New-York tribune., 1919-04-13
Bv Harriette Underhill

.rsst we came to 1t was west for'y-
.h.h-+he Vanderbilt Theatre, to be
.c, and this is how it happened.
c,s one inadvertently remarked IN
rsssnce that Cyril Keightley never
IL been interviewed and we immed'-
..slv resolved to be the first.
Mr. Keightiey has been one of our
t.vor:ses ever since we watched MN
~rove Watches" with Billie Burke.
no remember. that wasn't such a
law rood play but with Cyril Height
nlav we never care whether it
5 & good play or not.
On the stage he seems charming
,orson. the sort you want the heroine
- marry and the sort you don't mind
han he turns out to be thief
Rut his never having been interviewed
s.d sinister lookl He might be very
.;acnlt, He might even be like Rich
ard Bennett, who if he didn't exactly
COZ the dog on US, at least didn't call
rim off.
Bnt no, The ordeal is over! We
have interviewed Cyril Keightley and
We beg to report that he is quite as
charming off the stage as he is on.
We forgot to ask him why he never
had been interviewed, but we think we
NOV 1t is because he never has
time. AS for US, we interviewed him
On the instalment plan, but as our
busipess happens to be the thing we
like best in the world, Of course, we
didn't mind that.
"A Little Journey" started so long
ago that we can't remember what any
Of the critics said about it, so we
didn't feel guilty when we enjoyed it
so thoroughly. To us it meant spend
ing two hours in Pullman train with
Cyril Keightley, which is entertainment
enough for one afternoon.
But this was not ALL After the first
act we went back stage and met Mr..
Keiehtley, but we stayed only long
enough TO convince ourself that he was
going to make "a splendid subject
and to extract a promise from him TO
grant US real interview after the
performance was over.
As g matter of fact, we were afraid
Il we waited we should miss some of
the second act, but when the curtain
went up we found it wouldn't really
have mattered, because Jim West and
Julie were out in the diner. giving
all the other passengers a chance to
talk over their disgraceful filtration.
OF course, they were merely jealous
because they weren't out having din
ner with Jim West. SO were we.
At any rate, after the performance
was over and Julie had promised to
marry jim. just as we knew she would
the moment she stepped on the train,
We went back to get an interview. Mr.
Keightley seemed so uncomfortable
with his arm in a sling and all his
makeup on that we told him we should
wait while he put on his street
makeup.
And then, suddenly, we remembered
that we had tea engagement at Rec
tors, and Mr. Keightley said he would
Join Us over there as soon as he was
dressed
Well, he wasn't dressed very soon,
for ne had no more than seated himself
Tor cup OF tea than he had to leap
away to the Lambs to meet Montagu
Love, but he promised to be at the
theatre at 1880. And he wasl At last
we had an interview and we stayed so
long that surely the curtain did not
20 up $3.50 that night.
We always supposed that Mr.. Height
ley was an Englishman, but he isn't.
ne Is an Australian and never saw
England until he was grown up. And
ne has lived in Africa, and he speaks
me language Of all the different tribes!
No' all Of them fluently, of course,
out enough to prevent any of them
from eating him.
Ana ne has played in New Zealand,
ana IN his repertoire is one play in
."e native tongue. Fancy having to
'easn a whole language just to pro-
Uoee one play. Plenty of actors We
eouid name do not 20 to that trouble.
And how did you get to be an
actor we asked.
well, don't know, exactly. guess
Just wasn't good for anything else"
inen how did you get to be such a
good actor
! don't know that. don't even
AH'" that am good actor, though
"s people over here have been won
~s''uiiy Kind to me. Do you think ]
an good actor"
well" we answered, 1--WE should &c
y sec you in East Lynne and like
- mats how you stand with u.s."
East Lynne" said Mr.. Keightley
,'Agiy That was my first play
=. vas seventeen and"playing the lead
80 'enearsed il in the morning and
y'~s'a II at night. Nobody knew his
.'"ea' and TO make matters worse. ar
"'''' ma@ father came and stole Little
"'e, who had been loaned to US b,
'''her VINO had aspirations for he,
y. "ow' all Willie had to do was te
=. ~. - MS cot and say Mamma, mammal,
paiatiYciy So our b,s;,o.a