STAGE AND SCREEN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 13 August 1932, Page 4

STAGE AND SCREEN

Ella Shields, originator of the character impersonation “Burlington Bertie,” will head the list of performers in the hilarious revue, “The Follies of 1932,” which will have its New Zealand premiere on Saturday, 3rd September, at Wellington. This production will bo presented by Frank Neil, who has introduced many theatrical companies. Miss Shields, with a strong combination of comedians, headed by Stan Foley and Athol Tier, singers, dancers and the exquisite ballet, “The Follies Own,” will receive a cordial welcome at the hands of New Zealand audiences, for she is one of the most versatile London stars who have visited the Dominion.

Martinez Sierra’s play, “The Kingdom of God,” was revived in London recently, and again its sustained beauty of thought, culminating in Sister Gracia’s prayer that her unruly orphans shall seek to establish the Kingdom of God on earth when they are men, made a deep impression (said the “Daily Mail”). “It is a- great play and demands a production which it has never yet received. For one thing,” says the “Daily Mail’s” critic, A. Bortlnvick, “Sister Gracia, when first we see her, should be a spirited and handsome girl of nineteen. The pathos of this young girl giving her life to mitigate the suffering of the world is one of the most beautiful things in the literature of the theatre. Gillian Scaifc could not realise that beauty; nor yet the tired serenity of the sister ten years later, but she did give spirituality to the old woman who has endured so much and yet still has faith. The production, on the whole, did not mar the play. Several of the minor characters were well played, especially the hysterical mother of Joan White.” “A little old lady, tired and worn from years of service to a vast public,

was laid to rest yesterday—Emelie Melville, aged 81, once a. bewitching stage figure. Emelin Melville strove valiantly to make the world forget she was an old lady living in the past.” The foregoing is the gist of an item in a San Francisco newspaper, “in the heyday of her youth and beauty Emelin Melville came to Australia from America. For years she was the idol of the Melbourne stage,” according to the “Melbourne Herald.” “To the present generation Emelie Melville may not be. even a name, but among the older ones there will bo numbers who as they were growing up have heard their parents speak affectionately of the captivating Emelie Melville. Her praises were still being sounded years after she had said good-bye to Australian shores. This actress belonged to a stage period that was rich in comic, opera. While she was still young, Gilbert, and Sullivan were capturing their public. She lived through a period of extraordinary arvTstic development, seeing the artificialities of the plays of her youth yielding to methods bearing more resemblance to life. But to the last she acted according to her early standards —and to the last thy public adored her. The veteran actress made a stage appearance in San Francisco two years ago, playing in a piece called ‘The Royal Family.’ ” “That flip world-famous singer, Amelita Galli-Curci, will receive an enthusiastic welcome from her thousands of admirers in Few Zealand is a surety” (writes an Australian correspondent, who was a constant attendee at the Melbourne recitals). “The foyer of the big Town Ilall was a scene of brilliance on each memorable occasion, and the audiences were large —in fact, very much larger than at any similar function I can remember, and my experience extends over nearly a quarter of a century. At every appearance the diva was greeted with a storm of tumultuous welcome. All who remembered with pleasure the vivacious charm and gracious manner of the famous prima donna were there to pay her homage, and it was some time befbre the enthusiastic greeting subsided sufficiently to allow the first item to begin. • Of her wonderful singing, what can I say? Words fail me to express adequately the sheer delight her beautiful voice gave to me —and to the many thousands who listened, spell-bound, to her entrancing interpretations of the various and artistically varied items. Mr Williams’s flute accompaniments and his solos were quite satisfying, and Mr Homer Samuels played as a selfeffacing, skilful artist, giving additional pleasure to the Galli-Curci-selections. The famous singer will open the New Zealand tour at Auckland on 23rd August.

A Dunedin author and a composer have written a musical comedy which will possibly be produced towards the, end of this year. The scene is set in a British post in Arabia, and the author lias built up a colourful atmosphere which even the most ridiculous vapourings of the principal comedian (who, incidentally, is somewhat reminiscent of Marine Ogg, in “The Middle Watch”) do not entirely dissipate. The libretto contains some bright and clever humour, and if the local players can deliver this effectively it should go a long way towards making the performance a success. However, for a production of this type, the new comedy appears to have too much dialogue in comparison with the amount of music provided for, while one or two of the characters lack the strength to sustain their parts satisfactorily. Nevertheles, many other factors, such as music, settings, staging, etc.,- will---influence the comedy’s reception by the public, but, if a good cast is assembled, it will have some sound material on which to work, and the effort is one that deserves the greatest cniloiiragement.

WINSOME JANET GAYNOR

AN AMBITION REALISED WANTED TO BE AN ACTRESS Janet Gaynor, laughing, vivacious, winsome, has not always been a popular screen idol, beloved of millions and thereby hangs a tale. “One day there came to one of my schools a girl, solemn-eyed, hut selfpossessed, accompanied by her mother, said Dr. A. L. Lewis, the director of a chain of commercial colleges in California, who passed through Auckland lately. “Her name was Janet Gaynor.” “The girl wanted to be an actress,” he went on to say, “but her mother .had marked her out to be a secretary and wanted her to learn shorthand and typing. She however, was firmly expressed in her intention to go into the film industry. I had seen too many fail on the screen, so I persuaded her to take the business course. She did so, and I thought no more about hex* until one day I saw her walking down the corridor with a minor actress who was carrying her ‘make-up’ box. I induced this girl to show her the real scieen world. Janet - was thrilled when she secured a small part in a crowd scene. <( 1 lost sight of her after that, ’ said Dr. Lewis, “and then I happened to be talking to a friend of mine who was selecting the cast for ‘The Johnstown Flood.’ ‘l’m stuck,’ he told me, ‘l’ve got the leading lady down from 167 to two, and I can’t decide.’ One of those two was Janet Gaynor, and the director’s decision made a success of that film. “From that beginning I have watched this fresh and unassuming little girl rise from strength to strength. She was never destined to take down letters by dictation. She was one of those people who realised her first high ambition.” Latest Hollywood news states that Miss Gaynor—rather Mrs Lyell Peck —has been signed to a new long-term contract, and will produce several new films this year, the next being “The First Year,” with Charles Farrell.