AMUSEMENTS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16855, 8 June 1920, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS.

i. —.— THEATRE ROYAL. ■° ' POSSUM PADDOCK." "Possum Paddock," now boing played ' at the Theatre lioyal, was first presented at J 1 the Theatre Royal, Sydney, where it ran for k six cor.sjcutivc weeks to capacity business, >r and from there was transferred to the King's 1- Theatre, Melbourne, wliDio a season of eeven e weeks eventuated. Adelaide, Brisbane, and New Zealand have eince endorsed the favourable. opinions expiobfed. Tho play, which 1- was written by Mis? Kate Howarde, is prol. duced by the same lady, whose role i 3 that of v Nella Carslcy. The piece. will be repeated ° to-night. l " OPEBA HOUSE, f" A programme, aa varied as it was excellent, l- v.-4«j pietented at the- upera, House last night '. on toe occasion of the usuai. weekly change I- of bill. A iirst appeal ance wan made i>y • s Abdy's performing birds and animals. The _ major pu-it of this performance was given jointly by half-.v-dozcn cats, cockatoos, and r pigeons. In turn the big aucLenco was_ enl- tertaincd by the feline pcriormers walking d along a horizontal bar over a row of white [- pigeons sitting in a carriage drawn by • g cockatoos, and then in company with the „ birds, enjoying a propelled = by a dog. Humorous interjections made by L " the parrots created a deal ol amusement, j Some excellent somersaulting was done by >- a tiny dog. The act was altogether a novel 0 arid enjoyable one. Also on the bill for the rr first time waes Poineaire. an expert imitator of animals of all descriptions, whes© mimicry deserved the repeated applause accordcd. After giving imitations of a number of S beautiful British songsters, including the I" thrush and tho niglitingare-, the artist, still ;, confining himself to whistling, gave some j effective barnyard imitations. He concluded his turn by reproducing tho braying of a j donkey and the rowing ot a lion. E r sie Jennings and Jim Jerrod repeated tho clever e recruiting sketch popularised by them last ■- week. In this the lady takes the part of a 7 smart young ''Aussie" officer and her partner that of a very raw recruit. The dialogue is brisk and smart, and is punctuated with hearty laughter on the part of the audience, 'i he turn concluded with a song "You May Break My Dear Old Mother's Heart, but You'll Never Break Mine," and some clever tumbling by Jim Jerrald. Louis London on- : tered upon tho last nights of his engage- j ment. He- has established himself strongly b in popular favour and will be welcome should ho pa.v a second visit to the Opera House. 1 H33 numbers last night included "Out West" and "Give Me the Haicm." r Goodhue and Oliver singers and banjoists, y also contributed an enjoyable turn. i The second half of tho.' programme was 1 devoted to the production of ' Tho Cruise of the Cymbcline," by Walter George and his Sunshine Players. The piece i 3 a breezy one, iuli of pretty choruses and ballets and the comedy man, Mr George Storey, is 111- ■ imitablo iu tho part of a, passenger of the t Cymbeline. His ,scng "Yoe He" was very r amusingly given. Misa Ilylda Shannon's - beautiful voice was heard to advantage _ in "My Boy" and also in two duets "Venetian Song" (with Meiv Geary) and "Havo a Heart" (with Charles Lawrence). The company by the way has been strengthened by the inclusion of Mr Charles Lawrence, who acquitted himself cseellentlv jn his part and r sang "Love is Divine" vorv tunefully. Dulcie Milner's number was "The Musical Girl," ) while in company with George Martin she i sang. "Sir, She Said." Mr Reg Hawthorne sang "Back to th-i Mount-rins" and "Why do They all Take the Night Boat to Albany ?" tho latter with a chorus of prettily dressed girls. The quintette. "Moonlit Bay" was, perhaps, the outstanding musical number of tho pica?, and Samoan ballet by the ballet • was very attractively performed. The. same programme will be repeated ' throughout tho week. b , QUEEN'S THEATRE. 