ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2134, 28 April 1914, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS.

MDLLE. ANTONIA DOLORES: <i; Tho "Otago Daily Times" says: "Quite a number or singers of note have visited 1-hmedin of recent months, but none of them so familiarly known in Australasia, as Mdlle. Antonio. Dolores. . ... And none of them, it can safely be said, has achieved a. lnoro lasting popularity based on a foundation of sheer merit. The audience that assembled at His Majesty's Theatre to hear Dolores was one attuned to appreciation of tho higher flights of vocnt achievement, and in a mood to accord the heartiest of welcomes to a singer •whose- name has becomo inseparably associated with many happy and abiding musical memories. It included an imposing array of the members of the Dimedin Licdertafel, whose very handsome flora! tribute to tho prima donna figured conspicuously among several such which adorned the stage ore tho close of the concert. Mdlle. Dolores has the peculiar distinction among others as a, vocalist that she sets tho very highest standard for herself as well as for her audience, and that she adheres to tho song recital, _ a medium of unassisted vocal expression which makes demands which only tho most finished of artists could hope to meet successfully." Mdlle. Dolores will open a short season in tho Grand Opera House next Monday evening. Tho plan opens at tho Dresden next Thursday morning.

THE KING'S THEATRE. Tho King's Theatre was packed Inst night when an adaptation of Charles Kleino's great play "Tho Third Degree" was screened. The highly-dra-matic stery is excellently told. The story hegins with a collage seeiio giving an idea of the carrying-on of Howard Jeffries, a banker's son, aftd Robert Underwood, two university students, who were at the head of afi unruly set, and wero always in trouble, A telegram reaches Howard from his father, telling him to go to New; York to make the acquaintance of his new step-mother. Robert,- who goes with him, recognises in Mrs. Jeffries nn old sweetheart. Back at College, Robert Underwood 'is expelled for bad conduct, and Howard Jeffrios, who marries Anne, a waitress, •'s forbidden the house by his latlifti. Robert obtains a reputation for painting portraits, and his intimacy with Mrs. Jeffries is renewed. She, however, .soon finds out that Robert's soolled masterpieces are rubbish, and writes to him, breaking off their'. acqiiaini-aneo, Robert replies with a fetter addressed to Mrs. Jeffries, sen., thr-eatoning suicide. Meanwhile, Howard Jeffries lias had a bad time, and his wife- has forked at homo to make money. He meeXe i some old college friends, 'and after a night out visits Robert's looms .in an intoxicated state. Robert places him on acouch, where he falls'asleep. Mrs. Joffrics calls, but does not see her stepson. Directly she leaves Robert Underwood kills himself. Howard Jeffries is accused of murder, and is subjected to the terriblo ordeal of tho third degree. Brutally handled, lie was hypnotised by tho head of the district polite, Captain Clinton, at whose suggestion ho declared himself guilty, and is piif, in prison. Anno is told hy her husband tho conditions under which he confessed, and after great difficulty succeeds in inmicing Brewster, a great lawyer, ta take up tho case. Mrs. Jeffries', sen., is recognised by the lift boy, who informs. A meeting takes place- at Brewster's offico, and finally Howard Jefn ips innocence is proved,- and ho is reconciled with his father. Tlio other pictures in tho programme are: "Cartmont Graphic" (topical), "How Bobby Called Her Bluff" (comic), "On the Coast of tho Black Sea" (scenic), and ' Out in tho Rain" (cranio).

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Several new artists with new entertainment to offer appeared' at His Majesty's Theatre last night. Proininent above all tho others are Haniort, Dean and Hanlon, a team of three I American acrobats. Like roost of the American athletic performers, they work in shirt-sleeves, dressed, that is to say, for the street, with the one' exception that they leavo their coats off. And in this unpretentious costume they give a performance which makes prodigious demands on the strength and nerve of tho performers, and do it all with the greatest ea.se.' The difficult work is all done by two of the team, but the third nils up with funny business not quite easy to do. Tho act is billed as "tho greatest and most sensational ever booked ui Australasia," and the description must be a true one. It rcallv is 3 marvellous performance. Mr. Gardner, a gentleman from Now York or r'»eroabouts, works with four bull dogs and bull terriers of very uncertain temper. A feature of this show is that Mr. Gardner does not make the dogs do tricks, which aro foreign to a clog's nature. He ha 3 simply elaborated and perfected antics of which practically any intelligent dog could be- taught tlie beginnings, and best of all he uses no whip or anything of the sort. Khowles and Leo are two young women who appear in a series of songs and sketches ?"rm , 5n them roai humour. M Donald and Geiwraux come from America, and they attempt among ottor tilings some burlesque Scotch business. Ihey begin with a very smart and clever little song, tuneful sad well sung. Then the man of the party sings a very : funny song about the plight of the man who drove his lady in a motor-ear, and always at inooavoniont times "had to get out and get under" to persuadV the machine to go. Th© Scotch part of their act was not so good. It was fusily enough, but not Scotch enough. Weston's Living Models appeared "m more new and graceful poses. Another artist to reappear was Miss Dorothy Harris, a frolicsome- and piquant ragtime comedienne.

