ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2357, 13 January 1915, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS

"THE EVER-OPEN DOOR." The first production of a new play to Jyellington will take place at the Grand Opera House on Monday evening next, when George Willoughby, Limited, will present "The Ever-open Door," by George R. Sims. In "The Ever-open Door audiences are given an insight into everyday conditions of London life, irom the homes of tho peer, to that of the dweller in Westminster slum. The play is said to be powerful and gripping, and to hold the audience in its spell from the rise of the curtain through its four acts and twelve scenes. Ine principal characters are those which are portrayed by Mr. Georgo Cross and lj i R* me& < and they are supported by twenty-four members of the company who all appeared in the original bydney production some three months ago. "The Ever-open Door" will command the attention of audiences the first three nights of the season, when it will make way for "Under Two t'iags, a new adaptation of "Ouida's" famous novel, when Miss Remee will ue seen as the heroic girl-soldier "Cigarette," and Mr. Cross as Bertie Cecil M, O -T, fina l tw ° nights, "Gamine w,H be staged. This is done by tiio management to present Miss Remee m the title part in which the Sydney Press acclaim her to- be one of the difficult character m Sydney. She will bi supported m this production by Mr Cioss as Armand Duval. Tho season WmV"** 01 ! Where seats

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. WiV m" ? \ t lll^ 3 " 1111611 ' is offering at His Majesty's this week, and the audienco last night received the items of it with unvarying approval. Among the new acts is one of the sort which had a vogue and some notoriety a few vears ago under the generic name of "firing statuary 1 Nowadays the statuary an! tho effects are better, and the result more artistic. In this act the models are three young women, led by Mdlle. Davenport In acrobatics, two teams," I'ields and Coco, and Keen and Waller, tiVT 6 ?' good work > and Mr - George Whitehead is a baritone with a voice ana real dramatio power. THE KING'S THEATRE. "\ Million Bid," a drama by the Vitafr.aP 1 ! Company, is the star item on the bill, at the King's Theatre this week. J-hc bid was in the matrimonial market, of course, so it mostly is in story, the price paid was the happiness of the bidder, a young woman, and tho prize was a million. There was an accident to a yacht at sea, and it seemed that tho millionaire had gone, leaving behind the' girl and the million. The girl consoled helseif with her former lover, but things were vory nearly unset by the return of the lost millionaire, who, unknown and unknowing, had rambled in Aphasia ever since that disaster at sea. This is merely the skeleton of tho plot, conveying but little idea of a skilfully elaborated .picture story. The rest of tho programme is of pleasing variety and high quality. EVERYBODY'S PICTURES. The- oryptio title of "The Acid Test" is given by its producers to the principal drama now showing at Everybody's. The test referred to is applied to a woman apparently as imporvious as pure gold, and as it turns out tho lady stands the test quite as well. A rich man marries a society beauty, and finds himself unequally yoked with a woman of ice. To break through the cold barrier he-announces that he is/ penniless, and then the lady thaws, and they live happy ever afterwards. Nest in order of merit is a fascinating story starring pretty Mary Picford, of the A.B.- Company, "Lena and the Geese. "•- The programme generally is an excellent one. ( PEOPLE'S PICTURE PALACE. Those who wish to enjoy a well-varied and vory entertaining programme of pictures will find what they want at the People's Picture Palace, in Manners Street. The current bill is-an exceedingly good one, and was witnessed yesterday by large numbers of people. Tho star film is tho Essanay comedy, entitled "Money Talks.". The chief actor in tho comedy is one of tho largo army of people who have not all tho money they require to get along on. , This unhappy debtor had very determined creditors, and ho deemed it wise to escape fvoni tjiem at any cost. At last,' in desperation ,_ ho took the risky course of jumping into a great sea of mud, The position "ho found himself in was ludicrous, and in a little while he discovered a big bundle of banknotes. This unexpected wealth enabled him to pay his debts, and the creditors were ap'peased. There is, also, much hiimour in "His Winning Way," and these two fine films are well supported by others—scenic, dramatic, and topical. THE EMPRESS THEATRE. ' There will be a final screening today and to-night of the present programme of the Empress Theatre Continuous Pictures. The leading item is the London Film Company's patriotic drama, "England Expects," which deals with the sacrifice that is made by an English business man who cannoib at first make up his mind to leave his wife and children in order to enlist. Other good films are: "The Topical Budget," "The Maori Regatta Carnival," "Tho Battle-of Lebbeke," and "The Germans in Brossels," "Tho Drunken Mattress" and "Fun in a Bear Pit." The Empress full orchestra will commence nightly at 7.30 o'clock henceforth. A new series of pictures will he screened to-morrow. MACMAHON'S NEW THEATRE. Owing to the unavoidable delay of the diraot steamer at Auckland, the oustemary bi-weekly ohango of programme at MacMahon's New Theatre wag not available for Uie morning sessions, but the change was made in the afternoon. The new bill is headed by an extraordinary original drama entitled "The Honour of the Law." This is a quite unique pioture, not only on account of its Tapid action,'but owing to the intensely natural way in w.jiich Nature defies all the artifices' of art in tho attempt to stop tho of a man unwittingly sentenced to' 'ath for a crime of which ho was inrii, it. The storm destroys tho telegraph id telephone- wires, kills a carrior-p., u which is raced in desperation, in\ '•■ rupts the wireless telegraph, and q -J lays a.rapid motor service. It is only ' at the eleventh hour that tho prisoner's' mother wins through and the accused man is literally snatched from the gallows. Tho supporting films include: "The Empty Sleeve," drama; "The Countess," a social study; "A Beach Romance," "Wiggs Takes the Rest Cure," comic; and "The Picket Guard," and there are a now lot of toys for the appreciative youngsters, in continuation of tho popular children's festival.