New-York tribune., 1912-02-12
.FRIARS ENTERTAIN
WEBER AND FIELDS
Comedians Are Guyed Without
Mercy, Following Traditions Of
Jolly Organization.
GALLERY GODDESSES THERE
Broadway Fun Makers Take
Their Medicine Cheerfully
and Then Join in Feast
at Hotel Astor.

Joe Weber and Lew FleIlS, OF NoIIIs
Weber and Moses Schoenfeld, to give them
their baptismal names. la Rennold Won'
faced the Friars last night In the Grano
Ballroom Of the Hotel Astor, white KEN
mold Wolf. for "the scuab of the team
and Nat Goodwin, for Fields, unclotheu
their personalities TO the indulgent gaze OIL
LOO diners and 500 gallery goddesses'
"A complimentary dinner was the menu
desiena ton of the occasion, but the great
est compliment paid to the two comedians
was the assumption by every one that they
possessed an adamandne sense of humor 10
shield them against ''roasts."
This assumption Furthermore, was en-
ureIy correct, for although the two guests
OF honor tried to choke each other ana
gouge each others eyes out they main
td:ne6 toward their uproarious audience an
attitude OF extreme cordiality whsch 'he
audience reciprocated with interest Ana
after the ordeal was over they joined IN
the general appreciation Of an entertain
msnt arranged for the stage Of the Dig
room by Friar Raymond Hitchcock
Abbot Rumsey, once the coffee arrived
and Sidney. Jarvis had sung the Friars
. song, rose TO say that seventy-nine thearl-
cal managers, in New York City alone
claimed the distinction of having discovered
the genius OF Weber and Fields-a number
which compared favorably with the forty-
three dwelling houses, scattered throughout
the country in each one Of which George
washington was born Two regular fell
lers" he called his guests, ana then ne
consigned Mr.. Weber to the care of Mr..
Wolf. AS advance agent MI. won
showed himself past master at raising
the laugh at any cost. He began thus:
''In assignment Of agents to the two
. guests Of the evening l have got the snort
end Of IT, the SQUAD of the team ana thls
course will be roast SQUAD on toast II l
were to deliver a speech the size of my
subiact # wouldn't run longer than the
run Of The London Follies' at the weber
Theatre.
Weber Not a Regular Actor
Wolf followed his victim through the va
rious stages Of his career from ucKet
anecuIator to comedian. II was in 1896 that
weber and Fields leased their music nan
at Broadway and 10Th street.
"About that time Weber married" the
sneaker continued, "and he is still married
10 the same wife, which proves conclusive
ly that he is not a regular actor (Iy-
clonic laughter and a universal shifting OF
the gaze toward Nat Goodwin
Al this point Mr. Wolf elevated his glance
10 the centre box, where Miss Lillian Rus
sell sat entbroned.
~ hope" said he, II am violating no con-
idence in saying that the beautiful prima
donna of the Weber and Wields organiza- |
don has also been married"
No laughter followed this remark, but
prodieious handclapping ensued as MISS
Russell arose ard bowed to the sea OF
FYiars below her.
-rhcn. following somewhat the same vein
of thought, the speaker remarked:
Ike his sisters of the stage, Mr.. Weber
pads but not in the same places. with an
abdominal. uad and fstful Of Ostermoor
mattress he will undertake to reproduce
The Garden of Allah
Goodwin Attends to Fields.
"Reunjting is the most profitable thing
they do" he ended, referring to the re-
sumption OF the Weber and FIELDS partner
ship.
William Collier was to have attended to
AIr. Fieds's case but threatened erysipelas
had kept him in bed, Abbott Rumsey eN-
planned In mis- place the committee had
drafted Nat c. Goodwin, and Mr. Goodwin
RESPONDED most InaSudLllllOuSiS'
II had a brief sojourn I'm vaudeville last
summer" began Mr.. Goodwin in rather
low indistinct tone, "and as rule had
bad place on the bill.
Louder louderw yelled some remote lis
Steners.
"And as a rule had bad place on the
bin" shouted the actor as his audience
almost broke down and wept
haI nla
tonight" he continued. But after resting
a couple of years travelling through the
South 1t is a great privilege to face my
only good house in that time.
"Mv friend Fields is not like myself-a
regular actor know I am one. l have
tried hard TO play Romeo and now ] am
associated wiSh a Bill Skies. This man
VOLTS prating about the regard his sub
,ects have for the sanctity OF marriage Is
all bunconbe. Why otherwise should Fields
ytage The Hen-Pecks' The Midnight
Sons The Jolly Bachelors and other
shows of their ilk? These men believe in
tbe star system and 50 do I. should be
delighted 10 feed them on or Off the stage
And This Is What They Said.
Then the team" arose as one man.
Brother Friars," piped Lew.
"FrIar Abbott" intoned Joe.
"sav Guests" commanded Lew Of Joe.
"Guess WHAT. asked Joe.
Guests just Guests! =
"Oh, I guess l,4O0"
.eWhat did Mr. Wolf say about us?'
asked Lew of joe,
"AlI he said about you is true" replied
Joe. What he said about me wasn't true"
'Mr. Goodwin said he would like 10 be
with the chorus TO me and said to him,
IF you care to make change wen be de-
lighted to have you.'" remarked Lew.
"NNhat did | say?' interrupted Joe.
You said How much do you want?"
Right away"
After the first performance OF Weber
and Fields on Thursday night" continued
Lew, "we decided we would have TO make
some cuts Weber said, Cut the salaries
first
Lew said TO me-" interpolated Joe. i" Go
ahead You do It. ! haven't got the
perve.'
And it hasn't been done yet" explained
Lew
Wolf his (Fieldss) right name. and he tried
10 choke Weber. Then he tried 10 gouge
out his eyes, and Weber reciprocated in
kind Finally Fields got his dimlnutiye
antagonist at his mercy and picked up a
bottle 20 finish him, when the applause be-
came so ri0tous that they stopped, bowed
and subsided.
De Wolf Hopper Has His Say.
DC Wolf Hopper's speech was in the
nature Of an epilogue. II was he who spoke
~ the gallery goddesses'' who had been