THEATRICAL SQUABBLE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 113, 9 November 1906, Page 5

THEATRICAL SQUABBLE.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACTRESSES AND MANAGERS. . ALL BECAUSE~OF "A GIBSON GIRIi.' (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 28th September. Many are the uses of notoriety, especially in matters connected with the etage. As I informed you last mail, "A Gibson Girl"— or perhaps I should say the "Gibson Girl"— Miss Camille Clifford had become engaged to be married to a young lieuteaant, the Hon. Lyndhurst Bruce, eldest eon, and therefore heir, of Lord Aberdare, an irate gentleman, who disapproved the match, and who stopped hia son's allowance. Then Miss Clifford, on' her return to England from Norway, immediately became a "star," and was given a song to sing in ths small part for which ehe had been engaged at the Vaudeville, where "The Belle of Mayfair", with Miss Edna May as leading lady, has been running for several months past. Miss Edna May at once took umbrage, 6ai"d that Miss Clifford's name was given greater prominence than her own in the playbills, etc. So the "star" of the Vaudeville piece refused to play any more, and so far as that theatre is concerned she became Miss Edna "won't." Then the chagrined lady betook herself to Brighton, where she hid herself from an army of reporters and photographers who, however, did manage to interview and photograph her. Tho whole affair reminds one forcibly of Mr. Vincent Crummies, who never could understand "how these things got into tho papers." And both ladies were "co sweet about each other, too." This is Miss Edna May's tale of woe : "I am paid £200 a week, yet my name appears in much smaller type on the sandwich boards than tho name of Miss Clifford. lam leaving the theatre because my contract has been broken in this way. lam the 'star' of the play, and have been searching England and America for a good song, but without success. I received two songs to try, but they were not suitable. The people who were asked to writo songs for me do not appear to have had any inspiration. Ono composer had six weeks to writs me a good song, but I got no satisfaction. "Miss Clifford, however, comes into the play and immediately a fine song is found for her. It proves a great success. Miss Clifford looks perfectly charming. The song is a tremendous success, and becomes the perfect hit of the piece. I ask you is this fair? Here I have been asking for songs and cannot get them, and Miss Camille Clifford has one found for her without any difficulty. Ail I say, personally, of Mi?s Clifford is that she" is a lucky woman, who has got a charming song, whilo I have been vainly searching for such. I like her very much. She is one of the sweetest little women, I have ever met in my life, and has often been in my dressing-room; so that will show how I regard her. "Of course," continued the fair Edna, "I could not be a Gibson Girl. Consequently I could not. sing 'Why am I a Gibson Girl,' but I could sing something very near — 'Why am I a Picture Girl?' for instance. It is the tune and thojyea that are so catchy, and I submit twirl, as 'star' of the piece should have liHy.Jhe best song. Not only is this treatment not fair to ma, but it is not fair to%|jier members of the company. It is anfitird to gay that my action in" leaving the play is dictated by" any feeling of jealousy. I am simply feaving because I have not been treated rightly. My picture has been given on the sandwich boards with my name written co email beneath it that people could hardly see it. On the otner side wag announced in huge letters that Miss Clifford was positively going to sing and ths time she would appear on the stage. The people go mad over her sone. and the next thing that happens is Miss Clifford' 6 name is put outsido tho theatre in the most prominent place — this, mind you, though I am getting £200 a week and am the 'star.' When 1 venture to remonstrate I am told that Miss Clifford, because of her engagement to a peer's £,on, draws the public, and that, therefore, she is to bo advertised. What is left for me but to say to myself, 'You had better get out?"' On the other hand, Miss Clifford says sweet things of Miss May, and cannot understand why --the latter should have thrown up her part. - Meanwhile her wedding, which at first was said to/ be coming oS at a very early date, is tow talked about vaguely as "in a year, perjaps." For naturally Miss Clifford now that ehe has a chance of getting to the top of the tree in popular favour intends if possible to be a theatrical "star" of the first magnitude herself before settling down to the life of a peeress-in-prospec-tive. Meantime, it is stated that since Miss Clifford Tejoined the Vaudeville cast aftsr her return from Norway, and the announcement of her engagement to Lord Abcrdare's eon and heir, the theatre receipts have gone up several hundreds of pounds per week. So far with the ladies. Next the managers get at variance. No Booner had Mis 3 May gone to Brighton than the announcement was made that Messrs. G3tti, the proprietors of the Vaudeville, /informed the press "that as Mr. Charlta Frohman does not agree with them that they have not committed a breach of contract with Miss Edna May, he has notified them that he is no longer-associated with Messrs. Gatti in ths management of their theatre." The opinion expressed outside theatrical circles that the retirement of Miss Edna May from "The Belle of Mayfair" would either ki'.l or injure the "star" system in this country, is not shared by the- London managers of the- various theatres. At the Vaudeville, after the ''split" had been made public, crowds of people came to look at the pictures of Miss Camil'.« Clifford, and fhe box office profited greatly. To an interviewer that lady Temarked: "I have nothing to do with it. It just happened without me, and I find myself in the. centre of it without ever trying to get there." A dramatic and interesting sequel to two recent theatrical sensations — the resignation of Miss Edna May of her nart; at/the Vaudeville, and the libel action brought by Mr. Seymour Hicka, of the \ldwych Theatre, was next found in an arrangement for Miss Phyllis Dare to play the part resigned by Miss Edna May in "The BeUe of Mayfair." The contract wae signed by Mr. Arthur Jones father of Miss Phyllis Dare, on behalf of hi* daughter, who was continuing her education at a school in Brussels. Mr. Jonen immediately w«nt to Brussels, brought his young" daughter back to Londen, where she arrived yesterday, hne is now hard at work studying her rew part, and it is expected that within ten days %hn will be appearing in Miss May ■ s ■role at the Vaudeville. Miss Phyllis Dare made her name in The Catch of the Senaon," in which she acted with much charm the lending part. At the conclusion of its run she went to Brusnela to continue her studies, and now all m a moment as it were, she is in London 'again, and will be seen on the stage at a- very early date. This new 'star is now only sixteen years of age