ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2695, 15 February 1916, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

DAISY JEROME AT HIS MAJESTY'S. That eccentric singer of peculiar songs, Miss Daisy Jerome, made her reappear; . ance at His Majesty's Theatre last evening before an audience that filled every seat in the big playhouse. Such an audience must have been gratifying lo the artist,- who, in a little speech of thanks last evening, said that she came to Australia for six months, and remained two years and four months. Without question, this alert, vivacious little woman has a most magnetic personality that gets well over the footlights. If one liked to bo analytical one could describe Miss Jerome's success as a triumph of personality for she is not as comical as she is eccentric, and she hit the thought/of the intelligent in the audience last evening when she said—"l'm not mad, but I'm getting near it!" She' is best in her serious moods, and in her dramatic interludes gets nearer to the real thing than in hsr moments of maddest merriment. Her •Jongs last evening were those of yesteryear. Once more she insinuated "Do They All Go to See the Sea"; attuned her low-pitched voice to the melodrama of "In the Heart of the City"; monotoned "She's learnt a Little Bit Sinco Then"; exhibited her mimetic ability in "Mother," arid was riotously incoherent in tho somewhat suggestive ditty "Pnll for the , Shore." Miss Jerome announced that next week she would initiate some singing contests, for which three prizes would be given, mentioning incidentally that , her efforts in this direction elsewhere had resulted in the discovery of talent which otherwise would have blushed unseen. Other first part performers were: Mendel and Nagel, a tramp violinist and piano-accordeonist, w'ho range from "II Trovatore" (shades of Verdi) to rag-time. . The fiddler obliges with a sweet Hawaiian air, familiar enough, to those who know Honolulu. Mr. Lairronoo Johnston, with his philosopher and friend, were -ooociated in an Sinusing ventriloquial entertainment. The second part saiv the Bletsoe Revue Company in a musical farce entitled "Vacation Time," a merry, inooDseqncntiad aggregation of eongs, dances, tableaux, quartets, and jokes, strung together on a plot that needed discovering. Once more Boy Eene, es the Yiddish, pedlar Isaacs, stood out as the comedian of the little company. His make-up, walk, talk, and dancing produced Ijiughter that ran up and down the scale, all over the house. His song "The Hebrew Wedding" was oiie of the hits of the revue. Miss Carrie Pranks, as Jerusha Lambert, an elderly spinster in search of a man, gave a clever character sketch of a very intense order. Mr. Alert Bletsoe raged round as Dusty lloads, an Irish tramp, and Miss Maud Bletsoe looked charming in a number of pretty gowns. A flapper ballet of great vitality pervaded the revue. This evening Armitage and Hine. a musical comedy sketch duo, are to make their first appearance in New Zealand.

MARY PICKFORD Df "RAGS." The wistiul, child-like . charm of Miss Mary Picki'ord, the ueligntiui picture " actress, who has fasciuateo. "a woriu, was never seen to better advantage timu in' tue urauia, "Jttago," submitted at the Kind's Theatre last evening to an over- , whelming audience, i The rush ior seats' was sucn that huiwlieds had to be reliiaml aaihisiion as early as 7.30 p.m. ;Hiss Pickford, as the diminutive "Rags," acts with all her old simplicity ~ and charm, and is in a breath a heart-touch-lhg, pathetically humorous .creation that has to be seen to be The story is quite' a good one. In a little village remote from the glitter of modern city life lives Alice M'Cloud, a nandsomoyoung woman, who has two, very ardent . admirers. As is usually tho case in story ' 1 books and plays, her love is given to tne wrong one, a bank cashier, who on tne ' weckluig diy is found to be a thief. His rival in love is the manager of the bank, who in his_ self-sacrificing love for Alice iforgives the cashier,and pleads with him to lead a decent life. His words,fall on deaf ears, and down the broad easy road he goes, dragging Alice with him to a state of utter misery and penury. Alice has -a child—"Rags'"—and a lapse of sixteen years finds her grown into a veritable imp of mischief, but with the heart of a mother for her degenerate father, •and at once the pet and terror of the Neighbourhood. It is the everyday- life .incidents of this impulsive creature, and :.the romance that follows with'a pleasant young man from the East, '■hat makes one of the most agreeable i picture plays seen in Wellington for a long time. There is . 6000 ft. of "Rags," and most of the audience would have welcomed the announcement that it ran to 60,000 ft. —such is the inimitable charm of Mary Pickford. The programme also included a good comic, and a capital topical gazette. V EVERYBODY'S. . A new and attractive programme ! featuring a drama of American life, entitled "The Governor's Lady," was shown fit Everybody's Theatre yesterday. The . star picture is a powerful production by Belasco, which was screened in New York, where it ran uninterruptedly for 510 nijhts. The drama was acted, for the camera by the Famous Players' Company.. It tells of a discontented, purseproud husband,' who desired to, sacrifice his home life for political power and fame. By the devotion cf his wife, he is prevented from spoiling both their lives. In tho development of the thrilling story '■ some fine character drawing is.portrayed, Miss Edith Wynne Matheson, as the neglected wife, fully justifying, her position as the idol of the American stage. The other principal parts are also well sustained. "The Governor's Lady" was regarded by the Press of America and

