FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

Evening Star, Issue 15477, 27 April 1914, Page 4

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

[By Loiterer.] According to advice received by Mr Scott Colville at Auckland the takings for Harry Lauder's first performance in Melbourne totalled £1,200. Mabelle Morgaui (principal panto, boy here a few years ago) has been engaged by Messrs Harrv Day. and Bdwtfrd Lauri for an important part in their No. 1 ' Hullo, Raetime' Company in England. The J. C. Williamson, Ltd., management have renewed Miss Muriel Starr's engagement for a lengthy term, and she will star in some of the strongest dramatic productions procurable. Her triumph in 'Madame X,' followed bV her success as the persecuted shop girl, Mary Turner, vhas made the American actress a pronounced favorite with Australian playgoers. The panto season at His Majesty's will be followed on Saturday next by another attraction under the George Willoughby management—viz., "The Beggar Girl's Wedding,' a melodrama that attracted much attention at* Home on account of a lawsuit as to infringement of copyright. All the scenery and fixings that were used in the Adelphi Theatre, Sydney, are to beused here. The cast will include Misses Vera Remee, Fanny Erris, Gwendolyn Dorise, Oriel fiotson, and Messrs George Cross, T. E. Tilton, Rutland Beckett, Ward Lyons, Frank Keogh, and Frank Albert. Mi - George Bullet \is in charge, and Mr J. A. Matheson touring manager.

In a recent issue I made mention of a huge sum being claimed for breach of promise by Monica Borden, a New York actress, from a Brazilian millionaire named Octavio Guinle. On the evening of March 5 the latter compounded by marrying the actress at the Hotel Baltimore, on Madieon square. It will be recollected that the lady made a modest claim of £IOO,OOO. Playgoers who were present at the matinee of 'Come Over Here' at Melbourne Her Majesty's last week were surprised at a little incident that Was enacted outside the dress circle entranoe at the conclusion of the revue. Muriel Starr, the leading lady of ' Madame X,' played by the ' Within the Law' Company, at the Theatre Royal, with other principals of the company, occupied a box, and was proceeding to her motor, when she Was accostedby a lady whose demeanor was that of some person who was struggling under an intensa sorrow. ''May I speak to you privately for one minute, Miss Starr?" she asked. The actress glanced quickly at the face of the lady who addressed her, and her -womanly intuition told her that here was something out of the ordinary. In the stage'door entranoe, away from the crowd, the stranger told Miss Starr an extraordinary narrative of trouble, and concluded with the striking statement: "You see before you a woman who is a terrible victim of the drug habit. Morphi?. and cocaine have helped to drag me in the mire I heard of your performance in ' Madame X'—l haven't been inside a theatre for 10 years—and went to see it. The brutal realism with which you showed me the horrors of the drug-taker awakened me more than wiso counsel and the pleadings of my friends have ever done. I just; Want to tell you this, so that you can realise what your acting has done for me. God"bless you." Miss Starr was quite overcome by the incident, and treasures it in her recollection as one of the strangest happenings in which sha has ever been concerned in her life.

Mr Joseph Blascheck has arrived in Melbourne on behalf of the London Enter : tainment Syndicate, under whose control the Ellen Terry tour of Australasia is being made. Miss Terry's lectures in Melbourne will be given in the Town Hall on May 7, 9, and 11, the first discourse bsing on ' Shakespeare's -Heroines.' Damages amounting to £l5O were awarded on March 9 at the Glamorgan Assizes to Alfred Denville, described as an 'actor and play-producer," against Montague Emanuel Jacobs and the Newpoet 'Argus,' for libel contained in an advertisement declaring that Jacobs's fUtn production of 'The Miracle' "must not be confounded with the insignificant drama bearing the same title, but having a slight resemblance to the original production" presented by the plaintiff at the Lyceum Theatre at 'Newport. The contention of fair comment was overruled by Mr Justice Avory, who presided. His Honor held' that there was all the difference between a newspaper article and an advertisement, for the latter could not possibly come under "comment." Defendant had, moreover, omitted to enter a plea of justification. Mr Frcnk Law ton, whose death was reported on Tuesday in a London cable, was the original Blinky Bill in the Australian production of 'The Belle of New York,' and for many years was a popular favorite on the British vaudeville stage. After a long spell of ill-health, he broke down completely towards the end of last year. 'Never Say Die,' in which Fred Niblo and Josephine Cohan are to make their last appearance in Melbourne, is a comedy written by W. H. Post and William Collier, and will bo produced by Fred Niblo. There are three acts. Little Gertie Cremer, who appears in the cast, will have more scope than she has had since she appeared in "The Blue Bird.*

