NOT CLAPTRAP

New Zealand Tablet, 13 August 1908, Page 37

NOT CLAPTRAP

- 'Toma?j Salvini, the great actor, although he gave every assistance to his son whea he had proved his ability on the stage, was averse at first to his"becoming an actor, and would not help him to obtain a hearing The young man's, first appearance was made by favor of Clara Morris, his good friend, at a charity entertainment in Yonkcrs, where ho. recited 'The Charge of the Light Brigade.' >'-.■• He -\vas then .very young, very eager, and still delightfully queer in his English. A few days before the great occasion some. one used In his presence the word claptrap. • ' What's that? ' demanded young Alessandro at once. 'Clap is so ' — he struck his hands together ; ' trap is for rats. . What, then, is claptrap? ' ' It is a vulgar or "unworthy bid for applause,' his hostess explained. ' Bah ! ' he rejoiricd with contempt. ' I know, him — that cheap actor who plays at the gallery. He is then in English a claptrapper, is he not? ' • • On the night of his debut, although the poor. fellow declared he was ' sick with the scare,' he pullod-himself together in time and 'delivered the poem most strikingly. * 'With a bound he was A)n the scrap •of a stage,' • records Clara Morris, 'and his high,.""; clear '" For- w-a-r-d, 'the Light Brigade!' must surely have' bee~nT heard down "in Broadw.ay. It really was a clever bit of work, a trifle "too florid-; but. that was' the result of nervousness. The instinct of the aclor> was twjee plainly r shown — once when on. making, a mistake, instead* of stammering or going back, .he swiftly v jumped "'" ' the faulty lines and dashed "on securely with the others ; and again' \vhen at the close he read, with much feeling the words. — " Honpr the charge they made, ~ Honor the Light Brigade, j Noble six hundred ! ''* Standing as if. looking into-an open grave, he plucked -the white "flower from his coat and cas,t it down — a bit ofbusiness fhat caught the house -instantly. • While the people" maltreated damp umbrellas and kicked out their .gum shoes in giving him a recall, he was clutching his hair and, wildly protesting to me.: '"Madame Clara," I, have, never meant that for a^ciaptrap ! Never ! ..Never ! ( Just, it came to me that moment to throw the flower to the dead. . Think me a fool — but not — ohj p.lease ndt ! -7-a" claptrapper '. "'..„.