The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-03-07
theatrical Magnate in the
City Recently States That
The Show Girl Must Now Be
intelligent.
SHE HAS OPPORTUNITY
NOW FOR ADVANCEMENT
Girls Now Days Come From
Good Families and Are Bet
ter Both Socially and Nor
ally, He Says.

@How about the chorus girls a re.
porter asked the manager of big mu.
steal comedy production seen in this
city the past week." Are they still
considered as mere machines or are
they now actually required to have
some intelligence?
SO much has been written regard
ing the elevation of the stage that
there il little left to be said upon this
subject. But strangely enough, COM
paratively nothing has been said re-
garding one Of its most interesting fea-
tures-the chorus GIRL he replied.
III the history OF chorus girls is ev-
er written 1t will doubtless be divided
into two periods-befo Edward E.
Rice and after Edward e. Rice. The
pre-Rice girl belongs to the dark ages
Of the chorus-a time when chorus
girls, pirates and train robbers were
all assigned to the same unhealthy dis
trict in the lower regions by well
meaning, notoriety-seeking reformers.
"A time when chorus girls were engag-
cd for quantity rather than quality;
when the producing manager engaged
his corps de ballet much as contem-
pOraneous sailing masters then engag-
ed crew-by the Shanghai method.
In those days the chorus girls came
from dark and obscure places from
tho poorer sections of the big cities,
with an occasional ox-eyed innocent
from the farm. draughted for variety's
sake.
Little was expected Of her and lit
tie was given. She stood around the
stage In costume which exposed the
reason for her employment, carried q
wooden spear which she broke only oc-
casionally. and followed the leader
Every time the manager clapped his
hands she realized It was up to her to
do Something and she looked at the
gitl ahead to see what 1t was to be
done. It didn't require any super
human mental effort to do this.
A Germ Of Ambition.
but, strange to say. somewhere
down deep In the recesses OF her soul
was hidden germ Of ambition. and
under certain circumstances this germ
llourished forth into real life, and q
star was born. There is NO denying
this The average chorus girl Of yes
terday was ambitious. Chorus life In
the old Gays was tough enough to make
any one ambitious, and these girls
were only human after all. From out
OF the fold there would occasionally
emerge one of these human being with
real talent. But please notice she
emsrged-those who had talent never
disclosed the horrible secret while they
were in the chorus. The chorus in
those days was no place for talent. II
, girl burned with genius she kept it
to herself until she saw a chance to
get out Of the herd. II she had shown
talent in the chorus In these days, the
comedian who happened to be holding
lhe center OF the stage at the precise
when her talent became evil
dent. might possibly have hit her over
The head with = stage brace later in the,
evening. merely AZ a hint that he was
the star Of the show, not she. Come
dians IN those days did not take their
Of chorus girls who
''Queered their business to tho man.
lgement They fought It out right on
the spot, and be 1t said In the spirit OF
Justice. that the comedian did not al
ways win.
Advanced % Glass.
sAll Of which II BY way Of contrast
- little dissertation to show Why the
modern chorus girl has advanced a. Z
rlass II not Is an individual.
Az I have said, the history OF cho-
rus girls has as its turning point the
poming Of Edward 4. Rice. Edward
p. Rice was the first man to seek in
(eligence In chorus girl. He was
not moved to do this by any moral or.
geological impulse It was q plain
matter Of business. In "Evangeline''
Mr.. Rice had some rather expensive
Dostumes-some OF the kind that
wouldn't stand being thrown into q
dirty corner Of q dressing room floor.
Mr. Rice had learned that the average
chorus girl would do this, not through
Any desire to cause the management
grief. but simply because she didn't
know any better. For this reason he
Fought girls who knew enough to keep
their costumes clean and according to
al reports. II was very difficult mat
ter and undertaking. Indeed this one
feeble effort to discover intelligent
chorus girls met with such awful OBJ
btacles that Mr.. Rice never dared 90
hny further on the quest.
But from the trail he blaxed great
lhinGs were to come. Other managers
A0ting that Mr.. Rice had expensive
costumes. went and did likewise, and