ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 26, 26 October 1926, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS

INTERNATIONAL VAUDEVILLE

The appreciation of each programme presented previously by International Vaudeville Stars, under the aegis of N.Z. Entertainers, Ltd., gives a prospect ot success for the next company, which will appear at the Grand Opera House for a short season, commencing next Thursday night, at 8. A galaxy ot accomplished artists direct from J. C. Williamson theatres in Australia las been secured for the tour, the directors having been fortunate in securing some notable head-liners Among them are Salerno, wbo is said to be the world s past master in juggling; the great mystery act, “Leah, -Maid o’ -Mist, presented by Professor Horace Sierak, which is claimed to be one of the most thrilling and astounding acts ever seen on the stage; the Two Monroes, who spemiilise in acrobatic somersaulting; and Osborne and Perryer, who brings a wealth ot everyday humour to smart little Lockney ‘ sketches. Other contributors who uro expected to become popular aye: Hilda Nelson, operatic songs; Brian Lawrence (youthful singer ot ballads) Arthur Pond, in burlesque comedy sketches: Phyllis Du. Barry,, in dance scenes; and Ngairc and Tomton, in a catchy musical pot nourri. these importation-' will be the Miss Nev Zealand beauty pageant, in winch the finalists for the “Miss Wellington contest will make their L-ow to tin? aucAence in unique settings. Miss Canterbury and Miss Otago will also appear nightly. This feature alono should crowd the theatre. The box plans for the season opens to-day at 9 a.m.. at the Bristol. DE LUXE THEATRE. Romance and colourful surroundings, political intrigue and comedy, culminating in a thrilling and spectacular reproduction of the Custer massacre ar ? among (she outstanding big features that make of "The Flaming Frontier, ono of the most intensely gripping pictures. This great Universal production is now showing at the De Luxe Theatre. '‘The Flaming Frontier,” which tells the story of the winning of the West, with inter* esting pictures of life at West Point and at Washington, is presented with an allstar cast. Hoot Gibson, appears as ponyexpress rider, armv scout, friend of Custer, and West Point cadet. Dustin Farnum comes back to the screen in the tragic role of General Custer and Anne Cornwall is the dainty heroine. The supports are good, and the orchestra plays a special score of music. “THE SON OF THE SHEIK.” "The Son of the Sheik” (the late Rudolph Valentino’s last picture) will be screened at the De Luxe Theatre commencing on Friday. Rudolph \ alentino in this is said to be more handsome, more dashing, and more attractive than ever. "The Son of the Sheik” is claimed to be his greatest achievement. A sequel to the famous photoplay, "The Sheik," critics state that this is far more entertaining and appealing. It was written by Edith M. Hull, read by millions, and then adapted for the screen by Frances Marion, directed by George Fitzmaurice. and released through the United Artists’ Film Co. The thrilling story of Ahmed, son of the devil-may-care Englishman, who is the Sheik, and his love and hate of Yasmin, the dancing girl of the desert, whose father is a renegade Frenchman, takes one across the dreaming sands with powerful sweeps of action and romance, as the story tells of the son of the sheik’s belief that he has been betrayed by the girl for whom he would give all. Burning loves, and bitter bates of the desert, form the highly dramatic material. Vilma Banky supports Rudolph Valentino. Specially selected music will be played during the screening of "The Son of the Sheik. Tho box plans are now open at the Bristol, Aitken’s Book Arcade, or seats may be reserved at the theatre, phone 23—080.

