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Lola Montez

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Lola Montez
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(born 1818, Limerick, Ire. — died Jan. 17, 1861, New York, N.Y., U.S.) Irish adventuress and dancer who achieved notoriety as the mistress of King Louis I of Bavaria. After a few dance lessons in Spain, she toured Europe, billing herself as a Spanish dancer. While in Munich in 1846, she became Louis's mistress and influenced him toward supporting liberal and anti-Jesuit policies. Her power over the king provoked angry reactions in the government in 1848, forcing her to flee and causing his abdication. After further tours, she settled in New York City.

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American Theater Guide: Lola Montez
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Montez, Lola [née Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert] (1818?–61), actress. The famous Irish‐born beauty was a notorious courtesan who had been mistress to both Franz Liszt and King Ludwig I of Bavaria before coming to America in 1851. Walter Leman recalled her “face full of expression, fine eyes, and hair that a mermaid might envy.” At first her attempts to traffic in her notoriety were commercially successful, although they met with little encouragement from critics. Montez offered herself as a dancer and an actress, including the title role in Lola Montez in Bavaria (1852), which purported to recount her European amours. When her allure began to wane, Montez endeavored to conquer the lecture circuit, but was less successful. She died in comparative poverty, but her legend remains richly alive.

Dictionary of Dance: Lola Montez
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Montez, Lola (orig. Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert;b Limerick, 1818, d New York, 16 Jan. 1861). Irish dancer. Although she made her living as a dancer, she made her reputation as an adventuress, and was the subject of scandals from Europe to Australia. Her dancing credentials were based on lessons she took in Seville. From there she toured Europe as a Spanish dancer, gathering lovers in her wake. She became the mistress of Ludwig I in Munich in 1846, an affair which eventually led to the King's abdication in 1848. There were further scandals in Paris, London, and Sydney before she finally settled in New York, where she spent the rest of her life. Her colourful story has inspired several novels, plays, and films while her character has appeared in several ballets, including Massine's Bacchanale (1939), Caton's Lola Montez (1946), and J. Carter's The Life and Death of Lola Montez (1954).

German Literature Companion: Lola Montez
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Montez, Lola (Limerick, 1820-61, New York), real name Eliza Gilbert, was the illegitimate daughter of a Protestant Irish mother and an English army officer, after whose early death in India her mother married the Scottish officer Patrick Craigie, who sent her to be educated in Scotland, then in Bath. At the age of 17 she eloped to marry a young officer, Lt. Thomas James, whom she soon deserted. She was never divorced, and later in life had to defend herself against the charge of bigamy. In London she took to the stage, perfecting her Spanish dancing in Spain, where she adopted the name that earned her fame and notoriety. The composer Liszt exalted her charm, but Wagner was equally justified in dismissively depicting the heartless and demonic side of her character. A woman of exceptional beauty, she became in 1846 the mistress of the 60-year-old King Ludwig I of Bavaria, who created her Gräfin von Landsfeld, though his queen wisely prevented her formal admission to the court. Arrogant and extravagant, she also interfered in politics. Her mounting unpopularity led to a succession of riots against her, but not even his own loss of respect in Munich would persuade Ludwig to abandon her. The protracted story of her removal from Bavaria ended with her flight to Switzerland in 1848. Only after his abdication, when she attempted to extort money from him, notably over the return of his letters to her and her autobiography, did he cease to communicate with her. Meanwhile she was in France, where the first instalments of her autobiography appeared in the journal Le Pays; honouring the king and not disclosing anything sensational, it was not a success. Its French version was written by other hands, but its substance was her own. Later that year (1851) she continued her stage career in the USA, achieving success, as always, through her stage presence rather than her talents as a dancer. In 1857, after the death of her latest lover during a return journey from a tour in Australia, she entered a new phase that is marked by her spirituality, moral reform, and work for charity, begun in earlier years. Knowing that her stage career was nearing its end, she became a lecturer on women and beauty, topics that ensured the success of her extensive tours. The volumes Lectures of Lola Montez including her Autobiography and The Arts of Beauty or Secrets of a Lady's Toilet with Hints to Gentlemen on the Art of Fascinating appeared in 1858 (the latter was reprinted in 1969 and 1978), and Memoiren der Lola Montez in 1851 (reprinted in 1986). (See also Jüdin von Toledo, Die, by Grillparzer.)

