AMUSEMENTS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16265, 16 July 1918, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS.

"DICK WHITTINGTON." A hous* taxed to its fullest capacity bore testimony to toe fact that the lain and generalyUeskness last night were as nothing compared with the attractions of the pantomime, "Dick \V hiitmgioo." The evident enjoyment of the audience throughout the prtscuiuttiou af the piooo showed that they considered themselves well repaid tor having iaced the wintry conditions. The pantomime, as presented by the J. U. Williamson Company, went brightly from start to linisn, the many beautilui stage pictures, the exquisite dancing, and the superabundance ol good, healthy fun receiving appreciative recognition, To-night "Dick Whutington" will be repeated and to-morrow, in addition to the evening performance, there wui be a matinee—the final one of the company's season— starting at 1.45 p.m. GLEE AND MADBIGAL SOCIETY. After a lengthy interval tho Glee and Madrigal Society, under Mz Sidney Williamsons Oirect.on, faced once more last mgut at the Choral Hall a fairly large (Jhris.ciiurca audience, having done good charitable work elsewhere in the 'meantime. The Society has succeeded in retaining a good muster in tha male section. In tact, in some instances, especially m the first glee, the basses were too extravagant with their booming voices to the detriment of a good balance. Ail the good ieaturesU'Of Mr Williamson's encyetio and artistic schooling, such as the amort entries of the voices, variety in tone and inflection, temperament, and fair enunciation were again amply brought out. Too many arbitrary dislocations of the tempi occurred as frequently as have been objected to on former occasions. The programme, enlarged by encores too numerous - to mention, contained many admirable selections, some of those . for full choir, as Cooke's "Strike tho Lyre" and Elgar's "My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land," claiming pre-cminonce and two mora, of the last named composer's part .songs, "Fly, Singing Bird," tor female voices with obligate violins, played reticently by Messrs iSaumann and Sandston, and ''It's Oht To be a Wild Wind," lor male voices, finely sustaining his fame. A very charming number appeared Stanford's Pastorale "Corydon, Arise," in which, however, the basses again came out too strongly. Solo quartets and one trio at least that could have been spared for several reasons, viz., the evergreen .barcarolle from the "Talcs of Hoffmann" were on the whole nicely sung, particularly as far as balance is concerned, bui. not always irreproachable in tune, by the MLaea Olive Curtis, jVlarjorie Harris, Anita Uraham, and Ktnel Johnson. To the humming accompaniment by tho choir, Mr Charles Biils sang Keichardt's "Tears oi Anguish" with good effeot. Later on "The Nightingale's Concert' gave Miss Ethel Johnson a good opportunityto prove her merits as a eoluist. ALr Leslie Fleming alone relied upon himself. Ho is always good, thoughtful, and temperamental in songs of' the old, as of the new, style. At the piano Miss Dorothy Naumann made a favourable impression at her first appearance at the Society's concerts. Mr T. Fred Gates contributed a "Mono.ogue" and other recitations, and took the fancy of the audience, which, by tho way, shivered in the icy temperature of the hall, which can now be fairly heated at a paltry expense. OPERA HOUSE. After many woetca of revue and potted pantomime, there was a wpry welcome return to all-vaudeville at tho Opera House last night, and the change was appreciated by a largo attendance. Heading the new bill were the liumjjtuiiß, who provided a novel mixture of magic and com&dy. In the "blaca art'* part at their turn, a fiercely bewiuekered iiead, which proclaimed itseif to be that' oi JtCussia'e Black Mon&, husputin, played a prominent part. The head was placed on a pedestal, and one oi the performers, moving about the audience, asked it various questions, ' which it answered in a deep voice more reminiscent ot an American than a Kussian. How the turn was worked was a mystery, but it was certainly a very clever piece of voice-throwing, and tho working ot the lips was also cievtrly done. Such tucks as making a loudly-playing phonograph vanish into thin air in luil view of the audience came quite easily to' the magician of the pair, who with his partner, also performed various laughable "lake" illusions. The who-e turn was j deser.ed y onflf 'Ihe Viviuns, two juvenilis tiom uunedin, presented a particularly neat and attractive musical comedy offering. Both have very good voices tor such youthful periormers, and | the act was as dainty' a one ae has been seen here for a long time. Another newcomer to Cbiristchurch was Durno, a trick cyclist who did weird and wondeiful things on one wheeL one of his single wheel cycles being of such a description that he needed a ladder to mount it, whale ho found no difficulty in such featß as - mounting to the toj? of an unsupported pole and careering round the stage upon it; - A dash of-juggling lent additional interest to his clever turn.: A welcome re-appearance after a considerable; absence was ina<le by Mr Hugh Percival, whoM * imitation of an inebriated indivi-, dual at the piano kept the audience in roars of daughter for close on half an hour. Miss Nellie Ko.le's chorus songs were very popular, and-she had to respond- to a triple encore before she was allowed to depart. Napier and Yvonne again presented tneir dancing and contortion speciality, "The. Spider and tho Butterfly," and the boneless feats of a male member of the duo, especially his wonderful double and triple dislocations, left the audience with an amazed and' almost "creepy" -feeling. Leywood and Norell were very successful in their singing and patter, and were loudly applauded for their various clover versions of "Broken Doll." Cremer and Arnold in *a cSmedy sketch and Victor Elvin, in an exhibition of fancy and trick skating completed a first class bill. The same artists will appear to-night.

