Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-01

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medical college. Then two more pieces
OF hair, combcd until they crinkled at
the ends, and with a little spirit gum
the two loose ends of the wonderful
beard were snapped into place and the
makeup was nearly omplete.
1t was weird sight to see the young
man as he sat there carving out a new
face and incidentally making his way to
the top of the ladder of his aspirations
by means of small piece of fuzzy rope
and tiny pair of shears.
A small patch of the same fuzz for
either side of his upper lip another dot
of fuzz to fit in as a spat just below
the under lip, and then two wonderful
pieces of fuzz like caterpillars which
were stuck on carefully for eyebrows,
and then North reached up and took
down thin-haired wig End showed his
wavy crop of brown hair into it and
turned
Back to the ways of the east side. to
the small alleys of Baxter street where
dirty children fought and played in the
muck, where the aged grandfathers
with small black velvet caps and
patriarchal boards sat in the sun and
gossiped with their neighbors where
women of unwiledly hulk yelled shrill
questions back and forth from their
doorways, and dogs and children ate
from the same dish, back to the ways
of the Yiddish, one was transplanted
just al the sight of that makeup.
Masters Several Roles
And 1t was the same makeup that a
few moments later brought down the
house as the young actor tramped out
on the stage. Many of the audience
had lived in the east and they remem-
bered the Hebrews of Baxter street
and they rejoiced at meeting an old
acquaintance.
1t is North's effort to be versatile that
has won him recognition in the theatri-
cal world. In the production of the
Girl from Kay's' Bobby North ap-
peared in so different a role that his in
innate friends did not recognize him.
Fle was the business man, clever and
we'll groomed, and the accent bore no
trace of the Yiddish. He even managed
to eliminate the ge: ures from his work.
While in Los Angeles Bobby has been a
Hebrew juggler, German, and last
week he appeared in the part dear to-
the theat2rgoers, the Baxter street
jew.
Sang From the Gallery
Next week North will iake up an en-
trely different part and will Interpret
the role of Mary I, Pain, :. burlesque
on the well known Mary MacLane.
1.-THE art of makeup is he making
or breaking of an actor" said North
yesterday
MANY actors are hired simply be-
cause they can make up. l made my
first appearance back in New York
nine years ago. / was thirteen years
old then and have been in the theatri-
cal business ever since. People do not
h1linWp that OnlU tWanf V-fWO
years of age until they get a glimpse
of my first press notice. At that time
it was very popular for the soubrette in
little operas to sing a beautiful song
from the stage while as though in echo
youngster sang response from the
gallery. l sang from the gallery and
then ! became a real actor.
How did | learn the gestures and
the accent of the Jews? oh, i don't
know except that ] spent all my time
watching them. l used to hang around
the little alleys where the people speak
language composed of twisted words.
the script of which looks more like the
writhng of sausage in eonYulsed agony
than like real writing.
But they We're my people and
understood them and they understood
me and my early days on Baxter street
lifted me out from the rest of my COM
panions.
Fuzzy Beard Is Expensive
II have always made II a point to
take care of my make up and l spend
all my spare time in improving along
that line. In many of the burlesques
IN which / appear ! am compelled TO |
rely upon makeup and facial express
sions TO carry me through ten or twelve !
minutes appearance on the stage. II is |
the hardest kind of work, that express |
sion work. for one has to have per- |
feet makeup 10 start with and must
practice grimanoes before the glass for
hours before he can be given to the
audience. And In most cases all the |
audience sees in expression work is
that the man is making the natural
and peculiar grimaces he would ordin- |
arily make under similar conditions in |
real life, but they never stop 10 think |
how hard and what study Il requires 10 |
NJ the right expressions TO the proper
situations.
For the most part take about two |
houfs 10 make up. When 1 start 10 |
work In my dressing room ali people |
keep out, for they understand my ecu /