The Washington times., 1937-11-03

ON~-
of renown and not only knows
every line backward and for.
ward, but loves the beauty and
majesty of the words. However,
he deplores the too frequent
"ranting" of Shakespeare's
lines and believes that too many
people become so involved in the
words, that they entirely forget
the meaning of them. He thinks
that the speech of Mark An
thony, over the bier of Caesar, is
one Of the greatest political
speeches of all time, if one takes
the trouble to study it, and to
hear him explain in modern
speech, the reply of Brutus to
the friend who chides him on his
indifferent manner, is superla-
tive entertainment.
For 35 years he has been on
the stage, but there is one youth
full experience which never
grows old in his mind. It seems
that the company, in which he
had a small part, was stranded
in Dumfries, Scotland. Nobody
had any money and no prospects
of getting any. Mr.. Humphreys,
in desperation, finally told this
sad state of affairs to a Scottish
minister, who listened without
once relaxing the severe frown
on his face. When the end
came, the minister told him he
would help, but added, "all Of
you must be in church tomor-
row, Sunday"
The entire company went and
afterwards, ate heartily of beef,
plum pudding, vegetables and
later discovered that the Minis
ter had paid their meager hotel
bills and bought them tickets
back to London. Years later,
Mr.. Humphreys sent this same
Minister, five pounds. Prompt
ly. he received a note which
read, "You are an honest man."
and beneath, the signature Of
the Minister. Mr.. Humphreys
is Of the firm opinion that act
ing is a business and that no
actor, no matter how good he
may be, can do a brilliant piece
of playing unless he has good
lines.
my favorite part" he told us,
with a bit Of a smile, "is one
in which I do not have to
change my costume. where all
the rest Of the company talks
about me, before I come on, and
then when I do come on, I can
dc my part and then walk Off"
This is the kind Of part he plays
in "Tovarich" so he says. He
is the most completely poised
and calm person, but will, at
the drop Of a hat, fight violently
and verbally for what he con-
siders right, particularly, good
theater."
He once wrote an article on
the theater, for a New York dra-
matte critic. This article later
appeared in one Of the biggest
New York papers. Mr.. Humph-
reyS was no end pleased and a
few days later, amazed when he
received a check for ten dollars,
from this same paper.
1T was tremendously nice Of
them, don't you think" he asked
us. At that precise moment. we
couldn't think at all, for we had
suddenly remembered, the week
ly earning capacity Of this re-
markable gentleman. He has
a keen and delicious humor and
it is with him constantly and
appears often in softly spoken,
"asides" to various actors on
the stage.
He remembers with great
pleasure, the play Romance"
in which he appeared with Doris
Keane. He is very pleased over
his good-looking twenty-one-year
old son, who is now on the Eng.
lish stage, in a small stock COM
pany, and is delighted at a
recent letter from him in which
he informed his father that he
had just finished playing the
part of the Commissar, in the
stock production of "Tovarich,"
"the same part that you are
playing in New York" he told