AMUSEMENTS.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14348, 7 May 1912, Page 7

AMUSEMENTS.

"PASSERS-BY" AT THE THEATRE PQYAI,. Mr Haddgn ChnnibeiV* «'erk im» proves as J;o grows older. }\\ % bnvo very pleasant memories of "I'hc Tyranny o!" T«jr&, M one oi the most delight?ul ouuuuiics of, recent years, li\\% "Passers-by" is a very ditterent Jiintl r.f'phiy to thai admirably written chapter of imjrrjed life. It cues fitofor into life, and is tho work of » man of wider experienc , *), wqu has observed keenly zmd sympathetically in the intervening years," Mr Chambers has the. great gift of originality. In •"The Tyranny of Toart." ho handled n novel situation tvith rare skill, and now in "I'assers-l-y" ho again us something that is most'refreshingly ntf the Uwtan track. Tho j'lot is slight, hut probably as iiu'.ch proiriisjng material lias l>s?en spoilt, as has boon improved, by nn_xipty over the intr;etu'i«'s of plot. IVter \Vwvorton, a Knjjl »h bachelor of means, returns to his rooms one nitilit to find' his manservant «<ntortaining a cabman off the neighbouring ranis.. ~~ He is very much annoyed at the breach of trust, mid the tervant ivtvivos notico mi tho spot. But some words of iho man, and a conversation with his fisiucco over tho Uil«i:hum\ pv.t Wavcrtnn jn a diiferciu lramo o| mind. Tho folk who p«i« by his rooms w } Piccadilly have a sihUU-h interest for him: ho'wiU huvo S'.nn;* ol them in i>| >.o him. Tin* labimin, ruddy nt >ao: and largo of body, a jolly (h<l r-hikiso-pher of ji typ? that v nonrly ost.net in these days o! taxis, i.> hvmjiilit in nga,:n, and after him i-omes a trnn?j>i « t.MU, rnsipi'd, man of ihu yastrel Ujiiil. a itntli.v-bri.-tl product oj j tho'depths, "who lives by what ho nan | pii-U up and whnt h<? is given, and turns nightly to th.< Kmbajikmcnt with, the with which an ordinary citir vspii OTics'lionu" , . Questioned by .waver* ton, i)u his mode of li ••• ai«» Wavorton. attracted by his story, oi'dors supper' fer him. The sasna is wvitt«?»i with the snreiit of tc«rln?«i art! whm the man's oi'ieeh and helmvlour r.t the tablo make some laugh, tlioy touch tintears of others. .Uti'v iho tramp and tho cabman have goua out into thu night again, a third passer-by is uUl'Oduced—a woman who has taken wtugo from the. fog }n the Mio is the woman whom Waverton !ovc«l sromo befo!*;, but lost through the" treachery t>l a relative. wm> had been * tl?termmcd that Ue s-liould nof, contract a mesalliance. Tho pair h'iil Jovotl not wisely but too well, but Waverton now hears for tin; first time all that the affair has meant for tho woman. Using » 1"«1V °( ! heart, he insists «n UGiriondiny; licr and her boy. but the situation '-. r.f oonvw<locideclly awkward. Th<*re is bin fiancee, "and her punt, a relative of \Vayerton's, ««-tl i<;;. <i< i"v' family ptfgirs, the woman who .v;par tba two lovers and kept th""l apart. AH the women meet, and the truth is told. * The aunt \$ absolutely i unforgiving, but tho. girl to whom "\Vavort<jn is engaged is inadc of finer I atuif," and stands "by the otbor woman las a frjond. The trninp returns, and, thavon and properly clothed, i«j giveix a post in Waverton'g. household. Bui the leopard cannot change hi:s spots, Mc longs for t.ho frccdoin of tho streots ant) in eeejciiig that i freedom helps out tho destiny of three poopje, It is perhaps uqv fair to tell tlii. , whole «Lory: Im.'th.ii.se ; who aro interested find out for t|imiH sclvois. 