Bertram, Arthur, 1860-1955.

From the 1890s to the mid 1920s, Arthur Bertram served as a theatrical manager in England for a number of different theaters and actors.

Biography

Born in England on March 24, 1868, Arthur Bertram's career began at the age of twelve with his appearance on stage in Horns . Bertram was also a boy bugler in the Second Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, but at the age of seventeen, after being made corporal, he quit the regiment. In 1887 he played a small role in Hunt the Slipper, but by 1888 had been engaged by F.A. Barnes as an acting manager for a tour of A Sailor's Fortune . Following this engagement, it appears that Bertram spent the rest of his career offstage.

Beginning in 1888, Bertram spent more than thirty years serving as an acting manager to a number of actors and actresses in England, including Mrs. Patrick Campbell, Marie Tempest, John Hare, Comyns Carr and Henry Irving. In 1892, Bertram began work as an advance agent for theater companies including the Burns-Crotty Opera Company and the Garrick Theatre. He gradually worked his way up the ladder, and in 1897 he had his own season at the Strand Theatre. As a business manager for theatrical artists, Bertram was responsible for many activities including, engaging theaters, actors and playwrights, as well as promoting the production and making sure the bills and salaries were paid. His behind the scenes work allowed the actors to continue in their profession and gain notoriety. He was managing Mrs. Patrick Campbell and arranged her American tour of Magda during 1901 to 1902. From 1914 to 1919, he was the business manager for Henry Irving at the Savoy Theatre. Upon Irving's death in 1919, Bertram represented his estate until 1924.

Bertram retired from management by 1927 and died in 1955 at the age of 95.

Sources:

Autobiography, Arthur Bertram Papers, D-134.

Donohue, Joseph Jr. The Theatrical Manager in England and America. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1971.

Parker, John. Who's Who in Theatre 1922. England: Boston, Small, Maynard and Co., 1922.

Powell, Kerry. The Cambridge Companion to Victorian and Edwardian Theatre. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2004.