COMEDIES OF A FACE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 42, 19 February 1927, Page 33

COMEDIES OF A FACE.

iSOUBLE CAUSED BY i " DOUBLES." PLAYED A KING'S PAET. In Lord Curzon'a book, "Leaves from ! * iceroy 3 Notebook," published since his death, the writer' describes how his valet, Mr. F. Harris, was more than once mistaken for his master, but says that he was never at fault. "Possessed of a fine appearance and beautifully clad," writes Lord Curzon, "he was equipped for any emergency." It does not appear that the Viceroy ever made use of his valet as his substitute, but more than one publie man «u done this sort of thing. President Roosevelt had a friend who was so like himself that when the President was travelling through the country in his private car the double used to step out on the platform at smaller places and he received in the President's place. Another double of Mr. Roosevelt was .Mr. Foster Huddleston, of Los Angeles. \ In form, face, height, age, voice, and mannerisms the two were more alike than twins. i The King of Spain has a double who i is a Parisian journalist. The likeness ' is so perfect that the journalist has; been used by photographers to represent' the King. King Alfonso saw one of, these pictures, and when in Paris sent for his double, who was then serving in ; * regiment of cuirassiers. He actually ; had himself photographed wearing the. cuirassier's helmet. A likeness to some eminent person may be very useful to the one who j possesses it. There was, for instance,! the case of Mr. Groves, who, because! •of his likeness to King Edward, was ; chosen to impersonate him in the film, : "Sixty Years a Queen." j Ex-Bailie James Gray, of Pollok- j shaws, Glasgow, had the distinction of; bearing a close resemblance to Mr. I Lloyd George. On one occasion Mr. j Gray arrived at Leeds, and finding all! the hotels full up resigned himself to 1 spending the night on a couch in a | waiting-room. He had almost fallen j asleep when he became aware that | someone had entered the room. Looking tip, he saw an attendant bending over him. "Goodness! Lloyd George sleeping in a waiting-room!" remarked the man in .astonishment. In vain did Mr. Gray attempt to convince the attendant of his real identity. >With an "I've heard that before" air, .the attendant insisted on fetching coffee ;and other comforts. President Wilson's double was a man named Farnham, and Mr. Winston Churchill's is a waiter in a Plymouth Restaurant. A woman who lives in Lon- j don is so like Queen Mary that she is j often mistaken for her; while a member ■ of the Stock Exchange has a curious; resemblance to King George. Doubles, though in some cases useful,; in others prove exceedingly dangerous. The Beck case is the most famous, vet; worse things have happened to a man; than to be sent to prison for the offences of his double. General Kozloff, the Russian traveller, was killed by a Terrorist who mistook him for General Trepoff of the Russian police. : ]