The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-13
A "Gushy" Story About MT. Arthur Prince
 The World Famous VentrilOqus
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE

| when it comes to "interviews?" l Of course you know what happened l No?
 | Then get busy and guess who was the victim; hurry. now, or you won't find out! There l knew all the time you were perfectly sure who it was. and that you were just dying to know all about MT. Arthur Prince. the good looking, attrac-
 tive ''headliner'' round at the Lyric this week.
 Now, honest lnjun, weren't you? l Really, people, MT. Prince is well-named, believe me. because if he isn't prince" in fact as well as in name, then I don't know royalty when I see it.
 He's perfectly lovely!
 Young, handsome, beautiful, educated, an Englishman by birth, who has had the most delightful advantages, being en- tertained, and in turn entertaining roy atty the world over.
 He is a conspicuous figure in the the atrical world, not only because he has a tremendous gift. but because he is such a charming. delightful gentleman.
 Yes, he's married I'm awfully sorry to tell you so, but it's true, and he's crazy l about his wife; he has picture of her in his dressing room, right above his mir ror takes it along with him all the time, if you please. and wherever he happens to be there the picture is also. l [ was terribly nervous when I went to l talk to Mr. Prince.
 That was natural, because one of my vacantest brain cells is labeled, "Ventril- oquism, and it's terrible thing to talk to somebody about something you don't know any thing about, especially with ventriloquist, because he's just as liable as not to get ''peeved' with the ignorant one and call you names in his "other voice. which you couldn't hold him re- sponsiblc for, nor yet resent. because he could prove a perfectly good alibi. ] If you've seen Mr. Princes ''skit'' you know what he's like-or rather you im- agine.
 | You'd sort Of expect to be hypnotized or something wouldn't you? 1 To me, ''ventriloquism' is sort of '"freak-y'' and strange, and you don't ex 1 actly know where it comes from or whittier it goes. but at least it's won- derful gift, and MT. Prince as the most marvellous exponent of this art in the world today. makes an amazingly inter esting subject.
 l MT. Prince had just come off the stage after the matinee yesterday afternoon when I saw him.
 l He was still wearing the uniform of the Kings Na-vee." and looking perfectly stunning. just as he does on the stage, l q n " I a ha n dressing room, I was welcomed by his French valet, who politely invited me to enter
 MT. Prince was removing his cap and hopping his forehead, and in his own natural, beautiful, moduiated euphonous voice didn't 1 tell you that this was | going to be "gushy' story?) he bade | me be seated.
 Having accomplished this feat rather 1 awkwardly, admit 1 nervously said: l 'Of course, you are bound to know what q popular person you are. The pret- tcsS girl I've met for long time told me 1 last Week-ses, she was an actress, and | she had teen or the same bill with you | the week before, when 1 phoned her to make an engagement for an interview that l woke hei out of a perfectly sound sleep, and that she was dreaming of you. Just sec what you've done.
 MT. Prince smiled the most adorable smile (more "gush", but I warned you in advance didn't ID and waved the com
 pliment away, just like that, and then
 somehow signfied that he'd like to settle down to brass tacks if I really had come for story with him. and so pulled myself together and asked him where and how and when he discovered his ven- trioquial powers.
 "Oh, when I was kiddie," MT. Prince said interestedly. 'I used to amuse my
 little paymates by using my voice in different ways, but I didn't think it was anything very remarkable then. In fact up to the time I went on the stage, 12 years ago. I didn't attach much impor- tance to it. When the time came for me to produce the goods was sort of flaber- gasted myself and didn't exactly know where to begin or what to do.''
 But once you found out, it was easy money, wasn't it?" I asked.
 "Oh. yes," said MT. Prince and one thing that made it so was the fact that 1 have not only produced all my own | 'skits, but I have written them as we'll i I've always stuck to stories concerning
 the navy. It has been field that has l not been invaded by anyone else. although my work has been copied and initiated by many. I want osay just here, by the way, that nine years ago introduced the drinking and smoking act in ventrtl- oquism. It was the first time that 1t had ever been done l am the originator of | those features absolutely. Eating has been tried while talking was going on Other things have been tried by other ventriloquists, but they have always been impossible. Eating. while one Is trying l to throw the voice into different range, is impossible, because of the movement | of the mouth, but in drinking it Is pos- sible to use the voice without any move- ment of the lips, or any visible effect on the throat or lips. The cigars I smoke, and here he opened box and offered me one as a souvenir, are very long-long enough to last through the act-and they l are made especially for me-" | Gan you explain the marvellous eas- ticity of your voice?" I asked.
 No more than you can." Mir. Prince said candidly. My throat has been ex- smined by the greatest specialists in the world. and after careful study. the only thing that they have ever said is that have wonderful control over the muscles.
 That really is what ventriloQuism is-
 control. The chest tones, or natural
 voice. and the head tones."
 ''Tell me about Jim, the dummy. I
 think he has an awfully saucy, nice little
 face and he seems SO real" suggested.
 'He is real to me- said Mir. Prince,
 with great affection. T love him just like he was human. He's the best little, chap
 In the world, and he is treated with az much consideration as am He has his ] own dressing room and my valet attends
 to his wants just as he does to mine. He .