Show V t THE OGDEN STANDARD - EXAMINEE SUNDAY MORNING MARCH 23 1930 Vs - 4 ft 99 It - f r"--i 'tSm g W—' A 99T1 p v- IwI - x - i j And Why Pretty Rheba s Divorce From Her s Frs” H3S Followed by Another ' ' S' Honeymoon - Cf' 9 :) t - fT' Vwv' AfK?' v i 4 T' '' ec £ v' f - At 4fe A83£'4 S® Lefts V ' ' Miss vj ' - 'yj -- V- Crawford When Sht Was Saving Souls In Florida X 'V ? vXvON : Crawford with Her Second Husband Raymond B Splivola of San Francisco Bliss ir v’- - f ' A - " C'-- SS--- X & ? Wis C5 w-- -?' ix v V - v 1 ) ’1 '''V Jfr V y r Xk3r ' : &w" '- i x’j A'' j " - I A 4s - ' v & “ Charming Photographic Study of Rheba Crawford am a New York Salvation Army Lass When She Was Popularly Known Along the Rialto as “The Angel A of the AnReproduction nouncement of the “Angel’s” First Marriage Which Surprised Broadway with a Sketch of the Ensuing Divorce Decree Appended has had many encouraged her to go to New BROADWAY but there was only York ' When She arrived it was one whose girlish freshness and at first to edit “The Young beauty pleasant voice and flaming enthusiasm Soldier” a junior edition of its highest captured younj? emotions “The War Cry” Then she the took to preaching on the She was Rheba Crawford “Angel of Broadway” a Salvation street comers Broadway of theatrical headcourse was the logical Army lass for whom liners and hangers-o- n alike once fought aim for the v the police To her they listened with as well as evangelists ' ' for those admiration while on street comrs she seeking theatrical honexhorted them to abandon sin and live ors There were souls the good life And then when she as well as fame waitleft the street for marriage and more ing to be won on the v extensive evangelical pursuits they Great White Way gave her a great public farewell Rheba Crawford deAll that was eight years ago and cided to conquer souls then she was foigotten Recently the there name of Rheba Crawford echoed once Night night more through Broadway but it was often in the rain she connected with a divorce and a second stood at various comers marriage on Broadway and From St Petersburg Florida came preached against sin word that her first husband J Harold £ s and in favor of salvaSommers publisher and war veteran tion Above roar the of had obtained a divorce from her on traffic her sweet voice A few days charges of desertion carried out to tho passlater it was announced in San Franing throngs and they cisco that she had been married again to listen At lint stopped B to this time Splivola Raymond few and then a a only wealthy California broker and polo hundred and on other player alt Broadway nights To Broadway the first report signiclamor would about her fied the end of what it had regarded as the “perfect romance” It was They spoke ofasher afthe only because the habitues of the street fectionately “Angel” was to be bar thought their angel Theatrical folk took married that they forgave her for leaving them And in the second report kindly to her Some they let her they saw the possibility that Rheba time Crawford may have found happiness preach from the stages of theatres The hang after all ers-o- n th loafers and Of course the latest news concern- of the head-linethe of the did not “Angel ing Broadway” cause' as much interest in New York Rialto treated her with Tlie former “Angel of Broadway” as it i would have once Not that equal respect Producand Her llrit Husband Harold ers offered her star Sommers j Broadway doesn't remember her vividPublisher Obtained Who roles because of her But the street is used to ly enough Divorce Recently In Horida and The star of youth having people change beauty on Ground of Desertion charm She turned them 1010 may be forgotten a year hence all down— and Broad The f resit young showgirl of one season new from faraway towns and wy liked her the better for It luggested she iprak deAt same the she time into was the over the radio She may grow up countrysides fender of the famous street and its accepted an an- sophisticated and temperamental young habitues She always insisted that gagement lady Ho If the Angel of Broadway” of along Broadway “are tome of the in the world” 3922 has become a divorcee and a iweetest character enough Broadway Choru girls she laid were as moral preacher who talks from pulpits in—which flourishes stead of curbstones Broadway can aa teachers or nurse— really on exploitation — in fact understand waa somewhat surYet few things stirred Broadway The extent of the esteem In which It had come prised with such peculiar force as did the she was held was vividly demonstrated to of its think one night when more than 2000 perarrival eight years ago of Rheba Crawas a Sal- “Angel” son gathered about her to hear her ford Until then the worldly habitues lass ration who of the street thought of “angels” in sing and preach in Titnes Square Beon only sense one men rich cause with of the only of traffic poplenty disruption could It Broadway of money who wanted to back stage lice tried to atop the meeting Their not think of her acAnd when they thought efforts to escort the “Angel of