ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2602, 26 October 1915, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

"THE' GIRL ON THE FILM." To-night at the Grand Opera House the ourtain will rise for the last time on "High Jinks." To-morrow night and Thursday, the last two nights of the present season, will be staged the musical comedy, "The Girl on the Film." "Tho' Girl on tho Film" is said to ba in construction and plot much on the lines of "The Girl in tho Taxi," and is chronicled as easily the best and most up-to-date of musical plays. The three acts in whioh the 6tory of the great kinema achievement of Maximilian Daly are told, <ve claimed to be brilliantly set forth and replete with humour from rise to fall of the curtain. In regard to this ploy, the critic of the Auckland "Herald" ■writes: "In 'The Girl on the Film' it would appear that the J. C. Williamson management have kept the pick of the musical comedy basket to the last., It is safe to say that such sustained laughter has rarely been heard inside tho theatre." It is said that as Max Daji' Mr. Workman (who impersonates Napoleon) has many fine opportunities. The unctuous nart of "Clutterbuck" should fit Mr. W: H. Rawlins splendidly, while in "Twiss," "Doddie," and "General Fitzeibbon" respectively, Messrs. Field Fisher, Paul Plunket, and Alfred Frith ire said to be admirably suited. Mis 9 Dorothy Bruntdu is described as a channSng and myodions Winifred, aid with Misses Florence Vie (Euphemia Knox), and Marie. Eaton (the Signora). should bs a tower, of strength to the production. The box' plans for the remainder of the season are open at the Bristol.

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Every turn.'.in the new programme presented at" His Majesty's Theatre last evening was either wholly or partially a vocal one, which is distinctly uncommon in a latter-day vaudeville entertainment. At' least live 'of the artists affected ballad, new and old, and of these, occupving a pedestal all her own, was Miss Maisie Pollard,; whose exceptionally rich, strong, and musical soprano rang true to the back wall of the theatre. Miss Pollard is most certainly a balladist of parts. .She sang that sweet balladof other times, "Eileen Alannah," charmingly, and also the popular "My Hero" sole from "The Chocolate Soldier," with finer vocal breadth ■ than we havo ever heard it sung in Wellington. Mr. Jackson, with whom Miss Pollard is associated, sang "My Garden of Roses," and joined with Miss Pollard in the florid duet from the last act of "Faust" (Gounod). It is almost a pity to hear such artists interpolate a flippant duet of cabaret character between their betterclass songs. A new balladist here was Miss Eugenie Boland," who has a big contralto voice not conspicuous for range or quality. Her songs were "Angus Macdonald," "The Love of a Heathen Chinee," and "The Little Grey Home in the West." Miss Louie Duggan has a serviceable soprano, a bright style, , and. a shapely form to assist her anneal. She was quite pleasing In "My Ain J) oik" an<J simulated the arch eijripliciity of the earlier 'teens in.last century's ballad "Tit for Tat," which revives well. Mr; Leonard Nelson is an entertainer of very special parts. He has the rare gift of oomplete repose on' the stage, and .without the aid of "make-up" of any kind gives life, humour, and character to all his songs. . He caught the fancy of the audience in the absurdity "Why Take tho Wife Down There?" and "They Wouldn't Cut Two Inches Off the Bottom of His' Pants," and hypnotised his hearers in a series of-imitations of how a variety of individuals would sing "Mister Booze," in which he was immensely entertaining. Another capital performer is "Balancing Stevens," who patters comically, sings a good 6ong, and with the aid of his "trained table and chairs'' does some clever balancing- without losing his 1 consciousness" as a comedian. , Mr. Arthur Douglas, a Scotch entertainer, has not ail exuberant humour, but his telling voice in "Ta-ta, Ma Bonny Maggie, Thrling," and "Mary of Argyle" pulled. Lim through. Billy Wells and the Eclair Sisters specialise in slat-stepping and "ragging, of which forms 01. dancing they are nimble exponents. ; The Two Colliers, in' th'a attractive'' £arb of the Wild West, sang "Michigan," and tangoed and "Texas Tommied" brightly, whilst the Musical Ibsons sang frivolously,- twittered on banjos, 1 and tootled-on saxophone to the satisfaction of the big holiday audience that packed the theatre. The matinee performance in. the afternoon also attracted an overwhelming audience. -

