Actress, Singer, and Entertainer. She will be best remembered for playing the role of 'Fifi' in the Broadway stage production of Victor Herbert's musical, "Mlle Modiste" (December 25, 1905, to June 16, 1906, September 01, 1906, to September 1906, May 20, 1907, to June 1907, September 09, 1907, to September 28, 1907, May 26, 1913, to June 14, 1913, and October 07, 1929, to November 16, 1929). The stage production also featured her signature song, "Kiss Me Again." She was born as Friederike Scheff to Dr. Gottfried Scheff and his wife Hortense Scheff Yeager Scheff, a prima donna with the Imperial Opera in Vienna, Austria, on August 30, 1879. She was educated locally and studied at the prestigious Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, Germany. She made her debut at the age of eight playing the role of 'Juliet' in Charles Gounod's "Romeo And Juliet," with the Frankfurt Opera Company in Frankfurt, Germany. She also appeared at the Royal Opera House in Munich, Germany, and in Nuremberg, Germany, on January 10, 1897. She also had singing roles when she first appeared at the famous Metropolitan Opera House in New York, New York, in the stage productions of "La Bohème," "Die Meistersinger," "Die Walküre," and "Don Giovanni," beginning in 1901. She also appeared in Victor Herbert's stage operetta, "Babette," in Washington, D.C., and New York in 1903. She became seriously ill with a sore throat during the 1904 to 1905 touring season of "Babette," and she had to be replaced by her understudy Ida Hawley (1876-1908), a musical comedy actress and soprano singer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who had to close out the remaining performances. During her impressive singing career she also appeared principally in vaudeville from 1913 to 1918, returning in the latter year to the musical opera stage in "Glorianna," and in roles with her own opera company, the Fritzi Scheff Opera Company including as 'Adele' in composer Johann Strauss's operetta "Die Fledermaus," including at the Belasco Theater in Washington, D.C., in 1912. Besides, "Mlle. Modiste" (December 25, 1905, to June 16, 1906, September 01, 1906, to September 1906, May 20, 1907, to June 1907, September 09, 1907, to September 28, 1907, May 26, 1913, to June 14, 1913, and October 07, 1929, to November 16, 1929), her many other successful Broadway stage productions include, as 'Babette' in "Babette" (November 16, 1903, to January 09, 1904), as 'Rose Decourcelles' in "The Two Roses" (November 21, 1904, to December 17, 1904), as a Performer in "Fatinitza" (December 26, 1904, to January 28, 1905), as a Performer in "Boccaccio" (February 27, 1905, to March 25, 1905), as 'Mlle. Athenee' in "The Prima Donna" (November 30, 1908, to January 30, 1909), as Yum-Yum' in "The Mikado" (May 30, 1910, to July 1910), as 'Rose' in "The Duchess" (October 16, 1911, to November 04, 1911), as 'Drucilla Smith' in "Pretty Mrs. Smith" (September 21, 1914, to October 31, 1914), as 'Thérèse' in "Sherlock Holmes" (February 20, 1928, to March 1928), and as 'Sophie Marelle' in "Bravo!" (November 11, 1948, to December 18, 1948). She also appeared in the stage production of the play, "Tonight Or Never" (1935), at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Ogunquit, Maine, impresario Billy Rose's show at the New York World's Fair in 1939, the stage production of the play, "Ladies In Retirement" (1941), at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Ogunquit, Maine, the stage production of the play, "The Circle" (1942), at the Cape Playhouse in Dennis, Massachusetts, and the stage production of the play, "Ladies In Retirement" (1947), in a Kenley Players Production in Reading, Pennsylvania. During this time she also made the transition to appearing in a few films and on television. She made her actual film debut playing the role of 'Pretty Mrs. Drucilla Smith' in the silent film comedy, "Pretty Mrs. Smith" (1915), which was based on a Broadway play she starred in. This was to be her "vehicle," but film critics were mostly negative about her performance and the film; instead, they were positive about actress Charlotte Greenwood (1893-1978). The film which was directed by Hobart Bosworth, which was written for the screen by Elmer Harris and Oliver Morosco, and which also starred Forrest Stanley, Lela Bliss, Louis Bennison, Owen Moore, and Art Acord, tells the story of a woman and the dreary formality of her born life, Drucilla marries a missionary, Ferdinand Smith, and goes with him to Africa. Here her life proves anything but happy. Denied the pleasures enjoyed by most girls of her age, she endures her husband's cold severity as long as possible and then leaves him, returning to America, where she visits her old school friend, Letitia Proudfoot. It is while attending a reception with Letitia Proudfoot that she meets the poet, Forrest Smith, whose attentions are welcome after the austerity of the frigid Ferdinand Smith. A friendship springs up between them which soon ripens into love. On the news that Ferdinand Smith has been lost at sea, she and the poet marry. Love in a cottage is hardly more satisfactory to pretty Drucilla than life among the heathen. Forrest Smith is not a good provider, and when she threatens a suit for non-support, he disappears, leaving a note of farewell pinned to his coat, which is found at the edge of the sea. Free again, Drucilla for the first time really falls in love, this time with Frank Smith, a wealthy club man, athletically inclined. Frank Smith turns out to possess a very jealous nature. Drucilla puts up with his doubts and suspicions patiently, but before long a climax arrives which precipitates a suit for divorce. Drucilla welcomes this conclusion to her unhappy domestic affairs with relief and sets off with Letitia Proudfoot in search of repose. Now it happens that Ferdinand was not lost at sea, and Forrest Smith did not commit suicide, and each develops a desire to be reunited with his wife. Forthwith they set out in search of her, and eventually meet at the same hotel. Here also comes Frank Smith, who, too, has undergone a change of heart. Thus instead of finding repose, as she hoped, Drucilla is plunged deeper than ever into marital tribulations. Her tender heart prompts her to make up with Frank. But no sooner is this done than Forrest Smith puts in an appearance and makes his claim. Drucilla cries, "I am a bigamist," but belated Ferdinand Smith, entering the scene, answers, "No, you are a trigamist." Which one of the husbands will Drucilla take, and how will she evade the law? This is the question. The clever authors have so arranged that this will be a guess until the very last, and then it ends just right for everybody. Besides, playing the role of 'Pretty Mrs. Drucilla Smith' in the silent film comedy, "Pretty Mrs. Smith" (1915), her many other film credits include, "Follies Girl" (1943), and "Naughty Martine" (1947). She also made television appearances in "Musical Comedy Time," in 1951, and "Armstrong Circle Theatre," in 1953. She lastly appeared in nightclubs, made numerous appearances as herself on Ed Sulivan's television show, "Toast Of The Town," and her last television series appearance was on Ralph Edwards, "This Is Your Life," just a month before her death. On an interesting note, she was once served a summons on stage at the Regent Theatre by Detroit, Michigan, constable Andrew Thomas Phillips (who climbed over a row of spotlights to get to her) when she had previously proven to be elusive. She passed away from causes related to old age at her apartment in New York, New York, on April 8, 1954, at the age of 74, and she was buried in the Actors Fund Plot in Kensico Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. She was married three times, first to the Prussian nobleman Baron Fritz von Bardeleben, second to journalist, novelist, and short story writer, John Fox Jr. (1862-1919), from 1908 until they divorced, and thirdly to western film actor George Anderson (1886-1948), in New Rochelle, New York, on December 24, 1913, but they also later divorced. She had no children.