AMUSEMENTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17328, 17 November 1916, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS.

THEATRE ROYAL.

" THE BOOMERANG-"

By a long way the best piece in the repertory of the company at the Theatre Royal at present is " The Boomerang." One can quite understand uproarious farces like "Twin Beds" and "It Pays to Advertise" being rather more successful in a carnival iveek, but "The Boomerang" is a veal play, rich in genuine comedy and' charm. It begins with a long scene in which not a ' word is spoken, and yet the audience has tho whole situation unfolded to it without an effort. Here is a young doctor waiting for patients, and,when in desperation he turns to patience on the sliding panel of his desk, the picture is complete. These eloquent silences play an important part in ' Ihe Boomerang," and go a long way towards making the fullest use of its undeniably funny situations. Briefly the 'story tells of a young doctor who seta out to treat the case of. a young man hopelessly and helplessly in love. His treatment consists of taking the myUont's mind off the subject ot his attections, and to effect this , a charming uurse is employed. The treatment succeeds, but the boomerang returns to £nite the doctor.. The author B aU tho fullest us:e o this, situation and he finishes his play with one of the most charming hualos seen here, lhe st scene in tho hands of unsfaUed players might degenerate into sentmentality run not, but Hale Hamilton, Mvrtle Taunt-lull .and Donald Bowles never permit the pay to degenerate. The dialogue is the work of a humorist, who secures his effects without any effort There is not au epigram in "The Boomerang, and few lines that one can remember to quote in the streets later. The conversation of the characters—tor that is what the dialogue is—is not a patenwork. It is the dialogue of a true °°HalJ' Hamilton, Myrtle Tannehill and Donald Bowles are furnished with parts which fit them like the proverbial glove. They make everything possible out of this delightful play, and demonstrate their claims to be considered comedians of the first order, who can handle light comedy as delicately as anv- players who have ever been'here. This trio will be remembered one thinks in " The Boomerang " before the other two plays, because it represents their best work. The remainder of the cast was uniformly good. ~ .„ , , , j "Tne Boomerang-' will be repeated I to-night.

OPERA HOUSE. There was a large attendance at the

Opera House last evening, wheriMp. current programme was again ■pr&j^? ! ed. Bert Le Blanc's Revue Company in the sketch "The Gay Mrs Cofefy" . was accorded a very good reception, the principals coming in for'much applause! Ross and Wyso and. "Big Surprise," a singing and acrobatic rior velty team, scored a big success in the vaudeville portion of the prograreane, the "Surprise," a remarkably clever lad of five years, being a special* favourite with tlie public. The Flemings' in a 'statMesque act, were'.also very popular. Tlie programme will be repeated to-night, and at tlie inatin.ee tomorrow Th"" 1 Koss and, Wyso s teain.: will conclude their ChristchurcK season to-morrow evening. On Monday next tho Bert La Blano Revue Company will stage for the first tinio a new revue entitled "Then He Woke Up." The Farrowis, Englishi musical sketch artists, will make then? first appearance and Montambo audt Wells, a clever acrobatic pair, wiU return for a brief season. ' ■'.. " A DAUGHTER OF,THE GODS/', j Among the many features,of;thebf#' Japajieso extravagan/ia, " A Daughter of' . the Gods," r whicJi _ is ■ to bo produced at ' the ' Theatre Royal on Tuesday next and the two following Jiigbts, are the ballet of Japanese flowers and the Peony Ballet,; both of which are- beautifully costumcuC and promise to be particularly pleasing. The "Festival of Dolls" also* figures prominetly. ' and the ftaga settingvs should bo very attractive. Mian A. 'J. Menzies and Mr W. S. Wauchop| will superintend the production, whicbis in aid,of the Belgian Relief Fund. ..Plans for the swson. are open at Messrs Milner and Thompson's, and day sale tickets can be obtained at the Toy Cave sweet store. ' . < PICTURE SHOWS.- \ Statiand has been doing'big business' all the weok with tho excellent photo-' play entitled l "Th 0 Two Orphans." This picture is a-French drama, and gives unlimited scope for the; beautiful i'heda Bara to display her powerful acting. ;An additional attraction is a. comedy, " Chinunie Fadden out West." : in which the leading part is played by* Victor Moore. Over 16,000 test >)f film is being shown at all sessions this week.. Tlie programme will be Vepea'ted to-day. The Triangle-Ince drama, "The Stepping Stono,'? was repeated at Every body's Theatre yeshtTdaj, when there were large attendances sit all sessions. The programme, which includes among other items, a film repre-r Renting scenes on "PeoploS Day "at? the Metropolitan Show, will be screened again to-day. At the Picture Theatre last evening a new 'programme . was( presented, headed by " J.'he Waiters'' Ball,", an amusing Triangle-Keystone comedy, featuring Roscoe Arbuckle. The Triangle-Kay Bee phoio-drarna, "The Stepping Stone," was another notable item of the programme, Supporting films being " The Littlest -Magdalen,' \> an Edison photo-drama; " More Money\Than Manners," a Vitagraph comedy; "From the Adriatic ta San Marino," a scenic series; " To the Honour of France," a war topical filmj and the latest edition of the " Gaumont Graphic." The same pictures will bo shown this evening. There was an excellent attendance at His Majesty's Theatre last evening, when the Triangle Fine Arts comedy, "His Pictures in the Papers," featuring Douglas. Fairbanks, was repeated, with much success. The' film, with supporting items, 'will be shown agaiu this evening, and at the usual matinee to-morrow. On Monday the star attraction will , be' a film, entitled " Maciste," featuring the giant negro whose exploits formed the most thrilling feature of the spectacular jiroduction "Cabiria." ' "Mocister is a photo-drama of modern times, with an abundance of ■sensational adventure and a cleverly devised plot. M Tfte dramatic film, "Martha's Vindication," drew large attendances at tbc various sessions at the. Queen's Tlieatre yesterday. The nicture features Norma Talmadge, . Tully Marshall and the Triangle children. The, star film and other items on the pfb-j gramme will be repeated to-day. "Her Reckoning," a" Metro drama, proved a big attraction at the Grand Theatre yesterday. The same picture will be shown to-day, supplemented by "Their Auto," a " Sydney Drew" comedy, and an interesting "Topical Gazette." To-morrow the principal item will be Mary Miles Minter in the Metro photo-play, "Lovely Mary." There were crowded attendances at the Globe Tlieatre yesterday, when a new set of pictures was shown. The principal film was a Famous Players comedy-drama entitled " The Bachelor's Romance," a story of a bachelor who did not relish the , society of . women but eventually fell in love with his pretty.ward. The programme included a naval picture entitled "Friend and Foe on the High Seas," " Colonel Hiezalier/s War Dog." a cartoon picture, and "The Topical Budget.'* The same films will be showrt to-day. CLARA KIMBALL YOUNG. The first of the "new" World films to be shown in Christchurch. -will be screened at Everybody's Theatre ■neVtf Monday, and continued throughout tlia week. It is entitled " The Feast o( Life," and the principal character is portrayed by Clara Kimball Young, one of the greatest emotional actresses in pictures. . The story unravels a Cn-ban-Spanish romance, in which Spanish hate and Cuban cunning are exerted W the utmost to win a beautiful Spanish girl. The attention is held all through until thv- final scenes reveal a satisfying ing conclusion. . The picture Was film< od in Cuba, under the direction of AU bert Canpelani, the producer of Hugo'( " Les Miserables," and presents many charming scenes in that beautiful island. The story is a particularly powi erful one. and the acting, atmosphera and both intevior and outdoor settings are said to be perfect in every detail*