A NAME FOR A THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1425, 27 April 1912, Page 4

A NAME FOR A THEATRE.

NOMENCLATURE EXTRAORDIXARY. ghat's in a name? Theatre manager! evidently fancy that there is a good deal thni'"'" 0 i • trouble and expense 'I'lM i i 1° 111 a t a decision. I lie latest TOinpetitifon, originated by i n l '" oc . lo 1 r ? of what has been known ns Ihi Adelphi. iheatro since tho plans were prepared for ' its erection (at the s Building in Willis Micel), and oitered three very substantial prizes viz., £17 10?., £7 10s., and .£5 for the three most original suggestions for the name of the theatre. This did not moan what competitors would deliberately consider the best working name for a new theatre, but took tlio form of a contest in originality, always, of course, having in view tlio particular aim and obieet of tho theatre concerned. _ Needless to say, wilh such prizes offering, there wero thousands of competitors, but fully three-fourths of them made the initial and fatal blunder of selecting tlio names of well-known theatres in different cities, and these could not be considered by the judges (a number of city pressmen), whose rather difficult task was to l decido on the prize-winners on the sole and only scovo of originality, which, it should be clearly understood, does not commit them to the belief that the names selected are l>y any means the best for a picture theatre to exist in our midst indefinitely. With a due regard for tho conditions, the judges awarded tho prizes as follow:— First—l'ho Zcala. Second—The Rendezvous (5). Third—The Vivascena and (he Photon mobile. The names of tho \vinncrs nre.—First, A. llaylock, 1011 Coroniandel Street| second (six), Phyllis Bates, . "Ingston, Jiataitai Road, llataitni; Zelnia Keosing, 17 Mulgrave Street; Winifred Lnngridgo, Kaitoko; K. Lambert, Kilbirnie, Wellington; Mr. Norman, Box 432, Citvj and Gocrge Gregg, Denveut Street, ' Island Bay. Third (two), Henry Bodle.v, 207 Grant Road; Frederick Duncan Ferguson, (IS Abelsinith Street. There were dozens who sent in the "Premier," scores who stood and fell by the Adelphi and the "Sterling," and many who sent in such- everyday namei as the Queen's, the Empire, the Princess, the Royally, tlio Centennial, tin? Crown, the Coronet, tho "Palladium," the Alcazar, and tho Orpheum—all names oi theatres known io the travelled. There wore several mimes with a quip such aa "Tho livening Passed," because the sit« of tho Theatre is past the "Evening Post," but how this could be conceived as a name for a picture theatre is best known to tho contestant. "Tho Fullest" was evidently intended as tho superlative . of tho lianto of another firm of picture theatre proprietors. 'There were plenty of "Kia Ora's" and "Haeremai's," and a wag suggested "The Dewdrop In" rtri.!" 1110 ' W|ls promptly rejected. Iho House of Joy" hardly met tho case, as many of _lhe pictures shown toll pathetic stories, and show the scenes of accidents, fires, that aro by no means sources of joy, though topically interesting. "liveryman's Theatre" was not so bad ii it did not exeludo tho ladies, who are as a rule very fond of pictures. Other _ names suggested were:—"Th» ' Panopticon," "Eclipse," "Sun," Academy," "Lounge," "Ilappy Honrs,'' ' J'. 1 , madelpbjan," "Down Town," "St. s * illiscott" (a combination of Minis and Boulcott Streets), "Palace pf Amusement," "Tivcli," "Gaiety," "Model," "Afterthought," "Orion," "Tho Limit," "Best," "Tip-Ton," "Grand," ",A'i ' "Reform," "Sir .Toe," "Opposition, 'Aladdin," "Merry Widow," "Titanic," and "Carpathian." After carefully considering the name! selected for prizes, as well as many others sent in, tho management has decided to adhere to the Adelphi as tho name of tho new theatre, which will probably bo opened on Wednesday fortnight.