The Man Who Lit Lady Liberty: The Extraordinary Rise and Fall of Actor M.B. Curtis

In this well-researched, in-depth biography, historian Schwartz (Berkeley 1900) traces the meteoric rise and slow fall of M.B. Curtis, a Hungarian Jewish actor who thrived on American stages from the 1870s to 1890s, then sank into obscurity. Curtis came to America as a boy in 1856 and got his first, and last, big break with his stage character “Sam’l of Posen,” a Jewish immigrant traveling salesman who was astoundingly different from anything audiences had previously seen. He became one of the most famous actors of his time, repeatedly reinventing this character and engaging in outlandish publicity stunts, such as paying to light the torch of the newly constructed Statue of Liberty and giving away real estate with ticket sales. When the popularity of Sam’l waned, Curtis turned to investing in failed real estate and managing failed theaters, hotels, and acting troupes. He remained encumbered with financial debt throughout his life. For being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Curtis was later accused of the murder of a police officer, and the ensuing high-profile trial led to bankruptcy and alcoholism in his fading last years. Schwartz’s intriguing portrayal of celebrity, status, and desperation illuminates the underbelly of an exciting, rapidly changing time. (BookLife)