New-York tribune. [volume], December 28, 1919, Page 4, Image 34

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
AMUSEMENT NEWS AND STAGE D?OR CHAT
All Work and No Play
Doesn't Make Dull Boy
Of Busy Edmund Lowe
By Harriette Underhill
Edmund I.owe loves to work! He
also enjoya those other pursuits which
to the ^rcf?'ifiry mortal ^coni? under
the head ?f mortifying the flesh.
He arises at 7 o'clock in tho morn
injr, and from his chamber in the
tower of the T.ambs watches the
sun riso over the hilltops as he shaves.
Then he walks to the studio?the
Norma Talmatige studio, fortunately,
and not the Fort Lee brand-because
he thinks it is good for him. Ar?
rived at the studio, he puts on his
make-up and at 9 o'clock is all ready
to act, a silent monument of reproach
to ail late comers. He then acts un?
til 6:30 or 7 o'clock, after which he
removes his make-up, walks to the
theater, puts on some more make-up
and acts again, and he enjoys it.
Of course, it is pretty nice- to be
leading man to Norma Talmadgo in
the daytime and leading man to Lenore
Ulric in the night.
Some one told us a long time ago
that "alt- work and no play made Jack
a dull hoy." Perhaps Jack would have
been a dull hoy anyway, for it cer?
ta '. hasn't iiiade Edmund a dull boy.
We gathered that in the tirst half
hour after having talked to Mr. Lowe
be|?* ron ? cenes.
it V always like that when you in
anybody i n a si udio ; he is
forever heV.p: called nwav for a re
take, and that was what tViis was, the
shooting of the very last scenes for
"1!" \V)oman (lives," Norma Tal
madge's new picture.
Mif i Talmadge called for us at the
hotel and drove us over to the studio
and then departed on a shopping tour, i
i didn't do my Christmas shopping
early," she said. "Hut you don't need
me? everybody else is there."
So we went in and got past the boy
at the door, who is so cruel and dis-;
couraging to all applicants with his?
trionic longings; and, although the I
boy doesn't know it yet, we got in the
picture, too.
[I I appe led like this: The scene was
??i ?nie y ting one. In the center of I
ihc studio was built a street, and the
?'m r was sprinkled with salt/ to look
V'm i twelve foot up in the
? r mei ?.ver? su pended who made it|
i- Sonic of thmi had has;.-? of torn-i
i paper and others had powdered;
? n. and ?'? hen I hey all sprinkled to
I ? 'V \ "ii could only st a nd
bound or gasp "Ain't nature won
(?eri i
Mr. Lowe found u< a good spot where
>?.??? could watch everything. Then he
inside the "prop" house and
'! up a iai'ire bundle wrapped in
paper. It was evidently part of the
? ot, but it looked exactly like six bot
" whisky use?! to look, wrapped
in and ready for delivery.
"?"hile we were standing there a man
...,ie ?ni and tapped us on the shoul?
der and said :
're No. 5. When f call your
.n.lier, walk across the set an?l go
'.nto that house." And, because we
hadn't, time to explain, when he called
? e walked.
fin the way we met Mr. Lowe, and,
thinking we might never have a chance
before the camera again, we resolved
?n have nur scsne with the leading man.
?'? mc,i morning," we said. "What have
? that bundle ?"
bottles of whisky which, I ami
to inj sweetheart," he answered.
'You're welcome," we retorted and
i
\ n. al ter all, we found that
; id been only rehearsing and
? he can th "? a; n't going at all.
"Now," we said, "they won't want
you ! "i li' '? m inutes until they cut up
now; come here and be
? ?-. ed. First, do you like niak: ng
"1. i\ e 'em."
"Better than the stage?"
"No, or else I should have stayed on
the Coast when I was out there work?
ing with (".ura Kim ball Young. I like
to make pictures in the day time, but,
oh, I love the theater at night!"
"Then yon like to work all the
time?"
"All the time. I'm never tired. And
then lie told us rbout the day's "sched?
ule, which so impressed us that we put
it in the first paragraph.
" I )o you screen well ?"
"Beautifully," replied Mr. Lowe, with
enthusiasm. We laughed. The answer
delighted us.
