New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-18


Following recent brief engagement,
Mr.. Rankin suffered an attack OF illness,
attributed to age and complication Of
infrmites He had been confined to his
room for several weeks.
A list OF plays comprising THE Dukes
Motto" THE Two Orphans" THE Dan
ties" Camille" London Assurance"
and "Magda" is certainly varied, but il
conveys only a partial idea Of the range
OF the professional achievements OF Ar
thur Mckee Rankin during career OF
more than half a century. To the pres
ent generation Of theatregoers he was
little known and not at his best, but to
those OF twenty-five years ago his was
name to conjure with and TO make the
heart OF the man In the box office glad.
Mckee Rankin was the son OF Colonel
Rankin, a member OF the Canadian Par
Lament. and was born at Sandwich, Can
ada, In 1Al. While a student at the Uni
versity OF Toronto he became interested
in plays, and he left that institution TO
join n travelling company under the
name OF George Henley. His first APP
pearance on the professional stage was
at Rochester. n. Y. In 1861. Later he was
in John T. Ford's company in Baltimore
and elsewhere. playing in The Dukes
Motto and similar pieces Thence he
went to Mrs. Drew's company, at the old
Arch Street Theatre I'm Philadelphia and
In In
Assurance" and "Oliver Twist" Next he
went starring in ours and while thus
engaged met at Louisville the brilliant
young actress Miss Kitty Blanchard.
who later became much better known in
two hemispheres az Mrs. Mckee Rankin.
Flo played with success in London In
1866. and in the fall OF the same year
made his first appearances in New York
in "The Long Strike" following 1t with
THE Hunchback" and Mosquito" In
1870 he and Mrs. Rankin were at the
Union Square Theatre. In this city, play
ing "The Two Orphans" THE Wicked
World" Led Astray." THE Sphinx"
and Loves Sacrifice"
Following this in 1871 came the great
event of Mr.. and Mrs. Rankin's career
This was the production of THE Dan
ties" written by p. A. Fitzgerald from a
story by Joaquin Miller. A great sue
cess was Immediately made. and the play
had an almost unprecedented run i'm this
city. throughout this country and in Eng
land, whittier it was taken in 1882 From
It Mr.. and Mrs. Rankin earned fortune.
which, unfortunately, they afterward lost
in the management of the Third Avenue
Theatre In New York Later perform
ances were in great variety OF moro
or less ephemeral plays-"Wlliam and
Susan" "Forty-nine," THE Golden CT
ant" THE Canuck," - Kentucky Colo
mel" '"True TO Life CIr Rankin's own
composition), Captain Imprudence" and
"A Bachelors Baby" A third type OF
play was adopted by him in 1902 in Lon
don. when ne was seen with some sue
cess in 'Magda" and Camille" Still
later performances in this country in the
closing years of his life were I'm "Cleo,
1907; Cameo Kirby" 1867 THE White
SLAYER" 1910. and Peace on Earth" and
California" 1911.
Mr. and Mrs. Rankin had two daugh-
ters, both of whom won success on the
stage. The elder, Gladys. made her debut
as child in her fathers company. and
afterward married sydney Drew and had
an extended career, playing with her hus-
band and in his mothers company at
the Arch Street Theatre. The younger
daughter Phyllis, also began work I'm
her fathers company, and attained rank
as an actress and also as singer in
musical comedies She was married years
ago TO Harry Davenport