KATHERINE GREY AND DUSE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 746, 19 February 1910, Page 11

KATHERINE GREY AND DUSE.

' Miss Catherine Grey, who,appeared for the first time in Australia as Shirley Rossmore .in "The Lion and the Mouse," in Sydney recently, has ; met' many distinguished people, "and .is ' particularly proud, of the fact that she was • the. only actress in America whom Eleouora Duse received, while playing- in -New York.,

"I used to send- her lilies,"; Miss. Grey narrates; "they wnro my favourite flowers, and. hers, too, ,1 also discovered afterwards; .She asked James H. Heme, who was pro'ducing for hor,. to whom she was,'indebted for the lilies, and be .said, quite mysteriously, a young actress he was training, -'f would like to meet her,' Duse said. I. couldn't.believe.Mr. Heme when he told me.

At . the time tlie great Italian actress was living: at the' Holland' House, the most exemsivo hotel in New York, Sho had. a' suito of rooms, and I remember the first thing I noticed, on visiting her was that. all. .the .furnituro'. was pushed back, against the walls. Presently Duse entered at the, other ; end .of tho. room, and. .the space . between ' us- by. reason of the .absence of furniture' seemed miles to me. . •:

'Talk, -about being ■ shy.!;. I was 'shy enough, m all. conscience, .but Duse could give me. aces and' spades,., as, they say in. my, country. It .was a strange meeting, I ' couldn t" speak' " Italian,' and ~ she 'couldn't; speak , English, so" we conversed in-French—hers excellent;-mine execrable. ■. ."But; I- could "understand. her; perfectly, and.she* told, me many .little things about herself. .. She believed' absolutely in the public "never knowing 'an' actress, except on the stage." Her personal private ;life she' said' belonged to- her.'- She : gave no preSs interviews; did not go into society. All New'.Yorlvs .wealthy 600 tried" to, draw her,! but' in.'.vain. 'The more, she refused the more sho.v/as besieged by invitations. Not to ,-be' .beateri,' the .newspapers" took their",cue from ''her attitude, - and' wrote about and cartooned her, all' America, being anxious., to.'knoV-something of-.the life from which she shut out;' the"£orld. One'New 1 York editor, ' on. learning, that I . had. 'seen; Duse, 'offered ■ me. a big prico':for the: story. . ' When ft told. Dii'so I. had 'refused this,' she ininulsivelv kissed mei aud said I .was' .to. cbmo. and, see .her every day. : ■■ " ' . ■

..'"Duseis. the'greatest actress that lives, greater than; Bernhardt! .There is;,no question about it.when you have seen the. two. They ...were playing,, in New York at the same time in the' same.' plays— 'Camille,' '. 'Fedora,', /'Magda.' •.'- Duse's Magda!. I can see her.now. I her, as long as' I. live.;- 'Magda': ,1. Con-; sider pne' of the .really; great . plays.., It is not a'.Gernian.play.. It is .universal! It is . ti'uo 'in' Australia, it: is : true in China."', ■

"It is. always-.said, of .Bernhardt that she, has a,'.voice of :gold. '.' Dusei impressed upon' me that wh'cn the voice is labouring nnder- great '.emotion 'it; iis 'riot' • clear. Bernhardfs.-jwas' always - clear. -',' Duso differentiated!; ;Again, '.Bernhardt 'always played the seductress.. • There was something feline/about her: ; the animal was there—sometimes the . tigress. Duso was always a woman, .and .never sounded a note, that was not essentially feminine;; "She always looked up : to . the -man'. That ".was her .strength in love scenes; She could hold you to her'that your very, pulse'seemed "to beat in unison, with hers. Arid when she showed: emotion it was so Teal', so human, 60' feminine, there was no , mthstanding its: appeal. .- Duso' and Bernhardt'-approached 0 their., .characters' from''different points of:view.'-. The great Italian,triumphed for: tho reason that she. was. always "a woman—a womanlyiwoman."