ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19349, 9 June 1926, Page 10

ENTERTAINMENTS.

EYAN COMPLISIENTAIIY CONCERT A bright programme of music is promised at the concert to be tendered to Mr. John W. Ryan, by the associated Orphans' and Savage Clubs in the Town Hall at 7.45 this evening. Many of the most prominent artists in Auckland have offered their services, and they will render items that will be varied and of a high order. Mr. Harry Hemus writes: "May I be allowed to appeal to all musical and charitable souls to remember tho Ryan benefit concert to-night. To have known Jack was to love him; to have heard ti'xn in the Lyric Quartet —a combination unsurpassed in tho Southern Hemisphere—wn» always a joy." THE "NEW ALADDIN." Tho latest production of J. C. Williamson, Limited, "New Aladdin," will commence a season of eight nights at His Majesty's Theatre this evening. One of the brightest and most amusing entertainments of the year, it is said, 4 New Aladdin" has just completed a most successful tour of the rest of Now Zealand. The cast is said to be particularly good, claiming such well-known comedians as Gus Bluett and Bruce Green, and including Fioie Allan, William A. Hassan, Dave_ Loffman, Reginald Roberts, Roma Phillips and Dorothy Dewer. A number of the scenes are saicl to be magnificent and have beee produced on a lavish scale. Humour is stated to be particularly abundant in a scene depicting Widow Twankey's kitchen,, and when Bruce Green and Gus Bluett give the Grand Vizier a practical demonstration of what "Limited Liability means. Miss Floie Allan will render "Piccaninny Blue" and "Sunny Side Sal," in which she has achieved marked popularity. The box plans are at Lewis R. Eady and Son, Limited. TIVOLI AND EVERYBODY'S. A modern young European prince who discovers that a son of royalty, contrary to the general belief, is not a gentleman of leisure, is the hero of "A Regular Fellow," Raymond Griffith's latest production for Paramount, which will bo screened at the Tivoli and Everybody's Theatres for the first time to-morrow. Actually, the young prince leads an exceedingly busy life, reviewing "parades, laying corner" stones, christening ships and judging baby shows. Ultimately, he attempts to strike for shorter hours and more fun, but is informed that his appointment book is full for months ahead. The only alternative is to run away, and he adopts this course, sneaking out of the castle with a party of tourists. Meeting the heroine among the party, he falls in love with her immediately, but she refuses to believe he is a prince. However, he follows her from place to place, only to be overtaken by his father's prime minister, who hands him an official-look-ing document announcing the death of the king. So the horo returns to the palace, and fidgets through the coronation ceremony, wondering why the girl, who has promised to be present, does not appear. Determined not to remain a king a moment longer than he can help he sets about making his escape from his unwelcome position, and arranges with a notorious anarchist, who has been agitating for years to dethrone him. Once again free, he sets out and wins the heroine. Now that he has the girl of his dreams he believes that his parade-reviewing and uniform-changing days are over, only to discover that he has to do all these things as before in the new position of president of the republic to, which he is elected. Mary Bryan, who appeared as Wendy in "Peter Pan," plays opposite Griffith. The programme will also include a TJniversal-Jewel adaptation of Rex Beach's famous story, " The Goose Woman." Jack Pickford, Constance Bennett and Louise Dresser have the chief roles. The film tells the story of a famous opera singer who loses her voice through the birth of a son. She changes her name, sinking into oblivion and becoming a drink-sodden old woman living on a goose and pig faf-m. A murder occurs nearby and her name is mentioned in-the newspapers. Suddenly, all her old love of publicity returns and she concocts a story which results in the arrest of her own son on a charge of murder. A strange and startling denouement finally results. PRINCESS THEATRE. " A supremely funny farce," says a critic of " Behind the Front," Edward Sutherland's latest production for Paramount which commences its season at the Princess Theatre to-morrow. "Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton," the reviewer continues, " have done finer character bits, but never in their screen lives have they been so constantly, consistently and uproariously funny as in ' Behind the Front.' The first four or five scenes show departing troops to establish the atmosphere, and then the comedians enter the picture and froth there until the final scene they constantly hold the centre of the stage with every inch of film packed with - comedy. It would take pages to tell all the comedy complications. Every scene contains from one to a dozen laughs according to its length. Even the suo-titles are uproars, and when the two comedians get out in No Man's Land and lose their landmarks, charging both the Allied and German lines, their query as to "Whose enemy are we!" almost raises the roof. Everything has been subordinated to the creation of comedy situations, and yet the story is always in mind and the picture is in no sense a series of ' gags ' loosely strung together. It is. a real story, constantly advancing, but advanced in such rapid sequences of comedy as have seldom been seen. And through it all Beery and Hatton never betray the fact that they know they are expected to be funny. They are comedians, not clowns. They are entertaining because they have two supremely funny characters to portray. It does not matter how superior you may feel You can laugh unashamed. Tom Kennedy as the sergeant is a splendid foil, but the rest just happen to be there. They are blanketed by tho comedy pair. : Even pretty Mary Brian is in the background. The play is 99 per cent. Beery and Hatton and 100 per cent, funny." HIPPODROME AND EMPRESS. Tom Mix has an unusual role in " My Own Pal," his latest picture for Fox Films, which will be shown, for a week at the Hippodrome Theatre and three days at the Empress Theatre, commencing to-day. The famous Western actor is cast as Tom O'Hara, an Irishman who deserts his ranch to become a member of the mounted police force while searching for adventure in a large city. Vivacious Olive Borden plays tho role of Alice Deering, niece of the chief of police. She is a lively and thoroughly modern young woman who causes her uncle no end of worry. Tom Santschi, veteran of {"he screen, is her " Uncle August," -who gives Tom his chance on the police force because he has saved his niece's life in a runaway. Little Virginia Marshall has an unusually strong part. She is Jill, the little circus waif whom Tom first rescues and then adopts. She is quaint in her part and her mimicry of Tom's favourite poses and most noticeable traits is laughable. MUNICIPAL CONCERT. A combined concert by the Municipal Band and Mr. Edgar Randal, the actingcity organist, will bo given in the Town Hall next Saturday evening. Among items rendered by the band will be "La Boutique Fantasque," found among the unpublished -ivorks of Rossini. The numbers had been written for tho piano and were probably rejected by the publishers of the period. They were discovered lately and adapted by one of the most advanced of the Italian moderns, Otto Respighi, and have been made an outstanding success. Another fine number by the band will be Eric Coates' "Moresque." Other items will include "Merry of Heart" march, "The Bronze Horse" overture. "Humoreske" (Dvorak), and a grand selection, "Reminiscences of Wales." Mr. Randal will play "March in C" (Wely), "At Twilight" (Stebbins), "Serenade" (Archer) and "Carillon" (Wheeldon). Mr. Drayton Veitables will sing "Oberon in Fairyland" and "Fishermen of England." Booking is at Lewis R. Eady and Son, Limited.

