53-592: Thomas Souness Hamblin (14 May 1800 – 8 January 1853) was an English actor and theatre manager . He first took the stage in England, then immigrated to the United States in 1825. He received critical acclaim there, and eventually entered theatre management. During his tenure at New York City's Bowery Theatre he helped establish working-class theatre as a distinct form. His policies preferred American actors and playwrights to British ones, making him an important influence in
106-480: A "brain fever" (probably cerebral meningitis or cerebral syphilis ) in his Broome Street home on 8 January 1853. He left eight heirs, each of whom received $ 10,000 from his estate. He was buried at Ocean Hill, Brooklyn . His family maintained ownership of the Bowery Theatre until 1867. Actor-manager An actor-manager is a leading actor who sets up their own permanent theatrical company and manages
159-644: A barroom brawl in October 1834 and once assaulted the editor of the New York Herald , James Gordon Bennett Sr. , in his offices. This latter fight led to a two-day trial and Hamblin's conviction in February 1837. In 1838, newspaper editor and blackface performer George Washington Dixon wrote in his Polyanthos that Hamblin was having an affair with a teen-aged starlet at the Bowery named Miss Louisa Missouri Miller. The girl
212-539: A career on stage by the age of 17. He performed roles in several small theatres throughout England, and joined a tour of the Low Countries in 1814, returning the following year to make his London debut. Booth gained national renown in England with his performance in the title role of Richard III in 1817 at the Covent Garden Theatre. Critics compared his performances favorably with those of Edmund Kean , who
265-412: A combination of the works of Shakespeare , popular melodramas , and new dramas, comedies or musical theatre works. The era of the actor-manager was geared to star performances, such as Irving 's role in the 1871 play The Bells . The system of actor-management waned in the early 20th century, as actor-managers were replaced first by stage managers and later by theatre directors . In addition,
318-577: A form in its own right. Perhaps Hamblin's greatest influence was in his incubation of American talent. He helped start the careers of many young unknowns, and he was not shy about exerting his influence over those who relied upon his patronage. His Bowery featured many big-name talents, including Junius Brutus Booth , Frank Chanfrau , George Washington Dixon , Louisa Lane Drew , Edwin Forrest , Josephine Clifton , Louisa Medina , James B. Phillips , Thomas D. Rice , and Charles W. Taylor . In 1831, he renamed
371-474: A lawyer who was a strong supporter of the Patriot cause, and Jane Elizabeth Game. His paternal grandfather was John Booth, a silversmith, and his paternal grandmother Elizabeth Wilkes was a relative of politician and journalist John Wilkes . While he was growing up, Booth's father tried to settle his son in a lengthy succession of professions. Booth recalls of his childhood, "I was destined by my Controllers first for
424-518: A letter to President Andrew Jackson , demanding he pardon two pirates. In the letter, he threatened to kill the President. Though there would also be an actual attempt of assassination on the President early that year, the letter was believed to be a hoax, until a handwriting analysis of a letter written some days after the threat concluded that the letter was, in fact, written by Booth. Booth apologized to Jackson, though since he and Jackson were friends,
477-466: A local militia group for one of their functions. Hamblin's success can also be attributed to his hard-nosed business practices. He advertised extensively, and he pioneered the concept of allowing productions to run for periods as long as a month. In the spring of 1834, he began purchasing shares of the theatre from its owners, the New York Association; within 18 months, he owned a majority. When
530-510: A log cabin Booth bought, moved to his 150 acres, and whitewashed. Just before his death, he began building a much grander house which he named Tudor Hall . It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Booth was quickly hired to play Richard III. In less than a year, Booth became the most prominent actor in the United States. Critic William Winter said, "He was followed as
583-538: A marvel. Mention of his name stirred an enthusiasm no other could awaken" (Smith 23). He embarked upon a 30-year acting career that made him famous throughout the country. Booth traveled to Baltimore , Boston , and New York . A persistent story, but apocryphal according to some sources, is that Junius Brutus Booth was acclaimed for performing Orestes in the French language in New Orleans. Theatrical manager Noah Ludlow , who
