PROFITABLE PLAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 March 1917, Page 8

PROFITABLE PLAYS.

! The late Mr. George Edwardes was not only the most successful of modern theatrical managers, but he was also the most speculative. He thought nothing of investing £IO,OOO to £20,000 in the presentation <ti sc big musical comedy. When he sent the "Duchess of Dant?,ig" to America he lost £IO,OOO. and another £20,000 on "Veronique." On -the other hand he scored stupendous successes, notably with ''The Merry Widow. At Daly's alone £241,000 was paid for seats, and over 300,000 copies of the music of the "Merry Y\ idow \\altz' were sold in England. I As an illustration of the pranks fortune plays sometimes i r. connection with t'lo pioduction of musical comedies, it might be mentioned that Mi Edwavdes sold "Dorothy,'' one of 11.e first p'av- .ie ever produced at the Gaiety, for £IOOO, because it was such a failure there. Mr I-I. J. Leslie, who bought it, took it tu the Prince of Wales' Theatre an.l made £IOO,OOO out of it. One would probably he safe in saying that the four men who have mad; most monev in writing for the English stage are Sir \T. S. Gilbert, Sir A. W. Tiiiero, Sir ,T. M. Barrie and Mr. Henry .Arthur .Tones. Sullivan's operas provided Gilbert with an income of £12,000 a year. "The Second Mrs. Tnwpieray" alone brought Pinero something like £OO.OOO. In addition, "Sweet Lavender" pouied £40,000 into his pockets, and although the late Mr. Edward Terry pail this sum in fees to tlie author he .;'earcd £OO,OOO out of the play, «nd probably half as much again from provincial tours. "The Little Minister'' earned Sir J. M. Barrie £4OO a week for a number of years, and long before the curtain fell on the last performance at the Haymarket the net profits had reached £IOO,OOO. I' Then there were sr.eh plays as "Quality Street," "Peter Pnn," and "The Admir- « able Criehton," all stage gold mines.