ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18897, 20 December 1924, Page 14

ENTERTAINMENTS.

ST. LEON'S CIRCUS. St. Leon's Circus and Rodeo will commence its Auckland season in Anzac Avenue next Friday, Boxing Day, at 2.50 p.m., and will be continued each afternoon and evening. This combination has imported a, number of acts that arc entirely new to New Zealand. One of the most important engagements is that of " Dooley," who is described as " the wizard of the wiro and trapeze." Mr. Dooley arrived from America, under a contract to the St. Leon's for a tour of New Zealand and Australia. His act consists of daring feats, both on the wiro and trapeze. Other acts that will make their initial appearance before the Auckland public, are those of Miss Madeline Parray, a lady rider of considerable ability,; Deloraine and Le Roy, triple horizontal bar performers; and Miss Vera Lee's posing dogs, which represent ancient and modern marble statury. These acts will appear in conjunction with a number of old favourites, such as tho St. Leon's acrobats, and their highly-trained horses, ponies, dogs, and mules. A special attraction is the engagement of Jack Williams' rodeo, which will servo to introduce two of Australia's champion rough-riders, Vic. Cowan and Will Dodd. Cowan received the first prize money and championship at the recent contest at the Melbourne Olympia, while Dodd was awarded the trophy for runner-up. NATIONAL THEATRE. The programme presented at the National Theatre for the first Lime yesterday is headed by an entertaining First National picture of the society drama type. Bearing the title "In Evory Woman's Life," it attempts 10 show the conflict that came into a woman's life when confronted by three men, her husband; secondly, tho man she could have married; and, thirdly, tho man she should havo married. The story centres round a typical modern girl, Sara Lansdale, and the three suitors who came into her life. One was Count Coti Desanges, the wealthiest, bachelor in France, and it was ho whom she married. Then, though her marriage was a happy one, she met Charles Carleton, a dashing American millionaire, an athlete and all-round sportsman. Ho was daring and carried with him tho sophistication of a man of the world. He was "the man she could have married. And, finally, came Julian Greer, young and almost boyish. He had never been in love and had not lost the illusions of his extreme youth. Ho was the man she should have married. The situation thus brought about by the meeting of these four people is full of tense interest, and culminates when tho husband is paralysed as the result of an accidental blow on the hack of tho neck. Lying helpless in bed, ho is forced to witness a dastardly attack on his wife by the impulsive Carleton, and, with a superhuman effort, ho obtains possession of a revolver and shoots him. Virginia Valli plays the leading role, and the three men are portrayed by Marc MacDermott as tho Count, Stuart Holmes as Carleton, and Lloyd Hughes as Greer. The supporting programme includes an amusing comedy, "My Mistake," a scenic, " As Old as tho Hills," and the usual English gazettes. The National Orchestra provides a fine musical programme, while Master E. Lighten contributes a Xylophone solo, " William Tell," at the evening sessions. TIVOLI THEATRE. " Strangers of the Night," a Metro film version of the stage success, " Ambrose Applcjohn's Adventure," is the leading attraction at the Tivoli Theatre. This is tho play which was seen in Auckland last year with Lawrence Grossmith in tho leading role. In his screen version tho producer, Fred Niblo, has caught the spirit of tho play and the audience last evening was delighted with tho picture. The featured players are Enid Bennett, Matt Moore, Barbara la Marr and Robert McKim. " Strangers of the Night " was adapted from the Sam H. Harris stage success, " Ambrose Apple John's Adventure," by Walter Hackott, which shows how a family name has become respectable from tho last traces of a pirate ancestor, Captain Applejack, who started the family on the road to fortune, and had almost disappeared in his dinnercoated, mild-mannered, modern descendant, Ambrose Applejohn. But the Applejack blood still stirred in the Applejohn veins, when confronted with fearsome adventure, and Ambrose outdoes his buccaneer forefather in the pictures of rollicking adventure which follow last one after another. A second attraction in the programme is " The Heart Bandit," a Metro feature. It is a story of New York's underworld and a curious mix-up of personalities. Viola Dana and Milton Sills are the chief players. The latest of the Viola Dana series has all the elements that mean enjoyment for the spectators. Romance, thrills, comedy, pathos—all Slay 'a big part, and through it Viola ►ana goes her dainty way. "THE TEN COMMANDMENTS." In spite of the fact that " The Ten Commandments" has completed its third week in Auckland, capacity houses are experienced every evening at Everybody's Theatre, and the picture is creating a New Zealand record, not only for the length of tho season, but also for the attendances recorded during tho period. The Biblical story, which occupies the first portion of the picturo, is the most ambitious attempt ever made on the screen to reproduce the life and atmosphere of preChristian times. As over 3000 people were used in making those ancient scenes, satisfactory arrangements had to made for housing and feeding them out in the desert, 200 miles east of Los Angeles. Over a thousand army tents wero erected in Camp Do Mille, and there wero resident in camp five doctors, three dentists, three Ministers, a complete hospital, equipped with 150 beds, and 20 trained nurses, besides 15 emergency ambulance stations, which found any amount of work to do during the wild race of tho chariots. No less than 250 cooks and helpers wero required, and the food used daily included five animals and tons of other food. There wero five miles of pavements, 850 mechanics on tho salary roll, 250 police, firemen and soldiers. A total of 36,000 gallons of water was available daily, and there wero two dining halls each seating 1000 people Two tons of talcum powder were used to whiten the actors' faces, and 500 gallons of glycerine to greaso their bodies, while 2001b. of safety pins were to pin up the drapes. A complete musical programme is played by Everybody's orchestra under the baton of Mr. R. J. Morgan, at both tho afternoon and evening sessions. QUEEN'S THEATRE.

A double programme is offered to patrons of tho Queen's Theatre, headed by ''The Old Nest," an appealing picture of mother lovo and the varying careers of her children. Rupert Hughes, the author, says at the end of this photoplav: "This has not been much of n picture for plot or action or mystery, but if it should persuade you cither to remember your mother piously, if she is dead, or, "if she lives, to send her a long love-letter or even a telegram saying '1 am well; I think of you and lovo you;' or above all, go home and see her, then this picture would give more real joy than any other picture over made." A second attraction is an amusing Western comedy-drama, "Cupid, the Cow-puncher," featuring the versatile comedian, Will Rogers.