Australia as a huge picture success. It is supported on the programme by 50ver.1l special films, of which "War in the Air" is an unusually good record of aeroplanes and hydroplanes flying over the Dardanelles. The."Gaumont Graphic" and "Cartoons un a Yacht" aro also entertaining items. Tho music at Everybody's is played by the Symphony Trio, under the baton of Mr. 13lor, ;and provides a sympathetic acoompaniment to the various scenes shown on the screen.

TEE EMPRESS. The star pit.,uit: v. 'tuo new programme wliicn was screuneu at nie 'l'lßMre yesterday is a Seng lud a«u icatiu-a uuieu "j.'hu Jiiiluoiuiire iini>y." A millionaire, married to an acinar, uevoces His wnoie ma to her happiness. But she, nas tno iaea that no wou.d love her uiore 11 sm. had borne liim a cniid. She decides to .Klopt a child, anu does so, with the result that sue and her husbaiiu grow to almost worship it. iiut the reui inocner, alter several years, comes to L»g tor her Duoy bacK. a'ne millionaire's wife, knowing hoiv much her nusoand loveti the chiiil, promises to steal it ircui him and return it to its mother. After some thrilling scenes this is acoomplshed, and tlieu husojnd and wife meet one another oidy to discover that their love needed nothing to fan its llames. In tlie earlier part 01 tho story some hue picture of theatrical lilo are shown. Of the supporting pictures, a Vitagraph comedy,

'"11& Dimpie King" is a lively item, and the "Topical Gazette'' includes interesting uews pictures.

"BOY BLUE" PANTOMIME. "Boy .blue," a groat laugn-iuaker in p&ncouuwe ioriu, is to be • lur tne urst time at the Grand upera House on Saturday next by Stanley M'Kay and Co., under the diiwaon '01 Air. ueorge Stephenson. The conipauy was ioriucd some three years ago in Sydney by jlr. Stanley M'tvay and jiir. .ttoss ji. Simpson, and since then has been almost continuously playing. \Vneu the war broke out the management decided to help to the best ot their ability the funds of any town or' city in which they happened to be playing, with the .result that up to date sjine i;5i)00 has been lianacd over 10 the wounded soldiers' and ited Cross movements. In Auckland, at Her Majesty's Theatre, quite recently the mock court held by Stanley M'lCay and Co. resulted in a sum ot over .£IOOO being handed over to the, Wounded Soldiers* L''und. Mr. Will K-ayner was the judge and Mr. James Gerald the prosecuting attorney. They were ably assisted by Mia Essie Jennings, the principal "boy," who, disguised in a policeman's hat and coat, arrested all and sundry. Miss Jenaings will endeavour to further assist the funds on Saturday night, when sho wiU sing one of the latest patriotic soDgs, during the .rendition of which the audieuco will be invited to throw on the stage anything in the way of coin they can spare. The box plan will open at the Bristol on Wednesday.

BRITANNIA THEATRE AND PEOPLE'S PICTURE PALACE. Probably the most liberal picture programme yet offered to local picture' patrons was the three-hour series presented yesteruay at the Britannia Theatre anil the People's Picture Palace. These two houses of amusement are now under the same, management, and the magnificent Ulnxs which had been secured for the Britannia will be' shown also at tho Palace, prices remaining as usual. The first big bill yesterday was headed by a live-reel World Corporation film, entitled "After Dark," from the drama by tho (anions playwright, Dion Boucicault. Tho piece is produced on a most elaborato scale, tlie story being interpreted by wellknown picture players, including Alec B. Francis us Old Tom. Another line aroma is the first episode of a great Trans-Atlantic serial named "The Black Box," from tho works of E. Phillips Oppenhelm. The cast includes Miss Anna .Little, Herbert Rawlinson, and William Worthlngton. "Gold i 6 Not All" relates the manner in which a notorious gang oi> criminals received punishment for their offences. Two capital comedes find place in the' list.. In om. of these, "The Vendetta in a Hospital," the popular e<-reen- comedian Billie Eitchio 'appears. Ho makes a great success, for the absurdity goes along to a continuous fipple of laughter. "Tough Nuts and Rough" is also an amusing number. Later war scenes are portrayed in a 'Topical Gazette. ■'