New-York tribune., 1919-09-21

9:45."
Eddie Leonard, prince of minstrels,
chief of blackface comedians, composer
OF negro songs and featured player of
"Roly Boly Eyes" John Cort's musical
beginning Thursday, September 25, has
an interesting background. Mr.. Leon
ards early years were spent in a Vir-
ginia rolling mill and on Virginia
baseball fields.
Pudding pig by day, and singing and
dacing in music halls by night was
Eddie Leonard's daily programme.
During the summer months the am
bilious youngster indulged in the great
American game, and he soon .cstab-.
lished his right to the reputation of
the "corner-lot star" At first the boy
made more money at the rolling mill
than he did from his dancing and ball
playing, but he soon graduated to the
ranks of the professionals on the dia-
mond under the management of John
J. McGraw, then directing the desti-
MES of the old Baltimore National
League team.
Eddie Leonard is not ashamed of the
fact that he fell down at the post in
his first tryout at professional ball
playing. Indeed, it is the good fort
shine on the diamond, for had his sue
cess there been phenomenal, it is
doubtful whether he would have been
selected by fate to develop blackface
minstrelsy into the fine art which he
has made it.
At all odds, the fact remains that
Eddie Leonard, ball player, famed out
the three times he was at bat. Each
time he came up to the bat. tho pitcher
gave him three fast balls.
"Who were you waving at?" the
satirical McGraw asked as Leonard re-
turned to the bench.
81 don't know" was the reply. II
didn't see anything"
That episode was the cue for the
final curtain in Eddie Leonard's base
ball career, but it did not mark the
end of the actors interest in the dia-
mond. and it is said that the blackface
comedian has more friends among pro-
fessional ball players than hasany
other actor.
1t is far cry from "King Dodo" or
"The Prince of Pilsen" to "See Saw"
but no further, as far cries 60, than
the carly days of this century, when
Mr.. Bryan's cross of gold was begin
ming to get brassy on the edges. Then
bloom and the more fantastic musical
creations were in vogue, back in the
days, you know, before every one OF
the six hundred original Florodora
girls settled down to a placid exist
ence in Flatbush or the Washington
Heights section; then it was, also,
when Henry W. Savage blazcd the way
with one Of these pieces after an
other; "The Sultan of Sulu," Peggy
from Paris "The Yankee Consul" J"
"The Sho- Gum" "The Gay Hussars, /"
"The Merry Widow" Little Boy Blue"
and others too numerous to mention
But the day of this type of musical
show is gone. And Mr.. Savage rings
the changes by producing "See Saw"
opening at the George NJ. Cohan Thea
the old fashioned operetta as little as
anything may.
Taking chances is his hobby--has
been, in fact, ever since his entry into
the theatrical business more than
twenty years ago. And it so happens
that, being of pure Yankee stock, he
seldom gets the worst Of a bargain.
even when he takes what seems a wild
chance. His debut as producer was
occasioned by bad bargain, or so it
seemed at the time. He was the coll
tractor on the Castle Square Opera
House, in Boston; the promoters over
reached themselves, and when the re-
cuiem was said on their enterprises
the colonel was lett with tho theatre
on his hanos. Everybody said he had
got the worst OF the bargain; he
smiled Che does thaat once in while),
assembled q good light opera company
end made decided success Of the pro-
dUctiOn. He then expanded to New
York. undertook the production Of
grand opera in English, and soon was
known throughout Europe as the
American impresario who could pick
grand opera stars.
it was Colonel Savage who first pro-
duced "Madame Butterfly" in this
country The production was in Eng
lish, and was made even before the
metropolitan Opera Company present
cd the opera here. puccini, the COM
loser, made special trip from Italy
at the time to view the venture and
was pleased, as we'll he might be when
The run of the piece was stopped only
after 500 performances had been given.
Following the presentation of But
tcrfy" and "Parsifal" Colonel Savage
turned to comedies and musical plays,
bringing out George AIDES successes
and presenting the works of Richard
Harding Davis and Rupert Hughes to
the public. From the foreign market
he brought "The Merry Widow" and
other opercttas, meanwhile developing
such stars as Raymond Hitchcock,
Flore Zabelle, Frank Moulan, Gertrude
Bryan and many others.