The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-10-02

The death OF Fanny Davenport. which
happened on the 26th ult., removes from the
American stage one Of Its most active and
most successful of business women. At
the early age OF forty eight and after nearly
a life time spent IN theatrical pursuits she
appears to have succumbed to the strain Of
attempting at one time to attend to all
the details Of her lavish scenic productions.
with the infinite amount of business detail
connected Herewith and in connection with
her tours from city to city. With this la
Dor she combined the exertion Of person
she produced; an amount of work which,
when carried out on the grand scale she
aimed at, was sufficient to tax severely
even her strong constitution.
The most important period Of Fanny
Davenports career over fifteen years be-
fore her death. was devoted to the produc-
ton Of translation Of plays by the French
dramatist, Victorien Sardou. with whom
she had an exclusive contract giving her
the American right for all his plays. 1t Is
upon her work In this connection that her
reputation will remain established. SHE
succeeded because she had keen under
standing Of commercial methods as ap-
adopted was first to select a play the mo-
tive OF which was plainly sexual next to
have It cast in q period that admitted of
abundant ornamentation, and finally to
overlap 1t with wealth Of stage trappings.
rich costuming and scenic display such as
should absorb almost the entire attention
Of the spectator. Gifted with q fine ply
sique, she moved around the stage in gilt
o-A ,,NA 1,av HvnAs IN,
portentous tones that carried conviction
to the average mind of her ability as an
"actress'' indeed She was in fact the
beau ideal Of the popular conception OF
an actress. heavy. grandiose. bejewelled
shining tn silks, rich lnvelvets. or with
smooth, rounded limbs showing through
diaphanous draperies. And she was pow
erful, too. In Cleopatra the way she used
TO fling the unhappy brown messenger Of
Ill tidings to the floor and plant her ample
foot upon his PROSTATE form was enough
TO strike awe into the spectator and evoke
pity for the poor "supe-"
But because "she brought here the most
magnificent and massive stage pictures
over presented 1t by no means follows that
''she was TO the United Slater what Henry
Irving has been to England"
Irving reputation 10 Uuilt HUI dioHc do
Davenport's Is, upon the magnificent
mounting Of his productions but upon the
fact that he has chosen masterpieces OF
English literature. including many plays
OF the immortal bard upon which to Law
ish the treasures Of his thought and fancy.
Such productions will remain as pleasant
memories with those who have been for
tunate enough to see them, and the record
of them will always constitute brilliant
chapter In dramatic annals whfn Fanny
Davenports productions with alicit love
as the motive for their plot and the stage
carpenter and costumer for their support
will be forgotten.
Aside from the dubious moral tendency
of her later pieces it may be readily grant,
ed that Fanny Davenport did great deal
in the way Of giving encouragement to the
many lines of business which depend upon
the stage for existence. That she was also
an artist of excellent taste in the manage
ment of all the details that go to make
performance effective may also be con-
coded, likewise that in her knowledge of
stage business, makeup, costumtng IN dress
and undress, she excelled, but that she
had any beyond mechanical attributes that
belong to all experienced actresses or that
she was ever anyone but Fanny Davenport
upon the stage cannot be successfully main
tanned.
The following details Of the late actresses
history will be found interesting:
Fanny Davenport's parents were actors.
Her father, Edward LOOMS Davenport,
was born in 1914 at Boston, made his first
stage appearance In 1886 at Providence,
played many parts in this country and in
England, and died in 1877 at Canton, Pa.
HIS wife, Fanny's mother, was Fanny
Elizabeth vining, who played baby parts
when she was three years old. and was
well known in both Great Britain and
America.
Their daughter, Fanny, was born April
10, 1850, in London, was educated In the
public schools Of Boston. and made her
first appearance as a child actress in Met
amora," at the Howard Athenaeum Her
first New York engagement was at Niblo's,
where she appeared ais the King of Spain
in "Faint Heart Meier Won Fair Lady"
That was in 1862. Subsequently she acted
in the south. playing soubrette parts, and
not until 1869 did she fairly command rec
ognition. Augustn DAILY introduced her
at his Fifth Avenue theater. where she
appeared In q wide range of comedy and
emotional characters. Her greatest sue
cess then was as Mabel Renfrew in
"Pique," which ran for $50 nights. Then
she began starring, adding NEW parts to
her old successes, until her repertoire was
one Of the most extensive possessed by any
famous actress.
1t was in 1880 that Miss Davenport pre-
scented her first Sardou play, Fedora"
and the magnifcence of the production, to-
gether with her splendid work In the title
role, charmed the critics and the public
and added to her wealth and fame. Then
she made contract with Sardou by which
she was given the exclusive right to pro-
duce his Partisan successes in the United
States. La Tosca" made an even greater
hit than Fedora and ''Gismonda"
eclipsed both It's predecessors in perfection
OF staging and excellence OF acting. AIN
theater goers remember the magnificence
of her production Of cleopatra"
AT the close Of the season Of 1S96-e7. Miss
Davenport went to Boston and began
preparations for the production of a new
play by an American author. A lavish
outlay Of money and tireless investment
Of her own rich experience as a stage d.
rector were rewarded with most disas.
trous failure. She struggled TO save the
play, but the public would not accent II.
30 In the middle of the season she ala.
banded her company and went home. That