Learn about an iconic Jewish-American Stage Star of the turn of the last century

“The Man Who Lit Lady Liberty: The Extraordinary Rise and Fall of Actor M.B. Curtis” by Richard Schwartz (RSB Books)

This is the incredible true story of a Hungarian Jewish immigrant actor. MB Curtis was the first actor to create and perform a Jewish character on stage that was not a caricature but a positive example. His seminal role, “Sam’l of Posen”, was acclaimed and applauded for twenty years, and then put on film in 1910. During his years as a professional touring actor, with his wife Marie, Maurice Bertrand Curtis was one of America’s most popular performers. He ran his own theatrical company, tried his hand at real estate development, managed one of the greatest black singers of his day on a tour to Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii, and showed the world that young industrious immigrants Jews could be genuine heroes. Curtis popularized the humble “drummer”, traveling salesmen.

When France gave the USA the Statue of Liberty and Congress refused to fund its necessary pedestal, Jewish Hungarian immigrant and newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer initiated a fundraising campaign that paid for it. When opening day arrived for the Statue, the US government again failed to fund the lighting of the torch. Three days after the dedication, another Hungarian Jewish immigrant, actor M.B. Curtis offered the pay to light the Statue’s torch while he was performing in New York. He gave $800 directly to the electro-dynamo workers to light the Lady.

Sadly, Curtis contended with actors in his troupes, and spent money  he didn’t have. His worst misadventure was being charged with murdering a California policeman while inebriated late one night. After two mistrials, Curtis was exonerated, but the stress was devastating, and the legal bills were about $50,000. His later years were difficult. New plays were not successful, his real estate ventures were disasters, he and his wife filed separately for  bankruptcy, and he struggled with alcoholism. Attempts to manage other acts met with mixed success. He never lost his optimism, but toward the end of his life Curtis seemed to be snake-bitten. After his film career began with a recorded version of his iconic play, the producer was murdered by a schizophrenic Japanese janitor at the movie studio. That ended Curtis’ hope for a great movie career.

He is largely forgotten now, but MB Curtis was a pioneer of the American stage. His creation of an ethnic character that was beloved by all audiences had a positive affect on relations between Jews and Christians in the USA.