FOOTLIGHT FLASHES AND MOVIE GOSSIP

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 216, 12 October 1929, Page 9

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES AND MOVIE GOSSIP

FADE OUT OFTHE STARS The talkies are not solely to blame for the eaiualties arnong the screen stars. With the advent of the talkies, only more ground is being added to the graveyard of tlie movies, that limbo of forgotten stars which already has elaimed the remains of hundreds of ouco sciutillant scrcen porsonages. Already tlie wraiths of Clar'a Jihnball Young, Carlyle Elackwell, Mae Marsh and Mny Ailisou are hcing ordered to uiove over to mako room for those of Emil Jannings, C'onrad Yoidt, and Louise Brooks. And, jueauwhilc, eongestion is beconiing serious. A preponderant nlajority of tlie neiv arrivals are, of course, coming to tlieir denths through the exaetions of the talkmg picture. But what of that vast ariny of forgotten stars which fell into oblivion long bcfore such things as talkies wero eveiy dreained of? How did they come by tlieir deaths? What, for example, caused Theda Rara to plunge into obscurity? .What holocaust overtook Charlie Itay ? ' Wliy did the Farnums— Hustin, iiill and branklyn — drop out of siglit? Let us see! J11 the instauce of Yliss Bara, the answer is easy. Her manner of histriomcs, if any, mercly become outmoded. vSlie smeared it on so thickly, too, that wlien the end finally did come it came with such devastating elfeet that it left her gasping. Tlie same fate overtook Betty Blytlie, Dagmar Godowski, iSita Naldi and Virginia Pearson. The Ko-calfed "he-man" of the same period travelled the same road which Jeads straight to oblivion. And tliey, too. may put down their loss of prestige to a change in public taste. Tiiere were for example, the above-mentioned Farnums. George Walsh, Francis X. Bushman, and^ Tom Santschi. All went into tlie limbo, altbough you now see^ Tom Santschi occasionally. 'Ihe okl-time leading men, tliose for"bears of your Valentiuos, la Rocqucs, and Colenians, also were witLered by i he yruel hand of clianging conditions. You all remember Maurice Costello, (or example. And Harry Alyers and Conway Tearle and Perc-y Alarmont, and House Peterfi and Carlyle Blackwcll and Lou Tellegen. I'here were otliers, too, such as Harold Lockv, ood a,id Wally, Reidj, those who passed away wliile at the height of tlieir eareers. . . * - Costello is istill around, living in Hollywo'od," buf 'it is liis daugliters, Dolores and Helene, "who are now the scintillant personages of the family. Harry Alyers may still be seen in pictures, but lie now has taken to character paris, and he is very good in them too. Blackwell is living in England and occasionaly appearing in a movie, but he has lost interest, after he married an heiress. Marmont also malces ari oecasional picture in England. 'J'he most reeent coterie to be outmoded are those so-ealled "Western stars" — tlie "where-meu-are men" boys. What caused tliis change in iniblic taste is sometbing of a mysterv, but change the public did, and left Tom Mix and his brotlier cowboys higli and dry. There were a number of thesc. you will recall, tlie most important of wliom were Mix, tlie late Fred Tliompson, Tiin McCoy, Hoot Gihson. William S. Hart, Jack Holt, Buzz Barton and "Art Accord. Almost all have gone by the boards, but you'll notice tliat tlie two who roalJy are liolding on liave " changed tlieir mode of expression. Jack Holt b'as "ono hack to tlie drawiug-room, and doing it very well, and Gibson is taking uj> adventurous subjects, such as air stories and the like. Others who disappeared from the movie scene are the child actors who ''growcd up." Jackie Coogan, for example, and Ben Alexander, the Lee vSisters, Wesley Barry and Babv Peggy Montgomery. Some of tliese.will come back as young men and young women/ perhaps, as did Virginia Lee Corbin. iScandal. of course, had its hand in helping io lill the graveyard, althougli, in some instances, the scandal was greatly exaggerated. For example, there have been any number of scandals in Hollywood vastlv more repreIiensible tliau that which barred '"h/jtty Arbuckle" from tlie screen. There are the names off-hand of Mabel Xormand and Mary Miles Minter. Finallv, there have been a nnmber of disappearaiices from tlio screen, each for a jmrticular reason. Charles Bay. for a particular example, came to believe .himself such a world-beatcr iliat lie decided to finance his owA production coinpany, and lie went to tlie wall. Buth Boland made so many millions in Hollywood real estato that she could find no time for film studios. Coristanco Tclmadgo appears to liave had too niudi private fife — that is, private life wliich becamo iiublic. FAUSTAFF IN SPATS Oscar -Asche, the famous Australian actor, has answered in a decided affirmative tlie question of whether Shakespeare_ can be producvd in a modevn setting, with his production, of "Tlie Merrv Wives of "Windsor" for the British Euipire Shakespeare Societv, say.s the Dailv Mail. As Falstaff, Mr Asche is a wliite-spatted, top-liatted, beer drinker, who is baited anew in Mrs Page's boudoir over the butcher's sliop in Higli Street, Windsor. Slender beconies a silly ass in plus fours, waggling a golf chlb. Parson Evans, armed with an umbrella. rides a pushhike. Fenton motor-cyeles from Oxford and takes sweet Anne Page pil-lion-riding. Mrs Ford, who smokes cigarettes in a cliain telephones Mrs Quiekly., who is a seedy charwoman, but is sitilf fnll of the ' Shakespearia'n q u ick_s;l ve h, o L intrigu e and. duplicity. Mr Asch©. even cleverly monkeyed with the text :. presentihg - a slender greyhound. which runs in the Wemhlevraces. - _•*