"You know, it's strange, but we never
have seen you on the screen, But. on
the stage?well, your present play, 'The
Son-Daughter,' is the only thing we
'naven't seen you in. and that only be?
cause you opened while we were out. of
to,wn. In 'The Roads of Destiny' last
season we saw you six times. Did you
like 'The Roads of Destiny".'
"Better than anything I ever had
done."
"And 'The Walk-OftV- well, we only
saw von in that once. Did vou like
?The Walk-Offs'?"
"1 1 ii ink 1 'near somebody calling
me," answered Mr. Dove. And he really
did. They were coing to take the scene -
again, and when lie returned we forgot
to find ou< if he liked "The Walk-Offs."
So "? >? nr\ er shall know.
Mr. T.owe returned joyously. "I've
finished," he said. "What- do you think
of that, and it's only 5 o'clock! li
you'll wait I'll have my make-up off in
a jifTy, and I'll take you crosstown."
The -tndio is on Second Avenue.
"Wait," we answered. "You aren't
going to walk ?"
"Not this time. We'll ride, and I'll
have time to get some dinner before
I go to the theatre to-night." i
"Do you usually dispense with din?
ner?"
"Well, you see, sometimes I can't ?
make it and I have to eat something
with one hand while I make up with j
the other. Not that it. matters."
Oh, those healthy people who can
walk ten miles, work twenty hours a
day and go without eating!
And o:i the way across town we j
learned that. Mr. Lowe has been on the
stage oniy eight years, that ho started
in stock on the Western (,'oa = t and that
he never lias played in "East Lynne,"
"Lena Rivers" nor "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
Me also mentioned no desire to play
Hamlet. Edmund Lowe is entirely
original! .
At Moss's Broadway
" - XAx .- ' ~V
t?R? *
I 'ft.:... i
?Mildrcd Harris in "?Forbidden'1
Vaudeville
!? \l. \? i; Groe";, the French musical
.... t hi> new music hall stn r
rom Europe to head the bill. A. B.
Walkley, of " riie London Times,"
;?"\ ol Crock upon his departure for
this country: "An apparent idiot, hu
itns whollj unexpected superiorities.
acrobatic skill and virtuosity in
musical execution."' Leon Errol re?
mains for a second week in "The
: ' George RlacParlane, bari?
tone; Sheila Terry, dancing ingenue,
heading . "Three's a Crowd": the
Revue, Billy Could and
i orinne Arbuckle in "The Battle of
Baris," Joe Browning, Mijares, in a
wire n>'L and Page, Hack and Mack
complete the bill.
RIVERSIDE Crock, the French musi?
cal clown, will top the bill. The
Mosconi Brothers, "Vie" Quinn &
Co., Ben Bernie, Hugh Berbert &
Co., Swift & Kelly. Yules and Leed,
llaulon & Clifton, Le i'oilu, and the
ne\?H pictorial will complete the hill.
COLONIAL Irene Franklin will make
her tirst, appearanco at this theater
in nearly three years. ('laude and
lannie Usher, "Ye Song Shop," Lane
nnd Moran, Grace Nelson, George V..
Rosener, Otto Brothers, Gautier's
Bricklayers," the Ara Sisters, and
ill? news pictorial will round out
the bill.
EICRTV-FIRST STREET Florence
Tetnpesl will lop the hi!!. Assisted
b\ Alten an.! Allen, with George Har
ris8 at the piano. Mias Tempest will
present her newest revue, culled
"Tumble m Love." A him version
o( Richard Harding Davis's "Soldiers
of Fortune" will he shown. Others
on the bill will include .lean Adair
and company, Benne', nnd Richards,
Allman nnd Nally, Alf Loyal's dogs,
'he Carson Trio, a photo comedy fea?
ture and the news pictorial.
LOKW'S AMERICAN "His Taking
Way," with six pretty misses and two
comedians, Kelly and Boyd, will head
the first half of the week's bill. Oth?
ers will be Marion Munson and com
pany, Dave Harris, Frank Browne,
Fayo and .lack Smith, Kaufman and
Lillian, Julia Edwards, and Cross and
Sanders, "Fatty" Arbuckle in "The
Hayseed," and Frank Keenati in
"Brothers Divided" will be t ho film
ofl'erings. Stovers and Lovcjoy in a
>ong and dance review will he head
liners the past part of the week.
Others will be Holden und Herr?n,
Les Merchantes, the novelty min?
strel?, Jim and Julia t'linllis, and
.Mde. Harding, Mary Miles Minier in
V - ?? of Green Gables" will be
-hewn on the screen.
