The evening world., 1912-03-23
Weber and Fields Tell Of
Their DUN Inspirations,
and George Conan, Who
IL Chary Of the Pyoc-
tics, Confesses Hov He
SuccessfuLly Offended.
William Likes h Quick.
Fire" Stuff and Has
Risen to Many d
Emergencies With a
Real Laughing Line for
Front and Back Of the
Stage.
BY CHARLES

BY n RLES
IT'S an old gas. but . good one
II II happens to be the right
thing At the right moment.
That's the whole secret OF the stage
gag" which the Weber and Fields
revival has Reconstructed. Tn going
10 the Broadway Theatre simply to
make my point.
The hair.trigser comedian has. OF
course. always considered himself
primed to take An extra shot ct Va.
But Of late years he has been care.
fui TO consider the danger Of going
Cd half cooked. An audience IL .
good target, but II rings it, own bell.
Therefore. the comedian who fails to
hit the mark looks through very
blue smoke. II 10 not only the come
dian. however. who indulses In this
practice.
The serious actor often aims at the
same thing. but his firing line y
usually defined by the curtain
speech. In fact. the curtain speech
seems to be regarded ~ common
ground In which to cultivate Q isush.
I've often wondered At serious sctors
In their desperate attempts between
acte OF serious plays TO make 10
laugh.
Asa matter Of business. the ssei.
oiis actor cannot afford to be funny
In front Of the curtain. II = Ais
business 10 nay thank you" ana kssp
his Sys solsmniy ON ne third bat.
ton Of his waistcoat while hs y say.
ING II. But Tor him the curtain
speech y usually only IN excuse 70,
the 'stage sag."
coNStogR DEAR LILLIAN IN ALL
= Her RADIANCE.
Dignity on the stags 10. after ell,
LARGELY q matter Of clothes. To apprs.
c,sts this sordid fast. you have only
70 nss upon Miss Lillian Russell. clad
- priceless. p~aralysins gowns. The Or
disasy man taking her In 20 otnnsi
weud be struck dumb. % absolutely
spssehlsss that the oysters on his plats
would seem. by comparison. positively
laxative. Yet arraysd ~ shs 10. ant
ever will be. ,ct " hope. she 10 no
proof asAinst that stltoh In the sids
which II the penalty Of the Sag,
sag"
Her jubiles clothes we're only . few
nights old when Willie Collier. wear
Ing . summer suit YER which no tAiiol
could AFFORD to worry. recognised hsl
a. Mn. Everved and spoke carslsssl,
Of the past. She mentioned CASUAL,
that her last husband had let her onl,
s5Aeoo. wbsreupon Willie. true TO tn
struegling author. wa obliged TO say
nut that's quite . lot Of money
Think Of the days whom I hrst knev
~ at Tony Pastor'rr" This brought
ASsh from the hack Of the houss. AM
Celiisr auichiy added:
'D1d you think there Wa anybod!
On enough Z get THAR"
n was . stage gag" at Niss Rus
ssirs expense. but. like the good lose
and equally big winner that she 10. ID
sayoyod Il ~ much ~ the audience
Golfer 10 considered . AanGsroue %
% fool With. ever by W6bsr and Uslda
TAsy will tell you-when they're no
playing chscksrs for the Bt5ou TAsats
or equally small ~stakss-<AaA Collier
the only comedian In evening cisehs
they were WEARING their fStsd-sgg Astl
sugar-bowi hAiFcuts. parior-carpet vest
and homemade pants.
In the old days at the litas music hA
Pete Daley used to isn't shy d shsu
lie could jolly Lillian Russell. and N
THAI matter have his own cheerful NJ
with all the women OF the compan
during q performance. but when N
men opened IRE on him In . baatls
watts he Invariably took o the wings.
COLLIER NOT AFRAID OF tn
0ulck.FiRE erUFF.
Collier. on the other hand. lent At Q
afraid Of '~'auick.nre STUFF" He prove
nto Utcttte ook Va toWu VuO HsvWs WIN
he was Appearing IN TN Be Hangs
If Do" Just as q the women
tho play handed him . bouquet VT
the words. Look At these flowers.
the lights went out and the sudisns
betrayed . strong impulse 70 DO iik'
wise. But Collier was quack enough
stop the move by saying. How
look at them In the darx?"
And then he went through ths ~
% the play with . lantern.
A nisht or two axo he was IN n
midst Of a scene a. the Broadway whs
a cal walked across the stass.
There soes the author" he remarks
ssving himself and giving the cat
hand"
Dosh Weber Fisids declare N,
their succsss to Qudok-Ars work
other words. stage gass." They 9
their '~tg seughs." they explain, by .
tireiy forgetting the stage and the aud
ensa. ~ Weese puts Il. ~ GENES rts!
from the heert" .
TAKE Tor sxssnSis the scene they .