lii view- of the phenomenal success of the J. 0. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company in South Africa and its forthcoming season in Australia, it is in* teresting to note that a strong desire is making itself manifest abroad for the revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan -works. This has particularly made itself felt in London, ■where several of the leading papers have been publishing articles of late referring to the keenness of the public for a Gilbert and Sullivan revival, and suggesting that the time for such a revival is now ripe. Recent revivals in New York were also immensely successful. Files of the Boston papers to hand by the last American mail refer to the remarkable success of the Gilbert and Sullivan Company, headed by De Wolf Hopper, in that city. Altogether it looks as if there is to be a big recrudescence of the Gilbert and Sullivan boom. Australian playgoers axe already looking forward to the coming of the J. 0. Williamson Company, with a fine repertoire. Daisy Jerome, the remarkable little comedienne in ' Come Over Here' in Melbourne, has good grounds for considering herself a cosmopolitan. She was born in America, was educated in England, France, and Germany; has appeared in all these countries, and can speak the languages fluently.

In connection with the Tango tea, which is to be given her© to-marrow by the ' Aladdin ' Company, I am informed that Bishop Grimes, accompanied by Father Price; attended a matinee at Christchurch, and expressed themselves to the management as highly pleased with the exhibition given They are of opinion that the tango is likely to find a permanent placo in the ballroom. Busts in marble of the late Mr Harry Rickards have been executed by Mt James White, the Australian sculptor, for placing in each of the theatres in Melbourne and Sydney which until recently bore Mr R'ickards's nanie. They are slightly larger than life-size.

Mr Brent'Hayes, the peerless master of the banjo at the present time, will make his long-looked-for appearance at the Prindess Theatre bhis evening. Mr Hayes's tour through the Dominion has been one continual triumph. It is surprising what ah elaboration this artist gives to his numbers. In most of them he plays his own accompaniments. Another turn of novelty and distulction is that of Mantell's Marionette Hippodrome, ah astonishingly clever act, which. . abounds in mechanical intricacies.; and which leads to a brilliant performance. Included in the act is.3 marionette audience, orchestra, and aeroplane aieeht. The figures are worked with remarkable skill, and whole-fun is the keynote of the turn. . There are seven other hist acts coming in as well for this week's bill, which the Fuller-Brenhah management represent as one of the niost expensive yet sent oil the New Zealand circuit. '' ~ ...... . The J. C. Williamson New Comic Opera Company will >tage in Sydney in June 'Qipev Jjove' for the first -time in traKa" The cast will incjude- softie new people, including Gertie Glynn, who wilt play lia3y B&bbfi. the, rtjß she created hi Ihe Ssl|lnai f rlauetioh Ifi liSMdn, and Elsie Spain, who was Hascha in the original Bxodiicfcion of 'The Chocolate S^

dier' in London. The company will to practically ireorganifeed. The apera will be produced by Wybert Stanford, and Andrew MacCunn will be musical director.

Mies Elsie Spain, the well-known musical comedy actress, who has accepted a. tempting offer to visit Australia, in order to play leading parts under the direction of J. "C. Williamson, Limited, in 'Gipsy Love' and 'The Marriage Market,' was to have left by the Cmfah on March 27. The Royal Wellington Choral Society have secured the following soloists for their production of 'Maritana' on May 28: —Soprano, Miss Helen Gard'ner, of this City; contralto, Madame Gregor Wood, Melbourne; tenor, Mr Gregor Wood, Melbourne; baritone, Mr Hamilton Hodges. A company of 10 people is-being brought out by Mr Louis Meyer from London to open at the Princess's Theatre, Melbourne, on August 22 in ' Hie Glad Eye.' Daisy Jerome has a-passion for dolls and inanimate creatures of the "Teddy bear" variety. All species of these, which comprise her "mascots," surround the live wire comedienne in her dressing room at Melbourne's Her Majesty's. Her latest treasure is a new arrival, which reached her the other night at the end of her performance in ' Come Over Here.' It was a large monkey, wonderfully lifelike, which can do anything but talk. By means of an ingenious mechanism it can rise to its feet, raise its hand to its head in the action of saluting, and bow gravely. Then it sits down agam. " He's going to be my private secretary, or companion, or whatever you like to call it," says Miss Jerome. "You know, he will attract more attention than I will, and perhaps people will be so busy watching him that they will forget to ask: ' Miss Jerome, really now, is. that red hair all your own!'" —A Protest Against Nastihess:— There was almost a riot at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, on March 2, on the production of the notorious revue ' Who's the Lady?' with the production of which in London the name of a French actress who Should have been styled MtSs Too-few Clothes was associated. From gallery, balcony; arid circle there was much hissing after the conclusion of the first act, but the storm broke out during the second act, when there was an emphatic protest against certain passages of double entendre. When the company reached the' disrobing scene—in which a. girl slips off her dress and appears in neglige, to which so much exception was taken when the piece was presented in London—a young man jumped up from hie seat in the gallery and shouted "I protest against tmV French filth." Applause from many people in the gallery greeted this indignant <'Uiburst, but from other parts of the house cam© cries of "Throw him out!" Meanwhile a piercing whistle was blown, and the actors could only be heard with gjreat difficulty. The noise increased, Until p, state of pandemonium prevailed. Oranges' and other missiles were thrown' on to thestage, a number of the artists being rarrowly missed. The final result was that the young man who had started the protest was arrested and haled to the nearest police station, but next day he emerged a sort of hero. The Dublin Magistrate not only dismissed the charge, but commended the joung man's action, saying: "Having regard to the comments of the Dublin Press, I consider that the prisoier performed a public service." —Something Like a Birthday Present.—

