ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 1, 23 September 1918, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

"THE TfIIETBENTH CHAIK." "The Thirteenth Chair," to bo presented at tho Grand Opora House to-morrow evcniiiff by Uio J. C. Williamson firm, is said to bo totally dilftrcni from nil tiio dramas previously m'CHuntcd in Wclliugtoii. • Tlio piny is said lo bo bathed in an atmosphere of woird and tlirilliiiß mystery, and the audionce is cimrossed in the solution to ihu moment of the fall of the Una I curtain, i'roiu the felicity of a social oveniiiE tho story plunsca into a cold-blooded murder of one of tho pilosis, and by masterly artifice and restraint ilie author holds tho secret with gathering momi'iitum of excitement until the culprit, in a frenzy of candour, uncovei'B his crimo. It Is said to be ,1 remarkable theme of the. shadow worid, powerfully expressed ■by tho company. Incident* of the baiflins tragedy unravel, and then nssume worse complication, until tho truth comes out and everybody is amazed. Ko more need be said here regarding tho minders of Spencer Leo and Edward Wales than llwl both the audience and the police officer nre fooled by what is apparently obvious and conclusive. The author has cleverly cloaked the double viliain. and has introduced theatrical tricks to lead one off the scent. Where a keen and experienced detective is bluffed, the public is not likely to succeed. The whole interest of tho production centres ii\ -who the murderer is, and, so cleverly ie his identification ecuwaled by the subtlety of the author that it ie said that every one of the twelve people who could have committed the crime is, chosen from time to time by the audience. Juut as one lias become satisfled that the criminal haß been found, the piny ta.ltcs a twist, and somebody else seems implicated. The climax finds everybody in a thrill of excitement. This play will introduce the famoUß American actress, Miss Margaret Wycherly. in her oriRinnl role, sib played by her for over two yc;are in New York. Another newcomer is Mr. Brinsley Shaw, who will be K<"m as Tim Ponohue. the oolice inspector. The plane for the six nights are on view at the Bristol.

FAREWELL TO ALLEN DOONE. The Uraud Opera iiouse was well filled on Saturday evening ou the occasion of tlie linal performance of the Allen Doone Company. The piay was "Alolly Bawu," which closely follows the plot of one of. Mrs. flungeriord's novels, aud which gives Mr. Doouo aud the members of his company tho to display their versatility. Jit the conclusion of 'the performance there were loud calls for Mr. Dooue, and in responso to a clamour for just ono more song Mr. Dooue couipi."-;. by singing "Tho Wearin' of the Green." There were flowers and chocolates for Miss Edna Keeley and Miss Ethel Baßhford, testifying to tho good friondehips tho members of the company have made during thoir stay in Wellington. KING'S THEATEE. ' A Triangle iilm of six reels, entitled "A. Soul ill Trust," siioniug a.i tne itiug's Xiieutro tins week, leaiurcs Belio BeuueU and i. Barney nnerry. xhu story is one of intense interest, and iB poweriuliy dramatic, showing the .wouaunui power of mo.aior-love. The plot is uncommon, anU tue story is one mat grips. One of the enaracture . marnee uecreay a woman beneatu nun, and has a son. This marriase is annulled, and the man marrieß again, and tho child of this marriage uies wiioii quite youuK. The lather meets with a Utal accident, and when dymg-makes confession as to hie first nmrriago and the eon. lie is promised by his wife that she will adopt mis boy and bring him up as her own. The real mother of the boy, who had become au adventuress, proposed using tho lad ae a means of ruining a prominent statesman, which would have meant wrecking the boy's whole life. Would her mother-love awaken in time to prevent this forme the theme of the story. The end is finely dramatic, for mother-love wine tho day. ,Tho settings are islcndid. The second episode of "The Fatal Eing," entitled "The Crushing WallB," sees Pearl and Knox journey to a house to eccuro the missing diamond. Tnes are trapped in a room of tho house, which Iβ set on flro. While attempting to escape tho two fall through a trap-door into a room with olosins walls, and what happens hero-ie highly sensational. The adventures in this episode are thrilliug A the extreme. The bupporting pictures are up to the.usual high standard associated with tho King's Theatre. ">

