Show hat l a t ru Atc n nf C 0 1 M r N c W a Latest Remarkable able evidences That Thai Mr Richard Bennett Can Be Just as Temperamental as Other Great I I Artists of the Stage So Often Are to J R RICHARD BENNETT the 1 1 I V liR actor is famous for his artistic temperament It has caused him to do many peculiar things in the course of his career things career things that have often otten been rather puzzling to the ma- ma majority ma majority of his admirers But the eccentricity eccentricity eccentricity of Mr Sir Bennetts Bennett's genius has never been more surprisingly manifest than in his recent happy announcement that he was engaged to marry Mrs Mrs Thelma Mor Mor- Morgan Mor- Mor Morgan Morgan gan Converse the beautiful sister of the recently widowed Mrs Reginald Vanderbilt Of course Mr Bennet has a right to marry whom he pleases but ther there were some extraordinary angles to this par par- particular particular particular situation First Mrs Irs technically Converse Converse technically at was least was still the wife of James Vail Converse the New York clubman and financier Second Mr Bennett tuns rumored to be engaged to Miss Patti Moore a pretty little dancer at the time he broadcast the news of his 3 betrothal to Mrs Converse p Third he lie had just been f divorced divorced from Adrienne 5 h j Morrison Morrison B Bennett tt evidence evi- evi evidence orrison enne on eVI Il dence that hinted at a third fel i V 1 young lady whose feelings i s might deserve some consideration consid- consid 1 f cration inthe in the matter And fourth at the time r r of his divorce Mr Bennett BennettI had rolled his eyes to heaven and had h d declared with tropical fervor that there was only one woman in the world for him him him- his wife ex-wife i Now the there e is no explaining tempera tempera 1 ment and all the con conflicting circum- circum circumstances circumstances circum 1 stances in Mr Bennetts Bennett's little romance might have be been n attributed to what is sometimes known as a low boiling point paint Many actors and artists begin to steam at two degrees Centigrade degrees Centigrade And Mrs f Converse is so charming charming that she could make an Eskimo feel like a Zulu in the I matter x f high minded rom romance nce T 1 However re b before Broadway r way and Long Lle bled the information that so far from marrying Mr Bennett Mrs Con Con- Converse Converse Converse verse was engaged to marry Lord Fur Fur- Furness Furness ness Fur ness one of Britain's richest peers the tho wedding to take place 1 lace as soon as her divorce decree became final Moreover Mrs 1 Converse seemed to think that there wasn't the slightest basis for Mr 11 Dennett's Bennetts announcement and her em- em embarrassment embarrassment em embarrassment and distress at his initiative was something to see sec I One would suppose that this strange turn of affairs would be equally em- em embarrassing embarrassing em embarrassing to Mr r Bennett but a real artistic temperament is hard to When informed of Mrs Converses Converse's in- in indignation indignation In Indignation and denials the tho actor laughed tolerantly and insisted that there had been some mistake And as for Lord well Furness-well Furness well that was just too silly to discuss After all ho he asked who is Lord Furness A nobleman that's nobleman all Every Every- Everybody Everybody Everybody body knows about noblemen and Thelma would be a very foolish girl to marry anybody of that type Now take me he be continued sim aim simply ply Ive I climbed the ladder of success I am the father of three beautiful girls J My daughter Constance isa isn is a a a celebrated i Y a M M Mt 4 t 31 1 i t f s w wi W es i r s h l rpY i x t rr t r rr t Janu ne I matter closed a short s Hy I statement from Mrs Con Con- Converse Converse verse was considered considered necessary essar essary It was vas regarded actress My daugh daugh- daughter I Iverse little odd that Mr t as a ter tel Barbara Darbara became Bennett should have rung the dancing partner the joy bells instead of 5 K of the famous Mau Man MauI Maurice Ills Dire Converse who whose s e rice I am as I said I place it really was a before their their father That statement was not Let Lord Furness long coming Far Par away away- away approach that record in France to be explicit explicit- explicit if if he can the unsuspecting ideal of o With these few DIr h Bennetts Bennett's beautiful 1 modest remarks Mr dreams picked up a news newspaper w Bennett prepare prepared prepared to paper and read his happy drop the subject I announcement and and im immediately but unhappily Mrs mediately rushed for the Converse was not cable coble office Just what t content with her hershe hershe she said is uncertain Def De- De Despite f early denial The Themore spite Mr Bennetts Bennett's im- im im-i im moro more she thought I bullet of f the about it the madder day day before he be is is not the theman she got and she be began man to give out a lads ladys ti gan burning up the private vale correspondence cab c a b l I e s with very but it was generally reo re- re regarded Lord Furness England England's s pointed and highly as s so o met