Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-08
GRENADIERS PROVE TO
Be BIG SENSATION
EVERY BEAUTY is EXACTLY SIX
FEET TALL
Lonq and Ardent Work Required to
Gather Them Together, and
Much Money Expended
for Costumes

Ever since those early days when
buxom Lydia Thompson brought her
beauteous British blondes over to New
York and paraded them in pink heshlngs
before the amazed gaze of Gotham
young bloods in Americas first Amazon
march, the military march has been
standard and necessary feature OF the
lighter side of stage spectacle. NO comic
opera is complete without procession
and drill of the members of the merry
merry" and no spectacular extravaganza
is possible unless somewhere in 1t the
knights of this or that burst forth armed
cap-a-pie with impossible swords or still
more laughable spears, to rescue the talr
maiden in distress at the command OF
their fairy queen.
Up to lately, however, the vaudeville
stage has been deprived of military
maiden acts. There is no place IN
vaudeville for the chorus, and the eX-
pense of transporting a group of Anna
IONS Just for a march has been pro-
hibtive.
But the stunt in itself is so popular and
the demand for such a feature so great
that long ere this, substitutes for the
old stereotyped evolutionary group of IL
to "a have been invented Hence, the
vaudeville military act in itself is nc
great novelty.
But THE Stunning Grenadiers, now
at the Orpheum, are novelty.
They represent the last cry, not only IN
the Wav of a novelty act, bait in the
military line itself The famous Military
Octette" in a way foreshadowed them
but only family. They have place all
their own, and it will be long time ere
they even have an imitator, owing to the
skill demanded of them and the great
70 a nrndnCtiOn-tOl
it is nothing else.
Laskys Conception
The Grenadiers were conceived and
worked out by Jesse L. Lasky who was
responsible for 1.-The Colonial Septette, -
",The Military Octette" and number OF
other fine vaudeville spectacles Mr.
Lasky is an Englishman who devotes his
time exclusively to the evolution of start
ling acts of this variety, each composed
of a group of girls. Most of them he
places with the famous London pant
omimes, and it is no secret that this
present one Is now under engagement for
Christmas spectacle in the worlds
metropolis, whence the girls came
OF course, Mr.. Laskys concept dates
back to the British army.
He had often noted the splendid ap-
pearance made by such regiments as the
Grenadier Guards, the Scots Guards, the
Coldstreams and other bodies of troops
whose gorgeous uniforms add so much
color to somber London, and he decided
in his own mind that a group of girls
similarly uniformed for stage purposes
would prove attractive and spectacular
At the same time he had to face the fact
that these uniforms are the costliest ir
the world, and that full chorus similar
ly clad would represent a fortune Thus
he was led to formulate the plan to select
half dozen or so, each picked person
and consolidate them into a vaudeville
act relieved by several changes OF
costume.
Guards Tall Girls
The first necessity was to secure the
girls. This was no easy matter. The
guards are all six-footers, and any shorter
person in their gorgeous raiment looks
ridiculous.
Six foot men are not so scarce, bU
a six-foot girl is a rara avis. However
by dilgent search, he finally found the
six beauties who would fill the bill-alsc
the uniforms. Each girl measures just
six feet; each is perfect in form, and each
possesses a remarkable share of facia
beauty agility, skill in dancing and 6
good voice. 1t is easy to guess that many
candidates were examined before the hall
dozen were chosen
Then came the selection of leader
This was still harder, for the leader
must be a singer of high merit as {
! soloist, as well as possessed of all the