The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-14
ACTOR MoRRIsoN's METHOD OF
MAKING HIMSELF LOOK LIKE
THE DEVIL is SIMPLE
KNOCKS OFF DOZENS
OF YEARS WITH EASE
Startling Metamorphosis Accomplished
by the Application of Cold Cream,
Rouge and Grease Paint-Aided by
His coIored Valet, Morrison Robes
Himself for Hades.
"Alphonse-the cold cream,

"Alphonse-the cold cream
This is the nightly cue of the valet
OF Lewis Morrison, which let's him know
that his part in the performance Of
Faust is begun. And although the
CLEAN of Alphonse's Ethiopian teeth
is never reflected from the footlights,
his is truly a highly important role.
1t is the novel one of assisting his
principal to look like the devil'' and
hobe him fit for hades.
No one has ever accused Mr.. AL
phonse of diabolical inclinations, be-
cause he doesn't make enough noise
for that. In the actors dressing room
last night Alphonse spoke just three
words. That was when he thrust his
head out Of the door and tagged a
passing peasant girl:
"a pin, please said he. Of course
having asked a woman Alphonse got
the pin, even she who responded was
frilled and tuckered in theatrical cos
tune. He didn't see where it came
from. 1t is not his business to see hear
or say anything, and Alphonse has
been at his chosen calling long enough
to know what his business is 1t is that
of Transforming nice, quiet, elderly
gentleman into a regular devil of
fellow.
The pin secured, the tragedian spoke.
POUNDS, Alphonse, hook and eye
therein must go tomorrow
Silently the faithful valet drew forth
a note book and made a memorandum.
So methodical is he that it is believ-
able that he took down the actors
words verbatim, POUNDS and all, but
Alphonse's little notebook is sacred
property and not for eyes other than
his own.
Transition Is ArtfuI.
To one unaccustomed to stagecraft,
the transition of the stately manner
ed Morrison from Himself" as he is
billed, to Mephistopheles, the incarna-
ton and personification of all that
is evil, would appear to be a very sim
pie process. Simple though it is, how
ever, 1t is done with that art and SUBJ
tlety that makes Morrison the greatest
of all Mephistos. In other words, it
looks easy but it isn't.
Sitting close to him as he makes
up one may see that his method is
passive one. There is no facial delin-
cation whatever, thing uncommon
with almost any actor in any part.
Seventeen years in one part has
brought Morrison to a point where he
can make better use of his natural face
in depicting the moods and emotions
of the devil than he can of grease
paint.
After The Indispensable application
of cold cream, the actor gets to work
with the rabbits foot and a box of
rouge. AS he dabbed and poked at
his face, Morrison engaged in a dia-
logue that might have been an inter-
view, only 1t wasn't
Morrison Loses to Mephisto.
'You see," he said, as he jabbed him.
self in the eye with the red rabbits
foot, "'Tis here I really do devilish
sort of a trick (cross-swipe with the
fuzz), "and cheat the clock and calen-
Oar and Father Time and the whole
combination out of a few dozen years."
(Right and left to nose with the rab-
bits foot.) Here's where I execute
what the merry vaudevillian would
term the stunt which properly belongs
to Faust-becoming young in mo-
ment.' fright and left to the jaw,
cross counter over the left eye.)
"Gadzooks, Alphonse, it's warm in
here. Prithee ope the window" Cup
percut to the chin with the rabbits
foot. Lew groggy, Meph showing
stronger)
"When out in front thou meanderist.
to see the merry hell I make in the
third act, look well and see il it's not
so that I am man of twenty fve-on
the stage" CPivot to the cI1in-foul-
Bottle Holder Al to the rescue with
towel and cold cream.)
"'Twas a bad slip that. In a decade
it has not occurred
Fifteen minutes!" from the call boy.
Hist. what is that? My hearing
bothers me. Fifteen minutes? I must
hurry. Well, what boots it." Cleft to
eyebrow with grease-paint stick-re-
-peated to right-both knocked half off
singing jab to forehead with right
and left by black liner-Morrison going
fast, Mephisto all over him.)
"Overture!" The end is near.
'Alphonse, the doublet! Now me
cloak! Me hood, Alphonse! The hook
the hook-my kingdom for pin.
IT must not occur again. And now
the feather-where is the feather? All
aha!" (Morrison taking the county
s'Are you ready Mr.. Morrison?" (Mor-
rison out. Mephisto wins.)
Yes, yes. 1 come!"
And then did Actor Morrison truly
look. like the devil.