Brooklyn Theaters
WONTAUK?John Golden will prese:.:
Austin Strong's comedy, ",'? Wi>e
Fools." Claude Gillingwator, Harry
Davenport? Howard Gould, Helen
Menken, Charles Laite, Minnie Re
maley. Samuel E. Times, Homer Hunt,
Wallace Fortune and Hairy Fors*
mau are in the cast. Special matines
Thursday, New Year's Day.
MAJESTIC?Giace Guorgo in "The
Ruined Lady," a new American com?
edy by Kranees Nordstrom, is the at?
traction. Supporting Miss George
will he John Miltern, Frances N'ord
strom, Helen Reimer, Caroline Locke,
Marie Bryar, Freeman Wood. Rich?
ard Farrell, William 1. Clark and
Witty Cosgriff.
ORPHEUM?Pat Rooney and Marion
Bent head the bill in Edgar Allan
Woolf's revue, "Rings of Smoke."
Fila Shields, Dorothy Shoemaker ?:
< o.. Swor Brothers, Toto, Ann Cray,
the Juggling Nelsons, Margot and
Francois, and tho news pictorial com?
plete the bill.
BUSHWICK? Alexander Carr will top
the bill in the playlet, "An April
Shower," by Edgar Allan Woolf and
Mr. Carr. Whiting and Burt, Will?
iams and Wolfus, Ilugan and Ray?
mond, Fall?n and Brown, Fisher and
Gilmore, The Nolans, "Gems of Art"
and the news pictorial will round out
the bill.
Neighborhood Theaters
SHUBERT-RIVIERA "Nothing But
Love," a musical comedy which has
just concluded an engagement at
the Forty-fourth Street Theater, will
be the attraction for the week. Tho
cast is headed by Andrew Tombes
and includes Ruby Norton, Marion
Sunshine, Florence Enright, Arline
Fredericks, Clarence Nordstrom,
Stanley 11. Forde, Easton Yonge and
Millicent Glecman.
COLUMBIA "The Roscland Girls" is
tue New Year's week attraction.
"Before, After and After That." book
and lyrics by William K. Wells and
music by liai Dyson, is the bur
lesque. Harry Colcman, Bert I.Vu.
Kitty Mitchell, Stella Ward. Jim
Hall, ?. Joss, I' m Hubert. Margaret
Mannctte, Mattie DeLece, Beatrice
Darling and I!. Bari are in the com?
pany. An extra performance will
lie given N'ew Year'- eve. beginning
about l! : le p. m.
U the Palace
Crock, the French Clown
What Briggs Saw at "Miss Millions
79
New York Girl Made
Her First Dramatic Hit
In a New York Theater
Usually when a new, young actress
makes a big-sized hit in a Broadway
production tho management dies deep
into the mine of biographical data and
finds that, the new favorite hails from
Zobulon, Ohio, or Birdseyc, Idaho.
Also, that she came to New York to
make her way in a big, cruel world,
and back home on the farm there's a
big. two-story, old-fashioned house
That's usually the way of it, and
usually the truth. But not so in the
case of the slender, blue-eyed little
girl who sprang into prominence with
tho opening of "For the Defense" at
the Playhouse. This young actress is
?Winifred Lenihan. She didn't have to
come to New York -she was horn here.
She also was educated here, went to
dramatic school here, hunted a job
here, got it, and made her d?but in a
New York theater before a New York
amiience. t
But because she happened ?o be born
within subway distance of the theatrical
district it doesn't, follow that Miss Leni?
han, who is just as na?ve and pretty ail
she can be, didn't have her own little
trials. She did. Obstacles popped up
right and left, not the least, of which
was the determination of her mother
that she should be a school teacher.
Perhaps it was the thought of a
school teacher's rather uncertain fu?
ture and wages that led Miss Lenihan to
hesitate before entering Smith College.
She had been graduated from Bryant
High School, Long Island City. And
she had been a pood student. Her
room at Smith had been reserved but
something happened, Tim young* lady
happened to catch sight of the adver
V? inifred Lenihan
tisenient of a dramatic school. That
spelled tiie end of her scholastic am?
bitions.
