The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-04-04
MAURICE BARRYMORE.


ment Instead Of winnig fame great actor play
wright he achieved only wit and bon vvant
half the good stories that have passed for decade
in the marts Of wit bear the Barrymore hallmark His qups
would fill a volume. .. .. .-s.7
The little that Wilton Lackaye idly scrubbed one
night epaph for the living Barrymore who
the table from him, has been justified:
. I talked beneath the moon
...u 49, ~ And slept beneath the sun; I
-, &c.,. lived life of gongto-do
=. ... And died with nothing done
The oldest story told of EBa1y'' goes back to his
Modjeska days. At rehearsal in London one day the
madame protested that he had wrong conception Of his
part and she persisted in correcting him. He refused and
she, in great wrath, exclaimed
"Efow dare you! What do you know about it? Who
are you? made you what you are!"
"Barry'' swung round. "You made me!' he CRIED in
derision "Why, was known actor before the peo-
pie knew whether you woman or toothwash! And
all London billed with papers containing the one
word, ''Modjeska, the retort struck home.
His sudden departure from the company Of celebrated
English furnished another example Of his clever
repartee Personal interest in the actress admirers
exceeded public enthusiasm her acting This didn't
please Barrymore and night he rebuked her for paying
too much attention to admirer in stage box. When the
curtain fell the actress turned upon him blazing with anger
and said
"Mr Barrymore, have you never known what it meant
to be associated with ladies?"
"Yes,'' said Barrymore, II was born and am mar
ried."
It was not often Barrymore crossed wits with women.
He chivarous to degree and when his companions
pointed their shafts Barrymore turned the talk
walked away. Every blow struck in defense Of
is a dent in her reputation of his epigrams.
Probably the cleverness Of his wife and her mother,
Mrs John Drew, had taught Barry the wisdom Of fight
ing shy Of feminine wit He often told good story him
SELF One night while playing in St. Louis with his wife,
he failed to get back to the hotel until daybreak AS he
into the ladies' entrance he met Mrs. Barrymore
going out to early
q ~ Good morning, Mrs. Barrymore!"
,ttGood morning, Mr.. Barrymore!'
'May ask where you are going, MADAME
"Certainly; am going to church, sir. You, however,
may Cd to the devil.'' -.
Mrs. Drew often turned her wit her hayward SON.
naw but he routed her when she had let herself be
heard by other members Of the company Barry struck
attitude and, pointing at Mrs Drew, acclaimed in
phrase of Hamlet:
"Look you on this picture; then that
An eye like Mas to threaten and commando
noted New York physician recalls his attempt to twt
"Bary'' about his interest in Christian Science.
II suppose you would throw physic to the dogs
'Bany'q"
>"Not to good dogs" was the rejonder.
An example of his ready wit and keen Of the rdcu
lous furnished the opening night Of his Robber Of
the Rhine:' He went that night "super, in tat
tered hose and cap with broken plume After the third
the audience denied laugh the operetta called for
the author, feeling that 'Barry in propria persona,
would DE good for at least quip. He
The ascending curtain revealed super trailing
the stage and the crowd roared at the supposed mishap
But ssBarry" spoke up and said
Iades and gentlemen, thank you for the first hearty
spontaneous laughter Of the evening"