THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1937, 20 December 1913, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

[Br SyiyivsYH:!tV-jf/iff|S-Siie ; World's Vav£iieaii;e;ttli.a .. "ViiUun tl's, .' '"'ftitnin t.''.'lj.T! »v,"fcVjy'thoX%i stroii• American police^ijlnyKivluch^'has'. boon luuuyig steadttyjJiri'Jlclbournc iii'id'-'Svd-J} lor six'nioii'thsVpasi; i s to be" the l.m-iiun'as iu.tratiwn. in . WdK^ton. Mi. Bert Itoylo>iias®siiboii SatlvirfHl 'that the company wil! s lmyiSvilripy-for. Wellington I' riday ji extv:; i . Bayard N'cii!er;;:th^an| : "V i Law,'..; . rccenUv. coiu'csaod that when ,lio; w^io^tlibV.il:iV?l i t>::cwas'^bf(j- ! m! ?'y the .lowest *ebb" .of'his .1 lungs .iiid .iiat gone well with.'him, ; and lie iiawKcd the plai- from; manager to., manager, -• but- without ■. success: 1 -'' It g.ivhcreu a good ; deal of-dust- in office pigeon-holes, until " a plav-producin<; syiidicato decided to. gi vo "it a -trial: \ eillei is .now drawing royalties - 1 from tile piece- ajnoiiiitin K to about. .£SOO per 0 , ■"« is. made - for life!" .- Seven 1 u- company, will imrodneo to.'Xov, Zealand the American dramatic: actress Miss Muriel Starr, • tlio-.. big, - robust •J.™ r. Mr.- Lincoln rPlmnor;:'and Sir. E. \\. Morrison who -was i tlio . original Gcc.io in Trilby"- in Xcw' Zealand r'?«n tlie Into Mr..;, RenbeiMFax,, ami Jtiss Judith Crane "sustained ' tho' : leading Paris.

•he Last of ths Clowns, '"Hie.last of the clowns" h the rather pathetic .title bestowed on old George Lupmo, fa ther of' Barry Lupino, tho un?i leu W n 111 .pautomiinc, lbe J'orty Thieves," For years George Jjiipino has been the most noted pantoJiiifiio clou u in iklj o iul. was well known from Edinburgh to Land's Knd.'' But pantomimes, like other productions, have changed with ..tho passing of years, and the clown is 'no longer -. wanted. Last,year, in thc-Driirv Lane pantoHjime," 'i'he Sleeping Beauty,". Lupino made his farewell apnearancc. ■. "I shall never forgot, that incident,"., says his son, Barry. 1 "At 'the end of- lib performance, which meant ringing down ine curtain oil.his long and honourable career, Dad walked down, to the footlights, and said" to -tho children, by whom he was adored: 'Good-bye,'littlo ones 1 shall no longer be able "to. make you laugh. Do you want to see Joev any more!" There were shouts from ail. parts of tho limiso, •'Yes, wo want you again,' mingled with the'-sobs of children. Mr, Lupino" subsequently held a reception to the children, at which lie distributed miniature red-hot, pokers •>>'« strings of o.ni.s-'ige.s —tho badge of 'Y® Railing, as it were. ' Bub countless philaren in England will remember the name of George Lupino. - .

Mr. Clyde Moynelf's Return. After travelling m England, America, and on tho Continent, Air. Clvde Meynoil, ono of tho directors of j". C. Williamson, Ltd.,. lias returned to Melbourne, having completed arrangements ior a number of new attractions to be presented under tho direction of the tirm. : Mr. Meynell also concluded final negotiations fur the appearance in South Africa of most of tho firm's bi<i attractions, commencing with the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company. The new musical plays secured bvtllc firm include;. "Tho Pearl Girl," '"Tho Girl irom Utah*' (tho music of which is by Sidney Jones, composer of' "Tho Geisha"), "The Girl on Sho Film," "Tho Girl in the Taxi," and others. "The Argyll? Case," a strong American dctoctivo drama, and "Stop Thief," a farco comedy, were secured for Australia, whilst arrangements, were mado for tho first production in Australia, in Melbourne early in the Nov.- Year, of tho wonderfully successful play,.. . "Joseph ar.d His Brethren." Cecil King, stage manager of Sir Herbert /Tree's production of tho play in London, is coming to Australia- t<j produce it.there.

