The San Francisco call., 1909-10-18
F[ORODORAG|RL
TO Be BRIDE OF
VALENCIA IDOL
Robert Warwick Chafes Under
Divorce Action, While Miss
Cunningham Waits
Romance Which Began Here
Last Fall Precedes Wedding,
Admits Fair Fiancee

When z judge has set Robert War
wick. once matinee hero of the Va
lencia theater, free from certain do
mestic entanglements existing in Chi
cago. the freedom being prayed for by
the. Chicago wife. there viii be wedding
bells jingling in the original "Floro-
dora" sextet set. Miss Josephine Cum
ningham, once Mrs. George WhittelI
Jr., once a pretty maiden compatriot
Of Nan Patterson. Evelyn Nesbit Thaw.
Mrs. Edna Goodrich-Goodwin, etc,
in the famous sextet, has notified her
friends that she is going to marry
Warwick as soon as the Illinois court
gets busy and the Illinois courts have
a record for expedition in divorce pro-
ceedings.
MET IN ST. FRANCIS
What glory there is for being the
scene Of the beginning of the romance
belongs TO the St Francis hotel. It
was in the onyx and gold lobby of the
place now famous as the palace of Don
Gaspar de Portola that Warwick met
Mrs. Josephine Cunningham Whittell
Since Warwick was then husband
there was nothing but vague rumors
bestirred by the palpable interest dis
played by the Valencia actor in the
former Florodora girl. But dispatches
from Chicago convey the news that
Mrs. Airline Peck Bien is q sbout to OBJ
tain a decree of divorce from Robert
Taylor Bien. The same Robert Taylor
Bien OF the Chicago divorce court is
the handsome gallant of this little
sketch-RObert Warwick being a short
er and more serviceable name for bill
board purposes.
MATRIMONIALLY FAMOUS
When the original Florodora sex
tet first tripped on the stage the
six pretty maidens were inoculated
with the virus of publicity-and the
treatment took in every case. The
sextet from "FIorodora," as every one
knows, is not such high class music
as that OF the seXtet from Lucia
but whoever heard of a sexteter from
Lucia" becoming matrimonial famous
and who ever heard of "A ''FIorodora"
girl who was otherwise? Miss Cum
ningham was typical.
She started her career casually in
san Jose as one of the snare drummers
in ladies band" that used to delight
the happy throngs at Alum Rock park
But san Jose offered but a small field
for the talents and pronounced beauty
OF the girl. She went to New York
That was about the time the 'Floro-
dora" production was being prepared.
The showgirls were chosen. The ranks
included Miss Josephine Cunningham,
late OF the ladies' band" of san Jose,
Miss Edna Goodrich. Miss Nan Patter-
son and Miss E,vp1y1
HYMENEAL sIDELIGHTs
About the time that Miss Cunning
ham was singing Tell Me, Pretty
Maiden" George Whittell Jr. was the
disjoined husband of Miss Florence
Boyers. an artist. There was divorce
IN that case and the report says that
the elder Whittell paid the young lady
$4,000 peaceably to sever the bonds
Then WhitteIl met the -'Florodora"
girl They became engaged. WhittelI
senior had had his experience with
actresses for daughters in law and was
not impressed with that beauteous
type. He decided to jump his son over
to Europe and avoid the stage But
while young Whittell was passing
through New York in June, 1904, Miss
Cunningham's charm led Cupid to
throw the derailing switch, and when
the dust had cleared the senior whittell
found that he had drawn another ac-
tress as a daughter in law.
That romance lasted about three
years-a long time for F'lorodora
glrfs Then the girl brought suit for
divorce in Oakland. alleging various
forms of cruelty. Her husband, she in
sisted, he'd pulled her hair out in
chunks and thrown a Jar of jellv at
her That sort of treatment is not for
Florodora girl-the traditions of the
fofr do
alimony.
SECURES HER ALIMONY
So there was alimony. That was the
summer Of 1907. The next year the
final decree was entered in Oakland.
Last May there was talk that there
might be A reunion in the Whittell fam
ily. But the former Florodora maiden
Joined the Florenz ZiegfeId THE Fol-
lies of 1909" company and the recon
ciliation was off. Miss Cunningha ms
particular folly of 1909" was some Of
her friends thought the rejection of
an urgent request TO become the wife
again of a millionaire.
But before that Robert Warwick
crossed her path. They met at the ST.
Francis hotel last fall, while Warwick
was star at the Valencia theater. A
Young San Franciscan. heir of a few
millions himself. was interested in the
girl. il was he VINO introduced her to
Warwick Then he had to fade away.
Warwick became the fair haired lad
The two were seen much together
There were quiet luncheons and auto
mobile rides.
After lie had gone back east War
wick was mentioned rather PERSONAL lly
in The Mary Mannering-J X Hack
EFT divorce suit, but did not appear in
the subsequent proceedings. Now his
wife has sued for divorce on the ground
of desertion. The evidence had been
taken, and all that remains to be done
is for the judge TO sfix his signature
10 the decree.
LETTERS REVEAL SECRET
And then, according to the letters
Miss Cunningham has written to friends
in this city, she viii marry Warwick
Warwick is well known in this city
He is the son of Louis Bien. His sister
is Mrs A. 3. c. Dohrmann. He is now
pIaying in Milwaukee in a stock COM
pany. He is a capable actor and has in
his time on the stage supported Mary
Mspnering, Grace George. Virginia
Harmed. Katherine Grey and other
a,rouainent actresses.
raTI EGE MEMS CHR