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^55 (lipper’5Anecdotes, Personalities and Continents,coifcunuKOSTAGE FOLK and Sometimes OTHERSBT JQ8BPHINB OBO.The English actor of eminence Invariably has his eye fixed upon the ever possible honor of knighthood, and naturally because of the several notable precedents so honored by the king. The American actor has not this Incentive, and apropos of this are some lines in a letter written William Winter by the late Richard Mansfield. This eminent critic and writer Is working on his book of the life and art of Mr. Mansfield, the collection of data and all necessary biographical material for which he began many years ago. In one of his latest letters, showing his appreciation of the fact and the honor paid him by the one who would be the principal factor In the work, he wrote;I am tremendously excited about your writing the life of U. M. It Is better than being knighted.*Among English actors In America—those who have not been heralded stars—Wallace Ersklnc has had more appreciative remarks made concerning his fine work than any other. It has so often been said that In the production of plays where the English character of high degree Is to be portrayed, that It Is seldom well done by the American, and that the characterization lacks the Illusion of reality—the personification of lords and ladies of English life usually suffering at the hands of the American player. English actors themselves do not always come up to the standard of refinement demanded in their representations of. the real nobility and gentry.. One of the greatest of playwrights, In watching Wallace Ersklne's work, said: Of all English speaking actors, he Is the most realistically natural player of parts depicting the high bred personage—he carries the essence of It In himself. And during his long residence and professional work in this country he has not deteriorated In this quality.Among the many stories of his recent tour in South America, during which he played the parts created by Nat Goodwin nnd other sturs, he relates one happening at a Buenos Alrcs performance, In which an Important scene In “Raffles was Irretrievably spoiled by an over-zealous stage hand.Those recalling the Intensely dramntlc scene In which the gcntleman-thlef, Raffles, who Is about to be captured, escapes by going Into his bedroom, where he Is followed by his pursuers, lie quickly rc-appears upon the scene emerging from the big grnnd-fntlier clock, which Is supposed to be In working order, recording the passing time.The man to whose hands the business of the hands of the clock had been delegated at this performance, did not realize the rapidity with which he was revolving them around the face of the clock, clipping the time off at the rate of about an hour n minute. The nmllenec was soon aware of the laughable situation, nnd expressed It In occasional laughs, the cause for which was sought by the mnnnger, standing at the back row. Quickly observant, he saw the clock hands moving at n ludicrous rate, then rushing back he pushed the stage hand aside and assumed the charge of the property himself. A moment later, Instead of the dramntlc silence the scene called for, there wns a roar of laughter which mnde the cold perspiration start from his every pore, for he felt that the cause wns something concerned with what he was doing. When Ersklnc, as Rallies, came out of the clock to make his dramatic escape, he too was met by the loudly cxpvessed merriment of the audience, which had absolutely destroyed one of his most Important scenes. The reason thereof wns not discovered till the drop of the curtain, when one of the players explained that the clock hands, on censing their rapid revolutions by the stage hnnd, began slowly to move in the opposite direction when acting at the Instance of the mnnnger, thus presenting the unusual sight of a clock working backwards.Mr. Ersklne relate* on Incident of Kyrle Bellew’s Australian tour where, being short' of people In his production -of Hamlet,” the star pressed Into service his personal dresser, carefully rehearsing him In the few necessary lines of the small part he had to play. The man was a cockney,” speaking the dialect with the usual droppings and Insertions of his ft'* In places where they did not belong. The amusing “break-up” of both • players and audience occurred in the scene where Hamlet, hearing a step, calls out, “Who goes there?” the reply to his demand being In Shakespearean phrase, “ 'Tis I, my lord; the early village cock has thrice done salutation to the morn.”The young cockney, who could better dress his star than address any of the Immortal “Hamlet” lines, confusedly answered;” 'Tis hi melord, the hearty village cock,” and rushed from the scene.*
Newspaper Details
New York Clipper
New York, New York, US
Sat, Aug 21, 1909
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Carolyn M.
USA 06 May 2025
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