AMUSEMENTS

Evening Star, Issue 14184, 8 October 1909, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS

FULLERS’ PICTURES,

■ Tho first part of ■ Fullers’ new programme of pictures; presented at tho Princess Theatre last night, was rich in gems of <rmomatography. lie large audience sipped delicately of every emotion, and sentiment presented ■ in miniature drama, opera, and farce; made a wonderful magic-carpet trip through some groat Chinese city, saw a magnificent nuptial diorama iu India,', and appraised the process of making perfumes in Grasse—the City of Flowers.' All this in a little oyer two hours. The great picture last night was without doubt ‘ The Death of Mozart.’ His pupil stands at his ride playing his favorite airs, and the master sees again the favorite scenes from his works, the audience seeing than with him. A tribute is here duo to Mr Frank •Orowtber and his realy good i orchestra. This picture would be nothing without the music, and tho orchestra played tho minnetto 4 Don Giovanni ’ and the famous ‘ Serenade ’ so beautifully as almost to make the picture a secondary matter. A fine dramatic episode was depicted in ‘ The Victim.’ A drunk is thrown out of a Pans cafe just after midnight. Staggering along, ho comes across a body in mid-path, and there is a rather gmesomely comic scene, something like the scene in ‘ Tho Silver King ’ where Wilfred attempts to waken the murdered man, and does not desist from his drunken entreaties to the corpse to get up until his hands become sticky with blood. It would bo unfair to reveal the sequel, just ap unfair as to give the plot of a shilling shocker. Suffice it to say that the drama which follows is sudden and very terrible; a glimpse is given into tho hooliganism of Paris, the audience see some dreadful faces upon which is stamped tho brand of Cain, and incidentally they realise that the acting has been remarkably good, and perhaps begin to speculate on the expense to which the picture collector is put to keep fresh stuff before his audiences. A highly original comic picture followed the dramatic one. It was called ‘ Plundering the Police,’ and represented about high-water mark in the humorous line. This, again, was French. A mere record of the remaining pictures indicates their nature and the adroit way in which they are sandwiched to make the ..entertainment varied. There were 4 The Flood,’ ‘ When Jack Comes Home,’ 4 Manufacturing Ropes,’ 4 The Limestone Industry,’ 4 The Duke’s Jester.’ 4 How to Train a Ma-in-law,’ 4 On and Off the Stage,’ 4 The Spanish Girl,’ and 4 A Burglar in a Trunk.’ The same programme is announced for this evening. There wHl.be a matinee to-morrow. POSTER FRASER’S FAREWELL. Mr John Foster Fraser returned this morning from Invercargill, where last night he met with his customary success before a large audience. In the Bums Hall this evening Mr Fraser wil] give the first of three farewell lectures—he is in Oamaru on Monday—before leaving for the North. There is no possibility of any return visit, for Mr Fraser is hooked to catch the Maheno from Auckland four weeks hence, en route to Queensland, thence back to the Old Country. The subject to-night is 4 America Up To Date,’ repeated in response to many requests. To-morrow afternoon Mr Fraser will give as a matinee his celebrated chat ’Women cf Many Lands’; and in the evening make his farewell bow to a Dunedin audience, when he will relate his remarkable adventures in that famous bicycle tour round tho planet which he made some years ago, and which alone served to make him a celebrity of our times. ST. CLAIR COMEDY COMPANY. 4 Lady Huntworth’s Experiment,’ a three act comedy, bv R. C. Carton, produced in Dunedin by the Broughs in 1902, was revived last night by the St. Clair Comedy Company, who generously offered their services in aid of the fund for providing tho High Street School with swimming baths. The performance and the staging of the comedy bore ample evidences of careful arid intelligent preparation, and the entertainment should on its merits draw a very large house tills evening, when the comedv is to be repeated for the last time. The piece is cleverly written, yet quite simple. Lady Huntworth, disregarding the opinion of society ; has permitted a decree nisi to go against ter by default in the Divoi'ce Court, and the comedy shows her in the position of a oook, pestered by admirers who find her more attractive than the ladies who retain their position. The author’s scheme is well understood by the company as a whole, and any shortcomings in tho actmv are du© sun,ply to the unconquerable gulf twixt professional and amateur. Judged by the amateur standard, the St. Clair Comedy Company do well—exceptionally well. Mr Percy James, appearing as Crayll, the dissolute divorced •husband, who wants his wife back, fairly surprised the critics present with a study that would bo quite good enough for the Brough standard. That is high praise, hut we are honestly of that opinion after carefully thinking it out. Mr James presents a characterisation that is particularly fertile as to idea in those passages where Crayll is merely getting drunk, and when the action of the piece necessitates his feigning tho speechless condition be is still eloquent, and never nasty. Mrs MacKnight, who appears as tho cook, gives a distinctly clever outline of an onerous part. In the early scenes this lady was not well heard, but later, raising her voice a little more, she effectively provided a groundwork for the other characters, and needed only a little more suavity to make it a really good impersonation. A point about Mm MacKnigbt’s acting is that she always found plenty of small jobs about the kitchen, and was really at work, instead of flitting about in a purposeless manner. Mis D. Kasther, cast as Hannah KUenger, sister of the clergyman, is marked by ease and a thorough comprehension of the theme. It is rare to find an amateur lady so little 44 put about ” on the stage. The vicar also has an able exponent in Mr W. Dempster, who scored freely and legitimately in an impersonation which caTti for precise and distinct speech, and that rare quality of self- possession. Mr A. R. Gard’uer hits off with fidelity the eccentricities of a respectable and self-satisfied manservant, being careful not to exaggerate ; and Mr H. L. Glover makes a very fair attempt to portray the dashing Captain Dorvaston, perliaps the most difficult part for amateur representation to be found in the comedy. ABss M. Aluir walks through the part of Lucy in an acceptable manner, and would probably score more points if she would speak up. ACss Jean Freer Euts plenty of life into her acting as the irky maid Keziah, and Air B. F. Petre makes a praiseworthy effort to make the curate interesting, whilst Alastor Fritz Valentine misses no points as the newspaper boy. Tho comedy is well staged and appropriately dressed. AIIRTH, AiYSTERY, AND MERRI- - On Labor Day (13th October) the Australian Variety Company are billed to show at His Majesty’s' Theatre. They bring with them some attractions, none the least of which wil Ibo the first appearance of Air Gus Fox, Dan Lewis’s double, who will introduce to a Dunedin audience some of those inimitable patter

