Mimes and Music

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 89, 14 April 1923, Page 17

Mimes and Music

(By "Orpheus."}

THE. SHOWS. Opera House—Allen Doone, in season. "Forty Thieves"Pantomime, 28th April. Amateur Operatic Society, 18th May. His Majesty's—Vaudeville. s Artoraft Theatre—Pictures. Our Theatre—Pictures. Empress Theatre—Pictures. Shortt's Theatre—Pictures. Strand Theatre—Pictures. Britannia Theatre—Pictures. Princess Theatre—Pictures. Everybody's Theatre—Pictures. Queen'B Theatre—Pictures. Paramount Theatre—Pictures.

Mias Eloise Juno, a well-known actress of a bygone generation, who is in her eighty-third year, was seriously ill in Melbourne when the mail loft. Miss Juno made quite a number of tours of New Zealand in the 'seventies and 'eighties. The following: is the itinerary of the Now Zealand, tour of the _ Allen Doo.ne Company: —Wellington, until 20th April; Christchurch, 23rd April to sth May; Timaru, 7th and Bth May; Oamaru, 9th May; Dunedin, 10th to 16tli May; Palinerston, 18th and 19th May; Napier, 23rd May; Gisborne, 25th to 31st May; Napier, 2nd June; Dannevirko, 4th June; Wanganui, 6th to Bth June; Stratford, 9th June; Hawera, 11th June; Hamilton, 13th June; Cambridge, Hth June; Auckland, 16th June to sth July. There is in London at present a little body of American university graduates. They hail from the University of Nebraska. Individually, they represent the faculties of law, arts, journalism, science., and dentistry. Collectively, they are—a syncopated orohestra! "The Collegians," as they are styled, began a little musical coterie, and some, being short of their college fees, decided to play for money. Their first professional 'engagement came to them at -Omaha. They met with such success that they are at the Alhambra in London. r

Mies Marie Tempest's return to the London stage after an eight years' absence, in "Good Gracious, . Annabelle," at the Duke of York's Theatre, was the occasion for an extraordinary outburst of enthusiasm on her first entrance ; and for ■ a scene at the end, during Miss Tempest's ■speech, of which some half-dozen persons in the gallery have good cause to be ashamed, says a London paper. The play itself is unimportant. It has witty lines, but is deplorably thin. A sufficient criticism of it is that oven the genius of Miss Marie Tempest—in no way impaired by her years away from vs —cannot ram it above the commonplace. The interruption occurred at the end. Miss Tempeet, in whose welcome there had nover been. the shadow of a doubt, began her speech with an expression of gratitude. for her reception. Someone in the gallery, who should either have been listening to what Miss Tempest had to say or else have been 'quietly leaving the theatre, interjected, "We like you, but not the rest" (meaning that the play did not find favour). Someone else shouted "Graham Browne" (Miss Tempest's husband, who had played the most preposterous and ■ difficult part in the play^ with notable skill); and two other voices shouted, "Rotten." At this unpardonable breach ot good manners, Miss Tempest, with perfect self-possession, indioated that she would say no more, and caused the curtain to be rung down. The matter would have een3ed, and rightly, with this; but several minutes' continuous cheering by everyone- in the house who felt that certain members had disgraced themselves beyond repair,- sufficed at last to get the curtain up again, and allowed a, very great artist to indicate, by resuming her speech, that the offence was pardoned. .

; It Ib interesting to see what the big film artists do with the stupendous salaries they Gam._ The richest of all "screen workers is still Miss M.ary Pickford, followed in order by Cecil' de Mille, Charlie Chaplin, Norma. Talmadge, and Mary Miles Mintor. Mr. Douglas Fairbanks eaves very little of his monoy, for most of it goes into new productions. The cost of his last success, "Kobin Hood," was paid for out of former film profits. Mary Miles Miuter has invested some of her enormous savings in a large laundry at Hollywood, the film metropolis, and she also owns considerable property in various parts of California. Norma Talmadge, another popular favourite, possesses a half interest in a very successful New York revue. Both Cecil de Mills and Anita Stewart have much of theiv savings invested in oil properties, and from these they derive new fortunes. Jackie Coogan, who has recently ecored 'further triumphs on the screen, is perhaps the richest child in the world. His parents are investing his vast savings on his behalf, and he will probably never know poverty again. He makes a hobby of collecting and riding all kinds' of kiddies' motor-cars, and has enough of them to fill a large garage. Miss Pickford haß shown her business instinct and patriotism by investing over £300,000 of fler savings in American Government bonds and Liberty Loan, whilst' Charles Chaplin has invested almost-as much in other securities. He has also built himself a splendid 6tudio valued at £50,000. Strangely enough,, the one .man who might be expected to be wealthier than any of the stars—namely, Mr. D. W. Griffith, the "king" of producers, boasts that his sole savings consist of a fourteenacre lemon i-aach and' three suits of clothes! Like Douglas Fairbanks, all his savings go into his next great production. One of his greatest "discoveries," Mias Lilian Gieh, who made sucE a hit in ' Orphans of the Storm," is the owner of a little restaurant in a Califoriiian town. Contrary to popular belief, these wealthy stars do not spend their money lavishly on all kinds of luxuries," but are very careful, as a rule, how they use it. Miss Pickford does her own shopping, and Harold Lloyd, the comedian, does not possess even a Ford car. He prefers walking to riding. "Thank God, my Strad 1 is safe—safe, safe—and -alive!" said Jean Gerardy when he arrived in Sydney some days ago ago. "Why, did; you think it would come out.of the box dead.?" queried a reporter. Well, of course, one never knows what happens during a long voyage-, and string instruments, especially the cello, are very delicate affairs—and temperamental," said Jean Gerardy as he stooped over the case in whioh his £10,000 Strad 'cello had reposed sinco he left the other side. The Belgian 'cellist and his beloved Strad had arrived at the Australia, where it was impossible to get the artist to say anything till he had satisfied himself that the 'oello was all right. "You want to know the history of the 'cello. Well, it belonged to Lord Norton, and 1 had been in his family for ever so many years. It had not been played jipon for 80 years when I got it. It is a prioeless instrument, and its date is 1710. Hart and Son. of London, made me a roplioa of it. This I use on sea voyages a-nd at other times when it would- not be wise to expose the original. I think it a tragedy for your musical life that you have lost Verbrugghen. He is my countryman, of course, but it is not for that I say so. It is beoause he is a great artist. I do not suppose that yovi yet quite realise what you have lost. And ac for your orchestra, of course I am deeply -disappointed 1 that it is not here for me- to play with. Ah! you should not have allowed that to go. Before I went on my last tour to America I was in Poland, and at Lodz, a city of 600,000 inhabitants, they have a fine orchestra.. They give five concerts each weeks, three of big- music and two of popular. Then in Amerioa. I found a splendid orchestra m every city. These orchestras are kept going by rich people, who recognise the orchestra as the mother of musical education and a tremendous force in culture. Your city has grown wonderfully. I was here twenty years ago, when I was between 20 and 21 years of age." "He has been famous ever since," commented Madame Gerardy, "except to the military authorities, who did not know him when he enlisted as a private in the Belgian Army during the war!" "Well, was I not discovered there by the Queen of Belgium, who in no time had me over to London to play at the Red Cross concert? There was a full house in tho box 'at Albert Hall, thre-e Quesns —England, Queen Mother, and Belgium—and a pair of Kings—England and Belgium-. I served four years and a half at the front, and UH the army with tho r»nk of first !erge»nt."