ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 904, 25 August 1910, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS.

' NATIONAL PICTURES. Harry Laudor, the famous Glasgow comedian, continues to make merry per medium of the chrono-megaphono at the Opera House. '■ His comic effusions, which have made nations' laugh, never fail to draw smiles from his auditors lii Wellington. Thckinematograph pictures are also vastly entertaining. .There will bo a change of programme' to-mornnv (Thursday) evening.

THEATRE ROYAL. • "Fitz," the marvellous performing pony, the "star" performer of Karle's performing animals, now showing at the Theatre Royal, is gifted with wonderful intelligence, and a fine sense of humour. All who difuht the latter should see the act, and if they suspect hje intelligence should.. attempt to ride the mischievous little animal, and so earn the 10s. offered to anyone wlio can sit him for 30 seconds. Karlo's jumping dogs are also well worth seeing. Mo lover of animals can afford to miss the act. •-, Hairy Sadler, Ca'rden Wilson, and Blanche Carelli help to sustain the interest in what is really a very, bright programme. To-night is the great amateur trial night. All those who fancy they have talent which should nqt be lost to the stage arc invited to offer their Ecrvices for tliis night only. ~ - ' ■

fflS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. . The kinematograph is '. beginning to bore deeply into serious literature for its subjects to please the'taste of its inyriads of patrons ilie wide uorld over., This, week's ''eiigrossiiigly interesting -programme at'-His Alajesiy's Theatre includes an aliimated precis of Charlotte Bronte's well-known novel "Jane Eyre," a book which has long sinco been elevated, to the classics. If that clue bo followed wb will no doubt have the works of. Dickens, Thackeray, and Scott presented in tabloid form at the picture .palaces. "Jane Eyre", is, curious-to say, enacted by Italians, and loses a good deal of its force in the exaggerated gestures and actions of some- of those concerned in its portrayal. Jane is very sweetly acted, and the actress who plays Chester's; demented wife is gmesomely conv.incin& but Chester, who should dominate every scene, is played rather weakly. ,A dramatic picture which carried strong conviction to all present last evening was "The Impalement." The husband has grown a little tired "of his wile, and becomes infatuated with a fascinating society entertainer.. The'wife observes them in a... compromising position, 'and on returning homo accuses him of' being false. Wrought to' a pitch of anguish, she threatens to take poison, arid tho nian, thinking it merely the threat of a jealous wife, pours the poison into a wine-glass, and dares her to take it; then leaves to keep an appointment at dinner .'witli ■. his paramour. , Whilst dinin'g, his wine-glass; recalls tho scene ho left at'home, arid, becoming con-science-stricken, he rushes home, to find his wife, as he thinks, dead. Dis-' tracted with remorse, ho returns to the dinner- party, and, after a- wild scene, falls,- dead from- heart' failure over a table. In reality his wife had . only swooned, at'his brutality, and she recovers to .find-herself--a-widow. "A Piece of Lace" is another heated love drama, in which' a quartet play -with love- and find it loaded. Perdita, a professional dancer, has a lover, who has been smitten .with tho. charms of Julie, who prefers' another. The two. men meet in Julie's room,, a.shot is heard, and when'Julie investigates finds her- rejected suitor dead. Her lover is arrested, as it is known that, lie quarrelled with the dead man. Julie, however, discovers a piece of lace, in.tho grasp of the murdered man: She divines that Perdita must have followed her {faithless lover to her (Julie's) home and' after a "scene" had. killed him. By artifice she discovers tho torn dress of Perdita, in tho-latter's dressing room at the'theatre, arid gains Pcrdita's written confession that she killed her lover. .That done, she gives her money to escape to America, and at the trial produces the confession and' tho dress to prove her lover innocent-ofvtho crime. "Dogs of All Nations is a. capital film, which depicts".the pick of the prize dogs at a big show in Khgland. Kino pictures of all breeds v aro shown, from the quaint little Pomeranians to the great Danes and' St. Ber-nards,-and one would like to own the lot. Other-good pictures are "The Persistent Lovor." "Tho. Girl in tho Barracks," "Tlio Austrian ' Tyrol," "Black v. White," "Lord Roberts.Presenting; Colours" (to the 4tli Battalion. Oueen's Regiment), and the- Warwick Bioscope Chronicle, a snapshot summary of the week's events at Home'and on tho Continent. . -.''".

■,• ■* KING'S THEATRE, '.' The King's Theatre was ' well filled last evening, when an entirely new programme was submitted, and .gave every satisfaction. Among the. , films dramatique, the most striking' was 'probably "An; Episode of 1812," a story .with a strong Napoleonic flavour. The scene opens in fair France, with the'lads and lasses dancing on'the, green'. 'Jean Gratien, one of the, young men, who. wqos and wins the girl of his heart there and then, is summoned from , .lns rural home to join one.of the regiments' of Napoleon. The scene is 'changed.. It is , Russia, and in the falling snow a fierce battle, is. raging. There is a light for the trieoleur between a Russian and French soldier. The latter tears away the. bit of bunting and stuffs it in his bosom, even as he receives, his death-wound. Napoleon,, inspecting the conquered field after the battle, sees tho dying Jean, who with the last remnants of vitality, left in his system draws himself ■up to salute the Emperor. The flag is discovered, and Napoleon there and then tears the Cross of. the Legion of Honour from his own breast and presents, it to tho dying soldier, whoso last request is that it shall bo handed to his mother. On returning to France, Napoleon calls on tho old woman, tolls her of her ( son's great ■ bravery and death, and hands her the" coveted honour, and the; girl her true lover's,, token.' The story is purely imaginative, but it possesses all the elements which appeal -to lovers . of tho dramatic. Pathes's Animated Gazette is a lilin which, is eagerly looked for by' regular patrons of the "King's." This week's Gazette includes scenes at Bisloy, tho Ltost Parisian fashions at the "Bon Marchc," Lucerne in flood, tho" Terra Nova leaving Cnrdjft, the grand steeplechase at Auteil, tho railway accident near Versailles, Ascot Sunday at Boulter's Lock, the ' East Dorset by-ckction, and a Suffragette procession through London. "The Impalement" is another' dramatic picture from tho American Biograph Company. It'represents iii a few tragic minutes the fatal results which may evolve out of a husband's thoughtless philandering with one with whom ho becomes temporarily infatuated. Wliilst being quite convincing dramatically, it carries ivith it a strong moral lesson. "Dogs of All Nations", is a picture peculiarly apropos, seeing that tho 'annual dog show opened here yesterday. All cloggy people should seo this film. Other new •pictures screened last oyening were: "Hunting the Chamois," "There, Little- Girl. Don't Cry," "The Girl in the Barracks," "Does She Love Me?" "Lovo and Good Fellowship," and "Betty's Removal." .

