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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (June 20, 1920)
.THE OREGON SUNDAY , JOURNAL, PORTLAND; J SUNDAY MORNING, . JUNE 20. .1920... " it Portland Has v: Contributed Heavily- to Theatrical Firmament -.'S - v i - . V " By Earl C. Brownlee Population considered, no other city in America - has placed more ' luminaries In the theatrical spot light than has Portland, the amaz ing record ,of New York city, its great colonies of, players and play things and massive show houses, notwithstanding, ; ,t i . On Portland stages, sometimes dim little travesties upon the pres- ' ent pretentious theatre, yet always forward In the development of. the . Far West's stage art, the brilliancy of scores of famous latter day stars " first shown in the theatrical firmai '., ment. , Meanwhile. "the " play's ' th -thing." has proved to be a miscon ception and in the human element " of modern entertainment : we , find the seed of romance and the fruit of interest. Only a few years ago a chubby young. fellow, pitifully Ignorant in stage craft, ' sought a ;, "career," with, a little "Portland stock com pany. His , ludicrous shape stood him in good "stead and' on the strength of it he was rehearsed In a minor comedy part. Shape, by the way, has won for -more: than one stage beauty her "place In, the sun of admiration. This chubby chap, though, "was funny. On that day no one knew the lad. Today every man. woman and child In Portland counts him an acquaintance and from South Africa to the" Klondike. his antics are famous. - He Is "Fatty" Ar- , buckle, one of the highest salaried motion picture players in the busi ness. " i .''!.- " . ' " - "He was utterly and hopelessly impossible in the first makeup he -ever wore," the . man who jhired him testified. "His first appearance on any stage was in Portland, but In his part he managed to hold his Job only with- the aid of much' coaching. : Of course, we had no Idea Arbuckle would some day be famous and. withal, such a pre diction would have been mlknla ftkA when - he stepped out that first night in his idea of a makeup. He has outdistanced us all In fame and fortune." "Fatty" Arbuckle is by no means the greatest of Portland's contribu tions to the personnel of the stage and screen, yet he is one of thC most widely known. ,'..." , . ,- ", " ' ; .' j " .-' :; tV'-'.7.''s Probably no other individual has achieved so great a degree of suc cess as Florence Moore, stellar per- . former on the important' stages of the nation; star of "The Passing Show." a few years" ago; queen of -burlesque and vaudeville and now the featured entertainer in "Break fast in Bed' a notable comedy -' success. ' - ; : Florence . Moore "started" in Portland- and from a local stage was graduated to the larger field. She joined ... the famous "Billie" Montgomery, another, ' product . of Portland footlights, and with him ' composed the team of Montgomery 4e .aioore. mat combination has entertained millions.. Both have re- turned : to Portland ; In .vaudeville and with some of "The Passing" Show" annuals." . ' ; " . When Miss Moore stepped off Portland stages she had developed her powers from-those of a little known chonis girl and her develop- III ';'---. -L4m' Sr. T ; h 10 Kf..s.t'.-.V-:-. ' '.C: - ruvv ' , $ If ' - ' t ' - Ml ' f II ' . ' , ' f , ; , - IliV,, , it . ' . J uK- ' f- J - ' 'x v J; ;J .-.' , , , V- iJrJj o Our i vi -'.v V:,.. ... V " : - . ' 1 I ;-Q y r V?'-: " -y V J v 1 ment is not yet ended, for a current announcement reports her- entry into motion pictures as a star to be featured by Marcus Loew. " 5 , t .. Than Marjorie Rarabeau, it is said, there is no more talented and popular dramatic actress in the new generation of American play- ers.' Her stage experience was nil when she came to Portland to play parts in stock.. But she clambered t over the local goal post after a few ' years and has become, by dint of energy, and . talent, a popular fav orite. She is In pictures Just now. ' Meanwhile she has not forgotten her local friends and, judging from the tribute paid by'on of her" early managers, she never will. He said:' 1 "If Marjorie Ram beau was aloiie in the, theatrical-sky and had mil lions of dollars at : her' feet, she . would never, be "up-stage.V She has -a heart of gold and an ability that . none can question." . r .it ' -.' .:.( ; j ' ' - ' .- - Warta Howard, one of the best" , known stock actresses in the world : (the territory Js wide, but the term is justified by the, statement of local managers); has had a- career that reflects interestingly " back' to v her start on a Portland stage. For some 'years after she was "grad uated" , from " the local 1 field - she . played t success in the. East.- She 18 ' spent - some time opposite - Henry Walthall in motion pictures -where ; her fame was enhanced.. Present r records indicate that she is in the Orient with the T. Frawley Stock . company.' ' . - . V:- -- '". .. . - :' 1' . 