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Revusical.
Set in New York City, the production concerns two people who temporarily swap lives on New Year's Eve so that each can enlarge his life experience (or at least break the monotony of life for a while) by being someone and something different. Jim Gerald played Steve, a night clerk in a Broadway hotel, who makes the exchange with Jarvis Huntington (the son of a millionaire), played by Ernest Crawford. After becoming involved with a French artist (Lance Vane), whose models he has borrowed, grievously insulting the guests, and generally turning the hotel upside down, Steve elopes with Mamie, the telephone girl (Betty Lambert), while the enraged guests, the hotel manager, and a spare policeman are searching for him in the most inconceivable places (Empire 25 April 1927, p.20).
Complications also arise when an heiress (Essie Jennings) falls in love with Steve, thinking he is a millionaire. One of the hits of the show in 1922, according to the Theatre Magazine, was Reg Hawthorne as the gloomy hotel engineer, whose often-expressed fear was that the boiler would burst or the elevator crash. 'His slogan - "That wouldn't do no good!" is produced in answer to every helpful suggestion,' writes the reviewer, 'and in turn [it] produces roars of laughter from the audience' (September 1922, p.19).
Some members of the cast were required to double their roles.
Songs incorporated into the 1927 Brisbane production included 'Annie Laurie' (sung by May Geary) and 'Linger a Little Longer' (Geary and Crawford). A ballet, 'Wisteria', was also performed by Polly McLaren and the Six Twinklers.
Notes
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A 1927 Theatre Magazine review describes A Millionaire for a Night as a 'mini musical comedy... [with] some sort of story running through it to give interest to the characters' (September 1927, p.19).
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The alternative title A Millioniaire for the Day was sometimes referred to in production reviews. It does not appear to have been instigated by the show's producers, however.
Production Details
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1922: Victoria Theatre, Newcastle, 22-28 July.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren; Orchestra Leader Harold Vinner.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Miniature Musical Comedy Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald (Steve), Ernest Crawford (Jarvis Hungton), Howard Hall (Stephen A. Halsey, a wealthy broker/a policeman), Lance Vane (Raphael de Vinci, a French artist), Essie Jennings (Nellie Halsey, an heiress), Reg Hawthorne (A. Buttin, hotel engineer/Jarvis's friend), Winnie Trevail (Mamie Love, a telephone girl), Shannon Raye, Polly McLaren, and the Six Twinklers (Iris McKenzie, Vera Nixon, Laurel Barrett, Irene Vando, Edna Drake, Myra Rowe).
- This season of A Millionaire for a Night was the first-ever production staged by Jim Gerald's Miniature Musical Comedy Company (Fuller News 15 July 1922, p.12).
1922: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 19-25 August (return season: 20-25 October).
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren; Orchestra Leader Harold Vinner.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Miniature Musical Comedy Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Ernest Crawford, Howard Hall, Lance Vane, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Winnie Trevail, Shannon Raye, Polly McLaren, and the Six Twinklers (Iris McKenzie, Vera Nixon, Laurel Barrett, Irene Vando, Edna Drake, Myra Rowe).
- The return season was staged during the final week of the company's Fullers' Theatre engagement.
1922: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 28 October - 3 November.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Miniature Musical Comedy Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Ernest Crawford, Howard Hall, Lance Vane, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Winnie Trevail, Polly McLaren, Shannon Raye, and the Six Twinklers (Iris McKenzie, Vera Nixon, Laurel Barrett, Irene Vando, Edna Drake, Avis Porter).
- Myra Rowe was replaced by Avis Porter during the week.
1924: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 15-21 March.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Chorus Polly McLaren; Stage Manager Lance Vane.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Miniature Musical Comedy Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Polly McLaren, Ernest Crawford, Lance Vane, Howard Hall, Letty Craydon, Mona Thomas, and the Six Twinklers.
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1926: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 20-26 March (return season: 10-16 July).
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Revue Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Polly McLaren, Lance Vane, Mona Thomas, Ernest Crawford, Howard Hall, Myra Rowe, May Geary, Betty Lambert, Neva Carr-Glynn, and the Six Twinklers.
1926: New Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, 18-24 September.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
- Troupe Jim Gerald Revue Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Lance Vane, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Polly McLaren, May Geary, Myra Rowe, Howard Hall, Ernest Crawford, Betty Lambert, Mona Thomas, and the Six Twinklers.
- Iris McKenzie's name is mentioned in several reviews during the Bijou Theatre season. It is unclear at this stage if she had become a member of the cast or was still one of the Six Twinklers.
1927: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 23-29 April.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Revue Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald (Steve), Essie Jennings (the heiress), Reg Hawthorne (hotel engineer), Harry Burgess, Polly McLaren, Lance Vane (French artist), Ernest Crawford (millionaire's son), Howard Hall, May Geary, Betty Lambert (Maimie), Jack Manners, Ray and Dot McLean, Flora McDonald, Dalton Payne, Harry Payne, and the Six Twinklers.
1927: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 26 November - 2 December.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatre Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Revue Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Harry Burgess, Howard Hall, Lance Vane, Phyllis du Barry, Ray McLean, Mona Thomas, Cecil Scott, May Geary, Dot Creswell, Les Pearce, Neva Glynn-Carr, Betty Lambert, and the Six Twinklers.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Empire Theatre
1927
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 25 April 1927; (p. 20)
— Review of A Millionaire for a Night 1922 single work musical theatre -
Bijou - Vaudeville and Revue
1926
single work
review
— Appears in: The Argus , 20 September no. 24996 1926; (p. 22)
— Review of A Millionaire for a Night 1922 single work musical theatre -
Fullers' Vaudeville
1924
single work
review
— Appears in: Theatre Society and Home , April 1924; (p. 20)
— Review of A Millionaire for a Night 1922 single work musical theatre -
Empire Theatre
1922
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 30 October 1922; (p. 13)
— Review of A Millionaire for a Night 1922 single work musical theatre -
The Gerald Company
1922
single work
review
— Appears in: The Theatre Magazine , September 1922; (p. 19)
— Review of A Millionaire for a Night 1922 single work musical theatre
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The Fulleries
1922
single work
review
— Appears in: Green Room , September 1922; (p. 9)
— Review of A Millionaire for a Night 1922 single work musical theatre -
The Gerald Company
1922
single work
review
— Appears in: The Theatre Magazine , September 1922; (p. 19)
— Review of A Millionaire for a Night 1922 single work musical theatre -
Empire Theatre
1927
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 25 April 1927; (p. 20)
— Review of A Millionaire for a Night 1922 single work musical theatre -
Fullers' Vaudeville
1924
single work
review
— Appears in: Theatre Society and Home , April 1924; (p. 20)
— Review of A Millionaire for a Night 1922 single work musical theatre -
Bijou - Vaudeville and Revue
1926
single work
review
— Appears in: The Argus , 20 September no. 24996 1926; (p. 22)
— Review of A Millionaire for a Night 1922 single work musical theatre
