The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-27

a
New York's hpwery.
Weber and Fields made their stage
debut in green coat, green knlckef~
bockers. green stockings and with pipe
end shilalah and sang a song that
began thus:
I'VE are two jolly Irish lads,
AS you can plainly see,
And If were not mistaken,
we think you viii agree,
That we are jolly Irish lads,
And happy as can be-
To this song came the usual ac-
compartment Of slap stick and dance
steps. and Weber and Fields made
good. 1t wasn't necessary for them
10 make SO very good at So week
auieca hut they won enough COM
fnendation 10 enable them to play
from one house to another on the
lower East Side, and finally have
their salary doubled. But just about
this time the influx of Irish immigra-
tion began to ebh and the Germans
came over in droves Quick to take
advantage OF this fact the two boys
changed their green raiment for
something more suggestive of the
c'cuton. and with wooden shoes came
out one night and sang;
We are two Jolly German lads,
AS you can plainly see,
And if were not mistaken
We think YOU will agree,
That we are jolly German lads,
And happy as can be.
From then, thirty-three years ago,
Weber and Fields have been known
az German comedians, and never
once have they deviated from that
type OF entertainment.
To recount the struggles of these
two boys would fill volumes They had
no easy row to hoe. Many was the
night when they were hungry, and
they know what it was to make the
next town as best they could
For a dozen years they plugged
away. playing at music halls and
variety houses Their salary was in
creasing untu they were receiving
/ 800 a week for the para very
good remuneration in those days
Then. season after season, this wage
+ vas advanced. until, under the man
agement of the late John Kernel,
they were receiving $3.50 week. AT
the end of one season they began
to do a little thinking.
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 week for next
season. p
Sure" said Weber: but don't
dare ask him. He'd fire us"
But they plucked up courage, and
tossed coins to determine who should
approach the doughty Kernel, famed
in his day as handy with bis 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 kernells dressing room to
the stage alley Lew took him into
a drug store, and said:
Wen Joe, you see how it it. We've
got to start out on our own nook,
= And they did,
with less than $500 between them
as capital they organized Weber &
, Fields own company, and engaged
such players az Sam Bernard, Lotue
Gibson. James and Bonnoe Thornton,
and other entertainers, then very pop
tlar in the variety halls
1t was seventeen years ago that
their metropolitan opportunity came
to them. 4 small playhouse at the
corner Of Broadway and Twenty
ninth street. New Y ork, had been es-
tablished by George J. kraus ana
had met with some little measure OF
success as the Imperial Music Hall At
the end of a season or SO so Mr..
kraus was willing to sell and Weber
& Fields were willing TO buy. 1t was
rechristened Weber & Fields Broad
way Music Hall, and il was opened
( with a musical entertainment called
The Art of Maryland" in reality a
burlesque of The Heart of Mary
land in which Mrs. Leslie Carter
was then q theatrical sensation
! Weber 4, Fields themselves were not
i'm this company. although many TO
! this day will insist that they were.
Sam Bernard was In the cast. but
Weber & Fields did not appear on
| Broadway until later Following The
| AT of Maryland" was The Greezer,
! and then came Mr.. New York, Esq,
with Weber and Fields as the princi-
! pal comedians. Just what their speci-
atty was on the opening night few
! remember, but they made a hit, and
/ the next morning fashionable New
/ York, which never had heard OF
the young actor manager, could talk
of no one else From that very night
Weber & Fields became fad.
1t was just like one happy family,
Mr.. Weber was Joe and Mr.. Fields
was Lew and Mr.. Warfield was Dave,
and Mr. alley was Pete. and Miss Rus
sell was Lillian. and Fay Templeton
was Fay. and when Willie Collier
I would appear each night 1t was
There's Willie" There was an at
/ mosphere like 1t nowhere else. and
Ii was not long before strangers In
New York would be sure to see three
things-before returning home-The
Brooklyn bridge the Zoo and Weber
| & Fields
With the opening of MFR. New
| York. Esq" Weber g. Fields out
lined policy for the guidance OF
their business. and they stuck to It,
never deviating an iota. They deter
mined to get the best possible players
no matter what the cost, and TO spare
no money in the cost of production
And then. believing that refined bur
iesque was the truest, most difficult
of all dramatic art, besides being the
most amusing, they burlesuued every
new success current in the metro
polls.
Wen get Lillian Russell, said
Lew to Joe one afternoon.
Sure said Joe TO Lew.
They got her that evening. A few