The Deadhead's Diary

NZ Truth, Issue 539, 16 October 1915, Page 2

The Deadhead's Diary

Mr. Paul Latham, well-known m New J Zealand theatrical and business circles I as manager of numerous theatrical companies during- the last 12 years, has taken a stationary billet for a change. He has been appointed manager of The King's Theatre, Wellington.

Geo. M. Cohan, whose comedies, played m Australia by Fred Nlblo (who is his brother-in-law), have achieved such success, specially wrote a new play for Fred Niblo'a re-appearance m New York on his return from Australia. The piece was entitled "Hit-the-trail Holiday." A cable received by the J. C. Williamson management announces Mr. Niblo's great success m the production of the comedy on Broadway. Mr. Niblo plays the title role — that of a temperance lecturer and an erstwhile bar-tender, based on tho celebrated Billy Sunday, tho Yankee revivalist with the get-rich-quick method.

Years ago In Melbourne, Annette Kellerman made her first appearance at the Aquarium m a diving act. She was a slight, sunburnt lass, very shy until the subject of aquatic feats was touched upon, when she would suddenly forget herself and grow enthusiastic. At tho Aquarium her star act was diving Into it tuuk, and thousands of paople even m those early days crowded to see her. She was not fully developed, but even then the artists of Melbourne raved over her. ami many declared that she was the artist's ideal of the female form divine. In "Neptune's Daughter," at tho People's Picture Palace, clothed In close- fitting white tights, she looks like a beautiful statue against the background of dark foliage,

Barry Lupino, the famous English comedian who has Veen the King-pin In the last two Williamson pantomimes, has left "The Firm" and has signed contracts with Fullers. He Is now showing at tho Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, from where he will go to the National, the well-known Sydney Fuller house. In due course New Zealanders should have an opportunity of seeing the clever and sprightly Barry. Thua once again has a big star found a desirable avenue of employment m the vaudeville stage. A few short years ago these self-same artists would have considered it very much beneath their dignity to do anything of the kind, but In these warlike times beggars can't be choosers, neither can Drury Lane stars.

One of th<> most piquant scenes m the comedy, "Nobody's Widow," m which the Muriel Starr company will appear (or the first time In Australia j at Melbourne Theatre Royal, Is that of i a midnight supper m which Betty Jack* son and a Duke of Moreland take part. This incident of the play arousod a great deal of comment m America. The sceno allows plenty of scope for Grace, Palotta and CJiurlca A, Mtliward, who ; have a fine situation and some brilliant ' and humorous dialogues to deliver. The \ climax come« when the Puke, who has unwillingly accepted the suggestion to have supper, is egged on by Betty until ho sees nothing for It but to kiss her, and the compromising situation is dotooted by the Duke's wife, who appears. George Barnum, who is producing the play, expresses the opinion that tho best French comedtea contain no more fascinating and cleverly-comselved situation than is contained m this supper scone, symbolising the eager spider and , the unwilling fly. :: :j ■ :: j The struggle amongst Wellington pic-ture-show managers to achieve origin- i allty m advertising their showM la particularly keen. Some time ago Tom Donovan, the genial gent, m chargo of Everybody's, burnt out into verse m extolling a star item on his programme. Since then Tom O'Brien, of the Empress, has been Just dying for an opportunity to commune with tho muse; and emulate the other Tom, and this week, m advertising the good old b«l---lowdramn, "Whllo London Sleeps," m j picture form, he pot It. The old sons? j goes "While London sleeps, anid all its : lamps are gloaming"; but & brilliant thought struck Manager O'Brien, and ho brings the old song right bang up* j to-date with "While London sleeps with none but searchlights gleaming." Got tho searchlights, please! Of course. | there's nothing about searchlights or war m the play — they weren't even I thought of m the days when Charlie j ' Durrell wrote it; but, nevertheless, Tom ! O'Brien 18 ono ahead of Tom Dooovan In the poetic advertising stake*, and thaf» all that m&tteri.

