The programs for the Frolic in all its various stages can be found in
the NYPL for the Performing Arts. Copies have also been sold on E-bay
but I have no idea of the winning bids. This is the primary source
suggesting the length of the Midnight Frolic.

One of the keys to the success of the Frolic when it first opened was
Ziegfeld's willingness to let the girls go out into the audience and
dance with the available men during intermission. This is one of the
places where Ollie made a name for herself. While Ollie's role in the
original Frolic were limited, Kay Laurel had the most prominent role,
Ollie was noted for charming the alone and lonely in the crowd. One
early review particularly noted sweet and very short Ollie dancing
with the man-mountain W.R. Hearst and all but ignored the rest of the
acts. No wonder, Kay Laurel was antagonistic towards Ollie. It was
a "role" that Ollie eventually tired of. As previously mentioned,
Ollie remarked about this later with Florence Lawrence, Ollie grew
frustrated with the "home of the tired businessman" as the Frolic was
called and remarked that it should be called the "home of the re-
tired businessman" suggesting she was tired of fending off the
advances of elderly men. (Some also have suggested that Ollie had
help with this because she was not that quick with words but was
involved with someone who was... Jack Pickford) Mr. Ziegfeld
eventually stopped this practice before Ollie left because some of
the activities became unseemly. One account had some of the girls
sitting at the tables of Stage Door Johnnies and not mingling with
the crowd.

In any event, the Frolic was eventually limited to a two hour show.
By the time Marjorie Cassidy replaced Ollie as Miss Midnight Frolic
in April 1917, the war was starting and a curfew was strictly
enforced as part of the war effort. The Frolic had to stop before two
am.

Personally, I am VERY impressed with some of the research being
presented here lately. A tip of the hat on all the fine work!

Your partner in limburger