Julian Eltinge was a renowned American stage and screen actor, who achieved international fame as a female impersonator. Born William Julian Dalton, he began his career in vaudeville and became one of the highest-paid performers of his era. His convincing and glamorous portrayals of women were so popular that he had a Broadway theatre named after him, the Eltinge Theatre. Despite his on-stage persona, Eltinge projected a hyper-masculine image in his private life to counter public speculation and changing social mores.