After her season in London, Ethel returned to the U.S. Charles Frohman cast her first in "Catherine" and then as Stella de Grex in "His Excellency the Governor". After that, Frohman finally gave Ethel the role that would make her a star: Madame Trentoni in "Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines", which opened at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End on February 4, 1901. Unbeknownst to Ethel, her father Maurice had witnessed the performance as an audience member and walked up to his daughter, congratulated her and gave her a big hug. It was the first and only time he saw her on stage professionally. When the tour concluded in Boston in June, she had out-drawn two of the most prominent actresses of her day, Mrs. Patrick Campbell and Minnie Maddern Fiske.