ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1137, 26 May 1911, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

_ $— "THE WH11 , ." The Chinese have recently been ordered to cut oft' their queues. Judging from the number of queues which have been seen' in Manners Street since "The Whip" has been played at the Opera House it j is fair to assume that a consignment has I arrived in Wellington. In respect to early door business "The Whip" has established a record. There have been queues formed before for notable attractions, but it is quite unique to see them there evening after evening, without any indication of a diminishing tail. The. melodrama possesses qualities which appeal to all classes—hence the big business. "The Whip" will be played for another week at least. ■ THEATRE ROYAL. The present excellent programme drew another appreciative audience to the Theatre Royal last night. The concertina soloist once more delighted his hearers, and the Japanese art of self-defence was another attractive feature. Every item was thoroughly enjoyed. HIS MAJESTY'S. The new programme at His Majesty's, as displayed for the first time last night, is not all new, as that particularly line film, 'The Fall of Troy," was repeated. This picture version of the Homeric epic is certainly a triumph of kiiiematography. The expense of producing it,must have been very great, in view of the large number of actors, and the elaborate costumes and scenery, but the effect justified the outlay. Those who have not yet seen it should make a point of visiting His Majesty's during the remaining evenings of this week. The new films comprise an excellent Edison drama, entitled "The Price of Victory." This is a story of the Napoleonic wars. An old Royalist innkeeper has a son who is devoted to the Emperor, and is called upon to serve as a drummer in the army. He is killed in battle near his home, and the old man brings the body away from the battlefield at night, and lays it out in the living-room at the inn. The Emperor comes to the house .to write a dispatch. The only candles are burning beside the dead, and the stricken, father refuses to let them be removed. This is reported to Napoleon. He comes into the room with his marshals. All bare their heads in the presence of death, and the Emperor takes a jewel from his own breast and places it upon the corpse, and throws the tricolour over all that is left ot his brave drummer-boy. The old man s heart is won by these acts of Imperial sympathv. The Emperor writes j his dispatch cm tho table beside the body. Other good things in the. programme include: ■'Picturesque Sardinia," "His Daughter (an 'V.B. drama), "Kelly's Courtship" comic), "Doctor Cupid" (a Vitagraph comedy), "Over Rocks and Ice (a realistic representation of mountaineering), "Peculiar Pets" (an interesting natural history study), and a very lively comic called "Tilly's Party." A well-filled house witnessed the pictures.

KING'S THEATRE. "Bear Hunting in the Malay Peninsula" opened the show at tho Kings Theatre last night, when the usual raidweek change of programme, was submitted. Next came the comically ad\enturous "Aspirations of Gerald and Percy" and then the "Pathe Gazette, with moving pictures of rewnt events in many lands. Then followed one of the best'items of the evening, "The Price of Victory"-an Edison drama illustrative of the Napoleonic wars. A young lad, tho soil of an anti-Imperial innkeeper; joins the army of "Lo Petit Corporal as a drummer, to the great griei and chagrin of his aged father. In tho Emperor's next victory he is slam. His father , recovers the body from the held of battle, and brings it back to the old home Napoleon comes there, too, to write a dispatch telling of his great victory. Affecting incidents follow, as ■ a result of which the Emperor and the. father are united in the bonds of a common grief, and the record of victory is penned beside the corpse that symbolises its great and cruel price. Several other films deserve special commendation, did spaco permit, but the critic cannot forbear to mention a highly realistic and moving drama of everyday life, entitled "Hero or Coward." Ned, the courageous,and .Tack, the timorous, aro boys at school together, and Ned patronisingly helps Jack out of some of his troubles. When they grow up they love tho same girl, and, of course, tho brave man wins her, but Jack shines at la-st, when, to rescue the man whom Margaret love*, ho goes down into a flooded mine, and sends Ned up to the daylight and safety. Ho himself has no chance of survival, and the drama closes with his heroic death. There is a capital Tontolini comic on the programme,.. and many other good things of all kinds. (

THE NEW THEATRE. There were further big attendances. at the New Theatre yesterday, and record crowds are expected this afternoon and evening to witness the grand change of programme. The star feature of the new hill will be the picture production of Rider Haggard's romantic and thrilling novel, "She." In the preparation of this film, the management state that great attention has been paid to detail, and it is believed that it will far surpass anything yet screened at the theatre. Patrons will be able to follow the story of tho search for the glorious woman mentioned in old records, of her discovery, her exquisite beauty, her Tomauce, and how she perished in the flames whence sho originally derived tho gift of perpetual beauty. Among other pictures to be shown are "Only a Sister," telling the devotion of a sister for a brother, and how sho saved his honour; "An Indian Elopement" (Bison); "A Western Welcome"; and the'"Duke of Athens."

THE ENGLISH PIERROTS. Tho English Pierrots, who made such a favourable impression on their first. appearance at tho Coronation Theatre in tho Exhibition . on Wednesday evening, entertained another large audience charmingly last evening, when the first pvogramme was repeated. What makes these talented people so welcome is tho wholesome character of their programme, and the clever business they are capablo of introducing for the embellishment of the musical items. With a trifle more wjarmth and freedom the little show would approach the ideal in that form of entertainment. Mr. Maynard Dakin is an adaptable comedian with a breezy style, who never gets out of bounds, and Mr. W. P. Turner makes laughter by weightier methods. Miss Elsa Langlcy is a perfect artist in cameo—she is small in figure and tiny in voice, yet everything she does is clear cut and invested with pure charm. Miss Phyllis Phillipson sang much better last evening. There was more confidence behind each note, and a pretty timbre was discovered in her top register ' that considerably enhances her song. s -. Mr. Kingsley Chapman has a. nice drawing-room tenor voice, suited to lighter ballads and love songs. A pleasing feature of the entertainment is the frrsh° ness of the "get-up" and the lack of that which is old and hackneyed.