MORRIS, WILLIAM

MORRIS, WILLIAM
MORRIS, WILLIAM (1873–1932), U.S. talent agent. Born in Schwarzenau, Germany, Morris immigrated to America in 1898. He initially went to work for Marc Klaw and Abe Erlanger as a theatrical booking agent, and then as an independent vaudeville agent at a time when Keith-Albee United Booking Office was monopolizing bookings for vaudeville theaters. In 1907, Klaw and Erlanger joined with the Shubert Brothers to form the National Vaudeville Artists Association to compete with Keith-Albee, but they were acquired three months later and Klaw and Erlanger were forced out. Morris led a prolonged fight against Keith-Albee's monopoly with the aid of entertainment newspaper Variety and President Theodore Roosevelt. On January 31, 1918, a victorious Morris established the William Morris Agency with his son William, Jr. (born 1899 in New York) and office boy Abe Lastfogel. The agency's logo of four Xs actually represent William Morris' initials – a "W" superimposed on an "M." As silent film took hold, Morris pushed for clients like Al Jolson, Mae West, Charlie Chaplin, and the Marx Brothers to try out the new medium. By 1930, Morris had passed control of the agency to Lastfogel and his son, after 32 years in the business. Lastfogel managed the New York office, while William, Jr., took control of the Los Angeles office and later became president of the agency (1932–52). Morris died of a heart attack while playing cards at the Friar's Club in Manhattan. (Adam Wills (2nd ed.)

Encyclopedia Judaica. 1971.

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  • Morris,William — Morris, William. 1834 1896. British poet, painter, craftsman, and social reformer best remembered for his wallpaper and furniture designs and his poetry, including the epic Sigurd the Volsung (1876). * * * …   Universalium

  • Morris, William — born March 24, 1834, Walthamstow, near London, Eng. died Oct. 3, 1896, Hammersmith British painter, designer, craftsman, poet, and social reformer, founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Born into a wealthy family, he studied medieval… …   Universalium

  • Morris William Travers — (* 24. Januar 1872 in London; † 25. August 1961 in Stroud) war ein englischer Chemiker. Er studierte Chemie am University College und wurde dort 1903 Professor. Ab 1906 war er in Bangalore der erste Direktor des neu gegründeten Indischen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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  • Morris, William — (1834 1896)    Born to a wealthy family from Walthamstow, Northeast London, he was educated at Marlborough College and Exeter College, Oxford, and was elected fellow in 1883. He was one of the founding members of the firm of Morris, Marshal,… …   British and Irish poets

  • Morris, William — ► (1834 96) Escritor, pintor y teórico británico. Difundió un tipo de decoración con motivos vegetales, que constituye uno de los más claros orígenes del modernismo. Escribió poemas de un medievalismo romántico, expresado de un modo personalísimo …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Morris, William — (1834 1896)    Poet, artist, and socialist, b. at Walthamstow, and ed. at Marlborough School and Oxf. After being articled as an architect he was for some years a painter, and then joined in founding the manufacturing and decorating firm of… …   Short biographical dictionary of English literature

  • Morris, William — (1861 1936)    Born in Boston, Massachusetts, the actor is not to be confused with his contemporary (1873 1932), the dean of the golden age of vaudeville, of the same name. The actor Morris began his stage career in 1876 with the Boston Museum,… …   The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater

  • Morris, William Weaks — vero nome di Morris, Willie …   Sinonimi e Contrari. Terza edizione

  • MORRIS, WILLIAM —    poet, art worker, and Socialist, born in Walthamstow, near London, son and heir of a wealthy merchant; studied at Oxford, where he became the lifelong bosom friend of Burne Jones; of an artistic temperament, he devoted his working hours to… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

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