The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-25
YOsT DIDN'T WANT TO BE A TYPE

Much has been written OF actors
induced to forsake the legitimate stnge
! to pose" for motion pictures. but the
case Of popular screen player being
lured back to the spoken drama has
seldom boon recorded. In restenirN
from the Edison Films to become lead
ing man of the new Punch \ judy
Theatre in New York Herbert Yost
furnishes the first notable exception to
this rule.
Mr.. Yost disappeared from the dra.
matte stage two years ago duripG tho
run of "Over Night" Since that time
he has been unheard of in theatrical
circles. A report of his death was
circulated and rathe- generally ss.
cepted as fact. MIR. Yost insists that
the rumor was not, as Mark Twain
once said of similar report about
himself greatly exaggerated" but
absolutely true.
Yes. | died" insisted Mir. Yost.
When first broke into New York I
was very much alive and felt certain
| that my three years training with a
shaped my shoulders especially TO
gracefully HI out the mantle OF
Booth. II took me only two days to
secure an engagement-an two nights
for the show To fail and go to the
storehouse.
after that left New York and
went to study in that great, unequalled
school for aCtors-an institution that
exists no more-the stock company.
For five years ] played leads and
character parts In the big stock com
pan!cs Of Detroit. Boston, Iittsburg.
Milwaukee and Toronto. Then / came
back for another attack on Broadway.
| was engaged for the star part In
Philip Bartholomae's over Night The
play gained in popularity as il ran on
| from month to month. / had made "A
hit, and my own personal popularity
seemed to grow with the play AT
last | said to myself I am estab-
/ lshed and | can now go out and pick
the style Of part that best suits my
ability Then | went the rounds of
the managers. and to my great aston
ishment learned that | was dead!
There was no more Herbert Yost
actor. creator Of characters Herbert
Yost was dead, as far as theatrical
i
manned was the Frankenstein OF his
brain. Richard Kettle. the part he
played In over Night
| mo matter where went II was all
the same--thcy could not be convinced
that 7 could play any other type than
the one that had impressed them one
manager said he had Il part that would
just suit my type hut he would not
engage mo because I lisped Il hap
pened that had given a lisp TO Richard
Kettle, and the manager couldn't pic
ture me playing any part IN which I
didn't lisp
| Il then realized that II I stayed on the
stage | would have to become a type--a
one part aCtor-a Richard hrt,Ie--for
the rest OF my career There w1s only
one way to overcome this condition.:
To leave the stage and stay away from
the managers until they had forgotteh
all about that type knew that tn.
action would mean the loss OF all tho
prestige | had gained and compel no 10
begin all over again In my elm. ~ ;he
ladder. But anything was better tnan
remaining dead, So I handed in che
customary two weeks notice to he Over
! Night Company and quietly drope,sd out
Of sight. Then / changed my name from
/ Hubert Iost to Barry O'Muore. a coinN
age which was intended as a tribute to
Ethel Barrymore. who. though | had
never met her. had always stood as my
ideal OF woman
Taking new name meant that
must enter the film world unheard Of
and unknown but | was rather glad Of
| this because II meant that whatever
success | might achieve would depend
entirely on effort and not upnn a ready
made reputation. AS Barry O'Moore q
! total stranger, | secured an engagement
with the Edison company. In few
weeks | became n member of the regu-
lar Edison Stock Company, and for the
last two years | have been an Edison
star.
That motion picture experience was
invaluable to me. 1t taught me things
about acting that can never he learned
on the stage, where one Is apt To depend
80 much upon voice and personality and
to overlook the potent art of acting with
the body.
Last summer my contract with the
! Edison company ran out and as | was
! longing for the footlights and the sound
of applause | could not resist the oppor-
tunity to bury Barry OMoore and resur-
rect Herbert Host. Then Mr. Belmore
honored me with an offer to Join the
Punch and Judy Theatre Company In
the kind Of "A part | wanted to play, and
here am, a ghost come from the grave
TO tell you this"