] It is stacked ready to put on the market
the day he passes in his checks. Hold on now. About the year 1918 Mr.
Kedger, who had already financially made good over the manipulation of
wood-pulp potatoes, synthetic bread, and real estate, turned his attention
to the Anglo-American Theatre. For the Anglo-American Theatre did not pay.
Here was Mr. Kedger's opportunity. Forming a small trust, he bought up the
theatres, both of the Variety and of the Monotonous kind, bought up the
dramatists with their copyrights present and future, bought up the actors--
PANTALOON. Didn't buy me.
MAN OF THE WORLD. Didn't count you.
CLOWN. Cost much?
MAN OF THE WORLD. [He winks.] The payment was partly made in shares. He
then paid the Dramatists considerable sums not to go on writing, which was,
of course, a clear profit. He paid the actors to stop acting, which was in
some cases a needless expenditure of money. He also brought in the Cinema
and Gramophone interests, organising the whole affair upon a strictly
business basis.
PANTALOON.
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