New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-18
Bv HARRIETTE UNDERHILL

~ III 4hh young "'"" ~
L grabbed her escort frantically
BY the arm FIVE years ago in front OF
the Stuyvesant Theatre and cried out
ecststically, There is Douglas Fair
banks!"-by way of introduction.
"And | am the young man who smiled
so admiringly," countered the gallant
Douglas. and the interview was on.
Before you leave you will have de-
cided 10 call this the interviewer in
terviewed,' I'm sure, for there are
several points on which I am hazy and
I'm going TO have them settled now,
once for ALL" How splendid TO have
soms one take 1t for granted that you
knew something)
an the first place, Is hair essential
TO success In the movies, because I'm
rapidly losing mine and | want TO know
If l should begin to qualify for job
as professor Of mathematics or head
master or first nighter, where bald
heads are at premium. Consider care
fully, now, and remember that the
greatest Screen actor Is not the one
with the most hair. think Harry
Warner is splendid, don't you? And
he hasn't much more hair than l have.
You know, Harry is very deceptive; he
can do lots Of things besides act. For
instance, he is one Of the best all
around athletes | know. ] remember,
once when he and ! were playing next
door to each other in Philadelphia, We
were on our way home from matinee
when we were accosted by some men
who fancied themselves real tough
guys. Look at the poor simp with the
walking stick and the wrist watch!
yelled one Of them. ! couldn't let him
get away with that. So stopped and
told him l was hard Of hearing and
asked him to repeat it. 'Ah, didn't
mean you; l meant that other guy
said the tough one in conclliatory
tone. ooh, you meant me- Harry said,
squaring up to him, and you ought to
have seen those fellows make geta-
way. They suddenly realized that dis
erection was nine-tenths Of valor.
"Well, we have settled that question
now. Thick, wavy hair is not essential
TO success in the movies. Now the next
question before the house is: Are most
people filled with a comfortable sense
of their own pulchritude? ask this
because every one seems so surprised
when they find out that am not i'm
bued with an undying admiration for
myself. Why, on the level, I'm afraid
every day that some one will hnd out
what Pm really like, and then l won't
be able to get away with it any longer.
If people like me it is because they
are tolerant. | don't do anything that
any one else could not do. Just walk
on and have a good time. Most Of
my lines are impromptu, so that re-
quires no preparation.
81 remember in The Americana
when was introduced TO Senior de Cas-
tile it struck me as being such a
ridiculous name that l said, offhand,
ooh, how do you do? I've used your
soap and they wrote the line in the
play. ! like doing everything in the
movies excepting making love. You
see, one doesn't do that every day, as
one climbs buildings, skates and boxes,
and one gets out of practice. And then
most Of our screen fiancees are not in
spring. You know the type-glorious
big blue eyes and nothing back of them
but a vacuum. In one Of my plays the
director told me that it was up to me
to make mad love 70 the girl, and he
told her that she was TO act bit
incredulous and 20 put me off with an
evasive reply. Well, thought up all
my tender speeches Of the Hawthorne
of the U. S. A. period, and | gave
rip roaring impersonation Of a man
in love. and then that beautiful Great
ure looked at me soulfully and said,
Good night, nurse signifying mere
dulity. ] let out shout of delight
and the scene was spoiled and the
whole thing had to be done over again.
"Climbing the sides Of buildings is
easy. Why, all you have TO do is to
get flying start, and before you know
it, you're there. should rather climb
any club in New York, with the ex-
ception Of the Union Club, than to
make a speech. learned TO climb be-
fore learned 70 talk. This disfguring
scar which / have here" pointing to
slight mark on his forehead, sis the
result Of my climbing proclivities when
| was two years old. climbed to the
top of the woodshed and then rolled
off. I've had some practice in fight