New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-24
Mz7 Rzyss, NIo Aecams.s 81
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tLIlNCE 6n19Et


numbers IN the show.
The public. of course, knows Enrol
largely as the man who used TO do q
drunk scene in every "Follles." He Is,
In addition, on exceptional acrobat, as
his fall in tho Ballet Loose proves, and
pantomimlst Of no mean ability. He
attributes the inception Of his agility
70 tho fact that no was taught TO swim
at tho age Of eighteen months, the
scono being Australia, land Of his birth.
Early in his theatrical career he toured
Australia snd Now Zealand with Paul
Martinetti, and from him acquired his
pantom,mic ability.
Thereupon, his acrobst!c skill assert
ing Itself, he became circus clown.
| He rode bareback, tumbled for the null
titudo and otherwise distinguished him
self as a rough citizen, little thinking
that the work was 70 lead him into
Shakespeare. How 1t happened Is a
BIT obscure, but, strangely enough, he
In Sydney, In the course Of which he
was Hamlet, King Lear, Mercutio, Puck
and even the nurse In Romeo and
juliet" Musical comedies followed
and presently he came to the Western
coast OF our own thriving country and
thus gradually worked his way to New
York, Just as numerous other players
have done and are doing. 1t turns out,
as a matter Of fact, that Enrol has been
in New York only four years, although
IL certainly seems that he was doing
that drunken dance IN the "Tollies'
longer ago than that.
CLTFToN CRAWFORD made such =
~ poor impression on his first ap-
pearance In America that "Yyette"
was a glittering conquest by compsri-
son. Crawford is Scot. In his early
days he did one OF those Highland
dances which are perpetrated even TO-
day on the vaudeville stage. But In
that way he saw Australia and South
Africa, 90 the time was not entirely
lost He came to America when he
WAS twenty-onA, and haunted the Bos-
ton theatres In tho hope Of getting An
engagement but never came to New
York. Just before his money gave out
he grew homesick and went back TO
Scotland.
From Scotland he wrote to the
United Booking offices, warning them
that he was on bis way to New YORK,
and informing them further that be
expected TO make q considerable dent
in tho histrionic horizon, assuming
that an horizon can be dented. BY
some freak Of fortune he received
reply promising him a weeks try-out
in Boston. He returned, told his merry
ouips twice a day at Keith's-and only
the stagehands laughed. At tho end
Of the week Crawford was given his
pay envelope and an expression OF
thanks FOR his services, but no mention
was made Of q further engagement
He wa. "at liberty"
There followed a period Of fruitiess
effort TO get another hearing, and when
the end Of his financial rope hove in
sight he answered an advertisement
for agents to sell new golf ball. His
method OF selling was TO go out 10
links, exhibit one Of the new balls, tee
it up and drive it 200 yards or so as
a sample Of what the ball could do.
Golf enthusiasts were SO impressed by
his skill that he was engaged as In
structor by tho Brae Burn Golf Club,
although there is no record that he
ever sold any golf balls
Crawford might be a golf star to-
day II there hadn't been a piano In
the clubhouse. Also. he found an au-
dience on which to practise. He would
sit down at the piano, and, seemingly
TO himself, sing a few ditties OF his
own manufacture. In no time he was
more Of hit in the clubhouse than
he had been on the links. And, in the
course OF affairs, there came along a
club member who introduced him TO .
manager who WAS putting on show.
There ends the story, except that in
musical comedy Crawford found his
niche, and gradually won his stardom.
No, that isn't quite all The press
agent would he mad as the deuce II
Her soldier Boy" weren't mentioned
some shere in the story