The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-08-04
JACK, ESTELLE
TOGET WEEKLY
PAYOF $4,000
Jack Is Warned by Broadway
Followers TO Never At.
tempt Acting
DEMPSEY GETS $4,000
It's a Laugh-My Being an
Actor He Says, But He
Likes Work
DEMPSEY GETS $1,000
BY HORTENSE SAUNDERS
(NEA Service Writer)

(NEA Service Writer)
New York, Aug. 4.-Jack Dempsey
has gone Thespian-he is in rehears.
ais now for his forthcoming Broad
way debut in drama. But If Jack
follows the advice of Broadway well.
wishers, he never will try to learn
how to act.
"Be yourself. Play Jack Dempsey.
That's the character the public wants
t. see," are the instructions with
which Jack is commencing his career
in ''legitimate."
The producers Of Jacks first show,
"The Big Fight" have agreed to pay
the ex-chsmpion and his wife, Es-
telle Taylor, just 10000 berries q
week. Jacks. share Of this is esti-
mated at $10,000-all for ''being
himself" not for acting.
Less Valuable If He Could Act
To be sure, this proves that an ex-
champions time isn't quite SO valu-
able as a champions, for at this rate
it will take Jack a year, playing six
nights a week and two matinees. to
make as much as Tunney made in
half an hour at the Yankee Stadium
the other night. But what is an ex-
champion to co? And the Broadway
crowd will tell you that ten grand
a week isn't to be shifted at. In
fact, if Jack could act, he wouldn't
be worth anywhere near that much.
Which shows how profitable person
atty can be.
Jacks initial rehearsal was an in
teresting event. For he was cowed,
scared, stage frightened, and beaten
to a fragile. The Precipitation that
came out frequently on his brow
wasn't due to the heat, because it
wasn't hot.
:, Jack, and his. wife Estelle sat close
together on ( bench, like babes in the
woods, keeping their eyes on their
scripts or on the director, who sat
at a table just in front of them. The
rest Of the cast, some 20 seasoned
Broadway actors, were huddled on
benches and store boxes. The huge
stage was bare, and the seats out in
front were covered <wit3H4 canxas to
keep off the dust. = - -.
A Technical knockout
Jack bent over his script-for his
eyes aren't so good-and the first
time he read line, his voice sounded
far away. He coughed and cleared
his throat. Estelle patted his arm
encouragingly. A good sponging off,
such as q fighter gets between
rounds, would have helped him I'M
mensely! He jabbed a little, and
tented, and finished his sentence.
Figuratively, he had been knocked
out.
The Broadway actors, supposed to
be a fight crowd, were right there
with the goods. They might not
have been able to give a knockout
blow to a cat, but they could put the
bravado in their voices and their
poses. Holding a script with one
hand, they could gesture wildly with
the other.
Jacks face registered admiration.
He was just big, good-natured fell
low. wondering how they got that
way. ~
In the cast also is Ralph Smith,
heavyweight boxer from California,
who will fight Jack in his Broad
way engagement. There will be
three rounds of actual fighting in
the show.
When asked how his memory was
Jack replied honestly: Rotten. !
don't see how I'll ever learn the lines.
OF course, the fight part is swell.
Ill 60 in training for that-do my
road work and gym every morning
and Smith and l can box together
But the lines are different"
Love? That's No Trouble
The love part doesn't worry him
"Sure," he laughed, 1--WE got heavy
love scene. I'm going to emote ali
over the place. But that's with Els.
telle-and it's no trouble"
In the cast will be several other
colorful ring characters-oe Hum.
phries, the announcer, Tammany
Young and One-Eyed Connolly, the
gate crashers, and Jerry the Greek
No part has been written in, how.
ever, for Tex Richard.
cts q laugh-my being an actor,
Jack said. "But I'll be mighty glad
to be working. I'm going to try tc
give . good performance and q good
fight every night. But ! don't as.
pire to play Hamlet or Romeo. AND
the legitimate actors will not neeC
to take to cover for a WHILE"