34:
99:
95:
their attractiveness than the
American entertainments of the same grade do." Many of the best-known London couturiers designed costumes for stage productions by the 1890s. The illustrated periodicals were eager to publish photographs of the actresses in the latest stage hits, and so the theatre became an excellent way for clothiers to publicise their latest fashions.
196:
94:
in 1894 explained the importance of the Gaiety Girls: "The piece is a mixture of pretty girls, English humor, singing, dancing and bathing machines and dresses of the
English fashion. The dancing is a special feature of the performance, English burlesques giving much more attention to that feature of
280:
budding stars left him to marry peers or men of title while other Gaiety Girls settled for a banker or a stockbroker. The Guv’nor finding this was playing ducks and drakes with his theatrical plans had a 'nuptial clause' inserted in every contract.... Debutantes were competing with the other girls
231:
became the
Countess of Dudley, and Olive May married into the peerage twice. First, she became Lady Victor Paget (marrying in 1913 and divorcing in 1921) and then the Countess of Drogheda (marrying the 10th Earl in 1922). The potential for such relationships was an underlying theme of many of the
208:
The young ladies appearing in
Edwardes's shows became so popular that wealthy gentlemen, termed "Stage Door Johnnies", would wait outside the stage door hoping to escort them to dinner. In some cases, a marriage into society and even the nobility resulted. For example, May Gates, a chorus girl in
70:
depended, in part, on the beautiful dancing corps of "Gaiety Girls" appearing onstage in bathing attire and in the latest fashions. The 1890s Gaiety Girls were respectable, elegant young ladies, unlike the actresses from London's earlier musical
582:
577:
531:
115:, for his girls to dine there at half-price. It was good exposure for the girls and made Romano's the centre of London's night-life. Many of the Gaiety Girls, such as
111:
Gaiety girls were polite, well-behaved young women. They became a popular attraction and a symbol of ideal womanhood. Edwardes arranged with Romano's
Restaurant, on
607:
597:
254:
At the old Gaiety in the Strand the chorus was becoming a matrimonial agency for girls with ambitions to marry into the peerage and began in the nineties when
528:
263:
305:
259:
255:
551:
405:
220:
572:
488:
557:
444:
20:
27:
508:
364:
55:
321:
458:
602:
128:
59:
298:
184:
345:
243:
72:
281:
to get into the Gaiety chorus while upper-class youths were joining the ranks of the chorus boys.
211:
132:
195:
547:
401:
272:
176:
237:
164:
120:
535:
512:
479:
368:
309:
277:
233:
116:
67:
63:
466:
393:
156:
112:
44:
98:
591:
381:
Profiles and photos of many of the best known Gaiety Girls (National
Portrait Gallery
228:
224:
216:
201:
180:
168:
136:
104:
90:
75:. Later, even the stars of these musical comedies were referred to as Gaiety Girls.
140:
267:
172:
160:
152:
33:
540:
448:
article about the marriage and other similar matches. 6 September, 1908, p. C1
148:
124:
39:
583:
Gaiety Girls' photos and biographies at the
National Portrait Gallery, London
276:. After Connie Gilchrist and Rosie Boote had started the fashion a score of
144:
380:
505:
357:
26:"Stage Door Johnnies" redirects here. For the album by Claire Hamill, see
227:
and Lily Elsie both married the same wealthy
Scotsman, Ian Bullough.
578:
Gaiety Girls exhibition overview, National
Portrait Gallery, London
270:, who had charmed London the previous year when she sang Maisie in
486:(revised edition, 1976), pp. 132-33; and Wodehouse, P. G. (1933)
322:
Description of Gaiety Girls exhibition (National
Portrait Gallery)
194:
97:
32:
559:
The Gaiety Stage Door: Thirty Years' Reminiscences of the Theatre
215:, married a nobleman, Baron Von Ditton, of Norway. Similarly,
179:, later enjoyed substantial acting careers. One Gaiety Girl,
400:(3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services.
246:, an expert on burlesque theatre who penned the 1972 book
529:
Article about marriage between Gaiety Girls and noblemen
348:, Victoria and Albert Museum, accessed March 10, 2015
19:
For the 1937 film sometimes known by this title, see
573:
Feature on Gaiety Girls at the Arthur Lloyd website
469:, December 3, 1911, p. 65, accessed April 16, 2017
191:Stage Door Johnnies; marriage into the upper class
506:Information about the stagedoor Johnnie marriages
398:British parliamentary election results 1918-1949
219:, another chorister in the same show, married
8:
459:"'The Dollar Princess' Who Took the Dollars"
16:Chorus girls in Edwardian musical comedies
258:, a star of the Old Gaiety, married the
291:
608:Cultural history of the United Kingdom
598:Musical theatre in the United Kingdom
7:
66:. The popularity of this genre of
303:, London, 24 November 1894, p. 116
299:Article about the Gaiety Girls in
199:Stage Door Johnnies waiting after
14:
336:, Sunday, 23 December 1894, p.9a.
