AMUSEMENTS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16610, 25 August 1919, Page 9

AMUSEMENTS.

OPERA HOUSE. The principal in to-night's programme will bo mipplicj. by the Walter George Sunshine Players, who will bo fleon in another of their brilliant productions, "Tho Grand Hotel." This is tneir biggest comody success', and affords more _ genuine humour than any Bimilai production that has been, seen recently. A® before, the piece is exceptionally well staged, and is confidently leoommcndod as a fine evening's entertainment. In the first portion of the program mo that sensational psychic, Astras, will continue her exhibitions ct thoughtreading. Sylvester, the magician, will give a complete change of magical problems, inelmling an original illusion, "Whiskers While You "Wait." Th<i Molinaris will be heazd in a complete change of cpeiatio vocal B ®h*r tione. and tho last two nights ate anzionnood of Brightie and Carlyon, two of the uwwt successful entertainers 'seen here. The plan is now open at Milner and Thompson's. BENEFIT CONCERT. A benefit concert, organised _by railway employees, in aid of Mr G. H. King, whohad been a railwa.v porter, aaid has been a patient in the Hospital for the last two years, was given in tho Ohor&l HsJlon S&tuTd&y ovoningf» Tlio only disappointing feature in connexion with tho concert was that thoro wero 100 many empty seats. An exceptionally goon programme was presented. As a pianoforte overture Miss X>. Wicks played lyce Muscadine," and in the second half TJreams of Ra«time." Tho violin playing of Glad>« Vincent, A.T.C.L., a remarkably clever ctaM violinist, waa heartily applauded. "he plavcd "Grand Bolero de Concert, Kuyawialc," and "Zigeunerweisen. Master Janaes ■Wick*, in a monologue, "The 11.69 6cored with reference to Ivesw Zealand « train service®. Mr R. Hlgman and Mr. L. W. Bloy both gave banjo solos. Miss Jiaeao Prestidge, a youthful singer, possessing a fino controls voice, . sang "Aii_?ub McDonald" and "Coming Home,' and Mrs Fritchard was well received in her nnmbera. "Rose of No Mans Land, These Days." Meaors Cooper, Pntchard, and Davis were well received m the trios, "A Little Farm Well Filled" and "Dame Durdcn." Tlio popular bass-voice solo, "The Ringers," was sung by Mr it. 1. jCooper, and Mr 11. H. Chammen gave some humorous rocitaliorta and vocal sketches. Other performers who contributed, and wore each well received, were Miss Jean Wagn-er, pianoforte solo, "Higoletto Paraphrase ; Mr W Melroae, ventriloquist; and Messrs _ U Parsons and C. Coatea, in a series of magioai pirdblenis.

VICTORY' FAIR. Tho Grand Victory Fail", conducted in the Colosseum • for the past fortnwrht, ln aid of the Catholic girls' school bmMinjr fund, was ibrouelit to a closo on (Saturday night. lt» closing 1 hours of the Fair™* bl '«7 "f crowded, and a complete disposal of the remainder of •tho articles in.the stalls resulted. Tho promoters wore well satisfied wiUi tho financial result of the Fair. The final pulls in th« tug-of-wax tournament aroused. oonriderablo excitement. In tho oenu-final Hunter's team beat Duncan e men by ii inches, and' City Council employee* pot the i verdict wcr Brightlings by one inch of rope. Tn the final Hunter'e team be«A the City Council team by 5 inobw. The latter men were then askod to pull Dunoane team for tifccond money, but as this would necessitate three hard pulls in one night, the City Council men declined to compete. The referee accordingly gave eecond prize to Duncan a team by default. A protest lodged was not upheld "by tho committee. The election, of the "Queen," to he decided on the financia. efforts of tho subjects of the several queens in connexion with the Fair, will not take plaoe until tho end of the week.

LIBERTY THEATRE. Tho chief picturcAilay in tho excellent new programnio at tho Liberty Thoatro on Sut* uxday was "A Soul Without "Windows, a charming story 1 in which EUtfl Clayton J« B tarred with Frank Mays. The story tells how a little child is found by the roadside with her dying mother, and is in charge by tic kindly but sever© Quakara of the settlement. Tho child knows only that h<T v rt7rxr ' in "Hopama." Sho grows np m tbo n«rrow life, a thing foreitpi to the peooo- | ful community. Sho comes into tho • Jiio | lof Scott Mr.liory, who has boon BJrsJyea* I his fiaDoee from drowning. The. girl haa takon back lier a-nd '*®y u ~^-97 p&ma csjne ho doubted all tbo> world, [is cured bv c.r> Operation a,nd, iCarlUi that • her son. will marry tbf -nnknoivy girl, Mr* i Mallory tells Hopama that Soott is to marry ! Faith Palmer, bis old s*wth<saxk Hppajna ! steals a-way to an old mmiciaru and m the i eind it i*« rowivled that h«r Isabv namo is | merely Hopn Paim or, ®tajjioiil^ i birth clcarcd Mrs Mallorjr yeWrw W a3 a dauditor. - Tho nature la tpion some entirelv novel eottingß, and tho etory is quaint and original, containing ~mo realistic ccenea among: Quakers. the star picturo was episode fto. 4. of i&B Fighting Trail," an wter»tmff- acemc «W----iap Hawkor'a preparaUon for tho trawiAtiantifi flight, and a topical of egThe Liberty symphony orcfcesnow UT,<l*r the mrf time Macfadgen s Inter 4 -

