Showman (1937)

SHOWMAN I opened the old black valise which hung from my shoulder and always carried the company funds, and counted out $1500 in certificates of deposit on New York. "Go to it," I said. That evening the law snatched McGeachey out of bed— to judge from the way he was traveling when I last saw him, he was probably under it, though, instead of in it— and put him in the local calaboose. It took $10,000 of Frohman's money to get him out too. But there was a kickback. Next morning practically every newspaper in America came out with headlines— the first national publicity I ever got: "HIGH-BINDER FROM WEST PUTS FROHMAN'S AGENT IN JAIL" they said. That sunk our production of "She." That and the fact that our route from there on covered the same towns Frohman's production had already played. We went into New York with "After Dark" instead— and I've already told you what happened to "After Dark" on Broadway. One tour east had already got me embroiled with both Augustin Daly and Charles Frohman, which was pretty good for a beginner. Otherwise it was discouraging. Three times I'd had my hand on a good thing and seen it get away from me -"Faust" first, then "She," then "After Dark." I figured it was about time I got something good and hung on to it a while. And in due time I found it. Its name was James J. Corbett. 76