Mann, Louis

(1865-1931)

   Born in New York City, the comic actor and playwright was on stage from the age of three. He studied at the University of California before joining a stock company run by Lawrence Barrett and John McCullough in San Francisco. In 1882, he performed repertory in support of Tommaso Salvini. Other greats with whom he performed include E. H. Sothern and Daniel E. Bandmann. He formed his own company to tour certain plays, and in 1910, wrote his own play, The Cheater, to give himself the comic role of Godfried Plittersdorf. His greatest success came in The Friendly Enemies (1918), in which he costarred with Sam Bernard, and which he toured as well as revived in New York. He was married to actress-playwright Clara Lipman.