FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

Evening Star, Issue 20328, 9 November 1929, Page 22

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

[By LOITERER.]

FULLER CHALLENGE TO PICTURES

To-night, at the New Opera House, Christchurch, Sir Benjamm and Mr John Fuller will present to the theatre-goers of Christchurch, the very best of musical comedy productions at prices said to be cheaper than those charged for the talkies. The oast is a distinguished one,'including many who previously toured the dominion with the Elsie Prince and Jimmy Godden Company. This new musical comedy company ;will open its New Zealand tour in Christchurch with London’s latest musical comedy success, ‘Lido Lady,’ written by Ronald Jeans, Guy Bolton, Bert Kelmar, and Harry Ruby. ‘ Lido Lady’ is a complete departure from jazz and rattle. Although the story it laid in-Venice, it has the refreshing atmosphere of-the English musical comedy. It is bright, tuneful, full of colour, and wonderful comedy situations, which all hinge around the story of the play. The repertoire of the company is to be a long one, and will include the following musical comedy successes:—‘Lido Lady,’ ‘Sunny,’ ‘‘Archie,’ ‘Lady, Be Good,’ ‘Mercenary Mary,’ ‘Rise of Rosie O’Reilly,’ ‘Nellie Kelly,’ ‘Billy,’ ‘Tons of Money,’ ‘ Jessie James.’ ‘ Betty Lee,’ and ‘ Battling Buttler.’ The company is headed by Freddy Forbes, who has been especially imported from England, together with Astor Faire and the Arnley Brothers. Artists previously here with the Prince-Godden Company are Betty Lambert and Jack Phillips. New additions are Kitty Stewart and the ‘Big Four,’ a tine vocal quartet (Webber, O’Keefe, Wignail, and Perrin), At such remarkable low prices the season of musical comedy,. which will extend for some weeks in "each centre, should he most popular.

‘Gus Bluett has joined a J.C.W. No. 2 Musical Comedy Company and is playing a season in Perth and those towns that, lead to and from Perth, in - the pieces in which he had good parts during the last year. ‘The Girl Friend’ and ‘Hit the Deck’ will be included in the repertory. Professor Gregan M‘Mahon has linked up with, the Fuller firm in Australia to produce John Drinkwater’s ‘ Bird in Hand ’ at the Palace Theatre, Melbourne. Marie Bremner, who acts and sings the title role in the revival of ‘Rose Marie,’ is to be Magnolia in ‘ Show Boat’ in Sydney., Gladys Moncxieff and Janette Gilmore have-signed new contracts with Fnllers Theatres,'Ltd., it is reported. They will appear in a new musical comedy after ‘ Rio Rita ’ concludes an extensive tour in Queensland. It is stated that more than 3,000 applications were received foi stalls for the first, London performance of Mr Ashley Duke’s dramatised version of Feuchtwanger’s ‘Jew Suss.’ The Theatre where the play was produced has 330 stalls.

A coming event of interest in the London theatre is the production of a new play by Mr Frederick Lonsdale, ‘ Canaries Sometimes Sing.’ Mr Lonsdale is the most polished modern writer of suave society comedy, as has been demonstrated here in ‘ The Last of Mrs Cheyney,’ ‘Spring Cleaning,’ and ‘ Aren’t We All,’ and is a far more important playwright than most people believe. The exploit of Nicola in escaping from a barrel in which he was coopered on the stage at His Majesty’s Theatre, .Wellington, has created a great stir of interest, and the discussion on the subject runs in a circle (says the ‘Dominion’), beginning and ending with the question, “ How does he do it?” This feat, though wonderful, is of course a small thing when _ compared with some of the tests Nicola has undergone in the. course of his arduous career, and it is in feats where life itself is at stake that Nicola ' reveals Ms true cleverness and amazing ability.

‘ The Middle Watch.’ a farce originally written for amateur theatricals in a battle cruiser—so that perforce it had no woman’s parts in it then—has turned out so successfully as re-written by Commander Stephen King-Hall and Mr lan Hay (the stage craftsman), that it is not only packing the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, but has also been scrambled for by American martagers. They think it will be a big success in America.

