STAGE GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 66

STAGE GOSSIP.

Tire members of “ The Man Who Stayed at Home"' Company arrived in Dunedin today, and this evening open at His Majesty’s.

Miss Mabel Manson, late of Dunedin, was one of the soloists at the big charity concert held at the Palladium, London, on a Sunday night recently. Among the passengers who left for Sydney by the Manuka on Friday were Mr Henry E. White, the well-known theatre architect, and Mr John Fuller, jun. Mr Fred Shipman announces that he has secured Mr Paul Dufault for an Australasian tour next year. The New Zealand tour will commence about the middle of the year.

One of the richest actresses in England is Miss Liliah McCarthy, the wife of Mr Granville Barker. Under her father’s will she came into a fortune some time ago of £50,000.

Mr Henry I’racy, who has been in indifferent health for some time, is gradually mending. and, according to the latest reports, he was able to travel from Sydney to Melbourne a week or so ago. As a result of the recent performances of “The Toreador” the Master-ton Amateur Theatrical Society has been enabled to hand a sum of £lO9 5s to the secretary of the Wounded Soldiers’ Fund. A ticket-taker at a musical function held at Timaru was surprised to find, on going through his tickets, that two of the members of the audience had gained admission by handing in communion cards! The members of Mr D. B. O’Connor’s

“ Merry Widow ” Opera Company, which is to tour New Zealand (with the exception of the four centres), arrived in Wellington from Sydney last week, and are now at Napier.

Mr Frederic Shipman, who brought Madame Nordica and Paul Du fault to this country, is at present in New Zealand making arrangements for the presentation of the much-talked-of film “ Neptune's Daughter.” Miss Grace Palotta, after a brief experience in the millinery business, is to appear in “Nobody’s (Widow," a comedy by Avery Hopwood, the part author with Mary Rinehart Roberts of “ Seven Days,” which the Hugh J. Ward Company put on in Christchurch.

According to present arrangements, the remainder of the repertoire of the Royal Comic Opera Company at Melbourne Her Majesty’s comprises " Paul Jones,” “ The Orchid,” “ The Dancing Mistress,” and “The Old Guard,” which will probably be staged in this order.

Mr Stannis Leslie, one of the veterans of the Royal Comic Opera Company, is now assisting in the front of the house at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne. Mr Pat Behan, who for many years helped to delight Auatra.ian audiences, is in a similar section at Her Majesty’s.

Billie Burke has been engaged by the New York Motion Picture Company, at a salary of £I6OO per week, for a season extending over five weeks. For the option of taking her continuous services in the next throe years She was paid £IO.OOO, and if she is engaged she is to receive £30,000 per annum.

Mr George Marlow states that the renovation and decoration of the Adelphi Theatre, Sydney, which he is about to have carried out, will cost about £12,000. It is also his intention to spend the same amount on the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, for the interior and exterior of that playhouse is to be thoroughly overhauled. Miss Josephine Gassman, associated with the piccaninny acts for over 20 years, will retire from active participation in the offering after her present Australian contract has expired. The “ pics ” will continue as a turn. Miss Gassman was last seen here with her piccaninnies in the Willoughby pantomime “ Babes in the Wood.” At the annual meeting of the shareholders of the White City (Ltd.), Sydney, it was announced that £30,980 had been received from all sources last season, and that the profit on the year was £7051. There remains to the credit of the revenue account £10,463. Mr W. Barrington Miller, chairman of directors, presided at the annual meeting. As a Change. —“ What I want,” said the theatrical manager, "is a genuine novelty.” “ Something realistic?” asked the playwright. “Yes; but I don’t want any real pugilists or real naval disasters or real live stock or real battles in it.” The playwright looked wearily thoughtful, and, after a pause, inquired : “ How would it do to spring something on the public with real actors in it?”

