Plays – Players – Pictures

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 51, 1 March 1930, Page 25

Plays - Players - Pictures

THB SHOWS. Town Hall— Organ Kecltal, erery Sunday, 8.30 p.ra, Concert Chamber— ■ Westminster Glee- Singers to-night. Opera House— "So Long Letty," Operatic Society, Sth March: iris majesty's—Pictures. : lUJestlc —Pictures. . - fKeuent —Pictures. ' Do Luxo Theatre—Pictures. ■ Paramount Theatre—Pictures. :. King's Theatre.—Pictures Artcraft Theatre.—Pictures. Our Theatre—Pictures. SltS.-M's ThtC.V— Pictures. Britannia Theatre— Pictures. Queen's Theatre—Pictures. Princess Theatre^—Pictures. Kllbirnla Kluema—Pictures.

To-night Leo Carrillo opens in Melbourne with "Lombardi, Ltd." ;>

; The noted English violinist, Mr.-John Dunne, will open the Auckland concert season with a recital in the Town Hall on 6th March. Mr. Dunn has a great reputation in England and the Continent, and the Auckland concert will mark his only professional appearanco in New Zealand. Ho will be supported by the Bohemian Orchestra, under Mr. Colon Muston, and their combined forces should go to make the concert an outstanding musical event. ' Prepartions are well in hand for tho "forthcoming season of comic opera, to Vbo presented by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., in Melbourne with Gladys Moncneff m ■the leading roles. It has been dofl: intely decided by tho Firm to initiate this season at Melbourne Theatre Royal, and a new company is being :formed. The opening production will •bo "The Maid of the Mountains." The cast .to apear with Gladys Monerieff in ''.The Maid of the Mountains" includes ;Lance Fairfax, Gus Bluett, Cecil Kelleway, Michael Cole, John Balston, Edwin Brett, Madge Aubrey, .Jack Dunne, and others. A fine chorus is being engaged, comprising magnificent voices. Mr. Ernest Lotinga, the famous London comedian, who opened: his New Zealand season at His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, last Saturday night, must have been delighted with the reception he received from tho first New Zealand audience before which ho has played. The piece presented was "August, /1914," a comedy farce in nine scenes, and it proved to bo a masterpiece of amusement. With Mr. Lotinga comes a strong company. Several members are new to New Zealand. The fun in "August, 1914," is of a boisterous nature. It is essentially English as its title implies, and it comes as a, relief to the surfeit of American productions, dramatic, musical, and- comic which have occupied the boards of New Zealand for such a long time. When first produced in, London, "August, 1914," was voted one'of the funniest comedy burlesques ever produced. After the Auckland season, a provincial tour will be undertaken, the Wellington season opening in April, with a comprehensive South Island tour ,to follow.

It is almost certain that the remarkable boy violinist, Yehudi M.enuhim, who has startled tho whole world by his •wonderful performances, will be heard shortly in Australia, under the management of J. and N. Tait, and it is sincerely to be hoped, in New Zealand. Yehudi Menuhin has been acclaimed as the greatest genius the world has'ever, produced; he has been described as the world's greatest musical phenomenon. Twelve years of age—an age when the elevejest child-players are>;but learning the rudiments of violin Splaying—he electrified the world's j best critics by his playing of the three great concertos of the three great composers—Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. He seems to know by_ instinct all that Mother .great violin virtuosi have taken years to learn, stnd his technique 'astonishes in the same degree as his 'emotional pbw? ere. ■ . . '.Mr.'.Cyril Maude is, to return to the London stage shortly in a new,play by Captain Keginald Berkeley, which will be presented by Mrs. T. C. Dagnall and Mr. Charlton Mann, writes the "Post's" London correspondent. After Iris last appearance at. His Majesty's Theatre Mr. Maude announced his intention of retiring from acting, aud has been living in Devonshire for severar years. Captain Berkeley i 3 the author of "French Leave," the war comedy, which Mr. Archibald de Bear is reviving at the Vaudeville Theatre with Charles Laughton in a leading part. He also wrote "The Lady with a Lamp," and has recently completed the scenario for the Beethoven film,' in which Mr. Mark. Hambourg and Madame Baclanova are to appear. "The Lady with a Lamp" is regarded as having been one of the best productions of 1929.

