Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-04-24
THE PLAYGOER'S
WEEKLY TALK
u. MACK, who plays the

Shakespcnrean actor at the castle
Sauare Theatre in Boston. For long
time he appeared in the support OF
Mary Hampton. playing ShakeSpearean
roles. Shakespeare after a while lost
popularity in Boston. at least in stock,
and so Mr.. Mack went in for the more
frivolous form of stage entertainment.
He played light comedy roles in vari.
Gus Charles Frohman productions and
then went with Raymond Hitchcock.
appearing in "Thc Red Widow and
''The Beauty Shop" and later 0ppenred
with Joe Cawthorn and Julia Sanderson
in "Sybil." in which he scored dis
tinct hit. and The Rambler Rose.
az like musical comedy Mr.. Mack
confidpd to the Playgoer. ''Gou have
your chance to make people laugh and
leave the theatre in a happy frame of
mind. can imagine people leaving
some musical plays in far from a happy
frame of mind. but it has been my good
fortune to be- identified with successful
plays, The part that am now playing,
the revolutonist who follows the for
tunes of every new dictator. is not
long part. but offers exceptional oppor
tunities.
One OF the charms Of THE. Girl From
Home" is that il is not a one part
niece. Every member Of tho exception
ally fine cast has his or her opportunity.
LNRANK Cru NIT, the beaming Young
comedian. who possesses the quaint
tenor voice. admits that he is inclined
toward obesity and may face plain fat
in middle age but he doesn't care
cause he's happy. like Mr.. Mack. in
making others happy enough to laugh.
For the last five years Crumit has
been in vaudeville. known as the One
Man Glec Club, armed with ukukele
and guitar. Then he determined to try
for musical comedy.
"Not that think I can act my part
the only venture I made into musical
comedy till now taught me | coudn' t
act--but | wanted to try again. he
confessed after Wednesdays matinee.
Last summer. when Mr.. Crumit was
engaged for Betty BE Good he was
some thirty pounds heavier. but golf,
tennis and swimming he insists. are
enemies of obesity.
"Why is it," he asked. that very
fat people or very thin people are al
ways laughed at? I've never been really
fat, but life is such pleasant thing
don't see any sense in worrying-it's so
much easier to smile. 7 get more fun
out of playing this part than | ever did
me from start to finish.
And that's what pay YOU for. en-
joying yourself. n voice at his elbow
interrupted-the manager.
"Wel, have to live. Frank
grinned. Il just love to hear the audi
ence laugh. | hope. though. it's with
me and not at me. If can make them
happy for II little while that's doing
something for the good of humanity.
and it makes me happy if they re happy.
so we're all happy together-even il
one does get paid for it.
DOUGLAS LEAvITT. the comedian
II Of Take It From Me-" is in the
Crumit avoirdupois class and is probably
indebted to the fact that he is corpueut
for his engagement in this merry musi-
cal comedy. But, then, my avoirdupuS
has helped me to make many Il dollar as
an entertainer. he declared
According to Mr.. Leavitt the fat
man never asks for sympathy. and the
most beautiful thing in nature-the one
he glories in-is in being fat. The
fatter he gets the happier he grows.
With every increase in diameter there
romes an excess of ease. OF geniality. Of
contentment.
Dieting with the authenticaliy
Mr.. Leavitt AYERS. He can sleep
soundly, snore. is excused by public
opinion from all sartorial display and is
normally just happy man taking his
ease. The old wheezp. Nobody loves
fat man, has no terrOrs for him, be-
cause he feels certain he can go through
life embarrassed Embossed and unjcal-
Gus, and in growing fatter day after day
he gains happiness with every additional
ounce.
pOOTH HARRINGTON. author of
- many plays and books. entered the
realm of fiction at very tender age.
IL has been said of him that he began
debating stories TO long suffering Sis
ter before be could write himself. Two
enthusiaSmS seized him at about the
same time. one for Jesse James. the
outlaw, and the other for G.. r. Il.
James, the novelist. Perhaps the two
were blended into one in the boys mind
At any rate. there were desperate robbCr
plays in the Harrington barn. and the
first pages Of many tales of blood were
written. They always began. 1t was
dusk and four hOrsemen were seen riding
over the hill
Aftsr graduating at Princeton. Tark-
ington returned to indianapolis 10 en-
writer ''fuSSin with literachoor." as
he termed it. In a recent article he
says: Writing is a trade. and. like
any other trade, must be learned. We
must serve our apprenticeship but we
must work il out alone. We must learn
by failure and repeated efforts how the
thing should be done.
Harrington kept on writing and re-
writing his stories. which were rejected
every time for eight years. The strug-
Cling young author confessed that the
gross return for his first five years Of
work was exactly SOD.
Harrington is loyal HoOsier. and
he said recently that he had no real sue
cess At writing books until he struck
Indiana subjects. When he wrote "Thc
Gentleman From Indiana" he "ar-
rived. His success as playwright
was later development. One of his
earliest comedies. "Thc Man From
Home. was 50 outstanding success
that it served William Hodge rs a
theatrical vchiclc for three seasons
'Clarcu"o is the big seasonal success
on Broadway now
'POidrkln in which George ArliSs
Is appearing at tho Broad. has the rlo-
ments Of stage. if NOT artistic. sue
cess. This Is partly due to its head
line topic, BolShcvist batting. and
partly 70 the authentic American com
edy of tho latter half of the play. II
Mr.. Harrington knew as much about
bolshCviSm n hC does about American
ism he would have written a corrective
and constructive drama instead of lust
another little piece for III" theatre.
Like all propagandistic inrurSions into
art or literature. "Poldekin" incorpor-