Variety pic, Nattova, 1928

From Variety, Nov 1928

Nattova slapping episode, Part 2

     Part 2 of the "slapping" saga matches Part 1 for absurdity, but it could be lots of hooey. Judge for yourself.

AVENGES FACE SLAPPING

Edith Kelly Gould Assumes Offensive for Toots Pounds Against Russian Dancer

London, Sept. 15 [1925]

     Toots Pounds, now in America, should be pleased to know that her face has been avenged. A few weeks ago, while she was appearing in "Sky High" at the Palladium, a Russian dancer, Nattova, grew angry after long quarrels and smacked Toots' face violently.

     A few days ago Edith Kelly Gould, who is friendly with the management, saw Nattova walking on Bond street. Miss Gould rushed up and smacked her so violently across the face that the Russian girl was knocked across the pavement.

     "Why did you do that?" called Albert de Courville, the producer. "Fancy behaving like that on Bond street!"

     "It's a good thing it was on Bond street," Edith said. "If it had been on a side street I'd have killed her."

     Nattova is due in New York in a few weeks.

Variety, Oct 1925 

    ■When Variety of Sept. 16 [1925] reached London a howl went up over the story on the foreign pages about Edith Kelly Gould slapping the face of Nattova, the Russian dancer. It also stated that Miss Kelly afterward remarked: "If it had been on a side street, I'd have killed her." Nattova is the same dancer said to have slapped Toots Pounds when both were in "Sky High" at the London Palladium. 

    The howl appears to have come from the Kelly-de Courville side of the unpleasantness. Nattova, the one slapped, has yet to be heard from. Variety was requested by cable to deny the slapping story as someone must have hoaxed Variety into printing it, the cable said. 

     Also Variety's attention was called to the legal aspect; that to say anyone had said she would have killed another person, and with killing a crime almost anywhere excepting in Chicago, that Variety had laid itself wide open for a libel action.

* * *

     But who was Edith Kelly Gould? I do believe that she was the second wife of the son of the notorious Jay Gould. From Wikipedia:

     Frank Jay Gould (December 4, 1877 – April 1, 1956) was a philanthropist and the son of financier Jay Gould. He was the owner of French Riviera casinos and hotels.
     He was born on December 4, 1877 to Jay Gould and Helen Day Miller (1838–1889). On December 1, 1901 he married Helen Margaret Kelly and had twin daughters, Helen Gould and Dorothy Gould (1904–1969). They divorced in 1908. The Wichita Daily Times, Wichita Falls, Texas, wrote: "Frank Jay Gould and his wife who was Helen Margaret Kelly have separated and it is said Mrs. Gould has brought action looking for a legal separation. Jealousy on the part of Mr. Gould, due, it is said, to the homage paid Mrs. Gould, who is a beautiful woman, by other men."
     Gould's second wife was Edith Kelly, whom he married in 1910. Edith was the sister of Hetty Kelly, who was Charlie Chaplin's first true love.

     And Albert de Courville? He was a director of theatrical productions and then, later, of films. Again, form Wikipedia: 

     Albert de Courville (1887–1960) (born in Croydon, England) was a director of theatrical revues who turned to making films in the 1930s. His two most famous films, both featuring Jessie Matthews, were There Goes the Bride (1932) and The Midshipmaid (1932). He also directed The Wrecker, an adaptation of Arnold Ridley’s play of the same name, and Seven Sinners (1936).

Another Nattova photo

I came across another photo, allegedly of Nattova in 1929.

Here's my "photoshop" of the photo

Three images from the 20s

Film still, 1929

Closeup of 1925 Maurice Goldberg photo

Harry Glick v. Nattova, 1927

     Nattova seemed to go through lots of partners, although she often seemed to work with a core group, including her husband, G. Rodion, and a few others. (Her one-time partner Myrio, who seemed to cross the Atlantic with her, took on another dance partner, a well-known artist's model, who he married. They were popular in the 30s.) Sometimes she danced with a single partner: Myrio, Rodion. Her adagio acts, however, seemed to require two or more additional dancers. In the filmed adagio performance (in 1929), she has three male partners—the number necessary to perform the spectacular "jump rope" routine.
     These routines were obviously hazardous. A 1926 news article reports Nattova's "fractured nose," among other injuries, owing to a fall gone wrong. In another report, she asserts that she has been injured eight times in two years.
     This story, from 1927, describes Nattova's firing a "strong man" who had been hired for one of her adagio acts with G. Rodion. The strong man later sued but lost.
     The fellow had at some point become a major wrestler. Not long after this failed litigation, he became a corny radio personality specializing in exercise.
   
