SIR H. LAUDER NOT MEAN

Southland Times, Issue 23142, 8 March 1937, Page 8

SIR H. LAUDER NOT MEAN

“One Of His Jokes” COMEDIAN TALKS ABOUT HIMSELF FISHING EXPEDITION Sir Harry Lauder is not mean. He says so himself. Many of the stories about his so-called thrift are concocted by himself and they all have his full approval. “It’s just a wee bit joke o ma ane,” he confessed in an interview with The Southland Times yesterday. “Folks like to think I’m stingy and they chuckle over stories of my stinginess. Now I like to have folks laugh with me—not at me—and I make much of my canniness, and chuckle too. Sir Harry would not discuss his many acts of philanthropy, but admitted he was generous to those he thought were worthy. , The famous Scottish comedian, accompanied by his niece, Miss Greta Lauder, arrived in Invercargill on Saturday evening. They left early yesterday afternoon to stay with Mr J. W. Smith at Lake Wanaka, where Sir Harry intends to put in much of his time fishing. From two to three weeks will be spent in Southland and their stay in New Zealand will be indefinite. His First Holiday “This is the first holiday I’ve ever had in my life,” said Sir Harry. I began work at the age of 11 and I m now 66. Of course, I’ve had a week off at a time every how and again, but those breaks were no holidays. I was worrying all the time about going back to work. It has taken me a long time to save up for this holiday and Im going to enjoy every minute of it. Im delighted to be in this Southland ot yours and have a chance of getting some good fishing. If there are big trout anywhere in the world they are in New Zealand. I know my niece and I are going to have a splendid time with my good friend John Smith and-— but, losh man, why talk? New Zealand is a place for happiness. It’s like Scotland. I love just to wander about and think of hame.” The personality of this sturdy Scot is as alive and electric today as ever it was. There was quite a crowd of people waiting to see his arrival at the Grand Hotel on Saturday night and when Sir Harry walked into the hotel his comical, exaggerated strut and cheery greetings awoke memories of the days when he captured all hearts —and everyone’s laughter—from the stage in Invercargill. Yesterday, refreshed after a bonnie nicht’s sleep,” he was eager to hear about Invercargill and give his views on any subject under the sun. But he 'would not allow the interview to begin until he had investigated the cause and given a cure for the interviewer s cold. These chest colds were no good. He knew. His niece, however, had a remedy. Miss Lauder supplied the name of the cure and Sir Harry settled back contented. “Carry on, laddie, he said. The Talkies Here To Stay Talking pictures had come to stay—and to occupy an important place in the entertainment world, “there was nae doot about that.” There would always be the theatre for human personality, however, for that was something the screen could never give y°nThe shadow was never the man, and the public would always prefer to see and hear the man if it could. Asked whether he intended to appear on the stage in New Zealand again, Sir Harry said his health _ had been so mightily improved by his visit to Australia that in all probability he would make another professional tour of Australia and New Zealand next year. That would be his last “farewell” tour, he commented with a twinkle of the eye. He would not say, however, that it would be his last visit to these countries, for he had great love for both Australia and New Zealand, where he had so many dear friends. By a coincidence, Lord Nuffield, one of the most generous men in the world, and Sir Harry, with his self-engen-dered reputation as a remarkably canny man, were both guests at the Grand Hotel at the same time. The comedian was asked for his impression of Lord Nuffield. “I’ve met him, supped with him and had a wee bit crack with him,” he said, “and all I can say is he’s a real English gentleman.” Lauder Songs Always New The question whether modem light songs could compare with old Lauder favourites, like “I Love a Lassie” and “She’s Ma Daisy,” was lightly turned aside. “My songs are all old favourites, but with the personality of Harry Lauder behind them they are always new,” he said. Glasgow was now putting the depression behind it, beginning to look like its old bonnie self. “It is not now distasteful or distressing to take a walk through the industrial parts of Glasgow,” Sir Harry said. “After six or seven years of cruel idleness and semistarvation, they are, thank God, back to the hammers and rivets again, Aye, thanks to the Government’s timely rearmament scheme and the natural emergence of trade and commerce from the depression, we are building ships—to create peace, not war. We hate war, and we build for peace so that there will, we hope and pray, never be another hell like that of 1914-18.” From New Zealand Sir Harry Lauder will go to the United States. He has contracted to make a picture in Hollywood. One of the stars there should be very pleased to see him. In the pre-war days, when Sir Harry Lauder was winning towards success, he used to see a great deal of a little fellowperformer. The little man was pathetically anxious to get on, and at every opportunity he used to ask whether Sir Harry thought he would ever get anywhere. Always Sir Harry had a reply of hope. The little man was Charlie Chaplin—who ranks with Sir Harry Lauder, in Hannen Swaffer’s estimation, as one of the greatest showmen in the world. In Wellington Sir Harry met his old friend, Mr Donald Macdonald, of Edendale. who is at present residing in the capital city with his daughter, Mrs Allan. “As soon as we arrived we went to see him and were glad to find him in perfect health,” Sir Harry said. “If he doesn’t return to Southland before we leave here, I’m going to see him again in Wellington. Donald and I are fast friends, and have been for 23 years. I love him, he’s a dear old Scottish gentleman.” A final warning about the danger of colds in the chest closed the interview. Sir Harry gave a playful flirt of his kilt —“there will always be kilts so long as a Scotsman lives”—and hurried away. He was anxious to have a final look at his rods preparatory to packing for his trip to Wanaka. “Man, I’ll have some fine fish stories for ye when I come back,” he said.