Evening star., 1938-05-25
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
BY MARGARET GERMOND.
BACKSTAGE WITH HENRY MILLER.
BY Frank p. Morse. New York: E.
. P. Dutton & Co., Inc.

P. Dutton & Co., Inc.
A little more than sixty years ago pair
of youthful conspiratorS living In Toronto
made an agreement to meet In the dark
ness of a convenient alley and from
there to go forth for plunge into the
night life of the big Canadian town. One
of them was sixteen year -old lad known
to his companions as John H. Miller.
Young Miller was native of London, had
received his early education in the old
bluecoat school in the capital of Great
Britain and had moved to Canada with
his parents just two years before the
eventful evening on which he kept tryst
with his fellow adventurer and tasted the
forbidden pleasure of the land of make
believe.
Employment of bit of ancient STRAIT
egy was necessary to insure the plan a
full measure of success, for secrecy con-
stitutes very large element Of the spice
in any youthful enterprise that runs
counter to parental approval Hearing
the low whistle which had been agreed
upon as a signal, John Miller emerged
from second-story back window,
dropped to the sturdy limb of q nearby
tree, swung himself over the fence and
jumped down to the ground in the alley.
Having thus safely cleared the first haZ-
ard, they were on their way for an eve
ming of thrills induced by performance
of Across the Continent witnessed
from the topmost gallery of the Old
Grand Opera House. 1t was John Henry
Miller's first time in theater.
Theatrical performances, melodrama
particularly, as a form of entertainment
were not looked upon with favor by the
elder Millers. Neither were secret de-
partureS from home by way of second
story back windows. The eScapade
turned out to be one which was rewarded
with punishment for disregard of pa
rental wisdom and authority, but which
famed into flame an unsuSpected
spark of genius that was destined to
make the youthful culprit famous.
Determined to become an actor, Miller
began reading the theatrical news and
dramatic columns in the Toronto news
papers. He played hockey from school to
visit the theater and mingle with the
performers backstage, and induced
Charles w. Couldock to teach him the
rudiments of acting. He was seventeen
years old when the printed program for
stock company production of Amy
Robsart' bore the name of j. Henry Mil
Ter as member of the cast in a minor
role.
In August, 1905, almost thirty years after
the inconsequential first appearance with
the Toronto stock company, Henry Mil
Ter lost his temper and while still in a
rage he launched into another phase
of theatrical work The day was
hot, and the man who had become one
OF Americas most popular theatrical
stars had been required to wait outside
the private Office of Charles Frohman
for nearly two hours while plans for the
coming season were being made for Will
liam Gillette, Maude Adams. John Drew
Ethel Barrymore and numerous other
celebrities. Infuriated by the long wait
Henry Miller rushed out of the Empire
Theater Building and strode down town
ObceSsed with rage against his manager
he saw nothing until he passed the old
and empty Princess Theater Sight of
the building restored consciousness. He
promptly made plans to become q pro-
ducer as well as an actor. He signed q
contract to lease the theater, without
enough money in the bank to pay rent.
made arrangements with the Shuberts
for out-of-town bookings, won the sup
port of Margaret Anglin and went on
vaudeville tour to earn enough money
to launch his new project. The opening
attraction at the Princess Theater un-
der Miller management on September
%, 1905, was "Zira," starring Miss Anglin.
Not many months later Miller's produc-
tion of 1.-The Great Divide" made stage
history.
*x**
Henry Miller'S career spanned the era
which witnessed the rise of the theater
in America to its greatest heights. His
contribution as actor and as producer was
of the highest, In performance, in material
perfection and in faithful adherence to
standards of idealism. It was Henry
Miller who first recognized the remark
able talent of Maude Adams He discov-
cred ALA Nazimova in dance hall and
launched her as a theatrical star. He
introduced Ruth Chatterton to theater-
goers as full-fledged star in Daddy
Long Legs" and presented Walter
Hampden and other famous men and
women of stageland to audiences who
expected and received the superior in
theatrical art. He was closely associated
with the greatest actors, playwrights and
producers of his time. They respected
him, feared him and loved him.
An Introductory tribute by George M.
Cohan gives picture of Mr. Miller as a
man of many parts, whose dominating
characteristic was art and whose love
for the theater was religious ideal. The
following by Mr.. Cohan briefly outlines
the two sides of the man:
I'm his private life he was a kindly
gentleman-a gracious hoSt-and had
the charm of the cultured man of the
world that made him graceful and
welcome figure in any circle of society.
He was humanistic in the broadest sense
of the word. He was brilliant conver-
sationaliSt.
"The other man was mild tyrant an
exactist, an artist, dominating person.
ality, and had at times an uncomfortable
temper The artistic instinct in him
was so keen, his craftsmanship so near
to perfection, and his execution accom-
plished with SO little apparent effort
that he wondered why any one couldn t
do things the same way. He was
intolerant of mediocrity-and entirely
out of patience with stupidity. He
had the frailties Of human nature; he
also had many of its finest qualities.
Among his finer qualities was loyalty.
Loyalty to his friends and loyalty to his
ideals. It was this loyalty to his ideals
that brought on his untimely end
In telling the story of this remarkable
man Mr.. Morse. whose close association
with him over long period of years quail
f1es him to give faithful and authentic
rooord of hic 1ifo rlovotoc tho no ooS nf hi