Actorviews (1923)

92 Actorviews “Weeping.” “Whose?” “My own. I like serious, substantial, emotional plays. When they’re good they get me right in the eyes. I’m ashamed to sit in a box — at any kind of a show. I’ve wept at comedies, too.” “Who are the harshest dramatic critics?” “Actors. No paper could print what actors say.” “Are you critical?” “Yes. I’ve yet to see a good part that wasn’t better than its actor. I’ve never seen an actor as good as a good part.” “Then good parts don’t make good actors?” “If they did Corse Peyton would be the greatest actor in the world — he’s played ’em all. If they did everybody would be playing Hamlet — that’s a pretty good part.” “Ever fail ignominously in a part — utterly licked by it?” “Yes — in ‘Are You My Father?’ Uncle Ned should have seen me in that.” “Do you believe in reincarnation?” “Well, one night I thought my Uncle Ned had come back as you.” “Me!” “Yes. One night when I was playing ‘The Man From Mexico’ in San Francisco — the funniest piece I ever had — more than a laugh a minute — right in the funniest part of it you brought into a stage box Billy Barnes and Colonel Kowolsky, the famous sleepers — who dozed straight off and snored — and the audience laughed as I never heard an audience laugh before — but not at the show.” Perhaps that was one of the reasons why it took