[Ads-l] Quote: The face of Venus, the figure of Juno, the brains of Minerva, the memory of Macaulay=?utf-8?Q?=E2=80=A6_?=the hide of a rhinoceros

Wed Aug 30 21:35:15 UTC 2017

Slightly earlier in print:

_New York Times_  28 Mar 1900, p 6 col 6

"The aspirants for histrionic honors received from Mrs. Kendal a recipe for the making of an actress in her first words:
"I received a letter from a young woman the other day," she said, "asking if I would tell her the qualifications for an actress. 'It is the easiest thing in the world,' I wrote back. 'You must be a marvel of patience, have the figure of a Greek statue, the temper of an angel, (that is very necessary,) the face of a god, and the skin of a rhinoceros.' " "

_New York Morning Telegraph_ 28 Mar 1900, p 7 col 5

"A young girl wrote to me not long since, asking me what were the requirements of an actress who would succeed. I replied that she must have the imagination of a poet, the strength of a horse, the figure of a Greek statue, the temper of an angel, the face of a goddess, and the skin of a rhinoceros."

And a later variant:

_Motion Picture Herald_ 28 Feb 1948 p 45 col 2

"QUALIFICATIONS FOR 
A THEATRE MANAGER 

The Personality of a Prime Minister 
The Business Acumen of a Store Manager 
The Dignity of an Archbishop 
The Geniality of a Super-Comedian 
The Tact of a Schoolmaster 
The Hope of a Company Promoter 
The Benevolence of a Charitable Institution 
The Eloquence of a Cabinet Minister 
The Cheek of a Parliamentary Candidate 
The Elastic Conscience of a Member of Parliament 
The Knowledge of an Encyclopedia 
The Legal Knowledge of a Lawyer 
The Sporting Knowledge of the Racing Form 
The Smile of a Film Star 
The Voice of a Sergeant Major 
The Skin of a Rhinoceros 

W. F. Foster, Manager, 
Dalston Picture House, 
London."

> 
> One more earlier example.
> 
> 
> Mrs. Kendal delivered the lines at the graduation exercises of New York's American Academy of the Dramatic Arts, held in the Empire
> Theater on March 27, 1900.  She claims to have used the line in a reply to a fan-letter from a young American girl seeking career advice.
> 
> 
> Werner's Magazine, Volume 25, Number 3, May, 1900, page 303 (HathiTrust).
> 
> 
> "As to the qualifications for a successful dramatic career, Mrs. Kendal recited her advice to a young American girl who had written her
> asking what she needed to become an actress.  The reply was:
> 
> 
> 'Why, it is the easiest thing in the world, the very easiest.  You only require the following things: The imagination of a poet, the strength of a
> horse, the figure of a Greek statue, the temper of an angel, the face of a god, and the skin of a rhinoceros.'"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2017 12:31 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: Quote: The face of Venus, the figure of Juno, the brains of Minerva, the memory of Macaulay… the hide of a rhinoceros
> 
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Quote: The face of Venus, the figure of Juno, the brains of
>               Minerva, the memory of Macaulay=?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=A6_?=the hide of
>               a rhinoceros
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Wonderful, Peter; thanks.  I suspect that the 1901 statement and the
> 1919 statement found by Bill are part of the same family. The "great English player" in the 1919 citation was probably a reference to Madge
> Kendal.
> 
> Here is an instance of the 1901 statement that appeared a month earlier in England. I will update the entry and acknowledge you.
> 
> [ref] 1901 June 14, The Citizen (Gloucester Citizen), The Passing Hour, Quote Page 3, Column 6, County: Gloucestershire, England.
> (British Newspaper Archive)[/ref]
> 
> [Begin excerpt]
> Speaking at a meeting, on Thursday, in connection with the Girls'
> Friendly Society, Mrs. Kendal enumerated the chief qualifications requisite for success on the stage as the face of a goddess, the strength of
> a lion, the figure of a Venus, the voice of a dove, the temper of an angel, the grace of a swan, the agility of an antelope=E2=80=94and the
> skin of a rhinoceros.
> [End excerpt]
> 
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> American Dialect Society<Caution-http://www.americandialect.org/>
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