The Deadhead's Diary

NZ Truth, Issue 571, 27 May 1916, Page 2

The Deadhead's Diary

Reported that baritone Peter Dawson will accompany the Tivoli Follies on their coming New Zealand tour. Let's all hope so, anyway. Allen Doone opens his New ZealancT tour at Glsborne on June 14. Frank Levy Is piloting the Irish -American comedian through the Dominion. Doone has gathered round him the same clever band of players as before, including Frank Cullenane and Ethel Grist. The personnel of Mr. Edward Brahscombe's "Pink Dandies," who shortly commence a winter tour of New Zealand, includes the Fitzgerald Sisters, Ford Waltham, Joseph Brennan, Bertram Watson, John Campbell, Ida Newton, and Marshall Lawrence. Mr. Leo D. Chateau will look after the business side. A really choice filmic offering will be on tap at Everybody's next week, j when a Famous programme will be headed by a Lasky-Paramount Feature entitled "The Wild Goose Chase." Miss Iva Clare, a well-known musical comedy actress is the leading lady, and i opposite her is Tom Forman, a clever actor, and both these stars will be ! found entertaining and likeable personalities. According to an exchange, Hugh D*. Mclntosh, of "Tivoli" fame is alleged to have purchased the "Sunday Times" and "Referee" newspapers. The same papers reckon that John Wren, the Victorian sportsman, is behind Mac. m Iho venture. And John Wren, proprietor of a Brisbane daily paper, has just been hit over for £3350 for libelling a mental hospital superintendent m Queensland. Anyhow, what's the use, John Wren! Barry Lupino, the pantomime favorite who was such a success m Australasia under the J, C. Williamson management, is m the cast of the big production* of "Robinson Crusoe, Junr.," In New York. It is rather a curious coincidence that m the same production are the Three Rubes, who appeared here with Mr. Lupino m "The Forty Thieves" panto. In "Robinson Crusoe, Junr." they are billed under their own names of Bowers, Crocket, and Walters. Barry is due to revisit Australasia, under the Fuller management, at least that is what Brother Ben told "Deadhead." :: r: :: At Paul Dufault's final concert In Christchurch last week every available seat m the big theatre was taken by 7.30 p.m. and over 100 chairs (the limit allowed by the City Fire Department) were placed on the stage. But the demand for tickets was undimlnished, and hundreds were turned away after £20 m cash had been handed back to disappointed ticket purchasers, who were unable to gain admission. Christchurch people are Insisting on this popular artist returning to the Cathedral City before he leaves these shores. Who dares now say we are not a musical nation? t: :: :: A New York picture producer was recently given the scenario of a motion picture play, the plot of which was laid m a tropical country. The picture was filmed at Oyster Bay, Brooklyn, and the tropical effect was sought by covering the trees with Spanish moss, and by adding palms' and tropical plants to tho landscape. Unfortunately for the producer, the outside scenes were taken m zero weather, and it was discovered that the vapor of the breath of the players "registered" when tha players spoke the lines, and this, of course, spoilt the tropical effect. An inspiration struck the producer, ami the players were instructed to draw m their breath when they spoke, instead of exhaling. (This 'sounds all right In theory, but try it yourself ■ Cor the practice. — "Deadhead"), :» :: :i Billed as the "London Coliseum Star" George Crotty has become a Arm favorite with His Majesty's audiences. Mr. Crotty has just completed a twentysix weeks' starring engagement on the Stoll tour, England, out of which he. played six weeks at the London Coliseum m the revue "Oh, Joy," and twenty weeks on the Stoll and London Theatres of Varieties and Moss tours wlthXtho same revue. He produced all the singing and dance numbers, and wrote hla own part m this production. Completing his contract with the revue, Mr, Crotty toured the Stoll circuit three times with a single act Then he was engaged to star m the revue, "It's Doing Me Good," an engagement which lasted sixteen weeks. Prior to his English successes this artist played the U.B.C, and Orphoum circuits for thlrty(lvo weeks, and was a feature with Al. Field's Minstrels for a season. The lady ushers at Melbourne Theatre Royal provided a surprise for patrons who visited "The Birth of a Nation" picture. All the girls were dressed In crinolines, and a "curtsey girl" Mantled out the programmes. D, W, Griffith, m all his dramatic spcctacleu, has sought to impart the right atmosphere to his productions by such means, holding that it Is important to immediately Impress the audience with the atmosphere of tho story when they enter the theatre. The "curtsey" glr) is a particularly novel and pleasing innovation. She not only hands out a programme, but a curtsey and a smile of welcome as well! This Idea may be carried further. When the new Annette Kellerman "mormald" film comes round, won't »ome enterprising manager send his programme glrla and ushers round m bathing costumes? The "houso-full" sign would go up, for sure. * t : :: •• Since hla lust visit to New Zealand, Paul Dufault hits Inaugurated a series of costume concerts, which have attained n tremendous vogue m New \'ork. They are given as morning muslcales In the mugnlflcent ballrooms of the exclusive hotels, all the sen tit being one guinea. Mr. Durault has given i several with Fellcio Lyne, tho petite prlma donna of tho Quinlan Opera, and with several Metropolitan Opera stars. An especially fuvorlte programme him been that of Hong and hurpislchord, glvon by Mr. Dufuult ami Miss Poltonjonea. m costumes of the sixteenth century, with music of the time. In ono of these recitals, given at the Waldorf Astoria, New York, Miss PeltonJones wore an Elirubothan ■ costume, while Mr. Dufault. dressed as a court singer In cavalier costume of red and gold. Mr. Dufault'a numbers included "Sigh No More, Ladles," a sixteenth century melody, nnd some very old English songs with words by Ben Joneon. It would bo a delightful Innovation wore Mr. Dufault to introduce these costume concerts during his present tour of New Zealand. The Wellington Hcation opens on June 10, 1910.

