ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18895, 18 December 1924, Page 14

ENTERTAINMENTS.

SAVOY HAVANA BAND.

Tlio phenomenally successful season of the J. C. Williamson Entertainers, headed by the Savoy Havana Band is drawing to a close, and meanwhile record business is being recorded at His Majesty's Theatre. On Friday evening a souvenir autograph portrait of Mr. Bert Ralton will be presented to ladies in the audience. A matinee will be given on Saturday afternoon, and the season will terminate with a special gala night on Saturday. The remnants of tho box plans will be found at Lewis R. Eady and Son, Ltd.

TIVOLI THEATRE. Another double bill will be offered to patrons of the Tivoli Theatre to-morrow evening. The principal picture will bo a Metro production, " Strangei-3 of the Night." Playgoers who were fortunate enough to see Lawrence Grossmith in " Ambrose Applejohn's Adve lturo" will have an opportunity of seeing in this production tho screen version of the stage plav. Enid Bennett is Polly, a cousin of Captain Applejack (Matt Moore) ; Barbara La Marr is Anna Valeska, impersonating a Russian countess: and Robert McKiru impersonates a Bolshevik spy, Borolsky. The story is of a very respectable Cornish gentleman, Ambrose Applejohn, who, feeling tho need of a change, discovers lie has pirate blood in his veins. He dreams that ho i* once again sailing tho Spanish Main with a cut-throat crew preying on richly-laden vessels, and causing his victims to walk the plank. An awakening from his dream brings about l a realisation of tho fact that late callers to his country house are nothing less than thieves with international reputations. Through the influence of the dream he develops from a timid man to a warrior who startles everyone with a "*stir your stumps, blast ye," and many strong epithets. His unexpected boldness, combined with Polly's cleverness, result in the defeat of the villains, and the end of the picture records the success of a charming romance. " As is to be expected with such a cast," writes a reviewer, "the acting is exceptionally high. The Metro Company, the producers of the film, have evidently spared 110 expense to make tho settings as elaborate as possible. It is a picture which is much more realistic than the stage ploy, than which there can be no higher praise." Tho second attraction is a Metro picture, " Tho Heart Bandit," featuring Viola Dana. It is described as a very merry melodrama, clean, thrilling and colourful —a story of New York's underworld, a beautiful country home, and a curious mix-up of personalities. The cast includes Milton Sills, Gertrude Claire, Wallace Mac Donald, Bertram Grassby, De Witt Jennings and others. LYRIC THEATRE. " Triumph," a Paramount production by Cecil B. Do Mille, the producer of "Tho Ten Commandments," will head tho new programmo at tho Lyric Theatre tomorrow. Tlio picture contains, moreover, tho identical players, Leatrice Joy and Rod La Rocque, who appeared in " The Ten Commandments," and very nearly contains the same ingredients. It is a story of modern fashionablo society and commerce, and De Mille is said to expose an entirely new side of his remarkable genius. Behind tho choice of " Triumph" as his next production after " The Ten Commandments," De Mille received thousands of suggestions from motion picture followers throughout the United States. When he ran the contest which resulted in the production of " The Ten Commandments" there were many suggestions that he should produce a picture v r ith modern industry as its background. " Triumph'' is the result. Jeania Macpherson has taken May Edginton's story and adapted it to screen form for De Mille. " Triumph" has for its centra] idea the change overnight of a rich man to poverty and a poor man to wealth, with all the dramatic reactions such as that would be sure to entail. Leatrice Joy, Rod La Rocque and Victor Varconi head the lengthy cast of featured players. De Mille has considerably expanded the material, particularly enlarging the part of Anna Land, played l>v Miss Jov. who provides the love interest in the original story, while the two boys represent two phases of American lifo and discontent. As Leatrice Joy portrayed the care-free jazz girl of "Manslaughter," so is she in " Triumph" the type of twentieth century young woman who puts marriage aside for a future consideration and devotes her time to work that will lead to a career, onlv to find that fame is not everything. '"La Rocque Rives his usually satisfying performance," says an advanco notice, " and Varconi—this actor will bear watching. De Mille predicts great things of him."