STAR PICTURES. St. Thomas's Hall, Nowtown, was well filled last evening, tho patronage testifying- to the sustained popularity of tho Star Pictures. The programme.this week is well worth seeing, as' it

abounds in interesting pictures touching many phases of life. It will be repeated to-night..

SEATING CARNIVAL. A fancy-dross ball presents at all times a gay and festive scene, but when to its normal features there is added tho swift movement and animation of a roller-skating carnival, a gathering of the kind gains a. double sharo of picturesque attraction. The-entertain-ment at the Olympia Rink last evening was a. carnival in the truest sense of the word. Tho attendance was of record magnitude, both in respect to the gailyattired participants wlio thronged the skating floor, and ■ the- spectators, who occupied every inch of available siwce in the surrounding galleries. The' unqualified success of- the.occasion' was greatly heightened by the efforts of tho Kink Band, which accompanied tho skaters throughout the evening, with tho inspiriting strains, of appropriately chosen selections. The'.fancy and poster dresses worn were in. many cases very beautiful, and some of them were exceedingly quaint. The 'judges -had no light task in selecting from tho laughing throng of Indians, Pierrots, Geisha girls, and' other characters luiiuuiciable, those on whom to bestow the prizes provided by the management, 'i'ho joyous merrymakers pursued their sport with unflagging zest • throughout the evening, and it was eleven o'clock ere they reluctantly dispersed. . The competitions, which were a leading feature of tho carnival,- attracted in every instance numerous entries, and added in , no small degree to the enjoyment of the. occasion.. The waltzing competitions arid those in' which individual skaters contested, were alike revelations of graceand 'dexterity. In the mile championship there/.wero ten. entries, 'and the winner had to , battle hard for his victory. Tho various events passed off without a hitch, and in a fashion decidedly creditable to the organising ability of the management. ■ .Following is a detailed list .of t,ho awards:— ' .

Host comical character: Mr. L. Salolc, ("Baby"). Best sustained character: Miss Olive Arthur ("Bridget"). . Best fancy-dressed couple: Miss Tucldvell' Brown and Mr.. E. Laiie ("Red Indians"). Best fancy-dressed lady: Miss Edwards ("Economic"). Special prize. , : Miss Vera Aster ("Japanese Lady"). Best fancy dross (man): Mr.:W.,Thorp ("Indian Chief"). Most, graceful couple: Miss A. Webb and Mr. Laing , Mason. Most graceful, lady . skater: . Miss Swanston. . Most graceful man skater': Mr. Brill. Most' graceful lady skater (this season's learner): ' Mrs. ' I'ike. Waltzing competition: Miss Yore and Mr. B. Nathan; Best poster costumes-. Mr. Higgins ("Cobra Polish"); . Mr. Scott ("White Cub Cigarettes")'; Mr. Shackmann • ("Foster's. Umbrellas"). Mile championship: Mr.. A. M'Leary. A priiso' was also awarded for the most original costume. . ■ _ '[■'.'■ ''. ; "ALADDIN." . ~' Mr. J. G. Williamson's successful pantomime, "Aladdin," at present playing in the provincial towns, will open a season at .the Opera House on Friday evening, ■ September. 2. • There are, it is said, in J. C. Williamson's latest spectacular production several features that would ensure the success of any entertainment. The fine ballet, it' is stated,..is something, unusual, even for. a pantomime. The flames rise suddenly from many places in the wonderfully bejewelled cave; forms of dancing girls appear to be rising near, if not actually through the fire,'.and. there is the weird effect of the grimly dark yet furiously, burning underworld. : Another* niuch-talked-of item is,, the balloon effects. : And there is also thc.ac'robatic turn of Price and Revost , supported by '.a host of other novelties.. The box plan 3 for the .Wellington.-.season open at the Dresden on Monday morning. -. ■;''. LANTERN LECTUKE. ■'.'■■,' A well-attended lantern lecture was given on Tuesday evening," under the auspices of the. Kent Terrace Presbyterian •■• Church.. 'ha iiev. J. Kennedy Elliott presided. The, inntern operator, Mr. Driffield,' throw on the ■ screen ; a series of'views, depicting "The Tower of London," "The Castles and Cathedrals of England,", and "Jerusalem and. Palestine." Connective readings were contributed by Mr. Malcolm i'rasor. Songs were rendered during the evening by-Miss M'Donald, Miss Kninsbottom, Airs. Kennedy, and Mr. Duniiett. Eeoitivtipns. were' given by Mrs. Br. Elliott, Mifs Allen, and Miss B. Scott. Miss Evans was accompanist. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the performers. The proceeds 'of. the entertainment arc 'to be employed in furnishing a produce stall at the forthcoming sale of work to raise funds for church debt extinction. .'. . :