ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2725, 21 March 1916, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. New variety acts of the kind brought here by Maximo, the Cuban wonder, have served to place vaudeville on the high plane of popularity it enjoys at His Majesty's Theatre. Like many another music nail artist, Maximo performs on the slack wire, but he introduces practically all new business, and his illustration of the drunkard on the wire is a remarkably clever piece of work. He had. a big reoeption last night ,and must havo been well satisfed with liis first appearance in Welling- . toaj. Kikkelsonn, described as. a French" magician/ worked numerous strango tricks with cards, ,hats, handkerchiefs, and othor articles, and his act with a bretty flag tableau, which had reference to the nations engaged, in the present fight fo rright. George Murphy, who was making his first appearance at this theatre, combined some quaint patter with a clever juggling act, in which he made use of billiard balls, caimon balls,. and cigar-, boxes. Two other newcomers in Slayin and• Thompson pleased the audience immensely with a laughable sketch, in which ragtime parodies loomed large, The lady member of the company, in good voice, oang a verse of the "Mysterious. Rag,' "On the Mississippi," arid other wellknown, numbers, and her partner replied with an amusing parody in every case. Ted Stagpole illustrated' his. songs with eccentric dances and. contortionist feats, while Bates and Wade proved entertaining ns 6lrong men and comedy acrobats. _Miss Eloise Taylor, lyric soprano, appeared in. a ■ charming frock, and sang sweetly m several items, including "Un Pou d Amour, and Miss Hilda: Felstead's monologues at the piano were as bright as usual. Brown 'end Sorl'ie,'coloured comedians, al6o contributed new items. ■ -

. THE KING'S;. There is magic in the name of- Mary Pickford in the "movie" world. Last sveninc ihere was not even standing »om It the King's Theatre to witness the dainty little Amencan actress .as ''Mistress Nell," another concoction of a v (eemingly interminable 6eries of wy incidents concerning. the orange v girl-cum '■ Drurv Lane actress who' turned the head . "rf a king. : Miss Pickford'is always very, iaptivating in comedy, and . the merry iranks she indulges in as the Kius® favourite, mostly at the expense of : tHe 1 traitorous Duchess of Portsmouth proved livelv entertninment. But even Miss '.'.'Pickford.'has her limitations, and there were occasions when she hardly realised ■ that. Mistress Nell Gwyn was' an actress of power and dignity as well as a lover . of practical jokes. Miss pickford never discloses Buch powers, but she ■ is- always piquant *and winsome, and her love-mak-ing scenes with King 'Charles have an insinuative charm, which to a great extent robs the story of its. stageiness: and artificiality.' Mistress Gwyn is. shown out hunting; playing at Drury Lane before her royal lover (whose hand'she openly fondles during, the plaj-); playing ■■ a practical joke, on iho Duchess of Ports* mouth in an ancient, inn that smaoks of the period; and finally ln : securing papers . from that lady that are meant to undo the King and humiliate England. The • picture is very beautiful photographic, ally. Nothing could be more bracing than to see the King, : and the members of the royal party, in their picturesque costumes, galloping over the meadows of England, ■ and the inn scenes-are both in keeping .with'the/period. Tl» accompanying music, which'included Edward; Germans "Henry VIII" dances, also lent an atmospheric'value to' the story. "The Traitor" was another clever pic- ( ture presented. 'It represents a young, king whose state is on the eve, of war. Prompted' by: the suspicious of his_ wife, , he summons his advisers in the crisis and states that ,he has discovered a traitor in ;the'ir midst, who was to die in five hours, at tho end of which' time they were all, to reassemble: In the. meantime each of these worthies find themselves out and make tlieir escape in manner various,-so : .that at the appointed time of, the second conference the King is confronted with |«n empty chamber. A Pathe Gazetto shows a series of topical' pictures' of. a character thai always interests..

THEATRE.

