ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1326, 2 January 1912, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS.

OPEBA HOUSE. "Alias Jiintuy .Valentine," the tale of a burglar who cracked bis last safe (o save the life of a little girl accidentally imprisoned in the airtight vault, fascinated and enthralled another . crowded audience at the Opera House last night. It is a play of real living characters, and all of them were again -faithfully and artistically portrayed by the members of the clever company producing the play. Preceding the play, the somewhat, grim cameo, "A Pot of Caviare."- was produced. To-night is the lust night of- "Alias Jimmy Valentine." • THEATRE BOTAL -PICTURES. . Kinemacolor studies;'interspersed with black mid white pictures, were shown at the Theatre Royal yesterday afternoon and evening, .and the progfamine-' appeared to. be much appreciated by those present. .Altogether, there, were four-, pictures, aid these, included ..a. very beautiful study entitled' "P'qppies."' In it the flower was shown' changing from bud to vivid blbbhi.. Another particularly fine kinemacolor'picture ' was ' otoe entitled "The Investiture of the Prince, of. Wales." In this series' a good idea eduld be obtained, of the splendour ..that attended this ■interesting ceremony. One was enabled to follow, the whole.prbcedure from.start to finish... Kinemacolor.. presents .moving pictures in,.their, original'.colours, and the 'uniforms worn by.' the. officers'.- and the dresses of'..the ; officials iuade upi.-an absorbing pageant. '.The other "kiueiiiaoolor pictures shown were'"Beach Drill at Hastings," a picture showing children undergoing -drill- in-their ■ bathing cos-' tuines, arid a bcaiitif.'il "scenic film entitled "In the' Land of Mohammed." -The black . and- v.-hile'piclures were clear and distinct. 'This part-"of th'c-bili-'comprised scenic,- dramatic, and comic pictures. In ■the l.ist-meritiqned -"series a-very laughable film",- which was called "Tommy Becomes' an : Actor"., was thrown "'"upon the sheet, and'-'its 1 conclusion-'was greeted with founds of applause. Other pictures were-, "(.'limbing the' .Hay;"- ''The Life -Saver," ".leal6nsy,-"' , 'Price fiFa-Man," "Original Legacy;" and : ''"-The--Matchmakc"r." The same programme will be shown this and iollo.wing'-'eveuiiigs. •■'</.■ "■■' -': '.'' ■

;". FULLERS' PiCTURES'. Scenes from many.lands contributed to the pleasure of those who assembled at the bkating; Rink in- Vivian Street.last evening;—when a no*' programme was screened 'tiy Messrsj'-Fuller arid' Sens. A .capitill -pictu're.-iVvhicli-aiipe'ars -'earlv in .tho profrninme, is'-"tliat entitled "Tho ■&im.iggl6rs."--lt deals with'tho'auventures of a band'-lbf Qbmeso smugglers'who are finally rtm "to earth-by a British naval ■detachment.•■'•'■ Bird of Frev-'-is-an interesting study of bird life. \ .e kestrel and several,. varieties'of' owls are shown-in many situations, in their nesting, places, on tho wing, pursuing their prey, and so on. Thero are soine capital pictures of ledglings and detail pictures of eves, beaks, talons, and so forth, photographed at close garters, and magnified upon the screen,-arp,another valuable and interesting feature. •■"Jimmy's. Job"' is-a pleasant little comedy.. An American, office-boy obtains leave on false pretences, in order to visita baseball match. He is dctecloU. by his. employer and stands in imminent peril of being but happily for Jimmy ho had contrived, during ins period of stolen leisure, to save his employer s fiance from beiiig robbed by a and the. em of the story finds him exalted dental features of tho comedy is a smend picture of a baseball match. "Lost o a il's 8 t 6 ; f - a - vivi ? \trlJr, , rn & ln ff' adventures in.au African forest.- --It. intrcduces -many fine pictures ot animals .of. wild'-f6rbst We and the story; in.iteel'f- lnckin- in charm. Another picture .xseporiis for" its attraction upon th' 9 of D . ut , ch .s cen fi7- Softly-llowiug ''canals ind-mills standing out against theCen.US sky, barges, and boats of quaint des,»,n, an . d . old stone hou4 are the outstanding features in a series of charm nig scenes.. A picture of ■&£„?! C ™l™} i oighhouring rapids includes » n a«nl fe u rc rirhie T i™ C U, '° '^'*B

