AMUSEMENTS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17617, 21 November 1922, Page 12

AMUSEMENTS.

PICTURE HOUSES.

GREATER CRYSTAL PALACE. In the search for what will entertain and amuso, great progress has been made within the last few years. The full benefit of this progress has been reaped by Christchurch people, and more especially so since the in- ; auguration of the very successful career of Greater Cryetal Palace. Under the capable direction of Mr V. M. Beebe, a policy of giving the public the best possible value for their money was instituted, and as a result of the standard set, Christchurch motion picture patrons are better off than those of any other nlace in Kew Zealand, and equally as ■well off as those of any place in the world. The provision of a magnificent orchestra ■under a distinguished conductor marked a revolution in the history of motion picture entertainment in New Zealand, and the Greater Crystal Palace Symphony Orchestra is known far beyond our shores as a combination of great excellence. Mr Alfred J. Biinz, the conductor, iB eminently qualified to kef p together and to deve op an orchestra. He has the great and necessary gilts of tact and patience, which, added to his ability as a musician, assure the success of each and s.ll of the programmes given by the orchestra. This week at the big theatre there is a particularly fine programme. At a theatre where a very high standard is consistently aimed at and attained, it is perhaps difficult . to differentiate between the excellence of the programmes of successive weekß, but it can at least be safely affirmed that the current gramme is ae near perfection as possible. It commences with the delightful overture Cavalry" (Suppe), which retains all i*« freshness and appeal for its hearers as •when it was written nearly fifty years ago. Last evening the cornets opened brilliantly, followed by the horns, and the hun';ing movement was beautifully played. Another outstanding feature of the performance was the Hungarian theme by strings. Mr Ellwood played the Andante of Lalo's "Symphonde Espagnole' in his usual accomplished manner. An arresting number, which was played for the first time, was "Les Barbares' 1 (Saint-Saena), which was wonderfully appropriate to the dramatic intensity of the picture. The eharming songs of d'Haxdelot were an outstanding item on the musical programme. The pastoral feelin? of Massenet's "Les Jongleurs de Notre Dame" waa finely interpreted. The air was delicately played hy tho woodwind and strings, while the clarinet work was excellent. The strings also excelled in their difficult work in "The Song 1 of the Forge" from Wagner's "Siegfried." Other numbers in the comprehensive programme were "Don Carlos" (Verdi), "Flower Suite" (Benyon), "Lento" (Berthold Tours), "June Moon" (Fenton), "Hesitation Valse" (Fanchey), and "Singing," a foxtrot with an excellent saxophone solo. "Under Oath" ■• is one of the best dramas in which Elaine Harmaersteim has yet appeared. It iB seldom that a star is so lucky as to secure a story in which she is ideally suited to the leading role. But there is no situation in "Under Oath" to ■which the dramatic powers of Elaine Ham- ( xuerstein are not fully equal. This is not to say that ths situations are not exacting. On the contrary, they axe as poignant and as emotional as possible.. The story tells of Shirley Marvin, whose father is faced with financial ruin at the remorseless hands of "Big Jim" Powers, who has fought his ■way from the dooks.and has* conceived a lively hatred to Marvin; who has treated him ■with contempt. Shirley sends Hartley! Peters, assistant district attorney, to bar- | gain with Powers. At first Powers has no terms to offer, but 'he conceives an even ! more subtle.-. revenge to inflict . upon the proud Marvin family. He will save the honour of the father and the fortune of the | family if the daughter consents to marry ! hia miserable -specimen, of a' broths?. Steve. Impelled by a sense of duty to her father, Shirley consents to'the: bargain. The wed-ding-day ia fixed, and the chinch is filled. Shirley' arrives to go through the, ordeal, . alttwugh Powers has half expected, her to | abandon tha sacrifice at' Hip' lost moment.- ■ He relents when : he sees >tKe; evidence of , , , the Buffering ho has caused to Shirley, but her apirit 'is' ■• brave- enough' ( to face any j ordeal for what Bte/belieyssvti be h*r duty. She:faints.;,juifaa' thermarriage vow ia-to , 'madfc' aid ■'!