The Washington times., 1922-09-08
STACE-STRUCK
GIRL EXTINCT,
AYERS COHAN
1922 Model Applicant More
Beautiful, Less In Earnest
Than Heretofore.
BY wILLENE TAYLOR.
Cosmopolitan News Service.

NEW YORK, Aug. s.-stage
struck! George M. Cohan says girls
don't get that way any more. Get.
ting stage struck used to be a fatal.
ity feared In every family-used to
drive the girls to the big city and
their parents crazy-but present day
girls don't fall for the footlights like
they used to. They can't twinkle
their toes like the 1900 model could
either, but they're prettier.
Cohan, producer and star of stage
successes since 1905, thus soothed
parental fears in an interview today.
Girls aren't stage crazy any
more" he said, resting the famous
Cohan ''kiclts" atop his desk. "Girls
don't sit down In the orchestra and
idolize the star. They don't run
home with throbbing pulse, dash
their alarm clock in a bag and make
for Broadway. The illusion of the
stage is gone. and with II much of
it, glamor and lure.
Refuse to Work"
"Girls who want to be in the mu.
sical shows Of the farces can't corn.
pare to the girls Of fifteen years ago.
They haven't any ambition any
more. You should have seen the
way the girls used to work and
dance! They nearly danced their
toes off. But today-today q direc-
tor has to beat a step into them, and
they haven't any ambition at that.
In the farces. they can't act. They
are a joke. They don't have the
stock experience that is so good for
actors.
Success comes overnight on
Broadway. That's discouraging. A
girl used to work very hard to get
somewhere on the stage. Today she
Is acclaimed overnight. or II seems
to her q useless struggle"
The 'unengaged" in Cohan's outer
office, whom the reporter had to
plow through, were oldtimers.
There are more than the usual mum.
Der Of actors out Of work this year
because the season Is starting slow.
iy, due to last years many failures.
AS the producer said. there were no
country gals" seeking the bright
lights.
More Beautiful.
Nope, the girls today aren't much
at stepping. They are more beauti-
full than ever - they're healthier,
brighter-but-but, much less will.
ing to work. They seem to be too
prosperous to have ambitions.
Why, when produced Little
Johnny JONES' I used to pick just
any thirty girl applicants, tell them
the step wanted, and they knocked
1t off Immediately. but today have
to hire two or three stage directors,
and they can't even drill 1t into
them"
"Legit" for Small Town.
Cohan, as one Of the representa-
tive producers, thinks the coming
season will be a good one. He says
the big cities-Chicago, Boston, De-
troit, Washington, etc.-won't stand
for any mediocre play. They won't
60 to plays just to be going. but de-
mand good plays. Cohan sees the
time ahead when small towns will
once more have legitimate shows. He
thinks the movies will charge only
5 cents and every town will reopen
It's opera house. Then road CON-
panies will thrive once more.
THE world wants to laugh, t" Cohan
said. TIN going to give 'em musical
comedy and farce. Maybe I'll do a
serious play by Augustus Thomas,
the Song Of the Dragon
so This Is Londonw is Cohan's
first hit this season, while several
other of his productions are in re.
hearsal. Little Nellie Kelly" has
opened In Boston.