Chamberlain Brown

Chamberlain Brown (April 1, 1892 – November 12, 1955) was a theater impresario in the United States. He acted, produced Broadway plays, represented actors as a casting agent, published theatrical publications, and hosted radio shows about the theater with guest stars in each episode. His brother Lyman joined him in the business.

Chamberlain and Lyman were born to George M. Brown and Delorius (Chamberlain) Brown, daughter  of Samuel E. Chamberlain.{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5P0nAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA122 | title=Commemorative Biographical Record of Hartford County, Connecticut: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, and of Many of the Early Settled Families: Volume 1| last1=Beers & Co| first1=J.H| year=1901}}

The Brown boys began collecting theater mementos and autographs while still young and their father, a department store owner, helped launch and fund Chamberlain's career in the theater business. The New York Public Library has a collection of their papers.{{cite web|url=http://archives.nypl.org/the/21808|title=archives.nypl.org -- Chamberlain and Lyman Brown papers|website=archives.nypl.org}} A diary of their theater goings kept by the two brothers documents vaudeville and theater in Boston and New York City from 1909 until 1914.{{cite book|title=Chamberlain and Lyman Brown theater diaries|first1=Chamberlain|last1=Brown|first2=Lyman|last2=Brown|date=31 December 2018|publisher=|oclc = 84859914}}

One of his radio shows, Stars of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, featured celebrity guests.{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tkUEAAAAMBAJ |title=Billboard |date=1948-08-14 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |language=en}} Brown reportedly refused to meet with Mary Orr, but had a role in her being cast by Preston Sturges.{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FYA0EUvL7FMC&q=%22Chamberlain+Brown%22&pg=PA110 | title=Christmas in July: The Life and Art of Preston Sturges| isbn=9780520079267| last1=Jacobs| first1=Diane| date=1992-01-01}} He helped Jean Arthur get a part in a production in New York City.{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rsQ1P8pZxy8C&q=%22Chamberlain+Brown%22&pg=PA23 | title=Jean Arthur: A Biofilmography| isbn=9781467043267| last1=Vermilye| first1=Jerry| date=2012-06-06| publisher=AuthorHouse}}

Their firm had many prominent clients including Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5249DwAAQBAJ&q=%22chamberlain+brown%22+lyman&pg=PA1788|title=Miriam Hopkins: Life and Films of a Hollywood Rebel|first=Allan R.|last=Ellenberger|date=9 November 2017|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|via=Google Books|isbn=9780813174334}}

Chamberlain Brown's Scrapbook (1932) was a musical revue set in vaudeville style.{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ozEOAQAAMAAJ&q=chamberlain+brown%27s+scrapbook | title=The New York Times Theater Reviews| year=1930}}{{Cite web | url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/chamberlain-browns-scrap-book-11613 | title=Chamberlain Brown's Scrap Book – Broadway Musical – Original | IBDB}} Ina Hayward gave her last performance in it.{{Cite web | url=https://broadway.cas.sc.edu/content/ina-hayward | title=Ina Hayward | Broadway Photographs}}