Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-26
SHUBERT ACTRESS
LAUDS j. S. GIRLS
Miss Leonhard, Heroine of
blindness of Virtue" Says
They're No Boobs."

american girls OF seventeen, duu
much younger, aren't such 'boobs,
laughed Miss Marie Leonhard, the
| English actress who plays the part OF
| Effie Pemberton, the girl who, in all
innocence of the propriety of her act,
| goes into the bed chamber of her
| sweetheart dressed only in her
''nighties," in THE Blindness of Vir-
tue" being presented this week at the
| Shubert Theatre, when asked last
! night IL che thought such a girl ex-
listed in real life in the United states.
why, your American girls are far
ahead of ours in England she said.
| Here a girl of seventeen is a young
lady, perfectly able to take care OF
! herself. Really, they even attend the
cabaret shows and go all over,
whereas in England a girl of that age
| Is looked upon as still a baby, and
generally is her mothers companion.
| Oh, no, | do not believe such a girl
exists here but in England there are
hundreds of Them
Miss Leonhard, who has been in
| America about q year and a half, is
still very enthusiastic about the
American public, and. between daubs
| of the hare's foot and use of the eye
| brow pencil, demanded to know about
| Newark theatregoers, but before an
answer could be made, would have
| another question asked.
Enthusiasm is apparently the key
note to all of Miss Leonhard's work,
| both on and off the stage, for she was
| bubbling over with II, and reminded
one of a tot with her first doll, while
discussing the play and play goers, as
| she was making ready for the first
act.
~ ,h;,,i. NT,,,-r al. a,,aia,,a,e a ~ IL = ,
| delightful and so intensely sympa-
| thetic," she exclaimed Il love to act
for them, for ! can feel that the emo
tions ] feel are also felt by them, and
chat Just makes me lose my own
identity entirely and imagine that /
am the innocent little girl Mr.. Cosmo
Hamilton had in mind when he wrote
this play.
you know this is a story from real
life. and | know the people into
whose lives the tragedy of the blind
| ness of virtue nearly entered. Isn't
il just too sweet how it really turned
out. That is why l can close my eyes
and picture Eflie, knowing nothing OF
the dangers and thinking nothing of
sweetheart, Fastening into his room,
When she knows he is back from a
trip. And it's just natural for her
not to stop to dress, for her great love
has blinded her to everything but
him."
The little star of the play suddenly
turned on me, as | was industriously
scribbling down notes and, clapping
her hands, said: II just love Amer
ica Love 1t enormously. Don't you
think so? You see, | stay here, so
that is the best proof. This is my
first visit to Newark, and it is just
too delightful. l wish that we were
going to play here longer.
But, | do love your audiences
here" she said again. II think they
are wonderful to work before. What
do you think of them"
| was compelled to plead ignorance
as to what my opinion was, as | had
never faced them from behind the
footlights This did not satisfy her,
and she Informed me that l must tell
her what | thought of them from be-
ing in front of the curtain. 1t was
not until | told her that good acting
was always well rewarded that she
would continue about herself
Turning again to the subject OF the
| play, she said that in her opinion, the
author had depicted a true type OF
! English country life, and that the
| imaginations were not stretched the
| least bit in assembling the play
You know" she said. your Amer
lean girls have far greater advantages
than their sisters across the Atlantic.
| Why, your schools, colleges and in
| farther advanced where the girl is
considered. In England she doesn
have one mite the freedom and OPP
| portunity your girls have"
! Miss Leonhards debut in the
United States was in "The Butter
| fly on the Wheel" about year and
a half ago. Before that she hao
played over year through Canada
She made her debut as an actress
! six years ago in England and sue
cess has followed her constantly.
Although not born of theatrical
! family, little Efiie lin stagedom.n de
| clares that she and her family took
it as a matter of course that sht
! should become an actress. She say;
| she grew up with that idea and wher
the time came she stepped from the
ranks of the amateur to those of the
professional with no dualms of mis-.
| giving or fear.
While still studying at school
dramatic books were her faYorito
and she learned almost by heart al
| books concerning the great world Of
dramatics.
Not only is little Miss Innocence
| of the play an actress in the drama
/ but she has entered the ranks of th(
movie actresses and before her
present engagement she was taking
a leading part in the great film 9TH,
Pride of Jennico," ending her work
| before the camera when the COMPANY
returned from Cuba where part u
THE Pride of Jennico" was photo
| graphed.
Miss Leonhard declares that acting
| before the camera is thrilling ant
delightful for not only are the en-
vironments true to nature. but there
is a greater freedom in the action
and then. too. after the acting Is
| completed you can go to the theatr;
| and see yourself WORKING
Off the stage. Mss Leonhard il
just as kindly and sweet as wher
she is playing Efiie Pemberton-
Little Miss Innocence"
l.. II. BESSELL.