Today is the birthday of Daniel Frohman (1851-1940) oldest of the three Frohman brothers, who helped revolutionize theatrical production in the U.S. With his brothers Charles and Gustave, he ran a nationwide booking system for touring New York shows, and co-managed Madison Square Garden for a time.
Daniel spearheaded the family involvement in motion picture production; starting in 1912 they were partners with Adolph Zukor in the Famous Players Film Company, forerunner of Paramount. When his brother Charles was killed on the Lusitania in 1915, Daniel assumed leadership of the family enterprises, most notably the Frohman Amusement Corp, which had been set up to produce films, and operated until 1920.
For more on the early film industry don’t miss my new book Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube, just released by Bear Manor Media, also available from amazon.com etc etc etc
For more on theatre history, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold.
(Travalanche) 