Marcus Klaw
Encyclopedia
Marc Alonzo Klaw was an American
lawyer
, theatrical producer
, theatre owner, and a leading figure of the Theatrical Syndicate
.
Referred to as both Mark and Marc, he was born in Paducah, Kentucky
. He studied law and set up a practice in Louisville
but after handing a case for theatre executive Gustave Frohman
, Klaw was drawn to the business. He eventually formed a partnership with A. L. "Abe" Erlanger that started out as a theatrical booking agency in New York City
in 1886. Operating as "Klaw & Erlanger
" they expanded their business through the acquisition and construction of theaters to the point where they controlled most of the theaters in the U.S. South and several major locations in New York. Among their holdings were they owned "Klaw and Erlanger's Costume Company" and the "Klaw & Erlanger Opera Company."
In 1896, Klaw & Erlanger joined with Al Hayman
, Charles Frohman
, Samuel F. Nixon, and Fred Zimmerman to form the "Theatrical Syndicate." Their organization established systemized booking networks throughout the United States and created a monopoly that controlled every aspect of contracts and bookings until the late 1910s when the Shubert brothers broke their stranglehold on the industry.
Despite being near universally despised by most in the industry for their ruthless tactics, Klaw and Erlanger produced dozens of Broadway
plays and financed many others including the early editions of the Ziegfeld Follies
. The partnership of Klaw & Erlanger was badly hurt as a result of the Actors' Equity strike of 1919, and they made their last Broadway production in September 1924. After that, Marc Klaw focused mainly on producing dramas until his retirement in 1927.
Klaw moved to England, where he died in 1936 at Bracken Fell, Hassocks
, West Sussex
, in the United Kingdom
. He is buried there in the Clayton Church cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, theatrical producer
Theatrical producer
A theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The independent producer will usually be the originator and finder of the script and starts the whole process...
, theatre owner, and a leading figure of the Theatrical Syndicate
Theatrical Syndicate
-Beginnings:One day, early in the year 1896, six men gathered for lunch at the Holland House in New York City. These men were Charles Frohman, Al Hayman, A.L. Erlanger, Marc Klaw, Samuel F. Nirdlinger, and Frederick Zimmerman...
.
Referred to as both Mark and Marc, he was born in Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
. He studied law and set up a practice in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
but after handing a case for theatre executive Gustave Frohman
Gustave Frohman
Gustave Frohman was a theatre producer and advance man. He was one of three Frohman brothers who entered show business and he worked for most of his career alongside his brother, Charles Frohman. These two financed a number of theatre productions, often featuring African American actors...
, Klaw was drawn to the business. He eventually formed a partnership with A. L. "Abe" Erlanger that started out as a theatrical booking agency in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1886. Operating as "Klaw & Erlanger
Klaw & Erlanger
Klaw & Erlanger was the New York City based theatrical production partnership of entrepreneur A.L. Erlanger and lawyer Marcus Klaw. The two began as a theatrical booking agency in 1886 before expanding into producing plays. In 1896, Klaw & Erlanger joined with Al Hayman, Charles Frohman, Samuel F...
" they expanded their business through the acquisition and construction of theaters to the point where they controlled most of the theaters in the U.S. South and several major locations in New York. Among their holdings were they owned "Klaw and Erlanger's Costume Company" and the "Klaw & Erlanger Opera Company."
In 1896, Klaw & Erlanger joined with Al Hayman
Al Hayman
Al Hayman, also known as Raphael Hayman, was the business partner of the better-known Charles Frohman who together with others established the Theatrical Syndicate in 1896 and as theater impresarios and booking agents helped develop the theater district in New York at the turn of the 20th...
, Charles Frohman
Charles Frohman
Charles Frohman was an American theatrical producer. Frohman was producing plays by 1889 and acquired his first Broadway theatre by 1892. He discovered and promoted many stars of the American theatre....
, Samuel F. Nixon, and Fred Zimmerman to form the "Theatrical Syndicate." Their organization established systemized booking networks throughout the United States and created a monopoly that controlled every aspect of contracts and bookings until the late 1910s when the Shubert brothers broke their stranglehold on the industry.
Despite being near universally despised by most in the industry for their ruthless tactics, Klaw and Erlanger produced dozens of Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
plays and financed many others including the early editions of the Ziegfeld Follies
Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
. The partnership of Klaw & Erlanger was badly hurt as a result of the Actors' Equity strike of 1919, and they made their last Broadway production in September 1924. After that, Marc Klaw focused mainly on producing dramas until his retirement in 1927.
Klaw moved to England, where he died in 1936 at Bracken Fell, Hassocks
Hassocks
Hassocks is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. Its name is believed to derive from the tufts of grass found in the surrounding fields....
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He is buried there in the Clayton Church cemetery.
External links
- Marcus Klaw at the Internet Broadway DatabaseInternet Broadway DatabaseThe Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade association for the North American commercial theatre community....