Mr Harry Hen nail (“Harry Linden”) and his wife (Miss Ida Berridge), who have been touring South Africa- and the English provinces, are at present in Ireland, but shortly return to fulfil engagements in London music halls. Mr Hennah is a member of the Holborn Battalion for Home Defence. He is a son of Captain W. H. Hennah, of Wellington, and nephew of the late Hon. R. J. Seddon. In Sydney the success of “ Potash and Perhnutter ” has been so great that it has been transferred to -a larger theatre, and is now located at Her Majesty’s. “ Stop, Thief,” the notable American farce-comedy, has proved a decided success at the Criterion. Appearing in it are four new artists of prominence—John Webster, Tom M'Larnie, Beatrice Nicholls, and Fanchon Campbell. Tho cast of the forthcoming revival of

“ Paul Jones ” at Melbourne Her Majesty’s will include the following:—Florence Young as Paul Jones, Minnie Love as Chopinette, Leslie Holland as Don Trocadero, Phil Smith as Bouillabaise, Reginald Roberts as Rnfino Do Martinez, C. R. Bantock as Bicoquet, John Ralston as Haricot, Derek Hudson as Kestrel, Ethel Morrison as Malaguena, Charles Albert as Petit Pierre, and Ethel Cadman ns Yvonne.

The Christmas pantomime for the Adelpbi Theatre (Sydney) this year will be the popu'ar “ Dick Wh ittington.” Already propara-

tions are in progress, and a large staff of scenic artists and costumiers has been at work night and day tor some weeks. It is the intention of Mr Marlow to, as far as possible, introduce new faces to his patrons, and a number of English and American pantomimic, musical, and comedy performers have been engaged. Mr Frank Shayie-G ardiner, who for the past four years has been in the Old Country, following the stage, left England for New Zealand by the Turakina, and is duo in Auckland early next month. Mr Gardiner has been connected with Sir Herbert Tree’s Academy of Dramatic Art, London, and leading English companies. He recently underwent an operation for appendicitis, and it is his intention to enlist for the front shortly after his arrival. Miss Plilda Spong, the well-known Australian actress, who began her theatrical career with George Rignold at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Sydney, has joined the ranks of the screen artists. Miss Spong, after leaving Australia, became a star actress in England and America, and lately returned to tho land of her birth as the leading lady in the morality play “ Everyman,” under the J. C. Williamson banner. Miss Spong will make her first appearance on the screen in America in the part of Leonore Fenwick, the star part in " Divorce,” at the studio of the Crystal Film Company. It is not generally known that Leslie Holland was originally approached by J. C. Williamson (Ltd.) to come to Australia to appear as Danilo in their production of ’’ The Merry Widow ”; but he was at the time under contract, and his release from the engagement could not be secured. Later, when he was free, *• The Merry Widow ” had already been staged in Australia with Andrew Higginson as Danilo; and when Mr Ho land came to Australia he made his first appearan-oa in the mystical farce-comedy

*’ The Brass Bottle." It is more than likely, however, that Mr Holland will be seen at seme future date as Danilo in “ The Merry Widow.”

The most interesting stage announcement of the week is that Madame Sarah Bernhardt will shortly be seen in London in a stirring little war drama. It will be remembered that one of her limb:! was recently amputated. In this playlet the great French

actress will appear in the character of a French soldier who has lost 1 is leg in the war. She will make her entrance supported on either side by the nurse and the surgeon, and will proceed to describe the incident of the battle which deprived “him” of his icg, a description which leads up to a romance. One can imagine what an overwhelming reception will be let loose upon the great French actress when she thus makes her appearance at the London Coliseum. Mr William Devereux, the author of “Henry of Navarre" and other popular plays, who is just home in London from America, says that the “ movies,” as the Americans term the kinema films, are an ever-increasing menace to the legitimate drama, and the leeiding “ star ” actors are one after another succumbing to its financial lure. Thus Mr de Wolf Hopper, of “El Capitan ” fame, has just given his services exclusively to a leading film organisation at a salary of 125,000d0l (£25,000) a year. Mr Holbrook Blinn has entered into a similar contract for a period of 40 weeks and a salary of 50,000dol; and Madame Pavlova is to be paid IOO.OOOdoI and 45 per cent, of the takings in addition for acting in a film version of ' La Muette de Portici.”

Mr Cyril Maud, the English actor-manager, who has been on a prolonged tour of America, and who has returned to England, has brought back what ho says are the two most popular stories in the States. Two farmers from the Mid-West went fisning. They sat silent for well over an hour and nothing happened. Then one of the fishermen stood up. “ I guess I’ll quit,” he said, “my worm ain’t trying.” The second tale concerns a certain type of motor car about which there is always an. abundant harvest of stories. A farmer had had a corrugated iron shed struck by lightning. It was pretty badly twisted up, so he dumped it on to a lorry and sent it to the motor firm’s works. The day after its arrival came a letter: “The only thing we can do is to send you another.”