ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16870, 7 June 1918, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS.

"DICK WIIITTINGTOX." IhF/ second production of the pantomime, "Dick Whittington," by the J. C. Williamson Company. attracted another crowded house at. His Majesty's Theatre last night. Attractive and entertaining to a degree, the production aroused enthusiastic applause, the majority of the solo dances and vocal numbers being encored. General admiration was aroused by the fino ballets and pageants, the handsome costumes, and the general colour scheme of the stagepictures being also of an unusually high standard. The comedians, headed bv Mr. Arthur Stigant, funniest tit " Dames." ■ rented great amusement at frequent intervals. Bright music, a general air of animation, and several special features introduced, enhanced the. enjoyment of those in front. The Caniille Tr.o, expert gymnasts, acrobats, and comedians, treated quite a sensation in their over interlude, in which the comic element was always prominent. Misses Vera Peavce and Pauline Bindley, in the principal roles, were greatly appreciated in their songs, and on the dancing side of the production first our? again went to .Miss Maggie Dickson. The pantomime will be repeated nightly for a brief season, and there will be a matinee tomorrow afternoon. ROWING CLUB CONCERT. There was a large attendance at the Town Hall last night, whin the West End Rowing Club gave a com ert in aid of a fund to rebuild its clubhouse and replace the plant destroyed in the gale of March 22. Their Excellencies the GoveruorGeneral, the Earl of Liverpool, and the Countess of Liverpool, were present-. The Mayor and Mayoress were with the viceregal party. During the evening the president- of the club, Mr. John Clark, thanked 'Iheir Excellencies for their patronage. Ho said that the club, which had been in existence tor 36 years, had sent 160 of its members to the front. It was desired to restore the club's property, so that- when these sold : er memoers returned they mig+.t find conditions as good as when they left-. Mr. Clark thanked those, including sister rowing clubs, who had assisted the club in various ways since the destructive gale. He then moved that the audience send a niessage to the King, expressing unswerving loyalty, and one of good cheer and encouragement to the club members at. the front. This was seconded by Mr. C. J. Parr, M.P., and carried. The concert programme was greatly enjoyed. The vocalists were Madame Bella Russell, Miss Gwen de Audney, Messrs. F. G. Bourke and Ernest. Drake. Recitations were riven by Misses Zoe Hartley, Madge Stnbbs. Messrs. John Mackle, and Alan McElwair.. The Garrison Artillery Band played a selection. Miss Clarice Wood, the accompanist of the evening, a pianoforte so:o, Miss Ava Symons a violin solo, and Mr. Robert Adams a xylophone selection. Miss R. Harrison was seen in an acrobaticdance. All the items were heartily applauded. OPERA HOUSE. A goid programme of excellent vaudeville items will be presented at the Opera House to-day and to-morrow. A good original rev uo entitled "Two Irish Sports" is being presented by Tom Haverly s Comedy Company. This revue is very clever, and the chorus is exceptionally fine. Denny and Dunigan give a popular turn of ragtime songs, well sung, and of quick repartee. Jones and Raines give an item of music and humour, and " The Tendertoot. presented by Jack Martin and I'd. is good. A musical it-em is given bv Winifred and Lunilev. and Mandeno's dogs give a good exhibition of canine intelligence. KING'S THEATRE. The Merrymakers " are giving at the King s Theatre an entertainment that is extremely humorous. A farce, " Leave It- to Me, ' is presented, and there are also many vaudeville items, and some very good sketches. The new novelty, the singing picture, has proved very popular. W lil Beresford, baritone, sings the incidental music, To-night the final of the com,.; song competition will be decided. MUNICIPAL ORGAN RECITAL. The weekly municipal organ recital will be given in the Town Hal! on Saturday evening when first-time performances will be given of works bv Vic me and Capocci. Popular items will consist of a fantasia on Bizet's "Carmen," an English folksong, "Who Liveth So Meriv," and Rubinstein's " Reve Angelique." Vocal items wiil be given by the Lvnc Quartette.

