The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-07
BY FRANKLIN FILES.

New York, Feb. 5.-Salome has re-
turned 10 town to again hug a dead
mans head. Cleopatra has come to
Cuddle a live snake in her barred bosom.
The Girl from RectOT's makes a ply
sicaliy cleaner but immorally nastieT
exposure of herself in a play which
had but one Of ,ts intended two public
rehearsals across the Hudson, because
a Jersey mayor decided that an after
noon Of Ter shouldn't be followed by
an evening. So, you see, we have three
young women in our theatres inadmis-
sible to our drawing rooms. At the
same time, though, respectable hero
inc is introduced 10 US newly by George
AIDE; so it still is. as ever was and al
ways will be, nip and tuck between
good influence and evil in stage shows.
X x
The siren who danced the head off
John the Baptist is way up in grand
opera, and the other, who turned the
head of Mare Antony, is way down in
vaudeville; but they are exhibited by
the same Snowman. This Salome is EN-
bodied by Mary Garden. concededly
the handsomest, although act the best
voiced, singer at either of the rival
opera houses, and she performs in the
Wilde tragedy set to music by Strauss.
The Cleopatra is a pretty snake charm
ct, Rajah, shifted from a Bowery 10
cent museum to a 81 Broadway theatre
10 sell, while people are buying. sights
Of women in exposure. We have had
50 many and such amazing SalOmes
that Miss Gardens dance of the seven
wells wouldn't be highly interesting ii
she were not the first operate celebrity
TO give it. PTima donnas singing the
role hitherto have left the dancing TO
be done by the leader of the company's
ballet, and the effect was IN way
comic when. last year. Fremstads thick
Salome strobe heavily out to let a thin
Sal0ms glide in and do the dancing
This change hasn't been due. as ! think, /
TO inability of the great sopranos to |
give the dance fittingly; for they are
excellent actresses; and surely Julia
Aariowe did it effectively, and she is
neither a lightweight nor a trained
darseuse, but she was in the reveTent
drama of John the Baptist not the>t
lascivious play by Oscar Wilde; and
maybe they shirkad so unwomanly
service IN so wantOn character TO
save their self-respect.
But there. I don't need TO discuss the
qualities OF ''SaIome" the opera. nor of
Nary Garden in it generally. for the
music isn't IN my line; so I will tell You
merely what she did with the now no
torious dance nudity. Tradition says
mat Salome appeared before her step
father Herod. wrapped in seven wells;
that she removed one after another,
with Oriental posturings and whirlings;
and that she earned the head of John
by delivering herself finally TO the mon
Ster monarch stark naked. You know.
too. that numerous stage women have
come very near to literal realism late
iy In the plays principal episode. Miss
Garden has been expo ted by every
means devisable by press agents guile
she has talked freely for publication.
neT mana ger has been knocked down IN
The street on her account; and now that
Il IS all over. she declares that she was
untrue 10 her art because she let the
spectators 90 out TO suppeTs with their
sppetites unhurt by seeing her kiss a
corpSe's lips. she feels. in the depth
or her artistic soul. that she should |
nave Obeyed Oscar Wilde's direction |
instead OF merely hugg.ng the CORY |
mead But let me De calmly descriptive /
Miss Garden as Salorle frames a pallid /
lace with red hair cut short at the !
neck Her principal garment is white, /
thn and so tran slucent that the out /
mes Of her slender, Shapely form are /
Plainly visible, except when an orange /
mantle gives it partial privacy. She |
looks Ike a figure stepped down from /
N Egyptian mural painting; but in her 1
l4fe Of John she suggests rather a /
aslhptreSs from the boulevards of mod /
s'h Paris. When she comes to the /
oance. though. she lets the vaudeville /
oaiomes Outstrip her, and there is no 4
Jason to believe that her nudity is 4
eN--eE than make believe. 1t is grace