THE KIXG'S THEATRE. ' "When It Strikes Home;" a' drama typifying a pbaso of New York life, is the feature' of the King's Theatre bill this week. Like all stories since Eden, this story is about a man and a woman, but there happen into it other men and other women. The man is Dick Hartley, a rich man's son, and the woman 'is a stags belle.' They are married, but the marriage ends in man-made tragedy, for the irate father, (disapproving of tho dancing girl, uses the American Courts, to a rami the marriage of his son, who is still a-minor. The youth is sent off to South America, there to forget his young wife. After the marriage is dissolved a f,on is born to the unhappy girl wife and her lot is hajd. On the other hand, Diek Hartley settles down to business, pros*, pers as a matter of course, and presently, takes unto himself another wife. The marriage is childless, and they adopt a boy, who by the strange irony of fate subsequently proves to be the son'of Hartley and his unhappy girl wife. This'boy grows up, follows the profession of medicine, and is engaged in the very same New York hospital in which his mother,

known to him only as Sister Ursula, spends. her- life ministering to the sick. By and by old Hartley is brought into the (msualty word of the hospital rather badly hurt, and 'he recognises Sister Ursula as the fornjer dancing girl, and she in turn recojjnises in the young doctor her . own son. Thereafter there aie surprises, and the tangle is straightened out. A film which is of exceptional topical interest just noiy takes the spectator for a trip up the River Clyde, through the shipbuilding dockyards,' now working at top speed building ships of war. The Gaumont Graphic is a kinoma war record nowadays, and this week's budget of pictorial news of events in the Old World is of intense interest. The only comedy film on the, bill has to do with an erring but resourceful husband, and his adventures while he escapes from a somewhat severe but occasionally drowsy wife. The programme is of pleasing variety and all, round high quality. It will bo 6hown for the w!hoIo of this week, and for next week the special feature film-drama "The Escape" is announced.

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. Holiday-makers flocked to Everybody's Pioture Theatre in big crowds yesterday. The new bill Js a very attractive one. "The Million Dollar Mystery" reaches its sixth, episode, which is entitled "The Coaching Party of the Countess." The opening of the episode finds Brains and the Countess discussing their failures. They discover a strange man watching tho Countess's apartments. They plan another scheme to get not only Florence, but Jones too. Florence is invited by the Countess to a coaching party cut to an old mansion: Jones is invited also. The members of the "Black Hundred" gather secretly at the mansion to carry out the fiendish plan. On the way the coaching party meet Norton, who secretly follows. Florence is lured' into the trap. Norton rescues her, aided by .Tones, The three start away on, horseback, but, being discovered, are immediately pursued. Jones stops, and by fearless, hazardous tactics delays the pursuers, while Florence and Norton gallop away. Among the other piotures is a very line comedy, "Wiffles 011 the Riviera." It is' the story of a man who loses his sweetheart, but recovers her by resorting to devices which cause great merriment. "Britain's Now Army is a very interesting war-time film, and "The European Gazette" is full of topical information. Also on the paxgramme is "The Now Valet," a comedy.

"DAMON AND PYTHIAS." .. The People's Picture Palace was crowded at-all sessions yesterday,, when "Damon and Pythias" entered on the second (and last) week of its Wellington season. Tho Universal Film Co. have been famous for. some time past for their mag.nificent productions, but in "Damon and Pythias" they are said . to'- excel everything that has previously ' left their studios. The cast is undoubtedly one of the strongest that has.' ever' been got .together for one production," while the various scenes and ensembles are veritable eye-openers. Some idea of the magnitude of the production can be gained from the fact that instead, of one stage manager (as usually controls the working) no fewer than twelve were in charge of some of the big scenes in this great ! picture. Thousands of artists appear in the battle scenes, and in the. great array at the ludos (games) in honour of the victorious Pythias. Throughout the nlay runs what is undoubtedly the greatest of all love stories—a story that has been handed down for nearly 2-500 years. The times of the various screenings of 1 the play are announced in our advertising columns.

/ . EMPRESS THEATRE: What is described as one of tho most sensational films seen in Wellington for some time was produced at tho Empress Continuous Picture Theatre, in Willis Street, for the first time yesterday. It is entitled, "Women and Wine," and patrons of this theatre were, treated to five acts of real sensa/tion. It is a magnificent jpholo-ilrama, adapted from tho original Drury Lane play by Arthur Shirley. The picture follows closely the version as staged with much success in Australia and N?w Zealand by Bland Holt. Soiho of the scenes are exceptionally fine--in-character,- particularly, those of Haxirae's famous restaurant at midnight, in all its abandon, and tho griat revel scene at the Moulin Bouge in Paris.,, A "most exciting. incident is the death duel between two women of the Parisian demi-monde class. . A gorgeous 6cene is that depicting the crowning of the queen of beauty at the artists' ball.' No expense has been spared in the stage settings and dresses of the women. The acting is all that could be desired, and the principal performers porray the characters to perfection. Those people who desire to witness ihis production should go early. The supporting programme is also good. The Lubin Company aTe well represented in "Studies in Clay 1 ' (cartoon), and a new Gazette of the "latest war doings should, not be missed.

Mrs. Gower Burns, who is to sing the soprano solos in "Elijah" on Thursday, is a passenger "by the Mararoa this morning. N.Z. loan and Mercantile Agency Co.' will hold a stock sale at Levin on Wednesday next. Messrs. Abraham and Williams, Ltd., will hold a clearing sale of a contractor's plant at Mr. C. H. Petersen's farm, Halcombe -Eoad, Mount Stewart (near Feilding) on November 10. One of the latest vocations for women, says an English paper, is that of the professional .house-hunter.