1927-12-16 — Page 10

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THE CHINA MAIE,

MUSIC DRAMA FILMS.

PLAIN WORDS.

THE OLD VIC'S "MERCHANT OF VENICE."

"O hell, what have we hero?" as the Prince of Morocco, forgetting himself, remarks when he picks on the wrong casket in Portia's draw- ing-room.

"The Merchant of Venice," done by the Old Vic at the Lyric, Ham- mersmith, is an amazing combina tion-I will not insult the really big plays by saying "of big play and buffoonery but of sheer Irres- ponsible prettiness and buffoonery, writes Mr. Hubert Griffith in the "Evening Standard."

'NEW DRAMATIST.

RELATIVE OF GRIEG THE COMPOSER.

successor of Henrik Ibsen? ask the Has Norway at last got a worthy critics, and for the most part they answer in the affirmative. The new dramatist is a young man of twenty five, Nordahl Grieg, a relative of Edvard Grieg, who wrote the music to "Peer Gynt." Mr. Grieg had his first book published last year. The Ship Goes On," and achieved con- atderable success. already been translated into nine The novel has

languages. This autumn he has published a volume of poems and finished two dramas, one of which was presented at the National Theatre is Oslo and the other at the National Scene in Bergen, and both were successful.

Think, If you can, of any play in the world's history with a duller opening than The Merchant" of Portia enumerating the qualities of her suitors, and trying to speak her lines as though they were really jewels of wit and observation, and of Nerisan listening to her, and, in her capacity of "companion," try-

The Drama presented at the Na- ing to play up to her employer and tional Scene in Borgen was called flatter her illusion. Think of that "The Love of a Young Man" and scene between the Gobbos,, father was rather conventional, but that and son, where the humour is sus presented at the Nations! Theatre tained by the younger pretending in Oslo marks a definite break with to the older, the blind one, (a) the old scenic technique. The play that he is not his son, (b) that his, le called "Barabbas," with the des- son is dead (remarkably funny, this), and (e) that he has got a beard because his father is touch ing the back of his head. I need hardly add that the elder Gobbo, being man of not necessarily more than middle age, is of course equipped with the falsetto voice that is one of the minor lunacies of

2

Shakespearean acting). Then think of the three casket scenes, of the Prince of Marocco, who surely must be Shakespeare's worst bore much as that is saying-and of the Prince of Aragon, and of Bassante, all going up to the SAMO three caskets and all at interminable length spelling out the same drivel -think of all these things, and then, with half the evening gone and not a line yet said worth say- ing, reflect that it is exactly this sort of thing that makes Shakes- peare a name of open derision to many who might otherwise appre- ciate his cholcer efforts.

A Shakespearean Fetish. The question of cutting and com- pressing is an important one. The fetish of doing all plays "in full" is fantastic. There are plays- written in haste among the huge

cription, "A drama of Palestine two thousand years ago, of China to- day, and of India to-morrow." There are no acts, and the drama develops through eight continuous tableaux.

of

STANDING MENACE.

L.C.C. AND QUESTION OF SAFETY.

con-

in lounges and gangways at cinema The question of persons waiting theatres to obtain sesta was raised at a meeting of the London County Council by Mr. J. D. Gilber, who formed to the Coun il'e by-laws. asked if such arrangements He also asked whether the Thea- tres and Music Halls Committee would issue a circular or special warning to cinema proprietors practice. pointing out the danger of auch a

Miss Rosamond Smith, chairman of the committee, replied that in spaces had been provided at the number of cinemas special waiting request of the Council and in others persons were permitted to line up in the vestibule. Except in special cases, standing was not prohibited back of the seating, but sufficient in the gangways at the sides and space had to be left for persons to pass easily to and frond te have free access to exits. In making re- quirements as to the number. exits an allowance was made for the possibility of persons standing or waiting.

