"MOVIE" BALL.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 187, 8 August 1919, Page 3

"MOVIE" BALL.

A UNIQUE FUNCTION. GAY AND BRILLIANT SCENE. The "Movie" Ball arranged by the management of the Strand Theatre, toqk place last evening and was a gay and gallant sight. The hall had been ! profusely decorated with coloured i streamers stretched from gallery to : gallery, from which depended coloured j balloons and bags of confetti. At a cerj tain time these were all let go, and fall- ' ing upon the dancers added to the ! brilliancy of the scene. When the grand ' march opened the hall was a maze ot 'movjng different coloured costumes, and about eight hundred dancers must have been on the floor. The grand march, ' which was marshalled by Miss Daphne ! Knight, was led by Mrs. Hayward, een., I beautifully dressed as the Empress Josephine in primrose silk and high jewelled collar of point lace. Her partner was Mr. H. Speedy,-in a scarlet and blue drosky div. er's dress, as worn in Petrograd in the days when colour and gaiety was the mark of the ruling class and their eervante were dressed in harmony. Behind these came a neverending stream that marched and coun-ter-marched and passed and re-passed in one whirling mass of blazing colour. Aβ the evening progressed coloured lights were thrown from the etage upon the dancers, who bent and swayed and curvetted under a rosy glow that ga«e them a charming effect. About half-past nine limelight arranged in the upper gallery began to play on the scene, and witli rotating colours and light and dark slides gave a wonderful appearance ol looking at a moving picture. It was a very original and remarkable illusion. It was expected that the irrepressible Charlie Chaplin would attend in regimente, but strange to say he did not appear at all till well on in the dance, and then only came in person to bow to the crowd and wave "his wand in the manner beloved of picture theatres. The make-up was excellent, and the character was sustained throughout in a convincing manner. One of the best drese characters was a. coster and hie girl' taken from "My Old Dutch." Both the man's dress with its loud check and "pearlies," and the woman's with the ostrich feather trimmed hat as depicted by Phil May in his inimitable drawings, came, in for much admiring comment for truth of character study. Mary also attended —in two places and ' two characters, which was a cleverer ieat than she ever performs on the stage, for she met herself once or twice in the dance. In the character ot "Rags" a little girl looked the part to perfection, and had all the .fascinating film actress charm. 2»label Normand was present ac the "Little Disturber" from "Hearts of the World,", and Barbara Clark was present juet as she fled to Gretna Grlen in the world of illusion which dances before us on the film. "Mickey" was, of course, to be seen, and some of the Keystone girls still wearing their picture characters. Amongst the confusing display of fancy dresses engaged in dancing, one of the most striking was "Trilby" in her old Zouave uniform, just snatched from the model's •throne and donned to meet the immortal and loveable "Little Billy," while elde by side was the most modern of maidens in a real land-worker's uniform as worn throughout the war by the women ot England who helped to feed the nation. And very workmanlike and smart it looked, an ideal dress for girls in the backblocke or on milking farms, instead of the usual draggled skirt oftimes worn. With her, side by side, were two girls dancing together who exemplified the newest things in pale pink ladies' pyjamas and boudoir caps. Being prim young things they danced together— there may have been another reason, that they were portraying some twins. Another fine drees was Hinemoa in a splendid kiwi mat and feathers, witn stained skin and darkened face. She presented a very complete and wellfinished costume. Spain was represented by many of her daughters and "sons, from the Spanish lady Th black lace and j black lace mantilla, with a scarlet rose stuck jauntingly behind her ear, to Carmen in- her riotous robes flaunting: her wild beauty against the Spanish I muleteer, in white and with scarlet sash, a very well carried out costume, to the Spanish desperado of the. Spanish Main, -who slit a throat as easily as ho cut his garlic. With these came the gentle shepherdess of Watteau's time, who herded her cheep in the grounds ot the S\m King's Court, and played at \ being a common person so convincingly j that the kingdom eventually made her one with her pretty head on a pike. With them went squaws, cowboys, soldiers, sailore, and men in khaki. Two striking dresses were that of Tahitian girls of the olden-time in fibre girdle and armlets made from basket-fibre, and an Indian Rajah, who looked the part and carried the whole white effect of his dress in a striking manner. Some ot the Chinese dresses were very good, especially one in turquoise blue and scarlet, and some of the Persian dresses in green and gold with strings of bcade. So many and varied were the dresses that the floor presented one confused maze as the dancers circled to and fro.