Albee was born on October 8, 1857 in Machias, Maine to Nathaniel Smith Albee[1] and Amanda Higgins Crocker.
Career
Edward F. Albee in 1908
He toured with P. T. Barnum as a roustabout,[2] then, in 1885, he partnered with Benjamin Franklin Keith in operating the Bijou Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts.[3] With the success of their business, it grew into the Keith-Albee theatre circuit of vaudeville theatres. Albee gradually took managerial control of Keith's theatrical circuit. They were the first to introduce moving pictures in the United States.[1]
In 1900, Pat Shea of Buffalo proposed to Keith and Albee that they should set up a shared booking arrangement for vaudeville similar to the Theatrical Syndicate. They called a meeting in May 1900 in Boston of most of the major vaudeville managers, including Weber & Fields, Tony Pastor, Hyde & Behman of Brooklyn, Kohl & Castle, Colonel J.D. Hopkins, and Meyerfield & Beck of the Orpheum Circuit of the western United States.[4]
They did not invite Frederick Freeman Proctor, Keith's main competitor, but the other managers objected and insisted on a meeting in New York where Proctor was invited. The Vaudeville Managers Association (VMA) was founded at the New York meeting. Keith and Albee dominated the new organization.[4] Albee was president of the VMA's United Bookings Office from its formation in 1906. Albee had most of the major vaudeville circuits give him control of their theatrical bookings where he charged acts a 5% commission.
When performers tried to form a union, he set up National Vaudeville Artists and made membership in it a requirement for booking through his company. His partner Keith died in Palm Beach, Florida in 1914.[5]
Many entertainers considered Albee's tactics tyrannical. Groucho Marx referred to the United Bookings Office as "Albee's Gestapo".[8]
Joe Frisco summed up the impression of power Albee made; exiting Albee's office into a street under construction, his agent wondered why the street was being torn up and Frisco quipped, "Albee's kid lost his ball."[2]: 420
Albee married Lauretta Frances Smith (1861–1960), with whom he had:
Albee (d. 1916)
Edward Albee (1883–1883), who died young
Reed A. Albee (1886–1961), who married Louise Holmes Williams, an actress, in 1914. They divorced in 1925 and in the same year, he married Frances Cotter.[9]
Ethel Keith Albee (1890–1976), who married Edwin George Lauder Jr. (1883–1955)[10] in 1914. They divorced in 1941.[11]
^ abc"E. F. Albee Dies At Palm Beach. Retired Head of B.F. Keith Vaudeville Circuit Heart Disease Victim". The New York Times. March 12, 1930. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
^ abCullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; McNeilly, Donald (2006). Vaudeville, Old and New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America. Psychology Press. pp. 15–18. ISBN978-0-415-93853-2.
^Carey, Charles W. (2009). American Inventors, Entrepreneurs, and Business Visionaries. Infobase Publishing. p. 218. ISBN978-0-8160-6883-8.
^ abStewart, D. Travis (2006). No Applause—Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous. Faber & Faber. pp. 122–125. ISBN978-1-4299-3041-3.
^"B.F. Keith Dies at Palm Beach. Vaudeville Manager Stricken on 25th Anniversary of Opening of His Boston Theatre". The New York Times. March 27, 1914. Retrieved 2014-12-28.
^"700 Theatres Merged In Vaudeville Circuit. Keith-Albee and Orpheum Now Largest in Country. Final Papers Signed". The New York Times. January 27, 1928. Retrieved 2015-02-10.
^ ab"Edward Franklin Albee, 73, Manhattan theatrical manager". Time. March 24, 1930.
^"Reed Albee, Officer of Keith Theatres". The New York Times. 3 August 1961. Retrieved 14 April 2011. Reed A. Albee, a former official of the BF Keith Corporation ... Mr. Albee was the son of the late Edward F. Albee, a founder of the ...
^"EDWIN G. LAUDER JR. | THEATRE EX-OFFICER". The New York Times. March 2, 1955. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
^"DIVORCES E.G. LAUDER JR. | Daughter of Late E.F. Albee Receives Decree in Reno". The New York Times. April 10, 1941. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
^ ab1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda(PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States(PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved May 28, 2023.
