ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 48, 20 November 1920, Page 14

ENTERTAINMENTS

THE KING'S THEATRE. There is hlwavs something profoundly effective about tne acting of Norma Talinadgo. Undoubtedly, hers is the art that conceals art, for tho means by which Bhe wins tho sympathy of her public cannot be defined in a few brief words, or, indeed, satisfactorily defined at all. I ■ Ona'must simply accept her for what, »he obviously is when she has the good -fortune,to appear in a congenial role: an 1 >ctresa wholly absorbed in the part'she is playing, and dependent upon it for the inspiration that is to carry her though. In "A Daughter of Two Worlds," now uliowing at tho King's Theatre, Miss Taljnadge has a rolo that suits her admlrf ably. It is that of true-hearted, affectionate girl, who, raised from a shameful ■and perilous environment, is haunted in ■Jier new surroundings by tlio the sinister '•ssociationa of the past. Her struggle is pathetio one, and her triumph deserved. " Fortunately for the 'success of tho • play, she is not the sole likeable personage ! ef the drama. The people who move about her are real people, and therefore i .not wholly good or wnolly bad. They *11, except the "villain of tho piece," who \ 33 just as crooked as one expects him to .. •be, do tilings that in the main cast no / discredit upon human nature. The situt' • etion of tho girl is ingeniously planned, . and the picturegoer who can always tell exactly what is going to happen next will ! find his powers of divination somewhat i if ho exercises tKem upon this ' . picture. "While • Norma Talmadge delighted last night's attendance, it is to be . questioned whether her success was more complete than that of little Meg Cinnno, ■who is no phantom of the screen, but a tal&nted citisreness of Wellington. This fcabv entertainer, with her nodding curly i ' head and her tiny dancing feet, her roguish gestures, and the httlo voice that for all its softness could bo heard in every part of the big hall, gave most exi puisit'o renderings of three humorous : .trifles: "I Want to Snuggle," "Sergeant t Daddy, V.C.," and a "Digger" song cele- ' • Jirating the superiority of New. Zfalana !' ns a homeland. A bright and busy Vitairrnph comedy, a decidedly dull and anti- ' quoted Keystone ditto, interesting news — films, and a passablo scenic, made up tlie i 'balance of' what' was, on the whole a. programme well worth seeing. The playing of the King's Orchestra was splendid from start to finish. ~ EMPRESS THEATRE. ' "Xovq in a Hurry," the star item . screened at the Empress 'theatre at all sessions yesterday, is a romantic drama, the-sceues of wiiich are laid m hug]and. tho rural scenes of fields, forest land stream greatly enhancing tho pre- : dentation. The two popular eoreen i artists, Evelyn Grcely and Carlylo BlackiveUil, are starred in this charming .'drama, which ha? much in tho way ot '■rapid action, with plenty of lore'interest, and is attractive from, the outset. vTho background of Spies and. plots ' !6erves to sustain tho interest. The hero, 1 ' presumed to bo a spy, i£t

■ actually on a mission of secrecy to help '• the English Government. There 19 a ; ' igooil deal of humour in the story, and ; • -George M'Qnarrie is responsible for some •• finely thought out work in the nature of a satire on the usual pompous, sell- ■ opinionated chief constable of an i/ng- • ligh village, ""he third episodo ' serial, "Smashing Barriers, in which ''William Dtoncon is featured, -.has ft i' 'thrilling train smash, which is well '' "worth seeing. Th©. other supporting ' pictures aria Vxcellenfc, and the iprpy ' gramme as a whole is a very good one. EVERYBODY'S TfIEATJ'.K. The detective story will long 'bo relished bv lovers of the sensational type of motion picture, and "The Flaming Clue, screened for the first time in Wellington ' / fit Everybody's Theatre yesterday, attracted large attendances at its initial screenings. The theme of' the tale unfolded is a familiar one. A detective ■ gets a, clue, and after many vicissitudes • discovers the lair of a Rang of counterfeiters. The picture gives him ample loom for sustaining hairbreadth escapes, •nnd interest in the photo-play is sustained throughout. Put there is a really hu--1 man atmosphere in the tale, and in addi- >. tion.to_.this, the player of the principal part;'Hiirry itol'ey, acts his rolo with 'commendable skill and cleverly portrays an exacting characterisation. The story tells of a young detective who takes the self-imposed task of discovering a desperate gang, in the "underworld" of one of America's large cities. I'or many years this gang of croofe," employing among their number some of tlTe cleverest coun. • terfeitcrs in America, _Kave_ issued in almost perfect counterfeit. Without wfirn•jri?, however, the gang was broken up and the leader imprisoned, although for .twenty years the paper money had baffled the smartest men in the American Civil Service. It was thought at tho time that the plates from which the photographic prints were taken hud.been • destroyed, but 111 subsequent years the counterfeits again appeared, and it was tli® duty of tho young dctectivo to clear 1 up the mystery. " 'The Flaming Clue'_ is 'a thrilling detective story, filled with ' iovo and suspense. It shows how real defectives work and solve baffling mysteries." In addition, to the feature film, a Gazette: a "Post Nature" film, and a , comedy,' "A Seaside Romance," go So make up a truly enjoyable programme.

