WOMEN OF THE WEST' -- Part 8

CRABTREE

Posted By: David (email)
Date: 2/15/2005 at 12:16:18

LOTTA CRABTREE (Con't)

'Fairy Star Of The Mother Lode'
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While she was in San Francisco she met and fell in love with Henry E. Abbey.
The young impresario, though married, also appears to have been in love
with the ageless performer. Lotta backed him in the purchase of the Park
Theatre in new York and their association endured. When his wife died,
however, he suddenly married actress Florence Gerard. Columnists wrote once
again that the shattered affair "broke Lotta's heart." This seems untrue.
Lotta was known to be fickle and to enjoy the company of many men. Also,
she no doubt found fulfillment in being a star, in always being center stage
The thought of having to share this with another, or at best pretending
she was not always number one, may have made it easier to remain unmarried.

Mary Ann continued to manage her daughter's affairs, booking plays,
organizing traveling troupes of actors, and seeking out locations. Always a
shrewd businesswoman, she often demanded 70 percent of the take rather than
the normal 60 percent, and always requested top billing for Lotta.

There were, however, some poor investments along the way, much to the
disappointment of Lotta's mother. She invested in a cotton firm and a gold
mine and backed other endeavors that went broke. But Lotta's stage
appearances continued to bring in great rewards, so the family was never in
want. If they wished to go abroad, give someone money, or build a home for
a relative, they did.

Lotta Crabtree retired from the theatre at the age of 45, and she and her
mother retreated to their "summer cottage," a 17-room estate in northern New
Jersey. Attol (Lotta spelled backwards) Tryst still stands today. Lotta
spent her days painting and enjoying those thinly rolled black cigars. It
was this habit that kept her from becoming a member of the socially
prominent group, Sorosis. Founded by literary-minded women in New York City
it later became the General Federation of Women's Clubs.

When Lotta's mother died in 1905, something inside Lotta died also. For the
first time she began to show her real age. Lotta tried visiting Europe
again but came home suddenly, still saddened by Mary Ann's death.

"What I am, what I have been, and what I was, I owe entirely to her. . . .
My mother was the most wonderful woman that ever lived, and I want the world
to know it." She made these remarks at "lotta Crabtree Day" in the fall of
1915 in San Francisco. The occasion was the Panama-Pacific Exposition, and
the townspeople had turned out to remember their own Fairy Star.

To further show her love for Mary Ann, Lotta had a stained-glass window
crafted in her honor. The tribute remains today, part of the splendor of St
Stephen's Church in Chicago.

Lotta bought the Brewster Hotel in New York City and remained there until
her death, catering to theatre people. When she was into her 70s, she met
General Clarence R. Edwards, a Bostonian who was a professional soldier.
They spent hours together, discussing horses and her will. Lotta had once
owned a stable of trotters, and this provided a common ground for
conversation. The aging actress also wished to leave $100,000 to aid in the
rehabilitation of soldiers returning from World War 1. Edwards persuaded
her to leave $2 million. They remained friends until her death in 1924 at
the age of 77. She was buried quietly in Woodlawn Cemetery in New York City
next to her mother.

She left an estate estimated at $4 million. Despite the fact that she
wanted the money to go to "dumb animals" and "doughboys of World War 1," a
long and colorful court battle over rightful heirs followed. Her will was
eventually settled; a trust was established for humane and educational
purposes for the young. But while the court battle was still being waged,
the newspapers once again brought to life the exciting and illustrious
career of Lotta Crabtree.

Next: Charlie Parkhurst; A Lifetime Of Disguise.
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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
February 13, 2005
iggy29@rnetinc.net