Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-06-30
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
SOME ANECDOTES ABOUT THE LATI
JOHN GILBERT.
GIimpses of Life Before and Behind TIL,
Curtain-GeueraI Stage
Notes.

The New York Sta's MAN About
Town writes as follows about the veteran
actor who died last week:
The tall, commanding figure of the late
John Gilbert will be much missed on the
pavement of Broadway, between the Fifth
Avenue Theater and Palmer's, where he
last played in the stock company when it
was still called Wallack's. The old actor
was wont to sun himself there of an after.
noon, meeting thousands of people who
knew him, but whom he did rot know, and
stopping to chat our old times with those
whom he did know He was a conserva-
tive in all things, but always found him
courteous and very entertaining. even
when he was inveighiug against the new
tangled ideas Jas he called them of the
profession he so greatly adorned Inread-
ing the news of his death | remembered so
many pecuiaritieS of the old actor that |
am sure | conld fill book with them
but two or three anecdotes must suffice.
When Mr.. Gilbert was engaged in Lon
don supporting Mis- Cushman ne was in
troduced to the late John Ryder, himself
very tall man. Ryder was in his dress
ing-room engaged in the arduous task of
drawing on his tights when Gilbert was
shown in by the friend who desired
them to know each other.
"Mr Rider, here is Mr.. Gilbert. who
desires to know YOU
Rider, who was stopping very low in his
chair, with his head down, slowly and
measuredly began to look at Mr.. Gilbert
from the feet upward, and by the time he
had raised himself to 4 sitting posture was
obliged to raise his eyes upward to see
Gilbert's face. 4 look of awe and wonder
ment came over Ryder's face as he ex-
claimed
Great Heavens! Do they grow all the
American actors as big as that ?"
One day when Gilbert was sitting near
the box Office of the old theater (now the
Star, talking to me, very old and de-
crepit gentleman with a cracked voice
asked Tommy Bardon, who was in the
Office, whether that gentleman, pointing to
the actor, was really Mr.. Gilbert Being
assured that he was the veritable person,
the old gentleman tottered feebly through
the iron gate and came up to US.
Excuse me, " he quayered, ARE you Mr..
Gilbert, the actor?"
"Yes, sir, that's my name, and am an
actor" thundered the veteran. looking
down, as from an eminence, upon the
querist, who was shaking like an aspen
leaf
ooh, then, Fmvery glad. Do you know,
Mr.. Gilbert, that | saw you act when |
was quite q small boy."
Gilbert's answer came forth like peal
of cannon:
"Damnation, sir, what dye mean? Dye
think I'm hundred and fifty years old ?"
\ moment after the old interviewer tod
died off, and Gilbert strobe up and down
the lobby steaming with indignation.
Certain parts which Gilbert played, and
played frequently, had the most irritating
effect upon him. Coddie was one and Sir
George Thunder was another. When
dressed for these, and throughout the
whole of their performance, there was nc
one bold enough to come near him. Lester
Wallacl knew his peculiar mood on these
occasions, and was as sauve and gentle as
he might have been with a fractions
child.
Like the late Charles Mathews, | do not
believe that Gilbert ever varied one single
iota in the dressing of the parts he PLAYED
l know that Mathews wore the same
clothes in Dazzle when he played the part
here that he wore when it was first pro
duced at Covent Garden, and | am sure
that Sir Anthony Absolute and Sir Peter
Teazle, as Gilbert dressed them, never
differed in a button, tag or a shoestrlng
from the time he first wore them. He was
conservative, as l have said. 1t is pity
there is not a little more conservatism, as
he regarded it, for the finer work upon
the stage.