The San Francisco call., 1909-01-03

elgners recognize as American. He has
force. poise. confidence, a touch of dash
and go, tempered with the caution that
trained fighters cultivate; he has a way
OF looking at the world through mar
row trimmed eyes, shrewdly and un-
afraid. His glance is like fencer's
gaze alert yet fixed; nervously sensi-
i've, yet masculine. He wears glasses
and smokes incessantly. MY wife"
he says, told friend that l smoked
once day, and that was all day" The
executive ability which is evident in
ms voice does not preclude suggestion
OF kindly heart and an Indulgence
which may lean to a fault
rms IS what l call touch day." he
said The improvident we have with
US always, and Wednesday is fhe dav
they come around with their stories. the
plot and denouement of which are al
ways the same, though there may be
some variety in the telling.
1 get nightly provoked many times
and swear to let this man or that man
go But travelling department store
Is not ike q stationary one. When ]
let man out that fellow is likely to
get no work for many montas. En-
gagements are made at the beginning
OF the season. The road companies
STOCK up with people, and then comes
the summer, when unemployed actors
and actresses look forward 10 a season
or disheartening idieness. To turn
man adrift after the season has com
menced may mean hardship. and even
penufy, 10 some little woman in an
eastern city or some wife waiting for
a weekly remittance. So 1 swallow my
dlspleasure. and usually choke my
choler and forget the fuss. Why KIaw
q Erlanger have a waiting list of play
ers which stretches past 5000 names
mad an experience recently with an
actor VINO argued. He said he was an
artist I viii read the line this way'
ne said at rehearsal. No, you will not,
said ], you will read your line the wav
you're told. The American public has
got certain idea how Ben Hur"
should be read. General Lew Wallace
himself approved of this way. and vou'Il
do IL rs you're told.
I'm an artist said the histrion with
great dignity.
Then / had to call his bluff or fire
him So / took the first alternative and
told him something like this:
Oh, no, you're not an artist. Wen
Just suspend the rehearsal for q mo-
Ihent or two until tell you something
deny you are an artist A poet or q l
painter or composer creates some
thing which VIII live when he is dead /
1 ou create nothing. You can not even
CfF-A AtAAAlOdu IiCkeC or check !
your own trunk. All you get is a little
transient applause. You walk into a
tneater that you didn't design or buiId /
you step in front of scenery that vou
oioh paint, you put on costumes thar /
you didn't pattern and you mask your
seit In character that you didn't con-
celve' and, last Of all, you repeat words
.hat you didn't write. All you have is
a front and larynx'
didn't have n 6ra 4t,a.
his family profited OF course. 7 didn't
mean all L said-that is. in a general !
way-for some actors are artists Pu+
he wasn't. He fitted my definition An
right and he knew it."
Il keep my enthusiasms said
Towle. ITO lose them is to lose vonr
grip. and that's the end of Won ;,
Towle ratified away on
three ubjects-Abraham Lincoln Err I
LANCER Marc Klaw and Joseph Brooks. |
The hrst two named are the backbone
OF the theatrical syndicate whose infiu-
ence is still growing; Joseph Brooks is
the man who staged 'Ren Huru for the
magnates, Klaw & Erlanger.
There's an ancient saying" said
Iowle. Ito the effect that no man is q |
hero TO his valet. That fossilized
falsehood is effectually denied bv the
trio named above. and particularly bv /
Erlanger. I have met all the great |
men Of the last quarter of century /
In my capacity Of correspondent for a |
great Boston paper and in other cir
/ have enjoyed the ac- /
quaintance Of Americas finest citizens. /
so when I tell you that Erlanger has /
more executive energy and greater
capacity than any man /
ever met il means something In GER
tain quarters there is a disposition TO
regard Erlanger as the bogey man Of