AMUSEMENTS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16471, 14 March 1919, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS.

i Theatre royal. j "XOTIIIXG BUT THE TRUTH." ! The .smart and e'ever production "Nothing I but the Truth " v.-as staged again at the | Theatre Royal last night, to a large and apI p.-ccis-tive audience, vrho exhibit ersry eign j of genuine pleasure at the mwir ingenious turns taken by an intricate end well-workc-i----out plot. The plav lia« a good deal of refreshing novelty in its conception, and its humour is clean and unforced throughout, Mr M. B. i'igmain, n« Robert Bennett, the junior partner who, for a bet has undertaken to speak nothing but tho truth for twentyfour hours, had au exacting part, which he handled with conspicuous success, and he was excellently and adequately 6upportei by ,a cast which wa« remarkably well fitted to carry out the author's whimsical etory. Tiie play* is cleverly 6taged, and there is not a dull moment in it, though there is nothing of tho endman variety of humour about' it. The comcdy will be repeated to-ni.qht, and tho Xew Zealird tour of the company will be brought to a close with' to-morrow night'a performance. Mr John F.arrell, J. C. Williamson, Ltd.'s representative, received a cable message vestcruay recalling the company to Australia, and they will catch the Manuka for Sydney at Auckland on Tuesday. This sudden recall bus necessitated tho curtailment of the Christchuich season, and. the abandonment of the tour mapped out for tlual South. j OPERA HOUSE. • j ! Enthusiastic patrons continue tb crowd the Opera House, where a, good programme is In the first half, Corrie and Baker, Fred Bluett, and Baron cause hearty mirth, and Louis Alsacee vioKn playing is much appreciated. In the second half Tom Haverlv'e revue company *Jrove away dull' cute with the extravaganza "Muldoon s Picnic.' . GERMANY'S DOWNFALL. . ■ BRITISH ADMIRALTY FILM AT CRYSTAL PALACE. Messrs J. and. N. Tait and the management' of Crystal. Palace Theatre etate positively that the official British Admiralty picture of tho surrender of the German Navy will be ehown for tho first time in Christ-church, and exclusively at Crystal Palace, all next week;': commencing at the matinee on Monday. This ia the only picture of this extraordinary historical event, which.has been placed in'the British Museum, and it is an exact copy of the picture which ie now being shown at the Queen's Haft, London, under the auspiceri of the Lords of the British Admiralty.

When it is stated that the surrender of her , fleet at Scapa Flow, Harwich, and the Firth of Forth reduced Germany to a third-rate Power upon the 6ea, it conveys something of the awful fall of the Teutonic people among 1 the nations, despite anything that may be happening within her borders at the present time. The surrender of the fleet to British dominance only_ emphasises the sentiment of "Rule Britannia," and. those who wish to ' realise to the full the crash of Germany's naval might cannot fail to be interested in the official picture of the surrender that is to be shown at Crystal Palace next week. After seeing the Jong and apparently -unending lines of warships coming, in like beaten curs, there is only one conclusion to be deduced, the marvel that a fleet of such strength should have submitted without striking a blow—without firing a shot. Some of the Hun battleships which came to heel arc just as powerful, and just as well' armoured and gunned, as our super-Dreadnoughts, but in they came as meek as lambs. To see the great vessels go by and drop anchor in the calm inshore waters must be the deepest depth of humiliation to tho German people as it is a disgrace never to be forgotten as far ae the German Navy is concerned. One of the views shows a tiny little launch dash up to the side of a Hun battleship, a business-like British officer springs on board, followed by half-a-dozen Jack TarSj and as the officer, with his revolver strapped aggressively to hand, orders his men what to do on reaching the deck, the Hun crew only stand back, sullen but obedient, and. are marshalled on tho foredeck. There are no friendly interchanges no talk. It is just a plain business deal. Box plans are now open at -The Bristol. . SURRENDER OF GERMAN FLEET. AT QUEEN'S THEATRE. • . How well the British' Navy has done its work is shown in the film, "Tho Surrender of the' German Navy," which is- tp( be shown at the Queen's Theatre to-day and to-night for' thd first time.