ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3037, 26 March 1917, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

■ HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. The Lβ Gvohs is the 'latest stellar feature at His Majesty's Theatre. They will make their initial appearance this evening. The British, Continental, and American Press are unanimous ■in heralding this not as a pre-eminent acrobatic feature. Wellington vaudeville patrons will no doubt remember the enthusiasm occasioned by the appearance of the'five Manchurians ou their recent visit to this city. Those that do can .then look forward to even greater feats of an aorobatio and contortionistic description than even those wonderful Chinamen performed. The star attraction is supported by Armitage and Hine, the popular . comedy duo; Madame Alverna, and M. Jean Laerte (who'will be seen, and heard in fresh operatic selections), George Grotty, revue comedian, Bnill and .Hemsley in their screaming two-part act, "The Knut; the Girl, and. the Ej?fr,',' Scott Gibson, Kiltie lau Khraiser De Baker's Living. Statuary, Eay and dray, in.sons;,and dance, Billy Brown, the Coon Kine, and Fred Arthur, •shabby genteel." The eame programme will be presented nightly throughout the

'". ■•'-.' KING'S The King's Theatre was well filled on baturday evening; when the new bill, headed by 'Spartacus," was presented. ■ bpartacus" is a film-drama in which the long-faded-magnificence of Home is revived in all its pristine grandeur. The pomp and pageantry of Roman public life are excellently portrayed, and the spectator'is' given .no mean impression of .what Home's greatness meant. Here are .depicted the, noble architecture, the bnsr throngs,' the spacious afena, where ~the. gladiators fought, and every scene is animated and intense, breathing the passions of-people that'figure in one of. the great and dramatic episodes of I history;-'•-.•The'.leader of the gladiators is shown first in the guise- of a barbarian .captive. He fights in the arena and earns the .approbation of- the consul's daughtay-with,, whom he falls in love. , Nordicjis, a bitter opponent, attempts',to betray Spartacus, but the latter escapes the' snare, and,' trith his band of gladiators, makes for the hills. Fighters and elaves flock to his standard, and he .quickly .finds himself at the head of a, formidable array. The' insurgents meet with varying success, ■ and go through terrible ordeals. Spartacus is finally taken, :but, by.'a stroke of fortune, he .is delivered,from : -'the fate that appears at/first inevitable. -Better etill, his enemy-(is disposed of, he has henceforward no-Nordicus to. fe.ar. The denouement forms' a fitting conclusion to the/picture, which will not readily bo .forgotten by those who take the opportunity, of seeing it. The big (film is supported, by minor numbers of good quality. :■'■' ' •-. '.- '•.'■' -.'■'

