MIMES AND MUMMERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9911, 28 July 1910, Page 2

MIMES AND MUMMERS.

(By THE LIMELIGHT MAN.) "The Squatter's Daughter," that awful melodrama of Australian life, has been done into a motion picture under tho supervision of William Anderson. *'# 4 ' Loucadu Steward, who was well known as an amateur here, at latest was with a small touring company in Australia and playing in Shakespearean roles. * * * Richard Allen, who won the baritone solo at the first Christchurch competitions, is assisting in making tho advance arrangements foi- Madame Calve in .Australia. * * With the continued cold weather the permanent shows in Christchurch have been doing poor business, but. with the advent of now programmes it is expected that business will improve. %■ According to a Home paper Harry Lauder lias received offers from all parts of the world, including Australia, but has had to decline them, owing to the fact that he is engagod up to 1914. Bert Gilbert was indisposed for three nights during the early part of the run of "A Knight for a Day," and his I>lace was tayen by "Charles Albert, well known to the New Zealand playgoing public. A private letter from Sydney states that Matheson Lang did not do good business there with " The Passing of the Third Floor Back." His season in Melbourne was to have commenced on Saturday. *** The new theatre which is to occupy the site once held by the Belmore Markets in Sydney will have a coffee palace within itself. It will be the first theatre "in Sydney to deal in soft goods of this type. Australia's old friend Charles Cartwright is with Miss Nance O'iNeil. wno has scored the success of her life in "The Lily," which has taken New York by storm. , If ever an actress deserved success, she is Miss Nance O'Neil. V Oscar Asche has stated definitely that h© will return to Australia in two years' time. It is to be hoped that our conduct and travelling expenses will have improved sufficiently by then to tempt the actor-manager over to the dominion. *** The Christchurch Comedy Club lias decided to pestpoue its production of "The Prude's Progress" until Anniversary Day. The club has been augmented recently by the addition of two new members who should greatly increase its playing power. *** On Saturday "The Brass Bottle" was uncorked for tho first time in Australia. Sydney went largely to see what would escape from the bottle, and found that its contents were rollicking merriment in various shapes. It is still laughing over the first night performance. V. It seems that the reported death of Miss Bright'a Smith is as false as the first death of Mark Twain, and the lady has contradicted it in a similar manner. In a letter to a Sydney paper, Mies Smith denied emphatically that she was dead, and as the paper riaivei ly commented, " She ought to know." At this stage one can only say to the lady, " Welcome back to life." , ■ _The announcement that H. B. Irving will visit Australia under J. C. Williamson's headings is full of interest, but I suppose New Zealanders will see him only through print and a stray photograph or two. A tour of H. 13. Irving would be doomed to success, and as the Grand Ooera Company did not- lose much capital, it may be possible to weedle the firm into doing a fair thing by the dominion. _ There are rumours that the skating rink which was announced as dead some tirno ago, threatens to accomplish a resurrection. Tho Olympia Rink is practically completed and will be opened next month. It will bo one of the most up-to-date in this part of the world, and if tho management carries out. the promise made in its day-bills, to allow only desirables to enter, tho rink is a sure winner. Otherwise, its life will not be a long one.

Mathesott Lang has been telling tho people in Australia of peculiar productions he saw in America, but thei'o b a small show near Sydney that has presented " Camille" under conditions that make Lang's stories seem mere smoke-tales. This company appeared under canvas and gave an Australianised version of Dumas's play. In one scene Camille was shown going from Paris to her country house. She was stuck up by bushrangers, but was rescued by Amand, who was attired in riding breeches, a red fihirt and a wideawake hat. Later she died in tho arms of several faithful stockriders. Lang ako has a good story against himself. He tells that while he was on his way to America on board a steamer he received a remarkable series of marconigrams. The first asked him to play tho lead in a melodrama, but it was closely followed by another, requesting him to play " Uncle Tom's Cabin" for a second piece. Ho replied in good faith, only to receive another wire asking him to play in musical comedy, and another tolling him to prepare for " Hamlet." All the messages were signed with tho name of a well-known New York manager, and Lang was guessing. On arrival, ho found that it was a joke put on him by his wife, who had arranged with the manager to send tho peculiar repertory.

"Pete" is a very harrowing play—a lachrymal orgy. But withal it is a splendid melodrama, and the tivo men responsible for the play have done the dramatisation work fairly well. The play seems to joggle awkwardly in several parts, and the local colour seems to have been brushed into the picture lavishly, and with a heavy hand. The finale of the last act can be seen in the distance long before it appears before the audience —no sooner does the curtain rise on the scene and Ctesar Cregeen arrive, than the finale suggests itself, and what is worst of all, when it does come it bounds into the arena prepared to finish oS the play, though everything go. It is too abrupt. The characterisation of the play is weil balanced, and the increase in the interest surrounding Phillip is an improvement on other versions. It seems to help the plot over many rough places, and completes the picture without suggesting that there are only two people to be considered. Harry Roberts has gained a reputation for naturalness, and" he deserves it, although his Pete is by 110 means as thoroughly natural as his Prince Chap, and in the first scene of the fourth act lie is inclined to staginees and a palpable striving after effect in the situation with Kate-. Tho pauses are too studied, giving the an artificiality that rather .spoils it. Miss Beatrice Day finds Kate a difficult part in places, but though she its inclined to nhow v Jvuto that too many summers, her acting in some of tho scenes with Pete was full of merit. Conway Wingfield started stiffly, but in tho third act he was thoroughly good, playing with force and decision. John F. Fordo as the pompous Crosar was patchy ; Harry Sweeney as Ross Christian was very easy. A very good pieco of character work was Miss Katie Towers's Grannie. The mounting of tho play was fair. "Tho Hypocrites" will be played next.

What is said to be the first lighthouse built for airships has just been erected 011 the top of a small railroad building at Spapd'Mi, German v. It consists of thirty-eight powerful electric lamps, which shoot a glaring liignt skyward. Its purpose is to guido tho dirigibles of the German army at night. One of the great gun plants of Germany is h'Ciiti'd : i. Snar.dnn