DRAMA

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 1, 1 October 1899, Page 25

DRAMA

INTOLERANCE OE CRITICISM.

Some eminent professionals seem to delight in tilting at journalists, a practice which is neither judicious nor just. On the whole pressmen are generous and incline towards leniency in their criticisms. Now and then it must be admitted, some cantankerous critic will unmercifully " slate," but as a rule only displaying ignorance as well as malice in his philippics. Still it is not only foolish, but also illogical for the victims of such attacks to argue from the particular to the general, and visit the offence of the few upon the many. Eecently Mrs Kendal (Miss Madge Kobertson) denounced the British newspapers with quite unmerited severity. However, they generously retorted by praising with unstinted fervour her exquisite acting as "The Elder Miss Blossom." Curiously enough, Panny Kemble, in years long past, vowed a vendetta against all sorts and conditions of pressmen. In "Volume 11. of "The Journal of Prances Anne Butler," she writes : " I here do solemnly swear never again with my own good will to become

acquainted with any man in any way connected with the public press. They are utterly unreliable people generally — their vocation requires that they should be so ; and the very few exceptions I must forget, for however I might like them, I can neither respect nor approve of their trade, for trade it is in the vilest sense of the word." This is quite bad enough, but Fanny Kemble's method of carrying out her vendetta is even worse, as witness her own words which follow : "In the middle of the evening, Dr. asked if I would allow him to introduce, to me one \ Mr , a very delightful man, full of I abilities and writer in such and such a paper. I immediately called to' mind my resolution and refused. In the meantime Mrs , less scrupulous, and without asking my leave, brought the gentleman up and introduced him. I was most ungracious and forbidding, and meant to he so. lam sorry for this., but I cannot help it. He is 's brother, too, which makes me doubly sorry. As he is au agreeable man and 's brother, I esteem and reverence him, but as lie belongs to tfo

Press gang, I will not know him." Alas ! ;hat so great an artist should make so paltry m exhibition of petty prejudice and ill-bred manners, and pity 'tis that. she should have aad the bad taste to record her own shame in her own handwriting. ' One would like to pave the blank names in full ; who were

Dr. and Mrs ? who was the poor pressman so wantonly snubbed ? and where did it all happen ? Curious it is that artists at the foot of the ladder should be so civil to the Press; and yet, when at the top, should give themselves airs, and prove so ungrateful to those who have materially assisted them in climbing up.