Alice Lloyd – The Tatler – Wednesday 16th September 1908

£500 A WEEK – AND WORTH IT,

MISS ALICE LLOYD

Who is now on her way to New York to appear at the New York Theatre, Broadway, at a salary of £500 a week, reputed to be the largest ever paid an English music-hall artiste in musical comedy. The contract is for forty-two weeks a year for two years – a record contract for either England or America. Miss Lloyd is to appear in a musical comedy, specially written for her, entitled “The Bonnie Belle of Scotland.”

The Tatler – Wednesday 16^th September 1908

Due to an error in communication Alice Lloyd was booked to perform in America, the agent had sent a cable saying that he could “Send Lloyd by next steamer” she was booked for the Colonial Theatre on New York’s Broadway at 63^rd Street, bills were prepared announcing Marie’s first American visit, an error as she had already performed in America in 1890, 1894 and 1897. Before the bills had been put up Alice cabled from Liverpool, announcing that she was about to set sail, signing herself Alice Lloyd. Realising their error the bills were destroyed and another star booked. When she went to the Colonial Theatre to rehearse she had been placed as a fifth turn and her time on the programme limited to fifteen minutes. By the time she had reached her third song the audience were on their feet. Encore followed encore and she wasn’t allowed to leave the stage and her fifteen minutes became forty-five. The day after her triumph she was placed top of the bill with her name up in lights outside the theatre. The following day her salary increased from $300 (£60) to $1,500 (£300) a week. Her stay in America was extended to three months. Before returning to England, she signed a five-year contract starting in March 1908, she was to work forty weeks a year in the United States at a salary of $2,000 (£400) a week. Alice expected to make a total of £75,000. With the exception of Harry Lauder, she became the most successful British artist of her day in America.

 

Barker, R.A. (1990) “Marie Lloyd, Queen of the Music-Halls, Chivers Press, Bath (p163 – 165)