THE DEFINITION OF MELODRAMA.
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE. 1921.
Grand Guignol plays are not
WEATHER REPORT.
HOTELS.
melodrama at all. They aim at thrilling their audience, and act
June Id. 11h. 47m.-Pressure
as a Katharsle for the boredom has increased moderainty from THE HONGKONG HOTEL CO., LTD.
the
Strong Plays that are
of conventional existence rather shanghai Haiphong- Misnamed
the opposite of Aristotle's kles of
A depression which was to the the function of tragedy. They N.W. of Hongkong yesterday What is melodrama? If the appeal in a sophisticated WAY morning coalesced with another term is used in a strier, historie-and, in some cases, with 200 over the Loochoor. It has pro- al sonde, the answer is easy ex-siderable literary "ability, to the bably moved, north-eastward. ongh. We sit know that melo natural human love of horror and This morning a trough of low drama was originally a play with mystery.
stretches pressure
from incidental music and songs. Then Every nows editor of a pape Annam Coast to S. Formos8. the song were eliminated, and all will tell you that a good murder Hongkong Rainfall for the 24 that remained of its semi-musical case (especially if it is mysteri-hours ending at 10 a.m._to-day. origin was the use of music tojous) sells his paper as 1othing |3.51 inches. Total since January | heighten situation. In addition else will Except that every] [st, 42,34 inches, against an to this, there were certain drama-treader of a murder case has to average of 23.83 inches. tic principles in melodrama, says reconstruct the crime in his im FORECAST FOR THE 24 HOURS Mr. E. A. Baughan, the dranistic agination, and. the playgoer sees:
ENDING AT KOON TO-MORROW. critic of the Daily News.
it actually committed on the stage,
District.
Forecast PLAYS WRONGLY CLASSIFIED. For impressively suggested, there It is a mistake to use the term is no differenes between the love 'meledrama" of plays which of Grand Guignol plays and the merely contain strong situations.interest-taken in the reports of Thus he Skin Game "* was crimes and in the trials of those classified by some critica aluspected to have committed melodrama, and 10 was them. But the plays have the The Ninth Earl." The latter merit of being an artistic repre- lays itself open to the charge be-sentation of horn r
cause, an old melodramatic story Without literary and dramatic and even a characters are used. ability these Grand Guignol But the trestarent is diametrically plays would not be successful opposed to the treatment of a elo-As to "The Ninth Earl" and drams. The innocent hero, who Ball Dog Drummond," each has is convicted of murder, never has bis innocence proved. He does not triumph over circumstances but is their victim.
"The Skio Game" was still less melodrama. No one really triumphed in that play. Not
certain qualities that raise il above the level ordinary melo dramatic playa, or even of play of sensational action..
THE STRENGTHENING
OF DRAMA,
virtne, but avil, gained such victory as there was to gain.
Quite apart from the success Melodrama is a term which of plays which have a superficial
1 Hongkong to Gap
Rock........
? Formosa Channel
1 South coast of Chins between H.K. & Lamocks..
4 South coast of
China between
H.F. & Hainan./
E. winds, fresh: cloudy,
- rain'
later.
NEwinds, fresh.
The same as No. 1.
OPERATING-
THE HONGKONG HOTEL, HOTEL MANSIONS.
THE REPULSE BAY HOTEL.
AND THE
$
HONGKONG HOTEL GARAGE
J. H. TAGGART,
Manager.
KING EDWARD HOTEL
· CENTRAL LOCATION, ELECTRIC LIFTS AND LIGHTING, TELEPHONE ON EACH FLOOR. HOTEL LAUNCH MEETS ALL STEAMERS.
Telegraphio Address: "VICTORIA **
Tel. 373.
The same as No. 1.
THE
T. F. CLAXTON.-Director. H.K. Observatory, June 1, 1921.
TIME SIGNALS.
The time ball on Kowloon Signal Hill is dropped daily at 10: a.m. and 4 p.m., except on Satur-:
PEAK
J. WITCHHIALM
Manager.
HOTEL.
1.500 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVELI IS MINUTES FROM LANDING STAGE. UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF MRS. BLAIR.
should not be loosely employed to likeness to melodrama, there is days when it is dropped at 10 EUROPE HOTEL, SINGAPORE.
and 1 p.m., and on Sundays and Holidays when it is dropped at 10 a.m. only.
characterize a drama which is evidently a public for plays of merely sensational or strong. It strong feeling. The success of has no meaning unless it be used "The Skin Game" paved the way.
The ball is boisted half mast at of plays which, in subject-matter And now "Bill of Divorcement and crude emotionalism, would has followed. Here again imit the 55th minute and full mast at Both the 57th minute. Should the ball have been treated as melodramas ators must be careful. in the old days.
plays have been successful not fail to drop at the correct time, it THE TRIUMPH OF VIRTUE. only because they have dealt with will be lowered at five minutes Virtue was always rewarded, strong passions, but because they past the hour and the ordinary and vice punished in the long are the work of gifted and im-contine repeated at the following FUD. The situations bad to be ainative literary artists. There hour, if possible. sensational, and the whole trend will be no room on the stage for of the piece emotional. You had crude imitations of these plays. to take the situations as you This modern tendency toward: found them. and not analyse drama of emotional strength is
very hopeful sign for the futur Time signals are also given at A modem audience seldom of the stage. Not only are such night by means of three white takes melodrama seriously.plays fundamentally truer to life lamps mounted vertically on the Even at the Lyceum Theatre than the wish-washy sentiment Observatory wireless mast. From improbabilities of plot and its of a few years ago, but they give Sh. 56m. 03. to 9h. 0m. 0s. p.m. obvious developments arouse the players an opportunity of the lamps merriment. At the same time. broadening and strengthening momentarily at the even seconds,
them critically,
378
the audiences
evidently their art. affected by the emotion of the playe. They still hiss a good! robust villain.
