AMUSEMENTS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15490, 18 January 1916, Page 9

AMUSEMENTS.

'xo r, ody' s w ido w. •'

The entertaining comedy, "Nobody's Widow" was repeated by the Muriel Starr Company at the 'theatre Royal last night," and was heartily enjoyed by a large audience. The artistic performances of Miss Starr and Mr Charles Millward were especially appreciated. The comedy will be staged for the last time to-night. "UNDER COVER." To-morrow evening Miss Muriel Starr will commence the last three nights of her Christchureh season by again assuming one of those dramatic roles with which her name has been asso- . ciatcd. The play selected—"Under Cover"—is one of the New York "craft" plays that have had euch a vogue lately in America, Australia, and England. The plot of "Under .Cover" deals with ono of the weak spots in American public life, the weak spot in this instance being the Customs, and a series or tense situations depict the tracing by tho Police Department of tho smuggling gang. The play is written by R. C. Mcgnic. of whom little is known in this country, though that little is very favourable. From the opening stages, when the foundation of the plot is laid, the dramatist sets out to grip the attention of the audience, carrying them with liim through the t.wo final sets, in suspense and excitement, preceding a final surprise of great effect. * HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. "The Shulamite,'.' presented for the first time at His Majesty's Theatre last night beforo a crowded house is a picture adaptation of a very interesting story ■worked up from a small passage f-om the sixth chapter of Solomon's rather remarkablo song, "Return, return, 0 Sliulamite; return, return, that wo may look upon thee. AVhat will yo seo in the Sliulamite?" The storv opens bv a representation of the carcer of the Shulamito so lavishly described in the song referred to at the Court of King Solomon. Here there are great carryings-on all amid scenes of unwonted splendour. Slaves and beautiful women adorn the King's gieat palace, and amid them all moves the Sliulamite, the eternal snare. This part of the story culminates in high tragedy, and the scene then shifts to tho African veldt, above all other places in the world, to tho home of a Boer farmer, a full-wliiskered humbug of the first water who has a repel'.aut affection for the Scriptures what time ho is shattering charitv and ordinary kindness to fragments. Within the purview of this man comes an attractive personage, a young girl who bolongs to a needy family nea r bv, This girl, supposed to be another Shulamite. he. savage!v woos and weds and treats her ill. _ Meanwhile another episode is taking place in far-off England. A young Englishman discovers liis wife in tho grip of morphia, likewise in the arms of a lover, and there is naturally a very considorablo to-<lo, the outcome being that the husband flies off to Africa and to the very farm where the illtreated Sliulamite lady resides. Here things "get going" at top speed, and in the general cataclysm the whiskered vagabond of a husband is blasted from the earth by a thunderbolt, the Englishman falls in love with tho Shulamitc, —now a rich widow—and the erring wife arrives from distant England just in time to put a few more hitches in an already tangled skein. However, tho erring wife d : ~s, and the way becomes clear for tho ifinglisliman and tho other lady to marry. The picture was gofc up in lavish fashion, and was in every way a notable production. Several supporting pictures were shown, and an enjoyable programme of music was played by the Ellwood Trio. The samo films will bo screened this evening.