Maud Miles took a dive lost week from mualcal comedy with J. C. Williamson Ltd. into vaudeville at the Sydney National Theatre, and should not have much cautie to reirret her venture. It Is only nuturui that her act should have ittt defects, which experience will remedy. But she. has shown unusual appreciation of the value of setting for her vocal turn, which covers a number of catchy Bon{f»* The attttfe Is* set artistically for her on Nella Webb- Daisy Jerorm* lln«»s, with druplugti and un artistic drawing-room etfeet. Her gowns art- extremely at-' tractive. In a dainty liitlo baJloon sonjr, In which she releases toy balloons Into (ho auditorium. Miss Mltas glvoa a tantalising ludtcution that uhe has glttUrtorno tevi. Hut she do«?n no more. CunnldcrinK the luck of good dancers on the variety fitagv It doo* *uern remarkable that shf< should let tht? opportunity #o by lo llfi h<?r turn considerably. MLsa Miles has upp*>ared for Willtarnsvo's with the "Yeoman of the Otuxrd" as Phoeb?, m 'Thw Mllcado" ft« Pi»ep Ho, m "Hailenco" tut Lady Angela, In "The Plraten or I'en«inct*" a« Kate. In "Mo Ml? Kojm»h#" an Mwrthti. nn<i .ihtr hu» innlerstudK-d th«- «uvr roU'H (n .jtihf* a nuinl»-r of muslvtil eonu>dl«:rt Hut on ihr leultl" matt* auiiji\ sin* hu >-.<<. pru»fr«>KM Ik very .alow and Ix nut *v muvh la wiv's own control us In vaudeville*.

Mudi'rnolst'lU* i;»by l>r:«lyu, th,< I'urljtlan dancer, is th>- t-ursipt tired owner of it Chln«*0«« lerritT. which »>h>' •■ndrarlnKiy tvrms "Ui-be." (Juby is nrfectiontUe, and It would not In* m h«-r nuturtt to p,»«j<«*Kjj it tcrriiT und then to t-ull tho t)»in*r "Alp)>ons<<"' or "Theophlh'." AccordinKly «he c;»lln Jt "li«?be." and loves it with v Here, eyt-lonic pn.sslun. On« day i»«ny» a Umdon wrUer). returnlnic fronj ih*j thentre, «he miHrtu<) (ho lut-'Hy little brute, art-at wtta tho wrief of Ortby, PJUfuJ )i<>r jtohn. HUnply ttvi-r---whelmlnK her t.<>tit-t>(lrr«><l iwtho». tOno must bo pntheiu- to describe jinch arU«Uc misery. ) She forthwith udvertlsed In the "TimiK" ugm\y column, and offered iJ^O i"or the nj>'!er of her i-hsi-nwtty. Then *\u- r«-t<-iv<d un army carp* of Kloct-xtreot emifj»«rle»». .She • xplalned the circuttiKtunceti In that ttM«rfut way which )\u# iilwayjt ptrucic n !>yjnpuihetu: chord In th« brcantit of devotfrPK of thf "J'uJuce" or •'Alhiuubni,'' A few hotirtt of suspense, M»d Ouby'f darling l« returned to i'« m»rrow-.-triek.ti mlnircps, Kin* d«»."»cribed th<h;«(tr»" n--wnl«'f) to iinother .irmy corpn '=f Interview purveyor?' I ijuoto !;<♦< wordi«: "A man way that he »itw my ii-ptji' ,',u(j, \vh'> run ihr<>iij?h a > ( i« n»ot«r 'bujt. but rpciiiK'. H<> hold hl.t t'reath f»»r feor he run wvi-r It. hut *:«p In U»«»#, und my darling «« r-nv-fd. '• ,\»s<i;hr>r tnuti e;un<« tOonv, ' »■ '■ <tuhnv<l t«i bo tb* owner, im-1 K">v.' ih- i ■r*i m>n *.* Then >.h.,- jtcronil man «;»« ti'r r.ov<r MTinnni, :»nd if«ii»!iJ i;j'» K i. T.'r.; ' i. ihtUi l-»c*»>'« hupp, "ijuin-

Amy Sherwin, known to fame as the Tasmanian Nightingale some years ago, has bobbed up again m London with another marvellous singer. She is Doris Carol, sister to -Stella the Lark," and is thirteen years old. Amy is training the infant phenomena for the variety stage, and she made her bow at the Coliseum, London.

Some idea of tho size the Fuller vaudeville concern has now grown to may.be gleaned from the fact that they now employ fully 500 a,rtists all tho year round. Incidentally, some of these artists have been on the circuit for eight and ten years, which goes to prove that the firm certainly does encourage local talent when they can find it worthy enough to keep before the public.