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#1732863255889636-472: A permanent clientele that flocked to their productions. They could enlarge their audience by going on tour across the country, performing a repertoire of well-known plays, such as Shakespeare. The newspapers, private clubs, pubs and coffee shops rang with lively debates palming the relative merits of the stars of their productions. Henry Irving (1838–1905) was the most successful of the British actor-managers. Irving
689-513: A popular actress and daughter of actor William Blanchard and half-sister of actor/playwright E. L. Blanchard . Hamblin had two children by his first wife: William Henry Hamblin Jr. (stage name "Thomas Hamblin Jr") and Elizabeth "Betsey" Hamblin. Despite some success he had still not established himself with the London critics when, in 1825, Hamblin and his wife left England for the United States. Hamblin took
742-457: A romantic, natural acting style to America, which he pioneered in the hearts of American audiences. To help him maintain a modicum of stability and also to ensure that he sent his earnings home to the family, Junius and Mary Ann chose their son Edwin to accompany him as his dresser, aid, and guardian. This was an exhausting job because Junius Brutus could go without sleep for very long periods of time and would often disappear. In 1835, Booth wrote
795-708: A severe fever, presumably from drinking impure river water. No physician was on board, and he died aboard the steamboat near Louisville, Kentucky , on 30 November 1852. Booth's widow, Mary Ann, traveled to Cincinnati alone to claim his body. Booth is buried in Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore. Junius Brutus Booth was posthumously inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981. Robert Warwick portrayed Junius Brutus Booth in The Farmer Takes
848-436: A stage hand to go out and buy a bottle of whiskey. As the stage hand stood outside the door, Booth stuck a drinking straw through the keyhole and sipped whiskey from the bottle. Booth's violent behavior offstage was notable as well. In Charleston, in 1838, Booth was so intoxicated that he attacked a friend, Tom Flynn, with a fireplace andiron. To defend himself, Flynn hit Booth in the face, breaking his nose and forever altering
901-533: A tour in Europe; this was finalised in 1834 with the condition that Hamblin was not to remarry as long as his ex-wife lived. Hamblin continued his womanising undaunted; he saw a young actress named Naomi Vincent for a time, and she even came to be known as "Mrs. Hamblin". When she died in childbirth in July 1835, Hamblin entered a relationship with playwright Louisa Medina. He also pugnaciously brooked no opposition. He got into
954-433: A way for the two of them to perform those roles yet again, planning to outperform his opponent. Kean's long-standing presence contributed to Booth's neverending comparisons to his rival. In 1821, Booth emigrated to the United States with Mary Ann Holmes, a flower girl, abandoning his wife and their young son. Booth and Holmes claimed to be married that year and settled in 1822 near Bel Air, Maryland . For years they lived in
1007-721: Is being explored on this model as actors look to provide themselves with an artistic platform which they have the means to control. Examples include Kevin Spacey when he worked as the artistic director of the Old Vic in London , Samuel West when he briefly ran the Sheffield Crucible and Kenneth Branagh in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company. Junius Brutus Booth Junius Brutus Booth (1 May 1796 – 30 November 1852)
1060-466: The "threat" likely was Booth's clumsy attempt at a joke. Decades later, Booth's son, John Wilkes , assassinated President Abraham Lincoln . In 1852, Booth was involved in a tour of California with his sons Edwin and Junius Jr. , performing in San Francisco and Sacramento , where torrential rains not only closed the theatres, but also seriously depleted food supplies. Inflation skyrocketed, and
1113-783: The 17th century. In the 18th century, actor-managers such as Colley Cibber and David Garrick gained prominence. The system of actor-management generally produced high standards of performance, as demonstrated by such 19th-century actors as William Macready , Charles Wyndham , Henry Irving , Frank Benson and Herbert Beerbohm Tree , by husband-wife teams such as Squire Bancroft and Effie Bancroft , Frank Wyatt and Violet Melnotte , William Hunter Kendal and Madge Robertson Kendal and Thomas and Priscilla German Reed , and by women stars, such as Lucia Elizabeth Vestris , Lucy Escott , Selina Dolaro , Evelyn Millard , Sarah Bernhardt , Sarah Thorne , Gertrude Kingston , Emily Soldene , Laura Keene and Lydia Thompson , among many others. In
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#17328632558891166-624: The 1840s, increased competition in New York City prompted Hamblin to stage even more spectacular melodramas and to book more variety entertainment such as minstrel shows and circus acts. After a fire in 1845, Hamblin tried to build a new theatre on Broadway , but local residents opposed the plan. Instead, he rebuilt the Bowery once more. Tastes were becoming more upscale, and Hamblin turned over active management to A. W. Jackson . He faced health problems, and his acting career stalled as his style became outmoded. The Albion reported that The dignity,
