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Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 59, 11 March 1937, Page 21

: Mr. R. C. Sherriff has expressed the ■pinion that the' theatre is in a dejlorable state, and he doubts if.it will survive the competition of the cinema, writes "The Post's" London correspondent on February 13. "The truth is, of course," comments the "Evening Standard,".: "that the theatre never ought -to lave tried. The theatre and the cinema are totally different forms of art; and for the cinema to compete with the theatre- in that intimate, spontaneous entertainment that only living actors :an provide, or for the theatre to'compete with, the cinema in that spectacular pageantry that only photography :an ,«ncompass, is a mischievous waste af time and money. We had an instance last week when, with no.drama:ic justification whatever, a 'real train ivith real steam' was introduced into The Orchard Walls' at the St. James's fheatre. The train lurched forward for ;en': yards" and then-stopped, and the agonised; farewells died on the actors' ips.::,H6w foolish Jo do. badly what ;he;cinema can do superlatively well!'' <Vfter,its.failure at the St. James's the mnouricement is now made that "The Orchard Walls" was done in America n: 1935 as "Love Is Not So Simple," vhichis a translation of the Hungarian Jtle* The, version was made by Philip Woeller and the leading parts taken >y Ina Claire and Dennis King. It was i Theatre Guild production; it opened Hit. of town and failed even to reach Yew York.' "The Orchard- Walls" was idapted^for the London stage by Dr. Werton Hodge, the New Zealand playwright whose "The Wind and the Rain" Drought him fame. The story, is about he difficulties of love in these modern :imes. A young man and a girl are in ove, and neither will admit it, as the C° un? ,man has very little money and he girl s family has lost a lot. - So shenames for money, and he also—and ictually they never really get straightmed out. The cast included Irene /anbrugh, Hugh Sinclair, Valeric Tayor, Arthur Sinclair, Evelyn Roberts, >ophie' Stewart (who is Celia to the losalind of Elisabeth Bergner in th* i? m j Asii Y1 U '• U]t e K'^.-and Ronnie Yard who toured ;;New- Zealand with tfiss :Vanbrugh and the late Dion Bou:icaujt ten years ago. : JUVENILE CHOIRS. This promises to be an interesting ;ear for the Wellington Boys' and Tirls Choirs, . Mr. Temple White's umor choral bodies. The annual solo mging contest for which silver medals re donated by Mr. Leslie Page and Ir. H. G. Mayer, is quite an event, he judge last year was Mr. T. J. 'oung, the musical director' of the 'eachers' Training College, and in his emarks he spoke of the inestimable alue of these organisations where the oung people were receiving sound intruction on the best lines, and were eing introduced to the best musical iterature. He spoke of the great adantage. the Wellington boys and girls tad over those in-many of the country districts, who were not able to avail hemselves of such ah 9pportunity. The Soys' Choir has been invited to pay a isit to Wanganui later in the year to ollaborate with the Wanganui Boys' Ihoir under Mr. Kitson. It is hoped. 3 be able to:. make arrangements /hereby this invitation may toe acepted.. - - . -, , .. . ,

FORTUNE'S WHEEL. „

Back in 1923 Michael Fessier and Lawrence Kimble started their careers simultaneously on the Bakersfield, California, "Morning Echo." Fessier was a' printer's devil and Kimble a cub reporter. Their paths crossed again five years later, after both had wandered up and down the coast working on various newspapers. Kimble returned; to Bakersfield and became city editor of the town's afternoon paper. The assistant city- editor was Fessier. Both turned to writing for the magazines at the same time. Fessier's stories clicked first. He was signed by Metro-Go] dwyn-Mayer as a scenario writer, then became a producer. Recently M-G-M purchased a story as a vehicle for Stuart Erwin, and assigned Fessier to take the production helm, with Lucien Hubbard. On the title page-was the name'of the author, Law-' rence Kimble. It was picturised into "All-American Chump." Now Kimble is,.;:under contract at the studio as -a scenario writer, working under his former assistant, Fessier. And Life's wheel clicks on

»'- One of the outstanding concert at . tractions this year to visit Australia [ and New Zealand will be Benno Moi- ■ seiwitsch, the famous Russian poet o: !.:the piano. He is undoubtedly one ol [" the most popular of the great artists .- who have visited this country, and.i: . speaks volumes for the hold he has on music-lovers that his forthcoming tour will be the fifth time that he has ; toured Australia and New Zealand ; Benrid is due to commence .his tour in ' Perth in May next, after: which he will visit the other capital- cities.-. .Mr. 1 Moiseiwitsch intends to "include several new piano works in his programme; [ and these will add to the. attractiveness 'of his concerts. '■ ' ■'";'

One of the principal dancers o Colonel de Basil's Monte Carlo Rus sian Ballet, who will make her firs appearance at the New Opera Hous under the direction of J.C.Williair son, Ltd., on March 27. "SENSATION."Newspaper melodramas have hithe to generally been, produced by tl American industry but in "Sensation a somewhat oddly retitled version i "Murder Gang," the,subject is fro; the British angle. Although perha] necessarily , largely dependent upc dialogue, it is developed in a neatl; dovetailed sequence of swift-moving ii cident, alive with/ robush humour, romance, and one or two deeply-mo ing moments. PRAISE FOR WELLINGTON GIRI In "The Times" notice, of the pc formance of "The Misanthrope," t Moliere, at . the, Arts Theatre, Can bridge, reference was made to a "d lightfully polished performance" b Miss Rosalind Atkinson (Wellingtor as Arsinoe,.writes "The Post's" Londo correspondent.

BEST-DRESSED STARS.

Five more young ladies were added to the glamorous roster of the world's "best-dressed" screen stars by the time the filming of 20th Century-Fox's new screen play, "Hearts in Reunion," was completed. The five are the Miles. Yvonne, Cecile, Emilie. Annette, and Marie Dionne, the famous .quintuplets who are stars of the film. The outfits worn by the Quins were created by Royer,-designer of fashions for Loretta Young, Rochelle Hudson, Alice Faye, and other "best-dressed" ladies of the screen, after two half-hour telephone conversations with the babies'. physician and their nurses, by long-distance between Hollywood and their Ontario home in Callander. The Quins' creations were made to the exact measurement of the world's youngest stars, and were completed in six eight-hour shifts in the 20th Century-Fox wardrobe department. Jean. •■.Hersholt,-. Rochelle Hudson, Helen Vinsdn, Robert Kent, and Slim Summerville "are featured in "Hearts in Reunion," the dramatic home-coming of the country doctor's 3000 grown-up "babies."