- Powers oaniciels the arrange- ' jn«rilSil:wth^h ; ; : I Paters: plans to have''' arrested ; for wttK'MiCTjn;|Swrky' visits "Powers to ; warn **••''■- -\-]|^ v a^^{yMJxm v an. amazing * l : f '■'■' ',' w'■ reached -onijr' amr"a long arid arduous .journey; J* Snirlßy'^Marvirtf;ElaineHHamznerstein is charming. ' Mahlon .Hamilton '',. fivaa' » powerful' study of the character of ■'.',••• Jim Powers- and Niles.-Welch is excellent ,' as Hantley Peters, ""tte lawyer: The .Btory is one of many unusual turns and was well received:'. Vy■".• the-■ wdienceV The ; Bupporting• ."' '' programme inoluded a thrilling episode in ■, & big. eerlal'-frs7ith« Stanley in Africa," at ■ exMlaiiteCentary '■■ cpmedyi;ahd r 'an Inter-1 ■ : ; --'- :f.'xwHo^' ; Newavfilm.~V, ' ;-: . I '■V > -WiONirljrjf'.^tttf 3&»i ohippingi; Btrikey and in ;>,,-' f^»falteiici') tb\\ec^-.'extent.;^liistesd-'•: 1-' :-. ; -•''-.'■', ¥ : yr£li;y&x'■<<s.& -.,■■:■'• ■■ : --'''. : ;-.' ■:■'''"■-. aad^snees..:! I tiS|i r #' / i'«ultn^^ weds '.her. !^?t'-; , ®tt?*t , --the' - iwmiij^^aad'elie ' courag* lis.' &I^BH» ' ; itfe £*C 'mth:: '■-'? tO ; pr«^. ,^houJ Shalt' Mot,?'JHa :an ■ Ea#^V ; •* 'MOl*>a* r :X«K>«tteMV - £%o?§j||piapaM^^ g : vv '^<|jfwnjyfcfniaiinßrr?'' ■■' - fourth. '■. ohaJtar- - ■'■ of • ■ h'<s : ?!'^-'-^^W*^^'^^ # ' : < > ? : v-.:I;' -o.■sif^o^S^s j^e)^rw-;"b*eod r :'•*«?- ; :bef ore-nBuoh. is ; "^i;«S^rjftj;ia ; and show the oanmbal ~ y - - tinSfiilatiurg^ '-:"fi«rce-lookihgr > : one- : Sirt ; : ii:^;;«^gjSi^^^^^tt^ : : : : v- - >:^ T '^*<* , l^i; ona the party who. made: j ?js.; ■:?; >jHp" trbicli in ; ; & 5 ia f£ 1 - : plays' ; '" - 1 :': ,v'i ■."'". : v .>.-,-:'^^^V-v*R,^-,>'^r'4^-;-'>■> '^ ,i: ,T J -'-■■ : ' --.V,- .- -' •-. ■■,- ; . ';■ J j 7 Tjijtk; chMmiiig •■Betty,':Bai- ; 'r^e;:.:";^ie-(Story.;isi' 'of. : sentiment, : ■"j'.'i/." aW-did :^^''^: - : at' a ■ 'film :,iV'^r>t-iaT;l^K'KraV''NatJMial.' v "One a plot hill of '-ae* it: fsrlß&ijiw'&JS& i-S? ;/.'.,«|;'lwf!to":-Maiba'' : - Sili*£ Claire' .iWinsor,- -. -and ■■»--:%?3i}?jijjl^^ are also shown. ;jrvi : Or-' ' uliailii' '"" •■■--'■• .-. -''/. :-'. '■ /. ■■ -vi'i*'--. ■ -', , . .■■ ■ - '• :'■.'--:tf;'''^'A'^iaii<^^ '; f^ ; .; ■£?.£ :''.•' : The storyiwajj'interesting 'one,'"•; »■s£■;. much of t«i in :..; j JTh'e'' I Bettyi/Balfour, sMoyria McGill,. : ' ||^^|Ml % Hugh Wright." .'Tie second'.picture ,

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. , -Paris with his golden apple seems to bare originated the beauty contest idea and from the first one, they have aH given rise to immense interest and intense excitement. In the latest and moat important—at least, to the ladies of Christohnroh—contest the mora onlookers have the obvious advantage of being able to select the '"queen of beauty" without having to pay for the apple. They can also praise or blame, smile faintly or laugh heartily without fear of hurting the ladies" feelings, or raising pangs of malice since the contestants appear on ihe "sirVijrsheet" and not'in the flesh. Everybody's Theatre is certainly the centre of attraction just now; it is the borne of an election in which Christchurch is taking the greatest interest as it is in the looming Parliamentary one. To the womenfolk of the ciiy, at any rate, tliore is only one. cjnlcst wor.h thinking about. Last night, the queue at Everybody's again stretched out on to the tram line 3, and the house was full to overflowing Jong before the orchestra struck up, and the big. evening session commenced. Ihe second week's beauties for the most part, completely eclipsed the ones who last Monday, opened the competition. The management is evidently acting the part of a good host, and keping the good things back. The "beauty' 'of the contestants has shown a marked improvement and soma of them might twinkle with the eclat of Angeics luminaries—with a little practicf. The audience keenly appreciated everyone. Still s ms "beauties' would have blushed, bad ihey hoard the shrieks of laiight.r which greeted I their appearance. One, in particular, who i took herself very seriously, had c;v red her face with a liberal coating of gnase'-paint or whiting, and in consequence- she resembled strikingly the mummy of Kamesea 11. One or two georgeous 'flappers" looked coyly at the operator or glanced disdainfully at the furnishings of the studio as they pos.d bej for© the camera.' There were about twenty I of them on last night's programme and they j will be shown for the remainder of the week, j | Next week and the