She wen' to tiie dramatic school niV
worked hard, and when she finished
lier course she slatted out to look for
a job. Even th"ii her knowledge of
the theater was limited. She confessed
while sitting in her snug little dress?
ing room at the Playhouse that she
thought the best way to get to see Mr.
Belasco would he t?> :_ro to the box office
of the Belasco Theater and ask lor him
yes. sir!
Finally Miss Lenihan secured an en?
gagement m Winthrop Ames's produc?
tion of "'the Betrothal." h was a
Broadway part in a Broadway show at
a Broadway theater- -hut net a speak?
ing part. Anyway, she made a pleas?
ing' impression. Richard Benne:i, tiie
star of "For the Defense," saw her and
remembered he?' work.
And it happened that .lohn D. Wil?
liams, a short time ago. was looking fur
a young girl of the type required for
the rule of Anne Woodstock in the
Elmer !.. Rice drama. It was a i .it
that reiftircd youthful charm and
freshness and real emotional power.
Miss Lenihan saw Mr. Williams after
several unsuccessful attempts, and then
Mr. Bennett sav Miss Lenihan. That
v-.iir a!' that was needed. Winifred
Lenihan got the part, and she is play?
ing it much tu tiie satisfaction of Mr.
Williams, .Mr. Bennett, tho New York
critics, her mother and three sisters.
Only one person so far has found her
work no', to his. ?iking. This hard-to
please individual is none other than her
live-year-old "kid" brother, who'd much
rather see Bill Hart act ihan Sister
Winnie any day.
Miss Lenihan i?> just twenty. While
she has shown extraordinary powe-r ns
an emotional actress, it is her ambition
to play comedy, perhaps farce. Bat
notwithstanding these desires, she is
ready and willing to play any sort <>f
role, as she believes that versatility, i
after all, is what really counts. |
Chorus Girl Shortage
Only in Short Girls,
Assures Mr. Waybnrn
'liiere is no alarming shortage of
chorus girls. At least Ned Wayburn
said so last night, and Xew Wayburn
should know. ?lie has hilvd more
chorus girls than any ono else on
Broadway and that means anywhere, j
So another fabrication is nailed and a I
possible panic averted.
"Thai is," qualified Mr. Wayburn, \
"there is no shortage of the common or |
roof-garden variety of chorus gitls as i
such. There is, however, looming as a ;
possibility a shortage of short chorus |
girls."
It seems on investigation that
chorus girls are distinctly classified.
'liiere is the tall, shapely, majestic
creature, who displays priceless cos?
tumes and whose art consists in stalk- ?
?ng languidly through a part nnd gaz?
ing sideways through downcast lashes I
at the front row. She is the "show i
girl." Thon there is the "medium."
This isn't the kind of medium who!
takes two berries out of your jeans and j
tells you John Barleycorn is going to ?
win the sixteenth at Havana. It's a
girl who is not big enough to be a
show girl and who isn't little enough'
for the pony- just the right sixe for
the downright hard, effective work
which makes a show scene. Last is the
small type. Now of this small typo
there i; a certain kind of girl who is :
known as "quality." She is competent
all the way through. She can dance,
sing. and. above all, look. She is cute.
This little fairy is getting harder and j
harder to find.
Why?
liven this threatened shortage has
hot, however, affected the Wayburn
shows, lie says. "We are better fixed
than most producers. We have a
higher rate of nay, a broader field of
selection, 1 think, and 1 believe ? may
claim it is no idle boast, that my long
experience has enabled mo to take bet?
ter care of show girls than most other.
and especially new, producer.'.. Theri
there is the quality of the shows with
which 1 am connected. 1 eau get a kind
of girl inv the Capitol and Ziegfeld
Revues who might hesitate to join ?
some other show 3.
"For instance. Chorus girls are
very human. A girl will join a show
such as the two 1 have mentioned for
reasons other than salary, hirst they
present 11 future. Each girl is studied.
Her individuality is recognized. She
has a chance. Second, there is the lure
of the beauty of the setting and es?
pecially of the costuming of the shows.
There is no woman on earth to whom
i lie chance to wear a $1,500 gown which
is built to mate her, and only her,
beauty and originality does not appeal."
