FAMILY TIE IS STRONG

Radio Record, 15 July 1938, Page 15

FAMILY TIE IS STRONG

Does some curious change take place in actors when they play certain roles for a long time? Does the shadow character subfly influence the real character? These questions are asked in this article on "One Man's Family," the NCBS feature, acted and produced now in New Zealand for well over a year.

Written for the "Record"

by

EMILE

HEN an actor has played the part of a person for a whole year, and played it until his mind has become fitted in to the part like a hand into a_ glove,. curious things sometimes happen. In the minds of the people who hear him, his own personality becomes lost

in that of the character he plays; in his own mind, he identifies himself with that of his character so much that he begins to grow like that character. These days at all the four Commercial stations there is beard a_ radio serial story calied "One Man’s Family." It is set down for Friday nights

at nine o’clock, In the Hospitals O that patients, particularly in country hospitals, can hear it, the episodes are now played on Sunday morning as well, for in most hospitals "Lights Out" comes before nine at night. The NCBS has had some curiously interesting and pathetie letters from patients about ‘One Man’s. Family." One reason for that, I think, is this: In a hospital, you become a Case, It is necessary, and it is also slightly cruel, You are put info an institulion as a unit with a throat, chest, head, leg or kidney trouble. You are cut off from the society of a group of people to whom you were tied by the most remarkable bonds-usually of affection, sometimes of hatred-that you can know on this _ earth. You are One Man without the Family. And when that radio feature comes over the air to you from the Commercial stations on Sunday morning with all its odd touches of life that happen in every heme, you are no longer cut off. You live again with a group of people who have become real to you. They people the empty space about you, so that you are no longer cut off and alone and just a Case.... "ONE MAN’S FAMILY" has been running now iv New Zealand for well over a year. Written in America, it has been acted and produced by a group of players in Wellington. How far has. it influenced the minds of the

public toward the players; and how far has it influ enced the players themselves? The first part of the question was «answered simply and quickly by Victor Lloyd, the producer, who also plays the part of the father of the family, Henry Barbour. "-Derhane jts talline

tat mil tales out of school, " said, "but not’ long ago Tf had an unhappy day, I parked my ear in one street, they painted white no parking lines round it and gave me a_ blister. In the afternoon I parked it in another street and the same thing happened. I got another blister. "That same eveuing I was drivine awnav from

work, late for a rehearsal. A traffic man came up alongside on his motor-cycle and signalled me to stop. I was a bit fed-up. "He said: ‘Do you know youw’re doing 45? -What’s your name? I said: ‘Victor Lloyd. He-said: ‘What? Are you Henry Barbour? I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘That's all right. Wipe it out.’" -And when Hazel Barbour had her wedding day, listeners sent her presents. ‘Interested in Politics HW next part of the question was more open to conjeeture. How far did the characters affect the actors? Well, there is a character called Paul Barbour, the eldest son, who is a young man with idealist leanings, and interested in politics, mildly radical. They tell me that in the last year the man who plays the part of Paul has gone into local politics for the first time, and has beeu elected to the municipal council in his residential district, They tell me too that when the actors come into: the Wellington studio to rehearse and play the next episodes for recording now they are immediately members of the Barbour family. They ¢all one another by the family names. SOMETIMES they will alter the seript slightly as they act it, altering it unconsciously as they go on. to fit the speech to the speech of the character that has become themselves. They will add little bits without knowing it, As they go out of a dvor they may say to Mrs, Lloyd, who is Mrs. Barbour, "Dxcuse me, mum." It is not in the script, but it is what they would (Continued on page 30.)

Strong Family Tie (Continued from page 15.)

have said to their own muther in real life. . And for the moment the family is ‘real life to them. ALUREADY some sixty episodes in the life of "One Man’s Family" have gone over from the Commercial stations. Just lately another 1338 episodes have become available. The family has thus been granted another two years of playing life in New Zealand. Once the American creator of the family, Carlton Morse, went on vacation for a few months, ‘When he came back three secretaries were kept busy for a long time explaining where the family was, ’ Once, through certain . commercial] complications, the life of the family, as far as Australian broadeasts were eoneerned was nearly ended, Five thousand listeners begged that it should go on... It went on, :