The evening world. Newspaper, May 27, 1922, Page 9

THE EVENING WORLD, SATURDAY, MAY 27, 1922. Clerk—Ba ” By Bide Dudley. @epriieht, 1922 (New York Evening World) I by Press Publishing Co. N selecting people to follow the acting profession Fate doesn't hesitate to delve into the nooks and corners of all walks of life. , creed or Un- Bhe is no respecter of ra previous condition of servitude. doubtedly, in your time, you ha heard the expression, “A good brick- layer was spoiled when he went on the stage." Used facetiously to regis ter an adverse opinion of somebody's acting, the saying may literally be true. ‘The art of putting one brick evenly on another may have lost a promising follower when he deserted the trow for the theatrical boards, All which means nothing except that {t may point out that the trades and professions of ordinary mortals are just as apt as not to furnish stars te uplift the drama, or grind it in the ve of much dust, just as you may think. A man doesn't have to be born to the sta ¢ to be an actor. Some of them are of theatrical stock, but there are many who aren't, and yet they ure good actors. What a fellow has been @ays needn't unfit him ing his Jord the carriage waits very gracefully, or from starving fm oa theatrical boarding house @uring the slow summer months, just as successfully as the son of a noted star might. The butcher’s son, while @elivering the pork chops, may find himself possessed of the divine spark that urges him to take up the sock and buskin and join the Lambs, And, if he heeds, t!ere is no reason why some day he should not meet Wilton Lackaye or get a nod from J. J. Shu bert. If these things come about he will realize fully the wisdom of the move that cut him loose from the meat business, for he will be pointed out as an actor and all the boys who hang out in front of the New York ‘Theatre will wave to him and touch him. In looking over the list of men rated ‘as actors wo find many who started up the wrong street when they were younger. Raymond Hitchcock—he of the comedy vein and pants—was once @ shoe clerk and in Auburn, too. Bren while fitting the feet of the Au- burn populace he began to dream of a stage career and very frequently, in his absent-mindedness, he twitched a corn which should have received more consideration. Raymond was not a very good shoe clerk and one day the boss called him into the private of- . Fate was working. Memtcheock,” said the boss, “I Daon't believe you know much about gelling shoes. “What difference does it make so Jong as I eat?’’ responded Raymond ‘with a sincere desire for knowledge “Tt makes a great deal of difference to me,”’ said the boss. ‘Let me put a question to you. If a woman with a No. 4 foot comes in here for a pair of shoes what do you show her?” “a pair of No. 4’ “And do you tell her they are No. “Of course’ ‘The boss sighed. ‘‘The cashier will give you your week's pay,’ he said. “This business is not for you. Raymond walked out and went on tthe stage as a chorus man. Later he learned he should have sald: ‘I tell her the shoes are No. 2's. But it was too late. Raymond had been shunted out of the shoe business right onto the stage. The rest you know. Raymond Hitchcock not only an act, but he can produce, if needs be, and go through bankruptcy as well as any theatrical plunger that ever lived. Had he remained in the shoe Dysiness he might still be in Auburn, whereas he has travelled all over the United States and Canada and lived at the best hotels everywhere. Success has not spoiled him. Even though his + clothes look like a checker-board he still as sincere as when he used to tickle the feet of the fair sex in the town named for red-headed giris. But enough of Raymond! Let us move on to Frank Tinney. When Frank Tinney was a lad in Philadelphia the undertaking business caught his eye. There was something fascinating about the coffins and shrouds, and he made up his mind to work himself into a position whereby the family might have ice on the but- ter and flowers on the table almost avery day. He obtained a job as night clerk in the gathering place of the dear departed without much trouble. At 12 o'clock each night Frank would lock te front door and go to sleep In a coffin with the telephone nearby. One tingle and Frank was awake and he got the reputation of being the most alert undertaker’s assistant in Phila- deiphia.. One day, however, he quit his job. The undertaker was dum- founded. “Sut the heavy ying season is just Suits and Cloaks, Raymond Hitchcock, Shoes. Frank Tinney, for Instance, Was an Undertaker—Ed Wynn, a Druggist’s rney Bernard Sold FRANK TINNEY WAS AN UNDERTAKER snapped Frank, ‘‘Last night the boys brought five of 'em in here and