Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, March 29, 1924, Page 8

Stories About Men Who Have.Made You Laugh GLANCE at the beginnings of men and women who make thousands shake with laughter shows-them to be recruited from a great variety of classes and callings; and yet a surprising number began their stage careers in the same way —applause in some neighborhood j amateur vaudeville show and the birth of a resolve to follow the pro- fession. ee Began Early. Frank Tinney gota taste of the stage at a very early age. He was just 4 when he got his first laughs out of an audience. It was at a church affair and a bunch of juve- niles were singing “Coming Through the Rye.” When they came to the place, “If a body meet a body, should @ body kiss a body, coming through the rye,” they had been instructed to cover their faces bashfully with their hands. Tinney did as he was instructed, but couldn't for the life of him get his hands down again. The more they tried to remove the obstructions, the more bashful he be- came. The whole audience roared with laughter, and Tinney liked it. Tinney’s parents took advantage of every opportunity to have their son appear upon the amateur stage, and he did so well that every one said: “That boy is going to make his mark in vaudeville.” Praise led the father to take his schoolboy son to a local theater for a tryout. The manager liked the lad’s stunts and sald, “I'll take him on at $40." Now, the elder Tinney was so ignorant of the stage that he didn’t know whether the $40 was for a day, a week or a month or @ year, but, being an Irishman, ro- solved to take a chance, Promoted to “Two a Day.” Young Tinney was accompanied to the theater each day by his mother. Before the week was out the man- ager came to the parent and said the boy will only have to do two per- formances next week. When the fa- ther heard of this he didn’t know that the ham actors were required to do three perfomances a day to fill in and the good ones but two. He didn't know that was a way of praising his Son's stunts. “Hang it,” he said, “if my boy isn't fit to play three times a % day he isn’t fit to play at all.” The boy continued going to school. After a time the father announced that he had picked out a splendid trade for his son—that of printer. y Frank at first was enthusiastic, but later when he discovered that a Drinter’s “devil” got a few dollars a \ week to start and only $25 or $30 when the art was mastered, he lost his ardor and became a lifeguard at Atlantic City. When Fall came and the task of saving the drowned end- ed, Tinney’s parents tried to induce him to take up the study of medicine, but he couldn’t be persuaded and so became an embalmer for an under- taker, a relative of the family, Later he became a driver of a fire truck. He Played a Cornet. These jobs occupied his time only part of the day, but at night he and we ence ROBABLY the most noted and popular screen horse is Bill Hart's Pinto pony, who has appeared consistently in pictures for the past nine years, with the excep- tion of two years when he and his master rested. From the books I gleaned that Pin- to is 12 years old and as near as can be found is a direct descendant of Red Top, a pure-blooded Arabian sent by some European potentate to Gen. Grant at the close of the Civil War. Grant couldn't keep Red Top in Washington, so he sent bim to a friend in Nevada, who turned the horse loose to run wild on the plains. Pinto, coming from his neighborhood and bearing such a strong resem- blance to Red Top, 1s believed to be one of the descendants of Grant’s Arabian. Pinto first entered pictures nine years ago, and, according to Mr. Hart, his first picture 1s still run- ning! The Mix Pony. Tony, to motion-picture fans, means Tom Mix's pony. This clever animal has been on the studio lots ever since he was a colt. He was trained by Mr. Mix. So varied are the reports re- garding the acquisition and ancestry Ay of this animal that I hesitate to make ¢ a definite statement. One legend has it that Tony was purchased from a vegetable vender on Western avenue. At this time his brother Joo went the round of the clubs entertaining patient people with their humor. After a time the team was broken up by Joe going off to become a priest and Frank being an expert player of most any kind of @ musical instrument, got a job as a cornet player in a minstrel show. It was only another step to the job of blackface comedian. Frank Tinney was started upon the road to success. The story of the rise of Ed Wynn to fame isn't unlike that of Frank quainted with Jack Lewis, © ‘Te took part in an amateur young fellow with ambition similar show, was applauded and was never to his own. They staged shows and the same afterwards.. He was re- stunts together and finally came to Tinne. In a year or two he became ac- door. He became so expert juggling another the potatoes and balancing the cab- bages that a wise producer saw the possibilities “for a stage hit.” Billy B. Van as a boy-sold news- solved to repeat his success as a pro- the conclusion that they were good P®Pers and shined shoes. When but fesionsl comedian and, while he enough for a professional tryout. 