“MR. CINDERS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 756, 31 August 1929, Page 30

“MR. CINDERS”

: Australian Artists on Crest of a Wave j SIR GEORGE TALLIS TALKS Australian artists are on the crest of the wave just now iu Loudon, said the chairman of J. C. Williamson, Ltd. (Sir George Tallis), speaking of his tour of Great Britain, the Contini ent and the United States, from which > he has now returned to Australia. | “Mr. Cinders,” which Sir George de- | scribed as the biggest musical comedy | success of the year in Great Britain, hi

was produced at the London Adelphi by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., last January, and was transferred to the Hippodrome about the middle of July. “I predict a year's run for ‘Mr. Cinders,’ ” he continued. “We are sending two companies out to the British provinces with it, beginning this month. In addition we have arranged for its production in New York at the Globe Theatre on the termination of its London run. We also ran ‘The Patsy’ at the London Apollo for 100 j nights, and have two companies touring it in the provinces.” Australians Succeed Speaking of the success achieved by various Australian artists on the London stage, Sir George instanced Madge Elliott, Cyril Ritchard and Harry Wootton at the Gaiety; John Kirby and George Gee, who are entitled to be included as Australians, In “Hold Everything” at the Palace; Vera Pearce in “The New Moon” at Drury Lane; Rita Nugent in “Mr. ] Cinders” at the Hippodrome, and I many others. I “The talkies have stormed London like a whirlwind,” Sir George continued. “Besides the enormous publicity they receive, there is their novelty. All these shows are doing enormous business. “My idea is that this is only a passing phase. Speaking as a manager of the legitimate theatre, I feel that the drama will recover from this temporary set-back. When the silent films first became popular critics said they would kill the theatres. That did not happen. Instead, it brought us a larger public. “I predict that the same experience will take place with the talkies. The public will always want the living personality and the great artist will always desire to see his audiences.” “Mr. Cinders” would be produced in Australia, he added, about the end of the year, with an all-Australian company. Another important production thex-e would be “Follow Through,” a big New York success with a golfing story. The English are often called indifferent linguists, but J. T. Grein is doing his best to prove the opposite in London. Lately his company has played in a number of French plays, and at the Arts Theatre Club the company made its first venture in German, the play chosen being Sudermann’s ‘Johannisfeuer" (“Midsummer Fires”). Gwen Ffrangcon Davies, Charles Carson, and Austin Trevor were thoroughly at home in the unfamiliar medium. Miss Ffrangcon Davies especially gave a very moving performance as Heimchen, the girl who renounces the man she loves. This must be the first occasion since the war in which English players have acted in German. A full house greeted the experiment with great friendliness.