ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1974, 3 February 1914, Page 4

ENTERTAINMENTS.

PAUL DUFAULT. All I hose who love the "coneoiiiso of sweet sounds" wiii rlouhllcsa rejoico at tho opportunity of again hearing the captivating Canadian tenor, Paul Dufiitilt, s\ho is now making a, four at tho head of his own company. Pnul Dufault fir,sf. saw iho light in n littlo called Bagot, some iortj-livo miles from Montreal, the Canadian inotriiwlie, and aL a very early ago developed a marvellous voice. There is iio need to iclsto hovr ho gradually but easily sang-hie way into fanio. It is enough for tho musis lovers ol tins side of the woild to recall that on tho evening of June 22, 1912, ho snnu his way jiito tho hearts of a largo Austra .an audience in tlio Sydney Town Hall, and tho pitied ho won tVn has, never been lost but has become more lirniry entrenched by ea=h bucccedmg appearance, Tho Dufoult mco is a tenor of superb quality, sympathetic, resonant, and marked by case of pioduction. His programmes during his coming season here will range from ballads to operatic al "} s - Ho will also bo leard in duets with Miss Paulino Bindley, Iho soprano of the. company. The other assisting *! n £?. 8 . 1 '%» violinist, and Harold Whittle, pianist -Mr. Dufault comes to Wellington for *T f, - P 1 nson ..i of fou . r Mnc ertfei tho;first of which will bo gtvon at tho Town Hall on February 11, wider tho auspices of the. JWal Wellington Choral Bo6iety, aiid the remaining threo at tho Opera House on February 12, 13, and 14 The box plan will open at the Dresden nest Monday. ,

KING'.S THEATRE I Evidence of tho cvergrwn popularity enjoyed by the works of Chides DicEens was afforded at tho King's Theetro last night, when a crowded pttendance was attracted by p, new programme, in which the principal item was "Scrooge," ft pictorial adaptation of "A Christmas Carol." Tlio picture is beautifully produced, and tlio arting, particularly of tho name part, which wae talton by ilr. Seymour Hicks,, is worth) of unstinted, praise. Even in the picture his rendering of the character of Scrooge, the man who was transformed from a "squeezing, wrenching, grasping, co-s-otous old pinner" into a warm-hearted and open-handed philanthhjpist, is convincing and impressive. Nccctsarily curtailed as it ie, tljo story retains all essential features and loses very little of Iho appeal for which it is so remarkable in its. original form, Scroogo is *li6wn in his unrepentant phnsc, going about causing heart-ache. Bob Orateliit, Tiny Tim, and tho'other chaiacters in the fnmou3 story are capably represented. So, too, is tho dream scene in which the ghost of his former partner portrays to Scrooge tho events of his misspent life and the misery and gloom which have boon its sole fruit , ), and shows hriu that tho fiimplo hfippincsp, from which lie is cut oft by hit evil deeds is enjoyed by his on'n poverty-stricken clerk and otherß as poor. The repentauco of the miser and tho good deeds to which ho recoiis in Lis repentanco .".ro as ably portrayed by Mr, Seymour Hicks as the darker feature ■« it'll which iho story opens. Tho scenco of tho story lend themselves admirably to pictorial representation, and it is k> l>o hoped that productions of this elass may increaso in number as time gfees on. from its central fcaturo, tho progrnhimo contains many good' items. "Sauce for the Gooso ie an amusing comedy with a pointed moral. A liusband given to dissipation is pulled up with a round turn by his wif j protending to tako to similar courses. Ho is soon relieved of his fears, but penitence romains. An industrial film of unusual meiit is tlioi enUtl9d o of a ljocomotive." , It clearly illustrates a class of cnijineering Work to which a Roid deal of poimlar interest attaches-. "A Window in Washington Paik" , is a splendidly acted drama, based upon a furies of strange coincidences. "An Evening v.ith Wilder Spender" is an entertaining comedy. 'Interostinp; topical items are picture* in tho "flaumont Graphic ,, and "Xe-v Zealand Animated News," and much interest ■nas displayed also in a. locally-produced picturo of a recent athlotie fporte gathering at Wellington, 'live programme, will be reported to-night and until the end of tho nC3k.