THE PRESENT TASTE IN DRAMA
We are told that the public taste is returning to melodrama. It is doing oothing of the sort.j Oldfashioned melodrama has not chance of being successful with al modern audience. But the pead- ulam of public taste has swung towards plays of strong situations, both in action and in emotion.
Drama will become once again an art of exression and not be merely an imitative art."
EXCHANGE.
10pm Rate : cloning. Bate
on Page 1
Drama is once again concerned with the primitive basis of human nature. After all, that is the chief
T/T material for drama. Most of the
Demand tragedy of life arises from primi-'
30 dis tive human ustare battling with
60 dis its enviranIRENİ.
4 m/s IT Shanghai TIT Singapor#, T/T Japan TT India Demand, India
Modern conditions and modern ethics make this battle a much more compler affair than it was. pictured in melodrama. Then the dramatis personae were the merest'
puppets, painted plack for villains
sad white for virtue.
Heroine sacrificed themselves so easily that one may be per milted to doubt the reality of their feelings. No crude melodrama of that type will be successful on the modern stage.
TFT San Francisco) & New York.J FIT Java IT Marks IT Francs... Demand, Paris
Should the time ball be out of order the shove routine will be carried out with the flag "2", 00 the storm signsi mast.
are extinguished except at the 2nd. 28th, 50th. 52nd, and 54th of each minute.
The hours refer to Hongkong Standam Time (8 hours of east Greenwich).
METEOROLOGICAL.
Previous
Pay
on date.
outlete.
94 82 Wind Direction S.W. E
p.k.
0.43 10 3.14
gir
Temperature on the
Barometer
29.63 29.74 29.79
SELLING.
Temperature...
Homility
24 78 69
E
21578
Wind Force
?
•
4
Weather
ork: 0
Rain....
2/64
Highest
ореп
Nom
107)
Lowest
101
195
mir open Temperature on the
31st 85
1st 73
T. F. CLAXTON, Director. H. K. Observatory, June 1.
454
14216 Nom.. 5 85
BUYING.
against me. In plot and situation
+ mig. D/P
21796 2/8
it follows the type of American 6 m/s. L/C crook melodrama which was 30 d/s. Sydney and papalar here a little while ago.
2/834
2/934
Melbourne
It has strong and exciting situa-30 d/s. San Francia- tions, including a suicide (off).
co & New York/
3114
ant two desperate struggles. A character is actually killed in one of them. Superficially it is melodrama.
But it is also burlesque. It is Demosud, New York 4814 not for anthing that the author TT Bombay
4 m/s. Marks
4 m/s. France
6 m/s. Francs...
Nom. 6.45. 6.65
Demand, Germany,
Nom.
has used all kinds of old melo Demand. Bombay dramatic tricks. He has even T/T Calcutta
....... Nom. adapted the torture scene from Demand, Calcutta... 195 "Tosca." and I wonder if many on Yokohama..... people in the audience on the Demand, Manila first night Loticed the musical Demand, Singapore. 107/2
the Demand, Batavia est accompaniment to
195
101
110
142
.:
Nom.
I daresay the saccess of "Bull. Dog Drunimond" will be cited
4 m/s. 1/C
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RIVER LEVELS.
ENTERTA
CCK OF DER STURES
THE TO-NIGHT
V. R. C. Sports
"THE LOST
Episodes 1 & 2
CITY
CHARLIE CHAPLIN
"
IN
'THE BANK"
At 2.30. 5.15, 7.16 and V.15
THE ORONET
THE
THEATRE
NATHAN
ROAD
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR OPENING DATE
HONGKONG. THEATRE
TO-NIGHT at 5.15 and 9:15 p.m.
THOMAS H. INCE
presents
"THE SON OF HIS FATHER"
A thrilling story of love and ambition
featuring
CHARLES RAY.
QUOTATIONS.
Bank!.
chief scenes Even the seuti- On Haiphong
mental ending of American crook On Saigon
drama is burlesqued.
844 Nom. 7.75
Drummond" is a curious produc Sovereign tion, for it has the excitement of Gold leaf per Taal... 50.40 genuine atraight" meludrama. Bar Silver, ready... 3134 and yet is full of humour. The
hero himself is always Bank of England rates 651% humourist. Even the chief villain New York/London... 3.8612 has a sense of humour.
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[ret
1921
WLW.L May 30 May 31
fert feel
Cantons
Sa. Korth Chinas b Calons Yangtazes
405
Kloon Lande
b
34
153
L. Reclamations. b.
123
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West Points
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TIME TABLE.
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Miscellaneous.
295
Indo Def. H. K. Reg. n.
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Cementa
16.20
Zerry 25 ite
28th May to 3rd Jane, 1921.
5.34
30
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so 12.30 p.m.
12.30 p.m. to 2.30 3.m
10 ஈம்
to 10.00
h.,
15 14
Shetla Ferrier
112/6
China Light old, n..
h
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Do. Light new, n
11:40
at
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1.10 p.B
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Ե
2534
Electrics H.K.
'Bull-Dog On Bangkok?
Bonchong
Time
Haight.
Low Wate
Hongkong
Mass Time
b. m.
forward
33
very successful with its Grand 'kong 50 cta. pieces
Theatrical managers
should
beware of the vague idea that be-
cause the Little Theatre has been
Guignol pizys, and because "The
10
Ninth Earl" and "Ball-Dog
*-
par. .par.
Drummond" have been very well Canton sub coine
5
received, the public is ripe for
315% die. 15.2% dis
For Particulars Apply to:-
-melodrama.
Hongkong June 1. 1921.
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