THE LORGNETTE

Observer, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5, 6 October 1917, Page 6

THE LORGNETTE

(By Prompter.)

THE Walter Johnston Musical Revue Co. hold the fort at Fuller's Opera House without signs of wearying the large audiences. "The Kissing Maid" deftly dissected into three parts is a musical maiden who occasions joy to the clientele. Miss Lydia Came, ragtime melodist and danseuse, is the topmost peach on the sunlit side of the tree. Miss Lola Hunt, as the said kissing maid is a deft disseminator of the tuneful trill. There is a whole raft of catchy song stuff in this revue culled from many sources and Miss Vera Kearae is a goodi gatherer. Miss Belle Millette, a charming brunette (my word it rhymes!) gives piquancy to the already sparkling entertainment. Jack Kearns has the approval of all laughter lovers for his droll way of using bright stuff and Gus Franks, as a Hebrew gentleman of fun-mak-ing proclivities, is in among the "placed" ones. Ernest Lashbrook, the producer, Walter Johnston and Harry Burgess have all bubbling stuff. Miss Alexander has felicitations for the soulful song, "You're Always the Same Sweet Girl." Signor and S'ignora Molinari, the Italian grand opera stars, remain immensely popular. McQuoiri and Taylor,' who sing and impersonate costors, and Laurant, the ambidexterous writer and artist, are aiding the snow excellently.

"Through the Divorce Court" is an acted dissertation by that excellent organisation, the BrandoiiCremer Co., on the perils of that wondrous organisation and the events that lead to it. The play is in effect, the story of a series of machinations devised to separate a man -and"-woman amd to achieve a large wad 1 of wealth as a side line. "It is, perhaps, unnecessary to remark that although the villains score in, the initial proceedings virtue conies with a run and defeats the rascals at the finish. Mr Maurice Tuohy is the hero, with Miss Kathleen' Arnold is the heroine. Messrs. Kenneth, Carlisle and Frank Neil, with William Coiilther and Frank Reis, do splendid work, and the Misses Mabel Hardinge and Biddie Hawthorne are exceptionally well cast. As a child, little Miss Violet Milne makes a hit. * * * Commencing- at the matinee on October 6th. The popular A Brandon Cremer Dramatic Company will produce the evergreen favourite Irish drama, "The Colleen Bawn," as their 52nd production, thus making it anniversary week at this wellknown theatre of modern melodramia. The story has a great girl interest. © SB> © The Queen's Theatre lias an unusual picture, "The Cost of Hatred" built on melodramatic lines, but iiseful in showing the life, scenery ivnd customs of Mexico and the supposed power of hate enjoyed by its mercurial people. The chief villain in the story sets himself the pleasant task of ruining another man and the story is by way of saying that, although sorrow may endure for a night among the "adobe wrecks of torrid old Mexico, joy cometh in the morning. The love interest in this play is vivid and warm and there are suggestions of unselfishness that redeem the more sordid features of a play which intensifies the evil passions of hate. There is beside a comedy and some interesting news pictures. ,

"The Duchess of Doubt," at the Princess Theatre, shows Emmy Wehlen, in the name part. The picture yarn is full of breeze and there is much wholesome comedy. Clover Arnes aches for pelf and position and her breezy but absohitely respectable adventures at last land her at high dollar mark. The cast is exceptional and contains Walter Horton, George Christie.and Frank Currier. It is one of the few pretentious pictures which does, not depend for its effect on any unpleastnt suggestion. A section of, those -splendid travel pictures gathered by Rex Beach is shown and are informative, especially to those who have not stirred' from the paternal doorstep. There is a fine record of America's preparation for war.

You are "padding the hoof" • in cheap boots and begrudging a penny tram fare, poor but happy when you see Mr B. Nana, the eminent Island trader, flash past in his 300 h.p. Panhandle automobile. Although he may have dyspepsia and a mortgage as big as the N.Z. Insurance building, you envy him. The girl in "Envy" (the first of the "Seven Deadly Sins") being screened at the Strand Theatre, is like that and the rural maidien achieves riches only to find that they are Dead 1 Sea apples which shatter at a touch. It is a deeply interesting story not without humour and satire and is handled with great excellence by a bxunch of eminents. A Keystone—"Maggie's False Step" a>ndi a superb scenic showing San Diego and its vicinity make up a rich programme.

Miss Rosina Buckman, the Now Zealand soprano, who has been in London for some time, has been appearing with much success with the Beecham Opera Company, at Drury Lane. Critics speak warmly of her performance of Aida's song, "Land of My Fathers," and in "II Trovatore/' in which she is spoken of as having given a. "superb exposition of the true bel canto," though someexception was taken to her "gilding of the lily with new cadenzas." Miss Buckman has, however, thoroughly established herself in the favour of the London public and the London critics.

