The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-26
Geo. Innes s. Co.

try were to follow this ne of work II
would force managers to give the public
oest they have and not to feed then
rocks when the crave for bread.
know from actual experience that
FRANK criticism is good for business from
a newspaper standpoint
As to the value of New York criti-
/ do not think they are Of so much
worth. There are, OF course, shining ex-
ampies Of exception to this rule. There
re some scholarly men in New York
writing criticisms. 1 know, however, of
one leading paper that does not dare to
criticize the productions Of a certain firm.
because The firm backed it when it was
in monetary difficulty l know of ono
very beautiful and expensive production.
The Children of the Ghetto" which
was absolutely ruined by terrifically
abusive and unjust criticismc. One has
only TO patronize New York theaters and
witness the character of the attractions
that metropolitan papers have doomed to
Inc skies to see the truth sf my state
ment As Weber and Fields would say:
1t is 70 laugh
That does not mean, however, that we
are not always glad to have a New York
endorsement on our plays. 1t means sue
cess for a piece or the road il it can get
long New FORK run. That is almost
an axiom, or else the managers would
1oj be w.4-ng TO lose several thousand
dollars. IS they often do in order 10
stay in New York for a certain time
it IS the advertising that piece gets
that makes this valua bic. We are go
ing 10 take Mrs. Bruno to New York.
and We hope that we are going to lose
nothing, because we think we have the
greatest emotional actress in America.
and ,nat she and her play will simply
create furore. But still the fact re
mains that New York, as far as theatri-
ca Entertainments go, is the most pro-
vincial tank in the United States.
Now, for the theater manager. He
books his attractions in most cases bv
long distance work He has no me.aod
q judging Of their merits except the
honesty of the company manager. The
name ol Wallace Munro. for instance.
mas always been associated with all that
is best in the way of production. com
p2ny and costuming. Therefore. he take.
Mr.. Munro's word for it. Another man
ager comes along with a piece that has
been a success in the metropolis. He
goes in before Wallace Munros attrac-
lion, and gives an utterly inferior per
formance al advanced prices Mr.. Nun
ro's tine attraction comes along and the
people remember that they were hum
hagged the last time they paid $3.50 per
seat, and stay away When they talk to
some of their friends they are sorry be-
cause they missed Mr Munro's attrac-
ton. Yet. next year. the theater man
ager viii allow himself to be fooled into
booking one Of Blanks alleged New York
successes and the hner performance may
suffer egain-. That is where the news
paper can do good with its criticism.
And that IS where the theater manager
can help He must nave attractions OF
an Observation-Disclosures opera. farce. etc.
n satisfy All his patrons. But he can. at
least. insist that they shah lee OF the
best IL he ana the newspapers work
together in creating public sentiment
.4at is clan and healthy. then mates
VIII he on much better basis