The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-09

coup de grace, and Charles Frohman
disclosed great business acumen
He organized four minstrel companies
and sent them over the country He
took the Wallack company on its first
tour. acting Moths" and other dramas
in which the public perss,ently refused
To become Interested. In 1886 when the
Mallorys retired from management Mr..
Frohman took the Lyceum Theatre COM
pany to san Francisco and with Al
Hayman formed the Western circuit.
which ultimately became a part Of the
general theatrical organization. In this
way he acquired a great experience Of
the business side of the theatre.
1t was in 1897 with the acquisition
OF Bronson Towards successful war
play Ssh nandoah" that the period of the
Frohman financial prosperity began, rs
his experience up to this time had not
brought him any great returns He saw
the play. which had made no particular
success at It's first performance in Bos-
| ton. He was impressed with its posi-
bilities and sought the financial coopera-
ton OF Al Haym1n In buying the rights
to 1t. Mr.. Iiayman at frst consented.
then withdrew. When he heard that
Mr. Frohman had been able to secure
the partnership OF Fred Whitney he re-
| turned to the proposition and the two
bought the play, which made "A fortune
for each OF them and yielded Bronson
Howard 100000 before its run ceased.
Now Charles F'rohman could take his
place among the managers OF the day.
He bought tire American rights TO Pen
sion Schoeler." which re called in the
I adaptation made by William Gillette
"All the Comforts OF Home" and that
succeeded, He put n stock company
which by the way included Maude
Adams-into the present Proctor's
Twcnty-thrd Street Theatre and there
acted Men and Women" by Belasco
| and De Mile. and "The Lost Paradise"
| by Ludwig Fulda lie organized n
comedy company which FIRST appeared in
Mr. WilkInson's Widows" an adapta-
ton by William Gillette OF Bisson's Ecu
| Touplncl," and that was another sue
cess. shadows OF Great City"
''Thermidor." by Sardou. and other
| plays were acted az the Twenty-third
street Theatre. Another success among
his comedies was Jane" with JOHN
stone Bennett in the leading role. out
OF "Charley's Aunt" he made another
| fortune in this country.
He acquired the Empire Theatre.
| which was built for him by Ar Hayman.
William Harris and frank Sanger, and
| one by one added TO the theatres which
| he controlled Then he decided TO at
! tempt management in London. and
while he controlled there at one time as
many as four different theatres. he had
| given them al, up but the Duke Of
Yorks 1t was indeed In connection with
suit over this theatre that he sailed
| for Europe by the Lusitanla. He was
one OF the six founders OF the so-called
/ theatrical trust.
barrie and "Prtcr Pan"
He made his productions. dramatic and
| MI sisal m scala nnkunWn any
| other manager. and only In recent years
| had he diminished his activity ~ more
conservative basis. lie was always much
| more favorahly disposed toward the
| playwrights OF France and England than
| toward those OF his own country, which
may have been in a measure due TO his
I lack OF success with plays OF American
I origin after Shenandoah" lie was the
most liberal patron that the French
playwrirh,s ever had N this country and
paid them thousands of dollars IN
royalties He was a close friend OF
James NJ Barrie from whom he had re-
7 cc.vcd the play which made more
money for Tim perhaps than any other
single drama. Peter Pan
II rarely happened that he took any OF
his stars from any other manager. Ethel
barrymore and John Drew. and Maude
Adams. above all the most popular ac-
trcss on the American stage. were never
stars until he pat them in this exalted
postion The same was true OF Billie
Burke and Julia Sanderson. Not all OF
his attempts IN this direction werc
crowned with the success for which he
had hoped hut ne rarely failed TO detect
the qualities which would make an ar
t.st interesting 10 the public
Dust as his life was altogether alb
soibed with the theatre. so he sought
his diversion among those who could
interest him I'm various phases OF his pro-
fession. He loved the society OF the
playwrights whose works he had taken
and loved to talk with them HIS closest
personal friend, with whom ne passed
many hours. was Paul NJ Potter. the
playwright His last letter, so far as is
known al present was written from me
I.usitania to Mr. Potter. who had be- n
with him until the steamer sailed
Charles Dillingham; and Marc Klaw were
among his friends. and he was. OF course
more or less In the society OF Az Hay
man and John u. Williams. his business
associates.
. But he saw few persons not associated
with the theatre, had no interest In any
phase of life not concerned With hi.
profession and was unknown even by
sight TO many Of the actors who d9ily
saw him passing from his Office in IA,
Empire Theatre to the knickerbocke>
Hotel. where he had made his home fol
several years.
Mr.. Frohman WAS never married. al
/ though there were repeated rumurS thai
he and Maude Adams were man auC
wife. His two brothers, Daniel anc
GuStaVc. survive him. and there are foul
sisters, three OF whom are unmarried.
The theatrical Napoleon was neve
averse to relating stories of his early
! struggles, which were sufficiently uu
merouS before the success of "Shenan
doah." one OF these he told last winter
during the successful run OF "Diplo
macy" at the Empire Theatre.
Once ! had a company playing II
Diplomacy he said. and business wa
, so had that II was impossible TO pa,
salaries promptly enough TO keep tn,
, actors. So one after another woul,
leave us. All we could do was TO keel
for Chicago. We had a wonderful wa,
of taking care of the characters tina
> dropped out of the company,
, She has just been mere one Of III
, characters would say, And what sh
, SAID WAS Then II was only neces
, shry to go right along with the spe,ch
, We had a photograph OF man. too. an,
, hN the d. Ntorous use OF these and otht
, ovpc'icnts we were able Ia get tho com
pdny home and at the same time keel
the audtepcps Illierested ID Diplomacy
, once 'wnen Ne had IetJnyIcd to thi
city from an unusually un,uccossful tour
Of which he wac the manager, there wa
= nothing so interesting t. him I'm tn
prospect or return to New York "A