A FAMOUS SINGER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 August 1938, Page 5

A FAMOUS SINGER

THE DISCOVERY OF DANNY MALONE. A familiar theme in motion pictures is the story of the unknown singer who is suddenly “discovered” and rocketed to fame overnight, but it is seldom indeed that such good fortune transpires in real life. That there is at least one exception, however, was proved to a “Times-Age” representative who interviewed the famous Irish tenor, Mr Danny Malone, yesterday afternoon. One day in 1933, when singing for a bare existence in the London streets, Mr Malone was “discovered” by Basil Charles Dean, the Australian composer. So impressed was Mr Dean that he immediately arranged a radio audition for his “find.” As a result the

next night Mr Malone was on the air on a programme that included such stars as Rene and Billy Houston and Claude Dampier. His success was immediate. Billed as “the fame-in-a-night Irish tenor” he made many broadcasts and theatre appearances in Great Britain and then visited the United States where he sang over the National Broadcasting Company’s net work under a twelveweek contract and also toured the R.K.O. theatre circuit in New York State. Many film enthusiasts will remember Mr Malone as the singer in the film “Rose of Tralee," which was screened .in Masterton a few months ago. Discussing the production, Mr Malone said that in order to fill out his face for the camera contours, he had to look about for some simple way to put on weight. A oint of milk everv evening was the solution of the problem. In seven weeks he was twenty-one pounds heavier and was able to face the camera with eouanimitv. With the nicture disposed of and the milk ration no longer a nightly duty, be was soon back to normal weight. The experience. said Mr Malone, was particularly interesting in view of the daily issun of mill' tn school children in New Zealand and showed that any break in the supply might have unlooked-for results. Mr Malone’s impressions of New Zealand are extremely happy. Incidentally. he explained, his small son Cavan John was brought im under the Plunket system by a Truby Nine nurse trained in London. Mrs Malone recently returned to England and to Cavan John.

Asked tn re-issue his silent nicture “The Kid.” in which Jackie Coogan nlayed the part of a little ragamuffin. Charlie Chaplin has refused.

Company in leading' roles and his first appearance will be as Mcphistopheles in “Faust” on October 10. Following that, Mr Natzke will fill further bass roles in “Rigoletto,” “The Meistersingers,” “Barber of Seville,” and “La Boheme,” over a three weeks season. A six months tour of some of the larger centres in England >will follow. The Auckland singer has had several auditions with Sir Thomas Beecham conducting for him and critics have expressed themselves well pleased with his work. Emlyn Williams Again. Emlyn Williams has completed a new comedy, with a background of Welsh country life fifty years ago, called “The Corn Is Green,” writes Richard Clowes in the “Sunday Times." The leading part, of a pioneer of education, was written for Sybil Thorndike who will play it. Stephen Mitchell will present “The Corn Is Green” at a West End theatre in September after a short provincial tour,' Mr Williams will produce the piece.