put one in my bed. I had to sleep on a ‘Rest in Peace’ floral horseshoe and, bo, I'm through." With that Frank Tinney quit and went to Atlantic City, where he be: came a life-saver on the beach. The undertaker was delighted. “Dear Frank," he wrote, “let's you and I open a branch shop down there. You could drown ‘em and I'd plant Frank declined and took u; the trombone. On mastering ane the Ball” he gave up the beach job and joined a minstrel show. And that was the start of F. ‘Tinney. comic. To-day he is just as bad a trombone player as he was then but he has developed a great sense of humor, @ large amount of credit for which belongs to the undertaking busi- ness. time they pulled a President from New York State on the country, and Grant realized that the Ohio thing wasn’t infallible. The next best road to fame, he dectded, lay behind the footlights, #0 he reformed, gave up lawing and went to acting. Will Rogers, as everybody knows, was a cowboy before he took up stage work. It was while riding fence down in Oklahoma that somebody discovered Rogers could chew gum with more comedy than any puncher who had ever been in the district. At an ama- teur show down that way Will went on ‘The World's Champion Gum Chewer’' and made a big hit, Then it was that he decided to come to New York and seek his fortune. Now he is noted as a Follies" Star and a screen comedian, He does not hesitate to give gum full credit for his rapid rise, and he admits the idea of chewing it came to him originally as he watched an old cow chewing her cud, Rob Rogers of his gum and you pluck the bloom from the rose of his comedy. Give him a double supply of gum and the audience, on the way out after the show, will line up to buy tlokets for the next one. ‘ant Mitchell, playing In '*Kempy, comes from Ohio, In his early days he perceived that his State was a hot- Barney Bernard, of ‘Partners Again,” creator of the stage Potash, began his professional career as a cloak and suit salesman. Whether or not this equipped him for the roles he has been acting on tho stage is a question; but it fitted him for his membership in the Friars. Generosity, is a predominating trait in the make- up of Barney. In the past seven years he has given Montague Glass and Jules Eckert Goodman automo- biles, country homes, diamonds and other trinkets, and each time they meet they drop all other business and bless the day Barney heard the call of the stage and quit the cloak and suit business. Corse Payton comes from Indiana, where he attacked life as a clerk in a general store, Out of his $10 a week he saved up about $200 with the idea in view of visiting New York some day and seeing the Aquarium. As he coming on, Frank,’ he protested. "I bed of Presidential timber and he de- worked and saved he developed a can't Caged to lose you. ,, ided to start right, anyway. So he yearning to be an actor and wear ‘ian, e same I'm quitting,” became @ lawyer, Just about that white spats. He had observed a num- 7 , J \ Before They Became Act WILLIAM COLLIER BEAT THE ORUM IN A INSTREL BAND eit BPTI RAYMOND HITCHCOCK SOLD SHOES SS DAVID WARFIELD USHERED ber of the members of the theatrical & Profession whu came to play at tho played Town Hall, and he gained from them variabl the impression that lite benind t pele footlights was akin to peach nd wel » cream with every meal. His family tors W criticised him severely for ha overs such an ambition, but Corse refused kins t to be moved. Thus it was that when the time came for his visit to New Wit! IN A_ THEATRE York he resolved to make it a quest for a theatrical engage ment. Arriving on Broadway Corse went to see a theatrical agent “So you want to go on the stage?” asked the agent, “I do, indeed,” replied Corse, “Ever acted?" “No, sir, but I have attended many shows,"* “Well, just why do you want normaley In telegraph circies he sumed his acting, playing several roles for A. H. Woods. The navy now and then supplies a theatrical star who makes good. Jack Norworth, singing comedian, is one of these. When he was a youngster he enlisted in Philadelphia and spent sev- eral years on the ships. Jack had a voice, however, and he decided It was a gift the navy could not develop; so he resigned and became an actor. fe, h0 a soe plied Corse T0-48¥ he has no chance to command 8 pliec ° a battleship, but he can command a jramatically. “I have b fap salary of $1,000 a much more nourish) William Collier's father k and that riticised by my family and I want to get even with them." The rest is history. Corse Payton went on the stage and bidaedbsses became ono of the pillars of tf but be planned a commercial he ten-twent'-thirt’ branch of C@reer for his son. Willie, however, he