THE STAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3415, 29 August 1919, Page 52

THE STAGE.

Contributions from the Profession chronicling their movements and doinga are invited. ' All communications to be addressed "Pasquin," Otago Witness Office. PRINCESS THEATRE. Fullers' Vaudeville Co., nightly. "The drama's laws the drama's patrons give, And those who live to please must please to live."

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By PasuFlS. Thursday, August 28. The Auckland Amateur Operatic Society is staging "The Gondoliers" at the end of September. The chorus consists of 60 voices, and Tom Pollard will produce the opera. It is reported that as a result of the seamen's strike in Australia Sir Harry Lauder may not now be able to come to New Zealand this trip. Next Monday will be an occasion of unusual sigaifioance at the Princess Theatre for Mr Paul Stanhope will give production to a new Musical Comedy Revue "Let's Go," a burlsque on the Stock Exchange, which is being staged for the first time in Australasia. New costumes and scenery have been prepared in Dunedin and Wellington for this production, and it is now in active rehearsal It is alto announced that the popular comedian, Fred Bluett, .returns to strengthen the Vaudeille. Patrons should note by the way that on Saturday night that brilliant and popular pair of English entertainers, Brull and Hemsley, conclude their notable eight weeks engagement at the P.incess Theatre. ■ ' Mr Arthur Gordon, the brilliant Auckland violinist, who has just returned from an extended coura? of study m England and Milan (Italy) is to give recitals in- Wellington at an early date. In Wellngton. Mr Gordon will have the assistance of Mr Harold Whittle. ... The Figman Comedy Company is reviving "Seven Kevs to Baldpate" in Australia. This strangely-named comedy was presented in Dunedin by the Robert Greig-Beatrice Holloway Company. _ The end of the seamen's strike in Australia has been now announced. Among the companies ready to sail to New Zealand from Australia are Harry Dearth, the English baritone (J. and N. Tait); Muriel Starr (Williamson); "The Better 'Ole" (Hugh J. MTntosh); and Emelie Polini, the dainty American comedienne (J. and N. Tait). and possibly Mirovitch and Piastro, the Russian musicians, who are back again in Australia. This flood of attractions should keep New Zealand going for quite a time —at least up till Christmas, when another influx will be due. Miss Mione Stewart, the clever daughter of Mr Richard Stewart, mow manager of Her Majesty's, Sydney, who was educated in Auckland, has just made her stage debut. She played a small part in " The Officers' Mess, and, according to Australian critics, Miss Stewart has inherited not a little of 'the talent of the family, of which her aunt, Miss Nellie Stewart, is a prominent member. The Wellington Amateur Operatic Society has selected the following cast for "The Mikado":—The Mikado, Mr W. W. Crawford: Nanki Poo, Mr Herbert F. Wood; Ko-ko, Mr A. W. Newton; Pooh Bah, Mr F. G. Twiss: Pish-tush, Mr Charles Moore; Yum Yum. Miss Helen Gard'ner (of Dunedin) : Pitti Sing. Miss Anne Sullivan; Peep-80, Miss Queenie M'lnmerney. The part of Katisha has not so far been allotted. There would appear to be no limit to rh" life »of "The Belle of New York." The popular musical comedy was recently successfully revived in London. From England comes news of the cl?ath, at the age of 72. of Mr Imre Kiralfy, who organised some unusually large specHeuiar productions in England and the United State-. In the production of "Nero," with which he was associated in New York and London. 1500 performers fijrured. Mr Graham Moffat, who will he rememlT>vf>cl in Dunedin in connection with "Bunty Pulls the Strings" fof which he was author, "producer." and leading man), and "A Scrape o' the Pen." is now on the wav hack to Scotland with Mrs Moffat ; after an •'b-cnee of five years. Following their ■■"ipr.iis i'i Australia and New Zealand. Mr rr.d Mrs Moffat toured the East. While in .Tnpnn Mr Moffat wrote a new play, which b:>.s nr>t vet been produced. Mr J. D O'Hara, who has arrived in Australia to plav the principal role in the forthcoming production of " Lightnin'," at the Theatre Royal, was originally a reporter on the staff of the Chicago Evenin t Journal, when he joined Joseph Murphy's "Kerry Onw" Company in the role of Sergeant Bull. From that time he specialised in character work, so that he eventually portrayed a serics_ of the great composers for the moving pictures of the Pelig Corporation. Mainly, however, he has kept to the regular stage, and was for 11 vears with the Cohan and Harris management, and in that wav was with Mr Fred NUi'o in "Hit the Trail Holidav." which Mr Niblo will produce in Australia in due course. The actor's father. Daniel O'Hara, a Chicago lawyer and politician, was horn

