Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-14
Third Degree for Vaudeville

" ments for which pays fixed sum- they
haven't been able to eliminate vaudeville. The
varied form of entertainment too strongly intrenched
for the films So it has about that either the
moving picture theaters have included vaudeville the
vaudeville theates have taken in motion pictures The
union appears to be particularly happy and successful one
That which used to be called the variety show"
to satisfy sort of human need else would not have
endured SO long and grown big. Nothing is more ia
miar than the vaudeville show, and, like most familiar
things, accept it of course, without really
knowing much about beyond the fact that certain
formers funny. The most talked about performers
always the fun makers In fact the chief of vaude
vile is to make people laugh.
Many people have tried to tell about vaudeville but
they haven't been able present the real spirit of it. the
thing that explains its hold people and just how that
hold is maintained The true vaudevlist who used to be
called variety actor in the days before B. F. Keith fiji
tered the performance and gallcized its
and cannish creature living his life and jealous of its
secrets.
But there are exceptions there always are Charles
J. Ross of them. In fact, he is exceptional
from almost any angle in which you to view him.
For nearly thirty years he has made audiences from
end of the country the other laugh when he chose to
make them laugh He could make them cry just easily,
because that the test of the real comedian as dsn-
gushed from the bufoon.
Ross has been playing the bufoon of his life and
he successful at because he of the most finished
the stage He could play Hamlet better than
many who has starred in the role He has
perior light comedian in this country He is
aSable dancer and clever that most people regard
him fine singer well.
But his intelligent capacity for making people laugh has
chained Charles ]. Ross vaudeville for nearly thirty
years. Sometimes he has appeared in Broadway musical
shows, which mostly vaudeville with chorus added.
He knows this form of entertainment few know it, and
he tell what he knows He proves this in next
SUNDAY MAGAZINE
GIVING VAUDEVILLE THE THIRD DEGREE is
the title Of the article, and it remarkable Chiefly
he devotes himself consideration of laughter He has
worked lot of rules and formula He proves pretty
conclusvey that the the vaudevsts the audi
old jokes because the audiences haven't any par
tcular for ones understanding of them Al
together interesting and astonishing revelation.
THE CAPTAIN OF THE KINRosS is romance of
the Great Lakes, by Edward Ba1mer. It is
markable fact that the inland of the United States
and Canada full of romance of DRAMA of significant
happenings that fiction writers have been loa present
them 1t takes skill and understanding interpret them;
for lake sailors different from those of salt This
story shows you something of the quality
of the life and of the drama in it.
THE PASSING OF MRS SHARK is another story by
the Social Promoter in which ambitious
shows way of getting into society that the promoter had
dreamed Of which proved to be certain
Slow But like many other people Mrs. Shark found it
easier to get into the game than it to stay there AS
usual the Promoter gives Illuminating picture of the
way the social bee affects the rich.
A FEW SQUIRMS BY BAYARD is the first of the
experiences of Shorty McCabe and the promoter
whom Pyramid Gordon left the burden of ghting
wrongs committed by the financial pirate in his
1t is plain from the very start that old Gordon made
mistake. There few people who have human a
of abstract justice Shorty He has entered upon
career, and it is interesting than the
things he has done in the past This another way of
saying that the Shorty going be bigger
and better than they before
THE SCREEN, the serial by the Wiamsons keeps