STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 71, 23 March 1918, Page 14

STAGE JOTTINGS.

Audience at " Seven Days' Leave," during its long run in Sydney, frequently included large, numbers., of soldiers, attracted thltli.- evidently by the fact that this war-period play has received" the patronage of so many fighters from the trenches in France. Mr. Wilkle recently received * a eulogistic lotter front a returned soldier employed at Lith£ow, who bad seen the English production at the Lyceum Theatre, and maintained that the performance compared more than favourably with the original production, which is now ia its second year in London.

Fred Niblo sent the "Theatre Magazine" the following cablegram from Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., February 23: Fred Nlblo and Enid Bennett married to-day. Regard.." Mies Bennett is a native of West Australia. She appeared 55 a nMnlber dt plays in Australia with Mr. Nlblo. Afterwards she went td Atticrica, where slic has been doing Well itt pictures.

Dorothy Bruntori, in a letter td Frank Albert (Sydney), says there are two kinds of chorus girls ill New who want work, and those who drift languidly into the theatre swathed in beautiful furs. "What fascinated mc about these priceless, beauties," Miss* Brunton writes, "is their eyebrows. They shave them off and paint them on where they want them. It's really quite wonderful."

Writing to E. J. Major, of the J.C.W. management, Miss Dorrington says that "things arc pretty cr.ok" in New York. There have been over 100 failures this season, and salaries have been cut onethird. "One show I know of," she says, "rehearsed fourteen weeks, and played two. Another eight weeks, and didn't open. Others rehearse four or five weeks and go out on the road for two or three ; and don't even come into New York."

Miss Maud Bcatty has returned to Sydney after an absence of 13 years, and will shortly appear in one of J, C. Williamson's productions. "Since 1 left these shores," said Miss Bcatty, "1 have played all through the Orient nnd America. When I wae last before an Australian audience I played principal boy, and it is strange that my next part before an Australian audience will be that of the principal boy's mother.

Before coming to Australia Marie Tompest was one evening the guest of Charlie Chaplin at a dinner given in her honour. The English actress noticed that her host was not eating anything. He seemed lout in thought. She asked flim why he was so pensive. "I can't get over it," said Charlie, like a man being roused from a dream. "Years ago I used to deny myself food almost to go to the gallery of the London theatre where you were playing. I was your most devout worshipper. And to-night you are my guest. It's a funny old world!"—" The Theatre."

"I have gone into partnership with Harry Lauder, but it isn't for profit," says Charles Chaplin, in the course of a personal letter to an Australian pictures manager. Lauder is at present in America, organising a million-pounds war relief fund. Being desirous of enlisting Chaplin's aid, the Scotsman visited the screen star at his new studios at Hollywood, Los Angeles. It was there decided that the best method of helping the fund along would he to produce a film comedy with both Lauder and Chaplin in it. "For two hours we worked before the camera on an impromptu story that the staff drew up," writes the film comedian. "I had often laughed at Lauder in Lon'.on a few years ago; Lauder says lie has sometimes laughed at mc since then, but neither of 113 had met nor worked together before. There is only one scene in the picture that we did, and throughout most of it Lauder wore my make-up, while I danced Tound in his kilts. But I know I'm not a Scotsman, because I can't roll my Vs." The comedy will be released in America as a special feature, from which £200,000 is the expected return. The whole of this sum will go to Lauder's war fund, together with tho proceeds of the sale of 50,000 pictures of the two comedians taken together.

"We have had just plain pictures. We have had pictures with pianola and one-nian-mechanical-band accompaniments. We have had pictures with music—even' pictures with symphony orchestras. Now, however (says the Sydney "Dairy Telegraph"), we are to have pictures with a symphony orchestra and a full-blown concert programme to boot. This is all going to happen at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, commencing jiext Saturday. The idea has proved most popular abroad, as it has previously here when tried as an experiment. Provided the Williamson Pictures management lives up to its bright and early promise the schemo should find an enthusiastic and a continuing welcome locally. Mr. Slapoffski iS to conduct a band of between 20 and 30 instrumentalists, and will arrange his programmes up to full concert pitch. Part of the idea' is to give promising students in the various departments of the State Conservatorium of Music an opportunity to come before the public on these occasions. It is felt that such a half-way stage to the goal of full publicity will, prove as welcome to the students as to the general public anxious to come into early touch with the vocal and instrumental talent that is being developed in its midst."

Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson, who is the most important "capture" by Mr. Hugh Ward for the Williamson management, is an artist of the highest calibre, to judge by the published records. Originally intended for an artistic carcof* with the brush, he got as far a. being admitted as a student at the Royal Academy when his natural taste for the. , theatre gained the upper hand. He •began well by studying elocution under the guidance of that "old master" of stage art, the late Samuel Phelps. Hifirst appearance on the stage was on March- 5, 1874, when he succeeded the late Charles Harcourt as Chastelard in "Mary Queen of Scots." In a very short time he was engaged to tour with Mia? Ellen Terry. Followed then a long spell in classical drama. For a while he was associated with the Bancroft and Hare managements, and later we find him in association with Miss Mary Anderson, with whom he appeared .in America. He made his first venture into London management when he opened at the Lyceum in September, 1895, playing Romeo to the Juliet of Mrs. Patrick Campbell. Two years later at the same theatre the actor made a great impression with his interpretation of Hamlet. The following year he took hia company to Berlin, where he enjoyed a most successful season. After that came tours to America, a period during which the actor-manager produced some of Bernard Shaw's plays. Since then Sir Johnston Forbes-Robert-son has perhaps become best known for his playing of the name part in "The Passing of the Third Floor Back," a play, that in his hands has had a wonderful success on both sides of the Atlantic. He f received his knightwood in 1913, his reception of that honour being as warmly acclaimed by his comrades of the stage as it was by the wider public of hia nonprofessional admirers.