1C they are fond of good drama they will havo no nujrots, Jt may f;oDin a thii| story to spread out ovof iou'r nets, but the interest lien as mucji in tho deftly drawn eharnrter studies and tho May, natural dialogue, us n tho incidents. Hero one is far froni tho fireworks of tho arti}ici.il comedy, These people aro hitman beings of the great piotley world; they are real passers-by, not puppets by means of whom the dramatist 'discharges his shafts, Tho trnmp, with his. pitiful contentment and W§ prefer' ence for vagabondage to respectability, is the most resting character b«t all have eqmethjng djsttnetivru abqtii; them, the toypb cf « man who gqea to. lifo for his material, »nri knows liqw \(\ nso his tools/ Thpro are at least two scenes tjiat are por» ffpt of thejr interview with the tyamp, and that betweea Waverton and the three women, and the nvtragc level pj t,]io eppstruetipn is quite unusually high! Whjlc is frequently paid to \he comic BJWS*V jjgaia ,'mcl again qne'fi tlcoper feelings aro touched.' Two things strike U8 Uβ I blemishes in the p}ay. TJiq devige by . whiel) Wayeripn induces Margaret io. bring tht> child to him dP e « iiot HRB. true, aut| Waverton's uso of languago' lis extraordinarily freo fpr i gentleman. Wo. lost count' of this number of times he '*dcvil !l and '•{Jomn" in tlje, hearing of ladies. Butthere is nothing seriously wrjipg with •■ "; qn th<? eontrnry it >s nn ei}tertfiinmei)t of rare <?xcpUeu<?P> * co,ntributjQn to tho more ijeriaiu draum that should not be misstnl by smy pne who cares if or gpjnething hotter in |ho theatre than frippery, \Ve wish we could, say the acting wag entirely worUiy of tho J)lay. Xfiithep Mis? Jlilda Spong , nor Mr William Dcs» mond was very bappily cast. Wm }\\. times was tirst-rate, »iud all through she playod with true sincerity, hyt it ! was an uneven performanco, an r l ?,n i whoje sho die] not .■oem (p do f\dl justice to tho author's intentions. Jlr Dpsmonq mishfc in: perfect as Waverton it , tho scoiiio was laid in New York, but, while lie is much top gopd an actor to tjpojl a. part, aa «n geptUfinan pf' good social portion in} was rather out of tho. pjcture, It may ba that ho has becqme gtcejicd in meiodrnnu!, for in many plaeoa his delivery of the jinea was marq in keeping witSi that stylo of play than with a piece of the calibre uf "Passers-by." >{n Kpbert Whyte, junior, presented <i mpst admirabk' character study of th«. tranjpi and Mr Miller, as the cabmau, fould hardly nave been better. The acting of Mr A, «»• Maffick, as tll§ manservant, though unove.n, was f>onjmendable. Miss. Emma Tempk> gay« ua another of hor <leli«lulul studies or ftotiety wonipu, and Elsie Clart'ns l while by no means as gor.d in places as slia might have br«in, won tho apprpval of the audience by the sympathetic way in which sho played tho part of Wavejv ton's true-hotirtetl- fiancee. Jjittfe Alis-s Norinc JHUa, who-took the part of tho child, was refreslu'ngly natural. Jf'pr--tunately, while the acting fell short <tl what it miirht Imvo been- it was'quiio good enough to make the evening very enjoyjibh'. The audience, we are sorry to say, was not so large as it should havo been. "I'aasers-by" will bn \uroatc<l for threa ITiPro nights, and thins loss than crowded houses v.ill meet its deserts. WEST-lIAYWARP PICTURES. A mast attractive programme «f Wost-Hiiyxvard ('ictures v<a» presented for tho iirst time at His Majrajv , ;* Th.