The New York herald., 1921-10-23
NOTION PICTURES ON MANY SCREENS AND NOTES OF
Actor Bum ped
Into Stage Career
by Earthquake
Charles Ruggles of 'Demi-Vir-
GIN Took Up Acting After
San Francisco Disaster.


at the Times Square Theatre is perhaps
the only actor who can say that he was
bumped into a stage career by the San
Francisco earthquake. He was living in
the California city when It began falling
on his head.
"The first thing 1 thought Of" he says.
was to run into the bathroom and fill
UP the tub with water the second was
to grab my bank book and run down to
the bank to see II there was enough OF it
left to draw my money out. Turning on
the faucets in q bathtub may not sound
like much of way to save life. But 1t
was. With all the chimneys tumbling
down all around me unrestrainedly 7
figured the plumbing would go loco and
water would soon be more valuable than
booze is now. 1t was-they shot a man
for stealing some out there. We wero
able to drink heartily la bathtub, with
a cupful stolen now and then for wash
iig.
"My cousin was hurt a little In the
quake. and the front of our house just
slid off without any fuss. My father
said to me:
"Son. you'll have to shovel bricks
off the street.
I'D been taking q little light exercise
working In a wholesale drug house. !
said
"'Gee, dad, this Is no work for me.
I'm going to be an actor
Just the same, son., he said. you're
going to shovel bricks Off the street.
Joins Repertory Company.
$50 then l saw he was right I'd
never done any acting before, but made
a note that was going to be an actor.
Soon after l went to Long Beach, CAL
which is just about the size of Long
Beach here-and Joined a little roper
tory company there. telling them
had lost everything in the San Fran
cisco disaster except the power to act.
The old manager was a typical theatre
cal mogul. with a top hat, cane and
all the works. and he took me at my
own word without any tryout when
said l could act, mainly because.
suppose, I could recite all the names
of tho San Francisco theatres by heart.
Besides. 1t happened they were hard
UP for juvenile-they must have been
THE first week l played two parts
for three days each. one of them the
Squire In David Garrick,' and my
cousin. who'd been active in amateur
theatricals, coached me, so I didn't
start any riot. l continued there. play
ing two parts weekly; went to El Paso,
Tex. and played In stock there, and
thei went to Los Angeles and enjoyed
period Of bondage with the Oliver
Morosco stock company"
Mr.. Ruggles was in Los Angeles for
a number of years, appearing in three
movies for Morosco and watching the
film industry shoot up over his head.
II played in pictures actually only
six weeks, with Cyril Maude and George
Fawcett and later In support Of my
self" he says. though grew up
right in the thick of the business and
might have been in 1t up to my neck
My father and had a chance to buy
into the game at the start-my brother
Wesley Ruggles, Is a director now
and we would have-k we'd had the
money.
II know the movie people well, and
they're like lot Of nice children, who
shouldn't be allowed to play with gun.
They work hard In spells. and then they
have lot Of money and time on their
hands, so It's no wonder they run around
loose and think the height OF the sublime
Is to have an automobile with blue
wheels and yellow shutters that looks
like billboard poster"
Fond of Athletics.
Outdoor life in Los Angeles developed
In Ruggles liking for athletics, and the
last year he was runnerup in the ma.
tional championship at handball-a sport
which. he says, would get him down to
ninety-four pounds II he accepted all the
challenges he's received. Whenever he
feels a headache or cold coming on.
he says. he always goes to a gym. and
after a good workout for two or three
hours at handball he finds he's walloped
the cold or the headache out OF himself.
"a while ago ] was out to Los An.
geles." says Ruggles, with that elusive
ghost of a giggle jumping into his voice,
"and a noted film comedian said. We'll.
II here isn't Charlie Ruggles, the first
actor to own an automobile in Los An.
geles.' And he was right-if you could
call II an automobile. It was machine
called the Tourist and made on the
spot, and you cranked It up on the side
like q hand organ. But had a grand
time riding around In 1t, with my name
painted all over the side"
His training In stock. Ruggles believes,
made him adept In putting hokum into a
character artistically. and also at hurl-
ing himself into varied parts at mo-
ments notice.
"I jumped into the role Of Hamlet In
FL Paso once" he says. getting up In
the lines In three days and learning all
there was to know about IL. played
Romeo and got several laughs from the
audience out Of It. was called on the
Job for The Dem. Virgin on a Wednes-
day, when I was playing In Ladies'
Night at Baltimore. caught a night
train to reach the company and climbed
into NV r,reuppt mart on E,rfdQy nf0hf ~