The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-25
Brock PembertOn Was Taught
Theater Was "HeH."
Now Young Kansan's Producing
Play on Broadway.
GOT START ON NEWSPAPER
Worked for Bill White on EN-
pOria Gazette.
His First Play, 'Enter Madame
Is Big Success.

| New York, Sept. 25.-The story of
the rise of a Kansas newspaperman in
New York is told this week in the
Tribune in connection with the COM
ing into prominence of Brock Pember-
! ton, former Emporia boy. and protege
/ of Walt Mason and William Allen
! White. The newspaper says;
/ Out Kansas way there once was circuit
! riding Methodist minister named Thomas
Murdoch. he made the ROUNDS, preached
| things he told them that the theater and
/ everything connected with it was hell
fire and birthstone and place scarcely tit
for good Methodists.
He's Producing ENTER Madame"
! The Murdoch grandchildren were not
spared this lesson 1t was drilled into
The answer is that Victor Murdoch, one
/ grandson, has an overpOwering ambition
/ to write a play. Another, Brock Pember-
| ton, has just entered the producing tleid
and brought forth Enter Madame" the
| comedy in which GiIda Varesi and Norman
! Trevor are featured at the Garrick theater
/ Instead Of the desired effect the eXhorta-
I bring out the strong strain of Snowman
I ship of the Murdoch family. Murdoch
/ PeIiberton, another grandson and brother
Of Brock, is also identified with the theater
in New York, being a member Of the Dill
ingham forces at the Hippodrom-.
Just about three years ago Brock PEN
matte news and reviewing plays for New
/ York newspaper. Now, with Enter
Madame" heralded as the most suecessful
( production Of the present theatrical season,
! he has Joined the ranks of the younger
and progressive producers from whom
/ much that is fine in the American theater
, is expected
Fired From College Times,
! \ Pemberton is a Kansan. His mother was
| a Murdoch, and all the male members Of her
| family were in the newspaper profession,
| owning five Kansas papers at one time
/ William Allen White, editor of The En-
poria Gazette, got his start on paper
| owned by one of Brock Pemberrou's uncles,
and became n close friend OF the young
man With this friendship and with the
! Murdoch precedent. Brock could not help
/ turning to newspaper work After he left
| high school N Emporia he started work on
! The Gazette, and while at the College OF
| Emporia, a small, UNCONVENTIONAL school,
he continued his work for the paper, send
ing IN various college news stories. 1hTee
! times he was asked by the college faculty
! to sever his connections with the institu
| ton, and finally, six months before gradu-
alton, he was asked to 60 for good.
| They told me that l was 4 bright young
man. but that I could complete my edcatIoE
elsewhere" the young producer said smil-
He came east to the University of Penn
! sylvania with an honorable discharge
| from the Kansas school, but wien inquiries
/ were made at EmpOria it was found that
there had been a change Of administration
at the Kansas college and Pemberton-s ex-
/ act status was not known
Worked for Bill White.
"Then I went back to Kansas, and VIII
lam White lent me enough money to work
/
saS for year, and took my degree there
In 1905. When White let me have the money
/ him some time. What If 1 should die be-
| fore 1 pay it back to you? 1 asked. Then
you can shovel some coal on the fire for
! swered.'
Until the desire to do big city newspa-
per work struck him Pemberton worked
| on The Gazette. He was the star reporter
there was enc other on the staff The
! Sun was the only New York paper when
trrno ID int fhn g110 ETr1r, rfo
and if any other New York papers existed
| Pemberton did not know them. When VIII
| liam Allen White was east he told Chester
Lord OF us young star reporter; Armed
| with letters from White and Walt Mason,
he came to New York ten years ago IN
search of metropolitan experience. He went
| to see Lord but there was no place for
him on The Sun. Finally, after a weeks
| search he visited The Mail with a letter
S. s. Frank Adams and got 'o0' starting at
| Got a Job on The Mail.
One day the dramatic desk becamevaeant.
| The managing editor called Pembertoh IN
| and asked him if he knew anything about
| that came to Emporfa.i' the latter replica,
Would you like to try it here?' he asked.
| So Pemberton got this chance at dramatic
| criticism and the first thing he was called
upon to review was Every
! For about two years Pemberton was
| Louis Defoe's assistant on The World
and then ne spent about three and half
years as dram tic editor Of The Times
! When Arthur hopkins offered him a posi-
ton in his producing organization he left
| the newspaper profession.
| Brock Pemberton'S background of ex-
! Derience behind his first production was
| his seven years of dramatic work on news
papers and his three years with Arthur
/ Hopkins. He had seen much that was gOoo
| and much that was bad, and he felt he
| knew what to do and what not to do in
| connection with play production. So lie
| determined to take a chance and try it on
his own
==---