NOT A STRANGER

Evening Star, Issue 19953, 24 August 1928, Page 3

NOT A STRANGER

MISS COLLINS, OF ‘SCANDAL 1 ONE-TIME MOTION PICTURE STAR If yuu happened to sob a clover and mimsing satire on one of those delightful J'lurupean States, under the title of ‘ Red Hot Romance, 1 you can claim a previous acquaintance with Miss May Collins, who is appearing at iiis Majesty's Theatre this week with the Leon Cordon Company. This clever actress is no stranger to many iNew Zealand picture “fans,” as she took a leading part in the films some years ago. Tier thoughts were then far away from this part of tho globs, but now that she has seen the country and been conquered by its attractions tho urge to settle down here for a while has seized her.

Save the customary American bustle and promptness, there is little about Miss Collins to mark her as American born and- bred. Yesterday afternoon a ‘Star ’ reporter interviewed her alter her return from a.matinee peformauce of a Charlie Chaplin comedy. And, although Miss Collins has more than a passing knowledge of tho screen and its people, she preferred to talk about Now Zealand and its beauties. “She is so fascinated that she declares she would like to settle clown in New Zealand for a time,” said the company's manager (Mr John Farrell), who joined the party in flic City Hotel Lounge. “ 1 like Now Zealand very much,” added Miss Collins. “It is u charmingly pretty country, and the people tire so nice and hospitable.” She admitfo Mr Earrell’s impeachment that she was“ crazy ” on New Zealand, and she remarked that the English spoken in the dominion was more English than that spoken by Australians. In all tho places she had visited, both in her own country, Australia, and New Zealand, she had not been so much enthralled as by the glow worm caves at Waitomo. “ After all, a cave is very much like another, but the configuration and beauties of Waitomo are wonderful,” she exclaimed. “ 1 think Waitomo is heavenly ”

While Miss Collins is an enthusiastic motorist—she proudly recalled a 450milo drive from Buffalo to New York in one day in her own car—she has had little opportunity of seeing Now Zealand from behind the wheel of a car. One trip with which she was delighted was from New Plymouth to Auckland. “ Yc=. 1 do wish that. 1 had been able to see tho Southern Lakes, but I am promising myself a visit to Rotorua when I go north again,” she said. When seventeen years of age, Miss Collins, wdio had appeared on the legitimate stage, was taken to Hollywood by tho celebrated seouarioist, Anita Loos, who called her “ Angie.” Miss Loos was described by Miss Collins as being a bewitching and vivacious woman. “Twenty! Goodness gracious!” Miss Collins laughed when she was told the general supposition of Miss Loos’s age. “ Why. she is in tho late thirties. ’ At Hollywood, Miss Collins appeared lor one year in If frst National and Metro-Goldwyn productions. Tier first picture was 1 Red Hot Romance,’ and she was later starred with Richard Di.x in woll-romem-hcrocl picture, ‘ All’s Fair in Love.’ Other pictures in which she took a prominent part were ‘ Eva Ascends ’_ and ‘The Shark Master,’ a story of the South Seas.

But Miss Collins was far from enamoured with the cinema life. Most actors ami actresses, she said, preferred the legitimate stage, the cinema’s attraction, however, being the money. There was little connection between the two arts. For the legitimate stage, the artist had to go through a long and thorough course of training, while screen “stars w ore made in a day The technique was different, and the question of voice did not arise with the screen player. The talented person was versed in liming and other technique, and that helped immensely in the pantomime necessary for the pictures. But. said Miss Collins, not one successful star had loft the pictures and made a success on the legitimate stage, although stage players had been successful before the camera. That was proof of the requirements demanded of a stage artist. ’1 ho trouble with successful motion picture actresses and actors was that they were not prepared to start, at the bottom of the ladder and work (heir way up by their own talents. In the pictures, too, the produce) was 90 per cent, of the success, ns was- evidenced by the failure of n number of stars to achieve success after leaving producers who had made their names fot them. Five real's ago, Miss Collins first met Mr Leon Cordon, and she later saw him play ‘White Cargo’ in Boston. Four days after signing her contract to appear with him as leading lady on the present tour, Miss Collins loft Now York Co* Sydney, and ‘made her first appearance in Australia in the role oi Beatrix Vandordike, Iter favourite role, five days after landing. All went splendidly till Miss Collins went “ to the dogs,” With Leon Gordon and two other members of the company, she motored to a coursing meeting. For once, she decided to have a bet, and in a moment of exultation placed £25 on a greyhound. It won, and Miss Collins placed £-15 in her purse. The good luck- brought a premonition of a loss fortunate occurrence, and she asked that the drive home should he slow. But another car driver was in a hurry, and crashed into the theatrical party’s ear. One member is still in hospital, Mr Gordon had two ribs fractured, and Miss Collins sustained a sprained back. Yet both Mr Gordon and Miss Collins iippeared the same night in ‘ Scandal.’ They showed plenty of courage, bub since then they have been wary of motor trips in Sydney ._ Since the company has been in Dunedin. Miss Collins has boon busy rehearsing her part in ‘ Interference,’ the play with which Gerald Du Manner scored a big success in London. However, she Ims managed to find time for a game of golf, bu,| she said she missed swimming, riding, and driving her own powerful car.

Professor Father; “Jane, it seems to me that wr’ug man should be more conscientious Jane: “Conscientious! Why, he just sits afr't worms himself sick because h« 4r’iJen’t gfc Lome and study 1 ”