davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1920-04-18
Lee Kids, Long Famous
To Motion Picture Fans.
Are in Vaudeville Now

Off-stage, when. they are not acting,
but are watching others act from the
wings or are entertaining in their
dressing room, the Lee children, Jane
and Katherine, are not noticeably diff
ferent from any other bright children
of their age except for definite sort
of posing, a distinct knowledge that
they are famous, that they cannot walk
through the streets or other public
places without attracting groups Of
people. But this does not prevent them
from having good time. The "baby
grands," as they are now called, have
suspended their motion picture work
temporarily and have just finished
their second week in vaudeville at the
Palace Theater. In all, they have ap-
peared on the speaking stage as vaude-
vile performances for just three weeks,
and they appear to be as popular and as
clever children as they are in their
work on the screen.
Jane, the younger, the livelier, the
more facile actress, is a self-pos-
sessed tot of seven and an accomplished
mimic. Even in the dressing room
tors with her mother and sister Kath-
crime she Graves the spotlight and
usually gets it. Katherine, a more set
tied, serious youngster of ten, in spite
of her bright red hair, good -naturedly
lets her have it. In vaudeville parlance
Jane is the "nut" Of the combination
and Katherine the steadying influence,
the balance wheel.
One moment they are serious young
actresses, giving all their thought to
preparing new encores for their act.
The next they are just children who
love to romp around back-stage, to chat
with the other performers and in
cidentally to do little flirting on the
side. Oh, no! they are not too young
for that, especially Jane. An elaborate
revue followed them; and after begging
permission from their mother, which
was given reluctantly, they rushed out
into the wings. One Of the actors was
dressed as French aviator with red
trousers.
"Red panties is my sweetheart" little
Jane confided to The Tribune man. And
New-York tribune., 1920-04-18
Louise De Lara, in 'SPagliacci''
Military Drill and
Baseball Appeal to
Lad in 'S3 Showers''

Andrew j. Lawlor jr., twelve years
old, a lively youngster, who originated
the title role in "Penrod," is now one
Of the cast in the Coburns' pretty
musical comedy production, "Three
Showers" at the Harris Theater.
Il just love acting" he said few
evenings ago. "The things that l do
in Three Showers are the very things
that l enjoy doing off the stage. Next
to acting enjoy military training
best. When I'm at home l attend st.
Catharine's Military Academy l just
love that school. I'm a major there,
the highest commissioned officer in the
school. drill as many as five hundred
boys and some Of them are sixteen
years old. Nothing gets my goat like
having a captain take my place when
I'm away.
DO l like baseball? Well, I'll say
l do, and you can just bet that never
miss the Giants when l get a chance
to see them play. think baseball and
handball are my favorite sports. like
roller skating, too, and I have a trick
pair of skates that can beat any boy in
my neighborhood. They have only two
wheels and they're bully until a nut
comes loose or wheel comes off, as
1t has once or twice. Then l take q
nice little spill, but I don't mind q
little thing like that"
New-York tribune., 1920-04-18
Vaudeville

PALACE-Gertrude Hoffman will head
tho bill in her one-woman vaudeville
show. Miss Hoffman will do dances.
impersonations, travesties, traps and
other entertaining stunts with spe-
cial stage settings and an augyc Q reed
orchestra. Laura Pierpont will ap-
pear in "The Guiding Star" tabloid
play by Edgar Allan Woolf, staged
by Taylor Granville. Lew Dockstader
has q new monologue. entitled "An
Ear Full" Solly Ward and company,
with Marion Murray, remain sec
ond week in Babies" and others
are Grace Nelson, young American
prima donna; Guiran and Margue-
rite; Krantz and Lasalle, and Roe
and Mae Wilson.
RIVERSIDE - Elizabeth Brice, in the
Overseas Revue" with Will Morris
sey and cast of twenty, will be the
headline feature. Sylvia Clark. Tar
zan, Tracey and Mcbride and Gun
ningham and Clements, are also on
the program.
CoLONlAI~-Jane and Katherine Lee,
Lee. kiddie stars of the screen, will
share headline honors with the new
combination. OF old stars Billy B
Van and James J. Corbett. On the
bill also are "My Tulip Girl" Ailcen
Stanley and Donovan and Lee.
EIGHTY-FlRST STREET -- "yanitv
EAR" the fashion show. with Bobby
,O'Neil and company, will 80 tho
heedline attraction. Norma Taimadpc
wlil be shown in a picture entitled
Tho Woman Gives"
New-York tribune., 1920-04-18
In BROOKLYN Theaters

