Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), Tuesday 19 August 1913, page 8


A SCINTILLATING ACTRESS.

Muriel Starr and Her Art. ' An Interyeiw. -

[By our Special Reporter ]

It was difficult to say which was really the more musical. Tnere was a ripple of laughter like carelessly flung notes of a flute and a romping melody from a piano.

When thp door opened Miss Muriel Starr's face rivalled the glitter of the afternoon's sunshine and the rosy colours of dawn. It was all aglow with fresh, happv comedy, a roguish gaiety of girlish abandon. On Saturday night I had seen that same face, in a sombre setting of grey clouds and fugi-tive shadows, for, theatrically .speaking, this was Mary Turner, the wrongfully con-victed saleswoman of Gilder's emporium, who, after three years in Sing Sing, turned a thoroughly artistic villain so subtly intel-lectual so skilled in the finesse of criminal resource, that while she never breaks the law she manages to be able to bend it. But that is a stage portrait. Away from the foot lights Muriel Starr is the other side of the penny. It must require some effort to discipline that volatile temperament, to curb those dimpled smiles, and to keep under lock and kev those laughing gea-tures Yet, Miss Starr does it, let me tell you, does it wonderfully, too. That's art. —Better Than the Stage Picture.— Actresses deceive you, though. Some are much better than they appfear from the dress circle and the gallery, and others, alas, are not quite so successful. Now, Miss Starr is much better, very much. She can do without the magic of paint ind pencil and the kind wizarary of the ethereal spot-light This talented young American artist-who charms by the eloquence of her effortiess realism is still almost in the bloom of youth, and youth needs.no artifi-cial colouring There is nothing to hide. Roses, delicate pink ones, are still growing on her cheeks, her big grey-blue eyes burn lustrously and surely Nature, and not com-mon, ugly tongs, must hive attended to the tossing wav es of her light-brown hair. Miss Starr is far superior to her stage picture, attractive as that is, when, of course she hab thrown off the men al garb of the shop girl and blossoms into flowmg silks as rhe haughtv daughter m-law of the rich em ploj er who had sent her to prison. —The Hat Trick — It was Mr. William Murdoch, of the Clara Butt Company, who was playing the piano yesterday I hope I am not telling tales out of school. When I entered the sittmg room for mv interview, he said, "I will take Mr. Talbot down to have a turn at billiards, and let you chat without, in-terlopers." When they had gone Miss Starr told me what a duffer she was at games of skill. "Except on the stage." I corrected. "And I'm not the least bit sure about that," she protested. I laughed at her incredulously . "Really, I'm not," she in sisted. "Well, let vour audiences judge that", I retorted. "How do you account for all that applause on Saturday night? I thought you would get tired bowing jour acknowledgements. Then, don't forget the bouquets. either . You were like a. florist's shop when the curtain fell." "Yes. yes. That was grand." Miss Starr admitted with pardonable enthusiasm. Any actress would have felt elated over a re ception like that. The applause was elec-trical and. spontaneous. "But I mean at games'like billiards, and cricket, and golf," resumed the sunny, musical voice. I can't catch anything and I can't hit any-thing. Wait a minute, though. Yes, coming over in the boat, I did something really wonderful. Thev were playing cricket on board and I had never seen the sport in my life. Madame Clara Butt and Mr. Kennerlev Rumford. who were among the passengers, were experts with the bat and ball. The other side had-.three men;to.go in and seven runs to make to win. My skipper said I would have to bowl. I got the whole three wickets, and we won."

— Dnfted Into It — Miss Starr caught me looking at a wed-ding ring on her finger. She ripped it off and tossed it on the sofa with an elfish laugh. "Don't think I'm married." she explained. "You see I've been playing bridge, and I flatter myself that I am pretty fair at it. I put this on for a mascot, and I had bad luck all the time. My word, I must not forget to take that ring back. Oh, tell me, are there any races on here Saturday? My. I just love borseracing. It's fine. There have not been any contests in America, for .five years.The sport got a bit crooked, so thev cut it out. It's coming along again a bit now." But interesting as this was, it was not "talking shop." So. with one bold, delibe-rate pull, I got the conversation right back on the main track. "How did you come to go on the stage?" I enquired. After Miss Starr had told me, it seemed to be on the lines of the old, twisted adage — "Actresses will happen in the best of regulated families." This par-ticular actress '"just ''sorter' drifted into the profession." How many years ago? Ah. no. Put it-another way, sir. How old was she when she began the life of the footlights? Well, six. Why, 'Miss Starr must lave fallen out of the cradle on to the- boards, that's all about it. She was a Starr then, and she is a star; now, only 'with a different scintillation— and salary. "And I guess, an American. Do you get':it?." "Guess .again," she said. "Do you get me?" "I'm on," i replied. You're a. Cana-dian!"

-First Trip Abroad.--"Right: but 'I iwent to New York when I was six, though I've been on the stage since I.was 19. Yes, I'm 25, but I've had a good:deal of experience. When I was 13 I was a leading woman in cheap melodra-mas. They were great vogue in America at the time, but the pictures have.kIlled them. They were marvellous thrills, those melodramas, I can assure you. I shudder now when I recall them. But I_ don't despise those days. There is nothing by which you can. land your point so. well as by melodrama and after you have had bigger, experience, you can tone the educa-tion down. It generally leaves you with an excellent foundation for strong, illustra-tive acting. .All the people who were as-sociated with me in those spectacular school davs are big actors now." . "This, I suppose, is your first trip away from.the .domestic, apron strings of Ame-rican work?" "Sure. Australia was the place I always wanted to come to. One of J. C. Williamson's representatives saw me in 'Within the Law* and engaged me for a long season out here. I think the people are liking it. You know our season in Melbourne, where we opened. That was intended for: only six weeks, and it ran to 14, breaking all pre-vious records. 'Within the Law' is at pre-sent playing to capacity houses in America and England— enormous business." : —The Idol of. Gallery Girls.— "The drama has had: quite a romantic career!" "Very. First of all.it was a failure, and the author re-wrote it. He dipped his pen in golden ink this time. The piece has become famous, as you ; know. I love, my part. There is such a splendid call for dramatic acting. And do you notice the wonderful climaxes all through. The tech-nique is simply superb. Why, even your gallery girls are, able to appreciate.it." "No." I-said. "They appreciate you. I'm told that in Melbourne they simply loaded you with presents." "Oh, my, yes. I couldn't begin to tell you all they gave me— a beautiful umbrella, jewel cases, handkerchief boxes, hundreds of handkerchiefs, embroidered by themselves, pin cushions— Oh, I can't remember, them, really. I could, start a shop with' the pre-cious articles." "In opposition to the Gilder Emporium," I suggested. Miss Starr laughed heartily at the recollection of Mary Turner's tra-gical association with that notorious shop, the^'trip up the river,' and the subsequent embarkation on a career of romantic crime. "There must have been 200 girls down at the train to see me off. This was a novel experience for me. In America we don't .have gallery girls in the same sense that you have them. The seats are dearer, and you 'don't have quite the same class." I found Miss Starr's personality such a sparkle of merriment that I asked her if she had ever tried comedy. "Never," she answered. "Never. I wonder how I would get along with it after so many years of drama. Do vou know, I'm awfully nervous about myself! I shake every night before I start my 'performance. I tremble like a kitten at first, but it all passes .off. But 1 suppose I'll lose that when I get a really big artist." Really big! Why, she's that now.