When Sir Benjamin and Mr John Fuller were_ contemplating the production of a big Ziegfeld musical comedy in Sydney the role of leading lady was found to he a very difficult one to cast, requiring, as it did, unusual talent and capabilities. So Miss Irene Shamrock, theatrical favourite of London and the Continent, was specially imported to take this exacting role. However, as plans for the production of this musical comedy were abandoned, Miss Shamrock was drafted into the , “ Whirligigs” Revue Company, and she is rapidly establisMng herself. a big -favourite with Wellington audiences at His Majesty’s Theatre. - Anne Croft, here in ‘The Girl Friend.’ writes from London under date September 4:—“I had a very

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wonderful trip home: went up to Cairo and saw the Pyramids and the Sphinx, and the wonderful Tutankhamen collection. In fact, I-had altogether a delightful voyage, and arrived nome to find Leslie Henson waiting for me to play in his new piece at the Hippodrome. However, before we. would get busy on this, Sir Alfred Butt _ begged him to help him out by opening the new Dominion Theatre with the American show, ‘ Follow Through.’ This piece was 'really for Jack Buchanan, but he did not like it,' and so Leslie had to shelve his show and company and do ‘Follow Through’ first. I am now under contract with Clayton and Waller for their new_ operetta to open the Palace, London, in November—the try-out in the provinces in October—so soon I shall be very busy. I am working at my singing for all I am worth, because this is to bo a very singing show. That seems to be the great thing in London at present. Comic opera is back in full force. People seem to be tired of jazz.” When the last mail left London several noted pieces had been revived, and these and some of the new plays were being well received. 'A John Galsworthy revival, ‘The Skin Game,’ in which Frank Harvey played in New Zealand, was welcomed. Edmund Gwenn appeared in his original part, the rugged Hornblower, played in Australia by Oscar Asche. There is a great difference in build between the two actors; Mr Gwenn is of small stature in comparison with Mr Asche; but both are masters of acting, and each gave a fine performance m the part. Mr Gwenn was in Australia long ago. He had a three-years’ engagement with J. C. Williamson, and he appeared in Shakespeare, ‘Sherlock Holmes’ drama, spectacular plays, and miscellaneous pieces. Usually he had parts in which he could'introduce good comedy, clever character work, or both; and it is in character comedy that he has made many later appearances in England. Among the plays have been a number of Galsworthy, Barrie, Shaw, and other writers of quality. At one time Edmund Gwenn and Irene Vanbrugh toured in vaudeville in Barrie’s perfect little comedy, ‘The Twelve Pound Look,’ ' . ■ A sensation was caused in theatrical Sydney by the announcement that the comedian Alfred Frith had been withdrawn from the cast of the musical comedy ‘Hold Everything’ (writes the Christchurch ‘ Sun’s ’ _ Sydney correspondent). J. 0. Williamson, Ltd., followed this with the bald statement that Leo Franklyn would play Frith’s role for the rest of the season. It appears that he did not report for duty one Tuesday night. No explanation was furnished for his absence. As the show had to go on, Jphn Dunn played Frith’s part for the night. Since then Leo Franklyn has definitely taken the favourite comedian’s place. Mr C. B. Westmacott, of the J.C.W. management, stated that efforts to got in touch with him had been unsuccessful. Mrs Frith declared, in an interview, that her husband was in one of the southern outer suburbs. She had a good idea, said the comedian’s wife, where he might be. Since he made his name as the farcical life-saver in ‘So Long, Letty,’ Alfred Frith has been the idol of theatregoers both in New Zealand and Australia. Despite a lengthy absence in America, after he had been left out of the cast of ‘ Primrose’ in 1925, his popularity never waned, *Five the show that reintroduced Frith to Sydney audiences on his return, did not give much opportunity. But in ‘ Hold Everything ’ he had far greater, scope. It is" significant that his photographs have been removed from the front of Her Majesty’s Theatre, and his name withdrawn from the advertising. It looks a case of history repeating itself. The mystery has. been heightened by the managerial announcement that Tui Black, the promising young comedienne who was playing opposite Frith, has also retired from the cast. The dates fixed for the presentation of ‘Our Miss Gibbs’ by the Dunedin Operatic Society are November 25 to November 30, at His Majesty’s Theatre. A very strong cast has been secured for this delightful comedy, and some idea of the magnitude of the production can be gained by the fact that there are over 100 performers already engaged. All of these except the twenty players engaged for the orchestra. which is to be a _ feature of the offering, are giving their services free, and it is therefore up _to the public to give them every assistance. It is. indeed, very > pleasing to see our musicians receiving a little support, as they have experienced a rather lean time since the invasion of the “canned” music. Some of the leading players selected to take part are Misses Mollie Andrews. Anita Winkel, Nancy Oram, Gwenda Burt, K. Davidson (Timaru), Messrs Wilson Brown, Tom Roberts, Norman Scurr, Frank Towns, Arthur Lungley, Dick White and Major F. H. Dampen. The writer has just seen the souvenir programme of the 200th performance of ‘ Our Miss Gibbs ’ in Sydney. Included in the cast of the production by Messrs J. C. Williamson’s, Ltd. were such well--known artists as O. R.‘ Bantock, Leslie

