Evening journal., 1914-07-25
ACTOR CROP BIC
This YEAR. TOO
New York Has Nearly AS
Many ThespianS AS There
Are COrnStalkS
THEY'RE ALL AFTER
THE SAME THING
Ry BEAU RIALTO.

NEW YORK, July Everybody,
from the President down. has been
telling about the big grain crop this
year 1t may be a whale of a crop
all right, but it's no bigger than the
| actor crop Of the season. Longacre
| Square Is full of 'em-actors and ac-
! tresses. There are as many Thes-
/ plans and near Thespians to the acre
in that wonderful tract along Broad
way between Forty-Second and Fif-
tieth streets these days as there are
waving, tassled cornstalks in the wes-
tern fields.
And they're all after the same
thing Also they are all pulling the
same old bluffs. From morning
that is, theatrical morning, which be-
Gins about 10 in the morning-until
night, the weary, tired theatre folks
are tredding the pavements and
climbing the stairs to the agencies.
in search Of engagements. Make no
mistake regarding these searchers.
They are the ones who had the i'll
fortune TO be with short time com
panies which ended early last sea
son; or they are the rank and file, the
chorus men and the chorus girls, and
the ones who have not risen higher
than small parts. These searchers
must be distinguished from the upper
crust of Broadway farers.
II is just this time every year that
the horde swoops down on Longacre
Square and contiguous sections OF
the Gay White Way It's the same
old boast and brag that they hand
cut Here's one who has several
splendid contracts she is deigning to
look over No. she isn't certain she'll
sign any of them. for none is just
the sort of part she wants That's
the reason she is going the rounds,
climbing the stairs and making
dreary waits in the outer offices OF
the agencies Here Is another He
had signed up at a splendid figure to
star in a new play, but he quarrelled
with the manager at the last moment
because of this or that. Therefore he
Is among the searchers.
And so it goes on They all tell
the same old story, and each believes
the other swallows It as gospel truth
! As is always the case in Theatrical
dom, however. the members of the
clan are happier when they fool
|
! ness they are bad at fooling others;
they arc as ingenious as so many
! big babies.
The searching season" opened in
/ force last Monday. They had been
streaming back for q week or more.
but during the past week the droves
have been denser. and any day or
night they can be seen. II seems
there never we're so many as this
year. There are more Westerners
than usual. If the Chicago market
has been drawn on for the extra
numbers here, that mart OF the
theatrical trade must indeed be in
lad straits.
Once more have the movies scored
on Broadway. Not satisfied with get
ting the crowds, the manager Of one
Of the big moving picture theatres
started serving free lemonade
good lemonade. too-during the in
termissions. 1t took like wildfre.
Within the week every one of the
larger movie houses has emulated
the example set BY the first lemonade
serving manager
! Among the headliners at the Palace
are Eddie Foy and the Seven Little
Foys. The comedian had some
trouble putting on his excruciatinelv
funny act. The Gerry Society didn't
think much of the Seven Little Foys
appearing. Foy appealed to them
with his seven miniature Foys at his
heels. The Gerry Society capitulated
and lot of folks who saw that typi-
cal Few act are glad il did
Houdini. the mysterious, who had
broken out of more police stations
and jails than all the jail-brcalSers in
the world, has another thriller. Not