Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Tuesday 22 June 1920, page 3


MUSIC AND DRAMA

The main attractions at the Palace this week include Mac Murray and David Powell in the Royalty masterpiece, "On with the Dance," and an excellent Paramount comedy, "Gee Whiz," with Mack Sennett as laugh

maker.

Huxham's Serenaders are nightly filling- the Temperance-hall, which is the best guarantee of their popularity. The current bill is one of the best in the company's repertoire.

There is another all-star programme

raining at the Strand Theatre. Theda His i a is feat in ill in a Fox production entitled When Men Desire."

The audiences at His Majesty's rl be-title are well catered for this weeks. There is a tin tiling detective film, "Dead line at Eleven, with Corinne Griffith in the lead. There is strong support.

The Allen Doone Company is paying a return visit to Capetown, where, is the course of a four-week' Henson, they singe "Tom More," "The Burglar and the Lady," "Ban v of Ballymore," "Molly- Bawn," and "The Parish Priest." Mrs. Allen Doone left Sydney last week for South Africa.

At a largely-attended meeting of Bi itself Variety Artists' Federation a resolution was unanimously passed, calling upon every member of the federa-tion to refuse to work in any engagement in which Germans are engaged. In the course of the speeches it was contended that English artists who had served in the war were now unable to resume work owing to the influx of foreigner. Mr. Bransby Williams declared that there was no man who was more against strikes than he was, but if it came to a strike on this matter he would be their leader. Mr. Joe O'Gorman thought that the resolution should embrace those artists who were coming ever in the guise of Americans. He mentioned that he was recently in Glasgow, when a "German" topped the bill and another American was playing. I spoke to the German and he told

me that the other Arnotican' was born in Austria."

The producer of "Bran Pie," Mr. -T. W. Jackson, who also staged "Tails Up" and "Oddments" in Sydney, has a good word to say for the Australian girls whom he has under his direction in musical comedy and revue, "They are worked lunch harder out here than in London,"' he observed. Their work is really excellent, securing quick grasp and Includes.-. At the same time, their aspirins is not of such strength as that of the London girls, in my opinion. 'I had. in course, may he due to the yieldcr climatic conditions but when one remembers that here the same perform, cr." i cheat sp a new piece, and play In matinees as, well, winner rising for a Single night, the results achieved are «.3'ccdiiigly creditable. In cleanness and artistic merit, their work is quite up to the best London Standard."

The launching of the new Gilbert and Sullivan Company will shortly take place, tee vc ral members of the recent-ly disbanded grand opera will be found amongst the principals, and the chorus will be a particularly strong one. J. C Williamson Limited have that excellent

musician and conductor, Mr. Gustave Slapoffski, looking after the preliminary details, and no better man could be found for the task. Mr. Slap-oilskin knows the Sullivan formula and its requirements thoroughly-was, indeed, a personal friend of the famed iii atish composer-and will, we may be sure, give a good account of the familiar music, remaining faithful to the best Gilbert and Sullivan traditions.

Two well-remembered English comedy artists;, each of whom played in two consecutive seasons of pantomime in Australia-a sure sign that they were, acceptable to local audiences are Mr. "Pip" Powell and Mr. Henry Roxbury. Both these performers have parts in the latest London Alhambra revue, "Little Johnnie Jones, the bright particular star of which is the renowned George Robey. London also has lately ' witnessed the debut of the Australianborn actor vocalist Mr. Claude Fromracing at Daley's Theatre in "The Southern Maid." a musical comedy which has displaced "The Maid of the Mountains" after a run of 1,352 performances. Mr. Fleming, it is pleas-ing to record, has had a most encourag-ing reception in the part he-as actors put re-created" when "The Southern Maid" was first produced in Manchester three or four years, ago.

Miss Emelie Polini, who may be seen in Hobart at no distant date, is still making most artistic use of the opportunities offered her in "The Little Damozel" at the King's Theatre, Melbourne. But for her versatility, the cleverness with which she marks the difference between the happy, careless little Bohemian girl who doesn't know that she is being fooled and the woman awakening to deep feeling and resent-ment with the knowledge that she has

been scorned the play might (says an I exchange) quite easily have fallen very flat indeed. While the support is quite as good as the opportunity, everything really depends upon the star, and Miss Polini carries the burden with triumphant case.

