WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1930.
*
MUSIC DRAMA FILMS
CARAVAN OF MUSIC city of this tour: but id it pro TALKING FILMS IN SIX
NOMADO.
mise him the rest which he s0 badly needed? Not at all
He harried away to prepara for the Wagner season -ho is to
LANGUAGES.
Music World's Claphame at Bayreuth, after which he Hollywood Out to Make
Junction.
SPELL OF TUNE.
Once upon time on Mount Olympus the spell of music was woven exclusively by the muses Krato and Polyhymala."
There is no record of any in- trusion Mercury. Yet in this mstange mythology seems to have been a poor prophet of fact. To- diny the fleet-footed delty reigne supreme in the world of music.
The world's greatest travellers are no longer sun-tanned men of
take on the 'Scala at Milan, and then back to New York:
Albert Contes, our own grent Raster of Wagnerian effect, travels with the best of them. When things were. getting musi- cally but in London he was in Berlia and Parla, while now that the caravan has passed on he is off to conduct in New York, at lowing himself just time to get back to Moscow In the autumn.
Nomáda? Yes, indeed; with all the pathetic charm of the race. I have talked to most of them, know some intimately and can de- tect the real article in a moment
of conversation. They are fult of the last place they were playing
at the moment, and uncertain as to where they will be on the
*
iren. They are merely creatures, not quite sure where they are of musical genius! Fame in their art depends less upon the posses.. xion of an expressive soul, a law-morrow, less technique or a aming tem perament than upon the ability to suffer the discomforts of inces sont travel.
This week with Covent Garden elosing on Friday (writes Gordon
Buckles in the Daily Express).-- London will see the last of the lang caravan of nomads which encircles the globe each year. treating the British capital as 'n sort of Clapham Junction.
Tenora, violinists, baritones, cbnductors, sopranos, fiddlers, and basses, will all have passed by into the mysterious mirage that hovers beyond the horizon of our everyday London life.
They disperse and this is no mere phrase-making-to the four corners of the earth..
There are at least a Lozen famous musical people who to my own knowledge-travel up- vards of thirty thousand miles a year. Unlike performers in other branches of ait they do not des- pise the small communities.
When-Kreisler-comes-to-Eny- land he plays in the West End; but he also plays up and down the country in a way that no £50-a- week musical comedy actress would dream of doing! He visits Hull, Bristol. Plymouth, Halifax, Aberdeen and Blackpool. And then returns again to play in London, before departing for Ger- many, Italy, Australia or the Ar- gentine for a similarly compre- herisive tour.
Ian not at all sure whether this lack of snobbery may not be hallmark of the real greatness. Let us take Parlova, the greatest dancing name of this country.
There is a glamour about, the choreographic art that hints of great theatres and the metropoli. tan cachet. Pavlova disregarda all this aspect; she has circled the globe seven times in almost as many years.
They talk of strange restaurants and streets.
They say "You know, I was in 42nd Street the other day, and whom do you think I saw?" Or. elae it is "Have you been to that new place in the Kurfursten damm?"
Home means a Hart of place hidden away in their memories of youth, They are restless, and rnost of them without hobbies. Satellites rather than friends fall to their lot.
And now the tail end of the yided London-and Europe-with caravan, is moving on. It has pro-
the most varied musical spectacle, in history during the past eight months. The head of the caravan is fifteen thousand miles away. it will reach us again in the au- tumn!
DIXIE WHISPERS.
'',
Walter Catlett and Dixie Lee in the Fox Movietone. Musical Extravaganza · “Let's Go Places," showing at the Queen's Theatre from Sunday.
A LANGUAGE FOR TALKING FILMS.
Oxford forgot her Latin and Greek and welcomed har Esper-
anto visitors in the most modern of modern languages.
Them International.
THE CHINA MAIL.
(ROUND THE CINEMAS HUSBAND BLAMED.
„WARNER_BAXTER, THE
DANGEROUS MALE.
____WIFE_OBTAINS_MONEY_BY_ FALSE PRETENCES.
ALL TALKING GLYN FILM.
ASSAULT ON POLICE.
A fascinating and intriguing A Chinese man and his wife Elinor Glyn story and a cast of appeared before Mr. T. S. Whyte unusual excellence make "Such Men Smith yesterday afternoon to an Am Dangerous," Fox Movietone all swer charges as under- New York, July 10.
talking drama, a triumphant B1Z0- The man. Assaulting the Since the coming of talking films, cess 'aa screen entertainment. It Police, and attempting to rescue motion pictures are no longer inter-began an engagement at the Queen's his wife from custody, national in scope, declared Mr Theatre on Sunday and was greeted | The woman. Obtaining monez
his return from Europe. Jesse Lasky, the film magnate, after enthusiastically-by an audience that by false pretences.
| filled every seat the house.
