POPULAR FIGURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26717, 11 March 1948, Page 8

POPULAR FIGURE

LONG CAREER IN THEATRE MANAGEMENT DEATH OF MR JOHN HAMER The theatre world of New Zealand and Australia has lost one of its bestknown personalities by the death yesterday of Mr John Hamer. Born in U.S.A. Mr Hamer began his career with the United States Marine Corps at the time of the Spanish-American War, when he served in the Philippines. The Orient appealed to him, and, when he was discharged from the Marine Corps, he investigated the entertainment possibilities of China, his activities including the management of a lavish cabaret in Shanghai, which was then, as now, one of the brightest cities on the China coast. Mr Hamer met his wife, then Miss Harriet Fuller, in Shanghai when she visited the Orient with a vaudeville company. They were married in Shanghai, and their eldest daughter was born there. Mr Hamer entered the managerial side of Fuller’s entertainment companies when he came to New Zealand, first at Dunedin and later in Auckland and Australia. His experience on the executive side of the.. theatre was increased by several tours as manager of various companies. His assignment to manage the St. James—then the Princess —Theatre brought Mr Hamer and his family to Dunedin, and for over 30 years he was in charge of this theatre. This long period included the bevdav of vaiide'dlK nnd.

with the decline of " fiesh-and-blood ’ entertainment, the conversion of the theatre to a cinema, and down through the days of silent pictures to its present screening of sound films. Subsequently, Mr Hamer was manager of the Mayfair Theatre for some years, and since his retirement from that position had managed His Majesty’s Theatre, and was personal representative in Dunedin for Mr R. J. Kerridge, director of the Kerridge-Odeon circuit. His experience in the Orient and hi? long acquaintance with the often flamboyant folk of the stage had given Mr Hamer an amazing stock of anecdotes and reminiscences, and he was an accomplished raconteur. Long accustomed to making full use of publicity for others, he was, however, averse to personal publicity, and he turned aside several requests to have his memoirs published. His one interest was the theatre, and there were few shows that he missed. Visiting comedians used to consider that Mr Hamer’s presence in the house ensured success, for his evident enjoyment of every joke was always sufficient to place the audience in the same good humour. Mr Hamer is survived by his wife and by his four daughters—Mrs C. S. Edgar, Mrs B. Stuart, and Mrs I. Tilbury (all of Dunedin), and Mrs T. L. Shenton (Washington. U.S.A.). As a mark of respect the audience attending a screening at the St. James Thearte last night stood for a minute’s silence.