ROBERT WILLIAMS BUCHANAN (1841 - 1901)

ROBERT BUCHANAN’S LETTERS TO AUGUSTIN DALY

The Folger Shakespeare Library of Washington D.C. has 8 letters from Robert Buchanan to the American theatre manager and playwright, Augustin Daly. Although the letters range over nearly twenty years, Buchanan’s only professional connection with Daly was the American production of Buchanan’s adaptation of Roger la Honte (A Man’s Shadow). The Folger Shakespeare Library also has a copy of a letter from William Terriss to Buchanan in their collection, related to this production, so I have added this to the end of this section.

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Letter 1: 2nd January, 1875.

Rossport Lodge
Belmullet
County Mayo
Ireland
Jan^ry 2. 1875

Dear Sir,

                   I gather from a newspaper paragraph that you are about to produce my “Madcap Prince” in New York; and as I do not know who has supplied you with “copy” & instructions, I hasten myself to send you—in time I hope—a correct printed version of the piece as performed at the Haymarket, together with the altered conclusion in M.S. Kindly acknowledge the receipt of these and let me have full particulars.
         The reproduction of the piece in London has been delayed thro’ the unexpected return of M^r Sothern and the confinement of M^rs Kendal. As the Kendals have now left the Haymarket, & are out of all engagement, I dont know when it will be done again—I hope soon. Wherever played, it has been entirely successful, as you will doubtless have heard.
         With regard to the kind of production in America, I am of course in your hands. Let me know what terms you propose, & when you mean to produce the play. Much will depend on the leading actors, & the general efficiency of the cast. Some portions—e.g.—the hat & wig business in Act I—will flag if not acted very briskly & humorously; and here & elsewhere a good deal of unction will be necessary on the part of the actor playing Sawdon. Buckstone played the part here, and altho’ he did not speak a word of the text, he made many parts “tell” by his absurd physiognomy & dry personal humour. But of course M^rs Kendal’s Elinor carried everything before it—it was a superb performance.
         Your kind reply at your first leisure will greatly oblige

                   Yours most truly
                   Robert Buchanan.

Augustin Daly Esq
Fifth Avenue Theatre
New York.

[’newspaper’ inserted before ‘paragraph’.
‘correct’ inserted before ‘printed version’.
‘here & elsewhere’ inserted before ‘a good deal’.
A Madcap Prince was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre on 3rd August, 1874. This was a benefit performance for John Buckstone, after which the play was taken on a provincial tour which included performances in Liverpool and Glasgow. Other than that the play only seems to have been produced on two single occasions for the benefit of Harriett Jay. I’ve come across no evidence that Augustin Daly ever produced the play in America.]

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Letter 2: 14th April, 1875.

Rossport Lodge
Belmullet
Co Mayo
Ireland
April 14. 1875.

My dear Sir,

                   I send you herewith the manuscript of “Corinne,” with a few pages wanting, but unimportant. I believe the character will be played here by M^rs Vezin, but we are undecided at which Theatre. Meanwhile, as there is ample time between this & September, will you go thro’ the piece, add any humorous touches such as you suggest, & then return it to me for final revision. I can thus have your name as joint author, & I have every reliance in your discretion. I have, however, resolved in my future dramatic efforts, to use a pseudonym. To this, I suppose, you have no objection.
         I expect great things of “Corinne,” only you must have a first-class actress, full of passion, fervour, & fire. With such an one, the “touch me not, Aristocrat!” of Act 3 should be electrical, & the death-scene in Act 4 heart-rending. Tho’ a serious piece you will see it is full of light & movement. The Bridal Scene in Act 2 might be magnificent.
         Hermann Vezin, a good judge, says—“Corinne is simply splendid. I read it from first page to last at a sitting. Produced with anything like fair care, it must be a wonderful success.” I shall be anxious to hear how it impresses you. Pray acknowledge the receipt without delay.
         I see the “Big Bonanza” is a success, & I suppose you have not yet produced my “Madcap”– I almost forgot to say that, if you preferred it, I would sell the American right to you (of “Corinne”) for a definite sum. In any case, I hope we shall mutually benefit by the transaction; & thanking you heartily for your prompt & explicit letter I am

                   My dear Sir
                   Very truly yours
                   Robert Buchanan.

Augustin Daly Esq.

         The few lines wanting are, end of Scene I., Act 2, and the beginning of Act 4. The Acts with one exception are single-scene sets. But in Act 2 I found 2 scenes absolutely necessary.
         —The action of the clergy & aristocracy in the matter of Corinne’s marriage are strictly historical.

