The Washington herald., 1922-01-01

Here's a New Mental Chart
Of AL Jolson, Comedian
He Loves 80 Serious Minutes all at Once and
He Believes in His Chorus Girls.

After all, fortune and nation
woe popularity would scarcely be
ouiioeo on nonsense alone. Al Jol-
soh mas his serious moments. Al
enouth they don't seem TO come
quite natural When he greeted his
caier IN his dressing room At Jol-
sons Fffty-ninth Street Theater, in
New York. q few nights aRo, he au-
tomaticAlly dropped into a soft sho.
dance and q little slang. When
he discovered Il wasn't necessar1ly
back stage monologue or a pri-
vate Joke fest that was being
sought, he appeared very Eratefuf
He perched himself on his make
up table and said some things that
he, doesn't often have the oppor-
tunity to say. This blackFacs
comedians mind is sIert-sensitivs
Al Jolson is q sensible young man.
The point is that he knows COM
edy 10 what put him where he 10 20.
day. Common sense talk from him,
he has long since concluded. must
as a rule be confined to his apart
pent or Mr.. Shubert's office-any
place where IL will not be heard by
the crowds. For who would have
Al Jolson without his grin?
There he sat, feet swinging boy.
ishly from the dressing table. his
cap now straight on his head in
stead of sidswise. and in his hand
he held q business card. Il bore
the name OF the leader Of a deIegs-
ton OF merchants from upstate
that had just arrived 20 attend the
performance.
60 out and ask for a slogan" n.
instructed his assistant And when
Al came on the stage a half hour
later he ''Joshed" the delegation in
their own familiar terms. You old
'rowdy-dows.' he called them. For
"rowdy dow was the deIeKatiou's
catch word nickname.
Let US set down here f,w
things discovered about the way Nj.
Jolson's mind works when h.
knows he isn't being expected -
be funny. Wen Just sort Of sur
Marie them, 60.
Strange how in some towns .
material goes" and in Others
doesn't. He can't seem 10 c,.-
make Tulsa. Okla. understand r.4
| Jokes. Kansas City. on tn, Other
hand. appreciates every gag no.
| matter how new or topical TN
Kansas City star was partirrl.r,,
| kind TO him the last time h. Va.
out there. His advance notices W.,r,.
especially good. And the Star
very. very difficult TO get into
When an actor doesn't Amusc .s
audience II isn't the audicu.,
! fault. It's the actors Lew 10, T..
stader taught him that
Although he takes more nb,-
ties with his audience than a,.
other comedy actor. he doesnt Il.
the audience to talk back II %.
sees one drunken man in an aud
ence his performance is hampored
He never takes a chance rr.
speaking intimately with any or,..
in the audience unless the audIen,.
is laughing aloud at the time H,.
fears he would completely forge
his lines otherwise.
What has become OF th. Nv. nr
six plays that Crane Wilbur was r,-
ported to have placed for immedia,,
production?
'-one Glorious Day" ha, berr
chosen as the final title for Jane
Cruces specaI comedy tentativel,
called Elk" in which VIII Rogers.
Lila Lee and Allan Hale have th~
leading roles.
Alexandra Carlisle is somewhers
! In Shubert vaudeville in q one-ao'
play by Lawrence Rising called "II
Can Be Done" once performed al
Mr. Blinn's Princess
l~APITOE