American Accents. E. W. •Morrison, the producer- of "Within tho Law," has something to say in reply to the comment of a Aleibourno critic who pointed out that a variety of American accents and pronunciations was being spoken by vise various characters in ''Within the Law." ■"Tlio writer apparently uoes not know," said Mr. Morrison, "that in the United States there are as many different accents or 'twangs', "as exist in, for example, Great Britain; whero the Cornislmian or tho man. from Lancashire differs in his specch to a great extent from that spoken by tho Londoner. It will interest the writer to know that the accent of the Boston man is quito different from that of tho New Yorker, just as there is a wido distinction between tho manner of spcech of the Sail Franciscan aud tlio man from the Southern States."

"Monsieur B Dane euro" Rcdivivus. ■ ■ Ever since it was first announced that 31r. Waller was coining to Australia playgoers have been asking whether ho would appear as Monsieur Beau-eaire,-which role, ho created m London, anil with which his fame has been chiefly associated. .The- news will therefore be received with interest that Mr. Waller will present "Monsieur Beaueairo" at Melbourne Theatre lloyal after tho two weeks' run of "Miss' Elizabeth's Prisoner." Miss Madge Tithoradge will, of course, ho tho Lady Mary. Those who have seen with what courtliness and grace Mr. ■ Waller appears in ccstumo roles can.casily understand the sensation which ho caused by Jiis performance in London as Monsieur Beaueairo, and his picture, paintid by the lion. John Collier, wae exhibited nt the Royal Academy. ' It is now the centre, of interest and admiration in the vestibule of tho .reserved stalls' at Melbourne Theatre Royal.

BDi'nso Gardiner.. Tho many friends of Mr. Borneo Gardiner will'bo pleased'to; learn that luv'wiis very .successful nhorcver iic appeared in South Africa. ■ The following is a clipping from a Durban'(Natal) paper,-entitled . "The-Latest," of Scptember'i'lS last:— ■ "Borneo. Gardiner'vis one of the best whistlers'-;-'-ev2r heard, .out tins way. He-does not make .use . of his digits as some do/ . lie simply strolls jnto- view and-gives ■'operatic selections and popular compositions in.-.the most natural' manner •imaginable. - He has a very pretty -setting 'reprcsonting_ the back j country) - and - he. -made* his entrance 1 whistling..the,"Mockilig Bird." . From this- lie-niiide.-a.-'non-stop run through various operas- interspersed by "Home, Sweet Home"- asul; other . items, . • and finished up-to .the.. accompaniment ol olio-of the most'enthusiastic notes of applause that has ever'been-accorded a hall artist." ••••••-. - Mai 'i Allon Coming. . •'Miss Maud- Alien,vtlio wonderful dancer, who is to ' tour; Australia in April next,' confesses ' that she knows very litUe'abmit thc-tcchnicaf side of i;er art. She declares, that she has never had the rigid 1 raining by whi:h Gence has reached a fine .technical .accomplishment, nor dees she care-muelrfor t!io. polite inanities' of'ballroom' dancing/" Her own art is-imich .uuire'.briilinnt, vnid, and alive. Slrictiv, she -is the-interpretative dancer riar.-cxc'ellcnce'.' Siio.reveals. mood:;, vague dreams, 'stirring-uiuler-Knrreiits o! emotion,' i; wilh' a genius that appeals to the aristocrat and commoner, the Philistine, and artist with equal'force. One ■ write? I 'has said. tbat' : ,her. dancing-is Uiis]f:'lsMhe.-- beautiful dancing of. ancient Greece .brought up to date and amplified. Stanley Houghton Dead. £'On: Monday [;!>,(, the news of the death I spfiSjMr.^Stanley!.:H.ouglvton,'-- dramatist, J

