ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19415, 25 August 1926, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS.

GILBERT AND SULLIVAN OPERAS. Tuneful and picturesque "The Gondoliers," the first comic opera of the forthcoming season, will be presented by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., at His Majesty's Theatre this evening. It took the management over twelve months to organise the present company, and that their efforts have proved brilliantly successful was. proved by the fact that every known reoord was broken during the season in Melbourne recently, and it was generally admitted that never before had the operas been presented to such all-round advantage. Many of the artists who take part in "The Gondoliers' 1 this evening have appeared very successfully in England ,i.n the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, while the others are included among the best artists the Australian stage has produced. A feature of the production will be the full operatic chorus and orchestra, every member of which was engaged in Australia. M. Gust-ave Slapoffski is the musical director. The cast of "The Gondoliers will include Mr. Charles A. Walenn as the Duke of Plaza-Toro. Mr. Leo. Darnton as Luiz, Mr. Sydney Granville as Don Alhambra, Mr. James Hay as Marco, Mr. Lance Fairfax as Guiseppe, Misis Winifred Williamson as the Duchess of .Plaza-Toro, Miss Patti Russell as Gianetta, Miss Mabel Gibson as Tessa, Miss Anna Bethell as Inez. Only three presentations of "The Gondoliers" can be staged, and it will be followed in the order named by "The Yeoman of the Guard," Pirates of Penzance," "The Mikado." "H.M.S. Pinafore," "lolanthe." and "Princess Ida." The productions are staged under the personal supervision of Miss Minnie Everett, Box plans for the season are now open (at Lewis R. Eady and Son, Ltd. NATIONAL AND LYRIC. Described as the most accurate motion picture of the Great War that has so tar been produced, "Havoc," a William Fox production, directed by Rowland V. Lee, will head the new programme at the National and Lyric Theatres tomorrow. Sixteen regiments ,of Eugland, Scotland and Canada were represented in the 300 war veterans who took part in the battle sequences of the film. Replete in all details, these scenes are declared by a corps of war experts who supervised them, to be the most authentic of the kind that have ever been put on the screen. lii addition to portraying the havoc created by war, the scenes show the havoc in men's hearts that is caused by the cruelty of one woman. The story, which was adapted by Edmund Goulding from the play by Henry Wall, tells of Violet Deering, who had been fond of Captain Roddy Dunton, and when the latter returns to London on furlough from France, Violet discards her fiance and becomes engaged to Dick Cbappell. Dick realises it may mean permanent estrangement between himself and Roddy, who is in the same command overseas, yet he consents to take Violet's letter and ring to Roddy when he goes back to his regiment. Dunton, enraged, tries to Dick, but the gun is not loaded. The incident creates bitter enmity between the one-time friends, but because of the exigencies of war they have to maintain outwardly amicable relations. A chance comes, however,-for Dunton to send Dick out on a mission into no man's land that offers little hope of his returning alive. Dunton further seeks to avenge himself on Dick by withholding from his rival the orders to retreat that had come to him from headquarters. This. last perfidous act is discovered, and when Dick is brought in, gassed and blinded, Dunton, rather than face court-martial, commits suicide. Dick finds happiness at last after a thrilling and .unexpected climax The cast is headed by George O'Brien and Madge Bellamy and includes Walter McGrail, David Butler, Leslie Fenton, Eulalie Jensen and Margaret Livingston. "COLLEGE DAYS." Claimed to be by; far Harold Lloyd's best comedy to date, " College Days," his latest success, will be screened at the Princess, Tivoli and Everybody's Theatres for the first time to-morrow. In this picture Lloyd appears as an optimistic college freshman who seeks the laurels of popularity, gaining his views of college life from motion pictures and novels. He' becomes the butt of the college, but in spite of his misguided opinions the youngster has real pluck and spirit. In spite of the jeers of his schoolfellows, Peggy, the daughter of his landlady, falls in love with him arid remains constant. Eventually he learns the truth regarding his status in college circles, but asserting "his own individuality be .wins the most important football game of' the season for the school, arid then has the courage to declare his love for Peggy. The picture is described as a truly refreshing comedy, containing not only an abundance of amusing incidents, but also a large number of tensely dramatic thrills. It is also crowded with new and original " gags" which Lloyd executes with inimitable skill. Lloyd attributes much of his success in comedy to his 1 possession of the determination to win, which is known in an athlete as " the competitive heart." In my anxiety to make the football scenes in my latest picture 'College Days,' as realistic as possible," he says, " I more than once said to myself, ' Be more than yourself.' For'instance, in football practice where I am used as a ' dummy' after the regular ' dummy' had been shorn to pieces, as many as ten men in as many seconds tackled me as if tli6y were springing upon a man in an official game. Being tackled in this manner is nothing to laugh at, I assure you, but I was able 10 emerge from it all through sheer grit and being able to show a ' competitive heart.' Sometimes I thought the coach was trying to 'burn me out.'—to see how much I could stand—but I was rather fortunate in being able to stand up against the entire team. I do not want to appear egotistical in this assertion, hut almost anyone can acquire it if he will only try to be just a ' little more than himself.' Any football coach; would rather have a candidate with nothing but a burning desire to succeed as material to work with, rather than a youth who has beautiful form, but who lacks a ' competitive heart.' " • " ZEEBRUGGE-" The current programme at the Strand Theatre, which includes the famous comedy. " The Kid," at the day sessions, and "Ramshackle House" at the evening session, will be shown for the last time to-morrow. On Friday the principal attraction will be a British film entitled, "Zeebrugge," which tells in screen form the deathless story of the great assault on Zeebrugge on St. George's Day, 1918. The film was made with the'approval and assistance of the Admiralty from official records, and was produced under the patronage of His Majesty the King, being the" only picture which lias yet been granted this honour. It will be shown throughout New Zealand under the auspices of the New Zealand Navy .League, and it has won the commendation -of-the Auckland Education Board. The daring attack on Zeebrugge, which resulted in the sinking of block-ships in the canal, and so rendered the port useless as a base for German raiders and submarines is related with great faithfulness even in the smallest details, and with remarkable realism. The ' assault. on the mole,, the wrecking of the viaduct by blowing up beneath it a submarine laden with explosives, and the sinking of the blockships across the canal in the face of heavy German fire are all clearly shown. At the 2.30 and 8 o'clock sessions the picture will be preceded by a special ballet of national dances, arranged by Madame V-aleska. Music will be provided by an augmented orchestra of 20 performers. Sea songs will be snng by George Martinengo, and the Scottish Band of Pipers will also give items. At the day sessions "Wild Justice," starring the Belgian police dog, Peter the Great, will also be shown.