SIR CHARLES WYNDHAM.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1499, 16 January 1919, Page 32

SIR CHARLES WYNDHAM.

The death occurred in London on January 12 of Sir Charles Wyndham, aged 82. The famous actor-manager was born in Liverpool in 1837, his father being a London doctor, and he himself studied medicine and took his degrees in London. He, however, was always interested in theatrical matters, and had frequently acted as an amateur before his first professional appearance at the Old Royalty Theatre early in 1862 in “Carnation of Carnation Cottage.” After six months on the stage, he went to America, where he joined the Confederate Army as surgeon. On leaving the army in 1863, he returned to the stage in New York, acting with John Wilkes Booth, brother of Edwin Booth, and assassin of President Lincoln. He returned to Lon-

don in 1865, and played in a wide series of plays during the next 30 years. In 1896 he received a remarkable testimonial from his colleagues to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of his management of the Criterion. An afternoon performance at the Lyceum and an evening at the Criterion realised the sum of £2452, which he handed over to the Actors’ Benevolent Fund. In November, 1899, he opened Wyndham’s Theatre with a revival of “David Garrick,” one of his greatest masterpieces, and gave the receipts, amounting to £4OOO, to the Soldiers and Sailors’ Families’ Mission. He appeared before the late King Edward (then Prince of Wales) at Sandringham in 1887 in “David Garrick,”, at Windsor Castle, 1903, in the same play, and at Windsor, 1907, in “Still Waters Run Deep.” Sir Charles was knighted in 1902 by the late King Edward on the occasion of his coronation.

The English Pierrots are doing excellent business at Perth, and are looking forward to their visit to New Zealand again in four months’ time.

Mr. G. S. Douglas-Macaul sends a line from Otago to say the Fisk Jubilee Singers had to cancel their Melbourne dates owing to epidemic and steamer difficulties. Mr. Macaul incidentally pays a glowing tribute to Nurse Maude —that wonderful woman —for her magnificent work during the scourge. The Fisks are playing returns in the Otago district, and if they can’t get over to Australia in time contemplate a trip to America. • * ♦ » Two young daughters of Miss Ada Reeve (Mrs. Cotton) are in Sydney, being under engagement to Mr. Hugh Mclntosh for the Tivoli circuit. * * * < J. C. Williamson, Ltd., have secured the Australasian rights of the Sessue Hayakawa pictures, made by the Japanese actor with his own company and under his own management. ♦ * • • Mr. Tom Haverley is to produce in Dunedin his latest revue entitled “Murphy in the Trenches,” which is to have all the familiar Bairnsfather touches.

Mr. Gerald Griffin, the Irish singing comedian who was here a couple of years ago on the Fuller circuit, is due in New Zealand about March with some novelties he intends producing during an Australasian tour.

Mr. Victor Beck has received an interesting letter from Will Percy, dated October 27 —consequently before armistice. Percy was then writing from Leeds (England), where he was still on tour with “The Boy” company, doing great business. He stated that he had just signed a sontract with a well-known firm to appear in a West End London theatre, he taking the character of the butler in the well-known comedy “Betsy,” which has been re-written by Max Pemberton especially for the cast engaged to produce the play. Referring to the “write up” appearing in the “Review” last August, Percy says: A reporter reading same, commented on the word “Home” (with a capital “H”), meaning Australia, then added, “When the Germans undertook to destroy the peace of the world they did not make allowances for the overseas colonies — which went to make up the strength of the British

Empire. They will now recall ‘Der Tag’ with aching hearts.” The above engagement of Percy will now delay his anticipated trip to Australasia for some considerable time, but since it means his opportunity to “star” in London, well, the delay is certainly worth while.

Mr. Barry Pain is doing the scenario of a film history of the aeroplane.

Amongst the wonderful attractions in the J. C. Williamson pantomime “Goody. Two Shoes” is the “miraculous tent,” which gradually comes into view on the stage, then mysteriously disappears after an apparently endless chain of people has emerged from it. Another effect, more dazzlingly spectacular though not so mysterious, is a huge crystal globe that fills the whole theatre with its radiance while it revolves in the centre of the stage, the lights on it changing to all the colours of the rainbow, though there is not an electric lamp in it. But more beautiful than any of these is the spectacle of a lovely bubble, with a bewitching young girl inside looking like another Venus that has arisen from the sea.

The cast in “Hearts of the. World” could hardly be improved upon. The most distinctive character in the story is The Little Disturber, delightfully played by Dorothy Gish, who is revealed as a comedienne of the first water. Her characterization of the little street singer, vixenish, but

frank and good-hearted, is a positive delight. To her falls the greater part of the comedy, and she handles is like a veteran. Robert Harron, as always, is highly satisfactory from every angle, and appears in this production not as a weak boy, but as a man of full stature^ —an American who gives his services to the cause of France. George Siegmann, as the brutal German Secret Service agent, duplicates his success in “The Birth of a Nation” as does also Mrs. Josephine Crowell, who forms the centre of a horrible tragic scene after she has been wounded by a German shell.

Miss Beatrice Holloway is at present one of the leading spirits in the latest Tivoli Revue, “Bubbly.” When I look back over last year,” says this sprightly little actress, “I realise that it is the most remarkable in my career. I never thought for a moment last Christmas that my association with Mr. Hugh D. M’lntosh would lead me where it has. Twelve months ago if anybody had suggested that in a year’s time I would be singing and dancing on the stage I would have laughed in their face; yet here I am singing songs in “Bubbly,” at the Tivoli and even dancing. Such are the changes Father Time brings about in our lives.”

