AMUSEMENTS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15139, 1 December 1914, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS.

THEATRE ROYAL. ■ The Stepherison and Linlcy panto- - mime company gave tho second ' performance of "Humpty Dumpty" before n large house at the Theatre Royal last evening. The various tableaux and novelties, and the dancing and singing were much appreciated, the numerous " turns being freely applauded, especially the acrobatic performance of the Len-; non, Hyiuan, and Lennon trio. The two patriotic items at. the conclusion caught on well, the grand march of the Allies, and a sonc and tableau, "Empire is Calling," appealing, with "reat " success to tho patriotic sentiments of the audience. The humour was sustained throughout the evening, and the production was heartily appreciated. To-night the pantomime will be staged for tho last time, and will be followed by "The Jam of .Cathay" to-morrow .evening, but a special matinee performance of "Humpty Dumpty" will bo given to-morrow afternoon. FULLER'S PICTURES. - 1 The new programme at the Colosseum last night contained as its chief attraction a remarkable drama, "Shepherc of the "Southern Cross." This occupied the whole of the first part, and was a most interesting production. The story opened in high circles in England, I chief characters two men (villain and hero) and the one woman. The hero has an astonishing run of bad luck,due to the machinations of .the other He is falsely accused of stealing a t duchess's pearls and is ordered out of a "swell" ball, and is then confronted with a forged registry certificate making him out to be father of a child who comes wjto the story. The woman, the cause ot the rivalry between the two men, oeueves both charges to be true, and tne hero has nothing for it but to get away to Australia. There he tends utSP , * , ' »-wayback station, where the cAild, whom lie has taken away with mm, '/grows up "into a mast attractive girl. By the strange workings of chance, which have to be seen to be v believed, the villain and the woman, bow his wife, come to the same locality and get lost in the bush. They are rescued by the hero and his party of bullock drivers, and a great to-do follows before a complicated situation is straightened out. There is nothing flat m the story; it is one run of excitement. Several other good supporting films were screened. The musical pro-' gramme was much enjoyed, notably two epecial items, a xylophone solo. "William Tell," and a new composition by Mr Zimmerman. "Colosseum March " played for the first time. The programme will be repeated to-night. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. "The Property Man," a Keystone comedy, was shown for the first time at His Majesty's Theatre last and Proved a most entertaining film. It was full of action right through, and every movement had its lau<rh. The comedy concerned the performances of a property man in muddling through a. vaudeville show. Everything went wrong, before the curtain as well as behind, and finally tho audience were drawn into the general turmoil. A cl war Pi cture - "Antwerp Under onot and Shell," was also a big feature °[ programme. Views were shown of the British ammunition cars passing through St. Nicholas to Antwerp, of wie arrival of the British marines and their passage across a pontoon bridge, - ateoot the British in the firing line, and other incidents of the operations in Progress at that time. Supporting hlms included a sentimental and somewhat silly drama. "Abide with Me." mother drama, '-The Tell-tale Scar." » nrat-class coloured scenic. "Mount ."°"5, a \itagraph play. "Sonny Jim <m? Ca « h of a Mother."'and a comedy -The Rise o f the Johnson's." The ame pictures will be shown to-night. QUEEN'S THEATRE. The principal film shown in the new pTOErammo at the Queen's Theatre yes«roay was "Johanna the Barbarian."

a Vitagraph drama in two parts. It tells how,, after her husband's death, Johanna Weston, a mountain woman, continues hauling ore from her mine to the. mill, over her private right-of-way. A competing mine meets with difficulties when a large land-elide blocks its roadway. 'Johanna asks a prohibitive price for the use of her right-of-way— and the other mine-owners send George Randolph, whose wife is an invalid, down to try to arrange matters with "The Barbarian." Randolph is glad to get away from the town to escape tho attentions of a dancer with whom he has become infatuated, but ,lho dancer follows , him. Johanna's son is very kindly treated and taught to read and write by ,Mrs Randolph. Randolph insists on using the right-of-way, and Johanna, determined to stop him at all costs, plants some dynamite in the roadway. She, however, thinking of the kindness of Mrs Randolph to her boy. blows up the mine herself, and gives the other owners the right-of-way they want. The plot is an -unusually good one. and the stage settings and acting throughout are good. "Antwerp Under Shot and Shell" shows the British marines in the trenches. The other pictures were: "The Counterfeiter's Plot," a Western drama; "Qualifying for Lena," Kdison comedy ; "B'gorno's Suspicious Spouse," comic: and the latest Topical Budget, showing amongst other things, some daring feats by the builders of a skyscraper in New York. The same programme will bo shown at all sessions to-day and tonight. ~ GRAND THEATRE. "Lucille Love" again attracted very large audiences at the Grand Theatre yesterday, the eleventh series of this serial being, if anything, more interesting than its predecessors. Lucille has escaped from Loubeque'e ranch in Mexico on horseback. She runs into an ambush of Mexican brigands, butis not' detected, and she overhears their plot to raid an adjoining ranch. _ She informs the police, and there is a most exciting battle. Lucille, as usual, ie in tho thick of the trouble, and one of Loubequo's spies is instrumental in carrying off Lucille, who is taken from her saddle by the outlaw' while going at full gallop. " After man™ thrilling adventures Lucille arrives in San Francisco again and proceeds in a disguise to Loubeque's house in order to regain the papers she left behind previously. She believes Loubeque to bo far away, but she is soon undeceived, and finds once more that she ie in her enemy's • power with the missing papers in her possession. Another "star" drama, called "La Ballerina," is shown on the same programme, and depicts the life and temptations of a ballet dancer. The '. "Warwick Chronicle" is very interesting, and shows the Canadian troops leaving for the front, scenes with the troops in France. Belgian troops in the fighting line, and German prisoners '' (some of whom wore Red. Cto6s but f carried" rifles, etc.). A comedy, "All 1 ! the Dog's Fault." completed the pro- [ gramme, which will be shown to-day and to-night. [ GLOBE PICTURES. j' A good selection of up-to-date films • made up tho new programme screened > at the Globe Theatre yesterday. The I .programme was headed by a drama. r "Leah Kleschna," which was a powerful j production dealing with the hfe and i exploits of a Paris thief. A number of , good pictures of the war were shown, p chiefly of the operations around Ant- \ werp before that city was captured by the German invaders. An interesting 1 section was that showing the British , ! marines in action. "Mabel's Strange , I Predicament" was a laughable KeyI stone comedy, which proved very > popular, and the other pictures screened 'included the latent " \ustralian Gat zette." and "Sketch of Venice" ;1 (scenic). The programme will be rev peatcd at the usual hours to-day.

in length, and one of the cleverest theatrical skits screened. Tt features Charles Chaplin as "Props." wl'o makes tho "Property Man" a most laughable character. Other films were: "The Gaumont Graphic" (latest war topical). "Abide with Mc" (drama), Ino Tell-tale Scar" (drama), Mount Dore" (scenic), "Sonny Jim in Search of a Mother" (drama), and ''The Rise of tho Johnson's" (comic). The programme will be repeated to-night. CHILDREN'S PATRIOTIC CARNIVAL. The Children's Patriotic Carnival, which proved such a big success when produced twice last week, will be repeated on Friday and Saturday evenings of this week. The management keenly regret having disappointed the many who were turned away last week. and are glad to give them this further opportunity of seeing the performance-, in its entirety. Intending patrons are strongly advised to book their seats. The sale of tickets for Friday and Saturday will be restricted to the lay Cave and the theatre, the who.c of tho proceeds to be devoted to the Belgium Relief Fund.