The San Francisco call., 1905-08-06

''Mebbe you think it's easy to be
funny2" Queried Ezra Kendall. There
was mild cynicism in his drawl, in his
indistinctive blue eye, in his small, firm
mouth as he spoke.
No, didn't think IL was easy to be
funny, I assured him. I saw too many
folk fail at the game TO think it was
easy. Nor did I think it was easy TO
say just where fun became fun, nor
what particular kink or twist Of the
commonplace made il fun. I had come
10 him as 70 an expert.
We were chatting in one OF the
suburbs Of the vast parlor at the Pal
ace The humOrist had wondered why
the hotel folk didn't cut il up into lots.
Nobody sver sat there. he said !
pointed to US. but Kendall retorted
that we were "a poor house." with all
respect to me.
Was il the worst he had had!"
That was telling. Kendall smiled to
it At any rate. he told me, IL was a
better house than the first one he had
had here. and that was at the Orpheum.
Ano the orpheum was full at that
1t isn't best TO be circused." the
humorist prefaced. That was the
trouble with me when I first came
here. You know'-Give him the quaint
crawl. the kind kink TO the eye, the
close, oroll, sweet-make OF mouth of
Weather Beaten Benson. for this is
Kendall and IL is not Kendall without
them. You know" he went on. 81
came 20 the Orpheum first for four
week season. I came on two weeks
ahead 70 get some local gags and try
70 live up to the bill boards. There
wasn't anybody but me those two
weeks. tell you. You had TO stand in
line 70 buy me q drink. Meyerfeld told
EN-: You've seen the others-bus
wait" They waited, and 1 worked be-
tween drinks. I worked till I got a
good monologue-knew IL was good.
Then I went on"
An eloquent pause, as the novelists
say, paused here.
The humorist translated It We'll.
the audience didn't agree with me. They
took me like g kick in the stomach.
There wasn't a hand-there wasn't a
foot all the way through. Some chap
Gid knock over his umbrella or some
thing trying 70 get out, and shat gave
me the chance 10 come back I bought
my own drink at the bar. Not a soul
came Up TO shake hands with me. Mty-
erfeld stood over at the other end OF
the place His face hung down so l
don't think the BARTENDER could see all
OF Il 1 don't blame him. They'd pJt
big money on me. Then Carroll John
son walked over my way; asked me
why I hadn't sprung some OF my forty
miners on EN-, like I did East
I've got four weeks here, I told
Johnson; can't give EN- the best first
Are you going to give EN- the same
stun tonight he asked.
You've guessed IT. 7 said.
Think it'll 90 better? says he
Think it0 go worse, says L
But IL couldn't" the humorist re-
marked 70 me. They were two Of a kind.
I had my drinks by myself and came
home. On Monday night-weIl, II I'd
hired them 70 laugh they couldn't have
laughed harder. You couldn't stop them
At the finish all you had TO do was to
point your finger at EN-. Meyerfeld
came besning up to me and asked me
how I accounted for the difference? Sun
day audience. told him"
The Sunday audience?" I echoed.
You don't get the best audiences on
Sunday" Kendall insisted. I've noticed
II everywhere. They're amateur audi
enoes, 50 10 speak Now, they'd thought
that in that local stun was guying the
town-fur be II from me-"
You wouldn't il you could, would you,
Mr. Kendall"
But he continued. eyes a-twinkle, The
Monday night audience knew better"
You gave them just the same stuffT'
I inquired
LAcEA4Ns Al6 uunOIlSl lOlQ me.
knew i had a good thing, the only thing
was "a make them know Stick 70 your
point and you're bound 70 land it."
Not for nothing, 1 thought, is there that
gritty little mouth, gritty under all it's
geutlcness and sweetness, in the face
Kendall has made for himself, and the
hUm0rist went on TO: I've never let an
audience down me. It is just pie for them
II they can get away with you But !
like pie myself. I've had audiences-in
the little towns you know-even hiss me-
4 sust hiss with EN-"
Hiss with those that hiss
Yes" he nodded then laughed a lit
tie and added. anything but laugh with
those that laugh. That you can't do.
II YOU laugh at yourself nobody else is
going 10. But you can do a real tear
OCCASIONALLY and they will use UP their
laundry with you. Queer things, audi
ences. But there's one thing sure, you
must have the goods, and there's an
other thing surer, you've got to believe
in your goods or nobody else is going
TO"
Isn't II difficult sometimes" 1 asked.
''t0 keep faith in your goOds?'
"Oh, yes" the humorist acknowledged
pushing back his well-grayed locks. And
again, no. It is the keeping faith in your
ability to deliver the goods, being patient
with yourself and the audience, that is
the trouble. For instance" another OF
his rare, open smiles lit up the gentle pes
simism Of the face, you remember the
fellow that sings his part in The Vinegar
BUyer?' q"
AS one OF the brightest spots OF that
drama tized joke book. ] told him.
THAT idea came about this way" the
humorist related. THE scene was some
how fat and something had TO be done
some salt put in the soup. So l got the
idea Of having Louis sing his part What
do YOU think Of it?' ] asked the manager
sFinei Great" he said. They always say
that the humorist added. - and leave
YOU to bust or make IT, Well, 1 dinged
al that boy until he didn't sing in more
than FIVE keys at once, and we started.
He was a fat failure that first night. me
manager came TO me and said: You've
made a mistake
NO mistake" I told him.
But it was bad. WASH it?" he put II
up 70 me.
-'ROtten" said I.
That's what I'm telling you, he said.
That's what I'm telling you, said
And" Mr.. Kendall went on. for
some weeks that part continued TO be
failure. At last St Louis loomed up on
the bill. That was his town He came
10 me and asked II he couldn't leave the