ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1709, 28 March 1913, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

OPERA HOUSE. Mr. Allen Dooiie, tho American-Irish comedian, noiv appearing in "Tho Wearing of the Green," certainly has what tho Irish would cull ''a way with him." With out any visible Effort,'antl with a repose that is quito admirable, he pleases in all he docs, and has behind his l usually nonchalant air enough dramatic lorco to stir, up the feelings of tho susceptible. "The Wearing of the Green" cannot be accounted a serious contribution to the dramatic library—nor does it pretend to liebut timed up with Mr. Doouc's songs it is a clean and healthy entertainment. On Saturday evening the company will appear in ilie Irish drama, "Molly Bawii," in -which Mr. Doone has appeared with success in other parts.

THEATRE ROYAL. No ono interested in physical culture, and the extent to which its practice may develop tho muscular- system, should fail to see the Marsdens, now appearing at the Theatre Royal. One member of the trio gives a display a la Sandow which is little short of amazing, by producing and working at will great rolls and ridges of muscle in parts of the body where the llesli is usually flaccid and muscle-poor. It is certainly one of the best displays of tho kind given in Wellington. The 'programme is brightened by the Crimson Ramblers (who tupply an excellent first part), the .Dentines, the Esma Duo, and Miss Lotiio Duggan. The wonderful Stngpooles, acrobats and strong people (six in number), and the Serenaders a costume comedy oompany, commence on Monday next. .

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE.' "The Secret of the Safe" topped the bill at His Majesty's Theatre again last evening. The film is a'long one, and tells in some detail a story based on man's greed for 'gold. The beginning of the story deals with an old , miser who hoards up liis. wealth in a secret safe. His hiding-place is, however, discovered by his man servant, who, in turn, is caught l spying by his master. In a scuffle that follows, the servant accidently shoots his master. The master dead, tho servant is imprisoned, and whi|le 'serving'his tilne Ijo confides the miser's secret to a fellow prisoner. This prisoner .escapes, but, in endeavouring to secure the gold, ho is caught in a burglar trap and killed. AVlien tho servant is released- he tells his old master's son of the whereabouts of the money. "A Busy Day "in the Jungle" is ono of the best of the supporting items, and "At the Foot of the Scaffold" is the second dramatic feature of tho programme, which, taken 'as a whole, is a very good one. It will bo repeated to-night.

THE KING'S THEATRE. Pew companies seem to be capable of manufacturing a coloured film so well as Pathe Freres, and, as an example of their -work, the feature item at present becng screened nt the King's Theatre is worth seeing. "For Love is Life," as the titlo suggests, is a love-drama. The characters ; are evidently French, and this accounts for the basis of the story—an "arranged marriage."' Eventually, however, tho true lovers are united. "Six o'Clock," one of the Vitagraph's latest productions, introduces "Maurico Costello' in a new role.' Six o'clock is the time before which lie lias to "raise the wind." Other good items on the programme are: "Lady Clare" (dramatic), "Scenes Around Rouen," general views of the Captain Scott memorial services in London. There are also two excellent comedies, "In the .Flat Above" and "Foolsliead, Amateur i'oisoner."

THE NEW THEATRE. ' A capital variety of new'pictures was screened at the New Theatre yesterday. The star item is a dramatic subject entitled "A Life for a Life." Tile i plot brims with the sensational and adumbrates the adventures of a villager named Yanjii Lupo, who wagers with a" stranger that he can "throw" a wild bull. The '.scene depicting the contest attracts the whole village community, and developments folio,v. What- is' commonly called "d bye interest" is woven round the various scenes. It is a three-cornered drama, in which the stranger, Vanni, and a girl, "Nellie," figure in a maimer'calculated to interest. Other good pictures are "An Accidental Dentist," "Rochester" (scenic), and "Winning his Stripes." The foregoing pictures will bo shown throughout all sessions to-day.

EMPRESS THEATRE. Lovers of dramatic studies will be well met by paying a visit to the Empress Continuous Picture Theatre in Willis Street, The new programme had mauy outstanding attractions, chief among which was a film entitled, "Drink's Lure." The principal actor ill this drama is a man who is more a victim to his own moral weakness than to any Teal "badness." Eventually his sense of effort (and his vanity) is ai'oused by a Salvation Army girl's constant kindness to his family, and he promises to abandon his dissolute habits. Temptation, __ however, drags him down again. Another striking picture was "The Dynamiters," a Western drama, in which various scenes of,the hair-raising order were .depicted, the principal being the blowing'up of a dynamite store. "Foiling the Fire Fiends" was an exciting story of an oil-well fire. Other pictures were''"'Collection Day," "Unloading a Fishing Smack," and "Guiseppe's Good Fortune." The theatre will be open from 11 a.m. till 11 p.m. to-day.

SHORTTS' THEATRE. "Captain Barnacle, Reformer," was tho name of the principal picture at Shortts' Theatre in Willis Street, yesterday. The story is one in which a young boy is turned out. by his father, and runs away, to sea. During many voyages he becomes completely reformed, and eventually is responsible for saving many lives from ashipwrecked vessel. "Annie Crawls Upstairs" is a picture in which a three-year-old child climbs upstairs in a tenement and unconsciously performs more good deeds in a short space of time than could be done by many adults. Other pictures were:—"The Pathe Gazette," "The Knight of the Snows," "Tho Living Statue," and "Aeronaut's First Appearance."