ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2694, 14 February 1916, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS.

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Miss Daisy Jerome, the popular Eng. lisli comedienne, has been engaged by the fuller Proprietary for u return season', commencing at His Majesty's Theatre tonight. Since appearing here last she has achieved remarkable success in pantomime and vaudeville throughout Australia and New Zealand, and returns to Wellington with an entirely new repertoire o£ songs and monologues, and her return visit is expected to be welcomed by lovers of high-class vaudeville. This artist has recently played a most successful season at'the'Opera House, Auckland, and it is confidently anticipated by the management, according to the advance booking, that the Auckland success will be repeated here. The Daisy Jerome 6eason will extend for twelve nights only. Tonight the Bletsoo Revue Company will stage an entirely new revue entitled "In Vacation Time, which, in-many respects, and particularly as regards scenic effects and specialties, is claimed to be the best of the company's productions. Messrs. lioy Rene and Albert Bletsoe, Misses Carlie Franks, and Maud Blelsoe all have congenial parts, and will be supported by the Bletsoo Quartet and the Radio Ballet. The newcomers in the vaudeville section of the programme will be Armitago and Hine, a pair of. English musical entertainers. Mr. Laurence Johnston, ventriloquist, and Mandel and Nagel, musicians, will complete the bill, which will run. for six nights and a matinee,

THE KING'S THEATRE. Miss Mary Pickt'ord has to a remarkaide degree installed hersolf in the affections of picture-goers the world over, and there is to a large extent a personal interest in any picture in which she appears. Her charming and magnetic personality and rare talent lift any picture out of the ordinary, and when she does •find a suitable vehicle for her particular style, she seems to be possessed of genius. It is said that such a picture is the GOOUft. feature film produced by The Famous Players' Company, "lings," in which, many and widely varying phases of life are portrayed. ''Rags" has l»en hailed as being equal if not superior to "Tess of the Storm Country," in which Miss Pickford herself thinks she did her best work, and is the story of tho waif of a Western town—more boy than girl—the terror of the villago lads, who is willing to fight a bar-room full, of men to protect her drunken father, and to fight with equal fierceness to rescue a stray dog from the tender mercies of the boys. To this uncouth, half-wild thing romance 1 comes, and transforms her nature entirely. A beautiful story is developed with a striking climax. Humour, pathos, tenderness, romance, and the itild spirit of the West are cleverly intermingled into a truly great play, which has heen one of the outstanding successes of the screen. The management announce that there is no advance in prices, and the box plans for the six night's season are now on view at the Bristol. There will be a special matinee on Wednesday afternoon at 2.30, as well as tho usual matinee on Saturday.

