The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-20
1O.YBAR-OLD GRUMPY
RIVALS CYRIL MAUDE
Il. b. Carnahan, Jr., Gets ROars
Of Laughter ut Charity
Performance.
HAS A JOKE ON ACTOR
Voices Regret He Was SO Old
Before Coming to This
Country.

Inis - the story OF the triumph OF
Thomas Benton Canadian. Jr. He is 10.
he has been on the stage since he was
and he has realized his dream Of being
q great comedian.
1t would be a bold grownup who would
undertake to understudy Cyril Maude In
his wonderful Interpretation OF the
!rascible. loyablc old man Grumpy, but
along comes Master Carnahar. who be-
cause ne IL lacking In self-consciousness
and because Cyril Maude IL to his boyish
Imagination what Davy Crockett and
the Deerslayer are to other boys 10
able to initiate his hero until Thomas
Benton Carnahan became yesterday
Grumpy himself--four feet nothing at all.
The Grumpy Of yesterday and the chill.
dren who supported him In the Hodges
and Percyval play at wallacks Theatre
gave the performance OF "Grumpy" at
the suggestion Of Mrs. James Speyer for
the benefit Of 81. Mary's Free Hospital for
Children. The theatre was crowded.
Everybody laughed when the miniature
Grumpy appeared. There were whispered
comments about his being 80 cunning
md such n dear" Every one vas look
ing for IA more or less clever burlespue Of
the play. but the comments soon changed
to murmurs Of wonderment and bursts
OF applause as the audience began 10
OF voice. every bit OF business and
In every other thing that goes to make
or mar an actors performance a boy OF
10 was presenting wonderful character
sketch.
1T might be Mr.. Maude himself" said
one OF the regulars OF the "Grumpy" COM
pany. Look at the way that boy WALKS.
listen to that quaver In his voice and
now when he's angry. just look at him !"
Children No Amateurs.
Everybody did. And at Raymond NJ.
Ellis, IL years old who as Ruddock.
Grnmpys valet. kept perfectly In key
with his masters performance. Jesse
Kelly. 8. youngest OF them all. who plsy ed
MerTfdcU; Gladys Ainetta Conterno. "a.
who was the charming Miss Virginia !:
Paul Kelly as Ernest Heron. Richard
Cubitt as Nr. Jarpis Robert Barber, most
convincing as Wolfe the fence: Harol,
Brooks AS Or. Mdcldrcn. Maurice Farrell
as DatosoW, Florence Ware as Mrs Mac
idrer and Sibylla Bauhan. a most charm
ing Susan.
They are all. or nearly all. children
Of the stage. and 80 II was quite natural
that they should Ice far from amateurish
In their work Thomas Benton Carnahan
was happy In everything he did. His
voice--the voice OF Mr.. Maude IL you but
shut your eyes-reached every part Of
after three weeks Of training he was let
ter perfect AZ few are on first night
OF course there were curtain calls with
out number and more applause when IL
was observed that In taking his calls
Master Buchanan was again living
counterfeit OF Mr.. Maude.
And then came surprise that brought
with II the biggest laugh OF the afternoon.
Following repeated calls Of Speech ,
Speech" Grumpy appeared. He fumbled
with handkerchief and eyeglass quite in
the Maude manner. and then while every
body sat silent he began Mr.. Maude's own
curtain speech. The laughter started as
ne Strengthened up and began: I'm glad
to get this opportunity to speak IN my
natural voice" But when he reached
the part where Mr.. Maude tells OF the
woman who expressed regret that he had
waited until he was so old before COM
ing To this country the house was rocked
In = gale Of merr!ment.
GIFT for hey Actor.
Mr.. Maude. who saw the first act, lef,
silver handled umbrella and Il few
words of praise for Thomas Benton Car.
nahan. Jr.. which pleased the boy more
than all the applause from the front.
And when Vivian Tobey. who was DIS
rdeH IN the chiidren's production OF the
play. sent "A telegram, Congratulations to
the new Grumpy" Master Carnahan, as
he tackled II UP In his dressing room as
he had seen the older stars do, admitted
himself that he seemed to have arrived
With Mrs. Speyer In a stage box were
Mrs. l.. ". BreitunE. Mrs. Frederick
Vanderbilt. Mrs. Walter Gay, Mrs
Charles darkness and two OF Clarence
Mackay's children.
Some OF the patronesses present were
Mrs. John II. Iselln. Mrs. Franklin l..
Hutton, Mrs. Andrew c. Zabriskie, Mrs
Frank II. Plat. Mrs. John W. Gates
Mrs. Julien T. Davies. Mrs. Hamilton
Fish. Mrs. 7. Suffern Taller, Mrs James
Il. Duke. Mrs. Victor Morawetz, Mrs.
Henry NJ. Tilford. Mrs. J. O. II. Pitney
Mrs. J. Kennedy Tod. Mrs. John l.. Cad.
walder. Mrs. Herman Ridder. Mrs 7.
Townsend Burden. Mrs ". Seward Webb
Mrs. Charles Chauncey Stillman, Mrs
Chauncey NJ. Depew. Mrs. George J.
Gould. Mrs. Samuel Guggenheim, Mrs J.
Stewart Barney. Mrs. William Douglas
Sloane. Mrs. Henry Ciews. Mrs Ernes,
Thalmann. Mrs. Lewis Cass Iedyard, Mrs
James Roosevelt Mrs William Il. Osxood
Field, Mrs. Frederick Gallstin, Mrs. Stuy.
vesant Fish. Mrs. Frank X. Sturgis, Mrs
Paul Morton. Mrs. Charles A. Post, Mrs
Frederick w. Whitridge. Mrs Coulter ID
Huyler. Mrs. Henry Clay FricI,, Mrs. Ell.
bert II. Gary and Mrs. Henry =. Bartlett.