Seymour Hicks, the well-known London manager-actor, will write the preface to the book of memoirs which May Beatty, the New Zealand actress, is now preparing for publication. The late Edward Lauri, Miss Beatty's husin many of his London successes, and Miss Beatty has also played with him. Edward Lauri and his friend Seymour Hicks were fellow-offieera in the London Special Constabulary during the war years. On one occasion Mr. Lauri saved the opening night of a revival j of "Bluemfwyp wyaecov cinfwyp shrSl Hicks, At that time he had retired from the stage, and was solely concerned with his police duties. One morning he looked up f-rom his desk at the Endell street station to find Ellaline Terris, the wife of Seymour Hicks, in tears. She explained that her husband had been stricken with pneumonia. There was no understudy. Not a soul in the company could play his part. As Mr. Lauri and Miss Terris had played together at the Gaiety many years before, they were old friends. She begged him—it was already noon—to play Seymour Hicks's role tit' that afternoon's matinee. The notice was certainly short, but Mr. Lauri did it. Mr. Lauri played the part for the entire season, and.was a great success in the role. At the conclusion of the first week Mr. Hicks sent his friend an open cheque, "Pill it in for whatever you 'like," he said. And it was in this manner that Edward Lauri returned to the stage,/where ho remained until his death, which resulted from injuries received during a riot in the West End of London in the course of his police duties iv 1919.

A controversy has been raging in .the English musical Press -during'the last few months as to whether musical works are better known by definite titles or by opus numbers. One side says that titles have an educational value because, being more picturesque, they attract tho man. in the street, states •an exchange. The other side says that titles are more often than not misleading, and do not inspire the right sort of interest in the main in the street. It seems difficult to imagine any really solid case being made out for the pinning of titles on musical works. There is a class of person who is not content with mere music. He must mix up literary and sentimental associations with compositions which were never intended to be, and should not be taken as, anything more than expressions of pure music. It is true that even the greatest ecinposers ijave descended at times to th.*t vulgar abomination, "programme mii^ic," of »hieh the giving of title is at. offshoot. Beethoven, like Shakespeare zfai MaiVtrfve, and, indeed, like all the very greatest artists, was not overburdened with taste, the narrow aesthetic faculty which has cramped the style of so many of those who have failed to reach the topmost peaks. He even went so far as to imitate birds and animals in his serious music—a practice

which wo may manage to i overlook easily enough in a Beethoven, but not so easily in n lesser composer. But to insist on turning tho C minor symphony into a sort of motion picture scenario is merely to prostitute uo art of music. If you wish to hear "Fate Knocking at the Door," or the wind rustling in tho trees, or to see moonlight on a lake, the best thing you can do is to go away and read a book about ,it, or look at picture postcards. Music is music, and the piuning on of "descriptive" or sentimental titles adds nothing of value to it and may possibly distract attention from the real nature of a work as the composer intended it. Chopin's so-called "Eainlrop" prelude is a case in point. I don't know who attached that idiotic label to it, but in so doing he has spoiled the piece for many people. Because it happened to suggest to him the sound of rain falling he has forced this quite irrelevant and entirely personal association on other people. The prelude might suggests hundred other things to a hundred different persons, but the idea of rain is so closely bound up with it by this time that it is well-nigh inescapable. Reginald Denny made the dialogue version of "One Hysterical Nighty in two languages—English and American. Fearful that his prospective English audiences would fail to understand certain slang expressions, Denny, himself of English birth, had such passages noted in tho script. I

Irene Bordoni, the famous French comedienne, and Jack Buchanan, English musical comedy star, will shortly appear together in a Vitaphone production,'"Paris," which is filmed in technicolour. Comedy,- lavish spectacle, and glorious costumes are a fitting background for Miss Bordoni'a personality. Zasu Pitts, in her inimitable comic'style, supplies part'of the rich humour with which "Paris" abounds.

"The Big Party," features the high life, low life, and night life, of New York. It is a romance of a shopgirl and,a boy. The supporting cast includes Dixie tee, Ilka Chase, Frank Albertson, and Walter Catlett.

Bonald Colman'a next picture following "Condemned," which has just been finished, is to be "Baffles, tho Amateur Cracksman," from E. W. Hornungs's well-known story. The difficulty of selecting a title for the Henry La Cossitt story founded on a Cleveland murder mystery, will bo apparent to all those who see this Joseph Schildkraut picture. Universal has decided to release it under the title of the "Night Bide." With ScMldkraut appear E. G. Bobinson and Barbara Kent.

