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-
vincing."
You bet" added stone you've got
to feel the part. Now, I play China
man in this show I'd never made UP tor
Chinaman. and how to do it l
didn't know"
But we went to Chinatown, In New
York" interrupted Montgomery. And
we watched the Chinese. We observed
their mannersms, their way of talking
We went into their shops aai bought
things, and argued about the price. We
say something to make them laugh anu
things to make them sore. That way
we got their expression"
Before The Red Mil was put on we
Travelled in Holland continued Mont
gomery. I'VE had $500 worth 'e cameras
with US and took pictures. w" not only
used the knowledge we EllNcl, bur the
Yes. sir; it's hard work" declared
Stone My greatest hit. YOU know was
as the Scarecrow in the Wizard OF o.
Montgomery leaned over and whispered
admiringly:
Il tell you, Fred was put on earth 70
play the Scarecrow."
Il thought of the Scarecv"N for
months confided stone I 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 | felt I'd got what would amuse
the audience
Mr.. Stone. having discarded his Chi
rese envisagement, was making up as
Mr.. Ignted Paderewski.'
Before Mr.. stone, over his dressing
table, was a photograph of the cele-
brated Polish pianist,
Mr., Stone was about TO appear in
buresque of the aforesaid genius Audi
ences each night have laughed over the
marvellous performance OF stone ana the
self-playing piano.
How did you conceive tt?' MI stone
was asked.
II had a machine piano at my house
and played il, and then ran away from
the piano TO amuse my children. Ihen
the idea occurred TO me that it would he
amusing 70 have a piano that would play
after you walked away from II on the
stage. NNen we put Oh Il4'S sI'0N w
tried 10 get a piano concern to make
piano that would do this We had
great deal Of trouble. They wanted me
10 fake the thing-to make the audience
believe I actually played player and
then to stop. ! said mo- would not de-
ceive the audience. So We finally got
piano made that played automatically
after l left IL, and then the audience
knew I'd faxed nv own playing
But do you plan your effects upon the
audience? Don't you work tricks TO get
them? How, for instance, aid You de-
velop the lady bareback stunt on tho
horse"
MI Ignitcd PadercWski' bowed.
II never work tricks 7 never know
how an audience is going 20 take my
stunts I have no sense beforehand OF
what is going To get across. Alter the
first performance | know what rs good
and ,vhar isn't When I had 10 do the
lady bareback rider stunt l worked on u
worked on il FOR months. | thought
over the tricks that would amuse-tall-
ing off the horSe-hanEinC In mdalr.
Finally l got the trick Take the ven
trlloqust stunt-where ! appear with what
seems dummy on my knee But it's a
mauuikin that does the talking ! do
the pretending. Now ! never thought
that would make a hit, which II has
Last Christmas we We're playing in
The Lady and the Slipper IN Boston,
and the company drelged Z" give
Christmas party. Everybody was 20 do
something. | told my wife Ia be stage
manager 40, Fred said she. you've
got 70 do something Why don't YOU
take little George Phelps, the m1nni-
kin i'm the show, aud fake him as Ven
triloquists dummy
so I did h. NOBODY in the audience
OF actors knew that 7 had a real dunn
my on my knee. Wen, Charles pillng-
ham saw the thing and said he wanted lt
in a new show. AS ! say, I never thought
it would make hit. Ia studied Ven
triloquists. knew their maEueEs-you see,
I've been familiar with the circus all my
life. And when I faxed a manuihin as a
real dummy il struck the audience. II
il hadn't, Ia have killed H. 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 I'll quit TIL quit
them before thsv quit me- That's my
whole feeling When there's no applause
any more I'll get off the stage.