ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15558, 16 March 1914, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS.

"NO MOTHER TO GUIDE HER."

Melodrama, with its stressful situations, the wonderful intervention of the tmA * e chance, and the interplay of good and bad motives, is the keynote of the new Willoughby number, "No Mother to Guide Her," which was produced at His Majesty's Theatre on Saturday night. The never-failing attraction of melodrama for a section of the theatre-going public was exemplified by the fact that the house was full, while frequent ap- c plause showed that the audience was seeing the sort of thing it wanted to see. The story is more straightforward than in the usual run of melodrama. There are Nan, the flower-girl, and Bob Coleman, her newsboy lover; Tom Pelham, a London missionary; and Millicent Saxbv, who is ready to renounce riches for his sake. These are '• on the side of the angels." In contrast stand Julia Patterson, Nan's mother, who deserted her many years before; Bill Bunce, the man. who poses as Nan's father, and uses his knowledge of the girl's real identity to extort money from Julia Patterson"; and Felix Green (alias Campbell), the society man and the friend of criminals. Between the two groups are a number of other people more negative in tone. The principal of these is William Saxby, Millicent's father, who provides most of the complications in being murdered by Green in such circumstances that the latter is able, by the employment of hypnotism, to cast suspicion on the dead man's daughter Millicent. So the play moves on through plot and counterplot, riddled with passion and intrigue, to a triumphant conclusion. There are in the play situations without number where there is danger of its unintentionally becoming farcical. The characters, "however, are well sustained, and it seldom does so. Mr. George Cross as Tom Pelham, plays the part with some dignity, and with none of the caricature so "often characteristic of the stage "parson." As Felix Green Mr. Rutland Beckett portrays a choice specimen of the stage villain with restraint and without rant or violence. Mr. Arthur Albert's Bob Coleman is a consistent piece of work. Mr. Ward Lyons submits, as Bill Bunce, a study in brutality; while in Tim Tiddelbat Mr. Thomas E. TiJton presents an entertaining specimen of gaol-bird and ne'er-do-well. The Millicent Sa-xby of Miss Vera Remee is a charming, and at times tragic, portrayal; while Miss Oriel Hotson puts plenty of concentrated venom into the part of Julia Patterson. i Miss Fanny Erris sustains the role of Nan. the waif and flower-girl, with vhacity. The minor parts are all well filled.

"No Mother to Guide Her" will be : repeated to-night and each evening until : Fridav, when "East Lynne" will be staged. "ORGAN RECITAL. A varied and interesting programme was submitted by the city organist (Mr. Mautrhan Barnett) at the Town Hall on Saturday evening. Possibly the item that appealed most to the popular taste was the barcarola • from "Tales _of Hoffman" (Offenbach), which never fails to call forth the appreciation of an Auckland audience. It was an item that everyone would have been sorry to see left off the programme. The "beautiful Tannhauser overture was followed with wrapt attention, while another popular item was the. legend, "St. Francis Preaching to the Birds" (Liszt). Mr. Barnett also rilav»d Toccata in G (Dubois), Andante Espressivo, from the Sonata in G, Op. 28 (Elgar), 'and the Allegro Con Brio, Andante Religioso, Allegretto, and Allegro Maestroso from Mendelssohn's No. 4 Organ Sonata; as well as the andante from " The Rustic Symphony " (Goldmark). OPERA HOUSE. The Ppera House was crowded at both sessions on Saturday, the programme meeting with general approval. The bill for this week' is said to include some novelty acts of outstanding merit. The three Luxors will make their first appearance here in a musical melange with which they were successful in- Paris. Three American —Foster, La ; mont, and Foster—will also make their first appearance. Brent Hayes, th 9 banjoist, will enter upon his second week, while other vaudeville acts of a diversified nature will complete the bill. PICTURE ENTERTAINMENTS. A complete change of programme will be made to-night at West's Pictures, Royal Albert Hall, the feature film being a sensational drama. " Trapped in a • Forest Fire." Among the other films is an Edison drama, ''Within the Lines." "Her Wedding Gown" will be the star picture at the Queen's Theatre to-day. It is a clever and interesting film. This picture is supported by a Western drama, The Half-breeds Crime," and a number of other interesting films. The programme at King George Theatre will be changed to-day, when the star film will be "The Fallen Angel." This is a story of two sisters who followed different paths. , Several films of merit support the star picture. The Newton Picture Palace will screen to-day "The Quakeress," a tale of early Puritan Jife. in the Quaker colony in Pennsvlvania.

A problem play will be the outstanding feature at the West End Theatre this week. Supporting it will be" the Gaumont Graphic and several other films of an interesting nature. An American Civil War drama, "Within the Enemy's Lines," will be featured at the King's Theatre'this week. A number of educational, scenic, and comic films will also be screened.

A mystery film, "An Hour Before Dawn," should create much interest at the Lyric Theatre this wetL ■ It deals with a scientific invention which caused a professor's death and baffled the cleverest detectives. A number of interesting films supported the star picture. A thrilling story of circus life, "The Fruits of Vengeance," will be screened at the Globe Theatre to-day. Among other good films to be shown will be " Two Gay Dogs" and "The Ancient Temples of Kaniak."

A sensational drama- of much force through which a \ charming love story runs, "An Unseen Terror," will be the star picture in to-day's change of programme at the Princess Theatre. A number of films of much merit complete a list of attractive pictures.