Unknowns Are Often Tragedy of the Stage

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 241, 31 December 1927, Page 18

Unknowns Are Often Tragedy of the Stage

Oxford Man and Old Etonian Earning 3/6 a Night LONDON WANTS NAMES Names Names!” cry the theatre managers in unison. “Take away your obscure geniuses. Give us £2OO a week stars to boast about in coloured electric lights!” A few weeks ago all the understudies in “The Spot On the Sun” acted at a special matinee (says a writer in the “Sunday News”). People that Lilian Cavanagh, in Marie Tempest's was a great success. *'ut Alban Limpus dare not risk carrying on without his star when she leaves the cast shortly to take a holiday. “I am not blaming the managers for wanting ‘names’; they know that you playgoers—-yes. and we critics—have « nr favourite actors and actresses, and that wo do not readily change our minds ” Constant “Triers'* Meanwhile, I continue to hear tragic taks of talent which, because it is unknown, must remain unknown. People who can act cleverly, write good plays .i nd compose catchy tunes, have spent a lifetime looking for chances that never appear. In the court scene of “Potiphar’s Wife” there are some men and women who sit in rows to represent the public. I think they get 3s Kd a night for doing so. At least two of them might have become famous—with luck. In the Crowd One of them is named Leslie Norman. He is a very good actor, and an Oxford man. He had his own company once. ITis acting never deteriorated—it was only the luck that went against him. A friend of mine secured a part for him in “Scrapped” at the Arts Theatre. For a few nights Noman left the crowd in “Potiphar’s Wife,” and his acting is an unemployed man in “Scrapped” made a deep impression. But none of the managers spoke up, and Norman is back at the Savoy, hoping in obscurity. Perhaps his chance will come along some day. Old Etonian “Super’* Another man in the “Potiphar’s Wife” crowd is an old Etonian, who has written a musical comedy, book, lyrics, and music. He is called Eugene Brookfield, and he sometimes designs very artistic scenery. The other day lie asked me to hear some of the songs from his musical play, which is called Clover.” He played them; they were original and catchy. “One day,” he said, “somebody will produce ‘Clover.’ It may even be during my lifetime.” Ife sent the music to a famous star, who has lost it. Now Brookfield lias started the heart-breaking task of copying it out again, bar by bar, from his original rough notes. Talent Goes Begging One of the best things in “The Beloved Vagabond” is the acting of Hector Abbas as a poet. It is a silly part, but he makes it seem almost real. There are people who believe in Abbas, but none of them has the money which might make him a star. “Harry Green is a great comedian,” a sound judge said the other day, “but he could not make ‘The Music Master’ run. The part fitted Abbas like a glove. If he had taken it, the play would have run for months, and London would have found a new star.” But London does not want to find new stars; it likes to go on cheering the old ones. That is why, when Hector Abbas found a play the other day \\ liich might have made him famous—it was called “The Ancestor” —nobody would put down the £IOO with which the rights might have been secured. Francis Arthur Curzon (Frank Cur•on), of 37 Bury Street, St. James’s, and Primrose Cottage, Newmarket, theatre proprietor and racehorse owner, whose horse, Call Boy, won the Derby this year, left estate of the gioss value of £181,588, with net personalty £156,108. He gave the income for life from £20,000 to Lady Robert Innes-Kerr (Jose Collins); £I,OOO to his private secretary, James Robert Meacock; £SOO to his trainer, John E. Watts; £SOO to Gertrude Butler, for many years in his employ, and £250 to his medical attendant, Robert Hugh Wilkin. All his other property he leaves in trust for his daughter, Pamela Stephanie, and her children as she may appoint, or on failure of these trusts to Cecilia Claribel Cavendish, daughter of his late wife (Isabel Jay) by her former husband. • • • In his spare time George Robey, tne London comedian, is teaching Reto pay him the best form of battery. Marie Blanche, who is leadtK* 5 * in * Bits and Pieces,” says mat Rebecca now knows a number of Robey s jokes and sends his visitors , ° of laughter. Also she makes vpically Eobesquc noises. Rebecca U , ° P arr °t George Robey brought Lack with him from South Africa.

