AN ACTOR’S MEMORIES

Evening Star, Issue 18902, 28 March 1925, Page 3

AN ACTOR’S MEMORIES

OLBEM DAYS IN AUSTRALIA CHEAT MEN OF THE EIGHTIES More than thirty years ago young John Cosgrove made Ids debut on tho stage at- idle Old Gaiety, in Sydney. He had just ceased trying to bottle pickles .—bottling was not his torto. Acting was. He was super with Hilly Hughes, he placed in a. discarded fowlhoitso, made a fortune ami lost it, ran tho first- “movie” show in Australia, and in the long course of his stage career endeared minself to thousands as “The Only John.” Hero for Iho first lime, mid Tty special arrangement with the Sydney ‘.lxvoting Bnn,' Mr John Cosgrove retails for the ‘ Kveniinr Star' his memories of tho si. me, its people, and its doings —just as he has known it. for thirty years. To begin my round, unvarnished tale, I nciv sav, not without a, certain natural pride) That T come of a very good family. Burke's ‘ Peerage ’ records that my Lundy was originally the O’Cosgrovrs. ( Hunk it must he true, for I seem to owe more than anyone I know. Of course, _I need hardlv Vav that, like most families of Irish descent, mine descends directly from tho Irish kings.

As the bright boy of the family, T was intended for the church, and was educated' at St, Joseph's College, I chose the other extreme, and went on Ihc stage, ilore ones to tell when and how ; 1 came to Sydney in 1879. T remember mv first school. My father had a horse bazaar in Castleroagh street, and my brother Wit! and 1 used to go across the park to Bt. Mary's. We were funny little

bumpkins, with our hair rut Inna, countrv fashion, ami wo were dressed in pinafores. Tim Other fellow;; used to call ns Marv Ann and Bridget, ami brother Will wonl’il h't m f my hand, which ho always held, to deal out slomh to the .scoffing townies, jt Took ns hotii some time, .and cost ns a few ‘'blood noses" to convince the school that (hey must treat ns with respect THEATRES THEM.

Then the only theatres in Sydney were the Queen's, in York street; (lie Operainui.se, in liny and Aork streets; tno Victoria, in Tilt sdieet, where the, Strand Arcade is now; and the old Royal, in Casllereagdi street. At the Queen's there were Baker ami Farren, character comedians. Their most popular songs were ‘The Babes on the Block’ and ' M'Sorlio’s Most . Beautiful Twins,’ which were whi-tled and sung just as much as ‘ Yes, We, Have No Bananas’ was last year. The linn then —Williamson, Gamer, and Musgrovc was at the Royal with its Opera Company in 'Li Mascotte.’ Maggie Moore, young then, always happy, with a good word for everyone, and alwavs a helping hand; Nellie Stewart, lovely, and at the beginning of her career; Fanny Lydian), the toast of the young bloods; and William Green —otherwise known as Signor Venli—were in the cast. Howard Vernon, Harr,mod, and Kclwin Kelly, Ted Lestev’s father, were, also members of the company. The tint play 1 ever raw was Bland Holt's '.New Bahvlom’ . 1 can remembor the cast, well. Myra Kemble was the leading lady. IT. If. Vincent played the ‘■heavy,’’ Charles Holloway the O’Mligo, and actor St. Lawrence the paid, of John Jeremiah Lamb. Bland was, of cnnr.se, the- comedian. .Alas! Bland Holt is the onlv ono of all that hand left.

That play was direct]y responsible for my advent on (lie stage. Then and there 1 determined (o be an ad or. It is a curious tiling that many years afterwards I bcea-tne a. member of Holt’s company. Uul. 1 have a. long way to go before I tome to that time. NAILS AND PJOKI/KS.

When f had proved I hat [ possessed no vocation for the priesthood my disgusted family removed me from St. Joseph’s and apprenticed me to a. surveyor. After walking all day over rough roads loaded with the boss's impedimenta, 1 decided that surveying was too strenuous for me. Forthwith 1 walked the rest of the, way homo. I may say here that the experience proved very n.setnl when 1 be-

came an actor and acquired the Jimmy Atholwood .stride—-the stride that, is developed by walking the sleepers back to the cities. My next job was in a big wholesale ironmonger’s in George street. There I got so hopelessly mixed in trade signs that after 1 had sold a keg of nails at the price of a battleship and a bath at the price of a packet of pins I judged that selling ironmongery was another vocation for which I v was not adapted. My boss shared wholeheartedly in my opinion. My father, however, proceeded to make things so hot for me at borne that I quickly got my next job. I selected a pickle factory as the scene of my activities. 1 lasted one day. I got the sack through missing a fellow-mixer with an onion and hitting the boss instead! in tho O.P. optic. Having failed at most things in commercial life, and no knowing anything worse that the pickles, I went on the "stage. Larry Foley, who was giving