1219-407: The 19th century, the negative reputation of actors was largely reversed, and acting became an honored, popular profession and art. The rise of the actor as celebrity provided the transition, as audiences flocked to their favorite "stars." A new role emerged for the actor-managers who formed their own companies and controlled the actors, the production, and the financing. When successful, they built up
1272-474: The Adelphi Theatre in Baltimore. His acclaim continued to grow throughout the rest of his life; Walt Whitman described him as "the grandest histrion of modern times." Although his relationship with Holmes, his supposed wife, was relatively happy, four of their children died, three in the same year (1833), when epidemics of cholera occurred. In addition, he suffered from alcoholism , which had an effect on
1325-1008: The Booths returned to San Francisco without having made a penny. On 1 October, he left San Francisco without either of his sons. (Junius Jr. had previously established his home there, and Edwin struck out on his own, acting in various venues in northern California.) Booth had told his first wife, at the time of his initial departure from England, that he would be touring the United States for several years, but would send her money to support her and his young son, Richard, but Booth's sister and brother-in-law later arrived with their children from England and demanded to be housed and supported in exchange for keeping quiet about his American family. After some years, this arrangement became financially untenable, and Booth stopped sending his wife money so regularly. This prompted Adelaide to send their son, now 25, to Baltimore. For three years, Booth somehow fooled him into believing that he lived alone, but eventually Richard discovered
1378-469: The Bowery Theatre burnt down in 1836, it was the most popular playhouse in New York City. Hamblin bought out the remaining shares and rented the property to W. E. Dinneford and Thomas Flynn . They oversaw the theatre's reconstruction while Hamblin acted in various venues and took care of his debts. Hamblin rebuilt yet again after a fire in 1838 and returned to active management with a bigger Bowery in May 1839. In
1431-583: The English language." However, Stephen M. Archer notes that Ludlow was in Mobile, Alabama, in 1828, so was not present for this performance. The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, has two playbills from the production and both are in French. Booth's daughter Asia wrote that her father spoke fluent French and cited a review on the subject. The review was not oblivious to the fact that Booth's French pronunciation
1484-597: The Park Theatre in the summer of 1848. He renovated the building and reopened in September to mixed reviews. The building burnt down in December. Hamblin's personal life was controversial. Although he was "noted for his correct business habits, promptitude, and open-heartedness", he was a well-known philanderer. Newspapers and rumours alleged that he had many sexual affairs . In 1831, his wife filed for divorce after returning from
1537-498: The Printing office, then to be an architect, then to be a sculptor and modeler, then a lawyer, then a sailor, of all of these I preferred those of sculptor and modeler." On 26 September 1811, Sarah Blackbeard, a woman from Shoreditch , gave birth to a son, William. Called before a magistrate in March 1812, she stated that "one Junius Brutus Booth who resides at his Father's No. 1 Dove Row in
1590-699: The actor's profile and voice. Some historians and critics have claimed that reality could become overwhelming for Booth, so he would flee into alcoholism and the roles he played. One critic said of Booth that the "personality of the actor was forgotten, and all the details seemed spontaneous workings and unconscious illustrations of the character he represented. He seemed to be possessed by the characters, losing his own identity." Such subjective judgments are perhaps too facile, as Edwin Booth's later comment about his father certainly was: "Great minds to madness closely are allied." In any case, from February 1817 onward, Junius Booth played almost 3,000 performances. Booth brought
1643-409: The actress playing Desdemona had to be rescued by other cast members when Booth tried to genuinely suffocate her with a pillow. Booth soon became so unreliable that he had to be locked into his hotel rooms with a guard standing watch. Often, he would still find ways of escaping to drink at a nearby tavern. Once, when a theatre manager locked Booth in his dressing room before a performance, Booth bribed