Mr. Clement May, whose impersona-tions of characters from the works of Dickens were popular in Hobart, is now appearing in the English provinces.

Old Tasmanian theatregoers will be pleased to learn that Miss Daphne Pollard, a member of the well-known Australian theatrical family, is at present appearing in "Joy Back" at the- London Hippodrome, hutt is contemplating a visit to Australia next year In the course of an interview in England she commented upon the fact that, though she had acted in four continents, who had never appeared in hot- native city, Melbourne. Miss Pollard began her career with the Pollard Juvenile Opera Company, in which she played the boy currency parts. One of her most intere-stine,,experiences was the reception

extended to her by the diggers in Paris, where she was appearing in "Zig-Zag" at the time of the air mistice.

31.'. Arthur Roberts, the comedian, has received, from Mr. Charles B. Cochran an offer of "life a year for life-jsiiliout any stipulation as to the numbers- of perfoiniiinvas. Mr. Robert,

Hills decided to accept. While theatrical managers are searching high and. low for four comedians, Mr. t'oi'i-i'.sii I has thus turned to the 'old school,'for Mr. Roberts, who made' his first. appearance on the variety stage for years ago, is 68. Mr Re'-iiU'senfragrance still begin as soon as he signs I the contract, but his first appearance under Mr. Cochrane's management, will probably be in the new revue. 'Lon don, Paris,' and Pu Yi rk," at the London Pavilion IN old home-in

September. -He will be made chiefly in' e-li'iiJii'tri' ¡.kcu-lios." Probably Mr. TtoiiLM'US'ytTiitc.st states wins us the up to-date submit 'of "Gentleman Joe

in which he appeared with Mr-- Kitts Letter. His "loss: comedy" is inimit-able and spontaneous in its, originality

During next Minmnr 'Tasmanian is '?

be visited for the first time in as his story's a company of motion picture.

actors and actresses, whose task it will be to produce a Ta.si11an.a11 love story s for the screen. The company will. very fittingly, be under the direction of a Tasmanian, Mr. Arthur Shirley, who. as already stated in "The Mercury,'' has just returned from America, where he spent six years at Los Angeles, to < headquarters of the motion picture in history, and has formed a company in Sydney, known as ''Arthur Shirley Pro elections," for the making of Australian motion pictures for world-wide distribution. Mr. Shirley has secured! two stories of Tasmania very suitable for the screen, already as written, and li-has made jircliininai.v aiiniigprneiits f'

their production. fine is "The Cap-tive Singer," by Miss Marie Bjelke Petersen, which is as published along two years ago, and has had a is wide circulation, and the other is a second work by the same' authoress, toss- in the publisher s' hands". "The Captive Singer," as those who have read the work will remember, is a love story, the plot of strike is laid upon'.; themountain and case scenery of Northern Tasmania. The second work, the name of which has not yet been disclosed, is a story of the West Coast, and deals with the Mount Lyell mines and the Gordon River one of the finest beautyspots in the whole of Australasia. They should make very beautiful pictures, and should, incidentally, be a very fine advertisement for Tasmania. One daylast week Mr. Shirley lunched at Government House, at the invitation of the Governor, Sir Wm. Allardyce, and His Excellency displayed a keen interest in his undertaking, and offered to allow him to photograph any part of Government House or its grounds that he might wish to include in any Tas Russian picture. The director- of the Government Tourist Bureau Mr. E. T. Emmett) also under took to supply any information required regarding ' Tasmanian beauty spots. Mr. Shirley left Hobart yesterday morning on return to the mainland. After arranging for the establishment of a branch office in Melbourne, he goes to Sydney, as here the company's studios and laboratoriesare now- being elected at Rose Bay. He expects to be ready in about a month to commence the production of his first Australian picture, which is entitled "The Throwback." The Tasmanian pictures

will be undertaken in the summer, when the version, beauty spots to be included are looking their 'best.