Flora Wulschner, inadvertent lyricist for The Tik-Tok Man of Oz

As lyricist for the song "Forgotten," interpolated by Eugene Cowles as the Metal Monarch into The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, Flora Wulschner never knew she'd contributed to a part of Oz history. Here's her story:

Flora Sullivan Stewart Wulschner

Flora Sullivan Stewart Wulschner

(1848-1909) was born Flora Sullivan in Indianapolis, Indiana, daughter of William Sullivan, a justice of the peace, and Clarissa Tomlinson. She married twice, first to Colonel Robert Reed Stewart (1827-1873), who fought in the Mexican War and commanded the Eleventh Indiana cavalry regiment in the US Civil War. They had one son. Her second marriage was to musician Wilhelm Emil Wulschner (1847-1900), whom she'd met while she resided for a time in Germany. Together they established a successful music company in Indianapolis, selling pianos and other musical instruments. Upon Emil’s death, his stepson, Alexander McGregor Stewart, took over the company.

Rich, educated, and influential in Indianapolis society, Wulschner was well known for her activities in many women’s organizations, serving on the boards of the Children of the American Revolution, the Spanish Literary Club, the Woman’s Relief Corps, and the Citizens’ Committee for Women’s Patriotic Societies, among others. Through practice and practical application, she developed her talents for music and literature. She studied languages, including Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Dutch, and German. Though Wulschner lived much of her life in Indianapolis, she had a passion for travel, journeying to such places as Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, and Germany.

In 1892, Wulschner wrote a poem, which Frank Leslie's magazine published under the title of “Absent.” At Wulschner’s request, the poem was published anonymously. In 1894, Eugene Cowles ran across the poem and set it to music. As the song “Forgotten,” it became one of Cowles's standards. In 1903, Cowles performed in Indianapolis and became friendly with Wulschner. Learning that she had translated some French songs into English, Cowles suggested she write some songs herself. She mentioned that she had already written one—a favorite of Cowles—and revealed for the first time that she had written the lyrics of “Forgotten.”

By 1907, Wulschner’s health declined. She spent some time at a sanatorium in Atlantic City, New Jersey, until the physician there recommended she travel to Italy. She lived in Naples for nearly a year. In March 1909, she traveled to Rome on a charitable mission, planning to return home to Indianapolis later that spring. But at a hospital in Rome she died unexpectedly of pneumonia and bronchitis, attended by the president of the American Methodist College in Rome, Rev. E. B. Spencer. She left an estate estimated to be worth $300,000. Her body was returned to Indianapolis for burial.

Notes

“Personal and Society,” Indianapolis (IN) Journal, 27 January 1899, 3; “The Eleventh Indiana,” Indianapolis Journal, 16 May 1902, 3; “Indianapolis Woman who Wields a Gavel,” Indianapolis (IN) Morning Star, 27 December 1903, 6; “Porto [sic] Rican Paper’s Comments on Indianapolis Woman Visitor,” Indianapolis (IN) News, 25 March 1905, 26; “Mrs. Flora Wulschner Dies Far from Home,” Indianapolis News, 15 April 1909, 3; “Doubts of Death Slowly Give Way,” Indianapolis (IN) Star, 16 April 1909, 16; “Death News Confirmed,” Indianapolis Star, 17 April 1909, 7; “Answers from Readers,” New York (NY) Times, 15 December 1918, VII 10; “Lifelong Resident Dies,” Indianapolis News, 11 November 1932, 12; Max R. Hyman, editor, Hyman’s Handbook of Indianapolis (Indianapolis: M. R. Hyman, 1909), 222.

Copyright © 2024 Eric Shanower. All rights reserved.

Talkin' About Tik-Tok

Colin Ayres of The Oz Connection conducted a video interview with me recently about All Wound Up: The Making of The Tik-Tok Man of Oz. We talked about my extensive research for the book and the features that make the book unique, including the first publication of L. Frank Baum's complete 1913 script for The Tik-Tok Man of Oz.

