Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-23
Curtain Calls

One of the chief fun-makers with
| the company of comedians present.
ing the farcical comedy. up
Against It." at the Newark Theatre
is Bernard Thornton, young man
who in a limited number of years
has seen much trayel. and, incident
ally. sheds an interesting sideHght
upon the last days of Oscar Wilde.
and tells what has perhaps never
been told OF the great fallen mas
ter's last pathetic ambition, the
hope of a possible rejuvenation in
distant and kindly America.
In the last year of Oscar Wilde's
life Thornton, then nineteen years
Of age, was treasurer Of the Grand
Opera House in New York. In that
capacity he was sent to Paris to
conclude some theatrical contracts.
AT several receptions at Nine.
Marie Mickauleff's establishment,
says Mr.. Thornton, 1--WE became ao-
quainted with some of the most
noted personages in Paris. Finally
Mime. Mlckauleff said: ] must meet
Oscar Wilde and she mentioned the
name as one might that of martyr.
My heart almost stood still as the
once great man crossed Mime. Mick
auleff's threshold. / could not be-
lieve it was he, in fact. He was
bent as with the weight of years.
He had an old mans obesity, his
cheeks were fabby and sagging. and
his eyes were dull. His manner of
speech was like blow to me. for
his words came very slowly and his
sentences were timorous.
They tell me that in Western
America he said, q man is q man
today, and that yesterday doesn't
count: that a desperate can make a
reputation for piety on his current
performances. What O. country to
live in Perhaps / shall go to Amer
lea as soon as j have settled some
business matters IN Paris, but not
before-not before Poor chap, he
assuredly had no business to attend
to, for he was living on charity even
then"
The trial of suit brought by the
Hyde & Behman Amusement Com
pany to recover $46,140,21 from the
Majestic Company on the strength of
an agreement to pool the profits OF
the Grand Opera House and the Ma
jestic Theatre was begun yesterday
before Judge Chatfield in the United
States District Court in New York,
The agreement was made in 1904, to
run for seven years, The Bijou
Theatre was afterward substituted
for the Grand Opera House. The
plaintiff alleges that the agreement
called for an even division of all net
profits, expenses to be equalized, and
that the defendant SO manipulated Its
accounts that it was able to hold out
500. $50 AZ, chiefly by boosting salaries.
The plaintiff wants one-half of this
The defendant holds that the agree
ment never called for an equalization
of expenses. 1t sues also for $4,000
on a counter claim, because of the |
leasing of the Grand Opera House |
and the substitution of the Bijou,
Supported by her entire English |
from the Playhouse In Lon
don, including Graham Browne, MISS |
Marie Tempest will inaugurate her |
farewell New York engagement at the
Comedy Theatre on November 2, I'M |
der the management of the Shuberts.
Miss Tempest has not been In New
York in several years and has Just
completed a five weeks tour of the
Canadian cities. She Will t
appear in a repertoire of plays, IN
Guiding Mary Goes First" "At the |
Barn.; 1.-THE Marriage of Kitty and |
others. She win open her season with |
Henry Arthur Jones's newest comedy, |
MARY Goes First" a story of English |
provincial life.
"Brady-Drama" is the descriptive
title conferred upon Life" the new |
play at tho Manhattan Opera House. |
This is the first of a series of annual
to be made by William |
A. Brady, whose intention 1t is to |
associate himself definitely with |
upon a large scale In this |
"The plays / have in view" says |
the manager, "will be entirely Ameri- |
can in story and scene. We have |
turned to England in the past for our |
big melodramas. OF course, we have |
had no end of plays about America, !
but we have never produced these |
on dimensions such. for instance, as |
the English plays presented at Drury
Lane"
The much circulated report that
Billie Burke, the actress VINO married
f. Ziegfeld, jr., last winter, would
leave the management of Charles
Frohman and appear under the direc-
ton of her husband, was set at rest
yesterday when she signed a contract
with Mr.. Frohman for period of five
years.
The new contract between the man
ager and the star is the first written
agreement they have ever had, as
heretofore Miss Burks arrangement
with Mr.. Frohman has been simply a
verbal one. The present tour of Miss
Burke will carry her to the Pacific
coast. Later she is to return to New
York and appear as Rosalind In AS
You Like It." Next season Mr.. Froh-
man will star Miss Burke in new
American play in which she will be
seen in seven different characters.
one of the parts to be played by Miss
Burke will be that of clown. The
play, which has not yet been named,
contains eleven scenes.