ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17556, 23 August 1920, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS.

PICTURE THEATRES.

A prolonged course of picture-theatre going brings tome forcibly many points in connector with. presently films, and one of the chief of these is the amazing lack of humour in them. There is plenty of custard-pie , •hrowing and 4lf rufi - of - tl ? e - neck horseplay, but ™?L„^ £tiung co "nts tor humour fSsfe ? countr y m' which it* is manuhtfiVJi^SLi. In ? is some hotch-potch of ■ crude absurdities that passes as comedy, but this,, is. as tar removed trom real humour as the average "human interests )S? m V i rom *&» Pulsing drama of real i lir^s^ 1 * o *?^ with a good, wholesome f JSSi j ffif*l '** a th ?« no* lightly to be passed by in day* when the prison and the underworld,, seem to provide: the scenariowriters with most of their inspiration;' «.♦ *u t!L fihn *Sv thia ia showing this week at the Princess Theatre in " Mary's Ankle." which, while falling short of * place among real -star '. comedies, is bright, breesy, -and exceedingly well acted. • The heroine pretty and charming, and .comes, into -the hero's JH -™ - i * gainer sufficiently unorthodox to be . quite, interesting. The* complications wmcn arise, when the impecunious young doctor is driven to providing himself with a bride at five minutes' notice are just the taad which really might have occurred, and ! it is this touch of naturalness throughout that gives the picture its charm'. '* A series or. complicated situations reach a hilarious climax and then unravel themselves in a manner quite satisfactory to all concerned. A romance of rather unusual character, ..When ,-a r - Kan Loves," makes- a. good star item > on' the - programme at the • Grand -theatre. Nobody gets shot, the heroine is not, abducted, and' the only villain in sight 13 a poor little Japanese boy who gets a bad spasm of jealous rage and flourishes a knife, but the picture is nevertheless quite an interesting one. It is the love-story of a young Englishman, who not only falls in love with a pretty Japanese 'girl, but actually-loves her enough to want to marry her. ~He foils **> weak plot hatched by a- jealous Englishwoman ■to separate - himf'from his ' ladylove, marries her, and takes her back to the ancestral home, where she turns out to be; the right kind of young lady after all. the daughter of English parents brought up by a Jap. foster-father. The picture»is_ refreshing in its freedom from sordid and suggestive situations. "'" 'f.. If:' "The Riders of the Purple Sage," showtngat the Queen's. Theatre is another of those ."strong". Stories which give magnificent opportunity for posses of desperadoes to gallop across trackless wastes wasting good ammunition .by snooting it into th© air. Men fall dead by the dozen, and the exploits of. the avenging Lassiter. who can shoot quite well with two "guns" at once, .are particularly ' thrilling. Incidentally, there is shown some fine scenery.' and "the riding of all the "riders" Over- rough country is a thing to wonder at and admire. The final scene, in which Lassiter overturns the stone that shuts him forever into the mountain valley with his beloved is very dramatic,, and makes a fitting conclusion 'to an exciting picture. OPERA HOUSE. A complete change of, programme will be given at the Opera House to-day. Walter George and his company will present a new musical revue, -" The Belle of Burma," , while Champion's College. Canines will make their first appearance. Jennings and Gerald' will stage. "The New"'-Recruit," and the Fishers will be seen in a new contortion tot. La Rose and La Rose will contribute a comedy aerial act, - While the Rev. Frank ' Gorman, will be heard in new songs. WATERSIDERS' BAND CONCERT. The first concert by the Auckland Waterside Workers' Band attracted a large audience to the Opera House last- evening. A number of selections were excellently rendered by the band under the 'baton of Mr. G. H. Clark. An instrumental trio was well rendered by Messrs. G. B. Smith, violin. C. Bailey, 'cello, and E. Cadman. piano. Solos were contributed .by Mrs. M. Gordon and Mr. E. ' Dennis. Mr. J. Shaw acted .as accompanist. ALLAN WILKIE COMPANY. The Allan Wilkie Special Comedy Company will stage the well-known comedy, " The Rotters," at the King's Theatre, Newton, next Saturday evening. This play, by H. F,Maltby,' was first produced in London four years ago, and experienced a phenomenal run. It has since been revived there three times with gTeat success. It ha* been described as one of the most laughable plays presented for a. considerable time. The leading character is an ignorant self-made man who has risen to the middle class of -provincial -North of England. His efforts •to impress .everyone with the respectability ot his family provide many intensely amusing situations. The plans are at Richardson's, Queen Street, and Finlay's, Newton. ORGAN RECITAL. . : The municipal organ recital in the Town Hall on Saturday evening attracted a good attendance, and the various items were well received. The city organist, Mr. Maughan Baraett, rendered organ works by Claussman, Tschaikowski, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Bane, and Holloway, and Elizabethan melody, arranged for organ and chimes. Mr. Hubert Carter was heard to advantage in " Quests o| Quella " (Rigoletto), and Arise from Dreams of Thee." Mr. Leo Whittaker acted as accompanist. A recital will be given in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening. . NEW PICTURE MANAGEMENT. The tasteful decoration of the entrance of the Globe Theatre, which has recently changed ownership, and will in future be known as The Hippodrome, attracted the attention of a large number of people last evening. The vestibule was filled with palms and greenery, and illuminated with numerous beautifully coloured Chinese lanterns suspended from the ceiling. The theatre will be closed this week to enable extensive alterations and renovations to be carried out to the building. The new management announces that the reopening will take place on Saturday, when a film entitled "Thj; Red Lantern" will be screened. The principal role in this production is taken by an actress who has a world-wide reputation. Nazimova. It is stated that a supply of some of the best of the British and American productions has been ensured for presentation to the Auckland public.