William Winter

In 1876 Edward J. Baldwin, locally known as “Lucky Baldwin,” in a business association with Thomas Maguire built a theatre in San Francisco which was named Baldwin’s Academy of Music. Baldwin had been an hostler, Maguire a cab-driver; both had prospered and become wealthy—Baldwin to an astonishing degree. The theatre, which was incorporated with an hotel, called the Baldwin, was built on land owned by Maguire, at the corner of Market and Powell streets, and it was an uncommonly spacious and commodious edifice. Baldwin and Maguire, although associated in this enterprise, were not friends, and Belasco has assured me that most of their business transactions were carried on through him, as an intermediary. Baldwin’s Academy of Music was opened March 6, 1876. Maguire was announced as “proprietor,” James A. Herne as stage manager: Belasco, although not advertised as such, officiated as assistant stage manager and prompter. The opening bill was “King Richard III.,”—Cibber’s perversion of Shakespeare’s tragedy,—with the Irish tragedian Barry Sullivan in the central character, supported by the stock company from Maguire’s New Theatre. That company included, among others, James A. Herne, Arthur D—— Billings, Louis James, Edward J—— Buckley, William Henry Crane, Michael A. Kennedy, Katie Mayhew, Emily Baker, Louise Hawthorne, and Mrs. Belle Douglass. James F—— Cathcart was specially engaged, to play Richmond, which part he acted till March 10, when he was superseded by James O’Neill; he played various other parts, however, during the engagement. Belasco played Sir Richard Ratcliff. The engagement of Barry Sullivan lasted till April 16, the plays presented, after “King Richard III.,” being “The Wonder,” “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” “The Gamester,” “King Lear,” “Othello,” “The Merchant of Venice,” a version of “Don CÆsar de Bazan” called “A Match for a King,” “A New Way to Pay Old Debts,” and “The Wife.” In all of those plays Belasco participated, acting small parts, which are named in the schedule of his repertory given later in this work. On April 18 Mrs. James A—— Oates and her “Grand Opera Company” succeeded Sullivan, at Baldwin’s Academy, in “Mme. l’Archiduc,” while Maguire’s stock company returned to Maguire’s New Theatre, where some of its members, including Belasco, appeared, in support of Messrs. Baker and Farron, in a trivial play called “Heinrich and Hettie.” Belasco, who had profited by his association with Barry Sullivan,—an actor of exceptional ability and wide experience, and, though rough in method and sometimes violently vehement in delivery, a master of his vocation,—and had been so fortunate as to please that austere martinet, provides, in his “Story,” this interesting glimpse of him:

“To my mind the most difficult rÔles (sic!) were the officers and flying messengers in the Shakespearean plays, when cast with some famous tragedian. All young actors appreciated this, and, knowing Sullivan’s temperament, were very loath to subject themselves to his rough handling. It so happened that I was selected to play these flying messengers and recite the tricky speeches, but no more than the others did I escape. One day I suddenly found myself held high in air, and my descent was equally rapid. I was laid up for several nights. As a reward he cast me to play Francis, in ’The Stranger,’ but because of the objections of James and Buckley, each of whom claimed the part, it was never played. I had the advantage of private rehearsals, however, with this great tragedian in his room at the Baldwin Hotel.... The reason why he liked me, he said, was that, with my pale face and blue-black hair, I reminded him of a little priest who had been a chum of his in Ireland. When he left, he gave me a much-prized feather, such as actors usually wore when they played Malcolm or Macbeth. ’I shall probably never see you again,’ he said, ’and it may help you to remember me with kindly feelings. It belonged to the girl I loved best in the world.’”

After his engagement with Baker and Farron Belasco went “barnstorming” in various California and Nevada towns and camps, but returned to San Francisco at intervals, sometimes remaining there a few days, while seeking employment,—working, meanwhile, on dramatic versions of various books or stories or on the revision and alteration of old plays,—sometimes acting small parts at any of the theatres or serving as a super when no better occupation was obtainable. On May 4, in that city, he participated in a performance at Maguire’s New Theatre for the benefit of M. A. Kennedy, when the bill included “One Thousand Milliners,” “Robert Macaire,” and the burlesque of “Kenilworth,”—in which latter play he had often acted Queen Elizabeth, as I have reason to think he did on this occasion. He seems, also, to have taken part, in a minor capacity, in at least one of the performances given in May, 1876, at the California Theatre, by Edwin Adams, who played Rover, in “Wild Oats,” and he saw that fine actor as Enoch Arden, if he did not act with him in the play about that character. He also saw, May 29, 1876, at Wade’s Opera House, San Francisco, George Rignold’s first performance in San Francisco of King Henry the Fifth,—a remarkably pictorial, spirited, fervent, and stirring impersonation.

Rignold had been brought to America by Jarrett & Palmer, under an arrangement with Charles Calvert, of Manchester, England, and he made his first appearance in this country, February 6, 1875, at Booth’s Theatre,—then under the direction of those managers,—acting King Henry the Fifth. Shakespeare’s play, which was withdrawn at Booth’s April 24, 1875, was revived there, April 10, 1876, and ran for five weeks. Some dissension arose between Rignold and Jarrett & Palmer, and those managers arranged for the presentment of the Shakespearean historical drama and pageant (Calvert’s setting) in San Francisco, at the California Theatre, where, on June 5, it was brought out, with Lawrence Barrett as King Henry. Jarrett & Palmer conveyed their production and members of the theatrical company across the continent on board a special train, which left Jersey City at 1.30 A. M., June 1, and arrived at the mole, Oakland, California, at 9.22 A. M., June 4,—having made the journey in eighty-three hours, thirty-nine minutes, sixteen seconds. Rignold, when acting in the Western metropolis, preparatory to returning to England by way of Australia, was under the management of Frederick W. Bert. Belasco closely studied both those Shakespeare productions and the acting with which they were illustrated, thereby adding materially to his knowledge of the good traditions of Shakespearean interpretation. No more scrupulous and competent stage director than Lawrence Barrett ever lived, while Rignold had been carefully trained by Calvert, one of the best of stage managers and Shakespearean actors,—and had enjoyed the advantage of seeing Calvert play the part when first he revived the history, at Manchester. Belasco himself never set a finer spectacle on the stage than Calvert’s presentment of “King Henry V.”

During June, like Asmodeus, he flamed in many places, generally appearing for only a single performance. By July 15, 1876, he was at home again, and as prompter and stage manager, and sometimes as super or actor of small parts, was employed at Baldwin’s Academy of Music during an engagement there of George Fawcett Rowe, who, on that date, began, as Waifton Stray, in his play of “Brass,” and acted, in succession, Micawber, in “Little Em’ly,” and Hawkeye, in “Leatherstocking,” also one of his dramas. On July 23, Sunday night, Belasco appeared, as DeWilt, in a performance, for the benefit of E. J. Buckley, given “by John McCullough and members of the Dramatic Profession,” at the California Theatre. The play was Augustin Daly’s “Under the Gas-Light.” McCullough and Barton Hill recited, and McCullough performed as Julian St. Pierre, in the Dagger Scene, from “The Wife.” On August 14 Eleanor Carey made her first appearance in San Francisco, acting Miss Gwilt, in a dramatization of Wilkie Collins’ “Armadale,” and Belasco, then meeting her, formed an acquaintance which, eventually, was valuable to him: he made a play for Miss Carey, on the basis of “Article 47,” calling it “The Creole,” which was acted at the Union Square Theatre, New York, January 17, 1881, and in which she was seen in many cities.