The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-06
SOME r ROCKS.

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SOME NEW BOOKS.
The Bancrorts: "Reminiscences OF the
English stage.
A companion book Of the life OF Sir
Henry Irving. covering as It does almost
precisely the same period, namely. the
last half century, is forthcoming in a
volume entitled The Bdncrofts; Recol-
actiona OF SiIty Years (E. 2. Dutton Il Coz,
The present work. which Is the joint
product OF Sir SQUIRE BANCROFT and
Lady BANCROFT MARIE WIDToN) is an
outerowth OF a book published by the
same authors In 1885. which 10. now. how
ever. out Of print. There Ia much mate
rial OF unusual interest in these four
hundred and fifty pages relating not only
10 the authors. the veteran actor-mana-
ger and the fascinating actress his wife
but also to many Of the most interesting
figures associated with the English stage
during the last half century In the ca
pacity either Of playwright or OF inter-
prefer. In this book for instance we
hear a great deal at first hand about
Wilkie Collins. Charles Reade, T. w.
Robertson. Henry j.. Byron and Victorien
sardou; and about Macready, Charles
Kean, Henry Kemble, Edward A.
Sothern, j. l.. Toole. the Kendals. John
Hare. Ellen Terry and, especially, Henry
Irving.
A word or two should be said about the
Bancrofts themselves before avalling
ourselves OF their interesting reminis-
cences. Squire B~anoroft-so called
after his paternal grandfather-was born
In 1s4I. The premature death Of his
father put an end to his dreams Of public
school and college. and he had to content
himself with such education as he could
obtain at private schools In England and
France, from which. moreover, he had
to be removed when still young In order
that he might earn a living. His molina
tons led him to the stage, and he got his
first engagement in Birmingham In Janu-
airy. 1881, at a guinea a week when he
was a boy OF 10. He continued to play
such parts as were allotted to him
In the provinces until early in 1885 an en-
gagement was offered to him in London
by Miss Marie Wilton, who had taken
the Prince OF Wales's Theatre in Totem
ham street. During this apprenticeship
Squire Bancroft attempted no fewer
than three hundred and forty-six roles.
Concerning this experience he observes.
sThe repetition OF many Of those parts
In standard plays and some Of them often
not only in different theatres but with
different actors vas Of the greatest SER
vice and practice, which no young actor
can any more obtain. The country thea
tres nowadays are chiefly occupied by a
succession Of travelling companies in
which the art Of acting Is too often a mere
parrot copy Of an original performance
Turning to Lady Banoroft's early life,
ter OF Robert Pleydell Wilton. who al
though intended for the Church became
q travelling actor. Having shown when
very young ability beyond her years. the
little girl Marie was brought out as a
child actress before she was able to speak
plainly. As abe grew older she became
q great favorite in the provinces and
eventually made q successful debut In
London as Perditd. Soon afterward at
the Haymarket Theatre she made a de-
cided hit as Cupid in IN extravaganza,
and for some time thereafter was identi-
fed with similar parts. When h lost
the name Of Cupid the epithet Little
for a long while tool It's place. 1t is
worth recalling in these days OF high sala-
ries. which by the way the B~ancrofts
were the frat to introduce. that Marie
Wilton's first salary in London was Is q
week; that at the Strand Theatre. where
she might have been considered the chief
attraction, it never exceeded 60, and that
the highest salary paid her in those days
was els when she played The Little
Treasure" for a few weeks at the Adelphi
Theatre.
It was early in 1885 that Miss Wilton
became, as we have said. lessee and man.
ager OF the Prince OF Wales's Theatre.
Soon afterward she married Mr.. Ban
croft and thenceforward for twenty years
they we're Joint managers. They then
retired from management on q compe-
tence which In many eyes would be
deemed a fortune, and ave since acted
but rarely. 1t is we'll known hat in 1897
Mr.. Bancroft received from Queen Vic
toria the honor OF knighthood. 1t is
doubtless true that had he not been a
successful manager he would have been
q moro distinguished actor. Evidently
this thought was in Irving's mind when
he once said to Bancroft: what a big
name you might have made for yourself
had you never come across those Robert
son plays! What a pity for our own
sake, for no actor can be remembered
long who dses not appear in the classical
drama
III.
Among the eminent actors Of an elder
generation with whom Bancroft when a
young man was brought in contact was
Charles Kean. The author Of these
"reminiscences recalls an incident that
occurred at the Dublin Theatre Royal,
where he wal obtaining the salary Of
90 q week during one Of Kean's
engagements. The young man was
seated in the greenroom when Kean
entered and sat down. After staring at
Bancroft for soma time in a way which
rather frightened the young man he
beckoned him to approach. Bancroft