ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18275, 16 December 1922, Page 11

ENTERTAINMENTS.

NELLIE BRAMLEY COMPANY.

The fact that " The Land of Promise " t< is from the pen of Somerset Maughan, «> added to the fact that it is to be pre- 8t sented by the in {.libers of the Nellie Bramley Dramatic Company, should be quite sufficient recommendation to pack His Majesty's Theatre to the doors tonight. ' ; The Land of Promise " comes p with a world-wide reputation, and ihe r management is very confident that it is going to be one of the company's most h notable successes. Mr. Foster was the \ original producer of the play in Aus- 1 tralia, so nothing will be lacking on that h score. In brief, the story deals with a 1] young English girl, with a thorough education, who has been acting as companion to a very wealthy lady, who dies. The girl is left without a home, and unable to secure employment, is compelled to a accept shelter from her brother who has t a farm in Canada. Later, she is reluct- t antly compelled to abandon that homo, b owing to the unfortunate behaviour of t the brother's wife. She eventually mar- v ries in a fit of pique a man working on the brother's farm, and very soon discovers he is of the " cave " man type. The present season will terminate on Saturday night next, when the company depart I for Australia, opening in Adelaide in P January for a 10 weeks' season. c ii "A NIGHT OUT." p The J. C. Williamson Musical Comedy ° Company, headed bv Miss Maud Fane » and Mr. W. S. Percy, will make its re- * appearance at His Majesty's Theatre on Boxing Night in " A Night Out." The production is said to be bright and laughter giving, with the lilt of the jazz running through it. Regarding "A Night Out." a Melbourne paper states: * "It is a distinctly successful jollification. " There is the usual cafe with the private ' rooms in which no one ever enjoys a moment's privacy, the same discreetly indiscreet waiters, the usual innocently festive mixed husbands and wives and engaged couples. Other items in the in- ( ventory which may be quoted to show * that the goods are true to sample are * the callow youth who goes tripping with the winsome maid, the elderly gentleman with the knack of arriving at the wrong moment and the raiding party of gendarmes. But it is all excellent fun except for the actual participants. They, | as is ordained, spend their night out in a constant state of alarms and excur- * sions. The musical numbers are also c pleasing. The fact that dance orchestras ence a pleasant sense of being up-to-date when it can welcome and recognise the numbers in a new production. The J. C. Williamson Musical Comedy Company £ has seldom been seen to better ad van- * tage." The box plans, will be opened at £ Lewis R. Eady and Son, Ltd., on Thurs- T day. " J "FOOL'S PARADISE." A thrilling drama of the Mexican border, depicting many strange and beautiful scenes will be screened at the Princess Theatre next Friday. Produced on a lavish scale, " Fool's Paradise" depicts stirring events in Texas, enacted by ban- ( dits, gamblers, and soldiers of fortune. [ The beauty of many of the scenes is said to have been seldom equalled. Features of the picture are a gorgeous temple in 1 a beautiful towered city erected on teeming lagoons, fancy dances, and skilful I skaters whirling through the ballet of . ice, the strange heathen rites of hordes of worshippers in jewelled cloth of gold, I and hundreds of Oriental beauties be--1 1 witchingly attired. Wild animals and ' snakes are seen put to strange uses, . while a sensational crocodile fight j • should thrill the most unimaginative. The 1 scenes cover a wide range, from the boudoir to war. Running through the production is a poignant story of human 'i hearts. Altogether the picture is said to !■ be one of Cecil B, de Mille's finest proj" ductions. Si PRINCESS THEATRE. t " The Law and the Woman," adaptation of the well-known play, " The : Woman in the Case," i* the chief attrac- ; tion art, the Princess Theatre this week. . The picture is based on an intensely dramatic story, which tells of Julian and • Margaret Rolfe, who are newly married. • Trouble comes with the infatuation of a Phil Jjong, who is Julian's ward, for Clara i. Foster. This woman is really a " prr~ - fessional vampire," although Phil does not : know it. When Julian remonstrates with " Phil, bath men become very angry, 3nd I a little later Phil's dead body is found '■'. on the floor with a revolver near it. Through Clara's evidence, Julian ;s : ' arrested on a charge of murder, and is found guilty (and sentenced (to death. - Then there follows a year in which every : legal means rto acquit Julian is tried, but ■' without success. The date of execution is set, and Margaret, under stress of . necessity, forms a desperate plan. She gets acquainted with Clara and becomes !* her 'inseparable companion. With the ' help of the. Judge and several detectives, •. Margaret lures Clara >to an after-theatre f- party. There she plays on Clara's super stitious fears, and Clara admits that she '" shot Phil herself. The news is rushed d through to the prison jußt in time to prevent the execution. The atmospheric r - of tthe picture is strong in drama and the theme is absorbing. Special atten tion has been paid to the settings of s - the production, and the details have be .-a carefullv thought out in artistic fashion. s " The principal role is taken by Betty P. Compson, whose delightful acting adds to the merit of the picture, while her hand- ~ ling of the emotional part of Margaret 7 Rolfe stamps her as o:ne of the finest ii screen actresses of the day. William n- Carleton has the leading male pari. There is a good supporting programme.