“The Girl Friend,’* to open at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Sydney, this evening has the following cast: Annie Croft and Reginald Sharland in the leads. Lorna Helms as the telephone girl; Leo Franklyn as the bell hop (played by George Gee in London); Gus. Bluett, Marie la Varre, Rowena Ronald, Frank Leighton, Rosie le Varde, Winnie Tait, Tui Black, Harry Wootton, Katie Towers, John Stuart and Jo© Thomal.

Eileen Sparks, leading lady with Maurice Moscovitch, In “The Ringer,” which comes to Auckland on Feoruary 1, was born at Newcastle, and is very proud of the fact that she is a real Australian leading lady, never having played out of Australia, although she has visited South Africa and New Zealand. She has often been tempted to do film work, for she photographs perfectly. It was with a specially posed photograph of Miss Sparks that Monte Luke won first prize at a photographic exhibition in Madrid.

Reginald Newson, who is playing in the thrilling drama, “The Ringer,” coming to Auckland on February 1, started out in life as a tea taster, not his idea of a career, but his father’s. Consequently, Reginald did not take too well to his job. Then came the war, and service in Egypt, where he was a leading light in amateur theatricals. He received an offer from the Bandmann Company to tour the East, and thus began his stage career—a career which has taken him to many parts of the world.

Pantomime seems to have gone out of favour in Australia, writes a correspondent to the Sydney “Bulletin,” but it annually provides Australians, among others, with good salaries in England. Kitty Reidy was principal boy in “Humpty Dumpty” this Christmas at the Palace, Manchester. Another “Humpty Dumpty,” at the Empire, Liverpool, introduced Vera Pearce and Wee Georgie Wood in the leading parts. • * * “Good Morning, Bill,” P. G. Wodehouse’s comedy about a young man (Ernest. Truex) and a lady doctor (Vera Lennox) was produced at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London, on the 28th. “I saw the play on its first performance at Eastbourne and was a little bit surprised that two or three things in it had been passed by the censor,” says an English critic.

Among those who are playing in Muriel Starr’s company in Sydney are Beatrice Day, Barrie Livesey, Ellis Irving, Mayne Lynton, B. N. Lewin, Felix Bland, Charles Lawrence, Mary Macrae, Bertha Ballenger, Fred Coape, Rutland Beckett, and Doris Fitton. The season opened with “Cornered.”

• * * The interest in “Rose Marie” at His Majesty’s Theatre shows now signs of declining. Bookings are particularly heavy, and the charming little lady looks as though she will shatter all theatrical records in Auckland. The Totem Ballet, “Pretty Things” and “The Love Call” are as popular as they were when their haunting melodies first became known on the gramophone.

Irving Sayles, the negro comedian, had the strongest objection to being called “coon” off the stage, says a writer in the Sydney “Bulletin.” He did not mind his partner addressing him as such on the stage, but outside! Once when visiting a gaol—a habit he had—Sayles was addressed by a long-distance prisoner who knew his sensitiveness on the subject. “What am de time, coon?” the convict said “You doan wanta know de time,” Irving replied; “you ain’t goin’ nowwhere.”

Despite the laudations, I can’t quite see how the reported rise to fortune of Frank Neil will benefit the Australian stage, writes “L. de R.” in the Sydney “Bulletin.” Up to date Neil has practically confined himself to the silliest and lowest form of American farce. His methods of production are of the crudest. A Neil play is one long bellow, into which is shoved any bit of irrelevant business that will raise a laugh from the most moronic section of the audience. There are capable actors in the Neil companies, but their capacity isn’t noticed in the din. Field Fisher was an engaging comedian under J.C.W. management. Under the Neil direction he threatens to become merely a noise. Of course, it may be that the actor-manager and now theatre-owner intends to raise his standards as his prosperity grows, but bad habits are hard to get out of. The long-pending action between J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and Hugh J. Ward Proprietary (now in liquidation) had been further advanced by a statement filed in court by the plaintiffs, says an Australian paper. Mr. C. B. Westmacott, general manager of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., when interviewed, admitted that the firm had been advised by its Melbourne office that a statement of claim had been filed that day against Hugh J. Ward and H. H. Franzee, in connection with a writ issued some months ago. The amount involved is set down at about £25,000, and is in respect of an alleged infringement of copyright of a play entitled “His Lady Friends.” The infringement is alleged to have taken place in the production of “No, No, Nanette!” which introduced Elsie Prince, Jimmy Godden and other artists now appearing in “Archie,” to the Sydney public. The case will be heard in Melbourne.