Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1922-08-26

boosted now BY our stage furtunutus.
Tie actors boarding house, with its
hall bedrOOms-there used to be- rows
Of them In the side streets between
Twenty third aud Thirty-fourth--wu
his retreat for sleeping. II he had cash
or credit. and how he could stretch
that credit II he iiud neither. only he
himself knew when and where he
slept. There was no Equity then to
make sure that no legitimate actor
should go hungry, nor was the actors
fund sufficiently strong to assure him
OF "a place to lay his head. But there
were free lunches and beer!
DisiIked the Box Office.
Between his saunterings and chats
along Broadway and his visits TO the
cafes he followed the trails leading to
the offices Of the managers and book.
ing agents, always hopeful. impervious
10 rcbuffs. indifference and waits.
They gave him ample opportunity for
the recounting Of his histrionic abili-
tles-words which sounded sweet In
his own ears. even though they bored
the producer. and afforded him later
when he met his cronies full chance
10 pour the Walls Of his wrath on the
business end OF the theater. For the
box Office he had naught but contempt.
Ia distaste fed on many a tour by its
disappearance, with all II contained.
including the manager.
''The hams were divided into sew
era classes, those who aspired TO and
the real troupers-musical show
hams burlesQue hams and vaude-
vile hams But he whom We asso.
ciate with silk hat. frock coat, long
hair and CATERS was Of the FIRST
numed type and the one whose pOr
trait first comes TO mind when we
think OF the ham actor. And despite
those ludicruus attitudes and poslngs,
his conceit and efforts to attract al
tention to himself on any and all oc.
casions, this kind of actor had a pride
In his calling never surpassed and not
so frequently cqualed in our own day
with all his magnliicence OF man
ner, he was not above distributing
show bills in small town saloons and
barber shops. He cherished his char
acter wigs as II mother cherlshes her
children. And he knew Shakespeare
Shakespeare was his God. Blank vsv'c
was meat and drink To him. How
many of our present generation OF
actors know by heart one Of Shake
speare's tragedies or comedies! our
ham actor. with his $50 "a week
salary, knew them all. He rarely eX
perienced the comforts Of long engage
mcnts in the big cities and few
weeks on broadway was Il glimpse of
Heaven. lie spent the greater part
Of his time on trains, but he gave the
bcsl there was in him to the audience
OF the sticks and the onenight stands
and his iago or Cassius was just as
faithful to his conception Of the part
on Mississippi river steamboat as
il was in Union Square.
His Good Qualities.
1T is the fashion of our wise youth
Of today. in art. letters and the stage.
10 dccry the works of their predeces.
Sors of other generations. Speaking for
the stage. and knowing both the older
aud the younger generations of its
players having done my bit with both
Of them. say that the players of
our day could copy 4" advantage
much of that which they affect to
decry in those whom. Judged by their
dress and mannerisins. they would dub
'hamfatiers' The a,ere ability To wear
clothes and dance well did not make
an actor worthy of his buskins twenty
years age.
Where are these 'hamfattcrs' now?
you ask. Where do they hide them
selves or what do they do for Il llveli.
hood. IL they are still alive? Well. Il
will give you something Of n jolt when
I tell you that most NJ those still able
10 be- active ARE playing types In the
movies Think Of IT, the man who
worshipcd Shakespeare who looked
with contempt on pinero. Henry
Arthur Jones. Clyde Fitch and Bron-
son Howard. earning his living in pie
comedy. But that Is all there Is left
10, them. That was n" fictlonal pic
ture thai Harry Leon Wilson drew
In Merton Of the Movies of the old
trasctian who hcmoaned the fate that
had driven him tn service on the lot.
! sam many nf them on the coast In
my own brief experience with the
silver sheet and they were nitlable
crowd.
Nevertheless. evan there, while de-
spiSing themselves. their surroundings
and the travcstIeS and mockcrieS OF
true Illusion they We're called an 10
enact before the camera. they proved
themselves better screen actors. bet
ter mimics than many ~ the STAYS
who We're drawing salaries In four
figures Ia their two
OPERATES IN RARY