AMUSEMENTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17283, 26 September 1916, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS.

OPERA HOTJSE. ' The weekly chango was presented at the Opera House last night before a crowded audience. The . programme, which was .bright and attractive, included several newcomers. These were headed by Les Legerts, two graceful French acrobats, who performed feats of strength and balancing 'which' met with marked favour. Tho Arteens were two, artists who also contributed au . acrobatic turn, in which a feature was the clever somersaulting and trick work of a fox terrier. Ohadwick and Campbell, exponents of the concertina, made a welcome reappearance after an absence of several months, and their playing of national airs, ballads and rag-time ditties quite captivated tho audience, and they were heartily applauded. King, and Thornton, assisted by .Ru-pert-Drum, who have established themselves (as prime favourites by . their clever sketch work, presented, a smart American play let ;. entitled, " The Sheriff," in which it was shown how on occasions, a little timely bluff will help to solve Lemon and Hill also supplied a little sketch portraying sunshine and shadows. , Bert La Blanc's Musical Bevuo Company was seen in; a musical sketch, entitled "In Watts,", a bright one-act comedy, which concerns the lost deeds of a town of the name of Watts, and a number of claimants to the town. Bert La Blanc and Jake Mack provided no end of merriment as the Yiddish claimants, and they were well supported by all the members'of'the.oompany, including Nellie Fallon, who sang and danced prettily and gracefully. The ballets were very effective, and the vocal contributions by:,the New York Comedy Four, were most enjoyable. The programme will be repeated to-night.

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. A comedy of errors was the description given by the billboards to. the new Vitagraph picture shown at Everybody's Theatre yesterday. "Crooky," as it is called, is the story of an esoaped convict;; who has a very exciting series, of adventures out of gaol in his endeavours toi escape the attention of a designing old maid, and he is not safe- until' ho , is recaptured by the police, and re-committed, ; thankfully, to the safety of prison bars. In this story Frank Daniels takes the leading part very ably. A Vitagraph drama, "The Turn of a Card," provides a short sensation of an interesting variety.; The "Chaplin Cartoon" is as usual a very attractive feature of the programme, and, the "Official War Film " shows some very realistic views 6i the French campaign while toe " Gaumont Graphic •" covers a long series of topical' events. The pictures will be shown continuously throughout the week. • • , • ■ GRAND THEATRE. The fourth episode of the ".Broken Coin " serial; Was an additional attraction at the' Grand Theatre yesterday. The story continues with the events at the King's' palace as Lucille Love enters to hand over the missing half of the broken coin, which was contained in ah envelope. To her astonishment the envelope is empty. A fruitless search is made for the two halves of the coin. The, appearance of two spies in the,pay of foroign Powers, who are also seeking tho possession of the coin further complicates matters. Lucille Lbve : tracks the 'spies, and the instalment ifohcludes in; a most sensational scene. ." The. Yellow Passport," a Russian story, featuring the wellknown player Clara Kimball Young, was. repeated yesterday. Tho story commences ; with a massacre by the "Black Hundred" at Kiev, and many exciting situations, follow. The programme will be repeated at all sessions to-day. "The Broken Coin "'will be shown for the last 1 time to-morrow.

PICTURE SHOWS. .A thrilling story of Paris street lifa was shown before a large attendance in. His Majesty's Theatre last night, when' Mae Marsh and Robert Harron appeared in "A Child of the Paris Streets." The story tells : of tho revengo of an Apache woman on thef Judge who has sentenced .her son to the guillotine. She'abducts the Judge's little daughter and brings her up in the. Anache way to be a thief, until the crime is discovered and the girl is mercifully restored to her father. It was a play full of sensationalism, but was happily toned off by the triumph of, virtue. The programme also included pictures qf life, in the 'Paris Zoo, views of the! A usable' Chasm, a wonderful waterway between high walla of rock, and the " Pathe, Gazette." Undoubtedly the most popular item of the evening was the usual "Mutt and Jeff" animated cartoon. The pictures will bo repeated this evening.

The ueW programme at the Queen's Theatre yesterday was headed by , a film adaptation of Thomas Hardy's wellknown novel, "Far From the Madding Crowd." ' The picture is produced by the Hepworth Company, and the staging,,- sottirgs and photography are excellent. -A, feature of the film is tho beautiful 'scenery, and many fine views of the landscapes and highways in Wales are shown. 1 The priucipal part is played by tho popular artist, Florence Turner. The story tells of an impulsive and capricious woman, upon whom suffering and tragedy, are brought by her own aouolis. The supporting pictures , include the., " Pathe Gazette," which, amongst other items, shows the visit of the New Zealand parliamentary delegates to the troops on Salisbury Plain. Tho same films will be shown to-day. A very fine Bluebird production, entitled "The Crippled Hand,"*, was the star item on the new programme at Starland, yesterday It described the adventures of a modern Cinderella, and was a clever mixture of, a story of the stage and of the well-known-fairy tale. The picture work was beautiful, especially the fairy scenes and the visualisation of tho "Cinderella" dream, in which the famous slipper incident and the ball at the Prince's palace were elaborately spt forth on the soreon. The principal parts were portrayed by Ella Hall and Robert Leonard. The supporting items were a fine film showing French fighting in the Somme battle and the taking of German prisoners under fire, and a comic pic-ture,-"The Deacon's Waterloo." Tho programme Will he shown again to-day and tp-hi'crht." , . Mary Pickford appeared in a beautiful romance, "Hearts Adrift," at the Globe Theatre yesterday, and there wei'o large attendances at all sessions. The story deals with life on a lonely' island, and Miss Pickford as a castaway was seen to great advantage. Among the| supporting films the war pictures were of conspicuous merit, and there was a due proportion ot comedy films. The pictures will be shown continuously tv-^tfj. " A Child of the Paris Streets," a Triangle drama, of life in the underworld of a great eity, drew a large attendance to tlie Theatre last night. The story, which'features Mae Marsh, deals with the revenge of a female Apache, who steals a judgo's daughter and brings-the girl up to be a. criminal. Scenic, humorous ' and topical pictures were also on the programme, which will be repeated this evcripg.

THE SHAKESPEAREAN SEASON. The revival of Shakespeare at the Theatre Royal nox't Saturday night should be welcomed by playgoers, cspeciallv in view of the fact that Mr Allan Wilkie and Miss Frediswyde Hunter-Waits will be conspicuous performers among a strong company. The sec son will 6xteud over thirteen nights. "The Merchant of Venice" will bo the opening production, and it will

also be staged on the following Monday, night. On Tuesday and Wednesdav Sliakespearo's sublime tragedy " Hamlet" will be presented, and then will come in the order named, "Twelfth Night," "Romeo and Juliet," ."' As You Like It" andl "Othello." The staring for the six productions will ..be *on a lavish scale. Apart from the two leading artists'; the company will include' Vivian' Edwards, David Bellbridge, Henri Doro,. Edward Laifdor,' Walter "Hunt/ Fred Patey, Fred Kehoe, Henry Bedford, William Fc.rsythe, P.- V. i Scully, Ernest' Cummins, William Marshall, John Cave, Fred Erancis,, Ruth Nbrreys, Jan© Scott, Elwyn Harvey, Elma Paul and Valentine Sidney. The plans" for the first three productions will open at Messrs Milner and Thompson's ;oo Thursday morning at nine o clock.