A PRODUCER CONFESSES Consistenqy is the essential.of a good producer, savs George Henrv Trader, an American actor and producer of long experience with ihe J. C. Williamson coinpany playmg "Applesauce" and "Pigs." "A producer has to kuow the inner motive of a play and tlien buikl up to that. keeping as elose to tlie autlior as possible. I believe in authors. If tliev kuow how to write for tlie. theatre tlioy should be respectod, but tlie best authors usually write strata plays. Tlierc are strata plays and plays lor tlie niultitude. Strata pieces are i'or intimate tlieatres, where tlie audiences know what to expect. 'J'hey will bo asked to tliink at strata plays Barrie, for example. Jf over we wanted to cliange a Hue in a Barrie pieeo wlicn I was with Manrle Adams, who played them all in the Statcs. we wired to England to ask perare built up and altered liy constructive playwriglits and produccr.s 111 the nii.ssion. Plays for tlie mnltitudo States, mucli as moving pictures are made. A manager will read a play and see some possibilities in it. He may not like tlie liame or the plot, but he sees sometliing, and then lie sends for the producer most capable of liandliug that tvpe of "play, and lets ln'm make it over. A producer has got to know what he's after — the heart interejt, the big liuman appeal, the humour, or tlie tense tragedy — and go for that. It's easy enough to get laughs, but that isn't everytliing. 1 remember when Franlc Baeon fell ill and was put of tlie cast of 'Lightnin' ' they sent for a big vaudeville istar to play tlie part. He said: "I'll sliow you tlie amount of fun there is in this thing.' He doubled the laughs and lialved tlie audiences. Nor is cliaractcr acting all. Why, for instance. was Joscph J efferson able to play Ttip Vah Winkle' continuously for 25 ycars? Not becau.se he gave a fine study of an old man only. It was becriuse lie has the essehce of the play, and gave the footliglits. Again, take 'Cliarley's Aunt.' Tlierc are lots of plays witli as many laughs * in them, liut here yo.u gefc tlie combination of laughter and eharacter and behind both a liuman interest. That's why it lives. I am a gre.at belicver in goiug after a big emotion when it is in a part or a play, arid letting .it rip. Life — real- life — is full of big omotlohs, and we all. have our big • nioments. "When oue man' sboots 'anotlier he doesn't go up to liim aud point a pistol and say: Excnse nie, won't you. Bing! and then wallc casually away. We all lose our tempers. Come down and watch us do it auy dav. Natural acting must l'olloiv real life, and real life isn't so very restrained". * * * STORY FROM NEW YORK j An excellent storv concernihg Beatrice Lillie,' the Lonclon stage star, who is enjoying a great success in America, is lieing retailed in New York etago circles. Miss Lillie, who is Lady Peel. was taken to Oalifornia to make a talking picture. She was taken in to the more ac-tive social sets and shown a good deal of attention. As Lady Pccl she was invited to a good many functions, and Bee Lillie she was . welcoined at numerous parties. At oue of the largest functions she was entertained by a millionaire of national rejiutation and stage leanings. With jiride he showed her over the grounds, brilliant under tlie stars and glowing with elcctrical ligliting arrangeuients. Knowing tliat the conventional exprcssions of awe j and wonder would bo cxpected from her, Miss Lillie kindly releasej them, but was also coustrained to add tliat there was sometbing about tlie perfection of the Californian nights that made sucli a scene just seem a little" like a stage picture, "There was sometliing just a wee bit avtificial about its beauty." "But it isn't," protcsted lier liost. "It isn't in tlie least artificiaL The trees, tlie flowers, ihe skv, the stars — they're all real." "I know it," admitted the eomedienne, "but still I can't lielp tliiiiking tliat tliose «tars arp going to start rolling in a minute and when tliey quifc they will spejl 'Marion Davies.' "

