The Washington times., 1923-05-28
8 7 AR DEFENDS
CHORUS Girl
MORALS
Fred Stone Declares Many
Women of Stage Are Devout
Christians.
BY ELSIE MCCORMICK.
Copyright. 1928, by Cosmopolitan
News Service.)

woman in any other profession"
Fred Stone, star comedian, who
recently startled the theatrical
world by public announcement of
his conversion to ''active Chris
tianity," took up the cudgels today
for the chorus girl and declared en-.
phatically that she is a much mis-
understood young woman.
1.-THE ladies of the ensemble not
only can be good Christians but
Chin Chin" and Jack o'Lantern'
of Tip Top half the company went
the chorus girls used to get up for
early mass, a real sacrifice after
week of night performances. =
Admits Some FrivOlity.
1T is true that there are friyo-
lous girls in the chorus just as there
are frivolous stenographers, depart
ment store employees or school
teachers, but / do not believe that
the proportion is really any higher.
A successful chorus girl must work
hard and keep herself in excellent
physical condition. She has too
much sense to risk her complexion
and digestion on a lobster supper
or to endanger her youthful looks
by seeking a late night party after
every show. Knowing that tired
lines on her face would mean an
end to her career, she would not
be likely to lead the gay life that
public imagination attributes to her.
Certainly there is no reason for
the present day chorus girl to go
wrong for economic reasons. All
of them get fifty dollars a week
If they are understanding A part
they draw sixty or seventy dollars.
and if they speak a few lines they
get at least hundred dollars. This
is quite a change from the time
when the less important members
of musical comedy companies drew
about ten dollars week.
Many Care for Dependents.
Chorus girls are self-respecting
and have streak Of independence
that makes them more than will
ing to be their own source of sup
port. Many of them are caring for
dependents"
The joyousness of Fred Stones
christianity is reflected in his OPP
timism.
Conditions in the theatrical
business, as in other walks OF life,
are continually getting better he
said. when I contrast my years
of trouping long ago with the pro
fession today, I am astounded by
the change. Ny faith in theatrical
life is shown by the fact that
my seventeen-year-o daughter.
Dorothy" makes her stage debuI
with me when the new show opens
next October. I was a little dis
appointed when she didn't want to
go on to college. but then she has
been initiating me and making uO
her dances of her own ever since
she could toddle, so l am sure
that she will be decided success
on the stage. If I didn't believe
that the theatrical profession is
nuite as good as any other, I would
hardly allow my daughter to enter
it.
Proud Of Profession.
I've been on the stage for forty
years. but I've always been an alb
,tainer from liquor and I've led
A clean life. So have hundreds of
other actors. There are some Won
ierful people behind the footlights.
people who make me proud Of my
profession"
The comedian stated that chorus
girls and actresses regulations for
frivolity sprang from the great in
terest that the public takes in
every detail of their lives and the
consequent playing up of their
affairs.
"A theatrical woman's life is an
open book. always under the search
light of the press" Stone said. IF
woman who has ever had any
Connection with the stage gets a
divorce, her profession is imme-
diately named in the headlines. If
business woman airs her do
mestic affairs there is no such
head as 'eX-stenOgrapher gets de-
cree The result is that such un-
fair emphasis makes people believe
that the home lives Of chorus girls
and actresses are nothing hut tri
angles, an entirely false idea. Il
know any number of stage womer
who are ideal wives and mothers.
Sees Moral Improvements
Commenting on the statement
that the stage is incurably immoral.
made recently in a sensational ser
non at a church, Stone said that.
IN the contrary, it is improving
year by year
Even burlesque is becoming de-
cent" he said. at is far ahead of
some of the old fashioned variety
performances, which We're attended
by men only and were usually
pretty bad.
II don't mean to give the idea
however, that I think the modern
stage is perfect. In fact, / believe
that the theaters need board of
censorship just as believe in cen
sorship for the films. Some shows
produced not so long ago shouldn't
have been allowed to get by.
THE idea that the public wants
improperly and that if is profitable
is. to say the least, a great error
Of business Judgment | never told
shady story or sang a vulgar
song in all my stage career. and
I've had twenty-five years of sue
cess.
1.-THE longer I live the more
worth while | find the world to be
opS the greater Poitb