Holland, Fred Leslie, Andrew Higginson, Bertie Wright, and Miss Blanche Brown (leading lady). Had Nicola the Great lived a few hundred years ago, and practised his arts, ho would undoubtedly have been accused of being in league with all the powers of magic. Even to-day, one is inclined to think that he must be. His illusions are thoroughly mystifying —and, since most people love to be mystified, thoroughly enjoyable. Some of the illusions practised by him 'are. absolutely uncanny. In one of them Nicola ties a girl securely in a sack, puts her in a box and ties the box with stout rope. Tho girl gives convincing evidence of her presence in tho box. Then Nicola disappears behind a curtain for no more than four seconds, and, lb! It is Nicola himself that is lifted out of the box,, tied in the sack. There are scores of other tricks and illusions put over by Nicola, who opens at His Majesty’s Theatre to-night. It is said that both Patricia and Terry Kendall, brother and sister, who appear in several very clever dance specialties in _ ‘ The Five o’Clock Girl’ (which will probably be J. C. Williamson’s Christmas attraction in New Zealand) are also seen to distinct advantage in ‘ Hold Everything,’ now being staged at Sydney’s His Majesty’s Theatre. Terry plays the important part of “ Sunny Jim ” Brooks, and Patricia appears as Sue Burke. ‘ Hold Everything ’ is a boxing musical comedy, and there is a real “ ring ” scene. With Terry and Frank Leighton (Bob Morgan) as tho fighters, with Bert Barton _as referee. In this attractive musical comedy the Kendalls prove themselves to be a brilliant couple. Mary Lawson, the sprightly little comedienne from London; Cecil Kellaway as Chubby Bartlett, who cooks for and trains the gallant one; and Joe and Frank Reno, are in leading roles. A new theatrical organisation, known as the Gregan M'Mahon Players, has been formed in Australia. Mr M‘Mahon will both act and produce, and the productions will he staged by arrangement with Sir Benjamin and Mr John Puller. The season opened last Saturday in Melbourne with Drinkwater’s ‘Bird In Hand.’ Several other fine productions are to be done, including ‘The Fanatics,’ by Miles Malleson; Percy Robinson’s ‘To What Red Hell,’ and ‘A Message From Mars,’ Robert Gahthony’s old play, which will bo revived as a Christmas attraction. The repertoire also includes Somerset Maugham’s ‘The Circle,’ ‘Jacob’s Ladder,’ by Norman Macowen; Egbert Millar’s ‘ Thunder in the Air,’ and St. John Ervine’s ‘Jane Clegg.’ The company includes Beatrice Day, Gerald Kay Souper, Bonita Appleton, Leal Douglas, , Campbell Copelin, Ellis Irving, Frederick Hughes, and Leonard Stephens: Mr A. Ben Fuller said that the intention was to present good plays, which had a human and popular appeal. Admission charges would be less than was usually made in tho theatres, hut the acting talent and the production would be just as good. Though the talkies have struck a blow at the stage, they have not killed it,” added Mr Fuller. “In fact, we are confident that there will soon bo a revival of interest in it. The stage has had to encounter various forms of opposition, and it has always survived them, because the human element has the strongest appeal. And now we are going to give the public an, opportunity to witness the production of good plays at prices considerably lower than they have to pay in the best talkie theatres.”

Nellie Stewart expects to make a slice of fortune by taking probate of George Musgrove’s will. When Musgrove died at Killara in 1916 nobody bothered to take probate of his will. It didn’t seem worth while, says a Sydney paper. He had made, lost, and remade fortunes, but before he died the fairy goddess Luck had forsaken him. Australia’s great stage favourite of a few years ago, Nellie Stewart, whose real name is_ Eleanor Stewart Row, was associated with Musgrovo in many notable productions, especially ‘ Sweet Nell of .Old Drury,’ and she was named in the will as executrix. Now, after thirteen years, she is going to apply for probate of the will because of the discovery that Musgrove owned the rights of ‘ Sweet Kitty Bellairs ’ — written in 1903 by David Belasco, the celebrated dramatic author and entrepreneur—a play which the Paramount organisation intends to produce as a talkie. Before a license can be issued for the talkie probate of. Musgrove’s will must be taken out. A notification of her intention has been given by Miss Stewart, with leave reserved to the other executor to come in and prove. Discussing the coming New York season’s events, the drama editor of the New York ‘ Times ’ glances back over the prospects of the previous year, and asks what became or some of the projected plays. Among others he mentions the revival of ‘Madame Pompadour,’ in which “a Dutch prima donna by the name of Beppie de Vries was to appear.” Helen Patterson, William Valentine, and Leyland Hodgson have all left Australia for America.