"THE GOVERNOR'S LADY." , j One of tlio big successes which was 1 screened by Tlio Famous Players' Com- < pauy was Belasco's famous Sew York play, "The Governor's Lady," which rau l'ar an uninterrupted season of 210 Bights, t practically constituting a record for a dramatic play in. America. The whole of ■" tho immense resources of The Famous } Players' Co", as brought into use to make * "The Governor's Lady" a huge picture 1 succcss, and the whole of Belasco's organ- ' istiou was 1 added, with the result that tho S Press of America and Ausralia have ac- I claimed this star drama, which will be 1 screened at Everybody's Theatre from i m p.m. to-day, as ono of tiro best dramatic j pictures yet produced. "Tho Governor's Lady" is a play of American homo life, and the story that it tells i one of wifely devotion in the face of a scheming and j purse-proud husband, who wishes to cast away all home ties for political power ' and fame. Tho character of the devoted 1 v«t neglected wifo is admirably played 1 by Miss Edith "Wynnes Matheson, tho j idol of the American stage. Splen'did i pictures will support the star item, in- 1 eluding "War in tho Air," which shows : aerolanes and hydrolanos flying over the j Dardanelles, while Mr. Bloy, the conduc- J tor of tho Symphony Trio, has excelled himself in arranging music suitable for • tho feature. The price of admission in the future will be for tlio day sessions: i Stalls, adults and children 3d.; dress circle, adults and children Gd.; night sessions, usua]t prices. From to-day onwards ' at'day sessions dress circle patrons will bo served while viewing the pictures with a cup of tea. THE EMPRESS. Commencing to-day there is what is described as an .exceptionally powerful production, called "The Millionaire's Baby." The Selig Company produced tho picture from the story by Anna ICatherine Green, and the unfolding necessitates 5000 ft. of film. A large cast of the company's most talented artsists, together with expensive mountings and settings' and a plot of unusual heart interest and holding power, are the essentials which are said to have made tho picture such a decided drawing-card everywhere it has been screened. It is classed as a ".Red Seal" feature, which is the highest standard that the Selig Co. put on tho uiarfcet. . Tliero is in support a Vitagraph comedy, featuring the captivating Lilian Walker and Billy Quirk, and there is also a new number of the "Topical Gazette." The management announce that at all day sessions, persons who patronise tho dress circle may have, if they wish, a cup of tea brought to them as they view the programme. No charge will be made and tho entrance fee will remain the same. BRITANNIA THEATRE X PEOPLE'S PICTURE PALACE, ■ At these two theatres, which are under tho samo management, a new policy of screening day and night a three-hour programme will be commenced from to-day, with no increase in prices. The first big programme is hoadod by a five-reel adaptation of Dion Bouoicault's well-known drama, "After Dark." When played in this country some years ago it was always a popular production, and in picture form j all the original excitement and sensation : is included, and are done on a more ela- ; borate scale, as the drama was produced l in a limited 6pace, and in picture form j tho spaco is unlimiied. Another fine ; drama is tho first part of a new serial, I which will be shown in fifteen parts, "The ' Black Box." This story is taken from' I the works of the well-known - writer of | mystery and sensation, E. Phillips Op- I penheim. Still another feature drama is i a three-reel offering, "Gold is Not All." The story deals with the adventures of a I gang of "crooks," who . are eventually j brought to justice and receive their due j reward. The lighter side of the pro- : gramme includes a two-reel farcical absurdity, "J'he Vendetta in a Hospital," i featuring tho popular screen comedian Billio Ritchio; also "Tough Nuts and . Rough," which is shown for laughing pur- i poses only. The latest war scenes will oe shown per the "Eclair War Gazette." BOi' BLUE PANTOMIME. In "Boy Blue" Pantomime, to be staged by Stanley M'Kay and Co., under the direction of Mr. Gcorgo Stephenson, at the Grand Opera House, on Saturday next; ono of the principal comedians is Mr. Will Rayner, the fortunate possessor of a fine tenor voice. The following criticism of this artist was written by "Dvyblower" Murphy, ono of the leading Australian critics, during tlio pantomime's recent Perth season:—"Will .Rayner's singing of "Tho Veteran's Song' iu 'Boy Blue' will be long remembered as one of the most forceful pieces of vocalism ever heard in Perth. Mr. l'fnyner astounds his audiences by appearing for half-an-hour in the gmsi! oi a bnlYi-headed comedian, and at the end of that time delivers .Stephen Adams's stirring song in a truly masterly manner. During the rendition ho occasionally reaches top b, a tenor note possible only to such singers as Mr. Peter Koxby, but few others. Mr. Rayner has a tremendous balance, surprising'in a pantomime artist." During the coming season Mr. Rayner will bo heard in ii number of the latest patriotic songs. Amongst the speciality artists is Miss fiubeo Raymond, a clever American toe and serpeutTne dancer. Hor work has been highly spoken of by loading papers in Australia. Tho songs, dances, and gags in "Boy Blue," it is stated, are all the very latest while particular attention has beeh paid to the comedy business. The box plan opens at the Bristol on Wednesday. Gents, see the smart show of Shirt; with eoilare to twitch, o.j, 5i Willis . A street.Hulvfe. • • "