Evening star., 1935-09-01

GO4S0-O0l ONA 1C1ONCd b6taNC oOA1
and ever 80 many others have m the
past been great public entertainers.
and have made the world better and
brighter.
Mabel Taliaferro was the head
liner at the opening Of Chases Thea
ter. Her contribution was . playiet
in one act entitled The Return Of
Tori San" and she had to assist her
Joseph Green and Thomas j. Carri-
gan. Many will recall Miss Taliaferro
in the Zangwill play and other pro-
auctions of thst period. Follow
ing this came Don Fulano. . trick
horse. and John e. Hazard, .
comedian, who had been with Fritzi
Schef in Mime Modiste." and who
took the place Of Arthur DEACON. who
was too i'll to appear. Hazard was
brought from New York by special
train, and as a pinch hitter did ex-
celently well. Ideal" champion fancy
acrobatic diver of the world. and mo-
ton pictures Of current events, closed
the program.
Proprietor Chase always put On
good program at his theaters, and
secured some of the best talent for
his circuit. and it was not unusual to
see on his bills such wel-known teams
as Mcintyre and Heath. Pat Rooney
and Marion Bent, Sam Chip and Mary
Marble and Kate Elinor and Sam
williams in the Hunter and the
Hunter-ess"
OF course, Will Rogers came oc-
casionally to spin his lariat and tell
his jokes-the same clever enter
tainer then as In later days. What
he had to say was always enjoyed;
was clean, full Of real wholesome
wit, which, at times carried with 1t
great deal of philosophy. He was
not what some might call an edu-
Gated man, for an authorized sketch |
of him says he was educated at
Willie Russell's School, Neosho, MO,
and attended Kemper Military Acad- |
emy, Boonsville, o short time" How. |
ever. what he lacked In schooling he
made up for in good personality,
natural talents and ability and q
generous amount Of horse sense, q
combination more valuable than ell
the college degrees put together.
HIS biosrapher also tells US he was
= a Mason, a Shriner and In re-
ligion o Methodist. But, though |
these things are nice, If lived up to,
yet 1t Is not so much as to what we
belong to or profess as 1t Is to the
way we live and act out our lives.
AS The Star said way back in 1871:
people who sing and pray Nearer,
My God to Thee are respectfully
informed that the way to get there |
Is to get nearer to their fellow men,
especially to the poor, those who need
help, sympathy and encouragement. |
To be always singing the words and
keeping as far as possible from Gods
family, embracing all mankind. is
evidence that you are shoddy Chris
tian and want to get into good COM
pany on q deadhead ticket"
We. who only knew VIII Rogers
as an actor, author and a radio en-
tertainer, perhaps did not know his
true worth as did his friends and
those who came in close contact with
him daily. They tell Of his lovable
character, his sterling qualities, his
charitable disposition and his wiling
ness to step out Of the limelight and
give the other fellow q chance. Surely
these characteristics will endear him
to his friends and cause him to be
forever admired by his great invisible
audience-to whom he spoke 50
often-and those, of course, who knew
him years ago, when he was just q
good vaudeville actor.
It Is impossible to recall the names
Of all the attractions that came to |
Chase's Theater. Eddie Cantor-no
doubt the same Eddie Cantor Of to-
day-came there upon occasions, so
did Julius Tannen, Ed Wynn, who,
like Cantor and others, has become
a radio headhner; Billee Taylor, Lulu
Chaser g. Co., Bud Fisher, who created
Mutt and Jeff"; Digby Bell & Co.,
David Belasco's company in "The
Drums of Dude; Irene Franklin, who
sang "Redhead," and Frances White,
who lisped her 'Mis-sis-sippi."
Lemon City" was true to life and
realistic examples may still be seen
motoring through the State Of Florida,
and probably one would not have to
no 90 far to zee q good illustration II