San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-24
Screen Actor Asserts Stage
Is Developer of Best in
Men and Women-Tells
Of Old Days in Texas.

is WDat-accordlng 10 sir James bar
rie-"if you haven't got. nothing else
you may have will count for anything
at all-and if you have it you can do
very nicely without everything else.
Close IN. Mr.. Roberts seems very
much younger than he does on the
stage, and also very much larger. In
fact, when he isn't made up at all, he
could step right on the stage and
play one of the magnificent old-time
Texas ranchmen, that like the long
horn steers, have almost died out. He
is Just as big and broad as they
were.
Mr. Roberts is an old favorite with
San Antonio audiences, in person as
we'll as on the screen. Many of his
friends here remember seeing him in
the widely diversified parts of Joe
Portugais. the half-breed Indian guide.
in Sir Gilbert Parker's Right of
Way" and in the name part of George
AIDES delightful County Chairman.
in the days when San Antonio was
certain of seeing a full list of excel
lent plays every season, and did not
have TO depend entirely on the ever
popular movies for its entire contact
with the theatrical world.
Recalls Wild West Days.
His last appearance in San An
tonic was fourteen years ago, and his
first one was an exact reversal of
those figures-41 years ago, when nc
played villain" parts with Nellie
Boyd in a transforming stock COM
pany. He is delighted TO contrast
the Texas audiences of that day, with
those of the present time. In those
days. the show business in Texas was
proverbially primitive-trees and tubs
were used for stagc-settings, and the
proverbial barrels often served as
dressing rooms. The audiences came
TO the shows heavily armed. and once,
Mr.. Roberts says, when his acting as
the mclodramatic villain became too
realistic, the actors were startled by
an excited shout of Hold that man
until l get there" and a long-legged
Texan, prompt to the rescue of beauty
in distress, dashed on TO the state
with a single bound and leveled gun
on him. On another occasion there
were six men in the audience who con-
tinued 10 lean nonchalantly against
the wall after they had been urged
repeatedly TO occupy some OF the
empty seats. Finally, a native citi-
zen called the usher aside and ex-
plained to him that those men al
ways had to stand with their backs
flat TO the wall for protection against
enemies as it "warn't safe fer them
TO set"
Mr.. Roberts picture of "Grumpy"
which will be shown here next week,
established a record for quick film
ing. 1t was adapted for screen pur-
poses by Cecil de Mile from the very
successful play of the same name.
Mr.. de. Mile. who usually is con-
sidered the slowest and most painstak-
ing director ION the lot established
new record for himself by filming
Grumpy" which is so much "one
man show" has so few big scenes. and
so few characters in its unfolding,
that instead. of the usual six weeks al
lotted to the filming of a picture, only
three weeks were required. Since
then, Mr.. de Mile has been priding
himself on being the quickest.
Refutes SIurs on Profession.
Mr.. Roberts thinks highly of his
profession, and of his fellow actors,
and he believes that every one else
who really knows anything more about
the profession than he learns from
sensational newspapers, must think
Just as he does. He says he is sure
that George Beban never made the
statement that was recently attribute
ed to him-that more than half the
actors and actresses on the screen
today were morOns--that is no more
true, he thinks that a statement that
a California newspaper recently
quoted him as making TO the effect
that Pola Negri had insulted every
woman on the screen since she had
been in America. He says he never
thought of saying anything of the
kind-but he added what the tempes-
tuous Pola would probably resent far
more than that--that he does not con-
slider her a great actress. NO actor
who can portray only one emotion, no
matter in how many phases. is great
actor. Pola Negri can only depict
passion and she does not seem 10
know that emotion Of any other kind
exists
Far from the movie business be-
ing carried on by n bunch of morons
| consider that business can show an
aggregation of keener minds than any
other one profession. If you take a
group of a thousand each Of represen-
tative ministers, lawyers. doctors, en-
gineers. or any other professional men
and match them with an equal num-
\
would average 10 per cent cleverer
men--yes. and cleaner men, too. say
that after an acquaintance and close
personal association of more than 90
years. and. at least. | know what l
am talking about. / am glad to re-
peat that statement. / believe that
actors average higher. mentally, NOR
ally and physically than any other
group of men in the world-as well as
in personality and charm. And the
reason for it is so very simple. They
are the most cultured. the most trav-
elcd. and the most cosmopolitan group
Of people we have in the world.
Girls Safe on Stage.
No one who has not the requisite
character and principal is going TO be
a good man anywhere, but l believe
that boy or a girl has better
chance TO develop into a splendid per-
sonality, and a fine man or woman,
in the theatrical business than in any
other profession in the world. IL
[ had a dozen sons and young daugh-
tiers, i would want them all on the
stage. / consider o girl safer on the
stage. than in any other work she can
do. The stage produces wonderful
women. wonderful homes and wonder
full children, as any one knows who
is at all familiar with the private life
of most of the actors. One of the
reasons the screen has become so pop