CRYSTAL PALACE "Where Love Leads," the Fox production which heads the bill at the Crystal Palace this week, .is a picture of love and adventure. The college - section at the beginning is of special interest. Richard Warren, a college man, savea the life of Marian Baratow, the two fall in love. Marian meets Sir Rankin Chatsworth, an impoverished English knight. Marian'r father is wealthy. Sir Rankin sets out to marry Marian. At tho same <dance Warren proposes to her; she admits her love, but tells him first to get the permission of her parents. The father refuses Warren's request. Warren goes to work as a newspaper reporter. The editor tells him his stories must have more "punch" and "human interest." Warren is too "love sick" to write. In the meantime Sir Rankin has succeeded in securing Marian's hand, and they are married and sail for England. Seventeen years later finds Marian neglected by her husband. She has two daughter®, .Kathleen and Rose, whom she sends to visit their grand-parents in America. She entrusts their care on the trip" to Camille Dore, posing as a decent woman, but in reality an inhabitant of the "under world," where she is known os the "Gold' Queen." Camille prevents the grandparents fiom meeting the two gir;?, and brings them to her house. Warren has lemained all these years in newspaper work—still looking for "human interest Btoriee," and by chance hi 3 work brings him to Camille's house, where he meets tho girL prisoners. He learns their identity and succeeds in sending Kathleen to warn the police while he and Rose remain in the house. Warren's action was discovered, and after a hard fight in the house he is overpowered and bound Ho finally escapes on to the roof and down the fire escape. Camille is just preparing to escape with Rose, when the police arrive and the two girls are saved. Everything ends haripily with Marian and Warren about to. bo married. The scenes in the house of -Camiilo Dore are particularly exciting. The humorous element is supplied by Roscoe Arbuckle, who is at his funniest in "A Country Hero." The Paramount Weekly Gazette shows a number of very interesting events. The thirteenth chapter of ' Who is Number One*?" showed further sensational • developments in tho mystery story. The musical programme is a pleasurable feature of the evening's session. Last night the orchestra played the overture fiom Raymond (Thomas), Mr Farquhar Youncru singing of "The RingeTs" and "Tho Company SergeantMajor" created ouite a furore and he subsequently delighted the audience by descending from the platform and contributing a musical monologue entitled I Forget.

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. Seldom doe# a five-part picture contain to much action and wealth of plot material rs "The Marriage Market, a World picture, Brady-made, which heads the bill at Evervbody'd this week. "The Marriage Market" in a production o£ exceptional interest in many ways. It ia a compelling stqry of a Kill who sold herself for one hundred thousand dollars to save her father from disgrace and ruin. Helen Grant, the h?roine, marries in exchange for that sum Spayden, a i millionaire sportsman and general bounder. It i 3 not long before she discovers • herself treated aa bis horses and do,*- Determining to gai n her independence, he speculates in tho market, loses, and turns to Foxhall for assistance. He offers to buy her a home. She goes for the money and is attacked. She shoots him, and, believing she Has killed him, takes refuge in another quarter of tho house. The bullet, however, a as lodged in Foxtail's cigarette case. Spayden traces Helen to Foxhall'a house. H: shoots and kills the other man, and Ht>l?n, seeing the body, believes she is guilty. Marlowe assumes the blame. At his trial Helen appears and conferees to what she b&lievea her crime, but Foxtail's vaiet proves the man in need, and his. accusation - of Spayden brings his confession and suicide. This very thrilling plot is set. agaiiwl eome of the loveliest- oi soenery, and the incidental scenes, such as a reception . to Marshal Jo&re and other French envoy® to America, am oi Kreat topical intoieet. Tito Dart of

