Evening star., 1942-10-18
When the Old Belasco Was Yo,,ne
BY John Clagett Proctor.

BY John Clagett Proctor.
What fond memories must come to the
minds OF many of those who are assist
Ing at the Stage Door Canteen, recently
opened in the old Belasco Theater Build
Ing, erected way back In the CAV 9os.
For instance. on the recent opening night
OF this club for servicemen we find Helen
hayes, chairman of the District can
teen, greeting the boys with the same
enthusiasm and cleverness she must
have displayed when as a child S wears
old she amused a Washington audience
from the stage of this theater by sing
Ing Down by the zuider Zee all dressed
up in native Holland costume.
Helen was born in Washington, and I
am sure it is no secret that she was
baptized here. too, in the Immaculate
Conception Church. on October %, 1900,
Here also her father, Francis v. A,
Brown, and her mother, Catherine E.
Hayes, were married. So you see this is
Miss Hayes home town, and we are
mighty proud of her.
subsequent appearance OF Miss
Hayes as an amateur occurred in 1909,
when she appeared at Chases Theater,
tnen at the northeast corner of Fifteenth
and E streets, in Miss Minnie E. Hawkes.
chndren's May kermis, though the pro-
gram at that time gave her as Helen
Hayes Brown" Upon this occasion she
was giving limitations of THE Nell
Brinkley Girl" and even as child she
showed wonderful talent. Later she
played in Jack and the Giant Killer"
and after this she went to New York to
begin her professional career, that in
1886 led her to such dramatic heights in
Victoria Regina" that she was an
nounced AS the winner of the medal
awarded annually by the Drama League
OF New York for the most distinguished
performance of that year. This bright
star OF the stage is the wife of Charles
Macarthur, the writer, and she has a
a2-year-old daughter, Mary.
Famous Washington Actresses.
Another well-known actress who came
from New York to help make the can
teen opening a success was Miss Ina
Claire, just one more OF the many
Washington girls who has gone on the
stage and has become distinguished as
an actress.
If the writer has been informed cor
fectly, Miss Claire's early life in the
Capital must have been sad one, for it
was here that her father, Joseph r.
Fegan, met his death in the Ford's The
ater disaster of June 9, 1893, when the
floors of that historic building gave way,
and out of about ATS persons employed
in the building about 125 went down
with the floors.
The building-the one where President
Lincoln was shot on April IA, 1865-was
then occupied by the Record and Pension
Office of the War Department. Naturally
there were many claims filed against the
Federal Government for what seemed to
be gross carelessness and after the lapse
of two years partial settlement was
made and a year later all claims were
adjusted and $4,000 was allowed for each
death caused by the disaster
This old Belasco Theater Building
where now is the canteen occupies the
site of the Commodore Rodgers resi-
dence, which was replaced by the pres
ent building, first known as the La
fayette Square Opera House, which was
opened to the public on Monday, Sep
tember 30, 1895, the play being "Tzigane,'
specially written for Lillian Russell by
De Koven and Smith, it being the au-
thors' latest production at the time.
Miss Russell was great favorite here
and in the States. Her popularity was
not gained entirely through her good
looks, but was due, in part at least, to
hard work and study. At the age of 18
she went into the chorus of variety at
Tony Pastors Theater. New York, at
the small salary of SIS week. She
soon married the conductor of the or
chestra named Braham, who later
ceased to be attracted by her beauty
and obtained a divorce. Braham was a
capable musician and while married to
him Miss Russell took every advantage
of his knowledge to improve her musical
education. Teddy Solomon proved to be
her next matrimonial venture. 1t was
he who wrote the music to Billy Taylor"
and like her former husband-once re-
moved-also became her conductor.
IL Is said this was real love affair,
and soon a daughter, Dorothy Lillian,
appeared upon the scene. Unfortunately
for Solomon, he returned to his native
country, England, which he had left
without the formality of a legal separa-
ton from former nuptial alliance and
became involved In the clutches of the
law To Lillian this was indeed severe
matrimonial trouble, but she bore up
bravely, and when she later met John
Chatterton, an operatic tenor-otherwise