The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-26
HOODOOS ON THE STAGE.
ACroRs BELIEVED M THE PRoFEs-
SION TO BE ALHATs UNLUCKK.

| An English actor whose name has been well
known In theatricals for nearly forty years. has
protested emphatically against the charge that
he 10 personally unlucky and has been identi-
fed with much greater number OF failures
than those falling to the average player. This
remark" he said in effect was made about
me by friend about fifteen years ago after the
failure Of play In which had part. Poor
| fellow he said, he IL always unluoky. The
man who said that Intended II as an expression
Of sympathy but IL has cost me the money I
| would have made as q successful actor. and has
practically put my career under blight since
It began 10 spread through the profession"
Every actor cannot appear always In sue
cessful plays. He Ia bound to take part In fall
urcs. and don't think had share In any
moro than falls 10 the usual lot OF men In my
profession. But the impression got around
that was unlucky In my influence on produo-
| lions. Managers did not care to engage me.
| for they are sometimes superstitious. The
press began to EXPECT that anything that was
concerned in would fail because the impress
| sion that was 10 exercise some baleful innu-
| nucnce on every play was also communicated
to them. SO my professional career has been
| wrecked by a careless remark OF n sympathetic
friend until the Impression got about that I
failed always and 80 did everybody connected
with me. Iattained as many successes as any
actor who meets his regular Attenuation OF
good plays and bad ones"
II this actor had lived In the United States
he would have been known as q hoodoo and
his career proves the existence OF the same
superstition here as In England. Certain actors.
presumably for no more fault OF their own than
in the case Just mentioned. seem to be looked
upon as unlucky to any theatrical venture.
quite independent OF what their talent may be.
One notable case Of this IL an actress stlll on
the stage and for two years past connected
with successful company. She Is no longer
beginner. and had In fact had long
career which began In q somewhat differ
ent branch OF her profession from that In
which she IL now active She has always occu-
pied respectable place and at one time
promised to take brilliant one. but that was
never realized and il now not likely to be. BY
what could have been no more than coinci-
dencc she was connected from time to time
with plays that did not succeed. and made In
fact. rather conspicuous failures. II she had
not at that time, occupied q considerable
share OF the attention devoted to the stage.
nobody would have known that she was con-
cerned In them but she came TO be known rs a |
hoodoo In the profession. One Boston mana
ger who died several years ago. had refused |
for several seasons before his death TO receive |
NJ his theatre any company In which she was. |
He looked uron her as a hoodoo and felt GER |
tain that he would have failure on his hands. |
Look here" said an agent to him one day. |
Il want to get three weeks time at your theatre
for The Rhinestone Pin which 10 going to be |
produced in New York. We think the play Is a |
COOL one. have engaged a flrst-ciass company. |
and here Ii the list OF actors
The name OF the tabooed leading woman was |
in the cast.
Il wouldn't take you in on any terms" was
. l,s.,,
IL In the company. Shc IL a hoodoo. and for |
the las. three seasons she has been here every
play was failure. Two OF those plays were
productions madc myself with every chance
OF succcss until l engaged her. 80 I can't |
book YOU"
Il will tell ron what will do" was the
agents compromise. for II Ia impossible to
change the cast on account OF any superstition |
ogainet her. She has the part that suits her |
splcndidly and there is no woman In the bus!-
ness who could do II as well. II the play doesn't
20 along will put her out tho first thing and
get some one else for the role. and believe for
ever niterward that you are right"
The Boston manager had the satisfaction
eary in the season. when the new play had
not been on tho road for more than six weeks,
OF seeing the unlucky actress replaced by
else. The enterprise was success
fu and after the Objectionable mem Der OF the
company had been removed. played a proata.
Bile season at his theatre. His superstition
seemed to be verified. although a. a matter Of
fact the woman concerned in tho play was I'M
fortunate only In that she had part unsuited
to her. II was more adapted TO the personality
and talent OF the second. and naturally that
change was sufficient to make a succcss Of what
might have been a failure with such an i'm
portant phase OF II appropriately looked
after.
But TO this day the actress Is known as n
hoodoo In her profession. Managers are loath
10 sHf h.r a. se5 and h9 own Ggrosn
tunaic mem bers who exercises a spell almost
a. bad as n. evil eye upon al her associates
NJ view 1t Is almost impossible To- sympathiZe
With any such trnnscendentai 'dea, and tho
si o. sss Rrs f0na he
woman knows or not that she ia regarded
Hoboay has ever heard i'u Ssyht not fS
hs Is much a. has sb Of the
gagged In spite q tho preiudie. "sain ssn her,
men , enough to keen her employed and to
seasons. however, she appeared usually in
Sese IN HRsh se se order than
Prosperity and, the hoodoos are by no means
him i Into private NE a small fortune. qui
'uiuc'ent IoT MS Deeus, yet ne had come To he |
ooked upon as the worst sort OF hoodoo who |
could never. by any chance, be connected with |
success. and was said to bring misfortune 10 |
ns managers and everybody associated with
i, The DISPARITY between the actual facts and
ne common impression about a rerson ia |
'hown In his case. for instead Of being a |
allure, as the world had ways taken him TO |
be, he was quietly laying by a competency In |
spite OF few brilliant successes. II this I'M
preston about him had not existed. he might
n na acIen ", more money and might |
comedian who acts IN comic opera now as
'lten as he can get the opportunity. has for
,ears been looked upon by managers as a hoo ,
="
" III Il knew what It would be when, engaged .
Wili said manager the other day "and /
iont know that would have done il Ii could
ave put my hands lust at that moment on
'omebody else for the part. He was the ensIest
n an to get and willing to take what wanted .
q pay, so ran ageinst my own judgment and
Tired him. ] don't know whether the show
vas any good or not, and whether IL had INV
'oal chnnces OF success, At all events IL only
ook WIN 10 knock them sky high and close up l
he house In two weeks. Business had been
,ad before put him in the cast. but it went
iown 80 per cent. as soon as he appeared"
This experience, OF course. satisfied one more