The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-17
ISIS" PLANS HOME
Rose Melville Building $4,000
Los Angeles Structure.
Will Live There Upon Return
From European Trip.
ANOTHER IN HER ROLE
Retirement Will Be Permanent
If Satisfaction Is Given.
Otherwise Hopkins" Girl Prob
ably Will Return to Stage.

Miss Rose Melville, known in pri-
vate life as Mrs. Frank Minzey, may
not retire from the stage permanently
when she finishes her twelfth season
in ISIS Hopkins" Andrew Maxley.
her manager. declared at the Grand
last night that Miss Melville will go to
Europe next summer and after a trip
on the continent will return to this
country and locate in Los Angeles
Wnere $4,000 home is being built
for her.
1t is the purpose to keep the COM
pany intact with the exception of Miss
Melville and if it is found that the
public does not take kindly to a sub
stltute in the titular role, then the
woman who twelve years ago created
it probably will return to the stage.
The return of isis Hopkins to the
Grand marked the tenth presentation
in Topeka. Mr.. Maxley, who has been
managing the company since it was
taken over by the J. r. Stirling man.
agement in Buffalo more than eleven
years ago, recalled that on four occa-
slons the attraction was given in the
old Crawford theater.
James McDuf. who plays the part
of PA Hopkins also Elsie Mackey
who appears as Parthenia Peckover,
the woman who runs the seminary,
have been members of the cast of the
picturesque pastoral play for ten
years. Frank Minzey, who is Miss
Melvilles husband, is in the character
of Ridy Scarboro and has been in the
company number of years.
TopelSan Directs Orchestra.
e. P. Lewis, a North Topeka prod
uct, is director of the orchestra and
has been connected with isis Hopkins
for seven years. His wife, Fay Ievss,
is an actress and plays the part of
Tishie Stanifer, a charity scholar.
Lewis has been an orchestra director
for twenty years. He has a brother
now playing in the orchestra at the
Willis Wood theater, Kansas City.
In the first season out, isis Hop
kins" reached Buffalo, N. Y, after
several weeks of perilous tour 1t
was one of the traditional last stands
when salaries are uncertain and bust
ness bad. Buffalo was to be the test.
If the play drew there the company
would go on and try again. IL it sail-
ed in Buffalo the tour would be aSan-
doned.
The syndicate had been ready and
eager to book the attraction but the
patrons of $1.50 theaters outside New
York had not been reckoned with.
Neither Miss Melville, Carroll Fleming
who had written the play, nor the COM
pany had considered that phase of the
case.
1t remained for John r. Stirling. a
| theater manager of Buffalo, to solve
the problem. Isis Hopkins was max
| ing her last stand in one of Mr.. Stir
| ling's theaters. Mr.. Stirling got Miss
Melville into one of his private Offices
and there a new management of the
| company was arranged.
Rated as Richest Actress.
Prosperity dawned with the Niagara
| Falls opening. Managers of the dollar
| houses jumped at the chance to book
Rose Melville and since that time isis
| Hopkins usually has drawn capacity
houses. Even last year and this yea,
| her drawing power has waned but lit
| tie. Now Miss Melville is rated as the
| richest actress in America
I In the meantime Rose Melville has
| enjoyed life. She has a rare art col
lection, the finest motor cars that mon.
ey can buy, a collection of antiques
| from all corners of the globe and SAID
to be the most costly of any collection
| in America.
In Los Angeles, where Miss Melville
will live when she has retired, the house
| which is being built for her is to ht
finished in old English style and vii
contain 10 rooms exclusive of the base
ment. Among other interesting thing.
the house is to have a two story hal
finished in Honduras mahogany. A
one end of the hall there will be min
| iature stage
isis Hopkins" was first introduced
merely as a character in the old pro
duction of Little Christopher at tn,
Garden theater. New York. Rose Mel
vile and her sister, Ida, divided a sal