ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 256, 24 July 1924, Page 13

ENTERTAINMENTS

GRAND OPERA HOUSE. The delightful story of "Daddy Longlegs," as interpreted by the talented Nellie Bramley Company, is attracting large audiences to the Grand Opera House. Miss Bramley, as tho drudge at the orphanage, brings out the delicate sentiment and the abounding humour of the play, and gives further evidence of her versatility in the character studies in which she appears. Her charming personality never fails to please. She is supported by a strong cast, including Mr. (Forgo Hewlett. Mr. Guy Hastings, and Miss Isobel Wilford. "THE MISLEADING LADY." The Nellie Bramley Company have a strong cast for their next production, "The Misleading Lady," which will be presented at the Grand Opera House on Saturday. Miss Bramley has a part that she revels in—scope for comedy, dramatic and emotional acting, and in each phase she is hound to engage tho sympathies and affections of the audience. Mr. Guy Hastings characterises tho caveman who desires to teach his flippant sweetheart a lesson, and right well he subjugates her, Mr. Arthur Cornell does some of his best portrait drawing in the impersonation of a half-witted man who fancies he is Napoleon. Mr. George Hewlett Mr. George Bryant, Miss Sylvia McNair Miss Ethel Bashford, Mr. Carl Laws,« and others are provided with parts that should ensure a capital presentation. "Tho Misleading Lady” is full of laughs as well as sensationa episodes. and playgoers are promised hearty entertainment when the curtain goes up. TIVOLI THEATRE. 4 refined entertainment is being presented by the Humphrey Bishop Comedy and Operatic Company at the Tivoli Theatre this week. Of outstanding merit aro the many concerted and soio vocal numbers. Not enough can be heard of the Ragtime Quartet, who harmonise admirably. Walter Kingsley’s songs are always popular, and he is heard to the best advantage in "Son of Mine” and “Tho Rebel." The whole company is heard in two selections from "Il Trovatore." Other songs are contributed by Laile White. Maurice Jaffey, Louise Meadows, and, Robert Roberts. Edward Elliott is.scoring a decided hit with his song, "Do Shrimps Make Good Mothers ?’’ and his ventriloquial turn is very funny. George Ross also shares the laughs. On the Tivoli side of tho programme the Alton Sisters present a graceful silver wire turn and the Royal Rarotongans are seen in native dance and song. ILLS MAJESTY’S THEATRE. High-class artists are delighting the audiences at His Majesty’s Theatre this week. The Nambas are trick performers whoso ability to walk on their heads as well as they can on their feet is a matter for wonderment. The threo St. Leons perform feats of ■daring" on the bar, and their work is finished throughout. Charles Sherman continues to please with his songs and stories. Bert Harrow is a comedian of the pushing variety, and is meeting with success. An altogether delightful turn is presented by Curley Sherwood, who has many songs and stories in her repertoire. The Stiffy and Mo Revue Company are scoring as much success as ever, presenting the absurdity, “The Plumbers.” The incidental musio and' accompaniments are . played by Mr. Crowther’s orchestra. EMPRESS THEATRE. The human interest story "Boy of Mine,” with Ben Alexander playing the premier part, has been having a good run at the Empress Theatre this week, and to-night patrons will be afforded the final opportunity of seeing this splendid picture. The story tells of the great misunderstanding between father and son and the under-standing of a mother to bring about happiness again. There is an unusually good supporting programme, which includes a coloured cartoon, a gazette, and a comedy. The outstanding attraction on the change of programme commencing to-morrow w-ill bo "Ths Song of Love,” in which Norma Talmadgo is said to score the greatest hit of her career. In this First National picture the star reveals new and unexpected facets of the marvellous, talent that is hers, beguiling and