The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-05
COQUELIN 70 PLAY "NAPOLEOy."
Cranks Who Have Played the Emperor on
the Stage and on the Street.

From The Courier DIES Etats Unis.
According to the gossip behind the scenes
CoQuelin is now training for the role Of Ma
poleon in the play Plus que Refine" which
will shortly be brought out at the Porte Saint
Martin. After the reincarnation OF CVrdnO de
Bergerdc. the great actor aspires to that OF Ma
poleon /. But the nose presents a great dif-
fculty. Cyrdno de Bergerdc'S nose was long
and deformed. and the way that Codue,in man
aged to reproduce it is well known. But the
nose Of the Emperor was aGuiline. OF Il purely
antique beauty. and lust how Coquelin will
manage to put It before the footlights is a puZ-
gle. Naturally he has the nose OF his trade.
well turned up and possessing the energetic
nostrils of an orator. The rumpet-shaped
nose might do very well for an ordinary war
rior. but not for a Napoleon. So Coquelin will
be obliged TO stick his facial appendix into a
false affair that will give him the profile Of the
great French Cmsar-a delicate and difficult
piece of work which the artist will doubtless
bring to perfection. After having sought in
vain through all Paris for an actor with n head
that resembled more.o less that Of Napoleon.
Coquelin determined Mt last to usurp the
throne, and become the Emperor himself.
In old times when the cirque OF the Boule-
every year in Which the imperial Gpopee was was
given out in slices. thers were plenty OF Ma.
poleons. The choice was the only ,embar-
NV = "SiVh vi Nv nDphtu llhb
who looked like NAPOLEON at Wagram and jena.
Saint Helena. Almost all the young actors
endeavored TO look like Napoleon. because n
little success in the effort was always rewarded
they managed to look like "Junot. Murat or
even Massena. nut they we're the least ambi-
tlous. or men whose %statures were too tall or
too low.
was Colbert, an artist OF considerable talent.
who had tho good fortuna RI ln horn Nuifh
features wonderfully like those Of the victor
Of Eylau. People who then remembered the
gait. BY constantly playing the part he ac-
CURED the airs and mannerisms OF Napoleon.
ing along with his hands behind lis back and
s%aluting his sfriends in imperial style. In
truth he was the great mans double. IL. pri-
yate life he loved 10 talk like the hero. When
no had to appear In q new piece he would say:
Il hope this evening WILDE my, Austerlitz and
firing from the stage he would al ways cay.
When shall be at Saint Helena" One
Nendome he stopped. to gaze upon the great
men in bronze; and one Of his friends heard
him murmur. We'll: no mater. my gray over
Edmond Galland. who was admirable in the
role OF Murat., commenced his career on he
tall and never, could assume the classic pose,
He was fond OF playing dOminoos. and when il
was his. turn to lead he would always, give the
In the con pany of the Cirque. in which Gal
land was playing. there was an unfortunate nc
tor who had q ;phssion for gambling. The
the little coffee house near by where he would
lose all the money he had and most OF what
he expected into the bargain. He used to play
the part OF an old erenadler who was killed
every evening about 10 o'clock.
the coffee house he requested Galland to hurry
the piece n little and give him II chance 10 b"
IN time for the card battle lie was KILLED. at
boards anXiopsly waiting for the General In
movai OF the dead bodies from the battlefield.
Galland gave The order az usual: hut when the
GnlIand commanded them to stand back.
Don't touch that man" said he. Il don't be-
lieye he Is dead"
''Oh. YOU" Kissed the dead grenadlor, And
you know, ! am In a hurry 10 get on
But Galland In solemn tones remarked:
1T Is bad enough TO have TO bury the dead.
without running the risk 81 burying our
heroes who still hrenthe" The supers went
OF, astonishcd, and during the entire not the
his teeth on the Held OF battle. When the drop
fell he rose in Il rage and wanted 70. XIII the
General for making him Inte for the game,
But 1t was not among III" act0rs alone that
men were found who underworld TO look like
Napoleon. On the houlevarls and in tho
streets people often laughed ut the fools who
tried 10 ape Nnpolepn. In the time Of the see
ond empire there was n fellow in Paris who
succeeded in conying NSpoleon III in an ev.
traordinary manner. He not only wore tho
same kind NJ mustache and .imrorInl. bu. he
managed To initiate the dreamy and vague
EXPRESSION NJ, his moucl's. eyes. When he
Emperor. people turned round to look At him,
thinking that his MAJESTY was out for an air
ing. Nothing. delighted the fool more than TO
be saluted with RESPECT hy neOnle in the street.
Even after the 4th Of September he stuck to
his hobby and UuZZlpl mauy luriSianS