Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-04-06
BY GILBERT SWAN
r Service Writer

NEW IOEth, April D"EICQ 5UOAlGr
dean among clowns, will quit the
stage rather than consent to the
change that would give his show
the flavor OF the risque.
Such is the ultimatum to the
theater following the recent calam-
itous crack up" Of his most recent
vehicle "Ripples," on Broadway
a crack up which has hurt the fam
Gus comic far more than the physi-
cal injuries received when an air.
plane crash took him from the foot
lights.
That a Fred Stone show should
ever flop" on the Gay White Way
has always been u~nthinkable. His
status was that Of a national in
stitution. His past was made UP of
two-year runs and crowds standing
in line at the box office.
Then. after a mere eight weeks
which have shown a constantly
dwindling attendance. came word
that "Ripples" would be taken off
and sent on the road.
To all OF which the comedian
who rose to fame in The Wizard
Of o. arches a puzzled eyebrow
and shakes his head.
Il don't know what It's all about
Broadway has changed-that seems
TO be the answer" Stone said. Times
have changed roo. ! used to think
I knew Broadway-heaven knows,
Broadway seemed to know me.
81 Won't Change"
Yes, and today I have hundreds
Of good people behind me. people
who write me encouraging letters
every day people who tell me to
keep up the good work and fight
things as they have become. / get
dozens of them every day. You
should see the letters that come from
children. And where are these chill
dren going to 60; what are they go
ING TO see? Parents certainly can't
AXE them to these dirt shows about
own; shows that bring bushes TO
heir elders.
One thing is certain I won't
7hange. II they don't ike the clean
1roduct / give them-well. we all
now where the exit door Is. IL
never have my name over any pro-
duction that brings a blush.
Perhaps / don't know what the
people want. 1t seems perplexing
that they should have changed Sc
much in a few years. And I hear
70 many stories. i hear about
dirty shows that are doing ire
mendous business. Well, II that's
what the people want, ! suppose
there will be people TO give 1t 70
them. I won't. ! swear ] won't
Other days, other ways. No use
clubbing about IT,"
However Stone is going to give
lie rest OF the country q chance
Hes far from sure that everything't
Ike Broadway and everyone acts
rs Broadway acts.
Along the big stem you'll hear
lots Of whispers and some that are
FAR louder than whispers. These
voices will tell you that Fred Stone
notions are far out Of date; that
he hasn't kept UP to the times, They
point out that william Hodge, who
never played TO the Broadway crowd
gave his latest show a couple OF
naughty twistS-yeS, even introduc-
ed a bedroom scene and q badger
game and presented . situation
wherein. while drugged, he's photo
graphed in this bedroom with a
pretty blackmailer.
The younger generation has grown
wise" They don't blush at the
naughty lines and situations any
more, say the wise ones. That was
all right for their grandmothers. Blu
they know what it's all about.
Street Has Changed
Yet, after 40 years trouping, Stone
sticks to his particular guns He
harks back to the days when Albee
the vaudeville magnate who diec
recently. picked himself and Dave
Montgomery out OF the crowd anc
gave them their big break.
Yes, that was back around 1890
or whereabouts. They had come
"out of the sticks" with a blackjack
act, trying to crash Broadway. Al
bee liked IL.
ITS a good. clean act you boy
have got" said the vaudeville i'm
p~reSario.
Way back then we made ON
name as clean performers" Stone
recollectS.
And that's the way I've playec
ever since"
He recalled the eminently success.
full Red Mill and Chin Chin" ans
a lot Of others.
when I went along Broadway
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