ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2427, 5 April 1915, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE.' For tho holiday season a special programme lias been prepared by tho Ful-ler-Brennan management, anil is to bo presented at His Majesty's Theatre tonight. A largo number of new artists have been engaged, foremost among whom are The Ariel Lesters, who havo lately been performing at tho London Hippodrome. These performers will appear in a number of gymnastic novelties. Elemor and Bertie who aro also appearing for the first time will appear in what is described as a comedy melange. The lady of tho duo is said to be a graceful equilibrist and her dancing on tho tight wire to be particularly clever. Walker and Bunting, who are billed as Scotch musical comedy artists, will submit a new sketch entitled MTartau's wooing. Matildo and Elvira, Spanish dancers, who appeared here some time back, will introduce a new dancing scene. ' Wykeham and Preston, the popular farce comedians, will furnish an entirely now farcical comedy. Merlyn, the mock magician, will introduce new burlesque legerdermaiti. Miss Ella- Airlie will sing a new repertoire of humorous songs, and the programme will be completed by tho inclusion of Jack Thompson, vocalist, and William Sumner, coon impersonator. A matinee will be held this afternoon. THE KING'S THEATRE. The new programme to be presented at the King's Theatre this evening is headed by a big Edison feature comedy entitled "My Friend from India." The plot centres round Erastus Underlialt, a retired, millionaire, who has gone to New York to get his two daughters into society. His son, who is a gay young man, is under a- threat oi being disinherited if he does not reform. This lie promises to do, but during a lapse on his part he brings homo an unknown at rati gen This person is introduced as a theosophist from India. He is, however, no more a theosophist than he is a teetotaller, and the complications which result upon his visit aro productive of the greatest amusement. Tho film, which is in two parts, is said to be "a comedy amongst comedies," and serves to introduce tho clever comedian, Mr. Walter E. Perkins. The supporting subjects include: "Police and Firemen's Sports" (topical), "The Little Country Manse" (a society drama), "Bully Bay No. 5" (animated cartoons), "Persistent Mr. Princo" (Vitagraph comedy and "The White Sea Fisheries" (industrial). _ "In the Track of tho Turk" gives interesting scenes and surroundings of our troops in Egypt. PEOPLE'S PICTURE PALACE. A stirring war drama entitled "The Road to Calais" heads the change of programmo to be. presented to-day at the People's Picture Palace, Manners Street. The story open.* before the great war has commenced when a young Englishman bravely rescues a i French danseuse from a fire at the theatre. A friendship springs up between the two, and the dancer's rescuer promises to visit her at her home near Ypres. Then tho war breaks out, and the young Englishman goes to the front, while the dramatic circumstances under which he again moets the dancer, to again rescue her (this time from the Germans), is productive of a most interesting and appealing film story. The supporting films oil the programme include "The Fatal Taxi Cab" (a Keystone), said to be of more than usual excellence: "A Natural Mistake" (comedy), "Lakes of Condry" (scenic), and the Topical War Budget. THE EMPRESS THEATRE. A complete change of programme will be introduced at the Empress Theatre continuous pictures to-day, commencing at 10 a.m. Tho foremost item will he an elaborate adaptation of George R. Sims's famous molodr.ima, "Harbour Lights." The play is said to be presented on a scale of completeness and a degree of realism that would be boyond the possibilities of a stage production. The story introduces episodes on a real battlefield, and the plot abounds in interesting situations. Among the supplementary films will be "How Heroes are Made," described as a. most hilarious Keystone conception, and there will also be an up-to-date "Topical Budget," with war news and other items. EVERYBODY'S. To-day at 10 a.m. what is described an a grand holiday feast of pictures will be screened at Everybody's. The star feature will be Edison's dramatisation of Grace Lutz's famous novel, "The Best' Man." The story is mostly a chapter of accidents and mishaps to the hero of the picture. George Hayne was full of happiness at having achieved a _ fortune enabling him to marry tho girl of his heart, but circumstances made it impossible for him to bo at the church in time to meet his intended bride, who had to wait in vain. A Secret Service detective—a facsimile of the lover—who is watching foreign spies, escapes with evidence of their guilt, from the same block of buildings in which Hayne has his apartments, and Hayno's waiting chauffeur drives him to, the church where the marriage takes place. The bride does not discover the imposition, and all Haynes's efforts to prove his ideiitity are unavailing. The detective and his bride proceed to Chicago where, for his clever bit of work he is appointed chief of the Secret Service corps. His good news and vapidly acquired love for her husband brings content to the beautiful bride. Tho story is brimful of incidents and every scene has its sensation. Supporting subjects include a laughable Keystone Comedy, "Noise of Bombs," "Gaumont War . Graphic," "Sugar Industry,!'. "The Man who Knew ( a Vitagraph Drama), and "War Topicals." BAND CONCERT. The band of the New Zealand Natives' Association (late Garrison), under tho baton of Lieutenant Thomas Herd, gave its first Sunday night concert of the, season at His-Majesty's Theatre last evening before a largo audience. The band, which is a particularly well-balanced body, producing a tone that is never blatant in its brassiness, played a very beautiful selection entitled "Memories of Merca> dan to" (arranged by Greenwood), in which the' quality of tho famous' but now little-known composer was admirably illustrated. Such memories as those recoiled by the band last evening servo to whet the taste for music more or less forgotten in the eager pursuit of the meretricious moderns. The band also played tho marches "Back to Camp" (Blankenberg), • "Good Luck" (Greenwood), and a military fantasia by Rimmer entitled "Tho Outpost," which introduces a novel echo effect. Tho only other instrumental item on the programme was the piccolo solo "Will-o'-the-Wisp," deftly played bv Mr. P. L. Minifie. Mr. Hamilton Hoaxes sang "O Soul of Mine" (Barns) and Gounod' 6 lovely serenade "Quand du Chantes," and Miss Mai Fontaine sang Rodney's "Resurrection Mom" and Cowen's "Tho Children's Home." Mr. Hollow acted efficiently as accompanist.