A story is told by Madame Clara Butt in regard to a very ingenuous request she once received. One day a piece of manuscript music arrived from an xinknown composer, with the following letter: I enclose a post office order for 12s 8d and stamps, making 13s 6d in all. This I beg you to understand is your own for the compliment you will do me by singing my song in public. Should you sing it again, and will acquaint me with the time and place, I shall be very pleased to make the matter up to, say 155."

"Fustac" in the "Bulletin":— "Switching"—i.e., running the same picture at a couple of different shows is one of the most profitable methods of distribution the filmrenters know. A fleet of ten motor cycles is at work on it every night in Sydney—and under yearly contract, too. The record Australian switch was established last November, when four copies of the Melbourne Cup film were made to go round 52 theatres in and about Sydney on the evening after the race.

The popularity of melodrama is widened by the successful operations of the stock dramatic companies in Melbourne, Adelaide and in Brisbane. Mr Brandon-Cremer's Company in Auckland is now in. its 51st week and has lost none of its attractiveness, and the immense Hippodrome in Sydney will in the future be the home of melodrama there.

• Clwlie Chaplin, the famous comedian of the screen, has announced in Los Angeles, Southern California, that he is ready for military service under the Union Jack the, minute En "land 1 , of which he is a subject, officially calls him. His statement was given in answer to an editorial

published in the "Weekly Despatch" the London weekly owned by Lord Northcliffe, present chief of the British Mission to the United States. Lord Northcliffe's paper calls on the comedian to do his duty and join the colours. "I am ready and willing - to answer the call of my country to serve in any branch of the military service, or at whatever post the national authorities may consider I might do the most good," said Chaiplin. "But, like thousands of other Britishers, I am awaiting word from the British Embassy in Washington."

J. and N. Tait are making aa--. rangtements to keep •up their flow of new attractions for Australia. Mr E. J. Tait recently left for America to see what the approaching New York season had to offer. He has been given carte blanche to secure the likeliest successes for Australian production, and will probably be absent some months. Incidentally he is accompanied by Mr A. L. Pearoe, lately stage managing for the "Peg 'o My Heart" Co. Mr Pearee's mission is to study the latest methods of production in New York, Chicago, and other cities, and will eventually return to apply his knowledge as producer for J. and N. Tait in the Commonwealth.

No common or ordinary concert programmes iare contemplated by Ben and John Fuller, in engaging Signori Capelli and Scamuzzi for an Australian tour. Of course, the main objective is to secure the best in tenors and baritones for next year's grand opera ventures. In the meantime, it is proposed to play Signori Capelli and Scamuzzi with an Italian company now organising, in the best-liked scenes from the best operas, all of which will be sung in correct costumes and amidst appropriate scenic settings. Opportunities will tlrus be offered of hearing the Italian favourites in gems from various operas on the one night. As regards the supporting singers, Signorina Russ will certainly be among them, and several other interesting announcements are imminent.

A recent English mail to Australia brought a letter from Julius KnigTht. Playgoers have been wondering as to what had ibecome of Mr Knight, who, it was stated some time ago, intended to produce "A Roylal Divorce" in New York, with himself as Napoleon. In his letter Mr Knight stated that he had been on a visit to' hiis people in Scotland, and that he intended to "do his bit", by helping to gather the harvest. Subsequently he will engage in other useful war work. It is understood that Mr Knight has not relinquished his intention of producing "A Royal Divorce" in New York, and that his intentions will be given effect to when a favourable opportunity presents itself.

"Seven Days' Leave/ with the stalwart Allan. Wilkie as a handsome younig Irish officer and Vivian Edwards as a guttural German, is knocking 'em down Melbourne way. Written, by playwright Walter Howard, who never misses, the submarine pliay should be in for a run that will equal that of the "Story of the Rosary" when the Puller's bring it to Sydney. One of the chief tlhrills is. the view of the German TJ boat on the bed of the ocean and a dive by the heroine (Frediswyde H. Watts) who gives it the signal to oome to the top, where it is completely obliterated by a British cruiser.

Golden-square, London, is not to have the £100,000 music hall which a syndicate proposed to build. The L.C.O. refused to grant a license in view of the opposition of adjoining tenants.

After the strike, Sydney will see "The Little Grey Home in the West" comfortably ensconced on the big Opera House stage, with Thos. E. Tilton producing, Austin

Milroy (a new English actor) and Gwendoline Dorise playing the leading roles, and the Fullers handling the reins. The company proved its worth in Melbourne by opening the firm's Palace Theatre in February during a heat wave, and playing to big business ever since.

