STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 71, 24 March 1928, Page 2 (Supplement)

STAGE JOTTINGS.

"The Scwlet Woman" is Pauline Frederick's latest play. It is drawing well in San. Francisco.

Arthur Adams, the New Zealand novelist and playwright, has left Sydney for England. He has taken a number of his comedieß, which he hopes to place on the market. "Mrs. Pretty and the Premier," Mr. Adams' last play, was produced in London during the early years of the war.

Miss Jean Forbes-Robertson has been highly praised by all the London critics for her work in "Peter Pan" at the Gaiety. They say she is a delightful little Peter, the elfin Peter of Sir James Barne's * conception, and has made a wonderful success.

The Prince Edward Theatre management will introduce a new and welcome entertainment vogue to New Zealand next week, when Gerald Van Burg's famous spy episode, "The Unexpected," will be presented in tabloid form by the Conroy Smithson Company of professional artists, as a feature part of the cinema bill. The special music will include an opening medley of Irish aire and an atmospheric vocal prologue. The P la y ' *n one act, occupies an hour of clever stagecraft.

An American paper says that only twelve plays in the history of the New York theatre have been as enduring a a "Broadway." These are: "Abie's Irish Rose," "Lightnin'," "The Bat," "The First Year," "Seventh Heaven," "White Cargo," "Peg o' My Heart," "East is West," "A Trip to Chinatown," "Rain," "Is Zat So?" and "Adonis." Most of the plays have been presented in New Zealand. In the item on gross box-office receipts, "Broadway" surpassed all of these, with two exceptions. Its gross receipts were £297,077, a weekly average of £4050. The movie rights have been gold for £45,000!

Mr. Tom Harris, who gave such a delightful performance when he played "William, the Waiter," in Shaw's "You Never Can Tell," at the beginning of last year, will play Ali, an important part in "If," the play to be produced by the Auckland Little Theatre Society in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall, on March 28, 29, 30, and 31. Ali, a Persian, having received a kindness from John Beale, a Londoner, repays his debt by bringing hhn a magic crystal which has power to relive the past, at the request of its owner. Mr. Harris' splendid voice and stage presence are said to suit the part admirably.

Strella Wilson, who is appearing as Rose May bud in "Ruddigore" at His Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, says that with but few exceptions, Gilbert and Sullivan operas do not appeal to playgoers in the United States. She noted during her visit to the States that the operas were generally regarded aa being too English in sentiment and character. When they are staged, little attention is paid to Savoy traditions, and as a result the plays are often grotesquely mutilated. On one occasion Miss Wilson saw a performance of "The Gondoliers" that must have made both Gilbert and Sullivan writhe in their graves. In the first act, where the two gondoliers struggle for the crown, the actors taking the roles fought all over the stage' Finally the crown broke apart, an.l one said:""Now we both havo half-a-crown." One of the critics wrote in his notice of the performance that this was the funniest thing in the piece!

"The Yellow Mask," which has opened at the King's, is understood to be Mr. Edgar Wallace's first venture in playwriting, and accordingly it is not surprising that, despite the sumptuousness and general excellence of Mr. Julian Wylie s production, there are occasional disappointments in the development of what no doubt would make a splendid detective yarn, says an English writer. It does not maintain a steady standard of merit. For instance, the story hangs fire at the commencement—and Mr. Wylie's anxiety to make use of an admittedly talented chorus in the early stages does not help matters, and, after various lapses, the climax is very weak. There is no final thrill such as is expected, and, to amend matters, I would make bold to suggest that the concluding scene could be strengthened by the entrance of the Dowager Empress of China (aged and dignified) and the personal denunciation of the rascally Li San. Incidentally, an impressive scene depicting the audience-chamber of the Dowager Empress is quite spoiled by the youthful dowager," who looks no more than -0; but, of course, the blame for this must be laid upon Mr. Wylie,

