The Brownsville Herald from Brownsville, Texas • Page 26

IIIIfflllJlIIIIllllJlHIIJnillM and Betty Dodge, a bankruptcy action together i. Me that trails sister acts struck them. Vivian and setta jinxed and ruftt. The famous Dolly sisters, as they appeared when at the height of their fame on the French stage. HELEN WELSHIMER HEN Rosie Dolly announced not long ago that she intends to enter a convent and close the door behind her if her recent marriage to Irving Netcher, New York business man, doesn't turn out the way that all good marriages should, she was merely saying that there may be such a thing as an endurance limit to the troubles which seem to beset girls who do sister acts.

Rosie and Jenny Dolly have had all sorts of ups and downs, The Duncan Sisters, Vivian and Rosetta, have had plenty of misfortunes, too. Just now they are bankrupt. So are Beth and Betty Dodge. The Sisters G. haven't been exempt from dark moments, either.

The Dolly Sisters, who became musical comedy queens, were Brooklyn girls once upon a time. Their troubles commenced in a convent school in Berlin. They staged ft barefoot dance, in their nightgowns, after they had seen Isadora Duncan dance. The noise attracted attention. And the Dolly Sisters were expelled.

But if the world doesn't give her some better breaks than it has been doing lately Rosie is going straight back to a convent again. The Dolly Sisters danced their way to international-fame very soon'after they began their act. In the meantime, they were married. Jenny, whose real name is Yancsi, married Harry Fox, an actor. Rosie, or Ro- azika, chose Jean Schwartz, a song writer.

Both girls were 1 7. And neither romance lasted, Jenny became divorced in 1921. Rosie obtained her freedom about the same time. HE sister act, which had been broken at Jenny's marriage since she played with her husband for a while, was put together again. Meantime, their fame was growing.

They stayed together. They even referred to themselves in the singular, because every thing one of them did was also done by the other. Then they signed a contract, in 1924, to appear at the Moulin Rouge, the famous theater in Paris. M. Foucret, the manager of the had decided that the two slim, black- haired girls would be excellent drawing cards for his show.

He signed them up at a salary of 3,000 francs a day. The contract stated that no other Rosie Dolly threatens to enter a convent, the Duncan Sisters and Dodge Sisters are bankrupt, the "Sisters no longer look alike after their automobile accident and these are but a few of the items in the lengthy hoodoo list Rosie tried marriage again in 1927. She married Mortimer Davis, the son of the late Sir Mortimer Davis, Canadian millionaire. The marriage was kept secret for nearly a year. When the older'Davis died in 1928 he arranged his will so his son's wife couldn't share in his fortune.

But the marriage wasn't successful. In 1931 Rosie obtained a divorce. In the meantime, there had been of other difficulties in the way of the two famous stars. Toward the end of 1927 Rosie became very ill. For a while the doctors didn't think she could get better.

The girls announced that they were going to retire. They left the stage. Life along the Riviera looked interesting. Especially the gaming tables. Fortune gave them a break, this time, and they cleaned up $850,000.

'M 1 The Sislers G. "rvho got a taste of bad fortune when an auto spoiled their resemblance to one another. artist's name was to appear in letters as big as their name in the publicity. They were the stars. But the theater apparently forgot.

Not very long after the Dolly Sisters had been hired, the management engaged Mile. Mistinguett, the famous Parisian dancer, to appear in the same show. Her salary was to be 5,000 francs a day. Furthermore, she was to have something to say about costumes and stage management. HE Dolly Sislers stayed for three weeks.

Then they walked out on a rehearsal. They explained that the management and Mistinguett had "suppressed" them. They went to court about it. It took two years, but they won their suit against the theater for 550,000 francs or about $27,500. EANTIME, Rosie had been wearing two pearl necklaces which her husband, Mortimer Davis, had given her.

The gift had been made in 1927. All of a sudden, the jewelers from whom the pearls had been purchased announced that they hadn't received payment. Rumors of a gem fraud, spread. Rosie's name linked with it. Complaints stated that she had obtained $280,000 in pearls from Parisian jewelers under false pretenses.

Eventually she proved that it was all her husband's doing. She was cleared. But she had to return the necklaces. The Dolly Sisters have had their high moments, though. The Prince of Wales is fond of them.

