LIBERTY’S MANAGER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17348, 13 May 1924, Page 5

LIBERTY’S MANAGER.

MR FERG. B. MASON’S EXPERIENCES. “ Liberty Theatre, here ”... Two seats in the stalls. Certainly.” If you happen to telephone the big theatre in the Square, the chances are a hundred to one that the genial voice at the other end is possessed by Air Ferg. B. Alason, the manager. From any time between 9 am. and 10 p.m. Mr Mason is busily engaged near the telephone or standing, outside, smilingly. watching good business coming to his theatre. Although a native of New Zealand, Mr Alason has spent the greater part of his business life in Australia. It was in 1900 that lie joined up with the Fuller’s, who were then in a small way as a man works and variety show, on a tour of New Zealand. Air Alason was a trick cyclist. He then went to Australia, where, with his partner, for seven years on the Tivoli circuit —which he holds as a record for such an act—they presented their trick cycling. Harry Rickards then took a liking to the young artist and urged him to still play before the footlights and also to take up the managerial side of the theatre. Rickards started Mr Alason as treasurer at the Palace Gardeps, Perth, where he was a handy man as whenever there was a shortage of turns, Air Masou would fill the breach. Then when the fremorne Gardens, Kalgoorlie. were opened, he was treasurer under the managership of James Moore, the brother of Alaggie Aloore. Tbe school of managerial workin which he was trained is claimed by Mr Mason to have been wonderful. Both Matthews, at Perth, and Moore were old masters at management. The

stage itself still had its attractions for him then. (It doesn’t now, for he declares. ” L would not go back to acting for all the tea in China.”) As a cyclist, he was given top of the bill ” in

every metropolitan theatre. Then came a great experience in managerial work. Mr Mason was sent to Queensland to manage the entertainments at the big exniojtioir. Every kind of show, from firework to, buck-jumping was under his control. When the manager of the side-shows. A.. L. Baird, sold out to E. J. Carroll, another then in a small way. Air Alason joined Carroll and had charge of the show opened then at Brisbane, till he went back to vaude^

In 1912. Liberty's manager was back with Fuller’s, and in 1914, landed in New Zealand with Davis, Oledhill’s racing act; being in < ’hristchurch on August 4, 1914, when war was declared. The act only played Dunedin after Qiafc, returning to Australia, playing everywhere from Fremantle to Cairns. Mr Alason was then manager of the Brandon Cremer Dramatic Co., which played at Auckland for seventy-five weeks and after that he entered the motion picture industry'. Coming to New Zealand, he made a tour to report on picture shows, and on returning to Wellington was appointed manager of the King's Theatre. Then came an executive position at the head office of the New Zealand ; Picture Supplies, Ltd., the opening of Everybody’s Theatre. Hastings, for the firm, back to the King's. Wellington, an executive office followed, and then in 1921. he was sent to Napier to manage Everybody's. And a couple of months back. Mr Alason came to the Liberty Theatre. Older vaudeville goers in Christchurch might recall Mr Alason’s act with his partner, they were known as the Melvas, and it was under that name that the two, mounted on one bicycle, rode down the steps of the Madras Street Railway Bridge. The "next tour of New Zealand was under the name of the 2 Kranks. “ That s what made j us,” says Mr Mason. ”It is the first j and only acrobatic trick cycling act i During the time he rode in Australia, j Mr Alason did the cycle whizz, loop j the loop, death trap. perpendicular whizz and the globe of death. The only vaudeville acts that he ha? not presented are singing and contortion. Talking of Christchurch picture houses, Mr Mason says there is no doubt that for. one city, they arc the finest in Australia or New Zealand. “ I believe in comfortable seating, a clean theatre and courteous, attention to patrons,” he declares. ” LibertyTheatre is not rivalled for seating by any' theatre in the Dominion, the seats being wide and the space between the rows being ample. As for the size of the theatre—it is the largest in Christ church and, therefore. handling the. biggest crowds—we can seat 1300 people in the best of time.” Publicity and advertising are always striven for by Mr Mason. If the theatre is off the public walk, ns Liberty is, he does not think that outside displays are any use unless they have a movement which will attract the attention of passers-by. “ I am a firm believer, through long experience that the newspaper is ths most profitable and most, read form of advertising thatthere is.” Of the “Star’s” movie pages, Mr Mason has the following to say:—“lt is a matter for congratulation to the ‘ Star ’ for the forward move made by its supply its readers with up-to-date movie news. I feel sure that it will not l»e long before other papers in New Zealand will have to follow the lead set by the ‘ Star.’ On amusement tax returns, nine-tenths of the people in towns are picture-goers and they must be given movie news.” Not one-tenth of the population go to races, yet- every paper in New Zealand caters for the race-goers”