^"ALBEE LEFT $250,000 TO 3 ACTORS' FUNDS | Will of Vaudeville Producer Tells Why He Left Nothing to Aid N.V.A Work. | WIDOW RECEIVES $1,000,000 | Children, Relatives, Employes and Friends Also Benefit—Church Gets $25,000 Trust". The New York Times. April 2, 1930. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
^Weber, Bruce (16 September 2016). "Edward Albee, Trenchant Playwright for a Desperate Era, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
Further reading
New York Times; March 16, 1930. THRONG AT FUNERAL OF EDWARD F. ALBEE; Notables of Stage and Other Fields at Services in Cathedral of St. John.BISHOP MANNING PRESIDES Cathedral Clergy Assist in Impressive Requlem—700 Theatres Pay Tribute to Former Head. The Honorary Pallbearers. Some of Those Present. Tribute at 700 Theatres. Vaudeville stars, old-time luminaries of the stage, vaudeville executives from cities far West as Chicago, people connected in every conceivable way with the stage and many others paid homage yesterday morning to Edward F. Albee, former ...
Time; June 8, 1931. But the [National Variety Artists' Club in West 46th Street in Manhattan] club has always run an annual deficit. For years Edward Franklin Albee variety tycoon (Keith-Albee), footed the losses until his death in 1930."
August 21, 2023
albee, edward, franklin, albee, october, 1857, march, 1930, american, vaudeville, impresario, albee, circa, 1894bornedward, franklin, albee, 1857, october, 1857machias, maine, usdiedmarch, 1930, 1930, aged, palm, beach, florida, usoccupation, vaudevillian, imp. Edward Franklin Albee II October 8 1857 March 11 1930 was an American vaudeville impresario E F AlbeeAlbee circa 1894BornEdward Franklin Albee II 1857 10 08 October 8 1857Machias Maine USDiedMarch 11 1930 1930 03 11 aged 72 Palm Beach Florida USOccupation s Vaudevillian impresario producerSpouseLaurette Frances SmithChildren4 including Reed A AlbeeRelativesEdward Franklin Albee III adopted grandson Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 Anecdotes 3 Personal life 3 1 Descendants 4 See also 5 References 6 Further readingEarly life EditAlbee was born on October 8 1857 in Machias Maine to Nathaniel Smith Albee 1 and Amanda Higgins Crocker Career Edit Edward F Albee in 1908He toured with P T Barnum as a roustabout 2 then in 1885 he partnered with Benjamin Franklin Keith in operating the Bijou Theatre in Boston Massachusetts 3 With the success of their business it grew into the Keith Albee theatre circuit of vaudeville theatres Albee gradually took managerial control of Keith s theatrical circuit They were the first to introduce moving pictures in the United States 1 In 1900 Pat Shea of Buffalo proposed to Keith and Albee that they should set up a shared booking arrangement for vaudeville similar to the Theatrical Syndicate They called a meeting in May 1900 in Boston of most of the major vaudeville managers including Weber amp Fields Tony Pastor Hyde amp Behman of Brooklyn Kohl amp Castle Colonel J D Hopkins and Meyerfield amp Beck of the Orpheum Circuit of the western United States 4 They did not invite Frederick Freeman Proctor Keith s main competitor but the other managers objected and insisted on a meeting in New York where Proctor was invited The Vaudeville Managers Association VMA was founded at the New York meeting Keith and Albee dominated the new organization 4 Albee was president of the VMA s United Bookings Office from its formation in 1906 Albee had most of the major vaudeville circuits give him control of their theatrical bookings where he charged acts a 5 commission When performers tried to form a union he set up National Vaudeville Artists and made membership in it a requirement for booking through his company His partner Keith died in Palm Beach Florida in 1914 5 He formed the Keith Albee Orpheum corporation on January 28 1928 with Joseph P Kennedy 6 Radio Corporation of America bought his company and formed RKO Pictures Radio Keith Orpheum and turned the Orpheum vaudeville circuit into a chain of movie theaters 7 Anecdotes Edit Many entertainers considered Albee s tactics tyrannical Groucho Marx referred to the United Bookings Office as Albee s Gestapo 8 Joe Frisco summed up the impression of power Albee made exiting Albee s office into a street under construction his agent wondered why the street was being torn up and Frisco quipped Albee s kid lost his ball 2 420 Albee appears as a minor character