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1696-416: The business , sometimes taking over a theatre to perform select plays in which they usually star. It is a method of theatrical production used consistently since the 16th century, particularly common in 19th-century Britain and the United States. The first actor-managers, such as Robert Browne , appeared in the late 16th century, to be followed by another Robert Browne (no relation) and George Jolly in
1749-443: The development of early American drama. Although he was known as a fair (if shrewd) businessman, Hamblin's reputation was marred by his well-known womanising and brawling. He had affairs with several up-and-coming actresses at his theatre, and he assaulted at least two newspaper editors who had published unflattering stories about him. His behaviour eventually cost him his first wife and resulted in one conviction for assault. Hamblin
1802-465: The end of World War II a combination of social, financial and technological factors, combined with the rising popularity of film and radio, lead to the diminishing of the actor-manager system, with its last two great exponents being Sir Donald Wolfit and Sir Laurence Olivier , both of whom were actively working within a (by then) old fashioned framework. Though no longer the standard practice, modern actor-managers do exist and increasingly fringe work
1855-538: The entire family. Booth's alcoholism also caused him to become increasingly unpredictable and reckless. He would drop lines, miss scenes, and cause chaos onstage. During a performance of Hamlet , Booth suddenly left the scene he was playing with Ophelia, scurried up a ladder, and perched up in the backdrops crowing like a rooster until his manager retrieved him. He was once booked for a sold-out performance in Richmond, then disappeared from town for several days. Eventually, he
1908-447: The finished and elaborated elocution, and the high artistical execution of that school were occasionally brought most vividly to our remembrance in Mr. HAMBLIN's delineation of Hamlet, weakened however at times . . . by a dash of the melo-dramatic style and the laboured pompousness he has acquired by long practice of his art at the Bowery. He attempted to extend his revenues by buying the lease to
1961-634: The lease and rebuilt when the theatre burnt down later that year. Hamblin catered to the tastes of the rowdy audiences of New York's Bowery district. These " Bowery B'hoys " were working class, primarily male, and socially conservative., and Hamblin accordingly staged blackface performances, circus acts, English farce , American melodrama , and Shakespeare to please them. Hamblin himself preferred upper-class entertainments like ballet and opera; nevertheless, he relegated these to infrequent bookings. Under Hamblin, American working-class theatre, emphasising brilliant spectacle and plot-based narrative, emerged as
2014-532: The playhouse "the American Theatre, Bowery" after an anti-British riot at the Park Theater. The message was clear: The Bowery was the theatre of Native American drama. Hamblin was careful to cultivate good favour with his patrons outside of the theatre, as well. He regularly provided space to the fire department for their annual ball, for example. On another occasion, he loaned the Bowery's in-house orchestra to
2067-656: The said Parish of St Leonard Shoreditch Gentleman... is the true and only Father of such Child." She repeated this as sworn evidence in 1813, when the child became chargeable on the parish under the English Poor Laws , giving Booth's address then as Queen Street, Bloomsbury . In August 1814, Junius met Marie Christine Adelaide Delannoy while boarding at her mother's home in Brussels . She followed him to London where they eventually married on 17 May 1815, soon after his 19th birthday. Their first child, Amelia Portia Adelaide Booth,
2120-609: The stage at New York's Park Theatre in early November, where he tackled a number of roles: Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, Petruchio, Pierre, Rolla, the Stranger, William Tell, and Virginius. Later that month, he appeared opposite Edwin Forrest at the Albion Theatre . Critics praised Hamblin; the Albion calling him "a very excellent actor". Theatre historian T. Allston Brown attributed his success to these factors: As an actor, he possessed
2173-474: The system of actor-management was adversely affected by factors such as the increasing cost of mounting theatrical productions, more corporate ownership of theatres, such as by the Theatrical Syndicate , Edward Laurillard and The Shubert Organization , a trend toward ensemble-style acting, and a move towards the financial security offered by long runs rather than rotating plays for a short period. After
Thomas S. Hamblin - Misplaced Pages Continue
2226-513: The truth. He sent word to his mother, who arrived in Baltimore in December 1846 and confronted Booth when he returned home from touring in March. After living the requisite three years in Maryland, she was able to divorce him in February 1851. On 10 May 1851, with the youngest of their 10 children now 11 years of age, Booth finally legally married Mary Ann Holmes. While traveling by steamboat from New Orleans to Cincinnati in 1852, Booth developed
