ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17140, 21 April 1919, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

-■ ■ ■ —— HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. A remarkable picture, " The_ Sorr&ws of Satan," and a charming selection of vocal and instrumental music Constitute an enjoyable holiday programme at His Majesty's Theatre, the film is adapted from Marie Corelli's strange tale of the adventures on earth of the traitor-angel Lucifer. The famous actress, Miss Gladys Cooper, is seen as Lady Sybil Elton, the daughter of, an impecunious .earl. She marries a mil-, lionaire, Geoffrey Tempest, bu!t really loves • Lucifer. When the latter rejects her she ; poisons herself, but leaves a note disclosing i the identity of " Prince Lucio." Tempest. "has to choose between good and evil, and i rejects Lucio, who returns to Heaven for the hour of happiness promised him. Tho acting throughout the picture is excellent, and Miss Cooper's bcaoty and talent are apparent. Mr. Owen Nare3, as the millionaire, and Mr. Cecil Humphreys, as Lucifer, give splendid characterisations. The concert party which gave delightful performances to Auckland audiences a fortnight ago is again responsible for the musical programme. The English soprano, Miss Carrie Lancelev, is heard in a number of songs, ranging from operatic selections to national airs. AO aro renderod with the facility and grace of the born i singer. Tosti's " Good-bye " and " Comin' j Thro' the Rye" evoked great applause. i Miss Lancelev was the recipient of a ] beautiful bouquet. Charming selections > on the violin were contributed by Miss Ava Symons, who fully merited the cordial . reception she received. Miss Nellie Simp- j son again demonstrated her perfect con- I trol of the flute, her selections receiving ] artistic treatment Miss Doris Struble j acted as accompanist for tho party, and . was giving a very amusing monologue when her attention was distracted by a person I in the audience calling out. Miss Struble i was unable to proceed, the audience show- 1 ing its sympathy and appreciation of her effort. The programme will bo repeated each evening this week. OPERA HOUSE. Two Italian singere, Signor and Signora Molinari, who appeared on the luller circuit some time ago, will commence a return engagement at the Opera House to-day. Corrie and Baker, musicians and. dancers, will make their first appearance. 1 The Tom Haverlcy Players will present "Murphy's Elopement." Leonard Nel-, son, tno Australian comedian, and Riensi and Roger, the Parisians, will complete the programme. Matinees will be held to-day, to-morrow, and Wednesday. POPULAR ORGAN RECITAL. A popular programme has been arranged for the organ recital in the Town Hall tonight. Miss Minn Caldow, the well-known contralto, will sing " The Lost Chord " with organ accompaniment, and songs by Gorinz Thomas and Barratt. The city organist will play works by Widor, Schubert, and Lemmens, the " Jolly Miller," for bells and 0r7.n1, and a popular fantasia on Gounod's " Faust." MUNICIPAL ORGAN RECITAL. The Easter organ recital given in the Town Hall concert chamber on Saturday | was excellent. The city organist, Mr. | Maugh&n Barnett, submitted a special pro- 1 gramme of music, which met with the j approval of an enthusiastic audience. i Sibalieus's magnificent work, "Finlandia," was impressive as played on the grand j organ, and the harmonies in the opening i chords were exquisite. Handel's " Con-1 certo" received adequate treatment at I the organist's hands. One of Liszt's famous musical allegories, in his striking and singular style, " St. Francis of Assisi Preaching to tho Birds," was rendered with excellent effect. Ethelbert Nevin's well-known ballad, " Good-night," and works by Guilmant and the more modern composer, Cesar Franck, gained the appreciation of the audience. Tho vocalist of the evening, Miss Mina Caldow, sang "Abide With Mo." with special organ accompaniment, " One Fine Day" (Puccini), and "Down Here the Lilacs Fade." Mr. Leo Whittaker was the accompanist.