Even in the matter of pay Mr. Way
burn presented a rosy picture of the
luck of the present chorus girl in
1 iie free-for-all-betwccn-wagc scale and
mounting costs. "My first association
with choriii girls in the show business
'?as with May Irwin in 1897," said the
producer. "We had an excellent show
and got the 'nest in the way of chorus
Broadway could offer. The girls were
paid $12 a week in Mew York anil :>io
on lour. A show with which I was as?
sociated shortly afterward paid the
girls $20 a week, and at thai ;um,
without any desertions, the show went
to the Pacific Coast over the Northern
Pacific and played hack over the
Southern route. The girl- bought all
the accessories of their costumes and
paul their own sleeper nnd dining car
bills."
As a contrast Mr. Wayburn said that
the present rate of pay at the Capitol
and the Eollics was $50 a week.
The Ensemble Director
Ned Wavhurn
j?jpon Errol, Prize Drunk
Of the Stage, Does Not
Touch a Droo Himself
Leon Errol had not found time to re?
move the drunken camouflage 'rom his
nose when we reut d him out behind
I the scenes at th?' Palace Theater. He
i apologized for its condition, said it
wasn't natural and modestly draped a
towel around his shoulders. We told
him there was only one thing in the
world we wanted to discuss with him
and thai was prohibition, and didn't
lie think his part would soon tro out of
fashion.
"'?'he dVunken man go out of fash
ion'.' Ha! ha! ha! That's good. Nut yet
awhile. But if you'll believe me. pro
hibition doesn't mean anything in my
life. I've been studying the drunk for
so long that he ha? became a patho?
logical problem to me. And I don't,
drink myself."
This was- depressing ne ' . for Leon
Errol has been playing "wet" parts!
ever since he learned to swim at a
negligible age in Australia, the land
of his birth. HV drunken dance in
the "Follies" has become a classic of
il*; kind, and his performance in the
Palace last week on his return ''rom
the London Hippodrome was one of the
most excrusiatingly funny things we
have ever seen.
"Now tell us exactly how it's done
and just, where .von get the psycholog
cial lient of th?* drunk if you don't
know what it is to Ik* half seas, over'."'
"I suppose it is rather funny to he
drunk in town anil prohibition in
vogue," he fenced. "I hope it didn't
make people fee! too thirsty. I'm afraid
it must lie instinctive in my case to
A ?ViacMamis Star
Helen Ferguson
mimic the inebria*?*'. When f once found
that it was a likely part for me, ! made
a point of following drunks along the
street and watching their antics. They
are ren V I he most irrati nal lie ngs
in the world and ; In . . ,? do v. hat
you expect them to ilo. They have led
me some ".'?id goos? chases in my time.
Of course, i have studied my friends,
too." jocosely remarked Mr. Errol. as
a Scotch friand pat his head around
the door and invited the '-drunk" to
hurry over to the club. The .Scotsman
didn't think this very complimentary,
especially in front of a reporter, and
he s.V,l so
"You know, 1 started life by being
a doctor of drugs, although I am in
a doctor of drunks," volunteered Mi.
Errol. "1 ha' .? the D. D. degree cither
way. It's a fact! My faniily wanted
me to he a doct :>r. I was agreeable
tit first, Ihm lato ! iVany-ed ni; n nd.
So i i ui ned my at : cnt ion to I he ??? ... ,
and touted Australia and New /'calami
??? ?th Paul Martineti ;. From him 1 ac
qui red some nan o? i m .- abi: ?, ? . The:,
I becami u circes clown. I roh' bare
hack, tumbled for the multitude, and
otherwise distinguished myself as ;.
rough citizen, little thinking that
eventually I was to land in a Shake?
spearian cast. I played for a season
with ? leorge Ri : lOld in Sydn ?y, .V
was alternately Hamlet, King Leas.
M^rcutio, Puck and even the nurse in
'Romeo and Juliet.' Musical comedies
followed, and presently I came to the
western coast of this thriving con?
tinent and worked my way to New
York. Eventually Mr. Ziegfeld got
hold of mo, and you know the rest."
Mr. Errol found America some twen?
ty-one years a?ro. When he became
known here he went to Britain, and
before returning this time stage?! five
productions for Albert, de Courville at
the London Hippodrome. He has done
much work for Sir Arthur Butt, ho'h
in London and Paris. He appeared in
London in several of the comedy scene?
from the Zlegfeld Follies.
Charmed hy Our Women
And Their Recognition,
Eve Balfour Will Stay
\\4omen are the generals fh the
C. S. A. So it seems to Eve Balfour,
the well known British actress and film
star, who arrived in New York last
week and who intends to remain here.
