ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 683, 7 December 1909, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS.

1 JULIUS; KNIGHT/COMPANY. Tho Julius Knight Company attracted another large: audience to'the Opera House last night, when that powerful one-act play, "Tho Sacrament of Judos," and "An Englishman's Home" were played for the last time. The company will appear this evening, in a rovival of "A lloyal Divorce." "A Royal Divorce" has so long, been associated with the name of Julius Knight in. Australasian ' stage annals that it is scarcely necessary to say anything about it beyond that Mr. Knight s performance of Napoleon, it is'asserted,. is at: tho present, a more complete portraiture' of. tho -, Man of Destiny than ever before. Most people know how Napoleon divorced Josephine and wedded Marie ■ Louise,' the daughter of the Emperor of Austria. How this. historical fact made history a hundred years ago is convincingly set forth it remains for an artist of Mr.' Knight's calibre to show. Josephine will have a fresh exponent in Miss Beatrice Day, and in the opinion of. experts this is the finest effort of this talented lady.: The tableaux identical to the play—the. field of Waterloo, the debacle of Moscow, and the imprisoned Napoleon alone on the St. Helena Hock, gazing wistfully towards his beloved 'Franoe—are factors of supreme sentiment. "A Royal Divorce" will be played to-night, and Wednesday'and Thursday, the last three nights of this.highly satisfactory season. '

THEATRE ROYAL. The second running-off of the new programme at the Theatre Royal was given before a large audience last- evening. The pictures are ailUp to, the high standard set by the Puller management, and the audience was not slow to recognise the merit of the ■bill. 1 The steady fall of the central ; figure ' in the picture, ."Gambling ' Fever,',' held tho house from end to ond, and pointed a moral to tho younger generation. For bright; attraotivo humour, there is nothing on tho programme''more refreshing than the film entitled "Sweet and Twenty." The 'charming little lady ■ (and her beau) around whom the story revolves, wins the admiration of all observers.' Tragedy and humour go hand-in-hand in another love story, "Renunciation."' Other capital- pictures are: "Tribute Rico in ' China, "Through the Netherlands," "R.M.S; Manretania ' at Fishguard," and ""Pig Chase by Aeroplane.", • • HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. The current programme at/His' Majesty's Theatre is one of powerful drawing capacity, the principal attraction being tho exciting doings of tne famous detective "Sexton Blake. Next in interest, to Blake in, popular favour is the historical sketch of. Julius' Caesar. The sceilic and JiumorouS pictures' are strong, and apparently just .to the liking .of.:patrons. Tho programme will be repeated . this evening, and will give way to an entirely new bill-to-morrow night. . " , STAR PICTURES. ■' A'new'programme of special merit was presented at St. Thomas's Hall last evening ,by the Star . Picture Syndicate. The Newtown picture hall' has become • quite an institution at the southern.end of-the city,,but the management has had : bad fortune . through the number of breaks caused by previous bookies, of the hall.' Thi9 evening and to-morrow night the company will not perform, owing' to the hall being engaged for other 1 purposes, but after this break there, is only one further date which will have to be worked off. : The principal attraction'on' the bill presented last night, was a film entitled "Boy Soouts to the Rescue," which •. depicts- the ' kidnapping of a child by gipsies and the tracking and subsequent rescue of the child by.'the Scouts. "The Tower of London" is. a strongly dramatic subject, and' "Snapshots., in. India" is an attractive scenic picture. . Another-film which won applause was "Hunting for the Berlin Jack the which, contrary to what tho title would-'suggest,. is a comic study. An.idea of ,the. -principal buil-dings in- Washington is' given by a picture which is entitled A Day in:AYashington.'' . Other pictures of note-are: "The Pretty Housemaid," ."A False Friend," and. "Eastern. Magio." -•

. .the; scarlet troubadours. - In view of the visit of the above English- company to. Wellington,- the following, culled from the Melbourne'.;" Playgoer," will be of special, interest:—"Much com* ment-.' has been made, ,orer; the super-excellent be.-rheaid ..ai^hehScarletiTroubadours' performances.---Several of the male-ar-tists.i are, ( r«c<)gnised' gr,^d,ippera, n ?ingers, and the cast includes (two member's-of the famous Meister .Glee 1 Singers. ,Mr. Ford' Waltham is the possessor of a voice of .great beauty : ■and volume,- andi-hifc;-evident ability to all demands of the stage make'him; an ideal- member of _ an ideal company. ,Mr., Sydney Marinering is also to .' be conpfatu-', lated on the excellent stage business he originated." Attractive additions ,to this organisation . will be the first appearances here, of Mr. Claude Leplastrier,. sketch and-smoko-picture artist, and Miss Madge Nicholson, of London, who has had a varied experience in -this class of entertainment.. The box plans, for, the. entire season, will, be/opened at-tho Dresden this, morning: at 9 a.m. . Patrons are advised to. mate early application for tickets:'