The Show's The Thing

NZ Truth, Issue 1213, 28 February 1929, Page 11

The Show's The Thing

DUNNY BEATTY'S name is really Bunny Laiiri, but her mother, May Beatty, wants her called Lauri Beatty. All these complications ari.se from the fact that Bunny is the last of the Lauris, the distinguished theatrical family into which May married many years ago m London. Euwurd Lauri. her husband, died a decade ago, the last male member of the Lauri. family, who have been on the stage for two hundred years. They are rivals to and relations of the Lupinos, Avho are old-timers of the profession. So that's the reason Bunny is called Lauri. As a lhatter of fact, she signs herself "Buriny-Lauri Beatty." May, who is ever popular on the New Zealand stage, made a big hit m "Hit the Deck." At present she is missing from the cast m Sydney through an illness. #* # " DARAMOUNT studios have eight fine v pictures ready for release m New Zealand and the premiere dates will be announced shortly. " They are "The Legion of the Condemned" (companion picture to the epic, "Wings"), "The Fleet's In" (Clara Pow), "Take Me Home" (Bebe ' Daniels), "The First Kiss" (Gary Cooper and Fay Wray), "Moran of the Marines" (Richard Dix), "The Drag Net" (George Bancroft), "His Private Life" (Adolphe Menjou), and "Avalanche" (Jack Holt). # ' ■ ' # • . ■ SOME of the "Vagabond King" girls of the Sydney production passed into the outer darkness when the company left for New Zealand; as it was an expensive enough show to stage m Sydney, quite apart from transport charges m New. Zealand. Vcra Dearsley is understudying Strella Wilson on the Maoriland tour. ■■'■■■#.-# *. ; ' THE Frank O'Brien revue .company is due to take the boards m Wellington any day now. Let's hope they have as good a run as Wellington people have given Mike Connors and Queenie Paul's League of Notions company, which is now m its fifteenth week m the capital.

QEORGE WALLACE is having a great run at St. James's m Auckland with his home-made sketches. Aiu-k-Umders like George, the "Flaming Youihs" jazz band and the "six snappy Rascals" of the bullet. * ♦ * MINNIE RAYNER and Jane Comfort, •late of the "Thark" and ''Rookery Nook" companies, which recently' did a season m New Zealand, have returned to London, and are not working at the moment. * # * ALTHOUGH six or seven films have been made m Australia since the Government's promise to offer £10.000 m cash prizes, no competition has been drafted. Producers ,aye anxious because picture making has slumped badly duringthe past 12 months. A year ago the studios were m full blast, but the boxoffice appeal of the films was disappointing. Mr. Walter Marks, M.P., who was chairman of the -commissioii, has undertaken to see what can be done. It is- said that the quota js now unnecessary m Australia' because British 1 films are coming into their own and are taking pride of place m many theatres. . * * * WELLINGTON Fuller fans will not like, parting with the inimitable Syd. Beck when the League of Notions company moves off the Wellington stage of the Fuller circuit. Fifteen weeks is rather a long season for a comedian m one city, but Syd. has risen to the occasion m Wellington and always has something new and original to put over from week to week. He must have an unlimited repertoire of ideas. ■