THE naked lady atop a fountain in Marlow gazing across the Causeway is without a doubt one of Marlow's most curious tales. Why is she there and more importantly who on earth is she? Marlow Reporter DAVID LANGTON looks at a story which begins in Never Never Land with Peter Pan, ending with the sinking of the ill-fated steam liner RMS Lusitania in the First World War

CHARLES Frohman was an American theatre impresario at the turn of the 20th century with a Marlow obsession.

He loved the town so much that he picked out a spot in the graveyard at All Saints Church.

Sadly, fate intervened and when the Germans torpedoed the Lusitania in 1915, Frohman drowned.

His body washed up on an Irish shore and was flown back to the States his spot by the river lost to another soul.

After this First World War atrocity his friends in Marlow decided to erect this statue in his honour, but what does Peter Pan have to do with this woeful tale?

Legend has it that Washington-born actress Pauline Chase, known as the Pocket Venus of New York, was the model for the statue. A darling of both the West End and Broadway, she became one of the first people ever to play Peter Pan on stage in Frohman's original production.

After being accused of lunacy by theatre bosses, JM Barrie took his script, then known as Peter and Wendy, to his friend Frohman in April 1904.

Denis Mackail describes Frohman's reaction in JM Barrie's biography: "Frohman never hesitated about it. The magic which would grip millions had called to him already, even from 90 pages of typescript... He would never get over it if he couldn't present this play."

It was full steam ahead at the Duke of York Theatre in London and no expense was to be spared. The title of the play was changed to Peter Pan, a company of 50 were engaged and George Kirby's Flying Ballet Company was approached to come-up with revolutionary flying equipment.

Two years on Miss Chase, then 21, won promotion from a minor part to that of Peter Pan. The play was performed across the globe and Miss Chase became an international star, promoted by Frohman.

When in England the stage legend stayed in Burnham Beeches, but spent much of her time in Marlow. She loved the town so much that she had her mother's body exhumed from her Washington grave, shipped to Marlow and reburied at Holy Trinity Church.

Frohman would regularly catch the train from London to Slough to be picked up by Miss Chase in her Ariel-Simplex Car, driving to the Compleat Angler Hotel where they would mingle on the riverside.

The pair moved in high society circles. Frohman played croquet with Barrie, Captain Scott, later to die in Antarctica, and Haddon Chambers, the playwright who introduced him to Marlow. Miss Chase performed Barrie's play Pantaloon for King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra at Windsor Castle and Sandringham and was rewarded with a present from the King.

Miss Chase, whose passion was flying, cemented her ties with Marlow when she was confirmed at All Saints Church on The Causeway in 1910.

But her high octane lifestyle was legendary and a big contrast to the tranquillity she may have sought in Marlow. She once took a ship from England to New York for a 24-hour charity bash and then caught the next ship back across the Atlantic.

Each summer Frohman rented a cottage in Marlow and was an avid supporter of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, always paying his five shillings and insisting that his theatrical friends should join the group.

John Fontannaz, of the Marlow Society, has spent many months researching the statue and its history.

He said: "Charles Frohman must have been a very personable fellow. Everyone seemed to like him and no one had a bad word to say about him."

But on May 7, 1915, the British steam ship Lusitania was torpedoed by the Germans while travelling from New York to England off the cost of Ireland - an act which brought the Americans into the war and ended Charles Frohman's colourful life. Having married just a year before to banker Alec Drummond, Miss Chase retired from the stage. On July 14, 1915, Marlow Urban District Council agreed that a statue in his memory could be erected and a site was agreed but it was only on May 16, 1924, that the naked figure was placed on the Causeway.

That is all that is known but there are two riddles that remain. The first is the source of the quotation along the bottom: "For it is not right that in a house the muses haunt mourning should dwell; such things befit us not."

And is the statue really Pauline Chase? Mr Fontannaz said: "Pauline could have been a model but there is no hard evidence. She has a small elfin figure and so has the statue. Everyone likes the idea that she was the model but no one can prove it. The many photographs of her do suggest a likeness.

"One local legend says the statue is of Pauline's body but her mother's head. A bizarre notion, as Pauline's mother had been dead for years when the statue was made."

Whatever the answers it's unlikely they will be unearthed as all those connected to the statue are long since dead and, in Barrie's words, are no doubt in the midst of 'an awfully big adventure'.

For a copy of John Fontannaz's book Marlow's Pocket Venus call Dr Rachel Brown on (01628) 482801.