Variety
Wednesday, October 5, 1927
Vaudeville

STRONG-NOT DANCER; NATTOVA WINS CASE
Judge Holds Harry Glick Not Entitled to Unperformed Services

     Professional qualification and satisfaction are important factors in a theatrical contract concluded Judge Lauer in the $900 damage suit by Harry Glick against Nattacha Nattova, danseuse. While Glick held a written contract, the clause that he prove up to Miss Natova’s [sic] terpsichorean standards made or unmade the argument.
     The danseuse states Glick was a good, strong man, but not up to snuff on lifts and adagios for which she engaged him. Glick, who is a physical culture exponent, stated he was engaged at $150 a week and guaranteed six weeks as a strong man, not as dancer.
     Miss Nattova alleged Glick was so strong he did her bodily harm in proving weak on the dance partnership when with the "Greenwich Village Follies." Glick argued he was let out when the revue management concluded that Miss Nattova's partner, G. Rodion, was all necessary, and that she did not need two team-mates.
     Following argument by Sidney Kalfus of Kendler & Goldstein, representing Miss Nattova, Judge Lauer gave her the decision.

• Who was Harry Glick? American Radio Digest, 1933:

Nattova talks dancing danger (1930)

Inside the Capitol Theatre, Winnipeg

Manitoba Free Press, Winnipeg, Thursday, March 6, 1930

THEATRES

RKO Capitol: "There are few who realize the hazards that are associated with stage dancing,” says Natacha Nattova, the spectacular dance star at the RKO Capitol theatre this week. "They think that when a dancer seems to fly gracefully, lightly about the stage, to jump and be caught by one wrist as she falls, and swung in a bird-like swoop by her partner, to fall through space and land gently, to whirl in the air or even just to pose gracefully, it is easy because all artistic dancing must appear to be done with ease. But it’s not so easy. It's even dangerous. I've had eight accidents in the last two years!” Nattova is the originator of an amazingly spectacular adagio, which she is including her programme here.

BROKEN NOSE, 1926:

From the Nassau Daily Review, August 13, 1926

     That she was injured is not at all surprising to anyone who has witnessed her adagio act, especially the "Natacha as rope" part (see 1929 film).

Nattova in Paris, 1923 (a Yourievitch sculpture)

     I found these two photos of works by Russian-French sculptor Serge Yuryevich in a French catalog. They are of Nattova.
     The pieces seem to have been made with Nattova's cooperation in 1923.

     I’ve provided the French descriptions of the pieces—and have attempted a translation in each case. My French ain’t so good, but I’m pretty sure these translation are at least in the ballpark.

1.
La Divine Danseuse Nattova, vers 1923. Important plâtre original sur socle, signé avec l'inscription sur la tête: "Je suis la Danseuse Nattova. La divine danseuse russe Nattova / prêta en collaboratrice inspirée / son beau corps jeune et pure (?) / au sculpteur Serge Yourievitch / pour ma (?)... / fondue en bronze pour la ville de Paris / en 1924". Haut. 206 cm (taille réelle) (Accidents et manques) Cette danseuse de ballet d'origine russe, Natacha Nattova, s'illustre notamment à Londres et New-York dans les années 1920-1930 et participa à la Revue MGM à Hollywood en 1929. Comme le figure cette photographie de Goldberg et les mots laissés sur le plâtre par Yourievitch, sa beauté et sa féminité en font une figure des Années Folles entre 1920 et 1930. Serge Yourievitch, sculpteur d'origine russe passe l'essentiel de sa vie à Paris. Au début de sa carrière, il occupe quelques fonctions au près du Tsar Nicolas II, en particulier comme attaché d'ambassade. Il devient l'élève de Rodin en 1903, auquel il doit une grande part de ses influences. A partir de 1909, il se consacre exclusivement à la sculpture, expose à Paris et à l'international, en particulier aux Etats-Unis. Il exécute plusieurs portraits de personnalités comme F.D. Roosevelt, Louis Lumière, la famille de Russie... Comme l'indique ce plâtre original, le musée des Beaux-Arts de Paris commande une épreuve en bronze fondue à partir de cette pièce en 1924, pour le Petit Palais. Ce spectaculaire modèle en plâtre a été exécuté en taille réelle et mesure 206 cm de haut

