ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2853, 18 August 1916, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

4 HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Two comedy sketches by clever peoplo are the features of tho bill at His Majesty's this week. Bert La Blun's Travesty Stars have a musical burlesque entitled "The Gay Mrs. Cohii," and the Bunty Comedy Company offer an amusing sketch or playlet, "What Mac Saw." The rest of iho programme is after the ordinary variety pattern, and is provided by Campbell and Walker, jugglers; Kitchie and Klit'tie, acrobats; and Connor and Witt, who sing duels. THE KING'S THEATRE. ■The filial screenings of tho popular picture depicting an interesting Holiday trip from Sydney to London, "The All Red Route," will be given at the King's Theatre this afternoon and evening. There have been large audiences at each showing, and patrons for to-night are reminded that seats may be booked at the Bristol. "THE ROSARY." To-morrow, at the matinee, and again at night, "The Rosary," a 7000 ft. feature film adapted from the popular play by Edward E. Row, will be shown at the King's • From the same studio as "The Spoilers," and with many of the same artiste,including Kathlyn Williams, Wheeler Oakroan, and Frank Clarke, "The Rosary" is regarded as a production than the former picture. Powerful drama, a beautiful love story, and splendid characterisation are strong points, which, combined with artistic photography and fine settings, mark the picture as one of tlie outstanding successes of the year. Tlie management point out that the present picture must not be confused s'ith any other of a similar'name, this ,being tlie first screening in Wellington. Seats may be booked at the Bristol. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. The iir.al screening of the excellent programme now being shown at Everybody's will be given to-night. The now programme to bo screened on Saturday will include a picture version of- Pinero's famous drama, "Iris." The leading roles are played by two very popular artists, Henry Ainley and Alma Taylor. The story deals with a young and wealthy widow, who, by tlie terms of her husband's will, will lose the whole of her fortune if she remarry. She. lores and is beloved by Lawrence Trenwith. but she cannot maTry him because lie is poor. Iris is loved by all her friends, but tho breath of scandal touches her, because of her relatiov with Trenwith, and she accepts the baud ot a wealthy millionaire, .Frederick Maldonado, -who h the cause of-her doirnfall. It is a very pathetic story, with, a tragic, ending. •EMPRESS THEATRE. ' The "Scaled Lips" season at the Empress Theatre closes to-night. There are many beautiful scenes in the play, and a great heart appeal. To-morrow morning a film version of the well-known book, "Five Nights," will be produced* Victoria Cross, the author of the work, personally suporvised the production, and whilo following the story closely, it is said to intensify every phase. The British Board of Censors has passed the film. A capital selection of auxiliary pictures make up an entertaining programme. j "SAN TOY" ON SATURDAY. ~ For tho past three months about 70 people in Wellington have been concerning themselves vory seriously preparing for the performancoover a seven-nights' season of Sidney Jones's captivating musical comedy "San Toy." The result of all this work will bn made manifest the- Grand Opera Honso to-moriw evening, when the Wellington Amateur Operatic Society will stage this eomody for the first time for many years, under tlie experienced direction of Mr. Tom Pollard. is stated that there will bo an orchestra of twenty pieces, and over sixty young men x and girls in the chorus; that the scenery is being specially painted by Mr. W. J. Beck; and that a completely new wardrobe is being provided, it be recogniscd that tho amateurs do not intend reducing their standard. As tho baud partj received were very poorly scored .for orchestra, almost t.lio whole of the work has been re-orchestrated by Messrs. Bernard Pago and Haydn Beck, who are said to have provided lavish colourinsr and many charming effects, that, should tend to enhance tho musical side of tho performance. It should also bo .announced that Mr. Haydn Beck will lead tho orchestra, under the baton of Mr. Page. Tho booking indicates - that tho society should have a highly-successful season.

SUBMARINE PICTURES.

There is no end to tho resourceful daring ol motion picture-maker.;. Usually tho spirit of enterprise leads such people into tho portomiunce of deeds oy ilood and field adroitly worked into dramatic narrative, but tue Williamson Bros., of America, struck out in a netvliue altogether, wiiich not only entailed a good deal of risk, but wiiich opened up a now world tor cinema' cnterpriso. Tnis took tho form of a contrivance tor taking submarine picture?, by means of being lowered into the depths in a huge steol bell, with a great glass oye, the 'focus of which takes in tho wonders of the deep as the pontoon' from which it is sunk moves slowly algng. The pictures, which were esnibited to an interested audience at tlio Concert Chamber last iCTpuing '(under the direction |of Messrs. W. anil F. Williams) shows the ball above water, and details of the big rubber' and canvas tube which leads down to tho bell. ■ The spot selected for the experiment was tho clear, waters of the Bahama Islands, otf Wutling Island (tlie landing place of Columbus), and on'o series '.shows tho Governor of the group, and his wife descending the tube to take in tho mysteries of the deep, so etartlingly revealed under the glare of a 2500-caudle power lamp, which is suspended in the water immediately above tho eyo of tho bell. And what wbndors are revealed! Hero are perfect representations of landscapes, with tioivers, shrubs, rockorieo, waving grass, and sandy walks complete, turough which brilliantly-marked fish, in amazing variety, glide and Hash. Then there comes into view great masses of coral aud waving clumps of sponge, the .remains of an old vessel—tho rotting timbers of a one-time ,blockado runner—all clearly outlined in a faint green tint. Naturally one looks for the tiger of tropical seas—the great man-eating shark, and there he is, sporting with hideous grace round the carcass of a horse lowered in front of the bell as a bait, for so far the shark is not such a well-trained picture, actor as the Universal City variety:*", The lirst 'picture shows a shark playing'about, but securely roped round and round its trunk, but there are ethers quite free from any restraint, whose presence gives that thrill which the pictureinakers love to crcate. There is ail alleged fight between a shark and man, but though the man is seen diving and' swimming round, and the sliark appears in flushes, both were not observable in contact. Still, the picture is one of absorbing interest, and opons •fi a vast field for speculation as an aid to submarine scientific research. Other pictures presented showed negroes diving for coins, and their queer, antics under water, , and , educational views of the sponge industry. Apart from tile-Bahama pictures, there is shown* an interesting "A.8." drama, entitled "The Bridge Across," and a farcical film, "Is Tour Name Brown?" The pictures will lw shown for another l'o.ur nights, aud also at a matinee to-morrow afternoon.