The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1934-06-25
Daniel Frohman
Prepares toQuit
His Theater
BY DIXIE TIGHE
International News Service Staff
Correspondent


NEW YORK, June Is U.N.S0.
The House of F'rohman opened it's
doors to the theater world AZ years
ago. In all those years it found
room only for plays of merit, taste
and distinction. No unworthy pro-
duction ever slipped by its door,
keeper, Charles Frohman, whose
life was lost when the Lusitania
sank.
Today the House Of Frohman
Is preparing to move out Of the
theater world. It's glamor is being
readied for Renaissance. The IA
nous, remote office where Charles
Frohman often talked with Maude
Adams, Ethel Barrymore, John
Drew, Mary Pickford, Douglas
Fairbanks-name any star Of two
decades ago-is being stripped Of
the things that he cherished:
things that will pass to museums
or be swiftly acquired by collectors.
A Famous Trio
Daniel Frohman is the sole liv.
ing member of the famous Froh-
man trio, Daniel, Gustave and
Charles-sons of Sandusky, Ohio
but he has no desire to rescue
Charles Frohman, Inc, from it's
intent to become a memory. In
deed, Daniel Frohman is almost
ready to call the Daniel Frohman
productions a thing of the past.
But, he plans the inevitable Gust
one more production.
Daniel Frohman's office is over
the gallery of the old Lyceum
Theater, a dreary fronted build
ing made anonymously alive by
the hearty photographs from
Sailor Beware" the rowdy play
that is housed In Daniel Froh-
mans Lyceum Theater. The
walls of his office are papered in
photographs of great names in
the photograph. And some day
he knows they will go the way Of
Brother Charles treasures.
He sat at his desk planning a
benefit for the actors fund, this
morning. He thought for a minute
as il the reason for not carrying
on the House Of Frohman were
vague in his mind. Then with a
sweeping gesture he pointed to his
! wall celebrities and said;
/
"It isn't wOr til 1t-6Hlee
Charles and Gustave and I were
pioneers in the theater world.
Now there are new, young ones.
We can't get the proper plays
for the great stars Of yesterday,
who would be great tOday-HOl-
lywood has appealed to many
others of the great ranks; tastes
have changed.
give not produced for some
time myseIf-but, 1 want to pro-
duce one more play before I quit
entirely"
Brother Charles
His thoughts wandered to the
successes of the House Of Froh-
man. He talked earnestly of the
problems, the mistakes that he
feels are in the theater of today.
Quite suddenly he reverted to
Charles
"YOu know he never made
contracts. He trusted everyone.
They trusted him. I used to
tell him it was bad business.
I always liked to get everything
down on paper-but Charles
never would do more than have
an agreeable talk with his stars,
playwrights."
A few blocks away from the
almost antiquated office of Daniel
Frohman is the modern, high-speed
advertising office of Louis H. Froh-
man, son of Gustave Frohman, the
brother who managed the road
companies.
His father and his uncles
wanted him to carry on. But he
felt he was a born advertising
man and he preferred to test his
prediction rather than bow to
the family influence. Even the
passing of the House Of F'rohman
has brought him no regret at his
decision.