FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Evening Star, Issue 18057, 26 August 1922, Page 13

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

[By Loiteees.]

New acta coming to the Princess Theatre on Monday: Frame Perrin, a comedian of the Wilkie Bard type ; the Alton SisteW,, a pretty of wire-walkers; end Elton Black, Scotch comedian. Walter George Sunshine Players—an entirely new company,: with the exception ■of George himself, Georgio Martin; Geo. Storey, and Dulcio Milner —return to Dunedin _ for a season at the Princess Theatre in two months’ time. Phil. Wirth; of the Wirth Oircns Proprietary, was respondent in a divorce suit in Sydney this month. The petitioner, Sarah Jane Wirth (formerly, Hodgson), sought a dissolution' of her marriage on the ground of her husband’s adiiltery with Alice Maud! Willis at'Sydney and other places. A decree nisi, returnable in six. months, was, pronounced' on respondent’s, admission of The misconduct. The parties were married at Parnell, Auckland, in 1890,, and there are two children. Mr Paul, the Fullers’ “ mystic entertainer, whose work was the occasion of a court case in the North, returned to Sydney by the Niagara. In the cast of the Emelie Polini piece ‘My Lady’s Dress,’ now current in Melbourne, is Arthur Greenaway, best known iii this country as a Shakespearean actor. Mr Maurice Ralph, who piloted Spivakovsky in New Zealand, is now business manager for the Tafts with the magician Nicola. '

Miss Minnie Hooper, dancing mistress and ballet directress with J. C. Williamson for many years, has gone over to the new firm of Hugh Ward-Fuller. ■ ‘ Married to a Rotter,’ a play produced at the Newtown Majestic, Sydney, by Fullers’ Dramatic Players, is an Australian production from the pen of Mr Clarence Brooks. His first plav, ‘A Daughter of Australia,’ was played by the Fuller Company some time ago, and scored a big success.

The opening position on a vaudeville bill is ono abhorred by variety artists with even more unanimity than the closing position. Obviously a speaking or singing act is hampered by the constant irruption of fresh patrons just after 8 p.m.; and, on the other hand, the unfortunate closing the bill is liable to find his audience “walking out” on him. Where possible, managements open and close with silent acts; but it isn’t always possible, and somebody has to be the victim. It is 1 said that two Fuller acts —Tozart and Bose Lee Ivy—refused recently in Australia to accept opening position—forfeited their engagements rather than do so — and that an imported act under the Musgrove pennant was similarly obstinate over closing position, with like result. The old-fashioned Du Mauricr piece, ‘ Trilby,' had such success in London as to justify its migration from the outskirts to the West End. It was last played in this country by Allan Wilkie with fair success, though the Shakespearean mime was a rather too robustious Svengali. Eeuben Fax was the original Australasian Svengali, and Edith Crane the first Trilby. This statuesque actress played the part here later with her husband, Tyrone Power, now' well known to movie “ fans.”

