HARRY LAUDER’S LOSS

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4504, 22 March 1917, Page 3

HARRY LAUDER’S LOSS

When the news placards went running about London a few nights ago bearing the wordsj, "Harry Lauder’s son 'hilled,” there was abroad in this metropolis, writes the correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald, a universal sympathy for the famou s comedian. It was common knowledge that most of his hopes and wishes were centred in the future of this young captain of' infantry who, indeed, was his only child, and that there was a strong link of affection between them was evident from the public references made to him by his father from time to time. Harry Lander is at present starring with Miss Ethel Levey, our foremost revue actress, in “Three Cheers,” a new revue. It is Lauder’s first essay in that form of stage ait, and pathetically enough, as it turns out, one of the finest moments' in the piece occurs with his magnetic delivery of a soldier-song referring to the end of the war, and the-., re turn home of the boys. When the news of young Lauder’s death came through, a matinee audience, just taking seats in the Shaftesbury, had to be sent away, and the theatre remained closed for three nights. Its re-opening and the re-appearance of Harry Lauder resulted in a tremendous demonstration of sympathetic welcome to him, which became an indescribable scene when he sang the soldier-song referred to. The strain upon the singer as he drew the picture of the welcome home of the .boys from the war may well be imagined. As a matter of fact, though he sent the words vibrating through the house with all his accustomed vim and emotion, he had almost to fight Ins way to the end of the last verse of the song, and quite unable to sing it again took the loud and continued cheers of the standing audience, indeed, a pale and -spent and obviously overwrought man. Captain Lauder went from Cambridge to the war. Like that of so many undergraduates of the year 1914 his academic career will be written only upon the University’s roll or honour.