221:William Poulett, 7th Earl Poulett
88:An American newspaper reviewing
58:, beginning in the 1890s at the
1:
484:Wodehouse at Work to the End
433:The New York Dramatic Mirror
421:The New York Dramatic Mirror
236:, particularly those set at
21:Paradise for Two (1937 film)
562:(1923) London:Jonathan Cape
62:, in the shows produced by
28:Stage Door Johnnies (album)
624:
435:, 12 September 1908, p. 2b
346:"Designing Stage Costumes"
56:Edwardian musical comedies
25:
18:
54:were the chorus girls in
383:, accessed March 9, 2008
367:January 4, 2008, at the
334:The Brooklyn Daily Eagle
324:, accessed March 9, 2008
312:, accessed March 9, 2008
264:4th Marquess of Headfort
283:
262:and then in 1901, the
205:
129:Florence Collingbourne
108:
60:Gaiety Theatre, London
48:
308:14 March 2007 at the
252:
198:
101:
36:
463:Oregon Daily Journal
423:, 18 July 1908, p.3b
371:accessed 01 Mar 2007
185:Member of Parliament
362:(Arthur Lloyd site)
534:2016-03-03 at the
511:2008-05-09 at the
478:See, for example,
446:The New York Times
260:7th Earl of Orkney
212:The Beauty of Bath
206:
133:Cicely Courtneidge
109:
49:
546:(Cassell, 1975)
273:The Messenger Boy
177:Constance Collier
615:
544:The Gaiety Years
515:
503:
497:
480:Usborne, Richard
476:
470:
456:
450:
442:
436:
430:
424:
418:
412:
411:
390:
384:
378:
372:
355:
349:
343:
337:
331:
325:
319:
313:
296:
256:Connie Gilchrist
248:The Gaiety Years
238:Blandings Castle
165:Camille Clifford
121:Ellaline Terriss
37:Gaiety Girls in
623:
622:
618:
617:
616:
614:
613:
612:
588:
587:
569:
536:Wayback Machine
524:
519:
518:
513:Wayback Machine
504:
500:
477:
473:
457:
453:
443:
439:
431:
427:
419:
415:
408:
394:Craig, F. W. S.
392:
391:
387:
379:
375:
369:Wayback Machine
358:Gaiety Theatre
356:
352:
344:
340:
332:
328:
320:
316:
310:Wayback Machine
297:
293:
288:
234:P. G. Wodehouse
193:
117:Marie Studholme
86:
81:
68:musical theatre
64:George Edwardes
31:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
621:
619:
611:
610:
605:
600:
590:
589:
586:
585:
580:
575:
568:
567:External links
565:
564:
563:
556:Jupp, James.
554:
538:
523:
520:
517:
516:
498:
471:
467:Newspapers.com
451:
437:
425:
413:
406:
385:
373:
350:
338:
326:
314:
290:
289:
287:
284:
192:
189:
157:Jennie McNulty
85:
82:
80:
77:
45:Blanche Massey
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
620:
609:
606:
604:
603:Victorian era
601:
599:
596:
595:
593:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
570:
566:
561:
560:
555:
553:
552:0-304-29372-5
549:
545:
542:
539:
537:
533:
530:
527:Gillan, Don.
526:
525:
521:
514:
510:
507:
502:
499:
495:
491:
490:
489:Heavy Weather
485:
481:
475:
472:
468:
464:
460:
455:
452:
449:
447:
441:
438:
434:
429:
426:
422:
417:
414:
409:
407:0-900178-06-X
403:
399:
395:
389:
386:
382:
377:
374:
370:
366:
363:
361:
354:
351:
347:
342:
339:
335:
330:
327:
323:
318:
315:
311:
307:
304:
302:
295:
292:
285:
282:
279:
278:the Guv'nor's
275:
274:
269:
265:
261:
257:
251:
249:
245:
241:
239:
235:
230:
229:Gertie Millar
226:
225:Maudi Darrell
222:
218:
217:Sylvia Storey
214:
213:
204:
203:
202:A Gaiety Girl
197:
190:
188:
186:
182:
181:Mabel Russell
178:
174:
170:
169:Gabrielle Ray
166:
162:
158:
154:
150:
146:
142:
138:
137:Gladys Cooper
134:
130:
126:
122:
118:
114:
107:
106:
105:A Gaiety Girl
100:
96:
93:
92:
91:A Gaiety Girl
84:Fashion icons
83:
78:
76:
74:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
46:
42:
41:
35:
29:
22:
558:
543:
501:
493:
487:
483:
474:
462:
454:
445:
440:
432:
428:
420:
416:
397:
388:
376:
359:
353:
341:
333:
329:
317:
300:
294:
271:
253:
247:
242:
210:
207:
200:
141:Phyllis Dare
110:
103:
89:
87:
52:Gaiety Girls
51:
50:
38:
541:Hyman, Alan
268:Rosie Boote
232:stories of
183:, became a
173:Sylvia Grey
161:Gaby Deslys
153:Evelyn Laye
102:Poster for
79:Description
592:Categories
522:References
301:Pick-Me-Up
244:Alan Hyman
149:Mabel Love
125:Lily Elsie
113:the Strand
73:burlesques
40:The Geisha
396:(1983) .
250:, wrote:
145:Zena Dare
532:Archived
509:Archived
365:Archived
360:Cuttings
306:Archived
266:married
43:, 1896;
550:
494:passim
465:, via
404:
47:center
286:Notes
548:ISBN
402:ISBN
175:and
594::
492:,
482:.
461:,
240:.
223:.
187:.
171:,
167:,
163:,
159:,
155:,
151:,
147:,
143:,
139:,
135:,
131:,
127:,
123:,
119:,
496:.
410:.
30:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
