The Washington times., 1936-02-19

cinema-it's such . fascinating
game it makes slaves Of nearly
everyone associated with it-Pm
q native son. / was born In San
Francisco on July IL, 1894,
missing BY . mere seven days q
chance to celebrate my birth
day with fireworks. However,
I do remember that one year 1
shot off just as many firecrack-
ers on my birthday as on the
Fourth. The neighbOrs' disap-
prOvaI Of such . spontaneous
celebration, rs relayed to me
through my parents, put stop
to any future recurrence Of such
jubiIatiOn. If 1 skip the glory
and beauty Of she Golden Gate
It isn't because I'm not a booster
1T heart, but simply because my
fellow tOwnsman, Major BOweS,
does it 50 much better. At any
rate, they've never had to play
California Here I Come" for me.
"HOme Sweet Home" carries the
same significance when I'm re-
turning from . trip.
I lived in San Francisco until
I was IL years old, missing by less
than a year the experience of go
ing through the disastrous earth
quake and fire. Even now I
sometimes wish we had stayed
there another year. It would have
been q great experience.
After leaving San Francisco I
literally grew up on both sides Of
the Atlantic. My fathers business
required him to spend nearly as
much time in Europe as in New
York and he liked to take the fam
lily with him. Until the day, that
is, that an associate told him about
the famous Institute Zig in
Switzerland. Then it was decided
I should go there instead Of get
ting a smattering Of education as
we moved about. I stayed there a
year and a half and came away
with many memories that will
never die. One thing which stands
out is that we used to go down to
a bakery shop and get chocolate
sandwiches every afternoon. They
were made by placing a bar Of
milk chocolate between two thick
slices Of bread.
Back again in the United
States. this time to the CaSca-
diIla Preparatory School at
ithaca, N. Y, prior to enterins:
Dartmouth College. 1t was ut
Dartmouth that / had my first
outbreak of theatrical raSh>
disease that has been with me
ever since. But I never once
have worn grease paint. It
seems that right from the start
was relegated to the executive
end Of show business. In try.
outs for the university dramatic
organization, the pOwer8that-be
couldn't make up their minds
whether to cast me as the hero
or villain, or just to have me
shift the scenery. Three other
fellows grabbed off those jobs
and I found myself sitting at q
desk as manager 0f the asSO-
citation. That was the begin
ming Of my executive work and
I've never switched fields.
More migration. in the interest
of education. After a year at
Dartmouth I went to England and
enrolled at Oxford University
The time spent there has more
than once proved invaluable to
me because of the insight I got
into the British mind. This stood
me in good stead when I later
entered the theatrical field in
England and again now when ]
am producing pictures which must
be suitableS for the English as
well as the American market.
Finally deciding that mine
was to. be a career in the the
ater, 7 sailed suddenly for New
York. arriving just ahead Of
Granville Barker, noted English
producer who came here to
found q new theater. / still don't
know low it happened, but out
Of a clear sky he chose me to be-
come his chief aide. Our object
was to stage Greek plays and
modern versions of Shakespeare.
Ehe first actor to whom / gave
a contract in this company was
Ernest COSSart, who has just
finished working for me again
in palm Springs" Another
member of that company was
the late o. p. Heggie, who
always win remember for show
ing me the delights of Skimming
@ across the surface of the sea
In SailbOat.
Always there were more offers
and kindneSSeS from theatrical
folk than any green kid had a
right to expect. Mainly because
Of my showing with Barker, was
offered the management of the
Marberry stock company. The
Z graciouSneSs with which Jane
\ Cowl, even then a big name ir
the theater, accepted a suggestion
from me kept me in the clouds
for week. Irene Castle was an
other member Of that company
who did some fine dramatic act
ing. So much so that was sur
prised when she turned to dane