The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1915-07-22
(By Paul A. Stamey)
THE DARN FOOL, BY ONE
His Makeup.

| THE DARN FOOL, BY ONE
His Makeup.
i CHAP. FOUR
4 Gentlemen with long whisker.
should never butter their green corn
| Billie Richie says he didn't.
] Charles Chaplin says he didn't ;
So what are you going to do about
jhf II someone came along and az.
icidentally lifted your choice recipe
for making pure, unadulterated
laughter without any risque inere.
dents. and then was given the credit
for being the creator of this particu-
lar brand of ticklishness, what would
you do about it? Yes. you would.
If you were like ninety per cent of
the rest of us, you'd make a bid
noise and follow it up with an ex.
tensive variety of threats.
But, Billie Richie isn't that kind
of a. guy. 1t is true that he knows
when it's time to laugh, and when
the time has arrived to make the
other fellow laugh. But. he doesn't
see anything funny in having the
public think that somebody else is
the originator of what he, himself,
created when, the other fellow was
waddling.
Some curious, individuals wrote
and asked the Universal Film Com
pany who originated the drunk"
makeup that Billie Richie uses in
his L-KO comedies. And then, just
to make it hurt a little more, the
question was asked whether Billie
Richie or Chaplin created that par
ticular character.
And now!. Unless the weather
prophet is little askew in his pre-
dictions, a dark cloud is going to
hover over the starry planet of one
Mr.. Chaplin. for the Universal: after
a thorough search of the dusty old
files which were resurrected at a
great deal of time and expense, over
in England. the native country of
both these funny men, has reams of
evidence which shows that Billie
Richie first used his present make
up in 1887. three years before Chas.
Chaplin, of the Essanay Film Manu-
Company, was born! Hate
to do: it. Charlie. but it looks as
though the Universal people have
the real dope ON you this time.
In an interview in "Motoeraphy,"
January 16 1918. Chan
lin gave his age as rs, which would
make the year of his birth 1890,
three years after Billie Richie had
started to popularize his style of
which has since made mil
lions laugh.
Now Billie isn't the sort of Sink
that loves to step in hand upset d.
fellows soup just as he is wading
into it with both feet, and the ques-
ton of who was the creator Of this
particular style of makeup was
only answered by him after repeated
requests from his firm and hundreds
Of letters from moving picture fans.
1t was Billie Richie who played
The original drunk" in "A Night in
an English Music Hail." which was
one of the biggest comedy roars ever
,een in England or America. He
over the Orpheum and was
,een in this role over five thousand
lines. using the very same make
lp which he now uses i'm the L-KO
comedies.
There is NO doubt but what Chap
in has been inspired by the work of
lis fellow countryman and has COZ
ed him as closely as an American
Maid flies to the Partisan modes
ZACH spring. This statement is not
made with vindictiveness. but mere
y to do justice to Billie Richie, and
o dispute those who scatter pro-
the rumor that Chaplin
8 responsible for the makeup
which he wears in his plays.
(Confi0,,Ad navf xveAk