About the Project
Julian Eltinge was a top star of Broadway, vaudeville, and silent film in the 1910s and 1920s. His theatrical farces featured music by Jerome Kern and other leading composers, with lyrics often written by Eltinge himself. The documentary Julian Eltinge: The Fascinating Widow traces his remarkable career and the cultural world he inhabited.
On Sunday, March 2, 1998, the Empire — an elegant Beaux Arts Style Broadway theater built in 1912 and weighing 7.4 million pounds — was floated on tracks up 42nd Street near Seventh Avenue to a new location close to Eighth Avenue. Few among those witnessing this strange migration realized that the theater was originally named The Eltinge Theatre in honor of Julian Eltinge. Now remodeled as the AMC MoviePlex, the original lobby ceiling still features a fresco of the Three Muses — all portraits of Julian Eltinge as a woman.
Stage & Vaudeville
Chronicling performances from Boston's Tremont Theater to London's Palace Theater and a Royal Command Performance at Windsor Castle.
Silent Film Career
A complete filmography spanning 1915 to 1940, from The Countess Charming to a cameo with Bing Crosby.
The Eltinge Theatre
The story of a Broadway landmark built in his honor, relocated in a historic engineering feat, and still standing today.
Performance Milestones
- 1900–1903Early Boston performances at the Tremont Theater: Milady and the Musketeer, Miss Simplicity, Baron Humbug.
- 1904New York debut at the Bijou Theater in Mr. Wix of Wickham.
- 1905–1907European vaudeville tour; London theatre debut at the Palace Theater (1906).
- 1907Royal Command Performance at Windsor Castle, England. New York vaudeville debut at the Alhambra Theatre.
- November 14, 1910The Fascinating Widow premiered in Atlantic City, N.J., opening at the Liberty Theater in New York on September 11, 1911.
- March 16, 1914The Crinoline Girl premiered at the Knickerbocker Theater, New York.
- August 27, 1915Cousin Lucy premiered at the Cohan Theater.
The Eltinge Theatre on the Map
The Eltinge Theatre originally stood on 42nd Street near Seventh Avenue. In 1998, the entire 7.4-million-pound building was floated on tracks to a new location closer to Eighth Avenue — one of the most remarkable theater relocations in New York history. Today it operates as the AMC MoviePlex, its lobby ceiling still adorned with the original fresco of the Three Muses.
Midtown Manhattan theater district — the historic path of the Eltinge Theatre relocation along 42nd Street.
Explore the Project
1
Performances
A chronological listing of Julian Eltinge's vaudeville and theatrical performances from 1900 through the 1910s, spanning Boston, New York, London, and beyond.
View performances →
2
Films
A complete filmography of Eltinge's silent and sound film appearances from 1915 to 1940, including The Countess Charming, Madame Behave, and Maid to Order.
View filmography →
3
Performance Photos
A gallery of images from Julian Eltinge's vaudeville and theatrical performances, capturing the costumes and stagecraft of the era.
Browse photos →
4
Other Works by Mark Berger
A catalog of film and video works by the project's creator, including A Portrait of Meredith Monk, Oroborus, and The Curse of Fred Astaire.
View other works →Filmography at a Glance
Silent Films (1915–1925)
- How Molly Malone Made Good (1915) — short sequence in a feature
- The Countess Charming (1917) — feature film
- The Clever Mrs. Carfax (1917) — also known as All He Knew About Women, The Amazing Lover, Unlike Other Girls, and Tricks of the Sex
- The Widow's Might (1918) — feature film
- Over the Rhine (1918) — reissued as The Isle of Love (1922) with Rudolph Valentino material
- Madame Behave (1925) — feature film
Sound Films (1931–1940)
- Maid to Order (1931) — feature musical sound film
- If I Had My Way (1940) — cameo appearance in a Bing Crosby film
Uncompleted Projects
- Love Through the Ages
- Romeo and Juliet
A Note from W. C. Fields
"When Julian Eltinge entered, Women went into Ecstasies over him, Men went into the Smoking Room."
— W. C. Fields
Performance Venues
Key venues: Tremont Theater (Boston), Bijou Theater, New Amsterdam Theater, Liberty Theater, Knickerbocker Theater, Cohan Theater (New York), Palace Theater (London), and Windsor Castle.