FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

Evening Star, Issue 19127, 19 December 1925, Page 15

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

[By LOITERER.]

On Monday, John Moore, the clever Scotch comedian, will open at the Princess Theatre. Mr Moore bringwith 'him a fresh budget of Scottish songs, character songs, and monologues. Jenny .Hoy, the dainty little Scotch lassie will also make, a welcome reappearance. Miss Roy is one of the daintiest of soubrettes, and her lit tics ditties and dances will be greatly appreciated by Fuller patrons. Sam Stern, the versatile comedian appearing in Fullers’ Vaudeville, toll's a good story how his presumption secured him" an important engagement. Ho was very keen on appearing at a New York theatre at a big benefit for which many stars, including Melba and Daruso, bad been secured. “ I wont round to Mr Marks, the manager,” lie remarks, “ but he would not listen to me. 1 Great Heavens,’ he said, ‘ only great stars are to appear, and the lowest salaried artist amongst them receives 2,000 dollars a week.’ I ventured to remark that if every name on the bill was that of a famous star Mr Marks would have a very difficult task in opening his_ show. ‘Which one of these stars will you insult by requesting to open tho show ? ’ I demanded. That did it. Mr Marks patted me on tho back and was condescending enough to remark; 1 Oh, well, _ come to rehearsal on Sunday morning and bring your band parts.’ ’’ That was the beginning of one of the most successful contracts ever held bv Mr Stern.

Gladys Afoncricff, who lias announced that she will forward her famous prescription for “ getting thin ” to anyone who scuds a postal note for 10s towards the lauds of the Children’s Hospital, Alelbonine, has received many amusing letters. Ope of these said: “ Please send mo a bottle of vour slimming .medicine, and (ell me how to take it.” Another stout ladv wrote: “ I want to got thin very badlv, but I don’t want to diet or take medicine, 1 would be prepared to pay double the price if yon could thin me down some other wav.”

. Applications from dancers who desire to join Iho Pavlova company in Melbourne have been pouring in to the J. C. Williamson, Ltd. rmumgemeut. It is pointed out by the firm, however, that Pavlova is bringing her entire company from Covout Garden, Loudon complete in every detail. The company will open almost immediately after arrival, and frequent changes of programme will be given. As a matter of fact, the repertoire is s'n extensive that a change could he given evorv night The season in Melbourne and' Sydney will bo limited to three weeks onlv. \ cable message received by Sir Goonm Tallis, front Pavlova stated that she bad completed arrangements for the Australian season, and added, “We are all very excited ; ] ; im longing to depart for your country.” * Princess Bangiriri and her Maori Maids returned by the Maunganui last week after a successful theatrical tour of Australia.

The following players are supportimMuriel Starr and Prank Harvey during their Australian season: .Joint Pernside, Sidney Stirling, Mildred Coilcll, Lmtna Temple, Kenneth Brampton, Harvey Adams. Rosamund AFMilian’ Fred Coape, Charles Wheeler, and Kiore King.

Jottings on tha people of the Stage and Screen aad oa the latest recorded Music,

It is said that the two French plays secured by Mr Cbas. Wen man, .asso-ciate-director of J. 0. 'Williamson, Ltd., during his recent Continental lour, will be presented in Australia and Now Zealand. To Nellie Payne, always popular in New Zealand, has been lorwanle.l a handsome greenstone mere as a wedding gift. She is to marry a wealthy New .Smith Wales pastoralist. Allan Wilkie in Shakespearean and other dramatic plays is to open what lie liopcs will be a long season at the Theatre Royal, Hobart, on Boxing Night. A rival dramatic organisation will also open on the same night at the Prince of Wales’s Theatre. ‘ Robinson Crusoe ’ embarks on a cruise of fun ami fascination at Fullers’ Theatre, Melbourne, on Boxing Day. Nat Phillips lias dropped diis characterisation of ‘‘ Stilly ” m favor of “ Oscar, the Aussy.” Seymour Hicks and his wife (Ellaline Tcrriss) and daughter (Miss Terriss) were greeted by an enthusiastic full bouse on their return to London in ‘ The, Man in Dress Clothes,’ Miss Tcrriss had not appeared on tho stage in England for six years, and in a charming little speech in front of tho curtain she said how happy she was to be at home again. Mr Maurice Moscovitch, who is making his last appearances in Melbourne, lias invested in the Commonwealth war conversion loan the whole of the money he derived from his Australian lour. He has also indicated his faith in Australia by converting into tho Australian loan a substantial portion of his investments abroad. He has announced that when he retires from the stage lie will return to Australia, and settle down in that country. In the meantime he has announced that he will return to Australia about Juno next year, ho will bring a company of cigiit or nine, and will have a repertoire of at least, four plays, three of which have not yet been staged in Australia.

