South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-08-28

IA seat would send note TO "f1rSt
! thing. Some think that after the
| chorus beauties leave the stage it is
none OF theatrical managers bust
ness whether they meet a million
aires son for dinner or go home
with their girl chums. Neverthe-
| less I have never tolerated and never
will permit anyone TO loiter near
I the stage entrance of the theaters
where our performances are taking
place.
We want none Of the Stage Door
/ Johnny-not even the guileless look
/ ing college boy type. The new pro-
/ fession of beauty is a serious busi-
I ness-like profession. We pay girls
we'll and we expect from them strict
attention to the business of provid-
/ ing the public with artistic enter
tainment. For frivolity we have no
use. My stage door attendants have
strict orders TO allow nobody near
! the stage entrance who has not
| some earnest business in connection
with the show.
1 will go farther and say this: In
% years Of theatrical production 1
have never permitted any man not a
| journalist TO go back stage" during
a performance. I feel so strongly
upon this matter Of non-intreference
with our employees that I have fire.
| quently declined 10 allow even my
/ personal friends TO witness a per-
/ Torrance from the wing. I can re-
| call. moreover, only a few journalists
/ TO whom this privilege has been eX-
/ tended and then II has been granted
that they might observe the tech
meal phase Of the conducting OF a
modern revue.
Old Notions Hang On.
IN spite Of the strictness OF the
modern stage manager. however. the
| public still holds ridiculously anti
quated opinions about chorus beau
ties and Stage Door Johnnies. re-
greet TO say that I am reminded very
often of the narrow mindedness OF
many Of my fellow Americans when
our companies go on the road. A
large class Of people still cling to
the belief that any girl-no matter
how we'll behaved she may be or
how sterling a character she may
I appear-must be Stunned if she has
/ been in a chorus.
1t has been the unfortunate ex-
/ perience of some of the smaller
musical comedy companies, I under
stand, to find certain cities on their
/ road itineraries devoid CT hotel &C
| cOmmOdations. To lodge the chorus
! beauties overnight il has been neces-
sary, therefore, TO seek accOmmOda-
lions in boarding houses and. in
/ cases Of emergency such as the
| holding OF a convention in the city.
/ 10 apply even at private houses
What have been the results? In
/ many cases the mere mention Of
chorus girls" has caused the door
| 10 be slammed in the face Of the
questioner. II has taken a detailed
house-to-hoUse canvass to secure
1 lodgings for perfectly reputable
young women who are in every way
as fit to mingle in respectable So
ciety as any other women who work
for q living.
a DTOOhlAn DlBOts
I must confess that this puritan
ical bigotry is not confined 10 the
small towns or even 10 the cities out
side Of New York. One Of the most
unjust attitudes ever taken toward
chorus beauties was displayed only
recently by a Brooklyn landlady IN
whose boarding house a well known
New York show. girl had been living
with her invalid mother for several
months
BY some remarkable freak OF ma
ture the landlady had failed 10 ask
this beauty where she was employed
The girl, very business-like and dig
nified, had kept 20 her own affairs
like the perfect lady that s he is
and had never mentioned the fact
that she was connected with a thea
ter in any capacity. She left the
house every day a. noon and did nor
return till midnight, minding her
own business and devoting herself To
waiting on her mother when she was
home.
1t happened that one day the
beauty's mother was confined 20 her
room with some slight ailment anI
required assistance in taking her
medicine. In a quandry. the 81.
turned 70 the landlady:
Would you mind looking IN on
Mother at S and 10 tonight. she ask
ed, and then added her explanation.
II may be late in leaving the thea
ter tonight"
The theater did you say" que--
led the landlady In icy tones. WHY
do you go 10 the theater when your
mother Is ill?"
why, I'm not going 70 see q
show" laughed the girl "Of course
1 wouldn't so il I didn't have 20 But
YOU see. I'm in the show. I'm in
the chorus"
The landlady's face registered ar
expression OF prim horror and the
girl fled from the house fearfuliy
upset Upon her return that even
! ing she found pinned 10 her door a