GOOD TO INDIFFERENT

Evening Star, Issue 23693, 28 September 1940, Page 7

GOOD TO INDIFFERENT

drama, musical comedy, and RECITALS CLARA ‘BUTT'S FIRST APPEARANCE BLAND HOLT’S FINAL PLAYS BALLOON ASCENT THAT WASN'T [By Loiterer.] The year 1908 saw repeats of many old favourites in drama -and musical comedy, but there were also several entirely new plays. ‘ Home, Sweet Home,’ presented by Allan Hamilton s company in His Majesty’s on January 11, was a domestic piece of distinctly good quality, offering scope for plenty of natural acting. Baby Watson was considered the most charmingly unaffected child actress seen on the Dunedin stage till then. She subsequently appeared successfully as Cedric Errol in Little Lord Eauntleroy.’ George Bryant, Robert Inman, Beatrice Usher, and Fanny Erris all proved capable performers. ‘ Blue Moon,’ which, you will recall, had unfortunate repercussions on the fate of Alfred Hill’s ‘ A Moqrjsh Maid,’ was presented by J. C. Williamson in His Majesty’s on March 13. This picturesque Eastern comedy “ did not make a show of the human figure. There were no displays of tights and but a peep at ankles.” Amy Murphy (formerly well known in local amateur theatricals) made her first appearance as a professional actress. The best song was, ‘ She Didn’t Know,’ sung by Daisy Wallace. Myles Olifton, Harold Parkes, Celia Ghilhoni, and Ada Page were others. Subsequent productions included ‘Lady Madcap,’ ‘The Little Michus,’ * The Girl -From Kay’s,’ and , ‘ Three Little Maids.’ Herbert Flemming’s company offered ‘ The Mummy and the Humming Bird,’ a triangle drama, on April 8. This was strongly acted, as was a rather loose version of W. J. Locke’s ‘ The Morals of Marcus.’ A. S. Homewood gave an excellent delineation of Sir Marcus Orde.yne. Beatrice Day, as well as the script allowed, was Judith Mainwaring. ‘ Olivia,’ a version of Goldsmith’s ‘ The Vicar of Wakefield,’ was also offered, Herbert Flemming making an admirable Dr Primrose. DUNEDIN PLAYER. A son of Polly Leake, well known to Dunedin people some years previously, was given a civic reception when he returned to star in ‘ A Prince Chap ’ at His Majesty’s on June 8. He was H. R. (Roberts, who had made good in London. He had a new type of role, one in which he appeared “ brimful of human kindness.” and it> was ideally suited to him. Florence Redfern, Mary Keogh, and A. E. Greenaway were with him. Maud M'lntosh supported Harcourt Beatty in ‘ Her Love Against the World,’ first of a series of plays staged from August 16 in His Majesty’s. She was a very fine actress, particularly strong in emotional parts. She played ‘ Camille ’ that visit, hers being the best rendition since “ Mrs Brown Potter, whose lithe, seductive grace made her the most suitable of all exponents of the part.” ' • ' ■ ‘Mrs Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch was one of the most delightful presentations of that year, however. Staged at His Majesty’s on November 11, it gave peculiar opportunities for sincere, natural acting. The human interest of the play established a bond of accord between company and audience which never broke. Ada Dwyer captured Mrs Wiggs •to perfection. Lottie Alter was Lovoy Mary- Fred. Patey, Argyll! Campbell, Helene Raymond, and Rene Seaton were also in the cast.

