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

good remuneration in those days Then,
season after season, this wage was adj
yanced, until, under the management of
the late John Kernell they were receiv-
ing $3.50 a week. At the end of one
season they began to do a little think
ing.
joe" said Lew, have you noticed
that, wherever we play, we get the most
applause?"
| Sure" answered Weber.
Don't you think we ought to ask
Kernel for $500 a week for next sea-
SOM"
Sure said Weber. but l don't
| dare ask him. He'd fire u.s."
But they plucked up courage, and
tossed coins to determine who should
approach the doughty Kerneu famed
in his day as handy with his fists, and
| Weber lost the toss. 1t was up to the
! little fellow to do the deed He did,
and when he picked himself up at the
| bottom of the long flight of stairs that
led from KernelPs dressing room to the
stage alley Lew took him into a drug
store, and said:
got to start out on our own hook" And
they did
| With less than $500 between them as
capital. they organized Weber & Fields
Own Company and engaged such play
ers as Sam Bernard, Lottie Gibson,
James and Bonnie Thornton and other
entertainers. then very popular in the
| variety halls" To keep the organiza-
| ton going, Weber and Fields went to
work in white-face at the old earn
cross Ministries in Philadelphia--the
! first team of white face men ever to
! appear at that famous house. For the
! first few weeks their entire salary was
; expended to keep the own Company"
| going, but fortune turned, and by the
! end of the season they were several
| thousand dollars ahead of the game,
and they sent out other companies
1t was seventeen years ago that their
metropolitan opportunity came to them
A small playhouse at the corner Of
Broadway and Twenty ninth street,
New York. had been established by
George j. Kraus and had met with
some little measure of success as the
| Imperial music hall. At the end of a
season or so Mr.. Kraus was willing to
sell and Weber & Fields were willing
to buy. 1t was rechristened Weber &
| Fields Broadway Music Hall, and it
was opened with a musical entertain
ment called THE Art of Maryland" in
| reality a burlesque of "The Heart of
Maryland" in which Mrs. Leslie Carter
was then theatrical sensation. Weber
G. Fields themselves were not in this
| company, although many to this day
will insist that they were.
r5 ~
| Weber and Fields did not appear on
Broadway until later. Following "The
| Art of Maryland" was The Geezer"
and then came "Mr. New York Esq"
| with Weber and Fields as the principal
comedians. Just what their speciality
was on the opening night few remem-
| Der, but they made hit. and the next
morning fashionable New York, which
never had heard of the young actor
managers. could talk of no one else
| From that very night Weber & Fields
| became a fad. There had been nothing
| like it before. and there has been moth
| ing like it since The style of enter
tainment was different from anything
blase New York and the strangers
within her gates had ever known.
There was smoking and a feeling Of
intimacy between the players and the
audience that was indesCribable. So
Ciety took 1t up, and where society
went every one else followed, naturally.
The best of players obtainable were
seen there season after season. II was
just like one happy family. Mr.. Weber
was Joe" and Mr.. Fields was Lew.
and Mr.. Warfield was Dave" and Mr..
Daley was Pete" and Miss Russell
was LILLIAN" and Fay Templeton was
Fay" and when Willie Collier would
appear each night it was There's Will
lie" There was an atmosphere like
it nowhere else, and it was not long
before strangers in New York would be
sure to see three things before return
ing home-the Brooklyn bridge, the zoo
and Weber & Fields. Then, to make |
themselves more national in character, |
each spring short tour of from six to
eight weeks was taken. only the larger |
cities of the East and West being visit
ed and only the largest theaters and
halls utilized.
The company travelled everywhere in |
special trains, with sleepers and diners, |
and It was as much an event as the
circus coming to town, only more |
classy. Frequently the company played
in convention halls, and in armories |
and invariably to absolutely capacity
business. ! recall, in Pittsburg one
season the entertainment Gt was never |
dignifled by the name play" or "musi- |
cal comedy"-just entertainment } |
was given in Duquesne Garden. rms
was a long, narrow auditorium, and
Weber and Fields were standing at the
box office on the morning of their ar
rival watching the sale. stout lady
approached and asked Of the seller;
Have you two nice seats for the
nights performance"
Yves, madam; here are two very de-
sirable locations on the aisle.
How far back?" she asked.
THE ninety third row, CENTER he J
responded.