The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-03-21

TOM PLACIDE.
familiar. The mother was also famous
pantomimist, and the success of the off
spring of this couple in their chosen
profession would, it seems to me. fur
nish most potent argument in favor of
the theory of heredity, which has lat
terly fallen into disrepute, but which
my extended experience on the stage has
caused me to think is of much more
consequence than many persons are will
ing to admit.
The Versatile Ravels.
l know that the average individual is
inclined to look down upon the panto-
mimist as a very low sort of fellow, a
man who is devoid of everything save
agility and strength. This prejudice
may be to certain extent justitiable
when the opinion has been promised on
the observation of some of the latter
day so called pantomimists. With the
Ravels, however, the reverse was the
case. They were all gentlemen of refine
ment, education and culture, who SIM
ply saw fit to take advantage of the mar
velous gifts with which nature had en-
dowed them for the purpose of acquiring
in the most rapid manner possible a
competency which would enable them
to retire and live in manner BETTING
their tastes. And this they did. The
quartet after accommodating great wealth
went to Toulouse, France, where they
were born, and, buying four elegant
homes next to each other, settled down
to life of luxury and ease and charity.
Jerome died at so, Antoine at 81, Ga
briel at 70 and Francois at 63. Their
father had lived nearly fourscore years.
This certainly speaks volumes for the
correctness of their lives.
What versatile fellows those Ravels
were too! Every one of them was a
painter, inventor, pantomimist, musician
and machinist. In their entertainments,
which were arranged by them conjoint-
ly they were cast at different times for
clowns, white knights, harlequins,
gnomes, village SWANS, old and young
lovers, etc. And, strange as it mary APP
pear nowadays, they never had dis
agreement as to whose part was the best,
each usually insisting that the role of
each of the others required building up
and that his own as it stood necessitated
too much work. Think of this, We &C
tors of today, who are willing to COM
plain a whole week if Eyes" or a
perhaps" be taken from you at re-
hearsal
This strong affection, which was the
predominant characteristic of the Ra-
vels was, in my opinion, the great Sc
cret of their wonderful success, always,
of course, admitting their transcendent
ability. And it may not be amiss to
state that they never had single fail
ure in their entire career. No one of
their many productions was compara-
tive success. All of them were "un-
qualified winners" as the actors along
the Rialto would express it. My expert
ing the latter half of their career. But
their books amply bear out the state
ment which l have just made.
The Marzettis and the Martinettis.
Perhaps the nearest approach to the
excellence of the Ravels was attained
by the Marzettis and Martinettis, all of
whom were members of their company
There are descendants of these two fam
lies now scattered about in this and
other countries, and nearly all of them
are following some branch of the profess
sion IN which their ancestors We're IA
NOUS, but none has done anything to
raise him above the common herd, so
far as l have been able to learn. The
Martinettls We're most of them of an
acrobatic turn and would have been
considered wonderful if the Ravels had
not been living. The Mar2ettis were ex-
traordinarily good pantomimists and
We're also very agile "Marzettis' Mon
KEYS hey ca4lee- tttr1