Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-03-19
Pneumonia ENDS
BRILLIANT CAREER
Of BERT WILLIAMS
Famous COlOred Comedian Was
Rated as Genius by The
atrical Critics.

Bert Williams. world famous come
dian, has taken his final curtain call.
To everyone here and abroad the news
that Bert Williams is gone will be
received with the shock of man who
has lost friend.
Bert Williams, universally popular
star, had the unusual ability to put
into his songs and stories the humor-
Gus quality and philosophy of the negro
race.
A short time ago Williams summed
up his secret of making people laugh
ia these words: You know there is
nothing so funny as seeing other peo-
pie in trouble. OF course the empha
sis must be placed on the fact that
the trouble belongs to somebody else.
A real sense of humor is to put YOUR
self in another's place and laugh at
your own misfortune
Born in the British Bahamas
Williams was born at New Provi-
dence. Nassau. in the British Bahamas.
His grandfather. who was white. was
Danish and Spanish consul to the Bs-
hamas, and married quadroon. When
he was years old Frederick Williams.
New York. Here he learned the trade
Of papiermache making. which brought
him into contact with theatrical peo-
Pile. 1t was through this association
that Bert as boy made his first ac-
quaintances among New York stage
folk.
From New York. Frederick Williams
moved to Riverside. Cal, where Bert
was educated and was graduated from
the Riverside high school. His aim
had been to become civil engineer.
His interest in the theater always had
been keen. however. and unable to re-
sist the urge he started as member
Of little company of minstrels. From
that moment he progressed steadily.
winning the good will of his public and
the respect of his associates.
A Favorite in London
In 1903. when the Williams and
Walker company played at the Skates
bury theater, in London, Williams was
invited to attend lawn party at Buck
ingham palace to entertain guests at
the birthday celebration of the Prince
of Wales. His demeanor so delighted
royalty that he remained until his death
favorite with Londoners.
After the illness Of Walker. his
pdituel. beGduc dPpaicQ q lew years
ago. Williams carried on alone. He
took care of the man who had been
his team nete until the latters death.
Booker T. Washington once wrote of
Williams:
Bert Williams is a tremendous as
set of the negro race. The fact of
his success aids the negro many times
more than he could have helped the
race by merely contenting himself to
whine about racial difficulties The
fact is. the American people are ready
to honor any man who does something
worth while. irrespective of his color"
Had 4 Breakdown In Detroit
At the time preceding his death.
Williams was appearing in Under the
Bamboo Tree He suffered a break
down in Detroit and was brought to his
home in New York ill Of pneumonia.
where he died.
Some of the most successful pro-
ductions in which Williams and Walk
er appeared as a team were two Real
Coons." The Gold Bug" "Senegambi-
an Carnival" Sons Of Ham, and "In
Dahomey." It was with the last named
production that they appeared so sue
cessfully in London. George Walker
died in 1907 and Williams was featured
alone in 'Mr. Lode of Coal" In 1911
he made a Ziegfeld contract. under
which he appeared in .srhe Follies"
for 10 years. At the close of the Zieg-
field contract and just prior to opening
in Under the Bamboo Tree he
starred in broadway Brevities.'
1t seems impossible to believe We
have seen the world famous Williams
walk and the humorous poker game
for the last time: that the
voice which made such songs as mo
body "Woodman. Spare That Tree"
Everybody Wants the Key to My Gel
lar" and When the Moon Shines on
the Moonshine." classics the world
over. is still.
Fortunately. the genius of Bert Will
iams has not died For a number of
years, the songs and stories Of the
great colored comedian have been re-
produced exclusively By Columbia
Graphophone company. And SO while
Bert Williams is dead. his work still
lives.