The Washington times., 1920-02-21
ON BEING n
Chorus Girl
BY EDWIN JUSTUS MAYER.


Let me confess at the outset that 1
have never been a chorus girl But
/ can see no good reason in this for
not writing Of the profession. A book
reviewer once remarked that he never
read a book before he wrote of 1t be-
cause of the danger of prejudiclng
himself. And everyone knows the
story of the chorus lady who advised
another OF the same like to give
friend a book for Christmas: But
she has n book" answered the sec
ond chorus lady, hopelessly.
But this incoherent prelude scarcely
does justice to the fact that popular
notions arc very often cock-eyed, as
Mencken might say. In these days
when the world is turning upside
down on its mental axis. things re-
verse themselves strangely. Prohi-
bitionists are carried into the great
dry beyond by wood alcohol and Will
liam Jennings Bryan gives renewed
signs of animation, stimulated APP
parently by prohibition-so that II
need surprise nobody to hear that
Florence Deshon. who began her ca
rcer as a chorus girl in New York
and who is now playing the role OF
the one at the end in Goldwyn Pic
lures production OF 1.-TWO Cents
Worth of Humaneness," in which
Madge Kennedy is starred-it should
surprise no one to hear that Miss
Deshon is an omniverous reader and
that her particular hobbies are his
tory and economies. She is particu-
larly strong for Egyptian jurispru-
dence.
They Don't Read Much.
at isn't altogether a myth that
chorus girls don't read much Miss
Deshon says, but the reason for
their laxity in that regard is to be
found in late rehearsals and early
rehearsals and special rehearsals
rather than in late suppers, believe
me. My own experience in the chorus
was brief one, but ] think it gave
me some insight into the institution
playing the part of the chorus
girl merely requires playing the part
OF an ordinary human being with am
billions and limitations. The aver
age girl of the profession isn't n bird
in a gilded cage by any means. MCr-
often she Is just the opposite; anC
IL her grammar isn't correct. her
ideas are. Not that all Of the pro-
fession are impeccable; they are just
the average run OF beings, some vir-
tuous. some not. but mostly kind
hearted and simple"
"I began reading everything that ]
could lay my hands on long before
/ could understand what / was read
ing" she says. Books, newspapers
advertisements, pamphlets, l read
them all as they came along. Some
OF them meant something to me and
some of them didn't. But l did glesn
enough to have a desire to get to
New York. wonderland, from To
coma, l give you my word! AS soon
as / could / put my hair up and
headed for Bagdad-on-the-S Subway
When / arrived there l found an un-
romantic position In an advertising
agency. and was even more unroman-
tically fired for ineffciency."
Hut She Didnt Like IT,
"My little venture into the business
world didn't entrance me with IL, and
I didn't know what TO do next-and
my funds weren't unlimited. A girl
suggested that ! go on the stage and
/ took her advice. 1t was then i aad
a brief experience as n chorus girl
Later I began playing parts and
eventually went to London. When !
returned entered the pictures. Not
very exciting record. is it7"
Mac Murray, after finishing "On
with the Dance" for Paramount, is
resting a while before making n Cos
mopoiitan Picture for International