The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-01-06
TALKING
4 1t OVER
WITH JOE WILLIAMS

N
IN hours after Mr.. James Joseph
Tunney, heavyweight champion of
the world, reached town and settled
himself in a suite at the Biltmore
he called his old buddy, Walter
Hanpden, the actor, by phone and
reserved two seats on the aisle for
Hanpden's matinee performance.
Strange and striking as it may
seem to those who are accustomed
to taking their cauliflowers in the
conventional manner made popular
by the John L. Sullivans, the Tom
Sharkeys and the Bob FitzSim-
monses, Hampden is not burlesque
performer, and his productions do
not feature gold-toothed soubrettes
or putty-nosed comedians wearing
violin cases for shoes.
The grim truth is Hampden is the
ultimate syllable in the high tone
works Of the dray-ma, the last,
militant survivor of the old Shakes
pearean era. He is, in short, to
the aristocracy of the stage what
Mr.. Darrow is to criminal law and
Mr.. Al Woods is to- bedroom ro-
nance.
Currently, Hampden is engaged
In lending his well mOdulated voice
and sepuIchraI presence to the ex-
plOitation of a little dramatic
whimsy called Hamlet" a piece
not entirely without recognition in
better and more earnest dramatic
circles of the land.
II Il Il
1T was to this offering that Mr..
l. James Joseph Tunney, heavy
weight champion of the world, hied
himself within a few hours after
reaching the Metropolis following a
brief vacation in that dear old
Miami, and until evidence to the
contrary Is presented it must be as
sumed the young man went OF his
own free will and with full knowl-
edge Of the consequences.
did you enjoy it?" asked an
incredulous reporter.
Enjoy ill.," answered the ecstatic
champion. "Why it was marvellous.
I might even say it was superb"
With becoming, albeit somewhat
unusual respect, the reporter waited
for him to say superb in the formal
way, but it was not forthcoming, so
one chaste word led to another.
''WOuId you mind giving me
your views of the play?" persisted
the reporter. 'What you think of it
as a philosophical message, or
whatever it is, and what you think
of Hampden as an actor, or what
ever he isl" ...
"TTVHERE is nothing I can say OF
L Hamlet admitted the cham
pion, with what might, and was in
terpreted, as a smattering of reluct-
ance, that has not already been
said. 1t is one of the majestic Gre
ations of literature and no mans
education is complete until he has
both read the book and seen the
play"
"Why did you prefer Hamlet to
the 'Follies' or Billy Watson's Beef
Trust or one of the lighter shows?"
asked the reporter.
isn't that like asking a man why
he prefers brussels sprouts to ruta-
.baga turnips?" countered the cham
pion with just faint show Of an
noyance.
II y
Whereupon the reporter, insist
ent on getting the l0w-down on
this phenomenon, resolved to ask
the next man he saw why he pre-
ferred brussels sprouts to ruta-
baga turnips, if, indeed, he did.
n Il
A ND what about this fellow
IN Hamlet" pressed the repor-
ter, sis he the McCoy?"
IF you mean is he a gifted thes-
pian," corrected the champion, "the
answer is very positive affirmative.
"He is the country's greatest Shakes
pearean delineator. The greatest,
in fact, since Booths time"
Wandering back to his Office, the
reporter wondered who this guy
Booth was and what weight he
fought at and whether he was ever
much Of a puncher There ought
to be a law against heavyweight
champions who talk Of anything but
fighters.