Joe Jefferson was the most famous actor in 19th century America, and the richest. His story is the story of that theater, where his triumphs were built by his unparalleled genius for blending humor and pathos in his portrayals. A fourth-generation actor, he endured a challenging upbringing, beginning serious pursuit of his art at 17, slowly moving up the pecking order of the traditional stock company. By 21 he was an established comedian in New York. The Civil War he avoided by going to California, then on to Australia, South America, and London. There he became a great star and put the finishing touch on a work he had been fiddling with for some time--Washington Irving's famous tale of Rip Van Winkle. Back in America, his English reputation preceding him, "Rip" quickly grew into a national institution. The eternal touring--and the eternal gush of money--began: his fees were unequaled in the business, because his box-office results were unequaled. "Rip" become the most popular male rol