The Stage

Otago Witness, Issue 3674, 12 August 1924, Page 56

The Stage

BOOKINGS. FRINCESS THEATRE. Fuller's Vaudeville. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE August 13-IS.—E. J. Gravestock’s Concert Party. August 19-20. Choral Society. September 15 to October 4. —Competitions. October G to 15.—J. C. Williamson, Ltd. October 18 to November 15. —Nellie Bramley Company. THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES. By Pasqcih. Monday, August 11Jock Mills, a well-known Scottish comedian, will make a first appearance at the Princess Theatre to-night. Mr Mills has already won popular favour in Australia. The new star will be supported by a bill of eight fine acts most of whom have already established themselves warm favourites, and all of whom will introduce entirely new matter. They include Frank Wilson, the popular entertaining English instrumentalist ; Maud Courtney and Mr “C.” ; Howard and Wyndham, Marcus and D’Arma, Phil Bransbv, Dinks and Trixie, Bert and Evelyn Dudley, and Walter Vernon. Charles Haskett, the famous tenor, who will be heard here in His Majesty’s Theatre on Thursday, Saturday, and Monday next, is a comparatively recent addition to “star” tenors of international fame. Although he is well known in Italy, where he is. regarded as perhaps the finest Romeo ever seen on the operatic stage, it is only in the last two years, since the death of Ciiruso, that he has come to be universally regarded as a “star” of the first magnitude. Supporting the famous singer will be M. Yovanovitch Bratza, the celebrated young Serbian virtuoso of the violin, and Mr Clarence Raybould, an English pianist of considerable note. An autograph photograph of Miss Nellie Bramley was presented to each lady present at" the first performance of “It Pays to Advertise” at the Grand Opera 'House, Wellington, in celebration of the last week of a lengthy season. On Saturday the Nellie Bramley Company concluded its six weeks’ season in Wellington, its final production being “It Pays to Advertise.” introducing a newcomer in Carl Lawson. Mr William Russell has every reason to be gratified with his success in that city, for enthusiasm has never waned. The company opens in Christchurch on Grand National Night. The Allan Wilkie Company is due to open at Melbourne New Palace shortly. Capelii, the Italian tenor, who was with the Gonsalez Opera Company, and later in vaudeville with the Fullers, has joined the Williamson-Melba Opera Company in Sydney. Among Sir Harry Lauder’s new songs are “I’m Looking for a Bonnie Lass to Love Me,” “I Must be Boss of the House if Ever I Marry Again.” “Love Makes the World a Merry-go round,” and “I Like My Old Home Town.” Stan Lawson and Joe Valli, formerly of the Diggers, have just completed a 30 weeks’ season with Pat Hanna’s Digger show at Brisbane. Theatregoers, and especially those acquainted with the original Pollard Juveniles, will learn with regret of the death of Mrs Jessie Bodley, better known perhaps by her stage name of Jessie Kebbelle (says the Auckland Star). Mrs Bodley was the oldest member of the Pollard Juveniles, and was held in sincere affection by the giddies, who always spoke of her as “auntie.” She was a highly-educated woman, having matriculated at eighteen years of age, and got her B.A. degree in Australia. She joined the Pollards as violinist and conductor, and for a great many years travelled with the company. It is twenty-seven years ago since Mrs Bodley retired from the stage, and she was residing in Roxburgh street, Khyber Pass, when she died of heart seizure a few wjeeks ago, aged 54. She leaves a husband and four children.

Eddie Russel!, a clever young New York dancer, who lately joined the cast of “Mr Battling Butler” at New Princess Theatre, Melbourne, tells a good storv of a hard-up actor importuning a tight-fisted American theatre manager for an advance on his salary. The manager had a glass eye he was inordinately proud of because it matched the other so well that few people suspected that it was artificial. After refusing flatly the actor’s reouest for a dram, he gave him a sporting chance to get the money by inviting him to guess which of his eyes was the counterfeit. The Thespian, after' a brief, keen look at the manager, promptly said ; “The left one.” “Well you get the money,” was the rather grudging response, “but bow did you pick it?” “It has more sympathy in it than the right eye,,” said the actor as he picked up the cash J. W. Cragg, creator of the act known as the Cragg Family of Acrobats, celebrated the seventy-first anniversary of his birth on Mav 22. * Over twenty years ago the Cragg Family were out here, since whioh time there has never been a combination of the kind to top them. Decima and Eddie M’Lean, the whirl-' wind dancers, and their brother, R_av M‘Lean. have signed a joint contract with Hugh Ward to appear ill his new production, “The Rise of Rosie O’Reilly.” They will play parts as well as introduce their specialty dances. Mr Gus Sohlke. the revue producer, died suddenly in his flat nt Long Acre. London, on June 7. Jfe left the London Hippodrome in the afternoon, as he was not feeling well, and returned to his flat. His wife was out, and upon her return she

found him lying dead on the bed with the telephone in his hand. Mr Sohlke, who was just under sixty, came to London from the United States in 1912; and quickly established himself as a producer of big revues. Most of his work was done tor the London Hippodrome, and, with Mr Albert de Courville, lie gave London its first “joy plank.” Movements of Fuller revue company:George Wallace, with a new company, is to open at Fullers’ Majestic Theatre, Newtown, Sydney, shortly; the Gale VV eir Band Box Revue (after twenty weeks in Brisbane) opens in Auckland on August 29; Jim Gerald’s show opens in Wellington August 18; Stiffy and Mo finished at Wellington on August lb, and open at Melbourne on August 39.

