SIR J. M. BARRIE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 June 1937, Page 6

SIR J. M. BARRIE.

yHE death of Sir Janies Barrie removes one who in his prime was a leading author and playwright, a Barrie “first-night, or a, new book, being an event in dramatic and literary circles. Of late years, he had been in semiretirement, and contributed little to the stage. His effort at a comeback recently, was not successful, his play “The Boy David” starring Elizabeth Bergner, prov : ing a “flop” in London. It is doubtful if the present generation reads much of Barrie, their acquaintance with his works being mainly confined to those of his plays that have been filmed. Yet his books and his plays were for the most of good standard, and he had a great following. His greatest popular success was “Peter Pan,” and lie will be remembered through this children’s play, when otherwise he might be forgotten.

Barrie was above things “clean” in his writings, depending on humour, sentiment and whimsicality to attain his success. He wrote from an early age, and made his first literary progress when a journalist. He was stated to be very shy, but he never lacked for publicity, and some questioned his reserve , as pose. He received a fair share of honours, as well as monetary reward, receiving a baronetcy about 25 years ago, and the coveted Order of Merit nine years later, lie had his domestic troubles, to counterbalance his public triumphs, but he could look back on his career with pardonable pride. His fame may not survive, outside literary and stage circles, but he served well bis generation.