[’scenes’ crossed out and ‘pages’ written above, before ‘wanting, but unimportant’.
‘I’ written over ‘We’ before ‘can thus have your name’.
‘only’ crossed out before ‘Acts with one exception’.
Buchanan’s hopes for Corinne were not fulfilled and it was one of his least successful plays. There was no collaboration with Daly and no production with Mrs. Vezin. Instead the play was produced at the Lyceum Theatre by an amateur actress, Mrs. Fairfax, and ran for just two weeks from 26th June to 8th July, 1876. In its review of the dramatic year, The Times summed it up as follows:
“Corinne, though dealing with a dramatic, albeit well-worn subject, the French Revolution, was in itself so weak, both in construction and in writing, and, with one single exception, so worse than indifferently acted, that its life was brief indeed, nor is there much probability of its ever being revived from the limbo to which it was hastily consigned.”
Strangely enough it is one of the few Buchanan plays which has survived, at least in one sense - Buchanan published it privately in 1876 and it is now available at the Internet Archive.

Buchanan toyed with the idea of using a pseudonym for his theatrical work again, before embarking on the series of melodramas for the Adelphi in collaboration with G. R. Sims. However on both occasions he rejected the idea.

The Big Bonanza by Augustin Daly (adapted from Von Moser’s Ultimo) was produced at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York on 15th February 1875 and was a great success.]

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Letter 3: 8th April [1881].

Care of Messrs Strahan
34 Paternoster Row
London
April 8.

Dear Sir,

                   How would you like to produce the ‘Nine Days Queen’, with my sister-in-law Miss Jay in the title rôle, during the fall? I am convinced that the interest would be considerable. Miss Jay’s books are well known in America, & her power & personal beauty would carry all before her in America. The play has won golden opinions here, & for the actress, she will soon be recognised as at the very top of the tree.
         If you think of it, let me know at once, as other arrangements are pending. I would bring over play & leading actress, & myself superintend production in New York.
         Awaiting your reply by return I am

                   Yours truly
                   Robert Buchanan.

Augustin Daly Esq.

[The date of this letter is open to question. Logic would place it in 1884 prior to Buchanan’s trip to America, trying to arrange a booking for Harriett Jay. However, The Nine Days Queen was originally produced at a matinee performance on 22nd December, 1880, then ran for a month at the Royal Connaught Theatre until 12th March 1881, after which there was a provincial tour. Both the play and Harriett Jay had mixed reviews and if Buchanan was writing in April 1884 one would expect him to mention her genuine success in Lady Clare in 1883. Therefore I would suggest the letter was written in 1881 when Harriett Jay’s success in The Nine Days Queen (real or imagined) was fresh in the mind. The odd address, ‘care of Messrs. Strahan’, might also add corroboration to this date since the 1881 census, taken on 3rd April, has Buchanan and Jay listed as boarders at a lodging house and Buchanan’s wife, Mary staying with another sister, which could indicate that he had no permanent base at this time.

If the 1881 date is correct, then it does seem that Buchanan was intending to travel to America to try his luck there, almost on the back of Harriett Jay’s ‘success’ and the novelty of the novelist-turned-actress. At this point none of Buchanan’s plays had been performed in America and none had achieved any great success in Britain. When he eventually made the trip in 1884 he had already had two successful plays in America, Storm-Beaten and Lady Clare.]

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Letter 4: 2nd October [1884].

42 East 23^rd Street
Madison Square
Oct 2.

Dear Sir,

                   The comedy of which I wrote to you some time ago is still without a home over here, & has as yet been submitted to no one. I think it would suit your company, if you happen to have an opening.
         I rather wonder you have never thought of A Madcap Prince for Miss Rehan. I am going to make an effort, at any rate, to get that play done in New York while I am on the spot.
         If you wish it, I can look in at the theatre & have a talk with you.

                   Truly yours
                   Robert Buchanan.

Augustin Daly Esq.

[The year is 1884 since Buchanan was in America from August 1884 until the following summer.
Ada Rehan was a leading member of Daly’s company.]

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Letter 5: 17th April, 1885.

Gedney House,
Fortieth St. & Broadway.
New York
April 17 1885

Dear M^r Daly,

                   I have asked M^r Robert Coote to call upon you this evening to ask you if you could help me in any way, by introduction or otherwise, to effect an arrangement by which I could take a new comedy of mine, Fascination, to the Standard. I want to supply Miss Harriett Jay & M^r Charles Coote, with or without complete company, on sharing terms or royalty. I believe they want something good at the Standard, & in this particular piece I have the most absolute faith.
         If you can help me in the matter, I shall be very much obliged. Any information you may afford to M^r Robert Coote on the subject will be discreetly used. With kind regards

                   Yours most truly
                   Robert Buchanan.

