The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-27

4 FTER tho close of the first
n nights performance Of "Rob-
Il inson Crusoe, Jr.," Al Jolson
eat nervous and almost limp
10 a flower perfumed dressing room.
4 huge golden horseshoe, with the
stars Autograph" In the centre, oc-
cup!ed the place of honor. This was
the gift OF two personal friends. Boxes
" cigars, crates OF ginger ale. talk
ing machine records, hat orders, boxes
Of gloves, handkerchiefs and other as
sorted articles Of merchandise were
thrown In profusion In the corners OF
the room. Unlike n woman star. who
not infrequently receives jewclry. Jol-
son Is literally swaInped with new
brands of cigars, mineral waters. can
dies and what not, these being sent
him no doubt with the hope tnat he
viii make some mention of the name"
On the stage.
Il was on this occasion that the
rnomentous question. Does burnt
cork help you" was put to him.
Personally. I don't believe I will
ever be able to abandon burnt cork"
answered Jo.son. land as "A matter OF
fact ! don't wish to. But when l
first began as a minstrel nan il was
tough Shedding. Getting out Of "A
minstrel show is just about as difficult
a. trying to lift ones self by your own
boot straps. for this part of the show
business starts nowhere n end in
the san place. Now the public won't
have me any other way except In black
ACE. / am really forced to black up.
but 1t is not my stock in trade. il
you put II hat way. and IL you don't
believe it come to the Winter Garden
any Sunday evening and hear me sing
i' white face. But that is different.
Everybody knows me Sunday nights
AZ the Winter Garden. whereas during
the week the audiences are largely
made up of people from out Of town
and Jolson TO them means a ~blacktace
comedian. At first the term blackface
used to make me squirm. Now-wcll
IA YOU near them applaud my songs
ont front tonight: | am not egotls-
teal. but l am coniidcat the applause
was not given because l had my face
h.ackened. You know in the last show
I worked in white face. just for II
scene. The character. that of "A male
drrssmaker, didn't appeal to me and
In no a 1T into my nature, so when
suggested to Mr.. Shubert that We
cut Il ont he gave his consent. How
ever, am sure ] could play Gus with
out makeup ard get away with II.
"OD the oad they are a little re-
sen.:ul about my leaving off my make
ur. In one or two towns this sea
son while I was on our I came on
toward the finish Of the play in my
street clothes and in white face. At
first the audience didn't like me: then
when they found out 1t was really
myself they appeared amaZed-no, not
over my louks-but that ! was as
white as the rest Of the company and
could speak Ike them. But they re-
scented il Just the same. l didn't strike
them as being half AZ funny II my
Jokes tell fiat. Believe me, l didn't
Try the experiment very often, Using
burnt cork was the suggestion of a
vaudeville manager. | came from
Washington. ID. G., at least that was
The town from which. as a boy OF IL,
ran away from home. But I never
lost my southern accent. Up North
they call IL negro talk. After several
fazardous seasons with circuses |
Tried vaudeville. doing a single dance
ana song act. One morning I re-
ported over in Brooklyn to Keeney's
Theatre for rehearsal. The manager
heard my line of talk and song and
watched my dancing.
say said the manager after !
mad finished, you may not know IL.
but you work in black face at this
theatre or not at all. Youll be great;
Won talk Just Ike "A Niger In those
DAYS my salary, as small as 1t was,
looked as big a. the moon and tenn
permanent was then an unknown thing
70 me, That particular week my sti-
pend was also very necessary, so with
Gut argument I fell IN with the man