Ruth Bayton: Josephine Baker's Rival

Ruth V. Bayton {1903-1948}

Born Feb. 3, 1903 between Tappahannok and Whitestone, Virginia. Ruth Bayton was the sixth child of Virginia and Hansford C. Bayton. Hansford was a well known river boat captain who operated an excursion steamer in the Tidewater section along the Virginian coast. In 1910, she was sent to Philadelphia to live with her uncle, George Bayton, a wealthy and well respected physician. Later on, in 1920 she moved down to Baltimore with her eldest sister, Julia, who ran a restaurant with her husband Carter Banks and their six children. She occasionally returned briefly to Virginia to stay with her parents. 

London 1923

In 1922, after leaving school, Ruth found work as an stenographer. During the summer, she was introduced to Will Vodrey (director of the Plantation Orchestra) who took her to New York to join a beauty contest. She won the contest, and was given a part in the chorus in the "Plantation Revue" with Florence Mills as the star. The following summer, the show was taken to London as "From Dixie to Dover Street". The show did extremely well, and returned to the US to play on Broadway in 1924 as "Dixie to Broadway". 

Dixie to Dover Street - London 1923

In 1926, Lew Leslie to the show to Paris's Restaurant des Ambassadeurs as "Blackbirds of 1926". The show opened on May 28,  it was a sensation. Some of France’s top stars attended, including Josephine Baker, Maurice Chevalier, Sacha Guitry, Yvonne Vallee, and the Dolly Sisters. Florence Mills was the star attraction again and Johnny Hudgins in blackface doing his comedy routine.  Josephine Baker drifted in half an hour late, accompanied by white men in tails. “We had to hold the curtain for her,” Johnny Hudgins said. “She got the best table, right down front.” The show moved over in July to the Theatre des Champs-Elysees, where Josephine Baker made her debut months earlier. On night, she was introduced to Henri Lartigue, who worked for the booking agency of William Morris, who admired her performance in Blackbirds and, after being turned down by the other chorus girls, offered her a lucrative contract in Berlin with a weekly salary of $200. Ruth signed the contract right then and there, agreeing to come work at the theatre in the following month, and afterward kept her own counsel.  That August, as the show moved on to Belgium, Lartigue wrote that soon it was necessary for her to arrive in Berlin almost at once. Ruth departed immediately to appear at the Admiralspalast all-black revue “An Und Aus” in-between rehearsals for a much larger show at the Theatre des Westens.

On August 4th, “Der Zug Nach dem Westen” opened and Ruth made her appeared in a girdle of a dozen bananas. Her dancing was a large success to the German press with her extravagant jungle interpretation surrounded by a cast of 200. “I do the Charleston and Black Bottom, mostly eccentric dancing,” she later remarked to a journalist. The revue continued on for three months, and was taken to the Apollotheater in Vienna for the winter before being rearranged into a new version with skimpier costumes and more American performers such as Ben Tyber and Louis Douglass under the name, “Wissen Sie Schon” opening in March and running for another three months. Ruth appeared in the tableau ‘Der Gott und Die Bajadere’, dancing completely nude except for a silver loincloth in front of a large statue of Buddha. This time with a larger salary of $600. 

At this time, around Berlin there were rumors of her affair with the Spanish Monarch in the streets of the Friedrichstrasse and under the shadows of the Unter-Der-Linden. But Ruth refused to talk about any of it. That summer, Ruth appeared in Hamburg at the Argentinean-themed Trocadero Kabarett where she was showered with flowers and the German press billed her as the ‘Most Beautiful Creole on the Continent.’ opened in Paris at the Casanova Cabaret alongside the Spanish actor, Valeriano Ruiz Paris that August. Later she accompanied him to the resort town Biarritz to perform for a charity event at the Chateau-Basque. In September they arrived in Barcelona to open his revue, “Not-Yet” at the Teatro Cómico where she danced all afternoon, then moved over to the Folies-Bergere cabaret to sing until midnight. She was followed to Spain by Robert Wiene, a German film director, who was beginning to film and wanted Ruth to star in it. It was a film that placed on the screen the love affair of the most gallant European Sovereigns and the most beautiful colored dancer in the world. Filming wrapped up by October, the film crews returned to Berlin, and Ruth moved on to Madrid to appear in her own revue, “Noche Loca” at the Teatro Maravillas with a white American band with a salary of $800, introducing her new dance the Chotiston, which was a mixture of the Charleston and the Chotis.

