ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 563, 19 July 1909, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

"LUCKY DURHAM." "A good play, well staged, and in the main Veil'.noted," is Wilson Barrett's "Lucky Durhamr as produced'by Mr. Gaston Mervale at the Opera House',:.'under the'auspices of Messrs. Meynell and Gunn's ' New English Company, with Mr. Harcourt Beatty in the title role.. On Saturday evening the curtain rose on the second production of thVplay,'-'in the presence'of a largo audience, which followed with intent interest and evident appreciation the.progress and development of an excellent presentation of one of life's most bitter ironies,-the onesided justice which Society metes out to those concerned in certain .breaches- of Its. social laws. Mr.-John Durham, the American millionaire, is in the clever impersonation by Mr. Harcourt. Beatty one of, the,most, interesting characters seen on the Wellington stage 'for a long time, and he is ably supported by the other members of this talented company— ■Miss Gladys Harvey (Helen Vallerton), Miss Hilda Meade (Mrs. Durham), Miss Emily Fitzroy (Lady Mountfallon); Miss Edith Deverell (Margaret Steighton), Mr. James Lindsay (James Vallerton), and Mr. Gaston Mervale (Lord Mountfallon). ." '...;.

THEATRE ROYAL. •This week's programme &i Fullers', which' was put oil for the first time on Saturday night, w.as so good as to go far to account-for the popularity of the moving and singing ; pictures. There.is lots of :human nature about the scenes and stories that are sent' all over the world by Pathe JTreres and the other firms that .have.made the production of kinematograph films an art, a science, and a business. And human.nature is what human beings like butter than, anything else. The very titles of the films, suggest all J sorts of the grave and the gay,' the 'comic 1 and the pathetic chapters of which social life is made up. "Poor Little Kiddies," "Cupid's Four Darts," "London's Busy, Streets," "Charley's Ma-in-Law"—such are a-few of the titles, and. the pictures they stand for .would interest; a philosopher like .the late .Herbert Spencer, if;he could-see them, no/ less than -they, entertain young Strephon,' of the. outfitting.department, 'and .Chloe/ of the./ "'counter.' : And there is interesting information, too. The kirieraatograph, like Mark Twain,'cannot help being instructive. It does not tellus about "The Lime Industry," but it'shows'it, almost as if we were ourselves in the quarries -and kilns. A nigger dance and song, a. wild little French comedy of a marriage in haste, which doesn't seem to lead to the leisured repentance of the proverb, 'a. serious religious storyof the; boy who/was.led astray -by evil' companions,.; and rescued, by ■a, ;wise, priest—all: these follow "breathlessly,, and then, before we', can 6ay. " Jack Robinson," we are in a Canadian forest, watching the maple-sugar man boring holes in'the trees, tapping' his little tubes in, and' hanging-his pails on them. We see the sap dropping into ■ the pails, arid 'then comes a helterrskelter sledge ride, with/the cask, of sap to the rough .sheds where .the. tanks .are, and'/the.'driver, after discharging his load, drinks •' half a pailful of 'the sweet -sap, pats the place whereit goes to, looks. happy, and disappears /with his horse and sledge, like ships that pass in the night..' The oinephone does .some / capital songs during, the evening— "Just a Little Rooking Chair and: You," as sung/by, Ham. Hill;',: being particularly acceptable ,tp Strephon and Chloe. Altogether a capital.. programme. .

-ROYAL PICTURES./ '■.'."'/. , : :/• ■ The excellent series of moving pictures.which are :bein<j shown .'nightly at His Majesty's Theatre drew large ;attendances' 1 on Saturday afternoon and, evening./ The public 'shows no signs of tiring of the varied, amusing, and by no means uninstructive- fare provided for it at this popular place of entertainment.' ■:

'".:/'■■ '/WEST'S PICTURES. : .'• A_partial change ofprogramme was'presented at West's Pictures on Saturday evening at the Town Hall before a very large audience. ■ The featured picture' among the novelties was a Napoleonic study entitled < "A Royal Divorce,", being a series of ,6cenesi between Napoleon and. Josephine, concluding with'her abdication "of the rights of "que'enship.; It "was. nbt'by any' means the best -film on; the; programme.; That honour" cannot be wrested'from'the vory/excellent -representation - of: Sardou's v "La.- - Tosca, ■' certainly one of - the finest' and- ■ most - skilfully constructed 1 and' acted play pictures yet'shown' iri' Wellington.!, -An -intensely interesting, film Was.iOhe.idescriptive.of l the. process of-biscuit-.' making.-. It ".is ;a, revelation as to-wha,t/an,art. has' become' with i the taidvof ■■ mddern ;,Zb.Q,.pictures .are.-always and/a'lp'ngfribb'on-of pictures.shows i what fine opportunities there the study, of zoology vin Frankfort. "The Return of Ulysses' dips;-:ihtO'.the ; -classics for -"its '•subject, telling the story of, Penelope and Ulysses m:an engaging manner. Other pictures were "On'the Border b£ the Sahara," ''In a Stone Quarry," "The 'Poisoned Flower," andl'TDoing London-in-Ten'-Miriutes." \

;■-//'/;;' ''.ROLLER SEATING; ■A. . . ■;-. Hour after hour on Saturday afternoon and evening the skaters whirred and dashed around the big Olympia Rink._ Owing partly to'the unpleasant, weather outside, the patrons of this favourite pastime were even ! more ■ numerous than usual. "During the evening the handsome prizes awarded in connection' with th& late carnival/were presented amid.hearty l applause; : ■

'.■■" :: - VICTORIA COLLEGE CONCERT////'. .. The efforts of the Victoria College Students' Association on behalf, of the unemployed .relief fund wei'e well rewarded;, for /their ■concert on Saturday night, drew a good attendance although weather conditions were against, them. Among those present'were the Acting-Prime Minister (Hon. Jas. Carroll),'-' the Hon.iD. Buddb,': the Hon; A. /R. Guinness, and Messrs. J.P.Lnke.R. A. Wright, and P...M.'B.Fisher, M.P.'s. The entertainment itself was worthy of thb, attendance. . The ' first part of, the. programme was taken up with vocal items.' Songs were-rendered by' Mrs.. F. P. Wilson.V'Spring's the Time.for Love" (encored)! Messrs. -Claude Allan,.'Hi..Wi.ddop ("Time was I Roved the Mountains'- and "Eyes that used to Gaze in Mine"), and Mr.' R. Blow. Miss Rita Lyons, though possessed of a pleasing voice.'was somejvhat nervous and 'lacking in feeling in her song, ''Every Sabbath Thine Altar Shall be Lignted,"; ; ;but succeeded better, in; an encore; number. ■'. "A duet,.. ,"Absent,",j was. .sung by Messrs.'./.H./Widdop and R. 810w I ,'and Mr. A.' W.'Newtbn. contributed'a.very amusing sketch,, "After: Dinner" (encored).' The latter part of the programme was filled'by th'efarcical sketch, "Shackletdn Outshacked,"; previously presented at the students' carnival in June. , Good, work Iwas dbne by! Hr'./'L. P. Leary.. professor in. charge'.of. the''expedition, aud' Messrs. D.N. /Isaacs,, Chas; Gamble, and G. M. Hogben.' lt : is expected that the concert will realise over £M,- ■.■■■■-■■. /;• .:■■•• i- '•-v v -,v-:':...•-. ;. .■.•■■■■