ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3165, 17 August 1917, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

"THE WHITE CHRYSANTHEMUM." Another large auilicnco witnessed "The White Chrysanthemum" by J. and N. Tail's bright musical comedy players at the Grand Opera House last evening. The new production is very beautiful from a spectacular point of view, and those who take pleasure in "Japanese art" will appreciate the foreign piquancy and quamtncss of the two settings, which are triumphs of the scene painter's art—particularly tho futuristic scene of the second act, where tho maddest contrasts in colour are made part of a perfect colour fabric. The leading characters, in the hands of Barry Lupiilp, Andrew Higginson, Prank Greene, and Hisses Payette Perry, Lilian Tucker. Daisy Revetto, and Emily Pitzroy, work admirably together, and reap a harvest of smiles as the result of their clever work. "The White Chrysanthemum" will be played again this and to-morrow evenings. .

niS MAJESTY'S THEATEE. A large audience thoroughly enjoyed the programme, at Mis Majesty's Theatre last evening. There is a variety in plenty about tho bill, and some of the turns were specially good. The Utility Comedy lno presented a sketch. "M'i'herson's Wooing, and other artists were: Ford and Pcrrm (dancers), The Molinaris (Italian vocalists), Baron (ventriloquist), The Moores (comedians), and M'Lean and Drury (dangers), and W. lAddle (baritone singer). A niatinco will be given to-morrow.

"IDLE WIVES." . "Idle Wives" is a very ingenious lesson picture, which deals really more with the question of being satisfied with one's lot in life rather than with idle wives., which aro really only represented by one episode iu a many-angled picture. The picture is ingenious, because the author, Lois Weber, who annexed the main story from James Oppenheini, has placed a picture within a picture, and the acting in both is so natural and free of any objectionable flummery, that one has to be on the alert to place the different characters in the play, or in the play within the play, the witnessing of which is' the turning point or three di6tinct groups of characters, who roprcseut the upper, middle, and lower classes of American life. ' In the first instance it is a young couple of wealth, who are becoming estranged, and are drifting apart. The husband leaves his wife alone one day, and meeting a young lady of his acquaintance invites her to attend a picture show. He is followed by his jealous wife, who follows into tho "movies." In the second instance, it is the case' of a young girl who rebels, against the quiet and restrictions of home life, and after a scene with her aged mother, leaves the room on the arm of the young man who has called to take her to the pictures. Tho third scene is the Bordid home of a working man—a noor quarter in a tenement house—with a tired wife and half a dozen worrying children. In tho midst of a family quarrel someone suggests that they will all eo to tho pictures, and they do so. The characters all witness the sumo picture, entitled "The Mirror of Life," in which is deftly portrayed a number of instances of how rebellion against one's allotted place in tho world in order to lead a gayer and more eiciting life- always ends in icatastrophc. Scenes that correspond with each of the three classes, are graphically depicted. The best of those Is the one where Molly O'Shane, the daugnter of an Irish worker, kicks against the poverty and dreariness of her home, and leaves it tor a tough named Larry, who soon teaches her to drink, snuff cocaine, and do worse, until she has to seek sanctuary in a charitable institution—a poor degraded wreck of . humanity. That, of course, teaches the heart of her'contemporary who is sitting watching the picture, and the result is that after the show, thev both go straight home like good people So it is with the other incidents—the young husband realises what a dog lie is to treat his wife so cavalierly, and "the noor family realise that, their lot in life could be much worse than it is. The acting and photography of Idle Wives" arc on a high level of excellence. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. "Wild Winship's Widow," featuring the popular actress Dorothy Dalton, will be screened for the lost time jit Everybody s Theatre to-night. Foremost on the new programme, to be screened to-morrow, is the latest Trlanslc release, entitled "Paddy O'Hara." William Desmond is cast in the title role and he portrays the part of a daring war correspondent, who, as tho representative of a London newspaper, secures his news through his Irish wit. On the outbreak of hostilities in the Balkans O'Hara is sent bv his paper to get all particulars. How. on his arrival there, lie meets a. chnvmins •priuc."S3 with whom he falls in love, forms the basis of a love romance, and of numerous liitmorous incidents contained throughout the story.

EMPRESS THEATRE. To-uight will 1)D tho Inst chance o£ witnessing "The Captain of the Grey Horse Troop." now being screened at the impress Theatre. Tn the "Crimson Dow. the latest release of the Brady World Picture Corporation, which will he. screened tomorrow, Carlyle Blackwell will be scon in the role of a fighting parson who succeeds in a desperate came waged in the mountain town where the hand of man is set against him. Playing opnosite him are those two ponular stars, .Time Elvidge and Dion Titheradgc. Numerous ilranifl'ic incidents are intersnersed throughout the story, while tho climax is said to he p easing 'and happy. The sixth episode of lno Iron Claw" will also he shown.