VAUDEVILLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17572, 24 June 1925, Page 11

VAUDEVILLE.

INTERESTING COMMENTS. INTERVIEW WITH MR VINCE COURTNEY. (Special to tlie ‘•Star.’’) WELLINGTON, .June 23. Interesting comparisons between 'Australasian, English mid American vaudeville acts were drawn by Mr Vince Courtney during a chat with a reporter to-day. Mr Courtney has lot over ten years performed in revue, vaudeville and pantomime in Fuller s Circuit, and is tho author of mnnerom; p.vntomiir.o song successes, including •' Silver In My Mother’s Hair” ami lately lias popularised a catchy iox trot ballad of his own composition, entitled. ** When I Was One Year Old.” Theatre-goers, said Air Courtney, had 10 remember that English and American vaudeville acts have been performed so long at Homo that by the time they reached New Zealand and Australia they wero quite finished, articles, whereas tho Australian act was continually changing, as was cu--tomarv hero, in England and Anverioa successes we r o exploited for years on end, while during the same period fn Australia and New Zealand hundreds oi different turns would be performed The position was somewhat akin to that of a man who had one pair of shoes to polish in an unlimited time. .Ho made an excellent job of it,, but were he called upon to clean a hundred pairs of mixed colours within a short time limit there would not bo the srme finish on each pair. Nevertheless Australian and .New Zealand audiences would always giro credit to colonial artists when it was merited. Proof of that was to he had in tho success which attended the production of one <>f tho best pantomimes seen in An 3 tralia, an all-Australian production, entitled s * The. Bunyip,” written bv a well-known Australian artiste, Miss Vila FArlie. and. produced bv Nat Phil- ' p.N the Stiffy of St iffy And Mo renown. - In that pantomime, which at lue time was regarded as one of the biggest. box office attractions m the country, Mr Courtney played 1 lie part ot n. Chinese cook, and his song, ‘• Mr ( hinese Girl,” scored a signal success. There could he no doubt that Australians made good abroad. On c of America, s most prominent comedians -Loot. Erroll, was an Australian, and in England to-day could be found many colonials among the top-liners of vaudeville. musical, comedy, pantomime «nd even grand opera. The lat G Billy ilhams of vaudeville and gramophone fame, was an Australian, and Jim (.crald could he compared with any the present-day imported musical comedy comedians. The late Tommy Armstrong; was a. clever sons; writer, end Charlie Vaude aa* another tv-hose lopical ratings could ho ranked with the best. •With tho Williamson firm tn-day mas the biggest attraction of ad Australia, Gladys MoncreifF. linnmng her very close was Josie Metvdle, of “Sally" fame, and a clover young comedian now with “ Wild- «** Bluett. Tt was generally recognised. 100, that. Australian children were the cleverest in the world on. the stage, and imported artists "ere always ready to pay a tribute to the, work of tho colonial ballet and chorus performers. Questioned as to the tendency of the vaudeville stage fo-dav. Mr Courtney said that the red-nosed comedian was a thing of the past, and a lighter, cleaner vein of comedy was being undertaken. Furthermore, people in the vaudeville profession were looking more to their future than hitherto. The lesson had been learned from a number of brilliant performers all the world over who had died prarticallv paupers m the past. High living was buried m the past and life behind the snenes. contrary to the conjectured impressions c.f some, people, was as clean and wholesome ns in any other nalk- of life. Pleasing the audience and the management was the problem vitli which each artist mas fared. Xo man born had been able to please tho multitude and the greatest stars met 1 heir ‘Waterloo in some town or other. Individual critics were inclined io criticise an art because it did not. directly appeal to them. Three-quarters of tho house, however, might have born delighted, with it. All was not <f b*er and skittles *’ f or the artist, and sometimes bright remedy had to dispensed under great personal difficulties. but Australian and New Zealand audiences were very considerate when the position was palpable to them.