Mabelle Gilman Corey
Mabelle Gilman Corey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Mabelle L.Gillman December 4,1882(1920 passport)/or 1874(1880 Census) |
| Died | March 1966 |
| Other names | Mrs. William Ellis Corey |
| Occupation(s) | Actress Socialite |
| Years active | 1896-1907(stage) |
Mabelle Gilman Corey (1882[1][2]/?1874 - March 1966) was an American stage actress and Broadway beauty at the close of the nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century. She later gave up her career and married into wealth to William E. Corey in 1907. Her life after leaving the theater was a series of adventures that her wealth could provide.
Early Life and the Stage
She was born Mabelle Gilman to Charles H. Gilman and Jeannette R. (Curtis) Gilman. Mabelle Gilman’s birth date, which has been the subject of much conjecture, corresponds with the 1880 U. S. census for California as 1874. The SSN Death Index has a record for “Mabel” Gilman, born 1874, dying in March 1966 aged 92.[3] Gilman attended Mills's College Almeda, San Francisco. She studied voice under Julie Rosenwald.[4] She would later make her forte in musical comedy.
She first appeared on the stage in London at the Comedy Theatre on July 11, 1896 as Rosa in "The Countess Gucki". In September 1896 she made her Broadway debut at Daly's playing O Kinkoto San in "The Geisha" (opened September 9, 1896). She played Lucille in "The Circus Girl", Juno in "The Tempest", Alice in "The Runaway Girl" (open Aug.25 1898) with James T. Powers and parts in "Much Ado About Nothing" and "The Merchant of Venice".[5] Gilman was in "In Gay Paree"(open Mar.20 1899), "The Rounders"(open Jul.12 1899), "The Casino Girl" (opened March 19, 1900) and "The King's Carnival"(open Sep.9 1901). She went to London to the Shaftesbury Theatre and opened The Casino Girl in London on July 11, 1900. Back in New York for the 1902 season she starred in "The Hall of Fame"(open Feb.5 1902) which had a great run. She closed out 1902 in "The Mocking Bird"(open Nov.10 1902). In 1903 Gilman was the heroine in "Dolly Varden (play)" which she also performed at the Avenue Theatre in London on October 1, 1903. At the Comedy Theatre (the first London theatre she appeared at in 1896) she was seen in a comic opera playing the title role in "Amorelle".
Marriage
Gilman in 1905 was one of the top musical comedy stars on Broadway. In this year she first met William Ellis Corey during an engagement of "The Mocking Bird" in Pittsburgh. Corey was a millionaire, having made his fortune in steel. He was president of United States Steel after Charles Schwab.[6] Corey had a wife Laura and a son Alan. His wife Laura, unable to divorce William in Pennsylvania and retain custody of her son or receive a settlement to support herself and her son, traveled to Reno Nevada to be granted a divorce from William. After satisfying the six month residency requirement Laura filed for divorce, resulting in full custody of Allan and a unprecedented $3,000,000 settlement. Pittsburgh society threatened to shun Corey if he married Mabelle. Mabelle and William Corey married on May 14, 1907.[7] Corey had bought his new wife a chateau in France, valuable jewels and had given her one million dollars all as a wedding present.[8] Corey's Reno divorce from his first wife Laura and subsequent marriage to Mabelle help put Reno on the map as a destination for quickie divorces.[9]
Life in Europe
Mabelle and her sisters Eunice and Pearl had all studied voice from Jean de Reszke, a noted tenor. Mabelle had plans for grand opera but her new duties as matron took up time for her preparations. She also developed a dislike for her home country the US claiming too much noise.[10] Mabelle entertained high-profile guests to the Corey chateau in the years before World War I. Mabelle made another claim that American men are more worried about accounts receivable, stocks, bonds rather than their wives. The marriage to William Corey deteriorated and divorce came in 1923. While living in France, she was taken captive by the Nazis in 1940 and was placed in an internment camp near Vittel, but was released in 1942 after all female prisoners over 60 years of age were freed.[11]
References
- ^ Time Magazine, Milestones December 3, 1923 on her divorce from W.E. Corey stating Mabelle was 41 in December 1923, the end of the year, which would give her an 1882 year of birth
- ^ Mabelle L. Corey; December 4, 1882, San Francisco (husband, William Ellis Corey); US Passport Application, April 19, 1920; Ancestry.com
- ^ Mrs Astor and The Gilded Age: April 2008
- ^ Mrs. Astor and The Gilded Age:April 2008
- ^ Who Was Who in the Theatre: 1912-1976 c. 1976 Gale Research compilation of original annual series by John Parker
- ^ Mrs Astor and the Gilded Age
- ^ New York Times W.E. COREY WEDS MABELLE GILMAN;Ceremony Ends at 1:30 A.M....(Tuesday May 14, 1907)
- ^ Mrs Astor and The Gilded Age
- ^ "Uncovering Nevada's past: a primary source of the Silver State" by John Bevis Reid and Ronald Michael James c. 2004 , history on Reno quick divorces
- ^ Mrs. Astor and The Gilded Age:April 2008
- ^ "Nazis free US woman". The New York Times. October 12, 1942.
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External links
- Mabelle Gilman at IBDb.com
- PRIMA DONNAS AND SOUBRETTES OF LIGHT OPERA AND MUSICAL COMEDY IN AMERICA by Lewis C. Strang c.1900 page 56
- Mabelle Gilman photo gallery NY Public Library(Billy Rose Collection)