The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-12
Stage Stars of a Genera
ton Have Filled 1t.
Many From Abroad,
and Charles Frohman
d d to It's Fame

had not an enemy in the world. He
made friends Of everybody. from stage
mechanic to dramatic critics. The
happening must be set down as pure
accident.
Extraordinary as were the burdens
carried by the K~nickerbocker in pay
ing the big guarantees and salaries or
domestic and visiting stars and spec
tacular productions, the theatre never
had a losing season in Its twenty
two years of Legitimate" history. The
yearly profits. so say those who know.
have run from $4,000 to $150,O00-
his being net profit after deduction
of It's share OF losing ventures.
The artistic liberality Of Charles
Frohman has already been referred TO.
II is related that he paid Edmund
Rostand 20 per cent. OF the gross re-
ceipts for the privilege OF letting
Maude Adams play "L'Aiglon." Every
Snowman Is aware that such a con-
tract is suicidal. II one Is Interested
in money making. Even Maeter-
l. linck's THE Blue Bird" which has al
, ways been under a staggering royalty
load, has paid its Belgian author only
IS per cent. But Mr.. Frohman was
daunted not at all by the apparently
r~uinous contract.
When Rostand came again with
"Chantecler" Mr.. Frohman was again
in advance Of the other American
managers. He paid Rostand $4,000
earnest money and again he staggered
through an almost unbelievable
royalty contract.
Probably no other house on Broad
way has brought forward from minor
roles so MAN. prominent players. A
musical piece called THE Wild Rose"
presented in 1902 included Elsie Fer
guson, Marguerite Clarke and Evelyn
Nesbit in the ranks OF the chorus or
possibly those allowed to say My
lord, the carriage waits" Almost
every musical play staged there
within the last fifteen years has had
minor people who were afterward dis
tinguished.
The Rogers Brothers opened tho
house each season for five years with
connections devised by John j. Nc
Nally. Kyrle Bellew and Eleanor
Robson gave Romeo and Juliet:
Viola Allen, after The Christians
success, repeated her triumph as Viola
in Twelfth Night: Gillette smoked
his cigar and trailed crime as "Sher-
lock Holmes Francis Wilson and
Lulu Chaser capered and pranced in
musical comedy. Forbes Robertson
revealed his Hdmie'.
A series Of girl" shows modelled
on English musical comedy pattern
but a little daintier. a little more ele-
CANT than the usual run of such Of
ferings, made the K~nickerbocker Of
ferings a great magnet during recent
years. Among the most successful
OF them were THE Dollar Princess
THE Sunshine Girl' and The Girl
From Utah." which closed the house
in It's legitimate dramatic and musical
comedy career on August IS. 1915.
The Triangle policy at the kniCker-
, booker will be customarily to present
= four plays with half a dozen players
. OF stellar prominence In ar evenings
4 entertainment. Some persons have
said that the Triangle directors are
, trying to corner most all the acting
! talent in America. 1t certainly looks
. that way with a bill of fare that con-
tains the names OF Dustin Farnum
Raymond Hitchcock, Douglas Fair.
banks. De Wolf Hopper. Billie Burke
I Orrin Johnson, Bruce MacRae, julia
Dean. Helen Ware, Henry Woodruff
Frank Keenan,, Mary Boland. Bessie
o Barriscale. Hale Hamilton, Eddie Foy
e Willard Mack, George Fawcett. Crane
Wilbur, Tully Marshall. Franz
Campeau. Thomas jefferson. Johr
n Emerson. II. b. Warner. Mabel Nor
g mand n many. many others.