Show Na Follies I 1927 a dof 1880 1810 t Why Chicago's Chico os o's r Society Steppers Ste SteV V t E 7 Dug Out the FamiLy ll tj r r kt t Photos When 1 t t 4 I V g t Parents Said How Shocking Miss Ethel Harmon One ne OUT of the t Debs Withdrawn From Ji Jr the Cast Cart of the Charity Revue TONE ONE TWO TWO ONE TWO v A Croup of Chicago Society Girls Rehearsing 3 v vAl Show Before Indignant for the Charity i Parenti Parente Protested Against Their Scanty y m Rehearsal Costumes Al 4 f 1 Vj t A 1 OT quite half hall a century between NOT 1 1927 1127 and 1880 but my how V times have changed since mother was a debutante I At least that's what mothers are always saying But debutante daughters in Chicago scoffed coffed They The scoffed when the fashionable Service Ser League produced its annual Charity Revue Everything was ready for the gala performance and generous publicity began including pictures of debs in rehearsal clothes The photos kicked up a rumpus Shocked mothers gazed at snapshots of their daughters dau clothed in attire that allowed freedom for very cry high stepping And the mamas not only gasped they the protested As a result there was a great to-do to i not twelve hours after the pictures appeared four theatrical aspirants were withdrawn from the cast The restricted chorus ladies were in in revolt They Ther countered parental prohibition prohibition prohibition tion with argument You yourselves they clamored indig indig- indignantly indi indignantly gave charity performances that were not always ah ays exactly conservative Weve We've heard you recount recount recount-oh oh how many times what times what a wow your our Tableaux Vi- Vi for the Fund for Indigent Indi ent Mothers Mothen was wa back in the Mother what about that vampire costume you ou wore at atthe atthe atthe the Fancy Dress Ball Ballien given i in honor of the Princess Was that all it should have been Which resulted in the consultation of family albums Records of former fonner splendid splendid splendid did soirees were dusted off and brought to light by the critical younger genera genera- tion llon Why look at that I Mother did you OU actually appear in public in that I hate to criticize but honestly I mean its it's a J. J disgrace Why the very lines are I And that back But the parental dictum was adamant and the four young oung ladies were with with- drawn Which brought back to Chicago the harassed theatrical director who had been summoned from New York at the nominal sum of to whip the per per- performance performance into shape and who had retired leaving the direction in the hands of one of his able lieutenants His purpose was he said to prove to the mothers of the girls that any criticism of the play or costumes was nothing short of ridiculous This is the first time any objection has been raised to the costumes he em emphasized emphasized They are abbreviated to be sure eure but no more than the modern modem bath- bath a des l 1 Ins Ing in suit or for fort that hat t matter matt e r r. r many street clothes I have seen Muriel l l Vanderbilt x and many man y other 0 the r prominent society s o 0 c i e t y girls in the East have worn W 0 r n similar cos cos- costumes costumes and no one a has ever thought ht any any- anything anything 1 thing of it or protested one word vord against them I cant can't under under- understand understand understand stand why hy anyone in Chicago should find fault When this comment was repeated to toone toone toone one of the mothers in question she said with slight acidity of tone I suppose t. t 1 4 i. i y 4 4 1 n w p.- p. rr r 1 r THEN AND NOW Lf 1 1 1111 An Interesting Contrast ast in Costumes Cost Between Chicago Debt Debe Rehearsing for a Charity Pick Fete Pick Them Out Yourself Yourself and and Three Society Girls Girl Dressed for the Famous Vanderbilt Costume Ball of 1883 Left to 1 Right Miss Caroline Keen Mrs George L. L Rives as a Fascinating Gypsy Elizabeth Webb Mrs George B. B Parsons as The Little Devil the Late Mrs William B. B Dinsmore as an Oriental Princess then that if one of the Vander- Vander bilts butt does docs it its it's the thing thin to do Her daughter dau however was NOT re restored re- re restored restored stored to the cast nor cast nor were her three companions The girls permanently with with- withdrawn withdrawn withdrawn drawn were Virginia Vir inia Dennehy daughter of Mr Ir and Mrs Mis Thomas Dennehy Louise Brewer daughter of Mr and Mrs 1 Ed Ed- ward Harris Brewer Ethel Harmon Narmon daughter of Mr 1 and Mrs John Harmon Hannon of Highland Park and and Anne Wood daughter of General and Mrs Robert Wood When Whim the belles of 1880 decided that money for a worthy charity was to be ob ob- obtained obtained obtained through their efforts they assem assem- r fj 1 i. i t 1 t. t J i J I 1 g- g 4 r v r h a. a a I cS J bled rented a luxurious ball room worked up some classical tableaux and called it a night But with the deb of the twentieth cen cen- century century century tury every detail must be as high-geared high as life itself A full Broadway production tion must be gotten under way The cast must be trained not only in intricate dance steps but in the very man man- manner manner manner ner of crossing the stage Ordinary en en- I T Tr y r idS ft t S j S A r t ty y a. a trance into a draw draw- room ing-room is for far from r ti the bearing employed i before an audience There was the im im- important important matter of ac acquiring ac- ac acquiring quiring the chorus girls girl's hitch which is the technical term for the slide to a pause and slight raise on the toes which is the correct manner to make an entrance Hence although their purposes are mainly the same the modem deb has deviated no little with her decade from the manner of her mama who doubtless did the same and so on in in an endless circle |