The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-07
THE PUC|LIST WHO DOUBLED IN
 SHAKESPEARE

Once upon a>time-it was when the nineteenth century was hanging on the ropes, dazed and groggy, and just about to take the count-there lived in the East End of London good looking, intelligent young fellow, some where in the neighborhood of nine teen years old, who made precarious living by fighting in the ring, ek1ng out his income from this source by oc- casiona1 theatrical tours in "the pro- vinces.'' He was far from being celebrated in pugi1istic circles, but he had hopes, for he had a degree of cleverness which promised well for the future.
 FThe principal characteristic of this youthful disciple of Fagg and Brough- ton was fondness for Shakespeare He could recite passages from the Bard of Avon by the hour, and in his delivery he possessed a punch which challenged the admiration of his companions. That was certainly an odd accomplishment for a boxer, but Conway Tearle came of a theatr1- cal family which had had representa- tiVes on. the stage for more than century, and, moreover, he had been on the stage himself, off and an, ever since he was six years old It was a natural love for athletics, especially the manly art, which led Conway Tearle to temporarily forsake the stage and attempt to win 1aurels in the professional ring. For two. years he fought in and about London, never getting more than a few pounds for his battles, but still cherish1ng championship aspirations.
 The young boxer was a native of New York, although he had spent most of his life in England. His mother, May Conway, was an actress of some note, the daughter of F. B. Conway, who was the pilot of the first American stock company, and for years the owner of the Brooklyn Thea tre The Conways had been stage people since the middle of the eigh- teenth century, when Augustus Con way made reputation an actor on the boards of the colonial p1ayhouses- Conway Tear1e took the name of his stepfather, Osborne 5Tear1e, also an ac- tor. TearIes went to England to appear on the London stage Osborne Tearle had a theatrical company which pre- sented Shakespearean dramas and old comedies all over England, and from the time he was six Conway played great variety of roles. At the ten
 der age of ten he had at his tongues end a dozen of Shapespeare's plays, He was about nineteen when he was smitten with the ambition of be- coming a professional boxer For two years he batt1ed whenever oppor- tunity offered, and he might have won a1 name for himself as a pugilist ex-
 cept for a circumstance which chang ed his whole career. The Tear1e company was billed to give peffor-
 nance of Hamlet in a Manchester
 Theatre, but at the last moment the actor billed for Hamlet was stricken with illness Conway TearIe went on | ir1 hi -efo T72z Ina q ra
 hearsal, and played Hamlet without a
 single slip.
 J This triumph of the boxer actor
 marked the end of his ring career. A London theatrical manager witnessed
 his feat, and immediately offered the
 young man an engagement to play in
 '"The Queens Doub1e'' at the Garrick
 in London. He made a big hit-a 1 bigger hit than he had ever made as | a bruiser - and landed a knockout
 out, punch right between the eyes of
 the public.
 | Young Tearle had often thought of l going to Australia to try his hand at the boxing game, but while he made the trip to the Antipodes it was as an
 actor. engaged for the title role in '.Pen Hur.''
 I From that time Conway Tear1e new
 CT gave another thought to the boxing game, although he continued to put
 on the gloves in friendly bouts when
 ever opportunity offered, and remain ed an ardent follower of the sport Only a. few years after he had been pounding his fellow man for a living Tearle became the leading man in 'El- len Terry's company. For two years
 he remained with tI1e great Ellen, and fer two years more he Was with St , Charles Wyndham. After that lie made a brief trip to America to play with Grace George. but he soon re-
 turned to England.
 When Conway TearIe next visited
 his native land it was with three
 years contract, signed by Charle:
 F'rohman, in his pocket MT. F'roh
 man placed him with MT. Sothern ant
 Miss Mar1owe,N but after two days O. l frehearsals the ex-boxer was dismissed 8 as a hopeless case by Miss Marlowe Happily for TearIe, Charles Frohma1
 did not accept, that verdict as final. II
 spite of the lovely Julia's utter con :. demnation, MT. F'rohman believed tha the reformed pugilist was an actor !, and gave him a part with Viola A1lel , in 'eThe Toast of the Town.'' For t years he was leading man to variou = American stars, but ill fortune pur l sued all the theatrical ventures il
 which he was engaged, and scarcel, : one of them was successful.
 = Until recently MT. Tearle has been = matinee idol, handsome, dashinj e fellow, a regular devil of a fellow, an, a a great favorite with very young girls
 Real success did not oVertake him un . til he assumed quite another role, tha = of Bill Walker the Bernard Shaw
 Major Barbara in which Grac n fGeorge has been starring in New York . The refined, handsome matinee idc
 was chosen for the part of Cusins i
 this production. Cusins is a Gree professor, and Tear1e seemed well suit
 ed to this important role, but afte l the first rehearsal he made violent ob
 jectiOns to continuing in it. He long
 ed for the part of Bill Walker, a rougi
 costermonger, a ruffian who beats u
 Ieverybody he comes across, women in
 cIuded. After many objections, h
 was given this part, and from tn
 opening night he was the big hit O
 the successful production.