Plays Players Pictures

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 115, 17 May 1930, Page 25

Plays Players Pictures

;'. THE SHOWS. Town Hall— Ornau Recital, every Sunday, 8.30 p.m. Grand Opera House— Pictures. St. James's—Pictures. Majestic—Pictures. —Pictures. Be lnixe—Pictures. Paramount Theatre—Pictures. . King't Theatre—Pictures. Artcraft Theatre—Pictures. Our Theatre —Pictures. SnoTtt's Theatre —Pictures. Britannia Theatre—Pictures QuOn's -heatie—Pictures. Princess Theatre —Pictures. KllHrnlo Klneraa—Pictures. The Invercargill Orchestral Society opened its twenty-second season successfully and the concert was enjoyed by a large audience. The programme in eluded the difficult overture to Mozart's "Magic Flute." The combined performance of "Hiawatha" by the Boyal Wellington Choral Union and the New Plymouth Chor--al Society, under the baton of Mr. John. Bishop, will take place in New Plymouth on 30th and 31st August. The Levin Choral Society will present "The Bohemian Girl" on 20th May. The Wanganui Choral Society is to perform "Maritana" on 18th June. TKe Christchurch Musical Society ,-will sing Sir Edward Elgar's "The Dream of G-erontius" on 2nd June. "Weber's "Oberon" will be performed by the New Plymouth Choral Society on 18th June, as the first concert of the 1930 season. Miss Nora Greene, contralto, and Mr. William Benshaw, tenor, the wellknown Wellington singers, will be the soloists at the forthcoming concert of the Hawera Male Choir. Sir Arthur Sullivan's "Golden Legend" is the work selected by the Boyal Wellington Choral Union for its second concert of the present season. The Dunedin Choral Society will perform the great Mendelssohn oratorio "Elijah," in. many respects the outstanding oratorio, on 20th May. The bass soloist will be Mr. W. Waters, of Palmerston North, well known to Hawera audiences. A unique reunion was witnessed at Grosvenor House, London, recently, •when there met Sybil Grey, aged 70, Leonora Brahm, aged 77, and Jessie Bond, aged 77, who played the original Three Maids in the first production of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, "The Mikado," in 1885. Mr. W. J. Pringle, who has conducted several societies and choirs at Auckland and other parts of New Zealand, has accepted the position of conductor of the Lismore (N.S.W.) Philharmonic .Society. Mr. Pringle has interested himself greatly in a scheme for the evolution of popular musical education, and he hopes to establish a school for this purpose at Lismore. The Hawera Society continues to ghow the^ progress and enthusiasm which have marked its career since* its inception, states the "Hawera Star." The report of the last meeting shows that the second concert of the season will be right up to the standard set in the past. The introduction of young Hawera artists, selected by the committee will be-an exceedingly popular move and will undoubtedly add to the attractions of the programme because of the personal touch thereby secured with the people of the town and ' district. "Journey's End" has closed a four -months' run in Sydney and has gone to Newcastle, with Brisbane to follow. The company will go to South Africa before very long. After 53 years in active circus life— he started at the age of 10—Mr. George Wirth has decided to retire and leave the management of Wirth Bros.' circus to his brother Philip and his family, who will carry on. In its notice of the first performance of the Co-optimists of 1930 the London "Era" says:—Herbert Mundin (he was the principal comedian in "The Desert Song" in New Zealand) had only to walk on to the stage to create laughable interest. He appeared as "A Bit of Old Chelsea" in one comedy scene, and did the pensioner with the minimum of effort and 'the maximum of effect. Cyril Bitchard (the Australian) danced well,, sang agreeably, and took part in several sketches successfully. Miss Gwladys Edwardes, the _ wellknown Sydney mezzo-soprano, pioneer radio artist, and teacher of singing, has come to Wellington to reside, and will be broadcasting from 2YA, at regular intervals, commencing eariy in June. Miss Edwardes should be a decided acquisition to the city's musical ranks. She was one of the original artists of 2GB, Sydney, and has contributed regularly to the programmes from that studio, as well as from 2FC and 2BL. She is the possessor of a very fine voice, and sings charming songs, specialising in art and folk-songs, as .well'as modern songs and negro spirituals. An alumnus of the Albert Street Conservatorium (under the aegis of Dame Nellie Melba); Miss Edwardes has won many high musical honours, and is, as well, a New Zealand gold medallist. Concert work has