The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1907-06-01
EVOLUTION OF NEW
TYPE or SHOW GIRL
Chorus Girls Que a Monument to James Davis, the
Creator Of Florodora.

A~.~~~~~~~~.~~ ~.e-~~5,>o
If chorus girls we're properly CRATE
full they would subscribe and build
monument to the memory of the re-
Gently deceased James Davis, better
known by his pen name of Owen Hall.
It is not because he has the books
of "a Gaiety Girl The Geisha" and
''The Silver Slipper" to his credit that
Mr.. Hall has claim on the gratitude
of the show girl.ssssaese productions
stamp him as the best librettist since
Gilbert, but my lady of the foot lights
cares nothing about that.
The thing that gives Mr.. Hall his
claim on her is the fact that he wrote
"Florodora'' and evolved a new style
of chorus girl.
Prior to "Florodora" the chorus girl
wore, the same kind of fleshings that
had been in vogue since the days
when The Black Crook" first shocked
the country. No one had ever had the
originality to suggest change. 1t
had gone out of the fashion to fall
captive to this creature Of pads and
paint.
Only few insipid Johnnies chung to
the stage door in admiration of this
venerable type.
But suddenly metamorphosis was
effected.
The show girl was lifted to a pedes-
tai such as she had never. occupied be-
fore. Diamonds, automobiles, flowers,
Wall street winnings and millionaire
husbands were proffered to her
The "Florodora" fever had done it's
work and the new chorus girl was
launched on her glittering career.
What Mr.. Hall did was simple
enough, perhaps, but it remained for
Eshim to be the one to. think Of it.
First he decided that beauty una
dorned was not necessarily beauty
most adorned, SO he began by giving
the chorus girl some clothes In place
Of the tights of tradition she was
equipped with a superb Paris gown
| and hat that the wealthiest woman in
the world need not have been
ashamed to wear. Then he picked out
six tall, willowy girls of a similar type,
the very opposite Of the old-time ele-
phantine favorites. To these he gave
most attractive and melodious air.
Not in the annals of the stage has
such an enthusiasm been recorded for
| any one number in an opera.
is frequent ri s. stu1say chat
Nan Patterson and Evelyn Nesbit-
Thaw were members OF that famous
original" sextet, but they were not
Nan Patterson did sing in the sextet,
but only in No. 3 company She had
no part whatever in the first produce
ton.
Evelyn Nesbit-Thaw was in the
opening New York production of the
opera, but she never attained to the
dignity of being in the sextet that
made the success of the work. Nature
had never adapted her for such a role.
She lacked the height and distinction.
The best she got was the small role of
a flower maiden who danced ins:the
background and scattered flowers.
Since the fame of "Florodora' went
round the country it has become a
fashion to class every girl who figures
in sensational incident as one of the
original six. Let woman shoot or be
shot, let her make a rich marriage, be
named as correspondent, and "Floro-
dora" instantly got the credit of an
other sensation. Had there been six
thousand instead of six girls in the
first crop they would not have taken
part in all the incidents credited to
them.
Just to keep the records straight it
may be well to set down the names
Of the six young ladies who first .daz-
zled the country in the Paris gown
and big hats of the number. 79Nis 4. :, z
They were:
Marie Wilson.
Margaret Walker.
Waugh Texsmith.
Marjorie Relyea.
Agnes Sayre.
Daisy Green.
If any one of this six ever: has to do
any further pionetting before the foot
lights it is because she was already