NATIONAL AND LYRIC. Flood scenes -which are said to easily surpass anything of the kind previously shown on the screen aro the outstanding feature of "Tho Johnstontown Flood," a Fox production -which will make its appearance at the National and Lyric Theatres to-morrow. "The flood "sequences," says an Australian critic, "provide tho most remarkable examples of cinematography yet seen in this country. Exactly how they are contrived we do not know, but it is quit© evident that they aro not done as is usually tho case, ■with models. Tho entire town is inundated, and huge buildings swept aside like so much chaff before the oncoming flood waters, which descend the hillside, bringing with them tons and tons of felled timber. These sequences are thrilling and awe-inspiring, and have never yet. been bettered on tho screen. Tho story finishes with a note of tragedy and to a certain extent, in uncertainty. The logical assumption is that the evil makers have gained their desserts. We do not know that the hero and heroine meet each other amid the ruins of the flood, and that all tha other principal characters are saved to appear in a short humorous finalo when man's enterprise and courage has rebuilt the town. For tho flood scenes alono this picture is well worth while." Tho other feature film in the programme will be "The New Commandment," a First National release, starring Blanche Sweet and Ben Lyon. It is adapted from Frederick Palmer's sensational novel, "Invisible Wounds." It is a society drama, the plot of which is laid in New York, Paris and, finally, in a military hospital. There are a number of thrilling scenes when the Paris police pursue tho hero and heroino after a fight in a cabaret. Tho scenes in tho cabaret are produced on an almost extravagantly lavish scale.