ifi V ACTING IN LONDON Tlie best acting on tlie Londn stage just now is coming from two actresses wliose combined ages total 129 years— 3Mrs Patrick Campbell and Miss Marie Tempest, says tlie Loudon Daily Mail. "Mrs Campbell, 111 'The Matriarch' at the Royal Theatre, and Miss Tempest in 'The Sccond Mrs Fraser,' at tlie Hnvniarket, are giving performances which, iu poiut of iiistinctivo cleverness. arc miles ahcad of anythiug 011 the AVcsh End stage." I quite agree ; and a notewortliy thing is tliat each actress is plaving a part away from her usual style. Jn "Tlie Matriarch," Mrs Campbell is playing comedy; in "Tlie Sccond Mrs Fraser," Miss .Tempest is mucli less of a eomedv actress tlian she generally is. The caso of Mrs Campbell is the more remarkabie in that of late years she has acted comparatively seldom. She is one of the few remaining feminine links 011 tlie stage with tlie great days of George Alexander, Pinero and Tree. I understand that, at the age of 64, her salary is still more than £100 a week, and that she is still tlie dominating personality in tlie theatre tliat she ajways was. As for her performance at the Royalty. it is constantly being quoted as one of tlie — if not the— best pieces of acting in town. The eharacter is tliat of a dominating, kindlv old Je.wish woman, w-ho rules everyone. When tlie play was submitted to the management whicli presents it. the decision. was. that only one actress in tlii.i'conntry "cPula really play the leading .part— Mrs Campbell." -.She agreed to-do so, nnd -now -eyery audiencoithat" sees the play ='is-in a'diniration of her art.-' It i's a brilliant '"comeliack" after a longish aKsence from the London stage.

STAGE CHAT Guy Bates Post was playing "The Masquerade: in Sun Francisco when the last mail lelt. * * Nellie Bramlcy was playing "Uncle Tom's Cabin" when the last mail left. It was her 72nd successive week 111 Brisbane. =!: * f Juno Miils, who makes lively contribution.s to "Show Boat'' as Queenie, tlie "colonred" eook, has heen %seen olteu in vaudeville in Australia and New Zealand. Miss AlilLs has also assisteil in ihe comedy of panLomimc, and she 1ms played eharacter partg in comedy and drama. * • * * Adele C'rane. wlio appeared iu Auckland last in "The Studcnb Prince" and "Madame Pompadour," is to be married to lan Bubini. Ihe musical d iroctor of the Capitol Theatre, Sydney. They will go to America, where Miss C'rane will make singing pictures for Yitaphonc. % Edyth Goodall, the actress, dicd recentJy at _ her honie in Warwick Square, ATictoria, G.AV. About three moiiths ago sbe nnderwent a serious operation at Guy's ITospital and althcugh it was successful she never seemed to regain licr liealth. Miss Goodall, w-ho embarkqd 011 her stage career as a tonring actress, niacle a name for hersclf when she joined Miss Horniman's repertorv company at the Gaiety Theatre Manchester her best known part being tliat of Fanny Hawtliorn in "Hindlo AYalces." THEATRE BOOKINGS. NAPIER: Octnber 15 — Westminster Glee SingerB. October 26 and 2S. — Thirty Tliousand Club, "Jaiie." November 2. — William Heughan. November 15 and 16. — Desert Song. Novcmher 30. — Napier Operatio Society. Dccember 2, 3 and 4.— Napier Operatic Society, HASTINGS. October 16 and 17. — Westminster Siugcrs. October 31 — William Heughan. November 13 and 14— J. C. Williamson. .