We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
His second wife, Ida, an attractive New England girl, was a member of his company. One day at rehearsal Wolfie asked the girls what they would do if he raised their wages. "Drop dead!" sang out Ida. He liked her spunk, fell in love with her, and they were married. They had one son, Jack, one of the finest men I ever knew and by far the most sentimental. He started in a bank as a messenger boy at the age of sixteen and worked his way up to the first vice-presidency of the organization. One of the most beloved men in New York banking circles, he was always attracted by theater people and had many stage folk among his depositors at the Chemical Bank and Trust Company.
Jack was devoted to Fanny Brice, who banked with him for more than thirty-five years. When he became seriously ill, I thought Fanny would want to know, so I phoned to tell her the doctors had given Jack not more than three months to live. Her reaction was, "Oh dear, who will I get to look after my business?"
Fanny died suddenly, and Jack survived her by six months.
Wolfie's third wife was a cute bundle, Edna Wallace. For many years they co-starred on the stage. I'm always amused when people mix me up with Edna Wallace Hopper. Sure we share the same last name, but the wrong number. She was three; I was number five, as in Chanel. Edna never got any alimony; she didn't need it. I wish I had her knack for finance. In the crash of '29, instead of losing her shirt as I did, she bought gaudier ones. Edna played Wall Street for a sucker and came out Mrs. Croesus. She invested her money in New York apartments, and during World War II she rented them to old stage friends. If their sons happened to be in the service, there was no increase in rent.
She loved children but never had any. Nowadays you'll find her baby-sitting at the drop of a hint with the grandchildren of her old friends from the theater. She tells the young parents, "I've been everywhere, seen everything. You go out and have yourselves a time."
Number four was Nella Bergen, a prima donna whom Wolfie married while they were appearing together in London during the Boer War.
19