Evening star., 1940-04-08

fomouS Actor Dies at
II in Long Island
Room;ng House
BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, April 8-BroadWay
paused today to pay final tribute
last of the old school of matinee
idols.
Leading man to Maude Adams and
many other famous feminine stars,
he died Yesterday at 72 from cor
onary embolism in Long Island
rooming house.
Mr.. FaverSham was romantic
star and played such role both
onstage and offstage. Once, when
commenting on the rise of Eugene
O'Neill, Elmer Rice and other real
istic playwrights. he said, that isn't
theater to me- The theater is place
strictly to provide entertainment, to
get yourself and your audience out
of the realities of life and into a
romantic Illusion"
Yet one of his last roles was in a
touring company of Tobacco Road"
as the down-to-earth. unromantic
Jeeter Lester, But he played that
with as much relish as he played
his earlier romantic roles for it
came to him when he had lost the
last of his several fortunes and
needed job.
Became Star in 1901.
Mr.. Faversham was born in Lon
don in 1868 and, after college, served
a short time in the Yeomanry Cav
airy Regiment of Warwickshire
After making his stage debut in a
London vaudeville theater in 1885,
he came to New York two years
later to make his first appearance
here in Pen and Ink"
He became a star in 1901 when
he played Don Caesar in "A Royal
Rival" His standing bounded rapid
ly higher as he toured the coun-
try in 1867 in THE Squaw Man"
and after that in many Shake
spearean productions. including his
Romeo to Maude Adams Juliet.
Mr.. FaverSham never was vain
and always gentleman of man.
ners. Once when touring in Will
liam A. Bradys revival of Leah
Kleschna" he encountered two
young actresses from his company
strolling the streets of Philadelphia
in the warm sunshine of spring. He
soundly took them to task for ap-
pearing in public without wearing
long gloves One of the actresses
was Claudette Colbert.
Besides Miss Adams, he was lead
ing man to Maxine Elliott, Mrs
Fiske, Emily Stevens and many
other feminine stars.
Friendship Follows Quarrel.
He was co-starred with Miss
Stevens at time when he had con-
siderably more theatrical fame than
she did So he frankly told Miss
Stevens he was bit perturbed be-
cause she got equal billing with him
(their names on the theater mar
quees reading William Faversham-
Emily Stevens"
One night he came into her dress
ing room and said, Il don't mind it
any more, Emily. Now just read
it William Faversham minus Emily
Stevens and that salves my con-
science" Then he laughed and
they became warm friends.
He was one star who always won
the highest respect of producers and
they continually worked to provide
him with hit plays. He was leading
man to Mrs. Fiske for two seasons
and in 1893 Charles Frohman began
presenting him in many plays with
his historic Empire Theater Co.
Then George c. Tyler bought
'The Squaw Man. and he asked
Mr.. Frohman if he could borrow
Mr.. Faversham to play the lead.
1--WE been trying for years to get
a success for Mr.. Faversham," Mr..
Frohman replied. ''If you think
you've got hit for him. I'll put up
half the money for production
Play Earns Fortune.
The play earned a young fortune
for Mr.. Faversham and made S175.-
600 each for Mr.. Tyler and Mr..
Frohman as co-producers. There
was never a written contract be-
tween any of the three, all just CIV
ing their word
Mr.. Faversham was married three
times, to Marian Merwin, Julie Opp
and Edith Campbell, the latter a
daughter of a former Mayor of
Phoenix, Ariz. He is survived by
two sons. Philip, an actor of New
York, and William, jr., of Boston.
Even in his later years he never
abandoned Shakespeare, joining the
Chicago Civic Shakespeare Society
in 1881 to play Antonio in The
Merchant of Venice Claudius in
Hamlet" and other roles.
He also appeared in his last years
IN few Hollywood films, including