Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-26
Speaking of Divorce
An Authorized nterpieo With NATACHA RAMBOTA EIe
OF Rudolph Valentino

BY ZOE BECKLEY

II hate to suggest anything that
would make this supposed democracy
less free and equal than it is already
Nevertheless. l would like to see
marriage made difficult and expensive
and divorce easy and cheap.
A most beautiful lady says this--a
lady YOU all know and many OF you
have seen; q tall, slender lady In a
golden robe with great spiasnes OF
purple and a ruby turban bound
closely about a pair of wondrous eyes
and brow Ike cream satin. A lady
of experience she is, and or deep
learning, with flair for the mysteries
of the East and an unquestionapie
conviction that we can communicate
with the so-called dead, who live in
world OF their own, q world OF spirit,
vet amongst our very selves; Natacha
Rambova, once the wife OF the most
loved OF all our screen lovers. Valen-
tino-Rudy to her, a Rudy still loved
still adored and still q friend, lnVislpie
but articulate.
Miss Rambova, tipping manuscript
at a table in sun-fiooded room high
up above the Park, rises and comes
forward looking like being from
Tennyson poem or an Ibsen play, q
sort of Lady from the Sea-" with
slim, cool hands, and quiet manner.
1t is a good thing Chi-Chi is also
present with his chop-bone and few
Pekingese sniffies to remind as we are
in the everyday world.
For we are going to talk of rather
everyday thing-divorce. why 1t IS and
what It's all about. We ask Natacha
Rambova to go on and say some more.
How would she make marriage harder
and divorce easier? Wouldn't drastic
laws tend to make people disregard
them? Would that be better or worse
than what we have now? Can human
nature be prohibited" by this statute
or that? And what of property and
babies?
"Tt does SEEM" says she from the
corner of a deep, black-velvet sofa.
rather presumptuous to talk of legis.
lating people into happy marriages.
and my mind isn't quite legal enough
to work out a plan.
But there should be some way to
compel people to know more about
each other before they marry. You'll
think me hopelessly unoriginal to ad-
vocate trial marriage. But If mar.
riage We're difficult to enter and could
then only be contracted for for
term of, say, five years at a time, ]
believe men and women would try
harder TO remain attractive, kind and
companionable. so that they would be
wanted for another fiye-year term.
As IL is, too many people, once
given the marital life sentence, cease
making an effort to love and be loved.
Hes taken me- says the wife. now
let him work for me and make me
happy While the husband says,
i've married her and given her d
home: now ! can 20 my own way
without having TO pay attention to
her all the time
There are many things about mar
r;-ge besides Us permanence, went
on Miss Rambova. taking the in
sistent Chi-Chi. chop bone and all into
her lap and tickling his neck till he
grunted with joy, that destroy its
happiness.
''f'or instance. | don't think a girl
and "a man Of different races. or even
of different nationalities. ought to
marry. unless they know each other's
background thoroughly and sympa-
thetically."
our mind flashed back to the Italian,
Rudy" and his presumably I'D
World Ideals of women, wives and mar
riage, and our glance travelled from
his portrait in a silver frame on the
uiano to the beautiful, living woman
on the divan who legally freed herself
from him year before his death. Be
fore we could frame the personal ques-
tion that clamored to be asked. Miss
Raubova went on:
During courtship, differences of
opinion are diverting, and rather
cute After marriage they become
tragic. They can never be snoothed
over because what has been implanted
IN the mind Of youth with centuries
NJ heredity behind it, cannot be al
tered. Arguments only make it worse.
sDuring courtship the arguments may
and in laughter. for your life is not
actually affected by these difference
Of opinion. After marriage II is and
40 the arguments end In tears and
anger
"Another reason marriage goes
wrong is that man and wife are eithei
COO much together or not enough
living closely I'm small homes, as We