The Washington times., 1915-02-11
Most Successful Manager in
in World Keeps Self in Back.
ground While His Actors
Amuse Public.
Began Career as Producer in
Washington More Than a
Quarter Century Ago-He
Staged Play by Gillette.
By GARDNER MACK.

In his haste to create q worlds rec
ord for short. pithy sentences the old
philosopher who noted contempt as the
offspring of familiarity completely ignor-
ed whole family Of squirming germs
Of thought that were bred by the same
parent. Or. perhaps. old Mother Fa-
miliarity had picked out contempt as
the only pup in the litter that whined
itself into notice and had thrown the
others into the sea Of forgetfulness. If
the philosopher had only seized the op-
portunity to explore a. bit further he
would have found that most Of the
things that make up the vast expanse of
forgetfulness were bred by familiarity.
The history Of science and invention
proves this completely. Isaac Newton
felt an apple hit him on the head and
evolved the theory of sravitation--
gravitation having been there all the
time, and apples hitting people ever and
anon. but nobody but Uncle Ike ever
thought Of evolving 1t into a theory.
Most Of the things that invention has
uncarthed and science has stamped as
pure food for thought. were in the world
all along. right where everybody who
cared to look could see them-but no
body would give a look.
clusshng or perfettly sood abi WHICH isS
museum and not the discovercr of the
subject, please turn the eye slightly
to the right and note the photographed
features that shine out in such chubby
cheerfulness. Are they familiar?
They are not!
They are not the least bit familiar as
features. and yet the person that owns
them has been one of the most familiar
figures Of speech in this country for
at least quarter of a century.
Charles Frohman presents" has been
a phrase that has appeared on more
billboards. on more posters and on more
theater programs and newspaper read
ing notices and advertisements than
any other combination OF three words
vet formed. With this perfectly under
stood we will stick a prod into the
phrase. stir up the words and-present
Charles Frohman!
Produced First Play Here.
II there is any one man connected
with the business Of creating plain and
fancy diversion for the q per cent Of
the worlds population that speak tho
English language whose life and work
should be familiar to the people Of
Washington, 1t is Charles Frohman. Be-
cause he inaugurated his career in the
business right here In this city. That
doesn't mean that Charles Frohman was
born here or ever lived here. He wasn't
and hasn't.
Since he inausurated his great career
here, however, it is easy to guess that
Ohio Is his irthplace-Sandusky, Oh O
this being the favorite inaugurating
point for the careers of Ohio people.
And it is also only natural that he calnc
here from New York to do it. Along
with a lot Of these facts about Mr..
Frohman that have never been pub
lished in a newspaper or book or any
thing else before, this came straight
to me from that gentleman himself dur
ing the course of a little chat In h.s
room at the Shoreham Hotel yesterday
1t was just a bit more than quarter
of century ago that struggling
young, playwright from Connecticut
named William Gillette induced Mr.
frohman to look over a sketch he had
called Mr.. Willlinsons Widows" Mr.
Frohman was then a dramatic agent IN
New York. He had come from his home
In Ohio when quite lad to join his
porter on the New York Tribune
Charles entered the public schools Of the
city and worked at night In the Tribune
office. He left school later to join the
aadyertis:ng department of the New
York Graphic where he worked in the
day time while he sold tickets at
Ilooley's Theater in Brooklyn at night
He left HoOley's and the Graphic to
to take charge of the business end of
the Chicago Comedy Company in Chi
cago and year or so later Joined Wit
liam liavcrly as a business manager
and helped ITaverly organize the big
minstrel company which was the grand
daddy of all the big minstrel compa nies
that have happened since. After tour
ing England with the minstrcls-just to
show how he got the habit Of touring
England-he returned to this country
and joined his brother Daniel again
this time at the Madison Square The
ater, where Daniel had a company.
Charles took over the company when
Daniel branched out in another dlrec-
ton and sent out several companies
with old Wallack successes. This, by
the way, furnished him with the germ
OF the idea which in later years de-
veloped into the famous organization
known as the Empire Stock Conn
pany. Then he established him
self as dramatic agent on
on Broadway. And it was to his Office
as an agent that William Gillette came,