The famous English actor Laurence Grossmith arrived m Sydney on the lllli inst. to assume the name role in ‘ Captain Applejohn.’ He is the first member: of this great theatrical family to set foot in Australia. ' The visiting actor has appeared in several successful plays, notably ‘The Englishman's Home,’ ‘The Brass Bottle,’ and a number of musical comedies, including ‘ Havana,’ at the Gaiety. ‘The Girl Behind the Counter,’ and suchlike. In America, where he lias been since 1914, he acted in a variety of successful comedies, including Somerset Maugham’s ‘Homo and Beauty,’ Cosmo Hamilton’s ‘ Silver Fox,’ and ‘ The New Morality.’ The Grossmith family is the oldest existent theatrical family. The visitor’s father, his -grandfather, and his grand-uncle have nil been famous in their day, although the first-named, as the original comedian of the Gilbert and Sullivans operas'- at the Savoy,- was 1 more widely known to the public. His grandfather, whose name, by the way, was George, was a lecturer and reader. His Dickens -readings made liim much beloved in England. His uncle (William Robert Grossmith) and 1 his brother Benjamin wore child actors, the former playing tho, leading Shakespearian roles at finny Lane before he was nine. His late uncle (Weedon Grossmith), in addition to being a playwright, was also a portrait painter, and exhibited -at tho Royal Academy for twelve years. His brother George is the biggest theatrical manager in Loudon, and- a wellknown actor into the bargain. The fifth generation of the Grossmiths came to tho stage in the person of - Ena (George’s daughter), who made her debut two years ageGeorge Hirste, tho English comedian, who is appearing under, the Fuller direction in New Zealand, partnered by Eva Venton in a smart burlesque comedy, hails from Edinburgh. His father was a wellknown builder in England -and Scotland, -and built the Frdgmore Mausoleum. He was present--at tho opening, and had the honor of handing Queen Victoria the golden key to open the magnificent edifice. Mr Hirste, ,-seu., was W.M. of tho Canongate Kilwinning Masonic Lodge, one of tho oldest in.'Scotland, and host at tho banquet which the- late King Edward, then Prince of Wales, graced by his presence many years ago. Georgo Hirste. who is also following in his '.fat-her’e footsteps in the Masonic lines, had the honor of meeting Royalty recently when his show, The Palace Pier Follies, produced last supimer at Brighton, was visited by the Prince of Wales, for he and Miss Wen-lon were both presented before His Royal 'Highness after the performance. The Princess Theatre, Melbourne, now in process of complete rehabilitation to house the Hugh Ward-Fuller production, has a brilliant history. It was opened thirty-six years ago—in December, 1886— by Messrs Williamson, Garner, and Musgrove, with the Royal Comics in ‘ The Mikado.’ Nellie Stewart appeared as Yum Yum, W. 11. Woodfiekl as- NankiPoo, Ida Osborne as Bitti-Sing, Howard Vernon as Ko-Ko, and Alice Barnett as Katisha. The conductor was Alfred CclJier, the composer of ‘Dorothy.’ At later periods it housed such famous personages as Sarah Bernhardt, Chas, Warner, J. L. Toole, Kyrle Bollew, and Mi's Brown Potter, Nellie Farrcii, Fred Leslie, E. J. Lomien, Nat Goodwin (of the many wives), Jennie Lee, Geo. Tithcradge, Julius Knight, Brough and Boucicault, Essie Jenyns, Ada. Reeve (in ‘The Gay Parisienne’), G. P. Huntley, and- Nellie Stewart .in her later phase of picturesque comedy.. Under Geo. Marlow it descended to the uses of -melodrama-, and now tho new Ward-Fuller firm plan to revive its ancient glories. It is expected that Oscar Asdic will present ‘Cairo’ in'Sydney next mouth. The 500th consecutive performance of Shakespeare by the Allan Wilkie Company eventuated at Mr.ckay, North Queensland, on July 27. Miss Genevieve Ward, whose death took placo in London on the 18th inst., at the ago of eighty-six year's, appeared on tho stage an late as and 1921. She celebrated her eighty-third (birthday in the former year by taking the part of Volumnia at the “Old Vic/’ and in April, 1921, she made several appearances at that famous theatre during the -Shakespeare Commemoration, playing Queen Margaret in ‘Richard lII.’ On her birthday, -last year, Genevieve Ward smilingly rebuked 'several of her numerous friends for using tho word “old,” preferring to -describe the occasion as tho “third anniversary of her coming of ago.” Her wonderful dram and vitality impressed her friends. Writing of her on that occasion 1 The Times’ said :—“ Mass Ward is a keen critic of tho art of the theatre, and professes no love for the vogue of what may bo called ‘ still Tunning ’ plays. She yearns for the good old days of repertory, and expresses tho conviction that the repertory system will return. ‘ It must come back if we aao to have good actors and actresses. The long-running plays are ruining- actors and actresses by forcing them into a rut.’ ” A novel idea ox incorporating in the integument of revue a whole vaudeville show has been put. into. succssssM prantiee

at Fullers’ new theatre, by Doddy Hurl, in the entertainment styled * Sunbeams.’ Hurl himself comes to Australia from the long run of the revue ‘Hullo, America,’ at the London Palace, and 1b accompanied by Harry Evans, a comedian from the Hippodrome, and Madeline Dormer, comedienne. To tills trio the firm has attached a full company, including two other recently-imported artists—Effie Hartwell and Billy Potter—with the brilliant Jennie Hartley and the Royal Grand, Opena Singers attached as specialties. Mr H. Granville Barker has Ibccn reappointed special lecturer in the Art of the Theatre for session‘for 1922 and 1923, at Liverpool University. The death occurred in London recently of Frederick Moir Bussy, a once popular theatrical manager. It was ho who first produced in London ‘ Hans the Boatwith the late Charles Arnold in the title role.-

; Our London correspondent telegraphs That a most original little restaurant lias just been opened in the centre of the West. End theatre district. It has been started by a man who 1 was until a few months ago an actor of some little note, and ho is catering in particular for “the profession,” offering an excellent threccourao lunch for 2s. By 1 o’clock it is impossible to find a scat, and on every side one hoars actors and actresses telling each other how they have fared during the morning at this or that agent’s office Artists have never been through a worse time than just now, and the man or woman who “has a shop” is tbo object of almost universal envy. Tlie waitresses . nit. tins restaurant are themselves actresses waiting on their fellow-actors until they have a lucky day and arc'able to come in and report that employment has been found. Everyone, therefore, is glad when the staff changes frequently, for it means that these who have gone have been able to discard the pretty-colored overalls of the restaurant and return to the theatre again.