"REWI’S LAST STAND”

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4008, 4 February 1938, Page 2

"REWI’S LAST STAND”

THUMiB-NAIL SKETCHES. MISS TE MIHA. (Contributed.) Chosen from over two hundred applicants, Miss Rama Te Miha will play the part of Ariana, the Maori heroine in “Rewi’s Last Stand,” the forthcoming production of Frontier Films Ltd. The role of Ariana, the half-caste Maori girl, a ward of the Rev. John Morgan, is one which calls for subtle and sympathetic interpretation. Comedy, romance and tragedy play around the character of Ariana, and give to the picture a touch of light and shade in its historical setting. Not as a modern Miss replete with rouge and lisptick, will Miss Te Miha appear on the screen; but in the costume of that romantic period in our history, “the battling ’sixties.” A SPORTSWOMAN AND ARTIST. A typical New Zealand girl, Miss Te Miha combines a love of the outdoor life of sport and healthy exercise with a keen appreciation of the art of theatre, pen and brush. Educated in Canterbury, she took a prominent part in school sports such as basketball, running, and swimming. In Wellington art circles Miss Te Mjiha is well-known for her sketches of Maori life and drawings; a portrait of a direct descendant of the great chief Te Rauparaha gaining her high praise from critics and public. An interesting sidelight on Miss Te Mjha’s work is that at the early age of eight she did a crayon study of Te Puke Puke, the Wairarapa Maori chief. An admirer of the work of Shakespeare, Miss Te Miha has appeared before the footlights in Shakespearean and other productions. In discussing the drama generally Miss Te Miha said she finds “Midsummer Night’s Dream” a play rich in the fantasy which appeals to Maori imagination.

While the stage and pen are avenue of artistic enjoyment, Miss Te MJiha’s ambition and ability led her to music and it is as a singer that her artistic accomplishments finds greatest expression. Studying Maori music and songs under Erima Maewa Kaihau, the only Maori composer in the Dominion, and general theory under Colin Muston, the well-known Auckland musician, Miss Te Miha will be heard singing three songs in “Rewi’s Last Stand.”

Mona Tracy, the well-known writer and poetess, recognised Miss Te Miha’s ability at an early age, and with the generosity characteristic of her, Mona Tracy encouraged and guided the young artist’s studies. Essentially a modest, but charming young lady, Miss Te Miha’s versatility and b auty will be seen to advantage in “Rewi’s Last Stand.” Mr Rudall Hayward, whose film experience £pvers Australia and New Zealand productions, states that Miss Te Mliha’s performance is “0.K.” a crvptic remark from a man who knows his job, so something is in store!

STANLEY KNIGHT. Five minutes with the subject of this convinces one that there can be only one Stanlev Knight in New Zealand; and one does not hesitate to add that one is glad for that five minutes with him. . . . we feel we should like to make it an hour. Introduced to the New Zealand and Australian public as the “Old Swagman” in “The Friendly Road” he captured all hearts by his inimitable portrayal of the colonial “swagger,” or the more familiar figure of “hobo.” In “Rewi’s Last Stand” he comes to the screen again in the delightful character of the roving sea captain who, like many of the men of that period, found the bush as interesting as the sea.

LIFE ON A WINDJAMMER. Cast as a seaman of the age of windjammers is not at all unreal to Mr Knight, for he spent his apprenticeship on a sailing ship when the present-day motor vessel was a creature of the imagination rather than of fact. When asked what he considered his most stirring sea experience. Mi Knight’s reply was characteristic: “When I made a custard pie.” But when pressed for a reply as to the conseauences, we are left to wonder what happened to the crew. BUSH LIFE. It must not be imagined that Mr Knight is merely a retired sea salt. He is at home in the bush, or in the cities. In Auckland dramatic circles he is well known for his work in connection with the Little Theatre and Catholic Repertory—“’Fanny’s First Plat,” with the former, and “The Kingdom of God,” with the latter. Cast_ as a Forest Ranger, and dressed in the picturesque costume of those bygone days, Mr Knight promises many a laugh and a realistic introduction to the type of men who made up that colourful company. MR LEO PILCHER. Mr Leo Pilcher, who plays the role of “Bob” Beaumont, the young settler whose love for the beautiful Ariana gives dramatic force to the production, is a man who has “played many parts.” Born in India, he remained there until eight years of age, when fortune carried him to Greece for a short spell. Then he went to England to complete his education at Clifton College, Manchester. While at college, Leo, as he is popularly known, played in the Clifton Rugby first fifteen, was prominent in swimming tournaments, and a good rifle shot.

Completing his education, Leo obtained an important position with Vickers Hellenic Ltd., in Athens, the capital of the ancient seat of civilisation, and he acquired a veritable store of anecdote and knowledge on Greek life. Leo also had the unique distinction of witnessing what amounted to three revolutions while he was in Greece.

Like the early New Zealand pioneers, Leo could not resist the lure of distant pastures. Italy, Spain and Central Europe next proved resting spots. Then back to England; and from England to New Zealand, where like the early pioneers, Leo played

many parts from scrub cutting to “pen pushing.” A qualified accountant, he has not forgotten that he who travels must be prepared to “turn his hand” to whatever turns.up. Radio work with Miss Whinery’s . comuanv in Auckland and principal parts in the Auckland Operatic Society’s productions, “Sally” and “New Moon” indicate Mr Pilcher’s stage ability. In “Rewi’s Last Stand” he is called upon to ride, swim and fight, with the skill of an early settler who has learnt bushcraft from the “old ’uns,” and picked up the other accomplishments in ways peculiar to the pioneers. Mr Pilcher, in his spare moments, is revising a manuscript of a bookwritten around his experiences in Greece and abroad. A visit to his “den” reveals that he has more than a nodding acquaintance with brush and canvas, as is suggested by one or two fine oils which inconspicuously decorate the walls.