"WHITE CARGO/* Those who wish tn see Leon Gordon’s successful problem play, "White Cargo,' must attend the Grand Opera House to-night, when the last opportunity will bo afforded Wellington audiences of seeing the piece that has set the city talking. The story» which deals with life in the fever-stricken rubber regions of West Africa, is woven around the doings of a maid and a man who, judging by appearances, are two of the most unlikely people in tho work! to come together. They do so simply because they are slaves to the passions of human nature. A young man, Langford, who has sworn to keep clean, as scores of other young men have sworn before him, is only a short time in his new surroundings when he falls in with Tondeleyo, a beautiful half-caste, who seems to think as little of selling her soul as other women would do oi smoking a cigarette. She vamps the newcomer, who, ashamed of having taken what was offered, repents, and while repenting marries her from a foolish but cherished sense of moral obligation. As Tondeleyo, Miss Helen Stransky is superb, while Leon Gordon, the clever actor-author, who wrote the play, gives a truly remarkable characterisation _ ot Witzel, .the cold cynic, who, knowing what, men and women really are, tells Langford what will happen before the time comes for him to leave again. The play has an exceptionally strong cast.

PARAMOUNT THEATRE. Aspecial film, which has just arrived bv the R.M.S. Makura, of the world s championship fight between Dempsey and Tunney. will be screened at the Paramount Theatre to-day in addition to the current picture attraction. Ihe Dempsey-Tunney fight picture will be presented for. a season of only three days. After seeing the Dempsey-Tunney fight motion picture in detail several times at a theatre in Vancouver a representative of the Sydney; "Labour Daily/* expressed the opinion m the columns of that paper, that there was a big surprise in store for Australian boxing. enthusiasts. The film shows Dempsey and Tunney .in training, enthusiastic crowds going to the stadium, the contestants entering the ring and a detailed description of each round. Owing to tho short season, the reserving of seats is advised by the management, at the Utility stationery shop, next to the theatre.. The current programme includes Her Second Chance.” A young girl s battle with the courts and tbe manner in