The Divine Dancer Nattova, 1923.
     This is an important original plaster on a pedestal, signed with an inscription:
"I [the sculpture?] am the dancer Nattova, the divine Russian dancer Nattova. Nattova’s beautiful and pure body inspired a collaborator, sculptor Serge Yuryevich - cast, in bronze, in the city of Paris, 1924."
…
     A ballet dancer of Russian origin, Natacha Nattova performed especially in London and New York from 1920-1930 and participated in [or contributed to] the film “Hollywood Review of 1929.”
     This is Goldberg’s photo of the piece. Words left on the plaster are by Yuryevich. Beauty and femininity in a figure from the Roaring Twenties.
     Serge Yuryevich, a sculptor of Russian origin, spent the bulk of his life in Paris. Early in his career he held several positions under Tsar Nicolas II, particularly as attaché (attached to an embassy). He became a student of Rodin 1903, and the latter was his greatest influence. From 1909, he devoted himself exclusively to sculpture, exhibiting in Paris and abroad, particularly in the United States. He produced several portraits of personalities such as F. D. Roosevelt, Louis Light, the Russian royal family…

     This is the original plaster. The Museum of Fine Arts in Paris ordered a test molten bronze from this piece in 1924 for the Petit Palais. They produced pieces at full size that measured 206 cm high

2.
La Danseuse Nattova, 1923 – Importante sculpture en bronze à patine noire mate à profondeur verte, 1ère réduction du modèle grandeur naturepremière taille. Signée à la base en relief. Provenance Collection privée Monte-Carlo et Christie's New- York, 6 février 2007, lot 165, Salle 1791. Expertise Liliane Colas. Dimensions totales: 74,3 x 40,5 x 36,8 Extrait du rapport d'expertise Liliane Colas, janvier 2013 Ce bronze de la danseuse Natacha Nattova considéré comme le chef d'oeuvre de Serge Yourievitch est la réduction du modèle réalisé en 1923, exposé au Salon d'automne en bronze et acheté en 1924 par la Ville de Paris pour le Petit Palais. L'épreuve présentée ici est très rare par sa taille, la plus grande. Elle se trouve dans un excellent état de conservation et sa patine foncée particulièrement recherchée. Serge YOURIEVITCH est né à Paris en 1876 et est décédé en 1969. Sculpteur de statues, de bustes et de portraits d'origine russe mais actif en France, il rencontre et devient l'élève d'Auguste Rodin qui l'influence fortement. Il débute au Salon des Indépendants à Paris en 1920 et y exposera sans interruption jusqu'en 1933. Il expose également à la Tate Gallery à Londres mais surtout à l'Art Institute of Chicago où il reçoit un accueil particulièrement favorable

The Dancer Nattova, 1923:
     An important sculpture in bronze patina matte black to green depth, 1st reduction of size: model naturepremiere size.
     Signed on the base in relief. From private Collection Monte Carlo and Christie's New York, February 6, 2007, lot 165, Room 1791. Expert: Liliane Colas. Overall Dimensions: 74.3 x 40.5 x 36.8 - January 2013

     This bronze of the dancer Natacha Nattova is regarded as the masterpiece of Serge Yuryevich. This is the reduction of the model performed in 1923, presented at the Autumn Salon in bronze and purchased in 1924 by the City of Paris for the Petit Palais.

     The test piece presented here is very rare, owing to its size. It is in excellent condition and its dark patina is particularly prized.
     Serge Yuryevich was born in Paris in 1876 and died in 1969. A sculptor of statues, busts and portraits, he was Russian but was active in France. He met and became Auguste Rodin’s student and was deeply influenced by him.
     This piece was first shown at the Salon des Independants in Paris in 1920 and exhibited without interruption until 1933. It also exhibited at the Tate Gallery in London and then at the Art Institute of Chicago where its reception was particularly favorable.

Natacha “Slappy” Nattova, at the Palladium, 1925: “They object to my attractiveness”

From the Adelaide Mail, Jun 20 1925:

Lorna & Toots Pounds

LONDON, today. 

¶   The difficulty of keeping the peace among highly-strung artistes has been demonstrated at the London Palladium, where the Pounds sisters are strong favorites in the new spectacular successful revue, “Sky High.” 

