Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-01-26
AN ACTORS GOOD JOKE.
How "Fritz" Emmett Played It on an
Audience That Thought he
Was Drunk.

TITS bad thing for an actor to carr
name for conviviality," said one O.
them, according to an exchange. "A
man who once gets a reputation in tn,
theatrical profession as an occasiona
roisterer and date breaker is never abll
OF retrieve that reputation, no matter
how many years Of sobriety he puts in IL
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 ant
going so badly as did Fritz Emmett or
account Of his jamboree record.
Il was member of Emmet's company
for a number Of years, and l know thai
there were many times when, withou
having taken a drop for months, he wal
too i'll to go on, from natural causes, bu
did go on, for the sake Of preventing the
word to be flashed over the country
that Joe Emmett was on another drunk.
Zone night, nearly 20 years ago-il
was on March 31-Emmst was booked
for Kansas City. He'd been on the wa.
ter wagon for many months, but he was
Ill that night from an attack of malaria,
fever and he positively couldn't raise
his head. 1t was out of the question fol
him to go on. He 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 GOV.
erings and slept off his mean feeling.
when he got the papers the mex
morning he found that he had been sc
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 a lot bruised
up by that story, and we all figured tina!
he'd go on a bat then, anyway.
But he didn't. He got on the train
with us and went up to Leavenwortt
where we were booked to play tina!
night-April 1.
''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 handbiIls thai
Emmett would positively appear, despite
the 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.
They were skepticaI and silent until
the rise Of the curtain. You remember
how Emmett used to make his first ap.
pearance in Fritz with lot of little
children tagging after him?
We'll the moment for his cue arrived
the orchestra struck up the opening mu.
sic for his entrance-and on came EN-
met, Keeling and apparently splliicat-
ed and googley eyed and picked to the
gunl. He seemed to be barely able to
keep his feet Instantly the long hiss
ran around the theater from the orches.
ira to the pit
Fritz essayed to sing his Openine
song, but the words died in his throat
drunkenly, as it certainly seemed Al
this the hiss became like the music oil
10000 cobras.
Suddenly Fritz Strengthened himself
and became as erect as a spear. The
Dutch grin spread over his features
and he made a gesture with his arm foi
quiet The house instantly obeyed,
Veil, said Emmett. supporting his
chin with his left hand In his character.
istic fashion, 4 fought We could some
April Fools haf alre2tty yet, ncd?' ano |
then he leaped into the vortex Of hi:
singing and dancing with charm ana
enthusiasm such as his company hac
never. seen him display before.
"I'll bet you couH have heard the
cheers that rang around the house foI
half a mile every time Emmett made his
entrance or exit after that"