The sun., 1916-10-01


49, Palace Theatre programme.
10 firm believer In the future
ot vaudeville. He has been min
strel. musica, comedian. legitimate
actor and screen artist hut best of all
no likes the world of the two n day.
Discussing the current vaudeville
stage IN the Palace offices IA few days
ago Eddie said:
Vaudeville doncc I'VE been in vaude-
VILE for over twenty years. for min
strelsy ana the good sort of musical
comedy are both forms OF vaudeville.
and I tell you that vaudeville Is not
on tho downward path. but Is just
starting to grow. ! know there are
disgruntled vaudeville performers who
croak about the games failing. but
II Is they themselves not the game
that we must call failures.
II know. too, that once in "a while,
even in the very best Of vaudeville
theatres. there will he 80 poor blu
that the audience will put it's tongue
In It's cheek and vow that there are
no more good vaudeville shows: that
they will never go to another vaudc-
willie theatre. and oil that. but how
many times do you go To n poor dra-
matte performance? Do you resolve
to Sorsakc the drama forever just he
cause Of one poor show? Certainly
you do not.
Now you must bear In mind the
fact that vaudeville is very much
alive that vaudeville managers are
constantly ransacking. the world for
good acts and that in vaudeville the.
money offered is such that the person
sought after almost has to sign up.
There In nothing stingy in vaudeville.
II you have an act that brings money
into theatre YOU are paid accord
ingly and there Is no aubbl!ng.
"You can size II all up" concluded
Mr.. Leonard. "h, sayfng that vaudc-
VILE Is "A tremendous institution for
the public and for tho performer II he
does his work. stGdies his audiences
and is on the level with them. ion
can put down any shortcomings Of
vaudeville to its youth. not to any de-
trepitude of age. and you must re-
gard IL as still growing
precoc!ous youngster who worked in a
Richmond, Va. rolling mill 10y dar
and at night sang and danced in music
halls or any other place of popular
diversion that cared for his services
In this way Eddie Leonard. for il is
Eddie Leonard OF whom We are speak
ing found the happy combination Of
arts which so many pe"pl" hav'
striven for through all the years.
Leonard made more money at the roll
ing mill than he did in the practice
OF his art, but that mattered little.
n you ever worked in II rolling MIL
you can understand why the lad aimed
to get out of the toll of it and into a
different game. oh, yes. he would
work hard AT dancing and all that,
and dance till he almost dropped from
exhaustion. but--well. It's different
from working with white hot iron bars
in II rolling mill isn't IL?
Sometimes. according To the mill
shifts. Eddie would have to dance by
day and work AT night and vice versa,
but never Il day went by that he
didn't put In much larger proper
ton OF the twenty-four hours in his
combination Of work and play than
the average growing youth does.
Leonard was not much addicted To the
sleep habit, or il he was he soon broke
g. for you can figure out for Yourself
how much time he had to spend in the
frivolous pastime of slumber.
"Still. they were happy days" said
Leonard the other day at the Palace
I 10
one OF the big vaudeville headliners
now and has been for many wears ~
suppose the work was gruclling. but
was a healthy youngstcr ana work
never hurt anybody yet. I'll give you
one illustration OF that principle.
Sometimes I'm out OF sorts, sick. all
broken up---feel too bad, don't you
know. to even think of going out on
the stage and doing my somewhat
strenuous song and dance number
But ] always go on just the same
sing song or two, tell the audience
that feel too badly to do anything
more and they laugh just as II it were
n huge joke. So they have good
time. don't disappoint the manage
ment, and as for myself. I've done my
duty and don't feel the worse for II
and everybody's happy, Working Is
the hest solvent for troubles ! know
OF, too"
To-day Leonard II man Just
turned forty, and he's been profess
sional actor for twenty-four OF those
years. lie was stil hardly more than
4 growing boy when he forsook bath
rolling mill and dancing around Rich