The Deadhead's Diary

NZ Truth, Issue 1030, 22 August 1925, Page 2

The Deadhead's Diary

On the Fuller Boards

MOVEMENTS ON CIRCUIT.

The next revue company to cross the Tasman is George Ward's (Little Hermie), opening m Auckland at an "early date.

The well-known Roy Rene, "Mo" of "Stiffy and Mo," is no longer on Fuller boards. The break occurred m Adelaide, where "Mo's" witticisms were over the odds. "Stiffy" is now partnered by Harry Huley, who puts over the shabby genteel stuff m a show from which the cayenne has been excluded.

A big: American attraction is coming to Wellington by the Tahiti, due at the end of the month. The Three White Kuhns are the newcomers, and their act is. novel and original. They are brilliant artists, whose singing and comedy act has been one of the vaudeville sensations m New York. Jim Gerald has received a handsome , illuminated address from Auckland, signed among others by the deputyMayor and the Rev. Jasper Calder, and extolling- his charity m benefit entertainments given m the northern city and his infinite faculty of jest. Wellington continues to shout with laughter at him nightly. Nick Morton opens m Dunedin on Monday, and Lawrence Halbert m Christchurch the same' evening. Danny D'Alma and his clever dogs are m the' capital, where a further new attraction opening on Monday evening is .-George Edwards and Co.'s comedy sketches. > Wee Willie Lancet is booked for Auckland, next week. Next week, the Moon and Morris revue company, now playing m Dunedin,- change places with- the Phil Smith company, now amusing Christchurch. Wellington's manager, Mr. Burton, puts m a word for the boys from U.S.A. "There's not a word I can say against them," he declares. "We've had hundreds at the show, and had no trouble whatever.' Even more than that," he adds, "1 can only speak m the highest praise of their behavior." Jim Gerald, on the revue half, and a fat bill of fare on the vaudeville side are sending the "house full" signal up at Fullers' this week i/n great style. No comedian was ever more popular than Jim. Beyond his infinite jest he is on terms with his audience that only such a comedian as he could obtain. With Reg. Hawthorne, he brings the house down with Mr. Gallagher, Mr. Shean. The ballet's sprightliness, the tuneful pipes of the songsters, and uproarious iri-epressible Gerald as a detective, "Barebacks," the current revue, is, as patrons of the top-shelf term it, "a corker." On the vaudeville side, Danny d'Alma's three fox terriers show that Tyke 'can be taught the most amazing tricks, while Danny's antics on stilts, staggering about feigning to be drunk, and pretending to fall at every step, is replete with thrills. The Larnpinis; :in French comedy illusions, . and the Harris family's executive ability on almost every instrument of the orchestra are other turns of. more than usual moment. Frank •■Crowther's orchestra tops the whole; show off. , FILM AND STAGE. "Rewi's Last Stand," heralded as New Zealand's first super-feature, has caught on well at Auckland, and is scheduled for at : least a three weeks' run on, Queen Street. The completed production is something of a surprise; the photography being especially good. The story is based on historical facts chronicled by James Cowan, hinging mainly round the famous Battle of Oi'akau and life m Auckland m - the early sixties. The battle scenes are splendid from the cinematographer's point of view, and there are some wonderful locations, showing aspects of New Zealand scenery hitherto undreamt of. "Rewi's Last. Stand" will be : screened in' Wellington "very shortly, with Christchurch ..and , Dunedin ' to follow." ' ' • .*. „ . # . » Warner Bros, added another to their rapidly growing list of finished productions to be released on. the 1925-26 programme, when "The Limited Mail," a Master picture, was completed. This adaptation of; Elmer Vance's stage hit was directed by George Hill, assisted by/M. K. Wilson, and numbers m its cast Monte Blue, Vera Reynolds, Willard "Louis, Tom Gallery, Edward Gribbon, Lydia Yeamans, Otis Harlan, and Jack Huff. For some of the location scenes the company went to the Royal' Gorge, m Colorado, but the interiors were "shot," of course, at the Warner studios.

