AMUSEMENTS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16653, 14 October 1919, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS.

THEATRE ROYAL.

ALLAN" WILKIE SEASON"

nights of Mr Wilkie's suct, ceseful season of okl drama arrJ comedy arc l now announced. Last night the company 1 again scored a bis; success in "Trilby." - Mr Wilkie, Mr Edward Lander, Miss 7 Frediswyde Hunter-Watts, Mi™ Lorna Forbes, and the rest of the principals all » meeting with the entire approval of the X audienoe. "Trilby'' will be staged for the last time tonight, and to-morrow the oM ' favourite, "David Garriek," will be revived. 0 OPERA HOtJSE. £ An overflowing audience gre<ted the weekly chnnge of programme at the Opera House • j last night. The special jazj number, "Apple X Sass Hap-,'' by Mr BidgoodV orchestra, which j opened the programme, was a greatly welcomed feature of an entertainment :iixmr*'ing in good things, the original, and startling, effects by Mr Clarence Ciawfnrd y bein? entertaining in the extreme. A great s ovation was accorded Fred Bluett, the Aus--2 tralian comcdian, who made a welcome rej appearance, and convulsed the audience with 5 mirth throughout his three character turns, _ for which he was recalled acnin and again. Ernest Barraclou?h, "Tho Tramp Tenor." _ also proved that ho has a warm plaoe in ' the Jiearts of Opera House patrons. an*J hia ' eongs, "Coming Home" and "Old-Fashioned , Mother o£ Mine," were siven with great ; dramatio intensity. The "Harmonising Per- [ sonality Girls" (the FalVey eiatera) m=t ( with a hearty reception, their items includ-, 1 ing l n clever topical number, as well as two specially featured numbers, "Till We Meet • Again" and "A Pack of Cards." Mr Hari rinprton Reynolds and his clever company I scorc-i heavily in the dramatic playlet, "The r TMvorce Question." Brull and Hemsley j ; 'Pierrot and Pierrette) presented a fascinat- • injj turn, which met with a fin© reception. | The last two nights of these popular fav!j on rites arc announced. Paul 'Stanhope's I Musical Comedy Company presented a new ' revue, "Zig-Zag," which was full of 'Vn" • I and brilliancy. In tho character of Spike i j Murphy Mr Stanhope excelled himself, and [ I the audience was in a perpetual simmer of , I merriment all the timo ho occupied the t j stage. Of the nine musical numbers, "Take a i Sail in My Boat," "Down South," and "Football's Game" might be singled out • for special mention. As a whole the pro- ' gramme was one of the best offered for some time. It will he repeated to-night, GRAND THEATRE. There were crowded houses at the Grand Theatre yesterday to witness the initial 1 screening of a very attractive programme. In > "The Soul of Kura. San," the i opular awl clever Japanese actor, Sessue Hayakawa, has a vehicle exactly suited to his unique talents. It is a powerful and unusual ' Japanese-American drama, a trifle sad, but possessing many touches of lmmmit\ From first to last the acting is realistic, the supporting cast* being U very strong one, while the mounting of the play is well done, beautiful scenes predominating, and the staging being auaintly Oriental in diameter. "Hct Great Match," featuring Miss Gail Kane, also won popular approval owing to tho excellent acting and staging. The character in "Her Groat Match" is especially well 'ssuited to Miss Kane's charm and talent. She is always human and real, with nothing artificial or affected about her; in fact, she is a woman with » woman's heart and emotions. The supporting films have boen well chosen, and comprise two very humorous comedies, "Taming Target Centre" (Mack Sennett comedy), and "Efficiency" (Christie comedy), and there is also a very interesting educational study, "Night Animals." A special meed if praise is due to the Grand orchestra, under the baton of Mr A. L. Sutton, for tho pleasing and appropriate selections rendered during the evening sessions. The same programme will be shown again to-day and to-night, and t intending patrons are advised to hook their seats" at The Bristol or by ringing the theatre on 'Phone 2fo. 2934. QUEEN'S THEATRE. The many patrons of the Queen's Theatre were delighted yesterday afternoon and evening with the re-appearanco of Margarita Fisher, who has been always a favourite with the audiences at the Queen's, and