FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Evening Star, Issue 18051, 19 August 1922, Page 8

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

[By Loitbrir.]

New acta joining the Princess Theatre bill on Monday are the De Luca Brothers (Continental tumblers) and the favorites, Ling and Long, in their exceedingly comical sketch " Fun In the Gymnasium.” Leading tho cast of ‘ Pomp and Circumstance,’ produced at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London, j/i Juno 8, were Robert Loraino and heiy Browne (who was hero with Julius Knight in 4 Bella Donna ’). According to Harry Linden and Ida Bcriidrre, smart performers at Fullers’ New Theatre (Sydney), who returned from a nine years’ tour of the British Isles recently, theatrical conditions in England have never been as bad for the past_ ten vears as they are at tho present time. " A slump' has set in,” they remarked, "that is without parallel. Hundreds of actors and vaudeville performers are waffling the streets looking for work, which, we are afraid, will never come. There is a general feeling of unrest in England, and it has hit the vaudeville business very hard. Only a very few of Loudon’s recognised head-liners can look forward to any degree of prosperity. Salaries have declined, particularly in drama and musical comedy. Some managers pay as little as 30s per week for a leading man, .and sometimes they have a leading woman thrown in for nothing. I have no desire to return to London, and I am positive that anybody who has recently arrived from London holds tho same views as myself.” A private cable published in the Sydney ‘ Sun ’ announces that Frank Freeman and Pirio Rush, who left Australia to try their lack in England early this year, both opened in a new play at the Ambassadors on August 3. "At last I am famous,” says Sir James Barrie. “ I’ve lived in London a good many years, but it was never until charming Mary Pdckford visited mo that the street outside my windows was packed with a cheering crowd.” Daisy Jerome’s season at Fullers’ New Theatre, Sydney, ended last week; also tho long run of tho ‘Stuffy and Mo’ revue. The Sydney ‘Sun’ announces the return of Jennie Hartley to the Fuller pennant. After having 'been a source of delight to music lovers in New Zealand, Signor Ccsarom, the well-known basso, is shortly to join Signor Capelli, the Italian tenor, in America, in a tour of the two continents. He will, however, be away for about two years only, after which he hopes to return to New Zealand. It is Signor Cesaroni’a ambition to open a conservatorium in Auckland after his return from America, Many players well known in Australia have been associated with 'The Gondoliers ’ (says the Melbourne ‘ Argus ’). Miss Florence Young made her first Williamson appearance as Casikla. Mr George Lanri was appearing as tho Grand Inquisitor in America, when Mr Williamson saw him and engaged him for Australia. The original London Casikla and Luiz were Miss Decima Moore and ■Mr Wallace Brownlow. On that occasion Mr Courtice Pounds was Marco, and Mr W. H. Denny was Don Alhambra, Mr William Elton, the first Australian Duke, appeared in a London revival of the opera some years later. Eardlcy Turner contributes to the ‘Argus’ an interesting reminiscence of Letty Lind. He says: " Melbourne theatregoers will well remember the exquisite dancer and comedienne, who came with the George Edwardes’s burlesque company to Australia—Miss Letty Lind. It seems strange to recall the fact that tho lady and myself made our first appearances on the London hoards together —and in .a drama. The play was ‘ Stormbeaten.’ by Robert Buchanan, an adaptation of what I think is his best novel, ‘God and tho Man,’ and Miss Lind neither sang nor danced in it! The terpsichorean extravagances of to-day are difficult of appreciation to those who remember the grace, charm, and refinement of what oamo to be known «s "Letty Lind dances.”

■Miss_ Etta, Field, currently headlined at the Princess Theatre, sots a good example to songstresses an the class of song- she offers. ■ Soprano vocalists appearing in vaudeville commonly select a routine of worn numbers, such as ‘ll llacio,’ ‘My Hero,’ and the like; but Miss Field has not feared to try out on vaudevillians the best type of modern and with the most pleasant results. Her programme next week will embrace ‘My Heart’s Desire (Coningsby Clark), ‘Ave Maria’ (Mascneroni). and ‘Love’s a Merchant’ (Molly Carew)* We have all heard of the disgruntled playgoer, who, on witnessing a performance of ‘ Hamlet ’ for the first time, complained that it was merely a “jumble of old quotations.” The anecdote is recalled by the preliminary announcement by Mr Allan Wilkie’s business representative, that the popular actor-manager and his permanent Shakespearean company are on the way here in the course of their_ annual tour. Certainly now that Mr Wilkie has so convincingly established himself as a power in the theatrical world the “ jumble-of-old-quotations ” playgoer _ is discounted, for the actor has familiarised some of the best of Shakespeare’s works. Miss Hnnter-Watts, who has been on a holiday trip to Europe, rejoins the company here, and will again sustain the leading roles of gentlewoman during the forthcoming New Zealand season.