"BING BOYS ON BROADWAY." ' The excollont musical fnrcc, "Tho Bing '-Boys on Broadway," as presented by ;■ the. Williamson Revue Company, enter- ' tained a very large audience in the I Grand-Opera Houso last night. The I "Bing Boys" have learned a great, deal | gince they first made their bow to an i audience, and it would not ho easy to • trace any very definito connection bc--1 tween tho original piny nnd this supple- ! mentary edition. But tho fun is at least ; ns fast as ever, and, of course, the pro- : duction is brimful of colour and moveI ment, and abounding in tunes and • thrills. The chief players are Mr. Phil. Smith, whose humour never fails, and : Jtiss .Tennio Hartley, who has proved liorself to he one of the brightest and ■ most ongaging comediennes seen in Wel- ' lington for many a year. This pa" : interpret most satisfyingly tho consequential spirit of the play, and they are well • supported by the lesser lights of the cast. The dnncing of Miss Magdie Dickensen and Miss Phvllis Amery Is an attractive feature. The "Bing Boys on Broadway" is to be repeated this evening. ... . The matinee psrfornmnce to-day will . commence at 2 p.m.

ST. LEON'S CIRCUS. The last opportunity Wellingtonians will have of seeing St. Leon's Circus will be to-night. On Monday the circus ' will visit Vtetone.. on Tuesday Lower Hutt, on Wednesday Upper Hutt, on Thursday leathers ton, on' Friday Greytown, and on to-day w<sek at Carterton. HARMONIC SOCIETY CONCERT. In the Town Ilall this evening the Harmonic Society is giving the third concert of tho 1920 season, and good booking augurs woll for a very successful concert. The choir of fifty picked voices, under the baton of Mr. H. Temple White, will ihe heard in a varied selection of mno inrt sonsrs, etc., liothi accompanied and Unaccompanied, 'including Coleridge-Tay-Jor's "Viking Song, two dainty part songs arranged by Ifoborton Ay WanJtin' 0" and "It was the lime.of Roses — a setting of "Swet and Low" for lad.es voices by von Hoist, and numhers ,-hy Bishop, Rogers, Daviw, Maunder, ,nnd cir Fdward l Elgar. the society will be assisted by Miss Nellie Simpson (flautist), who will plii V "Am Jfocr (Sohnhertl "Piwicato f'olka' (Dolibw), ami "Valse Ctraciouse" (Edward German), and Jll also be heard in a flute obbligato, to Gounod's "Serenade, to be sung by Mrs. t Woodward. This lady will also sing Anita Owen's vocal waltz, Invita- ? on" Tho Harmonic Quartet will conSite Hatton's "When Evening's Twilight" "Every Bustling i ree and '"It's Oh,'! to be a Wild Wind (Blear). The l)ox plan is open at. the Bristol till 12.30, and seats may bo, booked ■without extra charge. SCHUMANN'S "CAItNAVAL." Sofc-umnnn's celebrated ■ "Carnaval,' rarely hoard in Now 7,oaland, will bo ono of the most interesting numbers on the programme for Mr. jlornco Hunts recital in the Concort Chamber, Town ITnll. on Tuesday evening next, Not einbor o-j Tlie "Carnaval" conswts of characU« from tho »HBTtaquiMd«"-Plwrot,

Arlequin. Pantaloon. and Coloinbino, and sortie real and imaginary personages such as Chopin, Pagnmni, Floreffta, .tstrella, aud Churino givo tho names t.y many ot the short pieces of which Schumann s vivacious and fasoinnting fantasio M composed. Another fcaturo of the r^1 * tal will 1)0 Scrinbin's Nocturne for tlio left hand—an echo of the musicians student days, when a broken shouldetlilofh compelled him to confine his ploy* :. to the left hand only. Alfred Hill ~..i bo represented by two charming compositions (new to this country), "'hue tho older and modern schools will be represented by Debussy, John . Maiul, Brahms, Chopin, and a Bach-Saint Saciis. Much interest has been evinced in tlis rccital, which is the first to be 8 <j by Mr. Hunt since his return fioni his internment as a prisoner of war in tiermany. . LEATHAM-SYMONS RECITAL. Miss Ato S-ymons will appear with Miss Constance Lcatham in a recital at the Concert Chamber, on Thursday next. No doubt Miss Symons's recent studies in London, under, tho notable Jirencli violinist©, Madamo Cliemit, lmvo been largely TfrsponsibCc for hor rttpid development, which caused the Hastings audience, at her recent concert, to givo her a. reception characterised by tiie local paper as "tumultuous"—she ivns recalled time after time, and is to go again to Hastings beforo the present tour 19 finished.