The case for, the prosecution, To meet the demand for talking Warner Baxter, who came into as outlined by Delective-Sergeant pictures in the language of the prominence for his performance as Meadows was that, following a different nations be announced that the "Cisco Kid" in "In Old Arizona," complaint received on August 26 this year more than sixty feature portrays, the leading male role and from the accountant of the Wing pictures would be produced in reveals a new and delightful Baxter On firm of building contractors Europe by the Paramount Corporan a most difficult characterisation. that he had been swindled, tw tion, of which he is first vice-The leading feminine role is enacted detectives were sent to the man's President, in six different languages by Catherine Dato Owen appearing house at 8.30 p.m.
They hid -French, Spanish, German, Italian, as the beautiful bride who deserts whilst the accountant paid the Swedish and Hungarian.
her husband on the night of their wages of several hundred men and "We can no longer produce pie-wedding on account of his repulsive women coolies employed on work tures in New York and Hollywood nass. She is practically a now at the new reservoir at Shelclaipui, for the whole world," he said. comer to the, acreen, but is, never The coolies were paid according "Whenever an artist speaks moretheless, a talented actress and to the amount of work done and than one language he be possessed of both charm and extra had to produce slips from the fore- utilised in foreign productions as ordinary beauty.
man bearing two chops. The well as in American pictures."
"Such Men Are Dangerous" em-woman presented slips to the braces everything to recommend it value of $8,64. These were found -suspense, thrills, and dramatic to be forged, and when she was aituations that make the heart beat naked where she had got then: fast.
from she said that someone had given them to her. When arrest- ed she told the detectives that she had picked up the slips in the street
F
FILM TAX.
will
PATRONS TO STAND BURDEN IN AUSTRALIA.
THE DANCE OF LIFE."
Six original and tuneful musical numbers were written for Pata:
Whilst she was in custody her mount's picturisation of the stage husband came and tried to rescue success, "Burlesque," under the title her, and after a struggle in which "The-Dance of Life." The numbers he was alleged to have assaulted
the Police, he was also arrested.
Canberra, July 23, "Patrons of the theatre will have to stand the burden of this un-are sung by Nancy Carroll. Ha! merciful taxation on the motion plc- Skelly, Dorothy Revier, May Holey
His Worship bound the man Lure industry unless something is and many other popular actors who over in the sum of $60 to be of done to lessen it," declared Sir make up the cast of this all-talking good behaviour for six months. Victor Wilson, chief of the motion melodrama of backstage life which
With regard to the woman, his picture distributors of Australia, will show at the Central Theatre, Worship said that her explana- to-night, following his strong ap-starting to-day for seven days. tion was not satisfactory because peal to the Assistant Minister for The numbers include "King of if an ordinary person had picked Customs (Mr. Forde) to feconsider Jazzmania," "True Blue Lou," up the slips he would not have the heavy duties which have been "Cuddlesome Baby," "Flippity known where to go and cash them. placed on the film industry.
Flop," "Ladies of the Dance," and He imposed a fine of $25 or three Sir Victor added that the new The Mightiest Matador." Richard weeks' hard labour. taxation would-place, a particularly Whiting, Led Robin and Sam When the husband heard the heavy burden
on country exhibi Caslow, well known for scores of sentence, passed on his wife he tors, as it would be difficult for popular hits, wrote the music and caused a scene in the Court, them to obtain silent films for their lyrica.
collapsing and crying loudly; he theatres. As a result, unless they In addition to these catchy popu- interceded for a lighter penalty. were able to provide expensive tar tunes, many old-time favourites This led his Worship to comment talkic machinery, at a cost of apare heard throughout the picture, that in his opinion the husband proximately £10,000, they would not "In the Gleaming" is sung by Nancy was at the bottom of the whole be able to continue..
Carroll "Sam, the Accordeon Man," business.
In the current Gnancial year, he written by Walter Donaldson, is said, the film industry would pay in sung by Hai Skelly and a group, and taxation £447,126, based on calculat-Sweet Rosie O'Grady" furnishes a ed importations of 26,000,000 ft. of song and dance number for Hal foreign film. In 1923 the industry Skelly and Nancy Carroll. paid £100,972. The Increase in seven years
was no legs than £347,000. The public should re- alise what this means to an in- dustry which is moving every effort
"That's about the tenth time to-day 'Bus conductor (fed-up, to man):
you have boarded this bus and Skelly, the star of the stage dumped a huge parcel under the presentation of "Burlesque," playa stairs. How many more times are the role he made famous. Nancy you going to cumber up the step Carroll, popular Paramount player with your parcels?" whose successes in "Abie's Irish Man: "All
right,
guy'nor.
to cater for the public's entertain-Rose" and "Illusion"! have made her There's only the miangle and the
ment," he said.