<.wtro liiijc j:.:'yht, befpro a crowded houEtf. A (Hni r>os«ei>ing special interest in view of the. terrible., end «f •the vessel was that <l«pkting the [ launch of the Titanic at .tfclfasit in I Juno of la."rtj year. In tho presence of a ]argft gathering of spectators, the huso, ship sippwl slowly tlown." th(J ways until she. floatr<l. Seen at such clcte ({iiurtcrs hrr w>,e was moat iniprensivt. , Another splendid film was that showing views of different portions of the. Manchester Ship Canal. Thi~. proved particularly intere«tiii£? :n view of the Christchurcli Canal agitfl' I tion. and enabled one to appreciate what <i big c-anal mcajvj to a city. i {several very fine dramatic were included in tho programme. The , best of those wn» "'Tho Proftecuting' Counsel." a tale of love and duty, and of tlio. more sopihra experienns which fa'! la tile lot of senie Women. Other gucA dramas .were "Tenderi'<'.oti Porer mar..' , founded on a Wild West epi" .sodo, and "At the Threshold of Life," a charming eubject etriking out on new

lines, and dealing with the. kindergarten movement. TJics panijc films wc.ro an attractive feature of, \\W Krnni»H?, the ()»«• tf "jcae ««•s>§■»»« Came. «.h« Saw, p be Conquered, * and "A Snimiuing Party." in Many .tuot.y" nes a dojutv idyll presented in colours. An enlertsuninc musical prcsirpjutuo was played by tho OTSPesua," t.h« pyerturo" be»!>£ btrauw* '»\ah? Uroajn," PICTURES. The Calosicuni was crowded Jest when n mw progr»nirne of Fuller , * Pje;ures was presented and nnirli ynjoyed- "Naturo in its Winter e^tluts - ' wr..s a beautiful J*enio study of .snow-clad Two a;ti;Mi':ir!y iiof.d dramas v«re shown, ■(flnrli Chasm." an Jnditui dranm with n .itrnng seeing, ami "Monqjflr of Acts."' a thrilling Crania of frsher life. ]?•■ Wut Ia.UT tho p.»rt of tjjo JitiK* inline girl is roprosrutcd j lv S s XJar.v PuUfor'd, who is v grent Javouritq >vith :»:rt'iir patrons. •'Captain Jenj?s's |>.k'.-..»n;i'- \v.-v> an iinusiiall.v cntortwi- !]« <v>mm!y, in wjjjth tho iiyco conu- ,- dian, Jnliii iimiuy, taliCrf a lcauitig J'ftrt• Oihpv g.Niii iilma wfc "I'ros<H!»U-HS C.'i»ti!!».»'i." "Au.>tra!iiui Guactto," '"licstinv is Ciianjiolo.'.A," nm{ •'Srage-struclc Itxwiu' , To-jsii-'bt tho jjrogranjnio «ill bi' rj.-}ii?.ai; :1, t)ii Thuittduy night annVhor chjingo vill Up i»;ulo, fiJHI tljo drains "ZJgojuar versus Njpk Ciirfor" will hn, .srvetsuxl for the firj.t l!:v.i>. 'Ili s the tnlts of n (brUUng' tot;t,,L liiHVt'Oii a rob.bor king apt} a pr.ni't- of drtt't'tivc*, ami is full oi *oi •aii.iiial i:icid;;ii'is, culiuinating in I tlio. ■rr.iHnvf nut) os;n})s t'l the <]<st€Ctivt; trcni the dittclu's of l|i» 'pii<?n»y ii!'.:i tiio drtitli of t!u> latter, I OPKRA lU)VSKI A bright fijul Miaj>py eßtortainpicjat u;ts uiven at th t . <)[,<>i>:\ House last evening i\v KuHlt's vai{c!evil) ( > Artists. Th<;re was tln> < ».-toniary utx'kly of in wliirh Mine nrtists ol : hue \v«'i«k apj«jar<tl in new ltcmss, nnd some r.-Jw artists it»trodiKt«t novel turns. Tlu> fnvst jiart of tho progranuno vas or" . the tn\i «nd ea&y sliow d?