The Tivoli

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7104, 13 March 1933, Page 3

The Tivoli

GEORGE WALLACE IN “HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS’’

George Wallace, star of “His Royal Highness,” the Eftee all-Australian musical comedy coming to the Tivoli this afternoon and evening, is not superstitious—that is so far as the number 13 is concerned. It was between scenes of his first, feature-length comedy that, the bogey of superstition came up. One of the stage hands, 2u ? refusing to walk under a ladder, had tripped over a piece of loose cable. As he got up he muttered: “I bet to-day’s the thirteenth,” and went on his way. “It’s a funny thing about the 13 bogey,” said George Wallace, who had noticed t.he incident. “Many people would pass away with sheer fright if they had had my experience with that supposedly unlucky number. (Several years ago I left Australia with 13 members in my company on the 13th day of the month. When we arrived in New Zealand we opened on the 13th. On the tour we played 13 weeks in Dunedin and stayed in New Zealand for 13 months. We left for Australia again on the 13th. When I arrived in Newcastle I discovered that the hotel proprietor had booked me into room 13. This thirteen business kept coming up with such monotonous regularity that I sat dowm and tried to figure it out. I discovered that I have 13 letters in my name, and also have 13 teeth in my upper jaw. The number 13 still keeps dodging my footsteps,” continued George. “The first shots of 'His Royal Highness’ were taken on the 13th and so it goes on. I thought I would cash in on this one day at the races —a horse bearing my lucky number looked a likely winner to me, so I backed it and got over 13 to 1, but alas, I think the horse finished about thirteenth.” Mr. F. Thring directed this latest Eftee production and an exceptional cast supporting George Wallace includes Beryl Walkley, Lou Vernon, Nell Taylor, Frank Tarrant, Marshall Crosby, Donald Warne and John Doobie. A special ■natinec will be held to-day.