Pauline Chase

Pauline Chase (born Pauline Bliss; May 20, 1885 – March 15, 1962) was an American actress who performed on the stage in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She added the names "Ellen" and "Matthew" to hers when she was baptised in the Church of England in 1906, from her godparents, the actress Ellen Terry and author James Matthew Barrie. She is known for her extended run in the title role of British productions of Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. She was also known as the Pocket Venus of New York. Biography She was born Pauline Bliss in Washington, D.C., on May 20, 1885, the daughter of Dr. Ellis Bliss. She was schooled at the Convent of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in New York. She began acting at the age of 15. She played one of the Lost Boys in the debut of Peter Pan in London in 1904. She was later selected by producer Charles Frohman and playwright J. M. Barrie for the title role, which she played from 1906 to 1913. The Peter Pan costume she wore for the productions of the play is on display at the Museum of London. She first came to the attention of Charles Frohman when he opened his production of the musical play "The Girl from Up There", starring Edna May, at the Herald Square theatre in January 1901. By the time he transferred his production to the Duke of York's Theatre in London's West End in April that year, he had recruited Pauline onto the cast (as Sybilla). She was still only fifteen years of age when she made that first crossing of the Atlantic to appear on the London stage. That production was only a moderate success, but returning to the USA in September, she created a sensation as the Pink Pajama Girl in "The Liberty Belles".