The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-25
THEATRICAL NEWS
A New Napoleon Of the Amuse-
ment World.
From Scene Shifter and Bill
Poster to Manager.
WILLIAM "A. BRADY.
Made 5000, 900 as Manager of
COrbett and Jeffries.
Gossip From the Stage and
Green Rooms.
WILLIAM A. BRADY.

''The new Napoleon of the amusement
world-William A Brady" is the latest
title. won by success, to be presented
by the public and critics to the scene
shifter and bill poster. who is now
rival. in the magnitude and multiplicity
of lis enterprises at least, to the From
mans, and Lift and Lederer-
Topeka theater-goers are wen ac-
ouainted with the name Of Brady; 1t
was on the Way Down East posters
at the tip Of the programme as man
aver of Jim Jeffries in "A Man from the
~ est the sponsor for THE sorrows OF
Satan and the father of other at
fractions seen here during the past Two
seasons. Brady's Way Down East
is one of the best attractions from a
point of merit. and one OF the greatest
money makers ever produced Brady IS
an advertiser of good attractions lnere
is no limit to the amount Of advertising,
and judicious, too, that he does, ana ne
always has som ething to advertise, On
the Pacific coast this winter NV az
Down East" broke all records.
Grace George in private life is Mrs.
William A. Brady. This is the story OF
Brady's life. from the New YORK
World:
From peanut butcher on railroad
trains. from call boy, scene shifter, Dill
poster and hacker OF prize fighters 10
proprietor of three successful plays now
running in New York city, one in phil
adelphia and four companies on the
With plans for theaters of his own
next season in New York, Boston, Phil
adelphia and Chicago,
With a wife whom he is determined
to make a dramatic star of the first
magnitude;
And only SO years old
This is the story of William A Brady,
better known to hundreds of thousands,
- Fi1lW ETadV.
and literally from New York to san
Francisco. for he made a name for him
self on the Pacific coast before he came
to this city.
Under Brady's management Corbett
became champion pugilist Of the world,
and later SO did Jeffries. Brady made
500 eco out Of each of them.
But what makes him particularly in
teresting just now is the fact that de-
spite the theatrical syndicate. which
controls practically all the theaters in
the country, Brady proposes to have
theaters of his own in the leading cities
of the land
Pretty good for the former peanut
butcher" Indeed. those who know him
best have begun to refer to him as the
New Napoleon of the Amusement
World.
How does a man, out Of nothing, build
himself up into prominence like this?
In the interview which follows Brady
himself tells how he has done So It is
not the usual success story OIL the
good young man who, by patient, UNI
firing application to his desk from
morning till night wins fame and for
tune, although Billy Brady is a hard
enough worker. But it is a story of
success won by ingenuity and the exer-
else of native wit; it shows how out
of the most Taeagre opportunities good
fortune may be CON manded by the wide
awake.
First a word as to what Brady looks
like
Thirty-six years old. without a gray
hair in his head, with a smoOth-shaven
boyish face, blue eyes as clear as crys-
tai and with shrewdness and humOr
playing tag in them. a sunny smile and
ringing laugh, rosy cheeks and the
physique of an athlete. Billy Brady is
good to look upon and pleasant to
know
As to his plans for dramatic cam
paigns Mr.. Brady says:
Il never had anything to do with
vaudeville, and I never will I'll stick
to drama Within eighteen months I
York, Boston, Chicago and Philadel-
phia- I am not looking for a fight with
the theatrical syndicate. and I don't
think they're spelling for one with me,
but I want to - independent in the big
cities, and 7 win be-
Mr. Brady's present enterprises are
Uncle Toms Cabin. at the Academy:
Lovers Lane at the Manhattan the
NrAs anu OA the IOd0r -FOUR w tiN Down
LAS" companies on the road, and
Betsy Ross" in Philadelphia.
Brady is bold. energetic, quick to
make up his mind. proof against dis
enlargement, and far-seeing He does
everything with q rush He was exactly
three weeks putting Uncle Toms
Cabin" on the Academy stage: it would
have taken most managers six months
planning and preparation.
Tell me the story Of your life said
the Sunday World reporter, sOlemnly.
Brady drew one long breath. squared
his shoulders, laughed. and said:
All right. I'll condense it as go
along Well. I was born in San Fran
cisco in 1855. My father was Terence
A Brady, newspaper man and one of
the finest authorities on Roman Catholic
matters in the country. He founded the
san Francisco Monitor, the chief organ
or the catholic church on the Pacific
coast be left San Francisco when I
was four years old and came to New