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GILMAN & COMPANY LIMITED Tunt IOND.
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1953.
A CALL FOR ME AT THE DRAMA SCHOOL
S
GROS,
עות
ม
when I was going to drama spinach, and bushels of corn to DC and took it home. I even toyed with the idea cop, when he protested again,
my
most
OMEWHERE, in ductors #nid: "You are defiltely seats in kind. That's why it got away, hop the first freight train, with cranks who were agitating do not its name. There is a scale of und Gregory Peck, the would-be to keep America out of the war some little one-horse one of the people we
We had to wait quite a while want. in Lown
It your trouble els any alternative charges pasted above actor, would vanish from the America, worse it is liable to cost us the office hatch. For a bushel work of the theatre altogether, to get Inside the bullding and there must be a big 10.000 dellars in surgeons fees," of corn a couple of dozen eggs, I could always get a Job truck my buddy, Ken Tobey, broke department store mail order' I wore the support for three a basket of spinych, or a cottage driving. I had a desperate idea ranks for a few minutes. When catalogue in which parts of years. It doesn't worry
returned lio naturally re- me cheese one could get a comfort of striding in front of the cur- ho
able sont in the stalin.
tain and telling the audience the joined me in the queue. Gregory Peck model shoes, now, but I sometimes got
A tough-looking cop came up: I almost prayed any ex- A decent sized pig might whole sad story. I shirts, fedoras (hats), and, twinge it I go in for
for flood or an earthquake to "End of the line, buddy," ceptional exercises.
guarantee a box for the season,
"But
began Tobey. Heaven help me, underwear, At one time in
carcer After the show we whacked out wreck the theatre and make it
at the line," cald the "End of For in those lean days, prople pale
tomatoes, the
impossible for the show to go ate it. We sold the corn. on.
seized him. school, I had to earn money te me net. It's true. And got very tired of spinach and of, suicide,
Thought
indifferent And all the time I sat on an "Hey." I yelled, "you can't do to keep myself, and I made they didn't throw them on the toformance was overpaid in emply beer crate at the back of that to my buddy...
stage.
as you might be imagin- most of it by modelling for
The pork.
spinach ing
growers that
hot malignant curtain
"And you too," roared the photographers.
it was in the summer of 1940. seemed to have an outing one would have to go up in half on cop, and we were frog-marched I had won a scholarship among day, because we had spinach hour and subconsciously was through the laughing crowd, just the young hopefuls of Broadway and eggs for breakfast, tlinner making up for my part as an a couple of Shakespearean riff- to attend the faineur Barter and tea!
elderly man. Wo were playing raff. (No good telling them ! light comedy called "Button, was Edward III 36 hours before!) remember calling out as we "You can't A great friend of mine in the were jerked along:
taxpayers"-which the do that company clapped me shoulder. "Nezer mind, Greg," was a bit fresh for a kid of 23 he said, "11 be right here in who wasn't earning enough t the wings with the book and tax-and the cop sald grimly: "Well, you own the gaolhouse, Iced
ced you every line."
I was on right away. In the play I was the black-sheep of family returning home after maid, the years abroad. The
the last same one I had scen lime I was home, was handing round biscuits.
After a gruelling day in school
I would go to a studio, and there In front of the camera would be Theatre of Abingdon, Virginia. As I say we had our farce paid given 90 articles to wear-top The auditions took place in ond we lived free, which meant couts, sports jackets, lies, and, of Broadway theatre, and the 200 that we were able to devote our- courke, long woollen underwear of us
three selves to performances that, as for the long Peck legs. I would minute: 10 40 whatever we young unfledged actors in New
dash in and out of the various
articles
of wear. The photo-
grapher would take literally
I
of
hundreds pletures, and would collect theques for $25. I was one of the three men
in falls and white tles admiring' the girl who used Palmolive
soap. Another $25. I was the happy Truck
fur driver Edison Telegraph Co. public relations handout, waving good-
nundour,
"wife," and to my "klus," going into the spotlessly clear
garage
bye
heat
uniform, and patting my shiny truck. Jun quite sure that Edison do have a lot of work- people and that they treat them well. They pald mù $25.
were
allowed
FILM STAR
GREGORY PECK
TELLS HIS
LIFE STORY
wished. Only one woman
a
Button."
ab
to
son, you'd better inspect it,"
Into Gaol
And so we were thrown into the little gaol below the Ameri- I got off my first line: "Hello, can Parliament, and I marvelled Mollie, I hope your biscuits or as we cooled our heels for
Then plong they used to be." couple of hours. as good as And then I had a brainwave. came a police lieutenant, heard took E biscuit and alowly our story, and let us out with "Get out and I wandered over to the admonition: munching the wings and got my next unc. stay away from here or you'll
Every time I dried up took get to like it."