The forty minute interview is free to watch on Youtube. Here's the link.

And if you haven't read the book yet, here's the link to order it from the publisher, Hungry Tiger Press. All copies ordered directly from the publisher come autographed by me.

Copyright © 2023 Eric Shanower. All rights reserved.

Evelyn Des Roches: Chorus Girl Nostalgia

Click to enlarge.

In October 1937, these nine women gathered in Chicago, Illinois, for a reunion of Ziegfeld Follies alumnae. Each had appeared in at least one edition of producer Florenz Ziegfeld's celebrated revue at one time or another.

What does this have to do with The Tik-Tok Man of Oz? Well, the woman in the center--fifth from either side--is Evelyn Helen Des Roches Harris, who was in the Follies during the 1915 and 1916 theatrical seasons. As Evelyn Des Roches, she earlier appeared in the chorus of the original 1913 production of The Tik-Tok Man of Oz. You can compare a photograph of her on page 140 of All Wound Up: The Making of The Tik-Tok Man of Oz.

The other women are, from left to right: Annabelle Whitford Buchan, Frances Stewart Nolton, Marie Vernon Lotz, Ethel Calahan, (Evelyn Des Roches), Leona Porter Roberts, Naomi Dale Coe, Ray Price, and Betty York Herriott.

Copyright © 2023 Eric Shanower. All rights reserved.

Mrs. L. H. Coulter, Wardrobe Mistress

One of my aims for the book All Wound Up: The Making of The Tik-Tok Man of Oz was to flesh out the lives of the people connected with the original 1913-14 production. So I wrote capsule biographies for many of them, drawing my info from primary sources whenever I could. This proved relatively easy for the principal actors. Less easy to find information about were the members of the chorus. Backstage workers turned out to be even harder.

One figure I wished I'd learned more about was the wardrobe mistress of The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, Mrs. L. H. Coulter. My initial attempts at researching her produced virtually nothing. I couldn't even determine her full name. But since then, I've uncovered much of the tapestry of her life, while kicking myself for not finding it before publication. I knew while writing the book that this sort of thing would happen--new information would come to light after the book was out there for everyone to read. Fortunately, this weblog exists. I can present new findings here. So, this post presents the capsule biography of Mrs. Coulter that I wish the book contained.

Mrs. Lucia Hays "Mother" Coulter

Lucia "Lucy" Hays (1862-1936) was born the youngest child of a farming family in Stanford, Kentucky. In 1879, at sixteen years of age, she married dry goods clerk William D. Coulter in Delta County, Texas. The couple moved to Fannin County, Texas, where they had one son and three daughters. They divorced about 1890 and William died in 1903. As a single mother with four children, Coulter ran a boarding house in Denton, Texas. Aspiring to the stage, she sang in churches and at concerts in Dallas. Coulter joined Lottie Kendall’s Olympia Opera company and for eight years sang professionally, touring the country between Los Angeles and New Orleans, her children in tow. As Coulter waited backstage to go on in such roles as Katisha in The Mikado, the princess in The Chimes of Normandy, and Little Buttercup in H. M. S. Pinafore, she sewed children’s clothes. The company manager recognized her sewing talent and delegated her to making theatrical costumes. After leaving the Olympia company, she sewed costumes for Kolb and Dill’s San Francisco Opera company, traveling up and down the west coast of the USA for several years. She adopted the affectionate nickname “Mother” and was known professionally as “Mother” for the rest of her life. As her children married, Coulter settled in Los Angeles. Her job as wardrobe mistress for The Tik-Tok Man of Oz brought Coulter to the attention of Universal Studios. She joined the motion picture industry, where in 1918 as part of Universal’s wardrobe department, she helped to costume The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin directed by Rupert Julian. She moved to Thomas Ince’s Triangle Studios and remained there for the next seventeen years. The studio developed into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer where, beloved by movie stars and studio executives, she rose to head the women’s character wardrobe department. Coulter made resplendent gowns for the most popular movie actresses of the day, such as Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Marion Davies, and Norma Shearer. She made Lon Chaney’s gloves and scarves when he played an old woman in The Unholy Three. She outfitted Jackie Cooper for Treasure Island. She costumed movie versions of The Merry Widow twice, first with Mae Murray, later with Jeanette MacDonald. For the 1925 movie version of Ben Hur, she clothed 50,000 miniature figures. Other movies she costumed include The Big Parade, Operator 13, David Copperfield, and The Barretts of Wimpole Street. Reports credited her with more than 135,000 character costumes during her career. A heart attack struck her in late 1935. After seven months she returned to work at MGM, but minor heart attacks continued to trouble her. On October 20, 1936, news of movie producer Irving Thalberg’s death brought on another heart attack. Coulter never recovered and died several days later at her home of fifteen years in Venice, California.

