ELAINE HAMILL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 139, 13 June 1936, Page 21

ELAINE HAMILL.

ARRIVAL IN AUCKLAND.

CHARMING N.Z. ACTRESS.

A knock on the door. It was early this frosty morning, and it seemed a pity to disturb a liard-working actress, who had arrived by the first train. "Who is it?" called a voice made softer by the door between. We explained through the keyhole who we were, and after the slight pause that interviewers are accustomed to from celebrities, the door was quickly opened. This was unusual, for generally celebrities, especially actress ones, like to take a minute or two to rustle into a tea-gown and wield a lipstick. And sometimes in the early morning they resent being disturbed. But Miss Hamill was brightness itself, had a smiling welcome and was as fresh as a daisy in spite of the train trip.

Young and attractive, with grey eyes, and a merry smile, Elaine Hamill, the New Zealand actress who since she went to Australia, has risen quickly in the theatre, is undeniably a beauty. She is tall, slim, and has a real, crowning glory of fair hair, which was this morning caught immaculately under a net for "setting" purposes—and she still remained a beauty.

"It's lovely to be back in New Zealand," she said, "especially as my mother is here to see me." For the past two years Miss Hamill has been away from New Zealand, and during her first six months in Australia she devoted most of her time to study.

Miss Hamill was a nurse and did not attempt to "break in" on the theatrical world until she }md completed her training as a nurse. She had always, ever since she could remember, she said, wanted to go on the stage, but there was opposition at home. It was considered too risky, unless she had some-! thing to fall back on. so the day she was eighteen she started training as a nurse. "I loved the work and found it very interesting, but once I liad completed my course, I persuaded the family to let me go to Australia and endeavour to get a footing on the stage."

First,,, Miss Hamill explained, came a period of training with the School of Dramatic Art, in Sydney. Then mannequin work with leading stores, followed by parts in broadcast plays. Drama was her aim, she said, and not musical comcdy. She admitted that she could sing a little, but had never been trained, so intended to take up both singing and dancing as side-lines.

Speaking of the stage in Australia, Miss Hamill said that it was definitely coming back into its own once more. She felt very happy at being given the opportunity of appearing in a dramatic company. Her first stage appearance was in "Blue Mountain Melody," with Madge Elliott and Cyril Ritehard, in which she was show girl. Later she played in professional repertory, and then replaced Jean Duncan as Sophie in "Roberta" (the part played in New Zealand by Diana *du Cane)." It was after this that she was engaged to play jn the company to which she now belongs. Her- ambition is to do dramatic work, both on the stage and the films, and to go abroad.

■ Although she does not look in the slightest degree domesticated, Miss Hamill admitted that she had had her full share of domestic activities. "Why, after three and a half years of hospital training! People will hardly believe that I got down and scrubbed floors. Well, I did—but never again." Her spare time, however, Miss Hamill devotes to dress designing. "I can't make clothes when on tour," she said, "but I get ideas and scribble them down. Then I hand what is usually a dirty little scrap of paper to some poor dressmaker with instructions to make it for me." Miss Hamill admitted the loved clothes. "Green is my favourite colour, although I wear a lot of black." Her hobbies, she added, were swimming and tennis and horse riding—when she got time —foxtime was ,ft fugitive thing in stage life.