OLD SONGS AND PLAYS

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 253, 26 October 1931, Page 6

OLD SONGS AND PLAYS

! : (By NIGGER MINSTREL.)

Wherever- men of mature age' are thrown together, be it in taproom, club, train or at some siing fireside, the ' conversation " generally drifts to the songs and plays and games of the yesteryears. Divided are the opinions as to'whether' the plays and songs'of the long ago will supplant the, pictures as a means of pleasure for the generation that is to T>e. Would George Cherwyn get an attentive hearing to his rendering of the "Blind Boy",? I venture the. opinion that'poor Eugene Strattdn would never be allowed to sing that grand old .lilting, song "Lugana Lu,"., solo.; Bland Hdlt, now in retirement in Melbourne, will never be forgotten until • the present generation is dead, and a grand revival of "The Span Of Life," "The.Bells of Hazelmere," "In Sight of St. Paul's," "The White Heather" and the "Derby Winner" would fill any playhouse Auckland possessed to overflowing. Melodrama, yes, but nothing so gripping before its advent here ;or since: Show me the man who would not leave home in the pouring rain to see Johnny Sheridan again in "Fun on the; Bristol," "Arrah-Na-Pogue," "Erin.-go-Bragh" or "Con the : Shaughraun." I can see tho'notice "Full, House" posted at the door of Abbot's Opera House on. Rignold's last-nhjht production of "In. the Ranks" hundreds turned away.who arrived late, expecting to gain admittance to see, Stanford in "A Soldier and a ■ Man." Memories that are pleasant are easily recollected, ai.d well I remeih,ber the murmur "of the audience before the curtain rose on the WoodsWilliamson .production of "Boy,f/Jim," which gave us that wonderful character in Conan Doyle's "Rodney Stone." Many ■ will remember, their "second, "play, /'The Gates* of Bondage." ' The titles were elaborate,, but they >.were more ,than a veneer for that to which they gave a name. The sacrcctness of the tabernacle could' be felt on the night of Wilson! Barrett's "Sign "of the Cross" and" .".Virginius.", If a mistake js made in a scene or portrayal in the picture. studio, it ( can be 'rectified, but one would treat it 'as a "cause unpardonable" if the same thing happened in '/Julius Knight's' and Maud Jeffries' "A Royal Divorce." It is questionable if plays like a "Messenger from ■ Mars," "What Happened -to Jones," ? 'Why Smith Left Home,", or '-'Are You a Mason?" would appeal to the youth of to-day. But he would certainly forfeit his tin of tobacco to see two .consecutive productions of Anderson's "Face at the Window!" Men like Hawtrey,' Atholwood, Du Chateau, Mervale and Bantock are lost to the stage that gave, us the lighter type like "Ye Mariners of England," "The French Spy," "Greed of Gold" and numerous others. The comedy element made itself manifest twofold per. medium of the Laiiris, Quigleys, Grahams, Holts and Sheridans. Names to many nothing, to others memories almost forgotten until revived by some inch-square death notice-dictated by some person whose only knowledge of the subject lay in information gained from an old-time commentary oh an outstanding portrayal. . ; . To.keep abreast of the times and avoid''the mark of the imprint of commonplace, I am almost forced to vfind myself humming the tunes about Georgia, Dixie, Tennessee and Virginia, composed bv men who, perhaps, have never seen the places, arid rely on imagination and a New York garret for words and local colour; In the train to-night the' conversation turned to this subject, and all with.one accord were satisfied that the time was not far distant when there would' be a revival of the songs of yesterday; an outstanding feature was the . surprising '/ popularity of the ■broadcasting by a small Auckland station of "Lugana Lu." The station manager advised one he was continually being- asked to put this number on, and' another station advises there is a ■wonderful'' demand for - Stratton's masterpiece. Songs of the type of "When Other Lips," "Love's Old Svreet Song," "The Spanish Cavalier," "Ben Bolt," "Three. Little Words,'? " "White Wings," "Say Au Revoir," "Far Away,'" "There's No One Like Mother to Me," "Eileen Allanah," "Only. a. Common Sailor," "The Ship. I Love," "The' Rose of Ti-alee," "Rosy o'Grady t ""and "Katey Farrell" have more sense, ,pathos and sincerity in their make-up than "Rio Rita," "Ramona" and others ,of the same category that have their origination •from 1910 onwards.> At an.Orphans' Club old song night all the old tunes were touched uponby the pianist, who had beeh a member of the West Brescians, and, strange though it may seem (and I tried hard to fathom the reason), the most voluble' singers were the youths from whom- I expected so little and gained so much food for thought. , v x ;,,