ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19041, 11 June 1925, Page 12

ENTERTAINMENTS.

WILLIAM HEUGHAN SEASON. William Heughan, tho great Scots dramatic basso cantante, acclaimed as one of the world's greatest singers, give three concerts in the Auckland Town Hall on June 16, 17 and 18. He has had a wonderful career as a singer and has won unqualified success'wherever ho has sung. "Writing of Mr. William Heughan's concerts in the Town Hall, Melbourne, recently, the Argus ,said,: "'He has a voice of quite exceptional power, but this does not by a very long way exhaust tho list of his qualifications. Ho is a born actor, and can add immeasurably by unexaggerated gestures to the effect of a phrase, verbal or musical. In this respect, as well as in others, singers can learn much from Mr. Heughan. His performance and dramatisation of the old Somersetshire folk-song, 'Widdicombe Fair,' was positively electrifying. This kind of thing shows him at his very best, and an exceedingly fine, best it it." It has been the unanimous opinion of the press and public alike wherever he has appeared, that as an interpretative artiste he stands aione. A well-known critic once wrote of him: "He is a Scot with all the temperament of a Bruce and a Burns, a Gael and a Jacobite. When he sings of Bruce or Bonnie Prince Charlie 'his face, my lord, is liiio a book where men may read' of the devotion of tlio patriot. And yet Heughan's versatility is amazing. He will smg a West Country song that would delight the heart of Thomas Hardy in its rendering. He willsing an Irish song to charm the ear of any colleen, and I have no doubt he can sing ft song of Wales well enough tomake Lloyd George forget his Liberalism. Mr. ■Heughan will bo assisted by Hyman Lenzer, a violinist of exceptional technical and expressive ability, and Gladys Saver, a charming and finished pianisto who has met with fine receptions during the present tour. The box plan for the season of three nights will open at* Lewis R. Eady and Son, Ltd., to-day. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. A sparkling and humorous romance of the motion picture stpdios in Merton of the Movies," the latest Paramount picture, which will be the chief attraction at, Everybody's Theatre to-morrow. Written by the popular American novelist, Harry Leon Wilson, this delightful satire'has been faithfully transferred to tho screen, keeping all the sparkle found in the novel. The story deals with a clerk in a country grocery store who dreams that he will some day become a "movie" star, and spends his spare moments in acting scenes in the privacy of his room, saving his wages for a trip to Hollywood. After a" fruitless search of the studios in quest of a job, lie finds that he can mot even gain an entry. By chance he makes the acquaintance of & comic actress, who helps him to gain entry into a studio. By good fortune ho manages to be included in a set of extras, but fails to impress the assistant director and is ordered ofE the premises. Penniless, knowing that> he will not be able to get in once he goes, lie decides to, spend the night in'the studio. He is again found by the actress, who previously befriended him, arid she persuades her director to give the boy a,' chance to make a burlesque of a part played by a prominent actor. The boy thinks ho is acting a serious part, but_ when ho witnesses tho screening of his efforts finds that he had made a "slap-stick" comedy and next day is acclaimed tho greatest comedian in pictures. Glenn Hunter enacts the title role and is ably, sunported by Viola Dana as the comedy , actress, ' Other members of the cast Eliot Roth, Charles Ogle, Ethel Wales and Eleanor Lawson. PRINCESS THEATRE. Tom Mix and his celebrated, lony will again appear at the Princess Theatre in their latest William Fox production, "Tho Deadwood Coach," which is to be screened for the first time to-morrow, "The Deadwood Coach" is a story of an outlaw, known as "The Orphan,""who has terrorised tho countryside and to whom all manner of crimes have been attributed. In reality, ho is not a vicious character.- He is the enemy 01 only one man—Tex Wilson, the man who killed his father and caused his mother's death when lie was a boy. "The Orphan" is accused of a murder and Sheriff Shields starts out alone to apprehend him. Suspecting that the crime would be laid to hum. "The Orphan" expects a posse to hunt him down. Using tho keen strategy of a hunted man, he turns a band of warring Indians in the path of his pursuers. Then ho sees a lone white man—tho sheriff—ride into tho trap. He races to his rescue and when tho fight is over ho convinces tho sheriff of his innocence. The sheriff persuades "Tho Orphan" to give up his roving life and become a guard on the Deadwood Coach. It is then that "The Orphan" meets Helen Shields, nicco of the sheriff, and saves her '. from a band of marauders who try to ' hold up the stago coach. Ho wins the girl and pays his debt to Tex Wilson, who turns out to be head of a renegade band, while posing as an upright citizen of Deadwood. TIYOLI THEATRE. Romance and a graphic chronicling of French history are mingled in a picture