ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 May 1920, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS.

"THE BETTER 'OLE."' It is safe to Bay that it is a long time since such a genuine piece of whole* some good humor lias been presented to a New Plymouth audience as that which Mr. Lionel Walsh's English <mu«ical comedy company presented at the Empire Theatre on Saturday night, when they more than delighted the crowded audience by their interpretations of Captain Bruce Bairnsfathcr's war comedy entitled "The Better 'Ole." The author of the comedy has ardently sensed the real* spirit of the men'in . the trenches and has portrayed in a way which provokes gladness and,gloom,' sorrow and sadness, laughter and' tears, the philosophic manner in which the citizen soldiers of England took to the new task thrust upon them by the out« break of the war. The adaptability of the Tommy to every circumstance in which he finds himself was splendidly exemplified, and the principal actor* in the play are excellent specimens of the British characteristic. which knows so ■ failure and will not acknowledge defeat, '' As "Old Bill" Mr. Lionel Walsh wot a : great success and with his two cobfjere. ■ —'Erb and Alf (Mr. Harry Young and Mr. Herbert Lee)—he had the audita* fairly rocking with laughter time and: again. *

The "plot" was well conceived. Britfly ; the story dealt with the experience*' of ■ these Tommies on the way up to and in the trenches. In the course of .'the "tick" a spy comes in the way of "Old Bill," who, by a clever ruse, secures front hiui a valuable document which discloses some of the enemy's plans for blowing up a division of French soldiers bj! whom it has been discovered an attaclc is to be made on the Boche line. A French girl deciphers the document and says the mined bridgehead must be «l> ploded before the French attack take* place in order to save them from disaster- The information is Bill's secret, and when he reaches the trenches'ha goes out alone and fires ths bridgehead prematurely, in the course of which he in wounded in the hand, but his act defeats the enemy's intentions. For being absent from the trenches without leave "Private William Busby" is courtmnrtialled and is about to be sentenced by the Colbnel of the Regiment • when a French officer arrives \yith niswe of the brave act by one of the "Tommies" on the adjoining sector, and from the description given of him by the French girl it is discovered that 'KDId Bill" is the hero of the occasion ,and instead of punishment he receives from the French officer the Cross of the Legion of Honor. In reply to his colonel's offer of favor bis only request is that ha and his two "cobbers" may be granted leave for "Blighty" which is immediate* ly acceded to. The home-coming of the Tommies and "Bill's" meeting with hte "Maggie" constitute the final scene, when "Maggie" invites thorn all to celebrate the occasion in the "little pub" she has taken for "Bill" and which aha lias appropriately named "The Better; 'Ole."

The. first scene showed the Tommle* in a French village waiting the wont to proceed to the trenches, fhey whllei away the time discussing.; whit- thej would like to do when,';, the great "wa-a-ar" was over and /incidentally flirted with the girls of th«i village. The situation provided plenty of scope ftw some droll humor, and the audience wat quick to appreciate the Bubtlety of some of the thrusts. "Fond farewells" were taken and many promises made when. the order forward was pvtn 'byla: blaspheming Scrgt.-Major, and the s«ioli4 scene showed the men on duty in th* trenches where again the irrepressible) humor of the actors continually con« vulsed the audience. Flares in "no man's land" and the bursting of "wbfß bangs" gave a realistic touch to the production. It was in this scene that "BillV exploit and subsequent court-martial were depicted. Following this wan ft skit on a picture show entertainments which, though cleverly done, seemed -unrelated to the rest of the play, and then came the final home-coming of the three"cobbers" and their finding of "The Better 'Ole." " • '

Miss June Addell was well suited i» the part of principal lady, and the other actors each deserved the warm applause which their efforts provoked. The Hinging was the weakest feature of the play, though most of the choruses went with a good deal of vim. Many regrets were expressed that the season was limited to one night,

THE PEOPLE'S. . LAST NIGHT OF BESSIE LOVE/ Bessie Love in the Vitagraph' feature drama, "Cupid Forecloses," screening finally to-night at the People's give* * tine delineation of Florence Kingsley'a ; character study, Geraldine, in her popular book, "Hurrying Fate and Geraldine" The picture contains a fin* element of romantic charm. The big two red comedy and gazette are alio on the hill. BIG SPECIAL BILL TUESDAY. . A big special double star bill has been, booked for presentation at the People's to-morrow and Wednesday. The two big features arc Theda Bara in "The Light," a William Fox super-produc-tion, in which a Parisian coquette sacrifices everything to win true love, and said to be the mqst adventurous love story ever screened; and the screen's dare-devil, Tom Mix, in his latest and biggest wild west picture success, "The Coming of the Law." This is a picture full of dare-devil stunts, a flood of good humor and a rattling good story, in which a gun fighter is tamed and A woman won, EVERYBODY'S. ) JACK WARREN KERRIGAN IN "A BURGLAR FOR A NIGHT." "A Burglar for a Night" lifts the veil on capitalistic raids on American rail' roads, introduces a series of thrilling rituations, and sees hearts trump the game. J. Warren Kerrigan appears.aa Kirk Harden, son of a railroad president, who is being raided by rival capitalists seeking to gain control of the road. As the old man is ill, the eon, who has just returned from China in company/ with a man who helped him in a row, wades into the fight, and in order to outmanoeuvre the enemy turns .. burglar for a night, cracks a safe, and is surprised by a pretty girl who afterwards marries him under peculiar circumstances. The «afe-cracking job i* one of the strongest hits of the play, and is exceedingly well done. There is tea exceptionally' strong supporting programme and the screening nights are t«>- , night and to-morrow at F.verybody'a.