The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-04-13
First Appeared in Public
When 3, to Reclte
Short Poem.
BY FREDDIE BARTHOLOMEW
as told to
RUTH M'TAMMANY
Times Special Writer


call Cissy. Warminster is beauti-
full English village, not far from
London. l do not know how 1t came
about but my father returned to
London with my mother and sisters
and left me for fortnight with
Aunt Cissy.
About there, I begin to remen-
her. I know beautiful lady was
telling me story about Pussy Cat
Pussy Cat and know also I
wanted to stay with her in the
pretty little white house and hear
more stories. l stayed / never
went back to London to live.
An Important Question
"Cissy used to go out great deal
on what she called charity errandS.
1 have since learned that they were
her activities in the British Legion
and Women's Institute. I was three
and one-half when she asked me an
important question:
Freddie, would you like to re-
cite one of your little verses at my
church bazaar?'
Il must have answered indweed
I'd WV it, really don't know-at
any rate this all sounds rather silly
now that ] am IL. I went to the
bazaar-I stood on table so that
all the ladies could see me and I
recited Washing Dolly's Clothes
and the story of London police
man directing traffic. 1 am glad
they applauded the policeman story
the most because, you see, it got me
off on the right foot as it were.
"What a sweet little fellow said
all the ladies who crowded around
me and Cissy.
"'What lovely curls he has.
Cissy Was Pleased
"I never recited Washing Dolly's
Clothes again in public, but Cissy
was pleased and she began teaching
me lines from A. A. Mines plays.
liked them tremendously and really
felt like quite man when l was 4
and went to London to recite in
Wigmore Hall.
It began studying Shakespeare
when 1 was 5. I liked Mark An
tonys speech best of all. wanted
to go to school, but Cissy thought
she would teach me herself She is
a splendid teacher, you know, and l
realize how much advanced work
we did.
when I was 5, Cissy came to me
,,,;tl. ~ ;,,1r,0rto,ot junction
You see, Cissy and have quite
system, really. She always asks me
first If 1 want to so and so. Then
we discuss the matter and it is very
nice because we always arrive at the
same decision. So Cissy asked her
question:
Freddie, would you like to go to
London to play small part in
rlction pictures?
"Tn pictures?' I said. Why yes,
Cissy, If you will be my teacher.
"'No, Freddie, you will have di-
rector-a man-and he will tell you
what to do
We Go to London
80 we went to London and
played very small bit in pic
ture called 'Toyland.' When l was
6, 1 played another small part in
Fascination l could not have been
a very good actor because no one
asked me to play in more parts.
Cissy always has been kind enough
to say that there were not many
stories for motion pictures with
children in them.
when I was 7, won gold
medal in an elocution contest for
my reading of Tennysons The
Brook BY this time I had made
many friends throughout Wiltshire
and was kept rather busy with such
appearances. Perhaps Cissy thought
was getting out of hand bit be-
cause soon after I received the
medal, she sent me to school where
stayed for one year. liked it, too
there were a great many boys
to play with and everything seemed
cutie different.
"Cissy and 1 had been reading
Dickens David Copperfield' and
sometimes I wonder what would
have happened had I not read
about David.
My Momentous Decision
zone evening Cissy and sat
reading and were in that part
where David was being sent away
to school. I always did feel sorry
for the chap and would get very
sad over his problems. Suddenly
that evening decided just what I
wanted to do.
"sCissy,' I said, I must go to
Hollywood
'HOLLYWOODp
"She was too surprised to laugh
and so just stared at me.
"'I have just read in the papers
that they are to make a picture of
David Copperfield and are looking
everywhere for a David"
"'But, Freddie, have you any idea
how far away Hollywood is?'"
al know exactly-across the At
lantic Ocean and another 5000
miles or so across the American
continent. But it is so important,
my going. because they can not
find a David and I have known
him ever so long. understand him.
Please, will you take me, Cissy?'