The Washington herald., 1907-12-08
ACTORS WHO'S WHO?

AZ OhO WnO - WE1Cs
Miss Mayme Gehrue first won fana,eA
dancer, and then as vaudeville cam8
into vogue she Joined fortunes with
Johnny Ford. and under the firm name
Of Ford & Gehrue they became head.
liners. Their success was so great that
the dramatic managers sought to take
them out Of vaudeville. and eventually
they succeeded. and Mr.. Ford and Miss
Gehrue were sent out several seasons at
the head Of the Lovers and Lunatics''
company.
Washington theatergoers Will this week.
at the National Theater, see a pretty,
Washington girl who IS making rapid
climb 70 stage fame. She IS Miss Desiree
Lazard. who won place in one Of
Charles FrOhmaq's companies by reason
OF her talent and ambition. IN Polly
OF the Circus she has a comparatively
small part, but Frederic Thompson Is
certain she has a bright future on the
stage. and has planned 10 give her more
important work in the near future. Miss
I.azard is a sister Of Mr.. Arthur d.
Marks business manager Of the Wash
,ngton Post.
Raymond Belmont, who plays the rola
OF Lord Pi6le" in this years preseata-
ton Of B. c. Whitneys musical cocktail
Pin Paff Pouf." at the Majestic this
week. is the possessor of an exceptionally
fine tenor voice which is heard to great
advantage in the song hIt. 'sThe Melan-
choly Sunbeam and the Rose" Mr. Pei
mont is a young man Of handsome stage
presence, and OF wide experience In the
musical comedy field. He was one Of the
principals of the original cast Of In Mo-
rocco Bound and Of .@The Defandar, .,
sung the leading tenor role in slJDDort
OF Lulu Chaser. IN Dolly Warden" and
was prominent member Of the origineI
3. c. Whitney Show GirT' company
Belle Blanche. at Chase's this week Is
reekonea upon to supplant Cissie LOTUS
and Elsie Janis IN the affections Of the
polite vaudeville public, mainly for the
reason that Miss Lotus and Miss Janis
incline more strongly toward the flesh
pots Of the 3 theaters. Miss Blanche is
a born and bred New Yorker. and Broad
way bounded her horizon for years; hence
there is little reason to wonder that she
shows an amazing insight into the char
acteristics and idiOsyncrasies Of her sub
Jects She was the ruling novelty in the
Gotham roof garden world this summer
and Chase's is the first city she visits or
tour.
WincheH Smith. general stage director
! for Frederic Thompson. although a very
young man. has had an interesting and
varied career on the stage. Before he
was sixteen years old he played a number
OF small parts in Charles Frohaan-s
! companies. but got his first distinction
under that management In the role OF
the hot-blOOded young Southern boy
with William Gillette. Later he supported
Arnold Daily in several plays. and when
be became twenty-one years OF age was
engaged ss Mr. Days manager It was
in that capacity that he attracted the
attention Of Frederic Thompson bat,
strangely enough. Mr.. Thompson wanted
| him as a playwright and stage director
and not as a manager Mr.. Smiths first
work in this connection was 10 make
/ the dramatization Of "BreWster's Nil
/ lions which has Just closed a successful
! engagement at the Columbia. At this
time he was also filing in his spare
time as manager Of the Herald Square
I Theater. for sam :. and Lee Shubert- and
! staying awake at night writing vaude-
I Vile sketches. Of which he has quite
I a number, bringing in handsome weekly
I royalties Last summer he went 20 Lon
/ don and put on the English production
I OF "Brewster's Millions" IN which young
/ Gerald dU Maurier plays Monty Brew
/ ster. and which IS still playing 70 enOr-
nous business az the Duke of York's
\ Theater. On his way 70 and from Lon
7 don he wrote a comedy called The For
! tune Hunters" in which Frederic ThOmp-
son intends 10 star him after the hoh-
days. This production had 10 wait a
! few weeks because Mr. Thomson
promised Miss Margaret Mayo that ne
I would produce Polly Of the Circus as
I the next after "Brewster's Millions" and
ne needed Winchen Smith to stage the
/ production.