ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 101, 22 January 1921, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS

"IRENE” AT THE OPERA HOUSE. A clever story, excellent mounting, and catchy music, make "Irene,” which is running at the Grand Opera House, a production certain to captivate the fancy of any normal audience. The local success of tho comedy’ so far has been marked and tho management will probably not be guilty of overweening confidence if it looks forward to having big houses right to the end of the season. Miss Dorothy South, who takes the name part, is a charming little actress, versatile, vivacious, and liberally endowed with stage sense. Her numbers always go well. The fame of "Irene," preceding the piece in its journey' to Wellington, raised high expectations, but at none of the performances given here has there been any .sign that these anticipations have been disappointed. The company enter upon the last seven nights of their season, with this evenings performance. KING’S THEATRE. A stirring race story, "The Gentleman Rider," was the principal feature of th new programme presented at the " Theatre last night. This film which shows Miss Violet Hobson and Ml. Stewart Rome in the chief P/jris. " British made, and it proves that the lovers of the "movies” need not always look to America for the thrills and effective scenes. The story relates to the adventures in England of a wealthy young Australian, who establishes * racing stable at historic Epsom and sets himself to make his mnrk in racing circles. He becomes the friend of a very charming English girl who is trying to manage a team of racehorses, and at the same time discharge some heavy debts to bookmakers, both horses and debts being legacies from her sporting father. Another racing man, who inot a "sport,” is seeking the blind of the girl, and tho contest between the two mon provides adventurous happenings on the course and off it. There are excellent racing scenes on famous courses, with some crashing fulls and some exciting finishes. The. produce! lias essayed "close-ups" o* running horses and has achieved much more suegess than usually results from such efforts. The final scene, which finds the Australian riding a hot race for a fortun» and a bride, is n particularly good one. The supporting films include the latest "Gaumont Graphic." an admirably, ire foresting nature study of "Ocean Life," and a very strenuous Vitagraph comedy, entitled "The Parcel-post Husband." Tim musical part of the programme is provided by tho King’s Orchestra, which presented some well-chosen incidental music, and by' Madame Cherry, who i" the possessor of a pleasant and cultivated soprano voice. Her sons? Inst night were "Bells of Twilight" (Phillips). ’‘Sing Her Your Song” (Holter), and "Happy Song” (Teresa, del Riego). The programme will be repeated this evening and next week. The usual full orchestral matinee will be given this after, noon. EVERYBODY’S THEATRE. “The Garter Girl,” a Vitagraph comedy, screened for the first time at Everybody’s Theatre last evening, is a characteristic O. Henry' story, and is founded on “The Memento.” Corinne Griffith, the popular screen artist, is seen as a vaudeville actress, and she is at her best in this story. Rosalie Ray was a vaudeville .favourite. Men fought for the garter she kicked to them each night, as she swung out over their heads in an aerial act. Rosalie grows weary of the men she meets as a vaudeville actress, and throws up the stage and retires to a small country town. In the house where she is boarding there is also a clergyman boarder, and she believes that she has found in him her ideal. With the meeting came happiness until she learned that he worshipped some secret memento which was hidden from prying eyes—something that he had kept hidden from all eyes but his own, a memory of some bygone romance. / One day' Rosalie sees the memento, and she returns to the vaudeville stage. The climax comes as a surprise. There are some very pretty scenes and some thrilling incidents. -There is a theatre scene which is exceptionally fine. The supporting films are all good} EMPRESS THEATRE.

Louis Joseph Vance has written many stories but none more thrilling than “Cynthia ot the Minute,” the dramatised version of which was screened at the Empress Theatre yesterday, on the occasion of the weekly change of programme. The photo-play represents' the last word in point of twentieth century adventure, excitement being maintained at a high pitch throughout its whole length. Leah Baird, the accomplished American beauty actress, figures in tjie star role, her clear interpretation of a somewhat difficult character enhancing greatly the merit of the production. The story deals in the main with .a girl’s amazing a'Kentures in a lair of "sea wolves,” and although highly sensational it is in no sense sordid. The tale is naturally told, and the denouement is cleverly worked out keeping tho house in suspense until the lari scene fades out. The settings of the production ore little short of superb the outdoor scenes being «ie lari word in screen photography. Cynthia - Minute" is incidentally a striking p < on the subtleties of love, and moral it inculcates is distinctly out of the ordinary The picture should enjoy a successful season during the coming week The supporting films are poll up to standard, and include tho twelfth episodeof the interesting serial, "Smashing Barriers,” besides a good selection of topical and comedy subjects.

DANIEL LUBOWSKI CONCERTS. The thought of having to please and entertain an audience of 3000 people would seem tremendous to most people, but Daniel Lubowski, the E-yeai-old lin virtuoso, faces such audiences with as little concern as most youths won face their own family. When making his first appearance at Sydney, the Tov Hall was packed to the doors, which means over 3000 assembled to hear this youthful performer. His unassuming 'manner with his simple and unpieten lions sta"e dress, are said to immediately captivate his audiences. His mastery o double stopping harmonics, intermingled with delightful pizzicato passages, combined with his marvellous memory foi he plays everything from his easy bowing are said ‘ girt responsible for his wide su first New Zealand concert will tak nlnce at the Concert Chamber on Medplace at in< npens on nesday next, and th p e Monday morning at the Bn ■ • second and final concert will be gn™ next Saturday.

THE FASHION PLATE DANDIES. The Dandies during their short season in Wellington have earned the commendation of audience atter audience, and the announcement that they aie■ som to flit to other parts is one that will not be welcomed by the amusement-loving public of this city. The fact however, that those who wish to. sic I e latest programme ot this smart little col) panv must do so without delay. Clever fooling is the forte of the Daud.es am patrons of the current bill will be ie„aled with some of the brightest things in the Dandies’ repertoire.