ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19871, 15 February 1928, Page 15

ENTERTAINMENTS.

• •• :: ~ ..... sr ~ | "TIP TOES." At His Majesty's Theatre to-night thd' J. C. Williamson, Limited, management will present their New Musical Comedy Company, of 70 specially-selected artists, in the initial New Zealand production of the latest London and New York musical j comedy success, "Tip Toes," which enjoyed record seasons in Sydney and Melbourne, where it ranked second- in popularity only to "Rose Marie." A fall lighting and scenic rehearsal took placo yesterday under the direction of the producer and in the presence of Mr. E-. .T. Tait. To-night's production will signalise the reappearance here of a number of well-known and very .popular musical comedy artists, and it will witness tha debut of a number of English apd Continental stars, including the famous international dancers, from the Fclies Bergere, Paris. These are Josephine Head, Albert Hugo and Mdlle. Ramon a It is said that "lip Toes" is the brightest entertainment the J. C. Williamson management has ever, sent to New Zealand. R. Barrett-Lennurd won his way to popularity by his effective work in "Frasquita" and "Katja," and so did Cecil Kellaway, who is regarded as tha finest character-comedian who haS ever appeared in Australia. Miss Thelma; Burness, and Miss Bvrl Walkeley also scored successes in 'Tip Toes" in Australia, aud so did Mr. Ley land Hodgson, the brilliant young baritone, who ksfe appeared here successfully in "Leave It To Jane." Mr. Roy Russell, a well-known London artist, will make his first appearance this evening, and Gaorge Welsh. will make a welcome reappearance. During the season of 10 nignts "Queen High'" will also be staged. HIPPODROME THEATRE. The official film of the recent Heeney-c Sharkey heavy-weight boxing contest, which gave rise to great newspaper controversy in America, is at present being shown at the Hippodrome Theatre. Although the referee declared a draw, ringside critics stated Tom Heertey, the New; Zealand boxer, had won. .The film shows every incident of the sensational encounter jj round by round, -with the knock-down of Heeney in the eleventh shown by slow- | motion photography. The thrilling finish, where Sharkey was almost knocked-oilt and was saved by the bell, i;> seen clearly in every detail. A second attraction will | be Tom Mix's latest Fox Films production, "Tumbling River," a thrilling West- jg ern story ctf the depredations of a band of cattle thieves among the ranches of Arizona. Mix, with his marvellous horse Tony, gives a great performance of riding and daring feats, while the strong supporting cast includes Dorothy Dwan» William Conklin, Wallace Mac Donald and j Harry Gripp. LOCAL INDUSTRIAL FILM. A film, produced locally by New Zealand Radio Films, Ltd., depicting life and work in the Pukemiro coalmines, is a short picture distinctly out of the ordinary. It was given an advance screening at the Regent Theatre yesterday and will be released shortly. Apart from the ! interest associated with the filming of in- * ; timate scenes; of a great industry, the film, has considerable worth on account of some excellent photography. The majority of scenes were taken underground, in A shaft which thrusts itself two miles into the earth. In these, some excellent effects have been obtained. The film has been well nroduced and is anything; but stereotyped. It was from Buch Email beginnings that the motion picture industry sprung. NATIONAL AND LYRIC. Described as a poignant story of life from a mother's point of view, " Whit« Flannels," which heads a double-featara programme at the National and Lyrie Theatres to-morrow, is laid in a small mining township. The story concerns "Ma Broska, who lives in a poor quarter, but has seen many college men during her work as a washerwoman. Their neatlytailored clothes, their anhardened hands, their careless jaunty ways, even their speech so different from that which ahd lias been accustomed to hear, fill her with! the determination to send her son to college, whether ho will or not. Frahk Broska, played by Jason Robards, is ai boy who likes his work. He loves a viK lage girl, and has a friend, a miner, too* rough-and-ready as himself, But his mother wills that all this be changed. She learns, when almost too late, that education is not necessarily of schools, and thati it takes more than what she calls " whita flannels " to make a gentleman. Louise Dresser, Virginia Browne Fair® and W5-' ner Richmond are the chief supporting players. A second attraction will ' a "Spoilers of the West," in which the leading role is filled" by Tim McCoy, the popular Western actor.