GRANiD THEATRE. Excellent patronage was accorded to the Grand Theatre yesterday, when a very good series of pictures was shown. "Lo Grande's Revenge," an Essanay production, was the star _ item. It was the sixth of the Dominica stories which have proved so popular lately. The photography and staging have been features of these stories in picture form, and in '.'Lo Grande's Revenge" they leave nothing to be desired. Dominica, tho adventuress, decides to co-operatc with, tho police, so that Lo Grande may bo brought to hook. Le Grande is, however, suspicious, and adopts a clever disguise • in order to outwit tho police. Dominica, though putting up a good fight., is completely hoodwinked by the clever criminal, who is the terror of Paris, and the story ends with the escapc of Lo Grande. A film of great interest was tho one showing "The Parade of 20,000 German Prisoners," who were captured by the French at tho Battle of Champagne.. There appear* to be sonio truth in tho statement that Germany has called un old men and boys to the colours, judging by the picture. Scenes were shown of prisoners on the march to a "place of safety" behind barbed wiro entanglements, also being fed by the Freuch, etc.- ''A Child of the Streets," an excellent drama, decidedly appealed to the sympathies of" the audience, while the two comedies, "Belinda and the Eggs" and "Snakeville's Hen Medico,"' evoked roars of luutrhter. The sixth set of "Salisbury's Wild Life" proved most interesting, and showed migratory wildfowl, their shooting in large-numbers, an American goose hunt, ctc. _ The same films will be shown again to-day and to-night. QUEEN'S THEATRE. "The Last Rose," a Lubin drama in two acts featuring Arthur Johnston, is the star film in the programme shown for the first timh yesterday at the Queen's Theatre. It tells the story of Carlotta Viloudi, _:m Italian opera singer, who is thc idol of her friends. Angelo, # also a singer, asks her to marry him. but she refuses. Carlotta, wanting a rest, rents a house in the country, next uoor to a rectory, where a young minister, John Converse, lives with his old-maid sister. John hears Carlotta singing 'The Last Rose of Summer," meets her, promptly falls in love with her, and marries her, much to tho disguest of his prim' sister and the ladies of the village. John does not understand Cnrlotta's Latin temperament. and they soon disagree and events culminate in a separation. Carlotta goes to the city and again becomes a great success on the operatic stage, and secures a very lucrative engagement in Paris; but before she finally leaves, thinks she will have one last look at lier husband. He has just

read in tho papers of her success, and has placed a record of lior favourite song in the gramophone. She hears the song ns she readies the verandah, and, Soing into the house, they hcth agree to forget the unhappy past. The other pictures are. "A Test of Courage"' (Kalam drama). "Health l»v the Year" (comedy), "Pimple Has One'' (comic), and the latest Topical Budget. The same pictures will lo shown at all sessions to-day. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. At Everybody's Theatre Yesterday the leading film in the new programme | was a voiy line Yitagranli drama entitled "I'ho estrange of Sylvia Gray."' The .storv opens with the ;.ct of Sylvia Gray, the charmiv.g young wife of an impecunious p.aywrigiu, who leaves him to become the companion I of a rich young man named Lennox. ll<\ however, scon lire., of her, and while ho is feasting with another wo- • man, she stabs him. Many years ; later her daughter, liow an artist s I model, falls under the poner of Lennox, who is travelling the country as ! a hypnotist. His own medium lie is tired of. so hi- compels tho girl, bv means of psychic influence. i<> accompany him arid leave her fiancee. However. b\- a strange combination ol c.iiciunstances and a wenderfid dispensation of Providence, the two parents are in.ited to their child; tin; viilaiii, Lennox, is murdered hv one ol his paramours. and all ends in happy circumstances. Supporting pictures were: "A Quiet Game' (comedy), 2\e\ei Despair"' (another comedy), the latest "Gaumont Graphic.'' containing many war views, and a series of pictures taken on the l'rer.eh front at Qnennevieres. The programme wiil he repeated at the usii"l iiours to-day.

GLC-BE PICTURES. Another new episode .in the "Million Dollar Mystery" serial was screened at the Globe Theatre yesterday i>efore largo crowds of nations at the various sessions. The episode, whicn is entitled ''The Battle of Wits," is one of the most exciting .stories yet shown in connexion witu tho clever sehcmcrs. the Black umidred. .Inn Norton, the reporter, who is again to the. front, is lured ,i torture, chamber by tho gang, who wish to find out a secret from him. His strength and wit arc of no avail, and he is thrown into the torture chamber. Luck sends Jones, tho butler, as avc®iger and ro.sDiter. Silently, swiftly, lie acts, and once again the tables are turned. The ir.test "Australian Gazette" contained pictures of Noncoms training at I?ova 1 Park, Swedish drill by a draft of Reinforcements. lire on hoard B.M.S. (Jnirah at Circular Quay, and a new series of topical cartoons by Harry Julius. Other pictures shown- were:—"waters of the North Country" (scenic), "Jinx on Jenks"' (comedy), and "Jimmie on the Job" (comedy). The programme' will be repeated at the usual hours to-day. SYDENHAM PICTURES. The screening of Claude Askcw's renowned story, "The Shulamitc," attracted a packed house at the Sydenham Theatre last evening. Much has been -written and said of the book, and all its attractions arc vividly described in t"he pictorial representation. The story is too well known to need repetition. The -whole film is treated with true artistry, and magnificently photographed. Other pictures lend added strength to a programme that should not be missed.