Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-14
The Late Sam S. Shubert.

From the New York Evening Sun.
Sam S. Schubert, who recently met his
death in a railway wreck, was one of the
best known of the younger theatrical mana
gers in New York. Starting with his BROTH
er, Lee Shubcrt, in chain of stock COM
pany houses in Syracuse and Rochester, no
worked his own way up in few years and
became a familiar figure in Broadway s
theatrical life controlling the Casino. the
Lyric and tie Princess this last season.
In Chicago the ShubertS acquired conuoi
of the Garrick Theater.
To reach London was the next aim, and
the Waldorf Theater in the British capital
was announced TO open there on Tuesday
of next week with famous stars like Duse.
Calve and Edouard de ResZke on alternate
nights of drama and grand opera under the
Shubert mana cement
Lee Shubert sailed for London last week
to be present at the opening of this first
London house "on the American plan
Sam S. Shubert was year younger than
his brother, Lee. and the brother is still
under thirty. Born at Syracuse in this
state about twenty-eight years ago, Sam
Shubert began life as a newsboy. He work.
ed all day selling morning and evening pa
pers, and he worked all evening hanging
around for the late theater crowds in the
public squares near the Erie canal. These
hours of work kept up after he became
prosperous.
From papers at theater doors he got to
selling programs and souvenirs and other
trifles inside. The theater and it's life. he
always said, completely fascinated him.
The brothers, once in the theater business.
stayed there. The first Shubert stock COM
pany in Syracuse at the then long disused
Bastable Theater, now rebuilt was a
modest 10-20-30 affair for n starter. Their
young actors and actresses included more
than few discoveries whose names have
spelled fortune for travelling companies
since. Upstate towns. which got only
night or two in week or two to see the
big Broadway stars on tour, found the
Shubert stock performances of time -honored
plays good enough to subscribe to with
every weekly change of bill. Before the
stock repertory was worn out in the Gem
esee and Mohawk valleys the Shuberts were
on Broadway.
1t was a season ago when the two young
managers controlled eleven theaters here
and elsewhere, employed 1900 persons and
paid $4,000 a week, so it was said. in the
atrical salaries. His friends called Sam
Shubert the human dynamo"
With all the success the troubles did not
come singly to the Shuberts. The younger
brothers death follows year of peculiar
anxieties for both a year ago they were
the hardest hit of local managers in the
strict application of fire rules following the
Iroquois horror. The old Madison Square.
then under the Shuberts. had TO be closed
till repairs were made. and a new tenant
has 1t now. The Herald Square. after a
term as Shubert house, was taken over
by the so-called theatrical syndicate
The Casino fire this spring was more seri-
Gus to the managers than to the building.
Lillian Russell in Lady Teazle" had made
the place popular after q series of half fail
ures in the musical line. She was within a
week of closing when the fire occurred.
but a new production was side-tracked
when prospects had seemed brightest while,
worse still, the upset led to friction and re-
ported differences of opinion between Miss
Russell and her young managers
Mrs. Stuyvesant Fishs famous house
party, at winch the SnuperIs saId Mss Rus
sell would appear while she said she would
not-and didn twas one of the episodes of
the theatrical season.
Martin Harvey was the first star whom
the Shuberts imported from London He
played one night at the Herald Square two
years ago to $50 persons, Sam Shubert said
But the London outlook, once in view was
not lost sight of by the brothers ShubeT.t
especially when two other brothers who
happened to be named Frohman were in
vading the London theaters successfully
every year.
THE secret of our success? Just attend
ing to business" Sam Shubert told an in
terVlewer not long ago. "One rule we have
we don't bolster up a failure for a feeble
run. We stop it. I'm fond of hard work.
l don't want TO be anything but just what
am. keep at it every minute. could
never be happy resting. If anything goes
wrong. just go all to pieces
Shubert, like his brother now in London
was short slight and dark with a duiet
manner and a curiously STOPPING attitude
whether walking or seated. Lee stuck to
the business side. Sam was the all round
partner who enjoyed planning the shows,
assembling the sextets and the beauty
SHOWS, throwing on the color schemes and
all that The 'radium dance" in the
Casino production of "Piff! Paff! Poufl', ia
still battered by its imitators.