Stripper's Guide

Whittington (Larry) Daisy Daily and Dotty Dawn © July 23, 1936; A 74645; General features syndicate, Inc., New York. 30593

Larry Whittington, 40, of 43-24 214th street, Bayside.

Whittington was struck by a car driven by Bennett Spolan of 118-09 83rd avenue, Kew Gardens, and died a half hour later in St. John’s Hospital, Long Island City. Police absolved Spolan of blame in the accident.

Whittington was widely known as a cartoonist. He originated the comic strip “Fritzy [sic] Ritz,” in the old World in 1922 and later created “Mazie the Model” for the Mirror.

Whittington’s career as a comic strip cartoonist was interrupted 12 years ago when his right arm was broken in an automobile accident but he continued to work as an illustrator and recently did the drawings for a book, “Learn to Fly.”

He lived with a sister, Mrs. Ida Leonhardt. Another sister, Margaret Whittington, lives in Sunnyside.

…Such is the perfection of Miss Whittington’s legs, such the art with which nature has shaped them, such their faultless symmetry, that Flo Ziegfeld has had them insured for $250,000, as one insures a rare painting to a specimen of Gobelin tapestry…. 

…Miss Whittington, whose quality has been brought to national attention, once was a frail child, according to her relatives. By exercise she remedied physical deficiencies so that she had no difficulty winning an engagement in “Ziegfeld’d Follies.” Formerly she did a pogo stick act in the “Follies,” Now she does a whistling act.

Marjorie Whittington (left) and Dolores Rouse

The body of Hendrick C. Nelson, thirty-five, wealthy sportsman and manager of Gorham’s Fifth avenue, Manhattan, silverware house, was recovered last night from the bottom of Long Island Sound off Whitestone, where Nelson sank early yesterday morning with a cramp during an impromptu bathing party.

Joseph Snyder of Twelfth avenue and Wilfred Lake of Twelfth road, Whitestone, life guards, found Nelson’s body with grappling hooks. Nelson’s fiends spent hours diving for the body and members of the Police Harbor Squad dragged the bottom near where the man drowned.

Nelson wound up a joy ride in the company of Miss Marjorie Whittington, Follies girl who won renown as “the girl with the million dollar legs,” and Miss Whittington’s brother, Larry Whittington, cartoonist an creator of “Mazie the Model.”

The party also included John Sparrell of Cedar lane, Douglaston, and John Wingate of Eighth avenue, Malba. It had been at Wingate’s home and had stopped at Villa Beau Rivage on Merritt road, Whitestone, when several of the group decided to take an early morning dip.

They were in the water only a few minutes when Nelson was seen to double up with a cramp and sink.

Whittington dived for the drowning man and brought him up, but left him after a minute to aid his sister who became hysterical and was also in danger. Nelson sank again and Wingate, grasping his arm, endeavored to swim ashore with him, but became exhausted and was obliged to let go. Help was called.

Later in the day Nelson’s friends joined the police and life guards in grappling for their companion’s body. Miss Whittington and her brother also dove many times in fruitless efforts to locate Nelson.

Wingate posted a reward of $100 for the recovery of the body. When the Whitestone life guards found Nelson, clad only in his underwear and bent double, Miss Whittington collapsed. The others were also attended by a physician.

‘Million-Dollar Legs Beauty’ and Brother Arrested After Stabbing Affray

Franklin, Mass., Aug. 15, (U.P.)—Marjorie Whittington, twenty-eight, former Follies girl, and her brother, Lawrence, twenty-five, who gave Flushing, L. I., as their address, are scheduled to appear in District Court here Thursday on charges of disturbing the peace.

They were arrested early Saturday in a cottage at Lake Archer, Wrentham, after the stabbing of one James Gillis, described as a guest at the camp. Gillis suffered only superficial wounds. Miss Whittington and her brother have denied all knowledge of the stabbing.
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Wrentham, Mass., Aug, 16.—A young woman who described herself as Marjorie Whittington, former Follies beauty and known to Broadway as “the girl with the million dollar legs,” is under arrest here today on a charge of disturbing the peace and intoxication.

The Marjorie Whittington who was president of the “Follies” Alumnae Association in 1924 formerly lived at 55-11 158th street, Flushing.

According to police, the young woman was taken into custody with a man who said he was Larry Whittington, her brother, after James Gillis of New York City had been stabbed during a fracas in a Lake Archer cottage.

Gillis was taken to the Norwood Hospital, where his condition was reported as favorable. The police allege that the young woman inflicted the stab wound in his back with an icepick.
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In November last, Miss Whittington caused the arrest of her brother Lawrence, a cartoonist, on a charge of disorderly conduct, alleging that he had kicked her in the back at Northern boulevard and Farrington street, Flushing.

Whittington was released on bail provided by his sister and later discharged when she failed to appear against him in Flushing Magistrates’ Court.

On November 28, 1931, Miss Whittington was seriously injured in an automobile accident when the car she was-driving skidded and struck an “L” pillar at the Flushing end of the Roosevelt avenue bridge. It was learned at that time that she carried a $50,000 insurance policy against injury to her legs.

At the same time it was reported that a purse containing several valuable pieces of Jewelry and some cash disappeared from the wrecked automobile.

Ziegfeld Star Dies Suddenly

New York, Oct. 24 (AP)—Marjorie Whittington, 55, whose legs once were insured by the late Flo Ziegfeld for a million dollars, collapsed and died yesterday in Grand Central Station.

The former star of the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1920s was identified today as the woman who collapsed on a subway platform in the station. Relatives were located through a telephone number found in her effects. She had been living with friends.

The Actors Fund said it was taking over funeral arrangements.