JIM GERALD RETURNS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22376, 13 April 1938, Page 22 (Supplement)

JIM GERALD RETURNS

ENTERTAINING REVUE AT THEATRE ROYAL

COMEDY, SINGING, BALLET, AND PERFORMING DOGS

When Jim Gerald comes to Christchurch he does so as an old friend. The footlights are no barrier between him and his audience; he gets on good terms with everybody straight away, and thereafter he goes on to tell them a few things in the easiest and most amusing way .possible. This friendly atmosphere was the keynote of the whole performance at the Theatre Royal last evening, when Jim Gerald, with the rest of Frank Neil’s show of stars, put on a really entertaining performance. , . . , The show has many highlights. Jim Gerald is a firm favourite, naturally, but then there- is the really able performance of Gautier’s bricklaying dogs, the ever-young Ella Shields in her famous impersonations, the Mexican Don Galvan, with his guitar, Arne Hartman with his pianoaccordeon, Petillo and Pesco in a really brilliant tumbling act, and a host of other stars, singers, and comedians, backed up by the beauties of the ballet ... , Jim Gerald was in his characteristic vein from the start. He was a delight as a nursemaid, as a commentator on a French farce, as a henpecked husband who gets ideas about getting rid of his wife, as the father who gets the wrong number when ringing a nursing home, and particularly as a drunk trying to post a letter. Then Ella Shields was the perfect dandy in her famous “Burlington Bertie” song, and infinitely sly and entertaining as the half-wit who knows more than people think. For many people Gautier's dogs were the star turn of the evening. Animal acts are always sure of a good response, but these dogs were something far out of the ordinary. They caught bricks, pulled trolleys, turned winches, and made a great job of bricklaying, and were skilfully acrobatic in jumping from moving platforms. Equally sure in its appeal was the tumbling of Petillo and Pesco, an act that introduced a great number of highly-skilled novelties, done with brilliant style. . Don Galvan, the Mexican singing troubadour, demonstrated the effectiveness of his contact with the people in the audience when he roused them to join with him in singing old favourites. He is a very able guitarist and a pleasant singer. Of the same type was Ame Hartman, who showed what can really be done with the pianoaccordeon, as well with popular music as with an operatic overture. Janetski, with his xylophone, achieved striking and tuneful effects, revealing a great range of dexterity. The "tap dancing of U, S. Thompson was sparkling and varied, especially in a number of imitations and in his cartwheels combined with taps. The ballet was admirable in a great variety of numbers, from the most modern dance —the “Big Apple”—to old-fashioned and graceful ballet in "Songs «f Yesterday.” A really unusual idea was developed in “The Radium Ballet,’’ with, the dancers in black, so that only the brilliant stems and heads of large flowers were to be seen in its rhythmical movement. It was cleverly conceived and well performed. Other ballets were "Play i Golf,” “The Love Bug” and “The Picture Frame,” and “Down in Honolulu." Among the other leaders in the cast, special prominence was given to Max Reddy and Lily Coburn, Gracie Emerson, Phyllis Steadman, John Fraser, Shirley Lawson, and Len Rich, Excellent work was done by the orchestra under Wally Reynolds.