ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16201, 11 April 1916, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS .

- !EHE , ROYAL STROLLERS.

Anoihisb change of programme, in every way equal to those which, have gone before it, was presented by the. Royal Strollers -at His Majesty's Theatre last night Tho new programme began with a lively chorus, and was followed by an amusingly clever mixture of poplar airs. In duet and dance Miss Madeline Roesiter and Mr. Desmond again appeared with great success. "Billy, Ye Incomparable Jester," in his usual happy fashion filled the house with merriment, and Mr. James, in " Songs and Singers " and astonishing feats of "Thought Reading," was most entertaining. Messrs.- James and Desmond gave a clever exhibition of whirlwind dancing in "Those Awful Curates," The Strollers were again very popular in their catchy concerted numbers. ■ Miss Gwen Lewis, at the piano, gave a delightful entertainment, and Mr. A. A. Dunn, in the piccolo solo, " Tho Bird in the Wood," won loud applause. Miss Connie Milne was again popular in her vocal items, as were also Messrs. Graystonoand Desmond. A clever burlesque was founded on the programme of an old-time minstrel troupe, no less than 27 items being presented in tho space of ten minutes. OPERA HOUSE. A most entertaining programme is presented this week at tne Upera house, and last uignt a mrgo audience set upon it tho seat of success. One of the most notable features was the first appearance of Fred Maguire in vaudeville, 'this talented actor, vocalist, and comedian has forsaken musical comedy, in which ho has played with success, lio appeared in Aus-. traiia, playing in "Th,» Girl in the Taxi." I Last night ho showed to great advantage j in his' new role. His songs are topical, and make a direct appeal, Me is possessed oi a voice of exceptionally fino quality, and i his vigorous personality at once wins lav-1 our. Another special engagement, which gained .an , immediate success, is that of i Belle and Betty, a pair of clever artistes, who present an original turn. Commencing with a "bright musical number they proceed, to give a scries of national and novelty dances. Their accomplished footwork, quaint, costumes, and engaging manner, soon made them popular. Bates, and Wade, • strong men and comedy acro-1 bats, also made a successful first appear-1 ance. They gave an exhibition of physical j strength, combined with an un-. usual 'grace and extraordinary ease, 1 which spblic" of ' years' of hard ( practice. Carlton Max, the master ven-, triloquist, continued-his exceptional sue. cess* of last week, keeping the audience delighted for at least twenty minutes. An original feature of the turn is that the ventriloquist takes his dummy into the audience. Sharrat and Lang scored a success with a most amusing parody on melodrama, a clever representation which kept the "house" in roars of laughter; Mabel and Malfe appeared in a new sketch, which included smart patter and a novel dance, illustrative of the fears of a- child's imagination. Mabel also gave a pretty exhibition of skipping-rope dancing!.' A turn fnjl-.;pf variety was presented bv Svdnev Bach as "Mrs. James," the Welsh "landlady., J .with the musical boarders. the act calls for a display of real*' musical ability as' a player of the pianoforte. The brothers La Mert, whistling monologuists and accomplished piarrists, again put forward an 'entertainment which was light ard versatile. Whistling solos of a most difficult character were ' excellently rendered; and imitations of songs, as sung by a child, an old woman, and a young man, were well received. 'Fresh successes were won by, Miss Agnes Rawes, the popular singer of 'ballads. Her repertoire of songs was well- chosen and admirablv suited " the ran(» of her voice. Altogether the programme, at the Onera Hous« combines varifty with, brightness and is ono of considerable merit.

