AMUSEMENTS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 48, 18 June 1914, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS.

BERNARD'S PICTURES. The programme submitted last night was very good. The star attraction came a.s a surprise in "The Tango Dance," which shows 200 steps of ./this much-discussed and ■popular dance. The supporting pictures include Edison's education mar. vel, "The Life of a Wasp," Vitagraph's lifelike, dramagraph, "Salvation Sal," "The Latest Gauinont Graphic." The comic portion is well supplied in an aeroplane love affair, and shows what uses this wonderful aeroplane can be put to. * Friday's new change includes Edison's Xmas story of the American Civil. War. When the cheerful sea-" son of Christmas dawned on the bloody hopeless years of the Civil War, Col. Stafford's home lay in the midst of a great Northern army. Colonel Stafford, C.S.A., was a soldier 6f iron nerves. He had firmly resolved that he would give his children a real Christmas, and shrank not at all from the task ahead of him, although he realised the deadly risk. With the few gold pieces he had, he bought the little uniform and doll for which he knew the children longed. Then, attired as a peddler, he started on his difficult way home.

TOWN HALL TO-MORROW.

An excellent evening's entertainment is promised at the Town Hall to-morrow night, when F. Tate Barras will present his marionettes to a Stratford audience. The little performers include representations of a number of well-known artists, and present an entertainment full of amusement. Support is lent by Reggiardo, who will be remembered as having previously visited Stratford with the Valdares. Reggiardo will introduce several new juggling feats, and he will also have the assistance of a trained troupe of poodles, which do a variety of clever tricks, one being billed to dance the Tango.

The marionette part of the entertainment was established by D'Arc, with whom Mr Barras became associated in South Africa just before the war. The company proceeded to Zanzibar, arriving there about thr time the Sultan was in trouble with Britain. Madagascar and Biera wi>r: next visited* and then a skip was made to Bombay, where the plagm was raging. The company gava a private entertainment before the harem of the Gaikwar of Baroda, the showmen being curtained off ffom the ruler's ladies. Another harem entertainment was given in the palace of the Nizam of Hyderabad, a potentate with one town and three country palaces, whose army escorts * his harem when he moves, his residence. The show struck bad luck at Calcutta, striking the town in an off season. A move was then made to Rangoon, where members of the party were attacked by ague, fever, and cholera, and deaths followed each other so quickly that at Bangkok Mr Barras buried the last two survivors of the party of eight. , He packed ' up the eighteen tons of luggago which the troupe carried, and made for Australia, where the show was reorganised and started again on a successful career.