GRIMALDI AND DAN LENO

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 104, 26 January 1935, Page 19

GRIMALDI AND DAN LENO

Pantomime Through the Years “Christmas Pantomime,” by A. E. Wilson. (London: George Allen and Unwin.) In “Christmas Pantomime” Mr. Witson has managed to embody much of the history of English pantomime in a most interesting and engaging manner. He is to be the more commended as the subject, though perhaps congenial to the writer, is one that offers no great inducement in pecuniary gain, as tlie pantomime is one of those traditional forms of entertainment which, in common with other forms of theatrical entertainment, appears to be receding from rather than advancing toward public favour. * Still, as the author points out, there were critics .who chronicled the decay of the pantomime 70 and 80 years ago, but it has persisted to live in its varying forms through the changes of the last two centuries, and, according to that wellposted authority, Julian Wylie, will continue to do so.

Mr. Wilson says that away back in 1846 the decadence of the pantomime was a long-existing malady, but evidently it was not one that killed, but merely changed the form of the entertainment. The author traces the genesis of English pantomime back to the ancient “Commedia dell’ Arte” of the Italians, which was simplified by the French into the simple story of Clown, Harlequin, Pantaloon and Columbine. Mr. Wilson explains, too, that the word pantomime was originally the name of the aetor —panto, all; mime, one who mimics—one whtf mimics everything. He also relates that even in England all such pantomimes were called Harlequins. There was “Harlequin Sorcerer,” “Harlequin Hoax,” “Harlequin Mother Goose,” “Harlequin Amulet,” and so on. The change seems to have been made when the famous Joe Grimaldi appeared in and conquered London. It is related that Grimaldi, who was born on December 18, 1778, made bis appearance at Drury Lane in “Harlequin Amulet or the Magic of Mona.” It was produced by Mr. James Byrne, the author states, and in the opening Grimaldi appeared as Punch, changing afterward to Clown. In this his talent shone out, and his performance was the hit of the piece. The pantomime ran until Easter, 1800. From that out the character of Harlequin became relatively less important as that of C’lown grew under the magic of Grimaldi’s comic genius. No man ever made a greater hit in a song than than Grimaldi in, “Hot Cofilins” (otherwise toffee apples), which he first sang in a pantomime entitled “The Talking Bird,” staged at Sadler’s Wells Theatre on Easter Monday, 'lBl9. Grimaldi's Fame. Another great hit of Grimaldi’s was the song “Tippety-witchet.” So great was the fame of this man that he was called the “Garrick of Clowns,” the “Michael Angelo of Buffoonery,” etc. Whole chapters are devoted to the time when Rich was Harlequin and Grimaldi Clown in the annual pantomimes at this or that London theatre, mostly at Drury Lane or Covent Garden. It was Grimaldi who invented the catch cry “Here we are again!” which every clown uses, and it is after him nearly every clown is called Joey. In his day the pantomime had no principal boy or girl, and little in the way of spectacular glory. Then there was the period in which discoveries of world moment were made the subject of pantomimes, so the public was given “Harlequin and the Steam King” in 1846, and, a year later, “The Birth of the Steam Engine, or Harlequin Locomotive and Joe Miller and His Men.” Still more elaborate was the early Victorian pantomime “The Hand of Light, or Harlequin Gas and Four Elements— Earth, Air, Fire and Water.” With the death of Grimaldi the importance of the Harlequin interlude began to weaken, and with the employment of music hall artists (he familiar business with tlie sausages and the red-hot poker became compressed at. the end of the real pantomime, and the use of children’s fairy stories, elaborated by spectacle and large crowds of dancers and supernumeraries, became more the vogue. “Discovery” of Dan Leno. And so ye are brought down to the halcyon days of Sir Augustus Harris at Drury Lane, with Leno as his great drawing card. Mr. Wilson states that Augustus Harris is generally credited with his (Dan Leno’s) discovery, but it was really George Conquest of the Surrey Theatre who first saw in the variety artist and champion clog dancer the possibilities of a pantomime comedian. Hearing him sing “Fetching in the Milk for the Twins,” he made him an immediate offer and engaged him and,his wife at a joint salary of £2O a week to appear in the Surrey pantomime in 1886. It was “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and Dan Leno-' played the dame, his wife appearing as Mercury. Leno was well received, and had some excellent Press notices, one paper saying: “A more amusing Dame Durden than Dan Leno it would not be easy to discover.” Leno’s salary rose to £240 a week. E. V. Lucas wrote of him that he excelled all other music hall comedians in intelligence, humour, drollery and creativeness, and that Leno’s long series of largely irresponsible but always human pantomime figures differed from all pantomime figures by their strange blend of fun and wistfulness. The author also brings us down to the end of last century by quoting the names of such principal hoys as Ada Blance, Lilian Davies, Maggie Duggan, Lydia Thompson, Fanny Leslie, and a little later Nelly Power, Nellie Stewart, Kate Santley, Madge Lessing, Qneenie Leighton, Agues Fraser. Vesta Tilley ond Violet Loraine. Vesta Tilley was on one occasion paid as much as £5OO a week at Birmingham, twice as much as Dan Leno ever made. Other famous names are also recalled in this notable book. RECENT FICTION “Cinderella’s Sister,” by Olive Baxter (London: Wright and Brown. 7/-). “Nothing Very Serious,” by Bernard Bowles (London: Jenkins. 7/-) “Autumn Meeting,” 'by Nora K. Strange (London: Wright and Brown. 7/-). “Tlie Girl From Godmanchester,” by Doris and Thomas Wright (London: Jenkins. 7/-). “McGlusky, M.P.,” by A. G. I lines (London: Wright and Brown. 7/-). "Beast and Beauty,” by John Glyder (London: Jenkins. 7/-).