in the film Yankee Doodle Dandy and in the 1968 Broadway musical George M Personal life EditAlbee married Lauretta Frances Smith 1861 1960 with whom he had Albee d 1916 Edward Albee 1883 1883 who died young Reed A Albee 1886 1961 who married Louise Holmes Williams an actress in 1914 They divorced in 1925 and in the same year he married Frances Cotter 9 Ethel Keith Albee 1890 1976 who married Edwin George Lauder Jr 1883 1955 10 in 1914 They divorced in 1941 11 On March 11 1930 Albee died at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach Florida 1 7 In his will his estate was valued in excess of 2 000 000 equivalent to 35 035 900 in 2023 12 and he left his wife 1 000 000 equivalent to 17 517 900 in 2023 12 among many charitable donations that supported The Actors Fund Percy Williams Home Variety Artists Benevolent Fund and Institution 13 Descendants Edit His grandson was Edward Albee the playwright who was adopted by his son Reed 14 See also Edit1900 US census with Albees in Manhattan USS Beaumere II SP 444 Albee SquareReferences Edit a b c E F Albee Dies At Palm Beach Retired Head of B F Keith Vaudeville Circuit Heart Disease Victim The New York Times March 12 1930 Retrieved 2011 04 14 a b Cullen Frank Hackman Florence McNeilly Donald 2006 Vaudeville Old and New An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America Psychology Press pp 15 18 ISBN 978 0 415 93853 2 Carey Charles W 2009 American Inventors Entrepreneurs and Business Visionaries Infobase Publishing p 218 ISBN 978 0 8160 6883 8 a b Stewart D Travis 2006 No Applause Just Throw Money The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous Faber amp Faber pp 122 125 ISBN 978 1 4299 3041 3 B F Keith Dies at Palm Beach Vaudeville Manager Stricken on 25th Anniversary of Opening of His Boston Theatre The New York Times March 27 1914 Retrieved 2014 12 28 700 Theatres Merged In Vaudeville Circuit Keith Albee and Orpheum Now Largest in Country Final Papers Signed The New York Times January 27 1928 Retrieved 2015 02 10 a b Edward Franklin Albee 73 Manhattan theatrical manager Time March 24 1930 Marx Groucho 2009 Groucho And Me Da Capo Press p 137 ISBN 978 0 7867 4827 3 Reed Albee Officer of Keith Theatres The New York Times 3 August 1961 Retrieved 14 April 2011 Reed A Albee a former official of the BF Keith Corporation Mr Albee was the son of the late Edward F Albee a founder of the EDWIN G LAUDER JR THEATRE EX OFFICER The New York Times March 2 1955 Retrieved 18 September 2016 DIVORCES E G LAUDER JR Daughter of Late E F Albee Receives Decree in Reno The New York Times April 10 1941 Retrieved 18 September 2016 a b 1634 1699 McCusker J J 1997 How Much Is That in Real Money A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States Addenda et Corrigenda PDF American Antiquarian Society 1700 1799 McCusker J J 1992 How Much Is That in Real Money A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States PDF American Antiquarian Society 1800 present Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Consumer Price Index estimate 1800 Retrieved May 28 2023 ALBEE LEFT 250 000 TO 3 ACTORS FUNDS Will of Vaudeville Producer Tells Why He Left Nothing to Aid N V A Work WIDOW RECEIVES 1 000 000 Children Relatives Employes and Friends Also Benefit Church Gets 25 000 Trust The New York Times April 2 1930 Retrieved 18 September 2016 Weber Bruce 16 September 2016 Edward Albee Trenchant Playwright for a Desperate Era Dies at 88 The New York Times Retrieved 18 September 2016 Further reading EditNew York Times March 16 1930 THRONG AT FUNERAL OF EDWARD F ALBEE Notables of Stage and Other Fields at Services in Cathedral of St John BISHOP MANNING PRESIDES Cathedral Clergy Assist in Impressive Requlem 700 Theatres Pay Tribute to Former Head The Honorary Pallbearers Some of Those Present Tribute at 700 Theatres Vaudeville stars old time luminaries of the stage vaudeville executives from cities far West as Chicago people connected in every conceivable way with the stage and many others paid homage yesterday morning to Edward F Albee former Time June 8 1931 But the National Variety Artists Club in West 46th Street in Manhattan club has always run an annual deficit For years Edward Franklin Albee variety tycoon Keith Albee footed the losses until his death in 1930 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title E F Albee amp oldid 1157495347, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