m e t h iii ib g wealthy widower and explicit repudiations pretty hot and ha heavy y reported engaged to of the actors actor's love Simultaneously Euro Euro- European harry narry Mrs Converse As S they kept coming peon newspapermen ca cain ca- ca in Mr 11 Den B Bennett e n net n e t t seemed to be a little surprised that Thelma I wont won't wont won't I cant can't believe has turned me mo down he remarked mildly Not until she returns that beautiful ring I gave her any any- anyhow anyhow how This suggestion cabled to Europe inspired Mrs Converse to make a state state- statement statement statement ment so 50 definite that even Mr 11 Ben Ben- Bennett although nett-although nett although slightly bewildered ad bewildered ad admitted that perhaps things were not exactly dory hunky-dory and forthwith ac- ac accepted ac accepted a vaudeville engagement and left New York to drown his sorrows on tour His Ills friends hoped that his heavy heart would soon be lightened and judging from his past his suffer suffer- sufferings sufferings ings will be forgotten in the glow of other matters before long It was only a few months ago that Adrienne his beloved wife called at his apartment and discovered a situation that called for divorce It was wag then that the actors actor's heart burst witha with a bang that was heard from coast to coast At once taking a apen apen apen pen and ana paper he made his sorrow known in deathless p poetry etry The follow follow- following following following ing is a sample of the verse to which he was inspired I fi f 11 i q V m tsia I t J Richard Benn Slapped one on e ele Mrs Onh On left e-left le l Mrs Thclma Thclma ma Morgan Converse r promptly and vigor vigor- ri t l y denied Mr Bennetts Bennett's announce announce- announcement ment of their engagement TO ADRIENNE Ive I've made no promises my dear clear That Ive I've not tried to keep H Hold ld that thought in memory of me All of my own towing sowing With heartaches heartache hu I must reap I Incredible as it seems the above vers was struck off in less than ten minutes time with a dozen doren dozen newspaper f reporters po t rs on hand to hold a watch on on the actor actor- poet actor poet The spectators were so impressed th t they r marked th that t there had had been no love such as ns this since the times of Romeo One of them however was so 50 blundering as to to ask Mr Bennett Dennett if he would ever ma marry ry again What cried the heartbroken actor actorI not I marry again Of course not How can I g get t married again when I still love my wife I adore her worship her worship her herI I think she is the the most most beautiful thing in a all the world I shall always love her and and then and then and then then- then He clasped his forehead and closed his eyes as if in pain And then you ask me whether hether I Ishall Ishall shall marry marry main ain lie He was so 50 shocked by the very idea ideatha ideatha tha that he called for more pap paper r and pencils and committed another poem on the spot as follows ON MY DIVORCE If one could so 10 o conduct ones one's one life lire To hold the dream dreams that hat early one ODe does doel build Oh then would come an end end-a end heaven With no intentions intention unfulfilled The reporters astounded by such ver- ver versatility vcr ver versatility and geni genius s asked Mr Bennett what the last poem meant With a sigh the actor octor closed his eyes eyes and made the following immortal remark The road of least resistance is the shortest road to hell But despite the contrition this remark seemingly implied Adrienne Morrison went ahead and got her divorce Nor was she surprised when she returned to Europe a 11 few weeks later and heard that Richard was reported engaged to a South American heiress a dancer and several debutantes I wish him the best of luck she remarked re- re remarked re remarked marked Only I never saw lIaw such a busy man I t S 'S S 1 Ii 4 1 hr r ry a ef t d l ww r f 11 q t H Hi i d 0 av I 9 S 4 jJr I 4 II I i iSi Si wr 1 1 II III ett in He Who Gets f y Fat z 4 r a aL L I I of his many successful L I S 0 Lu Miss Patti Moore the pretty dancer and rumored s 4 s fiancee of Mr but Bennett strangely silent when he cheerfully announced that he was goi going g to marry Mrs Converse r a aa ar I a r t tI ti i a ud udY v Y r 4 5 k s k 67 Adrienne Morri r whose loss drove Mr Bennett to poetry and Joan the youngest of their of-their their three lovely daughters I Mr 11 Bennetts Bennett's artistic impulses are rc not always confined to romance Two years ears ago when his daughter Barbara was as seventeen she went to a late dancing party arty without without his permission Now de- de despite despite de despite spite this this- unconventional behavior Mr 11 Bennett is quite old-fashioned old in the matter er of f bringing up children EO so when and three o'clock came caine and four and Bar Bar- Barbara Barbara Barbara had bara had not returned home Papa Ben Bennett nett got gat pretty riled he called his wife they wife they were re then then living ap apart rt in n ari an an arrangement that the they described as a a persona personality ity separation having nothing