ASPIRANTS TO THE SCREEN

Taranaki Daily News, 28 July 1932, Page 12

ASPIRANTS TO THE SCREEN

TARANAKI TALENT ON TRIAL. LAUGHTER FROM ‘GUSHING BORES.’ Entertainment of a novel nature was obtainable at the Empire Theatre, New Plymouth, last night, when a number of aspirants to screen fame faced the footlights, in many cases for the first time, in a variety of roles, and subsequently Mr. W. Graeme-Holder’s comedy “Gushing Bores” was presented. In fact, it may truthfully be said that nothing quite like it has ever been seen in the town before. The audience did not always laugh when it was expected to; and quite often it laughed when it wasn’t supposed to. The first portion of the programme comprised eleven items by residents of various parts of North Taranaki. (In the whole they were meant to be. serious items, and the fact that their, intention was not in every case realised did not necessarily detract from their entertainment value. Under thp heading of legitimate art one should place two little girls who opened the programme with a dance duo. It was sweetly and gracefully executed. In the same category was a toe dance presented by a more mature exponent later in the programme. Two elocutionary items iby young girls betrayed a stage confidence that is not given to many, and as far aa most of the performers were concerned decreased in proportion to the increase in their ages. Not so, however, with a male songster from Waitara. He started rather modestly, it is true, but with the passage of time his confidence grew, and at the conclusion it may be said with sincerity that he almost brought the house down. An Inglewood lady with a genuinely sweet voice was somewhat overcome by the occasion, and seemed glad when the ordeal was over. “Now here’* » real hero! He’ll give everything a go—once,” announced the stage manager, and there was a round of acclamation from the coastal members of the audience as their representative advanced blushingly on to the stage. There was no doubt about it; he was a. hero. Clad in biscuit coloured ‘bags,’ dark coat and biscuit coloured hat to match, he plunged immediately into a soulrending exposition of “Baby, You’re Mine.” The audience was determined to have him back, judging by the whistles; cat-calls etc., that it .gave vent to. He sounded as though he came from the big, wide open spaces, and his tastexan to romance. His encore number, . Rai j O’ Mine,” was cut short in the middle by prolonged applause. There was a touch of the bizarre, and even of the primitive, in a somewhat astonishing dance exposition by a male exponent. Clad somewhat like a gay caballero, with a scarf flowing belligerently from his waist, he went through a senes of evolutions that would have reduced a bull to a state of nervous collapse and turned a snake green with envy. It was certainly clever, but whether comedy or art the audience wasn’t, quite sure. There remains to be chronicled the P iec ® de resistance of the series—a dance duet by the “Swoop and Die” Sisters. ‘ When you’ve seen them swoop you’ll want to die,” said the stage manager, and one could not help thinking that there is many a true word spoken m Though they were attired as . ballet girls the performers could not disguise their true sex, and one of them surely have turned the scale at 14 stone. Together they cavorted round the stage, and when in the course of a dramatic dying swan dance one collapsed in the arms of the other the shock was so groat that they had to be carried off together. “Gushing Bores,” a comedy of Taranaki oil, was staged in New Plymouth some years ago, but has been re-written and adapted to the screen by the author. Although there are occasional passages that savour somewhat of the lamp, and last night there were certain definite weaknesses in the cast, Mr. Holder is to be wanulv congratulated on his production. It has all the. elements of a good comedy, a refreshing newness. of theme and treatment, and an intriguing climax that should interest everybody. If the comic element is at times inclined to be somewhat bourgeois it is of a type that has a wide clientele. Ihere is no doubt that in the Winds of polished artists “Gushing Bores” has fine possibilities. . . The weight of the work is carried by Mr. Holder himself as Holofernes GoofQuin, the quick-change expert, and -v. Richards as Baffsry, a rascally agent. Mr. Holder shows himself to be a most Versatile comedian with a ready wit, and Mr. Richards Carries off his heavy part splendidly. T. J/Lyfmd as Reginald, J. Hetherington as Bill, G. Ovenden as Evangeline Wormwood, Myra Wilson as Joan Wade, L. Murray as Constable Hopper, J. Cross as Inspector Patterson, and Gilison as Signor Bustle all have their minor parts to play, and the comedy depends for a largo part ot its success on the somewhat difficult characterisations of Mr. Ovenden and Miss Wilson. Further screen tests. will be held in the Empire Theatre to-night, and “Gushing Bores” will be repeated as the second portion of th© . programme.