MAJESTIC-The Selwyn comedy, "Wed-
ding Bells" with the original cast.
including Margaret Lawrence and
Wallace Eddinger, will be the at
traction.
MONTAUK-Robert B. Mantell will be
seen in Shakespearean repertoire.
Julius Caesar" will be played Mon
day and Tuesday nights and repeated
at both performances Saturday. "The
Merchant Of Venice" will be seen
Wednesday afternoon and Thursday
night, "Richelicu" Wednesday night
and Macbeth" Friday night.
SHUBERT-C CRESCENT "The Magic
Melody" will be here for one week.
In the cast are Julia Dean, Tom Nc
Naughton, Emma Haig and others.
ORPHEUM Joseph Santley and Ivy
Sawyer top the bill in "Bits and
Pieces" Bert Enrol, George Kelly e.
Co. and Joe Morris and Flo Campbell
are among others on the bill.
Observation-Disclosures and Gordon
Dooley, with the MORN Sisters, Bes-
sic and Zena, will head the bill. VAL
erie Bcrgerc and her players, Mar
guerita Padula, Bartram and Sexton
and Marlotte's Marionettes are also
on the program.
STRAND-Anitn Stewart in "The
Fighting Shepherdess," Przmn
scenic, Christie comic and musical
1sAturss comprise the bill hero.
New-York tribune., 1920-04-18
Amusement News and Stage Door Chat for the Playgoer
Heroine of ''Florodora,''
Eleanor Painter, Aspires
To Grand Operate Fame

Because she lacks temperament, re-
garded by some opera singers almost
as essential as their vocal training,
Eleanor Painter once thought she would
be failure. You have only to turn to
tho papers Of the day following the
revival of "Florodora" at the Century
Theater to see that she was far from
correct. Her singing Of the role Of
Dolores in the most famous musical
comedy of the last two decades is one
of the outstanding features of the pro-
duction, and very soon it will not be
at all surprising for the Metropolitan
Opera Company to announce that an
other young American singer, Eleanor
Painter, had been added to the list Of
artists.
One good thing about the Century
Theater, whatever reputation it may
have made for itself as q home for
dramatic productions, is that there is
plenty of room back stage. The cast
of "Florodora" is a large one, and in
q smaller theater would be stumbling
over one another while waiting in the
wings for their cues. And in this gen
erous space, on a rough-hewn bench
near a cellar which contained nothing
more than stage props and kitten,
Miss Painter proved a most gracious
hostess.
She rushed into the wings after a
duet with Walter Woolf and jokingly
remarked that the "choir" bench would
be a good place to sit and talk. She
did not ask to be excused until after
the performance. There was not the
slightest sign of tension in the prima
donna, and 1t was very evident that she
was enjoying her work in the popular
revival. To watch her talk to members
of the cast and joke with Isabelle
Rodriguez, the Spanish dancer, was
ample proof.
1t was while singing operatic roles
in Berlin Cher work abroad was inter
rupted by the outbreak Of war; that
Miss Painter felt that her lack of tenn
permanent would do her no good in the
long run.
ious to sing a certain role in an opera
which was to be produced. One of
the girls went to the Office Of the di
rector, stretched herself out on the
floor, yelled, kicked and squirmed un-
til she was assured that she would
have the part. When l heard Of this
felt that my lack of temperament
had caused ME to lose the opportunity
coveted so much. But after the open
ing performance the girl proved 80
unsuitable for the part that l was
CHOSCu W AePloCc uCAS anu ChOu was
happy that l had been able to control
myself"
If a girl grows up in a family with
three brothers and no sisters there is
no chance for her to develop tempera-
ment. At least that has been the ex
perience of Miss Painter. 1t would
be good thing if more operate stars
mad a family Of brothers to keep them
IN check before they made their de-
butts.
Miss Painter is going back to grand
opera. In fact, she has signed con-
racts to appear in Covent Gar
cen, London, and the Theatre Royal
de la Monnaie in Brussels for the year
1922. Among the operas so far selected
are "Madama Butterfly" "Mignon,"
Carmen" and LA Boheme."
lis this then to be your adieu to mu-
seal comedy?" Miss Painter was asked.
''Yes and no." she replied, smilingly.
"If there are any more like Florodora'
New-York tribune., 1920-04-18
Policy of the Criterion,
Which Opens Saturday as
Long Run Picture House

