The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1905-01-02
AN ACTORS GOOD JOKE.
How Fritz" Emmett Played It on an
Audience That Thought He
Was Drunk.

4
TITS bad thing for an actor to carr
a name for conviviality," said one oi
them, according to an exchange. "A
man who once gets reputation in the
Il theatrical profession as an occasional
roisterer and date breaker is never able
OF retrieve that reputation. no matter
how many years Of sobriety he puts in in
the effort to live down his record.
Some actors suffer great deal from
this sort Of thing. No man in the bust
ness, however ever got it coming and
going SO badly as did Fritz Emmett on
account of his jamboree record.
y was a member Of Emmet's company
for number of years, and | know that
there We're many times when, without
having taken drop for months, he was
too i'll to go on, from natural causes, but
did so on, for the sake OF preventing the
word to be flashed over the country
that Joe Emmett was on another drunk.
One night, nearly 20 years ago--it
was on March 31-Emmet was booked
for Kansas City He'd been on the wa
ter wagon for many months, but he was
i'll that night from an attack of malarial
fever and he positively couldn't raise
his head 1t was out Of the question for
him to 80 on. EIe wanted to in spite Of
his wretched feeling, but even his man
ager wouldn't stand for it.
Fritz went to bed, took hot lemon
ade, swaddled himself up in the bed COW
erings and slept OFF his mean feeling.
When he got the papers the next
morning he found that he had been so
tumultuously drunk the night before
that he hadn't been able to keep his en-
gagement. 1t wasn't the newspapers
fault that this story appeared. The story
had been given out that way from the
theater. /
"Emmet's feelings were lot bruised
up by that story. and we all figured thai
he'd go on a bat then, anyway.
But he didn't. He got on the train
with us and went up to Leavenworth
where we were booked to play tha.
i.
The manager of the theater where
we were to play was surprised to see
Emmett in first rate trim, so far as sobri-
ETY. went, and he sent out handbills that
Emmett would positively appear, despite
Ehe story That had come from Kansas
City. There was an overflow audience,
yet l don't suppose that half the people
in the audience really expected Emmett
to show up
AThey were skeptical and silent until
he rise Of the curtain. You remember
now Emmett used to make his first APP
)earance in FRITZ with lot OF little
children tagging after him?
Well. the moment for his cue arrived,
the orchestra struck up the opening mu-
sic for his entrance-and on came EN-
net, reeling and apparently spitiicat-
ed and googley eyed and picked to the
yunl He seemed to be barely able to
xeep his feet Instantly the long hiss
-an around the theater from the orches-
ra to the pit,
Fritz essayed to sing his opening
tong, but the words died in his throat
as it certainly seemed AT
his the hiss became like the music OF
%, 900 cobras.
Suddenly Fritz Strengthened himself
and became as erect as spear. The
Dutch grin spread over his features
ind he made a gesture with his arm for
Iuiet. The house instantly obeyed.
Veil. said Emmet. supporting his
hin with his left hand in his character
site fashion. I fought We could some
April Fools haf alreatty yet. nod and
hen he leaped into the vortex OF his
singing and dancing with a charm and
enthusiasm such as his company had
never seen him display before
'I'll bet you coun have heard the
,hsers that rang around the house for
half mile every time Emmett made his
entrance OF exit after that"