at Ayr, Scotland, and his _ ancestors helped to make British and American history. One of them was Governor of Gibraltar. Ho was the general who surrendered, on behalf of Lord Cornwallis, to General Washington. John L. Hobble, who which is now being staged by J. and N. Tait at the King's Theatre, Melbourne, had tlie visual difficulty of the comparatively unknown writer in getting his work under the notice of New York managers. The industrious and patient playwright hawked his comedy from manager to manager, and even became well known in his applications for a decision concerning the merits of his performance before he encountered the one man whose superior discernment enabled him to pick "Daddies" as a sure success. That man, it is hardly necessary to say, was David Belasco; but Belasco had to stand some good-natured chaffing from his brother managers when they learnt of his purchase. They solemnly told one another how poor old Belasco had become soft in the intellect, and had purchased "a piece of purest candy full of babies and Teddy Bears." But Belasco's judgment was justified, and it did not take him long to see his friendly rivals almost green with envy. The little comedy, made ready for the stage by the genius of Belasco, has provejd one of the greatest triumphs thhe American stage has seen, and promises to repeat that achievement in Australia. Cable news has just been received that Mischel Ohorniavsky. the well-known 'cellist and youngest member of the famous Oherniavsky trio, was married at Vancouver, Canada, on August 1, to Miss Mary Rogers, eldest daughter of the late B. T. Rogers, sugar king of Canada. As a Peace Day gift, the whole of the matinee takings at the Tivoli, Melbourne (H. U. MTmtosh), amounting to over £l6O, were divided among the members of the company. Double pay was also granted to all employees, and at the conclusion of the afternoon's performance all those connected with the Tivoli joined in a toast to Peace, when Mr M'lntosh made several personal presentations to the manager and others. Mr Ben J. Fuller and family _ have arrived safely at Vancouver, and intend putting in two months each at California, Chicago, and New York before going over to London. Jerome Patrick, the ex-Dunedin actor, who is largely responsible for the production of "Daddies" in Melbourne, has a very high opinion of the capacity of Australian children. Mr Patrick wanted five kiddies for the principal juvenile parts in I the comedy, but his difficulty as soon as his desire became known was to select the best five from all the talent offering. Australian children, he considers, are unique in their theatrical abiltiy. He says that he has never known one to show stagefright, but, on the contrary, the bulk of them plav their parts with extraordinary aplomb. Moreover, they are almost invariably word-perfect, and make the prompter's position a sinecure. Mr Roy Redgrave, remembered here last for his fine work in "Romance," has entered vaudeville under the Fuller banner, and is at present appearing in high-class dramatic sketches in Melbourne. An appeal has been lodged on behalf of Clyde Cook, the well-known comedian and dancer, in the theatrical case against the J. C. Williamson Co. (Ltd.). The action, a claim for £264 in respect of an alleged breach of cojitraci, was adjudicated upon by Mr Justice Pring, vho found for the defendants, on the ground that the right to terminate the contract over-rode the guarantee given to the plaintiff by the defendants. The ground upon which Cook will challenge the verdict is that, assuming the defendants had the right to terminate the contract and abandon the tour of the "Hello Everybody" Comonny to New Zealand, in consequence of the influenza outbreak, the contract provided that the artist was guaranteed the minimum sum claimed during the currency of the contract, and that he was therefore entitled in any case to a verdict. The engagement is announced of Miss Rima Young, formerly of Christchurch, and now pianist with the "English Pierrots" in Perth, to Flight-lieutenant John Edgar Hill Swaine, R.F.C., of Albany, West Australia. Miss Young is a sister-in-law of Mr Winter Hall (now playing in pictures in America). The derivation of the cryptic phrase, "Giving the bird," used to demonstrate an audience's dissatisfaction with the performance of an artist, is hard to explain. I notice, however, that M-r Frank N. Wyatt, a London writer, gives the following ingenuous explanation.:—A competition of budding aspirants to music-hall fame was being conducted at a theatre about Christmas-time, and, the first prize was a large turkey. Among the contestants at fiiis "go-as-you-please" vocal rivalry was a young girl, whose maudlin rendering of a popular ballad was received with a large volume of ironical applause. Believing this to be genuine approval, she said enthusiastically to the manager, as she left the stage, "I believe I've got the bird." WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS. Bt Peter Pan. August 25. Dear " Pasquin,"—Sir Harry Lauder has abandoned his visit to New Zealand. This is brought about by the transport difficulties, due to the seamen's strike in Australia, and by the fact that the great comedian's time is limited, and he cannot put back his American dates. tour of Western Australia and Tasmania has a'.so been abandoned. However. Sir Harry nwy be prevailed upon to make another tour later on, especially as he says in a letter just received here that ." I just feel so " Our next big attraction will be Allan Wilkio and his dramatic company. A season has been booked here, commencing on September 13. At present Mr Wilkie's company is playing to big business in Auckland. . . A feature of the Competitions to be held here in November will be the contest for choirs, for which prizes to the amount of £75 are offered. Mr John Prouse, who sang the music for the Prophet in "Elijah",at Dunedin recentlv. has a good word for the members of the * Dunedin Society. Mr Prouso states that the choir in Dunedin was excellent, and confessed that, even having heard the choruses sung so many times, he thoroughly enjoyed hearing them once more so well sung. The quality of the tone was admirable, thanks to an infusion of many fresh young voices, and their training by _ Mr Sidnev Wolf left nothing to be desired. The "other soloists in the oratorio were selected from among the members of the

