THE THEATRES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 112, 17 June 1914, Page 9

THE THEATRES.

OPERA HOUSE. A programme out of the ordinary is presented at the Opera House this week. It abounds with refined and pleasing turns, the chief of these being Andrews and Dent. Miss Muriel Andrews captivates her audience from the beginning by her rendering of different violin selections, also by her charming manner. She is accompanied on the piano by her partner, Miss Rube Dent. Something original in a "strong man" turn is given by the two fine athletes, Dare and Norwood, who do. some sensational balancing acts, besides feats of strength. Musical people are well catered for, An that there appear a trio, Vincent, 01liver and Arnold, who harmonise in pathetic and humorous songs; and Jack Vincent, the popular baritone, makes his reappearance. After appearing here for three weeks, Carlton Max is as popular as ever in his ventriloquist entertainment. Another new arrival this week is Billy Watson, a really comical comedian; Dennis Carney has re-established himself as a favourite, as his nightly reception proves. Lyons and Galium, who are billed as direct from America, give a well varied turn by their dancing, singing, and animal impersonations. This excellent programme" is concluded, as it always was in the old days, by a mirth-provoking farce, played by the Waldrons, entitled "The Silly Burglar." HIS MAJESTY'S. Topical pictures are always favourites with picture-theatre audiences, and the one now showing at His Majesty's Theatre is not half long enough to please many of those who have seen it. Amongst the more noteworthy events depicted is the visit of King George and Queen Mary to Paris. The French capital is shown en fete with triumphal arches, intertwined tri-colours, and ■Union Jacks, and festoons and decorative drapings in the streets and on the houses. An excellent scenic Btudy shows the wild country on the Eastern frontier of Albania. It is a well-taken film, with many picturesque scenes included in it. The Reliance Company has provided a drama of the Wild West, in whieh a young man, -weak-willed, but venturesome, gets into the clutches of a gambler, who uses him as a dupe. A " sky-pilot'' happens along, and providentially intervenes between. the young man and his tempter. The parson is of the fighting type, and before he has been 30 feet on the film lie introduces an unruly cow-puncher to a genuine Carpentier knock-out. He then sets to work to round up the young man, who is a difficult convert. After a hard and uphill struggle the youth - turns his back on faro, roulette, and bad whisky, and starts out on a new career, with the parson as a guide.'' The Kternal Duel" is a Mexican drama, in which the atmosphere of that '' distressful country " of the new world is very faithfully reproduced. "Betty in the Lions' Den" is a comedy of the rollicking wholesome type, and there is not a foot of film in which there is no laugh. It tells of the exploits of a country girl who goes to the city and upsets her aunt's household. GLOBE THEATRE. "With the Eyes of Love" is the chief 41m on to-day's programme at the Globe

Theatre. It is a dramatic production in which a stenographer and a deaf banker, the girl's employer, are the chief figures. The sou of the banker falls in fove with the girl, and his suit is not

! altogether turned down, except by the I banker, who will on no account permit J the union. Later, the old man is found 1 murdered, with a heavy cane, belonging to the son, lying alongside him. The butler of the house, who had overheard the quarrel between father and son, gives evidence when the son is arrested. At the trial things are going badly with the accused, but the real murderer is present in court, and the strain of the trial is too much for him. In his excitement he goes over the events of the murder in his mind, and, although he does not speak aloud - , his lips move quite enough for an expert lip-reader to be able to translate. The stenographer is such an expert, and the real murderer is brought to book and the banker's son released. The programme will be shown again this evening. THE COLOSSEUM. The Vitagraph Company has always been noted for its excellent dramatic studies and "The Wreck," now showing at the Colosseum, is no excejition to this general rule. This picture required the services of a large caste and no expense was spared in presenting the drama to the picture-theatre public. The story embraces the dramatic episodes surrounding the death by foul play of a young engineer. The culminating scene is the wreck when an express driven by a drunken driver crashes end on into a runaway engine. The villain of the piece who has previously killed his best friend's son, finds his own boy lying dead amongst the debris of the express. It is an extraordinarily well-acted and well staged picture, and the realism of the train wreck could not be improved upon. An even more interesting film to some people is the series of Mexican war views specially photographed at the front by the Lubin Company's special kinematograplier. This series shows very clearly the types of men engaged in lighting each other in the troubled country. Of course there is an entire absence of fake about these views and their realism is decidedly convincing. The humorous portion of the programme is an excellent one and an original film showing a famous troupe of Algerian acrobats is a pleasing departure from the usual run of such pictures. '' Courting Betty's Beau" is one of the funniest of the humorous studies and "Mabel's Bear Eseape" is equally amusing. SYDENHAM PICTURES. "For His Master" is the principal picture now showing at the Sydenham Theatre, and it forms a good "star" study to an excellent and varied programme. The story is a Wild West one, but without being too lurid or blood-thirsty it furnishes plenty of thrills. A dissolute gambler, a parson of the fighting type, and a good boy gone wrong are the chief characters in this picture-play. The gambler does his worst to ruin the boy but the "skypilot" interferes and gradually the youth begins to regain some little measure of self-respect. By degrees he is convinced entirely of the error of his ways, and in the end the good influences of the preacher prevail, much to the delight of the agediparents anil sister of the once black sheep. The

