The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-05-31
Mrs. Ricca Scott Titus
Today and in childhood days.
BIZ Elisabeth Carr

TINE bright orange handbill of
a Peaks Island portland. Me-
summer stock announced in bold
Caslon caps the appearance of "a
wonderful team of trained dogs
and on down the sheet, in infin-
itesimal letters. also the child
actress. Ricca Scott"
Young Ricca was we'll aware of
the necessity of her being an
actress, in spite of her desire to
live in a home. She was born
into the stage" Her great grand
mother was an actress and her
great grandfather directed an or
chestra. Her mother was one of
five sisters noted for their dancing
and her father was Julius Scott,
Shakespearean actor.
The child's first bed was bat
tered trunk in the wing of a
Brooklyn theater, and her days
were spent with her sister Ray
seated at the side of her mother,
learning lines from her mothers
lips. Too young to read, for she
was just 3, the child would look
at her mother in amazement,
weep as her mother wept, and
laugh as her mother laughed She
followed the footsteps of her sis
ter-when Ray outgrew a part, it
became Ricca's.
All the glamour and incidents of
her childhood returned as Ricca
Scott Titus leafed through her
Scrapbook and looked over pictures
taken of the talented Scott chill
dren."
The dignified and sedate pose
of Julius Scott recalled a day
when he was playing in an East
ern theater. The youngsters,
who stood rather in awe of their
father. were told to say Isn't he
beautiful whenever they looked
at him upon the stage. Ricca and
Ray we're late for the opening
performance. but as they scam
pered down the aisle. hands tight
" clasped. eyes glued on the stage,
their lips kept muttering 20 isn't
he beautiful? o isn't he beauti-
ful?" to the amazement and
amusement of the patrons.
NTHEN just a baby Ricca was
w clasped by the hand of Ray
and the two little girls mounted
the stage clad in ginghams with
sailor hats and a tough express
sion for a bowery number. Ricca
didn't know what she was sup
posed to say. but parrot like, kept
her jaw moving like her sister did
and made faces when her sister
did.
Drilled rigidly in the rights and
wrongs of behavior. the children
had been told repeatedly that they
never were to take anything from
Strangers-and they didn't. But
the success of the Bowery number.
and the enthusiasm Of the audi
enCe prompted the latter to toss
coins to the tiny tots standing in
the spotlight. For moment only
was Ray undecided-as fast as
the money reached the floor, Ray
vas Snatching it up and throw
ing it back in all directions. NUT
tering. My mother doesn't allow
me to take money from strangers"
while Ricca stood with finger in
mouth. clutching Rays skirt and
with eyes as round as the quarters
rolling or the stage.
Summer stock, one-night stands
and vaudeville took the child &C
treSs to many cities and brought
her in contact with many great
perSonageS-with Mable and Edith
Talefaro. also child actresses; on
the program with Nance ONein
and with Mckee Rankin as direc-
tor: with Dick Bennett in White
Heather" and in productions with
the famed Charles Frohman as
producer. She was 7 when she
was given the leading role in
oliver Twist" A newspaper clip
ping reports The role of Oliver
was PLAYED by the child actress,
Ricca Scott, whose every move
swayed the audience"
Her director, Mckee Rankin.
USED 10 call her Nine. Sarah
Bernhard" and remind her that
when you close a door after you,
you take the scene with you" Her
biggest parts were in East Lynn"
and True TO Life
A REHEARSAL of Her Atone
~ ment" which played at the
Academy of Music with Joe Hum
phrieS. director. and Frohman.
producer. stands out in Mrs.
SCOTS mind. Ricca'S stage moth