The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-07-30

charity. All in all, she was re- garded as a philanthropist.
 In fact, when her professional career once went awry she plan ned to open hotel in Europe She was persuaded to abandon the enterprise by Hollywood friends.
 Would Be In the Red.
 ou'd be in the red in no time, | everybody you ever knew would be living on you free and your hotel would be sold from under you Give up that idea"
 She followed the advice, forum ately, and soon she was to be hailed as a greater box office star than Garbo, Harlow, Gaynor Die trich or another of the top notch CTS. The ugly duckling was out. drawing the screens greatest beau ties and charmers.
 The career of Marie Dressler variously known as 'the most be. loved woman on the American stage" and as Queen Marie oi Hollywood" was not continuous and bewildering succession of tri. umphs. It was continuous and often discouraging battle against the perversities of public taste.
 She rode high in public favor "A years ago, when the public greeted her performance in "Tillie's Night. mare" with a hysteria of applause She was almost forgotten in the intervening years between that success and her recent triumphs in the motion pictures s'Min and Bill' and "Tugboat Annie." Forgotten and almost penniless. because Miss Dressler hmad given to charity nearly all of the profits of her early work.
 Once Was Invalid
 Her ups and down are shown in the fact that seven years after her first success, she was an invalid unable to reach the stage. Five years beyond that she was de- scribed by New York critics as 'incomparable." In 1909, she re- turned, bankrupt, from London where the production she financed had collapsed. Still another five years passed. and again she regis. tered an international victory with "Tillie's Punctured Romance"
 In the mad 1920's, the play. world seemed to turn to youth 10 youth, beauty and sex. Produc' CTS regarded Marie Dressler a. passe. They believed the public wanted neither sentiment nor the uproarious comedy she alway,
 Stole Show
 11xy l.A cb given a part in s"The Callaghan, and the Murphys," and therein sh, stole the show. In Anna Christie she overshadowed the Great Gar bo, and in each succeeding picture she gained a greater hold over the movie-going public, until hel smashing success. Min and Bill" Her financial fortunes parallele( her dramatic successes. In the 2; years of her stage career, after "Tillie" rocked it's fiis audienct with shouts of laughter. she never worked for less than $2,500 { week. After her star waned ant she went to Hollywood for foot hold in the newer art, she took minor roles and was grateful fol the $15O a week they offered. IT the past few years the prosperity of her earlier days returned. to de- luge her with wealth.
 Unlike many successful artists Marie Dressler was loved by all oi her colleagues-even when Sh( was stealing the limelight from them. She was constantly befriend. ing unfortunate actors and actress. es. Not even her closest friends kNew the exact extent of her char itses, although they knew how manifold they were.
 Vigorous Comedy
 Her comedy was vigorous. bolst' crous, robust-at times slapstick Her pathos was often overdrawr and she resorted many times to the most patent of stage devices tC gain q laugh, but her audiences loved it, and only the carping crit ics and sophisticates of the stage found it 'inartistic." The keystone of the comedies she created was punctured dignity-like that oi Charlie Chaplin. whom she helped to push towards fame.
 Lasting Friendships
 Her friendships, once made, al ways lasted. She was welcome al the White House and the personal friend of four presidents. She was accepted and loved by New York's Four Hundred--by Anne Morgan and Mrs Stuyvesant Fish. She was a friend of General John J. Per- shing and of the Prince of Wales And she was equally the friend Ol the most humble girl on the Holly wood lot.
 She was married twice, first during her early career, to a the atrical employe. named Hopper, "one of the handsomest men ever saw" according to George Lederer, the producer. Hoppei died. Later, she married James H Dalton, who was devoted to hei from the day he first met her unti his own death, in 1921. And heI