One big feature picture, bit of
scenic to set it off, carefully selected
incidental music and perhaps a song
or two, everything relating to the
feature film, and in no way savoring
Of vaudeville-that, in a nutshell, is
the managements plan for the Cri-
terion Theater, which opens next Satur-
day as the first real long run motion
picture-music house in America.
The plan is more interesting for
what 1t does not say than for what it
tells. There is, for instance, q tacit
announcement that the patrons of the
Criterion Theater. after they have seen
"Why Change Your Wife?" Cecil B. De
Miles greatest production, will not
have to look upon bit of slapstick
farce labeled comedy" Once in a
while these little farces prove of real
interest, either because Of clever stu
ations or unusually we'll edited lines.
But often their sole excuse for ex-
istence seems to be to fill space in a
rigidly set program. 1t seems to have
become a habit with motion picture
exhibitors to have two-reel farce,
even when the main Offering on the
bill is itself a comedy of much higher
class.
If the Criterion, with it's stage set
tings by Willy Pogany, its concealed
orchestra and it's general efforts in
the direction of real art does nothing
more than convince the motion picture
owners that farce comedy is not q
necessity--that it is. only desirable
when it is good and in keeping with
the rest Of the program-it viii have
justified its existence.
New-York tribune., 1920-04-18
Tessa Kosta, Playing in
'sSLassie," Has More Than
Ordinary Versatility

Tessa Kosta, now playing the part Of
Kitty Mackaye in "Lassie" at the Nora
Bayes Theater, started her stage career
in more or less conventional manner;
the unconventionality came a little bit
later. In Chicago, as a young girl, she
had attracted the attention of the man.
ager of Mcintyre and Heath show
playing there and for several seasons
Miss Kosta had a place in the choruses
of these shows for a few weeks at a
time. AS a girl Of eighteen she came
to the front line Of the chorus, chiefly
because of the quality and power of
her voice, as remarkable then as now,
but with this diffcrence-then it was
heavy contralto voice.
Then came an opportunity. "Mme.
Sherry" then so popular, was to go on
tour and one company was to go to the
maritime provinces of Canada. In this
company went Tessa Kosta, very young
and with a very brief experience be-
hind her, in the difficult role of
| Yvonne. 1t was perhaps her very mex
| perience that prompted her to take this
bold step, but the important point is
that she got over.
Strangely enough, Miss Kosta had
not been expected by those who knew
her best to find her career on the
stage; rather she had been looked upon
as a remarkable pianist. But it must
have been in her vivacious blood, in
which strains of Hungarian, Spanish
and French are mixed, to revel in va
riety and to-day she offers q host of
qualities and abilities to e>playwright
who would write play around her. In
her short career she has been
"slavey," a Spanish dancer, she has
and in Classic" as a Scotch lassie with
none Of the dour characteristics of that
race. She admitted that one great ad-
vantage of the parts she has had
recently is that they have kept her on
Broadway. There was "The Beauty
Shop" and "Chu Chin Chow" and "The
Royal Vagabond," and now "Lassie"
promises to keep Miss Kosta on Broad
way for some time yet.
Miss Kosta's vocal education has
been confined to two years study with
Opera House. Surprising, in view of
the soprano voice itself and i'm view Of
the testimony of the offers made to
MISS kosta to sing grand opera.
TO these Offers" she said, II said
mo- | started in musical comedies and
want to do the best thing that was
ever done in musical comedy work be-
fore l stop. After that anything may
happen: But for the present l like
musical comedies and operettas and
think that something big, something
different, can be done in them.
You see my mascot" she laughed,
pointing to little Kewpie in kits that
stood at mock attention on the table
in her dressing room. each show that
l have been in has brought mascot to
me. 'Chu Chin Chow, for instance,
meant chow dog. So if l continue /
shall have menagerie and a nursery
"a whole regiment of mascots."
So there Tessa Kosta is to-day. If
she is to do the big things that she
wants to do by doing in one play all
that she can do the playwright who
eye to the dancing and the singing and
the acting and must manage to bring a
piano to the stage. Then Tessa Kosta
WILL have an opportunity to show what
versatility means.
New-York tribune., 1920-04-18
|Plausibility the keynote
OF Success in the Making
OF Modern Motion Pictures