- The first 'screenings were to have been made yesterday but the film did not come to hand from Wellington. It will arrive this morning. The mighty power of the "Silent Navy" is shown in grim realism as it stands guard over the surrendered German Fleet. The scenes include details aboard tho ships, panoramic views' of ■ the grey monsters, wonderful scenes from the air in which the greatest battleships appear merely as strange seadenizens, views of submarines in endless line,, and above all Admiral Beatty with cap as usual at a defiant angle. When one -ieos the array of U-boats, tied together like *so many logs it gives one an 1 idea of the vast' work the Navy has had to do. The German admiral is easily distinguishable as he makes his way up the steps of that mighty battleship, the Queen Elizabeth. The different expressions of the sailors on a .U----boat are amusing as their pirate-ehip id tied up alongside a British boat and as out ; sailors take charge of her. Armistice celebrations in England, France, and Belgium are portrayed. The wildest enthusiasm prevails, and one scene shows how the .men break ranks and surround the King. It is undoubtedly a historical picture of great importance. The big .Goldwyn' feature, "Money Mad," with Mae Marsh in the leading part, is also 'being showik; also Charles Chaplin in "The Champion." DESERT GOLD AT LIBERTY THEATRE. A few weeks ago some horrified Katoomba (New South Wales) residents saw two men struggling on the edge of the rocks at.Echo Point. Before they - could reach them, one figure was seen to plunge over the precipice. They did not shut their eyes as people ore supposed to do under such circumstances, or they would have missed the climax to'the tragedy. Suddenly the falling figure broke in two—the legs dropped like a thunderbolt,' but from out of the body fluttered bundles of straw and packing and the breeze wafted it over the' vaUey. Tne figure >yWaa a dummy," and being _ weighted too -heavily in the feet and legs, it broke at the waist. It was an irritating and delaying accident, but Beaumont Smith and the actors appearing in the. scene had to sit down and roar with laughter. The scene was retaken some days later, and it makes one of the most exciting incidents in the now six-feel Australian racing drama, entitled "Desert Gold," produced by Beaumont Smith, and presented by E. J. Carroll. By special arrangement with Mr T. H. Lowry, his famous racehorse Desert Gold ! was used in a number of the principal scenes iof the new photo-play. A company of actors and actresses well known to New Zealand audiences enact the .principal roles of the story. _ "Desert 1 Gold" is to be screened at the Liberty on Monday. The plans are at' The Bristol. GRAND THEATRE. The programme now being screened at the Grand Theatre is proving very popular, with Mme. Olga Petrova in. "A Daughter of Destiny," and Emily Stevens in "A Man's World. Next week tho management announces that it has been fortunate in securing the sensation of tho skating and film world, "The Frozen Warning," featuring the world's greatest ice skater, Charlotte, who has electrified millions of patrons at the New York Hippodrome. "The Frozen Warping" has been specialty written for this beautiful and emotional artist, and is. described as being in quite a clos3 of its own as a screen drama. Besides performing some wonderful skating stunts, Charlote shows her versatility in many ways in thi3 extraordinary production. The supporting films are all. good, and the programme. promises to be a specially strong one. STRAND THEATRE. "The Bravest Way," starring Sessue Hayakawa. and "The Guilty Man," whioh is a powerful attack on the double standard of morality, together with good supporting pictures, make up an excellent programme at the Strand Theatre. To-morrow the new bill includes the gTeat serial photo-drama "The Eagle's Eye," which depicts a series of exciting German spy plots as disclosed by the American.Secret Service officials. Episode No. 1 is entitled "The Hidden Death," and the second is "The Fate of the Lusitama." . CRYSTAL PALACE. The double star programme at the Crystal Palace, "Tho Conqueror" and "Tho Moral Law," featuring clever and charming Gladys Brockwell, is proving a good draw. A Roecoc Arbuckle comedy rounds off an excellent programme. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. Tho story of the little drudge, "Joan of Piattsburg," who is' inspired by lier glorious namesake, Jeanne d'Arc, still charms patrons at Everybody's Theatre. The supporting programme is good. N LIBERTY THEATRE. Alma Rubens, in the pathetic story o£ "The Painted Lily," and the rest of a very excellent programme continue to attract large houses to the Liberty XJ>iatre.