AMUSEMENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 May 1925, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS

OPERA HOUSE.

To-night’s attractoh is a five-reel Fox production, “No Mother to Guide Her,’’ featuring Genevieve Tobin. It is a drama that grips with tense situations, cleverly relieved by timely bits of comedy. It portrays life’s conflict, contrasting wealth and poverty, love and retribution, seriousness and laughter, in a manner which 'makes l he qfferiiig decidedly human. To those whoA remember the stage play, the screen version comes as a pleasant surprise, containing all the thrills with the action speeded up materially. The direction throughout is beyond criticism, and the photography shows that the camera man took advantage of every opportunity to get artistic results. The cast is well chosen. . “Queen of the Moulin Rouge, ’ a thrilling Master picture to "be shown to-morrow at both matinee and night, is based" on the' play that thrilled Broadway for over a year. A star cast of players especially fitted for the portrayals of it* roles; absolutely authentic reproductions of the interior of the once famous Moulin Rouge in the notorious Montmartre district of Paris; exteriors that are a replica of the Latin quarter of Paris, are the elements that insure realism and true local colour. > maryTTckford. Mary Pickford in “Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall,” her latest United Artists .attraction, will be shown in the Opera House on Monday. Picturising ‘'“Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall,” the most famous of the Charles Major novels, stands out as one of the cinema events of the year, presenting Mary Pickford in her greatest role. Her thoughts having dwelt so much upon the filming of this story, Mary, has given her whole heart and soul to the creation of her newest screen personality. A capable cast of pl’.yers will be seen in her support. Allan Forest is the loVer, Sir John Manners, and Marc MacDermott is the villainous cousin, Malcolm Vernon. Anders Randolf makes an ideal father for Dor. othy Vernon, and Wilfred Lucas is the Earl of Rutland. Clare Eames, famous for her portrayal of queenly, roles on the speaking stage, brings to the screen a fine characterisation of Queen Elizabeth. The production is lavish, no expense having been spared in erecting stately mansions and mediaeval castles. EDNA THOMAS. Mr E. J. Carroll, the Australian entrepreneur, under whose direction Kreisler, the world’s greatest violinist, and Harry Lauder, the world’s greatest entertainer, and Pauline Frederick the world’s greatest dramatic actress, are making their Australasian tours, „has a happy knack of appealing to the nublic taste. The many celebrated artists who have toured different parts of the world under his guidance, have all enjoyed triumphant success. Now comes an artist who, by Mr Carroll’s own confession, carried him completely away—Edna Thomas, the charming “Lady from Louisiana)” famous singer of negro spirituals, Creole melodies, and plantation songs. No voice heard in recent years, it is claimed, is quite like that warm, lovely mezzo of hers, in its fulness of power, its wealth of tone colouring, and its virile quality. Edna Thomas’s beautiful voice is sup. pleimented by that first essential of the great singer—interpretative ability—and by a great knowledge of her work, for she has made the weirdly lovely spirituals a life study. Her intensity of expression, her conviction that she is, when singing, back at the sunny New Orleans of her childhood, listening to the haunting songs of the negroes at work upon the plantations, gives to her performances an atmosphere of realism that compels instant attention. Edna Thomas is no ordinary artist. As a costume recitalist she is said to be unequalled to-day. When, fresh from her American triumphs, she made her London premiere, her admirers wondered if she would cause the same stir in London, the cities that hears more great artists in a day than other cities hear in a year. Would all London talk of Edna Thomas? London did! Edna Thomas for ten weeks, afternoon and evening, held vast audiences spellbound, and speedily became the “rage.” In New Zealand we have heard the so-called negro spirituals sung over and over again, but we have seldom heard the real Creole melodies and negro spirituals of slavery days. Many of these songs are miniature plays, and the delightful'-verbal annotations given to them add much to their' enjoyment. Miss Thomas will sing them at each of her Greymouth recitals on Tuesday, May 18, and Thursday, May 20. She will be assisted by Lucille Lawrence, a brilliant young American harpist, and Constance Piper, a well-known pianist from New York. The box plan is at the Bristol. TUG OF WAR. All the boys competing in the Tug-of-War to-morrow? (Saturday) are requested to be at the Town Hall by 7.15 to be weighed and the men by 7.30. The entrance is by the library door where they will receive their passes. The general public are asked to attend in full force to see some clean sport.

EUCHRE TOURNAMENT. In Carey’s Hall, Cobdsn, this evening, a- euchre tournament will be held, the prizes being: First box ottoman, £3/10/-; second, bag of sugar; 3rd bag of flour. For ,ihe convenience of visitors a ’bus will leave the Greymouth Post Office at 7.55. RETURNED SOLDIERS’ BALL. On Friday, June 5, in the Ahaura Memorial Hall, the Returned Soldiers will hold their annual ball. Williams’s orchestra will supply the music. The supper will be in the hands of a ladies’ committee which is sufficient to say that nothing will he wanting.