Evening star., 1901-12-14
SIMPLIFYING THEIR NAMES.
When an Actor Becomes Star He
Drops the Middle Initial.

From the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
1t would appear that actors consider that
superfuous Christian names are a hind
rance when they assume stellar honors.
When Edward ]. Morgan was simply a
leading man he gave little attention. it
would seem, as to how his name appeared
on the program or other advertising mat
fer of the playhouse Yet since Mr.. Nor
gan has become the star of THE Chris
tian" he Is no longer Edward ]. Morgan,
but simply Edward Morgan.
In like manner John B. Mason has taken
a rift in his Christian name and blotted
out the b. since becoming a star. He will
hereafter be known simply as John Mason
Going over the great names or the past, It
would appear that very few of the cele-
brated actors were overloaded with Chris
tian names. Memory recalls but very few
famous actors who have chung to the mid
die initials of their names John 7. Ray
mOnd is the one important exception to the
rule. And then there Is Nathaniel c.. Good
win. But even the genial Nathaniel is
more often known and addressed as simply
NAT"
There are, indeed, innumerable cases
where actors have. like Edward Morgan
and John Mason. simplifed their names
when stepping into the glare of the cal
Ctum. A case IN point Is that of MIR. Hop
per. When the elongated comedian was a
boy he was known as Willie d. Hopper
the d IN his name standing for De Wolf,
his mothers maiden name. When Mr..
Hopper embraced the calling of an actor
he clipped off the Willie and became known
from that time as De Wolf Hopper.
Charles II. VanderhOff is an actor of the
old times who refused to give up any part
of his name acquired at the baptismal
font. Likewise Frank Chanfrau, who was
always billed and appeared on the pro-
gram as F. s. Chanfrau. In a few cases
actors have parted their names in the mid
die. as In the cases of H Reeves Smith
and c. Leslie Allen. Viola Aliens father.
Twenty-Five years ago, when Maurice Bar
rymore was the Captain MolineuX, a young
English officer, in The Shaughraun," he
was known simply as NJ H Barrymore.
AS time went on and his name became
more important he, as in the cases of Mr..
Morgan and Mr.. Mason, eliminated his mid
die initial. When Henry Irving and Henry
Miller made their initial appearance on the
stage they both had as Christian names
Henry j. Henry Miller dropped his ]. upon
entering Charles Frohman's employment,
and Mr. Irving made away with the one
which formerly found a place in his name
after his great success in London as Digby
Grant, in The Two Roses" 1t was not 50
long ago, either, that Beerbohm Tree
prefaced his name with an H OF the great
names in the past. simplicity in Christian
names was the rule, viz: Thomas Better
ton, David GarriCk, Edmund Keane, John
Mccullough. Edmund Booth and Lawrence
Barrett. A few of the old and some of the
modern fayorites have pleased themselves
in retaining their double Christian names
on the program, as in the cases of Charles
Frederick Cooke, Junius Brutus Booth and
Sol Smith Russell. Tim Murphy lately
threatened to join William formerly VIII
lieD Collier in oyerturning an old and long
esta blished rule of the drama His purpose
was to elongate Tim into Timothy, threat
which he has fortunately, not cried into
action Plain Tim Murphy Is good enough
for all stellar OF other purposes. 1t is IA
miliar, simple and nice. Timothy suggests
hay, even verdancy, and Tim is not that.
There would, then, appear to be plenty
of precedents for Mr.. Morgan in dropping
the ]. and simplifying his name. Anyway,
henceforth it is Edward Morgan.