The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-26
Study of Americas Foremost
Character Actor.
Was Long Associated With
Stuart Robson.
MADE UP AS PLUMB.
Used Kansas Statesman for Pro-
tOtype in "The Senator"
HisRemarkable Success asDavid
Harum.

undoubtedly the peer of all American
actors. His portrayal of characters,
widely divergent, has been so true that
the mere mention of the plays years
later always brings his name to the
fore.
In makeup Mr.. Crane is an artist; he
has made a most careful study of this
most important part of the profession
and no detail is too small to be over
looked by this greatest of all coined
ians In Father and the Boys" the
George AIDE comedy in which he is now
appearing, the detail of makeup, is
perhaps better shown than in any of
his former successes. From the quiet
old gentleman, who eats an apple,
drinks a. glass of milk and goes to bed
at 9 o'clock father develops into an
all around sport. Here, Mr.. Crane
shows the true art of making up. The
hair is combed differently; the beard is
trimmed in an up-to-date fashion; the
gold spectacles are replaced by eye
glasses with a cord and the clothes
have a sporty look to them.
Every face line is studied and has a
reason. Mr.. Crane tries over and over
again to gain the desired effect and
how well he succeeds is known to
theater patrons from coast to coast.
But" says Mr.. Crane, you must not
overestimate the value of a stock of
grease paint and a set of false whisk-
ers. These are only & means toward
the desired end. 1t is necessary to live
the character. Once decide to play a
new role. I make a close study of the
character. put myself in the place of
the man I am to portray. 1 decide how
he would dress; how he would talk;
how he would comb his hair and wear
his whiskers. Then I study expression.
I endeavor to look as he would look; to
smile as he would smile and to laugh
as he would laugh.
You must get at the very soul of the
character in order to make your audi
tors really feel he is alive. Get this
spirit over the footlightS and you have
made good. Lack this power and your
audiences refuse to be convinced and
the true portrayal Of the character is
lost"
Since his separation from Stuart Rob-
son, 20 years ago, Mr.. Crane has chung
to the policy of presenting only Ameri-
can plays by American authors, except
now and then appearing in a Shakes
pearian production. OF the dozen or
more plays in which he has starred
since then, none perhaps stand out
more wildly than The Senator The
Merry Wives Of Windsor" David
Harum." Business Is Business" and
Father and the Boys" In each of
these. the character played by Mr..
Crane was entirely different
Mr.. Crane, however, studied the roles
and his portrayals were SO true that
they are still happily recalled, and he
frequently receives letters asking him
to revive several of these great sue
ceSSes.
Plumb the "Senator.'
1.-The Senator was written for Mr..
Crane in 1889, being first produced at
the Olympic theater, st. Louis, in the
fall of that year. 1t was from the
very first performance one of the most
successful American plays that had
been produced uD to that time. For
the character of ''the Senator" Mr..
Crane had chosen Preston B. Plumb,
the United States senator from Kan
sas. Mr.. Plumb was typical west
ern man of ready wit and great push |
and energy. Mr.. Crane made UP the
character to resemble Senator Plumb, |
and had the pleasure of meeting the
senator personally and introducing
many of the latter's peculiar charac
teristics and idiosyncrasies into his in
depreciation of the character. The
play was immensely successful and ran
almost continuously for three seasons
throughout the United States. He ap-
peared in Topeka in this character
About four or five years later. Mr..
Crane produced at the Star theater in
New York, ShakesDeare's 1.-The Merry
Wives of Windsor"-he, of course. be-
ing Falstaff. 1t was conceded to be
the finest production of Shakespeare's
comedy that America has ever seen.
This production was made at a time
when Mr. Crane was in poor health
and after few weeks he was obliged
to give it up altogether, as he found
the performances too wearing.
His Success as David Harum.
In 1900 Mr.. Crane made the first
production of the famous David
Harum' in Rochester. n. Y. AS is
we'll known, the play was found to be
as tremendously popular as the book
of that name written by Edward
NoyeS WeStcott. In connection with
this production. Mr.. Crane relates a
peculiar circumstance. When playing
in Syracuse a year previous he was
nv Of Il
ing newspaper formerly a warm per-
sonal friend of the author. The edi-
tor asked Mr.. Cranes opinion regard
ing the dramatization of the book. Mr.
Crane, after a moments thought re-
piled that he did not think the book
could be dramatized. for the reason
that there was no story and that
David Harum had no motive. The
editor then told Mr.. Crane that Mr.
Westcott's executors had determined
to produce it. and they had four men
in view for the principal character.
The first three named We're Den
man Thompson, James A Herne and
Sol Smith Russell The editor in re-
Spouse to questions, gave reasons why
the part was not fitted to any of this
trio. MI. Crane then asked for the
name of the fourth.
The editor replied: well the
fourth is yourself
Mr.. Crane smiled and said: ssWeIl.
what is the trouble with me?"
The editor, looking very seriously.
said: well that we don't know"
The fact is. Mr.. Crane was chosen to
play this part. which he did to houses
throughout the United States limited
to their capacity for three solid sea-
sons. It has been remarked often
that had the play of David HaruIn''
been anywhere near as strong as the
character, Mr.. Crane probably would
have played nothing else during his
life, as the press and public conceded
the performance to be an absolute re-
production of Mr.. Westcott'S widely
known character.
Mr.. Crane produced david Harum''
at the Grand and every seat in the
house was sold.
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