THE EMPRESS THEATRE. At the top of tho list of now subject* appearing at tho Empress TTwntio continuous pictures yesterday is the Lubin Company's latest "feature" drama, "When Mountain and Valley Meet." In the story a gjrl of tho wilds of the snowclad mountain meets a handsome younfj student in the- city of tho valley. .The girl has a very dovout lover in a young trapper of tho mountains, and with him tho .girl returns from her visit to tho city to her homo amidst tho snons. Attracted by tho student,' tho girl pines to seo him again. She feigns illness.and manages to bo sent by licr parents to her -uncle, a doctor, in tho city. Tho lover of tho mountain sends a comrade with the girl to watch ovff her and to come to him when his presence is required at tho girl's side. The studont arranges a mooting *ith tho object of Ills temporary affections, and tho girl agrees to see- him. Tito lover ih tho mountain is dulv notified and ho hastens down to tho valley, where ho seeks his rival. Ho compels tho student to accept his challenge, to a fight out on tho mountain side. There a terrible struggle takes placet, and tho studont is badly defeated. It then ueinains for the girl to return to her homo and ask for forgiveness from her intrepid lover. Other Items include the- drama. "Mountain T)ew" (Kalem f 'masterpiecc"Vand "Making Pig Iron" (industrial). Two humorous tramps resume, their pranks in th,o fourth series of "Two Mon.and a Mlilo" (Reliance comedy). Th<> Vitagraph oomedy, "Let Thorn Quarrel," is a most amusing skit. The Gaumont ■ naturalcoloured scenic, "Casablanca, , is also a tepiendid item.

'. HIS XLUE.Sfy'S THEATRE,. ■ ■ Acrobatic feats of ono kind and'another bulked largely in ill© no* vaudeville progrowrae presented at' His Majesty's Theatre last; evening., but it, was rich also in comedy it-ehiSj eongs.-, and dances. The audience was both largo aiid ap.precistirc. There was ijfi ■single itort whiish took uncontested' pride of place, tor a fminb.er woro.aS: fjcsqd that it would ba difficult to dc*. dido between them. Tho Rondas Trio,, w'ho appear at the end of the first half. 6f the program'mo, are a roinarkaply: ■■dover party of'triple cyclists, . TlioS. ndo in every cenpe.ivablo atfcitiide "TCitli.' apparent ease ajid thdjr bai.an.cing fcijts! : aTo wondcirful, Nothing bettor of its. land has been seen in Wellington than tho liead-to-Jiead. balaneinK of the «ap> able pair of acrolats billed as "flib, Carpos Brothers." Their aeyobatics aro tiiHvened with music and thoif filial feat is a pinnofortQ and maiidolino. diici, the player of the latter ;instrumont bsing balanced uiisido dowii, on his partner's li.ead. "Lo Bruii" is a mii'ster of fclie art of rollof skating wbo displays equal skill aiid daring,, ©no " of liis: achievoments is a skatc-danco. Upon it tiny platform raised a man's, nciniij above tho stage, rfnd another 'is a.fljring: swoop down a stee.pljviiieiihod rtlaik. Aiiotlior cftpaMo acrotiatio troupp is tho "Great.Guzman Trio," whoso rnfembero ijiaitain tlioro equilbrium with Becinint; ea&c! upon largo balls, a co.uplo of: foot in «hd on that precarious emitic.neo achievo feats of balancing ani acrobatic dexterity which many performers aw content to tacklo Ufion the firm .footing of the, stag*. Tim two male members of Hie Dartt injjirovo. upon the hcad-to4itfad net by baiancinp in that attttiidj ■ with a'two-foot' brtll sepni-aling their crani.ums, airf their lady partner is equally Bering: Slid fikilfill Daivejng in vafieti.es fa contributed by Lcslio sn'tj tony lie, ii pair of perfbrnicrs possessed of remarkably lirely feet. Mr. Leonard.

Nelson, a comedian who is putting in tlio final week of his present season in Wellington, mado a decided liit with a song and story in which ho extolled tho joys of singlo blessedness and another eong about Wellington and Auckland, was equally well rrroived. Othor good items wore contributed by Clayton and Cronin, scrios find (lancers, Western and Hall, billed ae "Auslrtliah Entf*taiuors"; Miss Bejyl Gilman, a ba!ladist-, Littlo Molly, a child entertainer; Dixie Southern, American character impersonator, and Dolmhn and Cassundrn, a capable pair of novelty slack-wire walkers, The samo programme will bo repeated 10-nfght and on • folloniiiß night this week- On Thursday night there will be a setfcs of amfttour trials or competitions for which numerous entries have boon received.

BRITANNIA THEATRE. _ "Tlio Express Car Mystery" , is the title of the principal picture of tho now programme at tho Britannia Theatre. Diipn, a loafer, wantonly smashes an Italian's violin, and the other sets out with the intention of killing Dugan, but a priosl pacifies him. Grant, an express messenger, is cntnisted with a largo sum of money, which ho has to tako to a distant city per train. Unable to board tho train in tire yard, Dugan, who has heard of Grant's eriaiid, jumps to tho roof of iho express t,ear bs it passes under n. bridge. After a short fight, Diigau secures the money and jumps off tho, speeding train into n river. Gratit is necused ,is the thief, but the ' Italian, after an oxritihg chasn in a, train, sucoDeds in capturing the thief, and Grant, needless to say, is granted his riso in wages. Othor good pictures nro: "Topical Gazette," "Lifo of % Wasp" (nature study), "Tlio Call of tho Heart" Mrama), and "Ward, of tho Senior. Class" (corn«M. The bill will bo'presented during all sessions to-day.