George Gee, Popular in N.Z., Tells of His London Success

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 625, 30 March 1929, Page 16

George Gee, Popular in N.Z., Tells of His London Success

■ HEN the curtain came down after the first night performance of “Virginia,” I had exactly the same feeling of exultation as when, in the same theatre, the curtain was rung down on the opening show of “The Girl Friend.” There had been the applause throughout both plays; the same dull roar of hand-clapping that came from beyond the footlights to us after the curtain had dropped at the end; and the renewed applause as it was rung up again. That was success! Well, perhaps all the striving and hard work had been worth such ecstatic moments of happiness. I was horn in Rotherham, which settles once and for all the arguments as to whether I am an American or an Australian. I’m English, thoroughly, from Yarrkshire! I suppose people thought I was an American because Emma, in “The Girl Friend,” was! Australia comes into the matter in the following manner: I’d worked very hard to get a chance in London; but no one wanted me. I went to everybody who could help, and always it was the same story: “Sorry, but there’s no opening for you. We’ve all the dancers and singers we want.” Then the opportunity came to go to Australia for a few months. It was better than eating my heart out in London, so I went, and Australia took to me right away. My six months’ stay lengthened into eight years, and by that time I was known as the Henson of Australia. I’d succeeded there all right, but yet at times I used to feel that if only I could get my chance in London, my own country. . . Then the offer arrived! Someone had spotted me “down under.” The cast of “Whitebirds,” heralded as the most spectacular, lavish and costly of all shows, was being got together. Would I care to take a part? I jumped at it, and returned to London. But my luck was dead out. You know the story of the ill-fated “Whitejirds.” It ran a few- weeks only.

You can imagine how I felt after coming thousands of miles! But my luck hadn’t altogether deserted me. A friend came to me and said: “Never mind, Gee, old man! Look here, how would you like to join ‘The Girl Friend?’ It’s being put on shortly.” ' Again I took the chance offered, and after the first night I knew I had made a hit. “The Girl Fx-iend” ran for months,.and "Virginia” looks like doing the same. Yet I took a big risk in “The Girl Friend.” You see, although I’d often danced with a partner before, I’d never even seen Emma Haig, so it

was a big speculation whether we’d “fit.” ' People often say to me that she and I must spend days and days rehearsing new dances. They’re off the track there; it isn’t the rehearsing that takes the time so much as thinking out the steps. You see, every show we take part in must have entirely different ones. When we’ve got at something new we have a try-out together, and if the steps fit. in neatly we adopt' them.