llodin. the greatest of French sculptors, chose as his models two men who have an interesting association with Australia and New Zealand. They arc the Rmnana Brothers, who are the sons of the ivignt Rev. Dr AFLagcn, who was once Bishop of Claremont, South Africa. When Rodin died these two giants introduced a series of tableaux into trie French and Pnglish theatres. Due nr 1 hem is now in Australia; with him is associated Tod Zegwaard, a man of wonderful physique. Briefly they bring the sculpture of Greece into the modern theatre, and the strength and beauty of their act is one of the happiest, features of modern vamlevillo programmes. Arthur MMuigen is himself a. perfect specimen ot strength and exquisite grace, and the act is sure to arouse tremendous enthusiasm when it is presented by the Fullers presently. The announcement that the New Zealand lour of the eminent actor, Guy Hales Post, will open almost at once will he received with delight by all lovers of the drama, for Air Post is one of the foremost figures in the theatrical world to-day. The actor made ills lirsi appearance on the professional stage wiili the Kyrle Bellow-. Mrs Brown Potter Company, and was allotted the smallest role in the production of ‘Charlotte ('onlay.’ Air Post’s rise in the theatrical world was by no means meteoric, and the acini- found flic climb up the theatrical ladder both slow and arduous. Once having achieved the rank of stardom, however, lie speedily became recognised throughout the Kng-lish-speaking world as one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. ‘Paid in Full,’ ‘The Virginian,’ and ‘The Bird of Paradise ’ were among his earlier big successes, hut it was ml, until he starred in ‘Tim Masquerader’ and ' Omar, the Tent ATaker ’ that Guy Bates Post really came into his own. .After deserting the footlights in order to shine on the silver screen for a time Air .Post made a triumphal return to the dramatic stage Inst year, and he intends devoting the remainder of his life to “ the spoken word.”

Instead of opening in Wellington on loosing Night, as originally arranged, the American actor, Mr Gny Bates Post, will inaugurate bis tour of New Zealand at Auckland on that date. For the present it seems that tho new Comic Opera Company, headed by Miss Maud Fane, is not corning to New Zealand. So far no definite arrangement has been made for filling the Christinas dales at tho Grand Opera-house, Wellington, though it has been rumored that tho revue ‘ Give and Take.’ in which “Mo” and Green, Hebrew comedians, have been figuring in Australia, may fill tho breach caused by recent alterations.

Harriott Bennett, who has arrived in Australia to appear in leading roles in J. C. Williamson musical comedy productions, was born in America, but lias spent a considerable time in England. In America, on tho musical comedy stage, she lias appeared in ‘ Kaiinka,’ ‘The Prince of Pilsen,’ ‘The Waltz Dream,’ ‘ The Chocolate Soldier,’ ‘ Maytime,’ and other plays well known in Australia. Mr George Highland, the J. C. Williamson, Ltd., producer, who returned recently from England ami America, mentioned that the chief dramatic success in both London and New York was ‘ White Cargo,’ described ns a vivid play of primitive life in the tropics. Tho action of the play takes place in a bungalow on tho West Coast of Africa. Mr Highland said that four companies wore presenting the pibee in England and eight were touring it iti America. In New York seats were sold out six weeks ahead. Tho author, Leon Gordon, will come to Australia with several new artists, who are to play the leading roles under the J. C. Williamson, Ltd., management. The principal role, Tondeleeyo, is that of a beautiful ami alluring native girl. “I have never known a drama, to make such a sensation in New York as ‘White Cargo’ has created,” said Mr Highland.