week following, fresh j I batches of the girls will be shown, and later ' on a semi-final will decide the winner who j j will lay claim to £25, as well as the palm of ' I beauty. Each night l-hn numbers of the audienoe vote for the lady of thrir choic:, j and the one who gains l the bigg st number at the poll wins. The contestants practically all showed good taste in . drets, and they looked well until the fau t-finding camera., showed up the trivial blemishes in the acid test of the •'movies," the "ilosc-up." It is quite interesting to notice the Connie Talmadge glances, the Mary • Pickford sniilrs, the Annette Kellerman poses, and the Elsie Ferguson haughtiness, which clearly indicates, the trend of the aspirants ambition. Some might do well in a Mack Sennett bathing girl chorus, and other should make excellent pantomime dames. However interesting a beauty "competition may be, it could hardly be expected to entertain an audience for the epaco of an evening. The remainder of the programme, of pictures and music is one of the best ever seen at a theatre which is renownedi for the meritorious pictures it shows. At the top of the bill is a picturisation of G-eorge Broadhurst's great stage success, "Bought and Paid For," an intensely interesting drama. It propounds a problem of modem life arid yet finds space to ibo extremely humorous. Kobeit Staifoid is a self-made millionaire who falls in love with a. charming telephone girl and offers to marry her. She is in poor circumstances, and sha consents in the hope that she may learn to love him. The j marriage is happy, and Virginia's lovo blossoms like a rose. Her sister and her bro-ther-in-law Jimmy, who supplies most of the comedy in the .piece, become prosperous, and everything is going smoothly when Eobert comes home drunk. Inflamed with alcohol he tries to kiss his wife, and' when she breaks away, he says that he has bought and paid for her. She'makes to her bedroom and locks the door, and then ! cornea the climax, which breakß their dream | of .happiness. " His pride will not let him promise that he will never touch alcohol ! again, and she leaveß him, and goes back to her work. . . Happiness, however, again takes' its rightful position in their lives, i and the picture ends in a golden haze. • Agnes Ayres, one of the most beautiful wo- ' men on the screen, and Jack Holt,-—-have the leading roles, and the comedy parts are taken by Walter, Hiers and Leah Wyant. George Kuwa, Berhice, Frank, and Ethel I Wales are also in the cast. The settings I are on a lavish scale, and the dressing ia beyond criticism. ■ Unfortunately, owing to , the' shipping trouble, Realart's big production, "The. House that Jazz Built," was I not screened last night, but it will be in-, eluded ,iri the programme to-night. Wanda Hawley. has the leading, part in an amusing story of a clever woman who nearly I loses her husband,, because she grows lazy arid careless. Forrest cßanley' is' also featured, and other players are Gladys-George,. Helen'; Duaibar, ' and' CJarenco Gsldbart. There is, an interesting Gazette, and a good (Mack Senpett, oomedy also on the ..bill.; -Thai orchestra is specially" pleasing this j week. .Mr: Bellinghorh has selected a splendid programme of 1 high-class music, and also a number of old favourites. In July, 1921, the, big orchestra played "The Bells of S. ilary" as their first entr'acte. It was an arrangement by the conductor, which was immediately' popular. For the first . time this number was repeated last nigSt, This ia an, indication. of the -very ; extensive, library at. Mr. Bellingham'a command. The arrangement had been slightly altered for the performance,' Clarence Crawford playing th first chotus as a. solo on a set of very fine chimes. The orchestra was' enthusiastically encored. .' The - overture "Raymond" is -' al-. popular, especially as played by 'Everybody's Orchestra. A selection from tue. ■ Samt-Sasnßj opera; "Etienne Marcel,'' ■ »na the ballot music from-the same opera ocou*. . pied most of the programme in the second half. ' The ' complete set' of ballet numbers was. played, and is a most interesting 'tnd delightful addition to the music hvailsblo t6 : \the. Ohristchurchy public. This part of the' programme also included a ."Sohjerzoj" (Lalo). '.} Light. selections suited to the first 'picture included a collection of wellrknoyn melodies by Sullivan, an arrangement of /'l-a Chocolate Soldier"' score,' and a popu jar' fox-trot,' "Say It with .Musi©" (Berlin), i