New-York tribune., 1911-11-26
OUR BIGGEST VILLAIN

Confined from Page )
on top Of me. and began fighting on my own
account The stage hands rushed out, put
me on my feet again, and tried to eject my
assailant. | got a look at him. He was the
man who had jumped on the stage. I'LL
90, he yelled, when that guy goes" And
he pointed TO me- BY this time the audi
cncc had the laughing Mysteries; but still the
man thought | was actually going to choke
the child to death you're a low down
cur" he called to me as they hurried him
away at last.
The next day the papers carried editorial.
on "The Danger of Realism in Acting, and
YOU will find the story authenticated IN the
newspaper records of the day. II may be
interesting TO note, incidentally, that the
ten-vcar-old child | was about to strange
was none other than the present well known
Harry Woodruff, and that the now more
famous Otis Skinner played the juvenile role
in the company.
ON several occasions public organizations
~ have been thrown into keen debate over
the adviSability of permitting my villainy to
be continued in the midst of their commune
ties. For instance, YOU may remember that
there was considerable agitation four years
ago over the cXpediency of presenting
Thomas DiXOn's drama The ClanSman
south of the Mason and Dixon line 1t was
argued that there was one scene in the play
in which negro confessed TO his murder OF
a little white child that was SO sensational II
might create race riots. ! was playing the
role of the villainous black brute and, as YOU
may we'll imagine, was none too eager to
play in Southern cities But, after a long
delay, the managers decided to take a
chance and send the play through the South.
In all my years on the stage, | assure YOU, |
never spent a more nervous season. Every
night, when the confession scene came, my
knees actually shook; for | was never sure
that some Historically rabid Southerncr in
the audience might not take it into his head
TO shoot me, without stopping to think it
was lust acting"
On another occasion, religious societies in
various sections of the country were brought
into the forum TO lift their voices in protest
because of the role played in MARY Mag
dala.' In that drama my supreme villainy
took the form of a high priest who tried 10
get Judas to betray Christ.
And on still another occasion the land
lady of boarding house in which | was liv-
ing at the time actually asked me 10 leave
the house after she had seen me as LcviSon
in East Lynne" Il know it was acting.
she said; "but if you weren't a Scoundrcl of
some sort you couldn't play the part the
way you did" 1t took me an hour to con-
vince her that my regular occupation was
neither manslaughtcr nor kidnapping
| have referred TO the old mclodrama
called "Takcn from Life" In this play I
took the part Of Mcclure, a rabid socialist
who blows up building with dynamite set
of byclockwork. | received eight lettersfrom
socialists during my appearance in the play,
praising my deed Of destruction and pro-
claiming It to be a message" These were
the only instances in my career when my vii
lainy was positively indorscd and applaudcd.
DURING my many years of yillainy have
- been punished for my make-bchcvc
crimes invarious ways that were anything but
s.fa /. 1 L.