Evening star., 1935-07-10
Troupers
Glimpses of Stage Folk
in Washington.

THE only focal point we could dis
L cover in the lives If Wini Shaw
and Phil Regan was train, and even
that did not actually bring them to-
gether. It was merely one suggestive
parallel in the widely divergent lives
of the screen stars appearing at the
Earle this week. In the year 1919
both of them were stranded on trains,
the small 8-year-old Shaw for three
DAYS in a Northwest blizzard, Regan
in a freight train he mad hoped to
get from New York to Pennsylvania.
In a way. both incidents are typical
of the days these two kreW before they
rose each to a separate pinnacle OF
success and the quasi-fame that may
be earned in Hollywood. Miss Shaw
was trouping across country with her
family, who were in the show busi-
ness, at the time her train ran into
snowdriftS. Regan was knocking about
the country in search OF adventure
when some trainman locked the door
of the box car in which he was hiding
He almost froze to death waiting to
be freed again.
Since the line Of succession from
parents to daughter Is commonplace
in show business, Regan's story un-
doubtedly has more of the Horatio
Alger stuff than Miss Shaw's. Not
that she would have played around In
freight cars if her family hadn't been
entertainers There has always been
something especially pleasing to public
taste about the boX.car to box office
career. His was literally that. He
kicked about here and there when he
was a youngster, became chauffeur
to a judge in New York. later was ap-
pointed to the Brooklyn police force,
He had never studied singing in his
| life, but his station house ballards
were good enough to get him an intro
ductory appearance on the radio with
Burns and Allen in 1881. He was bal
lyhooed as the singing cop. Soon he
was the singing ex-cCp, now radio
star, and after that the movies grabbed
him. His contract was renewed only
this week, chiefly on the basis OF his
work in Sweet Adeline."
Miss Shaw's story is straight out
OF the trouper lode. yet it likewise
has unusual twists. In the first
place, she is the only half Hawaiian
we've ever known to get ahead in
the theater without benefit of grass
skirt or guitar. Her father was
one of the royal Hawaiian entertain
ers during the monarchy and her
mother was half English, half-Irish.
La Wini was born in San Francisco,
| toured the country with the parental
act until she was old enough to do
bits herself, remembers the biggest
thrill she ever had in childhood was
in Washington. Her parents were
playing at the old Keith's two-a-day
house, and President Wilson came
| down to see the show. She was
allowed to sit in the box with him,
and afterward he presented to her
and autographed the fan he had
used to keep cool. She still has it.
When she was about Is Miss Shaw
went with Phil Baker in New York
nitery, later appeared with him In
vaudeville. Thereafter she was in
sundry shows, really made her hit in
the last "Follies.' in which she dou-
bled for Ruth Etting and Helen Nor
gan at one time when both those
estimable crooneresses were ill Her
limitations of Morgan got a gentle
| razz from a certain local critic. She
avenged herself this week when he
gave party for her She climbed
up on his piano and chanted that
Just My Bill" number, substituting
the "crick's" name for Bills. II yot
know the lyrics you'll realize what
sweet revenge it was.
Her next pictures: Frisco Kid
with Jimmy Cagney, and Broadway
Hostess" in which she gets her first
leading role.
And we almost forgot. She has