Greenroom Gossip

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1505, 27 February 1919, Page 29

Greenroom Gossip

“My firm lost about £lO,OOO as a result of the closing of all theatres during the epidemic last year,” said Mr. Walter Fuller to the By-laws Committee of the Wellington City Council.

Four members of the Gonsalez Opera Company—Count Fillipini (just married to a Sydney girl) and Signors Balboni, Caccialli and Lois —have been appearing recently at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, in “Cavalleria,” “Pagliacci,” and “Rigoletto,” under Frank Rigo’s direction. They have been supported by Australian singers—Leah Meyers (Santuzza), and Nellie Leach (Nedda), while Gustav Slapoffski (musical director) controlled an orchestra of 40 and a chorus of 60. In “Rigoletto” Miss Gertrude Johnson and Miss Gladys Verona alternated as Gilda.

Mr. Harry Cohen, manager of Drury Lane Theatre, London, was married on December 9 to Miss Doris Lumsden (Doris Duane, who made a most successful debut a couple of months ago as Dorothy Brunton’s understudy in “Shanghai”). Among those who sent wedding presents were the principals at Drury Lane, Colonel Geordie Hall, Mr. Angus McLeod (general manager of the Maud Allan-Cherniavski Concert Co. when they toured Australasia), Misses Ivy Shilling and Blanche Tomlin (of the Shanghai Company), Dr. Bradshaw, Major Percy Fordham, Dr. Sydney Allen and Dr. Borrie (Dunedinites now in London). The honeymoon was spent in the south of England.

Madame Clara Butt has been making suggestions for soldiers’ memorials. In a letter to “The Evening News” (London) she suggests that many of the schemes for memorials to our brave fighting men would cost a great deal of money without doing much real good, and puts forward as a really practical scheme the provision of suitable houses for the men and for the dependants they have left behind. “I have always felt,” she writes, “our slums to be a blot on and a disgrace to England. Can we alter this? Let every unsanitary and untenantable house be condemned and plans made to rebuild. Every man who went out there ought to have a house or cottage built, so that his family can be housed decently and comfortably. I know the organisation needed for this will be tremendous, but surely the Church can help us here. Women can help, too. The nation can get the money. Don’t let the houses be ugly; instead of cheap and nasty, let’s have them cheap and nice.”

Mr. H. D. Mclntosh in an article in the “Green Room” concerning his recent visit to America and London, says Miss Dorothy Brunton’s first appearance in “Shanghai” was accompanied by one of the most cordial and remarkable demonstrations ever seen in a London theatre. The house was packed, packed literally to the point of suffocation. Hundreds of Australian soldiers who were unable to find .seats were content to stand. When Dorothy entered there was a perfect hurricane of coo-ees, a roaring crescendo of wild Australian yells. The performance stopped dead while the house rocked, and the performance could not go on until Dorothy, in a tremulous little voice, had made the speech demanded of her. Then each time she came on there was that tremendous fusilade of yells and coo-ees. This is the sort of thing that brings home to the English public what Australian popularity is like, teaches ’em that Australian loyalty is like Australian patriotism where any worthy object is concerned—goes all the way through and runs right over. When the curtain went down that first night Miss Brunton was smothered in flowers, covered up and hidden in the avalanche of them. There were other gifts of all sorts —boomerangs, several complete German uniforms with helmet complete, everything that could possibly be made to go with the joyous occasion. If one of

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the boys could have got Fritz in any sort of condition he would have been brought in, I think. It was not a few lads here and there; it was the whole big body of Australian soldiers present. Nothing . was too good for Dorothy. At a supper given in her honour that night a number of old and new friends were present —Mrs. Brunton, Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, Miss Ivy Shilling, Miss Olive Lenton, Mr. Sachs (the well-known entrepreneur who produced “Shanghai”), several members of the peerage, and the Hon. Mrs. Michael Scott. There were cordial speeches a-plenty. It was a very emphatic compliment for Dorothy, as functions of the kind were not by any means encouraged at that time.

From the “Green Room” we learn that the part of the hero’s jockey in the new Australian racing picture, “Desert Gold,” is played by no less than four people during the six exciting reels. Of these, three were leading jockeys (W. McLachlan, Ken. Bracken and J. O’Shea), and one, an actor, Jerry -Harcourt. In one scene —that of Desert Gold doing an early morning gallop — Jerry Harcourt is seen starting off on Desert Gold. Then, owing to Mr. Lowry (the owner) fearing to allow anyone unfamiliar with the mare to ride her, McLachlan takes Harcourt’s place, and does the gallop. A few weeks later, Beaumont Smith, the producer, decided to make an alteration in the gallop scene, photographing Desert Gold galloping from a moving motor car. Accordingly Ken. Bracken was secured, and rode the mare for the alteration. So in a half-mile gallop three jockeys rode Desert Gold, but, of course, not even the most experienced fan would notice this fact.

Miss Jennie Brenan, the well-known dancing mistress, who has gone abroad to see all the latest in dances and to take in the theatres in America and London, is having a busy time in New York, where she has been doing the big shows with a view to securing for J. C. Williamson, Ltd., new dance effects and features. Writing by the last mail, Miss Brenan said that she had witnessed a number of performances and realised more than ever that the standard of production in Australia could compare more than favourably with that of the American theatres, particularly with regard to musical shows. “So far,” added Miss Brenan, “I have seen nothing that can come up to the staging of the Williamson ‘Goody Two Shoes’ pantomime at Melbourne Her Majesty’s. And as for our chorus and ballet, the American girls cannot compare with ours for looks, style and dancing.”

Mary Pickford’s remarkable rise in the cinematograph world, to a salary and bonus amounting to no less than <£276,000 in two years, was mentioned in the Supreme Court (says the New York correspondent of the London “Daily Express”), when the cinema “star” was sued by Mrs. Cora Carrington Wilkening, theatrical and literary agent, for 10 per cent, of the actress’ contract with the Pickford Film Corporation and 5 per cent, of the income from the sale of articles about her life and experiences through the McClure Syndicate. Mrs. Wilkening alleges that it was by her efforts that Miss Pickford was able to make advantageous contracts. This Miss Pickford denied in the witness box. The £276,000 salary and bonus in two years was due, accord-

ing to Mrs. Wilkening, to the little actress’ displeasure at learning that Charlie Chaplin was receiving more than she. “Miss Pickford came to me,” stated Mrs. Wilkening, “and said she had heard Mr. Chaplin' was making or had made a contract at the highest rate of compensation ever paid an actor. She wanted me to see why Mr. Chaplin should receive more pay than she did.” Miss Pickford denies that she engaged Mrs. Wilkening to represent her.

Of “The Better ’Ole” (to be produced in Melbourne by H. D. McIntosh) Bairnsfather says himself: — “Slowly and unconsciously my drawings grew in number, and out of the pain and turmoil bits of paper arrived in a London newspaper office, and were published, and slowly out in mud-soaked Flanders, in an atmosphere of concentrated hate and cruelty, Old Bill emerged triumphant as the exponent of the finest philosophy in life —the philosophy of cheerfulness and undaunted courage. But it would not have been possible for me to draw one single picture, or part of a picture, had I not shared with others that elementary first-line trench.”