The prize this week goes to Master Gordon Hamilton, Box 40, Pukekohe, with: INTERPRETATION. A Maori, Wiremu, was engaged in a European settlement, potato digging. The white people recently became concerned as to his mental condition. One evening they noticed him running round the paddock taking little drinks from a bottle. The following evening the same proceeding took place, but on the third evening they looked to see Wiremu with a rope, skipping. One of the men approached him and asked what he was about. "Oh, said Wiremu, "me very sick, the doctor, he say 'take the medicine two nights running,' so I take it two nights running, then he say 'skip a night,' so to-night I skip." A BLOATED "BOURGEOISE." 7.30 a.m. Hard-working Mother (calls upstairs to still reposing son): Now then, get up, .can't yer? Why should I work and slave and you up there snoring like a pig? Voice from Above: *Ere! Not so much of yer clarse 'atred. KEEPING HER HAPPY. Assistant: A lady has just brought in a flashy paste necklace and wants to know whether it's made of real diamonds or not. Jeweller: Does she look like g married woman?" "Yes." "Tell her it is. No use makin' trouble for poor husbands these hard times." FOOD AND EXERCISE. "What do you want?" demanded Mr. Newly wed, as he confronted t>"» tramp at his front door. "Breakfast or work?" "Both, sir," replied the tramp. "H'm," said Mr. Newlywed, and disappeared momentarily into the house. Presently he returned carrying a large piece of his wife's home-made cake. "Then eat that," he exclaimed savagely, "and youll have both." COULDN'T STOP. A tailor sent his bill to a lawyer. The lawyer bade the boy tell master he was not running away, but was busy at the time. The boy went but soon returned again and told him he must have the money. "Did you tell your master that I was not running away?" said the lawyer. "Oh, yes, sir," answered the boy, "but he bade me give his compliments and tell you that he was." ONLY A DREAM. He listened intently. Hia wife and her mother were talking. The latter was saying:— "You have indeed secured a splendid husband, and I think you owght to treat him with more tact and consideration. Don't always want to know where he Is going, and if he comes home late be agreeable and wait until he explains before you begin asking a lot of awkward questions. He's just the sort to appreciate any generosity on your part. Be kind to him." He stirred uneasily, trying to Kmr more—then awoke. NO AGE LIMIT. The prospective tenant had inspected the bathroom, electric bell, coal-cellar, and all the other conveniences of the flat, and expressed himself satisfied. "Have you any children?" asked the porter. "I have." "Then you can't have the flat." "But you don't understand. Mv youngest child is 30 years old, married, and lives in Australia, and the other two are in America!" "That makes no difference," said the porter. "I have orders not to let this flat to anyone with children!" HE GOT IT. "Now," said the teacher, "the first boy or girl who can ask me a riddle that I cannot answer shall have this five-shill-ing piece." Many riddles were asked which were promptly answered by the teacher, and just as he was about to put the money back into his pocket a little fellow triumphantly called out: "Please, sir, why am I like the Prince of Wales?" "Really, Johnny, I can see no resemblance whatever," answered the teacher. 11l give it up." "Because I'm waiting for the crown!" said the lad joyfully. And he got it, too. HIS TESTIMONIAL. Mrs. Maple had decided that she would have her dining room floor properly polished for hfer Chistmas dance. 80 she wrote to a well-known firm asking thwn to send along a man at onee. When the polisher arrived it was obvious that he was not the kind of man who would wear himself out for thei amf a floor, especihim * r dkL not WoHgto , ""Kt, yo , u ® ure y° u understand the asked Mrs. Maple, after watching him for a few moments. *P° I* returned the artisan. "You'd better ask your neighbours over the I polished their floor last Christmas and they all broke their legs after I d been gorn an hour."

Not BO

Master: Is the mistress going this afternoon? Maid: Yes, 6ir. Master: Do you know if I'm gohgf Boss (to shabby office boy): tla a very old suit you are wearing, Office Boy (absent mindedly): T— sir, mother bought it when I got my advance in wages. "Ah!" said the guest as they n preached the house. "I see your Ma and daughter awaiting as in the psitk* "No," said the host, "the girl ig (k short frock is my mother, and the fellow in riding breeches is my wif^S" Iramaiiuel (the brave Toreador): JL senorita, to-night I will steal your balcony and sing you a mg serenade. Consuello (the beautiful eenedfcW Do and I will drop you a flower. Immanuel: Ah, in a moment daJ love? Consuello» No, in a pot* t Burly Farmer .(looking out sf carriage window at a gang of standing aside as the train p«Mil| Dang my eyes, this beats the ft* bin up an* down this line Ave this week, and never yet fove I asa those fellows doing a stroke of The tightest corner I was aver hT said the retired sailor to his fifcgfc in the taproom, "was in the South 6m I had stripped and jumped overboard a swim when a shark made for «t . "Yea," he continued, "came right at me did the shark. So I took oat Bp jack knife and dived. Coming u J stabbed the shark underneath k dozens of places, until he floated in dead." "But," interrupted a listener, "if-jM were stripped how could you g knife?" "Gam," was th» sailor's ■withering tort. "It isn't a yarn you wut wU you want is a blooming argument,"'

"What—your golden wedding T*~ "Yes, don't you know 1 am nvtykl I ■fionwre'i daughter?** —"Buen Humor" (Kaddl), Why It Happened. Grocer Brown (between the d<Mi)i There's a lady over there who hu bM watching you for ever so long; shell b| asking for an introduction soon. Grocer James: She won't—she's M wifel Not a Paying Concern. Visitor: Do you find poultry-keariM pays! Farmer: Well, no; I can't say it pafS roe, but it pays my son Mike; Visitor: How's that? Farmer: Well, you see. I bought Hi the fowls, 1 have to pay for their ksepj and buy the eggs from him and he est! them. "Howlers." The follow ing are from a collection of schoolboy mistakes in a competition p®* moted by the "University Correepon* dent":— A fugue is what you pet in a room foil of people when all the windows Mi doors are shut. Evolution is what Darwin did. BeiO* lution is a form of government abroad) devolution is something to do vitk Satan. Peace At Last! A travelling man put up one night ill a cheap little hotel, where the thin partitions of a range of bedrooms, like the stalls of a stable, stopped half-way to the ceiling. And in the stilly watches of the night he lay awake and listened the finest demonstration of plain ud fancy snoring that it had ever been his fate to hear. It was full of sudden toi awful variations. Sometimes strangulation seemed imminent; then in the middle of a fantasia the agony etopptd suddenly and there was silence. From a near-by room be heard a volee exclaim wearilv, "Thank goodness! Hs'< dead." °