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Lola Montez
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Montez, Lola (mŏntĕz'), 1818?-1861, Irish adventurer, whose original name was Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert. Her early marriage to an army officer soon ended in divorce. She adopted the name Lola Montez, claimed Spanish descent, and became a dancer. Her dancing was mediocre, but her beauty, extravagant charm, and adventures (in particular her affairs with Franz Liszt and Dumas père) were legendary. She gained sensational success and by 1846 became the mistress of King Louis I of Bavaria, who made her countess of Lansfeld. Her intervention in politics aroused antagonism and helped provoke the Revolution of 1848, when she was banished. She returned (1849) to England and remarried. In 1851 she toured the United States and after the death of her husband married P. P. Hull, a San Francisco newspaperman. After an Australian tour (1855-56), she returned to the United States. She died in New York City.

Bibliography

See biographies by A. Darling (1972), I. Ross (1972), and M. Ophuls (1986).

Dictionary: Mon·tez   (mŏn'tĕz, mŏn-tĕz') pronunciation
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, Lola (Originally Eliza Gilbert.) 1818-1861.

Irish-born American dancer noted for her love affairs with Liszt, Dumas père, and Ludwig I (1786-1868), king of Bavaria.


Wikipedia: Lola Montez
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For other uses, see Lola Montes (disambiguation).
Lola Montez
Born February 17, 1821(1821-02-17)
Grange, Ireland
Died January 17, 1861 (aged 39)
New York City, U.S.

Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, Countess of Landsfeld (February 17, 1821 – January 17, 1861), better known by the stage name Lola Montez, was an Irish-born dancer and actress who became famous as a Spanish dancer, courtesan and mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, who made her Countess of Landsfeld. Montez is reputed to be the inspiration for the saying, "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets", which, in turn, inspired the popular song by that name."[1]

Contents

Early life

Like many other aspects of her life, discrepant reports of her birth have been published. She was born in Grange, County Sligo in 1821,[2] She was baptised at St Peter's Church in Liverpool on February 16, 1823.

Lola's mother was Eliza (or Elizabeth) Oliver, an illegitimate daughter of Charles Silver Oliver, of Castle Oliver in County Limerick, Ireland. Lola's mother was 15 when she gave birth to her, a year after she married Lola's father, Ensign Edward Gilbert of the 25th Regiment.

In 1823 the Gilberts moved to India, where Edward's regiment had been dispatched. But, shortly after arrival, he died of cholera. Her mother, who was now 19, married another officer, Lieutenant Patrick Craigie, the following year. Craigie quickly came to care for Lola, but her spoilt and half-wild ways concerned him greatly.

Eventually, it was agreed she would be sent back to Britain to attend school, staying with Craigie's father in Montrose, Scotland, at first. But the "queer, wayward little Indian girl" quickly became known as a mischief-maker. On one occasion, she stuck flowers into the wig of an elderly man during a church service, on another, she ran through the streets naked.

At the age of ten, Lola was moved on again–this time to Sunderland. When her stepfather's older sister, Catherine Rae, set up a boarding school in Monkwearmouth with her husband, Lola joined them to continue her education.[3]

Lola obviously made an impression on her teachers, as a Mr Grant, who taught art at the little school, was later to recall her as "an elegant and graceful child." He described her as having eyes of "excessive beauty", an "orientally dark" complexion and an air of "haughty ease". But he also revealed: "The violence and obstinacy of her temper gave too frequent cause of painful anxiety to her good kind aunt."

Lola's determination and temper were to become her trademarks. The little girl's stay in Sunderland lasted only a year, as she was then transferred to Bath for a more "sophisticated" education.

In 1837 sixteen-year-old Lola eloped with Lieutenant Thomas James. The couple separated five years later, in Calcutta, and Lola became a professional dancer under a stage name. Her London debut as "Lola Montez, the Spanish dancer" in June 1843 was successful, but she had been recognized as Mrs. James and a scandal arose over the imposture. The resulting notoriety hampered her career in England and she departed for the Continent, where she became famous more for her beauty and quick temper than for her dancing. At this time she was almost certainly accepting favours from a few wealthy men, and was regarded by many as a courtesan.[4]

Life as a courtesan

Lola Montez c.1851

She met and had an affair with Franz Liszt, who introduced her to the circle of George Sand, which was one of the most sophisticated and advanced in European society.[5] After performing in various European capitals, she settled in Paris, where she was accepted in the rather Bohemian literary society of the time, being acquainted with Alexandre Dumas, père, with whom she was rumoured to have had a dalliance. After the 1845 death of her lover, newspaperman Alexandre Dujarier, in a duel (unrelated to her), she left Paris.[6]