claimed her attention, and prologues have been featured by her at different times. She is a member of the Kretsebmann Club, Sydney, the membership of which includes professionals of the Three Arts, and which is a memorial, as it were, to the famous German musician who delighted Australia many years ago. Sweet old melodies, as well as clever modern ditties, are favoured by Miss Edwardes for broadcasting, and she had a big vogue, for her unusual songs over the air in Australia, a vogue which is sure to follow her introduction to New Zealand listeners-in. She brings with her numerous testimonials from broadcasting officials, who vouch .for the letters of appreciation received from set-owners who liked the singing and type of song sung by Miss Edwardes. Wilhelm Baekhaus, the world-famous pianist, commenced his second Australian tour in the Sydney Town Hall on Saturday, 26th April, under the; direction of E. J. Gravestock, Ltd., when a crowded audience of 3000 people enthusiastically cheered the popular master musician. A feeling of optimism has been springing up in musical circles as a consequence of the public interest in Baekhaus's visit, which indicates a strong desire on the part of the general public for good music as.a change from the continual "canned" music. Baekhaus was officially welcomed to New South Wales by the Premier, Mr. Bavin, at a reception given by the Musical Association of New South Wales. "He has," the Premier said, "paid us the compliment of coming here a second time. Although in Australia we are being subjected, in common with the rest of the world, to the fierce competition of these mechanical devices, which are regarded by many people as a substitute for art, there are a great many people in this community who recognise and welconio a great artist when they see him. We have in our guest to-night a great artist, and we welcome Mm." Be viewing Florence Austral's farewell appearance, a London correspondent writes: "The music lovers of her own country, who presently will welcome Madame Austral, will bo assured of hearing a voice which always impresses audiences here as one of the most remarkable dramatic sopranos of our time. Again, at this concert, she delighted byitsorchestraltoiie and by its beauty of timbre and brilliancy of

colour. A dramatic soprano must needs k e —especially now, when there are various singers of that quality of outstanding mentality 'and musicianship—-a singer of insight and interpretative ability. In that regard Florence Austral has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years. On Wednesday evening the nrst demonstration of the Western Electric portable sound picture reproducing set in New Zealand was given at Chilton House School, Island Bay. This demonstration was arranged under the auspices of the Parents and Teachers' Association, and great appreciation was expressed by an audience of nearly a hundred people. The complete equipment, contained in only five travelling trunks, was delivered to the school house and assembled'under the supervision of Messrs. W. A. M'Cutcheon and L. S. Andersen in only three-quarters of an hour. The programme consisted of a description of how the films are recorded and reproduced; an interesting lecturette on sound frequencies, demonstrating the effect on music and speech of the absence of either low or high frequencies; a descriptive scenic of Hollywood and the sound studios there, and at Universal City, showing actual photography and recording taking place, and a short film of the finished product. In the United States these portable projectors are gaining a wide field of use in universities, colleges, and schools. Another important phase is their use by the medical profession. Many films are being made of major operations, and these, being, accompanied by sound, are proving a boon to hospitals, medical school^, and institutes. Everett Marshal, baritone of the New York Metropolitan Opera House, ■ has been signed to a long-term contract by Badio Pictures, and has already taken up his new screen career in Hollywood. He has been wi|h Metropoltian three years, and during that time has sung in <'Pagliacci, " " Lohengrin," ''Fia Gherado," "Girl of the Golden West," and "The King's Henchmen." He will be cast opposite, Bebe Daniels. Paramount's spectacular new show world film festival, "Paramount on Parade," in which thirtynine Parattwwnt stars and featured players will appear in intimate sketches, will arrive shortly for release throughout New Zealand. Previewed recently in Hollywood, "Paramount on Parade" was lauded by Presa critics and motion picture officials as one of the ambitious and entertaining productions of