ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1056, 20 February 1911, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THEATRE ROYAL. Saturday saw the last night of the oneact comedv, "The Power of the Idol, by Graham and Mis? Dent, at tho Theatre Roval, and besides this a strong vaudeville programme was presented to on appreciative audience. Impending changes m the bill aro mentioned clsewhcro lIIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. 'V big audience filled nis Majesty s Theatre at the matinee performance on Saturday and again in the evening, the current programme, was presented ior the last time. "Ranch Life in the Urcat South-West," which was repeated by spccial request, was greeted with great enthusiasm. Tho picture is very clear, and shows somo wonderful fca.s enacted by a coterio of champion cattlemen, and is one of tlio best of its class ever screened in Wellington. To-night Messrs. Fuller and Sons announce a complete change of programme, the newseries being the very latest importation. The programme will bo shown for • one night only, another complete change to bo presented to-morrow, directly 011" arrival of tho mail. The star item on_ tonight's programme is entitled "Genevieve of Scotland," a powerful dramatic story dealing with the early Scottish days. "On Aldalshaveu" is a very fine scenic production, and some delightful views of the great waterfalls aro shown. "John Halifax, Gentleman," is the latest success by the Tannhauser Film Company. Other pictures of equal merit will be screened to make up a bright and enjoyable night's entertainment. ' • KING'S THEATRE. A high standard, of quality was touched by the selection of pictures displayed at a matinee performance in the King's Theatre on Saturday afternoon and again in the evening. On. both occasions tho available seating accommodation was filled. Full of interest was the film devoted to tho late episode at Houndsditch,- in London, when a party of anarchist desperadoes were besieged for' hours in s.a tenement by a strong body of police and soldiers. Another sensational 1 picture is that of tho flight of two ill-fated French aviators at Issy-en-Moulineux; Many other meritorious films found a place 011 the programme. To-night an entirely new selection of pictures will be screened. MACMAHON'S PICTURES. AN HOUR WITH BUFFALO BILL'S SHOW. The ■ MacMalion Brothers business is to specialise in kineniatograph specialties. '1 his timo they bring under notice a very good film, illustrating for upwards of an hour Colonel Cody's famous Wild West Show niul circus—one of the biggest organisations of the kind in tho world. Its entourage is ko complete and the number of its performers—human and animalare so great that'it would almost require a special steamer to take tho show "round tho world. That is, however, not likely to happen. Such a big enterprise must move where the people are thickest, and that is not on this side of the Equator. Colonel Cody, is a picturesque figure, with' his long white liair and French "goatee," and behind his somewhat romantic robustness thcro is the: man, who as a soldier-scout did excellent service in perilous times in America. After tho last Indian rising many years ago now, there was no' particular call for such men as Colonel Wm; Cody or "Buffalo Bill" as he is familiarly called, so lie took to the show business. What sort of a show his is may bo discovered by a visit to the Opera House which, by the way, was packed to tho doors on' Saturday evening. The great show opens with a kind of allnations' parade—cowboys and Indians on horseback, Hindus, Siamese, and Congo negroes 011 foot, Burmese warriors (mounted), a quintet of enormous elephants ornamented with ballet girls, ctc. The cowboys (and girls) are shown in a daring exhibition of rough-riding that'takes'mvay the breath of tho audience though only a photographic representation of tho real thing. The exhibition, given'; by a "cowgirl on a bucking broncho was splendidly exhilarating. A company of United Stato Artillery give a. dsplay of riding and field-gun manipulation, and a team of CossackS demonstrate their mastery of ' the art of horsemanship. Rosse's, musical elephants perforin' sagaciously at the bidding of their pretty girl attendants. Tho music 0110 had to take for granted. Ono of the best novelties in the show is that provided by a company of. Zouaves at drill. So even and precise is'their work that one could readily be excused for believing them to be mechanical figures. Thoso interested in figure drill should seo theso Zouaves at work. The circus also includes a' display by an astonishingly clever Japanese troupe, a team of whirling Arabian acrobats, and a representation of nn Indian uprising yna its subjection. The picture is delightfully clear. MacMahon's Pictures favour the horse. He appears not a little in tho Wild West Shoy display, and is also elevated into focus in "Mexican Jealousy (a row between two Mexicans over the comely Bonita). "A Texas' Joke On which a joke played on. a cowboy by his mates, leads to marriage), * and Cyclone Peter's. Matrimony" (in which Pete finds a match in the girl he gets for a wife from a matrimony bureau). ■ ■\Va," an Indian story, is . altogether too stupid to convince. "Nanina" is an exciting storv of the defeat of a gang of blackmailing bomb-planters b.v a plucky girl. How hard pressed tho film-making firms are for comic subjects is evident 111 "How Jones won the Championship." Tho fun is forced and foolish through°"on Thursday next it is tho intention of tlio management to screen a kinematographio representation of tho successful Australian drama, "Tho Squatter's Daughter," which has been favourably received elsewhere. STAR PICTURES. The Star Pictures drew good patronasre on Saturday evening, and a strong bill will bo presented to-night. ORGAN RECITAL. - A, very fine programme, embracing'a representative selection from the works of distinguished -writers for the instru-ment,-was -presented by tho City Organist (Mr. Mauglian Barnett) at his weekly rcoital on the grand at the Town Hall on Saturday evening. By special" request, the' organist repeated the'first, movement- of Handel's celebrated concerto for tho organ, "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale," which was so highly' appreciated by the audience.at a previous recital. Wolstenholmc's charming "Question and Answer" idyll was another conspicuous number oh the programme, while mention should also be mado of Meyerbeer's' characteristic - "Schiller. March." Excerpts from Bach, St. Clair, and Dicuel completed the series.

Notwithstanding counter attractions ■"Wonderland" at Minimal - drew its usual crowd of sightseers on Saturduy afternoon. 'Iho various sida sh.iws were well patronised nnd 0110 and all'appeared' to have had a' good outing.