ACTRESS RETURNS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 68, 13 December 1932, Page 8

ACTRESS RETURNS

Miss Patricia Nelson FILM WORK IN FRANCE Interesting Experiences Paris, it is said, has a curious fascination for many, but those who go there and achieve success are few. Among these latter must be counted Miss Patricia Nelson, a young New Zealander, formerly of Woodville, who returned by the Makura yesterday, after three years of film and stage work in England and on the Continent of Europe. Miss Nelson, who is an actress and dancer, wandered away from New Zealand in 1929, joining a Pavlova company in Australia. She then proceeded to London, and has been before the public, mostly in France, ever since.

Miss Nelson, on her arrival yesterday, bad much to say about the revue, theatrical and night-club world, ou the other side, especially in France, which seems to have claimed her, so much, in fact, that three years in Paris has taught her not only to speak in French, but also to think in it She confessed that on her arrival in New York a few weeks ago she felt somewhat strange in a country in which English was spoken, and had to do a little extra thinking before she could bring herself about to converse in her native tongue. As it was she went into a hairdressing salon, and the assistants began to look at her with strange glances when by force of habit she gave her requests in French. Her English appears to have returned quite satisfactorily, although it is tinged with a rather intriguing American accent.

Paris . . . And Its Language.

Paris has completely fascinated Miss Nelson, and she finds the people there perfectly charming. “And the language . . . did you know it before you went?” Miss Nelson explained in English, but in characteristically French style with judicious use of the hands

and facial gestures, that when she first reached Paris, her only knowledge of French was that gained as a school girl' “Voulez-vous this,” and “voulezvous that,” she said. "Consequently I found that it was a matter of simply having to learn. “After about three months’ time, I thought I was beginning to speak fairly well.” she said, “but when I tried to speak to t.he girls in a show that I was in. they threw up their hands and refused to talk to one that spoke French so badly.” It was not long before Miss Nelson was not only speaking in French, but also thinking in it, but even now she finds difficulty in the south, where a provincial speech is used. Of course, young French people, like young New Zealanders, have their slang, and when one hears another referring- to someone else’s “crayons” (pencils), it does not always become immediately apparent that legs are meant. Similarly English students of French are taught that the word for hair is “cheveux,” but it is called “tlf” in the south. Records From Paris. **. . . But you must hear some of the latest records from Paris,” she said to her interviewer, who had sought her out in her cabin before the ship berthed. “You people are not as bad as the Americans . . . there the reporters ring you up at 6.30 in the morning, and want to come right then for an interview. . . . But do you like this ‘Les Gars de la Marine.” from one of the latest pictures, ‘La Capitaine Craddock,’ and a great hit.”

Talk of films led to a few words on Miss Nelson’s doings since her departure three and a half years ago. She reached London, after Pavlova’s company had disbanded, and joined a French revue company, “La Parade des Femmes.” which had in its cast a couple of English artists. Her next engagement was with what she called a “legitimate” or “straight” show, ‘La Vie Athenienne,” and then she returned to London to play in Edgar Wallace’s "On the Spot,” in which she scored her biggest success. Since then she has been constantly engaged in revue, night-club and film work. She toured as Queen Maud in “Les Aventures du Roi Pausole” through the French provinces to Switzerland and the Riviera for over a year. Quite recently she has been appearing as a male impersonator at Zolles, one of the smartest night-clubs In Paris, and immediately before her departure for Now Zealand has been playing at Monte Carlo. Marseilles and in the South of France. She had to go by plane to Belgium to make arrangements for an engagement in Holland early in the new year in order to be in New Zealand for Christmas, and took her departure from Le Havre. Film Work Interesting. Film work. Miss Nelson finds the most interesting of all. She doos not take roles of French people—although she did so once—but plavs foreigners who speak French with a slight but noticeable, accent. Just as Maurice Chevalier and Marlene Dietrich make a strong appeal to English-speaking people, and.nro not popular in France am] Germany respociively. Miss Nelson finds that she has obtained a great measure of success In France, oil account of her foreign accent. She met .Marlene Dietrich, and found the German actress a person of great charm, and of exceeding depth and dignity. Miss Nelson is not in New Zealand for long, for she intends to return in about six weeks’ time. She will lookin at Hollywood, to see If any foreign roles are available, and hns some contracts to fulfil on the Continent. Miss Nelson’s father is Mr. W. H. Nelson, of Woodville, a director of J. J. Niven and Co.. Ltd., and her grandfather was Mr. Win. Nelson, a Hawke's Bay pioneer, who died recently.