Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-25
This Is the Big Show
w h i c h Travels in
Special Trains Like a
Giro US, With Its
Members Enjoying
Luxury and Comfort,
Over Thousands of
Miles of Steel Rails.

getting along he answered soberly.
The famous Pm going away from
here" scene between Willie Collier and
Louise Allen was entirely impromptu.
at happened this way" Mr.. Collier
told me one night in his dressing room.
Il was supposed to be a sort of wrong
ed husband in one of the burlesques at
the hail. and In my scene with Miss
Allen l utterly forgot my lines. 1t
was first night, and instantly knew
that / would have to say something or
be forever 'guyed' by my friends in
front and all the company. I was in
despair, but | managed to turn to Miss
Allen and, c in mock sorrow, say Tn
going away from here She was quick
to see my plight and to come to my
aid, for she responded in deep sor-
row, What. going away from here?'
Yes, going away from here!' / an
swered. How long we kept that con-
versation up l don't know. 1t SEEM
ed like an hour, but the audience was
laughing, and so we went on inter
minably, and in the morning woke up
to discover that we had made a hit.
I've had a hundred letters asking that
do that a bit.
Another line that has been widely
quoted was entirely impromptu. IT
was in the burlesque of Catherine"
and Weber e. Fields were playing the
part of GATHERINGS schoolboy broth
ers. They were asking each other
questions in history. Finally Weber
asked Fields If he knew who George
Washington was. Fields did not.
Some Famous Sayings.
He was first in war, first in peace
and first in the hearts of his country
men,"
rs that so?" asked Fields.
Yes" answered Weber.
What's become OF him." asked
Fields.
He's dead" replied Weber
Il didn't know that" said Fields.
"Ho. no." laughed Weber, turning 10
Fay Templeton. who was playing Cath
crime. HE didn't know he was dead"
mo" said Fields seriously. Il didn't
even know he was sick"
There were hundreds of instances
like this. They were constantly crop
ping up performance after perform
ance, and the Weber & Fields clientele
was ever on the qui vive for these I'M
expected mots. Half an hour after
they were delivered, they were in most
Of the clubs and all of the cafes along
Broadway. 1t was Charley Ross
sprung this one tonight" or Were you
at the Hall tonight? No? Then you
didn't hear Joe say" And so 1t
went. The newspaper men, who al
ways made the Hall their headquar-
ters, used to make notes of these lit
tie happenings, and in a weeks time
half the country knew what Dave War
field had said or what Sam Bernard
ho no I had
''got back" at Louis Mann or Charlie
BigeloW.
Frequently Weber and Fields are
asked how they think out their scenes
and how they invent their twisted dia-
logues. They don't think them out
they just ooze out. Edgar Smith. the
librettist, understands them better than
any living man. They gave him sug-
gestion, and he works on it; and then
the three get together and the flrst
thing any one knows, it's all there. The
other afternoon | dropped into Mr..
Fields office in the Broadway theater
building, New York. Edgar Smith, Joe
Weber and Frank Daniels were there
with Mr.. Fields. Suddenly Mr. Fields
who had been looking out of the win
dow onto busy Broadway, turned about
and apropos of nothing, remarked:
Working Out Situation"
4 THINK we could get lot or fun
out Of a foreign letter of credit. l had
a pile of trouble with one in Europe
last summer"
Lets work it out" said Weber.
Four heads got together and in If
teen minutes the scene was complete.
There is much of the same atmos-
phere about the present Weber &
Fields Company. OF course, the new
Music Hall, where they have finished
their engagement, is several times
again as large as was THE hail." and
there was not that sort of feeling as IL
you were sitting in the players laps
that there used to be; but IL was a
good deal like old home week for all
of that, as many Of the players who
were identified with the former Weber,
Fields companies were on hand.
There are several newcomers. each Of
whom has won recognition in comedy.
notably Helena Collier Garrck. one OF
the best and most experienced come
diennes now before the public, and
who has been seen for the past ten
seasons in her brother Williams sup
port. May Boley Flavia Arcaro Ed
ward Durant and Walter Lawrence are
marked additions to the cast, and there
are familiar faces among the dancers
the bright effulgence that has always
attached to the name OF "Weberfelds
chorus girl There are about fifty of
them. each selected for her beauty and
grace and each will In after years say
with pride Yes, l was 'Weberaelds
girl ~
~. Il II III