The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-13
Art Is Universal; Gan Make Even An Englishndn Lau9h,' Says MT. Mdnn Whose Gus Mueller" In
 "The Bubble Is Temperan1ental As First Violnisl
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE

Everything vat happens in diss play iss too bad, init exceptions of der finish, oond der company, vich decisionedly ain't"
 Which remark is made merely by way of introducing MT. Louis Mann in 'The Bubble" that is highly finished and in spots-inspirational
 MT. Mann, in his characterization of Gustav Mueller" pronounced "Goostaff Meeler (you know, with two dots over the ''p'D shows us typical hyphenated American of German extraction, low able idealist, as temperamental as a first violinst, and with heart of pure gold. The Kaiser ought to send MT. Mann the iron cross" for he has done more perhaps to make Americans love Ger man character than all the ambassadors, special commissioners, imperial propa- gandists, editors, authors and press agents, who have been making appeals for our sympathy so far.
 In the first place, it is rather a treat to get close up-face to face-heart to heart-with MT. Louis Mann's dialect; not that the actor speaks with that rich Ger man accent he uses on the stage, but anybody who knows MT. Mann will never let him get away without telling a Ger man story and that's where you get your dialect treat.
 Yesterday I found him lounging in the foyer of the Tutwiler, looking for all the world like evangelist instead of an actor; his neat dark clothes broad brimmed, soft hat resting atop his brown hair, and with a mien altogether se- rious; the eyes of a child-just as his smile is the smile of a sweet, innocent child.
 Ir saying as he recalled the story about two Germans who were discussing him once in Cincinnati.
 Chess; I know um, said the German addressed.
 "Gott in Hmmel, but he mus be gittin' old; bout s, chess!'
 Wat? Looie S3? Nen, Nein; Looies choost about 70"
 "Ach you're wrong. Looie vas grown up ven I vas a leetle poy.'
 MT. Mann chuckled as he told the story, for none knows better than he that 1t sl a long, long way to 70-in his calendar, and that he is still young enough to laugh when people accuse him of being old,
 MT. Mann slips so easily into his dia- lect-like a chorus girl into her differ ent costumes-that I was constrained to ask if it required any conscious effort
 Not in the least" said he. q do it with the greatest facility. It is no cred it to me, however, for it is purely mimotic Once I recall being at Carls bad when lot of actors and dis tinguished men were standing around and I initiated number of German actors Suddenly the great actor Son. nenthal, afterward knighted and made count said: Listen to this mans dialect; it's marvellous Of course, the time that it requires study for me to do a German part artistically, is when I rcI, To bo ierb tc nd Gb 10 delicate nuances in my work and this comes easily too, for am like a fid- dle, every sound strums a note to my ear, and I follow it--so that it isn't diff ficult for me to master sound"
 DO you think that the present war" asked, twill affect the acting of Ger man character roles on our stage"
 'It will make no difference said Mr. Mann. Art is universal; I once made even an Englishman laugh. l did it in London, with my Julie Bonbon. If the American people love the German character parts I've portrayed, it is be- cause I have always tried to reflect the best traits of the German in my work. As to the high regard that Americans have for the German character no bet ter proof could be offered than the fact that in all the American plays ever written you will find not one Ger man william"
 DO you consider the German chardC- ters you have played true to our life?" I inquired
 You can find the prototype of every character I've ever played true to life, MT. Mann said Take Herr Won Mooser, in The Strange Adventures of Miss Brown and you find the sweet, senti- mental type of the German musician. In The Telephone Girl Hans Nix was the bumptious puffedup German with an exaggerated idea of his own impor- tance-the intumescent type. Then there was Hans Won Scoffenberg in The Girl