New-York tribune., 1919-12-14

u ;:: ;:: ;:::', xxi: :s ;: :::;;:: :::s:;; FL
bert Miller as producing
manager of great prestige in
London, an English newspaper gave
the story of his brief but interesting
career. "Mr. Miller" the story read,
sis the son of Henry Miller, an Amer
lean actor" And here we are just be-
ginning to be dimly aware that one
Gilbert, son Of our famous Henry
Miller, is developing a claim to a repu-
tation on his own account.
us being the son of famous father
handicap?" Mr.. Miller was asked
ut wasn't in England. But it was
tremendous handicap here. l should
have been obliterated by my fathers
reputation if I had not broken away
and gone to London"
Gilbert Miller is in his early thirties.
He was a stage child, but when he
grew up it became apparent that fame
did not lie in that quarter for him.
He developed an interest in his faith
er's producing ventures, and through
that became actively interested in the
progressive tendencies in the theater.
II young Miller had had any un-
usual ability as a producer, recognition
would inevitably have been slow in
reaching him in this country, since all
his work here bore the impress of his
fathers name.
This young American is by all odds
the most interesting and venturesome
of English producers to-day. In three
years he has impressed himself on the
English theater as no American ever
has before by the extent and variety
OF his projects and the force with
which he has executed them.
He went to England in 1915 to put
on Daddy LongLegs" for his father.
English theatrical scene was suddenly
swept bare os it's greatest figures. Death
or retirement had put Tree, Alexander
Wyndham, Hare, Forbes Robertson
Frohman. George Edwardes, Lewis
Waller and half dozen other power
full producers of the English stage
quite out of the reckoning. new era
was beginning, but no new generation
OF younger men WAS ready to urge
themselves and their standards on the
English stage.
The passing of these great figures
left the English theater in a curious
condition. 1t left it without any great
personages to set the fashions in either
musical or serious entertainment. An
English producing firm is most often
limited company with shares on the
market. The stockholders engage a
salaried director-and he is usually
popular enough to be in demand for a
great many productions in the course
of season. The productions thus made
bear the mark of no particular indi-
viduality
The passing of George Edwardes was
loss to the English stage of the
man who invested the musical produc-
ton with the greatest distinction. The
business of revue making is now al
most entirely in the hands of two
large firms, Alfred Butt, Ltd, and Loril-
lard 4 Grossmith, who turn out score
Of revues for London and the prov
inces every season. There are only
few actormanagers left who give
personal supervision to their produc-
tions and who stamp them with the
distinctive finish of an individual style
Du Maurier, Bouccault, Lorraine
Ainley-and the list is almost finished
In this respect, says Miller, we are
ahead of London Belasco, Ziegfeld
Hopkins, Dillingham;, Tyler and Will
Jams are only a few of the men who
stand for individual types of plays and
production in this country
For the first time in many years
/ therefore, the field of English produc
/ ing was open to all comers-and es
pecially vulnerable to one who had an,
new ideas to contribute. The wartime