New-York tribune., 1922-06-04
Interesting Chat and Stage Gossip for Playgoers ~
.TheRealReasOn
WhySomeActors
Enter Pictures
But William Courtleigh
Braves First Nights and
Returns to First Love


Som, one ouEh, 10 suggest the forms.
ton of society for the prevention Of
cruelty 70 actors This sounds 0eetious,
but IL ia intended seriously. Az any
Of N, people Of IN. stag. What they
hate more than anything In The World
and they will tell you tha, the b6,s noir
81 their existence Is the first night Or
course, II RE IL u open A. all trs,
night is inevitable. but {, does seem
like unnecessary cruelty n hav. that
opening occur in New York. rhsr.
every actor or actress. except the Bar.
rymores. are frigh.sysd 70 death By
the critics out in front.
Where Nothing
Perfect II
After ire second nigh. o. The DRUMS
of Jeopardy" Ve vent bsek-stass n
talk TO William cour,lsigh, who plays
The war correspondent, ard secret sery-
zee man. X, Immediately told US that
10 the terror oi hrst night may b.
added the terror Of second night ard
third and a fourth when a play opens
in N.~ York "eold"
Som. Of the plays that ". hav. known
intimately have been almost rewritten
between tho time the curtain fell on the
first nigh, and the time ths, 3, ros. on
the second night. and sll of them have
been changed. This, then, is vha; hap.
pened 70 The Drums Of Jeopardy" and
that is Why when We joined Mr. Court
leigh in his dressing room he vas al
most a nervous wreck
"Whew,' he exclaimed ss he sat
down in the other chair and mopped
MS brow I'm glad tina; is over. The
play was changed 50 that Rad no
time % learn my new lines. ard ]
vent into the wings with the script in
ny hands studying IL TIL stepped
out on n. stage. and then there are
those awful Russian names 20 remem-
Der. Half 81 the time ! felt that !
must be reading the other fellows
psrt, and once or twice ! houndsred.
Did you notice anything"
"Not anything-mueh. Bu, isn't there
some way 20 rob this hrs, nigh, busa-
boo Of ia ,errors, There IL nothing
more CHASTITY than standing in the
middle Of the stage with nothing 70
say"
Trying II
On the Dog
"When A show plays couple Of
weeks out Of town IA gets whipped into
shape before the real opening. but this
way they may continue 70 change II
each day and we shall have 70 play It
differently each night Every one
concerned has brilliant ideas that are
sure 70 improve it,
Here the stage door man began 20
present people Who just few in FOR a
second 70 congratulate Mr. Courtleigh,
and each one who came 70 the door
offered suggestion for The better
mont Of the play or the strengthening
Of the plot. You see how It Isl! said
Mr. Courtleigh, and they al sound 50
plausible; you are the only one who
has no, offered some susgestions,' and
then we made the suggestion which IS
in the first paragraph.
Out in
The Open Spaces
Mr.. Courtleigh has been out on the
Coast for so long making pictures
that he had almost forgotten about the
,errors OF a frst night. His most re-
cent stage appearance previous TO The
Drums OF Jeopardy" was in Tiger
Rose" three years ago We we're about
70 ask him which be preferred. the
stage or screen. when, in the course Of
the conversation, he referred to the
spoken drama and tho unspeakable
drama" and We knew without asking.
"T like the people in California and
like the idea Of having permanent
residence. but do no, care for the
climate and do not like the work "
he explained. Which is not AZ all sur
prising. How any stage artist who
is used 70 the excitement OF the thea
ter and the thrill OF the applause can
enjoy doing snatehes and bits in front
Of a camera in a bare studio Is more
than We can understand.