POPULAR STAGE HEROES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1262, 25 June 1914, Page 3

POPULAR STAGE HEROES.

Women in the past have almost always been credited witn having an admiration for good looking, men on the stage. Now, however, it seems ideas on this subject are undergoing a change, for we learn, and from no less an interesting and handsome actor than Mr. Matheson Lang (who recently gave his views on the subject to “The Daily Mirror”) that the handsome hero no longer calls forth the greatest admiration from women theatregoers, but the man “who plays strong, masterful, even repulsive characters, is apparently the most popular, and this very popular actor mentioned such characters as Mr. Wu (a terrible Chinaman), Othello, Shylock, and The Old Hag in that popular drama “The Scarlet Pimpernel. Mr. Matheson Lang’s idea, is that women playgoers allow their emotions more scope than men, and so extend their sympathy more readily to any arresting and dominating character being acted. To quote from The Daily Mirror”: —“In other wordsi they admire principally in a male character on the stage exactly the same

qualities that ‘sex interest’ makes a natural woman admire in a man in real life —power and strength, not merely good looks.” . . “No actor loses any ‘Matinee Girl’ admiration through playing such a character as Mr. Wu.” Mr. Lang concluded: “We all value that admiration, whatever any of us may pretend to the contrary —for are not women notoriously the best playgoers and the most delightful audiences to play to?”

The benefit matinee to Mr. W. Holman (one of the oldest actors in New South Wales) was a brilliant success. Mr. Holman’s announcement that Miss Ellen Terry had telegraphed her good wishes together with regrets at being unable to be present, was greeted with vigorous plaudits, and a wildly enthusiastic reception signalled the appearance of an old favourite in Miss Maggie Moore (Mrs. H. R. Roberts). “I -scarce can speak to thank you for myself,” quoted Mr. Holman.

The lilt of Mr. Lauder’s tunes is extraordinarily haunting. Celt and Sassenach both feel their fascination. When he was playing at Lewisham recently, as soon as his turn was finished a woman in the audience hurried out. "The programme is not nearly finished yet,” said the attendant, “there are some fine turns coming on.” “Och, I dinna want to hear ony mair,” she S(aid. “I want to get bame with Harry Lauder’s songs in my heid to keep them there as long as I can.”