New-York tribune., 1921-06-19
Interesting Chat and Stage Gossip for Playgoers
Louis Mann
I'm the Days of
Julie Bon Bon
Brings Tears TO the Eyes
as He Rehearses Scenes
From Good Old Plays;
Co-Starring With His Wife
By F-Iarriette Underhill

Co-Starring With His Wife
BY Harriette Underhill
How do you like the show?" Louis
Mann asked us as we called on him at
the close of the opening of "The Whirl
of New York" at the Winter Ga2den.
Cant tell until I see what the
critics say" we answered, trying to be
funny. But Mr.. Mann soon showed us
that it is not the province of the
newspaper woman to be funny. 1t be-
longs to the comedian. "Why don't you
think for yourselff" he asked "You
know whether you liked the show,
don't you?" Now, as matter Of fact,
we didn't know because we sat behind
the tallest man in the theater (as
usuaD. When we hung out in the
aisle we could see something, but when
we got dizzy and sat back we couldnt)
and we couldn't hear all of it either.
Ann Wheaton, who sat next to us
and who. played at the Garden all one
season, told US that if you wanted the
people in front of the house to hear
you it was necessary to walk down
stage and shoot it at 'em from the
gangplank which runs through the
center of the theater.
MIR. Mann Refuses
To Humor Acoustics
We confded some of this to Mr..
Mann, to which he replied "Weil, I'll
not stand down on the platform and
shout my lines. I have to scream the
rart as it is and 1t would be much
more effective if / could play it qui-
city"
"But you can't,'' we answered con-
solingly Nobody in this show does
anythins quietly" and as if to prove
the TRUTH of our statement great COM
motion arose in the hall. 1t was the
show girls shouting "Hurrah for Doro-
thy Ward!" Everybody in the COM
pany loves Miss Ward, the stunning
red-headed English beauty who was
imported by Lee shubert to play
Phoebe in equality Street" and who is
seen as Cora Angelique in the Winter
Garden show.
"And how DO you like playing this
sort of thing again?" we asked Of Mr.
Mann when the impromptu testimonial
in the adjacent dressing rooms made
speech possible.
Wants q Room for
Cast-Of Costumes
"Well, can't tell till l see what the
critics say, either. If people like me
I'm going 30 like the part. / certainly
have looked forward to playing it. 1t
took me back to old times when l was
selecting my costume for the Polite
Lunatic. couldn't decide what tc
wear, so Clara Lipman-l means Mrs,
Mann, for I always think of her as
Clara Lipman when l reminisce-sug-
gested that we get out the trunks and
look over the old costumes which used
to wear when 'ahe and / were co-star-
ring. You a{busd have seen me. 1t
would have reminded you of one of
Briggs's cartoons MFR. and Mrs Do
you know, those costumes, when un-
packed, Uttered up the whole house,
and when / get my new country home
finished I'm going to have room built
in Just to hold my cast-otf costumes. I
shall have it lined with mirrors and
have shelves for my wigs, and then /
can go IN there and amuse myself when
l have vacation"
And then people try to tell US that
the stage, when one gets used to it.
holds no greater lure than any other
business 1t isn't true. We who have
played two summers Of stock and four
winters of one-night stands know it
isn't trae. Never do we cross the stage
behind the back drop on our way to in
terview musical comedy star but we
long to seize spear and dash out to
the footlights crying Here comes the
king!" and bell buzzing off stage al
ways fills US with mad desire to enter
upper LETT and say Lord Salisbury is
calling" Oh, there is no doubt about it;
that is the life.
Couldn't Get Away
From the Cid Plays
"Weli, instead of picking out my cos
tune for the new show, spent a whole
day trying on costumes from the old
ones. Look / would say to Miss lip
man. Here I am as / was in "Julie
Bon Bon." And then I'd rush away
and come back in my Girl From Paris
costume. Don't you think you'd better
get busy on your new costume?' Miss
Lipman would suggest every hour or
80, but it wasn't any use. Do you know,
couldn't put those away till I'd tried
on every one. The Girl From Paris
was my favorite. You don't remember
that, do your
"Now. Mr.. Manu. we answered, "you
needn't be polite, because we have pub
'lciy acknowledged that we remember
the original production of 'Erminie.'
We also remember you in The Girl in
the Barracks and then was 'Incog' and