The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-20
Seen Every
Week; Audience
Doesn't KnOw 1t
BY EMORY M'coRo.

Probably ever theatergoer in Mem
PMS mas seen Chalmers Cullins upon
the stage, and yet only one in a Jun
dred would Neoghize him upon the
street.
L isn't odd when you come to think
OF II, because although Cullins is a
Memphis man, most Of his life has been
spent behind the footlights of the old
Grand opera house and the Orpheum
~stage-doing what?
Well, he Is listed as property man."
put during the II years that Cullins
has been in the business, he has taken
part IN over 5000 vaudeville acts, play
ing everything from a flossy French
maid to q burlesque juggling come
dian. He did it all, too, with little or
no practice-simply filling In where he
was needed.
Nobody knew exactly how ii began,
but once in the early days when Gull
llns was a cardboy setting UP signs
that announced the acts, a crazy look
ing fellow arrived with a call for two
negro mothers and a couple of pick
anniny babies. The old fellows train
had been late and when he blew in it
was only a few minutes before his
act"
Here, shake a leg" he said to the
stage help, gimme a couple of kids
and two negro women"
Time was short-every minute count
ed. From an alley outside one negro
woman and two little kids were spirit
ed. No others could be located. In the
horrible confusion that resulted Cullins
emerged attired in full negro makeup.
He took the part and played it so wen
that the old fellow offered him a "regu-
lar job" and the end of the week.
Culllns refused, but somehow talk of
his latest development got out and
little by little he began to earn ~recogni-
ton from all the actors and actresses
that breezed into the city. He took up
fancy bicycle stunts and learned to do
all sorts Of dances. Then from con-
slant appearances he picked up tricks
all of his w and Don men and women
were begging him to sign up for sea-
son here and fhlre and everywhere.
As a result his salary skedaddled
skyward. He took to spending his sum
mers in old New York. There at the
Henderson theater, Coney Island, actors
who had heard of his talent sought
him ito fill out for a couple OF nights,
old SCOUT and afterWaTd there was
the offer, always. Still Cullins refused
to sign up and marrying a New York
girl he beat 1t back to Memphis.
Here little Emily Eleanor Cullins
came into the world and strangely
enough she inherited her daddy's the
alter instinct. Only 6 years OF age she
has had any number of offers to make
an astonishing number of shekels,
Prominent among the people who seek
her is Gus Edwards, Memphis favorite,
and Al Herman, black-face come
dian with whom the little girl has once
appeared at the Orpheum.
II don't know how it will all come
out Cullins said to me yesterday at
the theater, "still Emily probably will
make a good little actress some day
and If it satisfies her-well, it certainly
does me-"
The child's father is a youthful per-
sonage, only 2S years of age. He Is OF
a blond type, having straight yellowish
brown hair and blue-gray eyes. His
manners are cordial and absolutely
lacking in studiedness. quite plainly
he shows that life looks good to him
and happily he stares it back in the
face.
Nobody helped me along he ex-
planned, land / can't help but be glad
what | have done-I myself did without
any backing whatsoever. ! was a
lonesome little shaver and my pockets
in those days were not always filled. l
have known hunger and cold-hap-
piness and "unhappiness and well | ap-
preciate that, that Is mine.
mo, | don't expect to ever take a
permanent position on the stage-save
the one | have, property man but,
well, with Emily Eleanor it may be
different, No, my wife is just a home
girl and we're mighty happy, although
she has no stage interest save through
the kiddie and me-.
"The most interesting thing about
me- he continued, lis the things !
! have to borrow in my off-stage job.
Recently it was an English warming
a and the old one in Memphis is
owned by a Methodist minister. Did ]
get it? You bet did, and what's more
the old fellow came to the show-1o see
that the pan didn't get i'll treatKent-
maybe" he ehuckled