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TROUBLE -MAKER
BY GEORGE KENT
FRENCHY, valet to Eddie Cantor, was giving his wee, wispy master his rporning rub. It was a massage at the hands of an expert and it made Radio's most popular comedian sigh with a profound satisfaction.
To look at that neat, slim Cantor body and those warm, almost tender, daisy-button eyes, you'd never think this was the tiger of Radio. Broadway and Hollywood. So, we asked him how come a mild little fellow, such as he, was always getting into trouble with people.
Sir Eddie smiled, and with a wink at Frenchy replied : "Frenchy rubs me the right way. I rub them the wrong way."
Not such a bad gag, coming hot pop just like that. But it explained nothing. You see, Eddie Cantor has had a way — almost since the beginning of his career — of breaking into print because of disputes with organizations, officials, and such things like that. It wasn't press-agent stuff. Eddie never has employed one. So it was about time somebody went up to Sir Eddie and asked him point blank, Why do you fight? Hozv does tlic lamb become a tiger?
Before I tell you what he said, let me remind you, just as an example, of his most recent battle. You probably remember it for it was in all the newspapers.
Sol Rosenblatt, Code Authority of the Motion Picture Industry, was about to make a ruling. It would have meant little work and less pay for all the Hollywood extras and chorus giils. Eddie didn't like it a bit. He didn't like it as an individual ; he didn't like it officially as President of the Screen Actors Guild. This Guild, by the way, is mixed up with the American Federation of Labor. When Eddie doesn't like a thing, he hits 16
out — hard ! He made it plain to Mr. Rosenblatt that the ruling could not stand. The Code Authority hemmed and he hawed, he puffed and huffed, but finally he gave in to Eddie.
He might have tried to do it diplomatically. He might have tried to kid the man out of what he was trying to do. But no — that's not Cantor's way. Zingo-socko ! That's the Cantor technique.
Frenchy went on rubbing the comedian's shoulders as he framed the words to reply to my questions.
"I don't pull my punches," he said. "Because a man who pulls his punches is faking. And fakers get found out sooner or later."
"Fighters can go on faking fights for a little while. But they get found out. The same in ordinary life. And life all around us is a ring and we're fighters.
"When I am right, I go ahead. With all my strength. Regardless of consequences. How do I know I am right? I know. If I promise to give you something and I don't — I am wrong. If I give it to you I am right. It's simple as all that. Let me tell you a story."
The story Eddie told went back to the year 1918. That was the year he was playing for Abe Erlanger — in black-face. He had always played in black-face and smart lad, he knew his future was not very promising as long as he had the burnt cork on his face. So, he wrote a sketch and showed it to Erlanger. It was a skit in which Eddie would play a leading role in Eddie braves white-face. a winter down
Erlanger built the scenery, south with a engaged the musicians. He couple of hunpromised Eddie when the dred pounds show was tried out in Atlan of Jimmy tic City, the sketch would Wallington.