New-York tribune., 1920-08-15
Broadway's Prettiest
Chorus Girls Prepare
To Go Into w est at Last

NOoI 1IOIu IeI ScHlIdl EdTk WcSt
apartment each night in her orange
Limousine, is headed west-to Chicago!
Think of it! There was a time when
she would no more consider ridding
her eyes of Broadway's brilliant glow
each night than she would Of wearing
full length stockings in the summer
time. But times have changed.
1t is quite we'll known among thcat-
rical producers that there is nothing
more difficult than to attempt to induce
a pretty show girl or chorus pony to
leave New York. When their production
ends its run on Broadway and starts
on tour, the best looking of them and
the ones with any wits about them
simply drop out of the production and
become attached to another Broadway
offering. There are several reasons for
this. The principal one is that travel
ing is very, very hard on complexion,
nerves and general disposition. An
! other is that the money does not go
nearly so far when one is travelling,
! tipping porters, mending clothes and
/ the like, as when one is comfortably
situated in u Riverside Drive apartment.
Besides there is all the country club
golf that is missed, no more bathing
beach nor moonlight larks at the Long
Island inns. And there are many,
many other reasons why travelling is
not so desirable to the trained New
York chorus girl. There are young
women-the most striking of those you
see at the Winter Garden and the Fol
lies-who have been acting as chorus
girls for several years (not too many
years, of course) and who never have
taken part in a show west of the east
side of Eighth Avenue.
Boston is the capital of Nova Scotia,
so far as they are concerned, and
Chicago! Forgracoussake, do you think
l wanta go clear out to Colorado?
And, after all, why should they be
there plenty of productions to take
care of them? A pretty girl is as much
in demand in the agents Offices of
Broadway musical comedy productions
as any other part of the production
in fact, more SO. and salaries are good,
and there are perfectly delightful sur
roundings.
But, inasmuch as money always has
ruled the world of the blue spotlight
and still continues SO to do, there has
been a change. Out in Chicago for
many months, some say many yeals,
audiences have been demanding that
theatrical managers provide cookbook
ing choruses. In the recent months
they have begun boycottng productions
that brought anything but the very
has gone out from Chicago that the
girls, if they'll only come and bring
their prettiest costumes and their
Broadway rouge and powder, may de-
mand and receive just as much money
as they want.
Which is a rather enticing offer,
every one must admit! This wasn't
done because the managers thought
they'd like to be nice to the girls. 1t
was because Chicago was being treated
like a poor relative by the great the
atrical producers in the East whose
Broadway successes were reaching Chi
cago with anything but pretty choruses.
Productions containing in New York
(not to mention names) the most beau
tiful of the citys chorus girls, reached
Chicago with old women and funny
faced maidens who looked more like
comedians than vampires, it was said.
| The situation became SO bad that COM
mittees of theatrical patrons called
upon the leading musical comedy the
ater managers and told them if they
didn't bring Irregular" choruses to Chi
cago with their New York "shows"
they'd have to close their doors.
All sorts of threats were made and
the worst blow of all was when the
patrons began staying at home on the
opening nights of the big musical pro-
ductions.
SO that now the exodus, it is re-
ported, has begun. New York's bright
est-eyed young things arc engaging
compartments on the limited trains
for the town on Lake Michigan, leaving
their check-boo at home, but carrying
their bank books and hand bags proudly
at their sides.
"If they want to pay us the price,
we'll go all right" one of the cutest
of them said just the other day as she
took her breakfast on her chaise Tongue
in her velvet and silk tapestried apart
ment on the Drive. "I'm going to join
a production in Milwaukee next week,
and I'll make as much money for one
season in the West as for five seasons
here. 1t seems they're paying more
money now"
SO the West is going to see prettier
girls, more of them, and genuine,
Broadwaytrained ones. too. A thing
it never has seen before.
Mardi Cras, Steeplechase,