STAR SALARIES.

jo

of

The enormous salaries paid to theatrical stars, mainly feminine, The drama is built round the and almost exclusively in musical, eternal conflict between the Chris- comedy and revue, has again been tian and the worldly conception of discussed the papers life, and takes as its starting-point managers, some very highly paid by the opposition of a conquered daily bread has not nearly so much tion against her oppressors, Barab-jam on it. In my experience this actresses, and other players whose bas and Christ representing the con- controversy, like many others, leade trasted types of reaction. General-nowhere. The managers say that ly speaking, the gravest objection the salaries are far more than they against the drama is that the per- ean afford to pay, but that they sons are not human beings, but have no choice if they want to mouth-pieces abstract idena.

secure a popular actress or singer The presentation In Oslo

to whom other managers will pay great success.

was a

£200 or even £300 a week; and they add that if the same lady goes to America, she can get double these sums. The atar quite naturally takes the view that she has worked hard to get to the top, and deserves to be well paid, and that unless she were worth £300 a week she would not get it-a statement which deems economically sound. these salaries of £200, and even none the less the fact remains that, £300 a week, shorten the life many entertainments in moderate- sized theatres, where, as Mr. Sey-

rent per performance instead of the manager has to pay about £80 of mour Hicks pointed-out-recently, a

pre-war rent of about £11. High

SHY GIRL WANTED.

The Shy Girl.

Talmadge, Carol Dempster, Lillian made famous Norma and Constance Gish, and many another screen

Hollywood's film kings are look. output of Shakepeare's short working for a new type of film beauty. ing life-that are the better for alight pruning. There are other

At the head of the "search party" plays that, to our modern consci-le D. W. Grifth-the man who ousness, deserve the scissors 35 ruthlessly as the first efforts of a novice. And yet so hopelessly has the whole question been overgrown and intermingled with Bardolatry that it may well be asked, "Who is going to take the trouble?" If pre- clsely the same measure of plause goes out to the exquisite scene of Jessica and Lorenzo talk in music in the garden as is given to the wheezings and caperings of the Gobbos-why worry?"

пр-

Mr. Lewis Casson's Shylock was the surprise and success of the evening. He still, of course, large-

favourite.

to be an easy quest, though he does He confesses that it isn't going not believe that the Shy. Girl has ceased to exist.

Oh, no! He asserts that he saw one only last year.

Here is what "D.W." says about his search,

"The impression seems to prevail

ly overdid him. His make-up in-among girls outside Hollywood that cluded a nose that must weighed nearly half a pound. made him filthy and unkempf

have sex appeal is the only thing that

He matters.

(there is no particular, warrantry

mente.

But

of

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1927.

DAILY CROSS-WORD PUZZLE.

. (This cross-word puzzle has been made by en expert but our readers are warned to look out for occasional phonetic spellings, such as herbor, plow, and altho.)

12

5

17 8.19

10

13

18

D 12.

14.15

16 117

19

20

22

25

1241

26

28

29

30

32

53

34

35

36

138

39

о

HI

42.

44

46

48

45

47

49

43

HORIZONTAL

1-What is the

commonest plant sucking Insect? Expressive of

BOTTOW

10-Playthings 12-Manufactured

articles 13-What is one who

belongs to the opposition cxfied? 18-What fa the fifth

THE INTERNATIONAL SYNDICATE.

HORIZONTAL (Cont.) 37-Over (poct.) 39-Who is the patron

caint of Wales? 41-Combining form-

#new

VERTICAL (Cont.) 11-What is the Greek

long Et

14-Moved through the

water 15-Anger

43-What-is-the-state of 16-Possessive pronoun

being the first or earlicut?

43-To ask for formally 47-What-la a helpor?

(abbr.)

48-A famous Engilsh

Face track

ign of the zodia?] 19-What is determined 49-Recess of a church'

and fasting anger? 20-To make by tatting 21-What Is something

that leads to #olution?

23-By what does and often express,

Borrow!

25-Paracam!, pronoun 28-What la used to anoint with? 27-Osined

23-To obtain 29-Navel

31-A kind of lettuce 33-Sixty graine 85-What are the

memorisi posta practed before the houses of some Indiane?

(pl.)

VERTICAL

1-What is a diraviar

coral ree!

enclosing a lako? 2-An English poet 3- What ■ paraón who le subject to Imaginary Kilmente?

4-Combining form-

“equal".

-To acknowledge 7-What is the-stats of being disloyalt

B-A constellation D-What are

་

Lithuanians?

17-What State touches the 6. W. and of Lake Erlet 22-What is a big ocean

steamer called↑ 24-A leg of mutton 180-In the Oflent what Go they call a

valley containing the bad et

unsaily dry water-course? 31-What le barrel of

harrings called? 32-What is the ancient name of Jaffa, a Syrien seaport? 34-To tangle

36-Fourteen (Roman

number) |36-What are those who

entertain questa? 88-Qoes astray 42-What is the Latin 40-Energy

for "ta ba?"

