The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-27
EARNINGS OR TIE ACTORS.

EARNINGS W Till ACTVM.
WOMEN THE BIGGEST MONEY
MAKERS AMONG THE STARS.
Enormous Incomes Credited to Maudo
Adams and Mrs. Leslie Carter-viola
Aliens Lucky stroko-Pay OF . Good
Looking YOUNG Man-NlanAger Actors.
by Jove!' said the young man a. they
left the theatre, ito think that fellow gets
$3.50 week for doing thatl Here I work
for seven hours day and have been at It
for ten years. and don't make that much
in a month. It's the greatest snap In the
world to be an actor. Think Of it-$26o
week."
Thi s young man voiced the general opin-
ion OF persons who are not familiar with
the conditions under which soton work.
Those who know what they earn and what
they have to do to earn It do not deny that
they are as a body greatly overpaid; but
they also take into consideration facts
which the general public IA very likely to
overlook.
Thus the ordinary actor is not employed
for more than thlrty-nve weeks in the year,
and in many cases the period 10 shorter.
Indeed, there are few actors who stand 80
high In their professions that they can COM
pei managers to engage them absolutely
for a whole season. They are always.
unless they are stars, subject to the two
weeks notice clause.
That means that in case Of the failure
Of play the company can be dismissed
by giving the members two weeks notice.
or paying salaries for that time. This
provision is, of course, necessary for theat-
rical managers who might be ruined by
being compelled to carry an expensive
company over the country for whole sea-
son when the business was poor.
Then the demand for certain kinds Of
actors Is very great. Young men OF good
presence to play leading roles are not
numerous, nor are there enough women
with notable charm Of manner and per-
sonality to supply the immense demand
that has grown up during recent years for
actresses.
Only the popular players reoeive the
large salaries that reward the lucky mem
bers Of the profession. The great rank
and file must live with the greatest pru-
dence to get along at all on what they are
able to earn.
The women stars are the most profitable
to day, and by that is meant the women
who are really stars In the old fashioned
sense of the word. Women like Maude
Adams, Mrs. Carter, Minnie Fbke, Annie
Russell, Julia Marlowe. Mrs. Langtry.
Blanche Bates and Henrietta Crosman
are sure Of large profits, whatever their
plays may be- One year their earnings
may be $4,000 and the next twice that
sum; but they are in any case beyond the
chance OF having their careers suddenly
ended because their plays fail.
The two most popular actresses In this
country are Maude Adams and Mrs. Leslie
Carter. and their earnings during tho past
five years have been enormous Mrs.
Carter Ia under salary to David Belasco.
Just az Maude Adams 10 to Charles Froh-
man and in addition to their fixed salaries.
they receive a percentage.
Viola Allen, when she became . star
with the Liebler company was not looked
upon by other managers a. an especially
promising proposition. She had larger
degree Of confidence in herself than the
managers had In her. for by her contract
with the Lieblers, she arranged for a salary
Of only 500 week; but she got very largo
percentage Of the profits.
Every play she appeared In was q suc-
cess and out Of The Christian alone she
earned more than $4,000 In the Palace
Of the King .The Eternal City and Tho
Hunchback" were all immensely profitable
for her. Now she 10 90 well established
that she can act whatever she wants to,
and in her revival Of 'Twelfth Night this
year she is to finance her own company
and be her own manager.
Mrs. Carter, unlike Miss Allen, does not
! take large percentage and small salary.
She now gets from David Belasco 81 400
| a week and share Of the profits-naturally
no large share, as her manager takes on
himself the financial burden Of the perform
ances in which she appears. The Carter
plays have been 30 successful during the
past four seasons that even 9 small share
of the profits represents large weekly
! income.
Maude Adams has probably never cleared
less than $4,000 a year since her first
season in -The Little Minister BY her
contract with Charles Frohman she gets
| fixed salary OF S5OO week ana ABOUT "
per cent. of the profits. And any other
manager would be glad to take the contract
| off Mr.. Frohman's hands.
Miss Adams has an enormous following
throu ghout the country. and even In a little
play Ike equality Street, which ID an mex
pensive production, her business at the
knickerbocker Theatre In this city kept
up to an average Of $4,000 . week for
five weeks. Mrs. Carter usually has the
assistance Of an elaborate production.
Annie Russell, another OF Charles Froh-
mans stars, has salary Of $500 q week
and a small share In the profits. Ethel
Barrymore, who, during her first years as
a star acted for Mr. Frohman for only $50
a week, now has a salary Of $500 and a small
percentage In these cases, MIR. Frohrnan,
Of course, takes all the risks, secures the
plays and produces them. and the actress
posing as the star Of the company has only
10 draw her salary.
Julia Marlowe, Lily Langtry. Henrietta
Croslnan, Mrs. Fiske and Elsie de Wolfe
are their own managers, putting up their
own money and engaging some person
to look after their business interests. Mrs.
Langtry, for instance, pays her company
produces her play-that 10 to say, she buys
scenery and costumes-and gives halt
her profits to tho syndicate for booking her
tour and running tho business end Of her
enterprises. The managers supply her
| businass staff presa agent &c, which