File:Famous actors and their homes (1905) (14778691761).jpg

Identifier: cu31924075696322 (find matches)
Title: Famous actors and their homes
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors: Kobbé, Gustav, 1857-1918
Subjects: Actors, American
Publisher: Boston, Little, Brown, and Company
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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in Boston,and Richard, who then was studying at Yver-don, Switzerland, was sent for. He was(95 ) FAMOUS ACTORS employed for a time in a large Boston dry-goods store, but his artistic aspirations were toostrong to be overcome. He could sing, play,mimic, and paint. The last seemed to him hisspecial bent. He rented a studio, paintedwater-colors, and sold them among his friends.In a comparatively brief time, however, aUthese were happy possessors of Mansfieldaquarelles, and the sales fell off in brisknessuntil he found himself in the not very cheer-ful position of an artist who could paint muchfaster than he could sell. In this dilemma he decided to turn histalent for music and mimicry to account. Hehired a small hall, had tickets and circularsprinted, and, falling back upon his Dickens,announced Vincent Crummels Entertain-ment. He played the piano and sang, andgave imitations of performers on variousinstruments, very much as he did later in Prince Karl. In 1875 he went to England,( 96 )
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ago se ! 8 <! THEIR HOMES where he made a precarious hving by painting.Often the only meals he had were those hesecm-ed at houses of friends who invited himto help make the evening pass by his cleverparlor entertainments. Finally he decided togive these professionally, but, at the very fii-stone, excitement combined with exhaustionfrom hunger caused him to faint at the pianoafter striking one chord. Shortly afterwards a chance meeting withW. S. Gilbert, who had seen him entertain asan amateur, secured him the role of Sir JosephPorter at £3 a week in a Pinafore companywhich was to do the provinces. He rernainedthree years with Gilbert, played an engage-ment in comic opera in London, and then,in 1882, returned to the United States in acomic opera company organized by DOylyCarte. I was present at his first appearance on thestage in this country. It was at the Standard,(99 ) FAMOUS ACTORS now the Manhattan Theatre, New York, inSeptember, 1882, in Les Manteaux Noirs.His role, Dromez, t

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