Stanley McKay, of pantomime fame, is amongst the latest to enlist. James Gerald and Essie Jennings, dame and principal boy m the last panto round these parts, have gone back into vaudeville and will appear as a sketch and specialty duo on the Fuller circuit. Carrie Moore is to undergo an operation for throat trouble m Melbourne and will have to lay off for a while pending developments. Carrie's voice, during the last few years, has always given us the lurking suspicion that all was not well with her throat s: :: :: Fred Mace, the Keystone comedian, who is making all Wellington laugh this week at Everybody's m the Triangle absurdity, "Crooked to the End," sealed his reputation In these parts two years ago when the farce- comedy "One Round O'Brien" was first screened. He was the O'Brien. Graham Moffatt, of "Bunty Pulls the Strings" and "A Scrape o' the Pen" fame, is a man of many-sided activities. Socialist, lecturer, author, dramatist, and actor. This clever and cannie Scot and his charming wife made many friends m Australasia when he toured with his successful plays. Now we hear of him m lios Angeles, where he has been making a close study of the moving-picture art with a view to producing pictures himself when he returns to Scotland. " t» •.; That universal favorite with Australasian audiences, Miss Maggie Moore, recently through New Zealand with the J. C. Williamson Royal Comic Opera Company, has signed a contract with Fullers, and is now appearing at the Melbourne Bijou. Two other notable artists ijurider engagement to Fullers are Miss Pearl Ladd, the English

He "dashes" off the work each day And "dots" down all complaints, He flashes signals grave and gay, For sinners and for saints. That is, of course, he sees it done By export operators; At S.O.S. or dot and dash, Straight "wire"—he's "big pertaters."

operatic prima donna, and Mr, Villlers Arnold, the well-known operatic burltone. These two artists were leading members of the Williamson Company that took New Zealand by storm about a year ago m a notable revival of Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Miss LAdd and Mr. Arnold open at the Dunedin Fuller house on Monday next. John Fuller, jnr. (m a fog) on s.a. Maori, en routo to Dunedin. writes: — That your paper Is widely road, is evidenced to me by ihe mur.y people of all classes- who have spoken to me m reference to the par m "Deadhead's Diary," to the effect that the Fullers were pulling out of the picture business m New Zealand, und that 1 am about to establish my hc-ud -quartern m Sydney. The par is right m the main I admit, yet Bonn? portions of it are likely to give rise to v wrong impression. The fact is that my brother Ben and I have assumed a fuller responsibility In Fuller nnd Hay ward's Picture Companies, Ltd., by relieving our dud of some of his responsibilities and Interest. Therefore, Hen. myself and Waller have got to throw wen greater energy into the all worrying and highly competitive game of "picture*." You mention that Home of the picture* pur. elmsed by our companies are "trlpo" and a good deal of that i« due to the manufacturers, us our many Him supplying rivals In New Zealand will toll you la their experience, and that mnlnly (h tht* reason why I am going to Australia to bi? on the spot where the plctur«K aro bought, and with my experience and Judgment it ought to help to ihe deletion of "tripe Hlms." In future our supply of IHms to our associated companion, picture showmen and ourselves, should be par excellence, and tf they are not. I hope "Truth" will tell me about It and m no uncertain manner. It do<>« v* nil good at times to get the pUch-fork of adverse criticism pushed into us when deserved. My partner. K. j. Righton. la still to ut; inn ho hoa i-ver beon) managing director of tho I rust, us you term It. and 1« most capable, and hono.it. I will Conclude by suying thui running it *hmv bu»lne*.v lUiriug war time In ik» I lilnecun*. and Wellington, having ihi« i ounj). Ik no ci'iii-rlr-n. The future will [ kfitp tht? logltimuif and picture kJiowi m«>n thinking and thinking hard, und U m bccuUHtt of this that 1 nhull spend part of my tlm<- In AumraHti nntl part \n NVw '/**itlun<l from tim«> to tlmv.