The Washington times., 1920-11-24

y
She feels quite sure Of her ground
based AZ IL Ia on the conclusions she
has formed from her own experience.
Some men agree with Ecr. others do
net. Women generally incline TO the
luttcr belief. But even tho men who
agree with Miss Pennington confess
inability to give reason therefor.
The actress thinks IL H. because
women are gifted with unusually ac-
tive imaginations ana that when
they see shapely limbs and perfect
bucks and shoulders on the women OF
the stage by some process of self
hypnosis they imagine themselves
the possessors of these charms.
Dean Joseph French Johnson, OF
New York University. ~ willing Ia
admit that Miss penningtons OK
planatiCn is quite plausible. even II
wholly illogical. That her oppoTtu-
mites OF observation are unimpeach-
able will be admitted by anyone
who has seen her on the stage. Some
critics. given to hyperbole OF "x-
preston. declare Miss Pennington
could not send one Of her stage cos
tunes through the mail. Not that II
" ould Of itself violate the postal reg
uIations, but because she couldn't find
room enough TO stick on a postage
stamp.
News Of her discovery came in Il
roundabout way. 1t was Cablcd to
the London Daily Express by New
York correspondent and duly print
cd Its nature and it's analogy with
tho recent manifesto OF DR.. Eliot
nT ~ ~
the extremes of women in their ordi-
nary raimeht caused a telegram 10 bc
sent to Miss Pennington. who is playing
in Chicago, inQuirng into the accuracy
of the quotation. Her answer was terse
and emphatic. She wired back
Applause; story Okay.'
An inquiry was prosecuted among
college professors, critics, actresses
clubwoncn, theatrical managers, and
the majority opinion seems TO run
against her declaration.
WHAT THE ACTRESS SAYS.
Here IL the gage Of battle Miss Pen
nington throws down for her sex on
the great issue OF the syncopated
skirt and the roofless bodice:
1T is women who love best 10 see
trim ankle. a shapely calf. perfect
knee and the ripping curves of the
feminine back exhibited on the stage
II is wrong to blame men for stage
nudity. The women are the ones
who insist upon II. The skinny old
maid loves to so TO the theatcr and
sec soft. perfectly nodded limbs and
wonderful backs. She dreams that
she has them herself and il as happy
AZ a kitten with a dish OF cream The
fnt lad IN hA nd ~
ecstatic when a dancer floats about
with nothing on but a yard Of chiffon.
She imaGines herself doing the same
and is unspeakably contented. I be-
gan to reason the matter out when
realized that applause at matine"s
always was more than at night.
have proved il many times"
Dean johnson is man of wide OBJ
servation, but while he admits the
facts are largely as Miss Pennington
outlines them, he can find nothing in
any of the text books on psychology
that will clearly establish the 'why'
Of il.
Miss Pennington is entirely right
when she says that women applaud
scantiness of attire and bizarre stage
performances with moro enthusiast
than men," he said. But that is all
/ know about it. that il is a fact
Like other men, I have wondered why
II is and / have asked other men. but
have never yet found any one who
can solve the psychology of 1t. II
isn't evil-mindedness, of that l am
sure"
WOMEN MORE APPRECIATIvE.
Alice Dclysia, the French actress
of the superb and freely displaye ed
figure and who is now appearing in
Agar" said that she believes
women constitute far better audi
cnces than do men, and that she pre-.
fcrs to play matinccs because wome n
invariably show more appreciation
and enthusiasm and do not want vul.
garlty.
Il would far sooner play to an
audience Of women and children than
| would to a lot of naughty men. The
women do not want anything vulgar
and they do not want anything often
sivc in the way Of dress display or
lack of display. They want smart
clothes and smart people. and ] think
they like me because ] am supposed
TO bring with Inc some of the latest
STYLES from Paris. Some of my
gowns are cut very low in the back
but I have never worn anything that
7 thought was too extreme or too vul-
car. II can please the women of
America ] have conquered the whole