ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 113, 16 May 1927, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS

DE LUXE THEATRE. “The Scarlet Letter,” one of the most dramatic of screen productions yet seen in Wellington, is being shown at the De Luxe Theatre. To Lillian Gish goes chief honour for the success of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story. She reveals great depth of feeling in the character she impersonates. The story of the girl who loved with every fibre of her being is as gripping is the splendid manner in which the grim customs of the early days of the Puritans have been reconstructet for the screen. Miss Gisli is supported by the splendid acting of Lars Hanson, a Swedish film discovery, while the other characters have been just as carefully selected. Tiie supports include a scenic and a cartoon. Mr. Emanuel Aarons was well i i-PoqAyed for his rendering of Rachmaninoff a Prelude in G Sharp Minor and the Meadow Lark;” for which he had to respond to several encores. As a prologue to the star feature, Miss Kathleen O’Brien, together with twelve of her pupils, provided a delightful ensemble. The orchestra also made its contribution to the general scheme of things. EMPRESS THEATRE. The .Campbell Boys, the popular concertina players, delight the audience at the Empress Theatre this week with their excellent ' playing. They also dance ,to their own accompaniment, and play the French ocarina. The star picture is “A Hero of the Big Snows,” starring that best of all canine stars, Rin-Tin-Tin, while his “wife,” Nanette, also has a big part. The story concerns a young wastrel, who befriends the dog. When the dog responds to his kindness, the young wastrel reforms, and after a series of thrilling adventures, in which Rin-Tm-TL. is well to the fore, his human friend wins Alice Calhoun and all is well. The second feature, “A Little Journey” featuring William Haines and Claire Windsor, is a delightful comedy romance, which tells of a cold beauty who goes across the : continent to a loveless marriage, but finds real romance on the way. Claire M'Dowell and Harry Carey arc also in the. cast. QUEEN’S THEATRE. - “Whispering Wires,” Fox Films’ baffling, laughing mystery drama, which is now showing at the Queen’s Theatre, contains some of the finest comedy scenes ever incorporated in any film. Mack Swain and Arthur Housman are cast as two dumb but interested detectives who are sent to a mansion to solve a mystery. Instead of sticking to their job, however,/ they become involved with a pretty maid. Their antics in the sequence in question are funiiy enough to keep the most blase audience in au uproar. Anita Stewart, the star, gives a charming performance. Mias Stewart’s acting in “Whispering Wires” explains why'sne continues to hold a place all her own. In support are a gazette and comedy, with excellent music by the orchestra. . KING’S THEATRE. In “Fine Manners,” a Paramount picture,: Eugene O’Brien falls in love with Gloria Swanson, in • their respective characters. TJie latter is a . slangy chorus girl, and while he goes on a business trip he tells his aunt to polish her up. When he returns he does not’ recognise ‘the girl he left • behind him. She has changed. She is too refined. All the old vivacity, the charm, seem to have vanished with the social uplift. He upbraids her, and this starts the plot on the way, to the ; great climax to “Fine Manners,” which is the current attraction at the King’s Theatre. -The supports include a cartoon, two gazettes,. and a comedy, while excellent music is supplied by the orchestra. • NEW PRINCESS THEATRE*. “The Big Parade” heads the programme at the New Princess Theatre. It has *frequently been described as a war picture, but it is not. It is true that the. world conflict does enter into it, but first and foremost it is an enthralling story of youth, love, and devotion, sharply outlined against the horizon of battle. “The Big Parade” is a picture that rings so absolutely true in every respect that you can never forget it. Suitable supports will be shown, and the daily sessions of the big picture are 11.55, 2.45, 5.35, and 8 p.ni. f AIJTCRAFT THEATRE. The final screening takes place to-night of the screen version of Mary Roberts Rinehart’s world-famed novel, “K.” /Virginia Valli and Percy Harm out are two of the stars, in “Kt— the Unknown.” The extent of sacrifice that a woman will make for the man sho loves is made one of the many, strong themes of Mary Roberts Rinehart’s great story. The smaller subjects are good and the music firstrate. Commencing to-morrow is “The Old Soak,” starring the famous Jean Hersholt, EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. _ The eminently successful picture, “Mare Nostrum,” which, ran for 7% months in New lork, and is credited with establishing at the De Luxe Theatre, Wellington, two records in one day, has been secured for the Empire Theatre, and will bo shown to-night and