ON THE JOB

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17353, 19 May 1924, Page 5

ON THE JOB

MR V. M. BEEBE’S SLOGAN. A KEEN SHOWMAN. Alwaj’s orti the job. It’s a catch phrase of Christchurch and a great slogan. It stamps its possessor as a man of business acumen, push and energy. “ Always on the job” is the slogan Gf Mr V, MBeebe, the manager of Greater Crystal Palace and as a showman he is keen in every sense of the word. Although he has been in New Zealand a great number of rears, Mr Beebe is an American by birth. He was born in a little village barely 100 miles out of New York. His father was a Governor of one of the States while his business activities were chiefly confined to the controlling of a newspaper. So that his leisure hours would not be wasted, Beebe jun. was given an after-school job in his father’s office. These were the day 3 long before the present modern machinery, driven by electricity was evolved, the papers being printed on a hand press. “Personally I hardly favoured working in a newspaper office,” Mr Beebe says. “I was always attracted to the show business and got into it at the first opportunity after leaving school.” “PARDONABLE EGOTISM.” For many years, Mr Beebe ran a burle&fjtte wheel house in the United States and also a*b Montreal. From the earliest days oF motion pictures, he was interested in the coming industry. But in Australia and New Zealand he is best remembered as one of the first men to introduce the balloon into Australia. “That is to say, I was probably the first man there who was consistently identified with aerial ascents of the successful kind s"o much so that my reputation in this respect was very widespread— and I say this with pardonable egotism,” Mr Beebe adde.l.

Mr Beebe took four balloons to Australia, two of which were held' in reserve. They were christened King Eward VII. and President Roosevelt. That was years ago, at a time when there were no continuous theatres in existence either in Australia or New Zealand. It was then Mr Beelie’s intention to run a. circuit of theatres, playing continuous shows in the capital cities of Australia, but he was unsuccessful in securing financial support and as far as Mr Beebe was concerned the idea fell through. Undeterred by this disappointment, Mr Beebe toured throughout Australia with his balloons and a vaudeville show. The first place they were sent up was at Melbourne and the ascents were most successful. The programme included balloon ascents in the afternoon and vaudeville at night. VAUDEVILLE AND NEW ZEALAND. In 1913, Mr Beebe brought a. company to New Zealand. “It was a very bright combination and included a minstrel first part” he says. “I could not have struck a more unfavourable time, as a smallpox scare and a great strike spelt disaster to all classes ot entertainment, and it was not surprising when I found that I had to disband my company in short order. I sent the company back to Australia and decided to remain in New Zealand myself, my attentions on the exhibiting end "of the film industry. f have met with a very satisfactory amount of success, as j'ou may gather.”

Then, here is further force to support a universal contention that Mr Beebe is a real showman in the strict sense of tho word. “ The Greater Crystal Palace (fhe syndicate which I organised) is classed as the in the Dominion • and of this fact I am very proud. The seating accommodation is nearly 1100 and there is a most modern electric installation with not one naked light throughout the building. Knowing that you have to retain the support of your patrons, I have introduced almost everything conducive to their comfort. The vacuum cleaning installation is unequalled and this allows for the thorough cleanliness of the whole of the theatre. As to the theatre itself the interior decoration, seating, heating appliances and ventilating services are all in "keeping with the most modern requirements. As an idea of the magificenee of Greater Crystal Palace, it may be mentioned that the house took two years to build and cost over £60.009.”

Since coming to New Zealand, Mr Beebe has made two world trips and he is contemplating another for the near future.

BIG ATTRACTIONS COMING. “With the next fourteen consecutive weeks we intend to present some of the biggest attractions yet seen in Christchurch” Mr Beebe declares. The list of coming pictures reads good. The programme is as follows: May 26. “Sporting Youth” (the greatest motor racing picture produced) supported by a Clara Kimball Young feature * June 2, “Shadows of Paris ” (starring Pola Negri and declared by American critcs to be better than “The Cheat”); June 9, “Ride For Your Life” (Hoot Gibson's best yet) ; June 16, “Vanity Fair” (from Thackeray’s story, with Mabel Ballin as Becky Sharp and Hobart Bosworth as Lord S*eyne) and on the same bill Baby Peggv’s wonderful film “ The Darling of New York.” After that, come “ Hollywood ” with all the Paramount stars, “The Famous Mrs Fair” and “All Brothers aliant. with “ The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Lon Chaney’s greatest, coming in the near future.