A show which gave none of the players a chance to prove acting ability was ‘ Miss Lancashire Ltd,.’ offered from November 21. It was only d,ue to the , magnetic personality of Florence Baines, the “ Lancashire Lass,” that the show had a lengthy season. She was capable of ropsing spontaneous laughter by a mere look; her infectious laugh could not be resisted, and she bewitched even the most soberisided. SENSATION AT THE CALEDONIAN GROUNDS. Retracing our steps, a balloon ascent which miscarried was staged on the Caledonian Grounds by Captain Jonassen and Professor Barnes, on January 18. This failed principally because of a. change of wind. The body of our report is amusing: “ Only a battalion of spectators paid to /see the business begin; an army of watchers used Dunedin’s free grand stands to see it end. It was an entertainment without beginning, middle, or end, and all were disappointed. In the process of attempting to coax the bundle of silk to look like a balloon two mishaps occurred. Included in the tackle were two small poles which will be memorable in a few minds. The first fell among a cluster of schoolboys and made their happy, ruddy faces turn sickly white. The second crashed amidst a knot of adults and whacked the heads «>f two men who straightway had their keen interest in ballooning killed. One individual had to go away, gingerly handling a black-and-blue balloon on a bare place on his head. By this time the patience of the spectators was ruined, and grumbling was common. Darkness was falling and the thing Happing from a kind of clothes line wasn’t a bit like a balloon. Those who had paid began to think of their money and made overtures to get it. They didn’t get it, and those .who could swear swore and those who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, felt like it. The cheeriest feature of the whole business was the appearance of the Mosgiel-Dnnediu duplication, which promises to be the most, economic pipcc of engineering the Minister of Railways has yet undertaken.” CARTER THE GREAT. ( “ Carter the Great,”' well-known magician, made his debut to Dunedin theatregoers in His Majesty’s on January 27. It was a sensational show at that time, but was of the sort to which we have become rather too accustomed nowadays. * The_ Astral Hand,’ ‘ Fly to,’ ‘The Aerial Princess,’ ‘The Phantom Bride,’ and such like have a familiar ring about them. CLARA BUTT SINGS. Clara Butt made her first appearance in His Majesty’s on February 5. She was accompanied by Kennerley Rum.ford (baritone), Carl Barre (violin), Frank Merrick (piano), J. Edward Sykes (organist), and A. Godfrey (accompanist). She gave three recitals in all. the third being in the Garrison Hall. “ She is in all respects a concert queen,” said our critic. “ and she fulfils all the highest expectations. . . . One of her secrets of success is her ability to employ the final resources of her marvellous voice exactly where they