In 1846, she arrived in Munich, where she was discovered by, and became the mistress of, Ludwig I of Bavaria.[6] She soon began to use her influence on the king and this, coupled with her arrogant manner and outbursts of temper, made her unpopular with the local population, particularly after documents were made public showing that she was hoping to become a naturalized Bavarian citizen and be elevated to the nobility. Despite the opposition, Ludwig made her Countess of Landsfeld on his next birthday, August 25, 1847. The entertaining rumour that at the time they met Ludwig had asked her in public if her bosom was real, to which her response was to tear off enough of her garments and prove it[7][8] is entirely unfounded, and the story only first appeared many decades after Lola's death. It seems likely that Ludwig's relationship with her contributed greatly to the fall from grace of the previously popular king.[9] In 1848 under pressure from a growing revolutionary movement Ludwig abdicated, and Lola fled Bavaria, her career as a power behind the throne at an end.[4]

After a sojourn in Switzerland, where she waited in vain for Ludwig to join her, she made one brief excursion to France and then removed to London in late 1848. There she met and quickly married George Trafford Heald, a young army cornet (cavalry officer) with a recent inheritance.[9] But the terms of Lola's divorce from Thomas James did not permit of either spouse's remarriage while the other was living, and the beleaguered newlyweds were forced to flee the country to escape a bigamy action brought by Heald's scandalized maiden aunt.[9] Mr. and Mrs. Heald resided for a time in France and in Spain, but within two years the tempestuous relationship was in tatters, and in 1851 Lola set off to make a new start in the United States, where she was surprisingly successful at first in rehabilitating her image.[10]

From 1851 to 1853 she performed as a dancer and actress in the eastern United States, then arrived at San Francisco in May 1853.[9] There she married Patrick Hull, a local newspaperman, in July and moved to Grass Valley, California, in August. This marriage failed shortly after, and Montez remained in Grass Valley at her little house for nearly two years. The restored Home of Lola Montez went on to become California Historical Landmark No. 292.[11] Lola served as an inspiration to another aspiring young entertainer, Lotta Crabtree. Lotta's parents ran a boarding house in Grass Valley, and Lotta soon attracted the attention of a neighbor, Lola Montez, who encouraged Lotta's enthusiasm for performance.

In June 1855, she departed for a tour of Australia to resume her career by entertaining miners at the gold diggings during the gold-rush of the 1850s arriving at Sydney on August 16, 1855.[4]

Historian Michael Cannon claims that "In September 1855 she performed her erotic Spider Dance at the Theatre Royal in Melbourne, raising her skirts so high that the audience could see she wore no underclothing at all (actually a salacious rumour). Next day the Argus thundered that her performance was 'utterly subversive to all ideas of public morality'". Respectable families ceased to attend the theatre, which began to show heavy losses."[12] At Castlemaine in April 1856, she was "rapturously encored" after her Spider Dance in front of 400 diggers (including members of the Municipal Council who had adjourned their meeting early to attend the performance), but drew the wrath of the audience by insulting them following some mild heckling.[13]

She earned further notoriety in Ballarat when, after reading a bad review in The Ballarat Times, she attacked the editor, Henry Seekamp with a whip. The "Lola Montes Polka" composed by Albert Denning was later rumoured to have been inspired by this event, but as the song was published in 1855 and the incident with Seekamp occurred months later in February 1856, this is scarcely probable. She departed for San Francisco on May 22, 1856, having had her fill of the turbulent Antipodes.

In America, she did some acting and lectured on gallantry. She finally moved to New York, where she lived out her last days visiting outcasts of her own sex.[14]

Later life

On June 30, 1860, she suffered a stroke and was partially paralyzed for some time. In mid-December she had recovered enough to walk with a slight limp and went out for a stroll in the cold weather. She contracted pneumonia, lingering for nearly a month before dying one month short of her fortieth birthday. She is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery, in Brooklyn, New York where her tombstone states: "Mrs. Eliza Gilbert / Died Jan. 17, 1861". It also reads that she was 42 at time of death.

Lola Montez in fiction

Lola in Damn Yankees

Montez was portrayed by Martine Carol in the film Lola Montès (1955), directed by Max Ophüls and co-starring Peter Ustinov and Oskar Werner.

