Olive Sloan and a “Dirty” Flat

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 358, 19 May 1928, Page 22

Olive Sloan and a “Dirty” Flat

“EVERYTHING CHEAP AND NASTY” A theatrical atmospheer pervaded the District Court in Sydney recently and Judge Edwards found himself interested in a number of young ladies of the stage. Keith Campbell, of Waratah Fiats, Bayswater Road, sued Olive Sloan, of the “Cradle Snatchers’’ company for £3O 9s. It was alleged on behalf of the plaintiff that a number of “Cradle Snatchers” occupied portion of Waratah Flats, Bayswater Road, Darlinghurst, and that the defendant was indebted to him in the following way: To one week’s rent, £8 10s; telephone hire and calls for three months. £7 11s; silver teapot destroyed by the defendant, £5 ss; aluminium saucepan damaged by the defendant, £1 9s 6d; clearing the flat and washing linen, £1 Os 9d; breakages of china dinner set and damages generally, £5 10s; two dinner foyks missing, 6s; clock broken, 6s 9d; electric light and gas, 10s. Total, £3O 9s. Eveline Clare Campbell, sister of the plaintiff, stated that the “Cradle Snatchers” left the flat in a dirty condition. Witness discovered the mangled remains of a chicken in the ice-chest. Olive Sloan, the defendant, said that she had to vacate the premises in the middle of a week on account of having to go to Melbourne. “Did you break a silver teapot?” asked Mr. Jaques. “I never saw any silverware in the apartments,” replied witness. “Everything was cheap and nasty.” The judge found a verdict for the defendant.

Not content with writing plays, stories, and articles, and liis racing, Edgar Wallace has now become a theatrical manager. He has taken over the sub-lease of the Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, where his play, “The Man Who Changed His Name,” is running, and he will be in control there until the autumn. The first thing he did when he took over the theatre was to have his own picture removed from the programme. The next thing was to install his wife in an office at the theatre, where she represents him when he is busy elsewhere. The Royalty Theatre, London, has just concluded what, in sporting parlance, might be called a “double.” Its recent play, “Tinker, Tailor,” was taken off after a run of four performances. Its next play, “Mr. Priestley’s Night Out,” was taken off after five. It is inevitable in the circumstances that the old superstition of “unlucky theatres” should be mentioned again, such theatres as the Kingsway and the Royalty and one or two others being held to give less chance alike to good plays and bad plays than some of their rivals. Much of this superstition is, of course, nonsense. The Kingsway has in its time had many hard things said about it. But the simple fact remains that when a play that people want to see is produced at any theatre, they go and see it. _

Joseph Coyne, here some years ago, is playing the leading part in “The Baby Cyclone” in London. “Marigold,” a play of simple charm and much sentiment, has concluded a year’s run in London. “Thunder in the Air,” a play of the After Life by Mr. Robins Millar, has been produced at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London. Violet Vcinbrugh, Hilda Bayley, Grizelda Hervey, Margaret Scudamore, Fisher White, Frank Pettey, and Alexander Onslow are in the cast. “The Desert Song,” which ran for over a year in London, was taken off on April 14 while it was still drawing £3,000 a week. J.CAV. has the rights for the Australian and New Zealand production.