ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1045, 7 February 1911, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS.

. » . OPERA HOUSE. The fact that that bright cothcdy, "What Happened to .Tones" was the hill at the Opera House last evening was sufficient-to attract an audience that left hut little spare roam in the theatre. lho j piece* as presented by the Rupert Clarke and Clydo Moyncll Company had nil it's mirth-provoking situations strongly dealt with, and the amlienco was provided with two'hours' consistent merriment.. "\\ hat Happened to Jones" wilLbe repeated this evening. "MR. PREEDY AND THE COUNTESS." Thcro is every'indication that there will be a big .demand for reserved seals for tho forthcoming production of "Mr. Preedy arid the Countess" by the Ocorjo Willoiighby English Farcical Comedy Company, on the last night ot their, season, which is to he Thursday next, lebruary 9. A modest mail, no less than a bashful one, is frequently made the victim ef misunderstandings. This is tho motr.'e of the exceedingly amusing comedy :in question. It is when Mr. Preedy's partner, John Bounsnll, decides to hav6 a platonio elopement with the Countess of Rushmere, whose husband has gone oil with a dancing girl, 'that Mr. Preedy's troubles begin. Mr. Bounsall is called away on important business, and without further ceremony thrusts the Countess in Mr. Preedy's flat, and that modest gentleman is forced to go out into a rainy night to look for repose. When he're-' turns he finds n nice handful of trouble. The cast is said to be a good one. Mr. Harold Parkes plays the part of Hamilton Preedy, Mr. George Willoughby as tho blustering Mr. Bounsall is said to look the character, and ploys it with considerable force.' As the Countess, Miss Eeatnco Day gets splendid opportunities for good acting and exquisite dressing. Mr. Arthur Cornell, as Saunders, tho suspicious dentist, and Mr. Harry Halley, as the man servant, as raid to be very good, Miss Amy Willard ie n demure servant maid. The box nlnn for "Preedy" is now open at the. Dresden. THEATRE ROYAL; Vaudeville always has its train of followers, and the Theatre Royal as tho locale of that phase of theatrical entertainment is seldom short of an appreciative audience—the appreciation beiu;» in proportion to tho finality of the performance. There is a long array of names ori tho bill this week, but the talent is for the greater part mediocre to My the leAst of it. Tho chief exception is a sketch entitled "Married a Week," smartly played by that excellent comedian Fred Graham and lus partner Nellie Dent, It is decidedly mcchanalian in character, but it tifiords Mr. Graham the opportunity to jest and sing in a character wbidh. may have been written , for him. . Jack Foster arrives home very lato and very drunk, having omitted to call at a dance to bring his wifo home; After humorous conimunings with himself, interspersed with song, ho\is 'found by the lady on her arrival still drinking, and to frighten liim into decent behaviour pretends to havo acquired ail appetite for alcohol herself, which lesson presumably has tho desired effect. Mr. Graham's tipsy fooling was laughable in the extreme, and Mi«s Dent, in a very charming frock, lent material aid. Scott Gibson, who follows the ITarry Lauder vein, sang "Breakfast in the Bed on Sunday Morning"- better than any other Song tho writer has heard him in, and tho on- • coro insisted upon was thoroughly 'deserved. It was tho Lauder song, "F.u' tho N-m," Farrell and' Gaffney, an agile pair of dancers, who have but three less between them, appeared in their sketch. "The Newsboy and tho Shoeblack," which found favour with tho audience. Tho Anderson Sisters (juveniles) exhibited considerable elasticity in a "Girard" act, and also contributed a song and dance. Mr. Charles Hca'.h sang "If I had a IlomPi Sweet Home," and "Nirvana" iii a light, thin tenor voice, and shapelv Ruby Wallace rattled rhythmically .through her dances. Her voice is beyond criticising Wally Dawson sang "As not as I Can Mako, It," and supplemented it with a neatlv-executod skinning- rope dance. Miss Ellaino Verroll, MissVCep.ilfl Stenhano. and Jack Knowles also contributed to tho evening's entertainment. ...... niS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Tho chango of pictures at His Majesty's Theatre last evening included 'many excellent films. Tho first projected showed rivers and valleys of Norway.' The magnificent immensity of tho rugged mountains of the benutiful northlauds photographed in tho brilliant summer sun and appearing- all tho greater because of the dark (shadows, comprised a pictnro that all must; havo admired and desired to Fee Tn this same series was also do- ' picted a portion of the great and interesting timber trade of Scandinavia. "An Annual Hospital" showed cats and dogs undergoing medical' and surgical treatment at an institution run solely for their benefit in some French city. Tho methods of bringing tho wounded to tho hospital in a special ambulance, and the system of bandaging and setting broken limbs, and oven operating' for internal complaints were all displayed. Needless to cay it was a most interesting film. Of a comic description was ."Drowsy Dick's Dream." Dick is a burglar and ho dreams what it would be' liko to burglo as an aristocrat. His awakening in the grip ot a policeman is as amusing to tho small fry in the house as it is tragic for tho burglar. Something entirely new was witnessed in the story of the adventures that befell an American reporter who went to seek copy for a Sunday edition in a smuggler's namifc on an island.' Tho incidents were exciting and cleverly depicted, and the film also served to show I some of : the characteristics of tho Ameri- | can journalist who can'lise a pistol as well as a pen. "Home Melody ' was a pretty drama in which the music of a homo melody restored a mother's renson. Then, also, thcro was the Pathe Gazette, which this week has many interesting items.