The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-12

corning his talent and popularity, and not until l repeated the assertion and
 asked him how it felt to be the apple of the admiring crowds eye, did he say:
 Tt Is a curious and psychological fact, but I take no adulation or admiration to myself personally The majority of Mat inee girls who have liked me-and you are kind enough to say that I have the reputation of being that much maligned hero-a Matinee Idol-have really liked the parts that I have created and noth- ing else. There's not a Matinee Girl on Broadway or anywhere else that would be interested in me off the stage"
 "Of course you get lots of letters from feminine admirers" I suggested.
 "Of course. do, every actor does," said MT. Woodruff, when I insisted upon an answer. But I never pay any at tention to them Matinee Girls, and by matinee girls l mean all girls--from the little miss of 10 to the woman of 50- all those who enjoy the theatre and pat ronize it liberally, I say l suppose they will always be writing letters 10 some body"
 But suppose you were asked very nice ly and very decidedly in a billet doux, for an autograph photographic then whatg'' | 1 asked.
 | "I remember once a girl wrote to me | for just that sort of thing" MT. Wood
 ruff said laughingly. 'I remember her, because she sent a 2 cent stamp for n reply. I feel badly to this good day for not answering her letter. and worse still for keeping her cent stamp; but I be- lieve the letter got-er-er lost, or some
 thing with the others"
 "Ferreting out the reason why auto graph photographs are so much in de-
 mand by Matinee girls, I believe it's
 mostly because of a spirit of graft-get- ting something for nothing" I suggested.
 Perhaps autograph photographs of ae- tors, like Congressional Garden seed, are considered good things to have around the house, Mr. Woodruff laughingly on- i served
 But seriously, going back to this idea of people not liking an actor for his own personality. but merely for the part he
 plays" I observed. T don't believe it is
 true in all cases"
 "Personality," said MT. Woodruff, "ls the greatest stage asset. It is better than beauty for a woman, better than good looks to a man. For instance, if I were invited today 10 join party at the thea tre, and it was left to me to select the actress, 1 should most enjoy seeing, SiiOuiu uililtSltdtihBiS say bid't 'ftpiS I reminded him that Miss George had never been accorded more than ordinary good looks by the critiques, to which MT. Woodruff replied: But she has more than mere beauty. She has charm and magnetism and won derful personality. She is intelligent and witty and an excellent actress. Then there is Henrietta Crossman, who today, in my opinion, is the cleverest Comediene on the stage. Again, Miss Crossman is not considered beautiful. but her art is so compelling, her individuality so pro nounced that she has never felt the lack of beauty. I'd prefer infinitely, seeing either of those two actresses to a great beauty like Maxine Elliott, for instance, who is the Queen of Beauty, but not of actresses. The real attraction, after all, of an actress or an actor, i suppose, you would say is something that can't be an alyzed. Perhaps it is the charm that Maude Adams has-and that Maggie talked so much about in What Every Woman Knows.'