SCREEN ACTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 August 1936, Page 14

SCREEN ACTING

AN ARDUOUS CAREER.

SYDNEY, July 30

According to Mr John Weston, who has returned to Sydney from North Queensland after acting there as juvenile lead in Mr Zane Grey’s film, the life of a screen playei* is by no means a safe or a comfortable one. Ho enjoyed the experiences as a whole, but it involved a series of painful accidents and the danger of many more.

The first thing that happened was that he rolled a large log on to his right hand, and flattened out all the fingers. “Luckily,” he said, “one of the aborigines quickly improvised some bandages; I pushed’ the mangled fingers as much as possible into their normal shape; and now they don’t look much the worse for the experience. After that, a petrol lamp that I was pumping sent a jet of burning liqqid on to my face, my left hand, and my chest. For three weeks I could not pnt on make-up, and even when I could, the discomfort of keeping it on the raw skin, and then taking it off again was alm;..>t unbea;able.

“Another time, I had to be photographed walking round the edge of a 30ft cliff, and forcing my way through some tropical foliage. Suddenly I struck one of the ‘poison trees’ that grow in Queensland'. It caressed me gently for a moment, then its spikes induced terrible muscular cramps. I was on the cliff-top, and could not get away except by going on. Then I struck another ‘poison tree.’ As a result, I was completely prostrated, and had to endure serious inflammation, and an alarming palpitation of the heart. Next, I cu,t my foot on some coral. That meant a painful skin affection until the ambulance men could treat me. Another time, I was attacked by swarms of large and vicious green ants. And, of course, there were plenty of mosquitoes and sandflics.

“Still, in spite of everything, the stay on Hayman Island was a splendid adventure. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. Besides, look at the disasters I escaped! I might have been bitten by a shark while diving; or stung by a poisonous stonc-lish; or smothered under water by.a giant,ray. I really have been, extremely lucky!”