KING'S THEATRE. Bbev rirf A S tbe . £t °fy'Of a young nas patted at thiTereut linns au 1 15 -rn joyed back to t!.nse w ho «i l"„UV?c n r'' Her. A i ove , n(€ , rp; , t , >> ' j.tory. adding an foment o |romance •Saved from the Tor«, L i s ". ,ii™!i ■those exciting railway p„:lur<s .j^ keep a.spectiUorate-in-i iiimlr. of in ■ prehensions,-. A young ,„•[, „$ ?£ J",:!?"' °° s wanted" hv-1.1,6 poJico .1 certain, express, . When-ah-iut to visit I or lover, tho telegraphist ,f (L place sage 0 hold up the tram at thenext stathe girl begs her lover hot to send the message but as he persists ingoing h '£ &*v ees him out of (he room by .btiategy.mul. Jocks him oiit..; In themeantime' the news " arrives'-, that the rapuls ■in the river .have! rendered the raUway.bridge uhsafe r and it is impera- ■ I 1" i'H ? xp i' ess i sh ? liltl be .stopped. When at last he bursts in the door, the ■express has already passed the. next telegraph station, and is rushing on to its doom. In a frenzy of despair he tells the girl of the tragic result of. her action, and she proposes.to proceed down ! the line and over the doddering bridge .in a trolly They arrive just..in time to stop the tram. _ The passengers make a.heroine of.the girL/and collect'a sum of money which she hands Mo her •brother to meet the "debts which he is ■-Hying .from. "Jealousy" is.the story of the woman scorned over.'agaiii-a little bit of intense tragedy, almost -Sardouesqiie in character, in which a passionate' woman poisons her false lover and then stabs herself..... Other -piotures well j worth seeing are "A Ramble- Through Derbyshire,";- *<Kitty- in'- --Dreamland," : Andalusian Dances/-—-BoW)v Practices ?, iu •!$!!'."• ■" r , h . e .Jute's. Dilemma," and j-the "Path'e" Gazette''." " - : ■ -'

-• '■:■.: raE:'NEW:THEATREi V '- The "marked' -.popularity .of'the cohtinu-' ous pTcture entertainment-at-MacMahon and Doiiiielly's .Neir .Tb'eatre'; Planners Street,, was evidenced by .crowded houses yesterday.- Tho Durbar pictures (first series)-failed-to connect-with-the Australian mail, which arrived in Auckland last evening. '.An: early announcement will: he-made concerning the-first production of the Durbar series at-(his theatre. There will be a complete change of programme to-day and to-night, when the latest European and American photoplay and-dramagraph-successes will 1)6 presented. The leading makers- of tho world will be represented' in the new programme.

. SHOKTT'S THEATRE. , All the sessions at Shortt's Continuous Picture Theatre.yesterday were well patronised, and in tho evening a .capital ishango.of programme, whs presented. A. very good scenic film was one entitled ■Through Paris on the Seine," produced by the Urban Co. Scenes, of interest in the picture n.ro tho Trocadero, "Alexander 111 Bridge." "The Grand Palace," "The House of Commons," "The Palace of Justice," and "Noire Dame." ''Two Men and a Girl" is tho title of a fine dramatic study. Tho comic side of the programme is headed by a particularly'.diverting picture entitled "The Limit Fire Brigade." The manner in which rnom'bers of the brigade turn out lb snnpress an outbreak of firo Is a study best told by the picture itself. The programme also" includes nn excellent educational picture, under the title of "The Electric Spark and Electric Machines." First of all-a. machine tor geneta.tin'g electricity by friction if shown, and ikea lolioji fiipeiia&ais, siti Ite