songs originally sung by the late lamented Dan Leoo hhneelf. Mr Fax, has appeared on the variety stage in England, and is recognised as a clever impersonator. .Ted Donohue, the Indian dab manipulator, will no doubt canse snrprise in his exhibition of fancy club swinging, and is.a certain draw. The magician will introduce some novel items, and there will be a soubrette impersonator, Lancashire dog dancer, some first-class vocalists, and clever specialists. The management coll 4 attention to their prices! ' There are no early doors. *> CONCERT AT RAVENSBOUENE. 1 The annual concert of the Ravenshoumo School was held last evening in the Coronation Hall, which was crowded to the doors, many having to stand. The Mayor (Mr H. E. Moller) occupied the chair, arid briefly referred to the excellent progress which school was making both in reg.v ~ attendance and efficiency, and he „aangly urged the parents to assist the staff m their work by sending their children regularly. The first part of the programme consisted of physical drill, action songs, dialogues, and recitations by £he ecnolara, which wore performed in a manner reflecting great credit on the teachers. In the so rood part songs were given by Mrs Hawcndge, Mife Silver, and Mogexb lbFlynn, and Hudson. Mb* Violet M Oniloch gave a recitation, and a musical quartet was given by Messrs Perry, Martin, Connor, and Ball Some very clever conjuring feats were performed by Mr J. Bruce. A splendid programme was brought to a close by a farce entitled * A Barbers Shop in the Backblocks,’ by Mr T. Crosland and party. Miss Hawcriddb j and Mr T. Perry made efficient aocom- ! panists. ;