ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2719, 14 March 1916, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Business was never brighter or steadier in the vaudeville Hue in Wellington than at present. The war was accountable for a big set-back last year, but for the past, three or four , months the' big, handsome theatre in Courtenay Place has been housing largo audiences - uightly, the capital entertainments provided acting as a relief to tho great war. Last evening's programme reach, ed a. comraendably high standard, and showed that the. management is determined to cater well for its numerous patrons. Among those who have already found l'avjur during the present month are Arr.iitago and flino (late of "The Butterwho provide a capital soldier r,!!(l nurse-girl comedy sketch, with plenty of broad humour • interspersed with suitable songs. Miss Armitage, who sports a broad Yorkshire accent, is a bracing, boisterous, low comedienne, who keeps the audience giggling with her comical sallios, whilst the serious aspect of hor lengthy partner is a capital foil. Mr. Hiuo is a good baritone singer, and trolls "The Deathless Army" with fine vigour. Miss Hilda Lolstead, who is a much uetter contralto vocalist than comedienne, sang "Out On, the Rocks" really well, and one would rather hear her in other ballads than the oft-repeated patter _ she delivers at the piano, of which instrument, by the way, she is a capable exponent. The Harrington Reynolds Company presented a clever little playlet, entitled "The Best Man," which deals with a common little human error and its rectification. Mr. Reynolds, as the silver-haired father of tho erring son, has a certain facility in delivering homely homilies, which in the playlet last evening found complete sympathy over the . footlights. He was ably assisted by Mr. Geo. Melrose.; Mr. J. V. White, and Miss Shirley Huxley. Hiss Lydia Carne's sense of mimicry is very acute; and her graceful and ingratiating personality keeps her in high favour. Her imitation of. Miss Daisy Jerome is faithful to. a hair, and the applause, she receives exceeds that meted- out to the original. She also gave clever imitations of Miss Ida llarr, "Hill Bailey," and a poor one of Leonaru Nelson singing "Mistet Booze." Ted Stagpoole, the rubber comedian, is a wonderful eccentric dancer and contortionist. His imitation of a convivial person zig-zagging homeward with the ( milkman raised screams of honest < 'laughter. Bates Mid Wade are a couple of acrobats and strong men of amazing capacity, and Brown and Sorlie, the musical negroes and comedians, are exceedingly igood entertainers. Miss Eloise Taylor, the •possessor of a somewhat thin, but sweet, soprano, found favour as a balladist, and the Littlejohns, with their glittering jewellery store fit-up, juggled with fascinating deftness their jewel-set clubs and rings, and gave the audience a thrill by throwing razor-edged axes at one another with extraordinary swiftness and skill. THE KING'S THEATRE. Mr. Lowia Waller, now deceased, wili always >'ank as one of the greatest artists of the English stage, and it is {food to know that some of his work is *o live in pictures for time to come. The announcement'that his picture portrayal of "Brigadier Gerard"' was to be screened at the King's Theatre last night resulted in a big rush for seating accommodation, and business is suro to he large_ throughout the season. In anticipation of this the management' will have afternoon screenings on both •Wednesday and Saturday. -"Brigadier Gerard" has been ; produced by tho Barker Company, and to support Mr. Waller in-the leading role tho company secured the services of Miss Madge Titheradge as the Countoss de Rocquelaire, ancl Mr. A. E. George and other talented people.' Principal interest naturally centres in tho acting of. Mr. ■Waller,. who gavo for the camera , an Bdmiraole : pcrsonation of the- dashing,, swaggering cavalry officer,, who succeeded in pleasing Napoleon in spite of the failure of his particular task. Miss Titheradge adds charm and grace to the piece by her splendid work as tho Countess, while the other characters aro oil well done.. ' The staging of tho play could scarcely have been improved upon, and the picture will more than'hold its own with the many ' magnificent films recently, shown at the same theatre : ""A Mix Up in Black and White" is a line Edison comedy, in which the fun is fast and furious from beginning to end. .Tile "Pathe Gazette" contains fhe usual varied assortment of topical items and some vivid camera impres: s?ons are also screened under the name of "Culture and Kultur in Belgium." Appropriate musical selections aro pro vided by the Symphony Orchestra, under the' direction of Mr. A. H. Jerome. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. Miss Margarita Fischer is ono of the most popular picture actresses in America to-day,. arid her fame has spread abroad like that of Miss Mary Pickford. This is one of the' reasons why the first screening of "The Lone-

some Heart" in Wellington was witnessed by crowded liouscb at Everybody's Tnoatro yesterday. The film lias been accurately described as a'play which mingles smiles with tears, and Miss Fischer's creation of Samanthy sparkles with humour and glows with pathos—a beautiful piece of- acting by ti beautiful actress. Supporting her arc Miss Lucille Ward as Sarah Prue, the asylum matron, and Mr. William A. Carroll as Tom, the gardener, both of Whom add strength to tho cast-. Tho American Film Company has produced the drama with due attention to detail, and the scenery is charming in parts. In every sense of the word tho film is n feature number, and must prove a bis attrafction. This week's "Gaumout Graphic" contailis an interesting budget of topical nows, such, for instance, as the left wing of the Belgian Army on the sea coast, Belgian soldiers securing the lines by the building of obstructions, views of the town of Galitz in Galicia, where the Russians have once again secured thc_ upper hand of tho fighting, the British and French troops at a funeral at Havre, the launch of an American battleship, etc. An irresistible Vitagraph com-, erlv completes the bill. It is entitled "The Serpent's Tooth," the leading fiui-iuakftrs. Veins: Wally Van and Miss Edwina Roberts. Appropriate musical itenls add to the pleasure of the entertainment, while at the day sessions a cup of tea is served to dress circlo patrons. EMPRESS THEATRE. There is something unusual in tho plot of "Up From the Depths," the leading film in the now programme at the Empress Theatre this week. The story is of a girl's heroic life brittle, which culminated in the triumph of good over evil—a proper romantic ending, such as the drift of the .story de. manded. . Founded 011 the heroine's infatuation for the villain, the play develops by means of very dra'matio situations and scenes, which lead up to a_ police raid on Mozart's saloon in New | York. Here tho villain is mortally wounded, and in his last moments hp helps his victim up from the depths to her true birthright by means of a death-bed marriage. . 'The leading parts of the play are acted by Miss Gladys Brockwell and Courtney Foote, two of the best-known performers of the Reliance Co. Supporting films include a highly amusing Vim comedy, "Pressing Business," in which a porchclimber and a musician enter into a battle of wits for the entertainment of the spectators. An A.F.T, film, entitled "Bothaland," gives a picture summary of tho conquest of German South-West Africa, and there is also a "Pathe Gazette" with tho latest topical items in pioturV form. Afternoon tea is provided in the dress circle up till ,6 p.m., and the custom is a popular one if one is to judge by the numerous patrons.