Clara Butt ftas made her bow as an actress m "Peter Ibbctson." Dv Maurier's first book has been dramatised for the benefit of a base hospital, and Clara made her bow In a thinking part, wearing Victorian side curls, flounces, and a crinoline. We arc Informed that this stage appearance is the preliminary to Clara appearing m grand opera when the war is over. In the meantime Clara is m the front rank of the women who went to work for the Empire — willIng to work m ft. munition factory or do any old work which may be allotted to her.

The wonderful success of "Within Our Gutes," the first Mm entorpriso of J. C. WHUamsou. Ltd., has encouraged the firm to still further extend Us filmmaking organisation, and several important features are now being prepared. In various portions of Australia, as well as the South Sea Islands, Williamson experts are at work at the present tlnip. and tho result will shortly bo shown on tho screen. The firm's studio, opposite His Majesty's, Melbourne, Is now fully completed, and is elaborately equipped on the most up-to-date lines. Picture-making promises to become one of the most important of the linn's successful enterprises.

:: :: ts Apparently Charlie Chaplin Is Just as big a boom (some would have it nuisance) m London as m New Zealand. A London correspondent, asks. Has anybody heard of Charlie Chaplin? Though many Londoners have never seen him m the flesh, they know him us intimately aa memberH of their Immediate family circle. John Bunny isn't m. It compared with Charlie Chaplin. I need not explain who the latter 'happens to bo. His name outside a Cinema Hall brings flocks of people prepared to shriek at his original fuuuiosltlus. Music hall artists mimic Charlie. Competitions for the best Imitation of Charlie Chaplin aro promoted. It is the literal truth to say that Charles has created a furore In tho United Kingdom tho like of which has never happened before. He has disturbed all Cinema Hall calculations. The cinema proprietor does not dare to present a programme which ©mils a Ctiurllo Chaplin picture. Charlie happens to be of English origin, so it is the old story of the prophet getting no honor m his own country.

Florence You us: hus very pleasant memories of "Paul Jones," m which »he is now appearing with tho Royal Comic Opera Company at Her Majesty's. Melbourne. For it was Planquette's melodious opera that provided, one of the firmest rungs of tho ladder upon which sho climbed to lending parts In comlo opera. It was at the Princess that "Paul Jones* was to bo played. Charlie Ryloj- woa set down for tho title role, and Nellie Stowart was <o play Yvonne. Tho booking was enormous, and ko«n interest was being taken In the production. The night before, however, Nellio Stewart lost hor voice, and the part was handed to Miss Young. "I sat up all night," Mlas Young recalled, chatting over tho event, "with a wet towel round my head, and at lunch time on Saturday 1 reckoned I was all right That night I played Yvonno! I played leadfi after that, so you se« -that It 1« not surprising I havo a warm apot m my heart for 'Paul Jones.'" A mat o artist m tho title rol9 did not commend itself to the public, and the next occasion on which the opera was produced, Miss Young appeared as Paul Jones.

Tho plot of "Nobody's Widow," tho "Fttsnehy" American comody m which Muriel Star Is to appear at Melbourne Theatre Royal this Saturday night, la based on a remarkable happenlngWhlle travelling abroad, an impnuKfon able but Bfelf-rt«llant American gir% Roxana Clayton, hurriedly marries the Duke of Morelund, a flirtatious young; t^gllflhmnn. Tho sarao evening an their wedding, shn caicb«a him tdsoUuc another woman. This so enrage* h«r that she .Immediately returns to America, nnd announces to all her friends' that her husband. "Mr. Clayton." dies suddunly of "enlargement of the hoart." She appeared drossod m widow's woods, at tho homo of hor friend, Betty Jack* aon. who also had th« Duke of Moraland uu her vlaltinß liat. The taDßlo bcKlns when the Duke turns up. an Invited guest. The position t« rendered mill more intricate wheu the Duke, who Im mudiy m Ibvo with bis wife, la anKUxt for by Betty, who is fond of tbla sort of spurt, and is easily persuaded to atiend » little mldnlgbt »upp«r with, him. Of course, they ar« discovered by the indignant Roxiina, and (he fun beglOJi ail uvtr nguln, ant] waxes fust «nd furious till the end of the pluy. tho ex.'illlaratliig interest belnti maintained till the etid.