which she is enmeshed is the theme of this picture. Anna Q. Nilsson has the leadin'- feminine role, with Huntly Gordon playing opposite her and Charlie Murray east in a featured comedy role. In support are a gazette, scenic and cartoon, with capital incidental music by the orchestra. HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE. Mr. Hector St. Clair brought a. new stylo of humour and a new style of revue to His Majesty s Theatre last night-, when a bumper holiday audience found the entertainment much to its taste. Mr. St. Clair’s eccentric humour is not unknown in pantomime in Wellington, but the liberty and variety of opportunity offered by modern revue gives the comedian wider scope, and though he appeared half-a-dozeu times in half-a-dozen ways the audience that witnessed “All Pep” could not get enough of him. Air. St. Clair has the gift, of burlesque. He plays a fiddle, but it is only a means to an end, to get laughs out of explosive gags and funny “accidentals,” but as tho pessimist who sees the black clouds at the back of the silver lining he was a modified shriek. “Make Him Grow,’’ in which the comedian is asked by the next door neighbour to mind her baby whilst she goes to see the pictures, is a comic gem, but “The Difference" struck a deeper note. It is the story of a down-and-out sailor, wounded at. Jutland, who, finding a well-dressed gentleman sitting on a seat in a public park, begins to rail at him and liis way of living. The gentleman listens to the sailor’s story sympathetically, and then congratulates him, stating that be chanced to be in a little affair in France with Lord liyng, as the result of which ho was —well, blind! A fine touch this. Mr. St. Clair was quite good us the marred sailor, and Mr. Victor Roberts was the gentleman. The supporting company is sound. Miss Sadie Gale is one of the brightest actresses seen in revue here for overa year. She is pretty, and is smart and snappy with it, as she evidenced in “The Gr.easer Glide," a Mexican specialty with dance, and "A Regular Two-time Mun,” which is duo for general popularity. Kay McLean, with his whirlwind dancing, is back again, and Mr. Nick Morton is happy in “The Radio Telephone,” also in a pretty duet embodying a lover's tiff. There is also Hurry Cash, a good negro comedian, who has two voices at his disposal, and brings them together in a yodel song that delighted the audience. Another bright feature of the show is the three Rodney girls, who are exceptionally smart and up to the moment in new songs and dances. The sketches, “High Finance” and “The Farmyard Opera," a cheerful burlesque, proved admirable fooling. In the vaudeville first half Miss Ida Holbein, a comic singer at the piano, who is really comic, made a decided hit in a number of new songs, including "You’ve Got to Have Us,’’ “The Rain Came Pattering Down," and “That’s Just a Little Bit.” A brilliant dancing turn was provided by Heaton and Strange, clever exponents of tho English and American “'Charleston,” which are dances apart from one another. The latter seems to be simply an adaptation of the negro “buck and wing” dance of old. Stompy and Stella are coloured singers and dancers direct from America by the Makuru. The male performer is a vigorous eccentric dancer, and has some humour, but the lady’s voice is scarcely a gift of the gods. An excellent gazette is also included in the programme. ARTCRAFT 'THEATRE. A great picture of romance and adventure, is the Vitagraph film of "Captain Blood,” Rafael Sabatini’s famous, novel of the Spanish Main, which will commence a three nights’ season at the Artcraft Theatre to-night. The stirring story of how Dr. Blood incurs tho anger of King James by tending u wounded man who was one of Monmouth's supporters in the rising against the King, is sent to Barbadoes as a slave, and becomes one of the most fainous buccaneers of the Spanish Main, makes a splendid drama. Captain Blood’s physical daring, his swagger, and his romantic generosity render him the ideal screen hero, and he is admirably played by J. Warren Kerrigan. Sea. fights, duels, and the rescue of damsels in distress go to make up the picture, and the sea effects arc.remarkable. A fleet of seventeenth-century battleships was specially built—and detho picture. This is seen in colours. Owing to its length, the screening of this picture will commence at 7.50 p.m. Special music will bo played by James Haydock. KING'S THEATRE. A remarkably vivid and intriguing story of the stage is told in “Sally, Irene, and Alary," the new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture,directed by Edmund Goulding, now at the King’s Theatre. Sally O’Neill, Joan Crawford, and Constance Bennet, although comparative newcomers to the screen, give very creditable portrayals in the three leading feminine roles. William Haines is excellent as the Irish plumber, Alary’s unassuming sweetheart. How the tangled skein of their entwined loves and lives as unravelled is depleted with consummate skill. There is a fine supporting programme, including a gazette, comedy, scenic, and screen snapshots. Tho King’s Orchestra as asual supplies a splendid musical programme. GLADYS WATKINS RECITAL. At the Concert Chamber to-night Miss Gladys Watkins will give a piano recital, the programme of which is expected to attract all lovers of music. Miss Watkins has much to give in her music besides an excellent technique, beautiful touch, and sound pedalling. The programme appears alsewhere in this issue. MURIEL TURNER RECITAL. There is a great amount of interest being evinced in the pianoforte recital So be given on Saturday next by Aliss Aluriel Turner in the Town Hall Concert Chamber. Miss Turner has just returned from Paris and London, where she has been studying under the greatest masters of the art. The programme selected for this initial recital since her t eturn contains much of great interest including works by Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Ravel, Phillipp and Rachmaninoff. Students’ conecessions are announced, the box plan being at the Bristol. “STRIFE.” The Repertory Plays Club, under the direction of Mr. A. Stanley Warwick will produce Galsworthy’s great play 'Strife” for a short season commencing on Thursday, November 4. The play is most apt at the present timo as it deals with a titanic struggle between the employers and the men of a large industry’. The cast affords much scope for characterisation and the parts have been carefully allotted. The box plan will open to-day at the Bristol. QUEEN’S THEATRE. Pauline Frederick, the famous stage and screen star, is seen at her best in '‘Two Kinds of Women," the William Fox adaptation of Jackson Gregory’s romance, "Judith of Blue Lake Ranch," which is now showing at the Queen’s Theatre. The story deals with Judith Sandford and her struggles to keep from a gang of scoundrels the great ranch which has been left to her by her father. Bayne Trevor, manager of the ranch, is in their employ, and endeavours to run him into debt so that he can buy the ranch for a fraction of its value. Tho supporting programme includes gazette, scenic, ano comedy, while excellent music is played by tbe orchestra.