Bibliograph

The man who lit Lady Liberty, the extraordinary rise and fall of actor M.B. Curtis, Richard Schwartz

Type

Label

The man who lit Lady Liberty, the extraordinary rise and fall of actor M.B. Curtis, Richard Schwartz

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

resource.biographical

individual biography

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The man who lit Lady Liberty

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

983797366

Responsibility statement

Richard Schwartz

Sub title

the extraordinary rise and fall of actor M.B. Curtis

Summary

"As the Statue of Liberty stood unlit and unloved by American politicians in 1886, one of her saviors was creating a theatrical sensation at New York's Fourteenth Street Theatre. Actor M.B. Curtis, who had achieved overnight success in Sam'l of Posen, a groundbreaking play that transcended the common stereotypes of Jewish characters current at the time, was basking in public accolades at every curtain call when he came to Lady Liberty's aid. Curtis's rise to the top of his profession and his resulting fall from grace is a dramatic arc that rivals anything created for the stage. Actor, producer, real estate developer, promoter, hotelier, benefactor, and murder suspect, M.B. Curtis's life encompassed the highs of celebrity and fame as well as the lows of failure, illness, and a faltering career. The Man Who Lit Lady Liberty rescues M.B. Curtis's story from the dusty archives of forgotten history and reexamines an actor whose creativity and cultural influence still resonate today"--, Provided by publisher

Table Of Contents

An Actor Prepares -- The Stage Is Set and the Leading Lady Enters -- The Role of a Lifetime -- The Trojan Horse of Change -- Staying Center Stage -- The Sequel to Success -- A Hungarian Hebrew in King Arthur's Court -- Trials and Tribulations -- A Troubled Comeback -- Down Under and Back Again -- A Long, Slow Fade

Classification