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| Lily Elsie (1859-1940) |
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In Press and Literature |
(Atlanta Constitution, 21st Nov, 1915)
LILY ELSIE RECALLS HER RENUNCIATION
England's Most Beautiful Actress Who Married Most Wealthy Man Goes Back to the Stage.
It may or may not Interest the crown prince of Germany to know that his old friend Lily Elsie is going back to the English stage. To begin with, the crown prince is married, of course, but so Is Lily Elsie - to one of the richest men In the British empire. And, besides, both of them have very serious things to think about at the present - the crown prince being with his army on a much-troubled front, which keeps his mind pretty well occupied all the time, and Lily Elsie trying to keep as near as she can to the place near London where her husband's regiment is drilling.
Whether the crown prince will read about it or not in the dramatic columns of his favorite newspaper will make no difference to Lily Elsie, for she is going to the stage, not because she cares a fig about the crown prince one way or the other, but because she thinks she will be able to help England a little in its big war. Therefore she has made up her mind to appear for a limited period in His Majesty's theater in what is described as a light-hearted comedy by Louis Parker. And every penny she earns is going to be turned over to the fund for disabled soldiers and sailors - whether the crown prince of Germany is interested or not.
But it would have interested the crown prince very much indeed a few years ago, when Lily Elsie, creator of "The Merry Widow," "The Dollar Princess" and many other famous musical comedy characters, was the most beautiful woman on the English stage and the most photographed woman in the British empire. And it was through one of her thousands of photographs that the crown prince became interested in and acquainted with this loveliest of all women - the woman whom he enthusiastically maintained was the prettiest who had ever set foot In Germany.
Lily Elsie had gone for a visit to Berlin, and while she was there all the famous photographers of the German capital begged her to sit for them. As a result her charming face appeared in the art windows of the town in all its fresh young glory. The crown prince of Germany, who always has an eye for feminine charm, stood before a large picture of the Fraulein wearing one of the newest bonnets. "There's the prettiest face I've ever seen photographed In Germany!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. Her profile is perfect. I must get her picture."
This was the way the thing started. Being a prince makes one's word carry double weight. Furthermore, It gives one's words strong wings. It was not long before the whole German court and the whole of the German people who were interested enough to care knew that their future ruler had praised the beautiful face of the English actress.
The news reached the crown princess and Lily Elsie at about the same time. Lily Elsie naturally was pleased that she should attract attention from a being placed so high - and such respectful attention. And being both pleased and a grateful and democratic soul besides, she sent him a photograph of herself that she liked very well.
This was a little too much for the crown princess. Her husband's remark was one thing, but the photograph from the English actress was quite another. The crown princess did not hesitate to express her mind and freely and positively under any and all circumstances.
Therefore, for many days following the arrival of the photograph at the palace there was a marked feeling of coldness and gloom in the crown prince's establishment. But Lily Elsie herself did not get excited over the affair in the least. She simply went her own sweet way not bothering a bit. In fact, she is not in young women who are darlings of the public. She is sweet, sane and sensible.
When she was on the stage she spent most of her days in being photographed in all sorts of lovely clothes. She played only small parts in London theaters to begin with, but she looked so charming in her dresses and shoes and things that a wise photographer saw possibilities of giving her great prominence and of lining his own pockets as a result.
The public took so quickly to her photographs that she left the stage for a while to supply the incessant demand for new poses. It was at this time that she laid the foundation for the title of the most photographed woman in the British empire.
Her eyes, her lips and her profile are her chief charms, perhaps. The "beaute de diable (beauty of the devil)," which is the French type, is entirely lacking In her charms. Perhaps her face is nearer to that of the Venus de Milo in profile than to any other famed beauty. There are no angles to be found about her any place. Her "type is scarcely American, German, French or English. It is purely original, with just a suggestion of the "purry" and the languid to It. If she came to America, she would undoubtedly be called the most beautiful woman In America.
Nature never made a more brilliant success in the beauty business than she did with Lily Elsie. It was mostly from the nobility that her suitors came. They were those ardent sprigs of Britain's leading families who have a habit of being able to recognize beauty from a great distance and of spending their youth and very often their old age In what to them is the delightful endeavor of edging closer.
And Lily Elsie's beauty was a beauty that attracted instead of repelled. The difference all lay In her mouth, for, although perfectly chiseled lips are theoretically most beautiful, actually they leave the whole face cold and lacking in softness.
Everyone in England agrees that Lily Elsie has the most kissable mouth in all England. Instead of the thin-lipped too finely arched mouth, such as famous beauties have, she possesses the Cupid's bow outline "with the ends curving upward delicately, all ready for smiles.
Her lips are full and ripely red. Just naturally made to be kissed. Even the man who had to look upon them from a distance through an opera glass has felt drawn to them as though to a magnet. Even before she was in her teens she was marked for a stage beauty. When she was only eleven years old she was one of those little fairy sprites who are seen in the English pantomimes and her face had all the promise that was so beautifully fulfilled in later years. Her first great success came as Sonia in "The Merry Widow," although she had made big hits in such spectacles and comedies as "The Chinese Honeymoon," "Lady Madcap," "The Little Cherub" and "The New Aladdin."
As a result of her "Merry Widow" success and with all the papers talking about her and using her pictures by the score she passed into a degree of popularity and affection that has seldom or never been equaled in England. Strangely enough, the women of the land were among her most devoted admirers. Then came her success in "The Dollar Princess." It was a piece that gave such wide play to her talents that it was apparent to all who had eyes that Miss Elsie would know what to do with riches if she had them.
It was enough to make every millionaire in the land fight for her hand and fight for her hand most of them did. The millionaire who was destined by fate to "win her hand was at the time in love with another stage beauty - Lily's own half sister. Thus the romance of Ian Bullough, the millionaire In question, and the beautiful Maudi Darrell is one of the most tragic stories of the London stage.
Maudi Darrell had one of those perfectly finished countenances which was as cold as Miss Elsie's was warm. She was the favorite of the London stage and also of the Maharajah Cooch Behar, who had laid $200,000 worth of diamonds and pearls at her feet when Ian Bullough decided to marry her.
He is a man with one of those faces which would be called ugly if it were not for the kindness and goodness that shine out of it. And no woman yearns for good looks in a man who she knows will love and cherish her through all of his life, especially when she knows that in every year of his life he has an income of $400,000 such as Bullough has from his immense textile interests.
The engagement of Ian and Maudi was announced and but a few weeks afterwards came their marriage. After a few brief months of happiness, Maudi took ill and died a lingering death. Everybody expected the widower to be faithful to her memory thinking that such tribute was due to the romance.
But in the meantime Lily Elsie had risen to a vogue greater than Maudi ever held and, as sister-in-law to Ian Bullough had come often in contact with him. The widower wanted but little time-after his first wife's death before he proposed to and was accepted by the beautiful Lily Elsie. A full year after Maudi's death the engagement was made public and the marriage followed shortly.
Lily Elsie had to engage a private secretary to answer the thousands of letters that poured into her from theater going men and women of England saying how sorry they were to lose her. And although she has been in obscurity for several years, so far as the stage is concerned, England has never forgotten her for a moment.