¶   The famous Russian dancer, Nattova, walked out of the theatre after slapping the face of Toots Pounds. The trouble, of which jealousy is the basis, was simmering for several days.  

¶   Nattova says that the Pounds sisters, who are Australian girls, persistently annoyed her. “They object to my attractiveness, my dresses, and the length of my turn,” said Nattova, “and complained of my doing exercises in the wings. Therefore, I am ordered to remain in my dressing room, until the curtain goes up, with the result that I lost myself in the darkness and arrived late. I refused to perform the next evening, and, coming off, Toots gives me a hard push. I am much annoyed, and slap her face. Thereafter the sisters are much frightened, and place a great big man at the door of their dressing-room, who accompanies them to the stage. Fancy the big strong Lorna being frightened of little me. [It is] dreadful for an artiste to try to work under such conditions. I am going for a holiday, and will then enter a new London show.”  

¶   Lorna Pounds says she cannot explain the unpleasantness. “We have been most kind to Nattova,” she declared. “Coming as a stranger, she thought she had made a greater success than actually she had done. She threatened to mark me for life, and also to lay out Toots. When Toots was going on the stage Nattova said ‘One, two, three,” and kicked Toots, who said, “Don’t, please.” Nattova slapped her face, and then hit Toots with a basket. Toots was carried dazed into the dressing-room and she is now in bed with nervous shock. 

The Vaudeville News, Jul 17, 1925

     An aftermath of the trouble at the Palladium between Lorna and Toots Pounds and Mlle. Nattova is the announcement that Nattova and Myrio (her Russian dancing partner) are booked for the Piccadilly Hotel Revels during August. 

The Vaudeville News, Aug 21, 1925

     Nattova & Myrio, the Russian dancers, who were in the Palladium review “Sky High,” join the “Piccadilly Revels” next week at a reputed salary of £200 per week. The got £80 at the Palladium.

From June 2 until Sept 5 (1925), “Nattova and Myrio” appeared in “Cleopatra,” at Daly’s Theatre, London

Toots & Lorna

Nattova moves to California, dies in Pasadena in 1988

     It appears that I've made some headway in learning the fate of our mystery girl, Natacha Nattova, the celebrated dancer (model, poet, painter, inspiration). I have reason to believe that, by the mid-30s, Nattova, then known as Nathalie (sometimes "Natalie") Daks, made a splash suing her husband, the noted dancer Nicholas Daks, and accusing another Russian dancer of being a marriage-wrecking Jezebel. By the fifties, sporting the name Natalie Daks, she was living in California, where she commenced maintaining a low profile. She eventually died, in Pasadena, in 1988.
     I'm pretty sure that's all correct. There remain huge gaps in her record, however.
     So let me tell you what I've found:
    First, I came across this odd New York Times article (snippet):

New York Times: Natacha Nattova and Nicholas Daks Wed by City Clerk.
     Natacha Nattova, Russian dancer, who has appeared in "The Greenwich Village Follies," night clubs and vaudeville, was married yesterday to Nicholas Daks, ...October 5, 1928

     I had already come across references to Nattova's marriage to a dancer circa 1928. According to one source, this led to her firing one of her male colleagues to make room for hubby. It's nice to learn just who she married: Mr. Nicholas Daks (b. 1899), an ethnic Russian (Russian Jew?), like herself, who arrived in the U.S. (from Constantinople!) in 1923. He likely was in her shadow as a member of her adagio company in the 20s, but, through the years, he seems to have become a well-known "Broadway" dancer and arranger in a career of some note that stretched at least into the 50s. (By the early 40s, he danced with a woman named Muriel. The two eventually married and retired to Florida.)
     I next found this marriage index record:

Name:	Nickolas Daks
Gender:	Male
Marriage Date:	4 Oct 1928
Marriage Place:	Manhattan, New York, USA
Spouse:	Natcha Nattove
Certificate Number:	24342

     I'm guessing that "Natcha" is a garbling of "Natacha," though perhaps it is a variant of that name. The variation in the spelling of "Nattova" likely reflects indecision regarding how best to Anglicize the Russian (or Russian/Jewish?) original, whatever that was. (Hence, "Nattova," "Natova," "Nattove.")
     But I also found this New York naturalization record (Oct 1931) for Nicholas Daks:

     This record indicates that Daks married "Nathalie" on October 4, 1928—the day before the Nattova/Daks wedding report in the Times. It also indicates that Nathalie was born in Petrograd, Russia, in 1907. Our girl Natacha was born in Petrograd, Russia, in 1905.

