PICTURES AND PLAYS.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 9, Issue 349, 16 January 1918, Page 2

PICTURES AND PLAYS.

Though tlii© picture at the lung's Theatre, Wellington, is a war picture, a story of love runs through jit. Louise Glaum is the star. Betrayed in girlhood sho takes the broad way, but is r«-crea!ci ky a young despatch rider, and that supj plies th.c theme of the screening, "Sweetheart of the Doomed." The te:st of the j story is given by a French general: •'Make love to the dying- sons of France. Be their sister, sweetheart, wile, as they ! die. ,. Though the scenes are set midst war's horrors some of the settings are extremely beautiful. Ah Everybody's iliero i« also a war picture entitled "For France." Edward Earlc stars as an American who enlists as an aviator in the French service where he falls in love with a daughter of France, whom he .rescues from the 1 Binds of a German officer. There is a glimpse of art life in Paris, but the greater portion of tlie screening; is occupied with giving all tha virtues to those actors 'Who are on the Allies' side, and portioning out tlio villainies to the enemy. In this respect some pictures nesombJe the cheap novel. A far better screening j is the new episode of "The Secret Kingdom," entitled "The White Witch,-" which is part of the programme at this j theatre. I "The Corner Grocer" at the Empress [ is the picture of the week. This picture iiret appeared as a play, and had a phenomenal run in New York. Probably the plot is familiar~to lovers of the sfrige, I but briefly put it deals with an old grorer— <a money maker —who runs the corner Khop. He adopts an orphan who bring* him real happiness. Lew. Fields and the bright little Madge Evans are the srara of this pretty story. Miss Marie Tempest closed her Wellington season on Saturday night to an enthusiastic house. It is pleasing ito record that "A Pair of Silk Stockings," which was staged for the last two nights, received rhe patronage this clever actress and her compauy deserved, for every portion of the house on each night was lull. It marked a fitting finish to a season that wad an artistic success, and one deplores the fact that her early comedies were produced to only moderate houses. A parting tribute should also be paid to Miss Marie Tempest's supports, for, in Mr. Grahaine Browne she has an accomplished artist who gave several fine impersoitations, as did every member of the departed company. Miss Tempest began a Christchurch season on Monday, wliore "Worker ,, lovers of first-class comedies will have an opportunity of seeing Leo- perform. On Saturday evening next in the Grand Opera House, Wellington, J. C. Williameon, Ltd., will present for cix nights "You're in Love" by their new English Musical Comedy Company. This two-act musical play is by the satme authors and composer as "High Jinks." The company is the earo« that successfully produced the play in Melbourne and Sydney. The comedy gaia its title from v "langurouj raise" retrain which is thxMd«d

through" the plot, but according to the , Melbourne "Argus" contains in addition a "number of gracefully scored melodies, comic possibilities, promised and actual complications, be>set on a root idea that gels lost in a bewildering maze of song and dance." "Canary Cottage" follows "You're in Low" on Saturday week, and there is toi be a. two-nighis' revival of "So Long Lefty" which will close Die Wellington fH»a-on,

"Vandorian" in tiie Sydney "Bulletin": J "from London I'm told , that the absolute last scream of feminine up-to-dateness is to have the crest and .motto of a regiment —your husband's, o£ ooutso —embroidered on your nightgown." It looks as if Faf s folks liave little to do even in war-time. A statesman nowadays is a gent who fan legally rob the people of a country without arousing them to the point of rew>lt. Signs are not wanting, however, to show that his is daily becoming much more difficult and risky than it used to be.—"Aiistralian Worker." The Socialist Ministers in» the Swedish Coalition Cabinet are Hjalmar Branting, Finance Minister; Baron Poliinstyern, Naval Minister; Waerner Eyden, Minister for Education; and Oesten T.'nden, Minister without portfolio. When Branting was organising the Stockholm Conference, the British jingo press denounced him as a pro-German. Now that he holds one of the most important positions in the Swedish Cabinet the same press congratulates him on his pro-Allies' sympathy.