A BRILLIANT TRIO

Evening Star, Issue 19550, 7 May 1927, Page 17

A BRILLIANT TRIO

STARS IN ‘NO, HO, KANETTE * That vivacious and charming little person Nanette, who has sung and danced her way into the hearts of all New Zealanders, will come to Her Majesty’s to-night Elsie Prince is a delightful little person who has a happy smile that never wears oii, and a merry twinkle in her eye that cannot help but charm. She is only a little over 20 years old. and she has quickly won her way to tne top of the musical comedy ladder. When a child of 10 she played a big part in a pantomime in Dublin, where she made her first big appearance. Two years before that she sang and danced in concerts at the Trocadero, in London, her home city. When she £ had just tin ned 1(5 Miss Prince played the principal boy in ‘Aladdin,’ and was then the youngest principal England had ever known. Before coming out to Australia and New Zealand Miss Prince played in ‘ Brighter Lona big success that included Paul Whiteman and his famous jazz band. Although Nanette has played her part nearly 500 times, she says she likes the show just as much as when 't started; she will be very sorry when Nanette’s clothes are packed away for the last time Miss Prince lias been in Australia and New Zealand only nineteen months, and, according to arrangements now, sho will leave Sydney for Home about October.

Way back in 1908 that brilliant comedian Jimmy Godden started his career in a little concert party in England. Two years later he went into vaudeville, doing a single comedy turn, and writing and composing his own songs. He stayed at that for nly four years, when he started in revue in London, where he appeared at tho Empire for,a long time. Later he went to the London Pavilion, where he created a record by playing for eighty-eight weeks —732 shows—without missing a performance. In 1919 Mr Godden went into musical comedy, his first piece being ‘Who’s Hooper.’ _ He was next seen in ‘ The Shop Girl ’ and ‘ The Cousin from Nowhere,’ a play for which he created the comedy (part. Like Miss Prince, Mr Godden is still full of enthusiasm about the show ‘ No, No, Nanette.’

For twenty years Charlton Morton—who shares the fun honors with Jimmy Goddon—has been behind the footlights. Ho tells with a smile (he can afford to now) of the days when he played in “ one-night shows ” for £1 a week. His father, who owns a number of theatres in England, wanted him to go in for the managerial side of the business, but Mr Morton chose the glare of the footlights rather than the counting of the money. After playing in drama, stock, and Shakespeare, Mr Morton went to London, where he played the second “ heavy ’ in ‘ A Road to Ruin ’ at the Lyceum. Ho was then earning £2 a week, and after buying his wardrobe he had at the end of the season 17s 6d! Soon ho had bigger parts in better plays, and before the war he played in ‘The Arcadians,’ ‘ Monsme,’ ‘Princess Caprice.’ and ‘The Cinema Star.’ When war broke out ho joined up, and was away for four years out a week’s spell during that time. , He says that his best part by a long way was the load in 1 Going Up.’ Before he came out hero with Miss Prince and Mr Godden he played in ‘ Daddies,’ ‘The Unfair Sex,’ and ‘The Sport of Kings ’ at the Savoy.