The Washington times., 1936-06-15


started working nights in shows
My first public appearance was
at the Peoples Palace in st
Louis, where I played the trap
drum and sang illustrated songs
You should have heard me ren
dering Take Me Out to the Bal.
Came" You would have con
tended that I wasn't worth the
. So a week I was receiving.
San Antonio saw Mrs. Edwards
boy Cliff next. I drove a grocery
wagon there.
From San Antonio I drove the
wagon to Cleveland, Ohio. ]
hoped off the grocery wagon to
demonstrate nasal humanatoneS
the current fad, in the basement
Of Bailey's department store.
It was at Christmas time, and
the star performer at Bailey's
was Charles "Flatiron" Worth, a
clown who had been featured in
the big circus shows, but who
was temporarily starring in a
character role. He was the de-
partment stores Santa Claus.
After the holidays, gOOd-time
Charlie, for he was that to me
received an offer to 60 into
pictures for the Reserve Photo
play Company. John and
Emma Ray were the stars and
owners of the company, which
made reels of a thousand feet,
$50 feet of which were devoted
to clOSe-upS of them. Worth
got me a job as comedian for
SIS q week.
Pictures weren't even in their
infancy then and the company
died.
I started to peddle magazines,
using the gag that 1 was working
my way through college. hadn't
even progressed further than the
seventh grade of elementary
school.
Finally I hit Chicago, where I
accepted a position offered me by
Mr.. Thompson, of the Thompson
one-arm restaurants. Mr.. Thomp-
son didn't exactly engage me per-
sonally, but nevertheless I worked
for him. I got top billing as a
counter man.
The Federal Inn next had the
honor of presenting me. I sang
"Poor Butterfly" -. and very
poorly.
After that came appearance
with Jake Sternad'S original 9
..Napingese. I was the tough guy in
that act. and you can believe
me, it was kind of tough.
I Joined the 4 Harmony
Chaps, but my first big break
didn't come until Mike FritZil
engaged me to play my ukulele
after the orchestra had quit.
I'd go around singing dittieS &C
cOmpanying myself on the uke
for the tips the tipplerS would
toss.
In this cafe an old hard-bOiled
waiter by the name of Tommy
Farrell couldn't remember my
name, or perhaps he didn't even
try. At any rate he nicknamed
"me "Ike" and later tackled
"UkuIele" in front. I trade
marked that name and it's
brought in plenty of ShekelS.
I started to play the ukulele by
chance. At the rooming house
where I lived in Chicago, the land
lady had a mandolin above the
fireplace. I removed four strings
and started to fool around with it.
I don't know how I learned to
play the instrument, and still
don't understand my technique.
Hundreds of people have asked
me to teach them, but I can't, be-
cause I don't know myself how I
produce my melodies. I suppose
it's like Topsy. It just grows.
From Fritzl's I teamed up as a
drummer with Joe Frisco at $50
a week for Is weeks. We came to
New York, where I flopped and
was fired at my first appearance
at the Palace.
TTndaunted. 7 went back to my
old standby, Thompson. I was a
counter boy at his restaurant To-
Gated at 1904 Broadway, next to
the Hollywood Restaurant. It's
still there, and I occasionally re-
turn to dip a doughnut.
quit ThOmpsOn'S to team up
with Pierce Keegan, playing 212
weeks on the Poll Circuit. Gene
Buck caught the act and
brought us to Ziegfeld, who
hired us for the roof, where we
played with Ned Wayburn, w.
C. Fields, Lillian LeitZl, Fannie
Brice, Bird Millman, Ted Lewis,
Frances White, Van & Schenck,
Chick Sale and DeIysia, for an
engagement that lasted 16
weeks. That was kind of funny,
going from a One-arm lunch
room to the classieSt eating.
place in New York.
After that worked on the Keith
Circuit and in Jimmy HuSsey's
"Tatle Tales" I split with my
partner and joined Lou Clayton,
with whom I worked for three
years doing blackface. We played
the Palace II times in II months.