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. The final screenings of competitors in (he beautv competition at Everybody's Theatre will be made tc-day. A good picture programme has been arranged m support. One production is " Impossible Susan," which tells of Susan Gaskell, a, wild but lovable child of the woods. In time she leaves the home of her chi'dhood and is taken under the guardianship of a cynical bachelor, Bernard Marshall. Susan, who becomes the idol of all the male eligibles, is particularly attentive to Marshall, who treats her at first with cynical tolerance, but later yields to her fres.h charm. Interest in the story is well maintained, while the scenic beau'.y of (the film is an added attraction. Mar garita Fisher is the principal actress, and the supporting cast includes Jack Mower anc! Lloyd Hughes. Also on the programme is a dramatic photo-play, "The Greatest Love." How a mother's intuition solved a mystery that baffled the investigation of 'trained detectives, and how a mother's belief in the innocenca of her son, are told in a story with <in exciting climax. Members of an Italian family who left their native land and settled in America are the chief characters. Lorenzo, the son, is found by the dead body of a theatrical manager, aiid the incriminating evidence of murder b-ought against him made his trial a gl ort one. Vera Gordon has the principal part. Everybody's Orchestra, will play a special musical programme each evening. TTVOLI THEATRE A screen version of Elmer Rice's drama, "The Witness fox the Defence," is. one of the principal pictures »t the Tivoii Theatre/ It bears the title of. " For the Defence." and tells of Anne Woodstock, who believes herself guilty of a -rune of which she is really innocent. llw situation grows very tense in the Court room scene, until an unexpected confeR on is obtained from the guilty pan>. Ethel Clavton is the principal actress and she is given plenty of opportunity to AiL\Ll hW cift for dramatic acting. She invert Jby a ***rfl!ft£b Another picture is " The Land of Hope wS tells of an alien girl's, experiences to i strange country. The principal parts Se Sen by Alice Brady and Laurence Wheat.

STRAND THEATRE. The Sicilian oath of vengeance plays &n important part in the story of " Ladv Fair," the leading picture at the Strand Theatre. Betty Blythe takes the part of the Countess Margherita, who Bwean to avenge the death of her lover, who is assassinated by a band of criminals. The supporting programme will be headed by a comedy, " Convict 13." HIPPODROME THEATRE. " The Fighting Streak," the principal picture on the new programme at the Hippodrome Theatre-, contains many djamatic incidents, delightful romantic touches, and a proportionate amount of humour. It tells of stirring event* m Western America, the chief actor being Tom Mix, whose display is up to his usual high standard. There is a good supporting programme. NEW LYRIC THEATRE. A virile story of the sea is told : n " The Sen. Lion," the principal attraction at the New Lyric Theatre this week. The character-drawing is a strong point of the production, and the character of Captain Nelson, the tyrant and bully on board a deep-sea sailing vessel, is a triumph in delineation. Hobart Bos worth is cast in the title role. SONG AND PIANO RECITAL. The advanced students of Mr. Walter Impett will give their annual song arid piano recital at the Town Hall concert chamber this evening. The programme contains a number of musical items covering a wide selection and including a fair proportion of gems from grand and comic operas. The recital this evening will be attended by the Queen of Tonga and party. The box plan, which is filling well, is at Lewis R. Eady and Son, Ltd. BAND CONCERTS. Two band concerts will be given in the Albert Park to-morrow, one in the afternoon by the Auckland Waterside Workers' Band, and one in the evening by the band of the Third (Auckland) Mounted Rifles. The band of the First Battalion Orchestra will give a concert at- Ellerslia Racecourse to-morrow afternoon, and th« Auckland Waterside Workers' Band will give another on the Central Wharf in the evening. MUNICIPAL CHOIR. The Municipal Choir will repeat its performance of carols in the Town Hall to-night. Mr. Barry Coney will be the vocalist, and solos will be rendered by the city orgfinist. .Mr. J. Maughan Barnett. STUDENTS' RECITAL. Mr. J. F. Montague's students will give a reoital in the Grafton Library Hall this evening. A varied programme of elocutionary, musical, and dramatic items will be presented, and the entertainment will conclude with a one-act comedy, " Dinner for Threw,"