Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-25

Il
Joseph NJ. Weber and Lew NJ.
Fields. who are shortly to appear
in Atlanta with their own company,
would 90 back far beyond the memory
NJ fine average playgoer of this gen
srsrion. 1t is more than a third of
cortnrv-to be exact So years, in fact
that they made their first public APP
rsarance. when Weber was nine years
old and Fields eight and one-half. Since
that time they have gained fame as
low comedians probably never before
ooualed by any American players. In
decd # may not be too much to say
that never in the history Of any stage
have two young men attained such a
world wide reputation.
It is not my purpose at this time to
recount what they have accomplished,
hit to relate, after a somewhat eX-
tended familiarity with their profess
siOnal career and a personal friendship
that dates back to the opening of the
famous Weber & Fields Music Hall at
Broadway and Twenty ninth street,
New York, eighteen years ago, some
Of the struggles that were theirs, and
TO contradict Just a few-a very few
Of the popular errors associated with
the firm name of Weber & Fields"
To begin with, they have not always
been German comedians" Nine hun
bred and ninety mine persons out Of
hundred will say they have, but it is not
true Fhey were first Irish comedians,
and, unknown to their parents, were
playing SO turns a day for SO week
each at a concert hall on New York's
Bowery.
Their First Vaudeville Act.
1t the time when they made their
first stage appearance the United
States was the haven of refuge for
many foreigners, and Castle Garden.
New York, the most conspicuous port
Of entry. The Land league troubles
were rife in Ireland then, and a very
large percentage of the immigrants
were Irish. In fact, they Outnumbered
all others by about three to one. There
fore, it was not surprising that the two
boys, determined on a stage career of
comedy should hit upon the Irish as
the proper race to portray, and so 1t
was that Weber and Fields made their
stage debut in green coat, green knick-
erDockers, green stockings and with
pipe and shillelah, and sang a song that
began thus:
We are two jolly Irish lads,
As you can plainly see,
And if we're not mistaken,
We think you will agree
mat We are jolly Irish lads,
And happy as can be-"
10 THIS song came the usual accom-
pdnlment of slap stick and dance steps,
ana Weber and Fields made good. 1t
wasn't necessary for them to make so
very good at SO a week apiece, but they
won enough commentator to enable
yatm to play from one house to an
G.ier on the lower East Side, and final
" nave their salary doubled. But just
aoout this time the influx Of Irish i'm
n nas{ began to ebb and the Ger
mans came over in droVeS. Quick to
Sdhe advantage of this fact, the two
ooyS changed their green raiment for
solIetllng more suggestive of the leu
.0"' ana with wooden shoes came out
one night and sang:
We are two jolly German lads
As YOU can plainly see,
ana II We're not mistaken.
Nv e think YOU will agree
mat We are jolly German lads,
And happy as can be-"
ro, ION then. 80 years ago, Weber and
'.ID> nave been known as German
55oo,,H.sdlans, and never once have they
ns ,taIed from that type of entertain
IN. J.. AS sole stars each has chung to
wo, ula5iect, twisted and distorted that
s1 vls mem fame and fortune. To be
in :. edch has at one time or another
wbio o.s ourlesques of popular plays
da~ora. tney produced at the Music Hall
rs, pa.'ea from the German dialect, but
never at any other time.
LOOK Advao%ooo e NIL