ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 616, 20 September 1909, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THEATRE ROYAL.The selection of pictures which made up tho change programme for Saturday night at the Theatre Koyal was one of very even merit. Terhaps tho best film of tho selection was one entitled "Tlio Banknote." Tho first scene in tho drama shows a gong of coiners and bank-note forgers at work in an underground room.; Tho chief of tho gang is in love with the wife of a poor artisan, and, when she and her family aro on the verge of starvation, the forger sends a note, asking tho poor woman to run away with him. To save her children she consents, and, whilo away with tho forger, sees her husband lying in the street, worn to doath with his search for work and food. Sho him, but, out of puro compassion, induces her companion to give the poor man 'some assistance. The forger places a counterfeit banknote in the unconscious man's hand, and goes away. His dupe is brought back to life, but only to get into trouble for changing the banknote, which he believes to be a genuine one. As he is about to be arrested, his wifo returns to him, and grasping tho situation, leads the police to .the den of tho real criminals. These aro arrested, and eventually tho artisan and his wife are reconciled. Next to this picture, in point of interest,- must be placed "Koyal Ascot Races." In this film the itoyal party is , seen going to the course, and views are shown of the crowd,.and tho start of the first race. Another fine film'told 'the story of tho "Man in the Iron Mask."' The andience is shown how Cardinal Richelieu persuaded Louis XIV to send away one of his twin sons in order to projent troublo in regard to succession to the throne. A religious order, in whose custody the exiled son is placed, laid a plot to substitute him for; his brother on the throne, and succeed so far as to kidnap the reigning king and place his brother in his stead. But by a simplo accident the substitution is discovered by Mile. ■ Valliere, who loves .the-,kidnapped king, and, with the aid of IPArtagnan and his musketeers, she rescues the captured monarch. Thereafter the imposter is doomed to imprisonment, and an iron mask is made to cover for ever the face that is a menace to the peace of France. These pictures' alone"would make the Theatre Royal well worth • visiting, but there were many more in the collection. There was the cinephone picture,- "It's _ a Different Girl again," well sung and eqnally well acted, and a largo number of descriptive and comic films. Of'the latter class, "The New Stenographer," and "The Troubles of a Bill-poster" are worthy, of-special mention.- •

7 . .HIS MAJESTY'S." ■'' The picture of yachts racing for the King's Cup is the chief feature of tho week's programme at His Majesty's' Theatre. It is taken at close range, and gives an exhilarating! view of big. ysfchts flying, along with their gunwales' awash. Another good film is that of Latham's second unsuccessful aeroplane flight across the , ' English' Channel. 'The.flying machine- is seen as'a mere speck in a cloudy sky, and, at tho end, it; is hoisted out of the water as a piece of wreckage. The series, which is still being shown •nightly, includes other attractive films such as r "The Cowboy's. Sweetheart," "Beauty Spots'of the Biviera," "Honey," and "Tho Foundling."'. ' -.■-.-" • ■■ ■ ■ .-.-■• ':; ' '.;" SIUTKJG RINK.\ There now remain but three days before the' Olympiv Stating Rink closes for this year, .so'skaters (Would ..do..well to make" the most of .their opportunities. On Wednesday the rinking season is to beusheredout with pomp and revelry,. The celebration will tako the form of a floral carnival, when appear in costumes representing various', flowers., # : ' ALL-STAR COMPANY. ' ■ The .vaudeville, entertainment of Charles Maurice's Company is proving" an attraction at. the Opera ; House,, which was again crowded on Saturday , evening. Mr. George Sorlie estab-. lishes his claim ;to ,tho .title bX.coon'iraperspn-' ator, Mr.•'Hcadlam-and his piano combine .".in a brief ■ drawing-room ; "turn," 'and-'-Madame Blanch Carelli (soprano) sings two ,or. thfeo pleasing ballads. Niinierous other members of the company contribute varied items to an attractive entertainment, whioh will be repeated, this evening. •,.■; '■■•: ;■.■.''.;.':.":, oegan kecital. ~ .;; , Compared with weekly organ recital programmes submitted "in'other .-oities, those of Mr., J. ;Maughan Barnett rank high—a good deal higher "than inM-raostoother- places. Of, late years there-has' been a clamour on. the part of a> section of'the public for what they please to call ■ "popular music" on the organ, and that cry has'.been heeded to'some, extent— in some-.,instances' to lan. undesirable extent; for, after all, the,grand organ : was never contemplated for the production of!what some consider-popular music-It is.'meant-to. give voice to the grand and ennobling in musio .which it is not possible ■ to be'adequately interpreted by any other instrument or combination! of instruments.-.' It'ie wise, perhaps, to flavour an organ programme deli'cately with the "popular," if it bo only to demonstrate the difforence between the "popular" ahd "the best." This is what Mr. Barnett does, and, though'in-.the lqng series of lecitals whioh he, has given on'the city'organ at the'Town.'Hall;he has'.'lent a ready ear to the desire for,the. understandable,"..he has .unquestionably,., by 'gentle, persuasion,', whetted the. ptiblic/'apjietitf for niusic. above the 'class .which/ found inost .-favour'a couple of '■ years ago. . To'take.Satur-' day's,programme, for instance, and run down the composers—the celestial Handel, the gentle ■Rubinstein, tho page-antic, Guilmant, the mighty, Baoh, the poetic Wolstenholme, and tho .picturesque' 'Bizet, trnly,,a''delightful company. Ordinarily,■-< Wolstenholrae's cameo-like' "Question" and "Answer" and the "Carmen" Fantasia of Bizerwould be olassed as popular, and two. years ago would have been singled out for special applause as the popular items (the good popular"), but is a question whether they were better appreciated on Saturday evening than Guilma-nt's "Pastorale in; A," or even Bach's. "Prelude and Fugue in C," so skilfully played, by Mr. Barnott;-whose dexterous pedal work is something to admire. One must accept this as a. growing sign of an improyin? taste. Handel'always finds a response from the public, and it was with great pleasure that the seldom-heard overture to his "Occasional, Oratorio" (written in colcb."ation\ of tho suppression of the Jacobite rising in VliS) ,was"heard. It is full of Handel airs and gracos, and should be included in Mr. Barnett's stock programmes for the fnture. A "special rc3 uest" programme will be submitted on Satur-ay-evening next.. ' '

On Wednesday next, •Mγ. Driver will give: a demonstration o£ what ho terms "Seanoea Spiritual" at the To\vn Hall.' In viewi of the recent Driver-Bailey controversy, the demonstration will no doubt bo very well attended.