Former King Alfonso of Spain also liked them very much in the days when he had a-throne. Lots of have wanted to marry them. Now Rosie has risked matrimony again. it doesn't work, she is going back to a convent. Rosetta and Vivian Duncan, famous for their Topsy and Eva characterizations, can match the Dolly Sisters, trouble for trouble, and show them a few new tricks.

The Duncans' catastrophes began at Cicero, Illinois, in July, 1924. Rosetta and Vivian and a few other people had been attending the horse races at the Haw- la thorne track. They were motoring. Cicero lay along their route. As they passed through the town they were arrested for speeding.

Everyone went to the police station. Rosetta laughed and a little about the traffic violation. A policeman objected to her humor. He decided to take the wise-cracking actress before the magistrate. In the course of the argument the police broke Rosetta's nose, fractured one of her ribs, and gave her a bountiful supply of bruises.

The actress missed a few performances. She didn't like the appearance of her nose. It was decidedly out of shape. But she didn't have time to have it repaired just then. Nearly four years passed before she did.

Then she and Vivian were asked to appear before the Prince of Wales and Alfonso, who was then sitting on the Spanish throne. Rosetta had her nose attended to. And she and her sister won instant favor with the two members of royalty. They saw a lot of them for a while. But before Rosetta's nose assumed its natural shape other calamities occurred.

The Duncan Sisters bought their own show in 1925. They were the only girls in musical comedy who owned, their production. Everything went along very well until August of 1926. automobile in which the younger of the two Duncan Sisters was riding was sideswiped by another carl 1 The accident occurred in California. Vivian received a cut under one knee.

Physicians explained that the synoval fluid had escaped from the knee cap. If an infection set in, it would mean that Miss Duncan could never dance again. But her wound healed and she went back to the stage. Vivian didn't escape a punch, either. She received hers from Rex Lease, a cowboy actor, in the summer of 1930.

The report went around that Vivian didn't want Lease to make love to her. He didn't like her objections so he punched her. He was very humble about paying his fine of $50 for the act. The bad luck jinx decided to play a different card the next time. The Duncans were living in the home of Gertrude Astor, the motion picture actress.

They had rented the house, carpets and draperies and tables and chairs, just as Miss Astor had furnished it. Miss Astor said that the Duncan Sisters broke too many dishes and burned too many holes in the ruga with cigaret stubs. She had them served with a notice to pay for the damage. And there was more publicity. i I 1927 Rosetta announced that she was engaged.

She was going to marry William Beri, a film technical expert. Vivian was going to be married, too, she said. But Vivian was, and Rosetta wasn't. Nils Asther, motion picture star, and a Scandinavian, married Vivian late in the summer of 1930. Vivian was in Bavaria the next year when her daughter was born.

When she decided to bring the baby back to America, she learned that Evelyn Rosetta, as she called her, was classified as a German and the United States government had its doubts about admitting her. Asther appealed to the Swedish embassy. The child was permitted to enter the United States. The last misfortune occurred just a few weeks ago when the Duncan Sisters were declared bankrupt. They have loaned money, invested it unfortunately sometimes, they say.

Anyway, it is gone. So they are going back on the road, a sister act once more, to win back their money. Sisters whose names are really Karla Knospe Gutchklein and Eleanor Gutch- klein, are starting on the troublesome road that seems to stretch ahead of sisters who go on the stage as a team. The Sisters G. are Their troubles began when Karla got it in the nose, just as Rosetta Duncan had done back in 1924.

About a year ago Karla was injured when an automobile in which she was riding, in California, collided with Zultan Korda't car. Korda is a film director. Both sisters were in the car at the time of the accident. Karla's nose was broken and her head was scratched, reports said. She brought suit for $62,500 damages, complaining that since the accident she and her sister no longer resemble one another.

But she lost the suit. The Dodge Sisters were getting along well enough until a year ago, when they were declared bankrupt. They are singing and dancing twins, who' started to appear in musical comedy shows and vaudeville seven years ago. They have filled engagements important ones, too at home and abroad. But last year they voluntarily filed a bankruptcy petition, saying that they had only their dogs and costumes and scenery left.

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