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. The potent influenco for evil of Dame Rumour when ahe onco begins to get moving it the circle of society is aptly illustrated in a picture entitled "Bubbling Touguee," now being screened at Everybody's Theatre. Seldom lias there been shown a film of such extraordinary force. It constitutes a most powerful indictment ' against Boandal-mongera and tittletattlers. The inoßt innocent behaviour on the part of a man's wife and another man whom' ho line befriended, is misconstrued by tho huoband's household stulf and friends, but inoro especially by his interfering relatives, and particularly by a very wiiie-mouthed sister-in-law, and then tho trouble begins. Tho word is quickly passed along from one person to another that something ie not as it should bo, the talc gathers moro detaile ae, it proceeds, and eventually gossip tumbles , the happiness of all parties to the ground. Two oxciting duels are fought iu the course of the story, giving it a strong niclodramatio touch. In the course of the second oombat one of the chief calumniators is slain by tho man whom he has traduced, but the husband of the villiied woman having been mortally wounded in tho first encounter, in which he participates to defend his wife's honour, matters are not much improved. In the end, however, the husband himself is induced to come to the conclusion that his wife has been unfaithful, and ho dies cursing her and his erstwhile friend. Driven together by their common misery the two inisjude:oo people decide to part no more, and all busybodics arc enjoined to "forever hold their peacoiT "Babbling Tonsiics" is a seven-reel Ivan production, the cast 01 which is especially strong.; H is headed by Jamea Morrison 'and Grace Valentine, whose acting is marked by much power and dramatic "appeal. The setting is unusually lavish and luxurious, nnd the cflect of the Aim is heightened considerably by tho exquisite photography. Aβ a supporting itoiii to the programme "Falho'a Gazette" is quite up to the usual high standard, and contains an inti-mt-ing budget of war subjects.. The programme will be repeated to-day..

EMPRESS THEATRE. There aro many exciting thrills in "The Tenderfoot," a flve-rcol Vitosraph tibn, lit present being shown ai tho limprcss 'i'lieatro. Tho Blory in a. Western talc, and deals with the career Of a young Easterner, who, disappointed in love, sets out for the Wild West to forget hie misfortunes in the exciting adventures incidental to the cowboy .profession. He ie certainly auccofc'ci'ul in'.his Quest for a new life, and after he overcomes tho jeers and the banter of his now associates in his tenderfoot days, ho becomes' the hero of a asviOH of dramatic situations. A jH:ht witli the Red Indiana is most, realistically depicted, and not the least- interesting feature of it iu the cool and collected way in which /'The Tenderfoot" smokes his pipe during the heat of the engagement, in which he is vastly outnumbered, hiit come oil successful. Another scene in the film which makes the Jjlood tingle is the pursuit of the stasc coach by a marauding band"of snalphiinting Redskins, somo mounted n-nrt some on foot. There is only one fi';'.lt )i Hud with this portion of.the picture, and tliat h, that r'.un'iiß the lons and swift chase the Indians on foot an- apparently able to keep pni'o with the Rnllopinir horsemen. However, Hint, is not h Fcrious anomaly, find it in no way impairs the ronernl .merit *bf (lie film. The pyelography is' good, and thn whole settiiip is .very fine. The story has its proper purlins, for "The Tenderfoot" eventually wins tho girl of. his heart, and lie no lornjcr finds it necessary to follow tbr- perilous calling he lias iidopted. The title role is taken by William Duncan, nnd he ia capably supported, l-.v : Carol Holloivny and Florence Dye. The remaining items are all of a liijrh standard, nnd the nrogrammo will be repeated to-day.

ARTORAKT TttEATIM!/ tn presenting "iiarljury Slieop" and "Wolves of the Kail" (u V. S. Hart nicture), with the Paramount Australian Gazotta thrown in by way of leavening, the Arlcraft management are cirim; an attractive bill. As .a. novel "Barbary Sheep" achieved sucitsk lone since, a nil there is no. rciison to believe that the film version of' ltnpprt llitfilK'ns'rf story v.ij) not be even mom successful then the book. The story of Lord \Vyv."rne. a, Homewhiit uniiuaeiimtivv I'jidishiniin, who while on a pleasure trin to Algeria preferred the joys of hunting Barbary sheep lo those of his wife'n society, and of the young, beautiful, and neslectcd Lady Wyverne, who almost succumbed to Ilio "apirit of the desert" and the attentions of ii dobliing offloor of Spahio, 'is a. fanciiiafiug ivie, and in . tho rolo of Lady Wyverne, Elsie Forguaon ie entirely eucrcusful. In the desert snenea .the nroducer him au'liieved a high destreo of eicellenee, n.lll. 'isrh the same cannot be said rcijartlinif '■ -''enes laid in Knßlnnd, but as these In sro bo few. and when one considers t lellcnceof the picture from an entirt:; point of view, this is a, fault I mil. v, l)p rundily overlooked. On tho other hm .r ihi- nroilucer is rielit at home in the Hurt picture, "Wolves of the Rail." IlfiirV («i cBFCMtiTdy lym-a! story of the West, in which Ihf chi"f character is by nrobrbly 111" greatest exponent of tlicu.i narliriiiAT part a in the scrcsir woi'l'J 10-rtay. V \' fiiiiPcient to , reraark that it is William S. JWlrt at hio Imst-oerhaps a 'ittle better in this oaso-with a- etory full of "punch" thrown in. Tlio programmo will be ahown tluoughout tho week.