of remarkable beauty and story value in the Universal-Jewel production, "Love and Glory," which heads tho new programme at the Tivoli Theatre to-mor-row. Tho story reflects the reaction upon tho peasant life of France of the FrancoPrussian War and the First Commune in Paris, and involves a strong love theme of a romance which extends over a period of 50 years. It faithfully reflects the novel, "We Are French," by Perley Poore Sheohan and Robert Davis. Characters in the film play have a range of portrayal from youth to old age and their portrayals show remarkable skill in make-up and a fine appreciation of dramatic values. "The Border Legion," the latest Zane Grey story to be brought to the screen, will be the second feature It tells of the adventures of a young man who sets out to join the "Border 1 Legion," the .most notorious band of outlaws on the border. His fiancee follows to prevent him carrying out his plan, but . herself falls into the hands of the bandit chief. The incidents .that follow include a thrilling raid on a goldmining town arid an attack on a stage coach carrying gold. The story is founded on fact and as stipulated in his contract with Paramount, the author himself supervised the whole production, the scenes for which were photographed on the actual locations described in the book. STRAND THEATRE. Jackie's Coogan's latest production for , Metro, "A Boy of Flanders," will bo the principal attraction at the Strand Tbeatro to-morrow. The picture is said | to present the child star in a role singularly adapted to his talents, while the ' Dutch* costumes which he wears are strikingly attractive. The story is re- ' markable for the wealth of opportunities t for comedy touches and characterisation, I the human interest, the expertness of the [ actinc and the beautv of the sets. A . critic has said: "Jackie's role is exactly j right. As the vagabond boy looked down . upon by the Dutch village lie does not ; have to make any pretence to dignity or . reserve, but can be simply a fun-loving kid, feeling the scorn of the village keenly, j but with the resiliency of youth, forr getting it when he feels like giving vent , to the natural childish desire for fun. Aiding and abetting Jaqkie in most of the fun is that .-wonderful Teddy, the Mack Scnnett dog. Together the' hoy and dog experience trie vicissitudes of life and yet get a lot of fun out of it. They are ono._ of the greatest comedy and human interest teams of human and ani- . mal seen on the screen." - V\ J _ •> . . v - ■. * ■ , ,

HIPPODROME THEATRE. j " One of the most unusual and pecu- j liarly fascinating pictures ever shown on Broadway—one watches in amazement, said the New York Times in reference to " Wonders of the Sea," which will liead the new programme at the Hippodrome Theatre to-morrow. It is a J- E. Williamson production, and the undersea, views weri) taken by means of a special process. This latest of J. Ernest Williamson s under-sea achievements is said to be an amazing and fantastic record of the ocean's depths. Here are sights which no human eyes, except of those who have ventured' to the bottom of the sea, have ever seen before. It is a picture of actual life- and tho wonders of nature such as men have only been able to guess at. Tho under-sea drama takes place in the waters off the Bahama Islands, West Indies, and was photographed by means of the Williamson submarine tube system at a depth of 80ft. The scenes depicted occur when Mr; Williamson and_his master diver, Jack Gardner, have donned diving suits and descended to the depths in an effort to tempt the sea monsters into the open, so that they may be photographed. The divers encounter a strong current against which they have to walk. They proceed toward several caves, investigate old wrecks of ships, and finally encounter the deadly moray, weaving its sinuous path about and under the huge coral reefs. They signal for an iron gaff to be lowered to them from the surface, and succeed in impaling the writhing serpent on its point. This . successful encounter lends them courage and' they investigate more caves. Suddenly Jack's foot slips on a slimy tentacle and ho becomes wedged in the fissure of a rock, held there firmly by the ever-tightening clutch of the slimy arm. For here is the giant octopus, moving along the ocean bottom, and reaching its long deadly tentacles in every direction. Clouds of ink suddenly roll out. Gardner's foot is entangled by tho tentacle, Mr. Williamson struggles to free him. He succeeds, throws off bis weights and sends him floating to the surface. Mr. Williamson follows, and bo*Jf men, released of their weights, ascend through the murky blackness of tho water and reach the surface in safety. This is only ono of the many startling incidents depicted in the film. NATIONAL AND LYRIC. The experiences of a girl who is warned by her doctor that she can live only another year form the theme of the principal- picture to be - screened at the National and Lyric theatres for the first time to-day. "One Year to Live," as it is called, is a First National release, featuring Aileen Pringle, Dorothy Mackaill and Sam de Grasse. The heroine is