ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 531, 11 June 1909, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS.

"THE KING OF CRIME." : "The' King of Crime," a melodrama in four ' acts, by Benjamin'Landeck and Arthur Shir T '. loy. Cast:—. , > ' Gaston Lemaire w Mr. George Cross ' Pero Gandelu Mr. John flesford ■ bunon ................ Mr. J. L. Lawrence : Louis Maecarot ............ Mr. Wilton Power \r i r \'r f "—' '" Ur - ■' Jol "i Bruce . Hick Malqnoy . ......... Mr . E u; Eon , Poto Chupui. „.. „.. a,.. Wilton Welch , . Mero Crochard .....:. Miss May "flesford /. "■■SrJK u v;"-;- ;; - Miss ilaud Chetwynd Mathilde Haudry Mis.? Kosemary Kees Hennotte iliss Ada Guildford . Melodrama has as many moods, as the weather, but there is none that exerts so peculiar an influence over a section of tho audience as that essentially modern typo ; which revolves round a : central character, who wallows in such deeds as fill the pages of,'the '.'Police Gazette.'! In the case of ; ;"fho King of Crime" such a character exists in daston Lemaire, but it is given such a twist that half the audience could very easily mistake him for the hero, whilst, the other has small compunction in setting him down as a most atrocious scoundrel: To effect this" cnd .>. no is pictured as the loving husband of a blind woman who believes him a saint, and is given dozens of opportunities to pose heroically in strenuous scenes, which ompbasiso that delusion, for, in realitv, he revels in deeds of violence of a shocking kind, as ■leader of a notorious gang of.. criminals, this is. the motive proper of the play, which, though strangely ingenious in parts, loses all power of conviction in others by tho baldest of melodramatic crudities, that did not fail to induce laughter, whore quite the opposite . ettect was'intended. Gaston, with the aid' or- several, clever disguises, pursues his course, breaks the' woman's heart lie pre-' tends to be devotedly attached to, makes children of. the police as "The Englishman's 'Home docs of tho British volunteer, until' he is finaly shot down by the gendarmes, still protesting .virtuously that a just, vengeance has been meted out to thoso s who stood in his way. The moral of the play is quite absurd, yot its working out is far from uninteresting, if ono may judgo from the manne( m. wnicn it was received By the audience. : vAJj". George Cross cut a. picturesque figure as Gaston, tho: heroic scoundrel, declaiming his lines with a manly vigour quite in keeping wit* his'ongaging. appearance and bearing. _He showed clever touches, too, in the disguises ho adopts, namely, as an ancient l'rench peasant,' and again as chief of the Vionuesp police. ■ Jliss Ada Guildford appeared! m a now stylo.of character, that of a "tender and devoted blind woman, who, even after the veil has been lifted, cherishes :an undying affection for her villainous husband. She was very sweet nad womanly in the j)3rt, and struck a high dramatic noto uv.tho scene where she discovers Gaston in charge.of tho police: • Miss Kosemary Reos improves on, acquaintance. . She is really excellent as the woe-begone Mathildo Haudry, the adopted .daughter of an old miser, whose, knavish .son persecutes her through- • out the chapter. Her emotionalism was dis-. tinctly good, and sho looked: the part to perfection. Mr., Wilton Power played tho naval lover of Mathildo in a manner altogether too hard, omitting entirely the tendorness that is demanded of a lover in: certain passages.' A.capital performance is given of Pere Gan-' delu, i a i gruff old miser, by Mr. John Hesford, who is always thorough and efficient. The same: cannot bo said for Mr. J..L. Law;rence, who did not realise all there- was in : the: role 1 of Simon, the: miser's. stm _ j,£ r _ Wilton Welob was quite happy as the volatile Totri, and' Mr. Ellison was distinctly anmsing as Mick l!alone.y, an. Irish'mesmorist. • Miss Maud .Cheti\7nd ; was bright and chic as Clarisso (with song),.arid Miss May Hesford was suitably rcpulsivo as More Crochard. -The scenery, by Mr. Harry Whaite, was distinctly good. "The King of Crime'.', will.bo played again this evening, and to-morrow the season conclude with a farewell performance of "A Message from Mars.". . : "; THEATEE ROYAL. : . . ;.'; . Kinematography still holds sway at the Theatre Royal, whero tho Mossrs! Fuller p.re,sent a. highly, interesting pr'ogrammo of. up-' to-date pictures.) These are'.varied by some capital cinophono' records by prominent vocalibus and:comedians."