The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15
GIL1ETrE,s OWN IyrERrIEW.
me Actor ASKS Himself 0uc-ttoua About Eng
land and HiusrIr AnsyEePs Them.

William Gillette returned from England yes
tsrtiay on the Paris. Mr.. Gillette has not been
as much Interviewed in the past a. some other
stage celebrities. hut. in view OF the English
success OF Secret Service" he was prepared for
the reporters this time. He wrote an interview
with himself while on the steamer. and hai it
ready for the newspaper men when he landed
He selected the questions himself and answered
them, which shows that. even IL he had not been
subjected TO interviews in the past on his
return from other countries. no had at
all events read enough OF them To know
how the thing Is done. Mr.. Gillette asked htm-
self fourteen questions. 1t took one line for him
TO answer SOME Of them and other responses re-
CURED as many as ten lines. With an average
OF two answers a day he was not overworked on
the steamer. All the answers are finished care
fully. But as he asked himself only the ques-
tons he could answer easily. there was plenty Of
time to devote to their form when the subject
matter was at hand. Out Of the fourteen
answers six were not preceded by questions.
Mr.. Gfllette's answers, however. show plainly
enough what he expected the reporters to ask.
Here are the irst hvc n them:
Yes. the entire " Secret Service" company is
on board.
Odd you have a pleasant trip abroad : A.
Not very. The weather was too calm.
can't tell you. | did not see the ubilee pro-
cession. 1t does not interest me to sit and watch
people go by on tho street, either In this eoun-
Yes, / was quite LII for a couple Of weeks
while in London, but I am all right again, thank
Q.-what was the troubled Al don't know
what it was. something with q long name that
sounded very nice.
the Queens Jubilee. and his health. Mr. Gillette
asked himself some questions about the London
, Q-How did they treat you and the company
over therei A---They spoiled us. They were
absolutely too kind and friendly and hospitable:
We went to play in London for tour weeks and
we stayed three months That fact alone seems
to answer your question.
Behavior OF drst-nixht audience.
For the trst fifteen or twenty minutes there
was an ominous stiffness. They did not seem TO
know what sort OF a thing the play was going to
be. and we Thought we were lost. Suddenly
there was a change and we could feel that we
were holding them even before they made any
enthusiastic, got up in their seats. and cheered
at the end of every act. called US out again and
triendiiness. After that night there was no
ominous silence. They took 1t all from begin
Yes: nearly every point WINS taken. They seemed
to understand even what We had thought too
essentially siass1 20 An tn sp naPn tor 5 bnt when ras ih eEe do Z t tSss
make more demonstration than audiences in
America
preceding case was due Co modesty. 1t u one
thing to tell how much people may like what
you do, but it's another TO rub it in by mention
ing the name OF the piece any more often than
necessary.
The Oilendordan interview concludes with
some comic relief apropos Of cigars. 1t runs thus:
Not only was the press and public friendly,
even the weather was with US
Indeed, we heard it was extremely hot In Eng
land. Nothing OF the kind. English people cali
it a terribly hot day when we would wear light
overcoats IL the same kind OF q summer day
turned up in New York I consider London q
great summer resort
Q.-How did you like their cigarsi A.-Nov
let's stop right here. They were very kind to
me over there, and I don't want TO say a word
against them
Q.-Then you cant speak tavorably Of English
cigars Al didn't say that. I can Spenk ia
vorahfy Of them-In some respects. There are
I good points To sSeryehing. No matter what 10 b
or what IL Ia made OF. smoking 10 q damn hnd
habit. It ought TO be stopped. And I don't
know of anything better ttted 70 cure you Of
smoking than a good English cigar. They are
immense-tor that.
Mr.. Gillette Is going back to England again to
act next spring. and Il may be that he VIII bring
back another interview with him.