FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

Evening Star, Issue 19658, 10 September 1927, Page 17

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

[By LOITERER.]

Mari' Daly, who was in’ New Zealand with ' The O'Brien Girl,’ is playing in ‘Nearly Divorced,’ a new London farce. The first theatrical performance the Dulse and Duchess of York attended 4fiter their return to London was the Cochran revue, ‘ One Damn Thing After Another,’ Saturday. August 20. was the opening night of ‘Ruddigore’ by the J. C. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company at His Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne. The cast, which is to return to New Zealand about Christmas time, still . includes Charles Waleun, James Hay, John Ralston. Patti Russell, Strcliii Wilson, Charles Mettam, and Bernard 'Manning. The new opera is produced by James Hay. . > , One of the most successful comedydramas of recent years, ‘ The Ghost Train, 1 will open its New Zealand tour at Wellington on September _l3t There is a somewhat extensive provincial tdur. There are several well-known names in the cast, including that, of Mr Edgar Warwick, who has been a favorite with New Zealand audiences since pre-war days. . . ... A man ot much experience is c. Gayle Wyer, whose Band Box Revue Company is now appearing at the Princess Theatre. Once upon a time ho was a leading light in American musical comedy, and produced in some of the biggest American theatres. Then when the war came lie wont over there attached to the mechanical side of the motor transport service. He was well fitted for the job, tor he had at one time hecn Henry Ford’s crack driver in the testing of bis Fords. Alfred Ivor Weir, of Riccarton, and Charles Holt, an Auckland boy, who toured the dominion and Australia with the “Smart Set Diggers,” have gone on to America, where, according to all reports, they are making good. Bert Errol, female impersonator, is said to be returning to Australia in March. Ilis daughter will appear in the act. Madam©” Frances Alda, tho New /ea-land-horn prima donna, of the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, has commenced a tom of Australia at Sydney, “With a personality ahomidiing in grace and charm.” says an Australian paper, “ Madame Frances A 1 da s whole recital fairly vibrated with spirit and color. She brines to bear an unmistakable individuality in her singing —singing not only illuminated by light of interpretative genius, but allied to a voice of exquisite quality and dramatic power. One hears many fine voices, well trained in a musical sense; but there is often lacking that evidence of brain, that welding of speech to music, without which no song he it the simplest ballad, can he considered a satisfactory and complete whole. Frances Alda in this respect proved to be a convincing interpreter of the poet’s exact meaning.” The Band Box Revue Company presented its second change this afternoon. First consisted of bright sketches, songs, and dances, and in the second half the Black Eagle, a musical revue with a plot and a real Wild AV est atmosphere. It has a dramatic story as well as plenty of humor, affording m excellent opportunity for smart iressing and dancing. The whole production reaches a high level. On Saturday last the George Wallace Revue Company commenced a provinlial tour of the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Oamaru marked the beginning of the tour, where the company played for two nights, Saturday and Monday. The George Wallace Company lias just completed a very successful three months’ season here, and will take in all the smaller towns throughout New Zealand in the order in which dates with the various, theatres will allow. 'This is the first revue company under the Fuller management to go on tour, and with a company which has such a popular comedian ns George "Wallace at its head the management has every confidence in its initial enterprise, and fullv anticipates the tour to result in a brilliant success. _ “Never in mv life have I listened to the ‘ Moonlight Sonata ’ under such conditions.” said Mrs H. C. Ross, describing a free recital given by Paderewski on the voyage of the Aoraugi to Honolulu. “The moon was full, the night perfect, and the seiy like glass. The lights were lowered, and from a master’s hands, played as only an artist can play, camo the ‘ Moonlight Sonata.’ The effect was wonderful.” As it had been expected that Paderewski would give only one item, said Mrs Ross, great was the delight when it became known that a recital would bo given. Autographed copies of the programme realised about £lB for the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Relief _ Fund. Mrs Ross described Paderewski as a charming personality. Cheers echoed and re-echoed when Paderewski returned to the boat after his recital at Honolulu. Mr Charles Norman, of the Gayle Wyer Bandbox Revue Company, now appearing at the Princess Theatre, is a young comedian who bids fair to to *far in his profession. Off the stage Ir Norman is a pleasant person, quite unlike the grotesque creature that he makes up to be on the stage; a great asset of this gentleman is that he possesses originality, and gets many a laugh for lines which otherwise would fall fiat. In a recent interview in London Annie Hughes stated that Sydney was like a suburb of New York. “Sydney’s clothes, pictures, and slang are American,” was one of her remarks. Miss’ Hughes was formerly Mrs Mayno Lynton. She spent some time in Australia, and bps just returned to London, where she is working with Violet Vanbrugh in ‘ A Woman in the Case.’ Miss Hughes has had a distinguished stage career, and years ago created the name part in * Little Lord Paun'tleroy.’ Most people who posess a gramophone have heard the records of Jack Smith singing ‘ Poor Poppa ’ and ‘ I’m Kneedeep in Daisies.’ Known as the Whispering Baritone, he leaped into universal popularity by means of his gramo- ' phone songs. When his name topped the Palladium bill everyone went to see him in the Hesh. Eventually his turn was announced. Jack Smith came'on the stage, seated himself at the piano, and with that deep whispering voice began to sing.. The effect in that huge music hall was terrible. The gallery and the pit could_ not hear, and his manner of allowing his voice to trail just behind the music too subtle for them to appreciate. Within a few minutes they were laughing and whistling at him, and after two songs Jack Smith signalled for the curtain to be lowered. He had got “ the bird.” Yet he appears at midnight in a cabaret show, the Midnight Follies, with great success. As a music hall artist at the Palladium ho was a failure.