the maid of a famous dancer and seems to be in the best of health until suddenly she overtaxes her strength. The , doctor renders his startling verdict in the hope thta it will help to emphasise his love for his patient and thereby cause its reciprocation. Tho result, however, is the opposite pf what he desires. ; The scenes are confined to a few rooms in the Latin quarter of Paris, and to the stage and dressing-rooms of a sensational burlesque house in tho French capital. The dances and parties which take place in this theatre-help to keep the action moving at an exciting and exhilarating pace. "New Toys," also a First National production, is the second feature. The picture marks the debut of Richard Barthelmess as a comedian. It is based on a successful stage play and deals with the domestic affairs of a young martied couple. The efforts of a former sweetheart to regain tho husband's love, and the fiasco that results when the wife goes on the professional stage form /the main theme. Tho picture begins as an enjoyable light domestic ccanedy, but a farcical note soon creeps in, With tho attempt of tho wife to mako a career for herself as an actress the action becomes broad burlesque.: Her # false noso is knocked out of shape, she overplays tho role, and finally trips over her skirt and rolls down the steps on to tho stage. Mary Hay, Katherino Wilson, Francis Conlon and Clifton Webb, are in tho supporting cast. HARRY LADDER SEASON, Mr. E. J. Carroll announces that Sir Harry Lauder will open a. season of sciicn nights and two matinees in His Majesty's . Theatre on Saturday evening, Juno 20. The matinees will be hold on Wednesday, Juno 24, and Saturday, June 27, commencing at 2.30. Sir Harry recently completed a comprehensive tour of the East. In India, China, Japan and other coun- j tries of tho East vast crowds gathered to hear him. Since he was last in Now Zealand he has composed two new songs, ■ which ho is expected to- give here. Sir Harry 'will be supported by a company of clever and versatile artists. The booking for the season will open at Lewte R. Eady ,and Son, Ltd., on Wednesday, June 17. EDNA THOMAS. A brisk demand for ' seats has taken ■ place for reserves at Lewis R. Eady and Son, Ltd., where the plan is now open for tho Edna Thomas season, commencing at the Town Hall concert chamber next Saturday for a limited number of nights. Mr. E. J. Carroll, who is pro- • senting Miss Thomas, has always given the public tho Very best of English, j American and Continental importations, and his efforts have received the. heartiest approbation of theatre patrons of this city. The Wellington-newspapers refer to the performances of Miss Thomas in most glowing terms. Ono critic says: " Miss Thomas is so cool and natural and tells the little story about the origin of each song so clearly and sweetly that she creates in her audience a prcpossessive liking before she sings a note. . . Tho impression made was immediately favourable, and encores were the order of the evening." Another critic states: " Miss Thomas possesses a very definito charm of, her own, a charm which is of America and of the South. Her art is not the loss for not being obvious. She illuminates each song with a look and gesture, and her platform manner is . highly embellished." A third critic writes: "Miss Thomas made a deep and favourable .impression on her audience. She is a cultured singer, endowed with a mezzo-soprano voice oi ample range for her purpose, rich in tone, and of a most agreeable quality. . . . The programme revealed Miss Thomas as unquestionably a musician with that most desirable faculty in any singer of entering whole-heartedly into the character of every song." In addition to her songs, Miss Thomas gives a series of street cries ' of the negroes in tho Southern cities, and altogether tho entertainment is described as being piquant, novel and enchanting. The supporting artists include Miss Lucile Lawrence (harpiste) and Miss Constance Piper (pianiste). BRITANNIA THEATRE. Many people were unable to gain admission to the Britannia Theatre, Ponsonby, last evening when the Dixie Coloured Singers made their appearance. The'company gave one of their characteristic programmes, jufcileo choruses and individual contributions by the various members meeting with hearty demonstrations of appreciation from the large audience. A change of programme is announced for this evening when tho Dixie Singers will again appear. The supporting picture series includes " The Guilty One, with Agnes Ayres in the leading role. THE MUNICIPAL BAND, The Municipal Band, assisted by Miss Lois Evans, soprano, and Mr. Arthur H. Ripley, tenor, gave an enjoyable concert in the Town Hall last evening. Mrs. Arthur Ripley acted as accompanist. Items by tho band, under Mr. Christopher Smith, included marches " El Abenioo " (Javaloyes), and " Holyrood " (Alford), and an overture, " The Flying Dutchman " (Wagner). Miss Evans and Mr. Ripley sang very pleasingly "So Thou Seest " (Mascagni), and Gounon's "Night All Too Blessed." Other vocal numbers were "Come Unto Me" (Bellini), by Miss Evans, and "0 Vision Entrancing" (Goring Thomas), by Mr. Ripley*