The prograninio will be repeated tonight.

TANGO DANCING COMPETITIONS. Active and elaborate preparations are now being made 6y tho Fuller-Bremen management at His Majesty's Theatre for the forthcoming tang© dancing competitions, which are to take ptaeo in conjunction with tho nightly vaudeville bill next Tuesday and Thursday nights, May 5 and 7, respectively. These coitipetitions were first introduced at tho Opera House, Auckland, and their success was evidenced by tho fact thai hundreds of intending patrons wore turned away at both perfornsaitoes long before 8 o'clock.- Mi-. Phillips, of Phillips and Me'rritt, Amci4ca.ii ontertainers, now appearing in Wellington, have for some time past been instructing a largo number of ladies and men who will compete in the Tho conditions of 'the Competitions will run as follow:—Tlio three- swceessfttl competitors of the first night will compete against the three successful competitors of the second night's competition at the expiration of that competition. No fewer than twenty-eight couples of competitors entered in Auckland, and judging by tho great interest that is being taken in this city in the j forthcoming competitions, tlws Auckland number should be equalled. The bos plan will be opened at the- Dresden nextThursday morning.

THE EMPRESS THEATRE. There were crowded attendances at tho Empress Thcatro Continuous Pie., tures last evening when tho leading "draw" of tho new programme was tbe Edi6on Company's "feature 1 ' drama "The Witness to the Will." The picture holds the screen for over half an hour. Major Thorndyke finds his son Bolden is an unworthy idler, and. decides to leave th& bulk of his estate to Marjoric, his grand-niece. Tho servants aro called iii to witness tho signing of the will. Marjorin is in love with Liout. Preble, of the Uuifool Staffs Navy, and this fact annoys Beldea,

WliGD!iiisi ! the-Major's lHiraryt: \vliicli^ho , served. byS I Tercnco;-o'Brieii ßvv;Who'*'>'s'iis■pects' searches''lor : thlS,s.will.'hp*cannot-find it, and i 'thus''BeldenV:bcco'nios proprietor -of the estate...' Beldoti..dismisses Terence, and' then proposes : to ; Marporie'*. who sooner, than:-, accept-, him, ■ goes out to i'ace the world alone. -Lieutenant Preble has been ordered at a minute's notice to rejoin his vessel. Marjorie has many unhappy experiences until'meeting Terence by accident she learns of' Beidcn's' suspicions actions in connect tion with tho missing will. Lieutenant Problo returns from abroad, and with Terence's aid manages to make- Beldcn yield' up the missing document, but n-ot before Terence undergoes n narrow escape from death through being thrown over a; precipice by the young villain. Marjorie is reinstated in the Thorn* dyke mansion, and accepts Lieutenant PmMo's proposal. Other features are: ''The Eclair Journal," "Marralfesh, Capita! of Southern Morocco'' (travel study), "The Interrupted Seance" (Reliance comedy), "Pimple's Inferno" (Gnuruont comedy), and "The Life-; time (Snli-g convict drama).

PEOPLE'S PICTURE PALACE. Tho star picture "Amid Raging Beasts," sktwn for the first time at the People's Picture Palace, Mansers Street, yesterday, may ho described as i Miis-st-.io.Hal realism. As tho titlo of tho film conveys, the story deals with jungle- life in a maimer vivid to a degree. It relates how a, backwoodsman and his wife and child go in search of a treasure which the father of the former has planted in a cave in the wilds. It is in tho quest for this treasure- that the three meet with, such thrilling adventures, 'i.'hey «oinbat theterrors, of the jungle and they also have a terrible adversary in a desperado who has heard of the treasure, and endeavours to circumvent tho lawful searchers. For a-wKifo this villain is sScflesraful, and succeeds in parting husband and wife, with the result that the wife* is left to face perils aloiio with her little child. With, a faithful servant &he seeks refuge -on a- raft, only to be attacked there by a lion. The beast is beaten'off, but then peril after peril comes thick upon her from wild animals, till at length a ' huge baboon, steals her child from h«r. The husband, however, discovers his wife, attd, after more perils, they rescue their child, whom they find safe and sound in tho custody of tho .baboon. In this rescuo they accidentally discover the hidden treasure, and all •ends happily. Tho ■supporting films are g<wd,' and include: "Lew and M'Guinnos-s" (a most absurd comedy). "The Escape," "The Eclair Journal," "Hawkcyo the Porter," and. others. ' Tho pictures are shown day and night.

■BARTONS' CIRCUS. Barton Bros.* Circus- will open for a brief season -in Newtown to-night,, as will, be seen, by advertisement in _ this issue. The show combines with, circus vaudeville and rough-riding exhibitions with a hand of celebrated rough-riders, headed by Queensland Harrv, the famous buek-jumr> rider who rides all outlaws in an 816. limiting saddle without knee-pads, leathers, or iroas. The management announce that ih-s'y hay* ft splendid collection of bttck-jUfttpOTS and outlaws. Popular prices will be'charg-. cd, with half-price for children,