THE THEATRE

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 9 May 1925, Page 13

THE THEATRE

PEOPLE, PLAYS AND PICTURES. Dame .Clara Butt will open her Australian and New Zealand tour at Melbourne on September 12. Eleven hunched natives of Miami, Florida, were employed in “The-Cracker Jack,” Johnny Mines’ newest, picture. The secenes in the picture are unique.

Lola Todd recently crowned one of the 1925 baby stars by the Wampas in Los Angeles, has been given her first lead after a year of preparatory work at Universal City. She lias been cast ..opposite Jack Hoxie in his latest picture, “The Demon.”

Paramount Pictures announce that they have signed up Douglas McLean for a .scries of films. McLean is at present proving one of the most popular comedians on Broadway and it is prophesied that his future in this regard will he particularly brilliant-.

“Swiss Family Robinson” is to be produced upon the screen. This announcement lias just been made by Carl Laemmle at Universal City. Joe Bonomo, who lias completed “Lhe Great Circus Mystery,” will be starred, and Margaret Quimby, another of Universal’.s recent “discoveries,” will be the chief supporting player. Margaret was a Follies girl.

Pat Hanna, who takes the entire Diggers show on tour after a record season of 78 weeks in Brisbane, -proposes playing the more prominent towns in •Queensland, after which he will go to .Sydney for a well-earned holiday.

“Cappy R.icks,” in Melbourne, with Ward Lyons in the title role, was to have been withdrawn at Easter, but it was so successful that it was decided to extend the season and to postpone for a t.imp “Skittles,” in which Mr. J. D. O’Hara is to appear.

It is said that the recent tour of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa netted Ladv Forbes-Robertson (Gertrude Elliott) £30,000

Long Tack Sam has got his company together again, and has been playing co big business in Sydney and Melbourne. Mr. AMR. Shepard, of the New Zealand Entertainers, Ltd., who is over there at- the present time, has persuaded hini to come to New Zealand.

. Jack Hoxie, star of the Blue Streak photoplays, has gone to Lon Pine, California, where “The-White Outlaw” will be filmed. Marceline Day, Duke Lee, William Welsh, Charles Brill ley and Floyd Shackleford are in the cast, which is under the direction of Clifford Smith. The same company will make a few scenes at Lone Pine also for Hoxie’s next picture, “Sky-High Corral.”

Twenty thousand persons are said to comprise the ' huge cast of FirstNational’s version of the Sienkiewicz novel, “Quo Vadis?” which is to lie released in New Zealand during the coming year. Emil Jturnings has the leading role as tyrannical Nero.

Olive Hasbrouck, who has been playing in UniversaJ’s “Sweet Sixteen” series with Arthur Lake, has been chosen .to play the leading feminine role opposite Jack Hoxie in his forthcoming Blue Streak western, “Lightning Jack.” Clifford Smith will direct.

Alma Reubens had Europe imported to Hollywood to gain instruction in certain intricate dance steps. Carle Sebastian, an internationally-famous dancing master and former instructor of Gaby Deslvs and other Parisian aritsts, was obtained to teach -Miss Reubens an Argentine dance, a feature of her leading role in Emmett Flynn’s production for William Fox, “The Dancers,” starring George O’Brien.

On Easter Saturday, in Melbourne, Mr.. Allan Wilkie, who for several years has been -producing Shakespeare, was seen in Goldsmith’s delightful comedy “She Stoops to Conquer.” Air. Wilkie was Old Hardcastle, and Hunter Watts, Kate., Miss Nellie Mortyne has joined the company, and plays the part of Mrs. Hardcastle. The last production in Melbourne of “She Stoops to Conquer” was in 1908. when M iss -Madge Macintosh played Kate, and Mr. Harcourt Beatty, Young Marlow. Miss Macintosh will perhaps be better remembered in a. series of romantic plays on the “Prisoner of Zenda,” model, and in “The Blue Bird,” and Mr. Beatty as. Charles 11. in “Sweet Neil of Old Drury.” If one remembers correctly that fine character actor Air. J. B. Atholwood played the part of Mr. Hardcastle on that occasion.

“The Pelican” is given to me as being, in the opinion of the Gallery First-Nighters, one of the five best plays on in London just now (says a London correspondent). I asked Mr. Ives lie Bloom, president of the FirstNighters, for a list of the live plays which London theatregoers rank highest. The other four are : “Saint Joan,” “The Vortex,” “Spring Cleaning,” and “The Farmer’s Wife.” The Gallery First-Nighters - regard ‘Saint Joan’ as the finest play written since Shakespeare,” Mr. Bloom said. It is interesting to note that “The Pelican” is being played in Adelaide by Miss Muriel Starr and Mr. Frank Harvey, while another of live, “Spring Cleaning,” is serving to introduce Miss Pauline Frederick, stage and screen star, to Melbourne playgoers. The New Zealand office of United lArtists has just received official confirmation of the. interesting news that Rudolph Valentino has signed an agreement on a long-term contract witli that organisation for the future distribution of his pictures. The first one is already under way, and is titled “The Hooded Falcon,” being a colourful Moorish drama equal in magnitude to “The Four Horsemen,” in which Valentino first beeame prominent.