The Washington times., 1936-01-06
Al Clowns
AsMany
Giiggle
By KIRK MILLER
Times Sports Editor

It is my purpose to report
to you today about Al
schac.t's presence on Mr..
Loew's Fox stage this week.
This is not a hasty report,
like SO many of US typewriter
technicians are forced to file,
but rather one made after .
weekend elaboration.
For it was Friday night I de-
cided President RooSevelt's mo-
mentous talk to Congress, and
the country at large, would have
to forego my attention in defer
ence to the stage appearance Of
a baseball personality Of whom I
have long been fond.
Maestro Carter Barron had ar
ranged for many Washingtonians
in and on the edge Of baseball
to be present.
The Gang Was Present
There was Clark and Mrs. Grit
fifth, Umpire Bill and Mrs. Nc.
Gowan, Joe and Mrs. Kuhel
and of course, Frankie Baxter, all
tucked away m a balcony box
and Baxter was laying five to
three that Schacht wouldn't come
out when his turn arrived.
Now, whether you think any
sport personality is q fit subject
for the vaudeville stage, depends
upon your attitude in passing
Judgment upon them. In other
words, if you expect them to be
as adept or as finished as those
into whose trade they are dab
bling, you're almost sure to be in
for disappointment.
I have observed q few figures
from the world of sport picking
up a penny here and there in the
off season before the footlightS
and it seemed to me Schacht car
ried as much into his work aS the
best Of them: maybe more.
For instance, he clowns beneath
the spotlight as satisfactorily as
Earl Sande warbled when the
great little jockey passed through
here some time back as a virtu-
oso. His antics were quite as
gratifying as Mickey Cochrane'S
saxaphone playing q few years
ago.
Folks Didn't Leave
In his particular line Of testing,
Schacht is as much within his
rights on the stage as was AL
Mamaux, another baseball player
who has done a turn or two as .
song and gag man.
Furthermore, I can be q witness
to the fact that during AIS SIX
teen minutes out there exposed to
the public glare, no more people
got I'D and left than are usually
vacating their chairs for one rea-
son or another. None asked for
their money back.
Too, I must admit I observed
nobody laying" in the aisleS, a
term often used with reference to
actors and actresses who "wow"
their audiences. In fact I have
never seen such a spectacle as
that in any theater in my casual
observations thereof.
Truly, I thought this Schacht
was doing pretty well with the
equipment you could expect OF
haseball's court jester.
Schacht Hard Worker
AL works hard. seems to be will
ing to attempt anything, from
playing Q piano to directing Phil
Lampkin's orchestra, kissing some
of the bald pates thereof as he
meanders off the stage to take the
leaders pedestal.
Fact is, a lot Of people in that
audience were having a good
time watching Schacht'S daring.
Frankie Baxter in particular was
Just about the nearest to any.
body of being laid in the aisleS,
as Andy Kelley and Elizabeth
HyneS might say.
But when turned around IN
my seat to clock the reactions OF
Clark Griffith, the man who has
no THEATRES in his soul, I was
flabbergasted. There he was. head
tilted back, not laughing, but
sound alseep.
I was rude enough to mention
this incident to Schacht in his
dressing room after his withdrawal
from public view, and he was
quite undismayed.
"FOr $3.50 q week, they can
ali 60 to sleep!"
That fellow Schacht win gel
Along-Somehow!