Evening star., 1933-12-03

TEN fIOTeOZ LleEIelQ, IN as
u ! ISOLATION with Klaw and En-
" " langer. produced his first
'Follies" in 1907, the initial
cost before the first curtain
was about $4,000, Twenty years later
. Mr.. ziegfeld poured at least s25o,o0o
into ''Follies' production. Times had
changed. Mr.. Ziegfeld had become
more ambitious, more profligate. with
the years. Everything connected with
the theater cost more-talent, stage
hands, musicians equipment In fact,
after the 1927 'Follies" the glorifler
of the American girl announced that
there would be no more "FolieS." They
had become too expensive spectacle to
be produced with any hope of profit,
Despite this decision, he weakened four
years later to put on his last show with
the title which had become world
famous, Perhaps it would have been
better for the Ziegfeldian reputation if
he had held to his 1927 announcement.
In view Of the recent crystalization
Of the wish of Mr. Ziegfeld's widow,
Miss Billie Burke on the stage-that
1888 production be known as the Zieg-
field "Follies" be offered to the public
not exactly in a poSthumous or syn
thetic sense, but more as a memorial
TO a master Snowman and genius in
the presentation Of feminine beauty
and of an opulence of stage settings.
costumes and colorings never equalled
on the American stage, it might be in
teresting to look back over the records
concerning the many editions of the
'Follies"
In that 1907 "Follies" we're the late
Nora Bayes. Grace Larue, Bickel and
Watson, out OF t. burlesque, and Mile
Dazie, the dancer. In this show the
features were the Gibson Bathing Girls
and the Arlazonian Drum Corps. which
turned and marched down le other
aisle back to the stage. thereby astound-
ing an audience which probably had aad
Jack Norworth and Billie Reeves. the
English comedian, joined the cast,
Some reviewer called this one bur
lesque of the better class" In the fol-
lowing year Anna Held. later to be-
come Mrs. F1orenz ziegfeld, was rota-
bic newcomer, but it was In 1910 that
the "Follies' began to make history.
Bert Williams, best Of all Negro come
dians in his day or any other, made his
debut under the ziegfeld banner. Also
II was said that Mr.. ziesfeld had found
her playing on one Of the bllrleSque
wheels of that period, and was con-
vinced that she had comic talents of
nificant that Miss Brice was identified
with the subsequent "Follies" in 1911,
1916, 1917, 1920 and 1923.
Leon Enrol entered the picture in
1912, and many old-timers will recall
with chuckles that amusing scene in
which Bert Williams appeared as
cabby LIE Brun and Queen as his jaded
lrIry1 u
bounder In 1918, Mr. Ziegfeld intro
duced Anna Pennington, later to become
simply Ann Pennington, the diminutive
dancer who became a great "Follies'
favorite; Nat M. Wills, the tramp come
dian; Frank Tinney, who attained star
dcm in musical comedy and in time
descended into elf-imposed oblivion,
and Rose, one Of the famous Dolly Sis
teTs, who have been doing the music
aalls Of Paris these many years. Ana
IN the eighth edition, 1914, We ind the
name of Ed Wynn, out Of vaudeville,
And In that trying situation m which
i.e found Messrs. Enrol and Williams
getting all the applause.
Again In 1915 Mr.. Ziegfeld ran wild
with his salary list. He engaged Ina
Claire William c. Fields, then specialize
ing in jugglery of cigar boxes. tennis
balls, high hats and what not; Ed Wynn
again, Bernard Granville, Mae Murray
and little hoofer named George White,
the same George White who In time
challenged Mr.. Ziegfeld's supremacy in
the revue field with a series of Scan
dals." The following year brought in
ss newcomers William Rock, later OF
Rock and Fulton, dancers and Frances
White, Of "Mis-sis-ip-pi" fame; Emma
Iaig. an eccentric comedienne, and
Sam B. Hardy. now playing heavies in