ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1332, 9 January 1912, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

OPERA nOUSK. The performance of "The Chocolate Soldier" attracted another very large audience to the Opera House last night. Tho audience were greatly pleased, and the applauso was very hearty. It was a great success from start to finish. ' FULLERS' PICTURES. Fullers' Pictures are drawing wen at; the Skating Rink in Ingest re Street, and, on (he occasion of tin: change of programme last night, the house was well filled. The new series included a number of capital dramatic und comic items, as well as interesting scenic and industrial subjects. A special edition of the Pathe Gazette showed the King and Queen leaving England for India. The first view was of the arrival at Portsmouth, alongside the magnificent Medina, and then the departure from the harbour. Later the- lioyal steamer was seen passing through .the Strait of Gibraltar, accompanied by the squadron, which was appointed to escort the Royal party to India. Other items adumbrated by the Gazette were the race for the Manchester November Handicap, won by Ultimiis, and tho opening of the jumping season in England. .."His Exoneration" is a. beautiful drama by the Lubin Company, and one that has been remarkably welt photographed. The story opens in New i r ork, where a young man, in order to spare his mother trouble and pain, assumed the blame of his stepfather's defalcations, and goes out West a fugitive from justice. Six months later he has won the love of a young girl, but not without incurring tlie displeasure of an unscrupulous rival. The latter is, by chance, placed in possession of the young man's secret, and the young girl,.fearful that her lover may be nrrested, consents to marry the unscrupulous rival. Everything appears to be going the wrong way when word comes from New York that the stepfather has confessed his guilt to clear the son, and the latter is eventually married to the girl whom he loves.

"Cupid the Conqueror" is the love storv of ail artist, and "Artful Tweedledum ' is an amusing little comedy. "By Rail to the Summit of Mount Schanberg" and

"Some Famous Rivers" are a couple of scenic subjects forming an important part of the picture entertainment, while the industrial side of kinetnatography is shown in "Life of the Bees" and "Cutting Laths for Shipbuilding." Tho films were screened last night with a new silent biograph machine. This evening the programme will bo repeated.

THE KING'S THEATRE. There was a packed house cz the King's Theatre last night, when among the many subjects on the new programme was a dramatised version of "The Christian," by Hall Caine. West's and Royal Pictures produce this film by special arrangement with Jlr. William Anderson. In length tho picture runs to 3500 ft., and it,must be said that West's expert (Mr. W. Kranklyn Barrett) executed an -excellent piece of work from the point of view of kinematography. Two wellknown Australian artists. Miss Eugenie Duggan and Mr. Roy Redgrave, play the respective parts of Glory Quayle and John Storm. The play has been acted for pictorial purposes in suitable settings, and the scene of the burning mission house is a particularly effective one. A second feature of the programme is a reproduction of the Australasian championships, a picture for which West's have exclusive rights. Tho scenes include the 220 yds. won by Opie, the iJOyds. hurdles won by Keddell, the two miles fiat race won by Hill, and other races and field events. "Over Niagara in a Barrel" shows much of ,tho scenic beauty of the foils, and gives various phases of an interesting incident thatoccurred in the vicinity. The Selig Company's contribution to the programme is a cowboy drama entitled "Dad's Girl." In this picture some splendid horsemanship is seen. "The Automobile Mattrass" portrays tho extraordinary adventures of a sleepy man, who was sewn up in a mattrass by accident. Much amusement was caused thereat. In viow of the Turco-Italian war, a film of much interest i.s "Scenes in Tripoli." A nuw edition of the "Pathe Gazette" contains items topical from different parts' of the world. During the entertainment musical selections are provided by the King's Lyric Orchestra.

THE NEW THEATRE. Evidence of the popularity of MacMahon and Donnelly's continuous picture entertainment was furnished by the attendances at all sessions at the NewTheatre, Manners Street, yesterday afternoon and evening. A complete change of programme will bo introduced to-day, and to-night. Tho principal attraction will be tho Champion exclusive drama, "A Daughter of Dixie." This prjggEtion made a hit recently in Australia, Tho plot is a romantic one, dealing with events of the disastrous American Civil War. The struggle- between North and South was, carried on with such extraordinary patriotism by the latter that heroic deeds similar to the episodes in this dramagraph were of frequent occurrence among the "Greys." The Bison exclusive drama, "The Lost Letter," is an exciting narrative cleverly enacted. A superior classic drama, "The Last of the Abencerages," by the Cines Company, will claim immediate popularity. Other features will include: "A Fight With l'ire" (Hepurix drama), "A Hindoo Village" (travel), "Lake Vertano" (scenic), "Contrad Fond of Animals" (comedy), and "A Strange Invitation, to Dinner" (comic). The now series will be shown from 11 a.m. till 11 o'clock to-night. ■

SHORTTS' THEATRE. The power of easy and entertaining transition, which is one of the great charms of moving-picture displays, has seldom been better exemplified than in tho series of new i pictures screened at Shortts' Theatre in Willis Street yesterday. Spectators attended the successive entertainments in numbers proportionate to the merits of the programme. In the evenihg, particularly, seats wero at a premium. A prominent item was a historical drama, "Robert Bruce," which covors deeds and adventures of the famous Scottish king in the days when his kingship was little- moro than a name, and his enemies were more numerous and much more powerful than his subjects. The story,opens with a. scene in which Bruco is acclaimed ns King by a little band of devoted followers. Then conies tho slaying of Red Comyn, a disappointed aspirant to the Crown of Scotland, in the church at Dumfries. Later, Bruce is shown as a hnnted fugitive, hard pressed by his enemies and with a price set on his head by the King of England. Ultimately, thanks to the devotion of Douglas and other faithful followers, Bruce triumphs over all his enemies, and his kingship becomes a reality. Tho picture is admirably produced, and no effort has been spared to impart an air of realism to Hio various historic rcenes which it presents. Two splendid scenic films are "Niagara Falls and the Gorge Rapids" and "Climbing the Rax." former shows the worldTonowned falls frojn many viewpoints, and the latter is a magnificent representation of mountaineering in the Austrian Alp?. • It opens with a scene of great beauty, a picturesque accomniodationhouse in a pretty valley, with deep groves of pine trees running up the mountain slopes for a background. In later scenes the climbers are shown scaling stesp and difficult rocky paths, creeping warily over the sloping surfaces of glaciers, and glissading merrily down long slopes of snow. The final picture of thesummit of the Rax is a triumph in aerial perspective. Fare of a lighter kind has not been forgotten in the compilation of the programme. "Tiny Tim as an Apache" deals with the adventures of a diminutive rogue, who finds the interior of a milliner's hat-box a convenient retreat from whicji to emerge at intervals, and pursue lawless activities in a way that gives a great deal of worry and trouble to honest folk. The picture concludes with a liappily-conceived burlesque. Attracted by a promise of immunity and a reward of .£4OOO, Tiny Tim masquerades as the miscreant who stole the famous picture Mona Lisa. Executing a ridiculous caricature of the mastorpiece, Tim, assisted by a comrade, conveys it to tho Louvre. There ho finds the president and members of tho French Academy weeping over their loss, while attendant file? of soldiers weep in sympathy. Tim hands over his daub, collects the reward, and goes oft" in triumph. Another jrood picture in the comic section of tho programme is "The Misor urn! Hie Thievfs." The some pictures niil be screened this evcnine.