Jottings on tbs people of the Stage and Screen and on tbe latest recorded Music.

The English comedian, George Carney, has opened a lour of Australia at Sydney Tivoli * A former J. C. Williamson'actress, now resident in Auckland, Mis Maisio Carte-Lloyd, will make her first appearance with the Little Theatre Society on September 15 in ‘ The Old Lady Shows Her Medals’ (says the ‘Sun’) Mrs Carte-Lloyd has appeared under the direction of J, C. Williamson, bred Niblo, Beaumont Smith, Margaret Wycherley, and with the famous Nellie Stewart as the Duchess of Portsmouth in ‘Sweet Nell of Old Drury.’ Later Mrs Carte-Lloyd took the part of Tiffin in the same production. Mrs CarteLloyd studied elocution and dramatic art' at the Walter Rolitloy School of Acting in Sydney. During a performance of ‘ The School for Scandal ’ one of J. C. WilHamsoij.’s managers was so impressed with Mrs Carto-Llo, yd’s perfortnanco oi "Lady Tca/l© tliafc a© ouGiGci her an engagement with the firm. She has also appeared with success in many motion pictures which have been produced in Australia. _ Mrs Carte-Lloyd is a cousin tlio ©niineufc scientist and Spiritualist Sir Oliver Lodge. SGREEHLAND JOTTINGS’ Because Theodore Roosevelt was an international citizen, a statesman known and admired in every country of the world, his file as a rough-rider during the bpanish-Amcrican War has .been immortalised on the screen. “ Roosevelt was a man who achieved fame outside ot las own land,” declares Jesso L. Lasky, first vice-president ot Paramount. “ For this reason 1 aiamount has made ‘ The Rough Riders for world-wide distribution, and we expect it to be tin even greater picture than ‘The Covered Wagon,’ whicu broke box office records in every land. Mack Sennett, Douglas Fairbanks, Ralph luce, and William Lc Baron are ’ representative ol the list of stars and producers who have decided Chang, ih e Paramount melodrama produced in the wilds of the Siamese jungle, to bo one of the greatest pictuies they have ever seen. , Sir A. W. Pinero’s famous play, ‘ Trelawney ot the AVells,’ will shortly appear as a motion picture. The screen rights have been secured by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and the picture will shortly go into production with Miss Nonna Shearer in the principal part. Sidney Franklin, who has been supervising the work of Miss Marion Davies in ‘ Quality Street,’ will direct the new picture. ‘ The Telephone Girl,’ Paramount’s screen version of William C. Dc Mille’s stage success, ‘The Woman.’ will be released in New Zealand shortly. It is melodrama with a background of political strife, hut it is said to bo handled very well. Miss Madge Bellamy lias the leading role, that of a telephone girl, who, unexpectedly finds herself holding tho reins of power in the contest for governorship. Betty Jewel, featured Paramount player, entered the movies “on a dare.” Her first-screen work was with D. W. Griffith in ‘ Orphans ot tho Storm,’ in which she played three distinct rotes, winning thereby the sobriquet of “third orphan.” Miss Jewel plays a captivating role in Gary Cooper’s starring Paramount picture, ‘Tho Last Outlaw,’ soon to be released in New Zealand. A vivid picture of tho part played by the Allied navies in the Great War is ‘ Convoy,’ which is to fee released in New Zealand shortly. Actual pictures of tho Battle of the North Sea, taken by official photographers, arc the outstanding feature, and Now York critics have compared them with the battle scenes from ‘ The Big Parade.’ In the cast are Miss Dorothy Mackaill, Lowell Sherman, lan Keith, and Buster Collins. Jocelyn Lee, one of the few red heads in'pictures, was cast by E. H. Griffith, veteran director, to play the vamp in ‘ Afraid to Love,’ Florence Vidor’s next starring release for Paramount. Clive Brook is loading man of the picture, which is to have early release. In the First National picture, ‘ The Savage,’ which is to'be released here shortly, Ben Lyon wears a beard. Ho scorned an artificial board, but while tho picture was being made, went without his ■ daily shave for over two mouths, in order that he might bo a realistically ferocious savage on a desert island. The picture was made during the American winter, and Lyon is now a firm advocate of replacing men’s scarves by the old-fashioned heard.