; ; "BUSINESS IS BUSINESS." The' powerful drama from the pen of Octave \Mirabean, " Business is Business," was screened in Auckland for the first time at the; King George Theatre yesterday morning; 'The cast is as follows:— Isidore Lscliat, Nat C. Goodwin; : Xavier Le|;hat, Mr, Nelson; Madame Lechat, MaUde George; Germaine Lechat. Mademoiselle Marguerite. Mr. F. McGrew Willis is responsible for the scenery, while tbcjplay was produced by Mr. Otis Turner;- Isidore Lechat is a dissolute miser, his only cam- being how to increase his already larg.i and everything he values" from tliis standpoint. His usual place of residence is a castle in the south of 'France, '..here he lives with his wife and, 1 daughter Germaine. The brutality of the man is shewn when, on entering the home of one of his tenants, he espies a newly-born child, and at once orders the family to leave the house, declaring that - he'.will not have children born. on his ■ estate. Even his daughter's future has only monetary value, When opportunity offers he intends to marry her to some rich heir, bo that when he finds her keeping .'company with Lucien Gaurraud, the overseer of the castle, he peremptorily orders her home. His son Xavier is his onehtrue object of affection besides money. However, the boy is following in his father's footsteps, aid leading a shameful life* At tho gaining tables at Monte Carlo : he Joses large sums of money, finally havingyto borrow from his friend, the son of (he Minister (or War, to; make good his losses. Celeste Saint. Jean is Isidore's mistresg in Paris, and she is very anxious that i he should leave his wife and live with her. This he refuses to do, saying that he must live for the future of his two children. His business acumen is displayed when two swindlers offer him the option over a mine, which is, however, inside the military lines. He sees through the plan/ and forestalls them by securing a permit to work the mine from the military authoritie?. The finale of this drama is exceptionally powerful, featuring two deajhs and a marriage. The principal supporting picture is the 10th episode of '"Hie Alack..Box." It deals with the adventures of. the party ;in search-'of the! man Craig. -On the voyage to Port Suez. Although' exhaustive .search does.not reveal him. it is definitely proved ' that he, is on the same steamer with them.' A little-known poison', which causes ' the death of two persons, gives the episode the air of mystery which characterises the'*A-hole story. ; GLOBE THEATRE. The principal item in the new programme .presented at the Globe Theatre to-day is a drama entitled "The Dead Man's" Keys.'' The chief clerk, who is in need ol money, steals the keys of the safe from his employer and has a duplicate made. Before rifling the safe ho shoots his employer dead with a silent revolver. An assistant, who was in disgrace with the murdered man, finds the body and picks up the revolver, with the result that he is charged with the crime, Hew the chief clerk's guilt is discovered by means of a thumb print left on the ' keymaker'a wax is powerfully told. The comedy section of the programme includes a Charlie Chaplin film, "Dough and Dynamite." PRINCESS THEATRE. " Marrying Money " is the chief item at the J.'rincess Theatre this week. It i is a fascinating story, which, besides being , dramatical, contains the elements of a, comedy. Miss' Clara Kimball, You'g, who' takes tho leading part, is descried as " the loveliest and sweetest pers." vilify in the picture- world." The supj.o tini; items include a drama entitled "His Oust Fulfilled," . ~.

KING'S THEATEE. A picturo which shquld prove popular is "The Arab," which is beitg shown at the King's Theatre this week. The story is'in Eastern romance. Jamil, the son of -the Sheik of, ; tho Bedouins, robs a. caravan in the desert.. L His .father refuses .to countenance this act, and gives Jamil's

favonrite;horsa to the leader of the Vara-' van i as 'compensation.' The horse is ultimately A returned ?to Jamil ■„ by. a : mission teacher, into whose hands,it' has fallen. Jamil"vin; time is converted to Christianity, and loes not return; to his father. Meanwhile the Bedouins had decided- to carry out a massacre of the Christians, their chief giving his consent in 'the hope of finding his son. Tho massacre duly takes place, but tho mission teachor is saved by Jamil. The final scene depicts her leaving him in tho desert to make her way v bade to civilisation. GRAND THEATRE. "Helen's Babies," a light comedy, heads the programme at tho Grand Theatre this week. Harry, Helen's only brother, volunteers to take charge of her two little boys while alio is away. The pranks the children play on their uncle are very, amusing. The supporting pictures include : "The Sacred Bracelet," drama;'"Midnight Prowlers." comedy; and "Tho California Scrapbook," scenic study., EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. m A film 6000 ft in length, "The Arab," is being screened at Everybody's Theatre this week. The opening Bcene depicts tho robbery of a caravan in the desert by Jamil, son of the chief of the Bedouins. Tho chief, however, gives Jamil's favourite horse to the leader of the caravan as compensation. In the course of events the horse becomes the property of a mission teacher, who returns it to Jamil. About this time a plot to kill all the Christians within reach is being hatched by tho Bedouins. The chief agrees to give his support only on condition that his son Jamil, who has disappeared, is found. The massacre is carried out, but the mission teacher, a woman, is saved by Jamil, who has been converted to Christianity. GRAFTON THEATRE. " The Vampire" is the leading pictunj which is being presented at the Grafton Theatre this week. It is the story of a woman who was illegally married and deserted by a heartless villain. Brokenhearted, tho girl becomes an adventuress, and a secret service agent. While collecting information, she wins the affection of a young attache of tho American Legation, who she lesTis is the son of the\ian who ruined her. More complications ensue, making the final scene very powerful.

QUEEN'S THEATER

"The Man in Possession" headi. the I new programme- at tho Queen's lV«.tre : this week. It is a farcical photo-plav featuring Bill Merson. Tho item produced by the ?£ssanay Company, "Little Mill ! Trace,' is well up to the standard of I former pictures from the same source. Miss Neil Craig takes the leading part, which she performs with her usual grace. The "Eclair Topical" and "Warwick War Chronicle" are good supporting items. LYRIC THEATRE. The programme at the Lyric Theatre this week is headed by a drama entitled The Goose Girl," from the novel by Harold McGrath. When a baby the daughter of the Duke of Malavia is abducted, and 15 years later her place is taken by the daughter of the Count a Alcone. Tho real princess grows up to be a goose girl, while the daughter of the count, in her false role, is introduced to the young King of Carnelia, who, to facilitate matters of State, has been urged to marry her. The King, however, declines to carry out the wishes of his advisers, preferring to set out upon the road as a knight of the highway. He meets the goose girl, and falls in love with her. Eventually the real princess is discovered, and the King, when he finds out that the was the goose girl, marries her without hesitation. "Back to the Primitive," a Vitagraph comedy, and "Lizards," a Nature study, are included in the programme.