Nothing lias impressed her more than
the capacity of American women and
the way their men treal them.
"Your men are wonderful," she said
when seen at the Hotel Maje-tie, where
she is staying. "They have such a
broad, generous outlook on life. And
your women are so well dressed and
efficient thai I don't wonder they get
everything they want. Such freedom!
Such independence! Such vitality!
But. that is Yew York all the way
through. I cannot imagine how an
anaemic person could exist in a city of
such vitality. Personally. I am mag?
netised by i! and already 1 love it.
"It was your sky line that first won
my heart. In making one of my pic?
tures, 'The Yellow Hand,' I sailed
across the Atlantic, and we came into
port, although we were not allowed to
land. You can imagine how tantaliz?
ing it was. I decided there and then
that I would come here to live and
make pictures, And here I am!"
The artistic side of motion pictures
interests Miss Balfour chiefly. She
was an artist by profession and had a
studio in Chelsea before she went on
the stage. She was born and grew
lip in New /'.aland.
"1 suppose it. is rather unusual for
an artist to become a motion picture
actress, but to my mind it is an enor?
mous advantage to bring t -ont- screen
work the knowledge of co**? ositionand
drawing acquired in the srudy of art.
Pictures are becoming more artistic
every day, and the person who has
originality and an artistic sense can
do much to raise the standard aii
round. Personally, as I pose for th?
camera, I always try to visualize the
scene and to throw myself into the
part. My work on the legitimate stag?
gave me the habit more or less. 1
have done a great many emotional
roles, ami have played with Sir Herbert
Tree in '.Macbeth, 'Twelfth Night.' 'The
'faming of the Shrew' and other plays
by Shakespeare.
"But i think, even after heavier work
on the stage, motion pictures are a
wonderful field. They are satisfying
and they are a greater power "than we
realize. There is nothing in its his?
tory quite parallel wit h "the way the
British public has gone crazy about
pictures, It is even moie remarkable
than here, because, ordinarily, the
British do not move so rapidIj as do
Americans.
"On the legitimate stage in Britain
liiere is an unfortunate tendency |
toward the risqu? play just at pres?
ent. It. is part of the aftermath of;
war. tit i s laxity of standard. At the
.-ame time, 1 don't think it is neces?
sary. People are always reaflv to take
anything you give them, and if the
offering is fine enough they will want
more of the same kind."
Miss Balfour finds the machinery of
living marvellously oiled on this side
of the Atlantic. Americans are al?
mos', loo comfortable and secure, >\\e>
believes; a condition which is always
subject to upheaval. If she had known
how wonderfully women were treated
in this country, how free and inde?
pendent they were, how talented, ?he
would probably have como straight
here from New Zealand years ago, she
asserted.
\ Modern Oesdemoita
Margot K?lly in "Carnival"
Houdini Is in the Movies
To Perpetuate His Wotk
As a Master Magician
If Harity Houdini were to die tn-mor
! row be would pass out content, with the
; fullness of life and with the knowledge
of experiences such as few men have
bad. lie confessed this quite simply
as he sat in his study and tinkered
: with the keys of a typewriter. The
room had more of the atmosph?re of
the student than of the magician.
Houdini, among other things, is a writer
' and lover of books. His shelves are
tilled with rare specimens ?f many
kinds. His collection of hooks on magic
is the most extensive in existence.
The keen, piercing eyes of the magi?
cian were focussed intently on his audi?
ence as he told something of his life
story. The knotted wrists that have
defied handcuff and manacle and made
Houdini a universally known figuie lay
in repose. There was concentration in
every line of his figure. It is this \fiy
quality, he says, that has enabled him
to do unaccountable things.
"If T were die to-morrow I could
not complain," said Houdini, "because
1 have performed every known feat of
magic from the smallest to the large?.
The most remarkable thing probably
was my vanishing elephant, Jenny
weighing 10,(100 pounds, who used to
disappear systematically in the Hippo
drome. My smallest "feat was swallow?
ing a couple of packages of needles and
bringing them out threader!.
"In my opinion Harry Kellar, the
orginator of the l?vitation wonder,
Princess Karnac, is the greatest magi?
cian the world ever saw. This feat is one
of the classics of wizardry. A* pres?
ent 1 am writing Eellar's biography.
