New Britain herald., 1928-06-12
EX.BARkER NOW IS
 VAUDEVILLE KING
Got His Start Aboard Rubber.
 neck" Wagon

New York, June l2-To the long list of stories of men who from arrange unpromising beginnings have made their mark in the show business. add the story of the career of Joseph P. Kennedy. who has become today's foremost figure in movies and vaudeville.
 Kennedy. who is not yet 4o years of age, started as 'harker' aboard . sightseeing bus, one that follow ed the trail Of Paul Revere from Boston to Lexington.
 As Kennedy explains it, however, the connection between rubber-neck "barking' and being theatrical magnatc doesn't seem so far-tetch- ed.
 The Same Requirements.
 First class service, entertainment that never lags. knowledge of what the public wants, and consideration for these wants are the primary factors of successful showmanship.
 And I needed all these" Ken
 
 that Paul Revere sightseeing bus. I found my passengers did not come for the ride alone-they came be- cause they were interested in the historical significance of the ground We covered, and wanted to know all about it.
 Furthermore. they wanted this history presented in way that didn't sound like dry text book. II had to do three things-write my lecture carefully so as to get in ell the information necessary. put 1t in way that was colorful and in- teresting. and deliver it as though l were Paul Revere's best friend and anxious as anything to tell all about his big stunt
 How 1t Came About.
 The sightseeing bus enterprise, kennedys first real business ven- ture, is interesting as an example of his ingenious and dynamic methods. Shortly after his graduation from Harvard, he and q college chum took a ride on an ancient and de- crepit bus from Boston to LeXilay- ton. The driver seemed to have difficulty in staying awake. and the spieler droned his lecture in q drearv monotone. The handful of passengers looked bored and dissat- Mfied.
 Kennedy and his friend learned that the owner of the bus was go- ing out of business because of poor patronage. The bus was offered to them for sl,,2oo.
 We closed the deal" said Ken nedy. and set about making the bus a little more attractive. We painted 1t cream and blue and put the name 'MayfloWer' on Its side in big. black letters. Then with my friend as driver and myself as spieler, We started out. Before the end of the season. We had paid for the bus and split a neat profit be- aides
 Three years later, Kennedy quit the bus business with 5000 as his share of the earnings.
 Into the Film Business
 That was in 1915. Eleven years later the London headquarters of the English film business, known as Film Booking Offices. tF-B-OO. received a visit from Kennedy and an offer of sfoo0,000 in ready money for the complete control of the company.
 His offer was refused as inade- quate. Kennedy came back to Boston and there. 10 his astonish- ment. a month later came Lord 1nverforth. of the F-B-O to an nounce that the company had re- considered and accepted the offer. By the time Inverforth had left Boston, Kennedy had control Of the largest and most unprofitable motion picture concerns in the world.
 The organization, although con- trolled by British capital, had beene operating in America and dealing in American films. This