     (Note to self: Recall that "Natacha" is a common nickname for Nathalie among Russians. See earlier discussion.)

     The upshot: it is highly likely that the famous Nattova of the period of 1923-1931, is the same person as the low-profile Nathalie (or "Natalie") Daks, wife of increasingly prominent dancer Nicholas Daks.

     Here's something else I came across: a border crossing record (U.S. to Canada) for Nathalie Daks, 1929:

Name:	Nathalie Daks
Age:	24
Estimated Birth Year:	abt 1905
Arrival Port:	Windsor, Ontario
Date of Arrival:	22 Sep 1929
Birth Location:	St. Petersburg, Russia
Gender:	Male
Citizenship:	French

     (I shall assume that the above gender factoid is simply an error.) Here, Nathalie's birth year—1905—is the same as the one Nattova gave on the manifest for her 1925 voyage to the U.S. Nathalie indicates that she is a "dance artist," that she is married to Nicholas Daks, and that she speaks French, Russian, and English. Further, she is French by nationality and was born in St. Petersburg (Petrograd is the same city as St. Petersburg)—all things true of Natacha Nattova.
     This woman is Nattova. (Oddly, the record indicates that Nathalie was "rejected" by the Canadian authorities. See.)
     I mention all this because it supports the notion that the woman known as "Nathalie Daks" in the 1930s is indeed the famous 1920s dancer and model (and poet and painter) Natacha Nattova. As we'll see, other factoids/records—to be revealed momentarily—might raise questions about the identity of the woman called "Nathalie Daks" in newspaper articles in 1934.

     But first: here's something interesting. I came across a 1934 New York Times article indicating that Natalie (Nathalie?) sought an "alimony plea" re hubby Nicholas Daks:

Dancer Loses Alimony Plea. (New York Times)
     Temporary alimony and counsel fees sought by Natalie Daks, I dancer, in a divorce action against her husband, Nicholas Daks, also a dancer, were denied ...
November 18, 1934

        The larger story, here, is mighty lurid. It is laid out (to some degree) in this article in the LA Times, also dated Nov. 18, 1934:

     And here's something from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published on the same day:

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Nov 18, 1934

Variety, Nov 1934

     Before proceeding, I want to show you this travel record for "Nathalie Daks" for late 1933. Her DOB, birthplace, and other facts (in this record) strongly suggest that this Nathalie Daks is Nattova. In this record, Nathalie (who is Nattova) also indicates that she is married—presumably, to a Mr. Daks.

NAME:	Nathalie Daks
ARRIVAL DATE:	2 Sep 1933
BIRTH DATE:	1905
BIRTH LOCATION:	Russia
BIRTH LOCATION OTHER:	petrograd
AGE:	28
GENDER:	Female
ETHNICITY/ NATIONALITY:	Russian
PORT OF DEPARTURE:	Boulogne sur Mer, France
PORT OF ARRIVAL:	New York, New York
SHIP NAME:	Statendam

     So Natalie Daks (aka Natacha Natova), on her return from France (Sept 1933), does not return home to Nicholas but lives in another apartment, though she later rejoins Nicholas. About a year after her arrival, however, she brings a lawsuit against Tatiana Tuttle, a Russian dancer married to a Hollywood director, for "alienating the affections of Natalie's husband, Nicholas Daks." Naturally, she is litigating against her husband, too, demanding alimony payments, though that effort fails. (Does this mean that divorce proceedings had begun? That the divorce had already been granted?)
     Given Nattova's celebrity up through at least 1929 (and likely into the 30s), it is odd that none of these articles mentions that Natalie Daks is in fact none other than the celebrated Nattova. If reporters knew only that she was bringing suits against Tuttle and her hubby (or ex-hubby), a known but not famous dancer, there is no reason that they would suspect that she, Mrs. Daks, is Nattova. Perhaps Nattova had reason to distance herself from her past and failed to point out to reporters exactly who she was.
     Could it be that this litigious Natalie Daks of 1934 is not Nattova? I raise this question because there are 1932 marriage records indicating that Nicholas Daks (or, at any rate, a Nicholas Daks) married another Natalie, a younger one born in New York.
     Here's something (else) peculiar: near as I can tell, our girl Nattova was still married (or at least continued to claim to be married) to Daks as of the census of 1940.

