HOW CHORUS GIRLS SECURE WEALTHY HUSBANDS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 280, 20 November 1908, Page 4

HOW CHORUS GIRLS SECURE WEALTHY HUSBANDS

MUSICAL COMEDY AS A MATRIMONIAL AGENT. Are girls attracted towards musical comedy in the hope of making a good matrimonial catch'/ This question was put to one of the most popular comedy aPtresses in Jvindon. Without the slightest hesitation slie replied to the effect that undoubtedly it is the motive which actuates quite a number of the girls who apply for .positions in the chorus at many of the great West-end theatres.

" I can think of no other reason why they should besiege managers in the way they do," she continued. " They cannot sing, they cannot dance, and have not .had the slightest experience of stage or concert work. In some cases they are not even pretty, either as regards face or figure, and yet they arc willing to pay a premium of twenty and even fifty' pounds to appear in the chorus at a salary of twenty-five or thirty shillings per week. "And a very regrettable feature of the business is that they often do secure engagements through such inilueiice, and ei'uwd out those girls who possess real talent and have their living to make. What is more, the recent epidemic of marriages between the stage and young men of title seems to have

added considerably to the number of young ladies who regard musical comedy as an easy stepping-stone to a good marriage. Mr. 0. P. Huntley, I noticed the other day, was complaining that he had been 'snowed under'—those were his exact words—by close upon one thousand girls as a result of his advertising for a few chorus-girls and show ladies for his new play, 'The Honourable Phil.' "'Some of them,' lie said, 'were accompanied by their fathers and mothers, who were quite willing to pay me a handsome fee if 1 would give their daughters a good place in the chorus, in the hope hope of catching the roving eye of a budding peer with histrionic tendencies in the marriage mart.' .Al last things got so bad that lie asked a certain newspaper to say that, unless a girl was willing to pay £5,0(10 cash down for a position, with the promise of another £5,000 in the event of a successful alliance, he could n ot possibly consider her application. Of course, Mr. Huntly was partly joking, but. managers are constantly complaining of fie dearth of chorus-girls possessing ability and ambition to rise in the profession. " And even though a girl may get a position in the chorus through nion:y and inllueiicc, she often spoils all chance of marriage by her ignorance of singing and acting. Miss Storey, who recently married Earl Ponlett; Miss Denis Orme. who wedded Captain Yarde-Bnller; Miss Camille Clifford", who was led to the altar by the Hon. 11. Bruce; Miss Fran-

ccs Donnelly, the present lady Asii- | burton; and Mis.s Kva Carrington, who 1 became the wife of Baron de Clifford, were all clever artists who, had they ; remained on the stajge, would have made much bigger name's for themselves in the profession than t'hey did. 1 ''Their attraction lay as much in their cleverness as in their good looks. When a chorus-girl, however, goes out of her way —as I have often seen them do—to attract the attention of aristocratic patrons of the theatre by driving up to tlie stage-door in a. cab or electric brougham, slyly ogling dudes across the footlights, readily accepting their invitations to supper, and always seeking introductions, she may as well lorego all thoughts of a good matrimonial catch, for her object is apparent 1.0 everyone.

"Mark you, this is not a general indictment of the chorus-girl, hut simply of that type—which, I am sorry to say, seems steadily growing—which has r.o intention or need to remain on the stage. And to the credit of such girls it may be said that they make no f secret of their desire, and openly speak of their chances of catching a ' pic,' to use a common slang expression. "lint it is_ the quiet girl who attracts—the girl whose thoughts lire concentrated on Jier work instead of on marriage. She it is -who gets the ma- { joritv of little note* sent through the stage-door keeper asking if .Miss will join Mr. at a little supper and bring a friend with her as chaperon. And if she is a wise girl she will refuse such invitations. To say the least, it is rank impertinence on the part of any man who is a stranger to a chorusgirl to send such notes.

''But 1 have known mca who have had such advances rejected, and wno have been genuinely attracted by a girl, endeavour to obtain an introduction, bv paying i'or a position in the chorus themselves. 1 know several well-to-do young men who have thus wooed and won wives from the chorus. What is more they have developed into very good singers and actors, and managers have been r eallv sorry to lose their services.

Take the case of Mr. Harold liorrett, for instance, who recently married Miss ' Marie. Studholme. lie was a splendid vocalist and actor, and had no difficulty in securing engagements. In fact, he had been on the stage sonic time before he met Miss Studholme, although some people have made the mistake of thinking he went behind the footlights solely for the purpose of being near the present Mrs. liorrett. " It is an open secret, however, that he afterwards managed to become a member of nearly all the companies with which Miss Studholme was associated.

"Then, again, there have lieen cases in which young aristocrats have put thousands uf pounds into a piece in order that the girl tliev admired might have a chance of making a name.' 1 GILLETTE SAFETj. RAZOIiS. Bengal razors, high-ciass pocket cutlery, all the latest 011 hand. Boys' watches (good timekeepers) can lie obtained for 5s each at J. Avery's, lobacio-Dcvon-strcet.