programme will be shown again until further notice. GLYMPIA RINK. Good skates with a bad floor are of not much use to those who patronise a skating rink. Bad skates on a good floor are equally useless. At the Olympia Eink in Hereford Street both these requirements are of the very best, and there are all the essentials for a very pleasant evening's entertainment. The rink will be open at the usual hours today, and in the evening a band will play.

MUSICAL RECITAL. The distinction of introducing the afternoon concert matinee to Christchurch belongs to Mrs Gower-Burns. Such an occasion has an atmosphere of the unusual —outside it was broad daylight,, and inside there were the electric i bulbs glowing, shedding their radiance j during their ordinary rest hours. The ! afternoon musical matinee was very • largely a ladies' function. The audience was distinctly a feminine one, though there were a few of the other sex who put in an apologetic appearance. Tlie musical portion of the matinee lasted a little over an hour, and it was followed by that holy rite — to ladies —afternoon tea. The concert was quite an enjoyable one, and probably all those who were present yesterday will attend the others in the series which 1 Mrs' Gower-Burns has arranged. The principal performer was Mrs Gower-Burns herself. She was in good form, and her contributions were given with that artistry which distinguishes her. It is not necessary to refer in detail to each of her items, but it may be said that in the brilliant waltz song, "Nymphs and Fawns" (Bemberg), she was at her very best. Mr Sidney Williamson was the other soloist, and he gave his several contributions quite acceptably. Interpretation is his strong point, and his voice is most pleasing when it is most restrained. He managed "O Ruddier than the Cherry" cleverly, and "Nunjbaum" and "Sylvelin" were prettily j presented. Mr Alfred Worsley, besides i playing Mrs Gower-Burns's aecompani- ! ments, gave a number of soli. He did not appear to be quite at his best, or the instrument /did not suit him. ''Reverie" and "Beside the Spring" were nicely given, but in the more showy "Tragica Sohata" and "Tocata" there was something lacking. Mrs W. Wilson took part with Mrs Gower-Burns in two duets, but the j voices did not blend too weil. Mrs j,Wilson's contralto was too heavy for i" ( Mrs Gower-Burns's light and airy [soprano. Miss Audrey Gibson played ; % th« accompaniments to Mr Williamson's i songs, and once more demonstrated that [she understands the line art of accom- ! panying. | COMPLIMENTARY CONCERT. j The Choral Hall should be crowded ! this evening, when the pupils of Mr W. I Densem will tender their teacher a com- | plimentarv concert, and bid farewell to | Miss Alice Saunders, who has been a j popular performer here. An excellent ! programme has been arranged by the i pupils and others, and the concert • promises to be an unqualified success. Mrs \V. .101 l will sing "Somewhere a j Voice is Calling," Mr Frank Macdonald ; nn< 1 M iss Tltiele will appear in a j Dickens characterisation, " Sairey Gamp and Betsv I'rigg," and Mr Macdonald will also give recitations. Mr and Miss I M 'D. Vincent will give a sketch, and j several other pupils will give songs and ! elocutionary items. Mr Tom Charters ! in bass solos, Mrs Stanley East in songs jby Braluns, Woodforde-Findeu, and | Rubinstein, and Mr Allan Young as Sid- ! ney Carton in "A Tale of Two Cities" will also appear, and in addition to a Cockney recitation Miss Saunders will play with Mr Young the comedy sketch "Spring Onions." Mr R. Clark, violinist, will play .Dvorak's "Humoresque,'' and Mr Sydney Brett, who will accompany the singers, will give the monologue "Baby Bill." Tickets may be obtained from drivers's Music Store, and .Jenner's Central News Agency. THEATRE ROYAL. The Wi I lough by Dramatic Company concluded their season at the Theatre Royal last night, when "Cripple (.'reek" was staged for the last time. There was a very fair house, and the dramatic situations in which the play abounded received their full measure j of applause.