The Washington times., 1921-10-08
WALSKA' SR|SE
+TOFORTUNEAN AND
FAME METEOR|C
American Career Dates. Back
Only Five Years to Minor
Part in Vaudeville

NEW YORK, Oct. s.-what sort Of
woman is Gamma Walska?
What is the fascination which en-
abled her to capture New York's rich.
est confirmed bachelor. Alexander
| Smith Cochran. forty-five years old.
with q fortune more than $25.000.0O0?
How did she enlist the powerful in.
nuence of Harold F. Mccormick. SON
in-law of John d. Rockefeller, In her
ambition to shine on the operate
stage?
Byzantine IL the only adjective
which adequately describes her. Her
career closely parallels that of Theo-
dora, the dancing girl. who became the
| bride Of the Byzantine Emperor JUS
tinian and co-ruler of the civilized
world.
Walska is tall. She stands appar-
emily feet 10 inches.
She Is slender, but powerfully mus
cled, like Geraldine Farrar, whose
success in opera she envies. She
probably weighs 1855 to 100 pounds.
Like Sleek Panther.
The skin of her back and bust.
which she loves to display in low.
cut gowns, shines like thick and
FURNISHED vellum. Under It her
muscles move with panther grace,
Ivory and rose petals. like the
tinted statues Of the ancient Greeks.
mark her complexion. Her features
are almost pure Grecian. except her
lips, which are q trifle full. and her
slightly curved and sensitive nose:
which hints at a dash Of Oriental
blood. Her large eyes are blue and
cold as glacial Ice. Thick. light chest
nut hair seems to spring from her
head in luxuriant floods.
Her age presents a battling prob
lem to the observer. She seems n
have all the shrewdness Of maturity
and the secret Of perpetual youth.
| Walska affects the exotic In apparel.
She In fond Of startling gowns and
barbaric Jewelry. She loves to have
her portrait painted full length. One
such portrait Is the principal ornament
Of her New York drawing room.
Dazzling Rise TO Fame.
In five years Walska advanced from
the position Of an obscure vaudeville
artist to that Of a woman Of interna.
tional note and substantial wealth.
Her first appearance In New York
was In 1915, when she appeared In
vaudeville on the roof Of Hammer
STEMS Victoria Theater. She had a
letter of introduction from Anna Held
whom she had met in Paris. to "Dia
mond Jim" Brady. She soon appeared
in an operetta. Mile. Nitouchs." on
the Century roof. Among her ad
mirers was a wealthy banker who
later introduced her to his physician
DR.. Joseph Fraenkel. who married her
and whose death made her the heiress
Of s35, 900.
| At the time OF her marriage to DR.
Fraenkel II was reported she was q
native Of Poland and had been married
before at the age Of seventeen to Capt
Archadie d'Eingorn, Of the Czar'i
army, from whom she had obtained
q divorce.
Cubans Objected to That's
After the Fraenkel marriage Nine
walslxa went to Havana, where heI
debut in That's" an operate rol,
made famous by Mary Garden. was in
terrupted by the disapproval Of thu
audience.
It is said she met Harold F. McCor
mick, millionaire head of the. Inter
national Harvester Company. and son
in.law Of John d. Rockefeller, wher
crossing the Atlantic or the Aquitania
Her engagement to sing with the
Chicago Opera. which ended unfor
tunately at a rehearsal Of "Zaza," wal
credited to McCormick's influence.
Alexander Smith Cochran was a fel
low passenger Of Mccormick on tn,
Aquitania. Her marriage to Cochran
in the American church in Paris mad,
her the wife Of one Of the wealthies
men In America. She had previously
been engaged to Lowell NJ. Palmer, q
wealthy Brooklynite.