Nine

The chapter opens with an explanation of the pre–World War I dance craze that has seized the country and given rise to the appearance of ballroom dance teams, the nation’s latest brand of celebrity. Reatha’s departure for San Francisco, host to the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition (San Francisco World’s Fair), to obtain dancing employment is then noted and complete documentation of her career as a professional dancer begins. Her love affair and dance partnership with Robert Carville, a professional dancer, are meticulously addressed; she changes her name to Barbara La Marr, develops as a dancer (both in her collaborative and solo efforts), and she and Robert procure high-end dancing engagements throughout San Francisco and at the fair. The chapter closes with Barbara and Robert, having achieved fame in San Francisco, being given the opportunity to try their luck on Broadway.