1 Frankia White that ? name"' has - -been emblazoned of the skies of New York city in just the same way that thousands of actresses pray their. own names may be'dis- . played owes her start to Portland. She was a-chorus girl years ago in the "Lyric Stock company, and' in ' two years "here she developed into . a soubrette of much promise. She made good on all promises, too, for after leaving Portland she became a - member of : the famous White & Rock team-earning, it is said, from '$1000 upward for a week of, entertainment, r She and her partner -have been Winter' Gar- den stars, 'thrilling . New York's Broadway with their entertainment and padding their own records with fame and fortune. . Pricilla Knowles, known to Port- . land theatre goers of several years -ago as a dramatic actress on the 'threshold of success, chose a career in stock, following her Portland -theafrica debut. For several highly successful and profitable seasons she played pleads in New York city jstock. . 1 ' :.." " ' Owenai Walcott, - whose " stage -; name is Ona Munson, was born and "reafed in Portland and here, within the v last few ryears, . received the training that has' put her upon: the ' highway to success, although she ; is- Just. now. 17 1 years old," according to local friends. . -JlLss Munson entertained here as Jewel Gai'men, locetl cidfl picLufes,', sucxssRjl "vai3deville successful, i Miss .Munson - will - be famous over night. . This ; Portland girl , had beerr a member. Of ; the f Ziegfeld v Follies, but withdrewjto accept the; name role In "Dream Girl."., Last year she was featured in the "Scandals of 1919," Ann Pennington's musical comedy that" won much praiseT, In ' she did five dances. 'i the "Scandals" hi. " - xxvcin gslu. "wio -was cd.Taaueitecu an amatenr though never as a pro fessional esthetic 'dancer. She -was a marvel at her art and 'the an-;-nouncement that "she has: opened as leading. lady -in 'rreamGirt" at- Baltimore is ; pnly " what was" ex ' pected. ; She f is" featured in, this Charles King production and 'when it is proved out In smaller cities it will move to New1 York city,- anS, ' ii " graduated into -the- pictures,- where To gjve space to the many who have won renown on the bright side of the, footlights would demand a volume,- yet these and a few others ' are outstanding figures in the the atrical or motion & picture world. And i not alone 'as Thespians 1 Ao Portland folk' connected with the theatre excel. 'There ia,4 for " in stance, Jules Eckert Goodman, said to be one of the, highest paid play wrights in the world. - Goodman waa born at'Gervais,4Or.r and was schooled" in ' Portland and at Harv ard. " His first, big success was. ."Mother," and at one" time four of his plays were running on Broad-, way, New York city. Leon Errol, who started . as an actor in an unimportant musical comedy part- in , the- old Lyric in Portland, has for several years been- producing for Florenz Zieg feld and is one of. the best known' men in the business. "Bob", Cunning,, who isn't strictly speaking, an actor, but . who made 'much money in vaudeville, first ap peared en the stage in Portland as the hand-cuff king."- Cunning came back to Portland a year ago. a recognized performer," to expose at The Audi toriumr - the dark and wicked ways ,of the mystics. - He didn't then mention the fact.", bit it is" true," that the ' first ..salary he. drew as an entertainer was paid to him in Portland. There are others, scores of them" They include .Pretty Dorothy Bern ard, who .first played, in Portland in "kid" roles at he"Baker."Dot." advanced 'apace to a prominent po sition In, dramatic circles and was herr beauty and talents - have won . her a big place.'' .Jewel Carnfbn, a Portland girl, is one of the big lights in thecinema world.' y Rhea Mitchell, reared in : Portland . and ': started ' upon 1 - her career here, is a 'blg time" vaude- - devllle performer. ' ' . f . .- - y . ...-. - . . , . ' One- : authority, has z said - - that Portland produced 'more .burlesque j stars than-any other ' single , city .in the .United : States, -regardless . of omt df them . would ; Indicata th .". truth ot'the statement. .New York 'cftygeUm'aof credit," however but - sometimes. unjustly so as .the" scene of fthe first glimmerof stars.. From ' 'Prtiarid and'from air'other cities . the' ambitious playerdrtftsto New xorK city,, noping ,ior . a - career. Some' of them find it.- ' f 1 : ' When they 'stay at! home,? Just i plugging along; they-usually get to r New York, nonetheless, but 'in a bigger,,moresurevWay thahvlf -they had made the intervening 'distance in one bold ileap. ;Fpr toptance: - Flo Cunningham, , an f ambitious, prettygirl, was earning; her. way in ''Portland a few years agd as a cap able, courteous, attendant in a caf- .terla' at $8 a week Larry -Keating, Lyric manager was4one of her, cus tomers. Casually Keating suggested -the theatricals life. The girl, was ' not enthused she wondered what mother would think. VLater'eat Ing had opportunity to fell mother -that the ' theatre wasn't 'half so ' black as It has been" pictured and finally mother consented 'to permit her- daughter: to -become a chorus " girl-' at- $20 a Week -which "; was 'some" . jump "in Vwages! especially at that time t ; i '( ' "The girl was impossible," one of , her coworkers has said .-"She' was ' coached for two weeks before she ; went on', and then'rshe .was' awful. But she " improved ' and: finally drifted into' smali .'time, vaudeville. She met" and '.as married to a : vaudeville ; actor named' -Ford , and her big success dates1 from ' that ; time.' ' ,' 'K'' , ". Miss Cunningham, was' in Port land 1 a" f ew; weeks ago, "playing at the ' Orpheum with'i her.r husband 'and, although' she ; hasn't: -yet at . tained headline cjass,' she is on the way to that coveted place at? the -top of the program.-! ; ,V ' v.
