The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-05-12

Of the countess s maid, who invents
an ailing aunt IN order to get off
for night at the ball, where she
is introduced as an actress by her
sister who is, in fact, An actress.
She saws she borrowed - her ball
gown from her mistress; but even
Brooklyn cannot swallow that in
view of the perfect way in which
it fits FRITZ g doll-like form and Of
the Statue Of Liberty-like proper
tions of Miss Cox.
Let us be gay and playful You
ask me question and III answer
it. You say: "Where are the 81.
rens Of yesterdayf" And I say:
''ln the motion picture business.
Do you remember the Baroness
Blancf Perhaps you are too young;
or perhaps you want to pretend TO
be! In any ca%, she flourished IN
the late eighties, which. as / had
occasion to remark recently in the
Green Book Album, was the Brown
stone age. The most desirable New
York streets were hideous with
row upon row Of stiff, unindividual
dwellings,; even in the better draw
ing rooms gas still prevailed. she'd
ding its stuffy luster on "belles
in Alexandra bangs and "bustles, ~
and outdoor exercise was still
looked upon a bit askance as not
diversion to be INDUCED in by
the ladies. The French language
was glanced at with a vague mis-
trust; and Anglomania was ram
pant. Ward McAllister had pro-
claimed society to be limited to
four hundred persons: and Mrs.
William Astor ruled them (and, IN
directly. influenced their imita-
tors) with stern hand. Richard
Harding Davis Is 'Van Bibber'
was the rage; amateur acting was
the latest vogue, such prominent
New Workers as Clara Bloodgood.
Mrs. Peter Cooper Hewitt, Elsie de
Wolfe. the WeDdells, Edward Hales
Coward and Mrs. James Brown Pot
ter being the leading spirits Of the
Comedy club; aud Mrs. Laugtry's
name was still spoken in a tone
Of tremulous adventure.
Long Branch, with horseracing
and opulent gambling houses at
tracing the leading lights Of the
elitteripg world. was crowdinC
Saratoga for first place. And there,
rs a star in the constellation gath.
cred about Mrs. Langtry and
"Frcd Gcbhard. the Baroness
Blanc shope rcsplendent. She was,
in fact. no baroness, being a girl
from Philadelphia, or some Penn
sylvan,a town. who was married
to a Mr. Blanc. whose Christian
name was Baron. After a glowing
career somewhat Of the sort of
Mrs, Langtry s. Mrs Potter s,
Mrs. Carter g and Bettina Gerard Is,
Mrs, Blanc went on the stage, max
ing her debut-st the Fifth Ave
nue. thcater, New York, January 2,
19O3-in one Of the numerous yer
sions Of Alexander Dumas's lie
Demi Monde then prevalent She
failed to create any notable I'M
preston; and, presently withdrew,
to make way for the American
debut Of Eleanora Duse, January
%, 1893. a few years later Mrs.
Blanc again emerged, In widow S
weeds and scarlet petticoats, TO
dance on one of the earlier metro
politau roof gardens. Then she
disappeared forever from the
realms Of opulent frivolity. Aud
where is she now7 Running 1T
tie ten-cent motion picture thcater
near JlONOlU n s''ti'h -
Now York skirtcd on two sides by
negro tcncments and itself the rem
devious Of chauffeurs and their
"goils.''
And then. there were the anna
teurs. Of course, like The poor,
amateur actors are always with us;
so You reasonably might ask me
WHY | take up your time talking
about a type of young folk who
all but sandbag their relatives and
friends into seeing them attempt
to compete with experienced thou
sands upon thousands Of an over
crowded profession. ] doubt not
YOU have to suffer amateur per
formances at homo. and, therefore,
cry aloud to me, keep your own
troubles to yourself!' However,
inasmuch as 7 am, on the one hand,
too old to have to sit through par
entail performances IN college the
atricals and tho like. | cannot be
charged with partiality in saying
that the new operettas presented,
in leading Broadway thcaters. by
the Mask and Wig club of tho Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, rPd by
the Junior league of fashionable
New York. were exceptional
enough in several ways 10 he no,
ticeable here as leading incidents
in week of spring and song and
gaietv. Besides, though the nu
merous leading roles of "Miss
Helen Of Troy and "TaGs and
Tatters' were augmented by large
choruses, ostensibly OF both sexes,
the cast Of the one play was made
up entirely Of men and of the 9th
er. all girls!
Ladies first. Indeed, with the
suffragettes making such an up.
roar pnrading through the chief
streets Of the metropolis, he would
be an adventurous male who un.
dertoolS TO push bis way ahead of
the weaker sex. The Junior league,
An organization of the young folk
of leading New York families, ap-
pears, from time to time, In ANA
teur theatricals for charitable
purposes; the two performances of
'Tags and Tatters,' for example,
gathered money in four figures for
the benefit of the Music School
settlement, which trains poor but
promising children Of the lower
cast side Of the city for profes-
sional uses Of their natural gifts.
Walter Damrosch is an ardent
worker in the movement, and it