New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-05
THE FIRST OLD MAN.
HIS ATTITUDES AND FOIBLES AS SEEN BY
ONE WHO KNOWS HIM WELL.

or INSCRIPTIONS wiles for a time succeed in parting
the faithful lovers represented by the romantic
! leading and the tenderly gushing leading
Sometimes, too he is on the verge Of bankruptcy,
and regards his daughter his last available valuable
asset judicous sale of which may yet lift him out of
| his troubles Often he is hiding some dark score: OF
his early career and is at the mercy OF some villain
adyenturer who yearns to gain the hand, il not the
heart, of his victims sonIy chez d' Altogether the
parts which a drst old is required to enact
not such would be thought to endear him to bis
audiences, yet. in reality, few actors greater
favoriteS than John Gilbert and Charles Fisher while
! the late VI. Parselle, who for many years the
stage manager and old OF the Union Square The
atre was always sure first nights of hearty
cepton as was given to any member OF the company
| The FIRST old man is Of course not always the evil
genius OF the lovers So letmes he is their guardian
angel and also general dispenser Of happiness and
/ ricnes He scatters with reckless prOfusOn well
filed purses gives away titledeeds to vast estates,
and does what he calls The-bless you my children
act" with fervor which grows with each repetition.
He is generally the only member of the company that
! is allowed By author manager to use swear
word in his stage language And certainly. the
! theatre-go public to enjoy good, round.
from the lips of the first old man, VIII
| people would shudder with real or affected horror
the same expletye employed by younger actor.
| Perhaps in the former case the cOmminatory four
letters TO have flavor of antiquity. and TO be
hallowed a relic of the customs Of by-gone age.
When one has been accustomed to hear actors indulge
in the highly spced vocabulary of Sir Peter Teazle'
Sir Anthony Absolute or Squire Hardcastle," he
is likely to deem it ucon gruous distressing if
those players give in modern PLAYS occasional
reminscence Of the older drama. No give
more decided emphasis to a L" damn" than John
Gilbert and a Wallack audience always appears to
enjoy the stimulation of wrath that eliminates in the
generally to be reprobatel vigorous AnglO-Saxon
word.
At one time. the first old man often called upon
to represent but somewhat senle persons Of
the Sir Harcourt Courtey" type but happily of late
years dramatists have recognized for themselves
been taught By the improved and constantly improv-
ing condition of public taste that exhibition of
righteousness is far more disgusting than amusing SO
the first old generally restricted to either
the protector oppressor of innocence aud love. If
he permitted to entertain the tender passion his
own account il is with whose years show
great disparity to his own, and his love-scenes
treated in a strictly comic vein As a rule however
he IS more often shown the henpecked victim of
connubia bliss than aspirant for the delights of
matrimOny.
The impersonator of old men is not always so from
the necessity of age though many actors naturally
!
young men have a natural liking and adaptability
old parts John Gilbert has played them since his
second season, now 6fty-fve years ago What
an almost endless array Of characters he has played
or created in that almost une1amped period Of
usefulness In the earlier days of his career theatrical
seasons were longer, and runs of any duration
were unknown. He must have appeared in a hundred
or more plays each year, and though many would be
repeated each the number of pieces in which
| he has acted would into the thousands.
The first old mans knowledge and experience neces-
sarily command the respect of his associates and
though he il often crotchetty," and intoerant of
new plays and young he is generally popular
He is perfect storehouse of business and tradition
and can if he WILL tell how all the great actors have
played their most noted parts, and point out the ex-
ceences and differences of conception and execution
! of each. No other persons friendship is valuable
to young actor; but it is boon not easily gained.
In stage superstition the first old IS firm
believer To open umbrella parasol the
stage unless absolutely demanded by tue business
of play is sign of Ill luck for the theatre. Not
/ less fatal IL it twirl a chair hum. whistle
/ sing any Of the Macbeth music Never will he
allow the tag" last words Of the final speech of
| play to DO uttered except possibly at the final
hearsa and then Is far better to defer them till
the light of performance. The eject at rehearsal
OF hearing an actor come to the final speech of play
and either stop short substitute the ending Of
/ other drama is often extremely ludicrous. Of stage
terms the old ms stock il apparently inexhaustble
and he prefers them TO ordinary aud Ineligible
English His salary IA the ghost his money
ducatsn his clothes effects props" He will
the stage to the p" Opposite prompt side,
ami carefully steer clear OF cellar doors which he Will
designate traps Yet doth he utterly lOathe and
abbor the slang that has been imported into the
arical circles from the variety stage and the circus
and many is lecture he has delivered TO the uniort
haau
| of actors rs " fakes or OF plays "a shows"
OF the hardships and trials of acting n the South
and West thirty forty ago the old actor has
| many a story to toll. JOHN Gilbert informed the
writer that he once played AT boat landing on tue
Mississippi where the barn which did duty for the
atre was raised on piles about two feet above the
ground. In the most serious part OF the drama, a
| terrific grooming, squeakng, squeaing and gruntng
was heard Inc company was stricken almost DUMB,
believing that the noises signs of dsapprObatlon
! expressed by the audience. Hold on minute :.
shouted the barn proprietor rcassurngly Ven soon
have them OUT and then the entire audience departed
to help extrcae couple OF pigs that had got "cdged
under the flooring. In another inclpien. town the
| river overfowed and gradually flooded the stage The
| audience stood up on benches, ana encouraged the
players to proceed The latter stood 1t till they
nearly knee-deep in the delightful compound OF half
/ mud, half water and were thought TO be very un-
reasonable when they declined to continue the public
| football exhibition.
Scenery was then an unknown luxury in the border
regions and many is the tale told Of the makeshlfts
resOrted to by manager who obtained the sobrquet
| of " Tack Hammer Higgins and another who was
known Gimiets from his always travelling with
dozens Of those useful tools with which he fastened up
his meagre scenes The former IS said 10 have given
Hamlet on a stage composed of two billiard tables
while the latter more than once made stage OF several
long dining tables. and removed couple of flaps
/ where he needed Il trap.
The first old is generally large and commanding
/ in stature ample in feature and literally lowered
| in voice. little man with small voice will lot
realize the theatre going pubc's idea OF the stage
| father. A squeaky curse would be anything but
blood eurdling. while piping parental blessing
would fail TO be impressive and convincing Of future
happiness. His adpOsity should be at least III pro-
portion to his height, and anything rather III
thereof for whether It be in the comedy tragedy
Of the old man. weight will tell" thin old man
rarely looks jolly. and his rage is impotent than
that OF the NAH who make things rattle when
he faces the stage in spenetic wrath.
Even the age learning and position OF the first old