 

Notes

“‘Tik-Tok’s’ Mother,” Inter Ocean (Chicago, IL), 27 July 1913; “Kaiser Exposed,” Windsor (MO) Review, 20 June 1918, 4; “There’s Romance in Job of Wardrobe Mistress, Too,” Daily News (New York, NY), 24 February 1929, 65; Dan Thomas, “Hollywood Day By Day,” Los Angeles (CA) Evening Post-Record, 22 September 1934, 8; Marion Nevin, “‘Mother’ Coulter Ill, Stars Ask After Her,” Evening Vanguard (Venice, CA), 3 December 1935, 1; Marion Nevin, “Popular Wardrobe Head Welcomed Back on Job,” Evening Vanguard (Venice, CA), 17 February 1936, 1; “Death Threatens Studio Veteran,” Los Angeles (CA) Times, 20 October 1936, II 2; Eleanor Barnes, “‘Mother,’” Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles, CA), 21 October 1936, 18, 20; “Mrs. Coulter Dies Today of Heart Attack,” Evening Vanguard (Venice, CA), 24 October 1936, 1; “Mother Coulter of M.-G.-M. Dies After Heart Attack,” Los Angeles (CA) Times, 25 October 1936, II 2.

Copyright © 2023 Eric Shanower. All rights reserved.

Playtime at the Piccadilly

Hank the Mule, the character L. Frank Baum created for The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, lived far beyond the run of the show. Fred Woodward (real name Frederick James Warrington, Jr.), the animal impersonator who played the role for the entire ten-month production of the 1913-14 musical, continued performing as Hank the Mule around the world for the next thirty-five years.

In 1926, Hank the Mule appeared on the entertainment bill of London, England's Piccadilly nightclub. Part of Hank's Piccadilly performance survives on film, and you can watch it here. Fred Woodward plays Hank the Mule. Woodward's fourth wife, Nina Marie Newman Walby Warrington, is his assistant.

The recording includes all the acts on the bill, not just Hank alone, so if you want to watch only Hank's portion, set the progress bar to 3:41, the beginning of Hank's act, and click the "play" button.

Without music and color, the recording can't completely recreate Hank the Mule's performance. But Woodward's act provides a taste of what The Tik-Tok Man of Oz looked like. Despite Woodward's obvious skill, I find it hard to comprehend how a man capering in an animal suit drew cheers and applause from audiences, but Woodward's glowing reviews as Hank the Mule and his decades-long career prove his enduring appeal.

Hank the Mule, played by Fred Woodward, watches himself with his stage partner and wife Nina.

Copyright © 2023 Eric Shanower. All rights reserved.

Publication At Last!

I'm happy to be able to finally say that my three volumes on The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, the 1913 stage musical by L. Frank Baum and Louis F. Gottschalk, are published and available from Hungry Tiger Press.

First is All Wound Up: The Making of The Tik-Tok Man of Oz. This hefty softcover volume of 440 full-color pages contains the complete history of the show with a generous load of images and photographs. It also includes L. Frank Baum's complete 1913 script for The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, Baum's earlier complete scenario titled The Rainbow's Daughter, a full biography of composer Louis F. Gottschalk, an account of Hank the Mule's career across the world, and more. You can purchase the book by clicking here.

