Charles Callender, proprietor and manager of the famous colored organization that bore his name, played many seasons on the road, commencing about 1872; several years later Haverly purchased his interests; the company subsequently became the property of Charles and Gustave Frohman.
Mr. Callender had retired from active theatricals some years before his death.
Charles Callender died at Chicago, Ill., February 24, 1897; age 70 years.
Frank Moran came to the United States at the age of four years; it was not until later that he did a stump speech.
His first appearance professionally was about 1848, as a comic singer in Philadelphia with Raymond and Waring’s Circus. He was with several small minstrel shows before going to California in 1850, and subsequently to Australia.
Some time after his return from the Antipodes, he joined Sanford’s Minstrels in Philadelphia, and later was with Carncross and Dixey at different periods, aggregating a number of years.
September 5, 1864, he opened Moran’s Minstrels on Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. Later he was with Bryant’s, and Kelly and Leon’s Minstrels in New York; Hooley’s in Brooklyn, and Moore and Burgess’ in London.
As Moran and Dixey’s Minstrels, the famous Eleventh Street Opera House in Philadelphia opened October 2, 1871; in September, the following year, the company was known as Moran’s Minstrels.
Subsequently Moran and Billy Manning’s Minstrels made a brief tour. Of later years Mr. Moran was associated with Ned Thomas in a minstrel company, and on July 17, 1890, he began an engagement with Wm. Henry Rice’s World’s Fair Minstrels.
Frank Moran was a natural born comedian, and at times was rather caustic in his wit; but underneath a seeming rough exterior was a heart that was never known to fail a fellow performer in distress.