| Show II IIII II JULIAN ELTINGE IS ISit I i iu t u it GOING TO QUIT AI A I II WEEK A r JOB I Female Impersonator Life Is j Hades as Long as He Has to Wear Corsets t I I Julian Eltinge who has made a a. for fortune by impersonating women O on I the stage t go i r rates r Ii tt's ht s Job jell He Intends Intends' to quit it In fn n throe three more year ears I I There are are several e rea reasons ons for his its overwhelming over over- I i I whelming desire to quit says Rennold Wolf in an article on ou The Sort of Fellow Bellow Julian a Really all Is In n tho the November Novem Novem- November ber hel Green Grcen Book Magazine l The primary one n Is that Mr Ettinge's es e's artistic and financial success carries In ti its train har bar harr barI harrowing r towing rowing discomfort t. Art ever was s a tl hard haro I tusk taskmaster master and Julian Eltinge suffers I sufferS buffers all that the silliest of oC U tight laced ht I women suffer Buffer and twice as much DurIn During Dur Dur- In ing the rendering of ot his impersonation I Mr Ir HI Eltinge tinge does not draw one honest breath in fact ho he draws tIra few Cew of or any kind Ind an and the final curtain each nl night ht brings him a happy hapPI release which I Is lessoned les les- I cried by the awful thu thought ht that he ho must endure the same torture the following day or r twice In the event ent of or a 0 matinee i i performance Even 1 ven in strict training Mr Eltinge Is Isa isa a ii robust young man lie He Ie stands five feet I eight i and one-half one Inches In height and antI d his normal weight ht la Is h pounds Imagine the thc feat feal of ot compressing ln that bulk Into a shape hape which c carries the Illusion of or a ai i I smart mart trim modish young oun miss mills of oC the current da day One ma may mayy readily accept Mr I Kl tinges tinge's statement that his favorite dressing room implement is a lemon I I j But that is not tho the worst orRt of oC his predicaments pre pre- predicaments To be sure ure his compression H of a chest Into a twenty-six twenty i corset the corset the size he wears on the stages stage stage- s I is a physical l phenomenon but there Is IsI I also the ine matter of or shoes In his Impersonations Imper Imper- he wears a womans woman's shoe No I t 1 t i on the street he wears mans man's size No No- 7 i. Th The result Is as a row of I corns as over er decorated foot root or farmAnd farmAnd farm tarm I And there Is always that frightful bugbear fat for tor Mr MI Eltinge to face lIe Ho Hohas has bas a 0 natural tendency to take on weight and nd a few fen pounds of oC additional avoirdupois a pots pois would disqualify him for his style of ot entertainment I last last encountered him himIn himIn In August and he was worried He lie had been enjoying his summer vacation on the farm an and at tho the seaside and had forgotten forgotten for for- gotten otten Ws Orals diet for six weeks A telegram tele tele- grant gram from his manager reminded him that thal- the season was soon oon to begin and ROll he experienced a sudden Budden sickness in the pit of his stomach He lie was twelve pounds overweight and he looked It it His belt and his trousers band were amply lIe f filled i he bulged back of ot tho the shoulders and the presence of or a a. double chin was ke I able Six weeks of or starvation and violent exercise confronted confront d him Also six months i I of or total otal abstinence from tram alcoholic beverages hover bever ages ages and and Mr Eltinge prefers beer to an any other liquid liquid beer beer beer which Induces superfluous super super- flesh h n a little more rapidly than other stimulants When we WI talked there I I was ryas no mistaking his anxiety t He dreaded loo J the sacrifice ahead of of him but butas was wasi as asI I cheered from time to time bv M A. A H H. I I I Woods hi his mana manager er who interrupted the I conversation lIon at intervals to declare that I Kansas City will surely net us 15 profit profil i I I this y year car ear and Cleveland eland Is a cinch for tor fora torI r I l a 1000 we week k I Mr Eltinge showed d signs of buoyancy and returning spirits at these cheering remarks glanced danced affectionately at his t abdomen sighed and declined an invitation lion tion to luncheon For the first two months of or the time season seat sea sea- a- a t I son son or until he has attained his standard stand stand- I arty ard nf of professional weight suffers lIff NI I untold agonies Isis Ills corsets choke the breath from Crom him him- his tight fitting mUm waists Irritate him his villainous shoes pain and champ him and his wigs give him a frightful headache hel Unfortunately Mr Eltinge e pe perspires freely Because of or this weakness his discomfort Is greatly on- on and he goes JoeN tin through ouch ho a 0 performance perform perform- ance with all the keen relish of ot a man moving mo a piano on a hot summer after arter- noon The moment Mr e fastens on his corset comet h he begins to perspire no matter what wha t the tho season of or the year y This ThiN fact Is not apparent to the audience usually because be- be cause cam e ho he uses a s special cold cream and grease paint Intended to be moisture proof He lie coats the portions of ot his body bolly as are exposed with as ns hC heavy vl a a. mixture as they will retain rotain and nd immediately after after after af af- ter the tho curtain falls tans on an act he rushes to his hla dressing room Is pried from his garments and given a sponge bath and alcohol rub This occurs during every In Intermission In- In lon and affords temporary relief but all the annoyances begin again tho the moment he is required to shoehorn himsel himself himself him him- self sel once more Into the tho costume of oC tho the succeeding act net Performing Impersonations and transformations transformations trans trans- formations as he does Mr Ellinge Eltinge e is compelled frequently to under dress heavily Almost Invariably ho wears from Crom four to five pairs of or stockings put on In tho the order adapted to hi his routine of ot characterizations characterization A devilish dc curiosity prompted me when I first saw Eltinge to ascertain if It ho he carried out the illusion and makeup even to his undergarments He does doeR not so far as there Is no public exhibit Perhaps I may mao whisper that he be does docs frequently wear ear lingerie but it Is only onty when hots hoIs acting a scene In which an uplifted skirt is likely to reveal tal the garments beneath In such cases the lingerie lIns-erle is built Into the gown thus expediting expediting- changes Flesh colored tights cover his legs In every impersonation In The Fascinating Widow Mr Eltinge's medium of ot the P past st two seasons seasons sea sea- ea- ea sons he was obliged to change quickly from a brides bride's elaborate wedding gown own to toa toa toa a mans man's business s suit The bridal costume was as perhaps the most detailed and ex ex- ex trava nt that Eltinge e has hils ever worn and yet el he lie le accomplishes the transformation tion In less than a minute This season he is attempting the more difficult feat teat of oC making an equally formidable transformation transfer transfer- mation in iii thirty seconds I I dont don't know exactly what amount derives from his plays T i presume pre pre- presume sume about 2000 a a. week Whatever the sum he earns carne It It |
