Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-06
Making Stage Folk Famous
Continued from page 4

photographs in the Sunday newspapers, d de-
scription Of her repertoire, and the date of her
first performance, she opened her engagement
at theater on West 42d-st., New York. The
audience at her premiere did not fill the house
nor did the box office takingS increase during
the en- suing week. Forthwith the stars mana
ger told her press agent to get busy, and the
order was obeyed with enthusiasm that Dor
dered on frenzy.
On the following evening, when the dramatic
reporters OF the numerous metropolitan daies
making their rounds in quest of news,
they discovered that 42d-St., in front of the
playhouse, where the English actress was
appearing, had been covered with a layer of
tanbark fully two inches in thickness.
Whv>' they inquired of everyone in the
rcighbprhood but none could return a salts
factory answer until application was made at
the theater, where the reporters were informed
by Mr.. Press Agent that the street had been
mattressed with tanbark at the behest of the
English actress, who asserted that she was
greatly annoyed by the rumbling wheels of
passing wagons and had obtained a permit
from the Department of Highways to cover
the street and deaden the sound.
Nersed by experience in-the ingenuity OF press
agents. the dramatic reporters smiled and said,
Fake" When they called up their several
city editors by telephone and mentioned the
incident they were ordered:
:" Get all the details We can a column. "
" But it looks like a press agents plant, "
said the reporters.
Fake or no fake" was the imperative in
struction, Its a good story. The tanbarll
is in the street-hrst time anything of the
sort has occurred in New York,-the woman
is willing to stand for the yarn. Send it along
quick
One reporter who failed to telephone to his
office about the matter disciplined with a
fortnight compulsory vacation. The story
was SplaShed all over the front pages of New
Works newspapers, travelled to every part of
the world y.-pe J.Jly- al mills he'd
and marked the opening shot OF the senSa-
tonal publicity campaign which was waged
in this country on the occasion OF this actress 5
first visit
In addition to her other possessions, the
actress owned about two pounds of woolly
dog meat in the shape of a tiny Japanese
poodle. His real something like
OotSy. or Tootsy; but the press agent pro-
vlded him with a new certificate of christening,
by grace Of which he was known forever after
ward as Pinky Panky Poo. Surely there is
something in 4 name, at least in such peculiar
name. vt its mention would naturally
be disposed to ask, Well, where in the world
did they ever dig up such name?"
Through the publicity promoter 5 efforts that
insignificant tike became a public character.
The beast was missed. lost, found, drowned,
saved. killed, resurrectcd, injured, operated
upon, evicted from fashionable hotels, and
thrown through Pullman windows; but
matter how thrilling the adventure Pinky
fdilkE roo with lea f)N ana BOUNDS ana "dSSnP
OF tail invariably landed safe and sound IN the
columns OF the daily newspapers. Indeed,
point was reached when it appeared that Pinky
would eclipse the fame of his mistress, where
upon her management ordered the press agent
to call halt on the dog stories and consign
the poodle to eternal oblivion.
Needless to say, the English actress proved
great drawing card wherever she appeared,
and her season was an enormous financial Sue
cess. On subsequent trips to America, how
ever, she indifferent attraction from
a box office viewpoint, and she attributed her
later failures to the boomerang effect of the
freak advertising to which she had been sub
jected during her first visit. 1t is said that
the mention of her sensational press agents
name nowadays will precipitate her into
state OF uncomfortable anger while the press
agent in self justification will stoicaly COM
pare the box Office success that accompanied
his campaign with the monetary hiatus of her
subsequent tours.
The Prize Beat of Ali
HNE pf he i-o0a