OBITUARY

Evening Star, Issue 23818, 24 February 1941, Page 8

OBITUARY

MR JULIUS KNIGHT Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, February 22. The death has occurred of Mr Juliua Kuight, the famous actor. No English star . imported by the Williamson firm enjoyed the long tenure of Australasian popularity which Julius Knight won. Te was appearing in Australia and New Zealand from 189.7 to 1915, and had a personal vogue not excelled in pre-picture days. He had the gift of flamboyant self-ex-pression without which the actor but writes his name in sand, and his portrait gallery of characterisations ranged from the fustian histrionics of Marcus Superbus in ‘ The Sign of the Cross ’ to the character lead in ‘ What Every Woman Knows.’ He was a sound craftsman as well as a personality, and, like all the stock company trained actors of his era, could give life to the most diverse characters.

Knight, who was born in Scotland, made his first appearance on the stage in 1884 in ‘ Called Back.’ He played a three-years’ engagement with Sir Henry Irving, appearing as Valentine in ‘ Faust,’ as King Louis of France in ‘ Becket,’ as Sir Lavaine in ‘ King Arthur,’ etc. He appeared with Mrs Langtry as Napoleon in ‘ Mademoiselle Mars,’ and first came to Australia and New Zealand in 1897 with Ada Ferrar as leading woman with a repertoire of three plays, ‘ The Sign of the Cross/ ‘ A Royal Divorce,’ and ‘ The Prisoner of Zenda.’ He had two other leading women in subsequent visits—Maud Jeffries and Ola Humphrey, and amongst the most successful of his productions were ‘ The Eternal City/ ‘ The Darling of the Gods,’ * The Breed of the Treshams,’ ‘Monsieur Beaucaire,’ and ‘Under Fire.’ He retired from the stage in 1915 and settled in Hull. MR PERCY H. DAVIS Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright MONTREAL, February 22. The death is announced of Mr Percy H. Davis, of Sydney, a former promi* nent sportsman. JIM BARRDH Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyrighi SYDNEY, February 24. (Received February 24, at 12.30 p.m.)' The death is announced of Jim Barron, one of Australia’s greatest boxer* of the ’nineties, aged 79. MR JAMES NANTELE Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY, February 24. (Received February 24, at 12.30 p.m.)’ The death is announced of Mr James Nantele, honorary Government astronomer,' aged 74.