Evening star., 1924-07-08
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM

| III 1NfAl NDOSA
FooTLIGHTs AND sPoTLIGHTs.
Otis Skinner. The Bobbs-Merri
Company.
Booth Harrington wrote to him, to
Otis Skinner, that a new play was
getting itself together in his mind
and that. as it took shape, IT pointed
directly upon this actor as it's chosen
means of stepping out into the open
Il want to write a beautiful man.
haven't got him yet" The elusiv :
creature playing hide-and- -go-seek in
the, mind of the author was that
beguiling dago, Tony Camaradonio,
who for tormenting time refused
capture. "So"-Otis Skinner talking
i commenced as one thing and was
repeatedly transmitted into another.
l was renationalized again and again
Banker. farmer, electrician, police
man. l was continuously torn up and
thrown into the waste basket" Final
ly, under the tender and imaginative
solicitation of his creator, Tony
emerged, Booth Tarkingtons beau
tiful man"-the hurdy-gurdy man.
For companions and friends he was
given an idiot and a jackass. 1t was
then that the beloved Mister An
tonic" took to the highway which
ne trudged. straight intos our hearts,
srlnoing out along the way the
toreador song and Onward. Chris
tan Soldiers" Not so long ago this
IN war time, to be exact. And GER
tainly long after Otis Skinner had
achleved all sorts Of triumph in many
am bltious roles. Yet not one Of these
otners touches the bed rock of Otis
SINNERS nature as does this smiling
son or Sorrento in his artIess love
ior everything and everybody in this
beautlful and kindly world that the
good God has made and given to us.
Footlights and Spotlights" gives
opportunity for us to 60 backward
hunting for the sources out of which
no~s this clear identification of Otis
Skinner and the hurdy-gurdy man, of
Otis Skinner and the Harvester
obviously, a matter of the heart.
such unity. whereas in his other and
more ambitious triumphs the head
was as clearly in command. Behind
OTIS Skinner are preachers-father
and grandchildren New England
strain, but not of the traditional New
England stripe. For this is an easy
househoid wherein three little boys
ilve Tree and happy lives till-grown
up-one turns out to be an artist.
another poet and playwright, the
third an actor. Enough to make all
Puritanism turn over in mute protest
against this clear PROCLAMATION of it's
narrow and austere godliness. Life
with these three was one prodigious
make-belleye. Across hastily impro-
Vlsed stages drama marched in
cToWding procession. Themes were
plucked from every source, not ex-
Guiding the old dime novel itself.
These were whipped into shape with
a growing celebrity and ingenuity that
counted later. One of these bows
knew early that he was going to be
an actor. Now, playing theater as a
little boy is one thing. But New
England preachers son seriously
thinking about the stage as life
business is another matter. And Otis
Skinner here goes back to the Sunday
when his father preached on the duty
OF parents to their children. He
heard his father say, right from the
pulpit, that a boy should be allowed
his choice OF life work 1T was a
bolt from clear skies" The next day,
having rehearsed a pretty dramatic
scene, he went to the study door,
where his father was deeply en-
crossed in work. Finally, what is
it"' Il delivered my prepared
speech and braced myself for the
shock of his wrath. 1t came. He
said: Very well, Otis, if you've made
up your mind, l suppose that's what
you are going to do. Perhaps you'll
speak to your mother about it. Don't
was all. 1t was my first lesson in
anti-c climax"
The whole of this story is, funda-
mentally, story of grilling work
The early chapters Of it are not only
that, but they include the more
tragic story of being without work.
In both cases they sum to a pamphlet
on education that would be hard to
beat. Not the ordered education of
established institutions, to be sure
Rather the haphazard but highly
useful training that the school of
hard knocks gives out of life itself
The point that turns it into educative
value is that out of every experience,
whether it be one of utter failure or
faint success, the young actor in
stinctively pulls out and tucks into
his pocket the least thing that may
help his next move, promptly throw
ing away the useless clutter of clear
ly Improbable effort, the New Eng
land instinct for the main chance
coming out here finely in this recre-
ant son of Puritanism.
Once in the movement Of this up
hill advance we are ourselves COM
pletely surrounded by players who
for the past forty-fve years have
contributed to the success of the
drama All those with whose names
in his best and greatest role. Each
comes also in the intimacy of per-
sonal characteristic and outstanding
dramatic quality. A bewildering COM
pany this would be were it not for
two facts. Our keen interest and
partial acquaintance holds each of
these artists distinct and free And,
since this is Otis SINNERS own story,
it serves as the element of conference,
binding the whole into order and
unity. All along the way there are
little stories. innumerable. From
every page these look out under some
familiar and beguiling name. Incl
dents that turn upon laughter, for, in
the main, this is a joyous man who
welcomes the smiling face of life.
Incidents that turn upon pity or upon
story