to do wi with h their great gleat love iove Barbara was was not at Adrienne's ascertaining which Mr nett Ben n nett tt arose arose dressed and posted himself at the tho front door with a walking stick Adrienne joined him At six o'clock Barbara arrived escorted by Mr Ir P Pat t Somerset Somerset he rather unconventional unconventional young young oung English actor Mr 11 Somerset's appearance inno inno- innocent cent though Darbara's Barbaras Barbara's absence undoubtedly undoubtedly edly had been was vas the equivalent of of the the gong in a prize ring Leaping from the an steps Pa B Bennett sailed in It wa was an exciting affair with Bennett and yo young ng Somerset rolling over and over and Adrienne an and Barbara screaming for them to stop slop Presently a policeman appeared By this time Bennett Dennett was so fired with victory that lie he offered offered to in- in include in include clude the officer in the argument It was hardly the tactful thing thing to say sayas as the policeman misunderstanding policeman misunderstanding the praiseworthy thy p rental spirit involved in inthe inthe inthe the proceedings handed proceedings handed proceedings handed Actor Actor Bennett what t is known as a right hook and then dragged him to tho the police station tation Hap Hap Hap- Happily Hap Hap- Happily the desk sergeant was a family family nan man and sent the battling father home hoine home with mild reprimand 1 Most ost of of I Mr with Bennetts Bennett's imbroglios However are with audiences audiences As the almost exclusive exclusive interpret interpreter r of f piA plays plays that t is plays which have to do with high moral loral issues issues-he issues issue he is very In In- In Intolerant in intolerant tolerant of the snickers which sometimes greet his liis performance e Of course those who s snicker are always thoughtless smart alecks lecks who lUe are not interested in inthe inthe inthe the better things or of life as portra portrayed ed edby by Mr Bennett but the latter seldom fails to let them know just what he thinks of them In Damaged Goods stopped he he stopped his performance and lit into certain in the audience with such vehemence that the tho troublemakers grew boisterous s at That was at Atlantic City When the show reached Chicago and met with simi simi- similar simi similar lar r disrespect Mr 11 Bennett Dennet t lit into them again Now all that is very vel noble as it shows that the actor believes the message he has committed to memory and insists II Ion r on the th audience taking it seriously But after aftel all audiences pa pay to get into f I theaters and they dont don't like to be de- de denounced de denounced by the actor actor- So managers if ahva always have always s 's regarded this eccentricity of Mr Bennetts Bennett's with great apprehension Ision H Hsian sion sian Nevertheless he has continued to toI I thrash his audiences whenever he felt that their inattention was hurting his performance In common with many other theatrical theatrical theatrical cal stars Mr 11 Bennetts Bennett's peculiar temper temperament ament requires s that the audience eo entirely on his performance There is a story of a young oung and fright fright- frightened frightened frightened ened actress who was making her first B appearance in the company of the cele cele- cele- cele celebrated celebrated Rose Stall Stahl In the act of celeB de tie descending B a huge staircase with Miss liss Stahl leaning on her arm the young actress felt her underskirt underskirt slip and be become come entangled with her knees knees- Know Know- Knowing Knowing ing that at nt the next step stepI I the garment would fall in fullview full view of the audience the young oung actress clutched r Miss iss Stahl and whispered in panic My underskirts underskirt's slipping What shall shaH shallI I do viselike vise And Miss Stahl with a sudden sud len en vise vise- like grip at the girls girl's arm looked straight at the audience audience and snapped through clench clenched d teeth i Dont worry Nobody will wilI be look ing looking at YOU Similarly many actors resent any undue notice being shown to the sup sup- sup supporting supporting porting members of their cast and and often take steps to prevent it it When Mr Bennett appeared in Beyond the tho Hori liori- Horizon zon his leading woman w woman had n scene in which she ran from the stage at the curtain of the first act Her Ifer work in inthe inthe inthe the scene just before her exit was so 50 spectacular that the audience broke into torrents of applause Naturally the tribute was for the actress and as those things are managed she would be entitled to t I return to the st stage ge after the curtain for a bow But Dut Bennett it was said wisely kept her head from being turned by backing up against the door through which the actress made her exit and receiving all the applause himself The more lie he bowed bowe the more the audience clapped for the return of his leading woman who was pounding on the other side or of orthe the door But Dut Bennett Dennett was very erl very firm The actress seldom got backon back on the tile stage It i iN 1 kr N FORUM tu te la 1 n |