TIVOLI THEATRE. The holiday programme which was screened for the first time at the Tivoli Theatre on Saturday, is an interesting one. The chief attraction is "S.ella Maris," with Mary Pickford in the loading role. It is said to be her most notable production. " S'.ella Marie" is a picturisation of W. J. Locke's well-known story of that namo. In it love, pathos, and tragedy are mingled in the lines of the characters. Mary Pickford is seen as " Stella Maris," a beautiful and wealthy girl, who has been born a cripple, and who, up to th 6 opening of the 6!ory, has never left her room. She has been surrounded by everything that wealth can give. In her ignorance she does not know of the tragedy in the life of John Risca, the man she loves. His wife is a cruel, brutal, drunkard, and drug fiend, who has been sent to prison for torturing Unity Blake, an orphanago slave. Stella is heart-broken when she learns the truth, but can do nothing to lessen the misery she sees on every hand. It is then that Unity Blake, the ignorant waif of the slbras, rends the love story of the man who has been kind to her. Sho is determined that he shall be free to obtain the happiness which awaits him, so sheshoots tho woman who has been cruel to her, and then kills herself thereby removing the only bar to the happiness of her guardian and friends. LYRIC THEATRE. "The Kingdom of Youth," this week's star picture at the Lyric Theatre, attracted a very large audience on Saturday night. Tho picture is one with an interesting plot, and the scenes built around it) aro full of vim and comedy, with a touch, of tragedy to give it contrast. It is based on the misunderstandings of an erstwhilo happily-married couple, and introduces a scheming widow bent on sawing dissension for her own unworthy ends. This person has long since renounced her claim to the ' kingdom of youth," and is forced to resort to ail artifices to disguise her lack of natural charm. Jimmy meets her while arranging the affairs of her deceased husband, and she promptly falls in love with him, find turns his head with subtle flattery. She also docs her utmost to develop an intrigue between Ruth and a plausible scamp purporting to be a count. She succeeds • ufficiently well to place Ruth in a ferry perilous and compromising position, for she misses her footing when in the very act of boarding a launch in which to flee with tho count, and is nearly drowned. In her moment of peril she sees her former life in a flash, and after she has been pulled out of the water acts very wisely on the Sromptings of that inspired moment, immy also has his moment of revelation, for the scheming widow, responding to a false alarm of fire, rushes into his view shorn of all the superficial adornment that has hitherto blinded his eye. The ending of tho pictu.'c holds an interesting surprise. The programme also oontains some excellent supporting films. GRAND THEATRE. The main picture to be shown this week at the Grand Theatre is " Cassidy," a Trianglo drama, featuring Dick Rossori. Its screening on Saturday night attracted a crowded audience. The picture if* ono of great pathos, with scenes in which the skill of tne actor rises to a fine dramatic height. Cassidy is one of the world's poor waifs, seemingly forgotten by God and man alike. He never has a chanco of rising above his environment, and, attacked by hunger, weakness and illness, he longs to get back to the place he loves and there to die. There Li unfailing interest in the story, which is out of the j usual run of film-dramas. The programme also includes a comedy in which Chaplin ' affords unlimited mirtn, and another episode in the " House of Hate," which is being followed with interest by patrons of j the Grand Theatro. NATIONAL THEATRE. A typically Western play, "Fame and Fortune," was shown for the first time at the National Theatre on Saturday. In this film, Tom Mix takes the leiJing part and takes it in a way that fot sheer reckless daring and swiftness of action has nc\ai been excelled in the moving P'cturo world Cowboy "stunts" are common to p.ctmes of this sort, but the way in which Tom Mix handles his horse and generally , dominates the whole picture by his won derM feats place? "Fame and Fortune * » I

