New-York tribune., 1919-11-30


hH Clearly he was star gazing.
~ We had meditated an attack
upon him, but his detached
iook held us in check. The fact was,
We we're annoyed with Our Dramatic
Editor. This was an unusual way tor
Nv one TO be, for ne is an amlaole
sort of a fellow with whom no one
ever gets annoyed. There was some
excuse this time, however.
We had been drafted into dramatic
service. Ordinarily. we toe the line
% one man only, the one man being
.be Citv Editor. But he had handed
us over part and parcel to the other
camp because our distinguished movie
Interviewer was i'll and the sunday
uaces had to be filled up somehow
They said TO US in seductive tones as
one might offer candy TO child;
Think what a nice time you Will
have going 10 the theater and inter-
viewing stars and finding out how 20
become rich and famous and all that
sort Of thing"
We were quiescent because handsome
actors and lovely actresses are a pleas
ant change after foreign diplomats,
Tammany Hall politicians and spirit
ualists. Il was all right going to see
"Casars Wife" and then trotting
round TO the dressing room 20 gaze at
he beautiful Dresden China Billi>
Burke. That suited US down 10 the
Ground. Nor did we mind hearing from
Jeane Macpherson how one made
fortune writing scenarios. But wnen
II came TO asking US TO forswear our
Thanksgiving dinner while We inter-
viewed the tallest comedienne In cap
tivitv-well. we decided the city staff
was the only place for Us. SO we made
a bee line for Our Dramatic Editor
and addressed him in belligerent tones
in spite of his detached air:
Don't you think this Is going too
far"
what is going too far"
With a visible effort he brought his
gaze down TO our submerged level.
Were bored with this job and
we're trying 70 tell you why. What
are you thinking about. Mr.. Dramatic
Editor? You're not listening az ALL
why, I've just found something in
a press notice that reminded me OF Old
times and my thoughts strayed back
twenty-five years or so TO the time
when press agents were unknown ana
theatrical reporters made merry at the
Ten O'clock Club"
"That sounds like pretty good
yarn. There can't be many Of the old
timers left. Why don't you get busy
and reminisce audibly, instead OF in
the air? III take it all down and turn
il into a Sunday story
This brought Our Dramatic Editor
down TO earth. And he started off IN
systematic fashion TO tell about the
good old days when theaters were few.
telephones were scarce and typewr.t-
ers were not. About the only tnine
they had in those days that they are
not supposed 20 have now was some
thing TO drink. Indeed. the Ten o'olocK K
Club started with something 20 drink.
We used TO meet il me old stand
ard Theater. al 1hirty-tnird street anu
Sixth Avenue. Trainers saloon was
next door and Harry Mann, VINO was
then manager Of the Standard, used -
take US in for a drink at 10 o'clock. tie
was great gossip and we were al
good fellows" began Our Dramatic
Editor. 1T was our custom always TO
get together az 10 o'clock and exchange
notes. Frequently we left play IN
the middle ,Of an act and nnonec li
the stuff 20 our Offices. l. was always
a rrea, worry getting telephone. ior
thev were few and FAR between. We
divided our work into three sections
downtown. middle town and uptown
theaters. Each man had one n!snt q
week on downtown theaters; one night
on middle town theaters and one nisni
on uptown theaters The other three
nights we covered different shows, and
on Sunday night We lad OF. so tnat
Il ANYTHING exciting happened that
night i, didn't get into print until
Tuesday In those days the theatrical
region extended only from Thirteenth
to Forty-second Street. There was
nothing above that except the Har. lem
Opera House and the Columbus
Theater. neither Of which we covers >
Tell US about the Ten o'clock Club
its personnel. and so on we sug
T gested.
Il, was composed Of theatrical re