In 1927, Louise accepted an offer from the E.J. Carroll company to appear on stage again. Carroll had the rights to Louise’s services for another two films after Jewelled Nights, but when it became clear that no more films were forthcoming, Carroll offered to put Louise back on stage in order to fulfil her obligations.
This time it wouldn’t be a vaudeville short; she would appear in her first legitimate stage play since April 1914. Ironically, she had ended her legitimate career with Wilton’s play, The Warning, and was now going to relaunch herself in a play titled, The Last Warning.
The play ran from 24 September to 26 November 1927 at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne. Reports played up the fact that this was the first time Louise had acted on the stage since she left for America in 1914. A Day At The Studio didn’t really count as a performance, as Louise played herself. As if to reinforce that length of time, more than one newspaper reported her proper name, Louise Carbasse, as opposed to Lovely.
The play was a well-known comedy-horror of the day. The plot follows a New York producer's attempt to re-stage a play five years after one of the original cast members was murdered in the theatre, and the audience, and auditorium of the theatre, would be utilized by the performers as part of the play.
For The Last Warning, Louise would be acting alongside Dulcie Bland and Frank Bradley, both stage veterans.
Louise was given the role of Evalynda Hendon, the leading role of the play. It would give her a chance to display her comedic abilities.
An authentic theatrical picture, of a burlesque queen is presented by Louise Lovely in The Last Warning at the Athenaeum. Miss Lovely, fresh from the films and lacking opportunities for practice on the speaking stage, makes a very good job of a part which for the purposes of the show has to be taken at something above conversational pitch. Her work is very good and has its merit to those critics who can see the actress apart from the role. It is some years since Australia heard the fair Louise in drama. Hollywood has absorbed her in the interval, and she has been absorbed in Hollywood. By the way, it was the practice, common in Hollywood, of adopting a name of blissful import that induced the modest lady to celebrate the gifts of nature by calling herself ‘Lovely.’ Previously she had been known in Australia as Louise Carbasse.1
The play did well, being extended a week beyond its original closing date and drawing full and near full crowds for both matinee and evening performances.
Photos used to promote the play show Louise looking every inch the glamourous film star. It was also noted that Louise looked younger than her younger co-star, Dulcie Bland. As she was the lead, and the most experienced actor in the production, it came as no surprise that Louise took all the attention from the rest of the cast. Described as ‘extraordinarily good’ by The Mercury, Louise stole the show with ease. As good an actor as Bland was, she couldn’t compete with Louise. She packed energy and skill into her performance, and her joy at being back on stage came through in her acting.
Miss Louise Lovely, returning to the stage after years of picture acting, led the comedy as Evalynda Hendon, a burlesque actress who was said to have been engaged for another type of work. The character seemed improbable even when the reason for it was more or less explained in the last act. An actress who could not utter a dozen words without of them being a malapropism, and who was quite unable to characterize, would scarcely be engaged, as Evalynda was, for a comedy part in a drama of good standard. But the chief reason for her presence was to give the real audience something to laugh about, and Miss Lovely played the ridiculous part for all it was worth and more.2
Louise loved being on stage. She loved film too, but the stage was where she began and where she always felt she belonged.
A Scene from The Last Warning, Melbourne. Louise Lovely, seated.
While performing the play, Louise took time out to appear at fundraisers. The Million Shilling Appeal had her compare and auction off chocolates at their Mannequin Parade on 27 September between performances.
She was also finally, afforded her first cover on Table Talk, the main tabloid magazine of Melbourne. The photo used came from The Last Warning and showed Louise, with her usual coy smile in place, looking a good ten years younger than she really was.
She had started her career looking older than she was and was now ending it looking younger.
The popularity of the play showed that the public still wanted to see Louise perform, but good opportunities weren’t forthcoming. If there were plans to tour The Last Warning, they came to nothing as once the Melbourne run finished.
Louise had fulfilled her obligation to Carroll, and she went back to living the life of a socialite.
Louise Lovely: Australia’s First Movie Star by Daniel Best, Blaq Books, 2025, is available at Dymocks (Adelaide), Cracked and Spineless (Hobart), Amazon, and directly through Daniel via
Endnotes
1. Table Talk, 6 October 1927
2. The Argus, 26 September 1927