ANSWER TO TALKIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 800, 22 October 1929, Page 14

ANSWER TO TALKIES

WELL-KNOWN ARTISTS TO TOUR DOMINION E. J. GRAVESTOCK’S CHALLENGE “Next year we are bringing Backhaus, Alexander Watson and the J. H. Squire Celeste Octette to New Zealand —that is our reply to the challenge of the talkies.” Mr. E. J. Gravestock, the wellknown entrepreneur, made the above

statement oi* the in reply to the assertions that the concert platform is dead as far as New Zealand is concerned. He is bringing the Italian soprano, Husolina Giannini, with him this time to tour the Dominion. after an astonishing success in Australia, and is already forming

plans for bringing out next year several well-known artists other than those mentioned above.

“The talkies are having a wonderful vogue at present in Australia to the detriment of the legitimate stage,” Mr. Gravestock said. “However, keen judges of the entertainment business express the opinion that the pendulum must swing back to the legitimate stage and real personalities. Drama and concerts will come back. Personally, I am firmly of that opinion, as long as the public is given good plays and good artists.” Mr. Gravestock supported his argument with the fact that Giannini’s tour of Australia has been a great success, that seats must be booked weeks ahead for “Lombardi, Ltd.”, a comedy now running in Sydney, and that Journey’s End” in Melbourne hlayed houses. “It is only the weaker forms of entertainment which are suffering ” he says. “The time has come when the concert business in New Zealand and Australia must be put on a better footing, and music clubs similar to those in England and America must be formed,” continued Air. Gravestock. “By this means managers are guaranteed for their concerts. I have a scheme like this in hand at the moment for next year, but the plans have not yet been finalised.”