But the pay-off was the para- and York, we could eply do in drama tnother biscuit and made the walk to the wings. I
praph put in the newspapers by one mon could be successful. school. Here we were able to same AL this perled noncy, or
The Judges were the most out try out our immature Shake flowed up the play like a brake. a reporter who Interviewed us,
"They claimed rather the lack of it, was iny
to be actors," the speare on live audiences who But I daished. the drst scene, my
sald. constant worry, I was always standing performers
Lo .sec un. Maybe my line, and the biscuits, and i got he
I spent two years at the scrabbling for the odd dollar. 1 Broadway stage that year i pakt
Dorothy Stickney. I gave Hamlet wasn't quite worth the back my confidence. borrowed extensively, even from
Neighbourhood School. but ham, speech from "Saturday best home-cured the prople who ran the drama
people paid cheerfully, and it school, Later 1 paid it all back Children."
they weren't enlightened, seme- with grateful thanks to these
times they were amused. people, strangers in my life, who helped me to make the grade, $15.00 taught me the craft of my
fession and Joaned 25.00
money to help me to five.
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Ruptured Disc
pre-
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During my school year at the 5.00 school-they must have got fed with my "subbing"I was 4.00
given a weekly ten dollars, to 5.00 keep me going. 1:00
the
WDS
It won.
In the old days
on
Always Nervous
But the show went on.
There was
in
12
and at
the end of that time I took part
Gregory Peck as Captain Hornblower. Bolow: The lang Pack legs that once modelled long underwaar
McClintic looked at me in
in the grand performances of a amazement. "But I've only just play which would give each of put down the phone after talk-
a part worth while. In the ing to you," he said.
audience were the talent scouts of Broadway. From among us
J
Ten o'clock, eleven, midday....... One was for
sir, but I am in a I gasped out,
McClintic grinned, and I think
Rot
remem
McClintic · offered me a four-
And so I got a free rallway ticket to Abingdon, Virginia It
The play must have been is a very old town, as American Tourists, of course, paid in awful for the audience. I mixed towns go, with a little theatre- dollars, and maybe they thought up the third and second acts. they might pick a lucky one who cum-town hall that has seen the we really were hams,” But to floored my fellow artists with would be put on the way to star- it was my eagerness as much as famous in the theatrical world. youngsters like ourselves, this the Wronk cues. And the dom.
iny performance the previou Bernhardt played there, so did was a rare opportunity to let audience got home very late,
Next day we all sal round in eve
evening that
me my first John Wilkes Buath, the man ourselves go.
waiting for the school
The professional engagement. who assassinated Lincoln,
I have never had such stage telephone call that would mean play was a Russian drama which Incidentally, the drama school Stage-fright of the paralysing
always go!
fortune. Apart from biting my play was a when the kind is the worst thing that can fright again; but
t had any
nervous at the beginning of a
ber of players. My part was Great ones of the stage toured happen to any actor,
that of a a card-sharp, I thing.
indicates that an-e, swept as the rest, America, Abingdon was a must first baptism of it during this picture. This, I think, is a good fingernails I was in just es auch gave most opportunity to a num- ber it was not much of a port, is trying to give of his in their itinerary. It was just tour...
actor like an old London theatre with
moustache, Guthrie McClintic but had a
wore Due to the illness of another best. could
roles. I had been given a big
fancy clothes, and smoked tong I had a full programme at the a gallery from which you co
played seven actor, almost touch the players.
cigars. 10.00 school. I was studying acting,
a play schduled to be weeks in Virginia and got a lot In recent years a Vinthiau, part in speech, dancing, history of
For our valuable experience of theatre, and taking part in one- Robert Porterfield, has taken it put on in a town 80. miles from
His mission is to bring Abingdon 24 hours later. In last show, "Edward I, we let then two calls. 24.00 act plays. It was while i was over.
and sprouted me. those 24 hours I had to try to our hair grow
A girl, I forget her name line part in one of Shaw's pinys, a funny now, but she never made the "The Doctor's Dilemme." I had get my sleep, load a truck with boards, 15.00 duing my calisthenics that I in- the theatre back to his people."
jured my spine. I was sitting on
scenery, drive It B0 miles, set up sequel to this. After the show grade on the stage, got the other, a tiny piece of dialogue in the
Mine
was proud... Guthrie last act. But bending
Claim To Fame the scenery in a school bulld we bundled into the bus, just 18:00 the floor of the studio
that company I sloyed with McClintic, husband of Katharine tees my body and touching my
aug, wire up the building for as we were, for our two-day Conwell, one of our leading for five months, during which with
footlights,
and limes, finger-tips. Something
etc., Journey to New York. my
time 1 understudied two leads, 15.00 went click. I had
frightful
We
al stage artists. broke the journey Porterfield's claim
learn a 102-page part which I to fame
had never seen before?"