1940 U.S. census:

Nicholas Daks	43
Natalie Daks	29

     It is clear that, eventually (perhaps in the 40s), Nicholas Daks married dancer Muriel Gray, who eventually died in Florida in 2009. Newspaper records indicate that Muriel and Nicholas danced together at least by 1941. (Daks himself died in 1978, also in Florida. I believe that he was still married to Muriel when he died.
     Puzzling, ain't it?

BUT WHO IS NATALIE SCHMIT?

    In a record I found at Ancestry.com, this fact is recorded: that, in 1932, Nicholas Daks marries  "Natalie Schmit." That's pretty confusing (unless there's more than one Nicholas Daks in New York at the time, which would seem unlikely). 

     Here it is: 

Name:	Nicholas Daks
Gender:	Male
Marriage Date:	7 Jan 1932
Marriage Place:	Manhattan, New York, USA
Spouse:	Natalie Schmit

 
     Who on Earth is Natalie Schmit?
     I found this record in the 1940 census for "Natalie Schmit." Given her birth date and location (and address), it is clear that this gal isn't Nattova:

Name:	Natalie Schmit
Age:	25
Estimated Birth Year:	abt 1915
Gender:	Female
Race:	White
Birthplace:	New York
Marital Status:	Single
Relation to Head of House:	Sister-in-law
Home in 1940:	New York, Kings, New York
Map of Home in 1940:	View Map
Street:	Montauk Avenue
Inferred Residence in 1935:	New York, Kings, New York
Residence in 1935:	Same Place
Resident on farm in 1935:	No
Sheet Number:	7B
Father's Birthplace:	Austria
Mother's Birthplace:	Austria
Occupation:	Stenographer
Attended School or College:	No
Highest Grade Completed:	Elementary school, 8th grade
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census:	40
Class of Worker:	Wage or salary worker in Government work
Weeks Worked in 1939:	52
Income:	936
Native Language:	English
Social Security Number:	Yes
Usual Occupation:	Stenographer
Usual Industry:	Public Works
Usual Class of Worker:	Wage or salary worker in Government work
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Sam Eisen 42 Anna Eisen 34 Evelyn Eisen 14 Harvey Eisen 8 Sharney Eisen 2 Natalie Schmit 25

     If this Natalie Schmit was 25 years old in 1940, then she would have been 17 in 1932--not someone likely to marry a 33-year-old man (Nicholas). 

     In the above record, Natalie Schmit is listed as Sam Eisen's sister-in-law. Sam's birthplace is listed as: Russia. Sam is a house painter and Natalie is a stenographer. Despite the "connection" to Russia, I don't think this woman has any connection to Nicholas.
     So who is this Natalie Schmit that married Nicholas Daks in 1932? I'm beginning to think that the Daks who married in 1932 is not our Nicholas Daks.
     Here's another factoid: I did find some U.S. Census records for 1940 that indicate that the Natalie who lived under the same roof as Nicholas Daks in New York was Nicholas' wife (she is thus described) and that she was born in Russia, not New York. So I'm thinking that, despite the messy business circa 1934, Nicholas and Nathalie/Natacha stayed married, at least on paper (or for the sake of census), through 1940, and this Natalie Schmit has nothing to do with our saga.
     Maybe these people had a reason to list Natalie/Natacha as Nicholas' wife (in 1940) even though they had long been divorced (i.e, since the mid-30s). Perhaps, further, Natalie/Natacha wasn't really living in that building. (Maybe she was in Canada. Who knows.)
     I'm trying to nail down the date of Murial Gray's marriage to Nicholas. I know that Nicholas and Murial were performing together as of 1941. It would be odd to discover that these two married as of 1940 when records indicate that Nicholas and Natalie are married and living under the same roof in New York.

     There is a woman named "Natalie Schmidt" (note thd "d") listed in the 1940 U.S. census, but she's living at another house than Nicholas'. I am disinclined to pursue this person.

     One might suppose that Nicholas Daks divorced our girl Nathalie/Natacha some time before 1932 and then married "Natalie Schmit" (in 1932). The problem is that there are fairly compelling reasons to suppose that the litigious Natalie of 1934 is our girl Nattova--those reasons being that the Litigious One had just been in France, Nattova's original home (after escaping Russia). Surely, that gal was our Nattova, not a new "Natalie."
     For what it's worth, we have some reason to suppose that Nattova was litigious or at least that she was legally "careful." You'll recall that she went out of her way to register (copyright?) her dance routine and to announce to other entertainers her intention of suing anyone who copied her routine. Sheesh. One wonders how common that sort of thing was.