bewitching the spectator with the power of her pantomime. As an Arabian dancer, Miss Talmadge has a particularly alluring role and one that is quite a departure from her recent portraitures of silk-clad dames of other periods. She gives .to the part a tempestuous characterisation and appeal that is reported to stamp her as the most versatile of film heroines. “The Song of Love” was adapted from the novel “Dust of Desire,” which has won considerable renown for its author, Margaret Peterson. The picture was directed jointly by Chester Franklin and Frano-s Marion, and the star’s supporting cast includes such notables as Joseph Schildkraut Arthur Edmund Carewo, Laura neo Wheat, Maude Wayne, Earl Schenck. Hector V. Sarno, Albert Frisco, Mario Carillo and . James Cooley. The settings are exceptionally beautiful and the audience should be enthralled by the majestic splendour of the boundless desert and the exotic architecture of the cities and towns in which the cict'on takes place. Pictorially, as well. as in every other phase, the production is claimed to be one of the most artistic and flawless ever photographed. The supporting programme will include a Mermaid comedy, "Good Scout," an English noveltv scenic. "A Day With the Gipsies,” and the Empress News Film. The box plan is at the Bristol until 5.30 p.m.. and after that at the theatre, telephone 3442. PRINCESS THEATRE. Tho splendid double-feature programme, which has been drawing large audiences to the Princess Theatre this weak, will be screened for t|he last time this evening. A beautiful and exceptionally well-photographed picture is D. W. Griffith’s "Broken B'-cs-oms, in which Richard Barthelmess and 1/1lian Gish have important parts. May McAvoy is starred in “Morals,” which is an 'unusual picture, having Eastern and English settings. A Gazette, a comedy, and a further chapter of the serial, “The Steel Trail,” aro also on tho programme. CHARLES HACKETT. Ever since the death of Enrico Caruso, impresarios, music critics, singers, and the general body of tho music-loving public have been “listening-in” for nows of the advent of a successor to tho great Neapolitan. When it was noised abroad that a young American tenor had met with remarkable success in Italy, the critics wore inclined to be sceptical. This was tho exact reversal of'the normal order of things. But when it was ascertained that the new tenor, Charles Hackett, was playing principal roles at Alllan, Romo, Naplod, wnd Genoa, and was widely regarded as the finest Romeo ever seen on the Italian opera stage it was realised that a star of the first magnitude had appeared in the operatic firmament. Followed a flood of invitations to the new tenor from the direc- | torates of Amencan opera houses from New York to Buenos Aires, the successful bidder ’was M. Gatty-Casazza, di recto- of the New York Metropolitan Opera Rouse, who, for the first time in his long career, engaged a, singer without having heard him. -M- I ’.* Hackett’s triumph at the Metropolitan is now a nifil-'T of history, .that was two years ago. Since then Mr. Hackett s services have b ph in greater demand probably than those of any other male opera sbiigei- living. Within the few months he has sung as "guest tenor with Signora ..Galli-Curci nt the Chicago Opera originated the tenor role in a new opera of Puccini’s at Buenos Aires, made half a dozen appearances at tire height of the season at the Monte Carlo Opera House, appeared in n special performance of "La Boherne at Covent Garden, to the huge delight of Londoners, and has now concluded a phenomenally successful tour of tho Australian capitals, equallying tho record established" by Dame Nellie Melba sonio years ago. Tho groat tenor will give throe concerts in Wellington Town Hall on July 31, Ausrust 2 and 4, under the direotion of Mr. E. J. Graveriock. The sunporting artists will be M. Bwa. tho yon n Ol Serbian violinist, and. ajt. Clarence Ravbuold, -an Fzhzlisli pianist of note. Tho box plans will be opened at tho Bristol on Monday next.

KING’S THEATRE.

