Gabrielle Ray – The Dollar Princess – John Bull – Saturday 16th October 1909
THE DRAMA OF TO-DAY
By M. Clement Scott.
“THE DOLLAR PRINCESS,”
So far as comic opera is concerned, the home-made material seems to have all been used up and, just as years ago England travelled to France and bought up most of the Ville Lumiere’s opera-bouffes, so Austria is now the hunting ground for these “musical melanges.”
But I have no hesitation in declaring “The Dollar Princess” – the latest importation from Austria – to be vastly superior, both in style and form, to her defunct sister, “The Merry Widow,” and when “The Dollar Princess” was produced in German, it must have been a wonderful and altogether charming entertainment.
Unfortunately, over here we are from a complaint suffering a complaint I should call “non-singitis,” and the vocalists required to make this kind of operetta of the highest class are not in evidence for the moment.
In the days of “Dorothy,” when there was such a combined wealth of talent as Marie Tempest, Hayden Coffin, Ben Davies, etc., London was able to compete favourably with any foreign operetta troupe, but, alas! the “Dorothy” days are no more, and no star singers have been found to step into the empty shoes that either Marie Tempest or the other artistes left behind them.
Lily Elsie, sweet as she is to look upon, and constituting a “draw” as she perhaps may do, is not a Marie Tempest. She has not the magnetism, the brilliantly clever acting abilities, nor the exquisite voice with which Miss Tempest drew us all to her prettly little feet, neither has Mr. Robert Michaelis the popularity enjoyed by Mr. Hayden Coffin.
I cannot help saying, too, that “The Dollar Princess” has been poorly translated, that the book leaves much to be desired, and that George Edwardes has not selected a particularly good cast.
Miss Gabrielle Ray, for instance, should never be allowed to sing, for the excellent reason that she has little or no voice; the same thing applies also to Joseph Coyne. However, the management evidently thinks differently, and although both Gabrielle Ray and Joseph Coyne are excellent dancers, they “two-step” it too little and “wibble warble” too much, and when they take part in some of the most important numbers of Leo Fall’s melodious work, I sit amazed and apprehensive as to the result of their feeble vocal efforts.
Miss Lily Elsie, as “The Dollar Princess,” is just Miss Lily Elsie, as she was in “The Merry Widow.” I cannot speak too highly in praise of Miss Emmy Wehlen – she is an artiste to her finger-tips. Her singing and acting in the first act relieves it from the dulness which threatens it the moment before she makes her entrance.
The music is of that tuneful and haunting kind that will probably be whistled all over the town in less than no time.
As for the general mise-en-scene, the frocks, the colouring and the gorgeous surroundings, George Edwardes has surpassed himself, and everyone knows what that means.
If “The Merry Widow” waltzed along as gaily as she did in Leicester Square for over two years, then surely “The Dollar Princess” will remain at Daly’s Theatre indefinitely, for she is infinitely the more attractive of the two ladies.
John Bull – Saturday 16th October 1909
About
One of my main interests is a love of old pictures and postcards that give us a brief glimpse into a past and often forgotten age.
Collecting old postcard and pictures enables the viewer to glimpse a brief moment from that individual’s life; often far removed from their own either by the passage of time or social class. Social History, often described as “history from below” shows everyday people, their social structure and the interaction of different groups; like the wealthy and politicians these people helped shape and maintain society and so shape history.
Examining the images one can’t help but wonder how the individuals lived, were their lives hard compared with today and were they happy. Often the images come with little or no information that can answer these questions, one can only imagine.
With each image saved and seen by others, so that moment, that person is kept alive, our understanding is increased and so our lives are enriched.
A picture is often more descriptive than words can ever be, but how true is this, if a picture enables us to gain entry to another time, another world, will, like the view from a different window, even in the same house provide a different image?
These images allow a glimpse into another time, another era; but what preceded or followed this image? As the individuals were positioned and posed like an artist’s model is what we see truly reflective or like the slightly softened image of an aging beauty a less that truthful representation?
I am reminded of a documentary I watched several years ago regarding the returning troops from the front during the First World War. The camera images show a broken, demoralised sea of humanity, young men who having seen images that most of us hope never to witness had lost that sparkle; that zest which only youth has. But bring on the news camera and that battered returning group came to life, the smiles returned and even though muddied and bloodied their heads and bodies became erect, their arms swung in time and they demonstrated a swagger that spoke of courage, defiance and determination; an image that gave hope to the viewer.
It seems to me that even in the early days of photography all was not what it appeared and now in the advancing digital age a picture may paint a thousand words but will it be factual or fiction?
My interests And collections vary from Maids, Nuns, religious dress and the more risqué images of the French Maid. Often when searching for a particular subject the boundaries cross and as well as true Maids we find Edwardian actresses dressed as Nuns or Maids. During one of my searches I came across Gabrielle Ray dressed as a Maid, “Susan” in Lady Madcap and was instantly captivated by her.
Collecting the individual cards isn’t enough; I like to know more about the individual, which is easier when that person is an actress, although often the information is scarce
Searching for information about Miss Ray I discovered that she was one of the most photographed women of the Edwardian era and described in “Temps” as the most beautiful woman in the United Kingdom; but sadly her success, if measured by being visibly working or in the public eye was short-lived. She struggled with depression and alcohol abuse, and her health declined. In 1936, she suffered a complete mental breakdown and was institutionalized for nearly forty years; dying in 1973 at Holloway Sanatorium at the age of 90.
There are several other sites and blogs dedicated to the memory of Miss Ray and my intention is to share my small but growing collection of pictures and postcards with anyone who shares my interest. Reading about Miss Ray I was saddened that this lady, like many others before and since, after a brief moment in the sun they are soon forgotten. Hopefully as people view and enjoy this blog her memory will remain alive for a little longer.
I have started to write a short Biography about Miss Ray which I will try to update as frequently as possible. The Index page will show any updates under the Biography catagory.
I have also tried to link the various postcards and pictures to the plays in which Miss Ray appeared, however I realise, after several errors that this isn’t an easy task as many are decorative studio poses rather than production images. The individual Rotary, Philco and other publishers numbers are included with any description which should make searching for a particular card or ones from the same set easier. If I have made any glaring errors please feel free to let me know.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy my collection as much as I do.
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