HOCKEY CLUB CONCERT. j The Mount Eden Hockey Club's benefit J concert, held in St. Barnabas' Hall. .Mount j Eden, proved most successful. The pro- ! gramme included most enjoyable items. I Songs were sunt; by Miss Rtibv Rurk, Miss I Kathleen Irving, Private R. Hell and Mr. I j E. M&cCormick. Pianoforte, mandolin and ' I violin solos were given by Messrs. G. ' I Kemp. F. Marshall and M. Xewburv, i ; respectively. Recitations by Messrs N. ; I \\ allnutt and W. Rankin were well re-, . reived, while Miss Maisie Stone's highland , dancing proved popular. Two Wesley Col- ! lego students gave good recitations, and ' j Maori students sang a part-song. Some ' ! c.ever conjuring was performed bv Mr ! i Maurice K. Ellvett. The Star Orchestra played several airs. PRINCESS THEATRE. Barney Sherry and Olc?. Grey appear 1 in " Fanatics " at the Princess Theatre for the l;i.=t time to day. This picture is .in exceptionally fine 'one, and includes ' some very good photograph-,-. Comment-- ■ i ing to-morrow, Olga Petiova may be seen i in Daughter of Destiny. ' This production is the first film that has been screened under Olga. Petrova's own management. She formed this company so as to have ample opportunities of displaying (he many talents whiih she possesses. ° This l- essentially a " I'etrova " film, in which her whole personality is portrayed. The plot of the play is one in which all can sympathise, for it is an espionage i-t-orv, which is said to be of unusual interest. There is any amount of action in the pie. e, and Olga Pctrovi has ample opportunities for displaying her talents. She appears in the role of Marion Ashley, daughter of the newly-appointed milliliter to Belmark. In that country is an artist named .Torn, who is really a spy in the emph y of the Imperial Government. Marion meets him and i accepts his proposal of marriage. He attempts to make Marion disclose State I secrets which he knows her father posseKsrs. Meanwhile Morhange, of the French Secret Service, entertains suspi- | > ions about the arlist, and. In make suie, I lie goes to the. studio, where lie finds ample I evidence of the <jup'v : of ,]<,rn. He is ■ discovered. and a light ensues, m which .Torn kills Moiininge. but he cleverly passes off the elm-. He takes his own l ing off his finger and [.lacs it. nn the fingi;of the Frenchman, and then sets fire to the studio. Marion now falls in !o\e with | Leopold, the Crown Prince, and the re-• niainder of the story ib occupied in Marion's adventures. NATIONAL THEATRE. i This i.- t!ie last day on which " J lie i Soul of Sat at: ~iil he shown at the i National Theatre. A strict. Puritan y 1 _-iil who desires to see something of hie. I but v. ho does not wish to g,, contrary to i the dictates of her father".- religion, i.-.' the j central figure. How he ,-ees life, and ■what she set's of it are. enough to make anyone wish to return to stricter but more j bier rules. She enters bid company ] under the very worst of auspices, as the 1 wife of the: leader of a gang of swindler-. ; Then her eyes are again opened to the evils of the world when she finds that lie i- alieady married. To-inoi row-, .lane ( 'apr will he seen in " liverv Girl's Dream." It is the story of a gill's daydieam. and of the tilings rhe would like mo-t. and it ends like n fairy tale, fur her - poor lover becomes a prince, and her rich .-uitor is seen as a villain who would disgrace. a girl publicly lather than be refused her hand in public . ' EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. 1 o day is the last ( bailee of seeing Montague Love in "The Cross-bearer" el i Everybody's Theatre. Mae Marsh and ■ Robert Harron are appearing in "Sunshine. Alley '' to-morrow. This i- the story of a. rich man and a noot girl who <ame to lo\e one another- She was lonely, by fori of circumstances : he w,->s lonely because he was sick of the wealth and luxury and the cmpty-hcadcdncss of the

people around him. They come together . in extraordinary circumstances, around j which a pretty tale is written. The picture is said to he extremely sweet., and one I such as Mae Marsh loves to act in, for she appears at different times in all sorts of garbs, from overalls to her grandmother's wedding dress. The film is prnducpd by the (ioldwyn Company, and the story was written by Mary Rider. TIVOLI THEATRE. "The Seven Keys to Raldpatc " will be shown at the Tivoli Theatre, to night, i for the last time. This lilm has secured ■ laige audiences in Auckland, and its popularity i:* veil deserved, Geo. M. Cohan takes the lending part, that of an ambitious author, who. partly for advertisement, and partly for sport. makes a wager to write a novel in 24 hours. The, | story is intensely humorous, yet by no I means devoid of excitement. From the , moment of hi.-, being accosted by a lady I reporter at the door of the Baldpate Inn. I "huh has been placed at his disposal by I the man with whom he makes the wager, I the attention of the audience is held by a deep plot, and a quiet sense of intense humour. Mr. Cohan is well known as an I actor, author, and a producer, and this, | one of his best productions, is an adapta- i tiuii of the famous book of the same name j by I".ar 1 I)err Diggers. Other good pictures. including a Paramount film of travel, are shown. To-morrow Charles Bay will be seen in a film entitled "'[he Son of His Father.'' This film is the tirst in which this star has appeared in conjunction with the great Artcraft Company. He has risen with meteoricrapidity to his place among the first, stars in the picture world. In this play ho has ample opportunities for displaying Lis varied talents. At the age of 24 he is dismissed by his father because he has j been leading an over-expensive and overluxurious life, and ho sets out to seek his fortune, hoping that lie will have adventure. He finds enough. It is a story of large cities and great mountains. It is a story illustrating the folly of youth and the right of every man to tight for his heritage. LYRIC THEATRE. " Panthea," the story of a love that is ' stronger than honour, will be shown to- ; day and to-night at the Lyric Theatre for the last. time. A great Russian pianiste • has to leave her country under the cloud of an accusation for murder, and she goes to England. While there, she meets and marries a pianist named Mordant. Two ] years after their marriage, they are seen in Paris, with the husband on the verge , of collapse, due to his inability to have , iui opera of bis composition produced. j ' Sunshine Alley" will be shown tomorrow. i QUEENS THEATRE j The Queen's Theatre is showing " Tho ' Winding Trail " to-day for the last time, j It is the story of a dancer who sets out to I avenge the disgrace and death of her sister. | Viola liana takes the leading part.. She is seen to advantage in this film, which , could almost, have been written for her. To-morrow "Tile Tenth Case" will be shown. GRAND THEATRE. Olive Thomas may be seen to-day in "Indiscreet Corinne." at the Grand Theatre. The story is of a daughter of a rich man, who wants a "past," and who gets une much more quickly than she anticipated. In the process, she also obtained a husband. My Official Wife" and the fourth chapter of The Mystery of the Double Cross." will be shown tomorrow. Other pictures will also be shown. i STRAND THEATRE. ! " Panthea " will be shown to-day for the last time at the Strand Theatre. A story of a wife's intense love for her husband, this film presents a question of deep human interest and a picturisation of real life. morrow " The Silent Mas-, ter" will be screened. This film is an adaptation of a mystery story by E. Phillips Oppenheini, and is one in which, it is said, the attention is held from beginning to end. It follows the author's ideas faithfully. Robert Warwick takes the leading role, as the Ma* and he is supported , by a strong cast. OTHER ENTERTAINMENTS. The Globe Theatre is showing Olga I Petrova in " Bridges Burned." ' The. West End Theatre is screening ; " Fanatics." I