seasons. "Paramount on Parade" contains 20 elaborate sketches, many of which are filmed in teehnicolour. The cast includes Maurice Chevalier, Jack Oakie, George Bancroft, Buth Chatterton, Jeanette Mac Donald, Kay Francis, William Powell, Clive Brook, Leon Errol, and many others. Biehard Fall, Viennese composer of operettas, has arrived in Hollywood, where he will write the music for Beatrice L'illie's Fox movietone revue, "The London Parade." This musical production will be. directed by David Butler, who made "Sunny Side Up." Other Europeans concerned with the production of "The London Parade" will be Hazzard Short, who wDI stage the film; Victor M'Laglen, Fifi Dorsay, John Garrick, Maureen O'Sulliv'an, and Julian Sand, the latter a recent arrival from England. Two well-known screen names are included in the cast of "Captain of the Guard," a : Universal production with Jaura La Plante and John Boles costarred, by the signing of Stuart Holmes as Louis XVI. of France and Evelyn Hall as- Marie Antoinette. "Captain of the Guard" is a colourful operetta of the early French Revolution, with BolesJ singing songs especially written for him. ""All the King's Men," the stage play which was purchased by Badio Pictures and adapted for the screen, by Bert Glennori, will be released under the title of "Second Wife." The cast' includes such prominent names as Lila Lee, Conrad Nagel, Mary Carr, Hugh Huntley, and Freddie Burke Frederick. Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon will now be seen together for the first time since the advent of talkies in the same picture, \with their dual appearance in "Smooth as Satin," a Badio picture based on the stage play, "The Chatterbox, " by Bayard • Villiers. "Safety in Numbers" is Charles (Buddy) Bogers' latest all-talking production for Paramount. He is supported by.five leading women, namely, Katherine Crawford, Josephine Dunn, Carole Lombard,' Virginia Bruce, and Geneva Mitchell. Victor M'Laglen, outstanding among romantic he-men heroes of the screen, has been assigned the leading role in "Dust and Sand," a novel by Clements Bipley. "Dust and Sand" is th« story of a care-free adventurer in South America. Bipley has been prominent for many years among authors of colourful action stories.' M'Laglen haa forged steadily to the front rank during the last few years, his roles in "What Price Glory," "A Girl in Every Port," "Captain Lash," "The Cock-eyed World," and "Hot for Paris",, all have met with tremendous favour. The filming of Universal^ all-round super-production of the sensational war story, "All- Quiet on. the Western Front," has been completed. The first scenes were shot on Armistice Day, and for the past four and a half months both the Universal lot and various locations have resounded intermittently to bombardment, explosions, conflicts, and all the other characteristic noises of the front. Featured in the strong all-star cast assembled by-.Carl Laemmle, jun., the producer of the picture, are Louis Wolheim, Louis Ayres, John Wray, Baymond Griffith, and many others. , Nancy Carroll's latest Paramount alltalking picture, "The Devil's Holiday," was recently completed at the Hollywood studios. The principal supporting roles are played by James Kirkwood, Hobart BoßWorth, Phillips Holmes, Morgan Farley, Paul Lukas, and Zasu Pitts. , - Maurice Chevalier sings two of the hit songs in "Paramount on Parade," Paramount's new show world film festival. The numbers are "Sweeping the Clouds away," and "All I Want is Just One Girl." Badio's production of "Dixiana"lias what might be termed a double star cast, headed by Bebe Daniels, of "Bio Bita'' fame, Everett Marshall, Metropolitan Grand Opera baritone, Bobert Woolse'y, Bert Wheeler, and Dorothy Lee, comedians of "Bio Bita," Joseph Cawthorno. "Dixiana" is an original operetta by Harry Tierney and Anne Caldwell, and will be Badio Pictures' initial effort in the field of wide-film, stereoscopic entertainment. Such hits have the new songs especially written for Universal's super-ex-travaganza, "King of Jazz," already proven 'to be that no less than four different artists, including Paul Whiteman' and his band, who star in the picture, are recording them for the leading talking machine companies. All of the songs were first played in "King of Jazz," ana the records will be released by the various recording companies concurrently with the picture, which was directed by John Murray Andreson with an outstanding array of stars in the huge spectacle and specialty, numbers, photographed in all-sound and all-technicolour. Another famous film and stage name was added to the Fox cast of "Born Reckless," with the signing of Cath-j vine Dale Owen.