It Isn’t Teddy
Bui uIipii Sidney Itlnckiiicr,
formerly off Sailisliury. IN'. C..
plays I lie pari of llie fforintkr
President in pictures, you will
readily agree I hail the resem¬
blance is striking.
Bi/ HOYT McAFEE
IF oik* of the characters in a new
photoplay happens to be the late
Theodore Roosevelt, wiolder of the
“Rig Stick,” there is no doubt in any¬
body’s mind as to who will play that
Sri. Right away a call goes out for
dnoy Blackmer, a North Carolina
gift to movies. No one in films can
bring America’s 26th President so
vividly and sympathetically to life ns
tho Salisbury-born actor. Hlackmer’s
artistry is so expert that be recaptures
the very spirit of the dashing, dynamic
“Toddy” of American history.
Other Hollywood actors arc devoted
to some character. Claude King, a
Britisher, has impersonated George
Washington no fewer than seventy-
six times — his most recent elTort being
in the Metro short, “The Flag
Speaks.” Hugh Sot hern i- invariably
called upon to depict shaggy-haired
Andrew Jackson in pictures. John
Howard has scored bits a» Bulldog
Drummond; Basil Rnthbone as Sher¬
lock Holmes; Henry Fonda and Ray¬
mond Massey as Abralinm Lincoln.
Joel McCrea harbors a long-cher¬
ished wish to portray Davcy Crockett,
pictun>*quc frontiersman, and hero of
tho Alamo— a wish which will be an¬
swered when he stars in Paramount’s
forthcoming “Sunset in My Pocket."
A desire near to Richard Barthel-
mess’ heart is to play Ulysses S. Grant
on the screen. Edward CL Robinson’s
hopes will not be fulfilled until he
shall have given his interpretation of
Benjamin Franklin.
Blackmer’s first characterization of
many-sided Theodore Roosevelt was in
“This Is My Affair," a picture in
which Robert Taylor and Barbara
Stanwyck (now Mr. and Mrs.) starred
some three years ago. More recently,
he delineated the former President in
"The Monroe Doctrine," Warner
brevity. Now be has been nominated
by the same studio to do the title role
in "Teddy Roosevelt And Ilis Rough
Riders,” also a historical short sub¬
ject of three or four reels.
This particular film treats with that
phase of Roosevelt’s career during
which he resigned a, McKinley’s A*
sistant Secretary of Navy, organized
bis celebrated Rough Riders, and won
a burst of fame and glory at San Juan
Hill, in Cuba, during the Spaiii-li-
Aincriean War in 1898. He subse¬
quently returned to America a hero;
and thereafter his political star rose
so rapidly that he was elected Presi¬
dent a few years later.
Sidney Blackiner has a rare oppor¬
tunity to rise and shine in "Teddy
Roosevelt And His Rough Riders.”
This production span* one of the most
colorful chapters of Roosevelt's life
-that is, over the period during which
lie first began to attract widespread
notice and acclaim. Blnckmer's por¬
trayal of him is eX|iectcd to be virile,
magnetic, and gustful.
No personality, past or present, has
fascinated ami inspired Sidney Black*
mer as forcibly as tho late Theodore
Roosevelt. He holds tlm highest ad¬
miration for Roosevelt’s exploits and
accomplishments. He has acquired <»r
examined just about every worth¬
while volume, manuscript, document,
or letter bearing upon that lusty figure
of a few decades ago. These he lias
pored over for weeks and months at
a stretch. They have acquainted him
with every like, dislike, mood, trait,
gesture, and mannerism of the irre¬
pressible “Teddy.”
In this long and painstaking re¬
search Blackmer has spared not time,
nor money, nor effort. Some of the
expense involved has come from bl¬
own pocket. He ha» been driven by a
determination to absorb every shred
of knowledge touching upon Roose¬
velt’* life and career, so that his char¬
acterizations might lie masterful. And.
judging from the verdict of movie re¬
viewers and audiences, he has suc¬
ceeded admirably in hi- aim.
It is while he's playing Theodore
Roosevelt that Sidney Blackmer ex-
(icrienoes most happiness. He hopes
to make bis biggest hit in his current
assignment “Teddy Roosevelt And
His Rough Riders."
Tar Heels are familiar with the fact
that Sidney wn. born to Mr. and Mr*.
Walter Steele Blackmer. of Salisbury,
around forty year- ago; ami that lie
obtained his higher learning at the
University of North Carolina, lie's
six feet tall, has brown hair and eye*,
and weighs about 175 pounds. He’*
fond of outdoor life and sports. His
humor, cheerfulnevs, and friendliness
hoist his popularity standing.
Sidney came to Hollywood several
years back with a long, successful
stage career to his credit. Now he’s
rated as one of tho ablest character
actors in films. I f lie succeeds in con¬
vincing you that he'* the screen coun¬
terpart of Theodore Roosevelt, then
his pleasure will indeed bo expansive.
THE 140-MILE LINK of the Blue
Ridge parkway connecting Roanoke.
Va.. and the Boone-Blowing Rock-
Linville resort areas of North Caro¬
lina is expected to he completed early
next spring, the National Parks ser¬
vice stated Monday.
Grading and surfacing of the south¬
ernmost sections in Virginia are
scheduled to !*• completed early in the
winter.
