New-York tribune., 1920-05-09
nusement News and Stage Door Chat for the Paygoer
Josie Intropidi Settles
Once and for All Time
The Fair Lillian's Acc

In-trop-i-di, with the accent on the
"trop" and with the 20" as in mop
is the way she pronounces her name
Josie Intropidi, who Is appearing az
Mrs. Starkweathcr in Hugo Riesen-
fields "Betty, Be Good" at the Casino
is kindly, tolerant soul. She blames
no one for mispronouncing or mis-
spelling her name.
"Onco the correct pronunciation is
learned it is never forgotten" she
said in her dressing room between acts
on opening night. Anyway, there are
only two people Of the name that /
know Of in this country-myself and
my daughter, Ethel, who is playing in
East Is West If anything comes to
me by mistake, I know that it belongs
to my daughter, and vice versa"
Despite her name, which is Italian,
Miss Intropidi was born In New York
City, but only by accident. 1t was all
planned that she should be born on
Spanish soil. Said Miss Intropidi:
"My mother, who was an American,
married an Italian, and two children
were born. When he died. she married
Spaniard and went with him to Ha-
vana to continue her operate work
You know she was with Adelina PATHS
mother at Castle Garden, in 1648, when
Adelina was only five years old. !
was born in New York City when
mother was visiting her two children,
who were at boarding school. This
was not at all as mother and father
had planned, but I am satisfied. And
to prove it, my own daughter was born
here on the Fourth of July, so there.
Her father was Irish, so you see that
there are many different strains run
ming in her and in me-"
tropidi's forte, and she comes by her
ability to act them naturally, she
thinks, because of the foreign blood
that runs in her.
ut is very easy for me to play Ital-
ian, French or Spanish parts. Nor
should ! forget the Irish. | love to
play them. Anne Caldwell, who is
writing play with part in it for me,
called me up and told me that it was to
be dialect part. Nothing could suit
me better. Anne and l used to be in
the chorus together.
Those who are sure that Lillian Rus
sell is very old woman had better not
express that opinion when Josie 1ntrop-
idi is in range. They are likely to
find themselves confronted with diff
culties that they little expected.
Il started on the stage with Lillian
Russell, who was four years older than
was. | was fourteen then, so you can
figure the rest out for yourself. 1t
makes me angry to hear people say how
old Lillian is. If she was four years
older than l was then she is still four
years older than l am, isn't she? No;
| am not q bit reticent about my age
l am ffty-three; so there you have it."
All around the dressing room were
strewn flowers sent by friends with
messages of good cheer and wishes for
success. Among them was bouquet
sent by her daughter and with this
message: Hope you have as long a
run as have had" Ethel Intropidi has
played for more than seventy weeks in
East Is West" so that Josie Intropidi
has much to look forward to if she is
to satisfy the wishes of her daughter.
invariably interviewers have a stock
question which you haven't asked and
| am glad. What Is your hobby % thew
ask. If you haven't any say something,
anyway But if you had asked me /
should have answered, My daughter.
That is all there is in the family now,
myself and my daughter, and we are
lnseparable, chums, sweethearts, any,
thing you want to call u.s."
The Tribune reporter left, wearing
IN his buttonhole a flower from the
bouquet of Ethel Intropidi.