Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-23

hand. They couldn't make money
as they planned the tour. They had
a big pay roll and they couldn't feed
all the hands that were held out.
We closed after seven weeks. I
had got all my money UP to then
They asked me to string with two
new partners and we could get going
again. I told them 7 didn't care
who bankrolled the show just SO l
got my money. There We're eight
weeks to be accounted for and
whether we played or not. I was
going to get that dough.
l wired my attorney In Chicago
instructions to do his stuff. Next |
booked with the Sells t'loto Circus
for FIVE weeks and averaged from
$4,000 to $4,000 week for our end,
working on a percentage basis.
Gets Paid in Full.
In the meantime, 1 had gone after
that money owed me by the Dempsey
tour people. They fooled around and
stalled, but in the end I got my money
in full, eight weeks at $4,000. We
gradually worked our way out West,
great crowds greeting the new cham
pion at every turn. Dempsey was
anxious to run out home, so when
his circus dates had been cleaned up
he started for Salt Lake City and |
came on to New York.
I had signed five.year contract
with him calling for 50 per cent of his
earnings. The money was now rolling
in and he was tcikled to death. When
the money got real big we made an
agreement to cut the dough $3.50,
after all expenses were paid. / was
getting him thousands, where other
managers had got him a lot Of thin
pennies.
Dempsey and I never had a word
over money matters. He took my
word for everything, and I took his.
Check me up on this by referring to
the story about me that recently APP
peared under Dempsey's signature.
never found him dishonest in the least
degree and l know that he has never
said of his own accord that had been
dishonest with him in any way up 10
the time of his marriage. We drifted
apart after that and many things
have appeared in print that Dempsey
never authorized.
Hits on Movie Idea.
So after his visit to Salt Lake
came back to New York, figuring all
the while on matching him with some
body. The field was a poor one for
heavyweights. There was no real
money opposition just then and my
problem was like the title Of the
song "Whatll do?" 1 hit on an
idea.
I'd put him in the pictures. I went
to Elmer Pearson Of Pathe. and put
the idea up to him. Why not Demp-
sey in the movies? He liked the
bunch. He was quick to see the posi-
bilities and sold him the idea.
I got Dempsey a wonderful con-
tract, $4,000 in hand and an agree
ment which said he was to get 65 per
cent of the gross take. The pictures
we're taken and they crossed better
than 100000, so I didn't do badly
for Dempsey. He didn't know what it
was all about when I went back to
California to tell him of the deal. He
was ready to do anything I told him
and making pictures was the next
piece Of business. Then the fun be-
gan. Every moving picture star, man
or woman, that came in contact with
him on the lots told him his nose was
all wrong. his hair was all wrong
his eyebrows were all Wrong-in fact,
he was all wrong. He'd have to be
made over again.
I fought this gang off for long
time. Dempsey looked good enough
for men as a champion and when it
came to any changes 1 made up my
mind that I'd leave that to the great
est makeup artist who ever lived,
Lon CLANCY, He made Jack up for
his first pictures. He built up the pug
nose and turned out quite a hero, but
that didn't satisfy them, so they made
him over.
(COpyricht 1929