New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
By Harriette Underhill


Tell me, Mr.. Bacon, have you ever
really had drink and are you very
stylish when you are dressed for the
street," we asked as we sat on the
kitchen table which Ralph Morgan has
in the middle of his kitchen in the
first act of "Lightnin'," and stuck ou,
feet out Gin one"
1t was along in the second act; the
table had been showed into a corner in
front of the iron door which separates
the entertainers from the entertained
and we were sitting on it merely be-
cause, to get our interview with Frank
Bacon, 1T was necessary to get it on
the fly, or, to be more accurate, on the
wing.
Frank Bacon is busy man. just as
we got nicely seated in his dressing
room and had got as far as "How long
have you been on the stage. Mr.. Ba-
eon?' some one shouted: con the
stage, Lightnin'," and SO we trailed hin
as far as the wings, talking as we
went.
While he was out in front, carrying
Jane Oakers trunk upstairs for her, we
got to thinking how he had played such
dear, bibulous old man in "The Gin
derella Man," and how he always car
ried flask on his hip and wore old,
down shoes, and we wondered if
he really might not be as abstemious
as Billy Sunday and as stylish as Frank
keenan, IN real life, and we determined ID
TO ask him as soon as his scene was
finished. Hence our ingenious ques-
tion.
Unlike most men, Mr. Bacon was not
averse to talking about himself, so he
answered promptly: "Never had &
drink in my life; don't know what il
tastes like. And, of course, | am very
stylish in the street. No one else has
hat like mine. | look like a minister
who leads flock in town of 5000 in.
habitants." We seemed to be getting
on famously, and in our enthusiasm
never realized that we were making as
much noise as the people on the stage
and then very young looking man
gazed at us sternly and said "Shush!'
with the long sibilant as" as in silence
And, because he looked 80 young, we
resented it, and then we found out that
he. was the stage director and always
"shushed" every one
Go right ahead and make all the
noise you like" said Beatrice Nichols
who on the stage is Mildred Buckley
the sweet if unduly credulous ingenue
of the show. make all the noise you
like and some one will say "a little
less noise, Miss Nichols am blamed
for everything. Come back In my
dressing room and we'll be able to talk
out loud and maybe laugh little"
But we hung back, ostensibly to talk
some more to Lightnin'. in reality to
get glimpse of Paul Stanton, the viii
lain. Have you ever seen Paul? Well,
then go and do so Immediately.
And presently he came off the stage
for moment and we were introduced
as the Lady reporter who was going to
write pretty story about him; and
then, just as we were about to ask him
II he didn't think that villains had to
be handsome, the stage director
"shushed" everybody again; so we ac-
cepted Miss Nichols's invitation to see
her dressing room, and on the way we
met Jane Oaker, who plays the fasci-
rating widow and marries Thomas
Naclarnie in the last act.
We stopped to tell Miss Oaker what
- marvellous part was hers. Why, listen
TO sample of the lines which Winchell
Smith has put into her mouth. Judge
Townsend says "and when, Mrs. Davis,
did you begin to notice that your has
bands love for you was growing cold ?"
To which she answers "about year
before we were married" This
line never fails to receive its tribute
from the audience, for it is line which
they cannot anticipate.
After this We went out in the cor
ridor and met Ralph Morgan, who is a
regular Douglas Fairbanks, because
during the play ne makes a flying leap
from Nevada and lands in California;
and Jessie Pringle, who is a faithful
wife, nearly all the time, to old Light
min; and Bessie Bacon, whose daddy
is always saying Bessie, stand up
straight" to which she replies: "Well,
you don't yourself, daddy" and
Phyllis Rankin and Minnie Palmer and