To-night will see tho final screening of “Tho Law Forbids,” featuring Baby Peggy, at tho King's Theatre. There is a splendid supporting programme. Commencing with the change of programme to-morrow, is Richard "Walton Tully’s admptatiloii of Itetx Beach’s "Flowing Gold.” It is said that no matter what one’s taste may be, this picture will afford pleasure. Tho picture is from First National studios, and deals with tho Texas oilfields. It is stated that probab'y never before has anything so spectacular and thriLing been attempted on tho screen as the vivfid storm, flood, and fire scenes. A hazardous ride upon a roof-top by Anna Q. Nilsson and Milton Sills, through a raging torrent of blazing oil, in the midst of a cloudburst and thunderstorm, with burning oil wells all about them, is said to be calculated to bring a gasp from the most hardened audience. The comedy work of Josephine Crowell and Bert Woodruffe, as newly ", * -raschoders of the oil country, is described as delightful. Other famous artists appearing are Alice Calhoun, Craufurd Kent. Charles Sellon, Cissy Fitzgerald, Frank Farrington, Col. Tom Bates, and Evelyn Sherman. A lu-1 supporting programme has been arranged with special musical programme by the King’s orchestra. A matinee will bo held on Saturday at 2.30. Rhe box plan is now- open at the Bristol, or after 5.30 seats may be reserved at the theatre, telephone 22—212. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. Betty Compson and Richard Dix are Eltarreil in "Tho Woman with Four Faces” at the Paramount Theatre this week. To bring to book a ring of dope traffickers, men of wealth and powerful, tho district attorney resigns his job and gains tho aid of a clover girl crook to open a safe which contains a paper incriminating these nefarious operators. A series of climaxes aro piled on top bf one another ore the guilty ones are to prison. Betty Compson is the girl, and Richard Dix the distnet attorney. The supporting items include comedy, Gazette, and travelogue. Pliarua the Egyptian gave an interesting demonstration. Ila first of all exp.ained his system of healing by “zonery," which is a method of curing complatnts by a knowledge of nerve pressure. He said that many people who had heard of him had tho impression that he was a faithhealer, but this was not so, for ho came with a system of relieving suffering based on a scientific discovery, and the relief of pain which ho accomplished by his system was carried out by a. number of nurses. Pharus then invited three sufferers from various complaints on to the stage. The first was a lady suffering from rheumatism in the knee for over six years. The nurses assisted to press on' the combs set in blocks of wood. After ton minutes of this process the lady, quite free of pain, walked unassisted to her seat in the theatre. The next sufferer was a man with acute pain in the stomach. He was simif arly treated by the nurses, and announced from the stage lifs immediate relief ot pain. The third patients, who waseuifering from neuralgia in the face, admitted feeling partial relief after recejv. ing treatment, and Pharus advised him to persevere* with his ad vice, and guar«vn* teed a dtefinfte disappearance of the pain in the course of a few days. Pharus will give a matinee specialty for women next Tuesday, nt 2.30 p.m., and those wishing to attend aro advised to book their seats at the Utility stationer’s shop, next Paramount Theatre. ARTCRAFT THEATRE. “The Silent Command.” the big Fox production which will be fi-nally ed at the Artcraft Theatre this even, ing, is alive with action through its entire length and thrills the audience continually. There are scones of shinwreck which are most sensational and realistic, and throughout the story of love and international intrigrae is a wonderful background of warships and c 'obrated locations in Washington and the Panama Canal. The famous Paths picturo "Nanook of the North" has been secured for to-morrow night’s change. Life, love, and the unending struggle for existence by the Eskimo in the icy wastes of the Arctic aro all depicted in this true life drama of novelty, beauty, power, and interest. Y.W.C.A. CONCERT. The Town Hall was well filled last night, when a concert was given under the patronage of the Governor-General, who was present, and Viscountess Jellicoe, in aid of the Y.W.C.A. Building Fund. A well varied programme was submitted. The Orphans’ Club orchestra opened tho proceedings with "Little Shoos” (Bennett). Miss Kathryn Murio and Mr. Lionel Inch appeared to advantage in a comedietta "Her Husband’s Voice." Mrs. L. Heywood sang "A Summer Night,” and as an encore "Lullaby.” Mr. Goodhall played a cornet solo, "Pretty Jane,” iftid in response to a recall “The Perfect Day." A decided success in comedy was won by Mrs. Winnie Birch-Johnston with “They’re All After Me.” She was encored giving another humorous item, and also a whistling piece. The audience was fairly captivated with Mr. Gordon Shortt’s pianoforte solos, "Ballade” (Reinecke), and tho "Second Hungarian Rhapsody (Liszt). Ho was compelled to give several encores. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Ruesill enlivened the proceedings with “‘Meet You Half-way," and a burlesque on grand opera. Mr. Russell also made a "hit" with "The Land Fit for Heroes to Live Tn.” Mrs. J. F. Woodward, who sang “Ono Fine Day,” was encored several times. Miss Marjory Bncloeridge appeared in an Eastern song and dance scone, and Mt. Theodore Trcsize, assisted by tho Columbiamsf Dance Orchestra, gave selections from his renertoiro. The aud’en-e inristentlv recalled tho Aeolian Quartet, "'fessrs. Harold Whittle and Harry W'lson were tho accompanists for tho eventag. During tho interval Mr. Albert Russell auctioned a basket of flowers, which was knocked down to tho Governor-General amidst hearty cheers, for £5.