ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14601, 26 February 1921, Page 12 (Supplement)

ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

PLAYS AND PICTURES.

(By Fra Dlavolo.)

THEATRE ROYAL. tly —Pictures. iary 28 —j. c. Williamson (Marie Tempest in "The Marriage of Kitty.") h i J. and N. Tait ("Irene"). h 14.—" Our Miss Gibbs." 11 (pencilled). —J. C. Williamson (pantomime). KING'S THEATRE. ;Iy —Pictures. THE STRAND. ,ly — Pictures. i Tempest. rtainly the most important of any in of high-class comedy that has >een announced here is that of Marie Tempest, who, together Mr Graham Browne, and supd by an exceptionally clever oration, is to appear on Monday next at the Theatre Royal in the dating comedy "The Marriage of ." The play, which Mr Cosmo m Lennox has, adapted from the :h, is hilarious to the point of ; farcical, and never drops below comedy. Miss Tempest and Mr im Browne make it a splendid i play. As Kitty Sllverton, who, der to gain a competence, marries fa man with the ultimate idea of lg him by. divorce so that he may the lady he think 3 he loves, Miss >est is at her best. Mr Graham ■nte, as Sir Reginald Belsize, her tnd, is artistic and admirable, and emainder of the company, includld friend Frank Harvey, the hero any Williamson dramas, do good

an personally vouch for the excelof the Marie Tempest combinahaving enjoyed some of the prolans in Wellington recently- It company which should not be ;d by lovers of the theatre.

is musical comedy has been ragawaited by Hamilton playgoers, t is likely that Tuesday night will he Theatre- Royal packed to the i. The New Zealand tour has, so jroved a record success, play and rs having made innumerable [ls. The Company includes Dorothy l in the title role, Robert Jewett •he lover), Chester Clute -as a rriodistc), Peggy Maloney, Marion Thomas Paunceforte, Henry GorRawdon Bland ford, Georgie HarVelma Hinkle and Grace V. Con-

"Hero" of "Irene." Robert Jewett. the likeable Br American who is leading man of 'lrene" company, has been winmuch popularity on the tour, both is singing and acting. Mr Jewettjeen for three years in musical dy in America; last year he played uvenile lead in "Oh, my Dear:" ;he previous year in "Leave" it to " This is his first tour abroad, le is enjoying it. greatly. "I am much in love with Sydney," he "The place I like best in New t'nd, so far, is Christchurch. but I not seen Auckland yet- Folks tell hat the northern city is the best, m saving it for last!" ■ feminine readers may be inter- . to know that Mr Jewett is 29 ; of age and unmarried. Iton— Six-Cylinder Town:

photograph, inscribed "In memory ully time in your six-cylinder town Hon," came to me this week from ilri Norman Fmrie, who will he anlly remembered as one of the ioturers of the Chautauqua party, ptain imrie was in Nelson when Tote, and reports having had an •able time. He is enthusiastic reng the Hamilton audiences. "I Dt say," he writes, "when I have r. more appreciative and reactive nee. Their -up-take and return worthy of the Davis Gup games! a quality of audience extorts and res the best a speaker has in n

Lowell Patton. the likeable pianGhautauqua, also writes this week ie is having a very enjoyable tour, las the most happy recollections mllton. Nllss Qlbbs— Up-to-Date.

e committee which is arranging jig entertainment to be given in lton on March 14th on behalf of Bremen's Relief Fund is making progress, and as a result a raamand entertaining bill will result. programme will take the form of a >, and will introduce the outstandeatures of "Our Miss Gibbs," as as much original comedy, with al allusions, etc. Several prornin>erformers from outside districts promised to assist, and. alto;r, a very enjoyable and unique enroment should eventuate. Dorothy South.