on Tuesday. This story of'submarine warfare in 1916 was made from Blasco Ibanez’s famous book of the same title. Alice Terry and Antonio Moreno appear with distinction at the head of-a ‘cast of Eurpoean players of real ability. The picture is really worth while. ‘ . STRAND THEATRE. There is a powerful theme in “Perch of the Devil,” a picture version of Gertrude Atherton’s novel, featuring Pat O’Malley and Mae Busch, which heads the new programme at the Strand Theatre. It tells of a woman who neglected her husband, and who ultimately found him in another woman’s possession. A struggle between good and evil is depicted in “Souls for Sables,” starring Lowell Sherman. There are excellent supports. BRITANNIA THEATRE: Gigantic of theme is “Steel Preferred,” a t tr «ction featuring Vera Reynolds, William Boyd, and Charles Murray. The story deals with a young steelworker who is ambitious and who rises from the post of a common helper to a position of prominence in the mill. The scenes for the greater part are located in a steel mill, and are realistic. A roaring comedy film, J-h® Lunatic at' Large,” with Dorothy Mackaill and Leon Errol, is the other attraction. It is a riot of fun from beginning to end. The supports are excellent, and include a topical, a Felix cartoon, and a comedy. SHORTT’S THEATRE. _ “The Johnstown Flood,” starring George 0 Brien, Florence Gilbert, tjane Gaynor, and Paul Panzer, heads the programme at Shortt’s Theatre. Heroism, suffering, miraculous escapes, and daring adventure are realistically depicted in this great drama of the appalling disaster. The other big picture is “The Desert’s Price,” a Western film, featuring Buck Jones. OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. The final screening takes place to-night at Our Theatre of “No Man’s'Gold,” starring Tom Mix and Eva Novak, arid “The Gilded Butterfly,” with Alma Rubens in the chief role. The'musical items of Our Orchestra are well tendered. QUALITY THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. Paramount’s great comedy special, “Col-, lege Days,” the latest of Harold Lloyd’s .pictures, - which eclipses all his previous ipictures, is being shown to-night at the Quality-Theatre. It will also be screened at a matinee at 2.30 on Tuesday. ORGAN RECITAL. The City Organist (Mr. Bernard F. Page) gave, his; usual weekly recital in the Town Hall last evening. The pr9gramme comprised: Overture, “Coriolan” (Op. 62), by Beethoven; prelude, Fugue and Variations (Op. 18), by Cesar Franck; Cantilene (Salome); Third Movement from “Schelieazade” (Suite Symphonique for Orches- . ra), Op. 35, by Rimsky-Korsakoff; Arca’ian Idyll “ Serenade,” “Musette,” “Soliudq” (Lemare); Prelude (Act 1), “Tristan md Isolde,” by Waguer.

KEGENT THEATRE. Agreat many beautiful gowns are worn by Bebe Daniels, Paramount star, in her current comedy success, “Stranded in Paris, which is now showing at the Regent Theatre. “Stranded in Paris” is a story of an American shop-girl who on winning a free ticket to the French Capital, arrives there penniless and without a tnend. How, through an innocent error she finds herself mistaken for a famous countess, and how, after a series of breathtaking episodes, She manages to return ta C, 10 United. States, goes to make one ot the breeziest comedies Paramount’s star has ever appeared in. Qood supports are also shown. Paddy Saunders, clever comedian-cartoonist, provides an amusm<> turn, and bright music is offered by the orchestra. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Entertainment unusual was submitted to a crowded house at His Majesty's on Saturday night by the George Wallace Revue Company. It consisted ot a series of vignettes of underworld life, and combined not a few Berious moments, little pathetic sidelights on life in its lower strata, with a succession of comic interludes that convulsed. The play—it can be called that—is by George Wallace himself, and it shows anothef- side, to the undoubted talents of the diminutive Australian. Under the title of “Some Night,” a house-party is transported, by an Indian seer, to the underworld, where they figure in little incidents connected with notorious streets. There are sneak thieves, tipsy gentlemen from the. suburbs “doing” the slums, and being “done” by the denizens thereof the inmates of a doss house provide fun, and a tinge of drama creeps in when the police track a criminal to the house. One of the best episodes is the pie stall act, which is remarkable for a fine piece of dramatic acting by Miss Marie Nyman as a dope field craving “snow”; Miss Nyman Won unstinted applause for her interpretation of the nervy, jumpy state of a victim of the drug traffic and used her mellow voice to the best advantage in a decidedly histrionic incident.. The alley scene and the river interludes also have their tense moments, the tension relieved at the right time ,by the antics of Mr. Wallace in various disguises. Ho makes his first appearance as