in a class by itself. There is interest in the story from start to finish/ and those | who like the sensation of thrills caused by the death-defying antics of the . motionpicture actors will find in this film a liberal measure of excitement. A Sun- J shine comedy, "Mongrels," is also included in the programme, which is assured of popularity, PRINCESS THEATRE. Tho new programme shown at the Princess Theatre on Saturday is ono of tho i best that has been seen at this theatre for 1 a long time, having for its pnncipio , I feature an attractive and amusing photo- . I play, " Lend Me Your Name." Mr. ( , Harold Lockwood takes the loading part. 1 | This is not the story of a Leap Year pro- < i posal, as might be imagined, but' of a i I count and a burglar, who, meeting unexpectedly in the count's room one night, I tind that thoy are doubles. Tho count trades identities with the intruder to. escape his unruly wife, and a chain of 1 complications arises which furnish scene ' after scene of fun for the audience. The setting of the film is particularly good. Ono of California's loveliest show places was used for tho making of the scenes. The supporting fiims are well chosen and full of interest. j GLOBE THEATRE. I A most entertaining picture, and one to which additional interest is given beCauso .it is an Australian production, is "Iho I Hayseeds," which is being screened at tho I Globe Theatre. It deals with life on a I waybacks station, and Dad and Mum and 1 all the other Hayseeds are pictured to the life. No one can help enjoying their droll ; antics. The cast is an excellent one, all | the actors being well-known Australians, ! and the film is one of the most novel and i amusing seen hero for somo time. I i QUEEN'S THEATRE. ! The manly acting of Mr. W. S. Hart is ' ever attractive and refreshing. In " The ! Apostle of Vengeance," the principal pic- ' ture at the Queen's Theatre, he gives a splendid characterisation. The story concerns the rescue of a girl from a lumberman who attacks her. The hero is scorned by members of his family because of his opposition to the continuance of feuds, and he is ordered out of the house. Subi|;qucntly his sister is attacked, and 6ho jumps from a bridge and Is carried away by the rapids. Another epicode of the .fine serial, "The Fighting Trail," is ' screened. j STRAND THEATRE. \ , A large crowd of holiday-makers visited the Strand Theatre on Saturday evening, when the " Kingdom of Youth," a comedydrama, in which Madge Kennedy is the lead lady, was screened. The story of the film is one not uncommon in the picture world—a domestic tangle' in which there is plenty of fun, a dash of pathos, and a happy ending. Tho parts are all well taken by notable picture actors, and the screening is excellent. The story concerns the plotting of an elderly widow y who almost, but not quite, succeeds in parting a happily-married young couple. Events move swiftly to an unexpected and satisfactory culmination, A number j of other interesting films are included in the programme. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. | A double programme will be screened at Everybody's Theatre this wee the pic,fcura being "The Summer Girls" and " Barbary Sheep." Tile latter is adapted from tho novel by Robert Hichens. Miss Elsie Ferguson, who takes the leading part in it, is an actress of finished techi nique. The plot a well-born I English lady who is lured into an indisI cretion by the romance and glamour of the East. "The Summer Girls' is a very amusing comedy. The bathing pool scenes are highly amusing. EMERY BROTHERS' CIRCUS. Emery Brothers' circus commented its Auckland season on Saturday evening on the old dock site, Little Queen Street. There was a good attendance. The display of animal taming, given by tho trainers in the circus, was most interesting, and the animals performed their allotted tasks without trouble. A novel exhibition of lightning trapeze work and gymnastic feats was given by Miss Gertrude Emery. Quite as thrilling was the j performance given by Miss Blande, "The little fairy on the silver thread," whose tricks while suspended in mid-air, caused a sensation among the onlookers. One of the most wonderful exhibitions of animal sagacity was given by Starlight, " The horse with the High School education." | This clever animal displays almost human intelligence, and does some very clever and amusing feats. Marvin, " the sharp-' shooter," gave an excellent display ofj marksmanship. The clowns and "dum-j mies" created roars of laughter, and the I buck-jumpers and bareback riders ga/o j intrepid exhibitions of enuestrian skill. A ( matinee will be givon at 2.30 o'clock this i afternoon.