The Washington times., 1936-06-23

Around 1908 Frank Bacon, later
q stage favorite for his unfor-
gettable "Lightnin," left a stock
company in Omaha, Neb., to take
q vaudeville booking at the Tabor
Grand Theater, Denver, doing
semidramatic sketch. Bert Will
Williams headlined and the team
Of Malone and Myers also played
their initial vaudeville date on this
bill.
When the curtain fell on the
first show the sepia headliner sug-
gested Malone black up to get the
most out Of his Texas drawl, and
Frank Bacon helped the new act
by advising short nicknameS in
the billing. And thus they became
Pick and Pewee. "Pewee" Myers
later became well known in the
big-time team of Myers and Henne-
ford, while "Pick" Malone began
his burnt-cork career and may be
recognized In the radio team,
"Ptck and Pat" and as January
OF "MolaSses n January" current
Fox headliners.
Nine years ago Pick Malone
stranded in Charlotte, N. c., adver-
tiSed in a trade paper for a black
face partner and received an an
Swer from a youngster named Pat
Padgett, in Atlanta, Ga. However,
owing to the fact that the "LaSSeS"
White minstrels closed in Char
lotte that season, Pick teamed
with Paul Chauette, who did a
negro woman feature with that
show.
Strangely, the next season
young Pat Padgett took Challette's
job with the "LaSses" White show
and later in New York was intro
duced by Paul Chalette to Pick
Malone, the man whose ad he had
answered three years before. It
was after this introduction that
Pat Padgett teamed with Pick
Malone and thus originated
"MolaSSeS in January" and "Pick
and Pat" an ether team that to-
day receives more fan mail than
any other CHS feature.
WAS CHORUS MAN
And while in 1908 the aforemen-
toned team of Pick and Pewee
were playing the old Hodgkins
western circuit, Edgar Kennedy
left his job as a chorus man and
underStudy to Richard Carroll in
The Alaskan" Giving notice at
the Court Theater, San Francisco,
he went on the competitive Gus
Sun time. an unbilled performer,
playing his first vaudeville season
as a rough and ready weSterner
with the Alberta Lee and Com
pany act. incidentally, he stepped
on the Earle stage Friday for his
first vaudeville date since he left
that act in 1909.
A short career in the ring
clinched the Pacific coast cham
pionship in 1912, and brought an
opportunity to do heavy" parts
under the Mack Sennett banner,
where he campe6 for the next six
years. Some of the featured
comedy stars on the 1912 lot were
Ford Sterling, Gloria Swanson,
Mabelle Normand. And some of
the unfeatured were Harold Lloyd,
Bebe Daniels, Wesley Ruggles and
Frank Lloyd, the two latter being
noted Hollywood megaphone
manipulatorS today.
Some facts are that he directed
the first Laurel and Hardy come
dies, when these two funSterS
teamed under al Roach. His right
arm has been broken IA times and
his left knee three times while
working in front of the lenses. He
is the only Hollywood actor to
ever stay in the ring with Dempsey
for IA rounds. And the lady of
his headline act at the Earle is
Mrs. Kennedy.
ABOUT JACKIE HELLER
Little Jackie Heller, added at
traction on the Fox bill, has re-
Gently signed to go into Damon
Runyon'S yarn. Saratoga Chips, :"
slated for production by Jack
Curtis as a fall Broadway musical
comedy featuring Ethel Norman,