Lola Montez, was the inspiration for the saying "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets" which, in turn, became the title of a song in the popular musical Damn Yankees.[15] While this musical was not based on the life of the original Lola Montez, the female lead in that play was called "Lola", who like Lola Montez, was portrayed in the play as a lady who would stop at little to get what she wanted. That is, Lola Montez inspired the saying and the saying inspired the song title as well as the character name, "Lola" in the play.

Montez also appears in Royal Flash by George MacDonald Fraser, where she has a brief affair with Harry Flashman. She is also a character in the film of the same name, in which she is played by Florinda Bolkan.

Montez is featured prominently in the final installment (Spider Dance) of the Irene Adler mystery series by Carole Nelson Douglas. Montez is rumored to be the title character's mother.

She has been portrayed by Carmen D'Antonio in Golden Girl (1951), Sheila Darcy in Wells Fargo (1937), Yvonne De Carlo in Black Bart (1948), and Rita Moreno in an episode of the 1950s TV show Tales of Wells Fargo.

In one of J. B. Priestley's last fictional works, The Pavilion of Masks, she is unmistakably the original for Cleo Torres, Spanish dancer and mistress of a German prince.

Montez was allegedly the inspiration for Jennifer Wilde's historical romance novel Dare To Love (1978), whose protagonist Elena Lopez is also a British woman passing herself off as Spanish who becomes an exotic dancer. In the book Elena has an affair with Franz Liszt, becomes friends with George Sand and has a friendship with the king of a small Germanic country obviously based on Ludwig I of Bavaria, then moves to California, all documented as having happened in Montez's life.

In the 1983 television miniseries Wagner, Richard Wagner (Richard Burton), referring to the rumors surrounding his own relationship with Ludwig II, tells John Gielgud's character, "I am no Lola Montez!"

Trestle Theatre Company created a production entitled Lola about the life of Lola Montez.

Montez is described in "Daughter of Fortune" (original Spanish title "Hija de la fortuna") by the Chilean-American author Isabel Allende.[16]

A feature film scheduled for 2010 entitled "Spider Dance" will focus on the latter years of Lola's life and her time in Australia.

Trivia

Mount Lola

New International Encyclopedia identifies her as being Maria Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert (?1818-1861), an adventuress. Her writings comprise The Arts of Beauty and Lectures (1858), the latter containing an autobiography.

Lola Montez has a lake named after her in the Tahoe National Forest in Nevada County, California. Take I-80 east from Sacramento and exit at Cisco Grove.

There is also a mountain named in her honor, Mount Lola. At 9,148', it is the highest point in Nevada County, California.

ABC soap opera One Life to Live features a character by the name of Lola Montez.

References

  1. ^ http://www.zpub.com/sf/history/lola.html
  2. ^ Her name was Lola, RTE Television
  3. ^ "Racy Life of Our Lola". Sunderland Echo. 2006. http://www.sunderlandecho.com/daily/Racy-life-of-our-Lola.1404162.jp. Retrieved 2008-03-30. 
  4. ^ a b c Lola Montez, Ballarat History Central
  5. ^ (source: Langer)
  6. ^ a b Greene, Robert (2000). The 48 Laws of Power. Penguin Books. p. 77. ISBN 0-14-028019-7. 
  7. ^ BBC - Woman's Hour - Jan 2007
  8. ^ James Morton, Lola Montez - Her Life and Conquests (2007)
  9. ^ a b c d Greene, Robert (2000). The 48 Laws of Power. Penguin Books. p. 78. ISBN 0-14-028019-7. 
  10. ^ Bruce Seymour, Lola Montez, a Life, Yale University Press, 1996.
  11. ^ "HOME OF LOLA MONTEZ". parks.ca.gov. http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/listed_resources/default.asp?num=292. Retrieved 2008-07-27. 
  12. ^ Michael Cannon, Melbourne After the Gold Rush, pp.313-4
  13. ^ The Intrepid Females of Forty-Nine, historic hwy 49.com
  14. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, “Gilbert, Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna.”
  15. ^ Whatever Lola Wants
  16. ^ Book Review criticizing this inclusion.

Further reading

  • Leila Mackinlay, Spider dance: A novel based upon incidents in the life of Lola Montez
  • Nicholas Browne, Castle Oliver & the Oliver Gascoignes
  • Professor Bruce Seymour, Lola Montez: A Life

External links

Search Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lola Montez
Search Wikisource Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Gilbert, Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna.

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
American Theater Guide. The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Copyright © 2004 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
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