ENTERTAINMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 213, 7 March 1912, Page 4

ENTERTAINMENTS

'•MISS LANCASHIRE, LTD." \ Wet weather is the abomination of theatrical managers, but tile "thick* must be taken with the "thin," the wickedness.of the weather last night, '• there was a good house at the Theatre , Royal, when Miss Marie Baints' new English Comedy Company produced "Miss ' Lancashire, Ltd." The play was man-... agerially announced as a "piece with. . music," and this frank announcement ' was amply justified. We hear often oi musical comedy, spectacular drama, and other froths and frills from theatrical, managers, who have to boom their aV* tractions by such announcements. ICbb Baines frankly announced before she came that she was simply coming here to make people laugh. !She did not pre- .-, tend for one moment that her comedy, '• possessed any sense or sensibility. Ifc was announced that it was .plain, unadulterated frivolity, and it filled the bill. One does not expect the ordinary maidservant to sing the waltz song from "Faust," but so long as she sings it well, the ordinary audience does not care whether it is anomalous or not. Miss Baines herself sustained the name part of the comedy-work last night. She was "here, „ there, and everywhere all the time, and * her impersonations, her mimicry and her ; dialect turns were mirth-provoking in the extreme. Probably the feature of her performance was the naturalness and spontaneity of her acting. In a word, she did not act, she lived the part. When she laughed she laughed as if she- - meant it, and the; audience laughed with, her. There is little more to say. The description of the piece as an 'irresponsible frivolity" is particularly happy. That is what it is. It pretends to be nothing more, and it is certainly nothing less. Marie Baines herself is the show, but some word must be said for the sup-'" port. Frankly speaking, it might be im-' proved, hut there are several members of the company who deserye more than a word of praise. Chief among them is Mr. Don Llewellyn, who, as John Henry Thompson, plays the part of a North country farmer with considerable success, and his success is mainly due to his singing. He is a Welsh lyric tenor of sweetness and purity, and he was encored twice for his singing of "Because." Mention must also be made of Miss Hetty Peel—the pleasing operatic soprano—who was practically wasted on a smaller pant. Of the character acting, Mr. Alex Devon, as Herbert Fox, was easily the best, and he was well supported by Mr. Sam Leslie, as' "Moses Goldberg." and Mr. Eric Vivian, as the butler. Miss Louise Golding, in a minor, part, showed some exceptional "frocking* ", and other partß were well played by Mr. Allan Young, Mr. J. Henderson,' and others. "Miss Lancashire, Ltd.," will be repeated to-night.- The box plan is at Collier's.

"THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB." It- has been said that average movingpicture patrons like' something sensational. Well they got it last night at the Empire Picture Theatre in the shape of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab."' It was a wonderfully vivid portrayal of a celebrated story, which lias been read by thousands. The whole 1 strange story was enacted before the eyes of the audience in a manner that no book couldconvey, and no drama represent. Without a doubt it is the sensational picture drama of the year, embracing as it does -,- features of Melbourne life, pictures of Melbourne streets, glimpses of Melbourne slums, and side-lights on Melbourne society. "Who was the man?" is the question which everybody asks. The story centres largely round Mark Frettleby, millionaire, respected, looked up to, a , pillar of society, a magnate of the land, who soon learns the bitterness of his early escapades 20 years back, when he was not a millionaire. His second wife is dead, but, a daughter, Madge, hag been left to comfort and cherish him. The portals of love, however, are wide open, and therein enter two men—Oliver Whyte, a scheming, dissolute scoundrel, and Brian Fitzgerald, a squatter from Ireland. Brian is the favored suitor, and' Whyte is determined to win the girl. Why? Because he knows the secret of Frettleby's past. Rosanna Moore is alive in Melbourne; she has been his mistress: he has obtained possession of her papers, including her marriage certificate. This latter is Whyte's weapon. "Tour daughter first; your millions afterwards." Thus to save the honor of his daughter's name, and shield her, Frettleby would go far and do much. He agrees to Brian's engagement to Madge, hoping to silence Whyte at accosts. Whyte har a companion, one Roger Moreland, who learns his,secret. Thus the tragedy of all these lives commences. The night that Mark Frettleby calls on Whyte ' to bribe and silence' him, and his over-' tures were rejected, Whyte visited the city accompanied, by Moreland. Later he was turned out of the Orient Hotel and entered a cab with a man. Brian Fitzgerald is arrested for the murder on strong circumstantial evidence. He stands his trial, and only on a strong alibi is acquitted. Detective Gorbv, and . a prominent barrister, Mr. Calton, take the case up. Brian will not speak to. save himself, for he has learnt from the dying lips of Rosanna Moore, in the slum . quarters of Little Bourke , street at Mother Guttersnipe's, the depraved mother of Rosanna Moore, the story of Fettleby's past, and the unfortunate position it creates for the woman he loves. Thus he fights to shield her honor, although he suspects her father of being concerned in the crime, if not the actual ■ perpetrator. Here we must cease any further explanations. Quite a feature of last night's entertainment was the vocal impersonation of "Old Mother Guttersnipe" bv Mr. Alf. Boothman. "The Mystery" will be screened again to-night and to-morrow.

ROYAL PICTURES. AT THE EAST END BEACH. An entirely new programme will IjfJ presented by the Royal Pictures and Orchestra at the East End Bathing Reserve to-night. The series include scenic, industrial, and many colored films, together with topical, "dramatic and comic subjects, including Pathe's latest London Gazette, showing the Chief Scout General Baden Powell at Southampton. The arrival of the Macedonia at Marseilles with the survivors from the wreck of the s.s. Delhi, including the Duke andDuchess of Fife ; great fire at Jersey City, U.S.A., Rugby football, France v. Ireland; and fashions from France, some smart prowns created in Paris in colors. "The Three Kittens" is an interesting animal study, and "The Burtliais," an acrobatic film in magnificent Pathe color, showing -some marvellous feats on the trapeze, and Roman rings. Other colored productions are "The Indian Chief's Gratitude." an Indian drama, ana "Plucky Youngsters," a Pathe drama. ''The Battle of Redwood" is an intensely interesting and thrilling reproduction of the massacre at Redwood in America. which resulted from the malpractices of the agents duped to distribute the supplies of food fumisbed by. the American , Government to the Indians living on the reservations* set apart for them. The bnlance of the programme is made un of the following subjects: ."Beautiful Voice," A.B. comic. "Wiffles Best Friend" and a scientific film entitled "606 Versus Spirochaeta Pallida."