Julian Eltinge
Acting
Biography
American stage and film actor and female impersonator. One of the greatest drag performers in the history of the American Theatre. First performed in drag at the age of 10 in an annual revue of the Boston Cadets. Subsequently appeared on Broadway in 1904 in a drag role in Mr. Wix of Wickham. Performed in the legitimate theatre and also in a number of films.
Born: May 13, 1881
Known For
An Adventuress
Filmed by Fred J. Balshofer in 1918 as the anti-German war drama Over the Rhine, the project was reshaped and released in 1920 as An Adventuress—a cross-dressing caper set in the fictional republic of Alpania and headlined by female-impersonation star Julian Eltinge, with early appearances by Rudolph Valentino and Virginia Rappe. The film was later re-edited and reissued in 1922 as The Isle of Love.
Madame Behave
A cross-dressing farce, adapted from "Madame Lucy" by Jean Arlette, in which to help a friend in a lawsuit, Jack Mitchell disguises himself as the mysterious "Madame Brown," a missing witness important to the case of the plaintiff. He attracts the romantic attention of two old roués and one hot Broadway showgirl.
How Molly Malone Made Good
Molly, an Irish girl just hired by a New York newspaper, is assigned as a test a chain interview of celebrities that must be accomplished within a set amount of time. She goes through innumerable paths and obstacles to achieve the goal.
Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 12
Another entry in the popular one-reel series.
The Countess Charming
Stanley Jordan, a wealthy young bachelor, attends a Red Cross Benefit at the country club where he meets and falls in love with Betty Lovering and unwittingly offends Mrs. Vandergraft, the social leader.
The Fascinating Widow
The Fascinating Widow is a 1925 adaptation of the musical comedy written by Otto Hauerbach as a vehicle for the female impersonator Julian Eltinge.
All-Star Production of Patriotic Episodes for the Second Liberty Loan
Short film with Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford & W.S. Hart promoting war bonds.
The Widow's Might
Dick Tavish, a young New Yorker, decides that there is money in cows, and he buys a western ranch. When the novelty has worn off he decided there is monotony as well. Then he falls in love with a girl on a calendar, and life takes on a new interest, particularly after he discovers who the girl is. The fact that her uncle swindled him on the ranch does not matter. He figures he can take care of the uncle, and he does, but not until he has been forced to masquerade as a woman, and have half the men at a fashionable resort fall in love with him.
The Clever Mrs. Carfax
Newspaper publisher Temple Trask, who answers the "Letters to the Lovelorn" column under the nom-de-plume "Mrs. Carfax," becomes the hit of his college reunion when he revives his female impersonation act. Returning home, Temple meets Billy Wise, another college friend, who wagers one hundred dollars that Temple will not go into a restaurant dressed as a woman. He takes the dare, then sees Helen Scott in the restaurant and, although he is a cynic who does not like women because he knows too much about them, he falls in love. When he notices that Adrian Graw, a crook whom Temple knew when he was a cub reporter, is after Helen's fortune, Temple, impersonating Mrs. Carfax, accompanies Helen and her grandmother, Mrs. Keyes, aboard a steamer to protect them. A lost film.
The Isle of Love
A 1922 re-edit of Fred J. Balshofer’s earlier feature—shot in 1918 as Over the Rhine and released in 1920 as An Adventuress—this version was issued to capitalize on Rudolph Valentino’s sudden stardom. The cut boosts Valentino’s presence through repeated/enlarged shots, looping and out-takes, and reframes the story in a tropical island setting; it’s widely regarded as a cash-in reissue.
Filmography
as Jack Mitchell / 'Madame Behave'
as Hal Blake/Mrs. Monte
as Clifford Townsend / Julie
as Clifford Townsend / Julie
as Dick Tavish
as Temple Trask / Mrs. Carfax
as Stanley Jordan / Countess Raffelski
as Himself