ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2547, 23 August 1915, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

THE RED DANDIES The Red Dandies really excelled them-, selves in their change of programme at the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall °5 Saturday. It was not so much the selection of-items as the irresistible spirit of merriment and good humour that- pervaded the company. The spirit was infectious surely,, for "a few , minutes after Ae rising of tho curtain the large audience caught the'epidemic of the eveninggood humour—and literally revelled in the fiolic, fun, and nihsic of the, company. Mr. Claude Dampicr was .in excellent, .vein, and tho h'ouso rocked with' laughter nt his' drolleries. His item, "Reckless Rupert,"' occasioned shrieks o£. laughter, and with persistent encores Was followed in turn 'with other mare familiar gems of humour from Mr. Dampier's.repertoire. Mr. Dampier.. was associated, .with Miss Irene Vero in a , supremely humorous duet,: Thp pair , were recalled- again and again."■ Miss Vere, .wlio has' a . really wonderful' sense of • jjave a number of her ragtime ; specialities. '. "The Devil's Rag,"- which -was sung with; almost weird effect, is really one of' the best ragtime selections heard here. ,Tlk> popular Mr. Oliver Peacock was in fine voice. Ho sang "The Call of the Wild," "Absent," and other aiimbers. •Miss Ida Newton gave 'a, number of comedy selections quite 'effectively. She and Misses Vere and Mona Thomas sans a charmingly humorous.trio, "When Father; Tried to Put the Twins to Bed." It was one of the best numbers of the evfcningo Miss Mona Thomas sang.sympathetically '"My Ain, Folk," "Comiri' Thro' the Rye," and o U co-re numbers. Mr. John Welby, wli'o was given an enthusiastic- ■ reception;' rendered 1 "The ;Adn.iral's "Yarn," "Trumpeter," and cricoro numbers;, Mr. ,Harry Borradale gave humorous numbers,-and some monologues, in-' cludingwthe perennial, "Gunga Djin/' ,while ; Miss'Thomas and Mr. Peacockwera associated in .a sweet little vecal "duet, "Snowdrops." Two violin solos were played by Mr. Cyril Connolly. The concerted items of the company were excellent. -The company's pianiste, Miss Biraa Young, is one of the best accom-, panists any of the Dandies have brought here with them. •

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. A. Charlie Chaplin contest, which pro-"taises-.to'-be a most interesting one, will be, inaugurated at.His Majesty's Theatre , to-night.. These 'Contests have been, successful '.in" Australia recently, and it is anticipated; that the success will be : repeated.here.' A large number.of entries have been received. A cash prize of £'J 2s. will be awarded the competitor who gives'the best,impersonation of the wellknown ;-picture comedian, Charlie ChapUn,' both-in .make-up, dress, ;and mannerisms.v J Competitors will bo allowed to employ an /assistant in order to. be able to play; a scone frtmi a Chaplin comedy, and the ,time limit is set at three minutes. The contests will take.'place nightly during the week, and the nightly winners will' then compete in the final;, which takes places on Friday next. The audience in ; each! case to be the sole judge. An exceptionally strong vauderilje company will also submit an entertaining programme.' Mr. Phil Percival, the wellknown'..comedian at the pian'o, has been engaged for a farewell season, and will submit new songs, and sketches. Mr. Nat Hahley,'' an American' daiicer and •novelty entertainer, will appear for the, first time. ...Others to contribute to tho bill will ; be Armstrong and Howarth,' the Gibson Duo, and Coco and Chico.- The Butterflies, who are now in their .last .week, .will . produce an especially good programme. ■ ■ ■ •

THE KING'S. ' D. W. .Griffith, who is generally con: seded the world's greatest photo-play director. has produced .what is said to be a very, powerful dramatic sensation in •four parts. This is entitled "The Outcast," ; ojid. heads the. new; hill at the King's- Theatre this evening. The leading characters, are portrayed by those well-known ' Mutual Co.'s ' stars, Mao Marsh and Robt. Harron. The story deals with a girl of . the slums, who makes her living as a dancing girl in. a cabaret in which; her sweetheart is also employed. Both, have their dreams—a . little ih'ome 'of-'their.' own .under happier, conditions. Then tl» tragedy -comes that shat r , ters their ;hopes.- One day/ one. of ; the idlera in the cabaret follows the girl to •her room and forces an entrance; The sweetheart' comes to her rescue, and in a struggle the man is shot. The man dies, the girl is held -for murder, and (her' sweetheart gives- himself' up. The girl is to be tried before one of tho sternest judges in the city, who, under no circumstances believes in • extending clemency to prisoners. So the girl's'case seems hopeless; Her attorney, .however,; finds that the judge has, in years gone •by, deserted the mother of- the'accused girl. _ During' the trial, when a locket containing a .-photograph of the girl's mother is introduced in evidence, and passed to the; judge for examination, the latter faints away' and is unable to go on with the case;..' Another judge takes lis-place, sentiment towards, the prisoner. changes, and she is acquitted.. The picture ends pleasingly. Also on the •programme are: "Some Very Clever Cartoons," a scenic study of the now worldfamous; "Tipperary," "Pathe's Gazette," and • Lubin's comcdy-dTama, "A Lucky Strike."