the town dandy on a visit to the slums, and thereafter in a succession of roles that fit him like a glove. As a slightly bucolic gentleman; as Joe in the doss house scene sharing his food with a broken down actor; as assistant at the pie stall extolling his wares at “threepence per each”; as the amateur hypnotist; as the count; or as Dreadnought, the new policeman with liis booh of rules, Mr. Wallace is a host in\ himself. Especially as Dreadnought in a tumble-down uniform, with , his ridiculously : funny patter and mannerisms, is he effective, as the audience testifies in hilarity. Interspersed throughout the revue are songs, by Mr; Wallace, Miss Ada Scadden, Miss Nyman, Miss Letty Crayden, and Mr. Marshall Crosby—the latter an excellent foil for Mr. Wallace. The Six Cutics dance expertly, and a dramatic recitation by Mr, Hylton Osborne in the doss-house scene is a fine piece of elocution. Others who give of their best are Miss Maryln M'Gill, Miss Kathleen Daley, Frank Haining, Tom Lincoln, and Les Daley. The piece is well staged and frocked, and the incidental music by Mr. Stokes and his orchestra a treat in itself. “Sonic Night” is sure to be one of the biggest attractions yet offered by the company, and management. MISS NORA GREENE’S RECITAL. Miss Nora Greene, a young English contralto, made her first appearance before the. Wellington public at an invitation recital in the Town Hall Concert Chamber on Saturday, and the reception accorded her was a tribute to her singing. Miss Greene has a warm, beautiful voice, not as full as is usual in the lower register, but marked by characteristics of tlio best contraltos we have heard here. Her voice shows the results of conscientious training along right lines, and the singer herself imbues her songs and arias with rare sympathy and intelligence, bliss Greene’s opening bracket included two gems from German lieder, “Restless Love” (Schubert) and '"The Forge” (Brahms), and “.The Silent Vale,” by Stephenson, and “Softfooted Snow,” by Sigurd Lie. The musical quality of these was always held- paramount, and a pleasing feature in these and other numbers was the clear and distinct enunciation —a rare attribute nowadays. There was real beauty in “Lungi dal Caro Bene” (Secchil and the aria “Empia, Dire. Tu Sei, from “Gnilio Cesare” (Handel, The passages of soft legato were sung" caressing tones. Other numbers distinctf ly pleasing were “Drumadoon” (Sander : son), “What the Chimney Sang” (Gertrude Gisswold), “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind” (Quitter), “The Night Nursery” (Arundale), and two encores, “My Ain Folk” and "Love’s Old Sweet Song.” Mr. William Renshaw, an English tenor, sang the recitative and air, "Comfort Ye,” from "The Messiah” (Handel). It was a fair effort. An interesting number by Mr. Renshaw was “Faery Song,” from Broughton’s much-discussed "Immortal Hour.” There is undoubted beauty in this aria at least. “Sigh No More” (Aitken) and “Love’s Philosophy” (Quilter) demanded an encore, and the singer gave a folk song from tlio New Hebrides. The well * known Wellington elocutionist. Mr. Stanley Warwick, was very fine in "Tho Selfishness of Travellers” (William Caine), “The Sad Story of a Motor Fan” (Ethelrcd), and “The Explorer” (Kipling). Both vocalists received great help from Mr. Harold Whittle, the accompanist. GRAND OPERA HOUSE. “A Little Bit of Fluff,” tho final performance of Nellie Bramlcy and her popular company, presented at the Opera House on Saturday night, proved a great success; and kept everyone in roars of laughter. During their stay in Wellington, this company has proved a great favourite, a fact which was demonstrated -fully on Saturday night, when Nollie Bramley and -her associates were presented with many floral tributes to their popularity. PORT NICHOLSON BAND. The Port Nicholson Band gave the second concert of the'season to a full house last evening at the Grand Opera House. Miss Nora Greene received a good reception. Her first number, “The Hills of Donegal," was beautifully sung, and after insistent applause she gave three encores, "My Ships," "My Ain Folk,” and “The Night Nursery.” Mr. W. Renshaw sang with expression Paolo Tosti’s tenor song, “My Dreams," and responded to wellmerited applause with "Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes.” Mr. J. Caldwell (bass) gave a pleasing item in’“The Fishermen of England," and responded with “Mendin’ Roads.” Mr. S. E. Rodger (baritone) was well received witli his song “I Did Not Know," and gave as encores “Little Irish” Girl” and “Molly’s Eyes.” Mr. W. J. Stevenson played the cornet solo “Roses of Picardy.” For an encore he played “Whisper To Me.” The band was in form, and played with style the hymn “Pax Dei”; overture, “Gems Prom the Overtures”; selections from the “Sunshine Girl, . and inarches “West Yorks” and "The Brigade Major.” Miss A. Bryers officiated at the piano in accomplished style. Mr. T. Goodall conducted • the band.