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The Circle Hotel w/ Robert Burns Cigars ad, top left |
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Gertrude Mackenzie in the "Wizard of Oz" |
In 1903 Gertrude Mackenzie appeared as Prince Charming in the "Wizard of Oz" at the Majestic Theatre, now the site of the Time Warner Center.
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"Wizard of Oz" on marquee, 1903 |
In outlining his case to the jury, Sadie's lawyer Samuel H. Ordway said, "We shall show that during last spring and summer Mr. Brady became cold toward his wife and showed attention to an actress by the name of Gertrude Mackenzie, who has taken parts in small comic operas as a flirt, commonly known as a soubrette."
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Reisenweber's Hotel in 1900 Looking south from Columbus Circle down 8th Ave., vertical hotel sign at right at 58th St. courtesy NYPL's Irma and Paul Milstein division |
In 1904 when Miss Mackenzie appeared as the lead in "The Royal Chef" her manager proposed a cut in her salary. Daniel Brady went out to Milwaukee to talk it over, and followed the troupe's travels to Elgin, IL, where he stayed in the same hotel. When counsel asked if the charges that he had immoral relations with Miss Mackenzie were true Brady replied, "Absolutely and unqualifiedly false."
But that was in the past. The summer social season she had planned for her nephew in Asbury Park was in danger of being ruined, by depressing talk of world events, the Dunes hotel fire down the block that chased away her neighbors, the Guggenheims, and that stupid man who caused the accident at Atlantic Highlands bridge.
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Contact: Debbie Carter, VillagerExpat@aol.com, (212) 925-3721