Broadproductions an “engageof girls invading Broadway tfu way” from the Square enraged the cepting This she did ment” and of Broadwayites thought hopeful They stormed the popretty however and soon ladies with their minds focused o lice and the riot was followed by a afterward she anatrical stardom demonstration of protest when Miss nounced that she But Rheba Crawford came to Crawford was arrested on a technical would from resign to star in a different rBe charge of disorderly conduct Broadway the Salvation Army At the age of eighteen she had-he- ld The charge against her waa disand go in for evanstreet meetings in Atlanta and perhaps missed but the of anger Broadway the young men there lingered longer toward the authorities did not 1mm e- - gelism on a large scale The a- jV of Broadway” XXx' ' 7 ooc v P t y w ' ' H ' ' Vwt rfV"- i V t s A X 5 5? y x - ' ' ? i f v’ v Of rt- i r mV e i gss sjot yosMtc - after ? X V ' '1 4 f i i rs -- i f 4 “big-hearte- j f‘ J r?'t Curiously I her During the early days of the land boom in Florida she returned there and conducted a revival in a tent There she renewed the acquaintance of J Harold Sommers magazine publisher and war veteran who she first had met a few years before leaving for her invasion of Broadway In 1924 she surprised her old friends in New York by her marriage to Sommers Those who used to hear her and preach as the little girl in ling a blue dress and poke bonnet now learned she had temporarily abandoned evangelism for romance It 'was they were told a “perfect” one Of course the Rialto has heard of “perfect romances” before especially among their own theatrical folk Quite often however these have blown up But it was not expected that such would be the fate of the “Angel's” romance : Again Broadway forgot about S' 71 1 ence between an enthusiastic pretty girl appearing for faith on a street corner and an evangelist traveling under highly organized circumstances through the country delivering sermons in churches But Broadway decided to show Its esteem for its “Angel” A mammoth farewell meeting was held in her honor in the Selwyn Theatre The stars of the Rialto turned out to pay her tribute Will Rogers comedian was master of ceremonies And then she left Broadway behind her She turned evangelist speaking in tents first around New York and later in other parts of the country Broadway began to lose interest in : - ' in the Salvation Army en- - rushed toriums Theatrical managers offering her free And then a broadcasting firm toa¥te her audi-brigadi- er nnouncement stunned Broadway r There was a differ I bwniiiiii Cfttm" — innrji‘ifr Wimw wwaawwaaWMrtwWwwilOfai Photograph Taken’ Eight Years Ago of “Captain” Crawford Preaching to Her Large Crowd on Broadway Before Police Arretted Her for Obstructing Traffic Numerous Rialto lollowers Wei4 So Enraged That a ISear-RiEnsued A Vivid Action ot Smtiur Vutvrs tnt 'y U 7 One of the Most Recent Photographs of Mi-- s Crawford Taken in Californiat Where She Was Engaged in y Evangelical Work Rheba Crawford Sommers It learned a couple of years later that she had returned to evangelism leaving Florida for California At first she preached in a church in San Francisco Then there were rumors never fulfilled of a plan for a great taber- nacle rivaling Aimce Semple McPherin Los Angeles It was while Rheba was holding a scries of revivals in California recently that Broadway was surprised to learn that its one-tim- e “Angel” had been divorced Mr Sommer obtained an decree after charging that Rheba had deserted him ic her e gelical work They had been living apart for more than two years it was testified by witnesses appearing on behalf of Mr Sommers Three days later in Ban Francisco when told that a court had awarded papers to her former husband th “Angel of Broadway” smilingly announced that h and Ray Splivalo would fils immediately an application to Wf d Both parties to ths new' romanr were divorced because of Iheir absorption In other matters than marriage flnlivftls according to the complaint of hi first wif a nlecs of Mrs Chiu A i'preckelf was too devoted to “sport and convivial companions” Th latest marriage of ths former Salvation Army laxs may or may not son’s ex-par- te Spll-val- o a wealthy clubman and (s acinterested in sports particular tively Whether ho will agreo to Jy polo Rheba Crawford's continued work in evangelism is a matter that was not' cleared up by tho bridegroom after the wedding Following a quiet ceremony in Chs First Congregational Church in San Francisco ths coupio cft on a motor trip They were very happy and they had no announcements to make at to the future The bride however assured eevryone that a new perfect romance had come her way Meanwhile on the other side of the continent along Broadway the few who have time to think about such abstract matters are hoping that this latest romance will be a hapvy one— if only for the take of the little sweet-face- d girl who once prayed and sang on the street corners Is poke Her father M bo another “perfect romance” Y d” C9 f 9 VJ P yj ' Cfff) tV ad l fW 1IA aR5v! |