He apparently went on to attend college and wanted to continue acting afterwards, but was not well received by critics. He tried to
kill himself, failed, and went on to live off his fortune.
>Betty’s people paid critics for good reviews, leaked his letters to the press, and authorized production of medallions, snuff boxes, coffee cups, and other merchandise. Theaters probably also used tricks to inflate the reception Betty received, like strategically placing ringers in the audience to cheer for him.
It's always good to realise we aren't so much different from our previous generation. If anything, we just do what they did faster and with a greater impact on the world, for better or worse.
From Mozart’s work, which is widely performed today, he is still regarded as one of the best composers of all time… Seems pretty different from somebody whose handlers paid for good reviews…
I don't mean to be snobby but while I rather like Mozart's later works, Mozart's early works really do sound like they were written by a kid that got famous.
