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Personality Actor
Brian Ahernes Interesting Career
At the Strand Theatre next
Friday, Brian Aherne and
vivacious Rosalind Russell
are teamed in "What . A
Woman, lhe pair previous
ly made a success of "My
Sister Eileen," and should do
so again. Following is the
interesting life story of Brian
Aheme.
jgRIAN AHERNE, or to give
him his full name, Brain de
Lacey Aherne, was born on May
2nd, 1902, at King's Norton,
Worcestershire.
His father was an architect, and
his mother an amateur actress.
It was in one of his mother's, pro-
ductions that he made his stage
debut when only three years old. .
For "several years after that he
continued to play small boy roles,
and when he was ten years old
his parents decided that he ought
to be given proper training for the
stage. He was sent to London
in order that he could attend the
famous school for child actors run
by Italia Conti. Noel Coward
and Gertrude Lawrence were in
the same classes as Brian for pan-'
tomime, diction and characterisa
tion.
His work made a very favor-
, able impression, but when he had .
been studying for a year, he de
cided that, he did not want to be
an actor after all. He had the
idea that it was not a "man's" job,
and that he would like to study to
be an architect like his father. He
persuaded his parents to send him
to prep, school and later to Mal
vern College. While there he
continued to act in amateur plays,
but he still had no intention of be
coming a professional actor.
When he was eighteen years
old he got a job in the office of
a Liverpool merchant, and for
two. years .he worked at a desk.
He could not see that his job was'
leading him 'anywhere, so at the
end of two years he decided' to
quit.
Back in London once more, he
was unsuccessful in obtaining
another business job, and when
he -was down to his last five shil
lings he thought he had better try
for an acting job, just as a tem
porary measure," until another
business opportunity came along.
He was extraordinarily lucky,
for the very first theatrical agen
cy he approached, was able to
place him in a small role in
"Paddy the Next Best Thing,"
starring Peggy O'Neill. The at
traction which the theatre had
held, for him in his childhood
soon returned, and he decided to
cast in his lot with the stage.
? ? ?
QEVERAL other small roles
\ followed "Paddy the Next
Best Thing," and he had a good
deal of experience with provin-.
cial companies. Then came the
Opportunity which made him
well known on the London stage;
He was cast to play the juvenile
lead in "White Cargo," which en
joyed great success and ran for
eighteen months. When that play
was' finally taken off he accepted
an offer to come to Australia to
appear as leading man in a series
of James M. Barrie productions.
Returning to London, he appear
ed once more in -"White Cargo,"
and was then featured in a num
ber of other plays, including
"The Silver Cord," "She Stoops
to Conquer," "Craig's Wife,"
"Rope," "Tunnel Trench," "An
Object -of Virtue" and "A Mar
riage Has Been Disarranged."
In the meantime he had also
appeared in a number of silent
British films, alternating between
stage and screen, and sometimes
doing the two jobs at the same
time.
. After he had played on the
stage in "A Marriage Has Been
Disarranged," he was invited to
go to New York to appear as
leading man on the Broadway
stage. He accepted the invitation
and his' first Broadway stage en
gagement was as Robert Brown
ing in "The Barretts of Wimpole
Street." Another Broadway play
followed, and then he went back
to England, but after one more
play in London, "Birthday," he
returned to America, and after
several successful Broadway
shows Hollywood claimed him.
He had refused many American
screen offers because he declar
ed that he had come to the con-
clusion that he was essentially a
stage actor. However, when
Paramount -offered him the role
of leading man to Marlene Die
trich in "The Song of Songs," it
happened that he had not a stage
engagement at that particular
time, so he accepted the film
offer.
His films since then have in
cluded "Sylvia Scarlett," "Be
loved Enemy," "The Great Gar-
rick," ".Merrily We Live,"_ "Cap
tain Fury," "Juarez," "Vigil of
the Night," "My Son! My Son!"
"The Lady in Question,"- "Hired
Wife," "The Man 'Who Lost
Him,self," "Skylark," "Smilin'
Through," "A Night To Re
member," "First Comes Cour
age," "My Sister Eileen," and
Now "What A Woman."
He is very tall, being two in
ches over six feet in height. He
has brown hair and blue eyes. He
says that he goes in for all sports
a little, but none very well. He
plays golf and tennis, swims, flies
and enjoys horseback riding. He
likes to watch polo and first-
class tennis matches, but he does
not care very much about boxing
matches.
?
DRIAN declares that there is
little of interest about him
personally, apart from his career,
which he says has been very in
teresting and exciting. He has
never wanted to make a fortune
out of his work, preferring to do
only the work and the roles which
interest him.
It is his contention that an ac
tor should be at his best when he
is between fortv and fifty, be
cause if he has developed proper
ly then he should have something
to give the public. He has always-
believed it to be a mistake for an
actor to capitalise upon his youthr
ful appearance. , .
He confesses that he does riot
save money willingly and that
his financial programme is very
indefinite. He has no business
manager, but does employ a sec
retary..
Brian's favorites of the Amefir
can screen are Greta Garbo and
James Cagney. '. - :
He is very interested' in all
countries of the globe and has
travelled a good deal. He has
sometimes been taken for an
Irishman, and as a matter of fact
his father is Irish. Brian is very
clever at speaking different dia
lects. A few years ago, in "Be
loved Enemy," he had to speak
with an Irish brogue, and a year
or two before that he had to
speak with a Scottish accent in
"What Every Woman Knows."
Although he plays various
games, he says he never does
anything particular to keep fit.
He does not sketch or paint, and
is not particularly musical, but
lie announces that he can sing
and dance. He has the actor's
usual share of superstitions. He
is an easy conversationalist, but
he makes no effort to be popular.
In fact, he does not make_ friends .
very easily, and the first time you
meet him you do not get to know
the real- Brian.
He has developed no pet econo
mies since he has been in Holly
wood, but, on the other hand, he
has few extravagances. He has
never collected anything sucli as
first editions, curios or antiques;
and unlike many Hollywood
stars, he has not owned a boat or
a beach house.
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