who was starred in the Mutual production, "The Primitive Woman," which heads this week's new bill. The film tells the etory of a society belle who determines to convince her professor lover that his ideas of women axe as out of date fls the hooks he studies. For a time she lives the wild life in a mountain hut, and- amongst the methods she adopts to convince the man she loves is that of dancing "The Esquimo Fling," in a picturesque setting of ice and snow. The manner in ' ; which she. succeeds makes a most interesting etory, which is full, of humour, and ia. admirably photographed. The supporting films were the comedy, "Dippy Dan's Doings," the drama, "The - Whip," based on the Drury Lane success, and the Pictorial Budget. This varied and attractive programme will be shows again this afternoon and evening. * CRYSTAL PALACE. The new programme screened to.large,audiences at Crystal Palace yesterday afternoon and evening was* headed by "The Kiddies in the Bains, one of the most arresting films I screened locally for some time. This delisht"ful study of child life, which is by Paulbot and Paul Gsell, deals with thesuff.rings and privations of children in the war zone, and the film was taken. in the ravaged districts of France and Belgium. The incidents pictured are most realistic, and very powerfully show the cruelties inflicted by the Hun soldiery. Th« supporting films are "The Americano." a pirate story; the comedy, "Straight end Narrow"; the scenic, "On the Roads about Ceylon ; and episode 14 of the serial,' "The Wolves of Kultur." At tho evening session Mr Robert Turner, raconteur and '■ monologuist, gave some gems from extensive repertoire, including "On Strike," "The Curate," and "Cohen on the 'Phone." Appropriate music by the Palace Orchestra accompanied the screening of the films, which will be shown again this afternoon and evening. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE A powerful story of Chinese life, "The Forbidden City," headed the excellent new programme" presented at Everybody's Theatre yesterday. "The Forbidden City" is something quite different from the usual typo of photo-play, and its gorgeous Chinese scenery makes it still more out of the ordinary. It tella a 'gripping story of the pathetic love affair- of the .daughter of a Chinese mandarin and a young secretary of the United State Consulate, and their romance ending ' in..tragedy; ; it goes on to show how,, after 'great vicissitudes, the ward 'and the daughter of the Chinese girl eventually come together, and tread the path of true happiness. Captivating Norma Ta.l- - plays the double part of the two Chinese girls in a wonderfully -clever fashion,. •and as she has a very strong cast to support her, the picture proves a big success from beginning to end. There is a strong" suppotting programme, including comedies, - educational films, and topical feature-. The same pictures will be screened at to-day's sessions. STRAND THEATRE. "Happy Though Married," starring Enid Bennett, and the fine supporting programme were screened to large audiences at the Strand Theatre yesterday, and will be shown again this afternoon and. evening. LIBERTY THEATRE. ' v Anita Stewart, in "A Midnight Romance" and the various other features of the present programme at the Liberty Theatre, attracted good attendances to each session yeeterday. The same pictures will be shown to-day. "THE LAND WE LIVE IN." ' The new • film, * "The Land •We ~ Live In," will be shown in the Theatre Royal, commencing on Monday next. Two years were spent in. making the film, and the whole of the Dominion was toured from tho North to the extreme South. The film includes mag- - nificent views of the beautiful Wanganui river,' the grand and awe-inspiring Buller and Oiira Gorges, the Cold Lakes District, the Winterless North, Mount Egmont, the Thermal Wonders of Rotorua, and many other wonders with which this fair land is endowed. Christchurch is featured prominently, and 1 clearly depicts its potentialities, both soonic and rural. In Wellington the picture was shown for nine days and nights, and thousands took the opportunity of becoming enlightened about places that before were only hearsay. The Mayor of Wellington " said, "It's the best picture I have ever seen." The box plan is now open at the Bristol.