Plays-Players-Pictures

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 132, 30 November 1929, Page 27

Plays-Players-Pictures

i .;. . THE SHOWS. Town} Hall— ":'■''■ iOrgan Recital; every: Sunday, 8.30 vm. 14th' December. Concert -Chamber—'<■ Orpheus Society, sth December. Opera House— -\' .;'... HcUires.>' ■ '*•'. ' ' "\Yhoopee/Y"('th .December. His Majesty's-^ :'/, ■■ " Kerue. "'■ . '■■ Majestic—J?ii?tiircs:. Jiegeut—Pailurcs. -. '.; Do Luxe 'ilie^tre—Fktures. - ]%ramount -The.'atre-fi'iclures. ... ■ Kiue's Theatre^Pictures: -Artcraft Theatre—Pictures. ' Our Theatre—Pictures. . • Shortfs: Theatre"—Pictures. Britannia .Tbeatre-r-Pk-tures. Queen's Tteatre—Pictures. ■ ■. Princess Theatre—Pictures. Kilbirnie Kinema—Pictures. The Paiinerston North Operatic Society. m_ade a/profit on its recent production' of-.".High 'Jinks.'' So'suceessfulwas'thc -Taumarunui Operatic Society's production of "A Country s(Jirl"" that it-was decided to give tworm<)re.'perforrnanees. Messrs.-Owen -Gardston and J. David-son-Baiter : are rehearsing about 100 petfple. ;af.,Gisborne. for the revue ' 'Punch' Bowl" andthe musicalcomedy "Diane,Develops, "under the auspices of 'the Poverty .Bay Bowling Club. The Dunedin .Operatic Society this Week.produced "Our Miss Gibbs." English plays are becoming popular in.. .Pans. When "tho" last mail left ''Jon'rirey's End." "Street.Scene," and "The Hairy Ape" were all playing. ißa'Ch. play had been translated into French. ■■-■■■•■.■■■-■■■.• '

Somerset Maugham's "Constant Wife'f will be staged by the Hamilton Little Theatre Society on Tuesday and Wednesday irext. *

while his memoirs.

George Highland, and Minnie Everett are in Auckland rehearsing" the "New Moon." Mr. Highland, who has produced many a bright musical play for the Firm—he has been a producer for years^r-began in a humble position mr the world of limelight-and make-believe. He was a call boy and sold-programmes; and. did all sorts of .things-roUnd the -theatre until lie was ■eighteen years old. His people were stage players. Most of the Australian and New Zealand actors and actresses who have attained fame can thank Mr. Highland for their sucee'ss^ Here are some: Madge Elliott, who is now a London star; Josie Melville, who may go back to Australia'for "Mr. Cinders"; Clarice Hardwieke. now appearing at Drury Lane; Isobel Wilford, who ligured. in the cable news on, Thursday; Adele Crane, Dorothy Seaebmbe, Eva Gray, Mabel Gibson (now in Hollywood), Marie Bremner, Gladys Monerieff, Cecil Bradley, Graeie • Layers. !And there are men, too. Mr. Highland tools Cyril Bitchard from the chorus. He aow stars with Madge Elliott in Lontlon musical comedies. Harry Eatcliffe is now with Zeigfcld Follies in 3sTew:>S'ort..' ■ ■ .

Ada Eeeve, the famous vaudeville and -revoe 1 artist, is to be seen with Leon Gordon in Melbourne in the production x>f Frank Vosper's "Murder on the Second Floor.'' Ada Eeeve was the original Lady Holy rood in "Floradora," and that is many years ago. She 5s one of a number of. clover Jewesses •who have won fame on tho musical jeoniedy stage.

The Firm will not bring Noel Coward's remarkably successful operetta "Bitter Sweet" out toT "this side—they lost £15,000 with "This Year of Grace." "Good shows are hard to find," states George Highland, the [Williamson.firm's producer. "The Australian, public has been fed on strawt>erries and cream as far as the theatre 5s concerned. Now they like tin-pan noises from Tin Pan Alloy." ■ •

Miss Nina Crean, who was in Wol3ington some time ago with: the Gayle Wyer Bandbox Revne Company, has

recently commenced with tho Jim Gerald Revue Company in Auckland. Miss Crean got her first big start in the profession in Sydney, where as understudy to Mai Bacon for tho title role in "Mercenary Mary"'sho stepped into this part at an hour's notice when Miss Bacou took suddenly ill: The Paulasto Brothers, eccentric dancing duo, who were here with the Connors' and Paul >;League of Notions" Revue^ Company about a year ago, have finished up with this combination and are controlling a stage dancing school at Manly, Sydney. "Mercenary..Mary" is being revived by the Freddie Forbes Musical Comedy Company in Christehurch, with Catherine Stewart in tho part originally played by Elsie Prince and Freddie Forbes as Christopher Skinner. Tho following production will be "Tangerine."

