The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-07
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

thunder, for I am also a "four-minute
 man." and greatly enjoyed the mock look of surprise which came over the
 face of friend of mine who, upon learn
 ing 1t, said: Well, doctor, the war Is
 worth all it has cost if war times have
 been able to make preachers stay within
 the four-minute limit when they stand
 up to talk. Can't you use your influ-
 ence to get the government to, call on
 my pastor for seryice?'
 1 l was sitting in a box with Manager
 keene when in came "a stranger and took seat. I was introduced to him
 and learned that he was the press rep resentative of Robert ManteIl, and an-
 swered to the name of C. J. Bullet This is day of press agenting. For years the circuses had a monopoly on the business, then the theatres adopted
 the custom, until today it is a poor evan gelist who hasn't some one to let the
 public know his record as a soul saver
 I soon lost interest in the acts on the stage, for when two press agents get to
 reniniscing it's time for a newspaper
 man to get out his pad I learned that keene was once full-blown press repre- sentative and that, like Bullet, he was boosting the Shakespearean drama and was telling an eager public all about Sothern and Marlowe, and upon their re- tirement to private life was on the eve Of signing up with Mantell when he all of sudden got the screen fever and did bit of silent posturing.
 It was more fun than minstrel show press agents josh one another. Keene boasted that he was the man that drove Mantell to the movies, while Bullet bragged that he was the gentleman that forced Sothern and Marlowe to say good by to the stage and retire to the seclus- for of the country to raise babies and chickens. I have heard a good bit of 'ragging" but the things they handed out to one another broke the speed limit for fast and furious and racy repartee.
 Somehow on Saturday night Keene, on on his way home after midnight, learned that his old Shakespearean rival had landed in the city and was sweetly sleep ing in his downy couch at the Tutwiler. He got his number and told the tele- phone girl it was urgent. A sleepy and perplexed press agent took up the re-  verbatim, but give an expurged text. Here is the garbled talk:
 Is that Mir. Bullet. the press agent Of Robert ManteI? Yes" came the an- swer, right out of a yawn. Well, am Jeff Bailey, the dramatic critic on The Age-Herald, and thought I would Interview you on the shalsespearean con- Are you a Baconian, or do you think it was Shakespeare who really wrote the plays that go under his name?' Now came series of dashes, and one press agent admitted that one newspa- per man had at least walked up to the fact that there was good copy sin a 1 Shakespearean booster but also wished | that he hadn't been called out of bed to | furnish it. Keene. seeing that he had l put one over on his former rival, broke | 1t last Bullet caught on that he had | fallen into trap.
 1 have seen Keene sit in his own play l house and simply go wild over every act l which appeared before the curtain. and 1 came to the conclusion that if the 1 public enjoyed the bills as much as did | why the theatre was playing. day and l light to capacity houses. I have never seen a kid at his first circus who could | it as wide-eyed and open-mouthed as keene does when any of the teams on he Loew circuit are doing their turns. It's really refreshing to find a man who s so enthusiastic about his job. If you ire down hearted and want to get l. ,heered, just drop down to the Bijou and | lsk Keene to let you sit with him on the | tide lines, and if his enthusiasm does lot dispel your gloom, I would advise l 'ou to consult a phySlclan.
 
 I do not know if my preacher friends will like what I am going to say, but if | hey would let their message get hold # them and be as anxious to get peo- lie out to hear 1t as is Keene to get people down to see his show, every tul ch in Birmingham would be filled to 'verflowng next Sunday. He believes le has got the show and that the public ught to patronze it. and he just can't lelp talking about it. He meets me on he streets and says, Doctor, we are tuning the greatest picture you ever aw. You just must drop in to see it. |, | is simply great, and 1t breaches a great esson. Promise me you will come and ee it.'' Now, I hope that pastors and 'eople will get as enthusiastic about what the church has to offer In this lay when so many are saying that the hurch has failed to meet the situation nd thoughless people are running to nd fro after all kinds of substitutes. cts put on vital campaign for church ,oing that will prove that the church $ coming into it's own and that noth- ng can take the place of religious wor- hip, and that the times and the hour alls for prayer and service, and that he pulpit has message for red -booded nen.
 Keene is a curiosity. He is vaude-