Ths'most prominent film in tho new programme introduced ai -Everybody's ' Theatre, yesterday is "The Tigress,": a Vitagraph'drama, featuring Miss Julia Swoyne Gordon and Leo Delaney. The story is of unusual conception, and the opportunities offered therein for obtain, ing fine dramatic effect haie been observed in full measure by the actors taking the pleading roles. Having lost her baby, the tigress, who is the wifo of a master criminal, steals the infant son of a Judge, and irears him as her own. In order to keep the boy in ignorance -if tho. darker side of ' her existence, ; the ' tigrew. has perforoe to lead a double life ; —a prominent figure in socioty by day and the guiding spirit of a band of criminals by night. As 1 the plot develops it gives rise to remarkable ' situations, which , end in the tragic death of the tigress, and the marriage of her adopted son to an adopted daughter of the Judge. The gupnorting items on the bill are of gotxl quality. "Where the Breezes Blow" is a film, which feativres the well-known actress Miss Fay TincheT. It possesses the essentials of a . rood comedy—humorous situations, a quickly-atoving plot and. a jrrnn<l ?lam at the finish. 'Almost. <* King" is a Ka.lem oomedv set in,the true spirit of burlesque. The Cines Com-pany-is represented oil the oiH by. . scenic ffivinfc charm in f? views of tne old wld Italian town of Cemobbio. latest ! topical events are screened in tho . Gaujnont Graphic," which includes the din* of the Hon. J. ft.-ErwcK. %on of Vi**connt French, who commanded tho. Brit-

ish Amy in Franoe until quite recently. Tho .music this woek is as. delightful as usual., THE EMPRESS THEATRE. . A powerful drama with fiue scenic effects is the star attraction at the Em* this week. It is a thrilling Mry of the wild, and stories of the wild are always popular, The title of this new film is "Iho Wolf. It i®. a 6ix-reel item, turned out by the Lubin Company. Set in snow-clad Canada; the story takes various turns, and at times is truly pathetic. . One Juies Bienbeau, a woodsman, falls in love with a woman of tho outback—a land where women are few. „ They decide to marry, and, having no minister, they wed by book aud oath. They have a daughter, called Annette. They separate, and Annette is .left in the care of a trapper. ■ The father returns to France, and becomes rich. On his deathbed he charges the son of a subsequent marriage to seek out Annette, ihe search reveals a tragic story. Betrayed, the girl has become distracted, wandered at large, and been devoured by wolves. The young man sets forth on the trail of the betrayer, and the avenging of Annette is a. powerful climax to the piece. Also on the bill is. the "Pathe Gazette, which contains much of topical interest. ' . PATRIOTIC CONCERT. Arrangements are well forward for the concert which is to take place _ m the Town Hall on Wednesday evening. The Tramways 'Band is' taking a leading part, and will present the. musical fantasia which' was so well received by the English public. .It is a stirring-item, and is a novelty so far as Wellington is concerned. The Wellington Pipe Band, Senior Cadets, and pupils of. Miss Estelle ■Beere are taking part. There will be_no charge for admission to this concert. The Mayor has kindly invited all the returned soldiers to attend the concert. The band nill ■ play the since music as that piayed at Lord Derby's campaign.

" "CHARLEY'S AUNT." . On Thursday evening, in the Grand Opera House, the Charley's Aunt Comedy Company 'are reviving for a three-nights' season, Brandon Thomas's screaming three-act comedy, "Charley's Aunt" (from Brazil, where the nuts come from). The proceeds of the three evening performances are being devoted to the Returned Soldiers' Hostel, while the proceeds of a special. matinee performance on Saturday afternoon are to go to the fund for providing entertainment for the soldiers in camp. The committee of both, funds are' energetically pushing the sale of tickets, and the funds should benefit to an appreciable extent. 'The cast is a particularly Btrong one; The title role is, as .in ,/past performances, in the capable hands of Sir. Norman' Aitken. The other characters are-Mr. Spettigue, Mi. Kenneth A itken;" Colonel' Sir Franois Chesney, Mr. W*. W.. Crawford; Jack Chesney, .Mr. C. Bentley Russell,' Charley Wyckham, Mr. Herbert P. Wood; Brassett, Mr. Phipps Williams; Kittty Verdun, Miss Ruby Scott; Amy Spettigue, Miss Marie Fix; Ella Delahay,' Miss Pauline Brown; and Miss Donna Lucia D'Alradorez, Miss Hardinge-Maltby. The box plan is now open at the Bristol.