Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-07-19
WWTHO are show folks? Where do
NV they come from? And how
w do they live? How should

one regard lHell SoeAe'iiy
sail right?
These are typical questions that have been
nronounded to the writer many lines by those
who are merely curious; others inclined to be
pr,1dish: and still other people who have sub
conscious mental reservation that IN an attempt
10 prove the character Of people OF the theatre
that the chance for an acquaintanc@shlp WIN
sporting AMI romantic possibilities will be 1orth-
coming. .
Since the latter idea is prevalent, 1t is a
pleasure to make whatever arrangements ana
co-ordinations of movements are needed to Gre
ate the opportunity for this person to meet
number of selected people OF the stage ana
platform and some musicians from the PIT or
some people off of the front door, the mechanl-
cal side of the amusement world together WIN
one or more from the allied occupations
There is a certain uncanny sort of devilish
low to be taken in witnessing the metamorphosls
of the notions of a man who Thought ne was
going to meet group of subllmated Ienoer-
loin characters only 20 painfully learn that ne
is being subjected to careful scrutiny hlnlseH
by active advocates of the higher life one
feels geeful as he shows up the poor mentai
and moral stuff of which this type OF MANKIND
is made of through the Vaccinations of those
for whom he had previously held small esteem.
ANY theatrical Editor or Agent; IN TACT,
anyone with an extensive acquaintanceshlp IN
the show world, is able to do that nasty-nlce
trick, by virtue OF the 1acC tlat SNOW peOpie,
like all people, differ in type There are as
many gradations among them as may be found
in any classification based upon occupation,
which, indeed is no barometer to the inner
characteristics of human beings.
Some of our most brilliant barristerS are
atheists Bank presidents have been found to
be rakes Society women with every favorable
influence have been social derelictS; and hod-
carriers have become leaders of men in high
finance. So much for occupations as measures
OF men and women.
To those who have regarded show people as
a thing apart, let us pass the information that
there are two hundred thousand people of all
nationaties and nativitieS engaged in the 70
different phases of show life in the United
States. Nearly twenty-five thousand OF these
are of our social group speaking racally.
There are about $4,000 musicians among
US Perhaps half of these are professional
and the others semi professional in that they
earn part of their incomes at other yocations
Vaudeville, musical comedy, burlesque and
the drama furnish the livelihood for about $500
people These e more or less interchangeable
positions inaSmuch as, for us, necessity pre-
cludes one always remaining in his or her pre-
ferred field of endeavor. Race restrictions
compel our artists to show certain degree OF
versatility.
The motion picture lots and studios employ
about six hundred persons More than two
thirds of these are in California and down on
Long Island, New York, doing atmosphere and
mob" stuff, or servant and savage characters
with white picture concerns. Those same con-