Great (Posthumous) Success Of George Bernard Shaw

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29350, 1 November 1960, Page 19

Great (Posthumous) Success Of George Bernard Shaw

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.)

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, October 31. As the tenth anniversary of his death approaches, George Bernard Shaw has posthumously earned more than £BOO,OOO, though he never had it so good when he was alive, says the “Daily Mail.” When Shaw died, death duties at 75 per cent, made his estate technically bankrupt to the tune of £lBO,OO. Yet, under the brilliant management of Mr B. L. M. Davies, of the Public Trust Office, death duties-were paid off and the three principal beneficaries, the British Museum, the Royal Acadamy of Dramatic Art and the National Gallery of Ireland, had each received £191,000 by March of this year with' tens of thousands of pounds accruing since then. If one adds legal costs, including the battle over death duties, and normal management expenses, it is clear that Shaw has earned more than £BOO,OOO since his death and will be topping the £1 million mark within the year, the paper says.

Much of the profits since his death have come from the musical adaptation of “Pygmalion,” but all over the world his other great plays, such as “Man and Superman,” “Candida,” “Androcles and the Lion,” “Major Barbara,” “John Bull’s Other Island,” “Fanny’s First Play,” “Heartbreak House,” and “Arms and the Man,” are bringing in golden revenue. Shaw is still, individually. Britain’s great invisible export and will continue to be so for the next 40 years when his copyrights lapse. By A.D. 2000, Shaw will probably have earned £25 million for England and his native Ireland, much of it from overseas—the most fantastic success story of a writer in all history. Power-Cycles Taken.— Three power-cycles were converted in Christchurch during the weekend but all of them have been recovered. They were ridden a short distance before being abandoned. *