are required for the most effective interpretation of her music. She is not hampered, as are most contraltos, by the fixed boundary of the show notes.” Among better known numbers given during the season were Liddle’s ‘ Abide With Me,’ Sullivan’s ‘ Lost Chord,’ Elgar’s ‘ Lund of Hope and Glory,’ and Handel’s ‘ Largo.’ Kennerlcy Rumfovd (who sang in duets with Clara Butt) was most effective in ‘ Figaro’s Song ’ from ‘ The Barber of Seville.’ REGULAR PICTURE SCREENINGS. July 6 was an important date, for it marked tho beginning of daily picture screenings in Dunedin. Fullers’ vaudeville at the Princess gave way to World-wide Pictures, which, with only slight interruptions, played continuously for some years, not always in the Princess, however. Shortly afterwards West’s Pictures and Hayward’s Pictures began fairly regular screenings, and for the greater part of the next two or three years there were usually three regular picture shows running at the same time. Extensions followed thereafter. Most of the presentations were short, hut occasionally something running into length—about 3,000 ft was offered. Pictures had come to stay, and even the most sceptical was beginning to realise that. “MERRYMAKERS” AND “TROUBADOURS.” Huntley and Clayton’s “ Merrymakers,” a clever and refined- vaudeville. combination, opened in His Majesty’s on July 18. With the conii pany was Eric Blore, to-day well known for his funny-man butler impersonations on the screen; but then he was a tenor of some repute. Doris Lind (comedienne), Elsie Williams (pianist and vocalist, does anyone remember her ‘Flies Round the Honey Pot r*), Gavin Wood (comedian and bass), Herbert Clayton (bass— Ije could amft ‘Mandalay’), and J. M. Campbell (comedian) were some of toe ipeiroi livers. Campbell appeared as the i t°°‘ of the family,” and was a singularly accomplished low comedian. He S a ' 0 some excellent impersonations, ms ‘ Mrs Wizzen ’ being claimed to bo as o-ood as, if not better than, Sheridan b ‘ Widow O’Brien.’ On the opening night the audience was a lairly noisj one, and when Campbell came on he addressed it; ‘‘Ladies and gentlemen—anjust°asSthe'“ Merrymakers ” showed an advance on any vaudeville offerings hitherto, so Edward Branscombe s “Scarlet Troubadours, at His Majesty’s on September 5, showed an advance on the “ Merrymakers, and the “Troubadours” were welcome visitors in tho next few years. With them were May Glenn (coon songs), fiord Waltham, Alfred Cunningham, Maude Fane, and Sydney Mannenng. Edgar Warwick was the star comedian ; a c JnicK and adroit exponent of the school oi comedy he favoured. , Mr and Mrs "Albert Mallmsqn appeared in a recital of Mr Mallinson. s songs in Burns Hall on November 2b, first of several visits. Mallinson was a composer and pianist, and Mrs Malhnson sang his works as they should have been sung. They were difficult to interpret, and a single hearing of them did not make them fully understandable or appreciated!. The interpretation called for powers similar to those required for the delineation of Wagnerian opera. EXIT BLAND HOLT. After a long absence. Bland Holt returned with a series of new plays, including ‘The Great Millionaire,’ ‘The Breaking of the Drought.’ ‘ Flood Tide,’ and ‘The Great Rescue,’ on November 23. His was a long season, running into the first week in January. This, as it happened, was destined to be Holt’s last appearance. Returning to Australia, he found that the big combines were controlling all companies. Holt refused to knuckle under to anyone elsc’s direction, but, despite his popularity, he was beaten. Rather than have someone else his “boss” ho rc"tiredl from tho stage. To-day he runs a picture theatre in Melbourne, and, with many happy memories to keep him company, is perfectly content. THE CHERNIAVSKIS. On December 5, in Burns Hall, to no sort of audience at all, appeared for the first time, though not the last by a long way,' three boys in short trousers. Their names wore Leo, Jan, and Mischel Cherniavski, players of the violin, piano, and violoncello respectively. Even at their immature ago the lads, who came under Edward Branscombe’s direction, “ were each >on a standard of grown men whose powers were fully developed. They are not prodigies, but wise, clever performers.” Wirth’s Circus, each year growing in size, apppeared on January 30, 1909, the biggest yet. Prior to tins visit they had bought out two well-known combinations, Fitzgerald Bros, and Bostock and Wombell. The best of the animals in the three' menageries were brought on this tour, on which Wirth’s also brought for the first time a giraffe, costing them £I,OOO. This strange animal was the subject of much interest, as was a £1,250 bipppopotamus (“ Lizzie”), which was brought round the following year. Till then neither animal had been seen in Australia or New Zealand.

A Dickens impersonator who “ did not succeed in getting into close touch with his subjects ” was Charles Davenport, who appeared in Burns Hall on June-21. Davenport was preceded by considerable publicity, his reputation overseas being heavily stressed, and in consequence ho attracted a large audience. Our critic was frankly disappointed, and, finding no excuses, added amusingly, “ He did not appear to be suffering from a cold, or anything like that.” J. C. Williamson’s Royal Comic Opera Company in His Majesty’s on June 30 played ‘The Dairymaids,' ‘ The Girls From Gothenburg,’ and ‘ The Merry Widow.’ The latter, witli “ its uncommonly good music,” was an unqualified success. Florence Young was a most convincing and capable merry widow. Andrew Higginson was Prince Dauilo, “ a poor singer, but he handled his part dexterously, witli a note of gentle flippancy, which was yet lover-like.” The best pantomime to be staged to date was ‘ Jack and Jill,’ a J. C. Williamson offering, on July 28. Elaborately staged, every use was made of electric lighting to obtain sensational effects. Stella Gastello, as Jack, was the perfect principal boy. Two of her songs became hits— 1 She’s a Lassie From Lancashire ’ and ‘ Climb, Boys, Climb.’ Fred Leslie introduced another, ‘ How De Doody.’ Clyde Cook’s eccentric dancing added to the merits of the show.

(To he continued.)