Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-30
SID SMITH ROSE
FROM ':STUNT' MAN
TO HIS STARDOM

6" I'M high enough, and you'll get
"A there" has always been the
slogan of Sid Smith.
And that his advice is good, Mr.
Smith himself is proving-for today he
i; just about as high as he can possI-
bly, get-in fact. he's perched way on
the top of California's skyscrapers, and
swinging dangerously from her highest
hills-doing breath taking, neck break
, ing stunts for the Hallroom Boys come
dies.
! Sid Smith has been doing Stunts"
ever since he can remember. Back when
! he was tiny lad. and other young
stcrs his age were Juggling baseball bats
around and learning to navigate on their
| first roller skates. his delight was to
up in the back yard of his home. and
learning to balance on the narrow ledge
of the fence that surrounded it-and to
! land without hurting himself when the
balancing didn't work.
| Then, when he was twelve years old,
be saw his first circus, and no sooner
had he seen the first trapeze performer
swing jauntily out into the air than
all doubts were settled as to what he
was going to be when he grew up
with this difference, that he wasn't
He didn't. Before that circus troupe
left his home town Sid was part Of it.
Not very important part, true; for he
was taken on as a sort Of sixth assist
ant general handy man. But at least
he was given his chance, and he made
the most of it.
For often. when the troupe was MAX
ing stop of several days duration,
and it was not necessary to pull down
the big tent at the end of the nights
performance no one saw small boy
painstaking hours while he practiced
the most amazing stunts.
But they did see him late one after
noon, when he thought the troupe was
at suppcr-and soon the entire COM
pany had gathered silently round 10
watch Sid rise and dip. swing and drop,
above their heads-and when he cam.
down it was as full hedged trapezc
performer, with contract, and his
name on the program.
THE lure of the circus held him for
L a number of years; then came the
call Of vaudeville-and there Sid Smith
was what is known as the seat slam =
mer the opening act on the bill. But
not for long. for he was practcing and
NDThluR W lhCI'urt hlo shill,
and soon She held an important place
on the program of the "big time" cirs
cults.
Those were the days when the eyes
Of the theatre world went movieward.
Sids eyes went. too. and Sid himself
followed their lead-to California, mecca
of the screen world.
But others had come before him-thc
field was overcrowded. Nothing daunted
Sid found n way--he became what Is
known as "doublc'; meaning THAI
when some well-known star was called
upon in the story to jump off a roof
or fall over cliff. and was not suffi
cently courageous or practiced to take
the chance-Sid, made up as nearly as
possible to look like him, took the
chance for him.
There was no recognition in il for
Sid-nothing but haru work. and plenty
Of that-but he knew that work was the
way to get him to the top, and ht
stuck 1t out, always practicing, always
seeking to improve his skill, to be ready
for the big chance when it should come
And one day. very Unexpectedly, Il
came. A certain producer had in thu
making a picture calling for hazard
Gus leap from bridge. His stunt
man had been hurt the day previous
and the picture could not be held up
Several well known aCrobats had de-
clared themselves unwilling to make thu
leap-and then, some one recommended
Sid Smith. 1t was the sort of thinl
Sid had been doing for some time-bu'
he made this one as Sid Smith, not as
"double e"-and that was the beginning.
Feature producers. and especial!
comedy producers, saw the possibilitie
in this slim chap with the iron nerv'
and the will to work increasingly, ant
offers were made to him, carrying will
them salaries Of which he had dreamed.