The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-25


 numbering among her citizens one of the few veteran managers of the theatre in the south in the person of MT. R. S Douglas. manager of the Jefferson theatre.
 When all is told, MT. Douglas per haps numbers among his acquain- tsnce as many "oid-time stage favor ties" as any other living manager, his career extending over nearly 4G years of constant and unabating serV- ice in the theatrical business.
 MT. Douglas came to Birmingham 22 years ago as manager of the Jeff ferson theatre, and he is the one and only manager that this theatre has ever had.
 He came here>from Memphis, where he was manager of the Grand Opera House. and enlisted the attention and interest of Mir. Charles J. Smith and MT. Joseph R. Smith, sons of the late Dr. Joseph R. Smith, one of the pioneers of the Birmingham dis trict whose name and that of his sons spells fame and fortune in this great section of Alabama.
 The result of MT. Douglas' in- nuence, In regard to the building ot a new theatre here, Is the Jeffer- son, which was built 22 years ago, and named for the great old time stage favorite," Joseph Jeffer- son, whose Rip Van Wrinkle" will go down in history as one of the greatest portrayals ever seen on any stage.
 Previous to the building of tho Jef- ferson and its opening, Mir. Douglas bad had wide experience as man ager out in Missouri, where he was born, and later in California. where he was manager of a chain of thea tres which brought to that section of the country some of the most fla nous and most distinguished actors and actresses of that day and time.
 Many of these "old-time stage Sa- vorites" were personal friends of MT. Douglas, and he has stacks snd stacks of photographs (many of them autographed) and many souvenirs which have been given him by those distinguished and talented veterans of the stage" whose names are to- day held in honor and respect by the younger generation of actors.
 have often heard MT. Douglas relate interesting experiences of ms early life and his acquaintance Witn many of the old-time stage faVor- ties. and while he Is sometimes reti- cent about telling of his affairs, l have always had cordial ally in his popular assistant, MT. Brown Parkes, who has so capabiy han aled the affairs at the Jefferson, and to whose cleverness much of the popularity of the theatre is due
 In the absence of MT. Douglas who. for the past three months has been In Wedron. Ill., at the famous Sulphur Lick springs, under the care of the eminent specialist, Dr. Miller I chanced to drop in at the Jefferson few days ago, and during q pleas ant chat with MT. Parkes, l had the pleasure of seeing wonderful col lection of photographs and letters and souvenirs belonging to MT. Doug- laS.
 Patrons of the Jefferson have often observed, I feel sure, the photographs which adorn the walls of the foyer of the theatre, and these as well as many of the photographs reproduced in this story, being yellow with age and old with history. carry with them q story worth the telling.
 With the openfng of the twenty second season of the Jefferson the atre, r seasons of which l have been Mir Douglas assistant, l think 1t would be of interest to reminisce about some of his unusual acquaint- ;.nces among the old-time stage fa- vs~i1es." said MT Parkes. "The Jeffer- son has attained in it's 22 seasons Asc maJorWy-the majority which every theatre desires-namely, .peoigree,' an ancestry which is aris- .tocratic and worth while. The Jeff ferson belongs to the blue bloods' of the theatre. because of it's dignity r1A its age. the theatre being now of tha reaf la nd 1a1ss of t)... profession, managers from Maine to Mexico numbering it with the old time McCauley's theatre in Louisville, the Tulane and the old French opera Daly's old theatre in New Y4.n Wallack's and the Casino-and many other old time theatres which are known and respected all over the country.
 1 could unearth dozens of remark able souvenirs which have been given to MT. Douglas during his approxi- mate 40 years of managership," MT. Parkes continued but suffice it to say that from Sarah Bernhardt and Joseph Jefferson to Ethel Barrymore and Julia Marlowe, he has known personally almost everyone of ini- portance in the theatrical profes- sion."
 MT. Douglas saw and knew Sarah Bernhardt when he was a little boy wearing knee pants" Mir. Parkes said, and relates many interesting