ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1922, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS.

EVERYBODY’S. A BIG DOUBLE BILL TO-NIGHT. There is no more striking personality on the screen than that of H. B. Warner, whose latest starring vehicle commences at Everybody’s to-night. “Dice of Destiny” is a special Pathe feature, with H. B. Warner as Jimmy Doyle, a famous jewel thief, a role which give® him one of the finest opportunities of his career. The story is a kind of super “Raffles” type, and has all the elements of good entertaining drama. It deals with the workings of a gang of crooks, v>ne of whom is a young girl, played by the popular and beautiful Lillian Rich. The bill presents, also, a Ibig Universal production “The Big Adventure,” featuring the wonderful boy actor Breezy Eason. Little “Breezy” appears as a waif of the city streets who leaves a brutal father to. go to the country on a freight train, accompanied only by hie faithful dog, Mickey. He captures a gang of bandits, unites lovers, and grins his way through five reels of snappy drama to a finish that will strike a particularly happy chord on the heartstrings of those who see it.

THE PEOPLE’S. LAST NIGHT OF EILEEN PERCY. Few, if any, feminine stars of the screen have equalled Eileen Percy as an attraction in “genteel” comdy. She is young, vivacious, beautiful and talented, and has made extraordinary advances for a girl not yet 20 years of age. “Hickville to Broadway,” which concludes tonight, supplies excellent entertainment —’being a comedy drama in which the star is seen at her best in situations both humorous and sentimental. A. big Sunshine comedy and gazettes are also on the bill. To-morrow’s change presents an all-star Metro feature “Fine Feathers.” Everybody, of course, is glibly cynical about love in a cottage being nonsense and old-fashioned. But take a case where love really starts in such circumstances, but where the wife soon tires of poverty, and the man frets at his inability to provide his wife with the luxuries she craves. Buch a setting provides material for a fascinating picture, and that is just what “Fine Feathers,” the Metro production which comes here to-morrow, is. Out .of the discontent and the temptation to get rich illegitimately, comes a tragedy to two men, the tempter and the tempted. THE MONKEY MOTOR RACERS. One of the most entertaining sideshows that has ever appeared on show grounds in New Zealand is undoubtedly the Monkey Motor-Car Racers and Jungle Entertainers, who will appear on the show grounds here to-day and tomorrow. Those who saw them at Wa- > nganui and Hawera were delighted with ! the performance, and the almost human i intelligence with which they control | their speedsters. The spectators quite enter into the thrilling sport and cheer i the Simian drivers to further efforts. In addition the animals are well worth seeing from an educational viewpoint. EMPIRE THEATRE.

“LITTLE 80-PEEP” PANTOMIME. “From a musical point of view the feature of the evening was undoubtedly the fine singing of Mies Ethel Osborn in the role of the Fairy Queen. She has a pure lyric soprano voice of delightfully fresh quality, while her technique is excellent. This lady’s singing alone is worth going far to hear.” Th® foregoing appeared in the critique of “Old Mother Hubbard,” played at Wanganui Opera House on February 16, and the Wanganui Herald expresses the opinion of the huge audience assembled to greet the clever Australian Pantomime Co. The production to be staged at the Empire Theatre, New Plymouth, to-night and to-morrow is another well written panto built on similar lines to “Old Mother Hubbard.” and it gives 'ample scope for Miss Osborn to display her beautiful voice. This will be the last opportunity local playgoers will have of hearing this gifted singer, as she is due to sail for London on the completion of her present contract, and in all probability will not return to Australia for a considerable period. The shapely principal boy, who has a fine contralto voice, and knows how to use it, Miss I/ulla Fanning, has a part that fits her like a glove, while the dainty principal girl, Miss Audrey Carlyle, is seen at her best in “Little 80-Peep,” the girl who lost her sheep. Any amount of good clean comedy is provided by Mr. George Harpur as the Dame. The Wanganui Herald, in writing of Mr. Harpur’s performance, says that he is one of the best exponents of this particular kind of part that has yet visited us. Others prominent in a large cast include Mr. Arthur Bertram, Miss Rubee Raymond, Mr. Fred White, Mr. Arthur Meredith, Miss Muriel Green, and Miss Blanche Simmers. The music is bright and catchy, the ballets’ clever, while the scenery and costumes are in keeping with the high standard of excellence maintained by the company. As .in “Mother Hubbard” a number of specialty turns are to be given iby Arthur and Rubee Bertram, Laurie MacLeod, and Mr. Fred White, the talking violinist. For such a first-class company the prices are very modest and a bumper house should ' greet the management both nights. Seats may be booked al Collier’s without extra charge. There will be a special matinee performance of lf ßo-Peep” on Thursday afternoon commencing at 2.30.