New-York tribune., 1918-11-03
lkliitzii !
BY Rebecca Drucker

1t was the enthusiasm Of highbrow
person Of my acquaintance. whom the
musical comedy Of Broadway leaves
coldly scornful, which first stirred me
into curiosity about Mitzi. Among
other things in her praise my friend
said that she knew how to be witty
with her body. Now the world is full
of people who do laughter-provoking
grotesque things, but had always con-
sidered wit beyond the power of the
body to achieve. But I recognized
what he meant when I saw her
though the humor of "Head Over
Heels" is along such broad lines that
it permits this power to crop out only
in by-play. 1t is a pantomimic re-
sponse to comedy so delicate and un-
expected that it has precisely the eff
feet of pointed comment.
Mitzi has the pink and gold coloring
of an ingenue. With blue eyes wide
and fixed simper, she might be the
model for all ingenues. But her smile
will not fix itself. 1t is a queer, slant
ing thing that throws wicked lights
up into her eyes. There Is a perverse
comic within her that banters her own
pink-and-goldness and urges her on to
wilful grotesqueness.
She speaks the idiomatic, unfas-
tidious English Of New York-but with
quaint, fastidious little accent that
is not SO much of pronunciation as
OF infection, and that is quaintest
when she drops into unconscious slang.
She sat in largo chair in sunny
window. I, the stern inquisitor, sat
opposite her. Between US, overhead, a
large parrot with passionate, mournful
deliberation was pulling out his
tailfcathers. Now and then he in
jccted a comment into our CONVERSE
ton
Mitzi Ia Hungarian, born in Buda-
pest Of middla-class parents. Fathers
family Is very DID," said Mitzi
"Mothers is not nearly 80 old, and
much nicer" Father, with white
mus ache, and mother, with double
chin. beamed down on Us from the
mantle shclf "No one in our family
had ever been on the stage, but mother
did not say 4 shall die il daughter
Of mine should go on the STAGE She
said. IF it will mako the child happy
and father said. 'She is such little
monkey that is where she belougs.' So
went to the Conservatory, which is
government school. where the dis
cipline Is very severe, and studied very
hard and then graduated and played q
season Of straight comedy in Vienna
There an American manager saw me
and brought me over eight years age
10 play in the second company Of The
Spring Maid And have never been
able to 60 back to straight comedy
since"
Would you like to ?" I asked.
y would love real acting part
Perhaps the next piecc I do"----
We drifted OFF into talk about Hun
gary. II shall never so back. I am
an American. But It Is sad for my
parents" she said, wistfully. "They
are too old 70 come over and adap,
themselves 70 American ways. When
came over and saw the skyline ant
tho lingo buildings was 80 frightened
II was all so huge. / was eighteen
snd ! felt SO small. But went to m,
cabin and did my hair high and put or
dress with long train that thought
would make mo look big, too, and
determined 10 stand up to New York
~ course, love 1t now. 1t is my
home"
We went bacl. to a discussion of act
ing. The tea ehngs of the Conseryator,
had been rigid upon one point
honesty. 1t had insisted upon natural
pcsa above ail things.
xish sofuc ingenues / have seen
coul| have been sent there TO study
I saiL.
sfiszi looked np at me, and the spark
Of mutual understanding was lighted
betweca us.
She CAPPED her hand to her mouth
to supprsss q gisgIs.