01 June 1924 – Another Battle of the Century, for a Famous Beauty’s Love

If Mr. Tex Rickard, internally known prize promoter were in the business of staging contests between champion lovers instead of boxing fights he would surely have combed Hollywood, California or Broadway, New York City as the two most likely stomping grounds for promising material.  And, inevitably his practiced eye would have hit on Lew Cody, Hollywood’s pet he-vamp, and Arthur Hammerstein, leading lothario of the great white way, to represent their proud and respective communities.  For each is a Dempsey among the “great lovers” and entitled to wear a championship belt.  The heart affairs of each make food for gossip and inspiration for song.  Each is known as a heady, shifty battler wise in the lore of the romance ring. Of course, Mr. Rickard, is not going to stage any such fantastic battle.  Nevertheless, it has just taken place in real life, under the canny direction of another master promoter, Dan Cupid, who has developed many champions in his time. It was fought across the continent during the last year, sometimes in Hollywood, sometimes in New York.  The prize was dainty, dimpled Dorothy Dalton, beauty of stage and screen and the outcome was in doubt for months. But just the other day, Dorothy Dalton herself raised Arthur Hammerstein’s hand aloft and proclaimed him winner!  Both were married in Chicago and scores of theatrical celebrities came to the wedding.  So Broadway, beat Hollywood in the prize love battle of the century.. The gossips can relax and say “well that’s settled”.