There is a different spirit among the
.magicians of-""to-day. .More of thorn
are specializing antl they do not zeal?
ously try to keep their secrets from
, each other as they did in the old days.
They are more intent now on improv?
ing their art than they are on further?
ing their interests."
Houilini's discovery of his lock
breakfng gift dates nack to the time
of his mother's pies. As a boy in Ap
pleton, Wis., he wanted to get into the
1 cupboard where the pastry was' kept,
but mother had the key, so Harry sim?
ply manipulated the lock. It cannot
truthfully be said he realized then that
he had any special gift in this direc?
tion. But later, when he worked in a
machine shop a young man came in
'Handcuffed. The key had been lost
and he wanted to free himself. Hou?
dini struck on a way of releasing him
and thought nothing more of it until
he became a magician. Endless the?
ories have been advanced as to the
secret of his powers. There are those
? who say he slips out. of handcuffs as
an eel slips through the lingers of an
amateur fisherman. Others say he ma?
nipulates cell locks by muscular mag?
netism. There is a further supposi?
tion that he squeezes himself through
bar? of cells. Superstitious persons
believe lhat spirits help him to escape.
"I have accomplished everything by
natural means," said Houdini when
questioned on this score, "and not en?
tirely by brawn. Brain work has been
necessary, and concentration has meant
more than everything else put together.
It is the presentation of the trick, and
not the trick itself that interests me. In
mystery work I always believe I am the
person who is talking. No. I don't be?
lieve in spiritualism at all, nnd 1 think
the ouija board is nothing more nor
less than a pleasant pastime. I have
I traveled ai' over the -ore ?nd
magic from everj angle It '? ' ? "^
nating bey?. . b? *,r.
One and a ht!f '.ear' ?,,? ? ,
, decided tO go into motion ?n-i,,,. .!"!
, cause he wanted some ? ? ?J???*
endure. The next g , .. **'?.?*?
skeptical and th , ZZt**
magic handed down to ????m h"
gerate,] unles ,, -, , , ?g ?ft*
k???vc???? " ' "??SSW
ror Island, he . -, Lti""
into the sea ?n a box with 500 ?~?ril
of dead weight, go1 ?? . , r th-TL!**-**?
any visible m6ans of support. ??
climbs up it. H?
Houdini sails for England thi? ??i
to ?iJ?il! a -. ide , ...A?t2 '
Then lie ii t? ?1??^*
and during 1921-22 ? ?"g
world, making a mj i ? ,.,. '.:
thinks motion pictui . ??.? ?
derfu! profession in the world W.
.i i . *-?'*?,? l?~?'.;t?
then- .i*m for the -v
voun?-^^^^,
he intends to I"- p .?? ur ?<,; i ,?.?,?.?'
To^^?************************-**************1
Tower B i ?dge n a par
a theqry that fia?
of every mot ioi riicl
thrown on I hi
Houdini
t v r t ,v?^^^^^H
s phy-i
'?etrior
He V
" ?hr?c!ir
nould r
?*?.- - l'ij jr,
? ,.
'1 be.....
-?*" -?- for ever
,:; '? igorous pi j , for eJ*
one He neit ... .?.,?.
tl" thinks l g ?- .. ? , f
did was ?nventii g a d .- suit frM
v.suce the di ? ?? ca ? -. u. '..
cape. hV
did ^_
dtvt^_
handing over I -, .;.?
ernment. Arnoi g ot er ,-- ?S
vented the and <i?
double-coli^^^^^^^^^Krlbboii. fi.
Harry Houdini
Minii Aguglia Admires
American Audiences,
But Swears by Italy
Using the English language for the
first time in her life on the stage, Mme.
Mimi Aguglia, who opened in "The
Whirlwind" at the Standard Theatre last
week, came off with flying colors in her
flawless delivery.of what is to her a
strange tongue. There was little about
her to suggest the foreigner except her
gestures. She is startlingly like
Nazimova. Hundreds of times in her
life she has been taken for the screen
star, she confessed when seen in her
dressing room after the play. Sin- has
the same piquant ?'entures, expressive
gestures and quick, flashing ways.