it was Washington, and
here sense of pain and weakness in must surely be that
He asked me to see him in his I was wonderful experience to he олес
rehearse big scenes with great back, and of course I had to bought the performing rights of 5.00 the
I was in a cold sweat. My for the first and, I hope, only office that afternoon.
that I was my life go into hospital for X-ray and the Shaw play "Arms and the companion tried to help by re- time in
These producers are gods to performers. the young
the hopefuls of
People have asked me what it Treatment.
as I drove thrown into gao!.
like as a raw recruit from drama school playing opposite They found that I had rip- Virginia ham! That wasn't a and niuking me "repeat" fured a dise in the spine, and bari one to put over the tight-cook me about five hours to our
back. But learned very little.
anxious to hear the oratory of command.
great actors and actresses. At politicans and statesmen, Afternoon be blowed! I tore c for three years I had to wear Beted old vegetarian playwright. It
was nervous. first, naturally, I trooped out to the out of the school as soon as But after the first moment I was irace. This put canvas bra
mu out When I wanted to produce the unload and reset the scenery and
dropped the telephone. For five of the dancing and calisthenics same play some years later at and it up the lighting, and half Capitol building and queued to
blocks I ran up Sixth Avenue to quite happy and confident. The class, and I concentrated upon my theatre-for-arts-sake at Lu an hour before the curtata I sat get admission.
Jolla il cost me $1,100 in hard peting and speech tuition. Later
Now don't forget that in our his office over Radio City Music great ones radiate strength and down on a box at the back of it was to put me
of the cash.
the stage in despair. I tried to long hair and beards and our Hall. I was breathless when I confidence. They are the easiest
to play opposite. presence of Army draft. I had two examina- The box office at the Barter recall the part but I could only bohemian array of clothing-we was shown into the tions al Grand Centrul Palace, Theatre' is a largish one. It has remember the first line.
looked a pretty queer lot. And the great man. I did the run th Manhattan, In the spring of 1941 to be, because in addition to All sorts of mud ideas dashed just about that time the police three minutes, which wouldn't and six
later. The money, people can pay for thei?' through my mind. I would run had been having a lot of bother have disgraced an athlete,
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months
But
Hitler protests
Her SRT
BONN NO protested against the BPITE (Pass Thrive
hit
The protes did not from Adoll but that not 471-ver-6 ha-brother Lifeels that
the table film brusies dvcredi
3181968
WDS
from
Man" for a large, sugar-curel citing the lines to me as them---Being-young-nelors-we--were dramatic schools. A. request isa.
wc
Hitler's brother thinks a new film discredits the family name -so CUMMINGS suggests an epic production to restore the Hitler reputation
1934: #fifter επαντήσει
Youth"
morements.
1997 ter hung in Ropal Academy and made an RIA:
1938: Cunning Chamberlain outwits honest litter-al Mimich,
ffliter
defends
Germany ferocious Czech
PRUSSIA
1939 Chamberlain stabs Hiteter in
"PSIA "after" "Grimára.
Hitler, déppets Gentiles and makes
well-governing Stafy for Jews,
"1946": finlar falli of the head of Bià tradpl Defore the Eastern Barbarjana,
ST. ! ADOLF
ogainut
·1980. ì Müller cochtendratað fór his
services to eletHTON DE
London Maprons Bervice
Understanding
When we closed In San ¡Francisco, Kotharine Comwell re- hearsed her next play. It was a lucky break for me because was there for nine weeks play- ing "The Doctor's Dilemma," and opening the next play. wasn't even on the stage in this, but I got 50 dollars a week for under- studying two leads and acting na assistant singe manager.
There was one moment when I came close to taking over a big pari. We were
were playing In Detroit, One of my joba was to get the actors on stogo in time. Оле One night the leading actor was not in his place 15 minutes
before the rise of the curtain. telephoned him at his hotel, but' there was po answer. It
occurred Dist he was probably
to me
10
asleep. so I raced out of the theatre into the bitterly cold streets of Detroit and ran áll the way to his hotel, up the stairs, and burst into his room. He was asleep all right. I shook him: scrambled into bis
dragged him out of bed,
avo
clothon
By this
time I wanted minutes to curtain rise. Ho just got on to the age, in ime. That was about as near AK I ever got to going on tha stage in a big part during my career as an understudy.
It
strange how didom understudies get on to the stage in the parts they have doubled. Perhaps it is that actors are so very conscious of the Insecurity of their profession that they are reluctant to yield a chance to the newcomers. But it is a fact that success with an understudy is largely a matter of luck.
Understudying never gave the mer chance on the stage, but luck has always played its part in my life.
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