That winter, there was a knock on her dressing room door. It was Paul Derval, director of the Folies Bergere, invited her to return to Paris for the new season, since Josephine was leaving for a world tour. That January, she appeared with Louis Douglas, arriving from Berlin, at the Teatro Comedia with his Black Follies Revue. Rehearsals for “La Grande Folie” began at the Folies in February. Meanwhile she was approached by the director of the Folies-Wagram, a new musichall to be inaugurated the following month, but Ruth turned him down. But early March, after two weeks at the Folies with the promise of new costumes and a larger salary, moved on to the Folies-Wagram. Avoiding Paul Derval for the next three months, she appeared with Marie Dubas dancing in the finale of the first act.  She even appeared briefly in her own club, Floresco’s. But the rumors of her affair with the Spanish Monarch began to resurface, when her German film was released in Paris on April 12th. The Spanish government offered the German producers $187, 000 to destroy the film, or at least prevent it from appearing in France and Spain. Ruth was interviewed at her apartment at the Hotel Ambassadors in Paris: 

“No, I have not any made films, dear sir. It must have been another colored girl made up to resemble me. I only heard about it five days ago through the German papers.” She smiled, lit a cigarette and made a little dance motion with the upper part of her body. But the journalist pressed on, “But, you're not going to lose such a fine occasion to have yourself talked about. Yes, I know you’re modest and the Negro doesn’t rush for the limelight and it takes two colored women to make a white one in this respect. But, in any case you won’t tell us whether is it true the adventure with the King of…” But at that moment, Paul Colin entered to finish the handbill of the colored vedette. Ruth left the journalist and rushed towards Colin thus avoiding his question. 

Another visiting journalist for the Afro-American Newspaper described her as the prettier replacement of Josephine Baker:

She lives at the Hotel Ambassadors, one of the best hotels in the Europe, has a fine $10.000 Hispano-Suiza driven by a French chauffeur, keeps two maids, and entertains at one of the leading music halls, the Folies-Wagram where she earns five figures in Francs weekly.” Something she would have never accomplished in America. “Absolutely impossible, I would have never been given the opportunity. I love Paris, the German people have been very kind, and so have the folks in Spain.” 

Ruth spent that summer in Deauville, dancing at the seaside casinos and appearing at the racetracks with a new admirer Armand Rochefoucauld, ‘Marquis de Deauville’. At the Concert Mayol cabaret in late August, Ruth was back dancing beside Marie Dubas in, “Cochon Qui Sommeille” (The Slumbering Pig).

A week later she was in Berlin, dancing beside the bar at the Baberina Cabaret, but she complained that Germans would try to grab her she danced. In October 1929, she returned to Madrid where she appeared through the winter at the Maipu-Pigall’s cabaret. Since the scandal with King Alphonso, or Ollie as she called him, her popularity in Spain had grew stronger. There she ran into Leon Abbey and his orchestra, and joined him to play in Seville which was hosting the Exposición Ibero-Americana. There was lots of money to be made as American tourists filled the nightclubs and theatres of the Andalucian city.Also together they headlined in Barcelona for the closing of the Exposició Internacional in January 1930.

Ruth moved on in April to London to appear at the Deauville Restaurant. Before they could open, Leon was deported back to Paris for not obtaining his work permits before arriving in Britain. When he returned, he took the orchestra to the Silver Slipper club and obtained a two-week contract. In June, after an invitation while appearing in London, Ruth returned to Paris for the Theatre Apollo where she appeared with the dramatic singer, Damia and the American dancer Jack Forester in the new ‘oriental-themed’ revue “Revue Milliardaires”. Once again, Ruth was chosen for the finale of the first act as an creole from Argentina. After hours, she would dance and mingle amongst her Spanish friends at the El Garron cabaret. The revue was a triumph and closed in August with a small gala attended by Mistinguett and Josephine Baker, whose old rival feelings boiled over causing the two vedettes of the Casino de Paris to break out fighting in the lobby. Ruth quickly moved her household over towards her new residence at 77 Champs-Elysees, once occupied by Jo Baker herself, and opened with an eight month engagement at the Theatre Marigny on September 7th. December 1930, Ruth returned to New York, to try her luck back in America to showcase her talents that were so well publicized in Europe. 

February 1931, on her few days off, she bought a spacious apartment in the elite Sugar Hill district near Harlem. In April, Noble Sissle invited Ruth and Sidney Bechet to accompany him at the Ambassadeurs for the Exposition Coloniale. But this time the French authorities were making determined efforts to reduce the number foreign workers, including overseas musicians, in their country. Bechet and Bayton got wind of a rumor that suggested that Sissle’s band would only be able permitted to fulfill the second half of its booking if 50 percent of its personnel were replaced was replaced with French artists. This proved to be the truth, but of course both Bechet and Bayton were far away. Bechet resumed his place in Berlin as a featured soloist at the Haus Vaterland. Ruth  decided to rest from the stage for a while and ran a small boutique from her apartment in Harlem for a few months. But eventually the the idea of being away from the stage brought her back into the nightlife touring Broadway on the R.K.O. Circuit early 1932. In November, while in New Jersey, rented rooms from the mother of an old friend, Crackshot Hackley. While there she got in an argument with John Burtt, director of the Lafayette Theatre, which ended in Ruth beating him with a dog chain from one her numerous pets. The fight later involved Crackshot and his mother. After this scandal, Ruth packed her bags and told her family she was returning to Europe.

