The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-02-09
NAPOLEON LOVE
NOTES PRAISED
BY STAGE STAR
lie Caffeine. Starring in
"L'Aiglon," Awaits
Publication.
BY GEORGE W. STARK
Times Special Writer

The letters written BY Napoleon
% the Empress Marie Louise viii be
= priceless contribution 70 Napo-
leonic literature and I congratulate
The indianapolis Times for giving
them 10 YOUR people"
Eva lie Gallienne. brilliant act
ress- producer and a woman with a
background predominantly French
thus placed her emphatic indorse-
ment on the forthcoming publication
Of the love correspondence Of Ma
poleon and his second wife.
The letters. more than 300 Of
them, viii appear in The Times be-
ginning Feb. -.
Miss Il Caffeine IS Just now
stepped in the Nspoleonic tradition,
for she is playing the title role in
the great Rostand play. "L'Aiglon, F"
the role of NapOleOn's son. the Eag-
let whose mother was the Empress
Marie Louise. She will appear at
Englishs Feb. 25 and IS in this
role.
Student Of Napoleon
Before she began rehearsals Of the
play. which heretofore has been
done in America by Sarah Bern
hardt and later by Maude Adams.
Miss Le Caffeine spent months in
NapOleonic research. experimenting
her early education in Partisan
schools.
These letters Will give America
an entirely different slant on the
character Of Napoleon" she said.
America never has given much
thought 70 Napoleon the husband,
Napoleon the lover. II is as if the
French people regarded Lincoln
only as a great President and en-
tirelv overlooked the sweet phases
Of the Lincoln makeup that made
him a truly great man.
Like all really great people, Ma
pOleon mad many sides. over here
We think Of hisg. as a great general.
a great stTateEist. But nc was a
grand husband. a tender lover. as
1 an sure the letters Will reveal.
Knows NapOleOn's Spirit
7 have gone into this phase of
NapOleOn's character at length. be-
cause I am doing a play in which
I act his son. While Napoleon does
not appear in il. still his spirit per-
vades and dominates IL.
Marie Louise had a horror Of
Napoleon before she married him.
She thought Of him only as a con-
quering ogre. a sort of demon king.
Even after the grand official meet
ing between the two at COmpiegne,
she feared him and il was only aft
or she got TO Paris that she caught
the first glimpse Of the mans ten
der. human side.
For in Paris. Napoleon had
caused 10 he built a replica of her
apartment in Vienna. He had had
all her furniture moved there and
the little intimate things she loved:
her pet canary. her lap dog. It
touched the Empress as nothing else
could have.
IF he made this gesture purely
as a lover. 10 was true NapOleOnic
strategy. But there Is no doubt
that he did this as a human being
with a deep sympathy ard a great
understanding Of a woman who
might have beer very lOnely.
AS a matter Of fact. he was very
much in love with ter. lis letters
viii show that ana ner diary shows
how deeply she felt about him.
Empress Always Dominated
Marie Louise always vas under
the influence OF a dominating man.
First it was her father: then Ma
poleOn and then again her father.
Had Napoleon remained always by
her side. instead Of going away on
his long campaigns. no other infiu-
ence ever could have touched her.
He loved her and he ruled her"
Miss lie Gallienne. still a young
actress despite the great things she
has done in the American theater
and the dominating force she has
become there, received her entire
academic education in France.
Born in England. the daughter
Of Richard lie Gallienne the poet.
she went with her mother to Paris
when she was and remained there
throughout her girlhood. When still
Young woman she came 10
America and her life ever since has
been devoted to the theater, with
the nr,r,Inasis entirely OF, the thea :