An Australian Actress Who Has Made Good In Talkies

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19134, 1 October 1936, Page 13

An Australian Actress Who Has Made Good In Talkies

A YEAR sifter th 6 , declaration of war in;,.i914, ‘ ‘ The . Mali Who Stayecf at Home'’ enjoyed a successful run on the Sydney stag£. Frank ifarvoy took tlio principal role and prominent in the support in £ cast was Tempo Pigott, an Australian actrOss. Miss Pigott did riot stay at home, [laving climbed to the top of her profession ill her own country, she sought fresh laurels on the New York stage and joined the c’ompauy of Ruth Chat--oitoh and the lafe Henry Miller. For many years Australia! saw no more of her own actress. Then Miss Figo'tt went back via the screen. Noiv, after 1-t years of picture' work, she haa returned to her native land in person, to enjoy a long delayed vacation. Her first picture was Lasky’s silent, "Behold. My Wife, ’’ and her chance in talkies came in "Seven ihnys’ Leave. ” .

Since .then, Miss Pigott has appeared on the.screen as Mrs. Snapper, in ‘‘Cavalcade,” and as the chhfwotnan who loved her drop o’ gin in ‘‘Becky Sharp,” to' mention only two of the many screen assignments. She has played in pictures with almost every prominent star in Hollywood, and sito is very warm in her praise of most of them.

Admiration Tor Stars. Of Irene Dunrie, with whom she appeared ia ‘‘Behold, We Live,” Miss Pigott says: ‘‘lrene is perhaps the sweetest woman I know, in Hollywood or out of it. She hhs a charm which is felt by the smallest extra working with her. Some of the stars are scornful of the lesser-lights, but not so Irene Dunne, who will take as much

notice Of a person in a crowd scene as of one of the .principals. n , ‘ * Mariefi# .inefritlf Is S&tiitijst sBiBkB for whom i Ka-ye' a! 0&d. aftSSrSfiow. ! sfre, t6’6, is* cSttsiaiitMS St cry MSbSi of fi‘6 efis'f.- StijS •M# (Trmcirrts in expressing sin kwn fit fUtittHiM Jh; Knplish, and oh'd stfdft sedfid I (Rd >Vxtfr her wa's'reh'6o!fded lil tlmdfi UtiS. f)h!6'fographed 17,times bcfefe.she’ C&uild con‘voy ju'st the right shade of i#6dnjfig in one brief sentence.. She ndver lost, her . temper, alfhouglt she whs out at the efi'd of it, and I did think that the director could fta’yo made the phrase easier for her withoWt losing anything ,pf its meaning—Rdf such' is the life of ft staf! ” “The Angel” i

Mists P’igMf is a-rfuisM' bbtjauso sR6' is usually east iff "did drunk pfirfsV” She says', "jJljf agent, thinks I make a beautifully drunk old lady, and so, whenever lie hoars that such a role has to be filled, he goes along to the producer and suggests me for the part. I always get screen credit, which means that my name appears on the title role. Thus producers from other companies sec possibilities in me—and so I stay drunk.” Gisborne will have an opportunity of seeing Miss jFigo'tt in the typo of part for which she j.s famous in Hollywood when "The White Angel” comes to the screen. The story is based on the life of Florence Nightingale, and Kay Francis is in th’6 name part.

Shocking Conditions. Attention is drawn to the shocking conditions obtaining in the hospitals of tho period and to the poor quality of the nurses when one of them is carried home intoxicated on New Year’s morning. 'This nurse is eventually called to give evidence before the hospitals’ welfare committee, of which Mr. Nightingale is president. As a result of their investigations, Florence Nightingale is inspired to go to Europe for hospital training. She returns to England as the first trained English nurse. The old nurse who has caused the revolution is a Mrs. Waters, arid her appearance before the committee is one of the most delightful sequences in the film. Miss Pigbtt takes this part, which, though small, is extremely important, as upon it, the remainder of the story hinges.