STAGE MUSIC FILMS

Hutt News, Volume XXII, Issue 1, 16 June 1948, Page 3

STAGE MUSIC FILMS

(By E

BALLET RAMBERT DELIGHTFUL PROGRAMME The second programme presented by the Ballet Rambert in Wellington was very enjoyable, though not perhaps as satisfying as the first. The classical "Swan Lake," presented by all ballet companies, was followed by "Soiree Musicale," "Jardin aux Lilas" and "Facade." I didn't care much for "Jardin aux Lilas," which did not seem to fulfil the promise of the very effective setting. "Swan Lake" was as lovely as ever, "Soiree Musicale" a striking illustration of Tyrolese, Spanish and Italian dances, and "Facade" a delicious burlesque of different styles of dancing.

WITHOUT A SWAX BALLET "SWAN LAKE" The Ballet Rambert strikes a different note in its performance of the classical ballet "Swan Lake," seen in the current programme in Wellington. When the Russian ballet companies performed this ballet in New Zealand some years ago a swan was drawn across the back of the stage at the beginning and the end, to represent the Princess under the enchanted, spell. The Ballet Rambert omits the swan, the huntsmen suggesting the flight of the swans much more artistically and imaginatively with waves of the hands towards the sky. "MARITANA" SIL\« MASTERTON CHORAL SOCIETY A .performance of Wallace's melodious opera "Maritana" was given by the Masterton Choral Society last night, under the direction of Albert Bryant, of AVellington. The soloists were Sybil Phillipps (Lower Hutt), Joan Bryant (Wellington) and Kenneth Macauley (Wellington).

RECORDS BROKEN LONG RUN OF "OKLAHOMA" The London production of the spectacular American musical play "Oklahoma" celebrated the end of its first year at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on April 30. This followed the fifth birthday of the show on Broadway, New York, where the 2134th performanoe was given recently. , ~ . The manager of the London company, Mr. Ernest Kingdon, said that a celebration party sdon may include members of the Theatre Guild from New York; some of them probably from the cast of the Broadway production.

ADELE CRANE BACK TWO HOLLYWOOD HOMES Home for the first time for IS years, Adele Crane, former musical comedy star, arrived in Melbourne by Skymaster from Hollywood recently. • Theatregoers will remember her as the tall, blonde and handsome soprano who starred in J. C. Williamson productions like "The Student Prince" and "Madame Pompadour." She has been living in California ever since she left Australia. She has come home for a rest, to see her family—her father is Colin Crane, the singer, and to take her mother, Mrs. A. T. Crane, back to the United States.

Miss Crane has two Hollywood homes. One is in Beverley Hills, the other at Malibu Beach, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Ready for Television She did all her own interior decoration and her chintz-hung livingroom at Malibu has four outsize sofas to match. Latest thirtg in sofas over there, she says, is the horseshoe type . . . all ready for television. Both homes are equipped with unit heating. All you have to do, she says, is to press a button and the heat conies on. Miss Ci : ane has retired now. Her last stage appearance was in a musical comedy, "Love Time," at San Francisco. She also did a lot of radio work. But she has quit work now "to enjoy life in the Caifornian sunshine," as she put it. "Hollywood is an incredible place," she says. "But all screen stars aren't as spectacular as Lana Turner. Some live quiet, charming retired lives, just like ordinary people— Irene Dunne and her husband, and the Ronald Cqlmans, for instance."

STAR AS MOTHER SHIRLEY TEMPLE’S BABY The baby daughter of the film star Shirley Temple has been named Linda Susan. It seems only the other day that Shirley Temple was little more than a baby herself.

I "GREEN DOLPHIN STREET" N.Z. SCENES CRITICISED The New Zealand scenes in the film "Green Dolphin Street" have been Criticised by some people—rather unfairly, I think, for after all the picture is only a film version of a popular novel, not an official documentary film. One does not for one moment imagine that some scenes of Hollywood which one sees in films are the real Hollywood, or that the South Seas glamour of the films is the South Seas of reality. Why, then, should one expect any more reality in a story of New Zealand? The film, though overlong, tells a good story, and New Zealanders should be able to "swallow" the few inaccuracies, such as the earthquake, the flood, and the growth of kauri trees in the Wellington district. To me the silliest thing in the film was that Lana Turner should go through years of pioneering, with Maori wars, floods, earthquakes, and all the rest of it, and emerge as tfeautiful and luscious as ever.

NEW ZEALAND PIANIST HIGH PRAISE IN AUCKLAND Richard Farrell, the 20-year-old Wellington pianist who returned to New Zealand recently after ten years abroad, during which he gained recognition in Australia and the United States, gave the first concert of his Dominion tour at Auckland last week. The critic of the Auckland Herald said: "Richard Farrell Is easily the finest pianist New Zealand has produced, and is one of whom New Zealand should be proud. He returns to the Dominion at 20 fulfilling all the promise of his early years, with a standard of performance that we hear only rarely. Despite his slight stature he can produce tone of unusual power, and in his soft playing obtains singular beauty." SHAW'S NEW PLAY COMEDY OF NO MANNERS I _____ The production of Bernard Shaw's new play, which he as a "comedy of no manners," has been indefinitely postponed. Shaw wrote the play for the Malvern Festival, scheduled to open on July 26—his 92nd birthday—and will not allow it to be produced anywhere else. But after nine months' preparation the organisers have scrapped the festival because the British Ministry of Health has rejected a £12,000 scheme to extend the theatre backstage, and without extensions they say they cannot put on six plays a week.

i THE ROOSEVELT STORY FINE DOCUMENTARY FILM "The Roosevelt Story," says a London paper, is a fine documentary film of "F.D.R.'s" career, well strung together, but occasionally it jars in the over-emotional accompanying commentary. FILM OP ST. PAUL STORY WORTH TELLING Anthony Havelock Allan, husband of the English film star Valerie HobsOn, is to realise a lifelong ambition and make a movie about the life of St. Paul. He has split with the Rank Organisation and formed his own company, Constellation Films, so that he can do so.

"I'm trying to find an unknown actor to play the part of St. Paul,'' states Allan. "St. Paul was a worldly man who threw over worldly success to be a Christian. In these troubled and worldly times, it is a story worth telling." MADE 56 FILMS CAREER OF BETTE DAVIS "Winter Meeting" will be Bette Davis's 56th film and her 46th starring role during 17 years in Hollywood. Bette made her screen debut in "Bad Sister" in 19 30. Her (irst starring part was in "Ex-Lady" in 1933. She has appeared in five pictures of one-word titles, the shortest being "Seed." The longest title of a Davis film was "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex." Eleven of her starring films were stage play based on novels, including "Winter Meeting." ,

Since she started at Warner's in i;he has made only two pictures away lrom that studio on loan. One was "Of Human Bondage"; the othor "The Little Foxes." Bette has had six screen deaths arid 3 3 screen marriages. FORMER CHILD STAR NOW A BUSINESS MAN Jackie Coogan, who won fame as a youngster in the film "The Kid" with Charles Chaplin, is now a successful business man.' He is a partner in an American firm selling surplus war cameras.