'New Zealanders Are Making Good Here"

Radio Record, Volume IX, Issue 2, 19 July 1935, Page 6

'New Zealanders Are

Making Good Here"

Many Well-Known People

Tn Sydney Radio World

Written by

Margaret

MacPherson

here," said a well-known Sydney newspaper editor to me yesterday. "In fact, _ they are doing so well, and there are so many of them, that we have to keep it quiet." First and foremost there is Mr. Jack Davey, form: erly of Auckland. Jack is Australia’s most adored crooner. Some people say that if he were in America he would be this planet’s most-adored crooner. When you hear Jack; well, Bing goes the Crosbie, if you know what J mean, . This charming young man is the son of Captain Davey, of the Monowai, otherwise known as "Up-to-the-minute Davey." . Let the wind blow and the heavens empty themselves, let the ship stand on her head. 66 N Ew ZEALANDERS ate. making good

and the steward fall into the soup tureen, it matters naught to Cap’n Davey. She will swing into Sydney docks and tie up at the wharf just as the clock strikes three. Yea, and let the heavens smile and a following wind waft her gently on her way; even if Cap’n Davey has to linger outside the Heads for an hour or more he will do so, just be~

cause ‘it is his pride to tie up at that wharf at 3 o'clock pip emma, and not a minute before. Two people could hardly be _ less alike than Captain Davey and his son, The captain certainly doesn’t craon; on the contrary he barks; all his conversation is in swift, loud stac-cato--a pronounced contrast to Jack’s deep mellifluous tones.

Another New Zealander who is frequently heard on the air is

Norah Kelly, editor of the women’s page of the Sydney "Bulletin." This versatile little brunette has written several one-act plays which have been performed, the most successful being "Moorings." She has just completed a three-act comedy with a New Zealand setting, and this is to be produced soon. An Aucklander who is winning her way into the hearts of Australia’s children is Miss Hilda Morse, formerly of 1ZW, Auckland. This clever elocutionist will be remembered for her fine acting in character parts with the Auckland Little Theatre Society, and for her moving performance as Tessa in "The Constant Nymph." Now she is "Aunt Hilda," of 2UW, Syd ney, and her fan-mail shows that little New Zealanders — have not forgotten her. Hilda is a daughter of Mr. | J. Morse, the well-known racehorse trainer. Uncle Scrim of the "Friendly Road" is now settling in as Uncle Scrim of the Sydney "Sun" newspaper and radio station, He has rather intrigued his Australian public with his views on marriage and divorce.. Marriage, he says, costs a guinea and all one needs is a clergyman; divorce, on the other hand, costs £50, and one. needs lawyers, witnesses and a judge. Uncle Scrim thinks it should be the other way round. Before getting married people should prove their fitness for it before lawyers, with witnesses, judge, and a £50 fee. That would make them careful about rushing into matrimony, Then divorce should be granted by a clergyman for a fee of a guinea. There’d'be fewer divorces, says Unele Scrim, Yes, yes, dear Scrim; but would ever be any marriages? Nina Scott is a brilliant young New Zealand

actress who is winning golden opinions by her radio presentations. This week she played the part of Camille, in the famous play by Alexandre Dumas, with such realism and conviction that when she had to weep she actually sobbed, with real tears running down her face. This is one of the tests of a true actress. Even Sarah Bernhardt is said to have concealed an onion in her handkerchief to help her through this affecting scene. A New Zealander whose work calls for less ap- \ plause but is just as necessary and skilful is Mr. Francis \ Levy, service manager at Sydney’s biggest commercial station, 2UW. Just now, however, Francis is looking on at life through the windows of the War Memorial Hospital, where he was rushed a fortnight ago with acute appendicitis. He was quite seriously ill for a tew days, and his friends are breathing more easily now that he has safely rounded the corner. An interesting personality, too, is Jack Prentice, announcer at ZGB. Formerly at 1YA, Jack flitted overseas to greener fields and higher salaries. ° I’ll tell you some more about him one of these days. A New Zealand song bird who is building up a splendid reputation for herself is Gladys Lorimer, who is broadcasting with orchestral accompaniment from the National station, 2BL. She is a particularly moreish singer with some very sweet notes in the upper register. How good she is may be judged when she is engaged to sing six items in one evening, as happened last week. This worries Gladys not a whit. She sings with the ease and joy of a thrush at dawn, and she’s easy to listen to, what’s more. :

Altogether New Zealand has every reason to be proud of her clever sons and daughters who are on the air in Australia. They are not only making good through sheer merit, but also through versa‘tility and the "typical New Zealander’s capacity to adapt himself. But the thing that pleases me most is the way they’re liked. Likeableness is surely the most endearing of virtues, and our folk certainly seem to have it. | One‘ of the first people I , met in Sydney,

was a Dunedin man, now living on this. side of the Tasman. He knew I came’ from New Zealand and he decided that, with a ‘naine like mine,’ I’couldn’t come from anywhere else ‘but Otago.’ T had: to disillusion him, but, as I had been i in the "Edinbut gh of the South Seas" a month or two before, we found much to tall about. He looked a little unhappy..when I told him that while one is constantly reminded of the older Scottish capital by the: similarity of -the, street names (Princes Street, George. Street, Roslyn, Musselburghthese, and many more, are Dunedin as well as Edinurgh names), in reality there is very. little resemblance between the two cities.. Edinburgh . is ,much* more spacious and ‘dignified,’ has better homes for the rich and worse homes for the poor; and the compelling romance of places like Holyrood Castle, Arthur’s Seat, and Calton Hill is totally lacking in our Southern Scottish city. On the other hand Dunedin abounds with pleasant vistas and bonnie walks. It is a "solid" city; the Scottish passion for thrift and integrity has left its mark. Dunedin is solid and respectable and conservatively wealthy-more so than any other New Zea-| land town. But is this due entirely to Caledonian characteristics? Did this city lead the way in colonial civilisation because she was: settled by Scotsmen?.... I would like to say yes, but I am bound to say no. No, she was not primarily built. of the granite of Scottish character, but of gold, ruffianly.gold-rush gold.