THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2594, 16 October 1915, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

IBi Stlvios.]

The World's a theatre; tho Earth a stage.—Heywood. "Cirl in the Taxi" To-night. That gay 'and giddy example of up-to-the-mmuto musical comedy, "Tlie Girl in the Taxi," will be seen for the first timo in Wellington this evening. This merry trifle has had a riotously successful career everywhere, and there is no doubt that the qualities which havo commended it to playgoers the world over will mako an appeal to Wellington playgoers. Tho lightsome flippancy of "Tho Girl in tho Taxi" is all too bright to last, and those who do not see the play this, season are not likely to see it again. Where are all the other "girls" of yesteryear? Oblivion has them, and it will get tho "Taxi Girl" soon. In the meantime let us sip its passing sweetness. There is no doubt as to tho capacity of tho company. It has been judged by competent people to be the best musical comedy company tho "firm" has given us siuco tho last London Gaiety Company, and with such capablo artists as Miss Dorothy Brunton, Miss Gwen Hughes, Miss Florence Vie, Miss Marie Eaton, and Messrs. Workman, Rawlins, and Plunketgreen there should be something doing. "High Jinks," which follows, is another brilliant incursion into the frolicsome frivolities of gay night life in Now: lork. Tho action revolves round a certain marvellous, sccnt, which has a most peculiar effect on all who sniff it. This is an American: musical comedy, and one which the Williamson firm darkly hint at producing in London, and which they have been given every encouragement to do by its success in Australia, not to mention New York. New Dramatic Organisation,

Mr. Hugh D. M'lntosh has leased Miss Lizett'e Parkes, Miss Olive Wilton, and Mr. Cyril Mackay to another company in which he is interested, called the Modern Amusements, Ltd. This firm has organised a' very strong dramatic company, which is to open at tlio Brisbane Tivoli this evening in "Paid in Full," Eugene Walter's powerful drama that was played by the Catherine Grey Company some years ago, and in which Mr. Mackay gave what was really the star performance of the play. The company will also play Klein's best plays, "The Lion and tlio Mouse" and ■'The Third Degree." During the "Barrier" season in Sydney Miss Wilton contracted measles, and her part was assumed by Miss Clarice Hardwick at short notice. So good was her performance that she was at once engaged to go to Brisbane to play important parts, and to understudy Miss Lizette Parkes. There are a lot of people in New Zealand would rejoice to hear that/ this company was coming round. Tho plays form as strong a repertoire as one could wish, and the players aro extremely capable.

The Yellow Drama. Criticising "The Waybacks," a new Australian play .produced by Philip Lytton at Sydney, the "Daily Telegraph" says:— "One who knows the bush will be appalled at the exaggeration of t'he life and colour of the story. There are no half-tones—the colour, to use a colloquialism, is the modest, plain, 'red and yaller,' and it hits the eye and rebounds back on the untidy group that is endeavouring to read genius into commonplace,* without seeming to hurt anybody. The citizen who, in his craving for novelty, might find his way into the bush nowadays in search of the settler's son, who lolls about the place in abbreviated pants and interlards his love-making with "By Cripes, girls is rough,' would have to keep on walking west until successive sunsets lured him to . his doom in the Indian Ocean; and then ho would not have succeeded, for it is questionable whether such individuals are not as extinct as the dodo or the bunyip. The real settler's son, as a type, is the daring, devil-may-care chap who, out in the strange land of Gallipoli, is carving a name for himself with the same grim determination that marked his father's pioneering days on the land; he is no slob, but a true son of the soil."

Tho Picture Boom. Whilst there is no argument that the legitimate stage in Australia and New Zealand has suffered considerably by the war and (in Australia) tho aftereffects of last, year's drought, tho boom in pictures appears to .be bigger than ever, not only here, but all over the civilised non-combatant world. In America the action of Klaw and Erlanger, Belasco, William Brady, and others in entering into the picture world has had the effect of creating big picturo subjects produced on a most elaborate scale, and i 6 rapidly familiarising tho prominent American players, such as William Farnum', Marie Dressier, Mrs. Leslie Carter, James Drew (not John), Clara Kimball Young, ami many others too numerous to particularise. The latest to be "done 1 by tho camera in America is Pavlova, the accomplished Russian dancer, whom we will doubtless 6oon witness tripping, on the screen. This enterprise must make for a class of picture that patrons must pay to 6ee, and in addition there aro war" pictures, and a host of topical subjects recorded by the camera, which people are as much accustomed to seeing as tliey aro their _ daily newspaper. At present in Wellington we have within a radius of 250 yards six continuous picturo shows, whilst the night shows number two only. In a few weeks this will be added to by the new Crown Theatre in Sydney Street, and',arrangements arc in hand for tho erection of still another continuous house in Cuba Street. Besides the regular picturo shows, we have had war lilms nightly ai the Concert Chamber, so that Wellington may be regarded as having become confirmed picture-lovers, and by tho same token the legitimate theatrical attraction bccomes more and more a problematical venture. 'Tis sad, but true! In Australia the situation is even moro ■ acute, and more failures than successes have been registered by t'he leading firms during the past year. What the end will be, who can foretell? One effect of iho sparsity of good shows is that tho publication of plays is becoming an increasing business both in America and England, which means that, failing to see gcod plays in action the intellectual play-lover is pursuing his love through tho medium of printed editions, and libraries everywhere (including tho Wellington Free Public Library) aro expanding their dramatic sections.

Notes. Mrs. Evelyn Thaw, wifo of Mr. Harry Thaw (the 'man who murdered Mr. White, tho Now York architect, ivho was philandering with his wifo) has appeared before the camera in Amcrica in a film play entitled ''Tho Threads of Dostiny." The picture is now being shown in Sydney, and will happen in Wellington later on. J. C. Williamson, Ltd., will shortly devote ono of their threo theatres in S.ydnay to a brief season of pictures, when they will screen "Got-Bich-Quick Wallingford," in which Fred Niblo will bo seen in his original character. In connection with this, the firm will probably releaso an cxcliisivo picture sent to them from America by "Universal Moving Pictures."* This hitter is tho first "movie" taken under tho wator, rendered possible by an air-tight chamber, tho invention of two brothers, Ernest and Georgo Williamson. Tho film features life and growths on tho .ocean bed, "