The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 20, No. 120, October, 1867: A Magazine of Literature, Science, Art, and PoliticsVarious
General
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 20, No. 120, October, 1867: A Magazine of Literature, Science, Art, and Politics
Various
American periodicals
When she had done the work, the United States stood by and saw her deprived
of three fourths of her just and legitimate wages, without stirring a
finger for her protection. The book sold to the extent of two millions of
copies, and the story was played in most of the theatres in which the
English language is spoken, and in many French and German theatres. In one
theatre in New York it was played eight times a week for twelve months.
Considerable fortunes have been gained by its performance, and it is still
a source of revenue to actors and managers. We believe that there are at
least three persons in the United States, connected with theatres, who have
gained more money from "Uncle Tom's Cabin" than Mrs. Stowe. Of all the
immense sums which the exhibition of this story upon the stage has
produced, the authoress has received nothing. When Dumas or Victor Hugo
publishes a novel, the sale of the right to perform it as a play yields him
from eighty thousand to one hundred and twenty thousand francs. These
authors receive a share of the receipts of the theatre,--the only fair
arrangement,--and this share, we believe, is usually one tenth; which is
also the usual percentage paid to authors upon the sale of their books. If
a French author had written "Uncle Tom's Cabin," he would have enjoyed,--1.
A part of the price of every copy sold in France; 2. A share of the
receipts of every theatre in France in which he permitted it to be played;
3. A sum of money for the right of translation into English; 4. A sum of
money for the right of translation into German. We believe we are far
within the truth when we say, that a literary success achieved by a French
author equal to that of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" would have yielded that author
half a million dollars in gold; and that, too, in spite of the lamentable
fact, that America would have stolen the product of his genius, instead of
buying it.
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