Della Fox
Encyclopedia
Della May Fox was an American singing comedienne, whose popularity peaked in the 1890s when the diminutive Fox appeared opposite the very tall De Wolf Hopper in several musicals
. She also toured successfully with her own company.
, the daughter of Andrew J. Fox, a leading St. Louis photographer who had a specialty of theatrical subjects, and Harriett Swett. She made her first appearance on stage at age 7 as the Midshipmate in a St. Louis production of H.M.S. Pinafore
and subsequently played children's roles with Marie Prescott's company. In 1880 she appeared as Adrienne in A Celebrated Case and came to the attention of Augustus Thomas
and his Dickson Sketch Club.
When Thomas dramatized Frances Hodgson Burnett
's story Editha's Burglar, he engaged Fox to play the leading role, her first professional engagement. Thomas had the play expanded from one to a three-act play which gave Fox more prominence. From 1883 through 1885, the play toured the U.S. Midwest and Canada, and Fox was chaperoned by Nellie Page (a leading lady) and tutored by Thomas. Although her parents wanted her to attend boarding school, Fox was determined to become an actress. In the late 1880s, she appeared with Comley Barton and the Bennett and Moulton Opera Company, with which she played soprano
roles in operettas such as Fra Diavolo
, The Bohemian Girl
, The Pirates of Penzance
, Billee Taylor
and The Mikado
.
In February 1889, she appeared for the first time in New York, at Niblo's Garden
. Her operetta roles brought her to the attention of Heinrich Conried
, who had her play Yvonne, the soubrette
part in The King's Fool, singing the song "Fair Columbia". Conried also provided Fox with the only acting lessons she received. When the newly-formed De Wolf Opera Company was seeking a supporting cast, George W. Lederer of the New York Casino Theatre suggested Fox. In May 1890, Hopper opened in Gustave Kerker
's Castles in the Air, with Fox playing Blanche. Her first big success occurred in 1891 when she played Prince Mataya together with Hopper in his production of Wang
, singing "Another Fellow". The show was so popular that Fox and Hopper continued to play in it through 1892. In 1893, Fox re-teamed with Hopper in Panjandrum
, followed by The Lady or the Tiger in 1894.
In 1894 she starred Clairette in William Furst
's The Little Trooper, and in 1895 the same composer's Fleur-de-Lis, continuing to play in comic opera and operetta. Also in 1895, Fay Templeton
dedicated her song, I Want Yer Ma Honey to Fox, as did Franc L. Grannis with his song My Little Secret. In 1897 she appeared with Lillian Russell
and Jefferson De Angelis in The Wedding Day. By 1898, Fox succeeded in forming her own company, producing and starring in The Little Host which played with success from December 26, 1898 through March 1899. The diminutive, plump Fox became known for her childlike persona and her bobbed hairstyle: the "Della Fox curl" was later imitated by girls across America.
Beginning in 1899, Fox suffered from ill health and the effects of alcohol and drug abuse, and on October 28, 1899, she was reported to be dying of peritonitis, but survived and returned to the stage. In June 1900 she suffered a nervous breakdown but returned to the stage by September for The Rogers Brothers in Central Park. In December 1901, Fox married Jacob David Levy, a diamond broker, in Boston. After the marriage, she appeared mostly in vaudeville
houses. In 1904, she was committed to an institution, the Brunswick Home on Long Island
. She recovered and made two more appearances on Broadway
: in The West Point Cadet (1904), and her final show, Rosedale (1913).
Fox died at a private sanatorium
in New York City in 1913, aged 42. She is buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery, Saint Louis, Missouri.
In describing her first supporting role with De Wolf Hopper, Strang wrote: "Her success in this larger field was remarkable, and before the summer was over she was sharing the honors with Hopper and was just as strong a popular favorite as he. Her Blanche was a delightful creation throughout, but best remembered is the "athletic duet" in which she and Hopper gave amusing pantomimic representations of games of billiards, baseball, and other familiar sports." Of her role in Wang, Strang wrote: "This was, perhaps, the most artistic of all her roles. She was cute, impish, and jaunty in turn as the Crown Prince, and, in addition, was a picture never to be forgotten in her perfect fitting white flannel suit, work in the second act."
Of Panjandrum, an unnamed New York Times reviewer wrote that [Hopper] "gets a peculiar sort of assistance from Miss Della Fox, who can neither act nor sing and who is not pretty, but who rejoices in a marvelous popularity." Yet a subsequent reviewer (also unnamed) wrote: [Fox's] songs and dances are encored until the little woman is forced from sheer weariness to decline further responses." Author Willa Cather
was delighted by Panjandrum and wrote of its co-star:
Philip Hale wrote of her role in Fleur-De-Lis:
At the turn of the century, this description summed up Fox's talent:
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. She also toured successfully with her own company.
