The Washington herald., 1922-01-08
MINTYRE CROWNS
!. KINGSLEY KING OF
PRESSACENTCLAN
theatrical Stars Ow e
Much of Fame to His
Efforts.
By O. 8. MCINTYRE

! NEW YORK, Jan. 7.-Walter J.
'Kingsley is New York's supremest
specialist in Front Page stuff, He
is the dean Of the Broadway press
agents-a mighty noble clan. my
masters, culled from the cream OF
New York's newspaper stars.
Kingsley officially is general press
representative for the Keith yaude-
Vile interests, but his activities ex-
tend TO many and varied paths of
professional puffery.
1t was Kingsley who organized
the Overall Parade. which kept on
the metropolitan first pages for
many days. 1t was Kingsley who
took barefooted girls to dance in
the SHOWS Of Central Park. And
they danced until crimson stains
dotted the white blanket under
their feet.
| :. Kingsley has done many things
as exciting-and always with his
tongue in his cheek. He makes no
deliberate effort to fool newspaper
reporters, for he has been one him
self and knows 1t cannot be done.
But he fixes the setting, brings out
his actors, and. invites the journal
| lists 10 come and behold.
Press agentry of this sort is pc
culiar to New York. 1t does not
exist to the same degree in any
other city. A theatrical production
| In New York must be talked about.
or it dies. There are too many good
shows for a good show to stand
out of it's own accord. 1t needs a
bally-hoo. and press agenting in the
final analysis is polite bally-hooing.
Kingsley is one Of Broadway
best-known sponsors. He is Away 5
up front at the first nights, and
ne has sent many an obscure seeker
for stage honors to stellar fame.
He picks girls for any number of
musical shows. And IL they show
promise he adroitly sees to II that
they are mentioned in the news
papers, and before long people be-
gin to falkland, 10 and behold! a
new star is born.
The turning of a pretty phrase
is not Kingsley's chief object by a
borg shot. He keeps his eye on the
obscure. and at the first show of
promise he sends a personal note
which acts as the golden key that
unlocks any closed theatrical door.
Kingsley is a collector of old and
precious books, and has one of the
finest private libraries in New York
lie is himself a distinguished mem
Der of bellies lettres. having pro-
duced several volumes OF verse and
prose. His knowledge Of literature
is surpassed by few.
lie can talk OF Emerson, Haw-
thorne. Longfellow, Post. Whit
man. Daudet. de Maupassant. Paul
Boureet, lola. o. Henry, Shake
speare and a hundred or more 9TH
ers, as learnedly as IL he had made
the study Of each his life work. He
has read almost everything.
He also knows Broadway its
shame and it's goodness. for Broad
way is not all bad. despite the short
story writer's. He is tall, we'll built
and wears scholarly horn-rimmed
glasses. His offices are in the Pal
ace Theater Building, where he has
rendezvous for newspapermen
who have an hour or SO off between
assignments.
1t is more like a club than any
thing else. A good natured ban
tering crew-men whose work is for
the day and who let the tomorrows
take care of themselves. Kingsley
is their friend and adviser, although
he is himself only IS years of age.
Kingsley has Travelled much in
Europe. and for fifteen years has
made devoted study OF the thea
ter. He has done much to give a
better tone to vaudeville. and has
always opposed the brusque and
risque in the variety halls.
He has carved his own particu-
lar niche in the life of Broadway
and in the life of that famous
street stands out for his good fell
lowship, wisdom and sense OF hui
NOR.