,:;: : EVEKTBODT'S THEATRE. Original and novel in its theme. ; the Triangle Fine Arts production, "The Microscope Mystery," which' was screened :at 'Everybody's Theatre 'on Saturday; provides a fascinating entertainment, ih which; murder and microbes play a considerable part...The.moral oJ the play, in' which Constance Talmadge and Wilfrid Lucas, appear: in'the leading roles, is:- Beware of quack doctors. The first part of the picture has' its humorous side. "Dad's" ambition is to have all the is heir to.The town doctor pronounces him as healthy as can be, so J'Dad" viists a firm of quacks. As "Dad": is immensely rich, he is informed that he is a very eick man. The'chief quack healer of tho party instals himeelf in "Dad's" house, and finally manages to eetihim to sign a cheque for ten thou-' sand dollars'. The daughter arrives back from a holiday in the nick of. time, and attempts to take the cheque from the quack. During the struggle: a halfwitted boy; kept about Jthe house, secures a revolver and shoots.the villain. The daughter is. charged murder, but "Dad's" ol'd -dector-straightens things out. Several.instructive photos through the microscope are ehown. The handle of the revolver is cleaned and the microbes examined through the microscope. TMs leads to the detection of the real muraerer. On the supporting bill is the fifth episode of; "Gloria's Eo.mance," in which thenlot deepens and the picture': consequently grows more interesting. Miss/Billy Burke is again seen to advantage. , :-. The Gaumont Graphic competes the bill. , i-'-y "' EMPEESS TBSATEE. ■• A change ; of programme was jpresented at the Empress Theatre Saturday, and was'welcomed by big houses. The chief'piece in the neir bill is a World Film.'Company's star production, entitled "The Madness of Helen." The piece travels very little along the-beaten track, and in that fact alone scores success, for one of the most common faults with motion picture productions is the frequency with which a certain sameness turns up on the screen. In Helen, quite a novel, if perplexing, character has been created. Helen ia a very pretty 'girl, who has taken to a life of serai-seclusion man ouUf-way fishing village. The way ,to her home is barred by a gate which is kept bolted, and only' opened after she has peeped through the window to v see who is on the other sideV In the village she is known as the crazy girl. At times she is seen abroad.in the daytime, but! she always contrives to be alone. The latest arrival,at the village is a.wealthy young man, who .meets Helen by chance, and .falls in love with her. Helen grows ■to love him too, but 6he tells him that there Iβ a world of sin and shame between them, and she would not ask anyone to share her. sorrow. This, however, does not lessen'the young fellow's regard for the girl, but about this time me trials commence in earnest. At nights Helen iswbnt to break loose and career round the village on her mad escapades/ The young man endeavours to prevent her, but the. crazy girl frustrates his attempts. Flitting about from place to place she lures men on to follow her, and then disappears. This strange conduct as responsible for much gossip in the village, and for the wrecking 'of many homes," but Helen continues on her mad career. The climax is cleverly concealed right till the ond, and when it is revealed it ie a complete surprise, and quite the reverse of the unpleasant conclusion that was probably expected. The piece stars-Ethel Clayton and Carlvle Blackwell;.■■•-. Mr. Blackwell does not impress one .very greatly, but Miss Clayton is excellent.' . , •

,''' _ .ORGAN RECITAL. ■. :* There was a very good, attendance at the iown Hall on Saturday, evening when' Mr. Bernard Page, the CityOrganl Ist, provided lovers of good musio with another excellent recital. The attendances at| ■Mγ. Page's recitals hare been irapronng of late.-. It is really difficult , to understand why, is a spare seat ln .the hall. The> chief a&raction in Saturdays programme was Cesar Franck s "Symphony'in D Minor." Mr.. Page played'tho "Symphony" at a previous recital, and since then has had quite a number of requests to repeat it. The piece was recoived. with enthusiasm by Saturday's audience, and Mr. Page's capable handling of the work was warmly applauded. In a programme note, Mr. Page gives some 'interesting foots concerning the "Symphony." f This majestic and perfectly beautiful 'Symphony in p Minor , may bo .held to mark tlio ending of the .third rind classical period of Cesar Frarick's life (1872-13(10), iv*,iTa\ enjoying all the freedom of.'the more modern styTe that waa the cuteomo of the great composer's career. 'The eliiFsicists accept it as the most classical o? modern, symphonies. The 'Symp7iony\ was written in , 188G, and dedicated to thr. composer's':.friend, Henri Duparc, and was perforined for the first time on February 17, 1889, by the Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire, quite against the wish ;of., most members of, that-famous orchestra;'yet to-day the work is emphatically declared to be one .of ■■ the greatest symphonies ever written. No ott'fr work of Franck's—nor, indeed, of any of his predecessors—equals in daring, but harmonious beauty this beautiful example of symphonic-writing, which is unique not only in tlio worth and loftiness of its ideas, but in the perfeotion of its structure." The "Sjmphony" occupied the whole of the y first portion nfttlic recital, and in the.second portion Mr. Pnge played the following nu'ini;... s ._<'«i1,,.,,,l~.,,,e 1 - SkptcVs" (I.pmare)— "Diiw'i," "The Bee," "Cuckoo" "Twilight," "Evening." Wolstenholme'e i "Tinale in B 'Flat" couokded tlie re> 'eitaL - .■-■■