Evening star., 1934-09-17

before that often tepid crew of
their matinee performers to
gloomy lethargy.
Say what you will, whether you ad
mired his particular method Of en-
tertainment or not, you will have t.
admit that Eddy struck a new ane
an original note in the amusement
world-that he gave as much as III
got-that he never let an audience
down.
Eddy was one of the first OF thai
now almost extinct form of entertain
ers called masters Of ceremonies. Sucf
q person was created by the motlor
picture theaters not so long ago when
these theaters realized that then
patrons wanted flesh and blood as
well as mere celluloid entertainment
Eddv was an individualist who was
hired for his personality as well as
for his many talents. If you were
master of ceremony in the early DAYS
YOU couldn't Just sing, or play an IN
strument, or say hello to the folks
You had to take your audience by the
scruff of the neck and work your heao
off not only by yourself, but with the
other performers in order to give
them the boost that they required.
Eddy could give others as big q
hand as he got for himself. He coulo
get an otherwise lazy audience to yell
its head of for only a $3.50 per-
former. He persuaded many q
stanch old battle-ax to smile back
at him. and to applaud like the OLD
gal had seldom applauded before.
Eddy worked. He worked-and may
,e sometimes he worked too hard. He
made YOU feel that perhaps that act
which he was halloing about wasn't
mite what it should be. That you'd
.ather 90 somewhere else and halo
,bout something else. But that was
lis business-to be enthusiastic ano
@ arouse enthusiasm.
1t was this enthusiasm that never
ct an audience down. If you saw MIN
at the Earle a few weeks ago you
.ound him still smiling, still working
ike a Trojan, still able to attract LADY
,yorshippers to his stage door.
There aren't many entertainers who
have that peculiar spark. You may
not care for it, but you overlook the
5nan or the woman next door who does.
those who cheered for Eddy kept
! ieht on cheering. He had a giant
IMblic, and you don't get that by
lying down on the job.
~ATHERED here and there on an
) occasional pilgrimage North, East
ind West:
The theater thrived in New Eng
ind this Summer. There was Mauoe
/ dams almost all over the place IN
Twelfth Night" There were dozens
If new schools of and for the drama
reated on almost every cliff in Maine.
You could run into "The Pursuit OF
Happiness" in many a village and
farm.
In Skowhegan Fred Stones talented
{ daughter, Carol, played opposite Owen
laws, jr. In Westport the Langners
Custed off new plays, and much was
tae gossip whether it wise to "try out
o play in the country before launching
/ in the city.
On Long Island Ona Mllnson played
l. rye roles in large and small plays
q I'D there was considerable talk about
coma Powers success up and down
t le coast, and her assured future on
roadway this Winter.
In Boston LAS Thousands Cheer
p aged before packed houses-Dorothy
tone replacing Marylin Miller (the
ids are about even) and everything
as the same except that-presto-
t le children in the cast had vanished
as they will vanish here-when the
s. low comes.
1t will come here the last week of
iis tour-which means along about
tie end of November.
Ran into Father and Son Owen
laws in Boston hot from New York
friday highland were invited to
tie Plymouth, where dress rehearsals
we're holding forth on Coming
Spring" the new Davis opus
Whether it will come here or not is
q question-it may. In the cast is
Francesca Bruning-a lady for whom
q uch good is predicted.
Further north heard good news
a oout Jane Wyatt, who is back from
ollywood and who has had so many
S age offers flung at her that she
s ;arcely knows which way to turn
Down from Boston last night on
tie train found John ethel Barry
n ore's) Colt-a lad who this morning
q ,es into rehearsal for an Elizabeth
n iehle play-and who is the only
n .ember of his family not appearing
il. Eva Legallienne's "L'Aiglon. u
N other Ethel, sister Colt, brother
Sam, all three will star in the Glenn
elce Dane version of the Rostand play
il the near future. Uncle John
Barrymore is young Mr.. Colts favor
it, actor in the family. He says he's
b tier than Uncle Lionel" In fact
h, says: After goth Century most
o. the boys agreed with me-" Maybe
TASK Hardie Meakin).
In New York Life Begins at 6:40''
u rives as few dreamed it could. Bert
Lilhr funnier than ever. Elegant
music. Very funny. One Of the few
II ings really worth seeing. And TO
h, eco Road" goes on its Interestingly