Sir Walter Do Frece has found it necessary (says the London correspondent of New York ‘Variety’) to contradict the stories freely circulated to the effect that Ronald True, the man convicted of brutally murdering and robbing a woman, was the son of Vesta Tilley (Lady Do Frece). True has been reprieved, and the scandal arising from this has led to a recrudescence of the stories and made denial necessary. True’s birth certificate gives William Thomas True as his father, and Annabel True, formerly Angus, as his mother. It is further recorded that the fifth Lord Da Freyne, who was killed in the late war, married Annabel, daughter of William Angus, in 1902. De Freyne was the surname of True’s pet alias when in America, and the felon’s full name is Angus Ronald True. Lionel Atwill (here in ‘The Whip’) was the chief feature in the Now York Palace Theatre’s June bill, playing in a potted drama ‘The White-faced Fool.’ Tim chances of the noted “ Cherry Blossom Girls” of Japan making an American tour next season depend (says ‘Variety’) upon final arrangements to finance the trip. Tentative appearances at the Hippodrome have been agreed on, J. D. Barton having arrived back from tho Orient on that mission, and departed for Japan again. There are forty Geisha girls in the group, tho girls being between fifteen and sixteen years of age. The Government stipulates that about fifteen chaperons must accompany them out of the country. It has been figured that the cost of transportation would' be about 45,000d01. Harry Thurston, the English comedian, original creator of Bairnsfather’s ‘ Old Bill.’ is appearing at Fullers’ Brisbane house.

During her recent stay in t-ho Hast, JNliss Madeline Bossiter, now at the Tivoli, Melbourne, produced sixteen musical comedies lor Bandman, and took leading parts in the ‘Maid of the Mountains’ and ‘Afghan.’ Ada Reeve's revue ' Spangles ’ reached its 150th performance at the Palace, Melbourne, a week ago. Early engagements for the Tivoli Theatre, Australia. (Musgrove direction), include! Louis Seymour, light comedian: Lime and Shaw, comedy specialists; Gene Girard, a high-class English comedian; and Hunter and Bob, an acrobatic team. From the time Williamsons decided to take Gladys Moncrioff to Melbourne for ‘The Naughty Princess’ she had only nine days to master the text and business of the part. Mr Harry liurcher, the producer, thought it a very lino achievement. A meeting of the Actors’ Federation of Australasia, at Sydney, agreed to motions declaring the present award to be unsatisfactory, and directing officials of the organisation to proceed with the claims of the federation for a general increase to £6 a week for the chorus and ballet, £3 a week for actors, and £4 for supornumor-. aries.

Joan Sterling, a well-known musical comedy artist, has been engaged by Sir George Tallis for Australia. She took the title role in the light opera ' Sibyl when it was produced at Daly’s, London, and will make her first appearance m Australia in the same part. . Another of Mr Harry Musgrovos encasements for the Tivoli circuit is Lthcl Hook, -of the Hook Trio. The team, which includes Arthur Argent, a tenor, is considered one of the musical turns, in London.. Miss Hook is a sister of Dame Clara Butt, and a contralto. The enormous sums of money that bull en jam In and Mr John Fuller are spending in Australia on theatres —£250,000 in Sydney alonc~a.ro not confined bo head-, quarters. The firm is at present engaged in renovating the Gaiety Theatre, Melbourne, at a cost of about £5,000. Then there is the Princess Theatre in the same city which is at present in the hands of the builders. It is the intention to make this the do luxe place of amusement of Australia, at a cost of £40,000. It is also planned, when the new theatre and offices are built in Sydney, to completely remodel the Bijou Theatre and Arcade in Melbourne at a cost of £40,000, thus bringing this popular home of vaudeville into line with the Fullers’ other theatres in luxury and comfort. The long arm of coincidence had something to do with bringing together Bmelie Polini and Frank Harvey in ‘ My Lady s Dress,’ in which they are how appearing at the King’s Theatre, Melbourne. As children in England they were playmates, and their fathers had been partners in the managerial side of the business. Years passed before they met again. Miss lolini went to America., Mr Harvey came to Australia; and it was only recently, before the production of 'My Lady’s Dress,’ that they set eyes on each other again. How they are congenial roles in the big dramatic success. London’s “Old Vic” has been saved from the imminent danger of closing down. An unnamed individual has come forward with a cheque for £30,000, the sum required to carry out the alterations which the London County Council has demanded in compliance with its by-laws. It is believed that the donor, who hides his identity under the description “A Reader of the * Observer,’ ” is, m fact, Lord Astor, the proprietor of that journal. The theatre has established a unique reputation amoni’- English theatres by the quality of its plays, and particularly by its devotion to Shakespearean drama. Some time ago Miss Lilian Baylis and her colleagues were warned that, unless alterations were made to the building, the license would in all probability be cancelled. The theatre is verv old, and fell far short of the- standard set by L.C.C. regulations. The appeal for funds met with a remarkable response from the poorer patrons of the theatre, who subscribed £1,500 within a few months; but it was made plain that £50,000 was required if the place was to be saved.