There was no need to stampede the large elephants used m Warner Bros. Master picture, "The Happy Warrior." They- took matters into their own hands and 'surpassed real actors m their effort's. The horde of extras that were used m the circus free-for-all fight scenes became so enthused m their fighting, that they completely forgot the great beasts. As the fight surged near them, . the elephants caught the spirit of the thing, pulled up their stakes and began to dash wildly: through the crowd. Almost before anyone was aware that they were, free, they were rushing pell-mell at the camera stand. By the width of a hah*, it was missed, and they, plunged on into the wreckage of the tent and through the now thoroughly frightened mob. Fortunately, the charge of these beasts was m direct camera line, and it was not necessary to pacify them for further action.

"Ho! for the dashing. waves," carols Patsy Ruth Miller, when she finishes her day's work m "Rose of the World," the first Master picture m which she is being starred by Warner Bros., and without a "by your leave'! to Harry Beaumont, who is directing her m this photoplay, makes a wild sprint for her one-piece bathing suit, jumps into her car and takes the open road for the beach that has been tantalising her all day.

Mjlton Hayes, the clever "silly ass" raconteur, is m Sydney, arid m due course will come this way. His records of "things m general" and the "Far East" have already been included ■In the repertoires of elocutionists: But Milton Hayes will presently be heard m this country m the flesh, and going by his records, will be well worth hearing. Those who are accustomed ; to public speaking on the platform or the hustings recognise that Hayes' speeches vasf. they appear on the Columbia 'noii- scratch discs are but slightly exaggerated. MUton Hayes not only wrote "The Green Eye of the Little Yellow God," but ,he has just published a novel, "Cling of the Clay," a Lancashire romance.

Probably the most popular number m "Primrose," the gay musical comedy at His Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, is' "Isn't it terrible, what they did to Mary, Queen of Scots," sung by Alfred Frith and Hugh Steyne. ' It is a droll, A^himsical song, and m it these two comedians are seen at their best: Everyone who has seen "Primrose." the ultra-bright ' [Williamson, musica.l

show m Melbourne, has been thrilled by the wonderful whirlwind dancing of Michael Cunningham and his clever partner (who, by the way, is his wife). They have been dancing together now for more than twelve years. According" to Mr. Cunningham, at least four years are. required to perfect a dancing act such as he appears m, and it is necessary always to have the same partner. The slightest mistake or misjudgment on the part of either would probably result m a serious accident. Curiously enough, whirlwind dancers rely on touch, and not sight, m their dancing.

Much criticism has been levelled against film stars. They have been denounced from the pulpit and public platforms, and m the press; but it doesn't seem to make much difference to the motion picture industry. June Elvidge, the screen star who is appearing- with Pauline Frederick m Melbourne, has something to say on the question. "People who say such things," she said recently, "do not. seem to realise that many of the screen stars have risen to fame from nothing-. There have been cases of extravagance and wild excess; but the actors and actresses who obtain notoriety m this way are usually people with no education or careful upbringing, and who have never been used to luxuries. So when they are paid a huge salary they do not know what to do with it, and sometimes spend it m a way that gets them into trouble and this newspapers."

EMPRESS THEATRE

Maurice Elvy had a curious little experience m connection with the filming of one of the exterior scen.es m the Master Picture version bf Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's story "The Hound of the Baskervilies," now screening at the Empress. He had arranged for six horses to be at a certain spot by 11' o'clock m the morning, and at that hour the six supers who had been engaged to ride the horses duly appeared on the scene. But their mounts were missing. A few minutes later, however, the riding master who was to have brought the horses turned up alone. .He had set on! with the animals the night before, he explained, m order to reach the rendezvous m good time, but the police had held up his charges because they weren't wearing any head or tail lamps.

MUSICAL, ELOCUTIONARY AND DANCING COMPETITIONS.

The annual festival of music, elocution and dancing, conducted by the Wellington ' Competitions Society, opens to-day m the Town Hall. Patrons, can look forward to something really good this year. The musical tests are all songs by modern composers, many of them quite new m this counti-y. Standard works have been followed m the choice of elocutionary items — all of a very lygh order. Prices this year are reduced to Is and Is for the evening sessions, which should, be encouraging to patrons. Officers and men of the American Fleet have been- cordially invited to be present to-night, and it is anticipated that many will take .advantage of the opportunity of hearing New Zealand talent.