Leyden Jar. Tho mysteries of voltage, and current, and resistance all followthereafter. A good dramatic, picture is one entitled "The Lighthouse by tho Sea." "Bill n.« Vet." is a very clever comic film. The programme will bo shown continuously to-day from II a.m. until 11 p.m. , PICTLEES AT TOWN HALL. To give entertainment to the holiday crowds, and at, the same time to find space for them, Messrs. Fuller and Sons showed pictures in the Town Mall last night. The programme included a-selec-tion of new films from manufactures n" both sides of the Atlantic, arid all of them wore interesting or amusing according to their qualify. One of the strangest of all was a narrative of thrilling adventure, "Lost in the Jungle," in which some of the actors for the kinematograph were real wild aniriials. STAR' PICfUEES. ■ -'•'- All the pictures figuring in , the new programme' screened at the Star. Theatre lost evening we're good of their various kinds, and many were of -remarkable beauty. A place "of honour in the. latter category belongs tb"a film entitled'-"Pic-turesque Holland." ■ Quiet waterways and canals, drifting boats and; barges, windmills of quaint design, and- picturesque old buildings combine to.,form' many charming.studies. "Everybody's Troubleis a picture of a totally different-kind, an uproarious comedy guaranteed-to prb--voke the most scdatb to laughler. : -"Lost in the Jungle" depicts the stirring adventures in an African wilderness,- arid includes many fine studies of the wild animals. - "The Maniac"' is a-n exciting story of the doings of a lilintic. '•'■ who manages to evade-his keepers and : gives ■ n lot of . trouble , to innocent people' before he is recaptured. "The ..Adventures of Billy" is another' good "picture. • Billy, is ari .American, bbbtblackj- who disgustedly leaves the city ; iri-'which be has earned scanty broad, and wanders into the country. There he- is kidnapped by a couple of eyilly-dispbsed .tramps, and .undergoes many exciting and perilous experiences., before, he finally- .falls-airionp friends. . Other good pictures included in the prbgi'anime.are: "The' Smugglers," a;.story of the Far .East. "Birds of Prey," "Jimmy's Job," and "Niagara Falls and Gorge Eapids." : The same pictures will be screened this evening.

. "THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIEE." The J. C. Williamson, Ltd-.* new -English Opera.'Company, .who are ; kchediiled to appear at the. Opera House ; to-lnorrbw evening, will arrive by special-train-from Auckland-on Wednesday ■ rnornihg at- 9 o'clock. The box plans For the first six nights are now open at the-Dresden.. - It is said of "Tho -Chocolate-.Soldier" tho score is really-sparkling. It is.-iuterpst-iiig to note that it comprises concerted music to an' unusual degree. - There are two big set solos,- both for tho soprano, one. of which—"My Hero"—has a waltz melody th.it is. said to be irresistibly fascinating. This lending theme appears in a. love ballad for tho heroine Nadina, in the first act* and .in the second .and third acts as. a chorus,' its parting strains being heard - at the final i'all of the. curtain. There are many other nirtistic melodies. The finalo of the first scene proves in.this way rich in musical interest arid the sextet in the second act is also tvpieal of the composer's versatile gifts;'while the finale to this act, with its brisk dance fo" tho gay company, usuallv.w'ihs groat applause. All through tho three acts, the orchestration,. warm in colour, light and of sparkling charni and varictv holds the ear and delights the' senses'. For the proper interpretation of the music Air. Victor Champion will !direct an oiches.i'a. It may bo anticipated that the performance to-morrow eveiimg is. being ■ with-.much interest Iho reappearance of;.Miss.-.Amy' -Murphy in comic Opera-is a-decided attrnction,:iji'dc!cd' to wliich the jiiimberJofnrtisls who-will make first. appearances in ttellingion, nanw;y, Mr. Leslie Ga/d \v *°<; 1 ., 1 ' J f 1 lmn S. Jlr - Albert-Knvnnairh Misses Rita. Presano and Miss Mabel Gral wit'h the r,'li r % ,k Mll S°?,™ s here with the Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire company. n-n-uiu.

, .MOONLIGHT EXCRUSION. This .■evening, a moonlight, excursion'will 1.0 hold-Minder the auspices of (he Wolmgton Central Mission. '• A' steamer 'will leave the lerry Wharf at 7,15 p.m. accompanied by. the Mission-Silver Band I-poii the arrival of the steamer at the buy a concert will ba held in the pavilion commencing at $.30. The -steamer will return at. 10 o'clock. ' tnd™ M ,V Ssi i°i n ' S a « s6 hold l n S B " outing to-day. at Day's Jay. An excursion steamer. .\n» Tun to the bay, leaving the wharf at. 4t> a.m., .carrying passengers at ordinary rates. Picnic parties;will b6 able to .obtain hot water free bf-cliaiW' and various .sports and attractions Will be provided at the lav. . . ' "