Wed, 5 Feb 1997 08:44:10 EST
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While we are on Mark Twain's self-characterization concerning
hair color, I will repeat this bit from Billie Burke's autobiography,
recently posted to the Forum, for those who may have missed it. Miss
Burke in 1906 was a 22-year-old comedienne, starring in a Broadway hit
with the eminent actor John Drew.
[Mark Twain] loved the theater, often occupying a box with friends
to see our play, and he enjoyed coming backstage to visit Mr. Drew
and me. It was always exciting and enjoyable to see him. He would
shake that beautiful shock of snowy white hair and lean his wonderful
head against mine to say, "Billie, we redheads have to stick
together."
Billie Burke, as is evident even at a later age in The Wizard of Oz,
was a flaming redhead with long locks. To enhance the effect she pinned
an extra "curl" on top, which bounced fetchingly. These pin-on curls were
marketed in department stores in 1906 as the Billie Burke Curl -- a
decidedly
pre-Disney showbiz merchandising spinoff.
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