Biography
Fox was born in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, the daughter of Andrew J. Fox, a leading St. Louis photographer who had a specialty of theatrical subjects, and Harriett Swett. She made her first appearance on stage at age 7 as the Midshipmate in a St. Louis production of H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
and subsequently played children's roles with Marie Prescott's company. In 1880 she appeared as Adrienne in A Celebrated Case and came to the attention of Augustus Thomas
Augustus Thomas
Augustus Thomas was an American playwright, born in St. Louis, Missouri. The son of a doctor, he worked a number of jobs including a page in the 41st Congress, studying law and gaining some practical railway work experience before he turned to journalism and became editor of the Kansas City Mirror...
and his Dickson Sketch Club.
When Thomas dramatized Frances Hodgson Burnett
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett was an English playwright and author. She is best known for her children's stories, in particular The Secret Garden , A Little Princess, and Little Lord Fauntleroy.Born Frances Eliza Hodgson, she lived in Cheetham Hill, Manchester...
's story Editha's Burglar, he engaged Fox to play the leading role, her first professional engagement. Thomas had the play expanded from one to a three-act play which gave Fox more prominence. From 1883 through 1885, the play toured the U.S. Midwest and Canada, and Fox was chaperoned by Nellie Page (a leading lady) and tutored by Thomas. Although her parents wanted her to attend boarding school, Fox was determined to become an actress. In the late 1880s, she appeared with Comley Barton and the Bennett and Moulton Opera Company, with which she played soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
roles in operettas such as Fra Diavolo
Fra Diavolo
Fra Diavolo , is the popular name given to Michele Pezza, a famous Neapolitan guerrilla leader who resisted the French occupation of Naples, proving an “inspirational practicioner of popular insurrection”. Pezza figures prominently in folk lore and fiction...
, The Bohemian Girl
The Bohemian Girl
The Bohemian Girl is an opera composed by Michael William Balfe with a libretto by Alfred Bunn. The plot is loosely based on a Cervantes tale, La Gitanilla.The opera was first produced in London at the Drury Lane Theatre on November 27, 1843...
, The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
, Billee Taylor
Billee Taylor
Billee Taylor, or The Reward of Virtue is "a nautical comedy opera" by Edward Solomon, with a libretto by Henry Pottinger Stephens.The piece was first produced at the Imperial Theatre in London on 30 October 1880, starring Arthur Williams as Sir Mincing Lane and Frederick Rivers as Billee. It...
and The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
.
In February 1889, she appeared for the first time in New York, at Niblo's Garden
Niblo's Garden
Niblo's Garden was a New York theatre on Broadway, near Prince Street. It was established in 1823 as "Columbia Garden" which in 1828 gained the name of the Sans Souci and was later the property of the coffeehouse proprietor and caterer William Niblo. The large theatre that evolved in several...
. Her operetta roles brought her to the attention of Heinrich Conried
Heinrich Conried
Heinrich Conried was a theatrical manager and director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.-Biography:...
, who had her play Yvonne, the soubrette
Soubrette
A soubrette is a female stock character in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy".-Theater:...
part in The King's Fool, singing the song "Fair Columbia". Conried also provided Fox with the only acting lessons she received. When the newly-formed De Wolf Opera Company was seeking a supporting cast, George W. Lederer of the New York Casino Theatre suggested Fox. In May 1890, Hopper opened in Gustave Kerker
Gustave Kerker
Gustave Adolph Kerker was a German composer and conductor who made a career in London and America. He became a musical director for Broadway theatre productions and wrote the music for a series of musicals.-Life and career:...
's Castles in the Air, with Fox playing Blanche. Her first big success occurred in 1891 when she played Prince Mataya together with Hopper in his production of Wang
Wang (musical)
Wang is a musical with music by Woolson Morse and book and lyrics by J. Cheever Goodwin. It was first produced in New York in 1891 by DeWolf Hopper and his company and featured Della Fox....
, singing "Another Fellow". The show was so popular that Fox and Hopper continued to play in it through 1892. In 1893, Fox re-teamed with Hopper in Panjandrum
Panjandrum (musical)
Panjandrum is a musical with music by Woolson Morse, words by J. Cheever Goodwin, written for and produced by De Wolf Hopper and his Opera Company. It opened on May 1, 1893 at the Broadway Theater in New York and closed at the end of September 1893.Described as an "olla podrida" in two acts,...
, followed by The Lady or the Tiger in 1894.
In 1894 she starred Clairette in William Furst
William Furst
William Wallace Fuerst was an American composer of musical theatre pieces and a music director, best remembered for supplying incidental music to theatrical productions on Broadway.- Career :...
