Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-21
WadslUOrth
Makes South,
North Meet
BY CHARLES GENTRY

young man from the South who
has an idea Of becoming a North
star.
He is Henry Wadsworth, the ju-
venile lead in the Billie Burke
show, 'The Vinegar Tree" now in
its fourth week at the Lafayette.
Although Henry has a long
white plantation with big COL
umned-whiskers on the Kentucky
side of the Ohio River. his ideas
of career are strictly set with
a New York angle.
perhaps It's because several
years on the New York stage,
and an even longer stretch on
Hollywood sound stages have
taught me that lesson, but III
you want to be a good actor
you've got to have an appre-
citation of every part of the
country" Wadsworth declares.
"Of course I left the South
ut an early age. My family built
our home I'm 1861 and every gen.
GRAFTON has lived there. Now my
father and mother are dead and
i am the sole survivor. 1 feel
such a responsibility that will
never let the place lapse into any
sort Of decay, but ut the same
time I feel as though I'm part
of all parts of the country"
THE SPICE OF LIFE
Being n Southern squire has
. it's attractions, but these fade
into such insignificance. when
you are trying out q new part
I'm a barn theater I'm South
hampton or doing n late take on
n Hollywood sound stage" is
Henry's claim.
One of the most talented young
actors on the stage and screen
today. Wadsworth learned to give
up mint juleps and fast horses at
an early age.
Since he graduated from college
he has appeared in over thirty
Broadway plays. so films has been
in vaudeville. European burlesque
and even wild. if not so western
rodeos.
FAITHFUL FELLOWS
Outside of the blue grass coun-
try. he loves California best and
has made his home there during
the past six years.
He has a home in what he calls
the rough side of Beverly Hills"
but even II it's that, he has had
until recently, two Jap servants
who were quite devoted 10 him
until about the first week in De-
cember.
Shortly before that he asked
Takasha, the house boy who used
to shave him il he'd ever be likely
TO cut his throat.
Takasha answered without a
moments hesitation:
"Nosiree, that IL gardeners
Job, i set fire to house."
Even at that Henry didn't sus-
pect the gardener, Takisha, until
he came out one morning and
found him moving the hedge with
a machine gun.
A DOUBLE TAKE
That was the end. but Henry
still regrets the fact that he
couldn't have the twins walk in
some time. in duplicate costumes
serving the once-too-many cock
tails TO friends who might think
they were seeing double.
Now that it's all over. Wads-
worth is taking care of his own
hedge. shaving himself and mixing
his own drinks.
Quiet-spoken, we'll hammered and
quite reticent, Wadsworth thinks
that the worst fate which can be-
fall an actor is when he loses the
abaility TO laugh at himself.
HUMOR SAVES ALL
a. good actor Is not really a
serious actor. II he can still
take a quick look at himself and
see how funny the public IL
likely to think him, then he's
all right. Maybe ultimately that
kind Of humor IL going TO hit
me right I'm my career, but In
the meantime, I'm going to keep
on laughing"
Although he is currently on tour
in The Vinegar Tree" Henry is
waiting for army orders and while
he is a full-blown sheriff and an
warden at home he is
dying 10 get into aviation patrol.
Following his appearance here,
he will return 10 the coast just TO
find out where his fate lies, either
for la guerre, his country or his
latest assignment at Warner
Brothers.
II