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Southland Times, Issue 23179, 21 April 1937, Page 9

Richard Tauber, star of the film version of Leoncavallo’s immortal opera “Pagliacci,” is that rare person—a great singer with a great sense of humour. One day on the set he was sitting at the piano between scenes and softly going over one of the songs from the opera. Mr Albert Coates, the famous musician who conducted the orchestra for the film, was standing by listening appreciatively when he noticed that on the piano was a little packet of throat lozenges. Interested to know what kind of lozenges Tauber considered suitable for his valuable throat he opened the packet to find an assortment of tin-tacks and steel screws. Coates could not hide his astonishment. With a fine show of anger, Tauber snatched the packet from him and then shrugged his shoulders, resignation written on his face. “What is the use?” he said, “I can hide it no longer; you have learnt the secret of my voice.”