\ Tho Wild West .was represented with a fillii, and another star item was "Love in . Quarantine." "Among .the Parsees of Bombay" was devoted to illustrating the manners and customs of tho Parsees of Bombay. Tho strange weddings in child life wero included. Tho Edison Company were drawn on for "Tho Little Station Agent," a powerful drama. The programmo concluded "with a comic film "Tweedledum Takes Tragic Parti." The attendance was large, every seat being occupied. \ ■ THE KING'S THEATRE. Tho King's Theatre was crowded last evening for tho first exhibition of the new l.rogramme of moving pictures. The new • .furies is really an excellent one, quite tho best in point of variety and artistic merit that has been presented for somo , time. A feature of the programmo is tho suits of threo "Gazettes"—'"Patho's Weekly European Picture Gazette," tho sair.<> 'firm's "Australian Gazette," and the "Gair.nont Gazette," tho various incidents of which, though of necessity brief, are of surprisingly recent date, almost on the heels of the cabled news of the event. Of the "Euronran Gazette's" (Patho's and Guuinont's). tho main incidents shown are tho public funeral of tho police victims of llio■ ilouiulsditch anarchist outrage, scenes at: tho Bollon Colliery, where a dreadful disaster resulted in the loss of over Ml) lives, the Ciinard ocean, greyhound Xlniireinnia leaving on her record Atlantic run. Liverpool lo' New York and buck i i twelve dnvs, scenes in the flooded Thames Valley, and of the south coast, of Knsiand during a reccnt great storm. Pio(rrial note« of the German Eniliernr whilo nfc public functions aro al c o interesting. 'Ihe dramatic films ar? good, "The Station Agent" being particularly so. Tho.sensation ''f this drama is the mafjeious unc.nupliug of I hire cars of a freight train, mi the Canadian Pacific railway, their thrilling "runaway," and tho desperate efforts made by tho principal actors to avert. bv ;t tiinelv sido-tracking, a calainit.ius collision with the overland express. Tho storv is well set out, anil full uf incident. C'nnedy is renre«cntcd bv finite a number of amusinij studies. Of these, tho lw.«t are "Love in Oiinrantine," "The Taming of Wild Bill." "Tweedledum in Tragic Parts," and "The Passing of a Gronch." A Very fine scenic film is the series of views of tho valleys of Norway— one nf the finest landscape studies .vet seen here. ' The prosrammo will bo reneatorl this evening; It is announced that f-.r Thursday's exhibition a spccial attraction will be a seric.l of representative view of the Palmerston military tournament which was held a little over a month ogoi

STAR'PICTURES. " St. Thomas's Hall at Newtown was well filled last evening, when the Star Pictures Proprietary presented the • S«stoniary weekly change cf programme, the pictures screened covered an extensive range of beautiful scenic studies, sundry "comics" that deserved the name, and a couple of splendid tabloid dramas of the Willi Western type. Tho opening ( film illustrated lemon-growing in Sicily. Beautiful groves wero finely pictured, and many .details in the cultivation of the golden fruit wero interestingly shown. Similar- in type and equally beautiful was a picture devoted to the wino industry in France. "Under Western Skies" was a thrilling dramatic study,: and equally good was "Cowboy Chivalry." Among tho capital hnmornus films that find a place in tho programme, "The Sailing Cab" is worthy of special mention. Tho same pictures will be screened this evening, and on the remaining evenings of tho week. PLIMMER-DENNISTON COMPANY. Tho box plan for the Plimnier-Dennii-ton season, which commences next Saturday night at'this Opera House, : will tomorrow morning open at- the Dresden, and all those desirous of getting gocd should'not delay "in. booking themi as mith such n popular company as this, there is certain to bo a big demand for seats. The opening picca will bo that popular play "A Message from Mars." This comedy has just concluded a brilliant season of performances in Auckland and Christchurch, and in the hands of this ca'pablo company it is bound "to bo seen to the very best advantage. A feature of tho production here will be the special attention which is paid to all the electrical and mechanical, effects. Mr. Harry Plimraer will undertake tho • role of Horace Parker, and Mr. Reynolds Denniston will appear as the "Messen* ger from Mars," who is condemned to earth to euro him of his utter selfishness. In the hands of theso two wellknown and popular actors, theso two big parts aro bound to havo full justice done to them. Miss Lizette Parkes will be seen in the ingenue part of. "Minnie Tempier." The capabilities of the other members of tho company aro already known to Wellington theatre-goers from their last visit. On Tuesday and Wednesday, February 1-! and 13, there will be a. revival of "Lover's Lane," tho charming comcdy that evoked so much en l t.hlisiasni on its first production hero a short time ago. v, The Passing of the Third Floor Back" will be the closing bill of the season, and will bo staged for one night only on Thursday, February 16. "BABY BLISS." Largo crowds still continue to view tho world's fattest boy at Willis Street, opposite tho Windsor notel. Ho is only 18 years of age. and weighs 42st. 81b. His enormous bulk may be imagined from the fact that ho is unable to travel in an ordinary railway carriage, but is forced to occupy a luggage van, this being tho only form of railway vehjelo capable of receiving him. "Baby Bliss" is holding receptions daily at 52 Willis Street from 11 a.m.' to 1 p.m., 3 p.m. to 5 p.m;, and 7 p.u). to 0 p.m. "CASEY." "Casey," tho marvellous champanzee, is still drawing large crowds .it OS Willis Street daily,' His antics arc screamingly funny, and the manner in which he performs his tricks is most entertaining. His repertoiro includes, signing his autograph, playing tho piano, sweeping tho floor, wheeling a perambulator, and many other interesting feats, "Casey" is holding reception's daily from 11 la.m. to 1 p.m., 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ■