Stage & Screen

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12199, 25 July 1925, Page 13

Stage & Screen

Theatrical Pars arid tylovie Notes

THE ENTERPRISING SHEPARDS ' EVELYN AND ROBERT. The-'three .words, "Evelyn Shepard Presents," ;on the top of , a concert pro- i gramme, is' probably the firsj: time tliat i a woman’s name has been seen in.such a position in Australia (renutrks the ’ Sydney “Sun").. Evelyn Shepard 'has ' managed the tour of the Soloists < throughout . Australia, as the interests . < of her husband (Mr A. R. Shepard) were < confined solely to .New Zealand. v Mrs Shepard will continue the tour through- < out. Australia,. and then . take the company to South Africa. She is a woman ; with plenty of personality, and .the sport- : ing attitude that if she makes, money*' ' well, she makes it; and if she loses, well, it is lost! She has. been able to achieve < what many other concert managers have. not —she stopped double encores by the , artists, and she hopes before long to cut out even pne encore,, and confine the • satisfaction of applause to a mere bow. * * # Harry Lauder ip saying a real, farewell on the other, side of the'Tasman. • If you would see something sensational, sfee Paul Whartbn* and'Company, coming ; to Pullers' New Zealand circuit. Their best work is done from a springboard, which is used as _a kind of lever. : One member of the troupe is'propelled into ' the air lik© an object from a catapult, and lands on the shoulders of another .or the team, or into a chair which is some 15 feet from the floor of ‘ the stage!. * • • * *■; Bookings are very heavy for Kreisler's return concert with the Conservatorium Orchestra at Sydney , .for, to-niglit, andf next Tuesday and Wednesday. .Kreisler •is a unique musician. His. playing'will lull you to.'sleep one minute, and the next will thrill you as no martial music . can. ■ ’ * '' ••• • ■ • - '• / * - * ■* • Mdlie. Germaine Sigfrid, the vivacious and beautif ul'wife of Milton Hayes, has . a long line of theatrical successes achieved in Paris and Switzerland. • Milton -Hayes has written v a play, “The«£lCoo' a Year Man,", which he “hopes .to -produce ■ in this country, and if such is the case, Mdlie, Sigfrid will be seen in, the role of • "The Parfeienhe," which has; been specially created by her husband for her,; t ■ * ■* *' ' • , The Harris family-rfather, son, ■ ■ and two sisters—whose services have only recently been secured. by the Pullers,,- wiH shortly be making their appearance at His Majesty's Theatre.' Their whirlwind ( .harmony act is one of tfie . cheeriest ' imaginable, and they alone justify a visit to the theatre*. They are indeed , a tal- : ented family.: There seems to be no limit "to thenuniberof instruments theycan play, and in addition there is some ; good Singing and dancing! They introduce a decided novelty, the four-of them playing hand pianos of the concertina ! type. ' Milton Hayes, coming to New Zealand on the J. C. Williamson vaudeville circuit, is something quit© different! from , any form of amusement. He is a quiet, subtle comedian, who gets his ; effects , without apparent effort. • Ah the open- * ing at Sydney the audience simply roared * its appreciation. He commenced on one . subject and rounded it off by wander- J ing. into another, and the general mix- ' up caused violent fitsof,laughter. Oth- ; era on the programme are the Celebrity . Players, Reginald Wykeham, Prissy Preston, Pirie Bush (who stages a sketch called "The Bachelor''), also the Royal ; Squadron Syncopators in jazz, the Lecargo Brothers, Hooker and Seward'(Australian dancers), Jay Widden’ (with . his { violin), and the Alton Sisters in a noveV scene of songs bn’ the' wire.. Traps, the six-year-old drummer, who comes direct from big seasons Xn< the Greenwich tillage Follies and Raymohd Hitchcock productions in New York, had p. good reception. s ‘ ; • V ■ • } ' MELBOURNE SHOWS Marie Lawton, who was recently Hn Sydney, has opened at the Melbourne Tivoli, .and, judging by reports, has made a very fine hit. The .Big Four—Hairy Grunden, Charles Perrin, Cliff O'Koote, and Prank Wignall—were given , a warm reception for their snappy musibal ljeipe. Harry Green, with his droll .humour/is as pqpular as ever.. . • » , George Wallace's revue at the Bijou is andvMatrimony," and, like all his preceding efforts; it is; one of his best. «. Josie Melville and George Gee, m Kid Boots," at His Majesty's, are still attracting crowded houses. 1 . "Secrets/'; in which Muriel Starr And Frank Harvey are; the principals at the Royal, is making a great appeal. /House fiill" is the order of the, night at the New Princess, where "No, No, Nanette" is. proving one of thq sensations of the theatre world. Lee White and Clay Smith are still at the Athenaeum, where comedy and tunes with a dancing. melody attract large audiences. .- ~ , - Howett Wqrster's revue, Span, has entered itA eighth week at the Palace'. . *• - * • i, '

"The Top of the World." h Paramount attraction, heads the bill at the King’s Theatre this week. The stars are Anna Q. Nilsson and James Kirkwood. Thiß picture is adapted to the screen from Jfthel M. Dell's novel of the same.name. This is a tense strong story of tho African veldt, which no writer knows better than Ethel Dell. ' V

1325 MOVIE BALL y . EOR THE- KARITANB HOME. • The, movie ball on September 23rd is expected to be ■ one of' the outstanding events of the , year. The picture, authorities are determined 1 to do their part very thoroughly “for the .of the Kqritanie. Home, and they ~are being encouraged by qffers/of (assistance {from iall . quarters.. . Both Town Halls have been engaged for the. event* and already elaborate' schemes of decoration, are • being discussed.; At a very largely, attended' meeting of the general cotainit'tee .held yesterday, -Mr Allen McGowan presiding it whs/ decided that, a .series of prizes be offered for special displays of a hovel and picturesque character. , Thethree chief events in this connection will,be

For the best movie picture set, prizes £23 and- JBlffp.for the best theatre set, <£ls and £5; for the best advertising set, £ls and £5. It was . reported that ofle firm, was prepared to stago set_ on similar lines to the one presented qt the Sydney movie ball last year,- which cost £3OO. There will also be prizes for the best impersonation of movie stars, male ,and female, and the best impersonation of a movie comedian, these to be, presented by the several corporations interested ini the 'stars v of the time.

.. There has been established in London a novel society formed to organise private exhibitions of unusual films. It is proposed to give exhibitions on . Sunday evenings on lines similar to those of the ■Sunday play societies. The idea is to show pictures of exceptional artistic merit ;before, they are seen at the cinema; Thej idea has-touch to commend it, as often/ ‘an artistiA film is shelved because it is ; Worthless from an entertainment point, tof view*'. . •

Tom Mix fits the: role of. Jim Xassiter in his ’ latest : William Fex production, "Riders* of the Purple Sbge/’ . to be. screened at Ihe Paramount Theatre., commencing on July so perfectly that it seem Zane Grey, must had'the cowboy hero in mind' when he wrote this* his greatest nov«*l. It ie ; a typical Mix role, with ample opportunities fbr Tony, his-wonder horse, to share in the daring deeds of his master. ’.*• .. “ .;* • .* " . { ■ yin addition to wonderful Tom Mix and hie clever-. horse r Tony, charming Mabel B&llin plays tho rale of the girl rancher, and Marian Nixon, a graceful figure in boy’s.clothes, acts the part, of Lassiter's niece* * Beatrice Burnham does . aV'dramatic characterisation as Lassiter’s\ sip‘fcer. Hapold. Goodwin is the gallant cowboy who . aids - Lassiter . in' defence ,of the* ranch. ;