British Films

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 29, 25 January 1935, Page 15

British Films

GerorGE Cross Staces A BrIEF COME-BACK. Hero of Melodrama Will be Remembered by Older N.Z. :‘Theatre-goers APPEARING IN "GRANDAD RUDD" | HERE are many New Zealanders ‘who, harking back to the good-old days of melodrama and Bland’. Holt, will remember George Oross, one. of : the stalwart heroes of another age. And when Cinesound’s latest production, "Grandad Rudd," is released in the Dominion shortly the older genera-

OO Tl OT Teer ewww tion of theatre-goers may recognise in the modest. part of the doctor, the veteran actor, Cross. Actually he is holding down a responsible position as casting director for Cinesound Productions, Sydney, and his return to the stage (even this canned variety) is only temporary. He says that he doesn’t miss the adoration of the flappers... although it was all fun while it lasted. "Yes, I had a big fan mail," he admits, "and the crowds used to wait to

See me. come out of the theatre. It was one of the things I could never understand, because I was no beauty actor. I could go almost anywhere and not be recognised. I remember on one occasion talking to Austin Milroy, the ‘heavy,’ on the stage of the Theatre Royal, Sydney, after a performance, By some means three girls got in, and one of them approached me." "Could you: tell us where we could see George | Cross?" she asked. "I’m afraid he has gone home," I told her. .

"Oh dear, and: we’ve been trying so long to get a look at him." "What would you. say if I told you you were speaking to George Cross?" I asked her. "She had a good look at me, and replied, ‘I wouldn’t believe you.’ " . But although he disclaims any pretensions to good looks, Mr. Cross admits that he photographed flatteringly. Moreover, he was very particular about ‘make-up He made a special study of it. He and Julius Knight were the only two actors in Australia who really (Continued on next pase).

(Continued from previcus page.) took the business of making-up seriously, and Julius Knight, even without good looks, was a matinee flapper’s idol. George Cross’s hey-day on the stage was about 20 to 25 years ago. His melodramatic heroines usually were Hugenie Duggan, Nellie Renee and in more recent times, Nellie Bramley. His greatest personal successes, he considers, were in "The Prince and the Beggar Maid," and "The Village Blacksmith," in which latter he had a spectacular wrestling bout. Mr. Cross began his stage carrer with George Rignold, and later played leading parts with Rignold companies, when Rignold himself had retived to character parts, Mx. Cross was the original leading man in "The Squatters Daughter," a play which was transferred to the screen by

Anesound, It was written. by Bert Bailey -and Hdmund Duggan, then members of ‘William Anderson’s company. In. "Grandad Rudd," the Ginesound film just completed, Mr. Cross resumed an a&sociation with Bert Bailey which had been temporarily severed. "