An unusual incident occurred at the Theatre Royal on Saturday evening, when some of the occupants of the gallery took objection to the length of Mr Bransbv William’s turn as the stage door-keeper, and endeavoured to count him out (says the Australasian of August 2). There, was a good deal of excitement for some time, the act was broken olf, and the curtain lowered. On the appeal of the great bulk of the audience, whose sympathies were unmistakably with him, Mr Bransby Williams returned to tlie stage, and remarked that for what he was worth he had come to Australia at the zenith of his powers, and had thus far found audiences most appreciative Cunningham and Clements, the whirlwind dancers, who hold_ up the show at every performance of “V hirlcd into Happiness” at Melbourne His Majesty’s, never miss their daily practice, though they are appearing in eight performances per week of the musical comedy. “It is not so much the necessity of keeping ‘fit’” explained Mr Michael Cunningham, “but accuracy plays a very vital part in our turn, and this can be ‘ maintained only by constant and regular practice. While revolving at a terrific speed, just, imagine what would happen if we missed our grip of each other. Disaster! Once, in the original production of ‘ Mary ’ at the Academy of Music, New York, Miss Clements missed my hand and whirled into the orchestra. The fact that she fell into the big drum undoubtedly saved her.from serious injury.” The latest London musical comedy success is “The Street Singer, which has succeeded ‘‘.Lilac T-ime ’ at the Lyric Theatre. It is presented by Daniel Mayer (who introduced Jascha Heifetz and Mischa Levitzki to Australasia). The libretto is by Frederick Lonsdale, with lyrics by Percy Greenbank, and music by Harold FraserSirnson, composer of the music of lne Maid of the Mountains” and “A Southern Maid.” The loading roles are being played by Harry Welchman and Phyllis Dare. The Australasian rights have been, secured by J. C. Williamson (Ltd.). “The Rise of Rosie O’Reilly” is to fo) low “Mr Battling Butler,” which is nowin its tenth week at Melbourne New Princess. Baroness Orczy, authoress of the book and the play “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” has lost the action she brought against Mr Fred Terry and his wife, Miss Julia Neilson (who have appeared in the play), claiming film rights. Mr Justice Eve, giving judgment, said the Terrys were given the entire rights of production. When the Copvright, Act of 1911 came into operatioh in 1912, the performing rights, which he held were vested in the Terrys, included the rights to the kinematograph reproduction of the play. As far as the novel was concerned, defendants had no greater interest in it than was contained in the fact that a good deal of the book was introduced into the play. The action did not involve the rights of the plaintiff in her novel, and the position as to her copyright was unasssailable. The action was dismissed, with costs. The lighting effects play a prominent part in the spectacular side of “The Garden of Allah,” in which Muriel Starr and Frank Harvey have been appearing in Melbourne. For this production a special electrical installation was brought from London. Daylight can be changed into sunset, and night or moonlight brought o'n simply by gradually pulling a switch. Muriel Starr has amassed hundreds of pictures of stage stars, many of them close personal friends. She has some _ exclusive autographed pictures of Ethel Irving, Margaret Anglin, Marie Tempest, Sir Herbert Tree, Sir George Alexander, William Faversham, William Gillette, George Arliss. Leo Ditrichstein, and many others. There is an especially prized one of the slim young figure of Sara Bernhardt as Hamlet, and still another of the late Eleenara Duse in her famous part in Sudermann’s “Magda,” which she played with superb art in London about 30 years ago. “Kempy,” which has been one of America’s outstanding comedy successes, is an ideal play for John D. O’Hara, who opens his season at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney, in the role of a quaint old harnessmaker, on alert, sharp-tongued individual with a submerged kindness of heart beneath his brusque manner. The supporting cast includes Maggie Moore, Eileen Sparkes, Mary Macgregor, Ailsa Grahame, George Blunt, Harvey Adams, and Gus Bluett. The play is produced by George Parker. Miss Lena Ashweli, in a speech at Wembley in June, under the auspices of the National Council of Women, saij that England had the greatest dramatic literature in the world and the smallest facilities for giving it to the masses of the people. The theatre was run by people who had not been educated in the art of the theatre, but who had made their money in other spheres and who came into it because of its financial possibilities. A building, said the speaker, was wanted where people could see finer work than was laid before them at the present time; some kind of building where people could always see the plays of Shakespeare and John Galsworthy. “I think it is a disgrace to this country,” she added, “that the plays of Mr Bernard Shaw should be seen first, in Vienna, then in New York, and finally in London.” WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS. , fßy Peter Pan.l August 8. Dear “ Pasquin,”—Quite a gloom was thrown over the the-atrical world in Wellington on Tuesday when it became known that that popular comedian Edward Elliott of the Humphrey Bishop Company, had

died after a short illness. Mr Elliott was only 44 years of age. and he leaves a widow and two children, who were with him in Wellington when he died. Mr Elliott, or to give him his correct name, Edward Frank Cotton, was an Englishman, and was educated for the bar, but the stage proved too big an attraction. He first visited New Zealand as a member of the Smart Set in 1913. His funeral was largely attended, for he was very popular, and had many friends in this city. The Humphrey Bishop Company gave a benefit for Mrs Elliott at Taihane, and the sum of £l2l was realised. Nellie Bramley closes her season here to-morrow night, and then goes on to Christchurch for race week. The six weeks’ season here was most successful, and a return by this popular company will bo in Older. The Grand Opera House will now bef given over to the decorators, and should be ready for the opening of the VanbrugliBoucieault Company later in the month. The huge theatre is to be “done over” from top to bottom, and a number of improvements made for the comfort of the patrons. The Tivoli for the time being is not to know vaudeville, and pictures are again in possession. There is a strong bill at His Majesty’s, where Bessie Clifford is the head liner in the vaudeville section. Stiffy and Mo are coming to the end cf a long and successful season.