1 "Within the Cup," with Bessie Barriscale ' in the stellar role, drew largo attendances [ to tho Queen's Theatre yesterday. The , story is a powerful one, with a moral, and i maintains interest right to th© finish. Supporting films include chapter fourteen of the serial entitled "The Man of Might," and other pictures of the usual variety. Tie programma will bo repeated to-day. STRAND THEATRE. Large audiences were drawn yesterday to tho Strand Theatre, where the Fox production, entitled "Doing Their Bit," featuring the Lee children, Jane and Virginia, was t'hown. "Lawless Love," another Fox film, was also screened, the star part being taken by Jewel Carmen. The supporting fihr.s a-o of tho usual high order. LIBERTY THEATRE. Tho Liberty Theatre did good business yesterday, tho attraction being Constanoo T.ilmadgo in the comedy-drama, "Th© Veiled Adventure." The supporting films include tho latest P a tho Gazette, "Winter Sports ir. Quebec," "Perfect Day AI way?," "Th-' | Ifoyal 'Visit to Bournevill(\" and "It's a Hard Life." Mis 9 Olga Wackcd sings at tho evening session. t •EVERYBODY'S THEATRjE. I At Everybody's Theairo yesterday the first filming in Christchurch of William Gillette'?, world-famous stage success, "Secret Ser.-iee," drew big housea both in the afternoon and evening. "Secret Servise" is rccognite-d to bo one of the greatest drama? of the last twenty years, and is a thiilling story of love and daring deed?. Cuyler Hasting? played tho part of Louis Dumont when tbr drama wa3 produced in New Zealand soot years ago, end this part is taken in the picture by Robert Warwick, who is supported by a powerful all star cast, including Wandc Hawlev, Theodore Roberta, Edythe Chapman, Raymond Hatton, and Lillian Leighton. In addition to "Secret Service" there- is a Irishclass supporting programme, including ts;c latest Paramount Artrraft production, "Loriiaua," which stars Vivian Martin, on* o! tho daintiest and most lovable of scrcon etars. A Mcck-Sennett r-. r.K'd c and a gazette also figuie on the bill, and a special programme cf operatic and popular music i? played by Everybody's Selcct Orchestra, under tho direction of Mr W. J. Bellingham. CRYSTAL PALACE. Tliero is an all-round excellent bill at tb" Crystal Palaoe this week, with no less than three big features in it. The fhet of thefe is "A Sporting Chance," a new Paramount picture adapted from Roger Hartman'sstory "Impulses," and featuring Ethel Clayton, on© of tho most brilliant actresses of the fcteen. An all-Briiish drama, entitled \A Little Child Shall Lead Them," starring Quecnio Thomas, comes second. Thio is n very appealing play, and it is so excellently produced as to sustain tho claim now beinr: made by British producers that they can turn out films the enial of anything produced in America. The second chapter n: tho enthralling new serial, "The Grey Sc-al," dealing with tho adventures of the notoiicucraeksman. Jinimie Dale, is also screered It- is entitled "The Stolen Rubies." Thie ecrial is unique in its interest, and the fact that each chapter is a complete etorsade's to its popularity with picture-goers. GRAND THEATRE. The new programme shown at the Gran* Theatre-yesterday was a very meritorious one It was a welcome change from the idethorr of American feature*, the famous Enlish Company, "The Broadw.-et," must V congratulated on th» p-cdnction of a fine picture, "Under Su.-picion," which has admirably adapted from the noted rtage success of the same name. Coming here with pred*" l * l 'i n the " , ctu-'> (1 tb^ r satisfied the audiences. Fine acting by th"> "Broadwest" cast, with Horace Hunter and Hilda Baylov. *o^t l - tings and beautiful coittimes, make this production. 'i no tab!" or.e. du^l i- d^-npr*nienV "Broauwest" has v/orked 'nost skilfully tr give "Under Suspicion" Hignitv and powThe Bettings are ii-c* l and complete, and ■ ii well The supporting pictur^' 7 j included a verv huniorotis Sunshine com edy, entitled "Roaring Lioas in a Hosoital," [j

: which is one bi-r laugh from start to finish, I"Hard Luck Bill," and "The Co-operative Weekly." Popular prices are being charged. The box plan is at The Bristol, or seats may j be reserved at the Theatre ('Phona 2934).