Thos. E. Tilton, who will produce the new Fuller drama, "The Little Grey Home in the Wect," at Sydney Opera House shortly, will •be remembered for laughable characters in "The Glad Eye" and "Who's the Lady?" In the latter comedy he was the police interpreter who undertook the job of translating, a most passionate proposal of marriage by a young man who spoke nothing but English to a young Firench girl who had been struck on the head by a Roman tennis ball and thence after could' speak nothing but Italian.

The submarine play, "Seven Days' Leave," (promises to equal in popularity Walter Howard's other big melodramatic success, "The. Story of -tfie Rosary." "Seven : Days' Leave/ at Melbourne Princess, finds Allan Willrie better fitted into the cast than in the former play and -Arthur Styan's presence strengthens the already strong company. Inrnaii, Hunt, Landor, Dore, Vivian Ediwardes, are. all welL placed and Mis.s ' Fredisw«le-Hunter Watts; as the athletic Lady Heather, is as popular a heroine as Melbourne theatre patrons have known for a long, long time. "Seven Days Leave" has been given, eleven times Weekly at London . Lycetim since last February.

The Sydney "Sun , , , says:—As a boy, Sessue liayabawa, .the Japanese actor appearing in "The Bottle Imp" was intended for the JNavy, and to that profession he was attached for some years. As part ot his training he was taught to swim, and in fact -became the crack .diver, of his division. Whil<* diving one, day he went: too deep and broke the drum of his ear, thus, incapacitating him for.-further service. So then he took to the stage, and later to the screen. About • the most thrilling scene in "The Bottle Imp"- is the fio-nt on.the cliff, between Sessue Havakawa and Guy Oliver, the.fall into the water hundreds of feet below, and the continuation of the struggle beneath the surface of the water. Owing to the clearness of the water around the Hawaiian Islands, where the. scenes were taken it was possible to photograph the combatants under the water. For the taking of some-of the scenes, Sessue Hayakawa; his producer, and a photographer, descended into' the crater of Mount Kianea, a dormant volcano. Hayakawa descended further than the- others-, and was nearly overcome with the eases arising from the heart of the volcano.

It took .five people to make "Mr Manhattan" and judging .by the success the piece has achieved in London, this is apparently not .a case in which "too many cooks, have spoilt the .broth.". The, -book is by Fred Thomson and C. H. Bovill; the music by Howard Talbot, with additional 'lyrics by .Ralph Roberts and Phillip Braham: The new production which was to be staged for the first time in Australia at Her Majesty's, Melbourne, on September 15th, is a farce set to music—a regular farce full of complications which involve various ladies and gentlemen ; forged notes at ia rich bachelor's . flat in London, at Treauyille, and a French railway station. They are all quite impossible to describe, and they keep the fun going fast and furious all the time. The music is said to be delightful, and is sure to be popular. .

Mr Coulter. the character ..comedian at "The Kings" lias had.considerable experience in Australia as a picture actor'arid in many of the films he. was starred as the. Australian "Bun&y." th-the taking of "The wreck of the Dunbar," one of the most succesf ul~of- the Australian productions, it became necessary for one of'the actors to go down, and up a line over the gap at Watson's Bay, and ; the producers had" much diffi-culty-in securing the actor to do the climb several hundred feet, at last , the man with the necessary nerve was found, and then, .another difficulty presented itself ', he had to, rescue a man ffoni the rooks with the water washing over him, and it was' still mote-difficult to secure someone to enact the rescued jnali, Mr.Coulter himself was: quite unsuitable for the part at the last moment a. volunteer was found,,. and amid mucli excitement the rescuer and rescued accomplished the journey without mishap, amid the cheers of an immense crowd of sightseers who had been, watching the taking of the pic-

ture with much interest. Both the actors mentioned in this incident are now "Somewhere in France" the one who performed the rescue has distinguished himself as a Soldier of the King, t

"The New Henrietta," a delightful comedy,, written by Winchell ■Smith, who is part'author .of "Turn to the Right," has been added to the repertoire of J. and. ..N. Tait's comedy company which .is now appearing in the latter piece, in. Adelaide. Like "Turn to the Right," "The New ..Henirietta" reveals ,Mr. Smith's aimaiziihg , gift --for welding appfeurently \ improvable into a coherent and probable tale. The plot of the piece is most diverting, and' with two or three incomparable climaxes, which the author fallows how to "invent, - it provides abundance of entertainment for those who want to spend a happy evening at the/ theatre. The title, it may be said, -refers to a mine; and it is the means availed of to get possession of this mine that show Mr. Smith's dramatic ingenuity at its best. . ; ■