Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-16
PRODUCER BELIEVES
SHOP GIRLS MAKE
GOOD STAGE STARS
Author of 'Irene" Says Young
Women From Stores Are
Competent Actresses.

| Not only is the shop girl the most
popular stage heroine, according to
James Montgomery, the author and
producer of Irene" which comes to
! Great Falls May 10 and IL. but she is
also the best qualified, of all self sup
porting young women, to reach stardom
on the stage, either in drama or in mu-
steal comedy.
No other dramatic author of the day
has ever given so strong an indorse-
ment to the popularity and capahility
OF any young woman worker; but Mr.
Montgomery speaks from long expert
enee with stage affairs in this country
and from close study Of the foreign
stage.
Irene" which is one of his comedies
set to music by Harry Tierney. has
demonstrated the truth of his assertion
regarding the shop girl as a stage hero
| inc. for this piece. which deals with
the romantic adventures of chic girl
of the metropolitan shops, has broken
all musical comedy records for the CEN
tury. 1t ran in New York for two
years and at the same time it has been
presented by special companies in other
eastern cities with such phenomenal
success that in every instance return
engagements were demanded, and it has
made one of the big hits in England
aud Australia. There has been no
such popular musical comedy heroine
in recent years. if ever, as Irene
ODare, the vivacious shop girl.
Shop Girls Make Good on Staae
Il insist. and defy anybody to prove
to the contrary" says Mr.. Montgomerv.
discussing the talent to be found among
Irene oDares in real life, that the
girl behind the counter of the depart
ment store is qualified for the stage,
both physically and temperamentally.s
far in excess of any other type of self
supporting womanhooGi
IF any proof of this were needed
! have only to call attention to the
fact that it is from the shop girl class
considered as whole. that all our
greatest dramatic and musical artists
are sprung.
"The English speaking stage. like
that of France and every other country
has always been democratic insti,
tuition. Of all arts. the art of the the
ater is one that is and always has been
very close to the life of the masses.
and 1t IS from the people that all great
dramatic artists have been derived
One may. search the history of the
stage in this country. in France. in
Italy, in -anywhere-and one
will look in vain for single actor or
actress who has not come from the
very class of society represented be-.
hind the counters of our great Ameri- |
can department stores and our fash
ionable New York shops. !
Bernhardt's Start
Sarah Hernhardt was an errand
girl in a Partisan milliner's shop. and |
it is from the millinery and dress
making establishments of Paris that ,
the rank and file of French stage
women have originally come The |
great Sarah Siddons family were small |
London shop keepers and she herself
knew what it was to serve behind
the counter
"As to Eleanor Duse. her origin
was even humber than that of either
Bernhardt or Siddons, for her family
we're strolling players who, when
business in the Italian provinces went
bad, were not above combining the
job of 'peddling' trinkets in pack
and selling them as side line.
Admitting, then, that the average
New York and Pittsburgh shop girl
is extremely pretty and clever-and,I
there seems to be nobody to contest
this fact--Awhat is there TO prevent A0Ek5
making successful career for her(sta