drama, Incidentally, his "@d his own ideas as to 4 carcer and evenge on his family hes been he put them into effect when he wus eleven years old, ully obtained He joined Haverly’s a Juvenile ‘Pinafore’ troupe and spent Back tn the days of “My more than a year touring the country Friend From India’ there With It, Among his associates in the was a little funny-looking Haverly company were Julia Mar- man named Walter Perkins lowe, Grace Filkin Arthur and Jen- working in a telegraph office Ble Dunn, Daisy Murdock and Willie here in New Yor Du Sou Newman, now mar r of the Empire chet, who wrote the come Theatre here, N mun was a boy was a telegraph operator, also baritone, and a close friend of Walter. When the Haverly (re ewung Willlam Collier first had tb around to New York, Father Collier chief part in this play, we krabbed Willle anu put n in school believe, but when he tried of ‘There he remained t« year an it Walter Perkins gave up the then Iit out again, ‘This time he went art of pounding brass and as- to Daly's Theatre jar CG he sumed the rol He was After @ season in that capacity from the start. After that he Was given boy parts to pluy and he many comedy rules and in- developed rapidly ly did well, At one time W 1 nt graphy {8 @ trade one never for- of a minstrel ¢ I nd, during the war, when opera- 4 small town In 1 hot day ere badly needed here to handle and the troupe ; 1 man ument messages, Walter Per- ayer to do away \ te. He urned his back on the stage for refused. Collier wa 6 bas 2 while and went to work at the key. drum in the band tay h the return of a semblance of walked seven mile 1 the sun and = How Some Broadwa | BARNEY BERNARD 4 WAS A ED- WYNN STARTED AS A DRUGGIST i. os DE WOLF HOPPER WAS GOING To BE A LAWYER EODIE CANTOR WORKED IN A BROKER'S OFFICE Just, carrying the big drum, On re- go back to “O'Dowd's Nelghbors"’ and turning to the hotel he was just about never again will he have to serve as wilted. Standing by the door were an usher. In other words, the San two farmers. One of them looked at Francisco usher has “arrived.” the bass drummer with contempt. “Huh!” he commented. “Anything to git out of work!” George M. Cohan began his profes fional career as a violinist. He used to play with the orchestra in a theat in Providence, Being of a prominent stage family he naturally took up act ing and the rest ts too well known ty demand repetition. Sam H. Harris for years the business partner of My Cohan, never acted except when h appeared in Friats' Frotics, but his pre-theatrical career was interesting He geban working as an employee of Ed Wynn, born Izzie Leupold, is a native of Philadelphia. He was once » drug store clerk, but the Volstead law was not In existence then and he found it hard to make much money. Ed used to clown even while at work in the store. Let a customer show signs of being a crank and Ed would soon have him laughing. If a woman asked for a mustar] @ laundry, and then managed Terry plaster and the store happened to MeGovern, prize fighter. Later he have none, Ed would chuckle, tell her OWned a string of race horses, Now a Joke and induce her to take a bottle ne of America's most influen of cod-liver oll, One day a theatrical te! trical producers. manager came under Ed's spell and ——e the result wae the drug clerk went Fiddle Cantor, as a boy, worked in Wall Street brokerage nt he appes Miner theatre fice. One 1 a8 an amateur ¢t and won a prize, That on the stage. Now he has a show of his own, @ country place, a garden and everything, but they say he often yearns for the old days in Philadel phia when all he had to do for a liv- ended his business career and he went for in rt Cecil Lean was a shippin; ing was work. ¢ in a railroad office, Lew Hear _ was in several mercantile Hnes before he took up stage work. He was force David Warfleld used to be an usher out of business by bis size. Every in a San Francisco theatre. When time an employer saw him coming hi had absorbed a considerable portion offered hin a place as office boy. of the theatrical business from tly a front of the house, he decided acting Arthur Deagon, of comic opera should come next. He came w fame, Was @ coal miner in Wisconsin York and of the first roles he es- He had a fine voice and, tiring of sayed was that of an Irish woman m tevided sing. It wasn't ‘O'Dowd's: Neighbors as on the stage. De He did it extremely well and | studied law before | advance in the profession was rapid \trimony and not impeded by skirts wh een, one doesn’t have t has reached a point where he wants t lage to be on it, Ph. play Shakespeare. He may never do aver uctor's not born; he is made it, Dut It Im safe to say he will never —usually by his press agemt, 4 A