Stage and Platform

Hutt News, Volume 17, Issue 24, 17 November 1943, Page 3

Stage and Platform

MR. MAURICE RALPH S MEMORIES.

Before the Lower Hutt Rotary Club recently, Mr. Maurice Ralph, of the Lower Hutt Rotary Club, gave an informative and amusing talk of his experiences as an entrepreneur (theatrical agent or manager), a work which had nothing to do with the "Dig for Victory" campaign. Mr. Ralph related that he commenced having to do with the platform by taking part in competitions in Adelaide (South Australia) about half a century ago, when he on one occasion won the

first prize for elocution. He imagined he was home and dried the next year, but was beaten into second place by one Otto Heggie, a gifted young man, who subsequently went on the professional stage and became an accepted West End actor in London, after experience gained in Australia and New Zealand (notably with W. F. Hawtrey's company, which introduced "A Message from Mars" to this country). Heggie used to play the "MessengeV." Another of his contemporaries in Adelaide was Lionel Logue, also a reciter. He ~ was a reciter who graduated into being a teacher of elocution. Then, seeing the necessity, he became expert in curing the stammerer. Such was his skill in that connection that when he went to England, he became attached to the medical staff of the then Duke of York (now His Majesty the King), It was said a few years ago that before His Royal Highness made a speech in public or over the air, he went over it under the supervision of Lionel Logue (who was made a-member of the Victorian Order). It was through the influence of Logue that Mr. Ralph was invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace, which he attended in the conventional morniiig fetddt, striped pants, spats, top hat, hired for the day from Moss's, Covent Garden "(also conventional), for 30/-.

Mr. Ralph said he happened to be the man who opened the' first picture show in Mt. Gambier, South Australia, where they showed to 20 pictures in a programme. A 2000 ft. film in those days Jvas something to talk about, and any shows that came along could only obtain the use of the theatre by playing on a percentage basis. There he first came into contact with Messrs. J. and N. Tait, who then had large concert interests', and were now the managerial directors of J. C. Williamson, Ltd. ,They were E.J., John, Frank, Nevin and Charlie. Thef litter manager Allan's music warehouse for many years, and Nevin represented the firm in London, engaging world" artists— •singers, violinists, pianists and lecturers from time to time for tour through Australia and New Zealand. Mr. Ralph said that his first venture as a manager was when placed in charge of the woirld tour of the "Tiny Town" midget show, which took him all round Australia and New Zealand, and including tours of Canada and South Africa. This was a tremendous success financially. The show paid a 500 per cent, dividend after the first six weeks of the tour in Adelaide.

Mr. Ralph spoke most interestingly of the plat'forkn stars with whom he had been' associated. Of these he thought Amelita GalliCurci was the most considerate atid ioveable—and What an artist! Unfortunately'she developed goitre in the neck arid was troubled with it during her last tour of New Zealand.. Subsequently she underwent an operation in America. Later she essayed a come-back in Chicago, all to no avail. Homer Samuel, her pianist husband, spent most of his time working out money exchanges between the various countries —he was a very careful gentleman. The greatest brain he hkd been. associated with was lgnaz Paderewski, the famous Polish pianist", a "fine gentleman, a noble statesinan, with an abiding love for his native Poland. It may be remembered' that during the last war this professional pianist became Prime Minister of Poland —a thing never 'heard of in the world before oi' since—and was One of the signatories to the Treaty of Versailles. Pressmen loved to interview him, as he always had something worth saying—and printing. On his arrival in """Wellington from Sydney, he stepped on Queen's Wharf and as he gazed ; around at the busy scene he said something "to me, with a faint smile. A reporter at once rushed up to me and said, "What he say?" Mr Ralph, always tactful, said the eminent artist had said how nice it was to be.once more in Wellington. What he really had said, as he sniffed the ■■morning breeze, was—"Herrings!" Mr. Ralph was also associated with Wilhelm Backhaus, the notable German pianist; Joseph Hislop, beside whom Sir Harry Lauder was a spendthrift; Hascha Spivakol'fsky, Russian pianist; Harry Dearth, English ballad singer; Peter Dawson, Australian baritone; John McCormack, the Irish tenor; Richard Crooks.; the (American tenor; and other wonderful people of a happier world than the present one. Mr, Ralph's storifes would fill ' a volume. , ..."