PRINCESS THEATRE. Another Western picture featuring Buck Jo.ies will come to the Princess Theatre to-morrow. This is " Hie l>esevt Outlaw," a drama of the out-doors, with a train of exciting incidents and daring foats in which Jones, as a lonely prospector, is the central figure- For the first time he attempts a feat which might well challenge Houdini, the worldfamed "handcuff king," to duplicate. Betrayed by the girl he has saved from a runaway stage coach, Buck Jones, as Sam Lr.ngdon. mounted 011 his horse " Silver." and handcuffed, is in the hands of the sheriff. The charge is highway robberv and murder, and the crowd attempt "to Ivnch him. Still handcuffed, Buck charges the sheriff and mob, and breaks through. Still handcuffed, he leaps from his horse to the last car of a moving train, crawls under the car and perches precariously on a brake-beam. Then he frees himself from the handcuffs bv holding them against the car wheel till they are cut in two. DJie credit >s given to his wonder horse " Silver," through whose intelligent co-operation this novel, ingenious and daring feat # was made possible. A second attraction in the new programme will bo a Selznick picture, •" Other Women's Clothes." featuring 'Mabel Ballin, Cmuford Kent, and Raymond Bloomer. Ihe story, which should appeal to the heart of every woman in the audience, is about a girl named Jacequeline Lee. who coveted the beautiful clothes of her more fortunate sisters. Hugo Ballin, the producer, has worked with lavish hand in filming the story, and has given such scenes as a fashionable French restaurant, a Ritz Cailton set, a modiste shop, an Hotel des Artist suite of rooms, and an exterior and interior oi a Now York theatre during a thrilling fire scene.

NATIONAL THEATRE. A First National production. "In Every Woman's Life." will head the new programme at the National Theatre tomorrow. The plot of the story takes root at a unique party, staged in Paris. V Krencli count and an American m.llionaire begin a due! of wits for the love of a beautiful girl guest. While the millionaire triumphs temporarily, and succeeds in getting her aboard a transAtlantic liner, bound for New York, the count pursues and unveils him as a professional deapoiler of women. There is thrilling action in the battle aboard ship between' the count and the American, wherein the former finally is knocked overboard and plunges 100 ft. downward into ihe sea. The count is rendered an invalid as a result of his fall, but the girl, while not in love with him, marries him as a reward for his noble sacrifice. Then appears the man she truly loves. More action follows, as the girl seeks .1 solution to her vital problem. An international horse race, a gun battle, and other thrilling episodes finally bring about a Iwjppv ending. \ irginia \alli enacts the role of the girl, and she is said to achieve a triumph exceeding even that of "The Storm." As the paralysed count, Mare MacDcrniitt, is said to perform one of the most remarkable feats ever seen 011 the gcreen. I. liable, to ino\ e hand or body, he literally acts with his eves so intelligently and expressively tliat his meaning is unmistakable. Stuart Holmes, Llovd Hughes, John Fawcett, Ralph and Vera Lewis, and others complete the cast.

STRAND THEATRE. To-morrow the Strand Theatre will celebrate its eighth birthday by commencing a special birthday week programme. The management's intention is to offer an allround entertaining picture programme with musical and other interludes, at the same time providing special inducements to the fair sex and young folk at the afternoon sessions. With tliia object in view it is proposed to serve afternoon tea as usual in the foyer, each patron being asked to accept a portion of the giant Strand birthday cake, weighing 1121bs which has been specially baked for tlio purpose. Handsome calendars for 1925 will be presented to adult patrons and coloured balloons to the children. The New Zealand singer. Miss Kate Campion will sing excerpts from "Madame Butterfix ill costume at the evening sessions while Stewart and Lorraine will contribute a specialty act at the afternoon sessions The picture programme will be headed bv a film version of the George R. Sims melodrama, "Harbour Lights," featuring Tom Moore. The Strand orchestra will phy every afternoon and evening.

