Marjorie Bentley (born 1890s) was an American dancer who appeared on Broadway in Oh, My Dear! (1918) and La La Lucille (1919).

Marjorie Bentley
A young white woman with dark hair set in long curls; one hand on her chin; photographed in profile
Marjorie Bentley, from a 1915 publication
Bornabout 1895
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or Brooklyn, New York
OccupationDancer
Years active1913 to 1920

Early life and education

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Bentley was born in Philadelphia[1] or Brooklyn,[2] and raised Brooklyn.[3] She said that she began dancing when a doctor recommended more exercise.[4] She trained at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School,[5][6] as the "favorite pupil" of ballet teacher Malvina Cavallazzi.[1]

Career

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Sheet music from La La Lucille (1919)

Bentley was a professional dancer from her teen years.[5][7][8] Her roles on the New York stage included appearances in Chin-Chin (1914–1915),[9][10] The Riviera Girl (1917),[11] Oh, My Dear! (1918)[12] and La La Lucille (1919).[13] She was premiere danseuse at the New York Hippodrome in 1915, when she appeared in Hip-Hip-Hooray.[14] She contributed a recipe for "welsh rarebit au gratin" to a charity cookbook compiled by Mabel Rowland during World War I.[15] She modeled a dress made of net flouncing for a garment industry magazine in 1916.[16] She toured in La La Lucille in 1919 and 1920.[17][18]

Boston artist Louis Kronberg made a pastel portrait of Bentley in 1913.[19] Of her performance as "Mademoiselle Victorine" in the musical La La Lucille, Dorothy Parker wrote that "The comedy introduces a charming new dancer, Marjorie Bentley—you can stand even another bedroom farce for the sake of seeing her."[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sees America Rival to Russia in Dance". New-York Tribune. 1915-05-09. p. 25. Retrieved 2023-04-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Untitled item". New York Tribune. July 11, 1919. p. 26. Retrieved 2023-04-08 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  3. ^ "Easter Party for Children". The Chat. 1909-04-24. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-04-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Dancer by Accident" The Two Step 29(October 1919): 24.
  5. ^ a b "Marjorie Toes the Mark". The Cosmopolitan. 59 (2): 208. July 1915.
  6. ^ "Training Children for the Grand Opera Ballet". The New York Times. 1911-10-08. p. 47. Retrieved 2023-04-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "'The Lady of the Slipper' Prospers at the Colonial". The Boston Globe. 1913-11-30. p. 52. Retrieved 2023-04-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "'Lady of the Slipper' Opens at Lyceum Today". The Ithaca Journal. 1914-04-29. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-04-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Caryll, Ivan (1914). Chin-Chin: A Musical Fantasy in 3 Acts. Chappell.
  10. ^ "'Society Vaudeville' at High School for Passaic Day Nursery Tonight". Passaic Daily News. 1915-02-16. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-04-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "New Attractions for New York Theatergoers". Dramatic Mirror. 77: 5. October 6, 1917.
  12. ^ Allen, Kelcey (November 27, 1918). "'Oh, My Dear' Wins Warm Approval at 'Invite' Performance". Women's Wear. p. 16 – via ProQuest.
  13. ^ Dietz, Dan (2021-06-15). The Complete Book of 1910s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 286, 484. ISBN 978-1-5381-5028-3.
  14. ^ "The New Theatrical Season in Full Swing". The Green Book Magazine. 14: 964–965. December 1915.
  15. ^ Celebrated Actor Folks' Cookeries: A Collection of the Favorite Foods of Famous Players. Mabel Rowland, Incorporated. 1916. p. 255.
  16. ^ "Movements in the Dress Accessories Field". Notions and Fancy Goods. 50: 18. April 1916.
  17. ^ "Noted Performers Here this Week". The Pittsburgh Press. 1920-02-08. p. 55. Retrieved 2023-04-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "'La La Lucille' at the Mishler Tonight". Altoona Tribune. 1919-11-21. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-04-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Attractions at the Theatres". The Boston Globe. 1913-12-21. p. 44. Retrieved 2023-04-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Parker, Dorothy (August 1919). "The First Shows of Summer". Vanity Fair.