''Mr. Barnes of New York'' is a novel published in 1887 by American author

Archibald Clavering Gunter Archibald Clavering Gunter (25 October 1847 – 24 February 1907) 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 B ...

, quite popular in its day, which was also adapted into a play in 1888, and later two silent film versions.

Novel

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." 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." 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.(13 May 1888)
Hope for the Unrecognized
''

Newark Sunday Call Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.(1 May 1887)
New Books (short review)
'' The New York Times''Somerville, Siobhan B
Queering the Color Line: Race and the Invention of Homosexuality in American Culture
p. 192-3 (2000) Scholar

James D. Hart James David Hart, (April 18, 1911 – 23 July 1990) was an American literary scholar and professor at University of California, Berkeley for fifty-four years. He is most notable for writing ''The Oxford Companion to American Literature'' and '' ...

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. Hart, James David
The Popular Book: A History of America's Literary Taste
p. 188-89, 309 (1950) (on list of "books most widely read in America", one of six entries for 1887) 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. Maurice, Arthur Bartlett
Best Sellers of Yesterday
'' The Bookman (New York)'' (September 1910), p. 55-63 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." 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.Sequels
p. 95 (1967)

Dramatic adaptation

The first stage adaptation of the novel was written by

Rutland Barrington Rutland Barrington (15 January 1853 – 31 May 1922) was an English singer, actor, comedian and Edwardian musical comedy star. Best remembered for originating the lyric baritone roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas from 1877 to 1896, his ...

, perhaps best remembered as creator of lead roles in many of the

Gilbert & Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ''H.M.S. Pina ...

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."The Times" (London) Olympic Theatre advert 23 June 1888 p.16 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 Emily Rigl (1854 - ? 'after 1921'' was a 19th-century stage actress who primarily performed in the United States. Although not a major star, she was considered to be a talented actress. Biography Rigl was born in the Netherlands or Austria (s ...

as Marina Paoli.(25 December 1897)
Questions Answered
'' New York Dramatic Mirror'' The review of the play in the '' New York Times'' was quite negative:(16 October 1888)
Broadway Theatre
'' The New York Times'' 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."(1 November 1888)
Drama: Mr. Barnes
'' Life (magazine)'', p. 262 The play ran for seven weeks at the Broadway Theatre, closing on December 1,(1 December 1888)
Broadway Theatre ad
'' The Sun (New York)'' (advertisement shows ''Mr. Barnes'' playing on Saturday December 1, with a new show, '' Little Lord Fauntleroy'', starting on Monday December 3, 1888) and saw performances far and wide over following years.(20 May 1890)
The Opera House: Mr. Barnes of New York
''

Auckland Star The ''Auckland Star'' was an evening daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, from 24 March 1870 to 16 August 1991. Survived by its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Star'', part of its name endures in ''The Sunday Star-Times'', created in ...

''(7 May 1897)
Mr. Barnes of New York: The Romantic Drama Very Acceptable Given at the Opera House
''Evening Tribune'' ( Pawtucket, Rhode Island)

Films

The work was adapted to silent film twice, in 1914 and 1922. The 1914 version by

Vitagraph Studios Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...

starred

Maurice Costello Maurice George Costello (February 22, 1877 – October 29, 1950) was a prominent American vaudeville actor of the late 1890s and early 1900s who later played a principal role in early American films as leading man, supporting player, and director ...

as Mr. Barnes and Mary Charleson as Marina.(2 May 1914)
Mr. Barnes of New York: This Latest Vitagraph Six-Part Feature is a Fine Production - every player scores
'' The Moving Picture World'', p. 651 The 1922 version featured Tom Moore, Anna Lehr, and

Naomi Childers Naomi Weston Childers (November 15, 1892 – May 9, 1964), was an American silent film actress whose career lasted until the mid-20th century. English ancestry, child actress She was born of English parentage in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Later ...

, and was directed by Victor Schertzinger.

References

External links

''Mr. Barnes of New York''
full scan via archive.org * * (1914 version) *{{IMDb title, id=0013411 (1922 version) 1887 American novels Broadway plays 1888 plays American novels adapted into films Novels by Archibald Clavering Gunter Plays by Archibald Clavering Gunter