QUEEN'S THEATRE. Included in to morrow's double programme at the Queen's Theatre will be a film drama entitled "The Old Nest," The theme, that of a mother who sees her *ix children leave her, one bv one, is com mon to most families, and all the poic' nancy of feeling that these Jeave-takines arouse in real life is said to have been caught on the screen. Rupert Hughes is the author of this unusual tale of mother love. He has sought to present a crosssection of a universal theme as applied to an American family. All the jovs and sorrows connected with raising a "family have been dramatised. Each of the children grow to manhood and womanhood with his own individual interests, then eaves the old nest to follow the call of Jus desires. Only their mother is left in her loneliness and her memories. But as in every family, the young remember'the old nest and return to it. Mary Alden plays tho old mother, and her performance has been said to he a masterpiece of screen acting. The week's comedy will be Cupid, the Cowpuncher." " THE TEN COMMANDMENTS,"

" T he , ? en Commandments," at Everybody's Theatre, continues to be one of the leading entertainments in the city and besides attracting large numbers 6f Auckland residents, is being liberally patronised by country, visitors who have come, to Auckland for the holidavs The picturisation of tho "Tho Ten Commandments " was born from an idea. Cecil B. De Mille wanted tho world to suggest a production for him, and every country was canvassed for ideas, tho prize being 1000 dollars. Eight persons suggested a screen version of " The Ten Commandments," and because this was considered an excellent idea, each one of the eight received 1000 dollars. There remained then tho great task of transfering the theme to the screen—and this is where Jeanio Macpherson entered the lists of screen immortality. Miss Macpherson has been scenarist to Cecil B. De Mille for several years past, but she never tackled anything so great as " The Ten Commandments " before. That she has contributed so materially to its far-flung fame by her story is a striking indication, not only of her prowess as a writer, but of her wide and all-encompassing imagination. "The Ten Commandments" is at once a stupendous spectacle, an epochal drama, and an outstanding moral preachment, a picture which takes rank with such epics of the screen as " The Birth of a Nation," " Intolerance/' " Hearts of tha World," and " Orphans of the Storm," and in some respects strikes a higher and nobler note. Full orchestral sessions are given every afternoon and evening.

GRAND THEATRE. The film depicting the fight in which Tommy Gibbons challenged Jack Deropsey for the world's heavy-weight jtitla will be shown at the Grand Theatre tomorrow, in conjunction with a good supporting programme. The fight is shows in every detail and from it an accurals opinion should be formed on the merits of the contenders. The battle took place in the huge Shelby Sands Stadium before a huge crowd. A second attractic-a will bo "Flaming Youth," a First National production, which exposes the innermost depths of the ultra-modern "jazz craze," and provides exceptional entertainment, Colleen Moore and Milton Sills appear in the principal roles.

"MESSIAH" PERFORMANCE, - The Auckland Choral Society will -give its annual performance of Handel's "Messiah" at the Town Hall this evening. Last year's performance was a memorable one, but it is said that tliis year the society should excel all previous endeavours. The society possesses an exceptionally well-balanced quartette of soloists. " Spccial lighting arrangements liavo been made," and the electric*chandaliers will not be lighted. Box plans are at Messrs. Lewis R. Eadv and Son, Ltd.

" DIXIE " JUBILEE SINGERS. The Dixie Jubilee Singers open their season ini Auckland at His Majesty s Theatre on Christmas Night. Direct from America, the home of the Jubilees, the Dixie Singers are tlia first genuine company of Jubilee Singers to visit this Dominion for over 26 years. Ine leader of the company. Mr. W. C. Buekner, was first known to the public as basso of .the old original Tennesseeans, and is said to be without question the best-kno*n basso and manager of his race. .-In choruses, quartets, trios, duos, and sows, the master voices of the I"anious Dixie Jubilee Singers should be heard to advantage, and Jubilees, comio, classic, an sentimental songs, plantation, home, cabin and river melodies of the old slavery dajs will combine to make a diversified, and entertaining programme. Another reason for the. success of the Dixie Company is said to be the beautiful soprano voice ot Madame Ncal Buckner, who is said. . 0 be the greatest soprano of her race, ilw contralto is Miss Helen Smallwood. box plan for the season will be xit Lewis R. Eady and Son, Ltd.* J? Monday next. WIRELESS CONCERT. Concert items arranged by Mrs. A. E. Schade will be broadcasted from statpn IY.A. this evening. The entertainment will commence at eight o clock.