ALHAHBRA THEATRE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 77

ALHAHBRA THEATRE.

MacMflhon's's '". Cinematograph 'Pictures, shown- for the 1 .first time at ; th« ."Alhambra ' Monday evening' proved as attractive 'to the ' patrons of th*t place of "amusement) . as the^ management could.possiblyi have wished. The .tongue of good report' tad 'been heard in -favour" of .these ■living pictures, ffnd the realisation- exceeded expectations. The theatr* .was crowded notwithstanding " the , unusual heat" of "the night, and' the' pictures riveted • the attention 'of the spectators from start .to finish. Nothing - so , realistic of the 'kind ha« " been ■ seen - here, . ana it must Jja -specially nbfed\that the pictures were produced with remarkable- absence of flicker. It -would be a great -loss if so excellent m • show is not patronised with_ more than usual! liberality *^by the" pleasuie-loving resident*. Several -livings-pictures, served >s a kind of curtain-raiset 4o the photographic melodrama. - The -scene showiag'the loss of * couple., of childiren in an ftlpine snowstorm was ' realistic- in the " extreme. The iall. o* snow, the in r of the wanderers, and, the." final rescue -by the monks and' aogs of St. Bernard Hospice- had ."all the appearance of a chapter, from real life. • One of *h«' J pioture» illuartrated" the pathetic" in»j cidenit.of » la-me ohild 1 being^ received "into a, home, -.and finally translated to * painless, sphere byf angels, - and--this ae-t was followea by the comic' capers -cilt s by- the purchase anal wearing of an electric belt.' i The policemen's; little run after a dog that" had stolen «' shin of 'beef was, pourtrayed in the most); "diverting" manner, that, left the audience, amusea.,and wondering. '_ The adventures of. '-* -laay-bicyclisti- supposed. ito'\ 'be-^on herj first ride, was . so crowaed with diverting^ catastrophes that ier final_- return ina.-veryy battered condition to her hotel 'was not to -be; wondered at. -ThY" Easter Egg" pictu/ev reproduced diminutive damping gfirls" hatched 1 from •,egg«. at .the< touch of- a "smiling ladyij "directress, and \was .a , that pleased everyone." These' "were, French^ productions^ana .not the less^'charmingon -that account,' , and served to prepare'the -way* for the introy auction of; what .'may properly; be called, & great picture drama, "Eobbery tJnder Arms."; These films are 5300 ft" long', and'occupiea ab( hour in their "display. Anyone acquainted with the way-back country of -, New South; Wales could -see at a glance that the phot©? 1 graphs were from real Australian bush. Even' the foliage waved* to th> wind, and the accessories were those common to back-blocks' ibi the old coaching days. % The homesteads, thai shanties and the hotels were all real pitftures. The hetoes.-weres the famous Starlight and his 'companion Dick Marstqa. , The "cattle stolen, by 'these , desperadoes were driven on the scene, "branaed, and auctioned' at the sale y«ag with all. the fidelity of ieal\ -transactions. The rescue, of Starlight and Dick from Berrima Gaol, followed ,by the sticking-up of "a- mail coach and a, gold escort at Terrible Hollow, the om Keightley's Station? Mrs Kefghtley's ride to Iho Bathurst branch of the Bank of New.South -Wales to araw her husbana's lansom in goia, and th«,_final last'} stand of Starlight^and his* gang," during ' which* he is shot dead by thevtroopers who have so- long been pursuing him, furnished a telling climax to a, jreiy exciting, picture. r JSeveral illustrated -songs, were pleasamHy sung during the enter-tainment-by Miss Lorraine Tansley. PBESCESS THEATEE. The Fullers, at the Princess, are keeping up a- fast-growing reputation for a really, good show, and on Saturday night th« theatre was crowded in- all parts by an en-thusiastio-audienoe. The "turns" are onthe whole exceptionally good, _ and some, o£ -them shine out &» the, work' of artists or more than ordinary .merit.. In this connection may be mentioned D*vy*s marionettes, which were seen for ,'the first time. This turn is" very clever, the antics of a number of double- jointed loose-backed aolls , evoking Irom the audience roars of laughter. Another fine act -is that of -Lesseo ana Rexo, who made a . welcome reappearance. ' Lesseo aiid Rexo ar-er jugglers of an exceptional stamp, and they introduce into " their performance difficult, and, at first sight, almost impossible; feats. Another new artist was Denis Carney, the populaT Yorkshire comedian, who' made: • a great success of comic singing with -the Fullers a - number of years ago. " That Mo: Carney had not been forgotten was ampljj proved by the vociferous -welcome .'which hef was accorded. A feature' of his performance is a .stilt dance, in whioh he Appears as an ** elongated policeman," and proceeds by sundry comical gyrations to call down. the laughter and applause of ,th,e house. Stewart .and Lorraine (musioians), in the second week of their season, are ' m popular as ever. Miss Bright!© Smith continues to' be a great success, and nng, by special request, "My little -belle of Japan," a pretty, little \ song of Geish* Land. Her other number, "I_ oan't come^ out," was also a 'Splendid exaanpler*of the soubretbe's art. The B*nv*rd Brothers (acvob'a-ts) were again successful in catering to - the - taste of thet audience witfh* a new sketch, "The O*k«* Walk Coon : Brigade." Pranklm and Franklin introduced ~ some , ' huppy . and - humorouja male inipeorsonations in . such » maaner -as to" evoke much'" applause.'- J«unes Opi« ana) Lavinia Tyson filled in' intervals with their\ humorous songs.: -" Ihe~ bjograph was, 'ol course,, in evidenoe, a fine nl% The Matador's Love," being ehown. Tftis is a re-<. maxkftble eeries oflpiciuree, and deals witbj Spanish life in and 1 around the bull ting.. •—Eight cubio feet fij gaow. jnxnA"rH ' k cubi© feet of s§tej»