The Deadhead's Diary.

NZ Truth, Issue 473, 11 July 1914, Page 3

The Deadhead's Diary.

Only a yew years ago members of THE profession considered it a disgrace to be asked to pose for filmpictures. What a difference to day! There are very few professionals left who would not consider it an honor t6 take part m any first-class film-pro-duction. '

A coming artist of repute m Fuller's circles is Mr. Tom Hayman, journeying all the way from Merrie England to star it under the cross. He is not quite a stranger m the Dominion, for just twenty years, only, he strutted with old Maggie Moore's Company, and made a kind of a hit He returned Home and made .many hits, crowningall with a walloping success m "Christmas Eve," by Mr.' Harry Vernon, the very clever bloke "who wrote "Mr." Wu," a big item of note. And by the way, Mr. Wu is also on the watery way to the dear Dominion.

Not long ago, a small boy went with his father' to view a display of pictures by a new artist m a well-known gallery m Lamb ton- quay, Wellington. Haying 1 inspected .every exhibit, the kid, with a sigh of relief said, "Let's go to the real pictures now, shall we, dad?" ■■;

Once again the condemnation of the clergy has made a good advertisement, for the offending show. "The Runaway Girl" is not a masterpiece, but simply a lot of nonsense set to catchy tunes. A Goulburn,- N.S.W., musical society was performing it, when two priests became offended x at the scene between the lay brother and a giddy girl and left the hall. There was -a terrible commotion, of course, and now, the lay brother says, "I feel myseff slipping" instead 9t "I feel myself slipping away from celibacy," as before, and the "house full" sign .is exhibited every night.. I can understand the priests' indignation— why should.musical comedy be set round a monastery? The argument that tea-and-toast young curates of the Anglican persuasion, are ridiculed on the stage, and no one protests, is a poor one— curates are permitted to flirt and dance attendance on girls, lay brothers aren't.

A well-known and very musical young lady has become the pianist at the Star Theatre, Newtown, Wellington. Miss ivy Edwards is a Duendinite and a popular one and' will prove herself an acquisition to the windy 1 city amusements circle. Many Dunedlriites, male and female, . however, hope that Ivy won't cling'to the windy burgh, but that some favorable gust will return her and her music to increased success and her many admirers m the dour touni

A popular actor, noted for his ready wit, met a lady friend a few months after his wedding. "Oh," she said, "I have seen your wife for the first time since your marriage and she .seems shorter than I last saw her." "Naturally," replied the actor, "You see she has married and settled down."

Through the courtesy of Mr. Bert Royle, the "Deadhead" is able to announce l a very fine list of attractions to be presented to the New Zealand public, between,,now. and the end of the year, by the J. C. Williamson Co., Ltd. They are the Pantomime of "The Forty Thieves," now staged m. Auckland, and billed here for a season, starting from July 22, and running tp July 30; "The Argyle Case" opening on August 24; Fred Niblo, August 5 to 17; Julius Knight, with a repertoire of his old favorite plays, from October 1 to 17; "Bunty Pulls the Strings," October 28 to November 4. To these must be added, as indirectly bonnected with the Williamson activities, Harry Lauder, under J. and N. Tait, September 7 to 11, and Le Roy, Talma and Bosco, under E. J. Carroll, November 5 to 11. Consequently, between now and December next, the new Grand Opera House will come into its own and will hear its walls' resounding with enthusiastic applause from packed audiences of delighted theatre goers.

An amusing anecdote is told of the famous Madame Melba's childhood days, when at the age of seven she sang at a concert near Melbourne, Early the next morning she met a playmate/and waited patiently for tho subject of her triumph to be referred to. • Finally she could stand it no longer, and exclaimed, "But the concert! Did you hear me sing?" Coldly hoi; little friend gazed at the budding artist and replied, "Yes, Nellie Mitchell, and I saw your garter!" I heard this story years ago, and when listening to Melba's glorious voice have often thought of tho inward ambition.

"Deadhead's" old friend, Percy Dix, who, m tho 0% Exchange Hall and tho Theatre Royal In Wellington, did so -well out of vaudeville, seems once more to bo on the high-road to success. Percy did big things m Wellington m those days and* was credited with having reached the point where his permanent success as an entrepreneur was assured. However, it was not to be^ Percy's nature was, at that time, too generous and toO^trusting. Others are nov reaping the t>enent of what he saved. Latest advices say that tho plucky Percy has, with his partner, C. Baker, taken a lease of tho Palace Theatre, Sydney, and last week produced the comedy-drama, "Bess of Arizona." With the company Is Robert Inman, a favorite with Domlnlonlte theatre-goers from Auckland to Invercargill. Good luck. Percy! Be careful this lime 1 ."

The Vaude and Verne collection of "modern and ancient" gags includes the following— "A He never passed through the lips of. Georgo Washington." "No?" "No; he talked through his nose like tho rest of them."

All good things must come to an end, and so did the London run of "Oh, I Say," — the farce which has kept tho Big Smoke laughing for nine months. The days of phenomenally long runs are over, so that ,the record of nearly 300 consecutive performances put up by "Oh! I Say" must be reckoned extremely good. This gay little farce has at least dono bno good turn to the play going public, for it haa Introduced a new comedian m tho person of Frederic Bentley, who haa "got there." New York haa confirmed tho verdict of London m "Oh! I Say" being a flrst-cloua laughter-maker. New Zealand is shortly to be given the same chance, white three companies are at preaent touring Great Britain. Qreat is tho power at laughter.

