The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-05
THE MATINEE GIRL.
What Prominent Leading Man In
Broadway Tneater Has 10 Say.

There are good many silly young women
In New York. and thoy are generally to be
found at the matinees OF the leading New
York theaters. During the week If they are
Mt tho play the close proximity Of papa or
mamma induces them to keep to themselves
their foolish ideas about the Leading young
actors, but at the maiinees they "own the
house." and they chatter as loudly and volu-
bly, as set OF yonng school girls. You can
hear more insane silly talk in five minutes. If
you sit near them. than you can forget in five
hours.
They flock 10 few Of the tbeaters. wbero
any .actor known az "matinee pet" Is on
view. sit entranced while no is oD tho stage.
and go into eostasies over bin, between acts
or course this feminine alteration is likely
to turn the heads OF some OF the matinee
pets." but perhaps can put little common
sense into the head of tho "matnee girl" IL
tell her that she is quite rs often tho butt OF
his ridicule as she is tho object OF his admira-
tion.
was speaking the other day TO one OF the
leading men Of Broadway ibeatsT on this
very topic. He is regarded by the matinee
girl with special favor. She will toll you
that he Is handsome. graceful. manly: that IN
heroic moments be is superb. that IN love
scenes he is "just too divine"
"What do think OF the matinee grip he
said. "My own private opinion of her is that
she is about the silliest young creature
know-or. should say, ! have seen. for /
don't care to know bor. pretty woman is
always a delight to see. but wEon sne is as
brainless as the average matinee girl j
don't care to know her. ] should have TO talk
to her. and, what is worse, should have to
hear her talk to me.
''Let me toll you something about matinees
and matinee pets and matinee girls" he
went on. "Tbis talk about matinee pets
hasn't half the foundation in fact that people
imagine. It's worked up in good measuse by
managers for advertising purposes and for
effect upon these silly girls who flock TO the
theaters All sorts OF stories are set enost.
let US SAY about actors being deuged with
letters from society women. That is oil bosh.
I get very few. for instance, and most OF
those receive nre from women who are by
no means in Society don't oven take the
trouble TO answer them. l got many lottors,
1t is true, asking for autographs. and a good
many OF these are from-whom do you cup
pose Men: and have found out that they
arc generally dealers in autographs. who
want to sell them when they have formed o
collection. Some OF them take tho trouble 10
write several times TO get duplicates; they
will write in disguised hands, or in the han &
writing OF their feminine clerks. They arc
simply nervy autograph dealers. OF course,
got some letters from society women. Wen
pass that by. They are few and far between.
"Tbe idea that IN actors chief value il that
he Is the pot OF the ladies in rubbish. A mar
ager is in this business for dollars and cents.
and so am /. or course If man IL q 'natnte
pet'-how ! hate the name-it holps the
Saturday afternoon audience receipts. but
remember that there are six evening
performances. and a man has TO te good
drawing card for those six practical
mixed Audiences Of the week. It's all
well enough 20 be n pet on Saturday.
but there is Monday 10 be thought Of ss well.
"Tbe idea that an actor can travel on bis
good looks Is n mistake. The hero of elegant
comedy should not be ugly or misshapen, but
ho can't hold his own with miscellaneous au-
diences simply because he's n devilish good
looking fellow. He must have brains, ability,
gentility, education, good, strong, manly
qualities. Do you suppose that sort OF a man
pridss himself on being matinee pct or
really cares a rap for the alteration OF the
matinee girlP'
"He's not such fool. or course. kc desires
all the popularity he can acquire. IL is agree.
able 10 him to know that he is liked, admired
-raved over. IL you like. But that increases
his value in dollars and cents tn his msnager,
and assure you when Miss silly and her
friends crowd tho matinee he IL thinking
good deal more about whether 1t will ir.
crensc his salary next year ihAn calculating
what effect he is making on Miss silly's I'm.
pressionable heart
81 suppose the young creature thinks seo
her u she comes TO the play regularly. 4 0