MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH

Evening Star, Issue 19274, 12 June 1926, Page 2

MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH

iISSIOM Of HARRY GREEK THE STAGE AND ITS PLAYS Harry Green’s mission in life is to make people laugh. From a monologue artist at 20dol per week to a play owner and producer, Mr Green has met with success on the American, English, and Australian stage. He is in Dunedin this week ; and yesterday afternoon an interviewer had a short chat with him on the stage, its-people, and the people of other countries. “ 1 was born in New York City; I am thirty-four years of age; I have on the stage for twenty-two years; I was at school for sixteen years. Work out that problem! I’m telling the truth,” affirmed the character actor when he gave a brief biography. At an early age he went out to cam money to support his mother and to study. The only avenue was the show business. His advent was a monologue. For 20dol a week he gave six performances a day, studying at college between the shows. William Fox, now a renowned film producer, shared in these earnings* taking 14 cents per day as commission.' With a partner named Ross, the duo “Ross and Green” presented character sketches based on Potash and Perlmutter, the famous Jewish business men, created by Montague Glass. Mr Green was a personal friend of Glass—the man who has amused millions by his Yiddish humor. The act was titled ‘ Partners.’ Mr Green’s sketches were based on the hook, and he claims th*t the characterisations were first played on the stage by Ross and himself. When a play was written AI Woods, the theatrical manager, applied to the court for an injunction against their playing ‘ Partners.’ Mr Green produced programmes showing that Potash and Perlmutter had been amusing tho American theatre-goer for over eighteen months before the play had made its appearance. Al Woods lost the case. Mr Green had to give up his study of law, since he could not make enough money. A contemplated five weeks’ stay in England in 1918 was extended to five years, during which time he uresented ‘Welcome Stranger’ (which he owns) m London, the play running for 361 nights. ‘Welcome Stranger’ has been produced in New Zealand by the Into Juies Jordan and John D. O’Hara. If Mr Green can arrange for theatres he null nrobably revive the play in New Zealand. When in England Mr Green staged ‘ The Cherry Tree,’ a comedy of George Washington Cohen, “who believed that he would become President of the United States, as he had never told an untruth.”

Personal acquaintances of Mr Green are Hugh Walpole. H. G. Wells, and P. G. Wodehouse, among many other writers of the day, and as he is a profuse reader of all classes of literature, the friendships which he made among authors in England had a big say in his pronouncing England a wonderful country.

During his stay there the presentation of a play in Holland under the patronage of Queen Wilhelmina compelled him to fly from London to Amsterdam on a Saturday night, spend all Sunday rushing through plans, and fly back to London on Monday for bis performance there. “Is Broadway the nicked place we are made to believe it to be?” was asked of Mr Green.

“What! Absolutely nothing in it,” ho replied. “Itis a place where many people want to go. A lot fall by the wayside; hut they can do the .same by an office. If I had a_ sister I would place her on the stage in preference to an office. I think the stage is a great vocation for girls, for they become accustomed to mooting a lot of people, and the percentage who go wrong is much less than in the city itself.” America had millions or pretty girls to select from for the stage, and the most beautiful were seen behind the footlights. In New Zealand and Australia the stage girls were pretty, _ he admitted. They were conscientious workers, and baa their hearts more_ in their work than the American girl. The theatres here were out of date, but allowance had to be made for the small populations in the centres. In New York City alone twenty new theatres were built annually. The audiences of Now Zealand theatres were appreciative and quick to grasp points. “ People like a laugh, and they go to the theatre to be amused,” said Mr Green. Plays went in cycles, and the sex theme bad been popular within the last few years. Mystery plays and the musical shows were ever popular, as tbev were presented on a magnificent scale.

“New Zealand should take its lesson from America on the failure of Prohibition,” said Mr Green. Light wines and beers were sold now, and that meant the death of Prohibition. The bootleggers would fight the return of the liquor traffic, as they would lose their revenue. Millions of dollars in revenue had been lost to _ the States, which had paid more millions for the enforcement of the Volstead laws. There was no Prohibition in America, except for the poor man. Jf one had the money ono could obtain as much liquor as was required. Before Prohibition ho had not taken drink. Because ho was told that he could not have it, he, in common with thousands of men, had declared that he would please himself. But it had cost him money to get supplies. He had paid thirty dollars for a bottle of whisky, hut It could be obtained for ion dollars. Champagne bad cost him thirty dollars. The liquor was procurable at the night clubs. The enforcement had banished the saloons, which was a good thing. Drink fiends, unable to purchase liquor, bad adopted drugs. Drug taking was a spreading evil, consequent on Prohibition, but it was being attacked by a marvellous combination, headed by Dr Simmonds, who supplied antidotes and general treatment.