ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2543, 18 August 1915, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

1 "THE MAN WHO STATED AT HOME?' The brilliant drama, showing up the Sr oi . German spies, "Tho Man . i\V.no Stayed at Home," lk attracting more and moro attention at the Grand Opera ilouse. The success of the play in Weiiington shows that Now Zealanders appreciate the enterprise of the J. C. Williamson management in presenting a play Which has aroused enthusiasm wherever shown in the principal centres of the Eng-lish-speaking world. "Tho Man Who Stayed at Home" has been recognised to be* a great recruiting'force, and one has only to sit it out to understand the reason for this. The theatre was crowded last night, and the clever company were applauded time after time for their splendid acting. The performance of Mr. Frank .Harvey, as the man who is doing a good work while staying at home, is excellent, while Miss Violet Paget, Miss Florrie Gleeson, and - Mr. Arthur Cornell give sterling, performances. THE "RED" DANDIES. That popular versatile company of artists the Red Dandies now appearing at the Concert Chamber in the Town Hall, ha,ve made a most favourable impression in their new programme. "The Red Dandies,'" who since their last, appearance here, have been augmented, are quite up-to-dato with new gags, songs, and musical numbers. Mr. Claude Dampier is funmaker in chief, and he is ably supported by Miss Irene Vere in ragtime, and Mr. Earrj; Borrodale in comic songs. Miss .'Mona Thomas and Miss Ida Newton, and other members of this talented company vill appear again this evening. "WAR PICTURES IN NATURAL COLOURS." . The famous war pictures in kinemaiolour, entitled "With the Fighting Forces of Europe," which caused much interest in Australia, and more recently in the South Island, will be shown at tho Town Hall to-night. It is stated that a wonderful idea of the might of the Alli.es' armies and the quality of the troops who pro facing the Germans in Europe, and • 'ilso the German army itself io gained by this great war picturo in kincmacolour. (The various armie3 march across the screen, almost as in real life, the whole forming a gorgeous and impressive spectacle. The British Life Guards, the Black, Watch Highlanders, the gallant Belgians, the dashing French and Italian brigades, and other famous regiments, havo stirred the audiences deeply. A first-class lecturer will describe the scenes, and a full military orchestra has been engaged. Tonight, .Mr. Frank Charlton,' the wellknown baritone, will sin» Leslie Jones's stirring military song, The Soldier." ; The box plans are at the Bristol, and day pays at Christeson's. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Tho first half of the programme at His Majesty's Theatre is furnished by that clever combination, the "Butterflies," and tho new items given by the various membars were well received. In the second half of the programme interest i:j sustained by quite a number of brilliant, artists,. Coco and Chico, in quaint costume, created a great, deal of amusement with their unique acrobatic and ladder-walk-ing feats.. The burlesque business of Armstrong and Howarth pleased the audience immensely.' The Musical Clarinos gave another interesting exposition of concertina playing, and Hamilton and Barnes, and the Two' Gibsons were also heartily applauded. The clever child contortionist. Little Verlie, received another great welcome last evening, and her turn is one "that is very highly appreciated, . THE KING'S. v "A' Child of God," the star picture in the new programme at the King's Theatre, unfolds a pretty story of . love and romance. A young rancher, named Careiv falls in love with a young 1 schoolmistress, but owing to his reckless ways the girl fears to marry him. The father of the girl is threatened with bankruptcy, and a wealthy young civilian who loves the girl .'promises to come to his assistance if the daughter will ■' marry ■ him, .which she. • does. A railroa<J smash' brings i Carew' into touch with the higher lilfe, he reforms, and with theassistance of a olergyman becomes "a child of-God," and his marriage follows as a natural consequence. The supporting films include "Inspection of New Zealand Hospital - Ship," "Switzerland" (scenic), "Guzzle's Backward Way" (Keystone comic), "Cause for Thanksgiving" (Vitagraph comedy), and Pathe"s War Gazette, in which some: excellent- war .Boenes-are-screened. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. At Everybody's Theatre, in Manners. Street, the chief attraction is a very fine film, "The Might of the Allies," which is calculated to cheer those, who take a severely' pessimistic view of the -progress of the war; - The magnificent resources of tho'Allies in men and material are shown and battleships and cruisers, aeroplanes and,biplanes, and war's paraphernalia aye' vividly portrayed. The soldiers of the self 7 governing Dominions, the men of Kitchener's great army in training, and - the leaders of the Allied Army and Navy are also shown. Besides this huge attraction 1 there are also screened "Do Re Mr Boom," a funny Keystone oomedy, and "Rated at 10,000,000 Dollars," an exciting detective drama, and the usual topical sketches. ' THE EMPRESS. • ■ • Well projected and accompanied at the evening sessions by particularly appropri- .

ate music, the attractiveness of Elinor Glyn's sensational love story, "Three ■ Weeks," is considerably enhanced. The Spioture will bo'withdrawn after to-night. For to-morrow, at 1, an all-new programme of spccial merit is promised. The star, drama, "Eleven-thirty P.M.," is spoken of as a massive and brilliant Reliance production, boasting a plot and story of absorbing interest, featuring a woman's frailty, a villain's deceit, and a husband's terrible revenge. What, it is said, will prove a most important and unusually interesting screening will bo Pathc's authorised record in 1500 ft. of film of "The Great War," or "On the Spot with Joffro. and his Army in Alsace." The film was made by special appointees of the Cinema Chamber of Commerce, under the direction of the Government of France, on the now historic heights of Als-'ace. A film of this sort is a record, and should possess special value. Other selected pictures will be "Beauty Bunglers" (a big Keystone featuring that very funny man, "Hogan") and Seng's latest melodramatic sensation, "The Leopard's Lair." "A SCRAPE 0' THE PEN." The box plan will open this morning at the Bristol for the Srst production here of Mr. Graham Moffat's new comedy drama of Scottish farm life, "A Scrape o J the Pen," in which the author and his wife will appear in their original parts of Mattha and Leezie Inglis. The new play had a very successful run in London, and in Scotland it broko the records of practically every theatre visited. It is stated that its absolute fidelity to Scotisli life made it in Scotland even more a favourite than "Bunty Pulls the Strings." Commenting on the first production in Sydney, the. leading morning paper said: '"A Scrape o' the Pen,' Graham Moffafs new play, strikes a deeper and a tenderer note than 'Bunty Pulls the Strings/ enabling the author and his wife to illustrate the pathos of old age, and at the same time appealing to the heart by its evidently faithful picture of rustic homelife in Scotland. There is no lack of humour anywhere, but it is the touch of tragedy in the history of the Inglis family that lingers in the memory when all is said, and done. None the less the comic aspect of all the subsidiary characters, and the rough, open air revels of Hogmanay touch the springs of limitless laughter." The season here is to last seven nights, the last night being devoid to a revival of "Bunty Pulls the Strings."