STAN. McKAY’S “GAIETIES”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 39, 16 February 1939, Page 3

STAN. McKAY’S “GAIETIES”

NEW REVUE TO-NIGHT. The first performance of Stanley McKay’s “Gaieties” at the Opera House drew a large audience last night, and a new production will be presented to-night. The management claims that this will be one of the marriest revues of the series, and the frocking will be elaborate, particularly in the scene “In Old Bagdad,” which serves as a finale to the first part of the programme. Other song scenes will include “Paris in the Spring” in a setting with the Eiffel Tower in the background and “Hiking,” in which Stan Foley and Alec. McKinnon will be the chief comedians. Stella Lamond’s items will include the modern version of “The Seven Ages” and “The Little Brute.” Nellie Kolle will introduce a fresh bracket of popular songs, and George Hurd will present his amazing juggling act. To-morrow afternoon the children will be specially catered for.

Eric Hatch, author of “My Mair Godfrey,” is working on the script of I the Marx Brothers’ new picture, “A I Day at the Circus.” The Way Out. The theme of W. Chatham Strode’s play “Heart’s Content.” (Diana Wynyard was starred in the London production early last year), concerns Anne, the daughter of a rich lawyer. She celebrates her birthday by going to a restaurant with a crowd of raffish friends who return with her to her home. Anne is followed by a young Austrian who turns out to be* an aristocratic politician in his own' country. He is a waiter at the res-1 taurant, as he is studying European conditions. The society girl and the) waiter become engaged, and when! von Roden is summoned to return to I Austria, he does so, in spite of his' fiancee’s entreaties. Too single-mind-1 ed an idealist to handicap himsek with a wife when his political oppor-1 tunity comes, though he genuinely i loves her. he leaves Anne. Years

pass and the girl marries a dull but : worthy husband. On von Roden's return to London in a diplomatic post the pair meet and declare their love, but decided to continue without complicating their lives. Back to her husband goes Anne and von Roden continues as a celibate politician. Television Celebrity. One of the best-known radio performers in America at the present is I charming Helen Lewis, who has become one of the foremost television | actresses in New York. Miss Lewis, ini 1934, took a leading part in the University of Nevada annual* variety show; she was a junior in the college. After the show she was called out to meet an “important man" a dark, thick-set, intent-looking Austrian, who thrust a volume of Shakespeare into her hands, and commanded her to read all the feminine parts in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream." When she had finished an hour later, he said: “Good! lam Max Reinhardt. You shall play Hcrmia.” Travelling incognito, the famous Austrian director proceeded to Hollywood with hi. find and she was cast as the understudy of Olivia de Havilland in the Reinhardt stage version. After four rehearsals, Miss de Havilland left the company and Helen Lewis took her part as feminine lead in the Shakespearean fantasy. Since then she ha; played leading parts on several American stages; turned down Hollywood offers, and is now the leading television actress in America.