New-York tribune., 1920-02-01

Francine Larrimore couldn't Join the
dramatic club Of her high school. not
so many years ago. Now she is CO.
starring with Charles Cherry in
Scandal" at the Thirty-ninth Street
Theater.
Laughingly, in her dressing room
at the theater. the cheerful young
actress explained her failure at high
school dramatics.
1.-The teacher in charge Of the club
was afraid 1 knew more than she did,
that's why she didn't let me in"
But the pretty niece of Jacob Adler.
the actor, is in bigger dramatic club
and is earning more than the admirng
applause of fellow students and parents
at commencement day plays. Her prog
ress from high school and college to
stardon on Broadway, although rapid,
Was not a spectacular, overnight ad-
vance, and was not without its diff
culties Of strenuous parental objection.
During the intermission between the
first and second acts of the play. Miss
Larrimore talked TO The Tribune re-
porter in her tiny dressing room.
when I was graduated from ele-
mentary school they chose me to recite
at commencement, and gave 'The Soul
of the Violin playing my own violin
obbligato. One of my teachers told me
after the recitation that ! would be an
actress SOME day. 1t was almost as II
she had said to me that would become
a British politician.
81 entered the high school depart
ment of Normal College. and IN the
fourth year. when I tried to get into
the dramatic club. the teacher in charge
refused to permit me TO join. My ad-
| was becoming restless but had no
thoughts Of the stage. Finishing my
high school course, ] registered III Nor
NAL College"
They we're just finishing arranging
the set for the second act, in which
the climactic bedroom scene occurs.
Miss Larrimore, who seems possessed
her chair, excused herself and ran out
upon the stage.
Every night" her maid explained,
"she has to spread the sheet on the
bed herself"
In few minutes she was back.
Il designed the setting for this act
myself and bought all the furniture
which is used. Everything on the
stage Is the real thing. There is not
this play ! take the part Of Beatrix
yanderdyke, supposed to be the rich
est girl in America. When her bed
room is shown on the stage it must
look like rich girls bedroom. Per-
haps the men in the audience would
not notice any lapses, but the women
are sure judges, and if anything were
cut Of place they would not fail to
see it. So just go out and look over
he setting myself each night"
Outside there was a cold, disagree
BILE drizzle. People were sliding along,
OF trying to walk. They seemed cheer
css and apprehensive
They're awfully hard to work for
to-night," vivacious Francine broke in.
Not all the laughs are getting across
tonight, but l don't blame them. It's
T. nasty, wet night; they're thinking
OF the flu. and their minds are not on
the play. An audience is like bunch
{ kids, reactin2 instantly TO sugges-
tons. They're great"
Until she saw Maude Adams In
What Every Woman Knows" from an
ghth row seat in the gallery Of the
lmpire Theater, Miss Larrimore mad
ave- been inside a theater. Her
family was home-loving one and, ex-
cept fox her uncle. none of them was
connected with the stage. During the
performance she realized that what
ne was groping for unconsciously was
he theater. Following the advice of
llaniel Frohman, friend of the family,
he sought a super's position and got
{; Job with the Princess Rajah, who
danced in vaudeville.
The young college girl did an
Oriental dance as part of the work, At
ending school during the day. She
"suped' with Robert Hilliard in "a
Fool There Was" and later went on the