New-York tribune., 1919-11-30
Give a Wife a Little Rope
And She'll Soon Find Her
Husband, Says Billie Burke

a life and death situation WIN snen
cal,nness From that point on her en-
,husiasm for the secretary seems 70
wane. while her admiration Tor ner
husband yisibly increases. ~ seems 20
,oo ,bat she feels "A triflc ? 'Iued about
it, too. A. .;,.ou.
Rillie "diyorce proceedings might oiten
ba avo;ded II more husbands and WIVES
.,c,od like C1sar and Violet. Any
number of women wayer on just such
nrecipices. and they sometimes 20 "''l
BECAUSE their husbands don't kho"
in time 10 hold them back. woman
Is bound 70 be attracted at times py
other men just as husbands are py
other women, but IL they would ohiy
give it all an airing and have ~ ou'
with each other, they would come 10
some mutual understanding Owe
wife a little rope and she viii soon
find out that her husband is best after
all. but try TO rein her in and
The pink feather fan that had waved
away the lover and summoned the hus-
band in the play tapped expressiyeiy,
and Billie laughed gleefully at herself
for embarking on such TRADE on
matrimony. However, she kept right
on and confessed that absolute honesty
between husband and wife was the best
cure for all ills. The only trouble wa
that during temporary infatuatson
women were apt 20 be blind 70 the vir-
tues Of most excellent husbands.
There is no getting away from the
fact that in "Casar's Wife, pretty 1T
tic Violet makes most decided at
tempt to sway her husband from the
path of duty by asking him TO grant
reprieve; and while Miss Burke has
to play Violet she very strongly disap-
proves Of wives interfering with man
business. Incidentally, she confessed
that she was not much Of sufragist.
"Women haven't any business but
ting in on affairs that don't concern
them and that they know nothing
about" she declared. IT'S all wrong 70
trv 20 use sex in affairs OF this kind.
Women can help by suggestion ~
things that they really know about, but
they have no right TO try 10 sway their
husbands in the performance OF public
duty"
While Miss Burke has played only
one other part in the course OF her
career that she likes better than that
of Violet, she rather balks at the
highly emotional role she sustains.
Born to laugh and make laughter, 1t Is
a source Of real grief 70 her that no
where in "Casar's Wife" does she
arouse so much as a chuckle. Indeed.
the only laugh in the whole play goes
to quaint old Mr.. and Mrs. Richard
Appleby.
ALL" she said. There is so much OF
the other sort Of thing on the stage
that it seems a shame for one who can
make laughter to neglect the oppor-
tunity. Nothing thrills me more than
response of this kind. But | never
want to go back into musical COMEDY
/ And like the speaking stage infinitely
better than the movies. The screen u
such a cold affair that find making
pictures a wearisome business. But
love the theatre better all the time.
hope to keep right on with my work.
am passionately fond OF II"
"Do you agree with Casar that
good housekeepers are detesta9le
women"
"Oh, I take issue with that"
laughed Miss Burke. "Why, direct
all my own housekeeping and look after
baby. too. Just before coming % me
theater tonight made out next weeks
menus. And my husband u a jolly
good cook He makes supper for US
sometimes when we get home
Just then my husband'-FlorenI
Ziegfeld jr.-put his head around the
dressing room door and announced that
il was time for home, supper aud
Patricia-Patricia, OF course, being
Billie Burke's baby-and "Flo's.'