"Of course, it was rallier a handicap
playing the part of Chiquita in Eng?
lish. I speak French, Portuguese. Span?
ish and German fairly fluently, but am
less at ease in your language. Natu?
rally, it is harder to express emotion if
one has to think for a word, and I am
instantly aware of it if I give so much
as a wrong inflection. But Americans
have been very kind to me and I always
love an American audience. You arc
such wonderful artist- and such kind
hearted people. I appeared here in an
Italian play on Broadway nine years
ago, so that this is not really my Amer?
en n d?but."
Mme. Aguglia inherited her lov<
of the stage. She was born in Palermo
Sicily. Her mother belonged to an old
aristocratic family and her father'
people wanted him to become a pries;
Three months before his initiation h
? ?loped with Mimi's mother. The;
played with mi Italian company, he
mother taking the juvenile leadin
par!.
"So you ?ec I was really born on th
stage," said Mme. Aguglia after cle
tailing ibis niece of family histor?
"I belong to it and I love it ah! tin r
is nothing that I love 'o much. 1 hop
to play until I die. I have ?ppeare
before all the crowned heads of Europ
and have done many of the big em?
lionai voles. 1 v?as a young girl pla;
ing Camille in Pans when Charli
Frohman saw me. He engaged me t
come to New York to play in Italia
'I Ik ; wa? how 1 came to visit America
Mire. Aguglia has more than
superficial knowledge of the Mexic?
background of "The Whirlwind." SI
lived in .Mexico for --orne time and
passionate)) fond of tiding. One
the things she likes about the pla
the part played by horses. She h
lived in Bqenos Ayrca and. indeed, h
traveled the world over.
"There is such a vast difference b
tween the Italian and American ---tag.
lie declared, "f find it fascinating
have the experience tC both. -I do m
bei i.ve a higher standard is demand
of the actor anywhere than in i
native country. Mere histrionic abili
is not considered enough. A lifelo
study i; demanded of one. One nu
be educated and know the languag
One must study the teehnie of t
stag". It is not enough to make wl
you call a 'hit.' There must be ein
acter and ability in the backgrou
before enduring success comes to 0
"You see, we believe it is not enou
to entertain our audiences. We mi
educate them. The Italian goes to 1
theater fully realizing that hu is go;
to be instructed, and he scorns the p
that is devoid of motive. Wo consii
the stage one of our great, educat
institutions and acting a dignified p
fession. Your American theater is vi
brilliant, versatile and progressive. "^
are the entertainers par exceller
Broadway is a radiant throughfare t
lakes the foreigner to its heart i
brings a catch to the throat. 1 hop
may long ba near its glitter."
"Adam" Krnger W aited
Till He Found He Was
Fit to Storni Neu >ork
Otto Kruger, ? ? ?? ?j Ada
in "Adaii and lv a." at the Long
acre, was u -.'. riown to Ni fork four
years ago. Liko i
but one ambition, to , \??.-.
York product n, but
sense to res -? I u
ing that he was not ... ?!. II"
hails from Toh do. ,. I for >ix l .'
years prev io to 1
: metropol tan .I the
Middle \Yes1 ?
" riiese ?? <perii : ??? id "were
; he bes ' |>rep ira ? ?
stance in partiel lu strates
whal is demanded o ocl actor wa*
an ordeal ! under vent ' n 1 answered
an 'ad' in a dramat ?<. and joined
a repertorj rompa.:i ing down in
11 e v. nu - of Te* n anagei
handed me thirte n part I llii ?* me it
?a ,, ? ,|, ... .- : _-. u | ??
every one of them it . ? - >, as ; c
were changing the 1 p-htl f '
ability to menioi
?anil me in pood stead
however, w hen in
appear before a V
m me.
"It was in lull that '1 el ire' ?* *"
nearing the end of n 're ft:.''.
wa? about to be ent to ' ? ago. wtaei
George Probert to d the anagemenl
he would not .? the pla) on
tour. H - dec ;.!,-.? o ?? taken
R< riou ;ly by I In mi n .-;. m ill nit il th*
day before the scheduled departure.
1 hen ! '.'. a g -. en ., a suine
liii role, one tl poitanl "'
? he pln\ . T was hand
sisting ..?' sevent> foui 'sides,' on Fri
d-iy mo ruing, stiii ??- ? . .;. :?' '?
night and ... ' ''
a fternoon I ? "
hi :. r-ai and wci i night."
In "A?!;inr;:iiil Uva"
Otto kruger