MIMES AND MUSIC

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 48, 24 February 1917, Page 11

MIMES AND MUSIC

(BY "ORPHEUS.")

THE SHOWS.

Grand Opera House.—J. C. Williamson's Com' edy Company, Easter. His Majesty's.—Vaudeville. Ttio King's Theatre.—Pictures nightly. Crown Theatre.—Pictures nightly. Star Theatre.—Pictures nightly. Our Theatre.—Pictures nightly. New Theatre.—Continuous Pictures. Empress Theatre.—Continuous Pictures. Shortt's Pictures.—Continuous Pictures. People's Picture Palace.—Continuous Pictures. Britannia Theatre.—Continuous Pictures. Everybody's Theatre.—Continuous Pictures. Queen's Pictures.—Continuous Pictures.

Violet Paget '(Mrs. Hugh Buckler) Is now in London, where she elects to be known as "the popular Australian actress." Another indication (says a contributor to the Bulletin) that this country's name counts for something these times. When she came here some years back, with "The Night of the Party," she was "the talented English actress." : ■

The J. and N. Tait farce comedy company, which is to produce "Turn to the Right" for the first time in Australia at the King's Theatre, Melbourne, this evening, includes:—Miss Lizette Parkes, Miss Margaret Calvertj Miss Eileen Sparkes, Miss Florence Anderson, Miss Nancy Stewart, Mr. Walter Richaarfson, Mr. John Junior, Mr. Stapleton Kent, Mr. Victor Dennis, Mr. Maurice Dudley, Mr. George Chalmers, and Mr. Gaston Mervale, who is also, the producer.

Mr. John Beck, who came from America to Sydney for J. and N. Tait's new musical production "Very Good Eddie," is described by Mr. E. J. Tait as "a comedian whose style is new to Australia." Mr. Beck plays the part of the hotel clerk, one of the characters in the second act of the play Mr. Beck created a name in cowboy parts, and for that class of work was invariably one of the first actors approached. .Later he branched into a new line and played the sheriff in the New .York production of "The Fortune Hunter," with John Barrymore as lead. He has a good word to say regarding Mr. Winchell Smith, the author. . "He is the most approachable man I know.. Authors and managers as a "rule are pestered to death with out-of-work artists, but Mr. Smith has time for them all. He is most considerate with his artists, too. If a line seems to stick, he allows the actors to change it round until it comes out more spontaneously. The success of Mr. Smith's new play, 'Turn to the Right,' was very popular with the profession,, and I don't know of any first night which .created such a sensation." Mr. Beck played in the New York production of "The Argyle Case," with Robert Hilliard playing "lead. This piece ran for 25 weeks to capital business. Sandwiched in. between other dramatic productions, and picture work, Mr. Beck played with Marie Dressier in a musical comedy called "Tilly's Nightmare," and later with May Irwin, the popular American coon song singer, in a farce comedy. Before coming to Australia. Mr. Beck was appearing with Mr. Cyril Maude in a Canadian play called "Jeff. 1!

Now' that "The Bunyip" is nearing its 70th performance at the Grand Opera House^ with every indication of passing the century. mark, there is no harm in letting out a little secret (says a- Sydney paper). The pantomime was written nearly seven years ago, and until the middle of 1916 went begging for a manager plucky or discerning enough to give it production. The authoress, Ella Airlie, has been a consistent reader of Australian legends, and it was whilst holidaying in the bush that she got the idea of using the mystic Bunyip as basis for a panto story. Seven years she tried unsuccessfully to find anyone who could see financial advantage in giving her Bunyip fairy story the lavish setting it required and deserved, and she was solemnly told hundreds of times that no pantomime would be accepted unless it had one of the popular fairy tale titles. She convinced Ben J. Fuller by reading him a list of incidents in the panto, and when he had read the script ho not only produced th« first Australian pantomime, but nuuie oJE it a production for which Australians, and Australians only, were responsible from first to I.last. The insid« story of "The Bunyip" is to bo told in moving pictures,,'with Ella "Airlie as heroine. , She, flits across the film trying to sell her panto, and meets Beri Fuller. He introduces her to Nat Phillips, the producer. -From,then on the pantomime ia seen in the making. 'This, by the way," will not be J3en J. Fuller's first appearance in the' movies. He figured recently in a film! " The Veil of Kismet," which is now being used in a .novel act on his vaudeville circuit, and in which Eiwyn Harvey, J. B. Atholwood, Nancye Stewart, and other popular performers appear.

The announcement regarding the important attractions which ha.ye been secured by J. C. "VViUiajnson, Ltd., for presentation in Australia and New Zealand are very interesting. "London Pride," the patriotic play now running at Wyndham's Theatre, London, is included amongst the new productions. Marie Tempest, the greatest, comedy actress on the EtDSflish -speaking stage today, will come out with her repertoire of comedies. With her leading man, Graham Browne, who has been associated with her for some years, Miss Tempest will open in Melbourne at Easter, the initial production being "Good Gracious, Annabelle." "Daddy- Long-legs," the delightful play of sentiment and comedy which has taken America and London by storm, will be presented 1 in Sydney in March. Charles Waldron, who will be well remembered in Australia as the leading man in "The Virginian" and "The Squaw Man" some years ago, will play the title role, in which he has scored an immense success on both sides of the 'Atlantic. With him is coming from London Miss Kathleen M'Donneli, the leading lady, who has shared with Mr. Waldron the success of the production. Cyril Maude will make his first Australian appearance in May, in "Grumpy," which was the sensation of London, and ran for many months. Mr. Maude has repeated his success in America, where his characterisation of Gnimp has been acclaimed' as a masterpiece. Mr. Maude has achieved a unique position'on the English stage, by reason of the fact that while he is a noted "leading man" he has also made his mark as a character comedian' by his never-to-be-forgotten performance as Grumpy. Winchell Smith, whose work is seen in its happiest vein in "Turn to the Bight," which J. and N. Tait present at Melbourne to-night, would hardly earn the admiration of the spendthrift class. Some years ago, says a, current anecdote, he began receiving royalties from "Brewster's Millions," and, afraid that the sudden wealth would bum a hole in his pocket or at least lead to habits of indolence, he commissioned a trustee company to r«l>eve him from the embarrassment of collecting his earnings. The company was instructed to. invest all moneys received on lus behalf and only allow him a certain weekly sum sufficient to keep him and his family in moderate comfort while- he sat down to write 1 further successes. This wise system of economy was carefully criticised for some months, with the result that Winchell. Smith now pays one of the biggest income taxes among Aauncn.l3