Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-02
NJ Is Wallace Ford your stage name?''
"I do not know"
What is your real rlame?"
81 do not know"

us Wallace Ford your stage name?''
IT do not know
| What is your real flame?"
| 81 do not know"
| The young man who recently made
these strange answers to the above
interrogations now occupies an en-
| yiable position on the American stage
being one Of the stars of John Gold
ems company now playing the comedy
| Of pigs" Under the name of Wal
lace Ford he plays the lead in Pigs.
| which is the very wise and very deter
mined young Thomas Atkins, jr:
| Ford created Able in the original
production of "Abie's Irish Rose" and
other Broadway successes are his
| He has married into one of the best
| known and most successful of Ameri
can theatrical families. Mrs. Ford Is
| the daughter of the late William Ha
| worth, playwright, and niece of the
last Joseph Haworth, noted actor.
| II do not know who / really am,
| he explained. II was found some
where in London or Liverpool when
| the merest infant and sent to DIR. Bar
nardo's home, in Liverpool. / do not
| They may be living or dead. Perhaps
I have relatives somewhere. do not
know.
Now, let us understand one an
other. I know that whoever my par
ents are they left me a clean heritage.
I am healthy and Of good stock. To
day am a decent citizen with money
in the bank. My mind is not evil. l
do not wish to appear to be appealing
| for sympathy. / am all right. l think
/ am about rs years old.
hTtAf1V
sketched his career from the time he
was shipped from the Bernardo Home
| in Liverpool to a branch of the same
home in Toronto.
After a few weeks at the home the
6-year-old orphan was adopted by a
kind lady in town near Toronto, and
the future looked bright. Unfortu-
nately, the lady died within a few
| weeks, and the youngster was then IN
dentured to farmer who lived out IN
Alberta, beyond Winnipeg. For three
years Ford suffered cruel abuse, and,
when he could stand it no longer, ran
away, getting work in the railway
yards of a neighboring town.
Next the young hero showed up In
Winnipeg, where he obtained employ
ment as an errand boy In drug
store. Then he got to be an usher in
the old Winnipeg Opera House. 1t
was at this time ms aspirations IoT
| the stage began to take shape.
He was occasionally cast for small
bits in plays that the stock company
put on. but the opportunities he got
for acting were few and far between,
and when they did come his way the
remuneration was slight.
One day Marie Tempest and her
company came to Winnipeg and Wal
lace tackled the manager for job.
He had no job. but said he would take
him along with the company to Mime
apolis. The same luck pursued the
youngster there, and he worked for q
time az a dishwasher in restaurant
Dishwashing wasn't inspiring as an
occupation to the aspiring orphan.
Nothing daunted, he shortly beat his
way on a freight train to St. Joseph.
Mo-, and got a modest part to act with
| the Debrusky Stock Co. there.
And at this juncture occurred a
very important episode in Ford's ca
reer. In the Debrusky company he had
made friends with boy of about his
own age, who was companionable and
honorable. The young friend proposed
that they both 60 to his home. In Sioux