Musician, comedian, actor, theatrical house owner and manager!
He was also known as R.M. Hooley and uncle Dick Hooley.
Born in Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland, the son of James and Ann Hooley. When he was a young child, his parents moved to Manchester, England. He was educated at the Hyde Academy near Manchester. He had a love for music and was devoted to the violin and fiddle. He later obtained a position in a theater orchestra as a violinist and at the end of four years he emigrated to America in 1844 and made New York City his home. He worked with the Christy's, Bryant's, Campbell's and Tom B. Prendergast among others and performed at Niblo's in New York City.
He organized a minstrel company in 1848 and took it to England, opening in Her Majesty's Concert Rooms in Hanover Square, London. While in Europe, he took the troup to several other countries. He returned to America in 1853.
In 1855, he went on a trip to California, where Sam Maguire had a popular place of amusement in San Francisco known as Maguire's Opera House, he was offered a management position there and he accepted it. He returned to New York City after three years and in 1862, he opened the first permanent theater in Brooklyn, New York, known as Hooley's Opera House at the corner of Remsen and Court Streets. In 1867, he visited Chicago and leased Bryan Hall on Clark St. and renamed it Hooley's Opera House. His Chicago theater was destroyed in the fire of 1871. He built a new theater at 149 Randolph St., between Clark and LaSalle. He engaged the best stock company ever known in the west and presented the best comedies and farces of the times. He moved his family to Chicago in 1871 to give his theater there, his full energies. His brother John Hooley took over the management of the Brooklyn Hooley's Theater.
He married Rosina Cramer or Creamer of Brooklyn & New York City on Jun 23, 1858 at St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco, California. Beside his brother John Hooley, he had a sister or grandmother named Nancy Hooley who was listed in his household in Manhattan, New York City on the 1860 Federal Census. He and his wife took in and brought up Thomas Prendergast, Jr. as Thomas Prendergast Hooley, the son of his former partner, Tom B. Prendergast, who had died in Utica, New York in 1869. Thomas, Jr., was later Treasurer of Hooley's Theater in Chicago.
Richard's wife, two daughters (Miss Mary Hooley, and Mrs. Grace Hurlburt), and a grand-son Robert Hurlburt survived him.
There was a book published about 1899, "The Story of a Theatre" by Lyman B. Glover, printed by R. R. Donnelley and Sons Company at The Lakeside Press, Chicago, Illinois, that tells about his theater and the players that were engaged there for many years. It has been stated many times that Dick Hooley was a friend to almost everyone that he had known and was very well liked by all in the business. All the greats at one time or another had played at his theaters in Brooklyn and Chicago.
He was also known as R.M. Hooley and uncle Dick Hooley.
Born in Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland, the son of James and Ann Hooley. When he was a young child, his parents moved to Manchester, England. He was educated at the Hyde Academy near Manchester. He had a love for music and was devoted to the violin and fiddle. He later obtained a position in a theater orchestra as a violinist and at the end of four years he emigrated to America in 1844 and made New York City his home. He worked with the Christy's, Bryant's, Campbell's and Tom B. Prendergast among others and performed at Niblo's in New York City.
He organized a minstrel company in 1848 and took it to England, opening in Her Majesty's Concert Rooms in Hanover Square, London. While in Europe, he took the troup to several other countries. He returned to America in 1853.
In 1855, he went on a trip to California, where Sam Maguire had a popular place of amusement in San Francisco known as Maguire's Opera House, he was offered a management position there and he accepted it. He returned to New York City after three years and in 1862, he opened the first permanent theater in Brooklyn, New York, known as Hooley's Opera House at the corner of Remsen and Court Streets. In 1867, he visited Chicago and leased Bryan Hall on Clark St. and renamed it Hooley's Opera House. His Chicago theater was destroyed in the fire of 1871. He built a new theater at 149 Randolph St., between Clark and LaSalle. He engaged the best stock company ever known in the west and presented the best comedies and farces of the times. He moved his family to Chicago in 1871 to give his theater there, his full energies. His brother John Hooley took over the management of the Brooklyn Hooley's Theater.
He married Rosina Cramer or Creamer of Brooklyn & New York City on Jun 23, 1858 at St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco, California. Beside his brother John Hooley, he had a sister or grandmother named Nancy Hooley who was listed in his household in Manhattan, New York City on the 1860 Federal Census. He and his wife took in and brought up Thomas Prendergast, Jr. as Thomas Prendergast Hooley, the son of his former partner, Tom B. Prendergast, who had died in Utica, New York in 1869. Thomas, Jr., was later Treasurer of Hooley's Theater in Chicago.
Richard's wife, two daughters (Miss Mary Hooley, and Mrs. Grace Hurlburt), and a grand-son Robert Hurlburt survived him.
There was a book published about 1899, "The Story of a Theatre" by Lyman B. Glover, printed by R. R. Donnelley and Sons Company at The Lakeside Press, Chicago, Illinois, that tells about his theater and the players that were engaged there for many years. It has been stated many times that Dick Hooley was a friend to almost everyone that he had known and was very well liked by all in the business. All the greats at one time or another had played at his theaters in Brooklyn and Chicago.