David Beloaco, the- celebrated drama Hat, and producer, makoq tho aur-

prising: statement that a beautiful woman never makes a wonderful actress. "For stage purposes," he says, "I don't care at all for the beautiful girl. She has been told that to retain her beauty she must not give way to temperamental outbursts. She has a harrowing fear of lines coming m her face, and to keep them away as long as possible she refrains from expressing her feelings, and m fact from having feelings at all. So that her face has no expression, and is nothing but a beautiful mask. Such a woman is beautiful m repose, but' there is no variation m her face, and her beauty soon becomes wearisome."

His Majesty's Theatre at "Wellington recently had a lady named Flint, showing m a bald head kissing stunt around the audience. A local citizen, hairless and very sensitive about; it, cured the lady m a very effective manner of her habit of lip-saluting "geezers" on their thoughtless domes. Consulting a leading chemist, he secured a non-visible lotion, which, while not acting on the scalp itself, gave the lady of the kisses something to remember. After she had pressed her lips to the baldness of the conspirator, she .fled shrieking to her dressing-room for cold cream and cold water. That was Ker last appearance m the kissing business. •

"Australian Variety*/ is responsible for the statement— "A great supporter of Harry Lauder is Mr. John Norton, proprietor of "Truth" and one of the finest journalists m. Australasia. ■ He spends several evenings each week at the wing's during the comedian's act"

Romance lies behind a " legacy of^ £5000 left to Mme. Sarah Bernhardt by' Miss Scorer, a London lady. For years the testratrix had cherished unusual admiration for our greatest actress. Every Friday she would forward her a bouquet of Malmaison carnations, no j matter where she was appearing, while on the rare occasions upon which 'she was privileged to take tea with Mme. ' Bernhardt she would don a costume of original white, though every other day in' the year black would be the rule. Miss. Scorer received fatal fn-; [ juries m a fall downstairs at her villa while setting out'to visjt the actress. • .'•■•■•'.' • '..-; •• ' ■ i George ' Cross of . the Willoughby | Dramatic Company, claims to be the unluckiest actor living. That's why he's Cross. /' . • • ' ' . • Vaudeville Star.— "l wonder what started- the fire at Blank Theatre? Rival Manager. — "Well, the police seem to think It was the electric light on the first floor, and the insurance com- ' pany blame an incandescent light on the ground floor, but I believe it was an Israe-lite m the office." • ■ • .-• ■ •'■.'■■•' . . Leonard Nelson, the "plain come- ' dian" and Ernie Pitcher "tile Big Mug" ! both of whom recently toured the Dominion, are at present qualifying for ■applause at the Adelaide ''King's." •■■ * ■ • Discussing the Hiscocks-Geddis fracas with John Fuller, senr., the other night, it transpired that New Zea-' land's only John was brought to Australia, originally, by Artist" Hiscocks' father, of the Hiscocks' Federal Minstrels. Friend John came out under a six months' engagement -with the London Pavilion Company, •of which Hiscocks "pere" was the entrepreneur. The season, how,ever, lasted only four months, as the money was not forthcoming. .At the parting there was sixty lovely quid due to John, which he never got. , t . • * ' * '* Artist Hiscocks is known to ', the staff of His Majesty's Theatre -m Wellington as "Captain Cook, No. II." The nlck-riame arose thus: Father John and the man of .cartoons were standing talking outside the theatre. "Son Johnnie Fuller came up to them, and old John introduced his pride and joy. "Oh!" said Johnnie, "I know Mr. Hiscocks." "But you do not know that his father brought me to Australia and there discovered New Zealand for the Fuller family." "What!" replied Johnnie, "A Captain Cook, No. II." The name stuck. v ■ ' ■• • • ■ A charming and vivacious ticketseller at a leading picture theatre m Wellington, said to the "Deadhead" the other night,. "They think that I'm a thought reader. They regard coming to tho' box m the same light as going to a guessing competition." '•' • ' • On Monday night a party of welldressed hood -I urns assembled m the upper circlo of His Majesty's Theatre at Wellington, with the evident intention of making things unpleasant for opo of the lady vocalists, and the disturbance culminated In their counting her out. The boys evidently want a change of programme. • • • Among those saved from the awful disaster of the Titanic was Sydney Adams, ono of tho stewards. Ho Is now m Australia relating his experiences on that fatal night m connection with the Titanic pictures, which aro mow being shown throughout tho Commonwealth. Everywhere ho has been received with rapt attention. At the conclusion of his present tour he is billed for New Zealand.

Apropos of a recent decision that "A kiss Is an operation on the body of another which always requires the permission of tho person," Adeline Genee, the divine dancer says, "A klas is a very serious thing. ■It Indicates much love, affection, and regard. I quite agree that no legal luminaries can, or ought, to, define It Remember that the kl«a was not invented In a lawyer's ofTlee. It i« a gift of tho Gods." The definition In really as charming as the dellner.

The question of Sunday pictures has been agitating the minds of the people of South Melbourne recently to such an extent that a pleblticilo wan recently taken to test public opinion. In all, 24,000 ballot papers were Issued, and that great Interest was taken m tho issue was shown by the tact that 13,636. persons voted. The result of the vote was an folio wh: — In favor of Sunday opening .. 10.495 Ag&lnut Sunday opening • • 3,040 Majority for Sunday opening 7,455 That ten public should have decided, by more than a majority of 3 to 1 In favor of Sunday plcturo entertainment ahows the overpowering trend of people's minds towards eatabilahlng a rational Sunday. What about the picture people. In., Wellington taking the matter up?