FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

Evening Star, Issue 17034, 3 May 1919, Page 9

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

[By Loitsbbb.] J. and N. Tait’s manager, Mr Maurice Ralph, arrived in Dunedin yesterday with the news that the firm intend to open with Sir Harry Lauder in Wellington on urday next, find that the Dunedin dates will bo Winter S-h.nv Week. _ It is a little difficult to see how Lauder is to got into New Zealand after the statement as to the Australian embargo made at Christchurch mado by the Health Minister. The death of Tiros. Tilton from influenza is announced. Deceased was a- well-known actor and producer, and was appealing with Allen Docmo at the Sydney Theatre Royal until the authorities applied the “ general closure.” "Kathleen Ma-cDowll appeared in New York on_March 1 at the Forty-eighth Street Thoatra”"as the heroine of a melodrama entitled ‘The Is el.’ New York ‘Dramatic Mirror' describes the story as that of a murder done in a London studio by the dissolute husband of a woman come to effect a reconciliation with him for the sake of their child. As witness to the murder the woman had to choose between telling the police her husband! is guilty or fastening the crime upon a stranger suffering from an attack of amnesia, who happens to wander in from the street at the psychological moment. Ghannang Pollock, one of the nmst discriminating of New York critics, thus refers to Misa Mao Donell’s work : “ Kathleen MacDonell, who scored here with Robert Hilliard in ‘The Pride of Race,’ and recently returned from triumphs in Australia, is seen as the wife, and proves to be an actress of intelligence and tile finest technical equipment. Her repression is noteworthy, her reading convincing, and her facial play expressive.” Chas Waldron. Miss MacDonell’s partner in the ‘Daddy Longlegs’ successes ra Australia fwtd New Zealand: Ws at latest.also in Now York, and also in melodrama—«■ member of the oast in ‘The Thirteenth Chair.’ It is understood that Frank Charlton, a well-known Wellington baritone, and Borneo Gardiner, noted siftlenr, are leaving for Sydney shortly. It was stated recently that John Amadio, the flautist, has been seriously ill with influenza in Sydney. An unusual act comes to the Princess Theatre on Monday evening. Jose Baptist! is a Bohemian violinist. She appears ■hare-footed, with loosened Imir, .a iow-onx-velvet bodice, and a short skirt composed of a miscellany of colored oddments. While playing a variety of selections, she introduces dances attuned to their sentiment, finishing with a swift medley_ of ragtime airs, while playing which she gives an exhibition of whirlwind dancing. Frances Ross, Bland Holt s leading woman for many years, has been spending a year in New Zealand. Nhe has now returned to .Sydney, and will shortly reenter the profession, Madame Melba lias concluded arrangements for opera and concert seasons in London. >She breaks a, rule, held for a number of years, by opening the opera season at Covent Garden on May 5, and subsequently gives concerts at the Albert Hall and the Queen s Hall. Owing to shipping difficulties, Madame Melba has be cm compelled to forgo concert engagements in America worth BIO.CCO. Arthur Bourchier was recently married to Miss Kyrle Bellew, a niece of the famous romantic actor, Kyrle Bellew, who played a notable season hero with Mrs Brown Potter many years ago. Mr Bcnirchier, who is 55 years of age, was married to Miss Violet Vanbrugh for many years. She divorced him a year or so ago. Miss Bellew is a young actress, who has been on the stage for, only four yea remand yet hus managed to reach the rank of leading ladv. Site was placing lead at the Strand Theatre when she 'wedded Mr Bourchier. The marriage took place at a London registrar’s office, and the pair appeared at a matinee directly after, without the public knowing anything of the matter. Harry Cohen, now happily installed! in U.S.A.