9 Y#@ts of age he got a part in a couldn't put his resolve -into effect Their act’ was a knockout, and they Juvenile company. He had a remark- at once, kept the idea persistently in had no trouble signing up for big ®!y deep voice for a lad but 9 years mind. He went into the millinery money after that. W. ©. Fields, funny man, at pres- boy baritone. A little later he in- business, but didn't make a conspic- uous success out of It, possibly be- ent appearing cause he spent too much time playing early days the clubs. Tony was a new-born colt and was tened Thunder. old, and they advertised him as the “Poppy,” in his creased his income by exercising sold vegetables from a horses in a bazaar next the theater, wagon which he drove from door to while at night he played the clubs. Screen Horses Keep Pace With the Public’s Thirst for Thrills No Name is 8 years years old, and is half racing stock running behind his mother. The old and is considered one of the fast- and half cayuse, purchase price was $12.50. Another est horses !n a circus ring. Hanna- report is that the horse was pur- ford has appeared with these horses chased in Arizona near Mr. Mix’s both in vaudeville and with practic- ranch. clever as the best of them. name was featured—or supposed to cause of Mix’s love for Tony, Buster often doubles for him, especially if the scenes are very dangerous. Circus Horses. Besides being a good show City, ally all the “big tops” in the country. horses, Buster is Mix’s other pony, and a8 He has trained them himself for ac- Many robatic work, somersaults, filps and will recall the picture titled “Tony,” handstands, and consequently they in which Tom Mix’s favorite of that fit into comedy work in pictures, Eagle 1s Buck Jones’ favorite horse. Hoxie bought be. However, Buster played a very Ho is. iron-gray in color and 9 years prominent part in this picture, doing old. most of the dangerous stunts. Be- horse, he does many tricks. Stands Pigeon-toed, Arabia is one of the prettiest pieces a very intelligent screen horse named of horseflesh in the country. owned by the William Fox corpora- this horse both on the stage and He is Chapel. Scout is the favorite of a dozen or more saddle horses at the Universal stables, where Hoxie keeps his Scout stands 1744 hands hands high, weighs 1275 pounds and is 5 years old. Eight months ago he was ‘an unbroken pony on the open Tanges of the Salmon River country. the horse from his brother and shipped him to Universal where ho was broken and trained for screen work. Will Rogers 1s the proud owner of Rogers has appeared with Poodles Hannaford is making two- tion. For cleverness it is hard to screen. Teel comedies with the aid of his find a horse that can excel him. Ara- two circtis horses, No Name and bia will Then there {s White Eagle, the designate colors and num- horse that Douglas Fairbanks rode Thunder, which he has also trained bers, and will also do dancing and in so many of his pictures, He was for screen work.. These two equine fancy stepping. stars are both white, Irish hunters very funny. Many fans will recall ranches in Arizona and were imported from the Hanna- Arabia as the horse that stands ford ranch in Ireland. Poodles told either bow-legged, knock-kneed or play in pictures. As a comedian he is purchased from one of the big stock There are two clever donkeys that One of them is me that circus performers are very pigeon-toed—according to direction! Queenie of the Century Comedies and superstitious about naming their Among other equine screen nota- the other is Billy of Universal. Both horses, and that it was with much bles are Jack Hoxie’s Chief and of these animals are very much more difficulty that he finally decided on Scout and Hoot Gibson’s Gold Dust intelligent than they look and do the names of his two favorites, For a Maverick and Billy. Hoot's horse many things that seem to require al- long time one of these horses hadno was given the name of Gold Dust most human intelligence. Billy is 5 name and as the hostler used to re- Maverick because he played a part of years old and about as bow-legged fer to her as No Name, Poodles finally this title in his first picture. adopted this title for the horse. The as any animal could be. He works Billy is the dark bay mare that when he wants to, and when he other horse was born during a thun- Gibson has used in nearly every pic- doesn't feel in the mood he will not s 15 stir. derstorm and was thereafter chris- ture he has made. en Gleanings~ ‘This animal {, For a time he was office boy for a lawyer, an eccentric old fellow, as pecullar as one of Dickens’ barris- ters. Van asked the lawyer so many questions that he finally gave the lad four books, telling him that if he Would read them he would find an- Swers to the many questions he was asking. These books were the “Or- igin of Species,” “The Age of Rea- son,” “The Riddle of the Universe” and the Bible, ‘When Van had read through them, he reported the accomplishment of the task. “Did you understand them?” asked the lawer. “Only part- ly,” answered the boy. “Well; read Jackie’s Joke | Dee F, CLINE, who direct- ed Jackie Coogan in one of bis successes, tells this story of the youthful star: Actors who look at the big reflec- tors on the sets often have trouble with their eyes,” said Mr. Cline. “When we began making the picture I made an agreement with Jackie that if he ever looked at a reflector he must give me a nickel. I, in turn, Was to give him a nickel every time I smoked a cigar. “We were nearing the end of the filming and no money had changed hands, when I saw Jackie glance first at the reflector on his right and then at the one on his left. ‘You owe me 10 cents,’ I called, “Jackie meditated for a moment, nodded his head, began to finger the few coins he had in his pocket, and then, looking up at me with the light of an inspiration in his eyes, he said: “*Aw, Mr. Cline, buy yourself two cigars and call it square.’” them again and have a dictionary at your elbow when you do so.” Van did as he was told and could report better progress the next time. “Well, I hayp given you the equivalent of a Laugh-Making Is Their Business. Top Row—Frank Tinney, Francis Wilson, Billy B. Van, Walter C. Kel- ly. Bottom Row—Jack Northworth, Ed Wynn, Gordon Dooley, Johnny Dooley. four-year collegé education,” said the lawyer. Later Van learned the trade of car builder, but he did not like the work very much and soon left it.- His fa- ther, who was a locomotive engineer, making $125 a month, wished his son to attain the same rank of pécuniary Satisfaction as himself, and tried to prevent his son from fooling his time away upon the stage. When Van re- turned from his first tour and re- ported that he was making $125 a week, opposition fell flat, Van's real name was Vandergrift, but he has always used the shortened form. The End of the Trail turesque career of any direc- tor of pictures. A driver in a circus.parade, a player of black- face. roles, a carniyal ballyhoo, a comedian of parts, anu later a con- tortionist who circled the globe many times; these make up his in- teresting background. He is equally at home in Bombay, Calcutta, Shang- hal, Tokio, London, Paris, Madrid or Los Angeles. 4 The year 1913 found him in Shang- hai with a sprained ankle due to a fall from an aerial trapeze. Time hung heavily in the Chinese city, and Browning dreamed often of the land of his birth. The Inspiration, It happened at about this time that Hobart Bosworth, an old friend of his, was appearing in a well-known Picture at the leading theater in Shanghat. ba To lull the ache for America Tod went to see Bosworth in the film. It was a typical Bosworth film, awhirl with the elemental clash of complex motives. It carried Browning away on that tide which, Shakespeare said, if taken at the flood leads on to for- tune. Before the last ree] had been run Browning had decided to return to Los Angeles and become a motion picture director, In six weeks Browning was in Los Angeles. Day after day he haunted the studios, only now and T* ‘Browning has the most pic- then getting a chance of playing a- small part, either as an extra or as “atmosphere” of merely filling in the picture, . While working as an extra during the filming of a Turkish picture his first very small opportunity came to him. The director was puzzled over a bit of atmospheric detail, Brown- ing volunteered the information. ‘This brought him to the attention of the director, who used him in an ad- visory capacity while the picture was being made. His Big Chance, At length a difficult picture was to be filmed. The’ producer had asked six well-known directors to attempt the directing of it They refused on the ground that it was not possible to make a successful picture of it, either from a commercial or direc- torial point of view, Browning went to the director of E tbe Turkish picture to whom he had acted as adviser. He asked for a let- ter of introduction to the producer. Armed with this, he was granted an interview. ec 7 At the end of the two hours’ talk it resulted in Browning being given the chance of directing his first pic- ture, The producer’s falth was justified. The picture was a financial and artistic success. From that time on his career has been one success aft- er another, We rise by the things that are under feet; _ By what we have mastered of good and gain; By the pride deposed and the passion slain, And the vanquished ills that we hourly meet. —VJosiah Gilbert Holland RO sara re