's The Little Trooper, and in 1895 the same composer's Fleur-de-Lis, continuing to play in comic opera and operetta. Also in 1895, Fay Templeton
Fay Templeton
Fay Templeton was an American stage actress.Her parents were actors/vaudevillians and she followed in their footsteps, making her Broadway debut in 1900. She continued to appear there until 1934...
dedicated her song, I Want Yer Ma Honey to Fox, as did Franc L. Grannis with his song My Little Secret. In 1897 she appeared with Lillian Russell
Lillian Russell
Lillian Russell was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th century and early 20th century, known for her beauty and style, as well as for her voice and stage presence.Russell was born in Iowa but raised in Chicago...
and Jefferson De Angelis in The Wedding Day. By 1898, Fox succeeded in forming her own company, producing and starring in The Little Host which played with success from December 26, 1898 through March 1899. The diminutive, plump Fox became known for her childlike persona and her bobbed hairstyle: the "Della Fox curl" was later imitated by girls across America.
Beginning in 1899, Fox suffered from ill health and the effects of alcohol and drug abuse, and on October 28, 1899, she was reported to be dying of peritonitis, but survived and returned to the stage. In June 1900 she suffered a nervous breakdown but returned to the stage by September for The Rogers Brothers in Central Park. In December 1901, Fox married Jacob David Levy, a diamond broker, in Boston. After the marriage, she appeared mostly in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
houses. In 1904, she was committed to an institution, the Brunswick Home on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. She recovered and made two more appearances on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
: in The West Point Cadet (1904), and her final show, Rosedale (1913).
Fox died at a private sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
in New York City in 1913, aged 42. She is buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery, Saint Louis, Missouri.
Critical response
Lewis Clinton Strang described seeing Fox at various stages of her career. Writing after 1900, he summarized: "Her appealing, unsophisticated girlishness had gone, and in its place was self-possession and authority. She was charming in her daintiness, provoking in her coquetry, a tanalizing atom of feminity. Her archness was not bold nor unwomanly, and her vivacity was well within the bounds of refinement and good taste. Her singing voice, too, was musical, though not over strong."In describing her first supporting role with De Wolf Hopper, Strang wrote: "Her success in this larger field was remarkable, and before the summer was over she was sharing the honors with Hopper and was just as strong a popular favorite as he. Her Blanche was a delightful creation throughout, but best remembered is the "athletic duet" in which she and Hopper gave amusing pantomimic representations of games of billiards, baseball, and other familiar sports." Of her role in Wang, Strang wrote: "This was, perhaps, the most artistic of all her roles. She was cute, impish, and jaunty in turn as the Crown Prince, and, in addition, was a picture never to be forgotten in her perfect fitting white flannel suit, work in the second act."
Of Panjandrum, an unnamed New York Times reviewer wrote that [Hopper] "gets a peculiar sort of assistance from Miss Della Fox, who can neither act nor sing and who is not pretty, but who rejoices in a marvelous popularity." Yet a subsequent reviewer (also unnamed) wrote: [Fox's] songs and dances are encored until the little woman is forced from sheer weariness to decline further responses." Author Willa Cather
Willa Cather
Willa Seibert Cather was an American author who achieved recognition for her novels of frontier life on the Great Plains, in works such as O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, and The Song of the Lark. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours , a novel set during World War I...
was delighted by Panjandrum and wrote of its co-star:
- "Miss Della Fox is indescribable as she is audacious and as delicious as she is audacious. She is little, very little beside Mr. Hopper's awful bigness, and captivating, and in the fullest sense of the word, she is chic. She is undoubtedly the most popular woman on stage just now. When the Dramatic News was rash enough to publish her picture they sold out all their issue and by the constant demand of the public were forced to reprint the picture in the next issue. Many actresses have elements of success, but Della Fox has success, which is quite a different thing. She has the dash and natural flippancy of a comedienne. She carries mirth in her face and has laughter hidden away in her eyes. She only has to move her foot and the house feels happy, she has only to wink her eye and it laughs, she has only to faint on a barrel and hundred of people are carried away by convulsions of laughter. She has a sort of personal magnetism of mirth about her. There is nothing really pretty in her face, yet she was bewitching as a blond, fascinating as a brunette, and because of her vivacity altogether lovely".
Philip Hale wrote of her role in Fleur-De-Lis:
- "Disagreeable qualities in the customary performance of Miss Fox were not nearly so much in evidence as in some of her other characters. She was not so deliberately affected, she was not so brazen in her assurance. Even her vocal mannerisms were not so conspicuous. She almost played with discretion, and often she was delightful. Her self-introduction to her father was one long to be remembered. No wonder that the audience insisted on seeing it again and again. All in all, Miss Fox appeared greatly to her advantage."
At the turn of the century, this description summed up Fox's talent:
- "She is a delightful little fairy with whom to be cast upon desert places. She has a continual childish sparkle of humor, never failing under trials submerging the usual woman, and her distresses are as comic as her escapades of fun. She doesn't think deeply, but she thinks often, and the result of her fleecy little mental efforts are always silvered with a laugh.... Miss Fox has no voice to brag upon, but her personality and piquancy, her earnestness and fund of natural American humor make her an enjoyable singer of tuneful ditties and chic airs. She dances with fairy grace, and turns a joke into laughter with a snap of her fingers or flash of her eye. She is a great pet of boys and girls; they believe in Della blindly, and adore her for fooling them."