Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-12-17
BOXERS GAIN
STAGE FAME
JIM coRBETT WINS LEGITIMATE
PLACE
Majority of Ring Men Do Not Possess
Sufficient Temperament to Sue
cessfuIIy Fit Into Charac-
ter Work

Jim Corbett is the only pugilist who
has won a legitimate place on the
stage" said horseman recently. by
achieving in 1.-THE Burglar and the
Lady, success greater than has hith-
erto come to an pcSilist on the stage,
Corbett has made the bonds between
actor and pugilist closer than ever be-
fore.
Mr.. Corbett, who, in the olden days,
when he was champion of the world,
had always his soul filled with a desire
to act, has, after many up and downs,
realized his ambition. There rejoice
with him many distinguished persons
who formerly or at present carry on the
fistic work th;.t he has laid aside, and
who, themselves, are affiliated in some
| degree with the drama.
There is Robert F'itzsimmons, whose
wife, Julia Clifford, was a principal in
| the musical comedy when Johnny
Comes Marching Home at the time OF
their marriage. Ruby Robert as this
stage favorite is called, IS starring
under his own auspices in a melodrama,
the pivotal point of which rotates
round a scene in which the noted
thespian and follower of David Garrick
and Sayers and Heenan makes horse
shoe on the stage with IS own heavy
hands.
is also llldl dClOI
James Edward Britt, whose piece de
resistance in the drama Is that classic
yclept, The Bowery After lark Mr..
Britt, whose activities in the ring have
made it possible for him to amass real
property in San Franciso o, the home of
his youth, appears as a newsboy, who
enters the ring at the last moment and
knocks out the bad man Of the play.
He also knocks out most of the tradi-
lions of the Drama, being amply sup
ported by his small brother, Willis,
who is always accompanied by large
cigar and a desire to thrash stage
| hands.
Terrence McGovern was a little
brother Of the drama in a play called
The Road to Ruin In this he also
| impersonated a newsboy. He suffered
so from stage fright even as many
other great actors have suffered, that
upon many nights he was unable to
speak his lines He received the bene-
| fit of the dramatic coaching of Joe
Humphreys, the silver-tongued an
nouncer,' whose appearances have been
made in the ring more frequently than
upon the stage.
James J. Corbett, the only pugilist
who has had the felicity of battling
with a drama of George Bernard Shaw,
had many preliminaries to fight with
the drama before he became a good
| two-handed actor. His first appear
ances were made in a piece called
Gentleman Jim William A. Brady
was his sponsor. Then zane The
Naval Cadet in which as in Gentle
man JIM there was three-round bout
In this part of the play Mr. Corbetts
art was perfect.
'"Then came Pals and then the
actor ventured to sign articles to en-
gage in 'Cashel 13ryon's Profession,
the Shaw piece in which he played a
prize fighter. Although Shaw himself
liked the play the public did not care
for it, and 1t was withdrawn. Mr. Cor
bett is now playing The Burglar and
the Lady
HE and Mr. Fitzsimmons and
Messrs. Britt, NcGovern and a few
others differ from the .enerality of the
fighters who essay stage flights in that
| they can speak lines. Young Corbett
for instance, and Battling Nelson, both
of whom are on the stage, are forced
through limitations Of temperament, to
confine themselves to appearances In
their true character of boxers.
"Were they to daily with real lines
the outcome would be too uncertain
George Dixon, that great little colored
fighter whom Tom O'Rourke managed
so long and so well, was also of the
class who made every move on the
stage a picture, but who couldn't act
Joe Cans, the conqueror of Nelson, is
an actor, but a silent one"