2279-496: The valuable accessories of a fine person, a good voice, and careful education. . . . In person he was tall and commanding, but so admirably proportioned as in a measure to conceal his almost towering height. Deep set eyes as black as jet were surmounted by a lofty brow, crowned by clusters of curling dark hair in such rich profusion as is seldom seen, except in some of the models which have been handed down to us from remote antiquity. To see him dressed for Brutus, Coriolanus, or Virginius
2332-408: Was a study for a painter. Francis Wemyss disagreed at least in part, saying that Hamblin's acting was "more than balanced by the husky, disagreeable tones of his voice, which always gave the appearance of hard labour to everything he undertook." Hamblin began his tenure as manager of New York's Bowery Theatre with partner James H. Hackett in 1830. Hackett left a month later, and Hamblin obtained
2385-453: Was an English-born American actor. He was the father of actor John Wilkes Booth , who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln . His other children included Edwin Booth , the foremost tragedian of the mid-to-late 19th century, Junius Brutus Booth Jr. , an actor and theatre manager, and Asia Booth Clarke , a poet and writer. Booth was born in St Pancras, London , the son of Richard Booth,
2438-515: Was at the time the foremost tragedian in Britain. Partisans of the two actors, called Boothites and Keanites, would occasionally start rows at venues where the two were playing together. This did not stop the two from performing in the same plays; Kean and Booth acted in several Shakespearean productions at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane from 1817 to 1821. Kean then saw Booth as a threat and orchestrated
2491-496: Was born 4 months, 2 weeks and 4 days later, on 5 October 1815, but died 7 July 1816. Their only child to survive infancy was Richard Junius Booth (1819–1868). Booth's interests in theatre came after he attended a production of Othello at the Covent Garden Theatre . The prospects of fame, fortune and freedom were very appealing to young Booth. He displayed a talent for acting from an early age, deciding on
2544-623: Was born in Pentonville, England. He apprenticed in a London business but changed course after a successful performance as Hamlet in a school production. By 1815, he had made his professional debut as a ballet dancer at London's Adelphi Theatre . He toured the British Isles over the next eight years, performing at venues such as the Drury Lane Theatre (for manager Stephen Kemble ) and Sadler's Wells Theatre . He married Elizabeth Blanchard ,
2597-561: Was found dead within ten days of publication from "inflammation of the brain caused by the violent misconduct of Miss Missouri's mother and the publication of an abusive article in The Polyanthos. " The allegation was not out of character, and many people believed it. Hamblin reacted in his usual fashion: Hamblin's ex-wife died in 1849, and he married actress Elizabeth Mary Ann Trewar Shaw . They had four more children: Alla, Constance, Edith, and William Snowden Hamblin. Thomas Hamblin died of
2650-570: Was found with "ragged, besotted wretches, the greatest actor on the American stage." Booth's alcoholism and violent nature often caused problems onstage during his performances. On several occasions, when he played the title character in Richard III, the actor playing the Earl of Richmond fled the stage when Booth became too aggressive during their dueling scene. One night, when Booth was appearing as Othello,
2703-458: Was less than perfect, however. In 1823, Booth did the role in New York in the English adaptation by Ambrose Philips with Mary Ann Duff as Hermione. In 1825–1826 and 1836–1837, Booth made tours of his native England. He took his whole family with him for the second of these. During their stay in England, one of his children, Henry Byron, succumbed to smallpox. By 1831, he had become the manager of
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#17328632558892756-464: Was performing with Booth at the time at the American theatre there, recounts the actual events starting on page 230 of his memoir Dramatic Life As I Found It and concludes: "Therefore, I consider the story of Mr. Booth having performed Orestes in the French language, on the French stage, altogether a mistake arising from his having acted that character in the Théâtre d'Orléans of New Orleans in 1822, but in
2809-489: Was renowned for his Shakespearean roles, and for such innovations as turning out the house lights so that attention could focus more on the stage and less on the audience. His company toured across Britain, as well as Europe and the United States, demonstrating the power of star actors and celebrated roles to attract enthusiastic audiences. His knighthood in 1895 indicated full acceptance into the higher circles of British society. The 19th-century repertoire usually consisted of
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