Augustin Daly Esq.

[At the end of the letter Buchanan has begun to write ‘Robert Coo[te]’ crossed this out and written ‘Augustin Daly Esq.’ above.
During Buchanan’s stay in America he only had one theatrical success, Alone in London, which opened at the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia on 30th March, 1885. He immediately sold the American rights of the play to Colonel Sinn of Brooklyn who toured the play throughout America for the next two years making a star of Cora Tanner. In 1886 Buchanan sold the American rights of Fascination to Col. Sinn and the play was first performed at the Park Theater, Brooklyn on 30th May 1887, starring Cora Tanner. Fascination was not seen in England until a matinée performance at London’s Novelty Theatre on 6th October, 1887, followed by a six week run at the Vaudeville Theatre, starring Harriett Jay in the dual roles of Lady Madge Slashton and Charles Marlowe.

The letter is written on Gedney House stationery - the letterhead is reproduced below.]

Letter 6: 28th July [1886].

11^a Park Road
Regents Park
                   N.W.
July 28

Dear M^r Daly,

                   As the time of your stay is running to a close, I should like to settle one way or another ab^t the Madcap Prince. Could you come here one day this week to lunch, or in the morning, and quietly talk it over? I will make any day you fix suit me.
         Accept my congratulations on your unqualified success at the Strand, & believe me

                   Faithfully yours
                   Robert Buchanan.

Aug. Daly Esq.

[’this week’ inserted before ‘to lunch’.
Although there is no year on this or the following letter, I believe these are from 1886. It should also be pointed out that July 30th would have been a Friday. However, Augustin Daly’s company opened at the Strand Theatre on May 27th 1886 with A Night Off which met with great success. The company remained in Britain until they travelled to Germany, opening at the Thalia Theatre, Hamburg on 19th August, 1886.]

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Letter 7: 29th July [1886].

11^a Park Road
Regents Park
July 29.

Dear M^r Daly,

                   I will endeavour to see you to morrow Saturday. Should I be unable to do so will you kindly let me know where I can communicate with you?

                   Truly yours
                   Robert Buchanan.

Aug. Daly Esq.

[‘been’ altered to ‘be’ before ‘unable’.
’so’ inserted after ‘to do’.]

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Letter 8: [1893].

MAISON DORÉE CLUB.
38, DOVER STREET,
PICCADILLY. W.

Wednesday

Dear M^r Daly,

                   If you will kindly send me a Box for Friday evening (as you were good enough to propose) I shall be greatly obliged.
         With all good wishes

                   Yours truly
                   Robert Buchanan.

Augustin Daly Esq

         Please address to my house:
         ‘Merkland’
         25 Maresfield Gardens
         South Hampstead
                             N.W.

[The Maison Dorée Club address is printed.
On the opposite page to the letter ‘Robert Buchanan 1893’ is written in another hand.This is more than likely correct. Buchanan was living at 25 Maresfield Gardens in 1893 and although Augustin Daly had visited London with his company in 1890 (June to August) and 1891 (September to November), he came to London in May 1893 to open the new Daly’s Theatre (on June 27th) and remained here until May of the following year.]

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Letter from William Terriss to Robert Buchanan: 18th February, 1889

Royal Adelphi Theatre
Feb. 18, 89

Dear Mr. Buchanan,

                   The syndicate have sold your adaptation of Roger la Honte to M^r Daly of New York for the sum of 250£—under your contract with M^r Overton—you are entitled to half of all amounts accruing from the sale of each adaptation in America. I beg to inform you that when I recieved a completed copy of the work and on the signing of the contract at the Haymarket Theatre for its production in the autumn I will forward you a cheque for 125£

                   Truly yours
                   W. Terriss.

[The letter is written on Adelphi Theatre notepaper with a printed letterhead.
‘Copy’ is written above the date in another pen.
‘their’ crossed out and replaced by ‘your’ before ‘adaptation’.
According to a notice in The Stage of 23rd November 1888, the English and colonial rights to Roger la Honte by Jules Mary, were secured by William Terriss, Charles Cartwright and C. Overton, and an adaptation of the French original would be made by Robert Buchanan. Buchanan’s version, retitled A Man’s Shadow, was produced at the Haymarket Theatre by Herbert Beerbohm Tree on 12th September, 1889. The American version, starring William Terriss was produced at New York’s Niblo’s Garden on 8th October, 1889 under the title Roger la Honte; or, A Man’s Shadow. Press reports of the American version are confusing, some mentioning Buchanan, others giving Daly sole credit for the adaptation. It would appear from this letter that Buchanan’s version was the original English version which Terriss took to America and was presumably then further adapted by Daly for his production.]

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