New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-07-06
BY Harriette Underhill


One Of the few really important
things we did while We were on our
vacation was to interview Lionel Bar
rymore; and if ever a Barrymore con-
sents to be interviewed-well, inter-
view him, for it doesn't happen more
tEan once in a lifetime.
We have been told on good authority
that the. Barrymores have written in
their contracts "and no interviews
end now we believe it.
As a rule, interviews are pleasant
things, and we always succeed n
making our victim forget the unpleas-
ant nature of the encounter and drink
his tea as though he liked it. Why'
william Farnum once heaved long
sigh of relief at the end Of a two-hour
session. and said: "Well. you should
be labelled the painless interviewer"
So. when some one said that We
should find Mr.. Barrymore very difficult
we smiled smugly and said, "Oh, no."
Put he was, oh, very difficult, for three
reasons. One is because you know he
isn't enjoying it in the least; another
Is because you know that he knows so
much more than you do, and the other
l. because he won't tell it.
An enterprising p. a. who had un-
doubtedly persuaded Mr.. Barrymore
against his better judgment assured us
that our interviewee would be anx-
iously awaiting US in the corridor OF
tire Aston at 3 o'clock for tea
II happened almost like that, only
our positions we're reversed, and 1t was
we who anxiously waited. But not for
long. for we hadn't been sitting ex-
pectantly on the edge of the couch for
more than two minutes when down the
corridor we spied Charlie Meighn, and
inst behind him walked Lionel Barry
more. Mr.. Barrymore was presented
70 his tormentor, and he bowed gravely
and Immediately detached himself,
spiritually, from all the rest Of us.
We all went into the Orange Room and
ordered tea and things, and Charlie
Neighn talked and we talked and Mr..
Barrymore listened as though he were
gathering I'D the gems Of wisdom which
fell from our lips.
And finally Mr.. Meighn said he just
had to 60, and we were left alone with
Mr.. Barrymore. He regarded us sadly
but not at all reproachfully, so that we
were moved to say: This is shame!
We know you don't want TO be inter
viewed. and we don't blame you.
Neither should we if we were star
like YOU"
Mr.. Barrymore shook his head. 1T
isn't that. I should like to be inter-
viewed, but / haven't anything to say.
No one who does things knows any
thing about them. And there isn't any
thing to know about acting. You just
can do it or you can't" This was fine.
We we're quite sure now that we should
like Mr. Barrymore, for his idea was
our own.
Wishing to say "Do you prefer the
silent to the spoken drama?" we still
did not dare, for we were afraid It
would sound as funny to Mr.. Barry
more as it has come to sound to US.
So instead, We said, you're going to
make a motion picture Of The Copper
head aren't you?"
"Yes."
"who is going to direct it,"
Charles Meighn."
And do you think you are going to
like making pictures?" we asked, there
by displaying our vast ignorance OF
cinema history. But it brought re-
salts. Mr. Barrymore could not ignore
this.
"Why / was one of the first actors
from the stage who made pictures. It
was away back in the Biograph days.
and every one looked at me askance'
II was considered distinctly not the
thing 20 do then" And he stopped
talking again.
But we we're determined to hear
more. 80 we said: Don't you think it is