ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2410, 16 March 1915, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

"THE COURT CARDS." Tho current programme of 'The Court Cards," who are appearing at tho Grand Opera House,' is very entertaining. Miss Maude Fane, comedienne, has made - a big hit with nor "Gertie" : and encore upon encore indicate tho popularity of "The Joker' of the "pack —Mr. Edgar Warwick. The other members of the company have greatly increased their grip ,or> tho Wellington public, and tlie last lew nights of "The Court Cards' " appearance in the city will surely bo heiv.'iy patronised by lovers of good concerts. MISS FLORENCE YOUNG'S COMPANY. In the Municipal Concert Chamber, Miss Florence Young's Musical Play Company is presenting "The Climax," a clever little American play. The story is charmingly simple, and the dramatic climax is arresting in the extreme. There is, also, the pleasant surprise of a totally unexpected denouement. The acting/throughout is good, but the great feature is the singing of Miss. Young, whoso rich and robust voice shows no sign of impairment.

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

Tho Randell-Jackson Concert Company continue to charm large audiences at His Majesty's Theatre. The clover little company of fivo artists represent the finishing point in the style of entertainment affected, and their programmes are arranged to please all tastes. To hear them singing partsongs is to realise something of the beauty and delicacy that may be obtained in this attractive form of vocalism and in last evening's change of programme they delighted the audience in the .quintet "When My Ships Come Sailing Home," "Sluinberland," and, sweetest 'of all, "Tho Land of I Dunno Where," in which a pin-point pianissimo is achieved. Tho rare degree of sympathy that wells in Mr. Ran-dell-Jackson's voice lent conviction to Cowon's sotting of "Onaway Awake" (to Longfellow's words'in "Hiawatha"), and he further pleased- in the pretty new song "Come to the Laud of the Harlequinade." Miss Florence AVcst's sulturod soprano was heard \to advantage in "Somewhere a Voicq is Calling" and other.ballads. Miss May Windsor broad humour at tho piano, and gave "a clever child imitation. Mr. Herbert Winter, a humorist who is really humorous, gpt home ;n "Father's Photographs," and was very i laughable in the sketch "The Chairman," a parody on the man who hires out chairs at the seaside. "Modern Languages" gave Mr. Geo. Nash an opportunity.to tell the audience that "English is spoken in England, and murdered in America," and that "German was the language usually found on our imported goods, but never again." That this.is.the final week of the Ran-dell-Jackson . Company is noted with genuine regret. In the second half of the programme "Piquo," the French clown, made his first appearance.- He made his first appearance by a leap through a loft-door painted on the back-cloth Vrn to a horizontal bar, and was twisting and twirling about the bar and its supports at a prodigious speed before'half the audience realised he was on the Rtage. , He walks up the wire stays with much agility, hangs on to the bar by everything savo his eyebrows and finally makesan unexpected flight from his airy perch through acanvas window behind. Throughout tho act ho emits a'breezy humour and vigorous vitality which at onco made him a favourite. . Another newcomer was Mr. Geo. F. Ford, who presents a, ventriloquial turn, aided by the inevitable dummy. .Mr. Ford wants to brisk up his, conversational exchanges and to vary' to a greater degree the two voices, to ensure a sustained interest. Max Martin, Monsieur Poineaire, and Mann and- Franks also contributed acceptably to the programme:

THE KING'S THEATRE.

