The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-02-05
BAILEY AND AUSTIN TELL
WHY THEY ARE SO COMIC
The Laughing Stock of The Top o. the
World Pay WalIa WaIla and
Her People Compliments

NO it's right in u.s." said Bailey
& Austin in one breath after the per-
Torrance of 1.-The Top o. the World
in the Keylor Grand theatre, this week.
"Humorists are born, not made; we
have tried to instruct young fellows
who desired to become funny men on
the stage, but there was nothing do
ing; they didn't have it in them. They
We're slow to grasp a situation which
offered an excellent opportunity to get
off something new and original, and
in an attempt to do what might be
expected of them, they have fallen
entirely. Nothing is SO insipid or taste
less as assumed or forced humor
while we have it in US" continued
Bailey, scraping a dab of red paint
from his right cheek as he sat in
his dressing room. lit cannot be de-
MED that the audience helps us. We
had a dandy crowd; the people laugh
ed, and we could tell in a moment
that we had a good performance ahead
of US. Humor you know. is catching,
and after we have started the audi
ence on the right track. it, in turn,
hands back the compliment and there
is mutual sympathy and assistance on
every hand
And we will have to admit, too"
chimed Austin struggling with an OBJ
stinate tight which refused to come
off at the heel, that this little thea
tire is a beauty and helped us not a
little. You can get the sound out
have the life in your work. make
your meaning plain to the audience
in such a place. 1t is one of the finest
we have had to work in on the en-
tire trip. We have been up against
the big, grim, murky houses where
we felt that we We're looking out into
a dense cloud of smoke. but there
was none of that here Everything
was ideal, and / believe we enjoyed
our part of the show almost as much
as did the audience"
Are Really Funny.
Bailey and Austin, the funny men
who made The Top O. the World"
such a success with their inimitable
humor, are high bred, dyed in the wool
funny men. They are not required to
assume any of it; it comes to them
as naturally as night follows day, and
they just accept it. AS they so along
with their stunts many opportunities
are presented for original sallies, and
these are not overlooked. Frequent
ly one or the other cracks something
wholly new, and the one who was
mot in" cannot refrain from a laugh
with the audience.
The mechanical devices used in the
production last night were many of
them constructed by comedians. in
Guiding the cab and the horse used
in the last act. The boys. are now
working on new stunts for the prOduc-
ton in which they are to appear next
year, this being their third and last
season in THE Top o. the World"
They are workers; even while chang
ing clothes in the dressing room, they
give their thoughts to new ideas and
plan for the future. BY this method
they are able to break away from
the monotony of repeating night af-
ter night the same lines in their laugh
producing roles.
The show played in Pendleton last
night, and a tWO-night stand today
and tomorrow. is to be made in Baker
City. Packed houses are assured in
both places, but Bailey and Austin
| know they are funny because the peo-
pie split their sides laughing. but they
cannot be made to admit they are the
whole show.
Why is it, inquired Bailey, that
you have so many big men here in
Walla Walla? I saw one fellow in the
audience tonight who should have Sc
cured a box instead of seat
He was informed that the west is
big country and the men have to
keep in touch with the environments
Whereupon Bailey picked up a
Whang- doodle from the top Of his
dressing trunk, and, with one leg of
MS tight on, and the other trailing
on the flood behind him, he played
"oh, l was born in Ireland, one day
when l was young, etc"
They're a clever couple, and good
pair 10 draw to