1 w&s'cabled irom London, wiltioiii a word J huin<i appended to indicate who ha was lie had done. If- was Mr. IJ lotightim avlid wrote thai much-debated i | .•?*'•■ '■] which was tho j hit ol'. jyil in England. It is a play | dealing in a novel and daring way with .Ilie;ci(-r)iai sex question. Tim "Wakes" i '**'*-"• 0 • the annual holidays .of ■V"£. : workers of Lancashire, and 't.'iris'.tiiii "aet oi the son of a wealthy I manufacturer forming a liaison, with a i v.'ork girl employed in his father's fac- • "tory* during • the "Wakes" on which | tlicv story. hangs. Mr, Houghton shot reeket-like into the public eve through this play, and was at once hailed as a .! dramatist of ... the hrigincsb promise. ISiiiCfl tlic.'i he has written "Fancy l : ;l , i ree,-'...and "Tho lounger Generation!" j fCplay! which deals with the revolt of against the craggy prejudices. of father and mother.... A Still strong Man. * ' ': In an. elaborate character and 'biographical sketch of Air; W. ]i. ("Hilly") Miller, late of Gisborne, and now managing director of the biggest picture enterprise iu' Australasia',' Melbourne "Punch" says:."'

"Quiet strength, is expressed iu every line of William Harrington Miller. His appearance and his manner both tell tho sumo stury. Tall and powerfully built, ho looks'-liko a leader—not the overbearing,, forceful'type, who will pushto tho i'ront at every opportunity, and give advice and instructions broadcast; but tho calm, thoughtful man, who im]'<i'ossos those around him, and to whom .appeal is always made, and on whom 'cciifidenco is always rested when a lc-adpr is wanted. He has tho large head, broad blow, clear eyes, straight, regular features of tho man who can think quietly in tho midst of tho greatest turmoil. It is difficult to imagine him excited or bustled. He has tho habit of always thinking coolly. Ho is not a rapid thinker in tho sense of install', decision. His business seldom requires that. But ho can give a problem great, consideration, and arrive at its solution long before most inc-n, He has made money, not by meteoric successes and vast deals, bat by steady persistence, by careful planning and study. Tho work lie does, tho decisions hp makes, affect Perth and Adelaide. Ilobart and Brisbane, Auckland and Dunedin, as well as Melbourne and Sydney, lie "iias to think for a whole continent, and more. He has to control a huge stall'. He has to deal with immense houses of picture enthusiasts. To imagine that lie sits down and thinks out every detail would bo absurd. Ho does, nothing of tho sort : but what lie has done- is to organise iho whole of this vast, business in such smooth raid perfect fashion that t.ho general policy which ho enunciates is at once translated into executive activity throughout the wlwlo. of tho. great network lio controls."

Nctss. ■Sir Herbert Tree's production of ''Joseph ond His Brethren" —which play, by tlio way, is to bo staged ill* Australia by J. <C. Williamson, Ltd. — has proved tho success of the London season. The role of Joseph is; taken by Mr. George Rclph, who was in Australia with the' first Asclio-Brayton company, and who playcrl Kalur, tise Swordor, in tho London production of "Kismet." On account of the striko in New Zealand, Messrs. Frankel and Levey have decided to cancel their projected New Zealand tour with the "Chorus Lady" Company. They will t/tke the company direst to Melbourne. They "have a complete American'company, including tho following prominent- artists: —Mis« A irrriniji. Brissac. Miss Netty Ixathburn, Miss Gernldine O'Brien, Jllss Katharine Field, Miss Frances Belmont, Miss Antoinette Walker, Messrs. John Wrav, Harry Burkhnrdt, Claude Wyngate, Geo. Sullivan, and Bex. Powers.