ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 89, 11 January 1923, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

BIG WILLIAMSON REVUE. The J. C. Williamson Ltd. Revue Company, beaded by Lee and Clav Smith, arrived m Wellington from Sydney via Auckland by the north express yesterday, m readiness for Saturday’s production of Bran I’ie.” This famous revue proved the greatest success of the many tiitiinphs achieved by these talented artists at the Prince of AX ales’s theatre, London. In Australia “Bran Pic was described bv a leading critic as A merry whirl*of pleasure, with its wonder star and a fine company of comedians and bewitching girls.’ Miss Lee AVhite has become the idol of Australia, as she was of London, where she delighted thousands and thousands of theatre-goers and received the following praise from the Press: ‘Her attractive personality has never been displayed to greater advantage, whether in song, dance, or acting, than in the merry revue ‘Bran Pie. day Smith, who supports Miss Lee Av lute, and shares in many of her successes, is not only a comedian, but a musician and song-writer, and is responsible for many of the songs of the TCVUO. Otlicr artists wit-li London rOvutations who will be appearing here for the first time are Ernest Sefron, Lucine Beck, Rupert Julien, and Muriel Cathcart. The company,also includes Lance Lester, Clarice Hardwick, Zoe AVenke, and Miss Maie Baird and Archie Thompson, dancers, to say nothing of the J. C. "Williamson cliorns and ballet, which are always such delightful features of the linn’s musical attractions. “Bran lie is produced by Mr. Robert Greig. Box plans are now open at the Bristol lor the first six nights of the season.

KING’S THEATRE. “Orphans of the Storm” will be shown at the King’s Theatre again this evening. It is a remarkably fine picture -if the French Revolution, with its terrors and misery, through which is interwoven a love romance of absorbing interest. The Topical Budget and delightful orchestral selections complete a particularly strong programme.

“FAIR LADY.” “The Net,” Rex Beach’s famous storv, comes to the screen under the title of “Fair Lady,” and will be screened at the King’s Theatre on Friday. This storv is perhaps one of the mo'St well known and most popular works of the a-uthor. and in transferrin" it to the screen, the producers have spared no cost or trouble in makin" a faithful interpretation The cast is headed bv Betty Blvth, who nlavs the part of a beautiful "irl who barters her kisses to learn the secret bv which she saves her sweetheart’. It is a story in which love rules over vengeance, and hate loses all power. The romance opens in the island ot Sicily and culminates in the southern States of North America. It tells: ot the working of a secret society or the criminal element and the'efforts of its leader, Cardi, to marry the Countess Margherita. Norvin Blake, a young American, is brought in to the ,swirl of events and the climax of the storv is reached when Blake and Cardi fight a desperate hand to. hand battle while a mob of enraged citizens surge through the streets of the city crying for the life of the bandit. A strong supporting programme is promised, also special music by the King s Orchestra.

EVERYBODY’S THEATRE. Two such stories of the sea as are provided at Everybody’s Theatre should ensure the enjoyment of patrons to a high degree. “The Sea Li° n is the storv of an old sea-dog who has been crosW in love, and the scene of lus after exploits is mostly depicted in genuine photographs of a wha mg cruise. “The Guile of AVomen mostly enshrouds the love affairs ot a simple Swedish seaman, and is very entertaining. An amusing comedy and a late news film are well worth see.ng.

EMPRESS THEATRE The two big features at the Empress Theatre, “The Perfect AVonian and •‘High and Dizzy,” with Constance Talmailge and Harold- Lloyd in tlte principal roles, will.be shown for the last time this evening, and they are photo-plavs no one should miss, although so different m their principal characteristics. In addition, No 10 of the stirring serial, Nan ot 'the North,” entertaining Screen Snapshots,” or notabilities of the film-plays off duty, and the Empress News, arc all to be seen.

FRIDAY’S NEW BILL. Two star features will be screened at the Empress Theatre on Friday. The first picture, is from the pen of Gouverneur Atoms who has an* mteinational reputation for bui.ding an e v>itjfn" storv. and the photoplav adaptation of “Tale of Two Worlds is a fine example of his work Ao oxpens" has been spared in the gor"eons Eastern settings, and elaborate core was taken to get customs. Leaf rice Jov, as a little white "irl who was rescued during a Boxer risin". and is brought up to. believe porsc’f Chinese, is verv albiJ’.ng, but the highest marks of the play go to Wallace Beery ns‘ the sinister long chieftain Relvved by "rim humour, his wickedness is a strange but faithful picture of the Oriental mind' in its manitestation. Die last reel of the drama i's sensational to tho last a""rce and the plav as a melodrama, is regarded as a high-class entertainment. A comedv-dramn of “business boodle and advertis-'nc” is “Just Out of College.” with Jack. Pickford, tho second feature on Hm Till. The outwitting of fl pickle king is tho foundation of the story, which is described ".s a particulnrlv good one. In addition, the 11th episode of “Nan of the North.” Empress News film, and a Beolorajft comodv will he (Screened. The Empress Distinctive Orchestra will contribute musical selections in keeping with the programme The J’.° o x plan is at the theatre. Telephone 3442.

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE Enjoyment is provided during a HUI evening at His Majesty’s Theatre, the vaudeville artists being entertaining, musical, clever, and humorous, lheir variety is one of tho great charms ot the programme, while the promptness with which item after item follows with such rapidity prevents the slightest pause to tho shower of good things with which „th fi audience is rewarded. “The Girl from U.5.A..” a revue provided by Mr. Walter George and his FunsYino Players, is remarkably good bi _»<jrv sense, while t>o orchestra is a great- factor in the genoral success.

WESTMINSTER GLEE SINGERS According to all reports, Mr. Edward Branscombe, the notable English tenor and impresario, has not imperilled his reputation by his selection of the people who comprise the AVestminster Glee Singers who are to make their first'New Zealand appearance at tho Town Hall. AVellington, on Saturday night. The necessary requisite for attraction to any combination of singers ic. its artistic cohesion and combined txpression. An audience critical bit catholic in its tastes will glow at tho artistic vocalisation of perfectly balanced Italian part singing, will listen with becoming respect to French chansons an 4 Spanish madrigals (for irnisib is the universal Inm’uago). but the dearest musm of I all "to British people is that sung by | British lips from British hearts. Per- ; Imps when Mr. Branscombe first heard j the soprano bovs (Albert Cooper. Harry Collier. Loon Harper, Leslie Snow, and Ronald Thompson) lift their fresh young voices in the principal English cathedrals, lie had some such thought.)

Mr. Branscomhe has had a world-wide experience in all the branches of the vocal art, and as the selector of the five boys and five men who constitute the AAtestininster Glee Singers, he has supreme confidence in the great public of New Zealand endorsing his affirmation that this is the finest aggregation of solo and part singers that has ever left England. The forthcoming concerts, he states, will establish a standard of male solo and part-singing that has never been equalled in New Zealand Their Excellencies Viscount pnd the Viscountess Jellicoe have been pleased to grant their patronage to the Westminster Glee Singers during their stay in New Zealand. The box plans for the season are now on view at the Bristol, where seats may be reserved without any extra charge.