The Washington herald., 1920-10-24
In the New York Theaters
By GILBERT sELDES.

! have Just became acquainted
with one Of the most energetic.
versatile and I might even say. COM
! manding actors on the American
stage. II Just shows how you can
live for years thinking you know
at least the names Of all the in
dispensahls people in any line of
work. and suddenly you ind that
the biggest hsh OF them all has been
hiding in the backwater. So 1t was
when I discovered Joe LEBLANC. who
is sort Of middleman and dictator
OF the prosperity OF shows in New
York and so 1t was with my new
discovery, George Spelvin.
I confess ! haven't met George
Speivin vet, but I have talked to
friend OF winchell Smith, the man
who wrote The Fortune Hunter"
and that is as near as anyone can
get. For Spelyin is winchel Smiths
Mrs. Harris. And yet am willing
10 bet that before this year is out
you will Ind George Spelvin set
down as the player Of a-minor role
in two or three plays OF the season.
More than that, Spelvin viii appear
in New York, Omaha and New
Crleacs the same week. Versatile
he Is and ubiquitous.
- II happened thus. winchell Smith.
: producing The Fortune Hunter"
was economizing to the extent Of
having one actor play two parts.
Rather than have the mans name
. appear twice, he set him down the
= second time as George Spelvin.
Smith made q fortune out OF the
: play and decided that Spelvin was
; his mascot Thereafter in every
. play ne could insert the name, he
y had Spelvin playing. It is even
rumored that he wrote his plays
: around Spelvin, wrote parts to suit
. Spelyin's peculiar abilities. And it
= is tact that whenever Spelvin ap-
= psared. the play was a success.
Stage folk being what they are, the
name took hold, and now an actor
who plays in two pieces in New
. York writes himself down as Spell
:. win n one OF them. understand
y that such a doubling is now going
= on between the most popular COM
sdy and a new musical show in
town The appearance OF Spelvin
always causes joy to the actor; men
z on tour hail his name. and send the
!. cast Of characters back to their
= friends in New York as souvenirs.
= He Is a great tradition and II he
would only stay put I would be
!. happy to interview him.
- George II. Cohan's new show had
its fnal appropriate twist a few
nights ago when, without announce
rment, George ". stepped into the
s. leading part himself and carried il
OF as we'll as he carried OF a
!. Prince There Was" Georges ex-
. Dianation Of the shift Is almost in
. c-edible. but he made It with a very
Passionate sincerity, and ! for one.
/. fclleve it. The part Gin "The
: Meanest Man in the world") re-
: qutTes that the actor shall seize
upon and hold the sympathy Of the
audience and at the same time that
-tre audience shall laugh at him al
/. most all the while. The actor who
4 was chosen and coached by Cohan
tWas simply too good. He played
rttc part SO straight and so appeal
Eit gly that. il was impossible 10
\ augh. There wasn't any question
= bat he would help the success OF
= he show; the sentimental appeal
a."ould have carried him through FIRE
ard water to success. But it wouldn't
lave been the character as intend
- 80, and in the last week Of rehear-
-ssals COhan realized that he would
-ihave to make a change. So he took
cit on himself
And the joke Of it is that the
aCLoT who was originally cast for
the part has had his sweet revenge.
The word is inaccurate because
there vas no hard feeling in the
.rIsiness) For his fine perform
-auce has had an effect on Cohan.
zEons the cooked elbow and the ho-
shum walk. George VI. Cohan is
playing q straight part, and is play
auE It straight The frst-nighters
were upset. They went to cheer,
and they remained to wonder.
New York occasionally gives il
-o4t that il pays for the country 5
amusement. That isn't quite true.
have had the good fortune to have
had presented 70 me some of the
figures concerning productions, and
90 discover wnere the money comes
rom Take the case of great spec
tacle like ''Aphrodite." Its actual
ost (nOt counting the cost of pay
1g salaries while il runs) is about
&l5o 900. Playing nearly three
months to Capacity in New York.
I manages to ! ? its salaries and
10 put away 4 little more than one
third Of the cost Of production. For
the 100000 that still remain. the