AMUSEMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2657, 12 November 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

AMUSEMENTS.

HIS MAJESTY’S

LOCAL FIXTURES

Putko Pictures.—Nightly. Nov. 15, 10, 17. —Pollard’s Juvenile Opera Company.

Saeco-Homan, who is abstaining from food in_ Melbourne just now for a period of 53 days, ought to be a good fasting man —he comes from Hungary. The starving man’s favorite piece of literature when fasting is Mrs Beeton’s cookery book !

Miss Norali Delaney, a young Australian actress, who played with success for three years in Clarke, Meynell, and Gunn’s com names, lias now an engagement with Miss Evelyn Millard to understudy her, and is playing a small part in “Idols” on tour in Scotland.

Mr Myles Clifton, not long since in Australia under the J. C. Williamson management, is playing the bailiff, Loustot, in Mr George Dance’s pro'duction of “Voronique,” at the London Coronet. The Florestan of the same cast is Mr Roland Bottomley, the bandmaster when Meynell and Gunn first .staged “Miss Hook of Holland” in Australia.

“The Catcli of the Season” did not meet with any great share of popular approval in Melbourne, and its withdrawal was announced for a revival of “The Merry Widow” at Cup time. The cast of the Lehar Opera was the same as when seen in Gisborne, with the exception that Maurice Dudley was to take the Percy role of Nisch.

Major du Maurier, the author of “An Englishman’s Home,” the remarkable invasion play which aroused so much excitement all over Great Britain left Capetown in September cn route for England. Major du Maurier was in South Africa with his regiment at the time of the play’s production, so that lie has never seen it acted. Ample opportunity will be afforded the author of witnessing his play, however, as more than one capital company is touring the English provinces with it.

Joe Gardiner, the young Hackenschmidt, announced as the champion featherweight wrestler of the world, is at present touring New Zealand, and will shortly be visiting Gisborne and appearing at the Theatre, when an opportunity will be given to all featherweights to try a throw with him. Gardiner will forfeit £5 to anyone lasting 15 minutes. It is only three months since Gardiner arrived in New Zealand, and since then he i.s said to have defeated every lightweight wrestler of note in the North Island.

The death of Mr Clyde Fitch, the American dramatist, occurred at Chalons, in France. He wa.s staying at the Hotel Haute Mere de Dieu when he was seized with an acute attack of appendicitis. He had immediately to he carried to the surgery of Dr. Alquier, at the Chalons-sur-Marne, where he was operated upon by Drs. Delaunay van Vyvo and Alquier. _ After a slightimprovement in his condition, there was a relapse, which proved fatal. The deceased author leaves behind him a considerable mass of literary work on which he was engaged.

Mr Anderson, who has just returned to Australia, obtained the Australian rights of a new play by Mr Hall Caine, which is to be produced in London, and he made arrangements to have the firstcall on all plays by the .same author produced in London within the next three years. Nat Gould was persuaded by Mr Anderson to write a play for him. It is to be called. “The Chance of a Lifetime, ’ and will deal with the stealing of the Ascot Golds. Cup. Mr Anderson has various otho' attractions for Australia, including a musical comedy company, headed by Mis.s Ada Reeve.

An amicable arrangement of some sort has been arrived at by the Clarke-Meynell-Gunn firm, Williamson, and Anderson, whereby, instead of flying at each other’s throats, they agree to browse peaceably side by side. The principal reason for this is the extravagant bidding for plays by one firm against the other in London. Also, three pantomime shows threatened to eventuate in Melbourne at Christmas. Now, thereTl be only one—at Her Majesty’s; the Royal will have the Asclies, while Anderson’s threatened pantomime will be abandoned, and the hero will be unjustly accused as usual.

Miss ,Marie Dressier, who, since her fiasco at the Aldwych in London, has been abusing the English public and theatrical managers, has now filed, in the United States District Court, a petition in bankruptcy under her name in private life, Leila Ivoerbcr. Her liabilities are £4577. Her only assets consist of liecessarv wearing apparel, worth £2O. Miss Dressier lias given the following reason for her failure in an interview in the “North American” ; “Because they hate us Americans so”; and lias said of her creditors in an interview in the New York “World”; “I haven’t got a sparkler left, and couldn’t go to a Tammany ball if I wanted to. And still they’re after me. Want mv body and soul next, I suppose. iShylock must have been an Englishman, I think. They’ll stick like barnacles to a catboat if you owe them a cent.”

There is a well-known story of the late Sir Henry Irving being reduced to a state of desperation when drilling a super for one of his productions. “When the king approaches, look your hatred like this.” and the great actor contorted his features into a baleful expression of malevolence. “If I could look like that,” the man replied,. “Id bo a £IOO a week star, not a super at 2s 6d a night.” a rehearsal oi “The Cheat,” at the Theatre Royal, in Sydney, the other day, MV Priestly Morrison was in much the same fix as Sir Henry Irving. Ho was endeavoring to get a group of supernumeraries to" portray the savagery of Afghans over an English captive. After an hour’s’directions, lie began to lose Ins patience, and’, having other work to do, turned liis material over to an assistant. The assistant, in his turn, had something to say, and with one super in particular ho waxed slightly satirical. “You look,” lie remarked, “just about what an Afghan would look if he didn’t look as lie did look!” “I mav not be able to look like an Afghan,” said the baited one, with sudden ferocity, “but,” menacingly, “I might tell you I’ve won a few fights at the Gaiety in my time.” “That’s what I want,” said the assistant stage manager, with presence of mind. “Get that expression into this scene, and I’ll recommend you for a rise in salary!”