Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-08
ACTORS WHO HAVE MADE HITS" BY
INITIATING PUBLIC MEN.
Comedians Who We're Famous for Their
Powers of Caricssure-Some Exceed
ingly Clever Hits-A Few Ludi-
erous Mlstakes-The Count
PHILADELPHIA Timesl

crous Mistakes-The Count
Philadelphia Timeal
The conversation drifted into stories Of
actors and others who had made hits" by
mimicking public men, and the young actor
with the boulder in his scarf told how
Boswell, the biographer of DR.. johnson,
when youth, attended the performance Of
a dull play and enlivened the occasion by
initiating the bawling Of COW 50 effectively
that the audience demanded an encore. An
other actor told how Samuel Foote carica-
tured the prominent personages Of his
day and how, when he announced that
he would mimic Quinn, that pugnacious
comedian went to the theatre to cane his
imitator, but did not find it necessary, as
Foote refrained from giving the imitation
Thomas A Hall told of Foote'S famous
caricature Of Gen Smith in THE Nabob, {"
and gave numerous anecdotes about actors
who had caricatured the peculiarities Of Rd-
win Forrest The late Frank Chanfrau was
In his younger days famous for q caricature
he gave Of Forrest, and Myron Leffingwell
starred for months as Beppo In q burlssque
Of Fra Diavalo," cleveriy initiating the
great tragedian's peculiarities Of gait, man.
ner and voice Continuing, Mr.. Hall said:
John Clapp, proprietor of the Lamb tavern
was well known character years ago; he
was short fat man, but affected Mr.
Forrest tone and manner at all times He
dressed bis hair and wore side whiskers and
. chin tuft like the tragedian. Clapp
courted the attention Of actors, and when re-
quested would recite a speech from The
Gladiator or Jack Cade' with great lung
power. remember driving with a couple
Of friends to the Lamb tavern, where met
Clapp. I spoke Of hls wonderful rssem-
blance to Mr.. Forrest, which seemed to
please him very much, but he confidentially
informed me that It was a mistake to sup
pose that he mimicked Mr. Forrest; on ths
contrary, the actor bad initiated him for
many years
l. r Sheweil said: Il remember a very
clever hit made by George Ketchum, the
actor, several years ago at Selwyn's theatre,
Boston. ketchum was a good deal Of .
buffoon, but still an actor who knew BIZ
business. well-known critic of Tho Bos-
ton Traveller, who Is still living and might
be annoyed if I used his came, had assailed
Ketchum numerically in tho columns Of
The Traveller. The critic was eccentric in
manner and dress and he was well known to
almost every theatre-goer in Boston He
wore bis fair hair down upon his shoulders
and always dressed in a high h-button, semi
military coat Kstchum had a long, blonde
wig made and q coat to match the critics.
Procuring q photograph of the critic,
ketchum made up his face until he looked
like the journalists double Ketchum was
cast for the minister in burlesque on Foul
Play Just before the curtain went up Sci.
wyn glanced into the green room and as he
supposed saw the critic cody seated there.
.D-n that fellows impudence.' said Selwyn
What business has be hanging around the
green roomf'
"A few minutes Later Ketchum appeared
upon the stage. The critic occupied his usual
place next to the orchestra In the middle
aisle. At first the auditor. were nom n-plussed
They glanced at Ketchum, then at the
dignified critic. The imitation was perfect
and as Ketchum began to speak he had the
journalists very tone and manner In an
instant the audience saw the point At first
there was a litter and then q roar OF
laughter. Finally the whole house rose to
its feet and shouted. The subject Of the
caricature hastily left the theatre. Sslwyr
admitted that ketchum had taken q fair
revenge, but he couldn't afford to antagonize
The Traveller, and the next night the actor
changed his makeup. The Traveller, how.
ever, did not let up on Kstchums buffoonery.
Thirty years ago." continued NJ. Shewsu,
"when played at the Arch Street theatre,
We ran The Comedy Of Errors 2S5 consecu-
tive nights. John and Frank Drew played
the two Dromios and William Whsatley and
myself the two Antipholi One night Mrs
Wheatley called me aside behind the scenes,
after had made up, and talked to me fol
ten minutes about dor-estic affairs before
she discovered that she was not in converse
ton with her husband On another night
Frank Drew was sick and John played both
Dromios until the last scene, when they come
together for the first time We braced
Frank up long enough TO appear in the final
scene and the audience never suspected the
doubling John had dona"
THE Juvenile man, with celluloid and
dressed quartz trimmings, feeling that be
had been silent long enough, took up the sub |
ject, saying: DO you remember what a hit |
John Howson made in The Sorcerer,' when |
he made up as Talmage two years agol ]
was
Shaw impolitsly broke In upon the speaker |
o. was III WHcii pl6yeC |
The Sorcerer' there, but the managers |
wouldn't allow Howson to caricsture Talmage !
In that city. They were afraid Of |
people Away back in the
sos John Brougham, in the farce |
Of Tom and Jerry made up as BOB |
Van Ripper, . wellbnown ward politician. |
Van Ripper had besa butcher He had |
friends and enemi IS. Both went to see
caricatnre. Van Riper's enc /
mics threw flowers on the stage and his
friends threw brickbats. Brougham changed
his makeup"
Barney McAulsy, at Woods theatre, Gin
,innati, in the burlesque of "Bluebeard" car.
catured Professor Wingate, local school
who in a lecture had attacked
,heatres. Wingate instituted legal proceed
ngs, but was so laughed at that he with
lrew his complaint John Dillon's carica.
lure of Wilbur F. Storey, of The Chicago
Times, delighted the people Of Chicago. Mr..
Storey saw the imitation several times and
,njoyed it
George Jones, better known as the "Count
Joannes," was for years the subject for
tage caricatures He paid no attention to
hem When told on one occasion that
member of Harrigan and Harris company
vas initiating him Jones said.
"How does he lookr
"Very much like you," was the reply.
3Does he picture me as was when first
,layed Claude Melnotte in Boston" inquired
Ioannes throwing out his chest
"Well. not exactly-rather-"
"Very well, then. l don't want to see him.
ie is not doing me justice" placidly replied
he count
The Same Old Fool Joke.
providence JournaLl
A YOnng lady of OlneYYilla- had bean sff. |