Jenny Dolly

Their parents were Julius (born Gyula Deutsch, c. 1865) and Margaret Deutsch (born Margit Weisz, c. 1874).

Rosie Dolly (October 24, 1892 – February 1, 1970) and Jenny Dolly (October 24, 1892 – June 1, 1941), known professionally as The Dolly Sisters, were Hungarian-American identical twin dancers, singers and actresses, popular in vaudeville and theatre during the 1910s and 1920s.

Both sisters also appeared in two silent films.

The sisters, Rózsika Deutsch (later known as Rose or Rosie) and Janka Deutsch (later known as Yancsi or Jenny), were born in Balassagyarmat, Hungary.

Julius and son Istvan (later known as Edward, born March 31, 1898) emigrated to the United States in October 1904; the twins and their mother arrived May 1905.

As children, the sisters trained as dancers and began earning money in beer halls as early as 1907.

Barred for being under age by the New York City stage, they toured the Orpheum Circuit until 1909 when they debuted on the Keith Vaudeville Circuit.

The following year, they appeared in the stage production of The Echo.

In 1911, Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. signed them to appear in his Ziegfeld Follies for two seasons.

Their act was a hit with audiences who enjoyed their glamorous personas.

Rosie appeared in The Whirl of the World on stage while Jenny teamed up with dancer Harry Fox (whom she married in 1912) in Honeymoon Express.

Jenny and Fox also toured the vaudeville circuit as a dance duo.

In 1913, the sisters decided to try to forge separate careers.

In 1913, Rosie married songwriter Jean Schwartz.

Both sisters made their film debuts in 1915: Jenny starred in The Call of the Dance and Rose appeared opposite Lillian Gish in Lily and the Rose (later reissued as The Tiger Lady).

The sisters re-teamed in 1916 to appear in Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic and returned to vaudeville where they commanded $2,000 a week.

In 1918, they appeared in their only film together, the semi-autobiographical The Million Dollar Dollies.

After World War I ended, the sisters moved to France where they bought a chateau.

They toured the theaters and dance halls of Europe and were courted by numerous wealthy men and royalty including Carol II of Romania, Christian X of Denmark and Alfonso XIII of Spain.

On several occasions, the sisters would team up with male dance partners and sell tickets to the performances on the same night to create rivalry that would boost ticket sales.

As their success continued throughout the early 1920s, they were able to command high salaries.

During one engagement at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, the sisters were paid $1,200 a night.

While in Europe, the sisters became well known for gambling excursions at casinos and horse tracks which were usually financed by wealthy admirers.

They won $850,000 in one season at Deauville.

Of the two, Jenny Dolly became legendary for her winnings.

She won 4 million francs one evening in Cannes, which she converted to a collection of jewelry; she then went on to win another $11 million.

On other occasions, she won $100,000 at the horse track, $500,000 at baccarat and $200,000 at roulette.

With her winnings, Jenny Dolly indulged in her passion – buying expensive jewelry.

Jenny's collection of jewelry, which she acquired through her winnings and from numerous suitors, became legendary.

While Jenny was gambling in Cannes one evening, the Viscountess Furness saw her and remarked, "I have never seen so many jewels on any one person in my life. Her bracelets reached almost to her elbows. The necklace she wore must have cost a king's ransom, and the ring on her right hand was the size of an ice cube."

They divorced in 1921.

In 1926, the sisters staged a gala benefit concert for the nation of France at the Champs-Élysées theater.

Participating artists included Josephine Baker, Harry Pilcer, and bandleader Billy Arnold.

By early 1927, the Dolly Sisters' popularity began to decline.

Their highly publicized Paris show A vol d'oiseau, closed after eight weeks.

Her second marriage was to Mortimer Davis, Jr., whom she married in 1927.

The sisters spent more time gambling than performing and eventually retired by 1929.

The Dolly Sisters' private lives were as melodramatic as their public life was stellar.

Rose Dolly was married three times while Jenny Dolly was married twice and had a string of highly publicized affairs with wealthy men.

Their reputation for dating wealthy men earned them the nickname "The Million Dollar Dollies".