The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-04
Notable Instances
of Players, Sue
cessful in Parts
Revea ling Their
Personal Charms,
WhoHaveT Turned
toGrotesqueRoles

crack more smiles and cry more laugh
ing tears than anything seen on the
other side Of the lights in a long
time.
Ella is the contamination of all
character" Miss Hills said, for she
inspires every emotion of character In
those who see and enjoy her. Her
greatest comedy comes through chan
nels Of what might be great sympa-
thy or tragedy, for is not the fate Of
Ella a sad one? One kiss in a life
time; one pinch-all the affection that
Ella knows; and identified with the
class OF spinsters who still contend
that white starched underwear is
quite the thing"
AS Ella our same Alice, who played
her own granddad at years, is doing
something in the way of character work
that is a rarity. She is using no false
tools of comedy, tricks of the stage
nor caricatured makeup to bring re-
suits. She is playing her character in
legitimate way. but with an ever
present knowledge of the true char
acteristics OF this kittenish spinster,
which she puts forth in a most An
ished and sincere manner.
When we see Alice az Ella It would
be nice to remember the beginning OF
her pranks there at her home in
Rochester. where a childish mimicry
suffered punishment only to enjoy in
later years the highest and most
rightfully won laurels of character
work yet attributed to any Coincidence
| Of our stage.
Thus ends a very seriously thought
out biography.
Winifred Harris has become the
white haired queen OF 1.-The Royal
Nagabond" after a fleeing few seasons
OF youth in "The Correspondent" Con
| sequences" and THE Blue Bird" She
came to America from England to ap-
pear as Light in the first company
that took the Maeterlinck play on
tour. In London she had always APP
peared in high comedy roles OF the
drawing room plays by Pinero, Jones
and Chambers.
why has America insisted on maxi
ing my hair white?" Miss Harris
laughed. when questioned by THE Sun
reporter. "In England I was always
| allowed to be so youthful. None az
the characters l played could possibly
have looked more than 25. even to my
worst enemy Or let us say 2S. OF
course l never looked less than g.
even when / was IS. No woman OF
my height could. Height is a fearful
| responsibility for an actress. She can
never appear cute nor coy nor CUquct-
fish. Always she must be either a
dignihed lady or a dashing adven-
| turess
"All this means maturity. age. years
oh, It Is cruel to be tail! Fancy being
Obliged to look rs when you're only
is; and worse than that, fancy looking
50-certainly look quite 50 in The
Royal Nagabond.'
Seriously. enjoy the Queens part
In the 'Vagabond. but ! shouldn't
like to feel doomed to white wigs In
every future role play. I'm resigned
to mother parts now; yes, even to be-
ing the mother OF grown children.
played my first mother part a few
years ago in Cheating Cheaters,' and
Cyril Keightley, who was my stage
son, used to boast that he was almost
old enough to be my father. some
times he took advantage Of this at
tainment of the stage.
"Of course my royal son at present,
Frederick Santley, can make no such
claim. He is only %. Still, he doesn't
stand In proper filial awe OF me. out
side the play. He says l couidn
possibly be his mother, which is true
Still. I will tell you a stage secret; ]
really am the mother of a l2-year o"
son. I'm prouder of this than of au'
thing in the world and | don't mind
having everyone know it. Also d li.r
TO say that In real life ! am not 81
all the sort of mother that I tr$ q"
be in The Royal Vagabond.'