* as general manager of Walter Host's productions, write?, under date March 22, from Chicago, forwarding an interesting budget. Mr Last s cinct attraction, ‘ Scandal ’ fa comedy dramatised from Cosmo Hamilton’s novel—not unknown hero, also, by tho way, as a picture play—;s (or was) drawing " capacity to Inc Garrick Theatre, averaging about £5,000 weekly, and is expected to rim till June, when it will be transferred to Now York. Newspaper critique,s enclosed show that the play is a big artistic success as well as a financial one .and that, at a time when other shows ara faring badly. Thus Mr Cohen states that Cyril Maude, with his new piece, lasted only three weeks in Chicago. The papers indicate, also, that Doris Duane (Mrs Cohen i has a part in the production. The letter_ gives some indication of prices in Lie .Mate?. “We have a room.’’ he writes, "at the hotel at a very reduced rate —about hn.t what an ordinary traveller pays—-and ever, at that we pay* four dollars (17s) a- day just for the room, all meals, telephones, papers, etc., being extra, of course. The curse of thus country is the tipping system. You tip here almost every lime you draw a br-eetn, and at 10 cents (sd) a time that mounts up during tha week. Walter George and Co. produce on M onday an entirely now tabloid musical piece for the delectation of Princess patron?. It is entitled ‘The Gipsy Maid. Tho company are doing unique business. Ethel Dano and her husband. Cyril Keightley, are stage lovers again, after a professional separation extending over many years. Says New \ork ‘Dramatic Mirror ; It/ isn’t of ton that & wiio has the peculiar privilege of being made love to in public by her own husband, but that is just what is happening to Ethel Dane. She has taken Estelle Winwocd’s ‘ The Little Journey,’ and receives declarations of love from Cyril Keightley before several hundred people every night' Ethel Dano nyrs hero some few years ago under the Beaumont Smith management, but Keightley lias not played hero for many years. A number of picture “stars” are swelling their large salaries by accepting vaudeville engagements. Olga Petrova recently appeared at the New A ork Palace, Francis X. Bushman and Beverly Bayne are searching for a suitable vaudeville vehicle, and Mae Murray recently staged a sketch at the Palace. Lamum and Bailey’s “ Greatest Show on Earth ” and Ringling Brothers’ Circus have been merged, and will hereafter travel as a single organisation, beginning with the engagement this sprinc at Madison Square Garden, New York. The consolidation is the most important that has been effected in tho circus world since P- T. Barnam and James A. Bailey mewed their enterprises in 1887. The Ringling Brothers are the proprietors and managing directors of tha new institution. They arc the founders of the Einglipg Brothers’ Circus, and

since its purchase by them in 1907 have managed and produced the Barn tun ana Bailey ' show. Tiro annual spring engagement of the Rinding Brothers’ show at the Coliseum in Chicago will give way to the Now York performances of the now combination. A first-nighter dreamed a dream of the Easter pantomime. It was produced In Sydney on Easter Monday before a masked audience. Everybody had to present his or her inoculation certificate at the door, or to show her ox his inoculaI tion marks. The. orchestra hod been done a wav with, for it had been found that a trombetoo m full blast sprayed 4,973.356 germs per second for a distance of 2ft j and even a bassoon failed to kill any germ entangled in its notes. Instead of the orchestra there was installed a battery of steam sprayers, part directed upon the front stalls, and part upon the chorus girl?. Even the spot light was dtsia* fectod. The comedian’s jokes bore the Medical Board’s guarantee of antiseptic Imm or; the leading lady had her temperature taken after each of jwr )18 songs; and the costumes of the chorus girls were chiefly masks. Thermometers were lianded around among the audience, during the intervals. Apparently the plot of the pantomime had been quarantined at Albury. The first-nighter was just reading the announcement at the bottom of hi? programme, “ Ambulances at 11,” when he woke up.—‘Daily Telegraph.’ SNAPS IN THE STUDIOS. Bruce Bairnsfather’s play, ‘The. Belter ’Ole.’ which has had such a great success on the stapes of America, South Africa, Britain, and Australia, was picturiscd by an English producing company'at the time the play was running so well in London. The result has been a film that is also wonderfully successful. At the big Strand Theatre in Auckland last week the house was crowded night and day for a full j week. The quaint characters—Old Bill, j Bert, and Alf.