ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 602, 2 September 1909, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

. THE HOTAL PICTURES.' His Majesty's Theatre was packed to the doors' last/evening, when tho •■ usual weekly change of programme was presented. The pictures screened contained some of the finest examples of kiuematography .that have been shown in Wellington. Kiaders of The Dominion of Wednesday will remember a very graphic article, descriptive of the , naval pageant in'the Thames,; a sight whioh'roused the enthusiasm of London, and made manifest to the people of England the enormous strength of the Navy. This was brought houio. to those present lost evening by a.series of close-up pictures of the fleet of battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines,' which were massed in the Thames. Included in the series was tho special display,. made on the.Dreadnought during, the visit of the Lord Mayor of London (mentioned in the article referred to). At the word of command the ship' is dressed in fluttering bunting from steni to stern, and later the operation of lowering, the torpedo nets excited much interest, giving real character to this means of'protecting warships from torpedo attacks.' A -very 'beautiful .art film is that illustrative of tho life of Joan of Arc, The part of Joan is acted in accordance with tho.best traditions of. tho .Maid : of- Orleans. Sho is'discovered-.in-a hayfield, listening to "the voices" that command her to take the field aad save France. '■ Seeking the King, that Ttrily monarch Charles XII, to test her powers, seats a courtier on tho throne, whilst he mixes with -. the throng, but Joan picks, him out, and is given the command of. the army, of France. , Several.' well-arranged battle-scenes . are shown, ns is also the crowning of the-King , at Kheims, and her entry into Orleans, and. afterwards into Compeigne. The Mα'< is shown leadir.2 nn 'attack-, wounded,-finally captured,, and burnt'at, the stake. Of the histrionic pictures two stand out in. bold'relief as wonderful faithful'.■productions. The first is "Oliver ■Twist," in which Nancy and 1 Bill Sykes are given prominence, and "Truer Love," which is really tho .comedy played here ,by tho Harry Roberts Company as' "The Prince Chap" last year. The aoting is first-rate in both .of these play pictures. , A beautiful specimen of natural colour kinematography is.'presented in a film entitled "School in New Guinea," and ■ what a colour, scheme it presents. One can see the brown bare backs of the natives, and the lissom forms of this scantily-clad women glistening in tho torrid sun, whilst .beyond, through,a vista; of tropical trees glimpses aro. caught of the turquoise-tinted.-Pacific. "The Sleeper" is tho titlo of one of tho most comical pictures shown for a long time at a picture show. Other pictures, of interest are: A Tour Through Mexico,"- "Teeth Painlessly Extracted," "Success of a City Waif," "An Oi& cntal Mystic," and "Tho Escaped Lunatic.

-.•■.•- FULLERS' PICTURES. ■ The fine'variety of' kiriematograph ' pictures being presented at tho" Theatre Royal this week includes that splendid :Pathc him, entitled "'From the' Fighting Top of a .Battleship," which shows, a battleship firing her 12•inch guns'ivhi.lst steaming at full speed. Other good , picture's in the-. programmo arc "The Girl Detective, , '"The Gold Piece," "The Deserter," and'-VA'.Tax , .on Bachelors."' Tho cine'phone records' include-,,the illustrated . songs "Good Company" -and "Como , Into .' the. ■ Garden,Maud." ■ .- ;■ ~.'"' ■ ,' - .■."■' "JACK- AND. JILL." \ .Mr. C. Williamson's Pnntomimo Company will arrive, in -"Wellington this morning. For the iast-two days a staff of meohanists, elec.tricians, etc., havo boon, hard at work at tho ; Opsra House preparing for this, evening's performance: Tho cast 'if "-Jack and Jill" if a very strong one, and tho pantomime provides opportunities for tho introduction "of many novel specialities which, havo evoked 'enthusiastic praise f coin'\ press and- public.' Tho songs are said tb be-most happily selected, each number having won wide popularity: -Hiss Stella Qastelles's "Climb, Eoys, Climb', , : and "The LassiG'-from Lancashire ..being special favour■ites.-' Mr. J. Jl.' Cambbell. and Mr. Fred' Les-' lie are also happy in ; their budget of up-to-date and humorous song's. Miss Betty Ohls.has aU ways been a favourite, and in "An Devoir, my Little Hyacinth," she has enhanced her, popularity, while her "Splashing in' the Briny," with its surf-bathing ellccts, i 3 oro of tho many features of the.' production. . With. Miss Gastellc.she has also-made , a great hit in "When You Steal.a Kiss or Two," with xylophone accompaniment. Miss Nanco Mahor, Miss Stuila Selbourao",' Jfr. Clyde Cook, and Mr. Rupert Darrell all have numbers which have won on-, thusiaatic praise. ■ Tho Pony Ballot und other charniiny' dances, and - tho rich aggregate of brilliant tableaux,' have' been pronounced "most gorgeous." Thero ore over 100 dancers in the corps-de-ballet. The costumes and scen : ery are described as being. on a. scale of niusual magnificence, even judged by the high 'standard , -'established by-Mr.' Williamson's-en-, terprioe." Tho performance will start at Lib sharp, by which time , patrons are, requested to bo in their scats; Matinees are announced for uvery Wednesday and Saturday, commencing at 1.45 sharp, when children will bo admitted to all parts of tho house at half price.

