TWO BLITHE SPIRITS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 392, 27 December 1946, Page 18

TWO BLITHE SPIRITS

"Topper" from the ZB’s HE most petulant poltergeist unearthed by Britain’s psychic investigator, Harry Price, did nothing much more phenomenal than throw things about, and apparently without much rhyme or reason. But the two jovial yet ghostly characters created by the farcical novelist, Thorne Smith, created situations which made thousands laugh at the book, at the film, and at the American radio adaptation of Topper. And Marion and George Kerby, it will be remembered, went in for wholesale mischief according to a set plan-their main object was to discomfit the Toppers as

often, and as much as possible. Now they are floating about in the NZBS ether. When Bernard Beeby, producer for the NZBS Production Studios, received an American script, as used by the film actor Roland Young, on the screen and in the American radio network, he found that it could easily be adapted for New Zealand consumption. When it came to casting, he chose his players with the idea of securing the maximum amount of comedy, and as even what are termed the "hard’’ characters have some fun in their lines, few alterations in the script were nécessary. The main parts were given an atmosphere acceptable to New Zealand listeners, but ceftain smaller characters, such as Heliotrope, the coloured maid, were retained in their original form. Mouse and Man For Topper somebody had to create a mousey type, inordinately’ proud of ‘the fact that a most attractive female ghost found his company interesting, especially when her spirit husband was ‘wandering about in some other-dimen-siénal plane. Then, to contrast with Topper, there had to be the voice of his wife, containing a domineering, pos‘sessive tone. Marion Kerby had to make mischief sparkle through her voice and possess just the right amount of sophis‘tication to allure Topper. To take the ‘part of George Kerby, Marion’s spirit husband, someone who could portray light-hearted’ animal exuberance was required. : "We had lots of fun doing this show," Mr. Beeby said. "Everybody quickly caught the spirit of the play. The effects (continued on next page)

---- (continued on next page) took some thinking out, for exaggeration was needed for greater comedy value, and the music presented a bit of a problem, but that was solved by Laurie Constable, who selects the music for all our productions." Mr. Beeby added that, taken all round, he was very pleased with the result. It was quite a change and he felt that this, his first production for the commercial stations, had widened the studios’ scope. The Adventures of Topper,'to be heard once weekly, started at 2ZB on Sunday, December 8, at 8.0 p.m; at 3ZB on Sunday, December 15, at 9.15 p.m.; and at 4ZB on Sunday, December 22, at 9.0 p.m. It will be heard from 1ZB and 2ZA on dates to be announced. The principal members of the cast are Harry Painter as Topper, Pauline Heany as Mrs. Topper, Sinclair Ronald as Marion Kerby, and Selwyn Toogood as George Kerby. Others include Arthur Heany, Bernard Beeby, Earle Rowell, Joachim Kahn, Laurie Sweetapple, Beryle McMillan, Gordon Grimsdale, and Irene Spidy.