Erich Won Stroheim, Universal di-
rector. is one director who does not
share the long cherished belief held in
the motion picture industry that the
star is the sine qua non Of good pic
lures, and that star with a corkscrew
curls and teeth like those in the dental
advertisements relieves ell others in q
company from work or worry.
First, the story" declared Mr.. Won
Stroheim. "That is the first condition.
For myself, will direct only those
pictures over the stories for which l
am enthusiastic. And l will produce
that story faithfully and logically. As
for the traditional happy ending the
logical ending Of the story is the only
one worthy of consideration. If that
logical ending is happy, we'll and good;
if it is unhappy, we'll and good. But
its plausibility myself, refuse to
direct it. am not trying to give the
public what I think it wants, but in
stead seek to give it what know like
Then, when the picture is finished, if
one man in hundred goes from seeing
the picture with a sense of its plausi-
bility, l don't mind about the ninety
nine others over whose heads the pic
ture has gone.
Now for the star" he continued
II do not believe in the star system.
believe instead in what is called some
times the all STAR cast-the cast in
which all are competent. Where a
single star is featured to the exclusion
Of all other members of the cast, you
have nothing but close ups, the story
is subordinated to the star, and the en-
tire picture suffers. To explain what
l mean by an all star cast, l must
explain my distaste for acting as it is
New-York tribune., 1920-04-18

for nearly the whole act he kept look
ing into the wings and smiling at
baby vamp" Jane and talking to her
when he came near enough. Tiring of
this, Jane went behind the curtain
where the stagehands were arranging
the set for the following act. The
orchestra struck up a jazz tune, some
one out front started to dance to it, ami
behind the curtain Jane was doing q
dance Of her own, much better dance,
in fact, than the one which was being
done in front of the curtain.
Jane will be comedienne wien she
actress. They did not admit this. No
doubt, thy would say it is the other
way about, but it is an easy matter to
form this opinion after watching them
for less than thirty minutes. If any
hope had been entertained that they
would sit down quietly and tell what
they had done and what they we're 60
ing to do latter on, it was in vain.
Jane and even Katherine are much too
active for that. Except for the few
minutes when Katherine was the mani
curist and Jane the movie" star dur
ing the rehearsal Of some new business,
they were hardly still minute. They
fitted about, they joked, they laughed.
tommy NEay, CHe auLnOr Oh Lne Sketcn
In which they are appearing. was the
innocent victim of their amusing
thrusts. For a child of seven Jane has
a knack at repartee.
Gray was explaining that the chill
drcn wanted to do new act every day.
They like variety, new people. new
business, he explained, and that IS
why. they prefer motion pictures to
vaudeville.
"ln vaudeville they see the same peo-
pie and the same things every day."
Mrs. Lee cut in.
Eyes, we see Tommy three times q
day." added lane quickly, casting a
New-York tribune., 1920-04-18
Mabel TaliaferrO Loses
Her Personality in That
OF Alice in Wonderland

Alice. AS to the sceptical half who
knew better, they were wrong.
They were wrong. If anyone were
ever Alice, it is Mabel Taliaferro. Per-
haps she didn't intend to turn into
Alice originally, but planned to in
terpret the role, or whatever actresses
do to roles. But once she had. cut
her hair to the flying length of twelve
years old and once she had put on
Alice's clothes, there was nothing to do
but to be Alice. When she asked the
Tribune reporter in for few minutes
chat, it was probably not her intention
talk to Alice rather than to Mabel
Taliferro, Lewis Carroll is at fault.
II have lived Alice and thought Alice
since first read the Script of this
version by Rachel Barton Butler" said
Miss Taliaferro. ~ delight in the role
because it gives me such an oppor-
tunity to come close to the hearts of
the children in the audience. want to
make them plunge down the dark hole
into Wonderland with me, and feel all
that happens in Wonderland as vividly
as Alice feels it.
"But most of all I like Alice be-
cause she is not goody-goody little
girl. She is not Little Lord Faunt-
leroy ali buttered up, nor little
Princess always kind and thoughtful,
nor a Little Eva,' so good and pure
that she has to die in the third act.
Alice is more normal and natural. She
is gay and mischievous and proud, and
all the thingsAthat a girl of twelve can
be. When she reaches Wonderland it
is to her an opportunity to show how
much she has learned at school, but
she is continually meeting strange
beings like the Mock Turtle, who
studied Ambition and Distraction and
Ugliication and Derision, to say moth
ing of Laughing and Grief, who pune
ture her pride.
"Nor is Alice the courteous child Of
fiction. She answers back. She tells
the Red Queen and the Red King and
the whole assembled court that they
are nothing but pack of cards. In
all these ways Alice is so much the
normal and natural child that the chill
dren in the audience can recognize her
as one of them.
"The acting in this performance"
continued Miss Taliaferro, "is bolster
Gus and unprofessional and the scenes
are futuristic and mad, but it is all in
keeping with Wonderland, the twisted
dream of a child a dream that takes
on all the fantastic imagery of the
mind of child. l would like to go
out on the streets and bring children
in to see this dream, and l would like
to bring grown up children in as we'll,
so that these serious, sober people
who are grown up seven days week
could be children again for an after
noon"
New-York tribune., 1920-04-18
Betty Blythe to We'd Sccardon