The old tale of the unstable country youth who falls, into bad ways when he gets away from home influences, and next to the other influences supposed to be rampant in a big city is told uncommonly well in the feature picture for the week at the King's Theatre, "The Little Grey Lady;" The drama is by Mr. Daniel Frohmann's famous Players'' Company, which means that the presentation 'of the story is excellent. . The story runs somewhat in this wise: Perry Carlisle is ■ lucky enough to get a position as a" currency examiner in the United States Treasury, and to take up his new post he. goes from his own village, his old widowed mother, and his fiancee (The Little Grey Lady), up to Washington. In the Treasury office he'meets a girl who introduces him to her mother's smart boardingbouse, and also to smart | restaurants, smart theatres, and others of the expensive pleasures of a..,great city. Of course, Carlisle cannot afford these frivolities, • and he borrows from a friend, a middle-aged, rich, benevolent man, named Graham, living in the same boardinghousc. The latter, finding that Carlisle is wasting the borrowed bills in riotous living, demands repayment; and then Carlisle, driveii to desperation, fakes a number of bills of high denomination. They pass and he fakes morej.' until in due course they are • discovered, and suspicion Tests upon him. When he is almost in the clutches of the law the Grey Lady, who in the meantime had also joined the Treasury staff, seeks to get him liberty again by taking blame on herself, but the detective who had the case in hand is not satisfied even with the confession and circumstantial evidence. Especially is he not satisfied, because he lios happened • to' fall in love with the Grey Lady, and he perseveres until' Carlisle owns up to the whole business. At- the critical moment Graham saves further unhappiness by squaring up the deficit, and sending two very happy married people to his ranch in South America, but he makes it quite clear that this was all for the sake of the Little Grey Lady. There is on the programme also a comedy of the whirlwind sort, produced by four of as, clever comio artists as could play before the kiuema machine. The "Patlie Gazette" has more war pictures, including scenes from the front, and othors of the Canadians at Salisbury Plain. By thewny, it has been stated that Salisbury Plain is muddy; the pictures leave no doubt at all on the matter. It is a morass, covered with four inches or so of slime. There were also some very fine snapshots of Tndian troops paraded and manoeuvring.

"DOUGH AND DYNAMITE."

As proof that Charles Chaplin is the most popular picture artist known in this city, all sessions at Everybody's Pictures were crowded yesterday afternoon and evening, to see the wonderful silent comedian 'in tlie latest Keystone production "Dough and Dynamite." The people' who 1 go to see Chaplin always go to enjoy a hearty laupch, and no on© could miss laughing at this latest film, which lias been correctly described as "a scream from start to fin-' ish." At every session yesterday, the . old Opera House resounded with roars of laughter from the crowds, who enjoy to the full Chaplin's quiet facial Movements, his grotesque way of walking, his delight when the joke is on his side, and his well-feigned discomfiture when it is turned against him. For this comedy, a clever little plot has been thought out, and a talented company has been selected to support their leader and help him towards the grand climax i suggested' by the catchy title. The [ strong point about the film is that I Chaplin figures in it/ frantically coui timiousl.v from beginning W end, and .durias the .whole time—a do nod of

half an hour—he not only holds tho attention of the onlookers, uut keeps them in 0110 long shout of laughter. When compared with previous pictures in which lie has figured, "Dough and Dynamite" will probably be voted as the best of them all. Supporting subjects include an Edison drama, "His Chorus Girl Wife," the story of tho sccret marriage of a society gentleman with a stago girl; "Gaumont Yi'ar Graphic,". illustrating recent startling events in the war arena, the effects of tho big earthquake in Italy, etc.; and a scenic showing the Egyptian monuments, near which our troops in khaki arc camped. An efficient orchestra adds pleasure to the entertainment. THE EMPRESS THEATRE. A rollicking farce-comedy by the Keystone Company figures prominently in the niiw series introduced yesterday at the Empress Theatre. "Fatty's Jonah Day" is one of the Koystono/s typical laughter-makers, with lloscoe Arbucklo as the principal comedian. The characters are Fatty, his sweetheart, her father, and the fiance selected by tho father for his daughter. The girl prefers Fatty, and this leads to hostilities, in which Fatty, his rival, and two policemen are involved. The fun is last and furious, culminating in a high dive by Fatty, and nis sweetheart. The Vitagraph Company is responsible for a lengthy drama, "The Reward" of Thrift, -a story of life among the working class. _ Ned, a structural iron worker, is an industrious and thrifty man, who endeavours to induce others to observe thrift also. While beiut, lifted up to the seventeenth story of a now building ho slips from the steel girder on which he is being carried, and hangs suspended by one leg. Bill Lalferty, a fellow-worker, rescues Ned, who. is' exceedingly grateful to Bill. Later on, however, Bill passes an insulting remark, which causes Ned. to strike him. This stirs Hill to bo rovenged, and prompted by Red Grogan, Bill shuts off the airpressure of a caisson in which Ned is working. As a result, Ned is almost drowned, and is rescued in a state of collapse. The police make investigations, and Bill is brought by a detective to Ned, to question the latter as to whether Ke believes that Bill is guilty. Ned remembers Bill's brave deed in rescuing his life, and ho stoutly proclaims that Bill is innocent. Bill is stung with remorse, and commencing a now life as a partner of Ned, through thrift and industry becomes affluent. The minor items embrace: 'Royal Tottery Works," "The Topical Budget" (animated world's- news), "Tho Storm at Sea" (Kalem drama), and "The Coupou Collectors" (Lubin comedy).

