Unconscionably Short
HE ZB’s have been lucky enough to get James Mason in a play or two, and his is always a name to attract those who have seen him in films. Wondering how the effect of his personality would come over the air, minus the effect of visual aid, I tuned to 4ZB to hear Charles the King, with James Mason and Pamela Kellino. It was surprising how Laughtonian the disembodied voice of Mason sounded on the radio at certain climaxes in this play; but the play itself, in spite of the vital acting of its stars, was a bit disappointing, compressing the story of Charles I-a theme for a five-acter-into a bare half-hour of radio entertainment, Thus shortened, the dramatic enactment of the struggle between king and parliament was shorn of subtlety, and failed to give Mason the scope necessary for the full exploitation of his acting ability. The illusion of period was not maintained, moreover, by the insertion, halfway through the play, fof a pep-talk en the beauty secrets of Hollywood's screen stars. These half-hour plays would be vastly improved by being presented in one piece, with perhaps a short musical interlude; the dividing of a half-hour play into two separate and short "acts" is unnecessary and inartistic. ol ler 7
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19481015.2.23.1.9
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 486, 15 October 1948, Page 11
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214Unconscionably Short New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 486, 15 October 1948, Page 11
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Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
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