The engagement by the Fullers of Driver Jim Gerald and Essie Jennings as dame and principal boy for their “Bluebeard” pantomime has some elements of romance, says the Svdnev “Sun.” Gerald was offered the engagement while serving in Mesopotamia. The Fullers, having fixed the dame, started to look for Essie Jennings to be principal boy. They cabled to Gerald asking her whereabouts, and he replied, “In Bombay, waiting to nurse me when I get knocked.” It transpired that Essie Jennings, forbidden to go to Mesopotamia, had got as near to the front as possible, and had secured an engagement in India. In Bombay she played for 18 weeks, but fortunately had never to leave off entertaining to nurse Gerald, who came happily through three years strenuous warfare.

The huge audience at Melbourne Theatre Royal on Boxing Night that welcomed the American comedy star, M. B. Figman, and his leading lady, Lolita Robertson, in “Nothing but the Truth,” included a crowd of Americans. At the end of the performance the gorgeous flowers handed to Miss Robertson included a number of tributes draped with the United States flag. At the conclusion of the performance, Mr. Figman made a neat little speech of thanks.

Billy le Brun, who constitutes the four quarters of the dancing donkey in the Fuller pantomime in Sydney, “The Babes in the Wood,” has played almost every animal it has been possible for writers to put into pantomime. His first animal impersonation was as the donkey at the Drury Lane 20 years ago, when Nellie Stewart was principal boy. Le Brun remained at Drury Lane for eight consecutive pantomimes. But his first Christmas showing in London goes back 21 years, when he sang and

danced in pantomime at Crouch End in a-show in which the original Jennie Lee was principal boy and George Dean, an entertainer well known to Australians, was also in the cast. »-. • • • In “Goody Two Shoes” J. C. Williamson, Ltd., have catered plentifully for the children without in any way detracting from the attractiveness of the pantomime for the grown ups. The specialties make a strong appeal to the children as well as the adults. Jewel’s Marionette Circus, presenting “Circus Day in Toyland,” is a complete curcus performance in miniature, .animals included. The Kenna Brothers in their acrobatic specialty, “By Aeroplane to the North Pole,” are seen in an act that is as well known in America and England as it is on the Continent of Europe. Another feature of unusual interest is

“The Toy Soldier,” in which Fred. Walton has achieved fame in England and America for the past 14 years. * * • A new theatre has been opened at Whakatane. The building seats 700 persons, and the total cost is stated to be about £5OOO. » * * * At the great Drury Lane Pageant played in London for patriotic purposes, no less than three Australianborn actresses played important parts—Miss Marie Lohr played Lady Teazle, Miss Madge Titheradge played a leading part, and Miss Ivy Shilling appeared as a Columbine in the Harlequinade. On the same occasion the veteran Miss Genevieve Ward appeared as Lady Macbeth. • * » » Queries the “Musical Courier,” New York: “Is the greatest pianist the one who attracts the largest box office receipts, or gets the best press notices, or receives the loudest applause, or most impresses the learned listeners, or best pleases the lay hearers, or is given the greatest number of engagements, or is handed the biggest laurel wreath with his national colours, or is in most demand by piano houses for endorsements of their instruments, or who has the most stupendous technic, or who is most poetical without being analytical, or who is most musical without being poetical or technically masterful? We pause for breath and for an answer.” • • • »• • The fact that Madame Sarah Bern- i hardt has just celebrated her 73rd birthday inspires a smart stage writer in an English contemporary to reminisce as follows: In 1862 she

wrote in her diary, “entree a la Comadie Francaise,” and since then she has been the darling of two worlds, fitful, capricious; but ever a great artist, a gift of the gods. I remember her as the dreamy, wraithlike “Princesse Lointaine,” the Faraway Princess of Rostan, as the melting Magdalene in “La Dame aux Camelias” (and what other could have transmuted the bathos of Dumas into the gold of art?), as the raucous wreck of womanhood in “La Femme X,” as the gallant, lonely little prince in “L’Aiglon,” and none beholding it could ever forget the sober beauty of her “Jeanne D’Arc.” In the low vibrant passion of her recitation of the “Marseillaise” there breathed the spirit of Eternal France; and I can see her now sitting, but a year ago, indomitable still; when she spoke in the pageant of the cathedrals of un-

redeemed France her voice still ranging easily from horror to hope unquenchable. And no further back than 1916 she gave her favourite recreation as “lawn tennis!” Once when she was appearing at a London music hall the Irish-American manager of “The Seven Soubrette Sisters,” an assemblage of young women who played the intermezzo with generous tremolo effects, and sang very flat indeed —suggested to me that Madame Bernhardt was past working, and would be better tend-

ing her garden. I had to tell him that there was only one thing that could refresh me more than his opinion on the great French lady’s act, and that would be Bernhardt’s remarks about the Seven Sisters, which, from my one interview with her, I should say would be pungent. * * ♦ * Mr. Robert Williamson is hopeful that the Muriel Starr Company will arrive in Auckland in a few days’ time, ready for opening in “The Bird of Paradise.”