In February 1933, French announced her return to France on the SS Lafayette. The French were most enthusiastic about the return of their "belle creole," but the depression arrived in Europe that winter, causing the economy to fall apart and bringing public demonstrations across France. Despite declining business in Montmartre, Ruth was found performing at the Rio-Rita Cabaret. Her appearances became sparse, and she departed for Deauville, entertaining at the Bar du Soleil and Casino Municipal as a singer with Elliot "Alex" Carpenter's Orchestra. 

There she found some old acquaintances. One of these was 79-year old Cora E. Rollins of Chicago, who spent the summer visiting her son-in-law, Elliot Carpenter, Mrs. Rollins: "Miss Bayton tried to persuade me to try my luck at the tables, but as I'm admittedly a bad loser, declined." Another was Josephine Baker, who was also appearing at the Bar Soleil and became enamored with Bayton's German banker lover. Josephine tried to become close with her old friend to receive an introduction. However, Ruth was no longer interested in reconnecting with her old cohort; she discovered Josephine's motives and snubbed her old friend. Soon afterward, she departed for Argentina and took up residence in Buenos Aires, where she continued working with Carpenter as her pianist.

In January 1935, Bayton and Carpenter joined the Compañía Argentina de Revistas y Espectáculos Musicales and appeared in the revue, "A Menina Brasileña, Prefiero La Girl Porteña" at the Teatro Porteño. The following month, the revue appeared for a few weeks in Montevideo at the Teatro 18 de Julio.

On October 19th, Carpenter returned home to the United States on the SS Pan America and Ruth continued appearing in popular Argentinian establishments. On December 20th, 1935, she appeared in a French-style revue, "C'est Pour Vous" at the Teatro Casino alongside English artist, Pearl Ondra. The following year, Bayton toured throughout Argentina, appearing in particular at the Boîte La Marina alongside the Spanish ballerina, Reina Mora in Rosario in May 1936.

Back in the United States, Bayton's family was worried about her whereabouts. They had not heard from her since her return in 1933 when she stopped writing home. They were unable to contact her in May 1937 when her Uncle George died. Her believed she returned to Spain, where the Spanish Civil War raged:

"Ruth Bayton, playgirl of two continents, who created a sensation several years ago when she was reported to be a close friend of the then King Alphonso of Spain, is believed to be missing in the war torn country, according to relatives in New York. She returned to the night club world in 1932 and again struck it rich when she foiled a holdup in a ritzy Broadway cabaret and was rewarded handsomely. With this money she returned to Spain and has not been heard from since. She was sought when her uncle, Dr. George Bayton, Philadelphia physician, died recently. Miss Bayton has not been heard from since the outbreak of the conflict, and all efforts of her sister, Mrs. Julia Bayton Banks of 75 St. Nicholas Place to locate her have been futile." - Baltimore Afro-American (May 29, 1937)

Soon, however, they learned that she was residing in Argentina, achieving huge success both theatrically and romantically.

During the summer of 1938, her name appeared at the Palacio de Justicia, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

"Por disposición del señor Juez de Instrucción en lo Criminal de la Capital de la República Argentina, doctor Antonio L. Beiuti, se cita, llama y emplaza a Ruth "Virginia" Bayton, para que en el término de treinta días, computado desde la primera publicación del presente, comparezca a estar a derecho en la causa por falso testimonio quese le sigue, bajo apercibimiento de declararle rebelde, si no lo hiciere."

- By order of Mr. Investigating Judge for Criminal Matters in the capital of Argentina, Dr. Antonio L. Beiuti, is quoted calls and summons Ruth "Virginia" Bayton, so that within thirty days, computed from the first publication of this, appear to be right in the cause for false testimony that followed, failing to declare rebellious if not done.

{Buenos Aires, Augusto 1 - Septiembre 8 de 1938}

By 1943, Bayton was appearing at José María Gamboa's Boîte Manhattan, located at Calle Arroyo 854. On January 6th, 1943, the Diario Critica reported an incident where the singer, Horacio Mork and two other accomplices stole alcohol and some Bayton's possessions from the cabaret.

Shortly after the June 1943 Argentine Revolution, Bayton returned to the United States aboard the SS Rio Lujan.

1947

There's little information on her later life.

In March 1946, Bayton appeared briefly in London before returning to New York aboard the MS John Ericsson. She maintained a residence in New York for a few months before relocating to Los Angeles, where she married Lawrence Henry and established a home in Long Beach on East 19th Street. Around April 1948, Bayton was diagnosed with cancer and on July 16, admitted to the Los Angeles County Hospital where she passed away on September 27, 1948. She was later buried at the Calvary Cemetery on October 2nd.