Annotations of Annabel

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 10, 21 September 1928, Page 12

Annotations of Annabel

TEs REST: After the storm, the calm. After frenzied excitement of greeting of svoundlings to soaring heroes of the air, we sit back and assure each other thet ’twas a famous victory, even as old Caspar said once upon a time in a widely different eonnection, Heroworshippers by the score have sprung up.in a night, which is all to the good in this materialistic age. YNE is glad the gallant adventurer secured his missing mascot. In spite of high honour heaped upon hirn, he mourned his little black kitten, nis one ewe lamb, It has a story one surmises, this emblem of priceless portent, but that is not our business; except that his eagerness to regaiu it reveals a human quality that we welcome in the intrepid voyager who, tarough lightning, hazard and bitter cold, sealed an uncharted empyrean.

Most of us possess, have possessed, or one day will possess a mascot; some small precious thing with which we care not or dare not part, but which losing, like the woman of Holy Writ, we search the house, or .belike the world over. For sometimes it happens that ’tis a spiritual luck-bringer which, through clumsy carelessness, or lack of vision, we lose for eyer or throw away, and realising it is gone "for keeps" go the softlier, sadlier for the rest of the days of our pilgrimage. S a people, Britishers thrill to the quality of courage, that golden thread linking together all sorts and conditions of men, and more to be desired than much fine gold, even the glow and glitter of tossed curls and eyes of youth. Great is Mary of the Movies, with her baby ringlets and semblance of the Prettiest Doll in the World; but greater still was Little Girl Gladys in the sheer grit she showed in holding down her job in the face of all odds. The American actress, Miss Bonstelle, tells this story in her entertaining chronicle of the ups and downs of a theatrical] career.

NE day her help was enlisted by a poor and plain wixs, Ssalta, stranded, penniless, and handicapped __or otherwise-with three children, One child was a beauty to appeal to the hardest boiled stage hand. Blonde curls framed a face exquisite in contour, hazel eyes looked through every prejudice straight to the heart. The stage manager being nersuaded to offer a child’s part, che little blonde made a decided hit, but during rehearsal her face broke out in spots. Tossing her curls, furiously angry, stamping small foot, "I WON’T have measles! Um far too old for measles," the child stormed, unwilling tears in the grey grey eyes, And though she had measles, she insisted, faint and feverish-brave little lass of eight-in playing her part well throughout a week, thus securing essential funds for her needy ‘amily. Some years later Miss Bonstell- received a letter from her plucky protegc», containing the following paragraph:

"Myr. Belasco has given me a part in ‘The Warrens of Virginia.’ He has also given me a new name. I like it, don’t you ? It is Mary Pickford." Thus was the warm-hearted acvress justified in spontaneous kindness to 4 child, and in successfully picking a winner. With one other, an invecerate playgoer, I found myself lasi week at an unusual eniertainmeni, and a charming one. Miss Elizabeth Blake, once of the Capital City, has -eturned to the land of her fathers, pearing her theatrical sheaves witii her. Having had wide experience i): iingland of plays and players, she produced for the delectation of hez audience four plays, of widely dif. ferent scope, and all extremely intriguing after their fashion. N the quaint and didactic early English Interlude, Miss Blake, in the part of Charity, spoke lines of sogth and upbraiding with meek gentleness and austerity. Very sweet was Sister Humility, the others players also catching the spirit of the scene, although Mrs. Fawcett was at ~~ et te

‘imes inaudible, We decided, however, that Charity was the pick of © the mediaeval basket, her fragrant quality of goodness eliminating the rank and pestilential influences besetting the path of Youth, who finally. gets another chance of redemption, jast as he does now, (PHL simplicity and sincerity of this small moral playlet of the past eave place to a gay, shallow dialogue by Mr. A. A. Milne, demanding neces: sarily light-handed treatment by the two cooped up together in a country cottage, Very sparkling is the re partee, leading up to a not unexpected denouement in Mr. Milne’s witty trifle; and Miss Blake and Mr. J. H. Lee, as He and She, the protagonists of the play, proved entirely successful and charming. EN "Cathleen ni Houlihan," before our eyes lived Peter Gillane anu the rest in their poor cabin in the

Discrvessiul Coubiry Of Mr. seals imagination. ‘The spirit of the play, elusive and tetaily easy to miss, Was capiured, and the curtain went aown to a sigu and a dream for ive.and. Mr. byrne’s voice and accent were convincing, and Mrs. Hannan, preathing the tragedy of years of lost enucuvOln, ucieu Wail showieage and restraint. Michael was good, so was vatrick; and the small part of the girl forsaken by her lover was played with treshness and magnetism by Miss von Zedlitz, A SCOLLISH scene closed the programme, in which Mr, «i. ia. Nicholis was delicious as an lw. ..ediate dusty miller, his red heaa crowned with that most droll of head coverings, a tam-o’-shanter. His endeavours to propose were mirth-pro-voking in the excreme, his acting with Kirsty (played to the life by Mrs, Marjorie Hannah) being a triumph a deux. NgIss BLAKE introduced each play «A ° . . in a phrases of brevity and lucidity, spoken with a quality of tone, an intonation and diction that were a delight. Particularly to the young of the Dominion | commend her appreciation of the beauty of words and their enunciation; and to those who aspire to successful broadcasting or to tread a triumphant theatrical trail.

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ANNABEL

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