44-Combining form

"muscia"

145-8hort sleep

(The solution of the above cross-word puzzle will appear in to-morrow's issue along with a new cross-word puzzle.)

Balaries and awollen rents mean

profit; and high salaries and awol- filled every night to earn any real HONGKONG HEIGHTS that a theatre has to be completely

en rents are both due to fierce competition for theatres and stars. So there we leave the controversy in A bag's end.

A SCHOOL OF FILM ACTING.

A beginning has just been made in London with the creation of a school for training actors and ac

"The majority of applicants for tresses for the films. There have for this), and he was too apt to work in the studios send photo-been kinema schools before, but this break out inte rantings and rail- graphs of nymph-like figures in is a more serious effort. ings. Shylock could obviously be tight-fitting bathing suits, accom- operation with some of the leading In co- cast in a very different mould from panied by the tributes of the Press British film-making firms the Royal this, as his chief defence is the to their loveliness and achieve Academy of Dramatic Art is about quick, logical and witty retorts that he manages to get in to nearly

to open a course for teaching film everything that the Christians say

acting, The actual instruction will to him.

be given by well-known directors→→ "We are now looking for the old

a word which in this connection girls whose wholesomeness la re-tures, the essential masters of world type of beauty in girls for means the experts who actually superintend the making of the pic- Accted in their beauty.".

A. Shock,

Nevertheless, Mr. Casson's na- tural sanity came to the rescue. He seemed absolutely unable to re- collect that Shylock was a celebrat-

"These will in future receive less and less attention.

Mr. Griffith thinks the secret of

ed character in the Shakespearean the matter is that girls no longer repertory, or to see him otherwise have any faith in the "shy" type of than as a man who had been a nor- beauty. mal human being first, and was then driven outside himself by:

And that, he thinks, is where

stress of emotion afterwards. 1 they make the mistake of their

shall never forget the shock of sur lives.

prise it gave me to hear Mr. Casson gabbling away at his opening lines, not as a great actor trying to pl Shylock, but as a man honestly and whole-heartedly trying to represent a person. Mr. Eric Portman made a very promising appearance Bassanio.

TICKLING THROAT.

techniqué.

been chosen to take these courses Already, thirty candidates have out of about seventy who applied. Film actors and actresses are, of course, largely recruited from the regular stage, as is most convenient and natural, for although film tech- nique differs in many important ways froju stage acting the train- ed actor is usually best equipped for mastering it quickly. Now that here is a prospect of a big develop- Did you ever have that nerve-rack- an attempt is to be made to obtain ment in the British film industry By the by, the note that Jessica mucus or phlegmi that stubbornly re-a larger supply of actors and ac-

ing experience caused by a bit of gives to a servant, asking for it to fuses to be dielodged, but tickles and tresses who have had a special train be taken to Lorenzo "secretly," tickles until it sometimes turned out to be about as big as the strangles? Just a few sips of Cham: have a fair chance of employment almost ing from the start and who should. Invitation from the Duchess in berlain's Cough Remedy, swallowed "Alice in Wonderland." A small very slowly and allowed to glide down at the end of it. In other ways the matter. But enough to raise a

the throat, will stop that tickle and British film Industry is getting out laugh anywhere outside Shuke

at once-give you Immense relief. Try it that way too

to Improve its technical equipment, speare that is to say, where pro- bronchial and other caughs. For sale such as by the pooling of seta of

for hoarseness, duction is taken seriously,

everywhere.

scenery."Manchester Guardian."

BRINGING UP FATHER

08

For the information of visitors the following list of some of the highest points on the Island and Mainland is published:-

Island. Victoria Peak

Feet. 1823

Signal Station

1774

Mt. Parker

1784

Mountain Lodge

1725

The Eyrie

1726

Peak Hotel

1305

Taikoo Sanatorium

1000

Mt. Davis

877

Bowen Rd. (filterbeds).

297

Mainland.

Taimoshan

8124

Kowloon Peak

1971

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION,

ND TAR ST MAINE ACTOR POBEGN PRAY T HEW STEPPER PÅL ORES STREW RELY INTO SOD HERO ALTERS MAILING

RIOTOUSLY

DEFIES Y BLU

ROLL SIT SNUB TRUE SPOIL GAB5 HER SPINNÚT LE

D RAID NENA

STING ESSAY DD ROD KY

©THE INTERNATIONAL BYNINGẤT &

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