;..••; •' .■■•.XJLC-α: "ciucus." ; . ; ■ There is-much to interest-and.amuso risitora to the "circus" -which is being held in the T.M;C.A., gymnasium. Quite a largo crowd,-in-; oluding nujnboi's of ladies,, thoroughly enjoyed the opening last night..... Prior, to the main'programme, visitors did" the sideshows, whero nicy bo seen moving pictures, the wild man'from Karo.ri. Madame Much wate, the enducated monlcey, the mysterious - head, a scientific"delusion, and-others. Then followed several highly, interesting athletic displays, in which juniors, seniors, the "employed' classes, and the leaders' corps.tool; .part'.' Among the items' wonTcalisthenic drill,'fancy marching,. rb<l : exercises/'a'nimafed pyramids, ambulance exhibition! ' gynrtastic dancing, and fane; sword drill,, whilst .Prof. Packerino save a clever display of trapeze work. Perhaps the piece-de-rcsistanco on the programme was the contest''between" two wdl-tri'incd 'basket-ball teams: Although tho field was -rather crumped; both sides showed how interesting and cxcihiig the-new .American gome can be. made. r\ot the least entertaining',feature of the_proceedin?.s was tho' original music by the Hobo Band. Credit is duo to Mr. Greenwood, the instructor, for'tho success of the performance, which will' be repealed this evening. ■" ''-

'MOUNT. COOK SCHOOLS' CONCERT. .To many people, a children's concert is enjoyable merely -from tho fact that., it is. a children's concert. When a" good performance is added to ■ this,' the .entertainment is, -to most,'all that could bo'desired.-.-Such .-an entertainment'was (he one given last-night by the. .pupils attending the, Mount Cook schools. The concert had been organised to 'seclirq funds for the school' committee,, and the perfprmaucas/of tho children reflect-great-cruuit on tho teachers who undertook the work of training them/ The programme opened with.a dainty operetta/ "Fairy Voices," in which the singing of. the infant: girls and tho beautiful staging combined to'produce 1 a veritable feast of harmony and colour. -Then followed two niore item's by'tie girls, >"Japanese Drill" and "Witches," both equally deserving *of applause. Thb boys were heard in a well-ren-dered part song, "Plow on Thou Shining, Eiver. In, the second part of tho entertainment the cadets were seen in two iteiiis, physical drill anil a musical march, both displaying' ovidonco o£. careful training. A "Flower March" by tho girls was. exceedingly pretty, vieing for', colour harmony with, a Maypole danco, contributed later in tho evening. A character scene,."Britannia's-.. Birthday," was also given by, tho girls. Altogether the entertainment was a complete ouccess. . St. Mark's Soh.iolroom was not. large enough, to hold all the , people who wished to: go to the concert, but thoso who were turned away will have another . opportunity /of seeing the children tonight, when the programme is to be'repeated.