society, and got through their work quite well.

PRINCESS THEATRE. The. bright and attractive entertainment submitted at the Princess Theatre this week in the form of a change of programme was quite on a par with the standard to which patrons of this popular house of amusement have become accustomed. The first portion of the evening was, as usual, made up of a most enjoyable series of individual turns, and, while no new members have been added to last week's company, the outstanding merit of several of the items presented fully coun-ter-balanced any lack of fresh interests. " Safety .First," the title of the new revue presented by the Paul Stanhope Company, is of much, the same type as its predecessors, and runs its headlong career with just as much, abandon and vigorous comedy as anything of the same kind previously seen in Dunedin. A picturesque setting provides a charming background for the more oir less connected series of events which is presumably supposed to constitute the plot, and, apart from the comedy "stunts" of Mr Paul Stanhope, Mr Mark Erickson, Mr Ernest Pitcher, and other members of the company, ample opportunities are afforded the ladies of revealing to advantage their useful musical talents. The scene is the vestibule of a Honolulu hotel, where guests, tourists, ratives, etc., disport themselves to the top of their bent, and provide the greatest diversion for the spectators. The musical numbers throughout are particularly catchy and melodious, and the revue is liberally besprinkled with ditties which so pleasantly coincide with the thread of the story. Miss Ethel Bennetto, Miss Maude Miles, and Miss Helen Le Cain all took part in the musical programme, and, with the assistance of the chorus of "Ginger Girls," were very largely instrumental in ensuring the success of the production. The ballets, indeed, were particularly attractive, and the pierrot item of the Misses Moloney was also very warmly received. Another outstanding feature of the revue was the sons: "Me and My Gal" by the Grafters' quartet. The company was strengthened on Wednesday evening by the _ addition _of the Campbells, a duo of English concertina players.

PICTURE SHOWS

INFLUENCE ON YOUTHFUL MINDS. DISCUSSION IN SUPREME COURT. AUCKLAND, August 20. The appearance of two boys ot 16 years in the Supreme Court tor sentence on charges of breaking and entering revived a. discussion on the influence on the youthful male mind of moving pictures of a certain class of adventure. iioth boys were of ordinarily good character, with comfortable homes and careful parents, yet they admitted that one night recently they broke a shop window of the Colonial Ammunition- Company and stole two automatic pistols, and several nights later they were surprised in the act ot breaking into Rendell's drapery shop, when each lad was equipped wich a, tlashlight torch, rubber gloves, and revolvers. Counsel for one of the lads suggested they got their ideas irom going to see certain classes of moving pictures. The Crown Prosecutor said the question of the effect of picture shows on the minds of", the community was involved. There was no doubt that if pictures were found to have a mischievous and suggestive tendency one of two courses of action would have to be taken —either a more drastic censorship or legislative measures to prevent boys under 18 or 19 yei,rs of age from being allowed into picture shows. "We have had so much of this in this court," he said, '" that it seems clear that some action must be taken, and no doubt your Honor has had the same experieice. The police are continually reporting on it." Counsel agreed that tnere was nothing mischievous in the home surroundings or conduct of the boys, but the police were inclined to think that cheap literature of the blood and thunder class had found its way into their hands. Mr, Justice Chapman remarked that he was afraid that pernicious literature was always with us, and would' get into the hands of boys if they sougnt it. He agreed with Mr Tole that complaints of moving pictures were always coming before the courts, but at the same time those •pictures under proper conditions ought not to be a source of corruption. They ought to be a source of edification and wholesome amusement, and it was only a question of how and when they should be made to conform with such a standard that they would perform their proper function. How that was to be done was more than he could say, but it would have to be obtained. It would be a great mistake to condemn pictures that might be made a' most valuable means of instruction and amusement. Though he rarely visited picture shows he had recently done so, and had been agreeably surprised to find the subjects and the pictures shown to be not only unobjectionable, but also wholesome in their suggestion and instructive in character.