EVENTFUL TRIP

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 68, 14 December 1931, Page 12

EVENTFUL TRIP

New Zealander Abroad CONDITIONS IN U.S.A. Mr. D. Stark Returns Eighteen months’ wandering in and out of many strange towns, cities, and ports in the United States, Europe, and England, has convinced Mr. Douglas Stark, well known in musical circles in Wellington, that New Zealand is a very desirable place to live in. “I think New Zealand, despite its earthquakes, is the finest country that I’ve struck,” Mr. Stark told a “Dominion” reporter on his arrival from England by the Rotorua yesterday. Mr. Stark left Wellington some eighteen months ago for the United

States to sec something of the world and to try to do vaudeville work, at which he had been very successful previously. In'New York he found conditions in an extremely bad state.

Everywhere he looked he saw evidences of the tremendous depression which America was experiencing. Unemployed were everywhere. He saw soup kitchens and bread lines, 1 while factories, • warehouses, and theatres were closing on every hand. America had no dole, and consequently her unemployed were thrown on the streets to-beg. Film Work in Hollywood. “After three months in New York trving without success to obtain any kind of work,” Mr. Stark continued, "I decided to go across to California, where I heard that things were better. I was disillusioned, however, as the great influx of people to California hoping to secure work in the film studios made things very bad indeed. Hollywood is a charming place, but it was a disheartening business battling for a position.’’. Mr. Stark said that he managed to secure some vaudeville work not long after his arrival. He later received some radio engagements in Los Angeles and Hollywood, and finally had an opportunity to do some film work in the latter place. He took a part in several “smalls,” for which the salary was very satisfactory—about'£s a day—but the jobs were few and far between. It was very interesting work, though.

While in California Mr. Stark happened to meet an old acquaintance, Noel Atmore, formerly of Wellington, who also was “globe-trotting." The two decided that they would go across the continent to New Orleans, where they heard of some good prospects. They bought an old motor-car for £5, and travelled altogether 3500 miles during a severe winter. “It was very arduous, and I nearly froze to death sleeping in the car,” Mr. Stark said. “We travelled through California, Mexico, Arizona, Nhw Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana, and the journey was full of incident. Travelling through the great canyons we narrowly escaped death on several occasions.” Signed on British Tramp. On their arrival at New Orleans the two found that their prospects had more or less “flopped,” and they were in rather a serious predicament, “at the end of the world,” as it seemed, without any hope of getting work. Their salvation, however, was the British tramp Induna, which one day happened to sail up the Mississippi. After a good hour’s arguing, they managed to persuade the captain that they were a necessity to himself and crew, and duly signed on as sailors. They worked their way to England, calling at St. Nazaire, Brest. Le Havre. Dunkirk, Antwerp, and Flushing. “On the boat,” Mr. Stark continued, “I worked harder than I have ever worked before in my life. With only a day between ports on some occasions I often was on duty from 18 to 20 hours a day. I eventually arrived at London. Atmore was fortunate enough to secure a good position on the staff of the “Daily Herald,” but I, after six months, decided to return home-” Films and Stage. Vaudeville in the States was in a very bad condition, added Mr. Stark. It was' practically non-existant, while in England there were very few shows. The legitimate stage in England was fairly healthy, but it was “rocky” In America.

Stage work in‘ America could not compare with that in England, but the American films were undoubtedly better in technique and “miles ahead” of the British. It was very difficult to get work in the film studios in America, particularly for Englishmen, in view of the stipulation made that all must belong to the “mighty” Equity Society.