THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3000, 10 February 1917, Page 13

THE THEATRE

1 —• L£y Sylvius. Pictures For Children. There aro many who will learn with ploasuro of tho action of tho Education Board in setting up a committeo to inquire into the subject of educative pictures for t-lio children. Tho trend in modern pictures, I. regret to say, has been away from every kind of educative picture, and farthest aWay from pictures likely to bo of benefit to the child mind. Tho trend is towards the oxotic and hypocritical—using somo well-worn old moral to illustrate scenes that would havo mado our mothers blush and our grandmothers faint. At this sort of thing children aro permitted freely to gaze upon with wondering eyes. What must ho tho result? Thoir plastic minds must gradually absorb what they gee, and accopt these scenes as a. part of life, when they only represent the .fevered imagination of tho skilled scenario writer who is forever trying just to escape tho censor. With tho public rushing to see such stuff it is idlo to hope for any reforms from the managements, but tho work of the committeo might have an effect in providing special programmes for children in some way or other, independent of the public theatres, which many children aro not permitted to attend. If it j s . the thin edge of tho slightest reform in this regard, the committee's recommendations should bo welcomed by all parents. Mills Violet Trevenyon.. ..Miss Violet Trevenyoli, the Cornish girl at His Majesty Theatre, who is so popular with vaudeville audiences, has a longer stage experience than her looks would imply. She lias been on the stage since she was a wee maid of ® o, ' en years, when- she used to pipe ballads suitablo to her ago, in quite an uncommonly deep voice. Then as she grew older her voice developed into a rich contralto, and still she remained true to the demuro.ballad. Thanks to Mr. Hugh D. M'liitosh, she at length obtained a footing in the Moss and Stall circuit at Home, cultivated' a lighter style, and from that day to this has not looked hack. Her one break away front tho vaudeville stago was to act in pictures, which work she liked very much, and her regret is .that wo in New Zealand and Australia do not see more English piotures; not that they aTe so well produced as tho Amorfcan ones,, but the ideas and flavour of them are English, and reflect • more closely the national character, which can hardly ho said of tho American pictures that flood' tho market, an 3 which so insidiously help to ' create tastes, and even, perhaps, form 'character, on a model that all of us .do not approve. Miss Trevenyon is very fond of New Zealand, and thinks wo are more English, audi shall I say it,, a little- more refined,- than the average folk of Australia.

Film Fanoies. Moving picture favourites.only reign for a limited period of time. After a long course of pictures, extending over a period, since tho late. Mr. West camo along with "A Trip to the Moon," and tho novelty or seeing people actually move in photograph was yet a wonder, I havo come to tho conclusion that as far as picture players are concerned—and here I mean those players chiefly who simply represent themselves or one character-r-"evory dog has his ds-y," and no more than his day. There ■ was a time when the girls used to rave over tho curly locks of Maurice Costollo, and Mary Pickford was the signal for "standing-room only." Tho same artists still appear, and I bcliovo, act with the same sincerity, but they do not "draw" as they did. Another notable example is Charlie • Chaplin.;'-' Four ..years . ago there was no picture star to hold a candle to tho funny littlo follow with tho baggy pants and big boots, but oven Charlio is on tho wane. Marguerite Clarko ; who is a deal older than sho looks in tho piotures, is still'''fascinating, but tho mediums given lately have not boon very good. Olga Petrova,_ who specialises •in erotlo drama, is clover, but tircsomely tho same. Her performances only differ in tho improssiou they create by the moro or less during the frocks sho wears. Tho poriod of aggrcssivo popularity picturo stars havo enjoyed is very much the same thing as is tho case of flesh aud blood actors. Unless thoy aro transcendantly talented, familiarity with their methyls, with their every ]nok at each angle, with every gesture, slowly saps the interest. . That is why you hear so many people say: "Oh, I'm tired of So and So!" The player is not to blame—it is the craving for new faces, so wo take a. keener pleasure in l Clara E. Young, Lou Tcllegen, Robert Warwick, and Billie Burko than wo do in tho older-brigade that, havo tramped or tripped through tho Itlnema galleries of a few" yeara ago.

Theatre-Building. A good. theatre is ouo whero everyone can see well, hoar well, from a comfortable seat, and where the system of ventilation carefully provides against excessive heat or cold. There aro other points that need not be particularised. From the-viewpoint of the general public, those aro tlio essontial requirements. That is tho opinion of Mr. Henry E. AVljite, the Sydney architect, who has probably planned more theatres than any other individual in the whole of Australasia. During a recent period of six weeks no fewer than five of Mr. AVhite's theatres opened their doors to tho public, and at present ho has ouo, larger tliau His Majesty's, Wellington, in process of erection at ftowtowu (Sydney), and another big thoatre (not a picture-house) is on the stocks for Newcastle. Ha .is also, engaged on plans for a largo printing house for tho Sydney "Referee" and "Sunday Times." Whon it_ is known that ho planned the luxurious Midland Hotel, and carried, to a successful issue the big Waipori hydroelectric scheme, for. Dunedin, it will be seen that Mr. White (now visiting Wellington) Tt< an architect and constructional engineer, of many parts. Another of his specialties is the alteration of theatres, which means, as a rule, a big rush of work night and day with two or three shifts' going tho whole time. In that way the Opera House, Auckland, tho Princes Theatre, Dunedin, tlio Adelphi (now tho Grand Opera House),, knd tho Palace (Melbourne) were almost entirely refashioned within tho space of a few days in each case, denoting ft rare capacity for handling men and "pusliiug through" with a schemo.

Mutilating Shakespeare. _ Tlioro was a time—and it w also a time of war—says the London "Era," when the Play-Prohibitor of the period forbade the public performance of "King Richard the Second," although it had already been garbled and distorted lejt certain of the speeches might be deomed hostile io tlio powers that were. The prohibition occurred ill the case of an extraordinary mutilation of the play carried out in 1681 by Nalium Tate, part-author of tha Tate and Brady Hymns. Tato miamod the play "The Sicilian Usurper," and. fearing that soino of the lines in Shakespeare's piece niicht offend the so-called "Morry Monarch" and bis dissolute Court, lie substituted for thorn many a speech puffing "His Sacred Majesty." These new lines, however, were- so fulsome and ridiculous Hint tlinv evoked derision, and. this beinr; held to 'be dangerous to Hie Roval House, the play was stopped by order just as it was about to start its third performance.

Notos. Williamson's new comedy company, headed by Miss Atherton (a daughter of AVillio Edouin, tho celebrated comedian, and a nioco of Airs. G. B. W. Lewis), commenced operations afc the Criterion Theatre, Sydney, on Saturday last in Avery Hopwood's comedy "Fair and Warmer." Says "Dagonet," in tho London "Refereo,": I went to see "Chu Chin Chow" the'other afterpoon. It was lovely. London in ashes is a dream of frightfulness. Tho Asohes in London aro a dream of delightfulness. Miss Beatrice Holloway anH her fiusgand, Mr. Itobcrt Greig, are about to leave Sydney to try their fortunes oil the American Btago. J. C. Williamson, Ltd., have not altogether abandoned tho movie business. According to tho latest advices they havo secured D. W. Oriffiths's latest spectacle' entitled "Intolerance," which great moral story ranges from J udca in tho time of tho lowly Nazareno, to Paris of revolutionary times, and right down to the London and Now York of to-day.