The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-09
The Millinery Drama Booming
Again.
[Chicago Tribune Letter.l

Chicago Tribune Letter.l
Really, now, Mrs. Florence is carrying
this business Of clothes altogether too
far. Everybody used to grow1 with rage
over Maud Granger's millinery opera
tions, but she wasn'. patch on Mrs.
Billy.
In Sundays Herald there was an ad-
vertisement two inches long announcing
the opening performances of "The Mighty
Dollar" this week at the Grand Opera
house, and right below it was a second
"ad.," half column in length, describing
all Mrs. Florence's dresses, stockings,
shoes, gloves and hats. And it was
smile from Providence that the pen pic
ture went no deeper.
Some caustic chap, commenting upon
this style of doing theatrical advertising,
remarks that "Mrs. Florence's dresses,
supported by Mr. Florence and cheap
company, opened at the Grand Opera
House Monday night,"-and SO forth.
Did they? 1t must have been quite
awful. Mrs. Florence's dresses must be
reprimanded, and cautioned against de-
ing that sort of thing publicly hereafter.
But hasn't dramatic art come to a pretty
pass when its practitioners place it in a
position secondary to the handiwork of
milliners and dressmakers2 Some sar-
donic people may declare that it is all
right in this case, on the ground that
there's nothing else left for Mrs. Flor
ence to advertise, excepting her clothes.
But that would be cruel. And it would
also be untrue. She still has her COM
plexion. 1t is kept in bottles, and l am
confidently informed that it is imported
at great expense in quantities to suit. Of
course wouldn't impart confidential in
formation to anybody but yourself, and
rely upon you not to give it away.
But why wouldn't it be good scheme
for.the Florences to advertise that Mrs.
Billy wouldappear in each scene of "The
Mighty Dollar" arrayed in fresh cos
tune made by Worth, and a different
style Of complexion arranged by her own
private calciminer? l think there is
money in the scheme; but I'll be liberal,
and won't charge Billy and his wife a
cent for the suggestion. There is moth
ing small about me except my sins
Doesn't it strike you. that when an
actress has to resort to advertising the
quality of her underclothing in order to
draw patronage, it is tacit admission on
her part that personally she is played
out? may be wrong, but it looks that
way to me. And it was impressed upon
me with peculiar force, when 1 saw
''The Mighty Dollar" at the Grand Opera
house Monday night. Its freshness ha.
utterly worn off; but the freshness O.
the stars has increased to state that i
positively alarming.
Mr.. and Mrs. Florence created the
success of their piece originally by artifi
cial methods. When first produced i
was a fizzle. But they gave it bi,
forced run at the Park Theater, and tina
ripened the country for plucking eve
since. Had the play been produced nov
instead of several years ago, it would no
have succeeded. People were not postet
then on this process of forcing, ant
looked upon q long run in Gotham as
sign Of bona fde dramatic merit. Blu
Their. eyes are opened now, and the,
won't be sold any more. 'The Might!
Dollar" is the baldest mess of rubbish il
the country. Why people endure. j
simply on account Of its millinery possi
bilities is as mysterious as the Nathan
murder And if one may strike con
clusion from the way business has opened
here, the bank account Of Mr.. ant
Mrs. Florence at the end Of the season
won't be big enough to buy calico
wrapper and five-cent cigar.