Evening star., 1924-03-18
"ROXIE" A FRIEND
OF ALL IN NEED
Rises From Manager Of Baekroom
Saloon Show to Present
Position.
MARRIED, FATHER OF TWO
Intimate Details Of Announcer
Who Entertains Thousands.
BY MARTHA /. wILCHIySKI.

BY MARTHA L. WILCHINSkI.
Who is "Roxier
Let Roxie tell part of the story
himself, in his modest way.
81 was born in Saltwater, Mimi,
July 8, 1882, and spent my boyhood
there. When 1 was thirteen my fam
lily came to New York. / joined the
| ranks Of the wage earners as a cash
boy for John B. Collins at 50 "a
week. Through all the years of my
adolescence I couldn't seem to hold a
job more than two weeks. I moped
and dreamed and sold books for a
while. Then, moved by spirit OF ad-
venture, I joined the Marines. I got
my wish. I had all wanted in the
| way of excitement and a lot more. /
| took to book-agenting again. / was
| peddling my books in Forest City
Pa, when fate pulled me by the coat
| tail and called halt to my wander
| ings for the time. I fell in love and
| married.
my occupation was not very ele-
waiting. 1 was in charge of the back
room Of the local saloon and I ap-
pointed myself a committee-on i'm
provements of one. I got a couple of
| single reels from the General Film
Company and ran a. show, charging
the chairs from the local under
ltaker. Whenever there was a funeral
I couldn't give a show and there was
plenty of funerals in Forest City.
| fairly we'll with Keith's and moved
by desire to try my fortune in the
east. I came to New York to ask
Marcus Loew for a job. While wait
ing outside his private sanctum I
heard him raise his voice in anger.
! meekly picked up my hat. and
sneaked out.
"Some people were building a thea
ter uptown-the Regent-and I was
given charge. The show up there
,, de luxe motion picture presentations.
1t drew a fashionable carriage trade
| in spite of its location at 1i6th street
@and soon was called to open the
| those who. doubted that pictures
alone could draw a Broadway crowd,
but the subsequent opening of the
Rialto and the Rivoli under my di-
ton. At the Capitol today we enter
tain an average of 100000 persons a
week.
And those who get set each Sun
day night to hear their friend "Roxie"
over the air, do not always know that
he has been working steadily since
midnight the night before, rehears-
ing and lighting the weeks new show
at the. Capitol and launching it on
it's first day; that sometimes it is
who finishes with Good Night! God
Bless Your
"Roxie," although his finger is con-
tinually on the pulse of the public
a q "a O1,o q pevfr ;r,
ular entertainment, is essentially
person of simple tastes and habits.
He goes practically nowhere for
amusement and spends his time be-
s%esn s~es1sn his nh thsatsr and ,sx his home in
Rsn andaon riVs1 RoHiss SdeIss0hins home Ire hhs
is that Of the typical American fam
lily. He has two children, the oldest
a boy OF thirteen. and a girl of eight.
And there always are two police
dogs and an airedale or two playing
about the beautiful grounds. 1t is
there that "Roxie" seeks and gets the
relaxation that he requires to carry
on the strenuous work of entertain
IN lng 5,tn, 10000 % people a week at at the the
over the radio every Sunday night.
He has a dynamic personality and
magnetic influence on all who work
for him: He injects the spark of his
personality into his staff, encourag-
ing their enthusiasm and best crea-
tive instincts He calls his artists
children" always and exercises a
sort of paternal influence over them.
With equal facility, he can conduct
the huge seventy-five piece orchestra,
run the projection machine and direct
the stage-lighting effects.
Once having won your way to
"Roxie's heart. he is your friend for
ever, and he is always ready to lend
q hand to one starting at the bottom
Of the ladder as he did.