THE ROYAL ROAD

NZ Truth, Issue 889, 9 December 1922, Page 4

THE ROYAL ROAD

Socking the Stage-Struck

Picture Show "Propositions."

Truly we live m a world of deception, and the parasites on the tree of life are thick. Everywhere are the evidences of the Confidence men and the trickster, from the "guesser" on the- racecourse to the two-up merchant with the two-headed penny and , the man who will sell you a horse or a pup — and, incidentally, sell you. But the commoner forms of getting easy money of a generation ago are dying out, and the fraternity which lives on its wits has to be sharper ' 'to-day than of yore; for though a mug a minute is '■ still born to furnish ' material for its enrichment,' they are mugs of a lesser innocence. , Still, the time-honored business of taking other people down stilt flourishes m newer guises, and there are ■ even more wolves per pent, of population than m the; brave days of yore. And they are clothed m the. finest merino, are these wolves, walking on two legs, m the nicest cuts of fine serge and worsted.: They do hot go about openly seeking whom they may devour. They are nice. Bmiling. plausible gentlemen, kindly mannered and sympathetic, and they have airy offices, finely furnished;; and they advertise *n the dally papers, offering real kindnesses to. nil and sundry, even o the extent pf making their fortunes— especially to those who, have "d> little capital to Invest JiTa sound proposl-* tion." -' ' : : ■' " '"""'■ ■■"'-"'-■",-'■ We will draw up a scheme for the . formation of. a ifilm production and display company m a 'fleW "entirely new and , "hitherto entirely unexploited and offer|ng In. the quickest possible time 'phenomenal returns for the investment of merely nominal capital." Ha!, That catches the eye t Now for the details. We will work along these lines, ad. lib. „ We don't exactly know how to vrrltt the thiri% put ourselves, but a couple of quid to a smart publicity pug,' and lpf it is done. Now for a few quid "tp advertise m the daily Presß— and" watch * the postman come laden with letters of Inquiry,' To work and answer "em. Get (he inquirers to" call personally and ■interview our "General Manager" In our exquisitely equipped office, and if 'HE can't get two . out ©I . thlree .to plank down a lew quid and sign a document that makes them think they are on the royal road, to fortune (so carefully worded, though, as to throw absolutely no obligation on us), well, we don't know our "Qeherat" Now, apart from capital for the formation of the^ company, we must have artists for the production of our picture. I« It toy bij .a local picture which will demonstrate "the immense possibilities of the resources of our country and the latent TALENT OP THI^IfATiVE-BORN?" Sure thing! Then we%ih advertise for ladles and gents frith, ambition for a career— there ate, millions- of them, and we need have no fear that they are lacking m vanity and, selfappreciation, . or that they have, any shortage of fond parents and uncles and aunts who see alraoit as muoh m them as they perceive m themselves. In the days wfthln "remembrance (though now fading In the recession of the legitimate drama) almost -.every girl, and many and many a t^oy; acquired that disease known as "stage struck," .which is now supplanted, by "film frenzy," m the same way as inflammation, of the tummy is now replaced by the more aristocratic appendicitis.. Every boy fancies himself' an embryo Tom Mix and. every girl considers herself to be a possible future cut above Nornia Talmadge or Anita Stewart or Mary Pickfor4rror whoever, the deuce, ls the nq os t popular pf the raobof females who Vstar" In the pictures these -days. , Very well, again, then. To work, to work! We can write this out ourselves: "Ladles and Gentlemen Wanted. „ , To Join An All-Star Company. All Kinds of Talent Wanted. Also Wanted: Ladies 'and Gentlemen For a First-Clase Film of Its Kind. To Be Made In New Zealand. Apply to General Manager, ARTHUR PAUL POLSON. 27,. Pompaller Terrace, PONSONBY." N6w, doesn't that sound all right. M? ' and Miss Reader, who haye A ambltlons for the stage and the screen? You will go along and see Mr Poison nnd he will tell you how to place your foot on the ladder of fame— and If you havo a few quid for the payment of a premium. Bless your soul, yes. You have a Savings, Bonk .book, or at least a few pounds put aside somewhere, or Mum or Dad or good old Uncle BUI will hot , „ ■ , SEE YOUR AMBITION" STARVED. You can't expect a start m life like that for nothing, when there are so many thousands of other young people with money who 'would jump at tho chance to enter the great' profession, if only they had half your luck. You go along arid see Mr Arthur Poison and he will tell you &11 this and make it even stronger, so "that before you leave him you will be firmly and entirely convinced that here is the chance of a lifetime, that such may never come again. Trot along now and see him; he's such a . Me? little fellow, with such a .confiding smile, and such innocent blue eyes you would think ho ia really Offering you too much for too little, and you will wish you had more money to give him for all he is going to do for you. Trot along and see him — but stay! Dear roe, I had forgotten, You can't— ! you sse c r — well — -■-•■■■, No. you can't see Sfr Arthur Poison without a special order — a special order from tho Governor of the big Boarding House conducted under the management of Hlb Majesty 1 * Government at Mount Eden. To tell you the truth, Mr Arthur Poison is m gaol, Yes. he is a prisoner. In other countries they would, call him a convict. Arthur la J "doing" twelve, months' hard, with three months on to that for obtaining money on false pretences and for breaking the termfi of probation on which he was released on a former occasion after being convlciod for theft. There are thoso who say that Arthur was tho sneakiest and smartest lltile thlof m Auckland, for all his innocent appearance and his honest blue eyes am his nice clothes. Arthur took down a friend of the family by a kpeciou* talo of a sick wife with whom he* was, not oven living, and bled him for ft good fat wad at that, find the Judge hnd some very nu«ty remarks to make when ho sentenced him lo twelve months' Uqtontlon In the .House on tho Hill. And when Arthur eurne Uofaro tho Polico Court again on » charge of broach of probation, the opinion of the polivo on lfl« mode q( living and his chorncter geiu'i-uHy was such that no porxon could longer counde In th»» dear young man. H<> mir faith m Arthur w;u» rudely unaltered, nnd wo werp glad «•(» tlifl not ko hlook ftnd mm him m regard to the picture proposition or wo m'.Rht have fallen In like the friend of the family. v The above advertisement of Arthur Poison's apyeured a little while back In tho Auckland dally newspapers which gogs to «how that every ad ' vertlnement In tbo dn!li«« Ih no Ruar nnire of the honemy and phllamhroulo Intent lon of tin- udvoitlser. however w«ll It may rend. And wo do roaJly think thot before persons of tho p,>i son typo nrn permitted to m advcni™ In tho Pre»« they should bo «uni>ii ( > t wlih v vertmento of honcttty J 1 2 1 police. Of course, pernons of v Poluon i type would never obtain fuoh n certincut*. and *o they would »!*!.?! b* able to advertiao; but even v■u ■ )u* tfally !>»«• lost i»ome revonue, Ljfc a lot of truj»iful peopU would US •*ioir money. v "^a