Mr. Ernest. Short- lias been engaged to sing the baritone solos in "Messiah" for the Wellington Boyal Choral Union on the 14th December, and the Levin Choral Society on the 16th December.

There are many beautiful and striking scenes in "Whoopee," which conies to New Zealand in December, forming one of the Christmas attractions. One in particular, tlie ceremony of dedication, among the mountain fastnesses of the Indians, lends itself to the art of the scene painters, and the effect is said to outrival the stage presentations of "Rose Marie." The costuming is in tho Firm's best style, and the elaborate head dresses worn makes the scene very striking. The fact that the plajr was a Ziegfield production in New York is a guarantee of its attributes.

The_ characterisation by the noted American actor Leo Carrillo, of Tito Lombardi in "Lombardi, Ltd." (which will be one of J. C. Williamson'sChristmas attractions for New Zealand), has been described as "marvellously animated and wonderfully versatile." Carrillo is .ill alertness and activity, and volatile in temperament. He is said to be the mercurial Italian to the very life, prattling unceasingly in. broken. English,, laughing gaily in his, sunny moods, flashing quick anger in Kis few moments of resentment, sounding a note of pathos at times, and displaying dramatic ability of an unusually high standard.

Several casting ' assignments were made recently. Eugenic Besserer is to support Paul Muni in "Seven Faces," and John St. Polis takes a part in "The Three Sisters," featuring Louise Dresser. Walter Catlett; has been assigned to stage "The New Orleans FrcWe," with , a cast including Will Rogers, William Collier, Charles Fan-ell, Victor .- M'Laglen, Stepin Fetehit^ George, O'Brien, and many other: outstanding players. .'

Lane Chandler, the popular motion picture player of silent days, has been engaged to make an. all-talking Western story. The title has not yet been announced. •

A corner of County Kerry, Ireland, world-famous for its natural beauty, was reproduced with amazing skill for scenes in. Miss Moore's first all-talking and singing picture, "Smiling Irish Eyes." A picturesque village, typical of this part of Ireland, was built with careful attention to detail.

The exteriors for the new Tlfatone production, "The White Devil," featuring Ivan Mosjukin, Lil Dagover, and Betty Am ana, were recently completed with a number of exteriors taken near Grenoble. Tho unit has already returned to Berlin. The picture is being directed ljy Alexander Wolkoff.

The College picture which has been planning for several months, "The College- Back'&teer," will be directed by Reginald' Barker. It is admitted in Hollywood that ho has produced a fine picture in "The Mississippi Gambler,"

Joseph Schildkraut's picture. Tho cast selected for "The .College Racketeer" ■includes James Murray, Kathryn Crawford, Hallam Cooley, Sarah Padden, Frank Campeau, Egbert Elliott, and little Jackie Hanlon. "The College Racketeer" is a story by Lambert Hillyer, which was adapted Ly Arthur Bipley.: The dialogue was written by Sunnier. •

Victor M'Laglcn's singing voice will bo heard in a song entitled "I'm the Duke of Kakiak." Walter Donaldson and Edgar Leslie, Broadway song writers, wrote it and two other songs for M'Laglen's next picture called '.'.The Well-dressed Man."

Hal Skelly's latest talking production is "Men Are Like That," adapted from George Kelly's New York success, "The ff ,iw-Off." Helen Chadwick has been selected to play opposite Skelly. Doris Hill, Morgan Farley, E. H. Calvert, and Tully. Marshall are included in the supporting cast. ..■ ■'

"The Desert Song," the brilliant operetta, takes its place as one of the first musical plays transferred to the screen in its entirety. ' The music is played by the Vitaphone Symphony Orchestra, and there is a chorus of a hundred voices. Important roles in this epoch-making production are played by John Boles, Carlotta King, Louise Fazenda, Johnny Arthur, John Miljan, and Myrna Loy. ' . .

The exterior sound-recording for

"Tho Immortal Vagabond" is progressing very favourably near Lienz and Virgen in the Austrian Alps. Liane Haid and Gustav Froelieh play the leading parts ;in this new production.

Tho curtain is lifted on a, backstage life in three-.arday.. vaudeville in "Melody Lane," -starring Eddie Leonard, minstrel man, with Josephine Dunn. Leonard and Miss Dunn comprise a song-and dance -team, and their concern over the future of their little daughter forms the pivot around which the story revolves. "Melody Lane" is an all-dialogue and sound picture. Clara Bow's third all-talking picture, | 'The Saturday Night Kid," received its world premiere at the Paramount Theatre, Now York. "The Saturday Night Kid" was declared by critics to be Clara's best talking picture to date. James Hall has the male lead. Jean Arthur, Leone Lane, Tully Marshall, and Frank Koss are featured in the cast." •' -'■ ■■•- : ■■-