Helen U played by June Elvidg*. Opposite hor in the part of Marlowe ia Quljrlt BlackwolL The part of "Spayden ia played by Arthur Aahley, and there ia « strong supporting cast. Also on the programme is episod* No. t of "Tlw Myetery of the Double Cross," which shows sensational development! in thia exciting film. The arrest of the masked stranger is a feature of the episodes The latest Paths Gaaette ia tio remaining and sot least interesting picture at Everybody's. QUEEN'S THEATRE. It is a puzzling, tantalising problem, but by no meanß a novel one, that William Russell is called upon to solve in "High Play," the drama of love and finance which j headed the now programme at the Queen's Theatre yesterday. He has witnessed a murder committed, his sweetheart's brother, who. is innocent of the crime, is arrested, and beoause the murderer has seen William Bussell escaping from the window of a woman's room and becauae he cannot denounce the murderer without besmirching the woman's reputation, he finds himself in a nerve-racking, brain-unsettling position. _ The explanation of his descent from the window of the woman's room is satisfactorily given— there is nothing to his discredit in the matter —but the womap will not allow him to make that explanation, unless he also makes her his wife. The way out presents itself, of course, and is one ot the surprises of the story because he is able to clear his swectheart'e brother without endangering the reputation of the woman. There are many subsidiary incidents, all well conoeived and all illuminative of the central one. William Bussell has a strong part to play »nd plays it well', and Franoolia Billingion makeß a loveable heroine. The film is admirably produced and the story gives interesting insights into the methods of high finance. Tbo supporting subjects ore of high merit. ' Tne Gold Rush," chapter 10 of the serial, A Lass of the Lumbcrlands" brims over witn sensational inciuents; a two reel lying A drama, "Viviana," in which Vivian xuen and George Perilat are featured, is " P ?" ine film, the beautiful Bcenery of the * renctt Alps is pictured in an interesting the comedy "Mischief and a Mirror bubbles with merriment. To-day and this evening the same programme will be screened STABLAND. . A pioture of merit is the prima auiaouon at Duuiu-iid 'lustre tills wtwK. It is entitled ""xne wievar Juj.b Ohj- " the lenumg xoio being lanen by uiai kuied ana leumie impersonator, | uiuwn iiiiuigo. xiie poeuuug scene orpiuta a liutuua oouc6« paiiy, ui WHICH a una w«uiuy youiit,' nan, ardtooU in ver, <lisijiii>s mo itnowifeage oi tlio lemiauie ana ins cynicism towards the sex. i>ot i n '-« "y iiOLiis incre lui£ ocroea tus vision Uie inevitable cuplivaiox; in puisuaaoo of a wager iie, again in feminine attire, id oiougnt luu) nei toiiipduy, auu niirouuced to her ae ALaaome utuux, who conducts a ' column" uovowxl to tne aimira oi tne. lovelorn; a criminal ana a weaiui-e«oa-mg are introduced, ana *re long a xarge number ot persons are drawn iiuo an suuazmg vortex oi ovento. Among the euppoxuug liims is a Jttoeooe Arbuckie eomcay, .cany Out West." LIBEBTY THEATBE. The top-liner ot the new programme at the Liberty Xneutro yesterday, "hrnp ly Pockets,'* tlie screen version oi the remurttabiy succesaiul novel of the same name by iiuperl Jdugne3, was remarkaoie, amongst other ttuugs, for the high standard oi the photography, tne luxui'iousnese ot some of the interiors, and tho admirable manner in which the story was acted. Tne general outlines of the piot ot the novel are lairiy wjll known, aud the him version follows very closely tne novelist's plot, liie glimpses given into the under woxid of New lorn are most interesting, and the sensational automobile chase is an incident of breathless intensity. In fact, tho story as screened, grips and holds the undivided attention of the .beholder. The cast includes Kitty Galanta, Barbara Castleton. Bert Lytell, the ro.e of the millionaire with the fatal peilchant for copper coloured hair girls, being taken by Malcolm Williams, The supporting subjects wero a Triangle comedy "A Toy of Jj'ate," a Pathe colour nature study, "The Mple Cricket," and the latest Gaumant' Graphic. To-day . and this evening the same programme will be screened.

STRAND THEATRE.The new programme at the Strand Theatre, including "The Undying Flame," featuring Olga Petrova, was screened again yesterday, and will be. shown and this evening. MUSICAL SOCIETY. The box plan for the conoert to be given by the Christchurch Musical Society on Tuesday, 23rd icst., opens at Milner and Thompson s to-morrow at 9 a.m. To ensure admission, intending ftubscribers are advised to enrol to-day, and book their f seats before Saturday. The artists are; Madam GoWer Burns, Miss Woodhouse, Mrs F. P. Osmond Smith, Messrs L.. Bowron, Petty, and Rex Harrison, assisted by the . Symphony Orchestra. A special attraction _wU be unique illr-tratcd programmes with words. The revistu. rates for subscribers are announced. * SKATING BINK. Yesterday's sessions at the Colosseuni Skatin" Bink were well attended. The attendance of learners- oontinues to increase, and the majority aTe making good progress. On Thursday night another hockey match will be played between two teams selected from the Christchurch senior clube. • The rink will be open at the usual hours to-day.