Musician, comedian, actor, theatrical house owner and manager!
He was also known as R.M. Hooley and uncle Dick Hooley.
Born in Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland, the son of James and Ann Hooley. When he was a young child, his parents moved to Manchester, England. He was educated at the Hyde Academy near Manchester. He had a love for music and was devoted to the violin and fiddle. He later obtained a position in a theater orchestra as a violinist and at the end of four years he emigrated to America in 1844 and made New York City his home. He worked with the Christy's, Bryant's, Campbell's and Tom B. Prendergast among others and performed at Niblo's in New York City.
He organized a minstrel company in 1848 and took it to England, opening in Her Majesty's Concert Rooms in Hanover Square, London. While in Europe, he took the troup to several other countries. He returned to America in 1853.
In 1855, he went on a trip to California, where Sam Maguire had a popular place of amusement in San Francisco known as Maguire's Opera House, he was offered a management position there and he accepted it. He returned to New York City after three years and in 1862, he opened the first permanent theater in Brooklyn, New York, known as Hooley's Opera House at the corner of Remsen and Court Streets. In 1867, he visited Chicago and leased Bryan Hall on Clark St. and renamed it Hooley's Opera House. His Chicago theater was destroyed in the fire of 1871. He built a new theater at 149 Randolph St., between Clark and LaSalle. He engaged the best stock company ever known in the west and presented the best comedies and farces of the times. He moved his family to Chicago in 1871 to give his theater there, his full energies. His brother John Hooley took over the management of the Brooklyn Hooley's Theater.
He married Rosina Cramer or Creamer of Brooklyn & New York City on Jun 23, 1858 at St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco, California. Beside his brother John Hooley, he had a sister or grandmother named Nancy Hooley who was listed in his household in Manhattan, New York City on the 1860 Federal Census. He and his wife took in and brought up Thomas Prendergast, Jr. as Thomas Prendergast Hooley, the son of his former partner, Tom B. Prendergast, who had died in Utica, New York in 1869. Thomas, Jr., was later Treasurer of Hooley's Theater in Chicago.
Richard's wife, two daughters (Miss Mary Hooley, and Mrs. Grace Hurlburt), and a grand-son Robert Hurlburt survived him.
There was a book published about 1899, "The Story of a Theatre" by Lyman B. Glover, printed by R. R. Donnelley and Sons Company at The Lakeside Press, Chicago, Illinois, that tells about his theater and the players that were engaged there for many years. It has been stated many times that Dick Hooley was a friend to almost everyone that he had known and was very well liked by all in the business. All the greats at one time or another had played at his theaters in Brooklyn and Chicago.
He was also known as R.M. Hooley and uncle Dick Hooley.
Born in Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland, the son of James and Ann Hooley. When he was a young child, his parents moved to Manchester, England. He was educated at the Hyde Academy near Manchester. He had a love for music and was devoted to the violin and fiddle. He later obtained a position in a theater orchestra as a violinist and at the end of four years he emigrated to America in 1844 and made New York City his home. He worked with the Christy's, Bryant's, Campbell's and Tom B. Prendergast among others and performed at Niblo's in New York City.
He organized a minstrel company in 1848 and took it to England, opening in Her Majesty's Concert Rooms in Hanover Square, London. While in Europe, he took the troup to several other countries. He returned to America in 1853.
In 1855, he went on a trip to California, where Sam Maguire had a popular place of amusement in San Francisco known as Maguire's Opera House, he was offered a management position there and he accepted it. He returned to New York City after three years and in 1862, he opened the first permanent theater in Brooklyn, New York, known as Hooley's Opera House at the corner of Remsen and Court Streets. In 1867, he visited Chicago and leased Bryan Hall on Clark St. and renamed it Hooley's Opera House. His Chicago theater was destroyed in the fire of 1871. He built a new theater at 149 Randolph St., between Clark and LaSalle. He engaged the best stock company ever known in the west and presented the best comedies and farces of the times. He moved his family to Chicago in 1871 to give his theater there, his full energies. His brother John Hooley took over the management of the Brooklyn Hooley's Theater.
He married Rosina Cramer or Creamer of Brooklyn & New York City on Jun 23, 1858 at St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco, California. Beside his brother John Hooley, he had a sister or grandmother named Nancy Hooley who was listed in his household in Manhattan, New York City on the 1860 Federal Census. He and his wife took in and brought up Thomas Prendergast, Jr. as Thomas Prendergast Hooley, the son of his former partner, Tom B. Prendergast, who had died in Utica, New York in 1869. Thomas, Jr., was later Treasurer of Hooley's Theater in Chicago.
Richard's wife, two daughters (Miss Mary Hooley, and Mrs. Grace Hurlburt), and a grand-son Robert Hurlburt survived him.
There was a book published about 1899, "The Story of a Theatre" by Lyman B. Glover, printed by R. R. Donnelley and Sons Company at The Lakeside Press, Chicago, Illinois, that tells about his theater and the players that were engaged there for many years. It has been stated many times that Dick Hooley was a friend to almost everyone that he had known and was very well liked by all in the business. All the greats at one time or another had played at his theaters in Brooklyn and Chicago.
