The Washington times., 1917-06-14
ANNA HELD ISSUED
ASSTAR OF WORLD
Manager Tells Jury She Is
Greatest Actress.
she WAS 'DEESTURRBED"
Fight Over Commission Laid to
Misguided Friendship.
;HE WAS "DEESTURRBED"

NEW YORK, June 14.-It's out now
the exact standing Of Anna Held
en- the stage. II slipped out yester-
day before Supreme Court Justice
Platzek and a jury in the course of a
suit for Sl,52S1I commission. brought
against her by Eugene H. Kaufman,
Of 1000 Broadway. Miss Held was de-
scrieed as 1.-THE greatest actress in
the world" Witnesses in court are
put under oath and supposed to tell
the truth.
The plaintiff. who referred to him
self as "a representative of theatrical
and moving picture stars" asserted
that, through his interest. the actress
obtained a contract to roll her eyes
with the Shuberts in June. 1915, for
$1,000 a week and a percentage OF the
gate receipts. A little family feeling.
besides the usual devotion TO her art.
was back Of Miss Held's desire for
this contract, according to KaufF
man
Something Besides Art.
The preceding fall. he testified. be-
fore making the gold rush to Califor-
MIA as a movie star for Morosco at
5000 a week, Miss Held had asked
his aid in getting "a position on
Broadway so she could play in compe-
tition TO Florenz ziegfeld. who was
once her husband, but retired in 1912
via the divorce court Miss Held told
him. according to Kaufman. that for
ten years she had been prevented
from taking a Shubert contract be-
cause she was related 20 Ziegfeld by
marriage
On her assurance that she would
pay him well IL he would only get
her this chance to show what she still
thought of her former husband, Kauf-
mans story ran, he approached Lee
Shubert and his brother, represented
that Miss Held had been going about
the country making herself simply
great by delivering speeches on HUI
mainly" Peace and other topics
which could be Intelligently discussed
by an actress who had kept her eyes
open
Away She Goes
Later the Anna Held Company. Inc.
was formed. the plaintiff stated. absorb
ing S100O from the Shuberts and 5000
from the hard-earned million which
Miss Held reported on her own behalf
1he had accumulated q few years ago.
With this as a grubstake. Miss Held Sc,
out to become the greatest actress on
two planets In Follow Ne"
After Kaufman's testimony ended
Miss Held swished upon The stand and
confessed to everybody that in round
plumbers the worth Of his claims wa
teSs than zero in her opinion. Kauf.
mans offers. she declared. were entirely
gratuitous. and his efforts to assist her
were positively annoying.
Oh, the DiEturberg
He came to me very often" she said.
Z couldn't get rid OF him. He dees-
turrbed muh-" Before going TO Los An.
geles. she said. Kaufman made her give
him half the commission he demanded
for capitalizing her reputation for q
humanitarian and the greatest all.
around actress at all weights. She as.
serted that Kaufman told her he would
be her manager for nothing and pro.
mote her interests with the shuberts-
Lee Shubert being his dearest friend
and then he spoiled everything b.
Sending her a bill
i was shocked said the actress %
couldn't understand Il"
And then the jury-its true, though Il
does sound like one Of those newspaper
gtories"-lookinE right at Anna Held
eyes. brought in a verdict for the plain.
IA for the full amount. less 500.