me lessons in boxing, was the lessee of the old Gaiety at the time, and he introduced mo to Alfred Dampior. Dampier gave me my start in ‘Othello’ with one lino to speak. Ho used to put on a Shakespearean [day every Friday night. The experience was invaluable, for Shakespeare is the best groundwork for study I know. It helps the memory, and in it one meets all sorts of words that would otherwise never bo spoken. Moreover, the training it gives the car by learning to' speak in verse sticks to one all the days of one’s life. And work! Why, an actor now has no idea what work means. We used to play melodrama or light comedy all the week, and every Friday night have a now part in Shakespeare to play. Thor© was no talk of “ types ” then, as there is to-day. ,Wo played any part wo wore given, and had to adapt ourselves to it—not make the part adapt itself to us. “ GET OFF! ’’ Once when I was playing with G. C. Miln, the American tragedian, I was cast for old Gratiano, who has some lines to speak in the last act. Some of the other actors told me, as a joke, that there was a stage wait, and that the stage manager was calling mo. I rushed on to the stage just as Othello was getting ready to smother Dcsdemona. I shall never forget how Miln glared at me as he hissed; “ Get off! ” I thought I would put eveyrthing right, so I looked round and said “ lago not here ? Then I wilt seek elsewhere.” It was a hard try for a save, hut it made, it look as if I quite expected to find lago in Desdemona’s bedroom. In a subsequent interview the irate star told rnc—if 1 over did it again 1 might seek another blnnky job elsewhere. A SUPER. When I left Dampier I got on as a super with the Majeronis in 1 Queen Elizabeth.’ It was hero I first met Robert Inman and (Jus Glover. After this I went on a .country tour with Fred Wills, Clara Stephenson’s husband. Wo played a country town called Cassilis, and found the hall in which wo were to appear was a converted fowlhonsn. The willing ones among the actors worked hard all day removing traces of the fowls. The stage was set aljput a foot from the ground. It was at this lime I first made my acquaintance with the play that has saved more sinking managers than any yet written —old * East Lynne.’ The only little Willy wo could get was a local product, who was a jockey when lie could gel a mount. Ho most obligingly took the part, but when it was his turn to speak lie forgot Ilia lines, and we were startled to hear a very Cockney voire com© from the dying child: “Madam© Vino, will it be long afore I snuffs it, and shall I see my ri'bnck mama? ” He was the hit of the piece. The same night at the hostelry where 1 had bv quarters I overheard two station hands discussing the performance. Said one: “ Did yer go to liier gaff to-ni’ght ? ” “ Vos,” said the other, “ what did yer think of them ? ” “ Well,” replied the first hand, ‘ 1 know now why they calls 'em scratch actors—they couldn’t ’ave cleaned out th’ ’all properly.” IN RILLYGOAT WHISKERS. On this tour I was short of some crape hair for a board I had to wear in a part in the ‘ Octoroon.’ I captured a billygoat, and relieved him of his goatee. The effect was good, but the .smell was abominable. We travelled from Molong to Farkcs in a Cobh’s conch drawn bv four horses. The two leaders cast, their shoes, and we were obliged to camp on the side of a creek till morning. We slept in the conch sitting up. We made a meal of boiled wild duck, which the driver shot for us. There were no vegetables or bread, nor were there any effeminate luurics, such ns salt or lea, or knives or forks. Rut wc were young and very hungry, and we did without. When we arrived at Parkes I tried to arrange witii the landlord of the hotel to take us in. Said I; “ What are yoijr special terms for actors? ” “Rogues and vagabonds,” said lie. To reassure him, 1 told him wo were prepared to pay as wc went. “No hhmky fear,” he roared, ‘“you jiay as you come, here! ” There was no doing anything with the man, so wc went elsewhere. When 1 returned to Sydney I was offered an engagement to play with George Rigmild in a play called ‘ Peep o’ Day Roys,’ an Irish drama. My part was Captain Howard, the second juvenile. Kate Rishop, Marie Lobr’s mother, was the leading lady. She used to bring baby Marie down to the theatre to rehearsals. To-day Marie is the mother of lathes of her own, a famous actress, and a London manageress. Some of the other members of the company were Frank Harconrt, Sterling White, Charles Hall, Jack Sweeney, and Harry Jewett, who is now in management in America ; Emily Fitzi ny, who came hack here with Fred Nihlo in recent years; Athena Claudius, and dear Roland Watt Phillips. Anything prettier than Roly in the ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ I never saw. Even when she fell on evil times she kept the beauty of her speaking voice. After ‘ Peep o’ Day,’ Rignold put on the ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ and 1 was given Demetrius to study. I rehearsed for four or five weeks, when George Rex told me that I was not to play it. It, was a horrible disappointment to me, as I was anxious to be in such a production. Riguold explained to me that, whilst he was quite satisfied with my reading of the part, he had to think of the, business side, so ho had engaged Arthur Greenaway, a more experienced actor, and ono who had just made a success as Romeo with G. C. Miln in Melbourne. I was retained to understudy both Greenaway and Jewett, who played Lysander. Hie play ran eight or nine weeks, hut both actors were beastly healthy, and I never got a chance to play either of the parts. But afterwards, when I became Rigimld’s lending man, I opened as Lysnndcr at Melbourne Princess at treble the salary be bad given me before. Cyril Keightley was the Demetrius, I remember.