Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-12
WOMEN OF THE STAGE.
THEIR RUSFs TO SECURE FREE
ADVERTISING.

hardt Accompanies Her ObJect-some
of the Scurrirous Methods of the Les
ser Lights-Fal's Approach in the
Great Metropolis.
NEW YORK, Sept. 1.-THE ways OF the
American women OF the stage when they
set about to advertise themselves are ao-
ject and contemplate to degree. Where
IS the boosted inventiveness and original
stv of the American girl? Sarah Bern
hardt, a woman of genius, paints credit
able picture tor the Paris Salon, writes
her memoirs or models in clay; Victoria
Morosini runs of with men who are unht
90 be admitted 10 the houses OF decent
people as servants. Men and women OF
all sorts are interested in the cleyerness
and originality of a Bernhardt, but they
can feel nothing but disgust for one who
fashions her life on the career OF child
of the slums. 1t is true that Bernhardt
went to such extremes In one of her SEN
sational vagaries the other day as to make
q personal attack on one OF her sister &C
stresses. This was, OF course. lacking In
artistic spirit and brutal enough, but OBJ
serve the touch OF genius in Bernhardts
explanation, which involves the sus-
/
and desperate. of course, but II has set
the whole world talking, which is exactly
what Nine. Bernhard desired. 1t Is GER
Sainly more ingenious than the regular
partings and comings together OF fat
opera singer in New York and her obedi-
ant little semetic consort.
Miss Ellen Terry catches cold and de-
c1des to remain indoors for few days.
The street for block either way is laid
five inches deep with tan-bark to deaden
the noise of passing wheels, and every
afternoon at 4 O'Clock Mr.. Irving drives
pup In his brougham, goes softly up the
steps clad in irreproachable morning
dress, and swathed in gloom, decorously
leaves a card and drives majestically
away. All of which is cabled from CONT
nent to continent with feverish haste, and
people grin at the exquisite tomfoolery OF
IL. To match it on tots side we have
silly repetition of the stale old diamond
dodge.
Langtry has her lover, but he is mil
Uonaire, not a stableman, and Violet
Cameron's peer Of the realm is being
passed over the wires and cables and
served up in type with an amount of skill
that causes the clumsy tricksters Of the
stage on this side of the water to stand
aghast with admiration.
l do not propose to make this a chron-
licle OF scandals, but would suggest that
since we are doomed to perpetual sersa-
stiOnalism let US have 1t of higher grade.
One actress achieves fame by marry
Ing an efTeminate hostler; another is
known far and wide because Of the report
that she is to marry the son of great
Wall street king; the third marries
aoud-mOuthed and noisy gambler, after
paying the head usher Of the theatre 500
to see that the distinguished event is duly
E'noticed" in the papers; fourth seeks
TO defame the name of the late statesman,
Samuel j. Tilden, and uses 1t to boost
herself into notoriety, and the fifth de-
clares that she never married the man
she has lived with for ten years, pro-
nounces her two children illegitimate,
and goes through the ceremony Of mar
rage with a WIFE beater who is paving
alimony to previous partner of his joys
and sorrOws, and now they're all of them
living In the same house. A truce TO
such filth. II we must have the scandal.
and it is quite evident that sensational
ism and the lives of certain women of the
stage are inevitable, let them concern
people of more eminence and position.
Miss Fortescue is notorious because an
Earl did love her, and Mile Freglime be-
came famous because Duke didn't love
her. Miss Eastlake has made a reputa-
tion among painters, and Miss Terry, de-
spite having been married four times, has
pushed the darker side of her life out OF
sight and kept herself in the public eve
by an endless variety of amusing and
proper little tricks and devices. This is
q plea, not for sensationalism. but for
more presentable stuff than Is almost
daily dished up to us. AS long as notorie-
BY pays it will be manufactured in one
way or another to supply the demand.
The pretty, graceful and Intelligent
chorus girls of the Casino receive $14
week; Victoria Schilling, awkward, self
conscious, ungainly, and with no stage
ability at all, was paid $50 for doing alb
surdly what the others did well.
There is man in New York who has
given this subject of stage sensationalism
much thought, and who told me nearly
two years ago that he could make any
woman who would resign herself into his
hands famous In six months. He is a
writer of acknowledged power, but
rather whimsical and erratIc. l was not
surprised when l saw him at the theatre
one important opening night with a girl
whom he had pointed out to me when she
was among the "walking ladies" of a
cheap dramatic company. She was nota-
bly, dressed. One day / STUN bled across an
article in a morning paper in which the
daily life of an actress was described. The
girls name appeared prominently. A day
or two later there appeared an Interview
with an alleged photographer in which
he rhapsodized about the eyes of actress
es, paying a glowing tribute to those of
the ex-walking lady. Later on her face
appeared on soap box label. One day
her dog went astray, and one OF the &C
counts of the event was so brightly
written that it was copied everywhere.
The girls name became familiar to news
paper readers, though they have never
seen her act. One day the papers were
full OF q most ingenIus blackmailing
scheme, OF which she was the victim, per-
haps heroine would be the better word
A few nights later L met the eccentric
author of all the fuss.
"Well." l said, you've made a hit
thus far"
cts the end" he said, with a grin.
"Pve proved what so many OF you doubt.
ed, and Pm content, or at least almost
content. for Pd have liked 10 have pushed
1t little further. But this morning she
took the bit in her teeth and went ahead
alone. She goes out playing the lead in a
travelling combination. 1t was a great
lift for her. She thinks she did it ali ner.
Belf.o
1 write OF ii freely. for it was an experi.
ment which the author always insisted
was above board and a legitimate subiec,
for comment.
$50 you have your trouble for your
palms, SAID.
''Well," he replied, with a speculative
look, "Pm not sure but | shall elaborate