His first Broadway show "The Greyhound" (1912) was deemed a huge hit but its run was cut short by the "Titanic" disaster.
While playing the juvenile lead in the play "Come Out of the Kitchen" starring Ruth Chatterton, Walburn was called to military duty. He joined the heavy artillery corps in training at Fort Hamilton and, during his first leave, returned to the theater to visit. The management, in a spurt of patriotism, allowed him to play his old part in uniform that night.