§qription, in s i)in ( > nmusing mtl §nW'taming turns vvcip given- Amone tho performers •α-ava J«e Ijlnrlpy, Winnjo Bond, \j<)i) Coney, Kla>> (viVawle.;, At Nolan. Crystal iSylvena, airtliur' Ts«--fhert; Xcllic Mp-rk Krickspn, Dclli' Connor, and Frnser-Shaw. Tho &taire was prettily %<>t, and roinstrcl sl)ow went wit)j ;» awjng trgni sts>rt u> fiuisli- The* second popfe was nottihlo for the return of Alf aud Wob DriKcoll, two romet.'uHia who havo acqiiirod a big fund of popularity hei-c. 'J'hoy gave n.quarter ot ax\ hour of wit and humour, which thp auflifD.oo thornughlv enjoyed. ,M«a £t«i}ta Ran■«er sang Jier wigs very tunefnJly, Rpd >.[isii Florrio IlfUißei' bi'inht find breezy jn her enn\edy eougs. Tfesse two ::rtists do ca])ital worfc> and th«y v'oii* ir.ost favourably billed us tin? master nnket , , gave a BRecto<jti|ar disjjlay, set off by iveJoortNl ligiits, lie. i s qoitnuiJy an adopt ut skuting. and Ins tricks, thwgh llot start lingly ?jow, vwrc ?-iuart& and clfipnly pprfocnjfd. The ojepstra, wbifih is again under OUvo FH?* simmpns, purfornu'd itf Pflrt Pf the phow in « f>aiiyfactpry inannur. yjje prograjnnio will I*3 ij»b fV^UiUg- * Picture natrong are \>t;\ns w#H catered for «t tho .Sydenham show, Tlja nnr(> wan again highly satisfactory* last night. Thp innnproua plonsintj f«atwrcs of the jmigrnjiinjo wero rfcinwd with hearty approval. Th.« ItoHan drflljta, '•Tho Uofo lioutjp" and the iiH djspjctr ing Ci;« '•Whaling Industry of Katal" Wijro tho most popular numbers, Tho sanio programme will be tfl'MJßht. JUNK. Ilo}!«rskaters of nil degrees of vvothronged the Olynipia Hipk yesterday, and derived unbounded enjoyment from tho oyeroise of th,e. fascilisvtini? recreation. The early eivoninj; session for learners and t«ho. ordinary evening; ee-ssinn..warft exceptjojinlly well patronised; 'i'o-day trie u,aua} of sces'oxiA will be held, flnd tho band \yi]} plqy in the cycijiug. Jaiisieii, thp American tra|}ia|oriii|«t, who appeiirsi for the i|rst %o Theutra Poyal on i|kb,t, »resents fln «>ntert*ua.tneut wh,l?ft fe as ekilful a,s it i.s .Ag \\.; Jtinaen ptpmis prs-eßiioent. Ho I]3S invented b nutttjKjp of U&r . illnsion,s which., it W olaiinecl, leave l\i» (illdienco in 3 et'ite oi d.ormeiiT. J% <4<?igh.t-of-rhand wflrfe i» alpo en;d to he marv<?4lmi§ } }\fa, OTnds lining specuiDy and trn|Pff4 i«r that tyn? pf wp,FJ{. TliQ IJrtj njftjj will P1(?H (it tH9 Dr?l«eji tfI'WPF?«W Hiornii'w- ■ ' ■ .. .■ ■■ .." -■■. CnniSTCEURCTToRCHI&STIIAL SOCIETY. " , • At tlm concert winch. i» tp b« given by thp abo.ve ■SQfiJHy in the : HpyaJ qjx Friday Jiest, two artisftf new to QJiristc}iiirch \n\) he Mi^ : ' Kit.l Lyons is a gqprgpp >\% MS fI.OR« esepllent wprjf m hoth, Wglupfliefl »nd Auckland, nnd will be h.mwi feew in tho '-Jewtil »Spng" fronv Jtr Frank Hutchcna, flirat from tlja Jloyal 4 \p9iqeiny pf Hum, WOSdon, and Avjio is n Nqw titybnmr benii wiU play Avrth ort?he«<ira, ior the ftr§t time Hprp. Urjeg'a Coßc«rt(» in . A M'flor, ■ ppua l«5, thU is ft »J.egniflc*wt werJt. and will ho nlnyc-d ia its pntiretv. As this >« tl\ei first txmserfc pf th«? lfila «i?ftfion! intending are nuked, t<) enrol «n«?e, 80 a.s tp sepiu-e tJ?e benefits of the whale seascm.. The galkep" m\U nn\ .available t§ tlw? general pupUc, and the. box p!an.-i$ at< thp Bre«Hi§M. t