The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-08-12

ted low by ouz stage fortunatus.
lie actors boarding house, with Its
II! Dedrooms-there used to be rows
welt. third and Thirty-fourth-was
lis retreat for sleeping. IL be had cash
)r ,reuIt, and how he could stretch
LAT credit If he had neither, only he
iiriself knew when AID where he
slept. There was no Equity then to
IutAe sure that no legitimate actor
should 60 hungry, nor was the actors
fund sufficiently strong to assure him
)f a place to lay his head. But there
we're 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
he offices of the managers and book
.ng agents, always hopeful, impervious
TO rebuffs, indifference and waits.
They gave him ample opportunity for
the recounting of his histrionic abill-
ties-words which sounded sweet in
mis- own ears, even though they bored
the producer, and afforded him later
when he met his cronles 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.
Ii distaste fed On many O tour by its
disappearance, with all 1t contained.
Including the manager.
"The hams were divided into sew
eral classes, those who aspired to and
actually played In Legitimate drama
the real troupers-musical show
hams burlesQue hams and vaude-
Vile hams But he whom we asso-
ciate with silk hat, frock coat, long
hoir and CATERS was Of the first
named type and the n whose por
trait first comes to mind when we
think of the ham actor. And despite
those ludicrous attitudes and posings,
his conceit and efforts to attract at
tention to himself on any and all oc.
casions, this kind of actor had u pride
in his calling never surpassed and not
so frequently equaled III Il W day
with all his m~agnifcence of man
ner, he was not above distributing
show bills In small town saloons and
barber shops. He cherished his char
acter wigs as a mother cherishes her
children. And he knew Shakespeare
Shakespeare was his God. Blank veyse
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
ments In the big cities and a few
weeks on Broadway was a glimpse of
Heaven. He spent the greater part
of his time on trains, but he gave the
best there was in him to the audience
of the sticks and the ~one-night stands
and his Iago or Cassius was just as
faithful to his conception of the part
on IA Mississippi river steamboat as
it was in Union Square.
His Good Qualities.
at Is the fashion of our wise youth
of today, in art, letters and the stage.
to decry the works of their %predeces-
sors of other generations. Speaking for
the stage, and knowing both the older
and the younger generations of Its
players, having done my bit with both
of them, l say that the players of
our day could copy to advantage
much of that which they affect to
decry in those whom, Judged by their
dress and mannerisms, they would duh
'hamfatters.' The mere ability to wear
clothes and dance well did not make
an actor worthy of his buskins twenty
years ago.
"Where are these 'hamfatters' now
you ask. Where do they hide them
selves or what do they do for a liveli
hood, If they are still alivef Well, II
will give you something of a jolt when
tell you that most of those still able
to be active are playing types In the
movies. Think of 1t, the man who
worshiped Shakespeare, who looked
with contempt on Pfnero, Henry
Arthur Jones, Clyde Fitch and Bron
son Howard, earning his living in pie
comedy. But that is all there Is left
for them. That was no fictional pic
ture that Harry Leon Wilson drew
in Merton of the Movies of the ole
tragedian who bemoaned the fate thai
had driven him to service on the lot.
7 saw many of them on the coas In
my own brief experience with the
silver sheet, and they were a pitlable
crowd.
Nevertheless, eve there, while de
splsing themselves, their surrounding
and the travestIes and mockeries OF
true illusion they were called on tt
enact before the camera, they proved
themselves better screen actors, bet
ter mimics than many OF h stars
who were drawing salaries In foul