Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-10

funny professionally is one of the hardest
jobs in The world"
The call boy announced Mr.. Stones en-
try to the stage.
You never know in this game what's
going to bring a laugh declared Dave
Montgomery, as he was making up" as
the Widow Pankey. who makes her coy
debut in the third scene. You never
know until you get out before the audi
ence and the response comes. We may
be comedians, but we've got to be con-
vincng."
You bet" added Stone. you've got
to feel the part, Now. I play China
man in this show. I'd never made UP for
a Chinaman, and how to do it
didn't know
But we went to Chinatown, in New
York" interrupted Montgomery. And
we watched the Chinese. We observed
their mannertsms. their way Of talking
We went into their shops and bought
things. and argued about the price. Wed
say something to make them laugh, anu
things to make them sore. That way
we got their expression
Before The Red Mill was put on we
Travelled in Holland" continued Mont
eomery I'VE had $500 worth us cameras
with US. and took pictures. We rot only
used the knowledge we gained. but the
scenery was made from our pictures"
Yes, sir; its hard work" declared
Stone my greatest hit YOU know, was
as the Scarecrow in the Wizard Of o.,
Montgomery leaned over and whispered
admiringly:
II tell you. Fred was put on earth TO
play the Scarecrow.'
Il thought OF the Scarecrow for
months" confded Stone. Il worked and
worked to conceive the character. My
children helped me in that, too, and when
l got the make up that amused the
children l felt I'd got what would amuse
the audience"
Mr.. stone, having discarded his Chi
rese envisagement, was making up as
Mr.. Iguited Paderewski.'
Before Mr. Stone, over his dressing
table was a photograph Of the ce.e-
hrated Polish pianist.
Mr.. Stone was about to appear in
burlesque of the aforesaid genius. Audi
ences each night have laughed over the
marvellous performance Of Stone and the
self-playing piano.
How did you conceive lt?' MI stone
was asked.
Il had a machine plano at my house
and played II, and then ran away from
the piano to amuse my children Iheh
the idea occurred TO me that II would ne
amusing to have a piano that would play
after you walked away from it on the
stage. When we put on this show We
tried to get a piano concern 10 make
piano that would do this, We had
great deal of trouble. They wanted me
to fake the thing-to make the audience
believe / actually played a player and
then 10 stop. l said mol would not de-
ceive the audience. So We finally got
piano made that played automatically
after I left Il, and then the audience
knew I'd faxed my own playing
But do YOU plan your effects upon the
audience? Don't you work tricks 10 Ss'
them How. for instance, did you de-
velop the lady bareback stunt on the
hOrse"'
"Mr. Ignited Paderewski'' howed
Il never work tricks; ! never kno"
how an audience IS going 10 take my
stunts ! have no sense beforehand OF
what is going IN get across After the
FIRST performance 7 know what is good
and what isn't When I had To do the
lady bareback rider stunt l worked on II
worked on II for months. I thought
over the tricks that would amuse-Ia!l-
ing of the h0rse-hanging In mldalr'
Finally got the trick. Take the ven
tril0uust stunt-where I appear with what
seems dummy on my knee. But it's
rnanuikin that does the talking. l do
the pretending Now I never thought
that would make a hit, which It has,
Last Christmas We were PLAYING IN
The Lady and the Slipper in Boston,
and the company decided 10 give a
Christmas party. Everybody was 20 do
something. I told my wife I'd be stage
manager no, Fred said she you've
got 10 10 something. Why don't you
take little George Phelps, the manni-
hin I'm the show, and fake him as a ven
trilo0Glsrs dummy
ESQ 4 ala H. Nobody IN the audience
~ actors knew that had a real dunn
my on my knee. Well, Charles DNlng-
nam saw tine thing and said he wanted IL
in new show. AS 7 saw, never thought
10 would make a hit Ia studied veu-
tr.Ioquistz knew their manreTs-yOu see,
I've heeu familiar with the circus all my
life. And when I faxed a mannikin as
real dummy It struck the audience II
it hadn't, rd have killed II, of course.
You can't put anything over with an
American audience" concluded Mr.. stone.
Every show needs new stunts. When
run out Of new stunts Iu quit. I'll quit
them before they quit me That's my
whole feeling. When there's no applause
any more I'll get of the stage"