ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18296, 12 January 1923, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS.

" MARY."

The last performance of. the musical comedy, " Oh,« Lady, Lady," will, be. ■ given at His Majesty's Theatre to-night. To-morrow night and on the three following nights and on Wednesday afternoon.. the J. C. Williamson Musical Comedy Company will make its final appearance in Auckland in the latest London comic opera, Mary." In this •production Miss Maud Fane, W. S. Percy. Madge Elliott, Cyril Ritchards. Cecil Kellaway, Field Fisher, Millie Engler, and Ronald Hogue are said to be at their best. The outstanding musical number i.- "The Love Nest," the haunting refrain of which is the motif of the opera. A feature of " Mary " is the dancing, no less than five separate dancing teams being required for the production. The box plans are at Lewis R. Eady and Son, Ltd. TIVOLI THEATRE. Two new Paramount features will constitute the chief items on ..the programme to commence a week's season to-day at the Tivoli Theatre. The first is " Over the Border," featuring Betty Gompson and Tom Moore, and adapted from a story by Sir Gilbert Parker. The plot, concerns the love of Sergeant Flaherty, of the Mounted Police, for Jen, the winsome daughter of a smuggling tavernkeeper, and is said to have many moments of high drama. It telld of bands of desperate, men, who seek a ready fortune in the traffic of contraband whisky. Prominent among them is Jen's father, Peter Galbraith. His son, Val, kills a police guide, and Flaherty .is sent out, with orders to arrest him. Flaherty falls into Galbraith's hands, and Jen, to save him from disgrace, delivers his orders 'unaware as to their real nature. The outcome is startling. There is a vivid climax to this adventure in hearts and thrills, the whole being set among entrancing scenery. Also on the bill will be "Such a Little Queen," starring Constance Binney. This is an adaptation of a play -by Channing Pol- • lock, It relates the experiences of Anne Victoria, who goes from a tottering throne in a tiny European kingdom to the office of an American meat magnate. One day she is a queen, and, the next a stenographer, reduced from ruling a kingdom to cooking her own dinner. The spectator is shown this little kingdom, delightfully framed in the twinkle of jewels, delicately touched by the sparkle of golden, fantastic adventure, and ruled by a dainty queen. Its rose-coloured atmosphere suddenly ' assumes a blood red hue. Revolutionaries seize the capital, and the queen escapes to America. There the drama is played out with a refreshing admixture of comedy. GRAND THEATRE.

Enough comical ideas are worked out ; in "Trouble''' to make .five ordinary good comedies. This excellent film, after —an.', abnormally successful week at the .Strand' Theatre, will be screened to-day and for the following week at the Grand Theatre. It features the irresistible child actor, Jackie Coogan, -whose every appearance in photo-plays sees him further advanced in his art. Jackie is seen as a small boy in an orphanage, his close companion? and'. ■. friend -dog, Q.ueenie. He has no cares in life, receiving only the best treatment at the orphanage. One day, however, a ' young married woman calls in search of .a. boy for adoption. Jackie is selected, and accompanies his .foster-mother to '.. hei', home. The woman has a brutal husband, ; and, it has been in the hope of softening... bis nature that she has decided to.bring" the boy into the house. Jackie does nob think much of his foster-father's ways, ; and sets out to show him a good. example. When the brutal man ill-treats the lad's : new mother, there is a general fight, iii which Jackie comes out victorious, as did David with Goliath. In the end , the drunken husband is safely put. away in gaol, and Jackie and his adopted mother find peace and happiness in the cpuntrv. The scenes between Jackie and Gloria, Hope, who /plays the -mother, are | full of heart interest and pathos, but the story is in the main bright and humorous. There will bV good supporting films. ;

STRAND THEATRE. A special attraction is to by the ; capture of the new programme at the Strand 1 Theatre to-day and for the ensuing week. This is "The Baling Passion," a United Artists' production,: starring the .noted ■',:■. 'actor, George Arliss, Who made so great .. a success in "Disraeli." The story -of "The Ruling Passion" was taken from one that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post. Mr.- Arliss plays ; the; role v, of a. philanthropist, a wealthy, retired manu- : facturer of automobiles, who refuses to remain idle in his retirement. ; Adventures multiply as this man, James Alden, as-. sumes the name of John : Grant by day, and repairs cars in a garage in which lie ::. is -owner with a young man who an- V wittingly falls in love with Alden's : daughter. There is nothing of the cynic or the satirist, the mercenary, ;or the dis- ; - • solute roue in the story, George Arliss.*, having temporarily deserted that type of part. He is said "to have entered into the spirit of this new comedy-drama, and to ' have endowed his part with many lovable dualities, There will be the usual varied and interesting supporting programme. - . NATIONAL THEATRE. 1 "; , : The new programme, which commenced 1 :. a. week's run " yesterday at the National Theatre proved very attractive to large numbers of spectators at each session. Heading the bill is "Taking Chances;**; which introduces Richard Talmadge in.;a;., ■• story'which is so written as : to give him.; many opportunities for the display of: daring and --■ skill in the; performance of "'stunts" of a hair-raising description. He plays the role of an enterprising and persistent book canvasser engaged in selling copies of his own novel. :; He rises rapidly in the world, carrying all before' him'■'■with his high-spirited action and his nerve. '.-' After some interesting \ /episodes ■: i in New York the scene moves to Mexico, | where; Dick has! some exciting adventures | and encounters with a band of Mexican desperadoes. Incidentally Dick performs some, death-defying leaps, generally | ; - enacts an heroic part with the : utmost .' vim, dash, and c'heerinets. Also on the programme is "The Heart of North," .-, in which romantic tale the leading parts ;. are played by Roy Stewart and Louise . Lovely.. ■■.•:/. ' '-'/'.. '-,'..';,.•

HIPPODROME THEATRE. Whirlwind, action, with bright spots of romance, are said to distinguish the new William Fox film, "For Big ■■ Stakes," which is to be the chief attraction on the new programme at ... the Hippodrome Theatre to-day and for the ensuing week. The fact that Tom Mix plays the leading role is a guarantee of the exciting nature of- the story. ■ The latter is said \to combine thrills* and romance, arid to be a wholesome tale of the way of a man with a maid.. The scenes are set on the sands and hills of Arizona, beneath clear skies, and amid the outdoor life. Features; of the film are the feats of Tom Mix as ex- . pert horseman, shot, and rope-thrower. There will be good supporting pictures, and the choicest music by the efficient orchestra.