—are said to bo reproduced ito the life. "The Better ’Ole’ will arrive in Dunedin in about three weeks’ time, unless its season in the northern towns is extended. Bayard Yeiller. author of ’ Vlthin tho Law' and ‘ The Thirteenth Chair,’ has : contracted to write a number of photoj plays for Universal. i Manager Braithwaite, of tho Empire, has received the following notification i from Mr T. Valors, the New Zealand j manager for Paramount Films :—“ I have j just received our releases for the next j two month?, and I am busy making conv- ( plete list? for .Auckland, Christchurch, and yourself, copy of which I will post you in the course of a few days. Among tho neiw releases the names of artists like Ethel Clayton, Bryant Washburn, Lila Lee, Dorothv Gish, John Barrymore, auci Lena Cavalier! appear.” The story ‘ Burkes’s Amy is to be Mary Bickford's next- production for the First National Exhibitors’ Circuit. Mrs Vernon Castle, has contracted with the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation to appear in eight pictures in a period of two years. Her first play will be ail adaptation of ' Tho Firing June.’ Elsie Ferguson, Paramount’s beautiful .star, is producing ‘ The Avalanche,’ Gertrude Atherton’s novel. She will shortly be seen at the Empire Theatre in Robert W. Chamber?’k 'Tho Danger Mark.’ ! Tiro outstanding feature of the month’s “movie” happenings in America was tha unexpected announcement from Los Angeles that Wm. G. M'Adoo, former Secretary to the U.S. Treasury, and one of the most prominent men in American public life, had entered the film industry as executive head for tho Big Four Combine, Mary Pirkford-rhaplm-Hart-Fairbanks interests. ‘Tiro Turn of the Wheel’ is proving a wonderful draw at. tha Queen’s. This play is claimed to bo Miss Farrar’s best opportunity yet. Particularly lin.e is the leg scene in the Casino. Jr’s a Goldwyn, and is turned out with all the elaboration for which the company are famous. >.ln» Farrar, following the lend of other notables of the silver sheet, lias commenced to write the story of her life. Harry ILmdmi, world-famed monarch | of mystery, has been signed up by Para- | mount Corporation, and will appear in i high-class mystery .stories specially vvrit- ! ten for him. and affording him opportunij Lies to properly present his most startling | fcate. j ‘ From Fail lie to Mount Cook,’ the raj cent pictures taken by the Government photographer, are shown at Haywards’ to- ! day. The stalwart Harry Morey is duo at Everybody’s later in a. Vitagraph play called ‘ A Game, with Fate.’ This is being shown in a leading Wellington house to big crowds. Alma Rubens, recently star with Triangle, now heads her own company. Her first picture will ho ‘ Diana of tho Green Fan,’ the 10.900d»,.l prize story by Leona Dairy rap le. Met leading man is Nigal Barrie. ‘ Tho Cook,’ Fatty Arbuclole’s latest comedy, has been such a success at the Empire that th® management have decided to continue showing it for another three day-?. Tho acrobatic stunts of Fatty Arhuckle, A 1 St, John, and Syd Keaton are ?. treat ,tu watch, and —don’t forget tho dog One must give tho dog credit for a little more than “horse sense.” As leading woman for Hale Hamilton ini ’After Own Heart’ Metro has engaged Naomi Childers. The Co-operative Film Exchange hav* secured the rights for the famous “’Jewel ” productions featuring Mildred Hands Giro Charles Chaplin). Her first pictures include ‘ The Price of a Good Time,’ ‘ For Husbands Only,’ ‘Borrowed Clothes,’ ‘Tho Doctor and tho Woman.’ Other “Jewel” pictures include ‘ Crashing Through to Berlin,’ ‘The Yellow Dog,’ ‘The Kaiser, tha Beast of Berlin,’ ‘The Co-respondent, ’ ‘ Mother o’ Mine.’ Frank Plummer, who came from the Lyric Theatre. Auckland, to manage at Ilia Octagon, has now entered upon management “on hia own.” having taken over control of “Our Allies” Pictures, Purt Chalmers. He will, also provide’ohows in Palmerston, Waikouaiti,. and Hampden, and is further immersed in a scheme provide Roslyn with a suburban show at the Wakari Hall, which, Mr Plnmrrroi says, is to be converted into an up-to-rint* picture-house. The opening dale is fixei for May 10. A popular and energetic fellow, Mr Plummer deserves all success. ‘ Selfish Yates.’ the now feature at the Empire, in which Will S. Hart takas the leading part, is the best Hart drama to data. Best in every way—best photography, best settings, best direction, and bast acting.