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Mr. Jolson Acts Up for His Bride 187
She’s smart. She ain’t so damned smart, though,” he adds, as one who could temper praise with justice. “She thought she was a clever actress. Ha!”
With that he goes stageward, leaping. And I am left alone with him that knows Jolson closer than a brother; with Frank Holmes, who has dressed him ever since Jolson has been able to afford a dresser.
“How long have you been together?” I ask Frank, a great artist in his line, whose hair has grown grey for two.
“Twelve years. We started together in the first Winter Garden show, before he was a star. I was in the chorus and dressing Melville Ellis; and Ellis says, ‘Don’t bother about me this opening night; I’ve got only a dress suit to put on ; go and see what you can do for Jolson.’ And I went and never came back.
“ ‘You stay in here and dress here and dress me,’ said Jolson. ‘I’ve always paid a boy five dollars a week’ — he never overlooks a business bet, Mr. Jolson don’t — ‘but you’re a good boy and I’m going to give you ten.’
“That was twelve years ago, when I started to dress him. Now I do everything — the letters, the bills, the photographs, take care of the money, everything. I prepare the checks, I prepare everything — he just signs where I tell him. And I see that everything’s paid on the first of the month whether he likes it or not. I don’t think he owes five hundred dollars ; which is remarkable for a man who makes almost half a million a year, counting royalties and everything. And I keep his nerves down. Every first night I tell him the old team’s bound to win ; and it does.”
The other half of the team comes back somewhat let down. They are still applauding him out in front