ટૂં
YOUNG MIX!
"
"TOM'S" DAUGHTER ELOPES WITH FILM ACTOR,
a fast favourite with moving pic plano to come, and then we've flit- turo audiences, has the leading ted." feminine role. "The Dance of Life"
is the story of backstage people— | —_- the troupers of the burlesque atory against a vivid background of "wheel." It is a melodramatic love
stage life and stage presentation.
"BROADWAY MELODY.”
Hollywood's latest sensation is the romantic elopement of Ruth
When Anita Page, featured in Mix, 17-year-old daughter of Tom Mix. the famous cowboy film actor. The Broadway Melody," Metro- In spite of the frantic afforts of her Goldwyn-Mayer's brilliant, all-talk- parents to prevent her, Ruth ran ing, all-dancing production, which away with Dougins, Glimore to Yuma, will open at the Queen's Theatre Arizona, and was married by the to-morrow, passed her. volca test sheriff there a few moments before with flying colours instead of rest her father telephoned asking the ing on her ours, she went ahead with plans to fron out any small flaws. which might exist.
I have known personally two members of the troupes accom- panying her on these world tours. Their tales were the same; one. night stands and hurried scrambles for places in trains. Her conductor on last year's tour nearly broke down while telling me of the strain of playing, and dancing,
in Java and Dutch Borneo,
Jan Smeterla, the great Polish pianist, has a yearly travel chart In readiness for the twenty- that makes the map of Európe second Universal Esperanto Con- look like a spider's web. He plays gress, shopkeepers had for in Seville on Monday, and in Hel- months past been training their sheriff to stop the marriage at all singfors on Thuraday. After a nasistants in the new tongue, and ❘ costs. recital in Rome he finds himself over the Town Hall flew the
"The voice test was nearly as with twenty-four hours to reach green starred banner of Eaper Hollywood that the couple had been much of a thrill as my first day in married Mrs. Olive Stokes Mix, pictures," asserted Miss Page. "I A variety of subjects will be the former wife of Tom Mix, an- was so excited I scarcely remember discussed at the congress, Includ-] nounced her intention of starting what I did first. I remember Ing Esperanto us a language proceedings to annul the marriage, mother and I went down to the medium for talking alms, the use but finally she decided to forgive university where I enrolled in a of Esperanto for the libretto of the two and give them her blessing.class for voice culture.
Warsaw.
Last year he went on a tour to Finland, and went so far north Into the Arctic circle that no day. light was left, and he scarcely know when he ought to go to bed and when to rise.
"What kind of music did you play for the Finiandera?" I ask- ed him. The reply was: "Not quite such a popular programme as I would give in London. They are very musically advanced."
After Now York in September he hurries off to the Far East for the winter. And his expert ence fe by means out of the or dinary d
Covent Garden alone provides An Iluminating cross-section of this great carayan. The singers congregate from all the opera houses of the world, only to sing a few hours and then pass on their way.
The great tenor Gigli passes through with a caravan all of hte own, incidentally-to alg -half-a-dozen times and then rest for a few weeks at his castle at Renati on the Adriatic before re- Buning his wanderings....
Challapin is hardly ever out of a train or off a boat, and before hia sérious illness Paderowski bid high for championship honours, as a globe-trotter, VT
The veteran Toscanini, after an. exacting season in New York; covered every great capital in Europe in a lightning tour with the New York Philharmonic 0. chestra London
anto.
operas, and the introduction of Esperanto into elementary schools
When the news first reached
Mr. Mix is also reported to have relented.
"ROUND A CANADIAN CAMP FIRE'
On the terrses of Hotel race ballad one!
"Every night I would go to school for two hours, studying enuncia tlen, voice modulation, and so on. They have a special apparatus called the 'voice dissector at the Univer sity of Southern California, which enables one immediately to pick out any faults in the voice. At home I practised daily my dialogue script.” Bossie Love and Charles King are featured with Miss Page in thie pro- duction, which Harry Beaumont directed.
KELANTAN MYSTERY
that
rablə
ployment, the
drew attention Section 1' of the 26 of 1914, Jen. Immigra police sergeant
misunders
ction, demanded and
received from one Chinese passenger
deposit of 350 The
which is much.
out and the deposit returned thres days InterBangkok Times:
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