Evening star., 1921-09-04

became an actor OF sterling worth
and who, ~ actor and manager. is
known by . host Of people Of the
stage and other hosts Of people who
60 to the theater. The Rambler
would give you more than a few
paragraphs, but that is about all the
matter he has at hand relating to
the subject.
Nearly everybody in Washington
seen Jim in one role or another. for
he and his wife were under the Froh-
man management for eighteen years
and Travelled with Ethel Barrymore Tor
ton audiences who saw Jim on the
stage as q villain or q hero. or looked
at him dressed in pink tights or high
top boots. wrapped In a pirates cloak.
or as a lover full Of sentimental
brass buttons and a clanking sword.
os as a lover full of sentimental
signs. gallant batteries and speeches
that the actor was Jim Kearney. for.
merly of Washington and long OF
Washington.
Then, Washington audiences have seen
another name on the program with
She may have been dressed as queen,
a duchess or a princess. or she may
have been dressed as a high society
dame, an adventures. a maid OF nonor
or a maid Of all work. an enchantress.
witch, a simple lassie or a regular
vamp Only few of the auditors or
spectators-and they old-timers-would
say: well. we'll, I do believe II that
heart. went to school with her at the
Franklin, the Webster, the Wallach or
the Jefferson You know nearly all
VI. uv,A iN1o
Of those schools at one time or another.
Perhaps some Of the people In the audi
ence would say, why I used to play IN
amateur theatricals with Anita! Pom
my soul she does not look day older
than she did twenty-five years ago!
their face and hands and neck In water
piped from the Fountain Of Youth"
A NITA RoTHE and Mrs. James
"A Kearney are the same. Jim and
Anita have seldom been separated on
the stage and never on the stage. They
met in Bob Dobbins' play Of Teddy
oshawn." What that was is not essen
tial to the proper telling Of this story
and neither IN the Rambler going to tell
you whether Jim and Anita have few
can guess as hard as you like. but !
will say nothing on this subject that
will satisfy your idle curiosity.
Yes. they met while each had q
part in Bob Dobbins' play OF Teddy
o'shawn." Dave Towers WA. also in
was a Carroll Instituter-that 10, he
was a member of the Carroll Insti-
tute Dramatic Club. Bob and Annie
Devantier were in the cast. Surely
In
know she married Jim Murphy. Tim
Murphy's brother. whose stage name
is James Manley.- do not know why
Jim changed his name from Murphy
to Manley. but the next time meet
him I'll ask him and let you know
time ago Mrs. Anita Rothe-James
Kearney or it may have been Jim
himself, told me some of the things
that had happened to the family since
they went on the stage. Jim and !
each had foot on brass ran tina!
was about twelve inches above the
floor We had our elbows on broad
piece of mahogany, which a man in q
white apron frequently mopped and
wiped with towel There was
great mirror on the other side Of the
mahogany counter and large col1ee-
ton Of bottles was arranged in an
artistic way on the shelf on which
the mirror rested. There were pic
those pictures quite Interesting. But
Of course, pictures OF that kind are
out Of date now. One doesn't have to
60 to the trouble Of looking at pic.
lures I do not remember all tina!
was said. but I can distinctly .ssna reeaa
another" and think I replied to
him several times in fitting language
and that said (though you may not
me-"
The scene of this meeting was a
famous place on Broadway, and this
perhaps is also shocking to you. Tor
in all the years that the Rambler mas
been writing for you. and at you, you
never found him that far away from
Goose creek. Dificult run. Malta
woman and Neabsco or the Leesburg
pike and the road to Rockville.
= X 4
r REMEMBER that Jim and I got
L tired Of standing on one foot at
that long counter and that we went
over and sat down at a table. Of
which there were a number. in this
strange place. Jim told mo that it
vas years ago that he and Anita left
Washington and vent to New York
with the determination to stick to-
eether." Their first New York en-
gament was in "C1audius Nero" at
old Niblo's Garden. Ny! what an
cient history that Is! It seems almost
as long ago as when John Robfnson's
circus used to pitch its tent on the
other side OF the old canal. where the
Pennsylvania railroad station stood
at 9Th and B streets: almost as long
ago as Kate Fisher rode the white
horse in "Mazeppa": almost as long
ago as beautiful Pauline Markham
was the Stalacta Of the BLACK
Crook; almost as long ago as they
used to have soirees At Carusi's as
sembly rooms and grand balls in the
dining room Of the Union Hotel at
GEORGETOWN! But, old tempus fugits!
In that "Claudius Nero" production
were several Washington folk beside
Jim and Anita. Wilton Lackaye was
in 1t, as was his brother Jim. Tom
Donnelly was also there. It was quite
a home party. I'll say 1t was!
After that Jim and Anita went on the
road with Mrs. John Drew. Sidney
Drew was manager and played the
principal comedy roles. In the company
were Mrs. Mckee Rankin. Gladys
Rankin. who WAS Sidney's wife; Phyllis
Rankin, who 10 now Mrs. Harry Daven-
port; Charlie HAnford, Charles Erin
vernon, Werner Charges, Lionel Barry
49, .s-lA a. ->< no,rx, D1s<< n~ xh>