Julian Eltinge - Ambisextrous Drag Queen female impersonator of the silent film era!
From the Southern California estate sale of a silent film collector! Very hard to find original silent film movie theater herald for THE COUNTESS CHARMING.
The Countess Charming is a LOST 1917 American silent comedy film directed by Donald Crisp and written by Gelett Burgess, Carolyn Wells, and Gardner Hunting. The film stars JULIAN ELTINGE, Florence Vidor, Tully Marshall, George Kuwa, Edythe Chapman, and Mabel Van Buren. The film was released on September 16, 1917, by Paramount Pictures. Like many American films of the time, The Countess Charming was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors required cuts in scenes showing the theft of a pin from a tie and of a purse, and taking a wallet from a pocket.
Julian Eltinge (May 14, 1881 – March 7, 1941), born William Julian Dalton, was an American stage and film actor and female impersonator. After appearing in the Boston Cadets Revue at the age of ten in feminine garb, Eltinge garnered notice from other producers and made his first appearance on Broadway in 1904. As his star began to rise, he appeared in vaudeville and toured Europe and the United States, even giving a command performance before King Edward VII. Eltinge appeared in a series of musical comedies written specifically for his talents starting in 1910 with The Fascinating Widow, returning to vaudeville in 1918. His popularity soon earned him the moniker "Mr. Lillian Russell" for the popular beauty and musical comedy star.
Despite the graceful femininity he exhibited on stage, Eltinge used a supermasculine facade in public to combat the rumours of his homosexuality. This sexual duality led to Chicago Tribune drama critic Percy Hammond's using the term "ambisextrous" to describe him. Eltinge may have been a gay man, as Milton Berle and many others who worked with him believed. Actress Ruth Gordon stated in a New York Times article that he was "as virile as anybody virile." There is no existing record of a lover of either sex, though stories did abound.
"Having been cold-shouldered out of society and the local country club by the overambitious mother of his sweetheart, good looking Saunders Julian decides to make society and the girls mother both change their policy and welcome him with open arms. To carry out this project he calls into play an old accomplishment of his college days, that of disguising himself as a woman, and as "The Countess Raffelski" he completely subjugates the society leaders who had hitherto scorned him. There had been talk of raising a huge amount of money for the Red Cross and as Saunders Julian he had promised a fabulous amount. As the Countess he proceeds to raise money in bunches and his greatly amused at the ease with which he is able to fleece the men particularly. The situation becomes tense and the outlook is extremely doleful for the "Countess", who becomes suspected of theft and other crimes, but a laughable climax ends the whole thing in a gate of fun with, in addition, an extremely substantial fund to the credit of the Red Cross. This is Mr. Eltinges first photoplay, although he is known all over this country as the greatest female impersonator of the stage and has won plaudits from the Atlantic to the Pacific and back. The story was written by the well-known humorists, Carolyn Wells and Gellett Burgess, in collaboration."
Julian Eltinge as Stanley Jordan / Countess Raffelski
Florence Vidor as Betty Lovering
Tully Marshall as Dr. John Cavendish
George Kuwa as Soto
Edythe Chapman as Mrs. Lovering
Mabel Van Buren as Mrs. Vandergraft
Gustav von Seyffertitz as Jacob Vandergraft
William Elmer as Detective Boyle
Mrs. George Kuwa as The Maid
This movie theater herald was from The Butler Theater in Tonopah, Nevada. When opened up completely it’s 7 x 8.2 inches. Used condition, well used, crease marks, etc. Please examine the images closely and ask any questions before purchasing. Shipped flat, solid and secure, inside of an archival quality extra thick 2 mil Crystal Clear resealable protective closure bag sleeve. Inventory# silentfilmcollection.