The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-27
CAREER
OF WEBER AND FIELDS
Persistence and Capablity With the World Face Places
Them at the Head of Their CassSome Incidents in Their
Experience With Many of the Leading Stage Folk Of the Time

same box every Tuesday matinee
Sure" said Joe to Lew.
Hes making tremendous hit in
"On the Quiet" at the Madison Square
Theatre" said Lew to loco.
Sure" said Joe to Lew
Wen get him. said Lew to Joe.
Sure said Joe to Lew.
They got him that night
That was really the way they got \
all that wonderful galaxy of players
that have made the name Weber 81
fields" what tt is today. ] they knew
of a player they thought would 1T
into production or a burlesque, they
never said, I'D like to get him." or
Wouldn't it be nice To have her with
us Lew would say Wen get him.
and Joe would say to Lew Sure"
and that was all there was to it.
Take Frank Daniels right now, for
instance, What in the world could
induce him to join this company? MIR.
Daniels s worth Il million dollars. He
had announced his retirement from
the stage. But just then Lew said
to Joe that they wanted him. and Joe
made his customary response, and
while there were thousand and one
pieces of red tape 70 be united he is
now with Weber and Fields
/ it was practically the same way
with Bessie Clayton the famous dam
GER She had contracted 10 play in /
London and Paris for the next two
years
I / have often thought, tn trying to
I figure out the unusual sentiment that
seems to attach to the Weber Fields, ]
what was the cause, and ! think that
among the players that it is because
+ in the old days everybody was boss
and nobody bossed.
We pay you people large salaries
/ because you say you are worth it. and
we believe YOU are" Weber &c
Fields would say. Now we can get
anybody TO speak lines for $50 a
week We are paying you ten times
that much-perhaps twenty times
Then why should we keep you down
To set speeches? Aren't YOU almost
as smart and witty as Edgar Smity,
the author? He says you are, and
he wants You to help him. Let's see
how funny and witty and inventive
You can he"
Peter Daley was a source Of never
/ with the hall" He was nothing
more than a great big. good natured.
oVergrown boy. Everybody loved him.
and he knew it, and would do exactly
what he pleased. If the rehearsaIs
/ were at night time Peter would gem
! orally show up, but never by any
chance IL they were held In the moril-
ing. He was the original "sun-dodg-
er, seldom going to bed until or
/ o'clock In the morning Imagine the
surprise Of all the company. busy at
a rehearsal one day at noon, to see
Peter walk in and calmly survey
them.
Why. Pete. what are Won doing
here?" asked Mr.. Fields, who was II,
charge of the rehearsal
Il just thought I'd drop in on NV
. homo
getting along" he answered soberIy.
The famous I'm going away from
here" scene between Willie Collier
and Louise Allen was intirely inn
promptu.
1T happened this way" Mr. Collier
told me one night in his dressing
room. Il was supposed To be sort
of wronged husband in one of the
burlesques at the hall and in my
scene with Miss Allen I utterly forgot
my lines. 1t was first night and
instantly | knew that l would have
to say something or be forever 'guyed'
by my friends in front and all the
company l was in despair. but 1
managed 10 turn to Miss Allen and, in
mock sorrow say I'm going away
from here She was quick to see my
plight and to come to my aid, for she
responded in deep sorrow, What. GO
ing away from here 2 Yes going
long We. kept that conversation up
! don't know, II seemed like an hour
but the audience Was laughing, and
so we went on intermina bly,. and in
the morning woke up to discover that
We had made hit.
Another line that has been widely
quoted was entirely impromptu It
was in the burlesque of Catherine,
and Weber & Fields We're playing the
part of GATHERINGS schoolboy broth-
ers. They were asking each other
questions in history. Finally Weber
asked Fields IL he knew who George
Washington was. Fields did not
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.
II didn't know that said Fields.
"Ho no." laughed Weber turning
10 Fay Templeton, who was playing
n Catherine. He didn't know he 'was
, dead
No" said Fields seriously, Il didn't
even know he was sick"
There are special newcomers, each
, of whom has won recognition in COM
dy, notably Helena Collier Garrick.
enced condolences now before the
public, and who has been seen for
the past ten seasons in her brother
| Williams support. May Boley Flavia
: Arcaro. Edward Durant and Walter
( Lawrence are marked additions to the
cast, and there are familiar faces
! among the dancers and many new
ones. too, to help spread the bright
effulgence that has always attached
) to the name of 'Weberfields chorus
girl" There are about fifty of them.
each selected for her beauty and
/ grace, and each viii in after years say
T with pride, Yes. / was a Weber
| Between Showers"
1 Theatregoers Of this city are profra-
2 Used a rare treat in the comedy line.
2 for Between Showers" is announced
r as the attraction at the Bijou theater
for the week.
' Featured in this show is Charles
: Grapewin. one of the foremost Ancr-s
I lean comedians. who will be assisted
!, by Mike Donlin. the famous baseball
: player actor, who plays outfieid for
$ the Philadelphia team of the Ma