On January 31 last Mr Cohan, sen. (father of Mrs Fred. Niblo), retired from the active woik of the stage at the age of 66—only to take up the cares of management. "On that happy day his talented son George X. of that ilk—author of ',-Get-Rich-Quic'k Wallingf ord' and other successful plays—took his father into full partnership in all his theatrical enterprises, doing so in the subjoined letter, which (says the ' Theatre') rhows in every line ambition realised and a loving pride in honoring the father who throughout life had been his comrade and co-worker : Detroit, January 31, 1914. My Dear Little Daddy,—This is veto 66th birthday. God bless you, the best; little daddy that any.boy ever had in the 1 , whole wide world. Of course, daddy" dear, that's what every regular fellow thinks of his dad. I hope to God'my boy will grow up to think the same and ' love me one-hundredth part as much as I love you. Daddy, dear, We've all worked 'hard for a "great many years, and, thank goodness, we've succeeded in rr.aking ourselves happy at last. But we must not think of retiring* for both ;of us are young yet, although you are really younger than I. That's no joke. Everyone says so, and I'm beginning to realise it, too. Daddy, I've never loved my own without a reason. Gee ! but you've been good t<. me. From this day on, daddy, we are partners in every theatre and theatrical property I possess. You are my partner half and half and equal in the Cohan Theatre, the Astor Theatre, the Gaietv Theatre, the Grand Opera House; and the Bronx, rrt New York; also the Grand Opera House in Chicago. So far this season all these theatres are winners, and as I am going to devote my time to the Astor in New York and the Grand in Chicago, believe me* they'll alwavs be while I live. It'ien't like giving you somethingit's just what belongs to you. We've been partners for years, and we're always going to he, unless you discharge me from the partnership." I've got everything on top of God's earth I want, and now I want to see that you are fixed the same way. I'm going to make you rich, daddy, dear. That's i why I don't want to waste my time acting any more. You gave me the brain to work with, and I'm going to "make good." You will get your first dividend about June 1, and it ought to be a corker. Gee! Just look back, daddy, and see what we've been through. Isn't it wonderful? Isn't it like the Arabian Nights stories? I'm so happy. I hope your little grandson will grow up to be worthy of his granddad—the best loved man in the whole profession. God bless the bestdaddy on earth!— Your son and partner, George M.

—Miss Ada Reeve and J.C.W., Ltd.— The following letter appeared in the Melbourne ' Age ' of April 8 : In the course of her interview in this morning's paper Miss Ada Reeve makes statements absolutely without foundation, which are calculated to reflect seriously on the bona fides arid the position of our firm in the eyes of the Australian public. Miss Ada Reeve was our leading lady in a. couple of musical comedies in this country from 16 to 18 years ago, and subsequentlv in a pantomime, not one production of the three Being more than moderately successful. Since, then, to the best of our knowledge, Miss Reeve has devoted herself to vaudeville, in which she. hafe appeared toith very great success. But we are not in the vaudeville business, and never have been;

consequently we did not, nor were ever likely to, approach her with terms for —aa Australian season. .As far as we are aware, since she. wis here slid hjs only appeared under her own management in one musical c&medy of any importance —' Butterflies '—in which ehe jjlayed in London, and which she may have wanted to bring out here iii conjunction wlih us. But in our wisdc"ni ox ignor-

ance, as the case may be, we thought the piece had very little chance of suc- * cess in Australia, and certainly did not think of approaching Miss Beeve for a season out here with it. She may have seen our London representative on the subject, but it must have been on >er initiative, not ours. In the second place, Miss Beeve manages to convey a totally erroneous idea as to the letting of theatres in Australia. We do not control the whole of these theatres, and a* no time in the 16 years which have elapsed between her depart ure and her arrival on Monday has it been impossible for a visitiiig organisation to secure theatres all over Australasia. To indicate, as she has endeavored to do, that we control all the theatres in Australia, and have conspired to shut her out of her return visit to the Coritmonwealthj is a total misstatement of fact.—Yours, etc, J. Qi Williamson, Ltd. Her MaJestv's Theairfc. Annl 7.