either seriously or as jokes, because
they were so entertaining stories. Sometimes,
too II was really hard TO be sure whether they
were true not--they were so well corroborated
The Tribune has never printed any Of the stories
sent forth by this concern In such way as 10
convey any notion that they were true. but 1t has
often refrained from doing so in silent amazement
at the fertility of invention which they displayed
Other papers have published them at more length
and with no insinuation, In many cases, that thty
were not absolutely to be relied on. The whole
industry is so novel that it is decidedly interest
ing.
The first thing necessary. apparently. is the Sc
lection of subject Some stories will do equally
well for any one of several subjects while others
n superior grade of goods. are suitable only Tor
particular persons who arr measured for them as
IL were The subject being selected casually an
acto- who Is prominent or wants to be) some sort
Of Arabian Night legend is invented. with him
as the centra, figure. Then representative OF
the bureau goes to the actor or his manager ana
offers the yarn a, what he regards as 1t fair price
the bureau to attend to all the details OF floating
It and getting 1t into the papers.
If the business proposition is accepted by the
manager. the next thing is to provide what Is
called in The Mikado" "corroboratve detail cal
culated to give verislmitude to an otherwis- bald
and unconvincing narration. This Is done by
printing various persons TO stand FOR the story
That is everybody who is concerned in the story
is told about it, and all the details OF his supposed
connection with it are insted into him. so that
when a reporter comes from one of the papers TO
verify the account. he will have it all at his
tongues end and will he able to give circum-
stantial account of 1t.
Thus. If the story is that Macready OGarrick
the wcll-known Irish comedian, caught "A devil
fish while fishing off Fire Island and towed 1t to
Fulton Market Mr.. O'Garrick himself Is provided
with complete story Of the occurrence TO tell TO
any reporter who calls. after the proper display or
unwillingness TO talk about it; the man who lives
n
esqucly how exhausted Mr. OGarrck WAS when
ne got home that night. and how ne had TO help
him upstairs and convince him that NJ was not
still fghting with "A dev-fsh. and longshOrenan
of Futon-st. Is easily found who VIII relate no"
he saw the fish when IL was brought ill., and how a
knot slipped and 1t went to The bottom just
as they were securing IL to the pier.
Whatever the story Is, the association provides
people to stand for it when the reporters come
10 see them. But the whole scheme Is OUT
and perhaps even the most easily gulcd newspa-
u.rs will be little wary about accepting Dumas
esauc adventures OF minor actors The deceptive
thing about them always was that they dld not
come from the theatre. but from other recognized
sources of news. such the courts or the pOnce
stations for 1t simple matter TO get some
hody arrested begin some legal proceedings
In fh. matter In hand that there should DE
actual documentary RECORD 10 su"9''i''h'r '"'
story. -, g - ,...,o,,.t
The industry Is akin to that of the professional
..tiuster another pest OF the newspaper ONCE
The .tipster' goes about and mngles with the
neople When ne overhears some one OF the people
talking with some other of the people. as, by amt
of constant eavesdropping ne Is likely 10 90 now
and then he sends a notice to every newspaper
office i'm town. saying: II hear that So-and-so Is
Going TO do so-and-so," and then the newspaper
6os IN investigate the matter or run the risk or
missing a piece. of news, and II the paper prints 4
word either confirming or denying the report, the
''tinsier' sends in bill for the UP
In the matter OF the advertising tales about
actors The Tribune recommends It's own course 10
the consideration and use of all papers II Is 70
nriuf the story il IL is worth printing. without
giving any OF the names connected with II. ihehs
II II haDp.ns be true after all. the readers OF
derived from It, while. II it is a lie. as 1t probably
Is those who hope to proiit ny a frce adNettlso-
mont fail To do So and the readers get the Deneht
Of an amusing yarn just the same