Betty Blythe and Paul Scardon, both
well known in motion picture circles.
have announced their engagement. and
the marriage is to take place soon
Just as soon as Mr.. Scardon finishes
Girectlng m Mllestones" at the Goldwyn
Studio in Culver City. Their romance
began some time ago when Mr. Scardon
was director for Vitagraph. One day
ne was talking to number Of "extrasH
who had come on, when his ewes fell
on tall, dark girl. He gave her a
part Immediately, declaring she was
the prettiest girl he had ever seen.
Miss Blythe had some stage experience
before going into pictures and had
STUDIED singing in Paris and Vienna.
Later Mr.. Scardon and Miss Blythe
Joined the Goldwyne Players. Her most
important part was that Of Mildred
Wayland, the society girl in Rex
Beach's "The Silver Horse"
New-York tribune., 1920-04-18

to be produced certainly should like
opera, and the only difference between
it and grand opera Is that the music of
the latter is heavier Young singers
have tendency to look scornfully upon
musical comedy, but l should advise
every young woman who contemplatcs
singing in grand opera some day to be
glad of the opportunity to sing in mu-
sical comedy if it is offered to them.
do not mean the jazz musical comedy,
of course. Some Of my friends come to
me and ask: How can you possibly
sing and also take part in the dialogue
as we'll 2 That Is the difficulty of light
opera. The roles are really harder to
sing than many grand opera roles. You
must talk and you must make points in
your singing. 1t is great training,
and instead Of looking at musical COM
edy with disdain young singers should
be glad to appear in it,"
The European viewpoint toward
singers and other artists and the Amer
lean viewpoint may account for the
fact that many young women prepar-
ing for grand opera would not think of
the musical comedy stage, Miss Painter
thinks.
"In Europe they take singer fo.
what she is. They may see girl in q
cabaret with unusual ability and few
years later they will not be at all sur
prised to hear her sing in grand opera.
They recognize ability, no matter
where they find it. But in America it
is different: If they hear singer in a
cabaret or in musical comedy they say:
Perhaps she is not good enough for
anything else. That's why she is sing
ing there The American viewpoint,
however, is changing When they do
accept singer here, however, they GER
tainly do it In manner which cannot
be equalled."
New-York tribune., 1920-04-18

Down in the lounge Of the Little
Theater there was mad tea party
going on; Alice was pouring, and the
White Rabbit was hopping back and
forth with tea cups in way to make
even the Mad Halter bit nervous.
But truth to tell, there was little in
terest in the tea; the party was made
up largely of the diminutive audience
that had just witnessed the first part
of "Alice in Wonderland" Upon the
program it had been announced that
Taliaferro was Alice, but when these
children who had watched the per-
formance, and had laughed at the
Duchess and the Duchess's cook.
reached the lounge and the mad tea
party, they forgot about their pro-
s'f%'t In tn. Aest place, any child who
had ever turned the pages of Lewis
Carroll's book, and had seen there
Sir John Tenniel's figures Of Alice,
just as she sat to him, must have
nothing at all to do with the tea
party. So far as the tea party was
concerned, Alice was Alice, and that
was all there was to 1t. Some Of the
more sceptical, children came close
forgetful Of tea and White Rabbits,
and passed their hands hesitantly over
Alice to make sure of her reality.
"How old are you?" came at last
from one with saucer eyes upon the
hostess.
,".Alice is twelve years DID," said
"But aren't you grown up?" in
sisted the child.
"I think twelve years is grown up,
don't you?" countered Alice.
Then one Of the many grown up
children who attended the matinee in
tervened. The puzzling Is and f's of
the stars name had evidently been
troubling her during the performance
.. and she sought authoritative informa-
ton.
"How do you pronounce your name ~
she began.
wonderland" came Alice's prompt
"Wonderland," the woman repeated
"What do you mean?"
wonderland" returned Alice. "Won-
derland is my last name, and Alice is
my first name, and In is my middle
name"
And 80 the mad tea party went
along, with all the delicious madness
of Lewis Carroll himself, the madness
that refuses to employ dull common
sense save as an approach to nonsense
At the curtain of the second part the
children we're all back in their places
to hear the doleful Mock Turtle and
the Cryphon, and to see the great
trial scene. 1t would be safe wager
that half of them cherished the con-
viction that they had seen the real