ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19101, 20 August 1925, Page 13

ENTERTAINMENTS.

" CHARLEY'S AUNT." Commencing at His Majesty's Theatre to-morrow evening, the Charley's Annt Comedy Company will present Brandon Thomas' world-famous play, " Charley's Aunt," for a season of eight nights. " Charley's Aunt" has several qualities that are unique. It ran for five years when first produced in London about 40 years ago. Since then it has been revived every year, and large audiences find plenty to delight and amuse them in the whimsical, fantastic, love errors of a group of 'exceedingly likeable English folks. " Charley's Aunt " is a play for ail time and the dialogue is as witty iind as human to-day as ever it was. The characters will be in the hands of a very fine cast, including such well-known players as Miss Clarico Warner, Charles Archer and Warren Ward. Special attention has been paid to the scenic and lighting effects. Those who have seen the play can well testify that there is not a dull moment in tho three acts. An orchestra of eight instrumentalists will play tho incidental music. The box plan for the season is now on view at Lewis R. Eady and Son, Ltd. TIVOLI THEATRE. The programme at the Tivoli Theatre will bo changed to-day. James Kirkwood, who has tho leading role in " Secrets of the Night," the Uni-versal-Jewel production which heads the now programme, is an actor of 18 years' experience on the speaking stage. He began his screen career with the Biograph company, and besides being an actor, he is also a director of some standing. Kirkwood has the part of a man who is willing to sacrifice his life so that his insurance can be used to prevent ruin to the bank of which he is president. But he fails in his efforts to induce any one of the bank directors to shoot him. Featured with Kirkwood is Madge Bellamy, and the cast as a whole contains some of the most famous players, including Zasu Pitts, Rosemary The by, Tom Wilson, Tom S. Guise, Tom Ricketts, Joseph Singleton, Otto Hoffman and Arthur Stewart Hull. Herbert Blanche directed this screen version of Guy Bolton and Max Marcin's Broadway success " The Nightcap." Special endeavour was made to have the screen version not only duplicate the action but, in so far as is possible, the atmos- j phere and illusion of the stage production. The story tells of the terrifying happenings that create consternation to a number of persons assembled at a week-end party in the mansion of the president of a bank. Wierd noises come from closets, from stairways and from the garden. A malign influence possesses the guests and there are quarrels that threaten permanent breaks between long-time friends. Then strange forms are detected in the semi-darkness, but shadowlike they vanish before the very eyes of the searchers. Uncertainty is at its height when there comes the sound of a shot and the body of the host is found in the room of one of the women guests. While the resultant investigation is under way, tho body disappears and then a series of serio-comic events lead up to a dramatic climax. A Paramount attraction "Tomorrow's Love," featuring Agnes Ayres, will also be screened. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. Tho Paramount film version of Ethel M. Dell's popular story, "The Top of the World," will conclude its Auckland season at Everybody's Theatre this evening. On to-morrow's programme " Forty Winks," described as a " screamingly funny" Paramount comedy will be the chief attraction. The story tells how Lieutenant Gerald Hugh Butterworth, a scion of an illustrious family, one night drinks more than is wise and it victimised by an Oriental girl, who is a tool of the Butterworth family lawyer. The Lieutenant awakens the next morning in a cheap hotel room, minus his keys. but. finds a garter. He is dumfounded at first, but cannot find an important navaJ document which had been entrusted to him. He faces court-martial and disgrace, if the paper is not recovered within 48 hours. Lord Chumley, an affected young Englishman, comes to the office. He is engaged to Gerald's, sister, Eleanor. While there, he inadvertently arouses the suspicions of the superior officer who puts two detectives on his trail. In the meantime, at the Oriental girl's apartment, she is showing Le Sago, the lawyer, the document she obtained the night before. He leaves it with her for safe keeping. The lieutenant meanwhile returns home and tells his father. The old man suggests that there is one way to save the family honour. The garter is placed in the library safe and that night Lord Chumley gets it, although followed by detectives. In his escape, he comes across a little dog wearing the mate to the garter as a collar. He follows the dog to the apartment of the Oriental girl and through a clover ruse secures the I document. When the lawyer hears of this !he determines to kidnap Eleanor. He tells her the documents are on a yacht, and they set out for them in a speed boat. Lord Chumley follows, and a desperate fight makes a thrilling climax. Raymond Griffith, who will be remembered for his comedy work in " Miss Bluebeard," has tho leading role, PRINCESS THEATRE. Shirley Mason is declared to have one of the finest opportunities of her career in "Scandal Proof," her latest Fox starring vehicle, which opens at the Princess Theatre to-morrow, since her rolo runs the entire gamut of emotions. The story is an original one by Charles Konyon, and the picture was directed by Edmund Mortimer. Playing the double role of Grace Whitney and Enid Day, Shirley Mason is first placed in settings more gorgeous than she has over enjoyed, and then she is placed in the contrasting circumstances of a nurse girl. The story is that of a woman who, although wrongfrlly accused of crime, is willing to accept the blame when the happiness of the man she loves is at stake. She is rewarded 'for her sacrifices by eventual happiness, following a series of heart-rending trials. In the cast with Shirley Mason are John Roche as leading man, Freeman Wood and Hazel Howell as villains, and others, including Frances Raymond, Ruth King, Joseph Striker, Billy Fay and Clarissa Selwynne. The second feature is "I'he Grey Dawn," a Selznick picture, adapted from a popular novel of the same name by Stewart Edward White. The story, which was first published in a weekly magazine, deals with happenings in tho early history of San B'rancisco. QUEEN'S THEATRE. "Ridin' Pretty," a Universal comedydrama, with William Desmond as the star, heads the now programme commencing at tho Queen's Theatre tomorrow. It is a story of six cowboys who find thomselves in a big city (San Francisco), where ono of them, the character personated by William Desmond, is tho heir to a fortune left him by his undo with the provision that he spends a year in his uncle's mansion, provided with servants and attendants. It is in this mansion that tho cowboys find themselves early in the story. There is a love story involving Desmond and a pretty conspirator allied with his cousin to defraud him of his inheritance. Ann Forrest has tho part of the pretty conspirator, who repents of her bargain with the cousin and flees after hor cowboy lover. Knowing what she had tried to do he asks her to marry him. The second attraction is "The Brat," a Metro release, featuring Nazimova. DIXIELAND CABARET. Dixieland Cabaret is providing a series of special attractions this week in celebration of tho visit of the American Fleet. The afternoon sessions proving very popular. In the ovening the cabaret, with its pleasing music and numerous novelties, has been heavily patronised. This evening an " Idaho Night " will be held. Dancing will be continued until 1 a.m. There will be a variety of special features.