New-York tribune., 1920-06-06
After Forty Years of
Friendship These Two
Scrap in sSShavings'

ror lorty years James Bradbury and
Charles Dow Clark have been friends.
For twenty-five years they have been
fraternity brothers and graduates of
the same college, Tufts. For twenty
years both have been actors, and for
exactly that length of time the
strongest desire of each has been to
appear in a play with the other.
Always, when manager sent for one
of these indubitable pals, it was an
unwritten law that he should read the
play manuscript with a view to finding
also role for his partner.
But fate's a perverse old cuss," de-
olares Charles Dow Clark. "Most plays
hat had part for Jim had nothing
Tor me, or vice versa. When manu-
script did disclose parts that looked
possible for both, one of US would be
under contract in something else, or
beyond recall on a road tour"
Then the impossible happened, last
November, when Colonel Henry W. Say.
age set out to produce Joseph C. Lin
coins Cape Cod comedy, "Shavings." j"
Bradbury was engaged to play Capn
Sam Hunniwell, banker and father of
the village belle, while Clark was
signed for Phineas Babbitt, merchant
and father of the village beau. Sam
and Phin are bitter enemies all through
"Shavings," and in these roles the
bosom friends, Bradbury and Clark,
have scored the greatest successes of
their long careers.
The exact details of how the joint
engagement came about will probably
never be settled. That is, there is a
friendly disagreement between the pair
most concerned, and the third inter
ested party, Colonel Savage, cautiously
refuses to take sides.
ut was this way" according to
Clark. '"The Colonel sent for me-
"After he sent for mel declares
Bradbury" He gave me the script to
read, and when ] saw the dialogue be-
tween Sam and Phin, | began to
chuckle. 'Ha, ha,' said l to the Col
onel, isn't that myself and Charlie
Clark to the life? We've been fighting
friends for forty years and still going
strong. Charles not bad actor
give him a chance
"'Why, you sweled-up bullfrog!
protests Clark, lapsing into the lines
Of his part to register denial.
"You sawed-off shrimp!" SCOTS Brad
bury, which is Sans favorite rejoinder
to Phin on the stage.
Then both chuckle and the argument
weakens.
"Jm and I are happier'n couple of
kids in this play" says Clark.
stage
"Humph," murmurs Bradbury, "some
folks / know do powerful lot Of
fighting round off the stage. too"
"He's mad with me because a sales
girl just took him for my father" ex-
plains Clark. "Jim's awful sensitive
about his looks
"She took you for my father, YOU
mean." protests Bradbury. "Tryinc
to boss me into buying a pink shirt
with yellow stripes!"
"lf you want to say why like my
part Clark informs the interviewer,
its because Pbin's character is so
unlike my own"
"Wha-a-at!" sputtcrs Bradbury.
"You can say the same for JIM" con-
tinues Clark. "He likes to play n
nice, good -natured old fellow because
in real life"---
"He's such nice, good -naturcd old
!! mean young felow!" triumphs Brad
bury. Yes, you can say that Charlie
and are just like our parts"
"lll get even with you for this!''
threatens Clark, once more resorting to
his lines in "Shavings."
"That's more than / ever hope to do
with YOU" sighs Bradbury.
Whereupon the friendly enemies of
"Shavings" grin as they do on the
stage when their backs are turned to
the audience.