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Show ! I Dempsey Goes Thespian i . - i m ; ' ' 1 j i I ' r ' ' ' S & together on a bench, like babes in the woods, keeping their eyes on their scripts or on the director who sat at a table just in front of them. The rest of the cast, some 20 seasoned sea-soned Broadway actors, were huddled hud-dled on benches and store boxes. The huge stage was baret' and the seats out in front were covered with canvas to keep off the dust. A Technical Knockout Jack-bent over his script for his eyes aren't so good and the first time he read a line, his voice sounded sound-ed far awav. He couehed and clear- "But why which arrhglub glub." sputtered Jack Dempsey. as he and Estelle Taylor began rehearsing for their forthcoming appearance in Broadway, drama. Jack for once was badly licked, but then it was only his first try. BY HOKTENSK SAUNDERS NEW YORK, Aug. 4. Jack Dempsey has gone Thespian he is in rehearsals now for his forthcoming forthcom-ing Broadway debut in drama. But if Jack follows the advice of Broadway Broad-way well wishers, he never will try to learn, to act. "Be Yourself. Flay Jack Dempsey. Demp-sey. That's the character the public wants to see," are the instructions with which Jack is commencing his career in "legitimate." The prcducers of Jack's first show, "The Big Fight," have agreed to pay the ex-champion and his wife, Estelle. Taylor, just 12,000 berries a week. Jack's share of this is estimated esti-mated at $10,000 all for "being himself." him-self." not for acting. Non-Acting Is I'rol'ilablf? To be sure, this proves that an ex-champion's time isn't quite so I valuable as a champion's, for at this rate it will take Jack a year, playing six nights a week and two matinees, to make as much as Tunnoy made in half an hour at the Yankee Stadium Sta-dium the other night. But what is an ex-champion to do? And the Broadway crowd will tell you that ten grand a week isn't to be sniffed at. In fact, if Jack could act, he wouldn't be worth anywhere near that much. Which shows how profitable pro-fitable personality can be. Jack's initial rehearsal was an interesting event. For he was cowed, cow-ed, scared, stage frightened, and i beaten to a frazzle. The perspiration perspira-tion that came out frequently on his brow wasn't due to the heat, because it wasn't hot. Jack and his wife Estelle sat close ed his throat. Estelle patted his R arm encouragingly. A good spong- ffi ing off, such as a fighter gets be- tween rounds, would have' helped him enormously! He jabbed a little, and feinted, and finished his sentence. sent-ence. Figuratively, he had been knocked out. When asked how his memory was, Jack replied honestly: "Rotten. I don't see how I'll , ever learn the lines. Of course, the fight part is swell. I'll go in training for that ; do my road work and gym every morning, and Smith and I can box together. But the lines are different." differ-ent." Love? That's Easy The love part doesn't worry him. "Sure," laughed. "I've got a heavy love scene. I'm going to emote all over the place. But that's with Estelle and it's no trouble." |