PEOPLE'S PICTURE PALACE.

Lovers of good dramatic studies should not fail to see the current week's programme at the People's Picture Palace in Manners Street. _ "The Indian" is a thrilling episode in tho life of General Sterling, and it has been adapted from America's famous stageplay by Klau and Erlanger. Tho story of this remarkable production is briefly as followslncensed by the invasion of the white man, the Indians attack the settlement, reducing everything to ruins. For ,this their own encampment is. destroyed by the soldiers from the Army Post,, and ' only "War Eagle," chief of the Indians, and his two young sons escape. One of his sons is found by Lieutenant Sterling, the officer iii charge of the Frontier Army, who takes tlie little fellow to his home, where he is brought up as a playmate to the lieutenant's daughter Gladys. As years pass "Blue Feather" becomes Sterling's adopted son and a great' favourite .with .his foster-fatherj who lias now returned to Washington, having been promoted to general. Sterling has at his disposal an Indian agency in the West, and this position is applied for by two adventurers. The two men secure the appointment, and "Blue Feather," who had argued in vain against them,' leaves Washington to join his regiment. "War Eagle" and his son "Red Feather" also try to oust the adventurers from their apEjintment, but in vain. In! the West, each and Riggles prove false to their, trust. This arouses-the ire of the Indians, and "Blue Feather" writes to General Sterling,- the result being that the two adventurers are placed under arrest. They escape, however, and eventually ; succeed .- in. kidnapping Gladys. Several, exciting events follow, during the course of which some fierce encounters take place between the two men and the Indians. Gladys is freed, but at the- expense of "Blue Feather's" life. The supporting pictures are well up to the standard, the chief attraction being tho first series of the latest war gazette, of which the management of the People's Picture Palace have secured the sole rights. Tlie_ programme will be repeated at all sessions to-day and to-nignt. "LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN." When "Lady Windermere's Fan" was originally presented at St. James's Theatre, London, it was acclaimed as one of the smartest society plays that had ever been written by an iSnglishman, and it put the crown on Oscai Wilde's head as the most brilliant of the Empire's dramatists. Many plays of a like character have since becii produced, but keen iudges are pretty well agreed that none has ever reached the standard set by Wilde in. this play. Its dialogue is brilliantly. epigrammatic, and so thickly set are the literary jowels that one cannot afford to miss one word. It should be a rare treat to see Miss Beatrice Day as Mrs. Erlyn, a part she played originally with great success in South Africa. Miss Ona Shanahan will be Ladv Windermere, Mr. Winter Hall Lord Windermere, and Mr. Harry Pliramer Lord Darlington. Other roles will be-played by Miss Nellie Calvin Miss Marjorie Soper, Messrs. H. Halley, Vivian Edwards, Elarcourt Hare, and H. W. Varna. - The production at the Grand Ooera House on Saturday evening will piaka the inauguration of. a tour of more than ordinary _ importance, as'the management is giving all profits to the Belgian Fund. That-wfll be made clear by the Prime Minister in his oDening remarks on Saturday evening. Playgoers should remember that the box nlan opens at 9 ! a.m. to-day at the Bristol Piano Company's warehouse.