3s Dorothy Sooth, flic popular e." has been described as a dainty lady, very vivacious, with a ning manner, and full of witticism, »nyone listening to her talking and hing her is quite carried away her charm. She was born in essec, but nearly all her life has spent in New York, where she played lead in "Princess Pat" on afterwards returning to New for a season in "Gloriana." The fall found her ajrain in New York ng at the Globe Theatre in "Apple soms."

is is the first time Miss South has either to Australia or New Zealand, she is perfectly enchanted with country. She is essentially an joor woman, being passionately of riding, golf and tennis, in fact thoroughly enjoys anything that 5 her out of doors, hile in Melbourne recently she twice with Lieut. Matthews. tsclnatlng Personality, f T we're asked why—apart, from •unquestioned stage charm and ty—Marie Tempest is endeared lo e and colonial audiences. I should t was because she is so essentially •itish product. Willi a sparkle and ;ity which might lie a Continental ;age, and temperamental gifts asited with other peoples, there is English strength and steadiness ■,h make for the completeness atant on genius. Behind all she does he compelling power of thought,; actions responsible to a prompting :h is the outcome of sound judgt." Bus wrote a leading dramatic critic larie Tempest. ) Birds Not Wanted, cross the footlights at the Criterion itre, Sydney, one night Dorothy i.oii, while taking the eails of a jilted audience at "Baby Bunting," handed a strange-looking parcel, •ovud to be a gilded cage containing irof love-birds, and attached to the i was a note, in which a stricken frer confessed that be bad striven i- for a week or more to write her a

suitable letter "which would not sound silly, but would express the emotions he felt." However, lie lighted upon the idea of sending her these love-birds. Dorothy listened awhile to the twitterings of the hints, and — then suddenly ami determinedly handed them across to Alfred Frith. Chorus Wan Attempts Life. Peter Thompson, chorus man in Fred Stone's "Tip Top" show, in New York, according to the theory advanced by the police, plunged from a window of his apartment five stones above the ground because his sweetheart, Olive Holland, seemed interested in George Walsh, the motion picture actor. Thompson was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where it was said he would recover. "Irene" Breaks Records. Beginning its sixtieth week at the Vanderbilt Theatre to-day (says an American paper 'dated January 2nd). "Irene" establishes a long run record for musical comedy in Amerfra at any one theatre, according to a statement made public, by the Vanderbilt Producing Company. The announcement reads: —

."The forty-eight weeks at the. Casino credited to 'Plorodora,' the forty-seven weeks of 'The Chinese Honeymoon' at the Casino, and the nine months of 'Oh, Boy,' at the Princess Theatre have been excelled by 'lrene-' "

Footllght Flashes. I have to acknowledge receipt tliis week of a photograph from Mr Robert Jewett, the juvenile lead of the "Irene" Company. A line from Mr Horace Hunt, the well-known pianist, indicates that he will give a recital in Hamilton in April. Mr Hunt expects to do quite a lot of concert work this year. The New Zealand Digger Pierrots are back in Wellington after a successful southern four. Stan Lawson is still the "misleading lady" of the popular combination.

Mr George Hobey, the London comedian, won a bel of £•"> from Mr Reynolds, manager of the Alhambra. by driving a two-horse pantechnicon through Piccadilly Circus. Mr Robcy was dressed to resemble "The Shepherd" in "Pickwick Papers." The £5 Will be handed over to the Police Orphanage. Howard Millcrcst, aged 34, movie actor and director', was thrown from a horse andjkilled while filming a scene for "Custer's Last Stand" in the Huachca Mountains near Fairbanks. Ariz-, recently. During his career of nine years as a screen actor Millcrest doubled for William S. Hart in several pictures. He was known as a nervy "stunt actor."

A new cult in stage settings has been evolved by Miss Marie Tempest. In the presentation of her plays conventional scenery has been abandoned, and tapestried curtains substituted to suggest the desired atmosphere. Mr Owen Pritchard, of Auckland, who toured New Zealand with the Te Koas, some months ago, and then went to America to try his luck in vaudeville, was at latest in San Francisco. He talks of returning to New Zealand with a new act.

"Happy Hawaii," miniature Chautauqua, was presented by Mildred Clemens, Mark Twain's cousin (who was in Hamilton with the first Chautauqua party) at the Philharmonic Hall, London. Miss Clemens hopes that it will prove a forerunner of the introduction of the Chautauqua movement into England.