Next is The Tik-Tok Man of Oz Performance Script. This 114 page volume features the script I synthesized from Baum's surviving materials to create a version that can be performed today. The words are L. Frank Baum's in this two-act musical play for nine principal roles, three minor roles, and a chorus, in a running time of about 2 hours. You can purchase the script by clicking here

The third book is The Tik-Tok Man of Oz Piano-Vocal Score. Its 194 pages hold 26 core musical numbers by Gottschalk/Baum and Schertzinger/Morosco, originally written for the show. Also included are 2 optional numbers by Cowles/Wulschner and Waters/West, interpolated into the 1913 production. The music is arranged for piano. You can purchase the score by clicking here.

All three volumes are offered as a set with a $10 discount of the total price. Click here for the complete set.

Whether you want to act, sing, or just read about Tik-Tok the copper clockwork man of Oz, here's your chance.

Copyright © 2023 Eric Shanower. All rights reserved.

Verse by Vera

Vera Doria, 1932

Actress and singer Vera Doria (1882-1957), born Veronica Fosbery Eyton in Tasmania, Australia, originated the role of Ozma the Rose Princess in The Tik-Tok Man of Oz.

After a short motion picture career and a couple marriages, Doria moved to Shanghai, China, about 1921. She returned to the USA in 1932 from living more than a decade in Shanghai. Doria, now known as Veronica Eyton Wavell, no longer an actress, wrote poetry.

Much of her poetry reflects her strong affinity for spirituality, in particular the Christian religion, though her subject matter varied widely. For instance, during World War II, she composed verses in support of the Allied cause. The following examples show her range.

ENGLAND CAN TAKE IT

In this great New World we’ve heard the call
And the Sons of Freedom are working all;
In plant and factory and full workshop
We’re building a whirring, soaring crop
Of wings that laugh at the Tyrant’s claim
And engines that sing the Tyrant’s shame,
Of fighting ships for the mighty deep,
And ships for cargoes the farmers reap.

England can take it when England must,
Almighty God will reward her trust;
St. George will slay the Dragon again,
And Michael will heal old England’s pain,
The blazing love of the Empire’s sons,
Civilians, and women, behind the guns,
By grace, and a service whose limit’s the sky
Will keep the old flag proud and high.

 PRAYER TO ST. MICHAEL

Lend me your shield, St. Michael,
And give me the valiant word;
For the battle begins, Great Angel:
St. Michael, lend me your sword.

Gird me with holy armour,
The Tempter is on the field;
Breathe strength into me, Contender;
St. Michael, I must not yield.

Hear me celestial soldier,
Who led the angelic host;
O bring me power from the Father,
The Son, and the Holy Ghost.

 

HOMESICK

Oh I long for a home of my own,
A garden and home of my own!
For I’ve been
To tropical countries and green,
To lands where the sun hardly ever is seen,
And I dream
Of a simple small home of my own
On that side of the world which my forebears have known, 
Where the flesh of my flesh and the bone of my bone
Were born and were cradled and nourished and grown,
And were part of that race whose first watchword was “home.”

Oh I long for a home of my own!
But I’m reaping the harvest I’ve sown,
And I’ve seen
That the lure which first led me to roam
Brought results of a kind that could never atone
For the dream
Unfulfilled, and the magical tone
Of youth’s song, which has changed to a gray minor drone
In the chant of the wanderer who wanders alone,
Who loves every blossom and even each stone
Of the homeland that’s calling him, calling him home.


Sources: “England Can Take It,” Los Angeles (CA) Times, 7 February 1941, II 4; “Prayer to St. Michael,” Los Angeles (CA) Times, 1 August 1947, 6; “Homesick,” Los Angeles (CA) Times, 15 June 1942, II 4.

Copyright © 2023 Eric Shanower, All rights reserved.