The following criticism from the "Exhibitors' Herald World "..on "Disraeli," a Warner Bros, and Vitaphone production, shows what a fine portrayal Mr. George Arliss gives, of, England's famous statesman: "I make brave to assert that 'Disraeli' will be shown when most, if not all of tho contemporary productions are forgotten. . . Like tho Magna Charta, the Declaration, of Independence, and documents in kind, Mr. Arliss's 'Disraeli' is a thing to be put under glass and preserved . . '. so long as the English language is spoken and English history is considered im- 1 portant." Lee Tracy and Victor M'Laglen will be friends for the next few weeks, at least. Tracy, who became' tho sensation of the New York theatrical world when he followed his hit as the "Hoofer"- in "Broadway," with the role of a'star reporter in "Tho Front Page," has been assigned to one of the outstanding roles in "On the Level." As M' Laglen 's pal in this story which has an amusement pier for its background, he has a role practically equal in importance to that of the hero.

The Mad Hatter,, and the March Hare, the Ked Queen, the Walrus and the Carpenter, and all the other familiar characters of "Alice in Wonderland" have come to life at the United Artists studios. All of Lewis Carroll's characters appear in an elaborate colour scene in Harry Bichman's picture. The fantasy is part of a revue staged for a scquenco in which JRichman is dopieted as the star of a Broadway show. "Puttin' on the Eitz," a story of vaudeville and backstago. Broadway, features a number of original songs by Irving Berlin, written especially for the picture. Joan Bennett plays the fcminiue lead opposite Bichman and the supporting cast includes. James Glcason, Aileen Pringlc, Lilyan Tashman, and others. Mary Philbin portrays a vaudeville' magician's assistant in "The Last Performance," Universal's talking picture. The actress is in lovo with tier benefactor, the magician, who is twice her age. But she is also in love in a different way, with her fellow-assistant, a boy of her own age. The first is a spiritual lovo,' while the second is the love of youth. , Conrad Veidt is in the cast.

John Barry more's most interesting production since "Beau Brummel" and one which marks his debut on the talking screen is "General Crack." At last John Barrymore has been given the opportunity to display his talents through the medium of the talking film, and dialogue has given-him. that something that was lacking in his silent screen portrayals. The production is lavish, and one colour sequence, the coronation scene, is as brilliant and as massive as anything that has yot been seen on the screen.

"One Mad Kiss," the" Movietone musical romance, starring Don Jose Mojica, the young Spanish lyric tenor, is the first Fox production to be made with both English and Spanish versions. This, production with modern Spain as its background, and Mojica playing the role of a romantic political outlaw, is patricularly adaptable for the Latin countries. Mojica is surrounded by a great cast in his first picture, including such players as Monu Maries, Antonio Moreno, and Tom Patricola. . '

The first of the inuch-talked-of "Silly Symphonies," the scries of fantastic sound cartoons by Walt Disney, is duo for early release in New Zealand. The BUbject chosen for presentation will be the highly ingenious sound cartoon bearing the title of "Tho Skeleton Dance," the only short subject ever re-booked at the Boxy Theatre,- New York. These "Silly Synrphonics," the work of the same resourceful cartoonist whose "Mickey Mouso". has delighted millions, will be found illimitable scope, both in cartoon work and in synchronisation. They are clever and tuneful caricatures bised upon well-known themes. "The Skeleton Dance," as a title does not suggest a subject that lends itself to a cartoonist's whimsies, but oven in so notably lugubrious a setting as a village churchyard, Disney manages to evoke a story in which the fun is maintained without flagging.

Hoot Gibson portrays a college youth and tenderfoot with a wild west show in "Courtin' Wildcats," a talking picture. Gibson, who has had considerable experience driving in auto races, performs some hair-raising feats at the wheel of a racing roadster. Eugenia Gilbert has the role of tho leading lady, and the notable cast includes Harry -Todd, Joseph Girard, Monty Montague, John Oscar, Jim Corey, James Farley, Pete Morrison, and Joe Bonomo.

"Under a Texas Moou," a Vitaphone production, h a natural colour outdoor picture. Tho colours are beautiful, scenes ou the desert, and in fertile valleys, rose-coveved haciendas, cattle in stampede, mountains, trees — all are caught in lifelike beauty.