125 14th St
Oakland, CA 94612
USA
In 1886, the Statue of Liberty’s torch stood unlit when Congress refused to fund its lighting. Enter M.B. Curtis, groundbreaking American Jewish actor. Curtis, who lived part of his life in the East Bay, rose to success in Sam’l of Posen, a play that challenged Jewish stereotypes of the time. In gratitude for his life and success in America, Curtis personally paid for the lighting of the Statue of Liberty when Congress would not fund it. Curtis went on to become a producer, a real estate developer, a promoter, a hotelier, a pioneer in the silent film industry. And a murder suspect. Curtis reached the highs of celebrity and fame as well as the lows of failure, illness, and a faltering career.
Join local historian and author Richard Schwartz as he talks about this fascinating character and his local connection.
This program is part of the Oakland History Room’s Fall History Series.