' CHAPLIN AT EVERYBODY'S. The .welcome news as heralded that the mde-v.orld-known eccentric comedian, Charles Chaplin,"-mil make his reappearance ■ at Everybody's Theatre to-day, at Boon, in &'fifteen-minutes' laughter raiser,

"His New Profession." In this instance Charles is said to excel himself in his original. quaint movement, and the new fields ho opens up in this rollicking fares will, it is claimed, give groat amusement to his many admirers. In this picture Chaplin has,associated with him such star artista as Mabel Normand, Roscoe Arbuckle, and Mack Sennctt. That alone should bo sufficient guaranteo that the fun will bo fast and furious. Supporting the star subject is a splendid comedydrama, "Wlio Goes There," in which tli'o acting and production is stated to be above the .average. Two magriilicent dramas aro also featured, "Their One Lore," a pathetic story of othfer days, and "Story of a Story," a pretty love romance. A splendid number of the "Gauinont Graphio" gives the latest pictured news from the front. The whole programme, according to the management, can be guaranteed to satisfy even, the most • critical picture patron.

THE EMPRESS. ; Charles Chaplin, the famous film' favourite, "stars to-day at the Empress Theatre in the big 2000 ft. feature farcecomedy, "Work," described as "an excruciatingly funny concoction in which merriment never flags and which produces convulsions of laughter from spectators. Charles, with a paint pot, bill bucket; many brushes, ■ splaw feet and trousers is something to avoid in reality, but to laugh at in pictured reproduction. - It is said that Chaplin outshines himself in this' farce. A picture on the list that should prove unusually 'interesting is "With the Allied Fleets at the Dardanelles." The film is said to disclose some rare views. One of its many sections shows, the CanopU6 and tho Agamemnon bombarding the enemy. The chief drama, "The Figure in Black," is a" powerful mystic play, which tells dramatically the story of a, crime in the niglt and the detection of tho criminal. Another highly appraised play is "Lola, - this Bat," a, Vita graph drama of slum life in Now York, with Murice Costello in the cast. The latest Topical Budget will al6o be showing.

WITH THE FIGHTING FORCES OF . EUROPE. ... That the kinemacolour picture, "With tho Fighting Forces of Europe,'" now showing at tho Town Hall, which portrays with a surprising naturalness of colours the armies and navies of the belligerent nations, has greatly interested the, Wellington public was shown by the large crowds that visited both performances on Saturday. The picture will again be shown at tho Town Hall thi9 evening, when Miss Beatrice Day, the talented actress, will again recite "Your Country Needs You." Several members of Parliament, including the Speaker of the 'Legislative Council, were among the andienoe on: Saturday night, and several members,-including the Minister of Education, have expressed their intention of being present to-night.

SUNDAY CONCERT. If any further proof were required a to the popularity of Sunday concerts the crowd which listened to the concert pro. vided by the New Zealand Natives' Association's Band' in His Majesty's Theatre last evening would be sufficient.' The band, under the : conductorship of. Lieut. T. Herd, played a march, "Old Comrades," an Indian intermezzo "Minola," a contest selection "Gems of Schubert," and a military quickstep "Seciranna." Mr. Hamilton Hodges, accompanied by the band, sang 'My Ships," and "Beyond the Sunset," both songs being well received. Mr. -i Harry Phipps sang • "The ' Secret" (Scott): and "Be Thou ■ Faithful -unto Death" (from St. Paul). An - instrumental quartet, played by Miss Peggy Bain (violin), Misses Ethel and Jean Turner, and Miss E. Coonoy ('cello, flute, and piano respectively) was also well , rendered. : Mts. Montague was the accompanist. ■ - ' ,