New-York tribune., 1920-07-18
Some Road Actors Who
Are Little known to
Broadway Theatergoers
tcsntinuod from pas. enc,

| IdT, Lou AeiiekeHt Pi"y " AaIkcE &uul-
ences outside this city.
| For years Chauncey Olcott has been
we'll received as singer Of ballads and
as an actor in Irish plays Of color and
romance. But where, during the the
atrical season, does he spend most Of
his time? The answer is--on the road.
And Fiske O'Hara, who, it is expected,
will take the place of the older Chaun-
cey Olcott, is also on the road.
When William Harris jr. was seek
ing an actor to play Lincoln he had
problem which was difficult to solve.
He had, of course, to obtain an actor
of ability, but he was also confronted
with the task of uncovering man who
would fit the physical requirements of
the role. Americans know Lincoln. The
veriest school child can sort out his
photograph from a group of prominent
| figures in American history. So unless
the illusion created on the. stage sat
| sfied the audiences conception of
the Civil War President to nicety,
the performance would be an uncon-
vincing one and the appeal of the play
would of necessity be weak
Vaguely he heard the name of Frank
McGlynn mentioned as possibility
for the part. And it was with difficulty
that Frank McGlynn was found. AL
though he had been acting for twenty
| five years, he had not been seen in
New York for nearly fifteen years. In
fact one theatrical agent reported that
the man the producer was seeking had
died. But persstcntly Mr.. Harris and
Lester Lonergan sought land they
found Frank McGlynn. They brought
him to New York, where, after having
played hundreds of parts in road COM
panies and in stock, he was finally
given the recognition which his years
Of acting had failed to win him. Thus
Broadway welcomed as "ind" no
untried youth, but man of ability
and wide experience who for years had
convinced theater audiences outside of
New York that he knew how to act.
And Harry Bercsford! 1t took him
thirty years to get to Broadway, and
then one night he arrived" SO happy
that he admitted that one night on
Broadway was worth the thirty years
of effort to get there. Not year ago
New York saw Beresford as Peep
O'Day in Irwin Cobb's Boys Will BE
Boys" rubbed its eyes, and then awak-
ened to the fact that he was one Of
the best portrayers of kindly, whimsi-
Cal olu men on inc Stage lO-Oay. Out
in the "stcks" in the West they had
known and loved him for years. Many
! a town still treasures the memories of
his performances in "The Professors
Love Story" "a Poor Relation" and
other similar plays.
After Peep O'Day came the oppor-
tunity to create the title role in
"Shavings," the dramatic adaptation of
Joseph c. Lincoln's novel.
1t was only after "Lightnin'" had
played a year on Broadway that Frank
Bacon's name pricked out by electric
light bulbs was seen in front of the
Gaiety Theater and he was recognized
as star. He too, had been a road
actor for many years, playing "wher-
ever the train stopped" always cher
ishing the ambition to come to the the
atrical center of the United States. Af-
ter his more than thirty years on the
stage his first real recognition came in
'Lightnin'." which yesterday reached
its eight hundredth consecutive per-
| formance on Broadway Frank Bacon
has circuitously arrived!
I. Daniel Frawley is an important
theatrical name in far-otf places, in
Melbourne, Singapore and Honolulu;
/ in Bombay. Johannesburg and Manila
How many of the present generation of
theatergoers III New York recall his
work as an actor and stage director?
Frawley gathers around him a company
OF players, willing to brave the ocean,
, the buffeting OF storms, the hazards of
strange climates. and sets out to play
modern American successes on the
other side of the world. His coming is
looked for in Honolulu, Toxic, Yoko-
hama, Manila, the larger Australian
cities, Singapore, Colombo, Bombay,
and in the important cities of South
Africa. Here is a real road actor.
Touring the South successfully in
Shakespearean repertory is Charles B.
Hanford who played Nobody in Henry
w. Savage's production Of every
woman" Florence Roberts scores
heavily in the West is serious dra-
matte roles The Spooncr sisters, Edna
May and Cecil, were popular favorites
on the road in thrilling, melodramatic
productions. There were few vacancies
in theaters where Sol Smith Russell
was to appear in "EAppN Valley"
Likewise Richard Jose, whose tenor
voice made "Silver Threads Among
the Gold" popular song revival, was
a great favorte.
schooled in romantic and Shakes,
pearean roles, toured the country sue
cessfully at the head of his own COM
pany. Then in 1907, he became a lee
turer on dramatic subjects. May
Robson and Norman Hackctt have also
been road favorites.
Who has not heard of, or has not
seen at least one of the following:
"The Old Homestead" "In Old Ken
tucky," east Lynne" "Way Down
East" "Uncle Toms Cabin" and "Ben-
Hur"? Popular on Broadway in their
day, for years they have been played
regularly all over the country and
"Thc Old Homestead" and Ben Hur"
at least seem destined to go on for
many more years to come.
Popular though he may be in every
village and hamlet of The United
States, if an actor has not reached the
heights on Broadway he feels that he
has not realized his ambition and
goes on and on hoping that some day
the chance will come. And when it
does come, he forgets all the hard
ships. all of the struggles. glorying in
the thought that he at last has reached
the goal of his art.