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. , "THE HAYSEEDS." I One of the meet £d e d^ n on S rt^ a£ theDngS^, SS^'of^VSSSj.p^deal of wholesome canoedj- . * I °® Xaaicr Dturean. are ob"?ioub lovers, ou» tobbW® between tf* »«gbb«n« because Dad Hayseed'e cowe F* into Sj com. Theio is a lively and WT spectacular melee on the which ends in a etaiemato, 8A Womo exhausted. Tho feud continTwa, Mi U1 one day a bush fir* threaten* the home

of the Duggans. Tlio bad feeling disappears in a trico, tho Hayacods join ♦heir neighbours in fighting: tho enemy, ani relationships are onco moro established. The interrupted love story of Joo and Nancy resumes its placid flow, and tho redding is a stirring event, though liko everything olso that tiieso good people have anything to do vrith. it is very funny for tho onlookers. QUEEN'S THEATRE. Flank Keenan, "the Irving of tho film," rises to the highest piano ol his art in "Tho Midnight Stage," tho feature at tho Quoen's Theatre this week. The etory is virile nud full of dramatic intensity. In tho story John Lynch, ft Virginian rancher _ and gentleman gambler, is a Kindly and philanthropic man* His father has fallen out with him, objecting to his eon's gambling. Roving tbo mountains surrounding El Monto is River®, tho facial double of Lynch, and a man oi the blackest character. Ho is hated and feared by all who come in oont&ot with him. Nita, a. dance hUI girl, and a victim o. j Rivera, is befriended by Lynch, and marks the strange resemblance between the two. Rivers holds -up the stage, murders the driver and occupants, and shoots Lynch s father. Tho old man believes it is his son, and Lynch is arrested and tried. He is on the way to execution when Rivers breaks loose and does some wholesale shooting, rata discloses his identity and hie hiding place, and Uynch is rdeosod and lwnt# Hivcrs down, the bad man pieetinc his fat® at the hands of his double. Two other, features are "The Eagle's Nest," with Komame Fieldins? in tho lead> and a» revival of .CiJ?iTJcy Chaplin's latest release. "A Dog's Life. addition there will be the usual Qwca e Pw to rial Budget.

STRA27D THEATRE. A full house witness*! the screening of the new double bill programmo at■ Theatre on Saturday night. Enid Bern nett takes the ertellar role in Jh® , Wamngo King," which, depicts the story of Anne Merlons, who had lived &nwig groundings until she married Hush Merlons, gambler and crook. One night there is a denouement at tie Mertofe' house and the gambler falls, apparently ehot dead by his wife, who flees to Honolulu, believing herself a murderess. On the way to Honohnu eh* moots Rodney Heath, a. young plantor of unblemished character, and sho falis in love with him, btrt subsequently, her degraded husband, who had recovered from his wounds, again crosses hex patlt She Mortona, w ]. o working for ® Gonuan spy» plot to d!ZZ?e£3S$, by firo, and cscjp.s and ffivca tho alarm* Alcrtonfi is killed iv. TRified <by 2)is own hfl>u<3» and Aiino U freed. 1 The other principal film showing t'i Modern Jlnriteteer," Inirfcanks as the musketeer. It is an exciting film dozy* replete with humorous incidents. Other features in the new programme are a ccanedy, "Novex Too Old," a travelogue, and a gazette.

grand theatre. Another two-star programme is promised i rtr 11.TpAftV at- tho Grand Thcutre. yD S IhKtarU is "Sylva on. the Spree," in which Miss' Emmy Wehlen is starred, and the other is'"The Slave Market, » "which delightful Mi» Pauline Frederick takrathc loading rola. Miss Wehlen, one■ of the mps» talented and pooular etara of the etage and attained the highest success in hoth iince of dramatic work, Jf* is famous, that of the »te K e Md gifted actroes becan her etag® caiw when very young, and her ability was from tho commencement, and Iter but sueZ,„ theetar in "Tho Dollar Princees and "Tho Merry Widow," won hfit »instant popularity to Europe end .America. Since then her performances in front or tno ££» to/SUa bB ta ""XfISSS lino Frederick ia eeen fa her acterieatione. The supporting P^R*""" a J® I a» excellent and varied _ ana. to book at Tho Bristol or by talephoojjig» to tlio ttheutro - '2934.

CRYSTAL PAIxAOE. "fTmtfa Good," tho chief feature at the week, is a "«mething j :ff ßre rit n story that should dslight alt: comen. H«le HamOtcm of JlareellTW Stair, a good-natur®d a "eenta 1 emporium' in a country town. A cliqST of Chicago « . i'flucker." and they despatch a i«m»» member "of the gang to hire MaroeUua to ih» citv. He go<« and moots the gan„, £ant to put him in the way of making somo casv bomv. But this seemingly esey t coin* young countryman b fully P 4^Bo^. ia rnfng on.. In addition ho finds himself in lore with the girl, and this (S complications, which end crooks and tho usual happy fintJe. An e«ci reproduction of one oi. New YorVe moa InrnrmK roof Hardens i» given on th» P' 6 *® - &Tab£et rshown, in full awing-there are dancing prb girla on ljic^ ,- n fact, all tho varied and unusual en * these places. The, «,p----™rtintr films aw a Bdly West production, "The Orderly," a comedy, Jimmy» We," tho seventh episode of Kidtur," a Travaloguo, and a Topical Budget.