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Born William Julian Dalton on May 14, 1881 in Newton, Massachusetts, Julian Eltinge was not only an American stage and screen actor, but a phenomenal female impersonator.
After appearing in his first drag role at the Tremont Theatre in Boston with the Boston Cadets Revue in 1891 at the age of ten, it is alleged that Eltinge played the role so convincingly, that the following year the revue was written around HIM. According to legend, Eltinge came to perform with the Boston Cadets Revue as a result of a dance class he took from a Mrs. Wyman and she discovered he had an incredible ability to impersonate females.
By this time, Eltinge was getting noticed by other producers, which led to his first appearance on Broadway at the Bijou Theatre in 1904. The show was a musical comedy entitled Mr. Wix of Wickham. Produced by E. E. Rice and featuring music by Jerome Kern,(who would pen over 700 classic songs including "Ol' Man River", "A Fine Romance", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", and "The Way You Look Tonight" to name a few) the show was a huge flop with the exception of Eltinge's performance, which, oddly enough, helped pave his way to stardom. As his star began to rise, he began performing in vaudeville touring the United States and Europe, even giving a command performance before King Edward VII. Unlike many of the other female impersonators of the day, Eltinge did not present himself as a man dressed like a woman, but gave the illusion that he WAS a woman. Touring simply as "Eltinge" this left his sexual orientation unknown to his audiences. His act included singing and dancing in a variety of female costumes way before Cher ever came along. At the end of each performance, he would remove his wig, thereby revealing his true self.
By 1910, Eltinge was appearing on the stage in musical comedies written specifically for his talents starting with The Fascinating Widow, and by 1917 Hollywood came a-calling with his first feature film role in The Countess Charming, playing, by no surpeise to anyone, the title role. This led to other films including The Isle of Love with Rudolph Valentino and Virginia Rappe in 1918. By this time Eltinge was one of the highest paid actors (male OR female) on the American stage. But, as fate would have it, with the devastating arrival of the "Great Depression" and the subsequent death of vaudeville, Eltinge’s once shining star sadly began to dim.
But, as they say, "the show must go on" and he continued performing in nightclubs. Performing up to the very end, William Julian Dalton, better known as "Eltinge" sadly took his final bows on March 7, 1941, following a show at a New York nightclub. He was only 60 years old, but his legacy will live on as one of the greatest female impersonators of the 20th century.