NATACHA/NATALIE IN CALIFORNIA:

     Then there's this California naturalization record from 1955:

     Note the date of birth: 1905 (that's our Natacha's DOB). She indicates that her name was "formerly" Nathalie (she's lost the "h").
     I'm thinking this Californian is our girl Natache Nattova--formerly Mrs. Nicholas Daks. I'm  also beginning to think that she had some kind of peculiar arrangement with Daks up through at least 1940, and that she had little to do with the Mr. Daks.
     Here's yet another border crossing [immediately below]--this one from 1932. It pretty much clinches the fact that Natache is the "divorce" Natalie of 1934:
     Note that this 1932 "border crossing" record suggests that Natalie's move to Canada is "permanent." (See below.)
     On the other hand, it's clear that there's lots of fudging about biographical facts on manifests and travel records. E.g., birth dates are all over the place, even for men.

Name:	Kathalie Gakkel Daks
Arrival Date:	14 May 1932
Port of Arrival:	Blaine, Washington, USA
Residence Place:	New York City NY
Age:	23
Birth Date:	abt 1909
Birth Place:	Petrograd, Russia
Birth Country:	Russia
Gender:	Female
Race/Nationality:	Russia (Russian)
Record Type:	Cards

     Here's the actual May '32 record:

     This Nathalie Gakkel Daks indicates that she was born in Petrograd, Russia, that she is a professional dancer, that she is a Frenchwoman who is Russian and that she is married to Nicholas Daks of New York. She indicates that she arrived in New York in 1925 (which is also correct about Natache).

     (Incidentally, she indicates that she is 5 foot 4 inches tall. I recall reading a comment from a former student to the effect that Nathalie von Hoyer was "tall.") 

     There is a California "death index" record according to which Natalie died in the LA area in 1988!

Name:	Natalie Daks
Gender:	Female
Birth Date:	8 Aug 1910
Death Date:	7 Mar 1988
Death Place:	Los Angeles

     Could this be our girl? Yep.
     Heres a corresponding Social Security death index record:

Name:	Natalie Daks
SSN:	551-54-0547
Last Residence:	91109 Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, USA
BORN:	8 Aug 1905
Died:	Mar 1988
State (Year) SSN issued:	California (1956)

     Curiously, the birthdays are the same—August 8—but on different years. (Pretty typical. I've seen DOBs for Natacha ranging from 1900 to 1911, and she seems to be behind some of this obfuscation.) The first indicates 1910 but the second indicates 1905 (which matches Natache's stated birth year on the manifest of her passage to New York in 1925; see).
     The death dates seem to match.

     These two records are of the same woman; and I'm pretty sure that woman is Natacha Nattova.

THE MISSING YEARS (1934 - 1955):

     But what was our girl doing from 1934 until 1956 (see above)? Was she living in Canada? Why did she move to California (Pasadena?)? What did she do there? (She would have been 51 years old in 1956. That's still pretty young.)
     Was she really living in New York in 1940 or was that some sort of useful fiction?
     In the 1932 travel manifest, Natalie/Natacha indicates that she lived in the U.S. from 1925 until May 7, 1932. Then, on May 14, she travels to Canada. Where was she during that week? A week is not enough time to travel to Europe. And, again, on these papers, she indicates that her move to Canada is permanent, though she indicates that she has no relatives in that country.

Nicholas Daks’ residences:

1927 – April - 353 West 118th
1931 – Oct - 9 West 69th
1932 – Feb - 9 West 69th
1934 - Daks: ?; Nattavo: 24 West 71st in Manhattan; Daks & Tuttle?: 53 W. 73rd
1940 (Nicholas Daks, 43 and Natalie Daks, 29)
- West 53rd Street #40
The two are married, living here
This Natalie is likely Nattova
1942 - Directory: NICH. DAKS
1307 6Av CI rele 7-3739, Manhattan
1944 - Directory: NICH. DAKS
1307 6Av CI rele 7-3739, Manhattan
[?] - NICH. DAKS, RESIDENCENicholas Daks (same b date)
- 2780 Eastern Blvd, Baldwin, NY, 11510-4107

P.s.: Gary Chapman (here) seems to suppose that Nattova's real name was "Natalie Schmit."