\There' will bo a.chang'o .of; programme oveninc.'.':.- ;" ;;.'!. 'THEiROrAL PICTURES. ' , ._ Another largo audience was p'ros'ont!at the Royal Pictures in His Majesty's Theatre last evening. Among a fine assortment of new films,': "Kcnilworth,"' "Count Ugolino," "THo Lime'ludustry," and ''The Church Robbers" stand out as particularly good. A matinee is to;bo;given to-morrow afternoon,'to■ which some .of tho',inmates.of the. charitabje institutions havo been invited by a considerato management.: ."•« ■.'•' ' . . : ■ ■ ;;;;:::;;' ;':OTTJNG LING Sbo'.,, : vMiich. controversy .has. been created .by. the rorhlK-kablo performances of : :tho . Ch'indse magician,'Chung Ling Soo, who; will appear on Monday evbning at the Opera' House. In A less, 'enlightened, age ho woiild probably have been credited "with/superhuman powers. - Throughout'tho whole of his wonderful.entertainment ho utters, not a word.; His principal .tricks are really wonderful. A good scene is\ono.in which a' glass: cabinet is shown to ho empty; it is m ado,to quickly revolve for' a minute or two,, thou twirling round; and round inside it seen a little Chiheso lady, who/when -the., cabinet is , brought', to a stamlstill,''step3.:ont.oute the stage. 'Ono .of the"; most mysterious- feats is that of producin2 from a cauldron 'of boih'ng w . ater i,' into wh ich dressed poultry, rabbits, etc., have boon thrown, live fowls;'geese*, rabbits, and'pigeons, aid then, through tho steam, is seen the face of the Chinese lady, whoso whole body, gradually comes into vio,w and,;sho: is \ lifted lout: of the cauldron with' hot a ,drop';of:water on her clothing.: Tho box plan at the Dresden is rapidly filling up. A. matineo will, bo given on Wednesday nextj :.'' -■'. THE:OLYMPIA : RINK.'; .The attractiveness > of rinking as a winter pastime is: well exemplified-, every day and ovening 1 at the; Olympia Rink, \ whore crowds of patrons.aro generally to. be,seen' enjoyin" Jhomsolves a-whcel; 'Last night-the final neat of the 15-lap handicap was decided, and J??£ Itcd ,i a a win for W - Pnllman, ivitb E. M Donald second. R. Harris and A. Manson also started. The rink will bo open as' usual to-day/ and next week the additional attraction will be a couples race, to bo decided m heats. The rink having been hired for other purposes,, will be closed for skating from June 19 to' Juno 26. ; ■■:■■ .':;;. LECTURE'ON: DISRAELI.; .' '.At tho meeting of St. Peter's Club last night, a lecturo was; delivered by Mr E '■ L. Burgess upon "Tho Life and Career of Bonjamui Disraeh, Earl of BeacDnsfiold." The lecturer sketched tho principal events in the career ofwhat .ho termed the most strikingly, dramatic, personality in modem political history, and traced the great and beneficent inuuonco which was exerted bv the great Prime Minister. Tho lecture-.«& ■'. enlivened by many personal anecdotes, and was also remarkable for the dramatic force with which'some extracts from tho g-cat statesman s speechea wore declaimed by W lecturer. A hearty vote of thanks was riven « •Jt r n? U^ eSS ' on J' 6 motion oftho ilev. H - G : Blackburne. Mr. Gooi-; vice-president, occupied.the chair. ■-.• ■ ' ''.:,'■ DR. BORANOFF. '•'■ ; _0n Sunday night in the' Opera House Dr. ' Boranonvtho Russian exile, will deliver his second lecture on "Russia and tho Russians," '.dealing, chiefly with 'the reform movement in Russia; Dr. Boranoff is undoubtedly a,good orator,- and holds the attention of his hearers from start to finish