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About The advocate. (Portland, Or.) 19??-19?? | View Entire Issue (July 6, 1929)
/ Illustrated Feature Section P o rtla n d Advocate ! i'O'ü'O'O C>U»0'<"0><l>0>0'««l«0«»'<l>0,9 1111 I 0 0 1 J» » IIXUSTRATKI) KKATUKK8KCTION. July 6. 1929 lr»lu t* N H « In his o w n w o i Is he te lls w h e r e he g o t his n a m e ; w h y he w a s f o r b id d e n to d r i v e his th r e e stunning C a d i l l a c s , an d m a n y o t h e r t h i n g » a b o u t his i n t e r e s t in g a n d u n iq u e career. « Section 'J»9>OKoQta)Q)OQM / Dixie Lad lias Risen from a Pov erty Stricken Orphan to the Most Popular Negro Actor on the Screen T o d a y.. 7.rtf < » . tm It DMrtofa 11. ~ - | - M ere b e 1« i t th e w h eel o f th e ear that hii Hy R U B Y B E R K L E Y G O O D W I N I Prepii>-«1 K »rlu *iv ely f«»r Uw lllu « Irate <1 H lr lim l .Stepin Fetchit really known his public. And he (fives it W It 'll it WUllt». Fur aome people the third time in itupponed to be tin* charin, but in trying to interview Stepin Fetchit one'» pa- (n.in-«« han to lengthen out considerably. At leant night ap- pointinenta were broken before a suoc.*aitful interview wan » finally landed. II Jiving arrived at th.- charming I’erry bungalow. I wits told by bin »inter that Mr. Perry (Stepin'« real name) would aee nt«* in a few minute». • Mv ob» rvation« of the cheerful and exquisite SiriUM »' IS furnishing« in * home were interrupted bv the of the entrance of a wide awake young man, who neither drawled nor whined, but held out hi« hand, smiled pleasantly and »aid "Good-morning. D i f f e r e n t F r o m th e S t e p in i. P i c t u r e » I was surprised. I had expected to see a mild "Gummy.” not unite so la/.v as the original in "Hearts in Dixie." but slow enough to lie known mid recognized as "Gummy.” That is why I had to ill Mist mv.self to this energetic young man with a collegiate look and a nervous v i t a l i t y that ►bowed I t s e l f in hi« gesticulating and restless movements. I was a dancer and ringer and after that I teamed wi 1 * We took the m m e of the horse He was called '.Step and I was called 'Fetch It.' Our act was eond but we split up and I was billed with a minstrel show as Rastus. the Buck Dancer ' But I didn't like that name so I called myself 'Jolly Pard then later Sk-eter Jerry ’ "Then hard time« came to Skeeter Perry He was put In jail and it teemed that his residence there was to be permanent. . Stepin Goe» Straight " I ain't ashamed to tell you that I really prayed.” he confessed " I told the Lord tf H ed Just let me out I d go straight tf I starved." Stepm ’s hands once liad a wav of "»tickin' " to things. Well, his prayer wa.s answered. "I'v e seen sotne pretty tough days since then but I never forgot my promise At times I made as low as fifteen dollars |>er week, but I always stayed straight So Ood knew I meant what I said and then I began to get some good I got on a vaudeville circuit and was soon pull ing down one hundred per week. I took the name Stepur Fetchit.’ First Movie Try-Out i "One day a friend skid to me. 'Step, why don't you try out for pictures Metro-Qoldwyn-M ayer needs a boy in In Old Kentucky." " " I went out to the studio and entered a loom filled with aspirants for the role. When the man asked my name, I said. 'Stepin Fetchit.' He smiled. 'Is that your name? "Sure. I replied. "H e soon came back and said the director wanted to see me. I slouched Into the office and flopped In the chair nearest the door. You see, I put on that pose for then benefit. "W ell, the director liked me so they offered me one hun dred per week to play the part. I told them, all right, and he told me when to report for work. *75 A Day "W hen I got back to my room I started thinking I had sold myself too cheaply I was making one hundred on tlie stage Why quit that if I wasn't going to get more. The day before we were to begin work I went to the studio and told them. ‘Nothin' doing for one hundred per week.' ’"H o w much do you want?' they asked ” 'One hundred a day,' I said slowly. 'T h e y laughed and I started out the door “ Hev. wait a minute.' they called me back "W ell, we finally agreed upon seventy-five per day " John M. Stahl was Stepin Fetchit's first director and he Is more enthusiastic over hint now than when he first slouched Into Ids office H a » to b e F u n n y " P e o p l e expect me to be funny. I am funny. I |i ivc to lie, you understand 7 " lie began I'li corroborate hm statement he handed me a are.« clipping ranking him to be the "greatest r o m e d i a i i since Bert Williams \ -J \ x*a»U Stepin « ( ulturetl th<* »m * »t h Ui-M K -nun Salary Over *750 Per Week Stepin Fetchit has a two year optional contract with Fox Studios Many people will tetl you that he makes one I was tiorn In Key West Florida, but they know all about that t s'pose. thousand per week He told me himself that he made 'you h ot ask me wlial you want to know and 111 tell you." he finished with quite a bit over seven hundred and fifty per week and all a trill«* of Impatience. ; expenses He Is to receive two hundred per week raise in Well we re curious about your name W e heard you took It from a salary every six months. race lutr.se; did you?" J W h ere Stepin Clot Pinched Eleven Times for Speeding Ills Nam e Yes. he has three cars. A special built Cadillac and •'Yes. It was this way Some of the papers have It all wrong You see 1 used to hang around the tracks was everything from stable boy to tout, two others fully as impressive looking. He couldn't be as slow as Jjeople say for he received eleven tickets for speed ft was at a Texas race trark where I saw Step and Fetch It.' the racer. I ing so Fox Studios suggested a chauffeur. had lost on every race and didn t have a dollar tn my iHx-ket hut I dtd have on some classy toga and a stud that sparkled like 'nobody'» business' Before I.ikes Old-Fashioned Girls the next rare came on a friend who was wilh me wauled to bet me ttiat His father and sisters are with him And. oh ves. Step I,awn Martin would win the race Lawn Martin had never been beaten on ; Is to be married and to prove that he is old fashioned, he Unit track but as I looked over tin* list t saw the name 'Step and Fetch It ' I said: It struck me Names do somehow 'Here's a horse that can b«*at la w n “ I want a house full of children. I'll have plenty to M a rtin ' I told my friend lake care of them with, so the girl who doesn't want to “ Even money says he can't,' my friend came back mother children, doesn't want me " I'm broke but I'll bet you my clothes and my pin. How much will you " } ,S‘ V* ,en **'r cent of 8,1 1 nlak« to the church.” bet?' Stepin Fetchit is a Catholic by conversion He goes to mass "M y friend knew that the sparkler was genuine so he said. 'One hundred 1 every m orlu ig but Monday and every Sunda# vou will find and fifty.' his three «Sirs loaded with friends that accompany him. •' 'You're on.’ And so was the race A H w H um « Start "W ell, Step and Fetch It stepped home a head in front of Lawn Martin ; thereby saving my warxlmlie and pin and netting me some rash * Never Misses Church . . Tru.': 1>4» promise to his Ood, he lets nothing Inter- with liis Attendance at church. The studio» know tills (Continued on p * fe Ten»