Show Arliss' Arliss First Stage Appearance Netted Him Six Shillings Few of us in later life Ute enter upon the 10 career we planned in the years of f our childhood George Arliss tar star of ot The Merchant of Venice coming oming to the Paramount theatre December 31 and January I 1 1 had two wo youthful ambitions The s second sec sec- Cond C- C ond nd came to him when he was 7 years ears old His IUs first desire was to explore the le world world world-In in other words London as as the conductor of or a bus At the age ge of 5 6 that seemed a very glen glOrious giori- giori ous js career and one whIch promised ed aU all 11 sorts of excitement nt and lure ure ture The bus conductor continued to o appear to him as nS' a a. sublime char char- aster until the day of or his first fret visit to o a theatre That happened when he lie heas was as 7 years ears old He was taken to a a. London Lon Lon- don on pantomime The Th clown down In the performance made a a. great impression Impression sion Ion on the future star and the clown costume which his Ms mother gave him became one of ot his dearest and ond most cherished possessions But as the years passed he outgrew outgrew outgrew out out- grew the clo clown n dress a and d tho the de desIre desire desire de- de sire to be a clown but not the wish to be an actor No member of his family had ever been upon the stage but his imagination had been fired Preliminary experience was gained through n a series of plays playa given upon a n. little stage built in inthe inthe the cellar of his parents parents' home At Ata a Q childrens children's p party when he w was s 14 years old were the two sons of ot a musical comedy tar star then very popular popular pop pop- ular in London Arrangements had been made Mr 11 by Arliss' Arliss cousin and the tho actress actress' sons to act a 0 play When the day of ot the party arrived the cousin could not attend and the two boys bos with a Q stage ancestry persuaded their host to play his cousins cousin's role This was vas Mr Arliss' Arliss introduction to the stage After four years of ot home theatricals theatricals theatricals theat theat- at the age of t 18 18 Mr Arliss made his debut with the tho stock company company company com com- pany at the Elephant nt and Castle theatre in the east cast end of London under the management of ot J. J A. A C Cave ve In ln Saved from the Sea at ata ata ata a salary of G C shillings a a. week week- about Ho He had no lines tines tl to and no advance in salary un- un til towards the close clos of ot his first firste year e ear r. r but he had been l launched un h d dupon upon tho the career he had chosen and am he had learned something about acting |