Mr. Barnes of New York is a novel published in 1887 by American author Archibald Clavering Gunter, quite popular in its day, which was also adapted into a play in 1888, and later two silent film versions.
Mr. Barnes of New York is a novel published in 1887 by American author Archibald Clavering Gunter, quite popular in its day, which was also adapted into a play in 1888, and later two silent film versions.
Although he already had success as a playwright, Gunter was unable to find a publisher for his first novel, which he had completed in 1885. He "submitted it to nearly every publisher in New York, and again and again it came back to him." [1] He then tried a Boston publisher and more publishers in New York, and met another round of rejections. After shelving the manuscript for a time, he read a current popular novel, and decided that although his book "might be rubbish, it was surely as good as this book that seemed to have taken the fancy of the public." [1] Gunter proceeded to publish the book himself, starting with 1,000 copies that bookstores would only take on consignment.
Within a few weeks, sales grew brisk and the book became quite popular. [1] [2] [3] [4] Scholar James D. Hart has written that although the book may not have sold a million copies as has been claimed, it and many of Gunter's successive novels were indeed popular. [2] In 1910, a profile of this "best seller of yesterday" described "its success as instantaneous as it was astonishing. Everywhere−in railway trains and in the deck chairs of ocean liners−the paper covered yellow volume was to be seen." It also said "contemporary criticism was outspoken in its praise" of the book. [5]
The plot revolves around the European travels and adventures of Burton H. Barnes, including a romance "with an English belle" and "involvement in a Corsican vendetta concerning his future brother-in-law." [2]
In 1889, Gunter published the similarly named book (though not a sequel), Mr. Potter of Texas, which was also a best-seller. A sequel, entitled Mr. Barnes, American was published in 1907. [6]
The first stage adaptation of the novel was written by Rutland Barrington, perhaps best remembered as creator of lead roles in many of the Gilbert & Sullivan operas, including Pooh-Bah in The Mikado. It opened at the Royal Olympic Theatre in London on 16 May 1888 and closed on 23 June having played around 34 performances. Produced and directed by Barrington with Yorke Stephens, who played the title role, the piece also featured Amy McNeill as Marita (sic) Paoli. [7] [8]
The book was adapted into a play and debuted at the Broadway Theatre in New York on October 15, 1888. The cast included John H. Gilmour as Mr. Barnes and Emily Rigl as Marina Paoli. [9] The review of the play in the New York Times was quite negative: [10]
If anything could save a hopeless play it would be such delightful acting as Miss Emily Rigl did at the Broadway Theatre last evening; but nothing human could redeem such a dramatic monstrosity as Archibald Clavering Gunter's play called "Mr. Barnes of New-York." People who read the novel fondly fancied that there could be nothing worse than that; but they had not measured the possibilities of the stage.
The Times noted that the "audience was suspiciously ecstatic in its enthusiasm." And the review in Life said: "The play does not imperil Shakespeare's laurels, but it is thoroughly interesting and amusing." [11] The play ran for seven weeks at the Broadway Theatre, closing on December 1, [12] and saw performances far and wide over following years. [13] [14]
The work was adapted to silent film twice, in 1914 and 1922. The 1914 version by Vitagraph Studios starred Maurice Costello as Mr. Barnes and Mary Charleson as Marina. [15] The 1922 version featured Tom Moore, Anna Lehr, and Naomi Childers, and was directed by Victor Schertzinger.
Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade is a 1955 novel by American author Patrick Dennis chronicling the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of his Aunt Mame Dennis, the sister of his dead father.
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Archibald Clavering Gunter was a British-American writer primarily known today for authoring the novel that the film A Florida Enchantment was based upon, and for his hand in popularizing "Casey at the Bat". He clipped the original publication of the poem from the San Francisco Examiner and passed it on to DeWolf Hopper, whose performances brought it fame.
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Mr. Barnes of New York is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Tom Moore, Anna Lehr and Naomi Childers. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Archibald Clavering Gunter, which had previously been turned into a 1914 film.
Mr. Barnes of New York is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Maurice Costello and Robert Gaillard and starring Costello, Mary Charleson and Darwin Karr. It is an adaptation of Archibald Clavering Gunter's novel of the same name.
My Official Wife is an 1891 novel by Richard Henry Savage, popular in its day, soon after adapted for the stage, and for silent films in 1914 and in 1926, and a German-language film in 1936.
